Fred couldn't believe Rodney had insulted the military, especially with John and Ronon sitting right there. However, she couldn't help but to burst out laughing at John's retort, and when she felt the mental nudge, she raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's kind of fixed," she said before giving Rodney a sheepish look.
"What do you 'it's kind of fixed'?" Rodney demanded to know.
Letting out a dramatic sigh, Fred walked over to the machine and placed her hand on it. "When Ronon shot it, something happened. Now only people with strong ATA genes can operate it. That means you'll have to hold down whoever you're using it on, and John will have to operate it," she said before frowning a little. "I'm sorry, Rodney. But you'll probably going to die but, hey, you'll die a hero!"
Rodney's eyes went wide and he stared at Fred for a long moment as she stared back. Finally, his eyes narrowed. "Oh, haha, Fred! Shooting something doesn't make it extra...Ancienty!"
"Ancienty?" Jeannie asked with a snort.
"John's word, not mine," Rodney muttered before he tossed his tablet to the side. "I'm going to lunch."
Everyone in the room started to laugh as Rodney waved them off and left the room.
"I think lunch is a good idea," Sam said before she pursed her lips. "How about a picnic in the atrium by the family quarters? We haven't used it yet and it might be nice to be outside for once. I know all of us have been working pretty hard."
"Sounds good to me," Daniel said. "Ronon and I will gather the rest of them."
"I'm there," Jeannie said before she looked at Tim. "It'll give us a chance to tell all of you our news."
Fred raised her eyebrows, wondering what was going on but decided to just wait. Instead, she tugged at her husband's hand. "Lets go before Rodney takes all the red jello just to spite me," she said.