Title: Overload

Author: Lorr

Genre/Rating: Drama

Characters: Sheppard, Beckett, McKay, Weir, Ronon, Teyla, minor Lorne

Disclaimer: The Stargate universe and characters belong to a whole bunch of people that are not me. I'm here to play.

Spoilers: I don't think so.

Note: This takes place sometime during season 3 before Sunday. Reviews are always appreciated. Please be honest. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it.

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"Will he be ready?"

"I believe so."

"Believe so?"

The two men looked through a small window into a brightly lit room. One, of indeterminate age, was dressed in a very expensive dark suit. The other, an elderly man, wore a white lab coat. The room could easily be mistaken for the interrogation room in just about any police station in the country. It was small and furnished with a table and two chairs. It was also soundproofed.

Two men sat in the chairs, opposite each other. A middle-aged man dressed in a lab coat, sat with his hands folded on the table. He was calm, even emotionless. Facing him, a younger man slouched with his head bowed down. His eyes were almost closed, trying to avoid the light. He was listless. His hands and forearms rested flat on the table and he leaned on them for support.

"I told you, he's been very difficult. So much so, that I had to push the treatment well beyond safe levels."

"Safe? I take it you're joking."

"No, I'm not joking. I don't think he'd be much good to us if he were comatose or dead. We're taking a lot risks with him. I just can't absolutely guarantee that he'll do it. As I said, he's been the most challenging…" Lab coat paused. "Are you sure I can't have another day or two, just to be safe?"

"We gave you all the time we could arrange. That's why we sent the boy. He has the equipment and can make sure things go according to the plan."

"I'm sorry to lose him. He had a promising future."

"I know, but it was the only way."

"There was no trouble getting him in?"

"No. They have people transferring in and out on a regular basis now. We got him in on the last rotation. They needed a substitute. One of the techs assigned to go had an accident that will keep him out of action for a couple of months."

"Good. It's such a waste, though. I would have loved to have seen it."

"Me, too, but it can't be helped. The risks are just too great." The dark suit turned to leave. "You have 36 hours."

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Elizabeth was working late, as she often did. The Gate room and ops were quiet at this time of night, so she was able to get more done, significantly more. She didn't even notice the Marines leaving the floor below. To be honest, she rarely noticed their presence any more unless they were needed. The quiet patrols weaving through the area were now part of the wallpaper.

The lights going down indicated anything was amiss. The emergency lighting came up. She hurried out of her office to find the two on-duty technicians standing at the railing, looking down. The entire Gate room was in shadow. It was also the middle of the night, so almost no light penetrating the windows. She glanced out and saw the entire city was darkened then looked back down to see a figure standing near the Gate.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked to two technicians. They had returned to their stations and were frantically typing on laptops.

"Don't know, Ma'am." One responded. "We're locked out. Nothing's working."

She blinked as her eyes became used to the gloom then started down the stairs. The figure was suddenly familiar. "John? What are you doing?"

He shook his head and mumbled something she couldn't catch. It was only when she got to the bottom of the stairs that Elizabeth could see his left hand was on the small console first raised by Helia on her arrival in Atlantis such a short time ago. She jumped when the emergency alarm started to blare loudly.

"What are you doing?" She raised her voice in an effort to keep a growing fear out of it.

He was watching her even though he did not take his hand from the ATA pad on the console.

"I have to." He was barely audible over the alarm.

"John, what's going on?" She hurried to where he stood.

"Stop," Sheppard said as his right arm jerked up. It held his pistol and the weapon was pointed at her. His voice was almost unrecognizable. It was distant and strained. "I have orders. Turn around and take one step backwards to me. Slowly."

Elizabeth did as he instructed. He held the pistol to her back and she felt the muzzle touch her shoulder.

"John, what are you doing?" She tried to look over her shoulder.

"Don't move." The gun pushed gently against her. His eyes flicked up to the technicians. "Turn off the alarm and come downstairs. Make it fast."

The silence was almost like a blow to the body. Moments later, the young men descended.

"Stop." Sheppard halted them at the foot of the stairs. Elizabeth was between them, but he would only need to move his hand a couple of inches to aim the gun at either of the men. "Stay there and don't move."

"John. Listen to me."

"Tell them to stay there." There was something chilling in his tone that left her with no doubt that he would shoot.

"Do as he says." She told them. "What orders, John?"

"Dr. Weir, Col. Sheppard, this is McKay. We've lost power to all systems in the city." McKay's voice on their ear transceivers sounded frantic. "What is your status?"

"John?" She was only marginally relieved that McKay had contacted them.

"Answer him."

Elizabeth tapped her transceiver. "Rodney?"

"Elizabeth? What the hell is going on?"

She licked dry lips and tried to stay calm. "Col. Sheppard has taken control of the city."

"What? How?"

"He's raised the console Helia used, Rodney."

"Why?'

"I don't know."

"What is he doing? Where are the Marines?"

