Gift from Pegasus: a Stargate Atlantis fanfiction
Atlantis
“Teyla, have you seen Rodney today?” John Sheppard asked.
“I saw him a few moments ago. He looked quite upset.”
“Yeah, his niece is dying of cancer.”
“Poor Rodney! I can’t imagine how he must be feeling right now,” she said, pushing the hair out of her eyes. “I think he might need a friend right now.”
“Sure, Rodney’s a pain in the butt at the best of times, but you just can’t help liking the guy. Please don’t quote me. It will go to his head!” he winked and set off for the West Marina .
~*~
“I feel so helpless,” he said, tears spilling down his cheeks. “For crying out loud, she’s only a kid!” he shouted at the waves as if they might offer some comfort, explanation or wisdom on how to deal with the situation.
“Rodney?” Sheppard ventured.
“Not now John, I’m not in the mood for jousting today,” he sniffed, and pushed away his tears that burned like treasonous courtiers in his private realm.
“Hey buddy. I’m not here to get a rise out of you. But I do know you’ve had some bad news and wanted to offer some support. Hey, you know, I know how you feel. I’ve suffered the loss or at least had friends on the battle field end up with cancer or a similar ailment.”
“John, Amaranthine is only eleven years old. She has only started out in life. She is beautiful, funny and selfless. She is a popular student and loved by all her friends and her parents, Terri and Jason. But cancer? Damn it to hell! Why of all the evils in this universe is such a sweet, gifted young girl struck down. She’s nothing like her uncle . Well, except for the fact she’s brilliant and wants to become a scientist like her favorite-” he choked up, and after recovering himself offered a wry smile, “Why is such a beautiful child afflicted with a rare kind of cancer that is slowly sapping up her energy. Cell by cell, relentless as it feeds like a Wraith upon her body and beautiful spirit. Poor kid’s so sick she can’t get out of bed. I wish I could bring her here, to see this place. I want her to have something to wow her before she…” he trailed off. “You know, I promised her I’d get her here to Atlantis some day. I shouldn’t have told her about it I know. But she would never tell a soul. And besides, I can get her clearance through Jack.”
“Do it, Rodney. Contact Sam, Jack and Daniel. All of us will route for you. Even if she is unable to walk. We can still make her stay a magical one. She deserves that much.”
“You’d do that?”
“Leave it to me. I’ll talk to Woolsey.”
Earth
Stargate Command
General Hank Landry was prepping his people in the gate room for their young guest.
“The birthday cake looks delicious.”
“You might have to save me a piece or two, Sam, now go to it people! And above all, enjoy yourselves. You’ve earned it.”
It was a chance for everyone at the SGC to do something worthwhile for a special young lady. The moment was getting closer as the sounds of voices came down the corridor.
~*~
“You know a surprise has to be a mystery or it won’t be a real surprise. By the way, you can open your eyes now,” Rodney said as he wheeled his niece into the gate room.
“Oh Uncle Rodney, you’re too much. But I love you!” she giggled.
Colonel Mitchell and Valla Mal Doran were smiling as the gate was powered up and she opened her eyes.
“Happy twelfth birthday sweetheart! Atlantis awaits!” Rodney declared, kissing her cheek. “But first a party! Time to let your hair down, girl!”
“Wow!” she exclaimed, leaning forward in her wheelchair, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Oh, this is fantastic!” Amaranthine gasped in awe, brushing her long blonde hair out of her eyes.
“Grubs up,” Valla chuckled, handing her a platter with her favorite pizza, Mexicana and a glass of lemonade with cake and other treats.
“Thank you Valla, and all of you!” she said, before taking a bite of her pizza.
“All part of the service,” Jack said, popping a brigadier general’s peaked cap on Amaranthine’s head. “Now young lady, you really look the part!” She giggled at the picture she made in her summer dress and her new hat. Samantha Carter took several photographs.
“Thanks General!”
“Think nothing of it, and please call me Jack! Have fun.”
~*~
“Jase, Terri!” Rodney said, hugging first his sister and then patting her husband on the shoulder. “She’ll be in excellent hands and we’ll record everything in a documentary. Dr. Zelenka will take her on a tour of our laboratories and we’ve a crack medical team, with Dr. Jennifer here, she’s the best in the Pegasus Galaxy. So, we’re good to go!”
“I know you’re going to love Atlantis darling,” Terri said, “We’re going to join you in two weeks after your, off-world mission?”
“Oh mom, dad, I don’t know what to say, this is beyond my wildest dreams! I can’t wait!”
“Yup, the very thing to pump the adrenalin!” Colonel Mitchell put in.
“See you in two weeks honey!” Jason said, kissing his daughter.
“I packed your favorite foods in your backpack and you’re IPod,” Terri said, hugging her eldest of three daughters.
Jason looked down at his little girl, she hugged him and as the tears fell down her cheeks, she smiled at Rodney. “Atlantis! It is real! I loved the stories and now I’m going to stay there for…”
“For as long as you like and live the dream that we live each day,” Samantha Carter said, as she signed up for this assignment and was going to take Amaranthine on her first Jumper tour.
Atlantis
“Welcome young lady to Atlantis,” Richard Woolsey said, smiling at the party as they stepped through the Stargate.
“Hello!” Amaranthine said, as she shook hands with the members of the SGA team.
