The Star's Heart, Chapter 12, -the Thrilling Conclusion! (pt 1)
Title: "The Mystery of the Star's Heart"
Author: Taylor Dancinghands -taylor@tdancinghands.com
Characters: McKay, Sheppard, Beckett, Zelenka, Weir, Teyla, Ronon, (nun!)Jeannie McKay, Grodin, Lorne, Caldwell, among others.
Pairings: Zelenka/McKay, Sheppard/Lorne past and Sheppard/Lorne/Teyla, Beckett/Weir, Caldwell/Jeannie McKay romance background
Category: slash, pre-slash, Steampunk AU, romance, action/adventure
Spoilers: none
Warnings: m/m relationships
Rating: Teen
Summary:In a bygone future that never was, the US Special Projects Bureau's Airship Daedalus carries an expedition into the Hollow Earth to discover the fabled lost city of Atlantis...
(An index for the whole story to-date can be found here.)
Chapter 12, pt 1
***
"Of course Arti [Dr Artemus Gordon, Director of Intelligence for the SPB] told me that this expedition would bring about a 'new age' of technological advancement for the world, but he said that about a lot of things. In the long run, I suppose he was right about most of those things, but especially about the Atlantis Expedition. In some regards the discovery and opening of the Ancient Ones' city of Atlantis has even changed the balance of world power."
-from an interview with James West, former Director of the US Special Projects Bureau in the San Francisco Chronicle, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, October, 1938.
The sun was streaming brightly from the mirror array and had been for an hour or more by the time Sheppard finally got to sleep. He'd ended up more or less repeating his routine from the evening before, just prior to the battle -trekking from one part of the city to another, checking in with people, tying up lose ends and generally putting the expedition to bed after a long and momentous day.
From the infirmary, he'd gone up to the control room, finding Peter and Gaul there, along with the two Marines on watch. John had accompanied them to the mess, where he encountered Carson and Elizabeth, having a last cup on tea before turning in, as well as Markham, Bates, and a few of the other Marines who'd been stationed out in the settlements, and on the city's balconies during the battle.
They'd lost a total of six men in the battle, which John knew was a small price to pay, seen in a more objective light. To a military force of twenty five men, however, the loss was a profound one, and deeply felt -each soldier's sacrifice like that of a family member. John knew each of their names, where they were from, their service records and family background, and he spent a few minutes sharing his own memories with the men sitting at that table in the mess, aware of the respect and regard his words earned him.
John felt the losses too, and let his men see it. This, he was coming to realize, was part of being a leader, and he was also coming to realize that he was better at it than he'd ever expected. It was with mixed feelings of pride at his newly developing skill and sorrow at their losses that John urged his people to get their rest, promising that he'd do the same as he left the mess. He still did not go directly back to his quarters, however, but instead made the trip down to the base of the tower, checking that the air launch docked there was stowed and guarded as it ought to be, and then finding his way to the power room.
Ronon was still there, along with Cpl Graves, who'd relieved Miller, and Ronon had managed to retrieve Zelenka's spectacles from the power room floor, with a piece of knotted rope. Sheppard thanked him as he took the only somewhat bent glasses and pocketed them carefully. He also offered Ronon to have another Marine relieve him if he wanted to but the dreadlocked survivalist just shook his shaggy head.
"I'll head back to the settlement in the morning," he said. "I'm good here for now. You, on the other hand, really look like you could use some sleep."
John could only shrug and grin at that, because although he hadn't looked in a mirror lately, he was pretty sure Ronon was right. He'd made his rounds now, however, and was beginning to feel his fatigue dragging at him at last, overcoming the nervous, frenetic energy that had lingered from the battle. He bid Ronon and Graves good night, and made his way back to the lifts, leaning heavily against the compartment wall as it carried him to the fourth floor.
Knowing he was bed-ward bound at last seemed to bring the depth of his fatigue home to him as he dragged his feet the last few steps to his room. The door opened at his touch as always, and he nearly tumbled directly into his cot, without even undressing or turning the lights on. Luckily, a little light from the corridor alerted him to the fact that his bed was not entirely empty.
"What the...?" he muttered, waking the bed's occupant, who lifted his head and revealed himself to be Evan Lorne.
"There you are," he said sleepily. "Been waiting for you. C'mon to bed."
Something reflexive in John was trying to tell him that he ought to have objections, of some sort, but honestly, he was just too tired. All he could focus on was falling into bed and passing out, and all he could think about having Evan there, was that it would be warmer, and nice. If there were reasons why he shouldn't, they weren't sufficient to overcome his fatigue.
John had stripped down to his long underwear and was under the warm blankets Evan had lifted away for him in less time than it would take to say, and Evan's arms were around him a moment later, comforting and close.
"Teyla says she's coming tomorrow," Evan murmured into his ear, "with a bigger bed. Don't try and talk her out of it."
"Wouldn't dream of it," John said, smiling as he felt Evan's lips brush his ear. That wasn't exactly his rational mind talking, he considered as he drifted off, but maybe that was just as well.
***
The girders beneath her feet were falling. She reached out, grabbing the metal scaffolding above her, but only with one hand, as the other clutched desperately at the case holding the Star's Heart. Her body swung over empty air as the girders beneath her dropped away, her weight pulling on her shoulder and the metal bar she clung to cutting into the flesh of her fingers. Elizabeth was alone, suspended above a bottomless chasm.
Suddenly, she felt the girders she hung from begin to shift as well. She wanted to reach out for another handhold, but couldn't, as she clung for dear life with one hand and the other could not be made to let go of the Star's Heart. She tried, knowing her life was at stake, but could not make her fingers uncurl from the handle. The girders shifted again, rusted bolts snapping and losing their grip on the rock face, and then she was falling.
She was falling free now, tumbling amidst iron beams and massive mirrors, certain to be crushed between them at any minute, nothing but death and darkness below... and then, without warning, strong arms seized her by the waist, held her back from certain doom... and she woke up.
She was not falling, but lying safe in bed -a soft mattress rather than endless darkness beneath her- though the strong, warm arms holding her safely were real. Elizabeth Weir woke gradually to find herself wrapped securely in Carson Beckett's arms. She hadn't been so when she'd fallen asleep, and Carson himself seemed to be deeply slumbering now, so he must had done it unconsciously -somehow aware of her need even as he slept beside her. That, Elizabeth reflected, was really just typical for Carson Beckett.
