Lynn smiled. “Yes, I believe I have.”
“I’ll put you both on the list,” John said.
“Thank you, Colonel,” Greensmith said, and Lynn echoed her.
“Yeah,” John said. “Thank me later.”
Radek had managed to snatch a three-hour nap since the briefing, and that and the shower and clean clothes had given him a shot of energy. And if he needed more incentive, he thought, all he had to do was check the screens that showed the oncoming Wraith fleet. They were now well within range of the normal sensors, without resorting to Rodney's jury-rigged adjustments, and it wasn't looking good. Half a dozen hives was a lot of ships at the best of times, and at least some of them would be equipped with the new shield technology. Thanks to Rodney, Radek thought, shoving his glasses up on his nose, and couldn't manage to feel guilty. At least Colonel Carter had gotten a description of how the new shields worked, and thought she could use that to wear down the enemy.
He glanced back at his consoles, seeing displays he hadn't seen since they arrived on this unnamed world. Atlantis was stabilizing her towers, readying her systems for flight. Capacitors were charging, drawing from the thin sun and the motion of the waves, extra bursts of power to spare the ZPM. It was all going according to plan.
Except it wasn't going fast enough. He frowned at the graphs that showed the city's progress, system and structural readiness and the time needed to complete all the essential tasks. At the current rate, it would be done just after the Wraith reached attack range. Presumably the Hammond and the Genii ship would engage before then, but that was cutting it too close. He glared at the systems, and then began typing, moving the least essential items off the list entirely, telling the city and his teams to skip steps within other processes. The computers considered, and displayed a new result: he'd gained an hour.
Radek swore under his breath. There had to be another way — something he wasn't seeing, some shortcut he was missing….
"Problems, Doc?" That was Sheppard, coming up behind him so quietly that Radek jumped and swore again.
"Yes and no," he said. "This takes time, this process, and that is not something we have an infinite amount of."
"Preflight for something this big has to be a bitch," Carter said. She came to join Sheppard, peering at the displays. "What's the estimate look like?"
"Not what I would like," Radek answered, and leaned back to let her see more clearly. "Right now, we will launch about an hour before the Wraith fleet comes within shooting range. That is not counting on the Hammond and the Genii, of course —"
"That's not good enough," Sheppard said flatly. "We need to be in orbit when they enter the system, preferably before."
"I am trying," Radek answered. "There are things that can be cut, but — you know how complex the systems are."
Carter nodded slowly. "And I'm going to have to pull my people out to get the Hammond ready to launch."
"Could you give me another couple of hours?" Radek asked. "The more people we have, the more likely we can get this done. Or perhaps Dr. Lee's team?"
"We're still locking things down," Carter answered. "I'll send Dr. Lee as soon as we're ready for takeoff. They've already said they'll be the last team through the gate, that should help."
"It will help some," Radek said. You had to admire Bill Lee, he thought. The man had no real desire to travel to distant worlds, to put his life on the line, and yet here he was, doing exactly that, and not for the first time, either. He shook the thought away, tapping his fingers on the console. "Perhaps — no, damn it, that has to be cleared before the shield generators can be tested."
"I hate to say it," Carter said, "but we may need to put McKay on this."
"Rodney," Sheppard said.
Is there another McKay here? Radek swallowed the words. "I don't think that's necessarily a good idea —"
"You don't seriously think he's compromised," Sheppard said.
"The — this device is still missing," Radek said. "I do not like the risk."
Sheppard looked over his shoulder as though he expected to find the weapon lying under a console. "We'll find the damn thing. And if we don't, it's even more important to get the city ready to fly."
"And we will waste as much time double checking Rodney's work as we will save having him help us," Radek said. "I — no, I don't believe he is compromised, or certainly not consciously, but nonetheless we will all worry."
"It's your call, Dr. Zelenka," Carter said, in a tone that meant precisely the opposite, "but I think it would be helpful."
"What would be helpful?" And that was General O'Neill, drawn inevitably toward any cluster of senior people. Radek blinked up at him.
"We are looking for ways to speed up the preparations," he said. "Colonel Carter has suggested we get Rodney to help."
"And you don't like it," O'Neill said.
Radek shoved his glasses back up on his nose. Did he really think Rodney would betray them again? Not consciously, not knowingly or willingly, no: Teyla had said he was not Queen Death's man, and Radek trusted her implicitly. It was just — there were so many variables to juggle, so many things that all had to be gotten exactly right, and the truth of the matter was that no one else in Sciences could tell for sure if something was one of Rodney's brilliant ideas or a clever attempt at sabotage. And yet, it was Rodney. They had to trust him some time. "I do not, particularly," he said. "But Colonel Carter is right. We don't have a better choice."
"I could assign Ronon to keep an eye on him," Sheppard said. "If that would make people feel better."
"I like it," O'Neill said. "Go get McKay."
Just Fortune dropped out of hyperspace, the transitions shivering through its massive length. In the queen's quarters, Teyla looked up sharply, and Alabaster lifted her head.
"Surely we are too early," Teyla said aloud.
Alabaster rose from her couch and crossed to the nearest console, brushing aside a screen of metal vines. “By several hours. I wonder….” Her mental voice faded as she reached for the intercom. "Hivemaster. What has gone wrong?"
There was a little silence before Bonewhite answered, and when he spoke, he sounded faintly breathless, as though he had only just come to the bridge. "I don't yet know, Lady. We have dropped out of hyperspace — apparently a failsafe tripped. I'll inform you as soon as I know more."
"Do that," Alabaster answered, and closed the connection.
“I do not like the sound of that,” Teyla said.
“No more do I.” Alabaster was pacing again, as unable to wait in stillness as her father.
“It is pointless to speculate,” Teyla said, as much to herself as to the queen, and Alabaster showed teeth in genuine amusement.
“No, but one cannot help it. Failsafes can fire when they're not needed, that happens. Much depends on how cautious the Hivemaster is, though Bonewhite was never known for that.”
“He is Guide's right hand,” Teyla said her tone dry, and Alabaster laughed.
“It is true that my father was always called reckless. Even when I was a child, I remember —” The words stopped, but the image continued, Guide bowing deep to another scarlet-haired queen, her mind caught between amusement and exasperation. Alabaster's mother, Teyla realized, Guide's lost queen, her mind as cool and bright as the unmelting snow on the highest peaks of Athos.
Alabaster nodded, following her thoughts with ease. “Yes, that is Snow, my mother. The Seed had been planted for my own hive when she was killed, and I — was trapped in exile.”
Teyla repressed a shudder at that. She'd seen what happened when Dr. Keller had accidentally been infected, and she doubted the process was any more pleasant for the human just because the Wraith were controlling it. She did her best to conceal that thought, but some trace of it must have escaped, and Alabaster gave her a thin smile, daring her to comment.