Exogenesis Read online

  "Or if it's all this coral and junk." There was a pause while Sheppard must have been weighing the decision. "All right, let's go. But everybody stay on their toes."

  With a fatalistic shrug, Radek waited until Carson had secured his hood before opening Jumper Three's rear hatch. Rodney seemed to have run out of things to harangue them about-a temporary situation, most likely. Either that or the coffee break had extended into lunch. Carson hoped that food might restore the man's blood sugar level and, with luck, his patience.

  If using a jumper as a submersible and approaching this undersea location had been surreal, stepping outside was decidedly unnatural. The casualties of Radek's selective shield calibration were either dead or lay with gills and mouths flapping uselessly. Every surface of every outcrop was glistening wet, and Carson could hear dripping from somewhere inside the wreckage. Did that mean the shield was leaking? He couldn't help but glance up and around. Right then, he fully comprehended Rodney's reluctance to join them.

  Like Sheppard and Sergeant Alderman, Stackhouse had his weapon slung over his protective suit, an odd sight in and of itself. As much as Carson disliked guns on principle, he had had occasion to appreciate them in practice. Of course, it raised the question of what exactly might occur if a discharged bullet struck the force field holding the waters at bay.

  Careful to avoid the sharp edges of broken coral, Colonel Sheppard approached the still-intact jumper embedded in the low- ennost section of the wall. Carson followed only close enough to get a glimpse of the pods.

  "How about some coimnentary, people?" Rodney's voice was garbled around a mouthful of food.

  Sheppard gingerly grasped the edge of the hatch and made a disgusted sound. "Everything's covered in coral and stuff. It's gonna be hard to get a handhold on the pods."

  "But they're intact?" Dr. Weir asked.

  "Seem to be. They don't look exactly like the life pods we ran into in the Cohall system, though. Smaller, for one thing, even with the growth."

  "That's undoubtedly because they were designed by and for Ancients." Rodney noisily gulped down whatever he'd been eating before adding, "I suspect these are portable stasis pods, although the signal they're putting out is similar to the Cohall versions, which definitely were not Ancient in design. Probably copied the idea, though. Which leads me to conclude that this original model was intended to perform a similar function."

  "Kinda hoping these don't carry the same body-snatching possibilities."

  "I wouldn't bank on that, Colonel," Rodney warned. "After our recent encounter, I checked the database and found that SG-1 once discovered an entire ship full of stasis chambers with a computerized system that had the capacity to download and store thousands of minds. Dr. Jackson found himself inhabited by several personalities simultaneously."

  Even through his faceplate, Carson could see the expression on the Colonel's face. "Great," Sheppard muttered, stepping out of the wreck. "As if two wasn't already a crowd."

  "Be careful," Dr. Weir said, unnecessarily.

  Carson hung back with Radek while the military contingent cautiously maneuvered the wrecked jumper's hatch fully open. Mueller rigged up cables to anchor points on the uppermost life pod- stasis pod, whatever Rodney had it in his head to call them now-and attached them to Jumper One.

  A gloved hand on Carson's arm brought his attention to Sheppard. "Why don't you two hop back inside Jumper Three?" the Colonel suggested, motioning with his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll use Jumper One to withdraw the uppermost pod. Mueller and the sergeants are staying out here to guide it, but you might as well be protected in case we destabilize anything."

  Another cheery thought. On the way back Carson distracted himself by examining the various soft-bodied sponges and corals. He was tempted to take a few samples back to the lab, but had not brought proper containment vessels.

  Radek handed him a digital camera with a vaguely apologetic expression. "For sharing images with the lovely Lieutenant Cadman?"

  Wily man, that Radek. Laura had SCUBA dived back on Earth and would no doubt be intrigued by images of the underwater world on this planet. It was difficult to find suitable gifts for a lady in this galaxy, after all. Carson smiled his thanks and stepped up to the edge of force field. Before reentering the jumper, he snapped a few shots of the sea life swimming freely just beyond the invisible barrier.

