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Title: The First Year
By Atri/ Chiara Crawford


RATING: PG

WARNINGS: none

CATEGORY: introspection

ARCHIVES: ff.net, Command Dynamics

SPOILERS: Season One: The Brotherhood

SUMMARY: The long range sensors tell a bleak future.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Stargate: Atlantis.
I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
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“I’d thought I would find you here.” She hears his voice say, but does not turn away from the picturesque star-filled sky. It is an appropriate, but perhaps morbid, place to come and think, though given the situation…

John sits down beside her. From the corner of her eyes, she can see him stare at the unlit funeral pyres and knows that he is thinking the same thoughts: how many will they have to mourn in this hall in the next few weeks?

“Do you think we will survive?” There is more than hesitation in her voice; fear for the future, which may be non-existent. For a moment, she thinks that she sees a flash of doubt in his eyes, before he covers it with his usual optimism and determination, though she can tell that it is forced.

This is the first time that Atlantis herself is confronted with such a threat while under her leadership, and she knows that the meager energy reserves in their ZPMs and naquada reactors will not be enough.

“We had rotten luck today,” he admits and she snorts inelegantly at that understatement. In the Pegasus galaxy one crisis follows another. To have come so close to a valuable power source and then be denied just because of some religious zealots…

Even with your whole none-interference policy, you still manage to make problems for us, she thinks rather unkindly to the heavens, perhaps hoping that one of those ascended pricks will hear her fully justified angry message.

“Still,” John continues, unaware of her mental rant, “we’ve managed to survive worse,” and at her raised eyebrow adds: “well, perhaps not; but we will survive.”

And she truly wants to believe him, but the realist in her can’t. Three Wraith ships are enough to destroy Atlantis, even if the city will manage to hold them back for a while. She has seen the calculations of her scientists. There’s just not enough power. Hell, even if they had an additional ZPM – would it be enough?

“There is a possibility you should consider,” John says after some minutes of silence. His words are slow and hesitant and she knows that she won’t like them. “The Kids’ planet. M7G-677 and their ZPM.”

“I won’t take away their only protection, just to ensure our survival!”

“Calm down, Elizabeth!” He places a hand on her shoulder and she forces a breath out, acceding. “We wouldn’t take it by force, but think about it: Pegasus will be lost without Atlantis. For thousands of years, there was no true opposition to the Wraith, until we came. We have a chance to beat them back – to defeat them! And it’s not just that…Atlantis is a symbol of hope. It must not be destroyed!”

She reluctantly nods.

“There must be other, better alternatives – but I will think about it,” she adds when he looks about to argue. Perhaps the meeting next morning will bring another kind of hope that won’t force her into an untenable situation.

For the moment though, she just leans into him and tries to think about other, happier things.


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