“If you can,” Jack said. “Will you tell him that I want to talk to him?”
“Of course.” She nodded. “But, General? Be careful.”
“Believe me,” Jack answered, “I intend to be.”
CHAPTER NINE
Interlude
*THIS WAS entirely unnecessary,* the Queen said. The lords of her zenana were making themselves small, even the Consort standing carefully out of her direct line of sight. Only the Young Queen faced her, scowling, her heavy bone-white hair framing her delicate face.
*With respect, it was exactly the opposite,* she said. *It’s vital that we show the humans that we are their masters, and especially in a case like this one, where they’ve suddenly acquired new technology.*
*And yet what you have done is lost a dozen of my best drones,* the Queen answered. *Nor do we have any better idea where the Athosians came by this technology.*
*What does it matter?* Were the Young Queen not nearly of an age to command her own hive, one would have said she was pouting. *We will destroy them.*
*Will we? You have not managed it so far.*
*Give me another chance.*
*At the cost of how many more drones, and the blades to lead them?* The Queen glared at her daughter. *Nor has the one you would call pallax acquitted himself as I would wish, were I his mistress.*
*It is not his fault.* The Young Queen matched her glare for glare. *The tactics were my own.*
*They were ill-chosen.*
*They didn’t work.* The Young Queen dropped her gaze at last, shrugging her shoulders angrily. *We should have been able to kill or capture far more of them than we did, and it’s not just the advantage their weapons gave them. I don’t understand it.*
Against the far wall, Seeker shifted his weight uneasily, his beautifully dressed hair slithering across the shoulders of his coat. The Queen bared teeth, silencing anything he might have said, and looked back at her daughter. *Why do you think this might be so?*
*I don’t know.* The Young Queen made another shrugging movement. *If I knew, I wouldn’t have let it happen this way.*
*There were weapons that we did not expect,* the Queen said, *and then greater strength and resistance. What does that tell you?*
The Young Queen took a breath, controlling her fury. *That they got their weapons elsewhere. The Athosians are traders, that’s how they get that which they cannot make or harvest themselves.* She stopped, allowing the puzzle to wash through her. *And yet these are weapons beyond any I have seen or heard of. Neither the Satedans nor the humans of Hoff have such. Nor did the Genii, before we put them down.*
*Just so,* the Queen said softly. *What else?*
*I don’t know of any human world that has such,* the Young Queen said, after a moment’s thought. *Nor can I think of any Queen of our lineage or any other who would permit humans to develop so far without a check. Unless there were a world unclaimed, a hunting ground unknown?* She shook her head. *I cannot believe that.*
Seeker shifted again, drawing the Queen’s eye, and this time she nodded. *I believe the Master of Sciences Biological has a suggestion.*
Seeker bowed, the gesture graceful and formal at once. *There have been humans in the past who have developed their own compounds to counteract the effects of the feeding process. Usually it is derived from our own mitigating enzyme. The description of these humans’ behavior suggests that such a drug is in use among them.*
The Young Queen turned, her head tilting sharply to one side. *Aren’t there eventual — deadly — side effects?*
*There are,* Seeker answered. *Or there have been in the past. I do not think a human population has used such a drug since before we last slept.*
*So why now?* The Young Queen shook her head. *It doesn’t make sense.*
*If they were unaware of the consequences,* the Queen said.
*How could they be?* the Young Queen answered. *Any group with the sophistication to build such a drug would trade off-world, and so would come to know of the problems. Unless they believed they had solved them?*
*I am sure everyone who tries it believes that,* Seeker said. *But it has never been true.*
*And yet,* the Young Queen went on as though he hadn’t spoken, *Athos is a trading world, they make no weapons or drugs of their own, so presumably they are playing host to another group? One that doesn’t know…* Her mental voice trailed off as she considered the problem.
