She half-smiled. “It’s very much a team effort. I’ve only been here three weeks, but I don’t feel like I’m bearing the responsibility alone.”
“And you’ve taken it upon yourself to manage the Angelus matter?”
Her smile died. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Angelus has been working for two days now, but the Advisory are sensing a lot of reticence in the reports they’ve been getting back.”
Carter felt herself go a little bit cold. Just how much did the IOA know? “He hasn’t complained to me.” Not directly, anyway.
“It took almost twenty-four hours to find some electric fans because the computers you gave him kept overheating. Longer to fit a bunk so he can stay in the lab and work around the clock, which is what he wants to do. He’s got no tech team, apart from Doctor McKay. To be blunt, Angelus is starting to think you’re deliberately holding him back.”
“I’ll admit there have been supply issues…”
Fallon just raised an eyebrow.
“Okay,” Carter sighed. “Cards on the table. Like you said, I’ve got a responsibility. And I believe I’d be failing that if I let Angelus start building death rays in my basement unimpeded.”
“Because of the danger to Atlantis?”
“Sure. You must have seen the Eraavis footage.”
“According to your last report — two days ago — Angelus says he can develop this project without alerting the Replicators again.”
“And I don’t believe him.”
“I see.” Fallon glanced about, as if taking in the sight of the office. The office, the control room beyond it, and more… “Colonel,” he said levelly. “Let me ask you this: what are you doing here?”
“Excuse me?”
“Simple enough question.” He leaned back in his seat and gestured around him. “All this. The Pegasus expedition, Atlantis, everything. What’s it for, Colonel? What are you actually doing here?”
Carter narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mr Fallon, I’ve really got no idea what you’re getting at.”
“Okay, I’ll spell it out for you. Stargate Command had a clear purpose, at least in the beginning. Secure the gate. Make sure nothing bad came in from outside. Once they failed in that remit, and bad things started coming in anyway, the purpose was expanded — gather technologies, information and alliances to help protect Earth.”
“I know,” Carter grated. “I was there.”
“Which is why I don’t understand your position, Colonel. Seriously, what is Earth getting out of Atlantis? What new technologies developed here are making things better for the people at home? How many of Earth’s homeless are you housing? How many hungry people are you feeding?” He nodded at the techs working outside. “Because from where I’m sitting, Atlantis is a drain on resources and personnel that could be better used elsewhere.”
“You won’t find that a popular opinion in these parts, Mr Fallon.”
“I wouldn’t expect to.”
Carter leaned towards him. “Listen, right now Atlantis the only thing standing between Earth and the Wraith. If it wasn’t for the alliances we’ve made here, the information we’ve gathered and the continual vigilance of the people in this city, then the Wraith would be on their way through the gate and everyone on Earth would find themselves on the menu. Hungry and homeless alike.”
Fallon smiled. “I’ve heard some twisted reasoning in my time, but that about takes the cake.”
She stared. “I beg your pardon?”
“Colonel, if there had never been an expedition to Atlantis the gate here would still be at the bottom of the ocean on Lantea. If Weir’s people hadn’t blundered into the Wraith they would never have become the threat they are. If your local braniacs hadn’t screwed around with the Replicators’ core programming you wouldn’t be in the middle of an interstellar war.” He shook his head, wearily. “Do you know what you’re actually doing here, Colonel? Damage control.”
Carter opened her mouth to yell him out of the office, but stopped herself. She took a deep breath and unbunched her fists. “Care to explain what you mean by that?”
“Colonel, you’re no fool. You know exactly what I mean: ever since the first Stargate was dug out of the sand we’ve been in trouble. The Goa’uld, the Replicators, the Wraith… The universe has proved itself, over and over again, to be full of enemies. Enemies that didn’t even know we were here until you people started poking them with a stick. And every time you wake some new species of cannibal psycho you stumble around, get people killed, and then find a way to hold them off for a while by blundering good luck. Tell me, does that really seem like an appropriate use of resources to you?”
“So what would you rather do, Fallon? Hide in a cave and wait for them to come to us?”
“Not any more. You’ve poked too hard. If the Stargate had been left under the sand, if O’Neill hadn’t blown up a System Lord saving a few grubby throwbacks on Abydos, if Weir hadn’t dragged this city up off the seabed and told the Wraith all about us, we’d probably have been left in peace long enough to come up with our own solutions. But not now.”
He stood up. “This project has put the whole of Earth into deadly jeopardy, and now your job is to do something about it. And guess what? The opportunity has just fallen into your lap.”
Carter was on her feet too. “I don’t believe Angelus is a solution. Considering what happened to Eraavis, I think he’s as dangerous as any enemy. Right now, he’s the stick we’re poking the Asurans with.”
“Weir poked them long before you got here, Colonel. Thing is, you’ve got a chance to do something worthwhile here, to make Atlantis mean something. And it looks to me like you’re doing everything in your power to obstruct that.”
“Mean something? Are you insane?”
“Bottom line, Colonel — as far as the Advisory is concerned, Angelus is developing a weapon that can protect Earth from the threats you’ve stirred up. And if that costs us Atlantis, then that’s a fair trade.”
“You have got to be kidding,” she hissed.
“I’m not. From now on, you’ll not only offer Angelus every assistance, you’ll also cease any attempts to impede his research. You’ll assign him a tech crew and any expertise he’ll require. I’m under strict instructions to report all progress back to the Advisory on a twice daily basis, and if I see something I don’t like we’ll pull Angelus back to Earth and set him up with a lab there.”
“Earth?” Carter stared at him, horrified. “Fallon, he screwed up on his own planet and the Replicators melted it —”
“The Replicators are a long way from Earth. But you know what? You’re right — if some part of this weapon does attract the bad guys, maybe it would be better if they came here rather than to Earth, hm? That way, only a few hundred people will die in flames and not six billion.”
“If we kick him out of the damn city maybe nobody dies!”
Fallon shook his head. “He’s too valuable. He either works here or at home. Your choice.” He picked up his case and coat, turned away from her, and headed for the door. As he reached it, he paused. “This whole mess is your fault, Colonel,” he said quietly, not looking back. “All you exploration junkies, spinning your Stargates just to see what would happen… Here’s your chance to atone. Don’t screw it up.”
“Fallon?”
“Yeah?”
“This isn’t over.”
“Damn right it isn’t. I’ll go and see Angelus now, let him know how things are going to be run around here.”
With that, he was gone. Carter watched him making his way to the stairs, half of her hoping that he’d fall and break his spine.
The other half wondering if he was right.
She sat in the office for some time, listening to the soft chatter of the control room, trying to calm herself and failing. The conversation with Fallon had shaken her.
Three weeks, she thought. She had been in charge of the Pegasus expedition for three lousy weeks, and already she’d had the authority ripped out from under her.