Fic: Play Crack The Sky
Title: Play Crack the Sky
Author: Titti
Recipient: maggiebloome
Fandom: SG Atlantis
Pairing: John/Rodney
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: SGA and its characters are copyrighted and trademarked to Sci-Fi and MGM.
Summary: When a new natural force hits Atlantis, John and Rodney have no choice but to watch it happen.
Prompt: Sink the city. I don't care how you do it, as long as it's dramatic and tragic. I'd love for this song to show up thematically because it's got a permanent place on my Atlantis Sinking soundtrack, but if your brain is heading another direction feel free to ignore that. I'd also prefer a John/Rodney pairing but it doesn't have to be explicit and I don't mind if it edges into gen.
Author's Notes: I tried to follow the song as much as I could (including the title which I blatantly stole). I hope it was close to what you had in mind.
"So what's the big emergency?" John asked as he walked down the stairs. He had a perfect view of the stargate and that was about it, because no one even turned around to acknowledge him.
"There's no problem," Rodney answered as he moved from one interface to the next.
"It's quarter past four in the morning, and you woke me up. There'd better be a problem," he answered.
"I didn't wake you up," Rodney pointed out. "Zelenka is the one who woke you up. He thinks there's a problem."
Zelenka turned around and stared at John. "I do not think. There is a problem."
"It's just a storm," Rodney answered, dismissing Zelenka's worry. "It's just some anomaly, a computer error, nothing else."
"Rodney, it is not a computer problem." He sighed, although he was too used to Rodney dismissing everyone's work but his own. "It is… we are not sure what it is, but it looks like some sort of energy field. I am transmitting all the data back to SGC as well." He stared at John for a moment. "It has destroyed one of the satellites in our orbit. We do not know what it can do to Atlantis."
John frowned. It didn't look like nothing to him. "Rodney?"
"Oh, please, we don't even know what's on the other side of this energy. For all we know the satellite is still there," he answered, although he didn't straighten up from his computer. "Besides, the satellite's radius is less than 1,000 km, nothing like this planet."
"So you're telling me that I can go back to bed, right?" John asked.
Rodney finally faced the other man. "You could prepare for an emergency… just in case, not that I'm ever wrong, but I don't want to make Zelenka think that we ignore what he thinks."
John stood for a moment and then nodded. He understood Rodney all too well and this meant that Rodney had no clue what they were facing, but refused to admit it. Rodney hated ignorance; John feared it, because what Rodney didn't know could usually kill them.
By five o'clock, the city was buzzing with preparations for the unknown. Their jumpers were being stocked with food, water and medical supplies. Emergency kits were being distributed, together with bags of food and canteens of waters. Everyone was preparing except for the scientists who were working under Rodney and Zelenka, trying to obtain as much information as possible.
"Anything?" John asked as he got closer to Rodney. He figured that waiting for a whole hour showed extreme restraint on his part.
"There's something in the city's database." He leaned closer to John. "Zelenka was right." The admission cost him, John knew that, but the implications from the admission were even worse. "Even with the shields at full power, we don't think the city will withstand the assault."
"Who exactly is attacking us?" John asked, because he could deal much better when he knew who he was fighting.
"Mother nature," Zelenka answered. "It's a natural force. We do not have them in our galaxy."
"Thank God," John murmured.
"Even the Ancients didn't know how this energy force is created," Rodney explained. "It comes out of nowhere, slams through everything in its path and then it just ends from the look of it. Then again, since there are rarely survivors, it might explain why we don't know how it ends."
"So how do we avoid this?" John pressed on.
"We don't," Rodney said. "There's no way to stop this, John. Our best bet is to use all the jumpers we have, get everyone inside-"
"We'll never fit everyone," John said.
"We'll have to," Rodney explained. "Even if we abandon the rest of the city and concentrate the shields on one small area, we don't think it will be enough. If we go up enough, the distance and the jumpers' shields might be enough for us to survive until the Apollo picks us up."
Zelenka stepped closer. "There won't be anything left after the energy passes through. All land mass will be inhabitable."
John looked between the two men. "Might? You said might. Will the jumpers be enough to protect us?"
The silence that passed between them told him more than words ever could.