"I don't know, Rodney. He won't tell me anything." She thought she heard pounding and searched the shadows as much as she could without moving. Every door was closed. "I think the Marines are locked out."

"Tell them to stop." Sheppard said quietly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Tell whoever it is trying to break in to stop."

Elizabeth thought as fast as she could. Hoping she could change Sheppard's mind and have him reverse what he had done, she nodded. "This is Weir. Whoever is trying to break into the Gate room, stop immediately."

The faint sound of pounding outside halted.

McKay demanded, "Sheppard? What are you doing?"

"John, please stop."

It was several seconds before he spoke. The edge of strain was more pronounced and he was breathing heavily. "I have to do this. Orders."

"What do you mean?"

This time, he didn't answer.

"Sheppard, what the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up, Rodney," was the Colonel's only response.

"What are you…?"

"Rodney, please!" Elizabeth almost shouted. Something in her voice silenced the astrophysicist.

She knew it was only a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity before the pressure of the muzzle against her back disappeared.

"John?"

"I'm sorry. I had to."

She slowly backed away as she turned. Sheppard was staring at her, his weapon hanging limply at his side. "What have you done?"

"I had to...Orders." He pulled the transceiver from his ear.

Elizabeth heard a click. The gunshot that followed was almost deafening, but it was the sound she heard less than an instant later that made her sick. She shouldn't have been able to distinguish the sounds, but was certain she did. It was the wet thwack of the bullet hitting flesh. It wasn't until Sheppard staggered that she realized he was wounded. His gun clattered to the floor then his knees buckled beneath him.

"No!" She spun around to look back at the technicians. "Ken, put the gun down and come help me. Jeffrey, get the first aid kit."

One of the techs nodded and ran back up the stairs. The other, the one that had fired the gun, was frozen to the spot. He seemed to be unable to move. He stared at the pistol cradled in both hands.

"Ken. Put it down!" Elizabeth shouted as she dropped to her knees next to Sheppard.

The young man shook his head once and quickly brought it up to his temple. Before she could move, the he pulled the trigger.

"No!" Elizabeth said it quietly, knowing it was too late.

Jeffrey stopped at the top of the stairs and stared down.

"The first aid kit!" She yelled at him. He disappeared through the consoles on the ops floor.

"Oh, God." Sheppard grabbed her arm as he fought for breath. "Help me…help me up."

"No. Don't try to move." Elizabeth held him down. He'd slid down to the floor, supported by the console. Leaning on his left hand with the arm locked straight, his right hand clutched a wound low on that side of his chest. Blood oozed between his fingers.

"What was that? What's happening?" McKay's voice was frantic.

"Rodney!" Elizabeth interrupted him. "You have to get the doors open. John's been shot. Ken Richardson shot him then killed himself. We need a medical team in here fast."

"Dammit. I can't. Nothing's responding. He's locked us out of everything. Hold on."

Jeffrey ran down the stairs with a bright orange canvas bag, slowing as he passed the body of his colleague. The pounding on the doors started again, causing the young man to glance over his shoulder. He ran to Elizabeth and Sheppard and dropped to one knee then began to dig through the kit.

"Oh my God, here we go again. "McKay's voice made her jump. "Elizabeth, he's set the ZPM to overload."

"What? How long?" Elizabeth was having trouble understanding the events of the last five minutes. She shook her head and unwrapped a pressure bandage.

"Damn it! Nine minutes, twelve seconds."

"Can you do something?"

"I don't know. Like I said, Sheppard's locked us out. He crashed almost all systems and scrambled the access codes. How the hell…"

"Does it matter?" Zelenka's voice asked.

"Yes! No. Wait. No, no, try that." She heard McKay yell at someone else. He paused again. She could hear frantic typing on keyboards. Finally, he spoke to her again. "Elizabeth, we don't have enough time. I don't think an entire day would be enough to unscramble this mess."

Sheppard made an effort to straighten and pushed his transceiver into Elizabeth's hand.

"The orders. They…said…Wraith coming. Listen"

"Rodney, can you remove the ZPM?" She was desperately trying to think.

"No, we can't even get to it. He's sealed the doors leading to every strategic area in the city. Damn! I don't believe it."

"Keep trying." She shook her head as she took the transceiver. "John, what orders? There were no orders."

"Listen." His voice cracked.

Elizabeth held the transceiver to her ear and listened. She stared at him in confusion. "John, it's just static!"

"No, isn't. Help me." Sheppard swallowed hard. He tried to move on his own when she hesitated. "I…can stop it!"

His thin black T-shirt and lightweight trousers soaked up relatively little of the blood seeping through his fingers. He was already sitting in an expanding pool that appeared black in the dim light.

Elizabeth quickly unrolled the bandage. "You're going to bleed to death. Let us get this on you first."

"Hurry." He ground out between clenched teeth then groaned as Jeffrey leaned him forward. Elizabeth quickly wrapped the bandage around him and tied it off.