  Extracting the first pod seemed to take an inordinately long time, the process punctuated by screeching sounds and the occasional groan from the tangled wreckage as Jumper One slowly eased backwards. At last, the chamber thudded to the seafloor, prompting Radek to release an audible sigh.

  "How we doing, guys?" Sheppard asked.

  "So far so good, sir," Alderman replied, already moving to detach the cables. "We're gonna need the winch to get this thing inside, though."

  "Watch yourselves on those barnacles and such," Carson warned through the com. While the force field protected them from the surrounding water, it wouldn't do to tear their HAZMAT suits. If nothing else, Carson didn't want any of them coming down with an infected cut or, worse, an allergic reaction to an indigenous coral or stinging hydroid.

  Stackhouse replied with a reassuring wave, while Sheppard said, "All right, I'll get turned around so we can start loading. Can we get at the other pod?"

  Mueller, who had gone back to peer inside the embedded jumper, fielded the question. "So far the hull appears stable. I cannot promise that it remains so when the force field is withdrawn, but the second pod is readily accessible for me to attach cables. Dr. Beckett can perhaps use Jumper Three in the same manner as you did just now?"

  And thus the list of duties that were very much not in Carson's job description expanded once again. "You know I'm not very good at these things, and this looks like it requires a light touch."

  "You'll do fine," Sheppard assured him. "Alderman and Stackhouse will get you aligned and hook up the cables. Then all you have to do is back up."

  Convinced that the process would not end well, Carson nevertheless felt obliged to relent. "All right. I suppose I can give it a try." When Radek gestured outside, he added, "Dr. Zelenka's going to examine the mooring block."

  "About time," piped up Rodney.

  As soon as Radek set out with a pack full of equipment, Carson maneuvered Jumper Three into position to withdraw the second pod while Stackhouse and Alderman winched the first into Jumper One.

  "Radek, how about some kind of update?" Apparently it was time for their regular dose of nagging.

  From somewhere outside Carson's field of view, Radek gave an uninterested sound, which was assuredly intended to drive Rodney mad. "It is not terribly exciting. A large block."

  "Thank you ever so much for that. Anything you can put in terms that might be helpful?"

  "I will take pictures. You will see then."

  The frustrated growl on the line was no less amusing for its inevitability. "I knew I should have gone down there myself"

  Radek's tone was pointed, and Carson momentarily imagined the usually docile Czech as a wolf, baring his fangs as his unwary research partner walked right into his trap. "Yes, Rodney. You should have."

  The second pod slid with surprising ease out onto the seafloor. When Mueller gave him the thumbs up Carson felt a surge of relief-until Sheppard's voice abruptly sliced through the momentary lull in conversation. "Son of a "

  Aloud cracking sound was followed by cursing fromAlderman. Scrambling from his seat, Carson rushed outside and, along with Mueller, ran across to Jumper One. "Is everyone all right?"

  "What is it? What happened?" Rodney called.

  "John, what's going on?" Dr. Weir demanded.

  Inside Jumper One's rear bay, Alderman was struggling with the winch while Sheppard was bent over the first pod-the transparent cover of which was clear of coral. Carson caught a glimpse of a relatively young but extremely pallid male face.

  "Apiece about a foot long just snapped off the top of the damned thing," the Colonel reported
tersely. "Can't tell how much was barnacle growth and how much was crucial, but there's a bank of lights here that's suddenly blinking like Christmas, so I'm guessing we have a problem."

  "The life sign is fading-fast," Rodney announced. "The pod's failing. I might be able to do something, but you have to get it up here right now. I'll meet you at the quarantine dock."

  "Out!" Sheppard ordered Carson, hustling up to the cockpit. "Alderman, Stackhouse, get the winch detached and help Mueller load the second pod into Jumper Three ASAP. Radek, get your ass back here in case they have to bail out quickly as well. I'll get this to Atlantis."

  Carson's first instinct was to go with the Colonel. That stasis pod contained a living person, one he might be able to aid. He was needed to drive Jumper Three, though, and if the second pod had similar problems, he couldn't be in two places at once. "What about the force field, then? Are we still going to be able to work outside?"

