InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "pop goes the weasel"

Dr Meredith Rodney McKay (dr_rodney_mckay) wrote in lostcity,
@ 2008-03-18 20:31:00

Entry tags:

carson beckett, elizabeth weir, john sheppard, rodney mckay, ronon dex, teyla emmagan, todd the wraith

Wraith Calling
Who: McKay, Todd, Sheppard, Ronon, Beckett, Weir, Emmagan, Open!
What: Todd sends Atlantis a message
Where: Control Room
When: March 18, 2008 -- 07:20 Atlantis Standard Time
Rating: TBA
Status: Incomplete

Rodney yawned and stretched as he waited for the diagnostic he was running on the 'Gate to finish. He was the only one in the control room at the moment, Chuck having gone to use the loo, when the computer announced an incoming wormhole. A moment later, they recieved SGA-7's IDC and a radio transmission.

"Atlantis, this is Captain Gero, do you read?" a calm voice said. Well good, it didn't sound like an emergency, even though that team had only left about twenty minutes ago ...

Rodney pulled up the image on the screen. "Ah, yeah, we read you, Gero. What's up?"

Gero's face was bland, but Rodney had the disticnt impression that the younger man was rolling his eyes mentally. "The people here say that a Wraith came recently and left a message for Colonel Sheppard. Didn't kill anybody, either -- in fact, he left them a sack of food, supposedly as payment for their cooperation. They say that they've talked to traders who have been to other worlds where a Wraith of the same description has done the same thing."

"Well, what's the message?" Rodney asked, curious -- and worried that it was Michael. With any luck, it was a wraith negotiating for the release of Schorin -- let him be someone else's problem.

Gero bit his lip. "The message is for Colonel Sheppard, sir."

Rodney rolled his eyes out loud. "Oh for pete's sake, Captain -- these villagers know the message, yes?"

Gero pursed his lips, then nodded. "They say this Wraith wants to propose an alliance of some kind, something to do with Dr Beckett's retrovirus. He said he would be back to see if we leave an answer. We choose the place and time to meet, and we should feel free to come as armed and in as many numbers as we wish -- and expect that he will do the same. His only condition is that Sheppard and Dr Beckett both be present."

Retrovirus? great, it probably was Michael. "Peachy. Stay on the line, Groening, and I'll get Sheppard in here."

"Gero, sir."

"What?"

"My name -- it's Gero, sir."

"Fine, fine," Mckay sighed, and turned away, tapping his radio. "Sheppard, I need you in the control room."

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ltcol_sheppard
2008-03-20 04:39 pm UTC (link)

"So, you want me to spy on her?" Ronon asked as he engaged Sheppard in a series of strikes and parries, forcing the Colonel to act fast or risk a blow to the head from the Satedan's wooden practice sword.

"No, no," John said as they broke apart, trying to catch his breath. "I'm just saying talk to her. That's all."

"Why?" Ronon asked in twirling his sword around like some sort of demented super samurai.

"Because, she won't tell me and I'm just curious. That's all," John said in walking over to pick up his towel and wiping his forehead with it. "I know she's got her eye on someone, I was just wondering who," he shrugged in tossing the towel back down on the bench.

"Does it really matter?"

"No, not really," John nearly squeaked as he narrowly ducked Ronon's overhead swing.

The sounds of wood striking wood came rapid fire as the two men sparred furiously in the gym. Compared to the bantos sessions with Teyla, those with Ronon were fiece, unpredicatible and unforgiving; where as Teyla was more cool and calculated.

"All I'm saying is," John said as their encounter ended with each man on the opposite side of the gym, "If she hadn't been so damn elusive about it, I wouldn't be so..."

"Nosey," Ronon offered.

"I was thinking of a different word."

"Do you tell us everything that goes on in your personal life?"

"Well... no."

"Okay then."

"I hate it when you're the sensible one," John said as he and Ronon squared off.

Again, it was a quick exchange. John countered, parried, faked left and went right -- right into body shot to his midsection which caused him to double over followed by the hilt of Ronon's practice sword colliding with his chin.

John saw little birdies flying around his head as he lay on his back on the gym floor.

"Sheppard? Sheppard?" John heard a voice calling him. "You okay? How many fingers?"

"Twelve," he groaned. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said as he took Ronon's outstretched hand and was helped up. Funny thing was, he still heard someone calling him in a teenie-weenie little voice.

John shook his head, to disperse the birds and ward off his stupor.

Radio, he then thought in having a eureaka moment.

"You know, if you practiced as much as you talk..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," John said in waving Ronon off, going back over to the bench to retreive his radio from his gym bag.

Pulling the tiny unit out, he tucked it around his left ear and tapped it to respond. "What's up Rodney?"

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dr_rodney_mckay
2008-03-21 04:06 am UTC (link)

"The team that went out this morning just dialed in -- Captain Geronimo says that there's a Wraith who's been leaving calling cards all over the galaxy, trying to get in touch with you. You might wanna come down here and talk to Geraldo. Oh, and could you bring a cup of coffee? I'm out. Oh, and chocolate chip muffin! I'm starving, and Chuck's not here at the moment, so I can't leave."

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ltcol_sheppard
2008-03-21 04:59 pm UTC (link)

"Gero," John corrected as Rodney continued without missing a beat. Although he didn't know why he bothered since Rodney would promptly forget again anyway. Case in point, "Geraldo."

