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thefroggTitle: Where We Live (prologue)
Author:thefrogg
Beta:ohpuppies
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Rating: PG13-ish
Disclaimer: Everyone but Webber belongs to other people. Damnit.
Summary: Lorne's team has long been responsible for Todd's security. When they take Todd out to investigate an abandoned Wraith base, their changing attitudes towards the captive Wraith sparks a series of events no one in Atlantis is ready for.
Author's Note: //text in double slashes is telepathic speech.//
Author:
thefroggBeta:
ohpuppiesFandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Rating: PG13-ish
Disclaimer: Everyone but Webber belongs to other people. Damnit.
Summary: Lorne's team has long been responsible for Todd's security. When they take Todd out to investigate an abandoned Wraith base, their changing attitudes towards the captive Wraith sparks a series of events no one in Atlantis is ready for.
Author's Note: //text in double slashes is telepathic speech.//
Todd paused in his coding, straightening to his full height before glancing up at the ceiling.
A twinge of premonition shivered down Lorne's spine. "Something wrong?"
"Call your men back." The not-quite-order was brusque, followed by a deep, almost inaudible growl. Todd's hands flew over the keys, the Wraith interface so much easier for him to use than those the humans used.
The charged quiet of battle anticipation set in, and Lorne nodded once before radioing the rest of his team. "Someone coming?"
"A Wraith ship; were I in better shape, I'd have sensed it sooner." Todd didn't spare Lorne a glance; there was too much to do.
"Can we make it to the gate?"
"No," Todd answered over the footsteps of the returning soldiers. Dr. Parrish followed a moment later. "We came afoot; they will have culled you before you manage to dial out."
"Wraith?" Parrish asked between panting breaths.
"Yes."
"Now what? We're pinned down here--"
"A moment. I must finish this if any of us are to survive."
Only heavy breathing and odd echoes up and down the corridors of the supposedly abandoned Wraith base accompanied Todd's frantic typing; code and graphics flickered overhead too fast to focus on.
A single schematic dominated the screens; Todd stared at it, committing it to memory before changing it in places, erasing doorways and passages, removing entire rooms. "I have disabled the self-destruct, and the base life-signs sensors. They will not be able to see you, so long as you do not give yourselves away."
"What about you?" Lorne met Todd's gaze, the yellow no longer odd or disturbing.
"You will have to trust me. They will be able to feel my presence; I cannot hide from them."
"You're going to play bait and lead them away from us? That's...that's suicide!" Changes in attitude came slowly, but to Parrish, and the rest of his team, Todd was one of them now.
"They cannot sense me from orbit, though I know that they are there. They are not of a Hive I have allied with, but I know who they are. They will believe me when I tell them you have been keeping me prisoner."
"You want us to leave you behind," Webber whispered in shocked accusation.
"With any luck, I will be able to escape them at some point. I cannot do that if I am found to be cooperating with you."
"You said we'd have to trust you," Lorne said, straightening and lifting his chin. "You have that. What do you need us to do?"
"For now, hold still." Todd turned and reached for Lorne with his feeding hand. "I have no wish to harm you."
Lorne swallowed hard, nodding again as he braced himself. Todd's hand settled over his breastbone, and there was a slight pain as Todd 'bit' down.
//Do not fight me.//
The words didn't meet Lorne's ears, only echoed inside his mind. //Wha-what are you doing?// He could not keep the fear from his eyes, but at least the rest of his team was only restless, and not trying to pull them apart.
//Not feeding. Relax. I am only initiating a temporary link, so I can sense if you need assistance. And so I can tell you it is safe to return to Atlantis.//
New strength filled Lorne's body; it came in a rush of unexpected pleasure. //You are starving already, you can't afford--//
//Not starving enough, yet. And *this* is the way out.//
Lorne gasped, shutting his eyes as the base's plans appeared suddenly, too much information making him flinch away, and the connection was broken.
"Too much?" There was no mistaking the concern in Todd's voice, even as rough and weak as it was.
"No, no, I'm," Lorne shook himself, blinking rapidly. "I'm okay. Just not used to getting that much information shoved in my brain. And I wasn't aware you could do that."
"There is much about the Wraith you do not know."
"Yeah, well, you get back to Atlantis, and I'll be happy to pick your brain. Now show us where we're supposed to hide."
Todd narrowed his eyes in surprise and smiled. "This way. You will need to put the cuffs back on me before--"
"Got it." Miller held up the belt and attached cuffs. "Shall we?"
Lorne nodded. "Lead the way."
Todd led them to what appeared to be a bare hallway two corridors over and somewhere behind the main control room. "Here," Todd growled, flipping open a panel at chest-height and punching in an access code. A section of the wall vibrated, then slid aside. "There are noise dampeners, but I would suggest--"
"--we keep our mouths shut. Got it," Miller said. He held up the belt again. "Ready for this?"
Todd looked down at Lorne, the man's face almost too young now after having received the Gift of Life. New respect, and trust, glowed in Lorne's eyes. "Almost. Dr. Parrish."
"Yes?" The scientist stepped forward, then let out a small yelp as Todd grabbed his shoulder and pressed his feeding hand just below his throat. Years melted away from Parrish's face, etching themselves on Todd's.
"Enough," Lorne barked, pulling at Todd's arm.
"I will live, Evan Lorne, but it would be best to finish this now." He stepped away, giving Miller room to buckle the restraints.
"Good luck." Webber sketched a small salute, then ducked through the opening in the wall. Parrish nodded, hesitantly squeezing Todd's arm in thanks before following.
Miller finished with the second wristcuff, making sure it was fastened just too tight for comfort, then met Todd's eyes. "Make it back in one piece, you hear?"
