Chapter One

Authors Note: A big thank you to my buddy Major Sam, she is such a legend, she has helped me out big time with this story so I dedicate this first chapter to her. If it weren’t for her I would have given up on this ages ago.

Apologies for this taking so long, it was meant to be up almost two months ago but I had to work much longer than expected and it got in the way of everything. Update wise, uni is in full swing so it will be pretty sporadic.

Disclaimer: None of the Atlantis characters are mine, shame, but I’d like to claim rights on all the other people I have created if that’s ok. Coming up with alien names is easier said than done. ;)

Spoilers: Anything up to the Siege. I haven’t seen the Siege 1 or 2 so it’s set before then and haven’t made mention to events in those episodes, nor included new characters from that ep.



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Lieutenant Aiden Ford stifled a yawn and sighed. It was only 08:00 but there he sat in the meeting room of Atlantis waiting for Doctor Elizabeth Weir to arrive for their mission briefing. She walked in hurriedly and sat down. Ford wondered if she, since they had arrived at Atlantis all those months ago, had taken a moment and just had a look around.

“Ok, everyone as you…”

“What no morning greeting?” Doctor McKay asked.

Elizabeth smiled, “Morning Rodney.”

“Morning Elizabeth,” he said grinning back.

“Right now as I was saying as you all know, despite Sergeant Bates being able to broker a trade deal for food some time ago, our trading partners haven’t been as reliable as we had hoped. Whilst not cutting our ties off with them completely, it has become apparent that we need to start looking for another race where we can get some food from, through trade, that is.” Elizabeth stopped when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Major John Sheppard smiling, albeit smugly.

“Major, is there something you wish to share with us?”

“Oh, no not at all Doctor, continue,” he replied as he looked over Teyla, who more than any of them had a strong dislike for a certain Sergeant.

“Yes, well Grodin has brought a planet to our attention that is relatively close by and therefore accessible by both Puddle Jumper and Stargate. He did get the information from one of the Ancient’s databases, but lets keep in mind that that information is ten thousand years old.”

“Don’t you worry Doctor, we’ll keep an eye out.”

“I’m sure you will Major. Your orders are to meet with the people, if there are any, explain to them, within reason, our situation and attempt to negotiate a trade deal. Oh this time can we please keep our C4 and weapons out of the equation.”

“They seem like very wise words Doctor Weir,” Teyla said.

“Yes, well Teyla, let’s hope this time we are all capable of following them,” Elizabeth replied as her eyes drifted from Ford to the Major, who responded with a cheeky grin.

“You’ll embark this afternoon at 15:30. That’ll be all, thank you.” Elizabeth finished. McKay, Ford and Teyla all stood up and left the briefing room pretending not to notice that John had stayed back.

“Major is there something I can help you with?”

“Oh well you know, about what you said just before, we don’t intentionally go out there and…”

“Become arms dealers? I know.”

“Next time you should come along, you know, do one of these for yourself, show us how it’s done.”

“Well Major if such a situation ever arises I’ll be sure to consider it. Is that all? I’m meant to be meeting with Rodney in his lab.”

“Oh have fun,” John said jokingly. Elizabeth raised her eyebrow in response, turned and walked out of the room. John jogged after her.

“Doctor Weir, hold up.” Elizabeth waited until he caught up.

“What is it Major?”

“I meant what I said just before, you should come along, we could use your expertise. I’m sure you’ll be able to broker a better deal then we’re going to.”

“Was that a compliment Major?”

John smiled.

“I’d like that, but for the time being my place is here and well we can’t really start bringing possible allies to Atlantis to meet with me.”

“No, I know.”

“Just this time before you agree to anything, run the terms by me.”

“Are you saying I don’t have good negotiating skills?” John asked playfully.

“Major, we all have our strengths…and our weaknesses,” she said smiling, “now I really must go.”

“Rodney, right,” he said as he watched her leave.


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“So Rodney, what is it that you have to show me?”

“It’s amazing really,” Rodney began, his tone not reflecting the excitement that he really felt, but then again Rodney always had rather mild and clam mannerisms when excited.

“Amazing?” Elizabeth prompted.

“Yes, did I not just say that? Anyway, yes Zelenka and I have been working on decoding this huge database file and well we’ve done it, completed the decoding I mean.”

“So what is it?”

“Well, we believe it is the history of the ancients.”

“As in.”

“As in everything that has happened since they learnt how to write. I’m talking about what their civilisation was like 18 thousand years ago, it’s fascinating really, I mean there would have had to have been a stage where they weren’t as advanced as they were when they built the gates, when they built Atlantis. There must be reference to when they were a primitive race, now I am not saying that they were ever hunter gatherers, but it’s truly amazing, the sheer volume of this stuff, it’s just…”

“Amazing?” Elizabeth suggested.

“Yes, for lack of a better word.”

“So what you’re saying is this data file is like a history of the ancients?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, yes.”


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“Ah, McKay, how nice of you to join us,” Sheppard said as McKay jogged into the gate room. Sheppard made a point of looking at his watch, emphasising, if only to do it as a joke, that McKay was 10 minutes late for departure.

“Well unlike some of us Major, I do have other important duties to attend to,” McKay shot back.

“Oh really,” Ford queried.

“Yes, it’s called figuring out how things work around here, you know one of us has to do that.”