  "Yes, but everyone stay close to Jumper Three until Colonel Sheppard departs and we are certain of the remaining coverage," Radek cautioned.

  Alderman and Stackhouse carried the winch across to Jumper Three with Mueller close behind, arriving the same time as the Czech. Its sister ship lifted, instantly reducing the area of the force field. The massive mooring block creaked ominously, but stayed in place. Despite his earlier reassurances, Radek must have been concerned that the force field might not hold, because he released a long-held breath-only to scuttle sideways when coral debris tumbled down beside him. The resultant string of Czech phrases were undoubtedly colorful curses, which grew in volume when Radek tried to lift his foot. It evidently had become wedged in a crevice.

  While Mueller and the Marines went to help Radek, Carson noticed that the upper section of the remaining stasis pod appeared offset from the base. Had their handling damaged it, too? He circled to the other side and discovered a row of frantically blinking lights. "Rodney!"

  "I know," Rodney interrupted, breathless from running. "I'm losing the life sign, and the first-"

  "Is gone" Sheppard's voice was heavy with defeat. "I've just landed, but the lights are dead."

  "Damn it," Elizabeth said quietly. "To come so close..."

  Tom, Carson stared at the second pod. If he could get it open, perhaps he could do something here and now. Under the transpar ent lid, which had remained surprisingly free of growth, he could make out the delicate features of a woman; his patient, in a manner of speaking. Didn't he have a moral obligation to do everything he could to save her? "She hasn't aged a great deal," he observed. "Perhaps it's just a problem with the pod itself-"

  "Carson! Make certain that everyone is well clear of that second pod," Elizabeth warned him. "In fact I think you should leave it and get everyone inside Jumper Three. Now that the pod is failing, we don't exactly know what could happen."

  It was the right choice, he had to concede. Atlantis's leader had to act in the best interest of the people in her charge, and she had firsthand knowledge of the danger these pods could pose. But he hesitated, watching the last light blink steadily slower, frustrated at being hobbled by his lack of knowledge. After this life had endured for ten millennia, the least he could do was bear witness to its passing.

  Just as the panel of lights went dark, the rear section of the pod flung open, and a blaze of light burst out and engulfed him.

  The flash pulled Radek's attention from his still-lodged boot to the far side of the jumper where the pod sat. Horrified to see Carson confronted by something that appeared unpleasantly similar to a Wraith beam, the Czech shouted a warning. He knew even as the cry reverberated in his mask that it had come too late. The light struck the doctor squarely as if it were a physical force, ripped off Carson's HAZMAT hood, and sent him reeling backward.

  "What the hell was that?" Stackhouse demanded, while Alderman gave a low curse.

  Carson turned to face them. Haloed by the lights of the jumper, his expression was unreadable, but Radek saw the doctor's entire body go suddenly stiff before he raised his fists and screamed in... what? Rage`? Grief?

  Startled out of their shock, Alderman and Stackhouse sprinted forward. Radek grasped Mueller's proffered arm and ripped his foot free, twisting his ankle in the process.

  "What's happening down there?" Rodney demanded. "The life sign from the second pod just vanished."

  How to describe this? "The stasis pod-there was a light. Doctor Beckett was hit." Radek hobbled towards the jumper.

  "Oh, God." Dr. Weir breathed. "Like the Cohall pods."

  "No. This light was not soft. It was blue and..." Not for the first time, Radek cursed the language barrier.

  "Okay, Doc, just take it easy." Alderman spoke to Carson, circling behind him while Stackhouse leveled his stunner.

  "It was like a physical form," Radek continued. "Something real, not projected."

  "Doesn't sound much like our last life pod adventure," remarked Sheppard. "Beckett, you still with us? Alderman, Stackhouse, report. What's he doing?"

  "He's pulling something off the lid of the stasis pod," Alderman replied, raising his stunner and pointing it at Carson, while he motioned to Radek to get inside the jumper.

