Lorne Fest, Fic, Lorne/Parrish, PG
Aug. 14th, 2010 04:27 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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slashing_lorneTitle: A Scientific Hypothesis Acted Upon
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
calcitrix
Fandom: SGA
Characters: Lorne/Parrish (also McKay/Sheppard)
Word count: 4,700
Rating: PG
Contains: Rather a lot of McShep for a Lorne/Parrish story. Sorry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate: Atlantis.
Prompt: Lorne/Parrish, Watching the scientists
Notes: I wanted to do a different POV and chose Teyla, but then ended up getting a lot of McShep in there just by virtue of proximity.
Teyla steps into the cold dawn of another planet. Rodney calls it PR3-589 but once it had a name. Tall crumbling ruins attest to that, reaching from the Stargate to the distant hills. The city here was once the hub of a great nation, but now lies crushed under the weight of immense time. She steps to the side and runs a finger along a carved guidepost. It is very much like the sculpture outside her quarters in the city.
The others spread out from the Stargate. John, Ronon, and Rodney huddle close over Rodney's scanner while Major Lorne's team distributes packs of equipment between the four men. Teyla swings her eyes outward again. She tries to imagine the buildings whole, the roads smooth, the landscape less forested, and she can see it: the hills descending in broad, flat steps; boulders here and there where walls once stood; deep cuts filled with vines and weeds that once carried water. It must have been beautiful farmland before the Wraith destroyed it.
"Okay, okay, so--" Rodney breaks into her reverie to point down the path over her shoulder. "That big building, there. This kind of power signature usually means a ZPM, which means the building was probably protected from the Wraith attack by a shield." Though he's not speaking specifically to her, Teyla follows the line of his arm to the closest ruins. A tall building stands above the rest, domed roof sparkling in the sunrise. Edges of broken glass still sparkle from a great round window and dark spaces gape in the walls where stones have fallen out.
John tilts his head and rests his hands on the clipped gun at the front of his vest. "Library?" He asks.
"Why would you say that?" Rodney taps buttons on his scanner, frowning at John. "Nothing in the Ancient database mentioned anything about libraries, only that this was a center of," he frowns back at Major Lorne's team, "agriculture."
"I dunno, Rodney. It just looks like a library." John says. "Anyway, it doesn't look like the shield is active any more. Maybe the ZPM is dead?"
Rodney waves his scanner, much too fast to see what's on the screen. "Then where's the energy reading coming from?"
John shrugs. "The building's all busted up. Where's the shield?" Teyla turns her head so that Rodney will not see her smile. Prickly as ever, and John loves to goad him. If it weren't so affectionate, she would disapprove. But they are good for each other, even if they won't admit it to themselves--not even now that their friendship has evolved into something more. Ronon meets her eyes, seemingly thinking along the same lines; his mouth gives the barest twitch at the corners.
Major Lorne steps closer, squinting into the sunlight. "Kinda pretty," he says. Rodney snorts and Major Lorne ignores him, addressing John instead. "Shouldn't be too far of a walk, sir. Maybe an hour?"
"Nonono, I thought we were splitting up," Rodney says, spinning around. "Look--aqueducts," he points to the far edge of the ruins. "And furrows of some kind."
"Cultivated terraces," Major Lorne answers, pointing at the broad slopes that begin beneath the shadow of the large possibly-library.
"Fine," Rodney answers, tucking his scanner into a pocket. "Just don't slow us down."
It takes closer to an hour and a half, mostly because Major Lorne's botanist--Doctor Parrish--keeps stopping to carefully dig various plants from alongside the wide road. Rodney threatens to leave them behind every time this happens, yet magnanimously finds a boulder to wait upon each time nonetheless. Teyla commends his patience, though she knows very well that Rodney is glad for the occasional rest. The terrain is rugged, and the road is strewn with old bricks, crossed with thick roots, and deceptively uneven.
Doctor Parrish brings his latest find to Major Lorne, who stows it dutifully in the pack he carries. Major Lorne is very careful with his scientist. It is different than it is with John and Rodney, and yet she is struck by the similarities: laughter and smiles exchanged with quiet words, a hand on an elbow when one stumbles against a loose cobblestone (Rodney because he is looking at his scanner, Doctor Parrish because he is looking at the plants alongside the road). She glances at Ronon and sees he is watching them as well. She suspects if she were to turn around she would also find Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin observing the scene with indulgent smiles.
The day grows warmer as they near their destination, bringing with it the sound of insects and birds. This appears to be a wonderful sign to Doctor Parrish, as it means there's a better chance that some of the Ancient-bred plants will have survived after all this time. "We think this is where the Ancients developed crops for new colonies," he says in excitement as they near the ruins. "If we can find ancestral strains of crops they seeded throughout the galaxy, we'll have something new to offer potential allies in trade." This, Teyla understands. Her people often mix wild seed with a bred variety to keep the stock strong and hearty.
The ruins finally loom above them. Up close, the walls seem to tower and the stones are massive. Major Lorne and his men drop their bags of equipment in the shadow of the building as Doctor Parrish fairly bounds down the slope. "Hey, Doc!" Major Lorne shouts, "Be careful!" He sighs and motions Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin to follow.
John and Rodney move toward the building, arguing about whether or not it is safe. Teyla knows they will bicker for several minutes before deciding to go inside. Ronon has already poked his head into a shoulder-high hole and looks ready to climb through. Teyla kneels next to Major Lorne and helps him untangle the mess of discarded straps and fasteners. "Are you and Doctor Parrish...good friends?" she asks, hoping she's given it the correct emphasis.
Major Lorne's head snaps up and he looks at her quizzically. "Sure...we're, uh, friends," he says, setting aside the case that's already filled with roots and flowers. Teyla sighs. Sometimes it is an advantage when the people of Earth mistake her intent, or think her naive. This is not one of those times.
"I see." Teyla stacks the cases containing food next to the water, and glances up at John and Rodney. Rodney's arms are waving toward the building and John's head is tipped up toward the huge broken window. Ronon is nowhere in sight. Not long, now. "You seem to be very close."
