Chapter #2 ‘Fairly Terminal’

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=^=Mr Hannigan! What can I do you for?=^= replied Colonel Elliot.

Hannigan tapped his ear-peace and replied =^=Sir I know there other issues currently ongoing, however we have an issue with our Gate. A fairly terminal one by the looks of things!=^=

Hannigan stood up, and bolted from his console, down the stairs into the gate room and went round the back of the gate. After removing a couple of the floor panels that cover the bottom of the gate, he reached down and felt around. Instantly his fear was confirmed.

As he reached further down, he could feel that control crystals where missing. He didn't understand why, but he was ninety nine percent confident that they had been taken. They had only been occupying the city for a while since the last 'People' left. What made this more confusing, was there was gate activations made in and outbound since they retook residence.

Hannigan decided to poke his head in to have a proper look. He pulled a torch out of his pocket, held it to his head and inserted his head into the cavity in the floor. Instantly, he knew what the issue was.

Hannigan pulled his head out of the cavity, readjusted the ear-peace and tapped it once, in a calm tone he transmitted. =^=Colonel Elliot, it Hannigan, could you please meet me in the gate room, at the rear of the gate? BREAK BREAK All Stargate technicians, please meet me in the control room, we have an issue to solve!=^=

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With folded arms Dr. Lynch listened to his response for her impromptu compliant. Normally Hermione would lightly tell of the security team, followed by a 2nd warning of a strong electric shock but still some soldiers had not learnt their lessons. Just because something was strange, new and shiny did not mean it should not be touched without an expert on hand.

Idiots.

“Thank you, Colonel.” She spoke highly amused at his declaration to the security teams and shook her head a little.

Seeing the Colonel leave she turned looking at the bag of crisps she rolled her eyes a little. Before hearing him shout out his last sentence. “Yes sir!” Firing back and turning back to the science team.

Picking up the bag of crisps and frowning at the bag before looking back to the team. “Now I know you all will be fighting to go and be a diplomat...” Speaking before pausing, chuckling as Lynch saw the horrified looks on their faces. If there was anything Hermione knew about the science team, they preferred their own company or those within the science field.

Dr. Lynch has been the same, until she was made the Chief Scientist and had to develop her social skill. Which had improved quite a lot since coming to Atlantis and there were not many places that she could hide, they always found her… normally in the lab.

“Dr. French, you are the chosen one.” Looking over at the gentleman seeing him grimace. “Here, have these crisps as an award.” Throwing them in his general direction. “Now get going because it will be my head if you don’t get moving in a timely manner.”

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Jack was making his way to the transporter after paying a business visit to the science department, specifically it's boss, when he was contacted by a Gate Technician.

=^=Sir I know there other issues currently ongoing, however we have an issue with our Gate. A fairly terminal one by the looks of things!=^=

Terminal? The hell did terminal mean?! Terminal for them or the gate? Jack picked up his pace to a jog through the hallways going back to where he spent his working time. The hallways of Atlantis were mostly wide enough for several people, it was a city after all, but some narrowed toward transporters and as the running Colonel hastened through the corridors, those that didn't recognise the man and his pace were simply met with, "MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

Notes on names were made mentally for those offenders that took their time in complying.

Transporter in sight, Jack kept up his pace but hit his earpiece, =^=Doctor Lynch drop what you're doing. Control Room now! Repeat! CONTROL ROOM! STAT!=^=

Arriving at the transporter and barely breathing heavily Jack came to an abrupt stop as colleagues stepped into the platfoom, he grabbed their jack sleeves and pulled them backways and aside each side of him as he used the same momentum to propel himself into the booth and hit the relevant part of the screen. The doors couldn't close fast enough. They closed and a bright light shone above him. The doors slid open again and Jack jogged through the hall to his right and up the staircase to the rear of the Control Room.

Scanning the room, he couldn't see his man, or anyone looking to be dealing with a 'terminal' situation.