Yesterday... it seemed impossible that so much had happened in the course of only one day, and she'd been so exhausted at the end of it that she'd fallen asleep before she'd had any time to really process anything. She felt the need now, however, to take stock of all that had come to pass, before she went ahead with the new day. She was still the leader of the expedition, and a great deal had changed -not only for her, but for the whole enterprise. Decisions would need to be made, and she would need to bring all these recent events into perspective to make good ones.
She began by tracking the developments of the last day in reverse order, beginning with the most recent: their victory over the wraith. The wraith were, if not defeated, certainly diminished, and the city's new power meant that they need never be a serious threat again -as long as the Star's Heart held out. It would surely mean a new era of freedom and enlightenment, literally, for the people who lived here, and for the expedition, and more opportunities to teach and trade with the locals, and to learn from them.
What they might learn here and carry to the world above had the potential to change both their worlds, for the better or for the worse. Much of the responsibility for deciding what to bring to light would be hers, Elizabeth knew, and therefore determined to deliberate carefully, and listen well to the advice that came to her, from both her old friends and her new ones.
Then there was the matter of the Star's Heart, and the power it had unleashed in the city. That power had allowed them to drive the wraith back, and energised (among many other things) some of the healing devices Carson had used to help Dr Zelenka and others, but it had also nearly killed Dr Zelenka, and very likely wakened countless dangerous and unknown devices and systems in the vast, ancient city. Elizabeth had already seen how eager the scientists were to explore the newly powered city, but that exploration would need to be done with caution, and procedures would have to be enacted to assure that caution and safety for all the expedition members.
Thinking of Zelenka's mishap, Elizabeth recalled the conversation she'd had with McKay, standing on the balcony and watching the lights Sheppard controlled chase the last of the wraith from the sky. Some would say it was surprising, how the prickly scientist seemed to have developed a soft spot for his one time scientific rival, but Elizabeth saw nothing surprising about it. What some saw as a long feud, Elizabeth now recognized as something analogous to a courtship, though not even she had recognized it at the time.
Her impulse to bring them together had been more instinctual than anything else, and the fact that this impulse had born more and sweeter fruit than she had ever imagined filled Elizabeth with pride. Contrary-wise, Elizabeth had to reflect, the failure of her instincts with regard to Maybourne and Ford (especially Ford) was a profound embarrassment.
Maybourne, she owned, was a crafty operator, and had fooled a lot of people in the SPB, as well as the US military, but Ford was another matter. How had she missed that he was so obviously unbalanced, and a Deep One, to boot? She had seen, while held as his hostage, the scars on his fingers, where he'd clearly cut away the webbing which had once grown there, proving that he'd known what he was and tried to hide it. She'd not seen it until after he'd taken her captive, however, and she figured he'd probably taken pains to keep from drawing attention to his hands his whole life.
She had watched those hands, with disturbed fascination, as Ford had knelt at the edge of the pier and snatched a fish right out of the water, quicker than her own eye could follow. Cruel humor in his bulging eyes, he'd offered the still struggling fish to her (as she had not eaten in over a day, at that point) and when she had refused, brought it to his own mouth and taken a bite out of it, as thought it were a piece of ripe fruit. Elizabeth shuddered at the memory.
In unconscious response to her shudder, Elizabeth felt Carson's arm tighten around her and she, in turn, snuggled closer. As a woman adventurer -too often the lone woman in a company of men- she'd had to learn never to show fear or emotion among the most of her colleagues, but now, alone with the man who'd offered her his heart, unconditionally and without reserve yesterday, she admitted to the terror that had gripped her as Ford had revealed more and more of his true nature.
Still seemingly without waking, Carson drew her close, moving his hands comfortingly over her back for a moment, then falling still again. Elizabeth sighed in contentment and relaxed. This was, perhaps, the most surprising thing of all the events of the past few days, for her. Seeing how close Mckay and Zelenka had become was no real surprise to her, nor was the paring between Captain Caldwell and McKay's sister. She could not even say that what seemed to be going on between Sheppard, Lorne and the native woman, Teyla, was terribly shocking to her, but seeing Carson Beckett with Sheppard in the orlub, coming to rescue her, hearing his words of relieved and heartfelt devotion once he'd saved her from the mirror array -that had been completely unexpected.
Mind you, she'd been quick enough to grasp the situation, once she'd found herself safe in Carson's arms in the orlub's passenger compartment -his lips tenderly kissing her face and his voice broken with relief. Others might hold disdain for men who admitted to the 'weakness' of emotion, but it was Elizabeth's opinion that it took a better, braver man to allow himself tears. She'd expressed those opinions with words as well as other gestures of devotion, crushed close to Carson Beckett in the back of the orlub, even as she shook with her own terror and exhaustion. Carson would never think the less of her for it, she knew.
Exhaustion saw to it that they'd done nothing but sleep, as they lay beside each other in Carson's bed last night, but Elizabeth had already determined that she would never sleep alone again, if she had any choice in the matter. An unquestionably adventurous woman, Elizabeth was no stranger to the pleasant pastimes two (or more) people might partake of in a bed, but she was new to the experience of simply sleeping together, and it was more profound and pleasurable than she had expected. Sleep, she considered, might be the most intimate act of all.
As delightful and intimate as it might be, however, Elizabeth knew that the hour for sleeping had come and gone, for her at least, and that a new day awaited her. The crisis of the day before now past, there remained considerable aftermath, and tasks which it would fall to her to manage. Before they had been repelled, the wraith had done no small amount of damage to the city, and those damaged areas would need to be inspected, and repairs effected where possible.
There was likely repair work to be done on the Daedalus as well, and then there was the matter of the mirror array. Though the placement of the Star's Heart in the city meant that any settlement could be protected at any time of the day or night, there was no sense in neglecting the mirror array, even though that would now mean their involvement in a considerable restoration project. McKay would complain, but he would appreciate the importance of the project more than anyone as well.
As if sensing (still in his sleep) Elizabeth's desire to begin her day, Carson rolled away, just enough to allow Elizabeth to slip out from under his arm and rise from bed. Dressed only in a thin cotton shift, Elizabeth shivered slightly in the cool, subterranean air and moved to dress quickly, wondering if she should wake Carson to accompany her to breakfast. Elizabeth had no sooner buttoned up her vest, however, when she heard Carson yawn and stretch and a moment later he was sitting up in bed, blinking at her with sleepy contentment.