The Queen nodded. *The Athosians, if they are separate as it seems they must be — they have not told these strangers all they know.* She looked at Seeker. *They trade with Hoff, do they not?*
Seeker bowed again. *They do. And the Hoffans were the last to make a version of the drug. It depopulated three cities before they ceased to slaughter each other.*
*So we have a group of humans with weapons beyond anything we’ve seen who do not know the dangers of the enzyme drug,* the Queen said. *What does that suggest to you, Daughter?*
The Young Queen frowned. *That they come from some world that we have not discovered and that has been out of touch with other humans for some time. But I don’t see how that can be. I mean, if they were on a world where the Ring was buried, or where it hung in orbit — though I don’t see how they could reach it, so that doesn’t work — and that still doesn’t explain why we don’t know about them.*
*Just so,* the Queen said again. She leaned back in her chair, taking in the rest of her zenana with a glance. *I would give a great deal to question one of these strangers.*
*That can always be arranged,* Seeker said.
*I think I need to see for myself,* the Queen said, and pushed herself to her feet. “Hivemaster! Set us a course for Athos, please.”
*As my queen commands.* Seldom Seen bowed deeply, and backed from the zenana.
*You and I, Daughter, will make our own plans.* The Queen vanished into her own quarters, the Young Queen at her heels, and there was silence in the zenana for a long moment.
*Well,* the Master of Sciences Physical said at last. *The Young Queen has found an iratus nest, and now we’re going to prod it with short sticks.*
The Consort gave him a narrow stare. *I would have thought you’d find it fascinating.*
*I do.* Spark put his hands on his hips, matching him stare for stare. *And only your get would want to spoil it.*
*Careful,* the Consort said.
*I am careful,* Spark said. *I am always careful.*
That drew a snarl of disbelief from Seeker, but the other cleverman ignored him.
*It makes no sense. Not only do we have no idea where these strangers spring from, or how they’ve put their hands on this technology, but they’ve moved themselves into a city of the Ancients. We don’t know what they may find there, or whether they might even be able to use it.*
*You’re not seriously suggesting they’re a nest of Ancients,* the Consort said.
*We can’t actually rule it out,* Seeker said, and that silenced them again. *So if we are going to poke this nest of iratus — the Queen is right, we need to question one of them first. Preferably more than one, and not quickly, either.*
*If they are Ancients…* the Consort began, then shook his head. *They cannot be. We defeated them ten thousand years ago.*
*We were there,* Seeker agreed. *You and I saw the cities fall — saw Emege fall, and the towers of Atlantis vanish beneath the waves. But the Ancients were strong and clever. It is possible their descendants may still have survived in some hidden place.*
*I don’t believe it,* Spark said. *The Ancients are dead, their cities fallen, there is nothing left of their culture but broken writing on shattered walls.*
*And yet,* Seeker said.
The Consort paused. *And is there any way that we could prove whether or not they are Ancients? That would also seem to be a crucial point.*
Seeker smiled. *As it happens…*
Spark snarled. *You cannot.*
*But I can.* Seeker’s smile was definitely smug. *The Ancients built many of t
heir devices so that they could only be used by one of their own blood, one whose molecular makeup bears certain markers. I have one of those devices. We can use it to test any human we take, even without its knowledge.*
*An excellent notion,* the Consort said.
*And if they prove to be Ancients…* Seeker’s smile vanished. *Then we must destroy them all.*
CHAPTER TEN
Patrol
SAM JOINED the group of scientists heading back to the power control room, very aware of the weight of the borrowed P90 on its clip against her chest. Spare ammo was heavy in her pockets, and she was glad of it. It took significant weight of fire to bring down a Wraith, and that was far more disconcerting than she felt it ought to be. The rest of the group seemed just as shaken by the morning’s attack, and there was little conversation as they threaded their way through the ruins. The Marines on duty at the guard post were morose and silent, and the scientists climbed down into the power control room as though they were glad to get under cover.
“Get the lights hooked up,” McKay ordered. “Dr. Grodin, see if you can get that tracer program to run better than it did yesterday. Colonel Carter, if I might have a word?”
