“Until you get back to Earth,” Kusanagi agreed, looking relieved that Sam wasn’t going to do what Rodney would have done and demanded the impossible. Like that she conjure 640 hull plates out of thin air.
“Whenever that is,” Sam said. It wouldn’t make her sleep better to know she had a big dorsal patch that would blow wide open if anything got through the shields. They’d have to plan to keep the compartments behind it closed off and remove anything important. Fortunately, it was the secondary water filtration systems, which could be rerouted to the deck above if they moved the tanks. That would be a piece of work. And the space it would have to go into was the gym. Sam didn’t have to look at the Hammond’s specs to know that. She knew every compartment like the back of her hand.
Well, they could do without a gym for the twelve day trip back to Earth eventually, and while they were here they could use Atlantis’. “Tell Sergeant Manuel that he’ll have to move the secondary water filtration tanks as soon as you get done with the hull plates. No sense having both your teams in there at the same time bumping elbows.”
“I’ll do that,” Kusanagi agreed. “We will start on that section tomorrow.”
“Great.” Sam said. “I’ll schedule a crew to collect the plates from wherever you’ve got them stored and bring them down so they’ll be ready for your team in the morning. Weather report says it’s supposed to be fair tomorrow after this rain clears out.”
“Which is better than snowing,” Kusanagi said. She and Sam were both getting tired of crawling around on the Hammond’s hull in a snowstorm.
“That it is.” Sam gave her a pleasant nod and headed out of the lab. She’d have to tell Franklin to get the third watch crew to go get the plates. It would take them a couple of hours, and they’d definitely need the bobcat.
“I was wondering if I might have a word with you, ma’am,” Major Lorne said.
Sam turned around to see him hopping up the hall behind her, his leg in its cast swinging freely as he plied the crutches. “Of course, Major,” she said. It wasn’t like Lorne to be quite so formal. After all, they’d been at the SGC together before he’d served with her in Atlantis.
“In private, if you have a moment,” Lorne said.
Ok, that definitely rang trouble bells. “We could step in Dr. McKay’s lab,” Sam said. “I don’t believe anybody is in there right now.” It was only one door away, and wouldn’t make Lorne hop all over the city to keep up with her.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lorne said, falling in behind her as Sam keyed open the lock and turned on the light. Everything was neat, pristine, left spotless by Jeannie Miller after she’d gone over the last of Rodney’s work and transferred it to her computer. She said she’d rather work in the main lab, and Sam couldn’t blame her. It would be a whole lot less depressing to look for Rodney’s loopholes in a room that didn’t constantly remind her of his absence.
Lorne’s mouth was set. Either his leg was bothering him a lot more than he let on, or this was a conversation he wasn’t looking forward to.
“What’s on your mind?” Sam asked, perching on one of the lab stools and gesturing for him to do the same.
“You probably know that last night was poker night for some of the guys,” Lorne said.
“I do.” The poker night had been going since she’d been in Atlantis if not before, the senior grade poker game that was all military and free of young lieutenants, distinct from the Girls’ Night which was organized by the female scientists.
“Some of the Daedalus’ 302 wing have been playing, Lt. Colonel Hocken and Captain Grant. We asked the Hammond’s folks if they’d like to join us, and Major Franklin came along.”
“Nice of you to ask them,” Sam said. Of course she hadn’t been asked. She and Sheppard were off the top of the list as the captain of the Hammond and the military commander of Atlantis respectively. Nobody could relax if either one of them were around.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lorne said. He looked a little abashed. “It’s pretty laid back. A few beers, some good conversation.”
“Sure,” Sam said.
Lorne’s eyes met hers. “I understand Major Franklin served with Colonel Sheppard in Afghanistan.”
“I believe he was at the same base for a few weeks,” Sam said carefully. “I don’t think he knew him well though.”
“That’s good to know,” Lorne said, looking as though he were choosing his words with equal care. “He was mentioning to Colonel Hocken that he was there when Sheppard was court martialed. He had a lot to say about the charges and about a bunch of rumors current around the base at the time. Seemed to think Colonel Hocken might be interested. Or that other people might find it interesting.”
“I see,” Sam said, and her voice was ice.
Lorne nodded. “I didn’t think you’d want those kinds of rumors being repeated. Doesn’t do much for morale, digging up old stories about stuff that might or might not have happened seven years ago. Sleeping dogs, and things like that.”
“Yes indeed, Major,” Sam said in a voice that sounded to her a hell of a lot like Jack. “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. I wouldn’t want the crew of the Hammond to cause any offense or misunderstanding on Atlantis.”
“That was my thought too,” Lorne said.
The cruiser Eternal returned to Atlantis on a day of rain. For once the temperature had risen above freezing, and gray drizzle sheeted the towers, darkening the concrete of the pier to the color of old steel. Eternal landed neatly on the north pier, settling onto her new landing gear with grace. Guide’s men had repaired that for their queen, which was a very convenient thing for everyone.
John stood in the shadow of the cruiser’s belly, watching Carson’s team wheeling Dr. Keller down on a gurney, Carson holding a black umbrella incongruously over his patient.
“I’m fine,” Dr. Keller protested weakly, one hand rising to shade her eyes.
“Not until I say you are, love,” Carson said, keeping pace beside the gurney. “It’s a traumatic thing, and Teyla was right to bring you straight home.” His face was grim, and John knew he was seeing the ghost of Perla, that other dedicated young doctor who had killed herself with her own retrovirus trials.
John slouched over to Teyla, his hands in his pockets. She stood by the ramp, her Wraith face impassive as she watched Carson and Jennifer go inside. “What happened?” he asked quietly.
“It didn’t work.” She shook her head. “I do not know what else to tell you, John. Jennifer insisted on testing the retrovirus on herself rather than on one of Todd’s prisoners. It was not effective. When he fed on her she would have died, had he not reversed the process as he did with you once.”
John swore softly under his breath.
“He kept his bargain,” Teyla said. “And he says she will have no more effects in the long term than you do. But…” Her voice trailed off, and he wished he could put his arm around her, but she wouldn’t appreciate that, not on the tarmac in full view of half the city.
“Ok,” John said. “Well, it was worth a try.”
“I do understand why she will not permit it to be tested on someone else,” Teyla said. “It is not that I disagree. But…”
“Yeah.” John rubbed his forehead. “Let’s go tell Carter what happened. We had some good news while you were gone. The SGC managed to get their hands on a ZPM and they’ve dialed in. So we’re not cut off anymore.”
She fell into step beside him, her boot heels loud on the rain slicked pavement. “Is Mr. Woolsey back then?”
“No. The IOA are still having hearings,” he replied.