Fic: Chase the Morning {26/37}
Part Two: Sanctuary For All
Chapter One: Network
Date: August 28, 7 A.I. [2007]
Location: Old City Sanctuary, Old City, B.C., Canada
Nikola sighed, one hand rubbing at his temple while the other was paused in mid-air, holding a whiteboard marker in its slender fingers. He contemplated the board in front of him, the complex mathematical symbols marked out in solid black ink against the stark white of the surface he'd written them on. The conclusion of the equation eluded him at the moment, so he decided to take a step back and take a break. Perhaps the forced interruption would prove to be the catalyst he needed to complete his current work.
Nikola set down the marker on a nearby table, putting the cap back on the felt-tipped end with a sharp pop as the lid snapped back into place, and then letting it rest on the gently scarred and pitted surface of the wooden table. He ran his fingers over the tabletop, idly tracing the whorls and patterns of the wood grain before stepping away and retrieving the ever-present bottle of wine he habitually kept near him as he worked and the appropriate glass from which to drink. Opening the wine bottle, Nikola poured a measure of the liquid contained within into the glass and then recorked the bottle, setting it carefully down before taking a small sip of his wine.
The bittersweet tang of the drink rolled across his tongue as he idly examined the whiteboard, his blue eyes tracing over each symbol and integer written upon it. After a few moments' contemplation, Nikola put down his wine and went back to work, setting off into the wondrous world of mathematics once more. He emerged after what seemed like a short time to him, but a glance at a nearby clock proved that he’d been absorbed in his work for a solid three hours. Nikola blinked, only just now feeling his body’s demands that he eat something and use the restroom. He took care of the latter, washing his hands in the basin located there, idly staring at the mirror as he did so.
When he finished his ablutions, Nikola headed towards the pantry, not quite sure what he was going to eat. He never reached his intended destination, however, because the Big Guy stopped him as he passed through the main foyer on his way to the kitchen.
‘You’ve got a conference call in ten minutes.’ He said, one hand nearly engulfing Nikola’s left shoulder. Nikola sighed.
‘Damn. I’d forgotten. Thanks for reminding me.’ Nikola made his way towards the main staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. He skidded to a halt outside of what used to be Helen’s office, tugged the wrinkles out of his shirt, and then entered the office, attempting to project a calm and collected air. As if on cue, five of the seven computer monitors set on the tables arranged within the office turned on, each displaying the face of a Sanctuary leader over a highly secure connection that the Wraith couldn’t detect. Nikola stepped into view of the monitors and their respective cameras, making sure he could be seen from each vantage point as he did so.
‘Welcome,’ he said, smiling slightly. ‘Thank you for joining me today. I called this meeting because I’ve recently received some rather exciting news. As you know, Will Zimmerman and Henry Foss set out in June to go on what appeared to be a wild goose chase in Colorado, but it’s actually borne some very interesting fruit. They met up with one of our associates from the L.A. Sanctuary, Doctor Peter Kavanagh, while in the middle of what used to be called the Rio Grande National Forest, according to our maps. Now, for the past six years, Doctor Kavanagh has been living there, though he was initially reticent to talk about where, exactly, he lived. I think you’ll find it very interesting indeed when I tell you about it.’
‘Then do so, Doctor Tesla,’ Señora Sofia Huertas, the leader of the Mexico City Sanctuary, said briskly. ‘Not all of us are gifted with as long a lifespan as you.’
Nikola chuckled softly, but shrugged. ‘Very well. Doctor Kavanagh lives in Atlantis.’
There was silence for a few seconds, as everyone processed what Nikola had said, and then a babble broke out, voices overlapping one another.
‘What do you mean, “Atlantis”?’
‘Is he insane?’
‘How can you be sure?’
Nikola held up a hand. ‘Please, calm down.’ He said, his voice stern. ‘Will and Henry have been there. Have any of you heard of the Ancients?’
‘Which ones?’ Doctor Michael Roberts, the head of the Sydney Sanctuary, asked dryly. ‘’Cause there’re quite a few “Ancients” out there.’
‘I have.’
Nikola turned in surprise to look at the monitor displaying the leader of the Denver Sanctuary, Doctor Adele Tobin, who bit her lip gently at the scrutiny but continued on.
‘Back in ’97, before I started working here at the Sanctuary, I worked at Cheyenne Mountain.’ She said, fidgeting slightly in her chair. ‘I was an physicist there, working with what at the time was classified as Deep Space Telemetry. That was a cover story, of course; hell, most of the folks at NORAD had no idea what we were doing several stories below them.’
‘And that was?’ Roberts asked impatiently.
‘Going to other planets, actually.’ Tobin said without a trace of irony. ‘There’s this device called the Stargate, or Chappa’ai, as the Tok’ra prefer to call it, that allows instantaneous travel via a stable wormhole to a connecting Stargate on another planet, and the SGC- Stargate Command- ran it. I’m not sure if they’re still around, though. The Ancients are the ones who built the ‘Gate network, so it’s not hard for me to believe that they had a hand in building the lost city of Atlantis.’
‘Only, it’s not so lost, now is it?’ Nikola said with a quick grin. ‘The leaders of Atlantis and the SGC- Yes, it’s still active; apparently, it has been for the past ten years- are going to be joining with us on a conference call much like this one in a few days. They’ve agreed to hear our terms of alliance, and hopefully, we can convince them that working with us is going to be the best thing in the long run for all of us. If we can make this work, maybe we’ll be able to take back our planet.’
Silence followed his comments, and then Huertas spoke, carefully choosing her words. ‘And if they do not choose to join us?’
Nikola shrugged. ‘Then we’ve simply been made aware of one another, and have a chance to be potential allies in the future. I’d prefer, of course, that they do join us; there’re a few near-human Abnormals on Atlantis and in one of the villages allied with them that I’d like to speak with, Doctor Kavanagh included. If I remember right, his and his wife’s talents proved to be quite a boon to us in the area of negotiations and whatnot when the Network was active. Does anyone know if Sasha Kavanagh survived the Los Angeles attack?’
‘I’d have to check my records, of course, to be sure,’ Tobin said thoughtfully, ‘But we did get a small group of people from L.A. a few years back; I’m not sure if she was among them, but most of them are still here.’
‘Good. Please check; I’m sure that he’d be overjoyed if his wife were alive, and we could certainly use their talents at the negotiations.’ Nikola replied, smiling once more. ‘Now, the conference call is set for three days from now; there’ll be representatives from the SGC and Atlantis, if I remember right. Draw up a list of questions and proposals to discuss, if you would. I’ll be doing the same, of course. I’ll talk to you all soon. Tesla out.’
Nikola terminated the link, using his control over electricity to turn the monitors and cameras off. He sighed, running his hands through his already mussed hair in thought.
‘Well, that went better than I expected.’ He said to the empty room. ‘ Right, then. Time to get lunch.’
He left the room, turning off the light and shutting the door behind him.