"Now there's a lovely sight to wake to," he said blue eyes sparkling with joy. "Though I suppose I'd have seen a lovelier one if I'd stirred myself a bit earlier."
"I'm sorry to have deprived you," Elizabeth said sincerely, "but there's just too much afoot today to tarry in bed. I'd very much like to, though, some day as soon as can be managed."
"I'll look forward to it," Carson said, pushing aside the covers to stand and greet Elizabeth with a kiss. "But I'm also more than a wee bit peckish for breakfast. I'll be dressed in two shakes, and we can go together."
It was mid morning by the time Elizabeth and Carson made it to the dinning hall, which was scandalously late by Elizabeth's usual standards, but she was in good company today. The cook staff had evidently decided to segue breakfast into lunch without a break, so that there were eggs and porridge as well as sandwiches and cold cuts available in the food line when they came through.
Naturally, the dinning hall was bustling, with nearly every table full. After some searching, Elizabeth noticed Sheppard beckoning them them over to the table where he and Lorne were just departing. Teyla was there still, along with Ronon and a handful of the Marines.
"I figured I'd put everybody on light duty today," Sheppard said, lingering beside the table with his hands full of breakfast dishes while Elizabeth took his seat. "All the Military folks, at least -unless you can think of a reason why they shouldn't be."
"I can't think of one," Elizabeth said. "I'll tell Dr McKay to keep the scientists close to the central tower and the labs for today and we can set up a schedule for exploration parties tomorrow. Senior staff meeting at noon all right with you?"
"I'll be there," Sheppard said with a nod. "I can pass it on to Caldwell, too."
"Excellent," Elizabeth said, starting in on her breakfast with enthusiasm. She'd had a full lunch yesterday, and the same cold dinner that everyone else had had, but she felt like she was still making up for the day and a half that Ford had kept her without a single meal. Carson and Teyla -sitting opposite her- smiled to see her appetite.
"You seem to be recovering well from your ordeals, Elizabeth," she said with a smile. "It is good to see."
"It was indeed an ordeal," Elizabeth agreed, "and a frightening one, but I knew that many good and loyal people were doing all they could to find and rescue me, and that they would not let me come to harm. My faith never wavered, and I was not disappointed." She laid a hand on Carson's where he sat beside her and the man blushed and looked down into his porridge.
Teyla nodded. "It is said among my people that no person ever finds themselves among a true and loyal company, unless they, themselves possess similar qualities. There were some, from among our settlements, who questioned my immediate trust of you and your expedition," she said, "but after yesterday, I believe those doubts will be no more."
Elizabeth listened thoughtfully as she ate, putting together an idea or two that came in response to Teyla's words. "I have been thinking," she said when she'd eaten the better part of her breakfast. "We should have some sort of celebration, and memorial, to honor those that were lost in the last battle, and I believe we should hold it here, and invite all who would care to come, from anywhere in the Realms Below. Our people have been your guests, and now it seems proper that we return the favor."
"Such an invitation would definitely be welcome," Teyla said, approvingly, "and do much to foster good relations between Atlantis and our settlements here. Suspicion and distrust only flourish when people do not know each other, but if you open the city to all those who live here I am sure you will make friends quickly."
"That is precisely my intention," Elizabeth said. "As I am aware that we are newcomers here, and unknown, now is the time to remedy that."
"May be new," Ronon said, "but can't really say you're unknown now. Person'd have to be deaf and blind, not to've seen what your people did yesterday."
"I would agree in part," Teyla said. "The people of these realms must all know by now that you are no friend of the wraith, and that you are powerful and masters of the city, but they do not know if you will wield your power kindly or cruelly. They do not know if you come as haughty overlords, or as equals, willing to share and live openly among us. People will especially want to know this latter, for it is said in all the tales that though the Ancient Ones were never cruel, and protected us from the wraith, they also kept themselves apart, and the wonders of their city were forbidden to us."
"We may be descended from the Ancient Ones, lass," Carson said, looking up from his porridge, "but we're nothing like them. For one thing, we've hardly a clue about how most of this city works. Really, we're completely in over our heads, and can use all the help we can get."
"Indeed," said Elizabeth. "Their ways will not be ours. It is not our way to be miserly with our knowledge, and to keep for ourselves alone a city suited for thousands where our company consists of less than a hundred, would go against everything I believe in."
"All our folk will be glad to learn this," Teyla confirmed, "and opening the city to all for a celebration would carry this message more effectively than any proclamation. When do you propose to hold these festivities?"
"Part of me wants to have it tonight," Elizabeth said, "but I imagine more people would be able to come if we held off till tomorrow."
"You are likely correct," Teyla said. "If nothing else it will allow time to get the word out. Communication between settlements, as you have noted, is not as efficient as it could be."
"Actually," Carson pointed out, "I'd say it's surprisingly effective, considering the inherent risks."
"And I believe we're going to be able to make some of our first improvements here." Elizabeth added. "A lot of things are going to change now that the city is powered again, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that they're changes for the better."
After breakfast, Elizabeth and Carson parted company, albeit a trifle reluctantly, but they both had work to do. Carson had not only Zelenka in his infirmary, but a couple of the Marines who'd sustained injuries in the battle yesterday, and Elizabeth had a meeting to prepare for, and a celebration to begin planning. Also a memorial.
Four Marines and two Airmen from the Daedalus had been taken in the course of the fight -none of whose bodies had been recovered. All had been 'saved' from the wraith, though they had not escaped death, mainly by falling great distances into the sea, or the lake beneath Atlantis. Those who had met their end in the lake might be recovered -Elizabeth would have to send out the air launch to look for the bodies- but Teyla had told her that there were large carnivorous fish which dwelt in the depths of the subterranean sea, and bodies were never known to come to shore there.
In the hour before the staff meeting Elizabeth had sketched out plans for both the memorial and the celebration, and had begun listing the material and manpower required for each. She had decided that she was glad she'd chosen to delay the celebrations by a day, not only because it would allow them to hold the memorial first, but because she was going to have to ask for food contributions for any large feast. In fact, they were going to have to start thinking about the whole issue of resupplying the expedition.
It was highly convenient, then, that it was Captain Caldwell who arrived first for the meeting.
He arrived with Jeannie McKay, who had spent the night back on the Daedalus, and Lt. Novak, who had apparently been chaffing at the bit to get to see the Ancient One's city close up for some time.
"I can show her around," said Jeannie, who had managed to get a new set of expedition garments from somewhere.