=^=Colonel Elliot, it Hannigan, could you please meet me in the gate room, at the rear of the gate? BREAK BREAK All Stargate technicians, please meet me in the control room, we have an issue to solve!=^=

"Christ." Jack muttered under his breath before power walking to the Control Room arch way and down the stairs into Gateroom. He walked centre of the gangway and right up to the 'Gate. Finally. There was the man that moved about too much.

"Mr Hannigan you've broken my 'Gate. Do I need to have my people get to the edge of the city?" Jack spoke in a solid, firm tone.

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There has been some progress made in the task set to the science team for a ‘gift’ and they were working on the next step to reduce the viable options to get it to the one option. Hermione believed that they would complete the task with time to spare. There has been time during the reshuffle of Atlantis she would scream at the options given for her team, but now… well they were half decent.

Atlantis was indeed truly her home, and to make a career here, well it had to be everything and that was what it was for Dr. Lynch – she was having an amazing career that only few people could dream of.

Typing quickly away on her tablet, responding to a question from on of the minor science findings, Hermione documented for it to be looked at by one of the team another day. And then she heard the call on the radio.

“For fu…fudge sake” Halting herself from swearing remembering her mother’s word. The British do not swear, or at least in public. She was about to have someone’s head, who had broken what now?!

“Keep going at the task team, I will be back soon.” Speaking quickly before almost running from the main lab to the transporter. Within seconds she was at the main area of Atlantis and quickly ran up a set of stairs. “Jesus, I need to run more.” Muttering to herself before composing herself.

“Whoever broke something, I will need a test dummy.” Dr. Lynch spoke as she entered the Gateroom. “What has happened? Who touched what? And who broke the Stargate this time?” Looking at Hannigan and then Colonel Elliot.
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Laura was stood on the balcony that was just beyond a pair of doors attached to her quarters. Her quarters throughout her stay in Atlantis had been the same; simple but just perfect. English. This was certainly a pleasant trade-in, though.

Laura had spent quite a bit of time back on Earth as we father had passed away. He was the last link back to Earth, and as her mother had passed several years back it was tough. She was an only child and had nothing by way of extended family, so there really was much more to stay for. Stay she did, though.

They had been aware of her fathers condition for a while, only a short while granted, but he’d worked (somewhat carelessly) with asbestos in his past life and so he’d always expected that his number be called. Laura was a doctor, and a daughter, she had no recourse but to step in to try and make the difference she could, but unfortunately it was a non-starter as far as the Stargate Program was concerned so once he died, she threw the towel in and walked away.

Travelling her own world showed her sights and breathtaking moments like she’d never seen, it was home, but it wasn’t. When she reentered into the Stargate Program to come back to Atlantis they happily accepted her based on her personnel reviews from her previous commanders; it seems she’d made an impression on Colonel Elliot, Dr Wyatt and General Bond but she could never have expected it to have been so ‘cold’ when she came back.

Sure, personnel returning to Earth had reached out to reconnect and they talked, but she didn’t think it’d be like this. Most of her friends, her colleagues had been dismissed. The entire linguistic department had been stripped and absorbed into the sciences department. Doctor Parker, Doctor Williams and their team were almost all removed. Many NCO’s had been transferred out of the base, Sergeant Matthews, a close ally of Colonel Elliot had to take time away from the base. Lieutenant Rodriguez was reassigned and the list went on. A familiar face from her SGC days, Cameron McKenzie had taken an extended paternity leave and when they last spoke, he expressed interest in not returning.

The place was feeling empty, but it wasn’t a ghost town. When she came back she felt incredible pressure to fall from the expected state of relax to the clockwork efficiency she’d had drilled into her at basic - it was muscle memory, but muscles she’d not flexed before.

There was so much change and so much loss that surrounded her that she’d started to accept it as her character. How could you do anything less, when the faces you’d seen where either dead, dying or dwindling?