He drew her away from the others without waiting for an answer. Sam followed warily, stopping well before they reached the shadows.
“I thought the weapons console was that one over there.”
“It is, but it’s too close to that airman. I don’t want her to hear us.”
Salawi’s fine. The words died before Sam could articulate them, not least because she wasn’t sure where anyone’s loyalties lay. “So what did you want?” she asked instead, and McKay glared at her.
“What happened this morning — if we weren’t in the city, it wouldn’t keep happening.”
Sam nodded once. “Or at least that’s what the Athosians told you.”
“Don’t tell me you think they’re lying, too!”
“I don’t think anything,” Sam said. “I don’t know enough to have an opinion. But I do wonder if getting out of the city would be enough to stop the Wraith, particularly if their goal is to keep any human civilization from posing a challenge.”
“Well, yes, I admit I had wondered that,” McKay answered. “But it would be a start.”
“I don’t think General O’Neill is going to be able to persuade the colonel to anything,” Sam answered. “What is it you want us to do?”
“I want General O’Neill to tell Sumner to get his head unwedged,” McKay said. “But since that doesn’t seem to be about to happen — and, yes, I do understand why it’s not happening, wrong chain of command and all that.” He stopped, and went on more soberly, “Not to mention a company of Marines with better weapons and hyped-up reflexes, both of which would make a total mess of the rest of us.”
Sam looked up sharply. “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s the drug they take, the one Beckett developed. It makes them crazy, too.”
“I thought Colonel Sumner told General O’Neill there weren’t any serious side effects.”
“And if you believe that…”
Sam nodded. “Ok, yeah.”
“But, anyway, my point is that I’d like to find an answer that doesn’t involve people getting shot.” McKay glanced over his shoulder again, then pointed to something on the rocky wall beside him. Sam made a production of looking, but saw only a knob of rock that looked at bit like a melted Pac-Man.
“I don’t think anybody likes what’s happening,” she said. “What do you have in mind?”
“Major Sheppard wants to talk to the general,” McKay said. “What? You think Sumner’s guys have a monopoly on smart and stealthy? Sheppard sneaks in and out of camp like he was some kind of Robin Hood. That’s the real reason Sumner won’t let us leave anything set up. He’s afraid Sheppard will get hold of it and give it to the Athosians.”
“Sheppard doesn’t think he’s Robin Hood,” Sam said.
“No. No, he doesn’t, that’s my metaphor,” McKay answered. “Not that it doesn’t apply, but that’s not Sheppard’s style.”
Sam decided that was a tangent better left unexplored. “And Sheppard wants to talk to General O’Neill.”
“Uh-huh.” McKay nodded. “Now, the first thought was to keep it simple, just let Sheppard slip in under cover of night —”
“How was he going to get across the lake?” Sam asked.
“The Athosians have boats,” McKay said. “And it’s a lot narrower on the other side of the city, not that Sumner knows that because he hasn’t bothered to look. But it doesn’t matter because after this morning every single Marine is going to be jumping out of his skin for days. O’Neill’s going to have to go to him.”
Sam gave him a long look. “And how do you expect that to happen?”
McKay waved his hands. “Look, all O’Neill has to do is find a way to leave the city. Sheppard will contact him.”
“No,” Sam said. “I’m not buying it. You haven’t had time to set this up —”
“Will you give me a little credit?” McKay demanded. “That’s the fallback plan. I’ve already signaled that Sheppard shouldn’t enter the city, so now we go to the fallback. All O’Neill has to do is get out of the city — join one of the patrols or something, I don’t know, but Sheppard will find him.”
“I’ll pass the word,” Sam said. She didn’t think it was a trap — McKay’s hostility was too genuine, too unrelieved for that — but she couldn’t help feeling there was something more going on.
“And in the meantime,” McKay said, “how about helping me attach a naquadah generator to the weapons platform and see if we can’t do something about the Wraith?”