Woolsey stepped into the gate room with Teyla at his side. There was a somber expression on his face. John had seen the man transform from a pure bureaucrat to a man ready to face the unknown, but when all the best minds told you that the city would be destroyed, there was little hope.
"Do we have everyone on board of the jumpers?" he asked.
"Yes," John answered. "We've had to dump some of the supplies. There was no way we could take everyone and the food. We'll have to ration food and water. Air-"
"We have three days at most," Rodney put in. If the Apollo doesn't get here by then-" He shook his head.
"Did we get an answer from SGC?" Woolsey asked.
Zelenka shook his head. "We sent the information as soon as we found out, but the energy force was upon us before we could receive a reply."
"They'll be here," John concluded.
"All right, then. Let's get the last people inside the jumpers and have all the jumpers move here." Woolsey looked at the gate. "Another one lost."
"We'll find more," John said, trying to remain positive. As long as they stayed alive, they could find another base, recreate Atlantis. They could and would. "I'll stay here with Rodney and Zelenka. As soon as they're done we'll get inside."
Woolsey nodded. "Colonel, it's been a pleasure working with you."
John smirked. "Don't worry. You'll see me up there in just a moment." He winked at Teyla. "Take care of things until we get there."
"We always do," she answered, smiling. "We'll see you soon." She bowed and then they started to follow the last of the scientists out of the gate room, leaving the three men behind. Zelenka and Rodney sat down, leaving John standing between their two chairs.
John looked at the computer and all the blinking lights. "If you have a solution, Rodney, now is the time. I know you like the last moment's saves, but for once, spare me a heart attack."
Rodney looked up and smiled a little. "Your confidence in me is… warranted since I've saved this city more times than you can count, but there's nothing I can do, John." He pressed a few buttons, before smiling a little. "We have increased the shield capacity of the jumpers and we've come up with a variation that will allow us to draw energy from all the jumpers, basically creating two layers of protection"
John raised his eyebrows. "So, as long as we can be near each other without slamming against one another, we'll be okay. Piece of cake."
Zelenka snorted from his work station, but continued to press buttons for another few minutes, and then both men detached their laptops. "This is it," Zelanka said, looking around. "We've downloaded as much as we could of the ancients' data base.
"We'll be back," John insisted.
Rodney shook his head. "Not this time, John. We're not coming back."
John got into the last jumper. Most of them were already rising from the city, trying to avoid the path of the energy force. John's hand trembled over the command for a moment. It felt wrong to leave and abandon the city. It felt like there was more, a last moment attempt that would save the day. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"There's nothing we can do," Rodney said softly. "We have to go. Now. There's not a lot time."
John nodded once, and then flew the jumper out of the city toward the dark, gray sky. This wasn't what the city was supposed to look like, and he knew that he was being stubborn and irrational, but a part of him still clung to the idea that there would be something back.
A bump made him pay attention again. "It's coming from the energy mass," he said to no one in particular. If this was how it felt when it was still hundreds of kilometers away, he was glad that he wouldn't be in the center of it. "Everyone, hang on tight. We're going to have a bumpy ride." He touched his screen, trying to adjust their altitude and maintain their balance as they pushed past the gravitational field and into the atmosphere.
His heart was beating hard; the sudden rush of adrenaline made him want to do more, face something else. He loved and hated moments like this, but he lived on them. "Is this it?"
Rodney rolled his eyes. "Hardly," he said, as he punched numbers into his laptop. "Even this far up, we are going to feel it. Unless you want us to smash into the other jumpers, I suggest that we get into formation, raise the extra shield and hope that everyone knows how to fly these things."
"Yeah, it'd suck to die because of a simple energy mass after everything we survived," he said, with a sarcasm that was lost on Rodney.
"It'd suck to die at any time." Rodney's attention was still on his laptop, trying to predict the exact trajectory of this unknown force. "I wished there'd been more survivors; we'd have more information. At this point, it's all guess work."
"Why else would we want survivors?" John commented with a tiny shrug and a guarded smile.
"Oh, you know what I mean-"
John chuckled. "Yes, I know, and you can go back to your laptop for another few seconds." He nodded toward the screen. "That thing is moving faster than you said."