Laura shook her head harshly, her pony tail carrying some momentum still when she stopped. Turning around and walking away from the balcony, the doors slid open to allow her into her quarters.

Crossing the room, Colonel Carter stopped at the next doors, breathed deeply in, sliding each hand down her sides from chest to waist and stepped forward, the doors to the base opened.

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Colonel Elliot was stood in the Gateroom directly in front of several clowns that were trying to ‘fix’ his broken Stargate and all the while he didn’t know just how bad the problem was. Nobody had told him. He’d asked.

Elliot had heard his own expert walk into the hall before she was seen, “Whoever broke something, I will need a test dummy.” Dr. Lynch spoke as she entered the Gateroom.

Jack pointed at the ringleading clown, Hannigan, and raised his voice ever so slightly until Lynch made her way to them, “here’s one.”

Lynch spoke again, “What has happened? Who touched what? And who broke the Stargate this time?” Looking at Hannigan and then Colonel Elliot.

Elliot raised his palms, in jest, at first, but recalled the potential catastrophic danger that could be headed their way. He’d seen Stargate detonate before, losing his was one thing, but losing his, the city and his people was a whole other.

Jack stepped away for a moment, =^=Control Room, urgent secure order of recall to the Daedalus. Message will read Execution Five Niner Five=^= to those in the know, 595 was the order for full and immediate retrieval of as many members of personnel possible, and to secure the planet with extreme hostile means while waiting for it to destroy, or to enact destruction. His senior staff would know this, but not too many would know that the ship was actually WELL on its way to Earth. If it received the message and managed to turn tail, it’d still more than likely not make it in time.
Looking up to the vacant windows of the control room, Jack spoke again, =^=I want all none essential civilians to prepare for a short notice sprint to the jumper bay.=^= he tapped his ear again, =^=make sure they have pilots=^=.

Coming back into the vicinity of the circus, Jack squared his position toe to toe with the Gate technician and spoke softly, aggressively and succinctly, “this gets fixed, or I get a report in two minutes.” The man looked to alter his expression, “those are the terms. Otherwise we’ll see just how well this officer is at flying when I toss him through that,” Jack gestured to the stained glass window that sat behind the Stargate.

Walking away from the gathering, Jack shouted out, “Lynch.” As a farewell.

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Hannigan was deep in thought trying to work out what the hell was going on. The flurry of activity around him made the room spin for a split second before he snapped back and started looking at the data.

"Colonel. Apologies. I wanted to make sure what I was seeing was correct. Essentially, our Stargate has been receiving signals from an external source. I know that Pegasus gates can receive signals, not just from the DHD but from other gates on the network, but this isn't anything that I've seen before."

Hannigan looked at Colonel Elliot. He knew he wasn't happy. Ever since the reoccupation there had been nothing but issues with the gate and Hannigan had been trying to resolve as many as he could, but this was taking time.

"I hate to say this, but we cant dial out either. Our primary control crystal isn't there anymore".

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Sometimes she wondered where they found some members of the Stargate tech team, they were often the cause of her headaches. Rasing an eyebrow at the gesture to the head tech guy and she shook her head. Within moments, Dr. Lynch heard the flurry of activity and then the Colonel left, it took quite a significant amount of inner strength not to say something sarcastic.

“Not the time Hermione.” Muttering to herself, before turning her attention to the task back at hand. “I want diagnostics now and you…” Clicking her fingers thinking the officer’s name. “Forgive me for not remembering but I need you to find the last shift checks for the Stargate… you have 1 minute.” Her tone was serious, and time was of the essence.

“Hannigan… what do you mean it seems the Primary control crystal is not there anymore?” Now she really did feel like throwing someone through the window before Colonel Elliot got back to complete the job. “A member of the science team has taken the crystal for checks and is due to return it before our guests arrive…” Composing herself the best she could. “Was this not handed over to you?” Clicking quickly on her tablet that had been plugged in. “And seems no notes entered for your team… I swear I am surrounded by idiots!”

