Fic: Chase the Morning {15/37}
Chapter Three: Found
Date: September 16, 5 A.I. [2005]
Location: Atlantis Base, Colorado
‘So, you have found our Doctor Connor?’ Teshryn was asking when Radek hurried into the Lab, his lab coat flaring out behind him as he rushed through the door.
‘Yes, we have.’ Said the woman projected in the flat image floating vertically six inches above the ALC. ‘Or at least, we think we have. She’s Tok’ra as well, right?’
‘Yes,’ Radek said, coming to a halt next to Teshryn. ‘Is she alright? Can we talk to her?’
‘Ah, Doctor Zelenka. It’s good to see you.’
Radek leaned forwards and realized that it was Doctor Marni Wallace, one of the other engineers of Atlantis; or at least, it was her alternate counterpart. He could see a little ways into the room behind her, which mirrored the lab he was currently in. There was a sudden disturbance at the doorway that made Wallace turn around in surprise. Radek thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of Jess’ face before she was wreathed in the blue-white energy of a Wraith stunner, making her crumple to the floor with a surprised cry.
‘What’s going on?’ Radek demanded, his voice snapping out. ‘Why did she just get shot?’
It took a moment for the chaos on the other side of the transmission to calm down, what with three Marines coming and standing over Jess’ prone form and all, but eventually Wallace turned back to the ARC.
‘She wasn’t supposed to come into these labs.’ She told the onlookers. ‘We-’
‘Look,’ Rodney interrupted, his tone brisk. ‘Wake her up and just send her back home, that’s all we’re asking. If our calculations are right, all she needs to do is touch the ARC, and then everything will be alright.’ He turned and motioned at one of the nearby scientists. ‘Go get Carson and Keller.’ He snapped, and when the scientist looked hesitant, growled, ‘Now, Roraen! Don’t make me say it again, or you’ll be assigned to cow duty for a week!’
Roraen scurried off, wanting to get away from Rodney’s anger as quickly as possible.
‘I don’t know if-’ Wallace began, but Rodney cut her off.
‘Let me talk to your supervisor. No, better yet, go get your McKay, Sheppard, and Weir.’ He said, his tone brooking no argument. Wallace nodded and left, disappearing out of sight. The three Marines had restrained Jess while Rodney had been talking, propping her up against a nearby table and keeping their stunners trained on her, just in case. Radek watched her, so wanting to just reach out and get her. It took all of his willpower not to do just that, and it was an agonizing five minutes later that he saw her rouse from the effects of the stunner. When she woke, Radek could tell instantly that it was Anora in control; the moment her eyes opened, her body language was closed off and tense, quite unlike Jess’ more fluid and open mannerisms.
‘Anora?’ Radek called, garnering the attention of those in the room with him, as well as those with Anora.
‘Radek?’ she turned the best she could, looking for the source of his voice. When she saw his image floating over the ARC, a big grin formed on her face. ‘Radek, it’s you. That’s fantastic! Look, could you convince them to let us go? We really want to get home and-’
She was cut off when Weir, Sheppard, and McKay came into the lab. None of the three batted an eye when they saw Radek’s image floating in thin air. Weir stepped forwards.
‘You said you wanted to speak with us?’
‘Yes, we did.’ Rodney said, moving closer to the ARC on his side. ‘Look, all we want is for Connor over there to come home, safe and sound. As I was telling Doctor Wallace, what we think needs to happen is for Jess to simply touch the ARC and then she’ll be transferred back to our reality.’
‘It’s that simple?’ McKay asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rodney nodded. ‘Yes, we think so. It can’t hurt to try, now could it? If it works, everything goes back to the way it was.’
‘And if it doesn’t?’ Sheppard inquired.
‘We’ll figure something out.’ Rodney said stoutly. ‘Now, all we need to do is have Connor touch the ARC. Untie her and bring her over.’
Sheppard motioned for the Marines to release Anora, who gracefully got to her feet once the zip-tie handcuffs had been cut off. She made her way to the ARC, pausing for a moment before reaching out a hand.
‘Well, here goes nothing.’ She muttered, and firmly placed her hand on the ARC.
There was a flash, and then the world went white.