"How would you know?" Rodney asked annoyed.
"I'm not a genius, but I know how to judge speed of clouds, thunder. I'm telling you it's moving a lot faster." He opened communication with all jumpers. "This is Sheppard, everyone in position on my mark." Within moments, all the jumpers were carefully positioned, however another surge made the jumper vibrate. John spared a look for Rodney, who was too busy with his toy to look outside. "Activate shield."
"If we do it too soon-"
"Now, Rodney," he ordered, just as another, stronger wave almost pushed the jumper too far off course.
"Yes, all right," Rodney mumbled, but obeyed the order. "Intensity is going to increase steadily. Should start in about-"
A sudden bump caused one of the crates to shift and fall. John concentrated on navigating the jumper. "About now," he said, knowing that it didn't matter when. They would have to deal with this. He had faith in his pilots. They were all trained and knew how to handle a jumper even in these conditions. A quick look at the radar confirmed that everyone was holding in position, fighting the energy waves as they came closer and became stronger. "Are you sure we aren't in the middle of this?"
Rodney shook his head. "Not even close. The utter edge of this thing will touch the planet. We're well above."
"So there's still hope for the city," John said.
Rodney didn't reply. Instead he worked the console and put the planet on screen. "Look at the readings. Even with the shields we activated to protect the city, it's not-" He changed the view, tapping the internal view in the bridge room. Within seconds, the peaceful room changed. The staircase broke off and fell, pieces of the building came crushing down, the stargate fell heavy to the ground, while water filled the room.
"It's sinking," Rodney said softly.
"Lost in the depth of the sea," John said. It was supposed to sound poetic, but it was sad instead.
There was another tremor and then static filled the communication. All the people in the jumper watched in silence, mourning the city, a place that had become home and a friend, almost like a sentient being. They mourned a friend.
Two days had passed since they had witnessed the destruction of Atlantis. Two long days. At first, Rodney had amused himself taking readings of the planet and the air around it, collecting as much data as possible, hoping to help someone else in the future. However, soon enough even that wasn't enough.
The jumper was overcrowded, with no place to move and nothing to do. Life support was operating at a minimum, trying to give them as much extra time as possible while they waited for a rescue. The air was cold, even with so many bodies snuggling closer to each other for extra warmth. Sometime during the past forty-eight hours, Rodney had given up his chair and shared John's chair.
John had his arm around Rodney, while they were both leaning back. He watched his friend, eyes glued to the rise and fall of Rodney's chest, knowing that Rodney had fallen asleep almost an hour ago
"We're going to die."
John looked up. Rodney's eyes were still closed and the words came out with difficulty, soft and slow, ignored by everyone around them. They all had their own worries. "We still have time. You said three days."
Rodney shook his head. "The energy and the shields took too much. We won't-"
"We're not going to die," John repeated.
"Even you can't do anything." Rodney chuckled. "Even I can't do anything."
"I love when you're so modest," John answered.
"Teyla and Ronon- they should have been here with us," Rodney continued.
"It doesn't matter. Their jumper is fine and we'll see them soon." He would not accept anything else. He would not lose so many people under his command, no matter what the circumstances were. "We'll make it."
"If we-"
"We'll be fine."
Rodney opened his eyes and glared at John. "If you stop me again, I'll hit you with my laptop."
John tried not to smile, because if Rodney was risking his laptop, it had to be important. "I'll be quiet."
"There's something I never told you… you're smart, brilliant in your own way. I like that. I-" Rodney covered John's hand and squeezed it. "I hated that 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy your military has. I couldn't put your position at risk, because you were at home on Atlantis."
John couldn't help but stare. He understood the words, but they didn't seem to make any sense to him. "Rodney, what-?"
The other man moved closer and kissed him oh so very softly, lips barely touching. "I like you, Colonel John Sheppard. Is that clearer?"
"No one explains things like you do," John answered with a smile.
"I'm a genius," Rodney said, as he closed his eyes again. "It's cold."
"I know. We'll be fine," he whispered, hoping, wishing that it be true. Hours later as he closed his eyes as well, breathing slowing down, he was still praying that he would get a chance to kiss Rodney again, that this wasn't the end.