Now Major Lorne squints at her, eyebrows lowered in suspicion. "Not...that close," he says, clearing his throat. A blush creeps up his face and he pauses over another pack to look downhill to where Doctor Parrish digs in the dirt. Major Lorne kneels immobile, frozen, yet a smile pulls at his lips and his eyes soften. He seems to have forgotten Teyla's presence.
"I see," Teyla repeats, and she does. There must be something about Earth culture that keeps them from realizing what is right in front of their faces. It was that way with John and Rodney.
John waves as he walks over, nods to Major Lorne and says, "All right, we're headed inside. The building doesn't look too solid, so we'll check in every two hours. If you hear an explosion or anything collapsing, dig us out, okay?"
"Yes, sir." Major Lorne laughs and stands, wishing them luck as he heads to join his team.
The interior of the building is crisscrossed with beams of light that show the sparkle of dust. The window gives them just enough light to see by, and they make their way over rubble and debris, following Rodney and his scanner. The main room once held tables, chairs, and shelves, but they are now as broken as the rest of the place. Still, the interior seems more intact than it should be for its age; if city walls can crumble, surely a wooden table would long be turned to soil? Perhaps Rodney is correct that the building was shielded--at least until some years ago. John turns in a circle and slaps Rodney on the shoulder. He points at a tall case on the wall, lit by the sun. "Books. See? Told you it was a library."
"Why would the Ancients have books?" Rodney asks, sounding exasperated. "They were using computers before humans on Earth walked upright."
Ronon appears from a dark corner, carrying a single large volume. He holds it up and smiles. "Journals," he says. "Looks like some kind of research." He is completely filthy, and Teyla suspects that they will all be in a similar state soon enough.
"If they are related to plant research, Doctor Parrish would like to see these," Teyla says, taking the journal from Ronon and letting it fall open. Though written in Ancient, she can tell it is clearly research--notes and drawings are scribbled in the margins, and entire pages are dedicated to diagrams of crossing helices.
"Huh," Rodney says over her shoulder. "Again--why books? All of these won't exactly fit in the Jumper. If they were stored on data crystals, though...now then Doctor Parrish could geek away to his heart's content back in the comfort of Atlantis."
"I don't know, Rodney," John answers, focusing the flashlight on his gun down a narrow hallway. "The Ancients were weird. Maybe some of them just liked writing stuff down."
Rodney snorts into Teyla's neck and turns toward John. "Well, they must have liked writing things down a lot." He moves his arm in a wide arc, a gesture encompassing the whole room. Now that her eyes have adjusted to the dimness, Teyla can see that the walls are covered in shelves--hundreds upon hundreds of them.
"There're more rooms," Ronon suggests, shrugging his shoulder toward the hallway. John gestures for him to lead the way. The manner in which John is flicking at the cobwebs catching on his sleeves tells Teyla that John wants Ronon to go first simply to clear the way like a giant broom.
They spend some time exploring rooms, though enough of the halls have collapsed that they cannot move freely. They backtrack, and map the building in their heads, until they find the room causing the blip on Rodney's monitor.
The machine does not look like much, though it is surely of Ancient design. A crystalline tube reaches from floor to ceiling and on opposite sides two panels stick out, flat and metallic. Rodney circles it, wary. "Power source seems to be on the level below," he mumbles. They are searching for a zero-point-module, and if they have to find a way into a lower level they should start sooner rather than later. But Rodney is drawn to Ancient machinery and mysteries and this presents a clear temptation.
John takes a step closer and peers upward into the tube. He shifts, and something under his boot crunches. He lifts a broken piece of flat, square crystal and holds it in front of the beam of his light. "Well, they did use crystals after all," he says. "Can you get the lights on, Rodney?"
"Give me a minute." John directs his beam where Rodney points, and Teyla explores with her own light, stepping around the debris in the room with Ronon. They find more journals and more crystals, but little else.
Then the lights come on and Rodney bounces to his feet. "Hah!"
"You know what the machine does, Rodney?" Teyla asks, switching off her light and letting the gun drop to her chest.
"Oh. No, that was just for getting the lights on." He examines the tube more closely and peers underneath the flat panels.
"Looks a little like the machine that almost made you ascend," Ronon says, peering toward where the tube meets the ceiling.
Rodney jumps back. Then he relaxes. "That doesn't make any sense," he says, hand flapping. "They studied plants here. It probably just something plantish."
"Plantish," John repeats, hovering a hand over one of the panels. He pulls back for a second. "There's no chance this thing will turn me into a plant, right?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Rodney scoffs. John puts his hand on the panel. "Though it could turn you green and allow you to photosynthesize sunlight," Rodney adds.
John glares at him as the machine lights up, colored light filling the tube from bottom to top. Teyla sucks in a breath and...nothing happens.
"Oh, well, that was spectacular," Rodney says. "Let's go find a ZPM."
"Wait a minute, Rodney," John says. "There's an impression on the panel here. Didn't notice it until I put my hand down." He feels at the edges with his fingers. "I think a crystal might fit inside."
"Really?" Rodney moves closer and sweeps a crystal from the floor. It fits perfectly into the space. "And...still nothing. So! That doesn't solve the mystery of the giant glowing tube. Let's go."
Ronon has been watching from in front of the other panel. He bends to the floor and picks up one of the journals. He peers down at the panel's surface then flips open the cover of the book and sets it down. The journal settles into a perfectly matched square in the metal and the machine begins to whir. The lights in the tube change color, looking like the washes of light that can be seen sometimes in the night sky when it is cold. Ronon crosses his arms and grins at Rodney smugly.
"Yes, well." Rodney says, tipping his chin. "A plus. Now if you can tell me what that actually--" he breaks off and snaps his fingers, pulling the old crystal off of the panel. He digs another one out of his pocket--this one clean and new--and sets it in place. The machine whirs again, but this time the color of the crystal changes as well. Rodney grins.