“Sweetheart, you’re just going to love it, and here is your first meeting with two people who are extra terrestrials, and darn nice folks too. Don’t be shy now,” Rodney said as Amaranthine squeezed his hand in excitement.
“Hi, I’m Teyla Emmagan and this Is Ronon Dex.”
“Hello, I am happy to meet you guys!” she said, beaming, tears of joy on her face as Ronon knelt before her and handed her a crystal figurine of an Alterran by the name of Ashalia.
“She is beautiful, who was she?” Amaranthine asked, cradling the faery-like image carved from a translucent stone that shone with a profusion of colors.
“She was the ancestress of our people, the one who was said to have helped found our world.” Ronon smiled.
“Oh, I would love to know of her story,” she said, her eyes bright. Ronon smiled and handed her a crystal diskette and an adaptor for her laptop computer he’d worked on with Radek Zelenka before her arrival in Atlantis.
“This will tell you all her legends and much more about our world and the Pegasus Galaxy, “ he squeezed her hand and Teyla hugged her.
~*~
“Uncle Rodney, I want to see the laboratories,” Amaranthine said, her eyes taking in everything around her.
“Your wish is my command,” he chuckled, as the group entered the lab.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Radek Zelenka. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Amaranthine. Come, I’ve something to show you.”
~*~
“Uncle Rodney?”
“Hmmm?”
I am looking forward to seeing the stars and visiting more gate addresses and meeting more of your friends!”
“You’ve become quite the tourist. Let me see now, twenty four gate addresses or was that,” he paused.
“Twenty-six, Uncle Rodney,” she giggled. He hugged her.
“Of course, how silly of me. I think we best lift that a little higher, don’t you think?”
“I like that idea very much.”
Jumper
“And you can do that with your thoughts, Colonel Sheppard?”
“Call me John, Amaranthine, special dispensation for you.”
She blushed, ”Sure, I will call you, John!”
“You can take over the controls, I’ll watch out for you. Go ahead. You have the gene now, so here you go. Just think of the star map. Go ahead, you’ll be fine!”
“I’m actually piloting an Atlantean spaceship, I don’t believe it!”
“Yes, and doing a pretty good job for a rookie,” he smiled and she grinned back at him.
“John, it is a spaceship I think,” Amaranthine, breathed, her excitement evident.
“Hang on honey, let me take over for a while.”
“Trouble?” Rodney whispered to Sheppard.
“Not sure. I don’t get anything on its specs. It is totally of an unknown configuration. Oh crap, it’s raising shields.”
“Hang on everyone, we’re going to be doing some fancy flying,” Sheppard cried as Teyla and Sam sat with Amaranthine, who was a little scared, but more excited by this unexpected turn in events.
“Asuran?”
“I don’t know. But they’re firing on us and they seem a touch on the aggressive side. Our shields are holding, weapons are activated and we’re hitting back. But we best put some distance between them and us. I think we’re going to need to drop in on an old friend.”
“Okay, Captain Kirk, good time as any for an impromptu reunion, eh?” McKay chuckled, guessing their destination and the Ancient beauty presiding over the planet they were fast approaching.
“You bet! Let’s move!”
The Jumper, after several clever maneuvers, had entered the atmosphere. Globules of plasma were fired by the alien vessel Sheppard assumed to be a race similar, or related to the Asurans. Plasma bursts encircled the Jumper as their pursuer followed them in.
In an instant, a bolt of energy rising from the surface struck the strange craft destroying it.
~*~
“Ever get the feeling we’ve been here before?” Sheppard said as the Jumper came to rest and the hatch opened onto a semi-tropical terrain.
“Colonel Sheppard! I’m not feeling very well. I-I think I’m going to be sick,” Amaranthine said, as Rodney picked her up in his arms and carried her outside.
~*~
“Rodney, it’s not good,” Jennifer said, frowning, “its Ama, her white blood cell count is off the scale. I’ve done the blood work. The radiation from the attack in orbit has accelerated the growth of the cancer!”
“Perhaps I can help,” a familiar voice intoned, as the figure of the beautiful Chiai appeared in a gorgeous fuchsia shift with a white cloak draped over one shoulder, her hair catching the sunlight, her eyes ablaze with power.
“Chaya!“ John said, as she embraced him. “Been a long time.” She kissed him.
“Too long, and you have a great need. May I?”
“By all means,” he replied as Chaya approached the shivering girl on her makeshift bed. “Amaranthine, I am Chaya, I am Alterran and honored to meet you. I am going to give you something and I want you to relax and trust me, all right?”
“Yes, I understand. Chaya; that is a beautiful name, “Amaranthine said, her voice trembling.
“You also have a pretty name, Amaranthine. Now please, give me your hands.”
Soon a silvery-blue light flared around the two figures. When it cleared, Amaranthine stood holding Chiai’s hand completely cured, “Thank you, Chaya!”
“You’re most welcome child. John, she is free of the scourge. I have provided medical treatment information on your database to cure others of this pestilence. Amaranthine will do great things. I hope you’ll all join me for a feast!”
~*~
Chiai met with Amaranthine’s parents and the tears and joy were in plentiful supply that day.
“Chiai, thank you for everything,” Amaranthine said, hugging her new friend. “I will be back to visit you, I promise.”
“I know,” Chiai smiled as she said her good-bye and vanished in a blaze of light, and was gone.
End
