Chapter Text
“A teacher,” Daniel decided, “An elementary teacher probably.”
“Really?” Rodney looked up from his tablet, “Why would you willing subject yourself to small children on a daily basis?”
“I like kids, Rodney,” Daniel pushed his glasses back up on his face, “And I like teaching people new things. What about you, EJ?”
“If I wasn’t in the Stargate program?” EJ stretched her neck from side to side, working out the kinks as she set her tablet on the console closest to her, “Just a regular translator.”
“That’s pretty close to what you do now,” Rodney huffed, moving over to a large console in center of the room, “I don’t think that should count.”
“It’s the truth though,” EJ shrugged, looking up at Rodney over the back of the console separating them, “I’ve always liked learning new languages. It’s fascinating to see the differences and similarities. You, Rodney? What would you do?”
“I always wanted to be a concert pianist,” Rodney spoke absently, tapping on the crystal controls, “But I didn’t have the heart for it.”
Rodney reached up to press a large, square crystal at the top of the panel. The entire console began sparking and Rodney threw his hands up to protect his face from the electricity as a bright wash of light filled the room. Daniel jumped up from his chair, grabbing the back of Rodney’s uniform jacket to pull him away from the sparks as EJ reached in front of her to pull the main power crystal from back of the console. The console stopped sparking as EJ dropped the crystal to the ground, letting out a quick hiss of pain as she felt the electrical burns on her right hand.
“Medical team to my location,” Daniel tapped his earpiece, still holding a fistful of the back of Rodney’s jacket.
“I’m fine,” EJ insisted, crouching down to pick up the crystal with her uninjured hand, “Just some minor burns. What did you do, Rodney? I thought we agreed not to turn any of this junk on.”
“I didn’t know that was the ‘on’ button,” Rodney pulled out of Daniel’s grip, “I was just trying to bring up a diagnostic screen to figure out what it does. You okay?”
“That was definitely not a diagnostic,” EJ scowled at him as she set the crystal on a nearby panel, “Danny, next time you find one of Janus’ labs, I’m going to order it sealed off permanently, I don’t care what anyone says. That man was nothing but trouble.”
“Next time?” Daniel grinned, “You’re assuming there are still more secret labs out there that we haven’t found yet.”
“I assume the worst when it comes to Janus,” EJ sighed, “Come on, we’ll meet the medical team halfway. You’re both getting checked out with me. Who knows what that machine does?”
EJ walked over to the furthest wall, tapping a sequence on the control panel then motioning Daniel and Rodney through the iridescent panel that appeared. She followed them through and they were met partway down the corridor by several large uniformed Marines aiming automatic weapons at them.
EJ clutched at her temples, gasping in pain as she fell to her knees. An energy shield shimmered into place between the Marines and the three of them as EJ quieted.
“EJ,” Daniel reached down for her, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Don’t use the link,” EJ panted out, “Something’s not right.”
“What do you mean something’s not right?” Rodney questioned nervously, “We’re not dying, are we? Oh god, what does that stupid machine do? Did it do something to our brains? I can’t die yet. Jen will kill me if I die before our son is born.”
“Shut up, McKay,” EJ clenched her jaw as Daniel helped her to stand with a hand under her arm.
“Can you lower the shield so we can get to the infirmary?” Daniel asked gently.
“I have no idea,” EJ swayed where she stood, leaning on Daniel to steady herself, “I didn’t put it there in the first place. Atlantis did.”
They heard the sounds of boots running towards them in the hallway and all three of them turned their heads to see John and Ronon coming towards them, weapons held ready in front of them. They reached the group of Marines and EJ’s eyes narrowed in anger as she turned to Rodney again, pulling away from Daniel.
“I am going to kill you, Rodney,” she shouted, “Painfully.”
“What are you talking about?” Rodney took a step back.
John tapped his earpiece, “Dr. Zelenka, there’s a shield between us and the intruders. Can you lower it?”
“They’re not ours!” EJ pointed an accusatory finger at the group on the other side of the shield, burnt skin splitting as she moved her hand.
“What do you mean they’re not ours?” Daniel asked calmly.