"So?" John asks. Rodney raises his eyebrows like he's waiting for John to get it. Then apparently he does. "A scanner?" Rodney nods. "To put all of the information from the journals onto crystals." John looks at the pieces of broken crystal littering the floor. "That's a lot of journals," he says.
Rodney moves to the far side of the tube and flips the journal over, examining a page. "They might not have been Ancients," he says. "The original inhabitants, I mean. The Ancients just came later and started gathering all of the--" he pauses, palm resting against the flat metal panel.
Teyla looks at Ronon, frowning. John is equally silent, the small crystal in his fingers, other hand flat against the surface. "What's going on?" Ronon asks, moving toward Rodney. Teyla is just as quick to lunge for John. She tugs at his wrist and has to grab the panel for leverage as John falls against her.
Then there is: sound, Rodney's voice, serving Athosian tea; Rodney's mouth, turned up on one side and down on the other; fingers moving, moving; and more: a sense of gratefulness for acceptance, for-not-wanting-different but wanting-to-be-different; pride in showing new things; a fierce protectiveness; a-- it's gone in a moment. Teyla staggers back, John still in her arms. On the far side of the tube Ronon is pulling Rodney away from the machine.
"Okay, what was that?" John asks, eyes going wide.
"I felt..." Teyla cannot quite describe it. "Rodney?"
Rodney swallows hard. "The machine transfers information," he says, tapping his head. "So when John and I were touching the panels, it--it must have told me what he thinks about me." Rodney stares at John a moment. "We are so having the talk later."
"Yeah, well..." John blusters, stepping away from Teyla. "My hair does not look like a raccoon nested in it."
"I did not think that just now!" Rodney points a finger at John. "I said that to you. This morning."
Teyla interrupts gently, "Then what I...felt...was how you think of me, Rodney?" She is pleased to see him blush. And pleased that he thinks of her so. She is not sure what sense of her thoughts Rodney gathered in the brief exchange, but no doubt it was very similar: fondness, friendship, protectiveness. "Is it dangerous?" She asks, eying the panels warily.
"Yes," John answers emphatically.
Rodney rolls his eyes. "Well our brains aren't spilling out of our ears, so it's probably harmless," he says. "And if I'm saying that, you know it's true."
John takes a step back. "It's time to contact Lorne," he says. "We'll have to find the ZPM later."
Teyla leads the way this time, back through the dark passages and into the main room. John taps his radio and recounts their brief adventure--minus a few details--while Teyla wanders over to a gap in the wall. She can just make out Major Lorne's silhouette halfway down the hill, hand pressed to the radio strapped to his vest. Doctor Parrish kneels beside him looking up, listening to the radio chatter, no doubt.
Check-in dutifully completed, they spend the next two hours looking for an entrance to the lower levels, with no luck. "Must be in one of the caved-in sections. Sorry, Rodney," John says as they enter the large hall once more. "And I don't think it would be a good idea to start digging at the rubble."
Rodney is a picture of dejection. "Maybe we missed something," he says. "We should at least check the hallways for doors we might have missed in the dark. You never know."
John sighs and nods. "After lunch," he agrees. It is a measure of how much Rodney wants to find another ZPM if John mentions lunch first.
When they emerge into full sun, Teyla can't help but laugh at their despicable state. Ronon has fared the worst, and he shakes out his hair in her direction. John pats at Rodney's back, and they all spend a moment coughing and waving the air clear. "Ronon and I will get lunch sorted," John says. "Why don't you bring in Lorne's group?"
Teyla nods and heads downhill, somewhat surprised when Rodney follows. "Down is where the ZPM is," he explains, pulling out his scanner. "Maybe there's a...I don't know. A sewer pipe or something." She accepts his explanation with a smile. He is like a dog with a bone, as John would say. It doesn't take long to reach Major Lorne and his men.
Lieutenant Reed is scanning the sky and the nearby trees. Sergeant Coughlin has a set of binoculars out and is studying the far hills. Major Lorne is ignoring the sky, and the trees, and the hills, and is watching Doctor Parrish. His face and posture are a study in longing. He has the perfect features for it, Teyla thinks. Eyebrows drawn together at the front, long lashes giving him a look of innocence; mouth fallen slightly open like he is about to call out Parrish's name. There is an Athosian musical instrument designed to look like this: the end pieces carved like two bodies curved toward one another; connected by strings that represent desire, the music they produce is low and seductive.
"Well that is just pathetic," Rodney says over her shoulder, tucking his scanner into a vest pocket.
Teyla smiles. "And I suppose you have no empathy whatsoever?" she asks sweetly, turning just enough to give him a glimpse of her raised eyebrow.
Rodney snorts. "I never--" he gestures at Major Lorne. Teyla raises her eyebrow further. "Well I did, fine, but then I did something about it, didn't I?" He smirks.
"Yes, Rodney, it was very clever of you to be captured by the Huldorn, thus necessitating your rescue by John." She smiles to take the sting out of her words. In truth, the escapade had been very...romantic. Even if, after two days, the Huldorn had become so frustrated with Rodney that they had gladly handed him over when John showed up.
"I am a genius, you know," Rodney says with that particular quirk of his mouth meaning he is making a joke. Teyla laughs, happy for Rodney and John and happy to be out in the sunshine. She calls out to Major Lorne and tells him that it is lunch time.
Teyla observes Major Lorne and Doctor Parrish while they eat. If she were not looking for it, she might miss the small subtleties--Major Lorne happily trading his cherry blueberry cobbler for Doctor Parrish's rather dry looking cookie (a true sign of devotion); Doctor Parrish in turn sharing his candy as Major Lorne's lunch pack did not contain any. But as Rodney taught her, this is not enough evidence for a scientific hypothesis. And Rodney and John are not a useful basis for comparison--she needs what Rodney would call a "control." Teyla discreetly shifts until she can see both Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin. They speak in a friendly enough manner, but when Sergeant Coughlin tries to take Lieutenant Reed's M&Ms, all he receives is a rather brutal punch on the shoulder.