  Being underwater inside Jumper Three had not been nice, but Radek had adjusted to the situation. Sort of. Being underwater outside the jumper was very definitely not nice and he needed no encouragement to amend that situation, but his ankle was hindering him.

  Then a sudden thought struck him. What if the density of the light indicated that the inhabitant of the pod had taken permanent control of Carson? If Carson's mind still existed, it could be fading away much as Lieutenant Cadman had described her experience with Rodney. Any physical trauma might hasten that process, in which case- "I...I'm not certain you should use the stunner," he cautioned the Marines. "In this state it could kill Dr. Beckett"

  Carson yanked off his gloves when they proved to be an obstacle to his efforts. "Looks like he's messing with a cylinder of some sort," Stackhouse further informed the Colonel.

  "First pod doesn't have any cylinders on the side," Sheppard told them. "Any idea what the thing is?"

  "No, sir. Just looks like something about the diameter of a drain pipe. Hey, Doc?" The sergeant lowered his stunner as he addressed Carson. "How about you put that down, nice and gentle like?"

  Apparently unaware or uncaring that he was shredding the skin on his hands, Carson-or more correctly the being that now inhabited Carson-finally succeeded in detaching the object. He moved with uncommon speed, deftly avoiding the blasts from Stackhouse and Alderman's belatedly raised weapons, and, knocking Radek and Mueller aside, lunged into Jumper Three.

  Radek felt the realization like the grip of an icy hand. Alderman, Stackhouse and Mueller were right on Carson's heels, but they failed to reach him before the jumper's hatch closed and the drive pods retracted. The three men ran around to the front of the craft, banging on the hull and the windshield with their hands. It was evident that they, too, understood what was about to happen.

  Comprehension must have struck rapidly up on Atlantis as well, because Rodney, Colonel Sheppard, and Dr. Weir all began shouting at nearly the same moment.

  "Carson! Snap out of it, damn you." Rodney's cries overpowered the others. "As soon as you take off, the shield goes with you!"

  It was Carson's voice that responded, and yet at the same time, it wasn't. Higher pitched and strangely free of any Scottish brogue, it resonated with anguish. "You fools! Incompetent, mindless humans. Do you see what you have done?"

  Dr. Weir, thankfully, reacted first and became the diplomat. "We meant you no harm. You've been trapped for a long time, and we wanted to help you."

  "You meant no harm? My beloved Atlas breathes no longer because of your clumsy actions. You have destroyed all our hope for the future!" His final words broke into something like a sob.

  When Radek pulled himself to his feet, he came around to look through the windshield, now the only source of light in this submarine world. Carson's features wer
e twisted into a grotesque mask. "Your friend's feeble mind tells me much," he snarled, anguish edged with rage. "My people have vanished from existence, and our grand city has fallen to your barbaric kind. You have no concept of how to be worthy of this place, and in your limitless arrogance you have brought the Wraith upon us once more. This time Atlantis will fall, and entire galaxies will suffer for your hubris."

  Jumper Three slowly began to lift away from the seabed. The Marines and Mueller scrambled for handholds on the vessel's hull, but Radek knew with sick certainty that, with the pods retracted, they would find none.

  "Please give us a chance to explain who we are, why we're here," Elizabeth called, desperation creeping into her voice.

  "To scavenge!"

  "No! To find a way to defeat a parasitic race that stole technology from you and used it to enslave our kind after you left our galaxy."

  "Better that they had kept you enslaved than you came here," came the equally despairing cry. "We waited so long for our kind to return, but all that should have been destroyed remains, and now, all is lost."

  It was the voice of one who was immersed in the madness of grief. At that moment Radek understood there would be no reasoning with whoever had taken possession of Carson Beckett. The Czech swallowed back the bile that had suddenly risen and, stepping away from the jumper, stared dismally upward to the water's surface hundreds of meters overhead. It might as well have been the moon.

  "Don't you understand?" Dr. Weir's voice was impassioned now. "We are the descendants of Moros and the others. We came back for you!"

  That declaration, inspired though it was, triggered a response that carried the weight of ten thousand years of existence. "Then we are indeed truly lost, and only one thing remains to be done."