Stargate Universe: Ascension

Chapter 7

     Rodney McKay was in his glory. He had been working in the city of Atlantis for over half a dozen years, and never had he seen such a beautiful site. Standing in the main power room, he slapped Zelenka on the back with a smile on his face that no one could take away. For the first time since they took over the station so long ago, there were three full charged Zero Point Modules, known to everyone else as Zed P.M.s powering the city. After all the hard work they provided along with countless others, the city was finally close enough for him to declare fully functional. McKay hit a button and beamed with pride as the last Zed PM fired up and connected with the other two to hum in perfect harmony. There were about a dozen other scientists and engineers in the large room who all applauded the moment, the station had never been more read and more able to defend Earth from possible attacks.

      Zelenka walked over to one of the control panels and did a quick reading. "All three modules are holding and are well within parameters, Rodney."

     "Of course they are." Rodney said without hesitation as he began to stalk the three modules and watch them, just to confirm it with his own eyes. Suddenly the room became too small for the senior scientist's ego and many people began to clear the room after all the hoopla and move on to other assignments that required their attention.

     Zelenka was used to the ego, and didn't even notice the comment as he continued to monitor the panel. "Did you want to go for lunch and give the modules a chance to stretch their legs?"

     "I'm not hungry at the moment." Rodney said, not even turning back. He wanted to make sure nothing went wrong, and turning his back on any of them just wasn't an option until he was completely satisfied that all modules would be all right. He had been waiting for so long, ever since the station was in the Pegasus galaxy. Now that it was a defence station on the moon, he was still determined to make sure that Atlantis was fully prepared for any threat that might come earth's way. His own paranoia of death had made him a very efficient worker, and that wasn't lost on General Carter, who had been exaggerating Earth's possible intergalactic threats to get him to move a little faster. Based on the finished product, her strategy worked.

     "Maybe if I were to bring lunch here?" Zelenka offered. "That way we can keep an eye on them as long as possible?"

     Rodney paused for a moment. "What's for lunch today?"

     "I was just going to grab some sandwiches and salads." Zelenka replied.

     "All right." Rodney replied. "Grab me an egg salad if there's one left."

     "There usually is." Zelenka replied as he left the room.

    Rodney didn't even notice him leave and his friend was the last to leave the room. It was just McKay and his three glowing little friends. Rodney didn't really think about Zelenka and lunch at all, and continued to pace around the modules as if they were his new born babies in a nursery and he was their nervous father. He didn't even notice someone else was in the room until he was spoken to.

     "Hi there." A voice called out.

     Rodney was startled not only because it he never heard the door open but also because it was a voice he couldn't recognize. "Have you ever heard of knocking Mister, because I…" McKay stopped mid sentence when he realized who had arrived. Eli Wallace was behind the control panel that Zelenka had been working over, sitting down and looking them over himself. "Eli?"

     "I'm flattered you remember." Eli replied. "After all we only met once."

     "How did you get in here?" Rodney asked, "Better yet, why are you no longer on Destiny?"