“Well I do that just fine thank you Kay and that’s without the DNA manipulation,” Sheppard said as he smiled. He wasn’t really teasing the scientist, merely engaging in a little banter. He was more of a challenge than Ford ever was as he normally backed down after a couple of exchanges. Although Ford didn’t really have much of a choice, Major Sheppard was his Commanding Officer, which called for certain levels of respect.

“But of course where would we be without the one and only Major John Sheppard,” McKay said sarcastically.

“You’d still be here, but Ford would be in charge, maybe even Bates.”

“I take it back Major, perhaps it is a good thing that you are here.”

“Can I get that on tape? You know for future reference?” Sheppard asked, as Teyla grew impatient.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but Major do we not have more important things to attend to?” Teyla asked, almost rhetorically.

“Oh yes the grocery shopping,” he looked back at Doctor Weir who was standing in the control room. She nodded her head and Grodin began dialling in the coordinates.

“We have a lock,” Grodin informed shortly after.

Weir’s voice came over the radio, “you have a go Major.”

“Let’s move out,” Sheppard ordered and him and his team stepped through the gate.

The team emerged on the other side of the gate and were greeted by a site that they had grown quite accustomed to. Trees, trees and more trees.

“How far away was the village meant to be from the gate again?” Rodney asked.

“McKay you can’t be serious, we haven’t even started walking yet,” Ford said disbelievingly.

“What? You know until I came on this expedition I wasn’t the walking, trekking type,” Rodney informed.

“No offence McKay, but you’re still not the walking, trekking type, but don’t worry the village is only a couple of clicks in that direction,” Sheppard said as he pointed west.

“I think it would be a good idea if we began heading toward the village, so as not to be heading back in the dark,” Teyla advised.

“Good point Teyla,” Sheppard said as he headed off into the direction he had just pointed to, his team following behind.

They were about half way to their destination when they spotted a small group of people in the distance.

“Well I was wondering when the welcome wagon was going to show up,” Sheppard said.

“They look friendly to me,” Rodney advised.

Sheppard raised his eyebrow.

“What? I’m just giving them the benefit of the doubt, you don’t need to go around being suspicious of everyone we meet.”

“Well actually, you sorta do,” Ford informed.

“Oh you military types,” Rodney snorted.

“You know McKay I am just going to pretend that I didn’t hear that,” Sheppard said.

“Sorry, I’m just a little agitated at the moment, I have this exciting thing that I’m working on back on Atlantis.”

“I presume that’s why you were late?” Teyla queried.

“Yes.” Rodney said promptly.

“So…what is it?” Ford asked impatiently.

“Essentially it’s a complete history of the ancients.”

“Really?”

“Yes, major really. Everything you could possibly want to know about the ancients and more is in that database.”

“Enough McKay, our welcome party approaches,” Sheppard said. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in what McKay had to say, in fact he was rather curious to find out what sort of intelligence could be gained from such a vast information source, but they didn’t need these people over hearing Rodney explaining what he had discovered. Who knew what danger would befall them if such information was revealed to these people.

“Greetings,” Teyla offered to the people that approached her who looked somewhat unsure of the four people in military attire, “we are peaceful explorers,” she finished.

“Then we welcome you to our planet. I am Mapei and these are my fellow compatriots Yinaldi, Berdeean and Coranelda.”

“I’m Major John Sheppard, that’s Lieutenant Aiden Ford, Doctor Rodney McKay and Teyla Emmagan.”

“We are pleased to meet you all,” Mapei said.

“Come, we will take you back to where we reside and if you are lucky, you will be able to meet with our leader,” the one Sheppard remembered being introduced as Berdeean said.

“We would like that very much,” Sheppard said politely as he began following Mapei back up the path.

“What are those black things that you carry with you Major?” Coranelda asked.

“Oh these things,” the Major said as he pointed to his already lowered gun, “are a form of weaponry that we use to protect ourselves.”

“They are a precaution Coranelda,” Teyla interrupted, “you have no reason to fear them or us.”

Sheppard sighed. He really had to take Teyla aside and tell her that she shouldn’t be so trusting of people she had just met especially after everything that had gone down not so many months before with the Genii.

“Oh we do not fear them, we are just curious, we have never seen anything like them before,” Coranelda replied.

“We have much more interesting things to offer than those things,” McKay informed, regretting the words as soon as they had left his mouth. Sheppard glared at him wondering if McKay ever thought before he spoke. Seriously, why didn’t the guy just paint a sign saying we live in a city with technology way above the levels we have on this planet we come from called Earth you should come check it out.

“Is that so?” Mapei asked taking a renewed interest in the conversation.

“Well yes,” Sheppard said before anyone else had the opportunity to offer up something they just couldn’t trade, “that’s partly why we are here, we are looking for a race of people to trade with, you see…”

Mapei held up his hand and Sheppard stopped talking.

“This is not an issue for all present to hear. You can discuss your desire to trade with our leader.”

“I thought you said we may not meet him,” Ford stated.

“Ah well that was before I knew what valuable assets you could be to us, we ourselves are looking for good reliable allies.”

Sheppard grinned, “well maybe this will be a prosperous relationship for us both.”

“Let us hope so Major,” Mapei said as the eight of them continued on towards the town.

TBC


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A/N: I know it was kind of slow but I had to get the basics out somehow. Bare with me, the chapters should become more interesting as we go along. Please remember to review.