"We need to get him up."

"Yes, Ma'am."

She took one arm and nodded at him. Jeffrey grabbed his other arm and they lifted him, both certain he would pass out before they could turn him to face the console. He groaned loudly as they moved.

Sheppard clung to the console, the blood he stood in making the floor slippery. A cold sweat formed over his entire body and the room started to spin lopsidedly. His blood smeared the surface of the console as he moved his hand to the ATA sensor. He leaned on it and closed his eyes while he tried to catch his breath.

"Hold him!" She adjusted her grip as Jeffrey took more of his weight.

"John?" Elizabeth feared it was too late. He shook his head a fraction.

"What's going on?" McKay's voice startled her.

"John's trying to stop…"

"Are you serious? He's the one who…"

"Shut up, Rodney!" She cut him off.

They waited long seconds that turned into a minute then two. Sheppard was gasping for breath, and it frightened her. She glanced up at the technician. Jeffrey was pale and kept looking back at the body at the foot of the stairs, but he held the colonel securely.

"John?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

He clung tightly to the console.

"What is he doing?" Even though he whispered, McKay's urgent tone startled her. He was not accustomed to waiting for others to do what he considered his job. He was also fearful of what was about to happen.

"Rodney." Elizabeth whispered back. "Wait."

"I can...minute…need minute." Sheppard coughed and fought to stay conscious.

"He needs just a minute." She repeated.

"That's just it. We only have four minutes and twenty seconds."

Each second seemed to take minutes and flew by at the same time. One minute passed, then two. Sheppard suddenly slumped over, no longer able to support any of his own weight. Elizabeth and Jeffrey struggled to hold his dead weight and carefully laid him on the floor. He was barely conscious.

"Má bůh! He's done it!" Zelenka shouted. "Rodney, Col. Sheppard's done it!"

"Yes, yes. I can see that." McKay yelled at Zelenka then lowered his voice to speak to Elizabeth. "Sheppard stopped the overload and released control of the systems."

"Why aren't the doors opening?" She looked from one closed door to the next then around the Gate room. "The lights haven't come on, either."

"He only stopped the explosion. We have to reinitialize everything else."

"Rodney! Open the doors!" Elizabeth shouted at him. She pressed her hand against the bandage in an effort to staunch the bleeding. "John, stay with me. Open your eyes."

Sheppard tried to keep his eyes open, but they knew he was losing the battle.

The astrophysicist was immediately contrite. "Oh, God, yes. I'm sorry. Uh. Done."

Every door on the level opened at once. Two dozen Marines rushed in from different directions. Beckett and his medical team entered with the two gurneys stored near the Gate room for emergencies. The doctor pointed to the body at the foot of the stairs as he hurried past. Two medics stopped there along with three of the Marines. Beckett continued with the rest of his team to where Sheppard lay. Elizabeth and the technician moved back to allow them in.

"Quickly." Beckett didn't need more than a glance at the colonel and the floor around him to know there was little time. It took just a few seconds for the team to check for an exit wound, slip an oxygen mask on Sheppard and get him onto the gurney. They were soon racing to the corridor leading to the infirmary.

Beckett paused in front of Elizabeth momentarily. "Elizabeth, I want you and Jeff to come with me, too."

"Carson…"

"I don't have time to argue. There are plenty of people here to look after things. Now!" With that, he ran after the gurney.

"Go ahead, Dr. Weir. We have things under control." Maj. Lorne stopped next to her.

Elizabeth looked at her hands. Blood dripped from them. Her mind did not want to process the last ten minutes, she wanted to do something, but she nodded and followed the doctor with the young technician.

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Beckett caught up with the gurney within seconds. Dr. Keller was running alongside of it, holding a thick pad of gauze against Sheppard's wound. Blood already stained her gloved hand. They turned into the infirmary and began to work on the wounded man.

"There's a single gunshot wound to the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. No exit wound is visible." Beckett said as they halted the gurney. "He's already lost close to three units of blood, and probably more internally. Hang two units and make sure we have another eight typed and matched."

The radio conversation from the Gate room gave the infirmary time to prepare for Sheppard's arrival. Beckett's staff knew their business and needed little instruction. In seconds, the colonel's clothing was cut away and discarded. A nurse started the blood transfusion while another applied the pads for the heart monitor and an automatic sphygmomanometer, activating both.

She read the screens as the vitals became available. "Heart rate is 118 and BP is 83 over 56."

"Colonel? John? Can you hear me?" Beckett leaned close to Sheppard's face. His eyes rolled open for only a moment.

Beckett turned to the wound and cut away the blood-soaked dressing. Someone held a thick pad of gauze ready. The old dressing was carefully removed, revealing a medium sized hole that immediately oozed an alarming amount of blood. The doctor swore under his breath.

"Doctor, his BP is dropping fast, 76 over 51."

"He's bleeding out. We need to get him into surgery."