Title: The Key to Atlantis
Author: Psalm 136
Rating: T for minor swearing and action.
Author's Notes: I wanted to repost the first chapter to explain some things. I retitled the story, and rewrote the summary. When I first started this story, I meant to focus mainly on the two OCs I came up with, but the plot ran away from me, so basically, there are two plots: what happens with Makran and Tallis, and the threat to Atlantis.
Chapter four, I believe, may seem rather awkward and oddly written, and possibly unnecessary. I wanted to show that the Earth explorers wouldn't just allow someone to live there; they would need to be questioned and such.
In the latter chapters, starting around chapter ten, please remember that I am juggling several different plots, along with a few budding romances, so each section may feel choppy and weird, but I am doing what I can.
Anyway, thank you for listening and remember to review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or any of the characters.
"Sheppard, when I say the planet's probably perfectly safe, I'm talking only a twenty or thirty percent chance that the Wraith have culled it and taken up residence there. That's seventy or eighty percent safety!"
Strangely enough, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard was not comforted by Dr. McKay's words. He wandered from the column he had been leaning against to look over Rodney's shoulder. On his laptop was several images taken of the planet. The Gate was in the middle of an evergreen forest. The climate seemed mild, and the planet was in the middle of spring. The Atlantis expedition had been watching the planet for several months, and there had been no sign of the Wraith. There had also been no sign of people.
Dr. Elizabeth Weir's arrival was announced by the light clacking of her low heels against the floor. Both men looked up as the door to the conference room shut behind her. She smiled in greeting and was soon followed by Teyla and Ronon.
"Shall we begin?" Elizabeth asked, and John took his seat next to her. Teyla lowered herself gracefully into a chair and Ronon remained standing, ever the protector, ready to launch into battle. "What is the status of MXP-328, Rodney?" She turned her attention to the Canadian scientist.
He swelled with smugness as he pushed his laptop and the images over to Elizabeth. "Despite what flyboy over here thinks, the planet has been Wraith-free for the five months we have surveyed it. I have gone over the data we received and the climate and the atmosphere is better for us than Earth is." He rubbed his hands together. "As chief scientist, I say we check it out. Maybe there's someone we can trade with. With a planet like that, I'm sure they have some great food. Maybe a perfected form of lasagna?" He asked hopefully.
"McKay, some people are actually here to study and examine these other planets." Sheppard reminded him dryly.
Teyla smiled at Elizabeth, leaning forward slightly. "What is your decision, Elizabeth? From what Rodney has told me beforehand, there is no reason not to go. It seems like a peaceful planet that has passed under the eye of the Wraith." She looked up at John when he huffed in an almost childlike fashion. "Is there anything about the planet that disagrees with you, Colonel?" She asked calmly.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and turned to look at John. "Yes, Colonel, you seem almost adamant about not stepping foot on the planet. Why?" She inquired. Her question was merely a question, and held no malicious or accusing undertones.
Sheppard shrugged, leaning back in his chair, surveying his team. "I'm sorry, it's just when Rodney mentions percent chances about Wraith, it just doesn't give me warm fuzzy feelings on the inside." He refrained from smirking as McKay scoffed.
McKay folded his arms over his chest, absolutely put out that not everyone had complete trust in his obviously amazing skills as a scientist. He knew exactly what he was talking about, whereas, in his opinion, Sheppard was just an undereducated, trigger-happy flyboy. "You know what your problem is? You're absolutely threatened by my prowess as a problem-solver. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to save your cocky flyboy behind because you just go forward, guns blazing, full steam ahead, without any sort of thought to the consequences of your actions!" He snapped in return.
John raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. "And I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to save your arrogant ass because you've offended the natives and almost gotten one or both of us shot!" He returned, frustrated.
"They are always going to shoot us anyway!" Rodney was about to go on, but Elizabeth broke on.
"If you two are quite finished?" Though her tone suggested it was a question, the way her eyes flashed, asserting her authority wordlessly, insisted it was not. John and Rodney gave her slightly sheepish nods and looked away. "Thank you, gentlemen." She shared an amused look with Teyla who smiled. "I see no reason not to check out the planet. Colonel Sheppard, your team is cleared for Gate access." Elizabeth used Rodney's laptop to access the day's schedule. "You are free to leave now, if that is acceptable."