Tapping on her radio quickly =^=Colonel Elliot this is Doctor Lynch…”=^= Pausing and she knew he was not going to be happy. =^= Crisis is adverted, I repeat the situation is under control. I look forward to seeing an officer fly without a vehicle.=^=

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Colonel Elliot was currently walking up the steps at the back of the Control Room to be present when he called the order for all none essential civilians to make a direct means of rendezvous to that location - ahead of evacuation.

His ear perked up; =^=Colonel Elliot this is Doctor Lynch…”=^= Lynch. Naturally, she was the one that took charge and had to deliver the news. She was always capable, and her ability to simply get a task done and panic after was the ideal attitude he wanted in a civilian - hell, his military personnel, too. =^= Crisis is adverted, I repeat the situation is under control. I look forward to seeing an officer fly without a vehicle.=^=

Jack chuckled to himself with a visible smile of relief as he came to a stop in the middle of the staircase he was using. =^=Lynch! Way to go and rescue us all!=^= Jack raised his voice, but wasn't exactly shouting. He turned around to walk back down the stairs and into the Control Room. =^=Do me a favour and make sure everything, and everyone, is all back where it belongs before you run off back to the gift shop, please? Gracias.=^=

Jack entered the control room and took his usual position at the base of the staircase, first step up. "Cole, belay all past orders" he spoke to an occupant of the room who in turn confirmed with a simple nod. Jack appreciated being acknowledged - nothing worse than giving an order and not being given the okay.

"Might aswell call the Daedalus and let them know to stand down, too." Jack spoke to the same helping hand who struggled to confirm this time.

"Sir, the Daedalus entered hyperspace at maximum speed - they wont get any further messages until they drop out. Here"

Jack rolled his eyes, typical, "Okay well it wont kill them to spend a few days extra here," Jack waved his hand in a gesture as if to say 'sod it' before he stepped on the step and started to head into his office - he had a needless report to file.

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It only took a moment to get a response from the Colonel shaking her head and respond =^= When don’t I Colonel, can we make not so frequent ideally… please?=^= And with that Dr. Lynch turned her attention back to the task at hand before hearing the next call out and chose not to say what she was sarcastically thinking.

“Right, let’s get this all tided up and wrapped up please.” Hermione pulled off her science jacket and had thrown it on a nearby chair. She began to tap on the tablet and entered the relevant notes that should have already been entered onto the system.

Tapping on her radio =^=Pickering? =^= She called out and quickly got a response. =^=Please return the primary control crystal and I want to see the idiot later today that did not hand over to the gate team that we were playing with it for a while. They nearly caused… well you heard! =^= Lynch did not need to wait for a reply, and she would have to complete additional paperwork since it had been a member of the science team that caused this headache.

After what seemed to be a lifetime pass, Hermione found herself making her way back to the science labs. “Progress report?” They had some time since the situation had been deescalated to make some process. Listening to some of the ideas, she was impressed.

“Now this could work quite well… very well.” A smile appeared. “Now are we 100% sure we will not need this in the future?”

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Laura, after a deep breath, had emerged from her quarters and was walking through the halls of Atlantis on her way to a late lunch.

It was interesting because she still knew this city like the back of her hand, as if it were Sandhurst back home, but she'd been gone so long in favour of the latter that she'd expected it to have fallen out of mind. When she came back she was given new quarters, more in-keeping with a department head - that'd be thanks to the reshuffle in the city - so she had a new navigation to get her head around but it took minimal effort thanks to all the years she'd spent here previously... An adventure in itself though; anything to keep her head busy.

~Be careful what you wish for~ she thought to herself as expedition-issued smart watch vibrated on her wrist.

Looking down as she raised her arm to read the device on her wrist, she as she met it, her eyes widened with silent concern: 'ALL SENIOR STAFF BE AWARE. 595 IN EXECUTION'

Laura skipped into a jog to the nearest transporter. All department heads were given smart watches and some additional tech to allow them to more effectively conduct their work. 595, if memory served, meant the evacuation and intentional destruction of the city. Laura needed to start the ball rolling on purging all of their medical reports and research and ensure that this wouldn't mean any casualties.