So when they are packing away the wrappers, Teyla suggests that Doctor Parrish may want to accompany them into the ruins of the building. He immediately perks up, looking boyishly eager. Major Lorne looks wary. "There are several journals containing research in the facility," Teyla says, "and a device used to transfer this knowledge onto data crystals. We did not search the room thoroughly; it is possible some crystals remain intact."
It has the intended effect. When they re-enter the building, Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin are posted outside and Major Lorne and Doctor Parrish join Teyla and the others. Teyla offers to show the way to the room with the Ancient device and gives Ronon a look suggesting he join them. Rodney follows his scanner and John follows him, asking Teyla to radio him within an hour. Major Lorne steers Doctor Parrish away from the bookshelves and they head down the corridor.
It is a good thing that they cleared most of the cobwebs with their passing earlier, as Doctor Parrish is nearly of an equal height to Ronon. He seems unconcerned with the dust and sticky threads, though, or perhaps does not notice. The room is still brightly lit when they enter, the crystalline tube still swirling with color. "Oh," Doctor Parrish whispers, voice full of wonder. "Rather pretty, isn't it?"
Major Lorne smiles at him. "So we're looking for storage crystals, Teyla?" He glances at the shards under his feet, no doubt recognizing the similarities to those used on Atlantis.
Teyla picks up a cracked crystal from the ground. "Yes. Most of them seem to be broken, but any usable ones we find will probably have data on them. There may be storage in the room somewhere as well."
A short search turns up eight intact crystals, and Ronon finds a panel in the wall that opens to Major Lorne's touch. There are a dozen more crystals inside, all whole. They pack the crystals carefully into a pouch and stop to admire the device on the way out. "How does it work?" Doctor Parrish asks.
Teyla smiles to herself. "The crystals go in this side," she says, walking him around to the correct panel. "There is a small impression here, see?" Doctor Parrish runs his hands over the little square and Teyla looks through the blur of color in the tube to meet Ronon's eyes.
"Whoops," Ronon says--not too convincingly--and trips, throwing his shoulder into Major Lorne's back. Major Lorne falls forward and catches himself against the other panel.
There is stillness in the room for several moments, and then Ronon asks, "That's what you wanted me to do, right?"
"Yes, Ronon." Teyla steps to the side so she can see both men clearly. She throws him a grin. "Perceptive as always."
"When do we pull 'em off?" he asks, tilting his head at Major Lorne.
Teyla frowns. Surely it has been long enough? "Perhaps--" Before she can finish her sentence, the room goes dark. She switches on her flashlight just in time to see Doctor Parrish and Major Lorne stagger back from the Ancient device. Both men look shocked.
"What--" Major Lorne gasps. Doctor Parrish is silent.
"A side effect of touching the device," Teyla answers. "The same happened earlier by accident with us. Are you both well?"
Major Lorne nods, and after a moment Doctor Parrish does the same. "We should," Major Lorne clears his throat, "find Colonel Sheppard."
Teyla nods, turning to the exit. Major Lorne's flashlight joins her own. She chews her lip, thinking. Perhaps she was mistaken. Ancestors forgive her if she has meddled where she was not welcome, but...Ronon nudges her as they reach the doorway. She turns to look over her shoulder. Illuminated by the beam of Major Lorne's light, Doctor Parrish stands before the Major and raises a hand to his face. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asks quietly.
"I..I didn't think you..." Major Lorne stutters, unable to look away. Neither can Teyla as Doctor Parrish leans down and kisses him.
They break apart only when Teyla's radio comes to life. "Teyla, this is Sheppard. Whatever we've been chasing on Rodney's scanner has disappeared. Let's meet back in the main room." Quite unfairly, Ronon pulls Teyla ahead and she does not get to see if they kiss again.
"What did you do?" Rodney demands as soon as they meet up.
Ronon and Teyla exchange glances. "What do you mean, Rodney?" Teyla asks. They certainly did nothing they hadn't already done once...
Rodney waves his scanner again. "The power signature is gone!" He sinks onto a piece of rubble. "We were this close to a ZPM!" He holds his fingers out, nearly touching.
"We went into the room, found some crystals, then the lights went out," Ronon says. "Maybe the ZPM was almost depleted when we got here," he shrugs. "That must be why the shields went out on this place."
"We never found a way downstairs anyway, Rodney," John says, patting him on the shoulder. He looks around and says, "Where are--Oh. Major." John nods at Major Lorne and Doctor Parrish as they emerge from the hallway. Teyla is pleased to see that they both look happy. "Find what you were looking for?" John asks.
Major Lorne glances sideways at Doctor Parrish. "Yeah," he says, blush barely noticeable under the layer of grime he's accumulated.
"Well, I'm glad someone got something out of this," Rodney grumbles.
John's hand is still on Rodney's shoulder, and he gives it a squeeze. "Let's go back outside. Doctor Parrish can finish digging up his plants and we can take a nice little siesta. And when we get back to Atlantis we can," he sighs, "have that little talk." He gives Rodney a smile and another squeeze.
Rodney beams up at him and stands. "You're not getting out of it."
Teyla follows them back into the sunshine as they continue their good-natured bickering. They find a lush square of grass to spread out on and relax. John and Rodney sit against a tree while Teyla and Ronon lie in the sun. Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin keep an eye out for trouble. Major Lorne takes up a post within arm's length of Doctor Parrish, watching him work. Every so often, he reaches out to touch the botanist or leans down to speak in his ear.
"Think it was worth it?" Ronon asks, leaning back on his elbows.
Teyla smiles. "You said it yourself, Ronon--the ZPM did not even have enough power left to keep the shield active anymore. It must have been very nearly empty." Bringing two people together was certainly a good final use of a ZPM as far as she is concerned. "But perhaps," she glances at him sideways, smile twitching into a smirk, "Rodney does not need to hear what happened."
