season one episode one & two ; rising . . .
part two . . .
ancient outpost . . .
antarctica . . .
earth . . .
the milky way . . .
march, 2004 . . .
Back in the outpost, Rodney managed to heard Carson back to the Control Chair, but he was anything other than compliant with Rodney's wishes.
"Look, we've been through this. I'm not your man." Carson complained.
"Keep moving." Rodney pushed him towards the Chair.
"I'm a doctor. A medical doctor."
"There's nothing to be afraid of." Rodney said with ease, and Carson scoffed.
"You don't understand. I break things like this."
"This device has survived for millions of years intact. It will survive you. Now, sit down, close your eyes, and concentrate." Rodney said insistently and Carson sighed, frustrated, but gave up and sat down in the Chair. After barely a second he shrugged, clearly frustrated, and started to get up.
"Again, nothing." Rodney signalled for him to stay seated, exasperated.
"Okay, this time just try to imagine an image of where we are in the solar system." Carson looked sceptical, but reluctantly closed his eyes and concentrated.
"I think I feel something." Carson opened his eyes warily. "It could be lunch-related."
"Shut up. And concentrate." Rodney said, annoyed now and Carson grimaced, but complied and closed his eyes again in concentration. Suddenly the chair lit up and shoved backwards, and Carson opened his eyes, mouth agape in obvious surprise. In the outer chamber where Peter was working on the drone it suddenly activated, catching the scientist by surprise as it started flying around the chamber, causing destruction as it goes and sending Peter to the floor to avoid being hit. Rodney and Carson stared in shock and horror at it, people diving out the way as moved wildly throughout the chamber.
"Watch out!" Someone yelled as the drone found the elevator shaft and flew up it, passing the elevator and burst out to the surface.
"What did I do?" Carson spluttered. Inside the elevator, Elizabeth, Daniel and two other expedition members were heading to the surface when the drone rockets past, shaking the entire elevator. Elizabeth looked up in surprise, and yelled out as she kept looking up.
"Get us back down there!"
antarctic skies . . .
antarctica . . .
earth . . .
the milky way . . .
jack
john
jay
"All inbound craft, we have a rogue drone that could seek a target on its own. Land immediately and shut down your engines. This is not a drill. I repeat-" Jay quickly turned off her game and tucked it into the door pocket just as the bright yellow drone flew into sight, and John cut off the man on the radio.
"It's too late. Hang on." John barely avoided the drone as it streaked around the helicopter twice, locking onto the helicopter as a target.
"Break right." Jack ordered and John dodged the drone again by flying higher and to the left, not right. "I said, right!"
"He said right!" Jay yelled at the same time.
"I'm getting to that, sir, ma'am." John snarked back.
ancient outpost . . .
antarctica . . .
earth . . .
the milky way . . .
The second the elevator hit the ground Daniel were running towards the chair room. Elizabeth stopped in the chamber, looking around at the devastation for a moment before running after Daniel. She ran up to Carson, who was still in the chair, her arms outstretched in bewilderment.
"I told you I was the wrong person." Carson said knowingly.
"It doesn't matter now. Just do something!" Rodney shouted frantically at the medical Doctor, who snarked right back.
"Like what?"
"Okay, Carson, concentrate on shutting that weapon down before it hurts someone." Elizabeth said soothingly, stopping Rodney from saying something he'd regret. He was rightfully worried, she knew that of course, it was his sister on that helicopter.
antarctic skies . . .
antarctica . . .
earth . . .
the milky way . . .
jack
john
jay
John looked through his windows for the drone, unable to locate it. It was hard to see anything in the white landscape, but Jay knew it was there. She didn't know how she knew, and she had a feeling the General wouldn't be able to explain it either.
"I can't see it." As if sensing the drone, both Jack and Jay spoke up.
"Pull up. Pull up!" They said sharply, and the helicopter barely missed a mountain ridge and dived down underneath the erratic path of the Ancient Drone.
"What about now?" Jack asked, referring to landing the craft as the tech had mentioned earlier.
"Now's good." John agreed breathlessly. The Helicopter skimmed over the snowy surface, landing on the flat surface as the drone piled into the snow.
"Shut it down!" Jay ordered sharply, John complying and shutting down the instruments. They all sat in anxious silence, until John spoke up nervously.
"Sir, ma'am, what the hell was that?"
"Wait for it." Jack said, holding up his hand and they watch and wait, and then the drone burst out of the snowbank at an unbelievable speed, heading straight for the helicopter.
"Get out!" John shouted, the three officers scrambling out of the craft. John goes flat, and Jay is crouched beside him as the drone suddenly powered down and slid to a stope mere inches from where Jack was crouched.
chair room . . .
ancient outpost . . .
antarctica . . .
earth . . .
the milky way . . .
Carson opened his eyes with a sharp breath, the eyes of Rodney, Elizabeth and Peter, along with a few other worried observers on him.
"I think I did it."
antarctic landscape . . .
antarctica . . .
earth . . .
the milky way . . .
jack
john
jaylah
The three Officers warily stood up, a little shaken.
"That was different." John said breathlessly, Jay agreeing with him. She's only been assigned to the Stargate Program a few weeks after Jack woke up from being frozen, when Elizabeth had asked him to help find a competent officer that could take over if Sumner couldn't lead the military.
"For me, not so much." Jack admitted in a resigned tone, and John exchanged a look with Jay over his shoulder.
"That's enough excitement for one day I think boys." Jay said pointedly.
"No argument from me." Jack nodded. John just nodded once as they climbed back into the helicopter.
"So, don't suppose asking you to forget you saw this will work?" Jack asked after a few minutes. John snorted.
"With all due respect, sir, not a chance."
"Didn't think so."
chair room . . .
ancient outpost . . .
antarctica . . .
earth . . .
the milky way . . .
Lieutenant Aiden Ford ran into the Control Chair Room, pressing a hand against his ear.
"Major Sheppard is reporting the drone appears to have been incapacitated. General O'Neill's helicopter is unharmed, and on it's way again." Aiden reported. "Seven minutes out." Everyone let out audible sighs of relief, none more than Rodney who was thankful his sister was fine.
"Thank God." Elizabeth sighed, relieved.
"Holy crap." Carson uttered.
date written : july 2018
date published : 26 / 05 / 2023
edited : yes
word count : 1193