"Find one of the Marines or Airmen to go with you," Elizabeth advised and Caldwell concurred. They had no trouble commandeering Stackhouse, who they found loitering out on the balcony, and Grodin, who Elizabeth thought maybe had his eyes on Novak. Sheppard appeared as they headed off and he was no sooner seated at the conference table than Carson reappeared, with McKay and Zelenka in tow.
The Czech scientist moved slowly, but his spirit was lively, as always. His momentarily unguarded eyes sparkled in delight as he received not one but two pairs of glasses -one from Caldwell, who'd had them fetched from Zelenka's cabin on the Daedalus, and another pair, somewhat worse for wear, from Sheppard.
"Ronon managed to get them from the power room," he explained, "using a piece of rope. That is one resourceful guy."
"Ronon Dex is indeed, a most resourceful man," said Teyla, just coming in to take her seat at the table. "But the explanation can be found in the wise words your Dr Corrigan relayed to me: Necessity is the mother of invention. Ronon knew nothing but necessity for seven years of his life. He had to either become inventive or die."
"That he did not die," Elizabeth said, "is definitely a testament to those who raised him, and to all your people's skill at surviving in such a hostile environment. Now that our arrival has altered that environment to be more favorable, however, I would wish for all of us not to forget those skills, nor the attitude that enabled your people and ours to survive in more difficult times. Our victories would be for nothing, I believe, if we squandered those talents which our difficulties brought out in us."
"In this I am entirely in agreement," Teyla said. "And it is for this reason that I suggest a... ritual, of sorts, performed by my people, on occasions such as this, to begin the festivities you have planned. It is neither lengthy nor overly complicated, but the words we speak honor the very ingenuity you speak of, and hearken back to our oldest traditions."
"That sounds perfect," Elizabeth answered. "Is there a role some of our people may take?"
There was some call and response, Teyla explained, and from there they went on to plan other aspects of the celebration, including the victuals, which Teyla promised that folk from the various settlements would happily to contribute to. After this there was a brief discussion of tonight's memorial, and then there were other day-to-day matters to organize.
McKay headed up a discussion on which repairs needed to be prioritized, including what materials might be needed for repair of the damaged buildings in the city, as well as the mirror array. This resulted in a list of essential supplies, in addition to foodstuffs, that the Daedalus would need to bring from the outer world -whose scheduling Caldwell would discuss with Elizabeth later. The assignment of personnel to the repair projects, however, had to be coordinated with the exploratory patrols that Sheppard wanted to organize.
Elizabeth approved of his idea of setting up permanent 'teams' of four, each consisting of one or two scientists and two or three military. Since neither the scientists nor the military were much accustomed to working with one another, this would result in long term working relationships between the two groups, and improve the social cohesion of the expedition as a whole. Some of the teams, Sheppard suggested, might even have one or two of the locals as members, and as an example, proposed his own team to include himself, McKay, Teyla and Ronon.
Tentatively naming this team 'Atlantis Recon Team 1', he also suggested personnel for 'A.R.T. 2' (Lorne, Zelenka, Stackhouse and Halling) and A.R.T. 3 (Markham, Parrish, Corrigan and Bates). Some of the teams could be specialized, he pointed out, while others might consist of members with more generalized skills. With the proviso that the final make up of the each team be approved by the team leader, and that all team members must be volunteers, all present agreed on the idea.
"So, Sheppard and McKay's team," Caldwell asked. "Will they be strictly exploring the city?"
"I don't see why we should limit ourselves," Sheppard replied. "Especially as we've got two locals on our team, who can serve as native guides and diplomatic advisers. I've seen how McKay can hold his own in a fight, and there's no telling what sorts of tech we might find elsewhere in these Realms, so I kinda figured we'd be able to explore both the city and the local environs."
"But you'll explore the city first?" Caldwell clarified.
"We could be exploring this city for the rest of our lives, sir," Sheppard pointed out. "I kinda figured we'd plan our missions on a case by case basis -with Dr Weir's approval, of course."
Elizabeth smiled in appreciation of the nod in her direction. "That makes the most sense to me," she said. "It offers the most flexibility, at least, and allows me to put the assets I think will work the best in the places I think they'll do the most good at that time."
Caldwell considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose that might be for the best in your circumstances," he said finally. "It's certainly a novel situation you have here, and likely calls for such novel arrangements."
Another leader, Elizabeth considered, might bristle at the Captain's apparent presumption, but she understood. Caldwell was at heart a conservative man, and that made him the best at what he did, even, or perhaps especially, in the unusual circumstances SPB's airship captains often found themselves in. The strict discipline with which he ran his ship was a major contributing factor to his high survival rate, but Atlantis was no airship, and the expedition was not a military one. At the end of the day, Caldwell knew that he and Elizabeth had truly different jobs to do.
The meeting now being concluded, Caldwell's job was to oversee the transfer of all the rest of the Daedalus' cargo -save for that which they would need for their return voyage- onto Atlantis. The Daedalus would remain for another few days -doing a quick surveying voyage of the full extent of the main cavern and readying herself for the trip back up the long passage to the surface world- and then they would be on their own on Atlantis until the Daedalus returned.
As she had prepared for this expedition, Elizabeth had hardly dared to hope that they would find a place so suited for their occupation and so worthy of their long term study. She had hardly dared hope, and yet she had imagined the possibility, from time to time. It had seemed an overly optimistic fantasy, and yet here they were, preparing to make a home for themselves on a ten thousand year old city, miles beneath the surface of the Earth.
For some, Elizabeth knew, that home would be a temporary one -a brief, wonderful adventure to be followed by a more conventional career. For others, however, Elizabeth had a feeling that Atlantis would become a place to put down roots and find a real home, possibly for the first time in their lives. Sheppard, she had a feeling, would be one such, and she'd be willing to bet that McKay and Zelenka, Lorne and Grodin and quite a few others would find themselves drawn to settle here for good. She thought she might be so drawn herself.
Later, she would write in her memoirs that it seemed that Atlantis had somehow called out to them, inexplicably, from the deeps, though none of them recognized the call for what it was. Does a swallow recognize the call that draws it to its winter home, she wondered now as she stood on the balcony outside her office, gazing over the gleaming towers of Atlantis? Does it have a name for the voice that beckons it north again, in the spring?
Known or unknown, Elizabeth had followed a call and entreated others to follow with her, to find a destiny none of them could expect. The proof that the call had been true lay all around her, and she took a moment to feel all the joy, triumph and gratitude that filled her heart at having answered it.