Ronon laughs and falls back onto the grass. "Yeah," he agrees.
Author:
calcitrixFandom: SGA
Characters: Lorne/Parrish (also McKay/Sheppard)
Word count: 4,700
Rating: PG
Contains: Rather a lot of McShep for a Lorne/Parrish story. Sorry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate: Atlantis.
Prompt: Lorne/Parrish, Watching the scientists
Notes: I wanted to do a different POV and chose Teyla, but then ended up getting a lot of McShep in there just by virtue of proximity.
Teyla steps into the cold dawn of another planet. Rodney calls it PR3-589 but once it had a name. Tall crumbling ruins attest to that, reaching from the Stargate to the distant hills. The city here was once the hub of a great nation, but now lies crushed under the weight of immense time. She steps to the side and runs a finger along a carved guidepost. It is very much like the sculpture outside her quarters in the city.
The others spread out from the Stargate. John, Ronon, and Rodney huddle close over Rodney's scanner while Major Lorne's team distributes packs of equipment between the four men. Teyla swings her eyes outward again. She tries to imagine the buildings whole, the roads smooth, the landscape less forested, and she can see it: the hills descending in broad, flat steps; boulders here and there where walls once stood; deep cuts filled with vines and weeds that once carried water. It must have been beautiful farmland before the Wraith destroyed it.
"Okay, okay, so--" Rodney breaks into her reverie to point down the path over her shoulder. "That big building, there. This kind of power signature usually means a ZPM, which means the building was probably protected from the Wraith attack by a shield." Though he's not speaking specifically to her, Teyla follows the line of his arm to the closest ruins. A tall building stands above the rest, domed roof sparkling in the sunrise. Edges of broken glass still sparkle from a great round window and dark spaces gape in the walls where stones have fallen out.
John tilts his head and rests his hands on the clipped gun at the front of his vest. "Library?" He asks.
"Why would you say that?" Rodney taps buttons on his scanner, frowning at John. "Nothing in the Ancient database mentioned anything about libraries, only that this was a center of," he frowns back at Major Lorne's team, "agriculture."
"I dunno, Rodney. It just looks like a library." John says. "Anyway, it doesn't look like the shield is active any more. Maybe the ZPM is dead?"
Rodney waves his scanner, much too fast to see what's on the screen. "Then where's the energy reading coming from?"
John shrugs. "The building's all busted up. Where's the shield?" Teyla turns her head so that Rodney will not see her smile. Prickly as ever, and John loves to goad him. If it weren't so affectionate, she would disapprove. But they are good for each other, even if they won't admit it to themselves--not even now that their friendship has evolved into something more. Ronon meets her eyes, seemingly thinking along the same lines; his mouth gives the barest twitch at the corners.
Major Lorne steps closer, squinting into the sunlight. "Kinda pretty," he says. Rodney snorts and Major Lorne ignores him, addressing John instead. "Shouldn't be too far of a walk, sir. Maybe an hour?"
"Nonono, I thought we were splitting up," Rodney says, spinning around. "Look--aqueducts," he points to the far edge of the ruins. "And furrows of some kind."
"Cultivated terraces," Major Lorne answers, pointing at the broad slopes that begin beneath the shadow of the large possibly-library.
"Fine," Rodney answers, tucking his scanner into a pocket. "Just don't slow us down."
It takes closer to an hour and a half, mostly because Major Lorne's botanist--Doctor Parrish--keeps stopping to carefully dig various plants from alongside the wide road. Rodney threatens to leave them behind every time this happens, yet magnanimously finds a boulder to wait upon each time nonetheless. Teyla commends his patience, though she knows very well that Rodney is glad for the occasional rest. The terrain is rugged, and the road is strewn with old bricks, crossed with thick roots, and deceptively uneven.
Doctor Parrish brings his latest find to Major Lorne, who stows it dutifully in the pack he carries. Major Lorne is very careful with his scientist. It is different than it is with John and Rodney, and yet she is struck by the similarities: laughter and smiles exchanged with quiet words, a hand on an elbow when one stumbles against a loose cobblestone (Rodney because he is looking at his scanner, Doctor Parrish because he is looking at the plants alongside the road). She glances at Ronon and sees he is watching them as well. She suspects if she were to turn around she would also find Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin observing the scene with indulgent smiles.
The day grows warmer as they near their destination, bringing with it the sound of insects and birds. This appears to be a wonderful sign to Doctor Parrish, as it means there's a better chance that some of the Ancient-bred plants will have survived after all this time. "We think this is where the Ancients developed crops for new colonies," he says in excitement as they near the ruins. "If we can find ancestral strains of crops they seeded throughout the galaxy, we'll have something new to offer potential allies in trade." This, Teyla understands. Her people often mix wild seed with a bred variety to keep the stock strong and hearty.
The ruins finally loom above them. Up close, the walls seem to tower and the stones are massive. Major Lorne and his men drop their bags of equipment in the shadow of the building as Doctor Parrish fairly bounds down the slope. "Hey, Doc!" Major Lorne shouts, "Be careful!" He sighs and motions Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin to follow.
John and Rodney move toward the building, arguing about whether or not it is safe. Teyla knows they will bicker for several minutes before deciding to go inside. Ronon has already poked his head into a shoulder-high hole and looks ready to climb through. Teyla kneels next to Major Lorne and helps him untangle the mess of discarded straps and fasteners. "Are you and Doctor Parrish...good friends?" she asks, hoping she's given it the correct emphasis.
Major Lorne's head snaps up and he looks at her quizzically. "Sure...we're, uh, friends," he says, setting aside the case that's already filled with roots and flowers. Teyla sighs. Sometimes it is an advantage when the people of Earth mistake her intent, or think her naive. This is not one of those times.
"I see." Teyla stacks the cases containing food next to the water, and glances up at John and Rodney. Rodney's arms are waving toward the building and John's head is tipped up toward the huge broken window. Ronon is nowhere in sight. Not long, now. "You seem to be very close."
