Fic: Chase the Morning {3/37}
Chapter Two: Atlantis
Date: March 26, 5 A.I. [2005]
Location: Atlantis Base, Colorado
The “short” trek promised by Sheppard turned out to be the greater part of two miles through the forest, ending at a broad lake. Jess looked around, confused. ‘Okay, I don’t mean to sound stupid or anything, but where the hell is Atlantis?’
‘Wait a sec,’ John said, and withdrew a remote from one of his pockets. He pushed one of the buttons, and a squat cylinder of a spaceship appeared on the bank of the lake, taking Jess by surprise.
‘What on Earth is that?’ she asked, a look of awe on her face.
‘We call it a Puddlejumper, or Jumper, for short.’ McKay piped up. ‘The U.S. government found it a couple of months before the Invasion; no one knew where from, of course, but that changed after Atlantis.’
As he was talking they boarded the Jumper, Sheppard taking the pilot’s seat and Teyla the co-pilot’s. The door closed and sealed with a hiss, locking them inside. With barely a shiver of movement, the Jumper lifted off and then slid into the lake a few meters out. The Jumper made its way through the water, descending at a steady rate and then leveling off about fifty feet down. ‘You’ll get your first view of Atlantis soon,’ Ronon said, startling Jess. It was the first time he’d spoken the entire trip; Jess and Anora had introduced themselves to the others, but only Teyla had gotten into a conversation with them, and the Tok’ra had enjoyed talking with the other woman.
‘What?’ Jess asked, looking through the viewscreen. ‘Where?’
‘There.’ Teyla said, directing Jess’ gaze to a spot some five-hundred yards in front of them. Resting on the lake bed in a deep underwater valley was a geodesic dome made up of some sort of thick blue-green crystal that blended in with the murky lake water around it. Jess wouldn’t have even noticed it if there hadn’t been a shimmer of blue-white light flickering momentarily across the surface of the dome.
That’s beautiful. Anora said, her voice hushed. It’s amazing.
Yes, it is.
‘How- Where did this come from?’ she asked in awe as John maneuvered the Jumper through the shield and into an airlock. The effect of the crystal outside reminded Jess of looking through a thick pane of frosted glass, where only the faintest hint of shapes could be discerned. The water level within the airlock dropped, and when it was empty, an inner door opened and the Jumper flew into the dome proper.
A magnificent city lay before them, buildings spiraling up to a few meters below the arch of the dome. It was shaped like a snowflake; six arms radiated from a central spire rising above them. John piloted the Jumper towards the main spire and hovered for a moment over a flat roof that retracted when he hit a button on the Jumper’s control console. They slowly descended into a vast room where other Jumpers sat inactive but ready for transport at any time.
‘Welcome to Atlantis,’ John said, shutting down the Jumper. ‘To answer your earlier question about how Atlantis exists, we’re not entirely sure about it ourselves. The dome was found in ’97 by divers mapping out the lake bed, and the government immediately took away their findings and paid them to keep quiet. As far as we know, they were killed in the Second Wave.
‘Anyways, the government sent an exploratory team down in a sub and managed to get inside somehow. Atlantis was going to be a safe house for the President in case of terrorist attacks, but after he was killed, it became a sort of refuge for scientists from all over the world- those who had survived, anyways. We’ve been here for about two years now, and conduct periodic sweeps of the area to keep an eye on the Wraith, which is how we found you.
‘Any questions?’
‘Yeah,’ Jess said as they left the Jumper and headed into the hanger bay. ‘Two things: what’s the dome made of, and where can I get a shower and clean clothes?’
John smiled, one corner of his mouth quirking up in amusement.
‘We don’t know, to answer your first question, but our best guess is some kind of crystal. It looks opaque from the outside, but it’s completely clear on the inside. It’s covered by a forcefield that holds back most of the pressure. As for your second question, I’m sure we can figure out something.’ He said. ‘Teyla, why don’t you help Doctor Connor with that, and then meet us in the infirmary? If I know Carson, he’ll want to check her over.’ John nodded at the two women. ‘See you soon.’
‘This way, Doctor Connor,’ Teyla motioned to their left as they exited the Jumper Bay.
‘Please, call me Jess. I haven’t been called Doctor for five years. It’s going to take a while to get used to hearing that again.’
‘Very well.’
‘Out of curiosity, where are you from, Teyla?’ Jess asked as they headed towards a nearby bathroom that was equipped with a shower.
‘Athos. It is a small island in the Caribbean, near the Virgin Islands. I was on vacation here in Colorado when the attacks occurred.’ Teyla responded, pausing briefly at a supply closet to retrieve some clothes that were Jess’ size. The Texan nodded, taking in the information.
‘And Ronon?’
‘He is from Sateda, a country near Fiji. Here are the showers.’
‘Thank you,’ Jess said, taking the clothes- a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants- from the Athosian with a smile. ‘For everything.’
Teyla nodded, a small smile on her face. ‘You are welcome, Jess. I will wait out here until you are finished.’
Before Jess could protest, Teyla had opened the bathroom door and gently ushered her in, handing her a towel as she went. With a soft pneumatic sound, the door closed in front of Teyla, leaving Jess and Anora alone.