***
And now, you're all invited to the party!
Author: Taylor Dancinghands -taylor@tdancinghands.com
Characters: McKay, Sheppard, Beckett, Zelenka, Weir, Teyla, Ronon, (nun!)Jeannie McKay, Grodin, Lorne, Caldwell, among others.
Pairings: Zelenka/McKay, Sheppard/Lorne past and Sheppard/Lorne/Teyla, Beckett/Weir, Caldwell/Jeannie McKay romance background
Category: slash, pre-slash, Steampunk AU, romance, action/adventure
Spoilers: none
Warnings: m/m relationships
Rating: Teen
Summary:In a bygone future that never was, the US Special Projects Bureau's Airship Daedalus carries an expedition into the Hollow Earth to discover the fabled lost city of Atlantis...
(An index for the whole story to-date can be found here.)
Chapter 12, pt 1
***
"Of course Arti [Dr Artemus Gordon, Director of Intelligence for the SPB] told me that this expedition would bring about a 'new age' of technological advancement for the world, but he said that about a lot of things. In the long run, I suppose he was right about most of those things, but especially about the Atlantis Expedition. In some regards the discovery and opening of the Ancient Ones' city of Atlantis has even changed the balance of world power."
-from an interview with James West, former Director of the US Special Projects Bureau in the San Francisco Chronicle, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, October, 1938.
The sun was streaming brightly from the mirror array and had been for an hour or more by the time Sheppard finally got to sleep. He'd ended up more or less repeating his routine from the evening before, just prior to the battle -trekking from one part of the city to another, checking in with people, tying up lose ends and generally putting the expedition to bed after a long and momentous day.
From the infirmary, he'd gone up to the control room, finding Peter and Gaul there, along with the two Marines on watch. John had accompanied them to the mess, where he encountered Carson and Elizabeth, having a last cup on tea before turning in, as well as Markham, Bates, and a few of the other Marines who'd been stationed out in the settlements, and on the city's balconies during the battle.
They'd lost a total of six men in the battle, which John knew was a small price to pay, seen in a more objective light. To a military force of twenty five men, however, the loss was a profound one, and deeply felt -each soldier's sacrifice like that of a family member. John knew each of their names, where they were from, their service records and family background, and he spent a few minutes sharing his own memories with the men sitting at that table in the mess, aware of the respect and regard his words earned him.
John felt the losses too, and let his men see it. This, he was coming to realize, was part of being a leader, and he was also coming to realize that he was better at it than he'd ever expected. It was with mixed feelings of pride at his newly developing skill and sorrow at their losses that John urged his people to get their rest, promising that he'd do the same as he left the mess. He still did not go directly back to his quarters, however, but instead made the trip down to the base of the tower, checking that the air launch docked there was stowed and guarded as it ought to be, and then finding his way to the power room.
Ronon was still there, along with Cpl Graves, who'd relieved Miller, and Ronon had managed to retrieve Zelenka's spectacles from the power room floor, with a piece of knotted rope. Sheppard thanked him as he took the only somewhat bent glasses and pocketed them carefully. He also offered Ronon to have another Marine relieve him if he wanted to but the dreadlocked survivalist just shook his shaggy head.
"I'll head back to the settlement in the morning," he said. "I'm good here for now. You, on the other hand, really look like you could use some sleep."
John could only shrug and grin at that, because although he hadn't looked in a mirror lately, he was pretty sure Ronon was right. He'd made his rounds now, however, and was beginning to feel his fatigue dragging at him at last, overcoming the nervous, frenetic energy that had lingered from the battle. He bid Ronon and Graves good night, and made his way back to the lifts, leaning heavily against the compartment wall as it carried him to the fourth floor.
Knowing he was bed-ward bound at last seemed to bring the depth of his fatigue home to him as he dragged his feet the last few steps to his room. The door opened at his touch as always, and he nearly tumbled directly into his cot, without even undressing or turning the lights on. Luckily, a little light from the corridor alerted him to the fact that his bed was not entirely empty.
"What the...?" he muttered, waking the bed's occupant, who lifted his head and revealed himself to be Evan Lorne.
"There you are," he said sleepily. "Been waiting for you. C'mon to bed."
Something reflexive in John was trying to tell him that he ought to have objections, of some sort, but honestly, he was just too tired. All he could focus on was falling into bed and passing out, and all he could think about having Evan there, was that it would be warmer, and nice. If there were reasons why he shouldn't, they weren't sufficient to overcome his fatigue.
John had stripped down to his long underwear and was under the warm blankets Evan had lifted away for him in less time than it would take to say, and Evan's arms were around him a moment later, comforting and close.
"Teyla says she's coming tomorrow," Evan murmured into his ear, "with a bigger bed. Don't try and talk her out of it."
"Wouldn't dream of it," John said, smiling as he felt Evan's lips brush his ear. That wasn't exactly his rational mind talking, he considered as he drifted off, but maybe that was just as well.
***
The girders beneath her feet were falling. She reached out, grabbing the metal scaffolding above her, but only with one hand, as the other clutched desperately at the case holding the Star's Heart. Her body swung over empty air as the girders beneath her dropped away, her weight pulling on her shoulder and the metal bar she clung to cutting into the flesh of her fingers. Elizabeth was alone, suspended above a bottomless chasm.
Suddenly, she felt the girders she hung from begin to shift as well. She wanted to reach out for another handhold, but couldn't, as she clung for dear life with one hand and the other could not be made to let go of the Star's Heart. She tried, knowing her life was at stake, but could not make her fingers uncurl from the handle. The girders shifted again, rusted bolts snapping and losing their grip on the rock face, and then she was falling.
She was falling free now, tumbling amidst iron beams and massive mirrors, certain to be crushed between them at any minute, nothing but death and darkness below... and then, without warning, strong arms seized her by the waist, held her back from certain doom... and she woke up.
She was not falling, but lying safe in bed -a soft mattress rather than endless darkness beneath her- though the strong, warm arms holding her safely were real. Elizabeth Weir woke gradually to find herself wrapped securely in Carson Beckett's arms. She hadn't been so when she'd fallen asleep, and Carson himself seemed to be deeply slumbering now, so he must had done it unconsciously -somehow aware of her need even as he slept beside her. That, Elizabeth reflected, was really just typical for Carson Beckett.