Now Major Lorne squints at her, eyebrows lowered in suspicion. "Not...that close," he says, clearing his throat. A blush creeps up his face and he pauses over another pack to look downhill to where Doctor Parrish digs in the dirt. Major Lorne kneels immobile, frozen, yet a smile pulls at his lips and his eyes soften. He seems to have forgotten Teyla's presence.
"I see," Teyla repeats, and she does. There must be something about Earth culture that keeps them from realizing what is right in front of their faces. It was that way with John and Rodney.
John waves as he walks over, nods to Major Lorne and says, "All right, we're headed inside. The building doesn't look too solid, so we'll check in every two hours. If you hear an explosion or anything collapsing, dig us out, okay?"
"Yes, sir." Major Lorne laughs and stands, wishing them luck as he heads to join his team.
The interior of the building is crisscrossed with beams of light that show the sparkle of dust. The window gives them just enough light to see by, and they make their way over rubble and debris, following Rodney and his scanner. The main room once held tables, chairs, and shelves, but they are now as broken as the rest of the place. Still, the interior seems more intact than it should be for its age; if city walls can crumble, surely a wooden table would long be turned to soil? Perhaps Rodney is correct that the building was shielded--at least until some years ago. John turns in a circle and slaps Rodney on the shoulder. He points at a tall case on the wall, lit by the sun. "Books. See? Told you it was a library."
"Why would the Ancients have books?" Rodney asks, sounding exasperated. "They were using computers before humans on Earth walked upright."
Ronon appears from a dark corner, carrying a single large volume. He holds it up and smiles. "Journals," he says. "Looks like some kind of research." He is completely filthy, and Teyla suspects that they will all be in a similar state soon enough.
"If they are related to plant research, Doctor Parrish would like to see these," Teyla says, taking the journal from Ronon and letting it fall open. Though written in Ancient, she can tell it is clearly research--notes and drawings are scribbled in the margins, and entire pages are dedicated to diagrams of crossing helices.
"Huh," Rodney says over her shoulder. "Again--why books? All of these won't exactly fit in the Jumper. If they were stored on data crystals, though...now then Doctor Parrish could geek away to his heart's content back in the comfort of Atlantis."
"I don't know, Rodney," John answers, focusing the flashlight on his gun down a narrow hallway. "The Ancients were weird. Maybe some of them just liked writing stuff down."
Rodney snorts into Teyla's neck and turns toward John. "Well, they must have liked writing things down a lot." He moves his arm in a wide arc, a gesture encompassing the whole room. Now that her eyes have adjusted to the dimness, Teyla can see that the walls are covered in shelves--hundreds upon hundreds of them.
"There're more rooms," Ronon suggests, shrugging his shoulder toward the hallway. John gestures for him to lead the way. The manner in which John is flicking at the cobwebs catching on his sleeves tells Teyla that John wants Ronon to go first simply to clear the way like a giant broom.
They spend some time exploring rooms, though enough of the halls have collapsed that they cannot move freely. They backtrack, and map the building in their heads, until they find the room causing the blip on Rodney's monitor.
The machine does not look like much, though it is surely of Ancient design. A crystalline tube reaches from floor to ceiling and on opposite sides two panels stick out, flat and metallic. Rodney circles it, wary. "Power source seems to be on the level below," he mumbles. They are searching for a zero-point-module, and if they have to find a way into a lower level they should start sooner rather than later. But Rodney is drawn to Ancient machinery and mysteries and this presents a clear temptation.
John takes a step closer and peers upward into the tube. He shifts, and something under his boot crunches. He lifts a broken piece of flat, square crystal and holds it in front of the beam of his light. "Well, they did use crystals after all," he says. "Can you get the lights on, Rodney?"
"Give me a minute." John directs his beam where Rodney points, and Teyla explores with her own light, stepping around the debris in the room with Ronon. They find more journals and more crystals, but little else.
Then the lights come on and Rodney bounces to his feet. "Hah!"
"You know what the machine does, Rodney?" Teyla asks, switching off her light and letting the gun drop to her chest.
"Oh. No, that was just for getting the lights on." He examines the tube more closely and peers underneath the flat panels.
"Looks a little like the machine that almost made you ascend," Ronon says, peering toward where the tube meets the ceiling.
Rodney jumps back. Then he relaxes. "That doesn't make any sense," he says, hand flapping. "They studied plants here. It probably just something plantish."
"Plantish," John repeats, hovering a hand over one of the panels. He pulls back for a second. "There's no chance this thing will turn me into a plant, right?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Rodney scoffs. John puts his hand on the panel. "Though it could turn you green and allow you to photosynthesize sunlight," Rodney adds.
John glares at him as the machine lights up, colored light filling the tube from bottom to top. Teyla sucks in a breath and...nothing happens.
"Oh, well, that was spectacular," Rodney says. "Let's go find a ZPM."
"Wait a minute, Rodney," John says. "There's an impression on the panel here. Didn't notice it until I put my hand down." He feels at the edges with his fingers. "I think a crystal might fit inside."
"Really?" Rodney moves closer and sweeps a crystal from the floor. It fits perfectly into the space. "And...still nothing. So! That doesn't solve the mystery of the giant glowing tube. Let's go."
Ronon has been watching from in front of the other panel. He bends to the floor and picks up one of the journals. He peers down at the panel's surface then flips open the cover of the book and sets it down. The journal settles into a perfectly matched square in the metal and the machine begins to whir. The lights in the tube change color, looking like the washes of light that can be seen sometimes in the night sky when it is cold. Ronon crosses his arms and grins at Rodney smugly.
"Yes, well." Rodney says, tipping his chin. "A plus. Now if you can tell me what that actually--" he breaks off and snaps his fingers, pulling the old crystal off of the panel. He digs another one out of his pocket--this one clean and new--and sets it in place. The machine whirs again, but this time the color of the crystal changes as well. Rodney grins.
