"We're working on the first set of meaningful data now," supplied Radek, sitting cross-legged on the floor while the laptop cranked through the translation algorithm a few lines at a time. Every twenty seconds or so he leaned forward to tap a few keys. "This set appears to contain information on emergency procedures."
The doors slid open, and Sheppard joined them in the bay. "Hate to rush you guys," he began, "but Dr. Weir just checked in from 418. Things are falling apart over there. Nobody bought her description of the Cadre, for one thing. Galven got word that a Nistra hunting party had been attacked-probably the one the Cadre hit in order to get Ronon and Teyla-and he didn't take it too well."
The maintenance lieutenant must have been a newcomer, because he'd leapt to his feet at his commander's approach. When Sheppard noticed, a few seconds later, he waved distractedly at the young man to relax and leaned back against the extended engine pod of Jumper Three. "Sounds like he's getting a lot of rumors and static from his people. Regardless, he doesn't like the idea of a gate in his territory that he can't control, and he still seems convinced that the raiders are in league with the Falnori. And Elizabeth's not sure what Cestan's up to, except that his posturing is starting to get more serious. So anything you can give us would be useful sooner rather than later."
Of course. Because they'd been on such a loose schedule thus far, and he'd missed the pressure. "We're digging into the recorded emergency procedures right now." Rodney left the black box and scooted over to look at Radek's screen. The schematic that appeared took him a few seconds to parse. Once the scale of the diagram became clear, he gave a low whistle. "Okay, I need to rethink my estimation of the wreckage on 418. This station must have been quite a bit larger than I anticipated."
"How large?" Sheppard wanted to know. "Are we talk ing `That's no moon, it's a space station' large?"
Rodney grimaced; he'd really left the door wide open for that one. "Not hardly. Orbital mechanics alone would preclude that. Larger than the Daedalus, though."
"Sure didn't get that sense from the area around the gate." Sheppard frowned. "There was a lot of debris, but not that much. And I didn't see any huge craters or anything."
"What you saw may have been only one segment of the station." Radek pointed to the lines of text scrolling rapidly across the screen of the maintenance terminal.
After half a decade on the Stargate program, Rodney was no longer impressed by much in the way of technology. When something did impress him, he gave credit where due. "Huh."
"Well said." Sheppard craned his neck to look, his eyes nearly crossing at the frantic pace of the text.
In the interest of expediency, Rodney described it to him instead. "The station consisted of three segments, each with its own dedicated operations and life support systems. In a contingency situation, for instance an attack, the segments could be detached and maneuvered into different orbits."
"Split up to present multiple smaller targets, or even send noncombatants out of harm's way. Makes sense."
"Especially if you're trying to protect the gate." Rodney traced a line on the schematic with his finger. "See where the structure closes off and disengages? The gate's in one segment, and the control console for the dialer and shield are in another. That's why the database labeled the station gate as inoperative. The dialer simply wasn't available to be connected to the gate for use."
"Wait a minute. The dialer's on a different segment?" The Colonel cautiously glanced back and forth between the two scientists, as if he doubted he'd gotten the message right. "And we think only the gate segment crashed on the surface?"
"Only the gate segment crashed in the area we investigated," Rodney corrected. No reason to get carried away with unwarranted optimism. "If the station's geosynchronous orbit was destabilized, the other segments could have crashed centuries later on the other side of the planet."
"Or they could have been part of the space junk we spotted in orbit on our first trip to 418," countered Sheppard. "Question is, how can we find out?"
Radek lifted his head. "Miko's database project. We can search the battle records for specific references to the station."
"Now we're talking. Get Miko on itASAP. Lieutenant, prep Jumper One with three spacesuits and whatever tools these two want." At Rodney and Radek's twin stares, Sheppard offered a wry smile. "I can dodge floating junk to get you there, but finding and removing the dialing computer is all up to you."
Although Rodney wasn't terribly enthused about repeating his one and only experience in a space suit, he understood. No matter what Miko found in the database, nothing could guarantee that the required station segment would have a stable, breathable environment after ten thousand years of drifting. If they even managed to locate it.
Sheppard, though, seemed to be taking a favorable search result for granted, striding toward the stairway to the control room. Rodney called after him. "What makes you so sure we'll be able to find the segment we need intact, let alone the dialing computer?"
"Sometimes what looks like confidence is actually a lack of options." The Colonel's pace slowed as he spoke, but he didn't turn back. "If we don't give Elizabeth something, Galven and Cestan are going to order their people to start killing each other. Certain or not, I'm going to go tell her to promise the Nistra a gate shield."
Elizabeth sat alone, both literally and figuratively, at the negotiating table. The past few hours had seen progressively less debate, polite or otherwise. Instead, Cestan and Galven had retreated to opposite sides of the room and formed tight huddles with their advisor-bodyguards. Every so often one of the lackeys would leave or return to the Hall, evidently performing messenger duties.
It would have been the height of naivete to ignore the likelihood that troops were assembling in both territories. Still, Elizabeth wasn't packing it in just yet. Lieutenant Cadman had just come down the stairs and was reporting quietly to Lorne. The Major listened for a minute before dismissing the Marine and crossing the room to approach the table. From his place against the back wall, Carson leaned in to hear the latest update.
"Ma'am, Colonel Sheppard says Drs. McKay and Zelenka have a lead on the second gate's dialing computer and shield controls. They think it's still on a section of a station in orbit, and they're going up to retrieve it now. They plan to take it directly to the second gate for installation. The Colonel suggests you assure Minister Galven that they'll have the gate secured within a day and invite him to travel back to the gate to witness it."
"And if they aren't able to get the apparatus they need?" Carson asked quietly.
Lorne kept his voice low and his gaze on Elizabeth. "According to Lieutenant Cadman," he answered, his features utterly inscrutable, "Colonel Sheppard promised to come up with a Plan B and asked that we convey his limitless faith in your ability to bluff."
The situation wasn't amusing in any rational way, yet Elizabeth found herself smirking ruefully. Nobody could pull off a truly deadpan delivery like Lorne. "All right, if that's the extent of what we've got to work with, we might as well get started." She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Minister."
Though the talks had all but disintegrated and trust was hardly the order of the day, the leaders continued to conduct themselves with the decorum befitting their positions. Small favors. Galven broke off his conversation when addressed and gave her his full attention. "Dr. Weir?"
"I've just received word from my people. They've located a device to dial and operate the shield on the Stargate within your territory." At that, Cestan started listening as well. Elizabeth went on. "It will take a few hours to deliver the device and get it working. As soon as that's completed, you'll have total control of the gate. We'll supply you with code devices to operate the shield so that only people you choose will be able to come through."