Throwing herself into the transporter and hitting the appropriate part of the panel at the same time as landing, the light flashed and the Lieutenant Colonel arrived on the other end, inside the infirmary itself. When she came back to the city, Colonel Elliot had drilled into them about efficiencies and anything being considered - so Laura suggested extending the infirmary to an emergency medical wing enveloping the transporter that was nearby - thus eliminating any in-transit criticalities.

Her watch vibrated and while catching her breath, she lifted her arm to read it: 'BELAY 595 EXECUTION'.

"Jes-sus," she spoke while gasping for air.

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Dr. Lynch continued to question the team regarding the chosen ‘gift’ they have deemed was suitable. However, she needed to be sure that it was not something Atlantis would need in the future.

There was some days Hermione missed going to a pub on a weekend and having a couple glasses of white wine. Of course, that was in her youth but sadly that was not an option on Atlantis until she was granted leave Earth side, which again, was a rare occurrence and it often happened the moment she could have a glass on Atlantis, Lynch would be pulled from her down time.

Pulling from that thought process, Dr. Lynch nodded her head. “Right, I cannot think of anything better and I am impressed team.” Pausing giving a smile. “Well done and have a well-deserved coffee before we continue.”

=^= Colonel Elliot, we have selected a gift for your final approval.=^= That was all that was needed, the Colonel would no doubt pop up when needed. He seemed to have a habit of doing that.

Now, Dr. Lynch had some paperwork that needed to be completed following the session earlier and she needed to have a chat with a certain member of the science team that caused part of the headache. Sighing for a moment, grabbing her touchpad, Hermione moved to the small office attached to the main science lab and loaded up her computer. This was indeed going to be a long day, but welcome to Atlantis where you will never get bored.

Considering her options, Lynch could sometimes be a hermit and really should make effort with some people. She had always gotten on with Lt. Colonel Carter. =^=Colonel Carter? Are you free for a quick coffee?”=^= It was mostly to get away from the lab briefly. Until she got a response, Hermione started the relevant paperwork.

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Laura had run to the infirmary to follow emergency protocol that was then cancelled, so naturally she was sat in her office with a glass of ice cold water, gasping for air. Laura wasn’t a runner and never wanted to be, she only did it as part of military training and for emergencies for patients.

=^=Colonel Carter? Are you free for a quick coffee?”=^= Laura jumped out her skin, spilling some of the glass of water.

Placing the glass onto the worktop beside her chair, Laura shook the water from her now, stretched out fingers and patted the back of her hand on to her black uniform trouser leg before tapping her earpiece in response; =^=Absolutely. So long as it’s anything but quick – where?=^=

Laura made friends fairly easily, she was a doctor, the chief doctor, so she kinda had to have the bedside manner nailed down but it seemed to come much more naturally with her fellow brits.

Atlantis had no divisions, and learning about other cultures and countries was amazing, but nothing beat sitting down and talking about your own traditions and your own cultures with someone who didn’t frown when you talked about your roast dinners and minted lamb, or how there was just so god damned many theme parks. Laura didn’t like theme parks. There used to be so many of many people, but now not so much. Laura always remembered sitting with Steven Le Fay, Hermione and a few other English buddies and they joked about having the monopoly of department leads, but that wasn’t the case anymore, they had either died or been sent away. This always made Carter sad, rather than humbled by her standing. Too much loss in life.

While she waited for the reply to come through, she stood up, slid her hand down her trouser legs once more, to help the material to dry, because it worked that way she was sure. Laura picked up her new uniform jack and slung it on, zipping up to fully sealed – so as not to incur the wrath of not meeting uniform codes and then she started pulling at the cuffs slightly, to fix the bunching up off the sleeves.