Colonel Sheppard sighed and nodded. "That'll be great, Elizabeth. We ready to go?" He looked over his three teammates. Teyla and Ronon nodded, but McKay seemed frantic at the time constraint.
"Of course I'm not ready! I know you wouldn't understand the time it takes to put all the equipment together, but it's not like I can sprinkle some fairy dust and clap my hands, and everything will be ready!" He looked about ready to faint. "Not to mention we have to pack all of our food supplies. I mean, what if we get cut off? It's not out of the realm of possibility for us, considering our luck in the past months!" He turned his attention to Elizabeth. "Are you sure we couldn't wait an hour?"
Elizabeth's voice clearly showed the amusement her schooled mask would not let out. "Weren't you the one that was so ready to get the research on the road? I'm sure Dr. Zelenka can help you get everything together in ten minutes." She tapped her radio. "Zelenka, this is Weir. Prepare everything Dr. McKay will need for research on MXP-328. Thank you, doctor."
Rodney, however, was not placated by a message to the Czech scientist. "Radek will probably mess everything up. I'll be at the Gate in twenty minutes unless he's already started some sort of catastrophe when I leave him alone for five minutes." He mumbled to himself as he stormed out of the conference room.
Ronon nodded to his team leader. "I'm ready to go, Sheppard."
John gave him a wry smile. "And that's why I like you, Ronon."
"I will see you at the Gate, Colonel. I must retrieve my weapons and a few other things." Teyla stated as she stood up. "Unless I am needed?" She turned slightly to look at Elizabeth.
"No, thank you, Teyla." Elizabeth smiled at the Athosian woman, who was possibly the sanest out of the entire team, and therefore, her favorite. Not that Elizabeth Weir, one of the most talented diplomats, would ever play favorites. Of course not.
Ronon followed after Teyla, and John and Elizabeth were left alone in the conference room. Maybe it was just John's imagination, but the atmosphere was suddenly much more tense, and he almost shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. A long, silent moment passed, and he met her eyes. His stomach fluttered, and he cursed the hold she had over him. His feelings for her were dangerous; if any enemy of theirs discovered she was his weakness, then terrible things were headed her way. He refused to acknowledge his feelings and admit them aloud, even to himself. He couldn't, though he didn't know why.
"All will be well, John." Elizabeth assured him quietly.
"Yeah, that's what you always say." He rubbed his neck. "And we end up getting in a lot of trouble."
She exhaled in amusement. "I suppose that's true. But I'm sure you will all be all right, as usual. Your team has an amazing ability to get into the worst trouble and somehow come out better for it." Her amusement faded into seriousness, and she stood up, pausing to collect her thoughts and try to eradicate the nagging notion that Sheppard's eyes had somehow softened as they were fixed on her. "I have only the strongest faith in you and your team, John. Just don't anger any natives, or let Rodney get too close to any untested Ancient technology, and I would advise taking Carson with you."
John chuckled as he stood up. "I don't think the good doctor will appreciate being forced to go off-world on such short notice." He commented, suddenly captivated with the way her almost curly hair bounced as she stood up with her usual, stunning grace.
"You're right." Elizabeth agreed wryly. "But I am serious." She met his eyes. "Carson is worried that one day, when we agree to trade with a people, their medicines will somehow sicken us all. If you meet any natives, his expertise will be beneficial."
"By beneficial expertise, you mean he can prove our medicines are good for trade by getting me shot by the friendly people's sworn enemies, and then treating me as I bleed over our friends' good carpets?" John teased.
"Exactly." Elizabeth replied, laughter in her voice. "Your team is waiting for you, Colonel." She reminded him.
"Yeah." He suddenly regarded her seriously and almost lost himself in her eyes. "We'll be okay, Elizabeth. Don't worry."
"I know." She smiled sadly and watched him as he left the conference room to get his P-90 and get to the Gate.
Elizabeth Weir was at the handrail over the Gate room long before Sheppard's team arrived. She crossed her arms over her chest and greeted Carson Beckett, the most timely and organized of anyone in the Atlantis expedition, save one almost crazy botanist who could also go days subsisting on only power bars and coffee, giving McKay a run for his money, with a kind smile. He smiled back, but everything from his posture to his quick steps screamed that he was nervous. Carson would do anything for the expedition and for Sheppard and his team, but he did not fancy his atoms being torn apart and then shoved back together. Elizabeth didn't like Gate travel much either, and sympathized with him, but he was the best doctor Atlantis had.