"I will try to do so." Todd tilted his head in acknowledgment and watched Miller disappear into the darkness with the others.
"Todd."
"Major Evan Lorne."
"Come home, as soon as you can. It'll be different." Lorne licked his lips nervously, knowing time was running out. "I promise."
"I shall hold you to that." Todd turned to the hidden room, listening to the others feeling their way to the back and settling down. "You had better go."
Lorne nodded. "It's been a pleasure serving with you." Then he stepped back and hit the wall inside, vanishing as the door closed between them.
A twinge of premonition shivered down Lorne's spine. "Something wrong?"
"Call your men back." The not-quite-order was brusque, followed by a deep, almost inaudible growl. Todd's hands flew over the keys, the Wraith interface so much easier for him to use than those the humans used.
The charged quiet of battle anticipation set in, and Lorne nodded once before radioing the rest of his team. "Someone coming?"
"A Wraith ship; were I in better shape, I'd have sensed it sooner." Todd didn't spare Lorne a glance; there was too much to do.
"Can we make it to the gate?"
"No," Todd answered over the footsteps of the returning soldiers. Dr. Parrish followed a moment later. "We came afoot; they will have culled you before you manage to dial out."
"Wraith?" Parrish asked between panting breaths.
"Yes."
"Now what? We're pinned down here--"
"A moment. I must finish this if any of us are to survive."
Only heavy breathing and odd echoes up and down the corridors of the supposedly abandoned Wraith base accompanied Todd's frantic typing; code and graphics flickered overhead too fast to focus on.
A single schematic dominated the screens; Todd stared at it, committing it to memory before changing it in places, erasing doorways and passages, removing entire rooms. "I have disabled the self-destruct, and the base life-signs sensors. They will not be able to see you, so long as you do not give yourselves away."
"What about you?" Lorne met Todd's gaze, the yellow no longer odd or disturbing.
"You will have to trust me. They will be able to feel my presence; I cannot hide from them."
"You're going to play bait and lead them away from us? That's...that's suicide!" Changes in attitude came slowly, but to Parrish, and the rest of his team, Todd was one of them now.
"They cannot sense me from orbit, though I know that they are there. They are not of a Hive I have allied with, but I know who they are. They will believe me when I tell them you have been keeping me prisoner."
"You want us to leave you behind," Webber whispered in shocked accusation.
"With any luck, I will be able to escape them at some point. I cannot do that if I am found to be cooperating with you."
"You said we'd have to trust you," Lorne said, straightening and lifting his chin. "You have that. What do you need us to do?"
"For now, hold still." Todd turned and reached for Lorne with his feeding hand. "I have no wish to harm you."
Lorne swallowed hard, nodding again as he braced himself. Todd's hand settled over his breastbone, and there was a slight pain as Todd 'bit' down.
//Do not fight me.//
The words didn't meet Lorne's ears, only echoed inside his mind. //Wha-what are you doing?// He could not keep the fear from his eyes, but at least the rest of his team was only restless, and not trying to pull them apart.
//Not feeding. Relax. I am only initiating a temporary link, so I can sense if you need assistance. And so I can tell you it is safe to return to Atlantis.//
New strength filled Lorne's body; it came in a rush of unexpected pleasure. //You are starving already, you can't afford--//
//Not starving enough, yet. And *this* is the way out.//
Lorne gasped, shutting his eyes as the base's plans appeared suddenly, too much information making him flinch away, and the connection was broken.
"Too much?" There was no mistaking the concern in Todd's voice, even as rough and weak as it was.
"No, no, I'm," Lorne shook himself, blinking rapidly. "I'm okay. Just not used to getting that much information shoved in my brain. And I wasn't aware you could do that."
"There is much about the Wraith you do not know."
"Yeah, well, you get back to Atlantis, and I'll be happy to pick your brain. Now show us where we're supposed to hide."
Todd narrowed his eyes in surprise and smiled. "This way. You will need to put the cuffs back on me before--"
"Got it." Miller held up the belt and attached cuffs. "Shall we?"
Lorne nodded. "Lead the way."
Todd led them to what appeared to be a bare hallway two corridors over and somewhere behind the main control room. "Here," Todd growled, flipping open a panel at chest-height and punching in an access code. A section of the wall vibrated, then slid aside. "There are noise dampeners, but I would suggest--"
"--we keep our mouths shut. Got it," Miller said. He held up the belt again. "Ready for this?"
Todd looked down at Lorne, the man's face almost too young now after having received the Gift of Life. New respect, and trust, glowed in Lorne's eyes. "Almost. Dr. Parrish."
"Yes?" The scientist stepped forward, then let out a small yelp as Todd grabbed his shoulder and pressed his feeding hand just below his throat. Years melted away from Parrish's face, etching themselves on Todd's.
"Enough," Lorne barked, pulling at Todd's arm.
"I will live, Evan Lorne, but it would be best to finish this now." He stepped away, giving Miller room to buckle the restraints.
"Good luck." Webber sketched a small salute, then ducked through the opening in the wall. Parrish nodded, hesitantly squeezing Todd's arm in thanks before following.
Miller finished with the second wristcuff, making sure it was fastened just too tight for comfort, then met Todd's eyes. "Make it back in one piece, you hear?"
"I will try to do so." Todd tilted his head in acknowledgment and watched Miller disappear into the darkness with the others.
"Todd."
"Major Evan Lorne."
"Come home, as soon as you can. It'll be different." Lorne licked his lips nervously, knowing time was running out. "I promise."
"I shall hold you to that." Todd turned to the hidden room, listening to the others feeling their way to the back and settling down. "You had better go."
Lorne nodded. "It's been a pleasure serving with you." Then he stepped back and hit the wall inside, vanishing as the door closed between them.
