On Atlantis.
It's late at night. Sam is walking in the corridors. She passes in front of the mess and sees Doctor Moore sitting alone in the dark, looking at his computer. He has a lot of Ancient devices and papers on the table with him. She looks around and approaches him, he doesn't see her.
SAM: Doctor Moore?
MOORE: (Raises his head. he looks tired) Colonel Carter.
SAM: What are you doing here in the middle of the night?
MOORE: I can't sleep.
SAM: (She hesitates) May I? (She points at the chair, he nods)
MOORE: Of course, yes. (He looks at her sitting. He goes back to work and she looks at him for a moment)
SAM: What are you doing?
MOORE: What does it look like I'm doing, I'm working.
SAM: Be careful of how you talk to me, Doctor, I'm not here as your friend.
MOORE: (He looks at her and stops) I'm sorry... I am so so sorry. Colonel Carter, please, forgive my rudeness.
SAM: (She sighs) Truth is... I've been trying to reach you the whole day.
MOORE: I know, I... I was busy.
SAM: Busy writing your report I hope. (He looks at her)
MOORE: The debrief was yesterday, wasn't it?
SAM: It was.
MOORE: (He sighs and removes his glasses. He scratches his eyes) I'm sorry. I... I was about to come see you... when I remembered that I still had that inventory to finish. I... Doctor McKay asked me to do it and... and if I don't finish it in time then...
SAM: Hey. (She puts her hand on his arm) It's ok. (She pauses) The inventory can wait. But I need you to stay focused. I need to understand what happened back there, but I need your report to do that. (She looks at the table all messy) You shouldn't be here this late though. Go to bed, and have some sleep.
MOORE: I can't... I can't sleep. (He hesitates and looks at her) I keep having that feeling that I missed something. I... I don't...
SAM: You don't what?
MOORE: It doesn't feel right.
SAM: What do you mean?
MOORE: I don't know. It's just... an impression that I have. It's like... there's something in that inventory that I missed, something that...
SAM: Might tell you that they're still alive?
MOORE: Yes!
SAM: (She sighs) It's just grief, Leylan. And, and that's ok. (she pauses) What happened back there, to Rodney and the others... it wasn't your fault. They knew the risks, and there's nothing you and I could have done to save them. (She waits) I'll let you be for tonight. But you have to promise me that you will take a break.
MOORE: I will.
SAM: And I want you in my office first thing in the morning. With your report. (He nods. She leaves. He takes a deep breath, puts his glasses on, and goes back to work)
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Teyla is in her room. She is sleeping. She is agitated and is dreaming.
In her dream:
She is a queen wraith and she is running in the woods. She is chasing someone, and she soon sees that it is Ronon, Rodney, Marshall, McQuin, Gorkin, and Swalo. She goes to the right and after a moment she catches up with Swalo and kills him. She feeds on him. Then she goes to the rest of the group that has been captured by the other wraiths. She arrives in front of Ronon and sees Rodney saying something. She looks at him and goes to him.
She wakes up in sweat and screams. She looks around her. She is trying to understand.
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Somewhere on Zakmus.
Marshall is putting some branches on top of the hole where Jameston is.
MARSHALL: Stay put and stay quiet Jameston, we're gonna come back for you.
JAMESTON: (in a small voice) Yes, sir.
MARSHALL: Swalo.
He signs him to help him and Gorkin go hide. They go a little further behind some bushes. They put Gorkin down, who is still struggling with his leg. They look at the hole. A few minutes pass and they see 3 wraiths coming out. One with a face and two without a face. He hides back, angry.
MARSHALL: Damn it, why are there wraiths here?!
SWALO: Oh no. (He takes his computer and looks. He waits and then looks back at Marshall) Oh no.
MARSHALL: What?! (Swalo shows him his screen, it's the same graph. He zoomed in) What's that?
SWALO: Another radiation spike? But much smaller. I... I didn't think it was important as it happened way before the other one. But now I understand.
MARSHALL: English, Doctor.
SWALO: Look. (He moves his screen) There's another similar inversion here. 0.01 second.
MARSHALL: What are you saying?
SWALO: I... I think that's when the wraith cruiser exploded.
GORKIN: Are you telling me that those are the wraiths from the cruiser Colonel Sheppard destroyed?
SWALO: It would make sense.
MARSHALL: No it wouldn't. I thought Doctor McKay was the one who initiated the damn program!
SWALO: It was just a guess.
MARSHALL: (He looks back and sees the wraiths looking at the ground where the hole is) Damn it, they found Jameston.
GORKIN: Sergeant... I can't feel my leg.
MARSHALL: Hang in there Gorkin, we're gonna...
SWALO: Oh my god! (He looks as the wraith goes into the hole and eats Jameston. Marshall looks and tries to contain his emotions)
MARSHALL: It's too late for him doc... we need to move. Come on. (He takes Gorkin by the arm and helps him get up. Gorkin makes a noise. The wraith looks in their direction.)
SWALO: Hum... Sergeant? (Marshall looks back and sees the wraiths coming their way)
MARSHALL: Go, go!! (They start to run)
YOU ARE READING
Stargate Atlantis 3 : Zakmus part 2, Unfinished business
FanfictionWhile everyone on Atlantis is grieving the loss of their friends and colleagues, Doctor Moore is still refusing to face what happened and is burying himself in his unfinished work. It turned out that Sheppard and his team survived the crash and are...