It was a clever idea, Sam thought, and almost successful. If only part of the crystal array hadn’t cracked under the strain, it would have worked, and McKay was certain he could find more of the crystals elsewhere in the city. Still, it was a disappointing result, and conversation lagged again as they collected the equipment to carry it back to the main camp. To her relief, McKay chose another table in the mess hall and Sam was able to settle into place next to Teal’c, who was eating the evening stew as though it were actually tasty. Sam took a careful bite, decided it tasted enough like any other beans-and-rice meal that she wasn’t going to have to worry about, say, random bits that tasted like chocolate, and began methodically to eat.
“Did you have a good day, Carter?” Jack looked at her over the rim of his cup. He’d finished most of his stew already, and the nepti fruit that was served as dessert.
“Yes, sir.” Carter carefully didn’t look around. “Though we weren’t able to hook up the generator the way we hoped. And you?”
“Interesting,” Jack said. His voice was pitched low, and she trusted that he could see that there was no one in earshot behind her.
“Indeed,” Teal’c said.
“It turns out Sumner’s men are using an anti-Wraith drug that slows down the effects of the Wraith feeding enzyme,” Daniel said, “and ramps up their reflexes. Unfortunately, it seems to have side effects.”
“McKay said something about that,” Sam said. They ran through the details quickly while she ate, and when they were done, she shook her head again. “Sir, Dr. McKay has a message for you.”
Jack nodded. “Ok.”
“He says Major Sheppard wants to meet with you.”
“Oh, he does, does he?” Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Did he say what he wanted?”
“Not exactly,” Sam admitted. “McKay —”
“I know, talking to McKay is like drinking from a firehose,” Jack said. “But he must have said something.”
“McKay wants you to take command,” Sam said. “And before you say anything, he does see the problems inherent in the idea. From what I gather, Sheppard’s worried about the people who are still here.”
“I’m worried about them,” Daniel said. “For that matter, I’m worried about us.”
“How’s he want to meet?” Jack’s expression w
as inscrutable.
“From what McKay said, Sheppard manages to come and go pretty freely,” Sam answered. “But with this latest Wraith attack — he said if you can get out of the city, he’ll contact you.”
“I do not believe that is wise, O’Neill.” Teal’c’s protest sounded heartfelt.
“Probably not.” Jack gave a crooked smile. “Since when did that stop us?”
“We could wait until it’s safe for Sheppard to enter the city again,” Sam said.
“Who knows how long that’s going to take?” Daniel asked. “Especially if this drug is making everybody paranoid. I’d like to talk to the Athosians, myself. There’s a lot they can probably tell us about the Wraith that I expect Colonel Sumner hasn’t bothered to listen to.”
“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “All right, Carter, you can tell McKay I’ll do it.”
“Yes, sir.” Sam looked at her plate, decided she really didn’t want another plate of stew. She could stand another cup of tea, however, and she pushed herself to her feet. For all that McKay hadn’t hit on her once since they’d arrived on Athos, she still felt awkward as she approached the table where he was eating with Grodin, Campbell, and an open laptop.
“Dr. McKay?”
“Call me Rodney.”
Sam flinched, but at least he didn’t follow up on it. “Look, I just wanted to say — that thing we talked about earlier. I think it will work.”
“Thing?” McKay blinked. “Oh. Oh, that thing! Ok, yeah — wait. You think it will work?”
“It’ll work,” Sam said, and hoped she wasn’t blushing. Neither she nor McKay was particularly good at spycraft. “Just the way you said it would.”
McKay nodded hard, twice. “Yeah. Yes, all right, we’ll do that. Thank you, Colonel.”
“You’re welcome,” Sam said, and was pleased she remembered to refill her glass of tea before she returned to her own table.
“I take it that was a yes?” Jack asked.
“Yes, sir.” Sam took a sip of the tea, barely tasting it. “At least I hope so.”
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