"So?" John asks. Rodney raises his eyebrows like he's waiting for John to get it. Then apparently he does. "A scanner?" Rodney nods. "To put all of the information from the journals onto crystals." John looks at the pieces of broken crystal littering the floor. "That's a lot of journals," he says.
Rodney moves to the far side of the tube and flips the journal over, examining a page. "They might not have been Ancients," he says. "The original inhabitants, I mean. The Ancients just came later and started gathering all of the--" he pauses, palm resting against the flat metal panel.
Teyla looks at Ronon, frowning. John is equally silent, the small crystal in his fingers, other hand flat against the surface. "What's going on?" Ronon asks, moving toward Rodney. Teyla is just as quick to lunge for John. She tugs at his wrist and has to grab the panel for leverage as John falls against her.
Then there is: sound, Rodney's voice, serving Athosian tea; Rodney's mouth, turned up on one side and down on the other; fingers moving, moving; and more: a sense of gratefulness for acceptance, for-not-wanting-different but wanting-to-be-different; pride in showing new things; a fierce protectiveness; a-- it's gone in a moment. Teyla staggers back, John still in her arms. On the far side of the tube Ronon is pulling Rodney away from the machine.
"Okay, what was that?" John asks, eyes going wide.
"I felt..." Teyla cannot quite describe it. "Rodney?"
Rodney swallows hard. "The machine transfers information," he says, tapping his head. "So when John and I were touching the panels, it--it must have told me what he thinks about me." Rodney stares at John a moment. "We are so having the talk later."
"Yeah, well..." John blusters, stepping away from Teyla. "My hair does not look like a raccoon nested in it."
"I did not think that just now!" Rodney points a finger at John. "I said that to you. This morning."
Teyla interrupts gently, "Then what I...felt...was how you think of me, Rodney?" She is pleased to see him blush. And pleased that he thinks of her so. She is not sure what sense of her thoughts Rodney gathered in the brief exchange, but no doubt it was very similar: fondness, friendship, protectiveness. "Is it dangerous?" She asks, eying the panels warily.
"Yes," John answers emphatically.
Rodney rolls his eyes. "Well our brains aren't spilling out of our ears, so it's probably harmless," he says. "And if I'm saying that, you know it's true."
John takes a step back. "It's time to contact Lorne," he says. "We'll have to find the ZPM later."
Teyla leads the way this time, back through the dark passages and into the main room. John taps his radio and recounts their brief adventure--minus a few details--while Teyla wanders over to a gap in the wall. She can just make out Major Lorne's silhouette halfway down the hill, hand pressed to the radio strapped to his vest. Doctor Parrish kneels beside him looking up, listening to the radio chatter, no doubt.
Check-in dutifully completed, they spend the next two hours looking for an entrance to the lower levels, with no luck. "Must be in one of the caved-in sections. Sorry, Rodney," John says as they enter the large hall once more. "And I don't think it would be a good idea to start digging at the rubble."
Rodney is a picture of dejection. "Maybe we missed something," he says. "We should at least check the hallways for doors we might have missed in the dark. You never know."
John sighs and nods. "After lunch," he agrees. It is a measure of how much Rodney wants to find another ZPM if John mentions lunch first.
When they emerge into full sun, Teyla can't help but laugh at their despicable state. Ronon has fared the worst, and he shakes out his hair in her direction. John pats at Rodney's back, and they all spend a moment coughing and waving the air clear. "Ronon and I will get lunch sorted," John says. "Why don't you bring in Lorne's group?"
Teyla nods and heads downhill, somewhat surprised when Rodney follows. "Down is where the ZPM is," he explains, pulling out his scanner. "Maybe there's a...I don't know. A sewer pipe or something." She accepts his explanation with a smile. He is like a dog with a bone, as John would say. It doesn't take long to reach Major Lorne and his men.
Lieutenant Reed is scanning the sky and the nearby trees. Sergeant Coughlin has a set of binoculars out and is studying the far hills. Major Lorne is ignoring the sky, and the trees, and the hills, and is watching Doctor Parrish. His face and posture are a study in longing. He has the perfect features for it, Teyla thinks. Eyebrows drawn together at the front, long lashes giving him a look of innocence; mouth fallen slightly open like he is about to call out Parrish's name. There is an Athosian musical instrument designed to look like this: the end pieces carved like two bodies curved toward one another; connected by strings that represent desire, the music they produce is low and seductive.
"Well that is just pathetic," Rodney says over her shoulder, tucking his scanner into a vest pocket.
Teyla smiles. "And I suppose you have no empathy whatsoever?" she asks sweetly, turning just enough to give him a glimpse of her raised eyebrow.
Rodney snorts. "I never--" he gestures at Major Lorne. Teyla raises her eyebrow further. "Well I did, fine, but then I did something about it, didn't I?" He smirks.
"Yes, Rodney, it was very clever of you to be captured by the Huldorn, thus necessitating your rescue by John." She smiles to take the sting out of her words. In truth, the escapade had been very...romantic. Even if, after two days, the Huldorn had become so frustrated with Rodney that they had gladly handed him over when John showed up.
"I am a genius, you know," Rodney says with that particular quirk of his mouth meaning he is making a joke. Teyla laughs, happy for Rodney and John and happy to be out in the sunshine. She calls out to Major Lorne and tells him that it is lunch time.
Teyla observes Major Lorne and Doctor Parrish while they eat. If she were not looking for it, she might miss the small subtleties--Major Lorne happily trading his cherry blueberry cobbler for Doctor Parrish's rather dry looking cookie (a true sign of devotion); Doctor Parrish in turn sharing his candy as Major Lorne's lunch pack did not contain any. But as Rodney taught her, this is not enough evidence for a scientific hypothesis. And Rodney and John are not a useful basis for comparison--she needs what Rodney would call a "control." Teyla discreetly shifts until she can see both Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin. They speak in a friendly enough manner, but when Sergeant Coughlin tries to take Lieutenant Reed's M&Ms, all he receives is a rather brutal punch on the shoulder.