Author: Titti
Recipient: maggiebloome
Fandom: SG Atlantis
Pairing: John/Rodney
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: SGA and its characters are copyrighted and trademarked to Sci-Fi and MGM.
Summary: When a new natural force hits Atlantis, John and Rodney have no choice but to watch it happen.
Prompt: Sink the city. I don't care how you do it, as long as it's dramatic and tragic. I'd love for this song to show up thematically because it's got a permanent place on my Atlantis Sinking soundtrack, but if your brain is heading another direction feel free to ignore that. I'd also prefer a John/Rodney pairing but it doesn't have to be explicit and I don't mind if it edges into gen.
Author's Notes: I tried to follow the song as much as I could (including the title which I blatantly stole). I hope it was close to what you had in mind.
"So what's the big emergency?" John asked as he walked down the stairs. He had a perfect view of the stargate and that was about it, because no one even turned around to acknowledge him.
"There's no problem," Rodney answered as he moved from one interface to the next.
"It's quarter past four in the morning, and you woke me up. There'd better be a problem," he answered.
"I didn't wake you up," Rodney pointed out. "Zelenka is the one who woke you up. He thinks there's a problem."
Zelenka turned around and stared at John. "I do not think. There is a problem."
"It's just a storm," Rodney answered, dismissing Zelenka's worry. "It's just some anomaly, a computer error, nothing else."
"Rodney, it is not a computer problem." He sighed, although he was too used to Rodney dismissing everyone's work but his own. "It is… we are not sure what it is, but it looks like some sort of energy field. I am transmitting all the data back to SGC as well." He stared at John for a moment. "It has destroyed one of the satellites in our orbit. We do not know what it can do to Atlantis."
John frowned. It didn't look like nothing to him. "Rodney?"
"Oh, please, we don't even know what's on the other side of this energy. For all we know the satellite is still there," he answered, although he didn't straighten up from his computer. "Besides, the satellite's radius is less than 1,000 km, nothing like this planet."
"So you're telling me that I can go back to bed, right?" John asked.
Rodney finally faced the other man. "You could prepare for an emergency… just in case, not that I'm ever wrong, but I don't want to make Zelenka think that we ignore what he thinks."
John stood for a moment and then nodded. He understood Rodney all too well and this meant that Rodney had no clue what they were facing, but refused to admit it. Rodney hated ignorance; John feared it, because what Rodney didn't know could usually kill them.
By five o'clock, the city was buzzing with preparations for the unknown. Their jumpers were being stocked with food, water and medical supplies. Emergency kits were being distributed, together with bags of food and canteens of waters. Everyone was preparing except for the scientists who were working under Rodney and Zelenka, trying to obtain as much information as possible.
"Anything?" John asked as he got closer to Rodney. He figured that waiting for a whole hour showed extreme restraint on his part.
"There's something in the city's database." He leaned closer to John. "Zelenka was right." The admission cost him, John knew that, but the implications from the admission were even worse. "Even with the shields at full power, we don't think the city will withstand the assault."
"Who exactly is attacking us?" John asked, because he could deal much better when he knew who he was fighting.
"Mother nature," Zelenka answered. "It's a natural force. We do not have them in our galaxy."
"Thank God," John murmured.
"Even the Ancients didn't know how this energy force is created," Rodney explained. "It comes out of nowhere, slams through everything in its path and then it just ends from the look of it. Then again, since there are rarely survivors, it might explain why we don't know how it ends."
"So how do we avoid this?" John pressed on.
"We don't," Rodney said. "There's no way to stop this, John. Our best bet is to use all the jumpers we have, get everyone inside-"
"We'll never fit everyone," John said.
"We'll have to," Rodney explained. "Even if we abandon the rest of the city and concentrate the shields on one small area, we don't think it will be enough. If we go up enough, the distance and the jumpers' shields might be enough for us to survive until the Apollo picks us up."
Zelenka stepped closer. "There won't be anything left after the energy passes through. All land mass will be inhabitable."
John looked between the two men. "Might? You said might. Will the jumpers be enough to protect us?"
The silence that passed between them told him more than words ever could.