Yesterday... it seemed impossible that so much had happened in the course of only one day, and she'd been so exhausted at the end of it that she'd fallen asleep before she'd had any time to really process anything. She felt the need now, however, to take stock of all that had come to pass, before she went ahead with the new day. She was still the leader of the expedition, and a great deal had changed -not only for her, but for the whole enterprise. Decisions would need to be made, and she would need to bring all these recent events into perspective to make good ones.
She began by tracking the developments of the last day in reverse order, beginning with the most recent: their victory over the wraith. The wraith were, if not defeated, certainly diminished, and the city's new power meant that they need never be a serious threat again -as long as the Star's Heart held out. It would surely mean a new era of freedom and enlightenment, literally, for the people who lived here, and for the expedition, and more opportunities to teach and trade with the locals, and to learn from them.
What they might learn here and carry to the world above had the potential to change both their worlds, for the better or for the worse. Much of the responsibility for deciding what to bring to light would be hers, Elizabeth knew, and therefore determined to deliberate carefully, and listen well to the advice that came to her, from both her old friends and her new ones.
Then there was the matter of the Star's Heart, and the power it had unleashed in the city. That power had allowed them to drive the wraith back, and energised (among many other things) some of the healing devices Carson had used to help Dr Zelenka and others, but it had also nearly killed Dr Zelenka, and very likely wakened countless dangerous and unknown devices and systems in the vast, ancient city. Elizabeth had already seen how eager the scientists were to explore the newly powered city, but that exploration would need to be done with caution, and procedures would have to be enacted to assure that caution and safety for all the expedition members.
Thinking of Zelenka's mishap, Elizabeth recalled the conversation she'd had with McKay, standing on the balcony and watching the lights Sheppard controlled chase the last of the wraith from the sky. Some would say it was surprising, how the prickly scientist seemed to have developed a soft spot for his one time scientific rival, but Elizabeth saw nothing surprising about it. What some saw as a long feud, Elizabeth now recognized as something analogous to a courtship, though not even she had recognized it at the time.
Her impulse to bring them together had been more instinctual than anything else, and the fact that this impulse had born more and sweeter fruit than she had ever imagined filled Elizabeth with pride. Contrary-wise, Elizabeth had to reflect, the failure of her instincts with regard to Maybourne and Ford (especially Ford) was a profound embarrassment.
Maybourne, she owned, was a crafty operator, and had fooled a lot of people in the SPB, as well as the US military, but Ford was another matter. How had she missed that he was so obviously unbalanced, and a Deep One, to boot? She had seen, while held as his hostage, the scars on his fingers, where he'd clearly cut away the webbing which had once grown there, proving that he'd known what he was and tried to hide it. She'd not seen it until after he'd taken her captive, however, and she figured he'd probably taken pains to keep from drawing attention to his hands his whole life.
She had watched those hands, with disturbed fascination, as Ford had knelt at the edge of the pier and snatched a fish right out of the water, quicker than her own eye could follow. Cruel humor in his bulging eyes, he'd offered the still struggling fish to her (as she had not eaten in over a day, at that point) and when she had refused, brought it to his own mouth and taken a bite out of it, as thought it were a piece of ripe fruit. Elizabeth shuddered at the memory.
In unconscious response to her shudder, Elizabeth felt Carson's arm tighten around her and she, in turn, snuggled closer. As a woman adventurer -too often the lone woman in a company of men- she'd had to learn never to show fear or emotion among the most of her colleagues, but now, alone with the man who'd offered her his heart, unconditionally and without reserve yesterday, she admitted to the terror that had gripped her as Ford had revealed more and more of his true nature.
Still seemingly without waking, Carson drew her close, moving his hands comfortingly over her back for a moment, then falling still again. Elizabeth sighed in contentment and relaxed. This was, perhaps, the most surprising thing of all the events of the past few days, for her. Seeing how close Mckay and Zelenka had become was no real surprise to her, nor was the paring between Captain Caldwell and McKay's sister. She could not even say that what seemed to be going on between Sheppard, Lorne and the native woman, Teyla, was terribly shocking to her, but seeing Carson Beckett with Sheppard in the orlub, coming to rescue her, hearing his words of relieved and heartfelt devotion once he'd saved her from the mirror array -that had been completely unexpected.
Mind you, she'd been quick enough to grasp the situation, once she'd found herself safe in Carson's arms in the orlub's passenger compartment -his lips tenderly kissing her face and his voice broken with relief. Others might hold disdain for men who admitted to the 'weakness' of emotion, but it was Elizabeth's opinion that it took a better, braver man to allow himself tears. She'd expressed those opinions with words as well as other gestures of devotion, crushed close to Carson Beckett in the back of the orlub, even as she shook with her own terror and exhaustion. Carson would never think the less of her for it, she knew.
Exhaustion saw to it that they'd done nothing but sleep, as they lay beside each other in Carson's bed last night, but Elizabeth had already determined that she would never sleep alone again, if she had any choice in the matter. An unquestionably adventurous woman, Elizabeth was no stranger to the pleasant pastimes two (or more) people might partake of in a bed, but she was new to the experience of simply sleeping together, and it was more profound and pleasurable than she had expected. Sleep, she considered, might be the most intimate act of all.
As delightful and intimate as it might be, however, Elizabeth knew that the hour for sleeping had come and gone, for her at least, and that a new day awaited her. The crisis of the day before now past, there remained considerable aftermath, and tasks which it would fall to her to manage. Before they had been repelled, the wraith had done no small amount of damage to the city, and those damaged areas would need to be inspected, and repairs effected where possible.
There was likely repair work to be done on the Daedalus as well, and then there was the matter of the mirror array. Though the placement of the Star's Heart in the city meant that any settlement could be protected at any time of the day or night, there was no sense in neglecting the mirror array, even though that would now mean their involvement in a considerable restoration project. McKay would complain, but he would appreciate the importance of the project more than anyone as well.
As if sensing (still in his sleep) Elizabeth's desire to begin her day, Carson rolled away, just enough to allow Elizabeth to slip out from under his arm and rise from bed. Dressed only in a thin cotton shift, Elizabeth shivered slightly in the cool, subterranean air and moved to dress quickly, wondering if she should wake Carson to accompany her to breakfast. Elizabeth had no sooner buttoned up her vest, however, when she heard Carson yawn and stretch and a moment later he was sitting up in bed, blinking at her with sleepy contentment.
"Now there's a lovely sight to wake to," he said blue eyes sparkling with joy. "Though I suppose I'd have seen a lovelier one if I'd stirred myself a bit earlier."