“Look at his arm,” EJ yelled, tucking her injured right hand back against her middle, “I mean, They. Are. Not. Ours!”
Rodney and Daniel turned in unison to look at Sheppard. Both their faces paled as they saw the black wristband around his right wrist, the skin of his forearm otherwise blank.
“Rodney,” Daniel glared at him, “What the hell did you do?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Rodney shouted back indignantly, “You’re the one who found the stupid lab.”
“And you’re the one who pushed the stupid button,” Daniel accused.
“EJ's the one that pulled the power crystal out,” Rodney retorted.
“I hate to interrupt this interesting conversation,” Sheppard drawled easily, “But would you people mind telling me who you are and how you got here? Doctors McKay and Jackson are both supposed to be on Earth. And I’ve never seen you in Atlantis before.”
“This tâmpit,” EJ gestured towards Rodney with her left hand, “pushed a button on one of the consoles in lab behind us. Judging by the fact that you know who they are, but not me, and the fact that the AI isn't working, I’m assuming it shifted the three of us into an alternate reality, rather than sending us into the past.” [Romanian: asshole]
“EJ,” Daniel spoke quietly, motioning towards her face, “Your nose is bleeding.”
EJ swiped her uninjured hand under her nose, “Damn it. Extremely slow and agonizingly painful death, McKay.”
“You want to explain why Zelenka informs me that he’s lost control of all primary and secondary systems on this pier?” Sheppard continued cautiously, “And why there’s a shield between you and us?”
“Atlantis has gone into protection mode,” EJ tore a piece from the bottom of Rodney’s tee-shirt, making him squawk in protest.
“Protection from what?” Sheppard questioned, “And against whom?”
“The City is trying to protect what it sees as compromised primary systems,” EJ held the ripped cloth to her nose, “from further damage.”
“What does that mean?” Sheppard asked.
“Compromised systems?” Rodney’s eyes widened again, “You mean-”
“That means I need to speak with your Chief Medical Officer,” EJ interrupted Rodney with a harsh glare, “Sooner rather than later.”
“I don’t think so,” Sheppard shook his head, “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
“Colonel Sheppard,” Daniel responded calmly, “Right now, your Atlantis sees EJ, and by extension Rodney and I, as a damaged system. As long as there is even the smallest amount of power in the City, there will be a shield between us and your guns. The City is trying to protect itself without harming anyone. I assure you, we’re not a threat to the City or anyone on Atlantis.”
“Except maybe Rodney,” EJ swore under her breath, “I'm definitely a threat to him right now and I'm going to punch him as soon as I have a free hand.”
“Doctor,” Daniel sighed at her, straightening his glasses, “Would you mind not threatening anyone while I’m trying to convince people we’re harmless?”
“I wasn’t threatening any of their people,” EJ adjusted the bloody cloth under her nose, “Besides, they don’t believe you anyway.”
“They don’t?” Daniel turned back to Sheppard and Ronon with a small pout.
“Of course not,” Rodney rolled his eyes, “Think about what you’re implying. Would you believe what you're saying?”
EJ handed the stained piece of fabric to Daniel, pulling a small curved knife from behind her back before she stepped closer to the shield. She held the knife at eye level, holding the blade loosely just below the hilt so markings on the knife were clearly visible.
“Do you recognize this, Ronon?” EJ asked evenly.
“It is Satedan,” Ronon responded quietly, “How did you get that?”
“Another version of you gave it to me,” EJ held his stare steadily, “I assume you know what it means?”
Ronon lowered the blaster, putting it back in his holster, “It means you are kaina.”
“And you are kunane,” EJ inclined her head to him, sliding the knife back into its hidden spot, “So you also know that I would never hurt any under your protection.”
“They’re telling the truth,” Ronon informed Sheppard, “They won’t hurt us.”
“We come in peace,” Daniel smiled and handed the torn fabric back to EJ. She put it back in place under her still bleeding nose.
Sheppard looked over to Ronon curiously, “You’re convinced, just like that?”
“She’s kaina,” Ronon grunted, giving Sheppard a one-shouldered shrug.
Sheppard tapped his earpiece, “Dr. Beckett, please report to my position in the southeast pier immediately.”