The uniform made for an interesting brain challenge, seeing the yellow stripes flashing in and out of her sight while she walked threw her eyes off. If she hadn’t have bothered with medical specialties she’d just be in black and no stripes – but then she’d have a bigger hassle on her shoulders that just a pip, a crown and ‘MEDICAL’.

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Jack signed his rapid, signature with nothing but muscle memory down on the tablet display before him, confirming the situation that had earlier taken place. The Stargate was apparently fixed and was in working order according to his Chief Science Officer and that was good enough for him.

During the shake-up and cull of personnel from the City, Jack had the opportunity of a handful of question-free saves and he chose those he’d known and significant players but also those whose departments couldn’t be merged and were their own entity. The sciences department could absorb the linguistics or the technical desks, but it couldn’t take engineering or medical so there were tricky positions to be in, but he needed to cement himself as capable and ruthless, before he was allowed to start questioning the orders he was given.

Basically skimming his stylus across his nickel finished desk, Jack got to his feet, zipped his uniform jacket back up, dusted off his red striped at the cuff and walked across the short bridge that joined his office to the Control Room.

=^= Colonel Elliot, we have selected a gift for your final approval.=^= Doctor Lynch. As ever, she came through and made Jacks life that little bit easier.

Jack nodded to himself, not yet replying to Lynch as he walked straight through the middle of the Control Room destined for the conference room – he wanted to get the green light from the diplomacy team who had met and were due to leave for the new allies and bring them to make their new allegiance a reality. Friends with a super power in the galaxy against the scattered, but stronger, Wraith would be a big F U so it mattered.

Just as the Colonel got to the top of the staircase that led directly to the Stargate, the familiar alarm sounded.
=^=UNSCHEDULED OFFWORLD ACTIVATION=^= shouted through the tannoy.

Colonel Elliot shouted down from the top of the staircase to those still milling around the Gate, “CLEAR THE SPACE! SECURITY STAND BY!”

As he turned back around, Jack tapped his earpiece, having to speak louder though, in reply because of the alarm that was in the same room, =^=Good work, Lynch. Clean it, tart it up and bring it to the Conference Room.=^=

Rushing back on himself into the Control Room, Jack panned around and saw only one familiar face, “Cole?” before moving to take his usual position on the first step of the base of the jumper bay stair case.

“Sir, we’re receiving Stargate Command’s IDC.”

Jack nodded and flapped his left arm to signal for the shield to drop as he stepped off his staircase and yet again walked to the staircase leading to the Gateroom.

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Brigadier General Gwen Harrison stood in the home of the Stargate programme, Stargate Command on Earth and she was about to make a guest appearance as everyone’s favourite villain on Atlantis because they did not know she would be arriving. There was in addition an important meeting happening that could be of benefit to everyone involved; it was in its final stage – it needed to go smoothly. Gwen was not going to take over, she was merely ensuring no last-minute complications.

Harrison has come along way in her career since being a Major on Atlantis; she was now the Homeworld Command Director and thus a villain in some eyes of those who served in this secret organisation. She made the tough decisions along with those advising. Atlantis had been the hardest order and overhaul of her career in her role.

“Right, let’s get this show on the road.” Giving a forced smile. “Ready when you are fellas.” That was the direction to dial the gate. Her eyes fell to it as it began to spin. Goodness knows she knew how she would be received but it was a necessary; it had to be done and several people did not understand. This was the military and sometimes too many civilians could be a liability. It made for an efficient and direct Atlantis. It didn’t help that the IOA like to poke their noses in far too often for this General’s liking.

Being pulled from her thoughts as the wormhole opened. It was time to sing from that hymn sheet she loved, well not really. Walking down the stairs, she soon found herself walking up the ramp and through the blue hue. Within moments, the sight of Atlantis filled her eyes.

“Honey, I’m home.” Speaking with a slight smirk, dressed in her dress blues. “I hope everyone is pleasantly surprised.”

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