"Really? There's a Wraith looking for me -- personally?" John asked in glancing over at Ronon who was putting away the practice swords, giving the Satedan a semi-impressed shrugged. "Guess they finally realized I'm more of a threat than they thought," he said full of puffed up bravado and smiled smuggly.

Ronon snorted in derision and came over to stand beside Sheppard. If someone, especially a Wraith, was gunning for his CO and friend, it automatically became his business.

"What am I McKay, your errand boy? Buck up and suffer through it. Tell Gero to sit tight, I'm on my way," John announced in grabbing his bag and heading out the door with Ronon right behind him.

It wasn't much longer that the two men were jogging up the stairs to the Control Room.

"Okay, what's up?" John asked as he walked over to where Rodney was near a vid screen, pulling a Power Bar out his bag and tossing it to McKay. "Give me a sit-rep Captain."

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dr_rodney_mckay
2008-03-21 05:54 pm UTC (link)

Rodney scowled when John told him to buck up and suffer. The radio was already switched off, but that didn't stop him from mumbling to himself. "Oh nice, Sheppard! I'd do it for you, and you're not even hypoglycaemic! Don't come crying to me if the city falls apart because I'm in a coma!" Well, probably not, but only because Rodney was a very busy man most of the time. He was the type to bring donuts for everyone if he happened to be stopping at the mess anyway, though. Well, so long as there were enough donuts to go around. Well, okay, he really was just bringing plenty to make sure he had as many as he wanted through the day, but he didn't begrudge people taking any unless there was only one or two ... okay, or three left. But he had brought Zelenka coffee plenty of times! Of course, it was in his own best interest to keep his staff well-caffinated ....

He was still scowling when Sheppard and Ronon arrived, then immediately brightened when Sheppard through him a power bar. It was even his favourite flavour! But powerbars were dry eating. "I don't suppose you've got some water on you at least?"

Gero stood at attention when Sheppard's voice came over the radio. "Sir, the villagers here report that a small squadron of Wraith arrived three days ago. They didn't cull or even attack anyone, though they did bring their stunners to bear. Their leader asked them to give 'the one called Colonel Sheppard' a message if they could, and gave them food as a token of good faith. Like I told Dr McKay here, they apparently want to form some sort of alliance in regard to development of Dr Beckett's retrovirus. We choose the time and place to meet, and bring whatever reinforcements we see fit -- and they'll do the same. He said they'd be back every three days to see if there's been a reply. Oh, and the leader apparently said to remind you that he 'could have kept the life he took from you, but gave your years back to you' -- he 'hopes that you will see that the Wraith, too, are as varied as humans, with a potential for trust and honour.' The villagers describe him as having a star-like tattoo around his left eye. Sound familiar?"

Rodney boggled. "I thought you were talking about Michael!" It just figured that the grunt wouldn't give him the whole message .... "So what did you name this one, Sheppard?"

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ltcol_sheppard
2008-03-21 06:55 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, in the bag," John replied dismissively as he listened to Gero's report.

It all sounded very out of the ordinary and he cast a glance at Ronon. "You ever hear of Wraith doing something like this?"

"No," was Ronon's curt and simple reply.

"Thought so," John commented, expecting at much.

He chewed his bottom lip absently as he contemplated the meaning behind the Wraith not culling anyone and giving the villagers food as he waited for the shoe to drop. And when it did, it wasn't something he expected.

"The retrovirous?" he pressed his mouth together as he had a sinking feeling, his thoughts automatically turning to Michael.

Then the other shoe dropped and John's eyebrows shot way up his forehead.

"That sounds like...," Ronon started to say.

"Yeah, it does," John finished for him. "Well, this is unexpected," he commented and nodded an affirmative. "If it's who I think it is, yeah, I know him."

"Okay, Captain, remain on the planet and complete your mission. I'll contact you later regarding the message to relay to the villagers. But if things start going south, get your team through the gate ASAP. Sheppard out."

"I don't like it," Ronon announced. "It could be a trap."

"That's always a possibility," John confirmed. "But we need to inform Elizabeth and discuss a plan," he announced and turned to McKay.

"I didn't have time to name him, Rodney. I was too busy with the whole life sucking and escaping thing," he said some mild annoyance as Chuck returned to the control room.

"Sergeant, notify Dr. Weir, Dr. Beckett, and Teyla to meet us in the conference room," John ordered in motion for his team members to follow and started to walk off before hesitating for a moment. "Oh, and have someone send up some doughnuts, muffins, and coffee," he added just for McKay's benefit and headed across the way to the conference room.

"Yes, sir," Chuck complied and went about fulfilling his duties in notifying everyone as well as arranging for the requested snack and beverage items.

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dr_weir
2008-03-21 07:49 pm UTC (link)

"It seems you've gotten popular, Colonel. Do we know what this Wraith wants? And why he asked for you, specifically?"

Dr. Weir was seated amongst the others in the conference room. Being in this room always made her stomach tight, not surprising given the circumstances. What was surprising is that the feeling was still with her even after all they'd been through.

Elizabeth had only gotten a briefing on the matter. All she knew was that a Wraith "phoned-in" specifically for John. It wasn't something that happened every day. Then again, was anything that happened around here something would happen everyday?