“Dr. Beckett?” EJ looked up at Rodney curiously.
“Before your time,” Rodney explained, “The original Beckett died, but Michael made a clone. He must’ve decided to come back to Pegasus in this reality.”
“Do you trust him?” EJ asked quietly, “I’ve only read his files. I’ve never met him.”
“Carson? Yeah, he’s trustworthy,” Rodney reassured her, “And pretty smart, for a voodoo doctor. You’ll be fine.”
“You’re sure?” EJ hesitated, “This is important, Rodney.”
“Yes, I’m sure, EJ,” Rodney smiled gently at her, reaching over to brush a hand down her left arm, “You know I’d have no problem telling you if I thought otherwise.”
“Fine,” EJ turned back to face Sheppard, “Here’s what going to happen next, Colonel Sheppard. I’m going to have a private conversation with Dr. Beckett, in full view of you and your Marines. I won’t touch him in any way, so you don’t have to worry about him being compromised. After we’re done, I’ll try to convince the City to drop the shield. At that time, Dr. McKay, Dr. Jackson, and I will hand over all of our weapons and be escorted to your isolation rooms, where your medical staff can run whatever tests they want to make sure we are who we say we are. I need to be in visual range of both Dr. Jackson and Dr. McKay at all times. If at any point any of the three of us are harmed in any fashion, or if I am separated from Dr. Jackson and Dr. McKay without my consent, the City will immediately go back into protection mode and I won’t make any effort to stop it. I will, in fact, encourage the City to protect itself as it sees fit.”
Sheppard studied the three of them from behind the energy shield. Dr. McKay wore the standard gray uniform, purple stripes across the shoulders and jacket unzipped, black tee-shirt, now torn at the bottom, his Canadian flag and Atlantis patches in place on the shoulders. Dr. Jackson wore the same, minus the rip at the bottom of his tee-shirt and substituting an American flag. Jackson and McKay also both wore simple gold bands on their left ring fingers. The blonde woman wore black, short-sleeved BDUs, the shirt untucked from her pants, Atlantis and American patches in place. She had black eagle insignia pinned to her collar, her long braid over one shoulder.
All three of them wore holsters on their right thighs holding what Sheppard recognized as the energy weapons used by the crew of the Aurora. The blonde had an additional holster on her left thigh holding a black handgun and an intricate pale blue-silver tattoo of Ancient symbols covering her left forearm.
“And who exactly put you in charge, Doc?” Sheppard drawled lazily after he finished his survey of the trio, meeting her violet gaze steadily.
“Atlantis did,” EJ replied evenly, “And it’s proper etiquette to address someone by their rank, Colonel Sheppard. I know you noticed the birds on my collar. My name is Colonel EJ Baran.”
“Dr. Jackson called you Doctor,” Sheppard pointed out.
“Dr. Jackson isn’t military and as such he isn't required to use my rank,” EJ informed him, “And Daniel has earned the right to call me what he wants.”
“I thought you were going by Dr. S-” Rodney started.
“Rodney,” EJ cut him off sharply, “Choose the next words out of your mouth very carefully.”
“What?” Rodney huffed, “I was just going to say-”
“Things aren’t the same here, Rodney,” Daniel interjected diplomatically, “I don’t think Colonel Baran wants to give them any more personal information than necessary.”
Rodney looked back and forth between EJ and Daniel before huffing and throwing his hands in the air. He turned back towards the wall they had emerged from.
“I’m going to get our tablets. Maybe they recorded some relevant data from the machine,” Rodney tapped a sequence on the wall and stepped through the iridescent panel when it appeared. He re-emerged a minute later, holding two tablets in his arms, already scrolling the data on one of them.
Dr. Beckett came from around a corner carrying his medical kit and made his way to the group of men still aiming weapons at the shield.
“What seems to be the problem here?” he spoke in a friendly Scottish brogue, “Rodney? What are you doing here? I thought you were back on Earth visiting your sister.”
“We’re not the people you know,” Rodney explained, handing EJ's tablet to Daniel, “The best we can tell, we’re from an alternate reality.”