Woolsey stepped into the gate room with Teyla at his side. There was a somber expression on his face. John had seen the man transform from a pure bureaucrat to a man ready to face the unknown, but when all the best minds told you that the city would be destroyed, there was little hope.
"Do we have everyone on board of the jumpers?" he asked.
"Yes," John answered. "We've had to dump some of the supplies. There was no way we could take everyone and the food. We'll have to ration food and water. Air-"
"We have three days at most," Rodney put in. If the Apollo doesn't get here by then-" He shook his head.
"Did we get an answer from SGC?" Woolsey asked.
Zelenka shook his head. "We sent the information as soon as we found out, but the energy force was upon us before we could receive a reply."
"They'll be here," John concluded.
"All right, then. Let's get the last people inside the jumpers and have all the jumpers move here." Woolsey looked at the gate. "Another one lost."
"We'll find more," John said, trying to remain positive. As long as they stayed alive, they could find another base, recreate Atlantis. They could and would. "I'll stay here with Rodney and Zelenka. As soon as they're done we'll get inside."
Woolsey nodded. "Colonel, it's been a pleasure working with you."
John smirked. "Don't worry. You'll see me up there in just a moment." He winked at Teyla. "Take care of things until we get there."
"We always do," she answered, smiling. "We'll see you soon." She bowed and then they started to follow the last of the scientists out of the gate room, leaving the three men behind. Zelenka and Rodney sat down, leaving John standing between their two chairs.
John looked at the computer and all the blinking lights. "If you have a solution, Rodney, now is the time. I know you like the last moment's saves, but for once, spare me a heart attack."
Rodney looked up and smiled a little. "Your confidence in me is… warranted since I've saved this city more times than you can count, but there's nothing I can do, John." He pressed a few buttons, before smiling a little. "We have increased the shield capacity of the jumpers and we've come up with a variation that will allow us to draw energy from all the jumpers, basically creating two layers of protection"
John raised his eyebrows. "So, as long as we can be near each other without slamming against one another, we'll be okay. Piece of cake."
Zelenka snorted from his work station, but continued to press buttons for another few minutes, and then both men detached their laptops. "This is it," Zelanka said, looking around. "We've downloaded as much as we could of the ancients' data base.
"We'll be back," John insisted.
Rodney shook his head. "Not this time, John. We're not coming back."
John got into the last jumper. Most of them were already rising from the city, trying to avoid the path of the energy force. John's hand trembled over the command for a moment. It felt wrong to leave and abandon the city. It felt like there was more, a last moment attempt that would save the day. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"There's nothing we can do," Rodney said softly. "We have to go. Now. There's not a lot time."
John nodded once, and then flew the jumper out of the city toward the dark, gray sky. This wasn't what the city was supposed to look like, and he knew that he was being stubborn and irrational, but a part of him still clung to the idea that there would be something back.
A bump made him pay attention again. "It's coming from the energy mass," he said to no one in particular. If this was how it felt when it was still hundreds of kilometers away, he was glad that he wouldn't be in the center of it. "Everyone, hang on tight. We're going to have a bumpy ride." He touched his screen, trying to adjust their altitude and maintain their balance as they pushed past the gravitational field and into the atmosphere.
His heart was beating hard; the sudden rush of adrenaline made him want to do more, face something else. He loved and hated moments like this, but he lived on them. "Is this it?"
Rodney rolled his eyes. "Hardly," he said, as he punched numbers into his laptop. "Even this far up, we are going to feel it. Unless you want us to smash into the other jumpers, I suggest that we get into formation, raise the extra shield and hope that everyone knows how to fly these things."
"Yeah, it'd suck to die because of a simple energy mass after everything we survived," he said, with a sarcasm that was lost on Rodney.
"It'd suck to die at any time." Rodney's attention was still on his laptop, trying to predict the exact trajectory of this unknown force. "I wished there'd been more survivors; we'd have more information. At this point, it's all guess work."
"Why else would we want survivors?" John commented with a tiny shrug and a guarded smile.
"Oh, you know what I mean-"
John chuckled. "Yes, I know, and you can go back to your laptop for another few seconds." He nodded toward the screen. "That thing is moving faster than you said."