"I'm sorry to have deprived you," Elizabeth said sincerely, "but there's just too much afoot today to tarry in bed. I'd very much like to, though, some day as soon as can be managed."
"I'll look forward to it," Carson said, pushing aside the covers to stand and greet Elizabeth with a kiss. "But I'm also more than a wee bit peckish for breakfast. I'll be dressed in two shakes, and we can go together."
It was mid morning by the time Elizabeth and Carson made it to the dinning hall, which was scandalously late by Elizabeth's usual standards, but she was in good company today. The cook staff had evidently decided to segue breakfast into lunch without a break, so that there were eggs and porridge as well as sandwiches and cold cuts available in the food line when they came through.
Naturally, the dinning hall was bustling, with nearly every table full. After some searching, Elizabeth noticed Sheppard beckoning them them over to the table where he and Lorne were just departing. Teyla was there still, along with Ronon and a handful of the Marines.
"I figured I'd put everybody on light duty today," Sheppard said, lingering beside the table with his hands full of breakfast dishes while Elizabeth took his seat. "All the Military folks, at least -unless you can think of a reason why they shouldn't be."
"I can't think of one," Elizabeth said. "I'll tell Dr McKay to keep the scientists close to the central tower and the labs for today and we can set up a schedule for exploration parties tomorrow. Senior staff meeting at noon all right with you?"
"I'll be there," Sheppard said with a nod. "I can pass it on to Caldwell, too."
"Excellent," Elizabeth said, starting in on her breakfast with enthusiasm. She'd had a full lunch yesterday, and the same cold dinner that everyone else had had, but she felt like she was still making up for the day and a half that Ford had kept her without a single meal. Carson and Teyla -sitting opposite her- smiled to see her appetite.
"You seem to be recovering well from your ordeals, Elizabeth," she said with a smile. "It is good to see."
"It was indeed an ordeal," Elizabeth agreed, "and a frightening one, but I knew that many good and loyal people were doing all they could to find and rescue me, and that they would not let me come to harm. My faith never wavered, and I was not disappointed." She laid a hand on Carson's where he sat beside her and the man blushed and looked down into his porridge.
Teyla nodded. "It is said among my people that no person ever finds themselves among a true and loyal company, unless they, themselves possess similar qualities. There were some, from among our settlements, who questioned my immediate trust of you and your expedition," she said, "but after yesterday, I believe those doubts will be no more."
Elizabeth listened thoughtfully as she ate, putting together an idea or two that came in response to Teyla's words. "I have been thinking," she said when she'd eaten the better part of her breakfast. "We should have some sort of celebration, and memorial, to honor those that were lost in the last battle, and I believe we should hold it here, and invite all who would care to come, from anywhere in the Realms Below. Our people have been your guests, and now it seems proper that we return the favor."
"Such an invitation would definitely be welcome," Teyla said, approvingly, "and do much to foster good relations between Atlantis and our settlements here. Suspicion and distrust only flourish when people do not know each other, but if you open the city to all those who live here I am sure you will make friends quickly."
"That is precisely my intention," Elizabeth said. "As I am aware that we are newcomers here, and unknown, now is the time to remedy that."
"May be new," Ronon said, "but can't really say you're unknown now. Person'd have to be deaf and blind, not to've seen what your people did yesterday."
"I would agree in part," Teyla said. "The people of these realms must all know by now that you are no friend of the wraith, and that you are powerful and masters of the city, but they do not know if you will wield your power kindly or cruelly. They do not know if you come as haughty overlords, or as equals, willing to share and live openly among us. People will especially want to know this latter, for it is said in all the tales that though the Ancient Ones were never cruel, and protected us from the wraith, they also kept themselves apart, and the wonders of their city were forbidden to us."
"We may be descended from the Ancient Ones, lass," Carson said, looking up from his porridge, "but we're nothing like them. For one thing, we've hardly a clue about how most of this city works. Really, we're completely in over our heads, and can use all the help we can get."
"Indeed," said Elizabeth. "Their ways will not be ours. It is not our way to be miserly with our knowledge, and to keep for ourselves alone a city suited for thousands where our company consists of less than a hundred, would go against everything I believe in."
"All our folk will be glad to learn this," Teyla confirmed, "and opening the city to all for a celebration would carry this message more effectively than any proclamation. When do you propose to hold these festivities?"
"Part of me wants to have it tonight," Elizabeth said, "but I imagine more people would be able to come if we held off till tomorrow."
"You are likely correct," Teyla said. "If nothing else it will allow time to get the word out. Communication between settlements, as you have noted, is not as efficient as it could be."
"Actually," Carson pointed out, "I'd say it's surprisingly effective, considering the inherent risks."
"And I believe we're going to be able to make some of our first improvements here." Elizabeth added. "A lot of things are going to change now that the city is powered again, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that they're changes for the better."
After breakfast, Elizabeth and Carson parted company, albeit a trifle reluctantly, but they both had work to do. Carson had not only Zelenka in his infirmary, but a couple of the Marines who'd sustained injuries in the battle yesterday, and Elizabeth had a meeting to prepare for, and a celebration to begin planning. Also a memorial.
Four Marines and two Airmen from the Daedalus had been taken in the course of the fight -none of whose bodies had been recovered. All had been 'saved' from the wraith, though they had not escaped death, mainly by falling great distances into the sea, or the lake beneath Atlantis. Those who had met their end in the lake might be recovered -Elizabeth would have to send out the air launch to look for the bodies- but Teyla had told her that there were large carnivorous fish which dwelt in the depths of the subterranean sea, and bodies were never known to come to shore there.
In the hour before the staff meeting Elizabeth had sketched out plans for both the memorial and the celebration, and had begun listing the material and manpower required for each. She had decided that she was glad she'd chosen to delay the celebrations by a day, not only because it would allow them to hold the memorial first, but because she was going to have to ask for food contributions for any large feast. In fact, they were going to have to start thinking about the whole issue of resupplying the expedition.
It was highly convenient, then, that it was Captain Caldwell who arrived first for the meeting.
He arrived with Jeannie McKay, who had spent the night back on the Daedalus, and Lt. Novak, who had apparently been chaffing at the bit to get to see the Ancient One's city close up for some time.
"I can show her around," said Jeannie, who had managed to get a new set of expedition garments from somewhere.