Forcing Carson to go with Sheppard's team had only occurred to her that morning in the shower as she went over her daily schedule. Something that had bothered her for the longest time was the fact there might be something on one of the planets that could infect them. So far, they had been very lucky, but what if, one day, an ally's medicine turned out to be damaging to Earth humans? The thought didn't linger well in her stomach. She needed to talk to General O'Neill about getting more medical staff, even military medical, so an experienced doctor or medic could be out on the field at all time.
And with John Sheppard's luck, there was no chance she was letting them step off world without the best to treat them, and Carson was the best.
"Dr. Weir, are you sure this is completely necessary?" Carson's Scottish accent broke through her thoughts.
Elizabeth nodded as she walked down the steps. "I'm afraid so, Carson. You know what kind of trouble Colonel Sheppard can get into, and he was mentioning this planet didn't sit well with him, and I trust his instincts."
"So do I." Carson sighed and accepted that he was going off world.
"Talking about me behind my back, Beckett?" Sheppard asked with his usual bravado as he sauntered into the Gate room. "I don't think I appreciate it, unless it was something good."
"Don't worry, Colonel," Beckett's blue eyes twinkled with mirth. "It wasn't."
"Well now, I'm just hurt by that." John replied as Teyla and Ronon entered the room, side by side as usual, Rodney trailing behind, on his laptop and muttering scientific jargon to himself. "We'll see you when we get back." He faced Elizabeth seriously, and they met each other's eyes calmly as they always did before he left. It was his moment to make peace with himself and the fact that he might never see her again. It was a constant; every time he walked through the Gate, he accepted it might be his last moment with her.
"Godspeed." She answered, as was her custom. "Be careful."
"Have you known me to be anything less than careful?" Sheppard asked, and if one didn't know him well, he appeared to be completely serious.
"Yeah." Ronon spoke up, a smirk pulling at his lips as John looked over his shoulder.
"Thanks." He snarked, and then looked back at Elizabeth. "See you." With that, he turned around and walked through the Gate, trying not to think about how his entire being was being ripped apart, only to be put back together.
Teyla, Ronon and Rodney followed at Sheppard's heels, already assuming their positions. Carson lingered as he took one last look at Atlantis. Unlike Sheppard, Carson was a doctor, and wasn't used to coming to terms with his own mortality. As cruel as it was, part of him was accustomed to seeing death around him, but he wasn't used to realizing he could die within the next few hours. However, Dr. Beckett knew he had some courage in him, perhaps not in the spades John, Teyla or Ronon had, but it was something. He would do what he had to, and he wouldn't complain.
"Goodbye, Carson." Elizabeth gave him the smallest of smiles.
"Don't say that, Elizabeth." Carson muttered, his eyes downcast as he adjusted the P-90 he held. "Don't bloody say that." He repeated as he turned and walked through the Gate. Not that he thought she was saying goodbye, in case he fell in battle. He always got the strangest feeling that when she said goodbye to him, his molecules would somehow not reassemble correctly.
Elizabeth took a deep breath and let it pass through her lips, and she refused to dwell on thoughts of the team that had just left the Gate. Instead, she turned her mind towards the work she had left to do. She needed to confer with Dr. Zelenka on the matter of their newest alliance with an amphibious people, and she had an appointment with one of the botanists, who were going crazy over their new find. She had several revised treaties to sign off on, if they met her strict approval, and she had a report to prepare for the IOA. The Daedalus would be coming to Atlantis within the next month and there still were a few things on her list that she needed to add to Atlantis' next supply order.
Still… she looked over her shoulder once, indulging her always fearful thoughts that one day, Colonel Sheppard's team wouldn't step back through the Gate with some horror story to tell her, that one day, she would not feel the warmth of Teyla's presence or see the dedication in Ronon's eyes. She worried that someday, Rodney would no longer be there to offer his extensive knowledge or to annoy them, which kept the entire expedition sane. She was scared of the idea of not having Sheppard there to help her lead.
No. She couldn't keep letting these thoughts flit around her head unchecked. He was her second-in-command, and the military leader of Atlantis. There were so many reasons why they shouldn't be together, but Elizabeth Weir, though she had a nice little 'Dr.' to put at the front of her name, was still an insecure teenage girl on the inside who was attracted to the reckless flyboy who never looked more at home than he did in Atlantis.