"How would you know?" Rodney asked annoyed.
"I'm not a genius, but I know how to judge speed of clouds, thunder. I'm telling you it's moving a lot faster." He opened communication with all jumpers. "This is Sheppard, everyone in position on my mark." Within moments, all the jumpers were carefully positioned, however another surge made the jumper vibrate. John spared a look for Rodney, who was too busy with his toy to look outside. "Activate shield."
"If we do it too soon-"
"Now, Rodney," he ordered, just as another, stronger wave almost pushed the jumper too far off course.
"Yes, all right," Rodney mumbled, but obeyed the order. "Intensity is going to increase steadily. Should start in about-"
A sudden bump caused one of the crates to shift and fall. John concentrated on navigating the jumper. "About now," he said, knowing that it didn't matter when. They would have to deal with this. He had faith in his pilots. They were all trained and knew how to handle a jumper even in these conditions. A quick look at the radar confirmed that everyone was holding in position, fighting the energy waves as they came closer and became stronger. "Are you sure we aren't in the middle of this?"
Rodney shook his head. "Not even close. The utter edge of this thing will touch the planet. We're well above."
"So there's still hope for the city," John said.
Rodney didn't reply. Instead he worked the console and put the planet on screen. "Look at the readings. Even with the shields we activated to protect the city, it's not-" He changed the view, tapping the internal view in the bridge room. Within seconds, the peaceful room changed. The staircase broke off and fell, pieces of the building came crushing down, the stargate fell heavy to the ground, while water filled the room.
"It's sinking," Rodney said softly.
"Lost in the depth of the sea," John said. It was supposed to sound poetic, but it was sad instead.
There was another tremor and then static filled the communication. All the people in the jumper watched in silence, mourning the city, a place that had become home and a friend, almost like a sentient being. They mourned a friend.
Two days had passed since they had witnessed the destruction of Atlantis. Two long days. At first, Rodney had amused himself taking readings of the planet and the air around it, collecting as much data as possible, hoping to help someone else in the future. However, soon enough even that wasn't enough.
The jumper was overcrowded, with no place to move and nothing to do. Life support was operating at a minimum, trying to give them as much extra time as possible while they waited for a rescue. The air was cold, even with so many bodies snuggling closer to each other for extra warmth. Sometime during the past forty-eight hours, Rodney had given up his chair and shared John's chair.
John had his arm around Rodney, while they were both leaning back. He watched his friend, eyes glued to the rise and fall of Rodney's chest, knowing that Rodney had fallen asleep almost an hour ago
"We're going to die."
John looked up. Rodney's eyes were still closed and the words came out with difficulty, soft and slow, ignored by everyone around them. They all had their own worries. "We still have time. You said three days."
Rodney shook his head. "The energy and the shields took too much. We won't-"
"We're not going to die," John repeated.
"Even you can't do anything." Rodney chuckled. "Even I can't do anything."
"I love when you're so modest," John answered.
"Teyla and Ronon- they should have been here with us," Rodney continued.
"It doesn't matter. Their jumper is fine and we'll see them soon." He would not accept anything else. He would not lose so many people under his command, no matter what the circumstances were. "We'll make it."
"If we-"
"We'll be fine."
Rodney opened his eyes and glared at John. "If you stop me again, I'll hit you with my laptop."
John tried not to smile, because if Rodney was risking his laptop, it had to be important. "I'll be quiet."
"There's something I never told you… you're smart, brilliant in your own way. I like that. I-" Rodney covered John's hand and squeezed it. "I hated that 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy your military has. I couldn't put your position at risk, because you were at home on Atlantis."
John couldn't help but stare. He understood the words, but they didn't seem to make any sense to him. "Rodney, what-?"
The other man moved closer and kissed him oh so very softly, lips barely touching. "I like you, Colonel John Sheppard. Is that clearer?"
"No one explains things like you do," John answered with a smile.
"I'm a genius," Rodney said, as he closed his eyes again. "It's cold."
"I know. We'll be fine," he whispered, hoping, wishing that it be true. Hours later as he closed his eyes as well, breathing slowing down, he was still praying that he would get a chance to kiss Rodney again, that this wasn't the end.