"Find one of the Marines or Airmen to go with you," Elizabeth advised and Caldwell concurred. They had no trouble commandeering Stackhouse, who they found loitering out on the balcony, and Grodin, who Elizabeth thought maybe had his eyes on Novak. Sheppard appeared as they headed off and he was no sooner seated at the conference table than Carson reappeared, with McKay and Zelenka in tow.
The Czech scientist moved slowly, but his spirit was lively, as always. His momentarily unguarded eyes sparkled in delight as he received not one but two pairs of glasses -one from Caldwell, who'd had them fetched from Zelenka's cabin on the Daedalus, and another pair, somewhat worse for wear, from Sheppard.
"Ronon managed to get them from the power room," he explained, "using a piece of rope. That is one resourceful guy."
"Ronon Dex is indeed, a most resourceful man," said Teyla, just coming in to take her seat at the table. "But the explanation can be found in the wise words your Dr Corrigan relayed to me: Necessity is the mother of invention. Ronon knew nothing but necessity for seven years of his life. He had to either become inventive or die."
"That he did not die," Elizabeth said, "is definitely a testament to those who raised him, and to all your people's skill at surviving in such a hostile environment. Now that our arrival has altered that environment to be more favorable, however, I would wish for all of us not to forget those skills, nor the attitude that enabled your people and ours to survive in more difficult times. Our victories would be for nothing, I believe, if we squandered those talents which our difficulties brought out in us."
"In this I am entirely in agreement," Teyla said. "And it is for this reason that I suggest a... ritual, of sorts, performed by my people, on occasions such as this, to begin the festivities you have planned. It is neither lengthy nor overly complicated, but the words we speak honor the very ingenuity you speak of, and hearken back to our oldest traditions."
"That sounds perfect," Elizabeth answered. "Is there a role some of our people may take?"
There was some call and response, Teyla explained, and from there they went on to plan other aspects of the celebration, including the victuals, which Teyla promised that folk from the various settlements would happily to contribute to. After this there was a brief discussion of tonight's memorial, and then there were other day-to-day matters to organize.
McKay headed up a discussion on which repairs needed to be prioritized, including what materials might be needed for repair of the damaged buildings in the city, as well as the mirror array. This resulted in a list of essential supplies, in addition to foodstuffs, that the Daedalus would need to bring from the outer world -whose scheduling Caldwell would discuss with Elizabeth later. The assignment of personnel to the repair projects, however, had to be coordinated with the exploratory patrols that Sheppard wanted to organize.
Elizabeth approved of his idea of setting up permanent 'teams' of four, each consisting of one or two scientists and two or three military. Since neither the scientists nor the military were much accustomed to working with one another, this would result in long term working relationships between the two groups, and improve the social cohesion of the expedition as a whole. Some of the teams, Sheppard suggested, might even have one or two of the locals as members, and as an example, proposed his own team to include himself, McKay, Teyla and Ronon.
Tentatively naming this team 'Atlantis Recon Team 1', he also suggested personnel for 'A.R.T. 2' (Lorne, Zelenka, Stackhouse and Halling) and A.R.T. 3 (Markham, Parrish, Corrigan and Bates). Some of the teams could be specialized, he pointed out, while others might consist of members with more generalized skills. With the proviso that the final make up of the each team be approved by the team leader, and that all team members must be volunteers, all present agreed on the idea.
"So, Sheppard and McKay's team," Caldwell asked. "Will they be strictly exploring the city?"
"I don't see why we should limit ourselves," Sheppard replied. "Especially as we've got two locals on our team, who can serve as native guides and diplomatic advisers. I've seen how McKay can hold his own in a fight, and there's no telling what sorts of tech we might find elsewhere in these Realms, so I kinda figured we'd be able to explore both the city and the local environs."
"But you'll explore the city first?" Caldwell clarified.
"We could be exploring this city for the rest of our lives, sir," Sheppard pointed out. "I kinda figured we'd plan our missions on a case by case basis -with Dr Weir's approval, of course."
Elizabeth smiled in appreciation of the nod in her direction. "That makes the most sense to me," she said. "It offers the most flexibility, at least, and allows me to put the assets I think will work the best in the places I think they'll do the most good at that time."
Caldwell considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose that might be for the best in your circumstances," he said finally. "It's certainly a novel situation you have here, and likely calls for such novel arrangements."
Another leader, Elizabeth considered, might bristle at the Captain's apparent presumption, but she understood. Caldwell was at heart a conservative man, and that made him the best at what he did, even, or perhaps especially, in the unusual circumstances SPB's airship captains often found themselves in. The strict discipline with which he ran his ship was a major contributing factor to his high survival rate, but Atlantis was no airship, and the expedition was not a military one. At the end of the day, Caldwell knew that he and Elizabeth had truly different jobs to do.
The meeting now being concluded, Caldwell's job was to oversee the transfer of all the rest of the Daedalus' cargo -save for that which they would need for their return voyage- onto Atlantis. The Daedalus would remain for another few days -doing a quick surveying voyage of the full extent of the main cavern and readying herself for the trip back up the long passage to the surface world- and then they would be on their own on Atlantis until the Daedalus returned.
As she had prepared for this expedition, Elizabeth had hardly dared to hope that they would find a place so suited for their occupation and so worthy of their long term study. She had hardly dared hope, and yet she had imagined the possibility, from time to time. It had seemed an overly optimistic fantasy, and yet here they were, preparing to make a home for themselves on a ten thousand year old city, miles beneath the surface of the Earth.
For some, Elizabeth knew, that home would be a temporary one -a brief, wonderful adventure to be followed by a more conventional career. For others, however, Elizabeth had a feeling that Atlantis would become a place to put down roots and find a real home, possibly for the first time in their lives. Sheppard, she had a feeling, would be one such, and she'd be willing to bet that McKay and Zelenka, Lorne and Grodin and quite a few others would find themselves drawn to settle here for good. She thought she might be so drawn herself.
Later, she would write in her memoirs that it seemed that Atlantis had somehow called out to them, inexplicably, from the deeps, though none of them recognized the call for what it was. Does a swallow recognize the call that draws it to its winter home, she wondered now as she stood on the balcony outside her office, gazing over the gleaming towers of Atlantis? Does it have a name for the voice that beckons it north again, in the spring?
Known or unknown, Elizabeth had followed a call and entreated others to follow with her, to find a destiny none of them could expect. The proof that the call had been true lay all around her, and she took a moment to feel all the joy, triumph and gratitude that filled her heart at having answered it.
***
And now, you're all invited to the party!