“Why is it always different versions of you that show up, Rodney?” Beckett sighed, “Right, lower the shield so I can see to the young lass’s injuries.”
“Actually, if you’ll set your kit down and step forward, Dr. Beckett,” EJ spoke politely, “The shield will let you pass through.”
“It will?” Daniel turned to her curiously.
“If he puts the kit down,” EJ explained, “He won’t be carrying any weapons and Atlantis won’t see him as a threat.”
“There are no weapons in my medical kit,” Beckett insisted.
“Maybe not to you, but to others, there are,” EJ assured him, “I promise no harm will come to you when you step through, Dr. Beckett. I only want to speak with you about my medical treatment.”
“Can’t you speak to me from here, love?” Beckett asked calmly.
“It is a private matter, Dr. Beckett,” EJ flicked her eyes to the group of men standing next to him, “One that I don’t wish to share with anyone at this time.”
“All right lass,” Beckett set his kit down and stepped toward the shield.
Sheppard tapped his earpiece once again, “Dr. Zelenka, be ready to shut down all power in the City on my command.”
“That’s not necessary, Colonel,” EJ assured him, “If Dr. Beckett feels threatened, all he has to do is step back through the shield.”
“If you don’t mind, Colonel,” Sheppard looked her up and down, “I’ll take whatever precautions I feel are warranted to protect my people.”
“Cymhleth arwr dwp,” EJ mumbled under her breath, shoving the bloody cloth into her left pocket. [Welsh: stupid hero complex]
“Was that Welsh?” Beckett asked as he passed through the shield easily.
“Yes,” Daniel snorted.
“What did she say?” Sheppard questioned.
“Never mind,” EJ waved a hand dismissively at him, “Dr. Beckett, could you step over to this corner with me please?”
Beckett followed her into the far corner, EJ turning so her back was facing everyone else and whispered quietly to Beckett. Sheppard saw Beckett’s mouth move, but couldn’t make out the words since he spoke as quietly as EJ.
EJ reached into the top of her shirt with her left hand and pulled out a pair of dog tags, holding them out so Beckett could read them. Sheppard caught a glimpse of a small, shiny, dark silver ring strung on the chain. Beckett’s mouth turned up into a smile as he spoke again and nodded, starting back towards the shield. EJ dropped the tags back in her shirt and walked back to the group.
“All set, Colonel Sheppard,” Beckett stepped back through the shield.
“Historicus, Custodem,” EJ turned to Daniel and Rodney, “I’ve no idea what’s going to happen when I connect with the City here. I’m already getting a fair amount of feedback, hence the bloody nose. If I lose consciousness, make sure my instructions are followed exactly or the shields will go back up. And do not utilize the link until I figure out why there’s so much feedback. It hurts like you wouldn’t believe.” [Latin: Historian, Custodian]
“We understand, Verus Defensor,” Daniel and Rodney chorused. [Latin: True Guardian]
“Better take your weapons off now,” EJ started to clumsily undo the holsters on her thighs, “So Colonel Sheppard doesn’t get any twitchier than he already is.”
“I am not twitchy,” Sheppard scowled at her.
All three of them stopped to give him a flat look.
“Fine, but I have every right to be twitchy,” Sheppard insisted after a moment.
“Whatever you say, Sheppard,” EJ shrugged.
Daniel undid his own holster then crouched down to help EJ with hers. The three of them finished unclipping their holsters, laying the Ancient weapons and EJ’s gun on the floor. Rodney pulled a small switchblade from his pants pocket, laying it next to his weapon. Daniel removed a medium black knife from his right boot, putting it next to Rodney’s. EJ pulled out a small black knife from her left boot, a slim silver one from behind her belt buckle, and the curved Satedan dagger from behind her back, adding all three to the pile all the floor.
“I’m going to want that knife back,” EJ looked up at Ronon, “Please make sure it is kept safe, kunane.”
“I will, kaina,” Ronon nodded once in agreement.
“Don’t let me hit my head if I pass out, Danny,” EJ placed her left hand on the nearest wall, “I don’t want a concussion on top of the electrical burns and the migraine I already have.”
Daniel handed the tablet back to Rodney and moved to stand behind EJ, ready to catch her if she fell.