So when they are packing away the wrappers, Teyla suggests that Doctor Parrish may want to accompany them into the ruins of the building. He immediately perks up, looking boyishly eager. Major Lorne looks wary. "There are several journals containing research in the facility," Teyla says, "and a device used to transfer this knowledge onto data crystals. We did not search the room thoroughly; it is possible some crystals remain intact."
It has the intended effect. When they re-enter the building, Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin are posted outside and Major Lorne and Doctor Parrish join Teyla and the others. Teyla offers to show the way to the room with the Ancient device and gives Ronon a look suggesting he join them. Rodney follows his scanner and John follows him, asking Teyla to radio him within an hour. Major Lorne steers Doctor Parrish away from the bookshelves and they head down the corridor.
It is a good thing that they cleared most of the cobwebs with their passing earlier, as Doctor Parrish is nearly of an equal height to Ronon. He seems unconcerned with the dust and sticky threads, though, or perhaps does not notice. The room is still brightly lit when they enter, the crystalline tube still swirling with color. "Oh," Doctor Parrish whispers, voice full of wonder. "Rather pretty, isn't it?"
Major Lorne smiles at him. "So we're looking for storage crystals, Teyla?" He glances at the shards under his feet, no doubt recognizing the similarities to those used on Atlantis.
Teyla picks up a cracked crystal from the ground. "Yes. Most of them seem to be broken, but any usable ones we find will probably have data on them. There may be storage in the room somewhere as well."
A short search turns up eight intact crystals, and Ronon finds a panel in the wall that opens to Major Lorne's touch. There are a dozen more crystals inside, all whole. They pack the crystals carefully into a pouch and stop to admire the device on the way out. "How does it work?" Doctor Parrish asks.
Teyla smiles to herself. "The crystals go in this side," she says, walking him around to the correct panel. "There is a small impression here, see?" Doctor Parrish runs his hands over the little square and Teyla looks through the blur of color in the tube to meet Ronon's eyes.
"Whoops," Ronon says--not too convincingly--and trips, throwing his shoulder into Major Lorne's back. Major Lorne falls forward and catches himself against the other panel.
There is stillness in the room for several moments, and then Ronon asks, "That's what you wanted me to do, right?"
"Yes, Ronon." Teyla steps to the side so she can see both men clearly. She throws him a grin. "Perceptive as always."
"When do we pull 'em off?" he asks, tilting his head at Major Lorne.
Teyla frowns. Surely it has been long enough? "Perhaps--" Before she can finish her sentence, the room goes dark. She switches on her flashlight just in time to see Doctor Parrish and Major Lorne stagger back from the Ancient device. Both men look shocked.
"What--" Major Lorne gasps. Doctor Parrish is silent.
"A side effect of touching the device," Teyla answers. "The same happened earlier by accident with us. Are you both well?"
Major Lorne nods, and after a moment Doctor Parrish does the same. "We should," Major Lorne clears his throat, "find Colonel Sheppard."
Teyla nods, turning to the exit. Major Lorne's flashlight joins her own. She chews her lip, thinking. Perhaps she was mistaken. Ancestors forgive her if she has meddled where she was not welcome, but...Ronon nudges her as they reach the doorway. She turns to look over her shoulder. Illuminated by the beam of Major Lorne's light, Doctor Parrish stands before the Major and raises a hand to his face. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asks quietly.
"I..I didn't think you..." Major Lorne stutters, unable to look away. Neither can Teyla as Doctor Parrish leans down and kisses him.
They break apart only when Teyla's radio comes to life. "Teyla, this is Sheppard. Whatever we've been chasing on Rodney's scanner has disappeared. Let's meet back in the main room." Quite unfairly, Ronon pulls Teyla ahead and she does not get to see if they kiss again.
"What did you do?" Rodney demands as soon as they meet up.
Ronon and Teyla exchange glances. "What do you mean, Rodney?" Teyla asks. They certainly did nothing they hadn't already done once...
Rodney waves his scanner again. "The power signature is gone!" He sinks onto a piece of rubble. "We were this close to a ZPM!" He holds his fingers out, nearly touching.
"We went into the room, found some crystals, then the lights went out," Ronon says. "Maybe the ZPM was almost depleted when we got here," he shrugs. "That must be why the shields went out on this place."
"We never found a way downstairs anyway, Rodney," John says, patting him on the shoulder. He looks around and says, "Where are--Oh. Major." John nods at Major Lorne and Doctor Parrish as they emerge from the hallway. Teyla is pleased to see that they both look happy. "Find what you were looking for?" John asks.
Major Lorne glances sideways at Doctor Parrish. "Yeah," he says, blush barely noticeable under the layer of grime he's accumulated.
"Well, I'm glad someone got something out of this," Rodney grumbles.
John's hand is still on Rodney's shoulder, and he gives it a squeeze. "Let's go back outside. Doctor Parrish can finish digging up his plants and we can take a nice little siesta. And when we get back to Atlantis we can," he sighs, "have that little talk." He gives Rodney a smile and another squeeze.
Rodney beams up at him and stands. "You're not getting out of it."
Teyla follows them back into the sunshine as they continue their good-natured bickering. They find a lush square of grass to spread out on and relax. John and Rodney sit against a tree while Teyla and Ronon lie in the sun. Lieutenant Reed and Sergeant Coughlin keep an eye out for trouble. Major Lorne takes up a post within arm's length of Doctor Parrish, watching him work. Every so often, he reaches out to touch the botanist or leans down to speak in his ear.
"Think it was worth it?" Ronon asks, leaning back on his elbows.
Teyla smiles. "You said it yourself, Ronon--the ZPM did not even have enough power left to keep the shield active anymore. It must have been very nearly empty." Bringing two people together was certainly a good final use of a ZPM as far as she is concerned. "But perhaps," she glances at him sideways, smile twitching into a smirk, "Rodney does not need to hear what happened."
Ronon laughs and falls back onto the grass. "Yeah," he agrees.
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