Official 'From The Waters of Atlantis' Blog
December 12th 2004
Today I accompanied Dr McKay through the Stargate to a small planet called Timitus. The Stargate was a little further from the gate than we expected, but there were strong energy readings coming from the south, so we decided head out there rather than turn back.
I had a good conversation with the other members of the party. Major Sheppard is a nice man, if a little too good looking for his own good. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say no, but he really isn’t my type…I like smarts and although this man doesn’t have the IQ of a toadstool like most military officers I have met, he just doesn’t really do anything for me.
Lieutenant Ford is a great bloke, we both share a passion for basketball and after I told him I used to play in the under 25’s Girls Basketball team at my University, we’ve scheduled a little one on one for next week. We also talked about University and what it was like in England. I told him it was pretty much the same as in America except the food was better.
The person I was really looking forward to meeting was Teyla. She is an incredible woman, she told me lots of stories of the Wraith, which to tell you the truth put me on edge a bit. I get on with her very well and she has offered to give me a few fighting lessons if I were to go on anymore away missions with the team.
I even got on with McKay, who seemed to be in a very good mood. I think that he had been feeling a little bit claustrophobic in Atlantis and the fresh air and wide open spaces were doing him a world of good.
We followed the signal to a tiny little village with no more than I would say 50 people. The village elder, a man named Taylus, welcomed us and spent some time listening to what we had to say. He kindly permitted us to stay as long as we wished, on one condition. We brought a doctor from Atlantis. His wife was pregnant and she had been suffering with unusual pains during the last few weeks. Sheppard agreed and he sent Ford and Teyla back to Atlantis to get Dr Beckett and some more equipment. It looks like we will be staying here tonight.
The people here are quite pleasant, we’ve been welcomed warmly and given everything you can imagine to eat, much to McKay’s joy. Seriously that man never stops eating.
I think we have all lost track of days since we’ve come to Atlantis, just 5 more days and it’s Christmas day. I told Sheppard and McKay and they were as shocked as I was. We had a bit of a reminisce while waiting for Ford and Teyla to return with Dr Beckett. We were talking about what we’d be doing for Christmas if we were at home.
I told them about the huge family dinner we always used to have, giant turkey none of us would eat, sitting down for the Queen’s Speech while popping Rennie like they were candy.
I asked them about theirs. McKay said he never bothered with Christmas, that he was always working Christmas Day as it was the one day of the year where there was never anyone in the lab. Sheppard just ignored my question completely with a shrug and a “not much”. It made me feel really sorry for them.
-oOo-
Timitus is a small little planet of nothing, but according to Teyla, there’s a village that may be able to trade with Atlantis. The away team readied themselves at the Stargate in the Gate Room of Atlantis. It comprised of the usual Major Sheppard, Teyla, Ford and McKay, however this time they had an additional member in Rachel.
Rachel looked up at the huge Stargate before her. She wasn’t ready for this, she so wasn’t ready for this. An alien planet, she was already on an alien planet but she’d just got used to this one. McKay looks over to her. “You feeling okay, Miller?” he asks.
“Just fine McKay.” Rachel replies, her jaw clenched tight. The fact she really needed to pee and her heart rate was close to that of a stroke patient had nothing to do with it.
The large disc around the Stargate begins to rotate, each chevron making the tell tale dialled noise. Rodney had given her a crash course on how to use the D.H.D. the previous evening. ‘Just in case.’ he had said. She knew better to ask, ‘Just in case of what?’. He‘d managed to escape with just a little punch to the arm when he insulted her.
The gate opens and the brilliant blue glow of the event horizon fills the Gate Room. Rachel had seen it several times, but had only ever been through it once. For her once had been enough, it had made her want to vomit.
Major Sheppard gives her a reassuring glance and steps through the gate. Teyla and McKay follow which leaves Rachel and Ford to go through last. Rachel’s feet feel like lead and she tries to move forward but can’t, nerves have got her. Ford looks back at her and smiles, he backtracks and holds his hand out to her, she takes it and he leads her forward. Together they step through.
It’s weird to be there one second and gone the next. As soon as Rachel’s feet land on the planets ground, her legs give way and she drops to her knees. McKay and Sheppard look back at her. She groans to herself, McKay had to see that didn’t he? He’d done this thousands of times, this was only her second time. McKay, however didn’t laugh, rather he just told her to get out of the way so he could close the gate.
Rachel gets to her feet slowly and walks a little shakily towards the D.H.D. watching closely as McKay shuts the gate. She sighs as the gate closes. “The village is this way. It should take us a few hours to get there, but the people are extremely welcoming.” Teyla informs them.
“A few hours? I knew we should have brought a puddle jumper.” McKay says grumpily. McKay has managed to voice exactly what Rachel was thinking. “You going to moan the whole way Rodney? Think about it, you’ll be able to walk off all those power bars you’ve been eating.” Sheppard replies. Ford and Rachel share a look and smile at each other.
At first the going is easy, the way is flat and there is even a small broken down path. Ford, McKay and Teyla walk on ahead, Sheppard hangs back with Rachel who is still shaky after her trip through the Stargate. “You’ll get used to it.” Sheppard says in a quiet voice. “Mmm…” Rachel replies.
“You okay?”
“Mmm…”
“You don’t sound it.”
“I’m fine, just…knackered.” Rachel says with a sigh. Sheppard looks at her puzzled by her wording. Oh yes, he’s American, she’d forgotten. “I’m tired.” she says and Sheppard makes a little ‘oh’ noise. “You’ll get used to being constantly tired too.” he says with a smile. “You know that really doesn’t make me want to go on anymore away missions, you know that don’t you?” Rachel replies with a small laugh. Sheppard laughs with her.
McKay looks at the scanner in his hand and looks ahead. “Anything?” Rachel calls ahead. McKay shakes his head and purses his lips in anger. He was hoping to get some sort of interesting reading buy now. They decide to take a break while McKay recalibrates the scanner for the next part of the journey.
Ford passes Rachel a canteen of water and she takes a long drink. She hands it back and Ford passes it on to Teyla. “Thanks for the help back there by the way.” Rachel says with a smile. Ford shakes his head and gives her a wide smile. “Not a problem. Tell you the truth, I was so scared the first time I went through a Stargate my commanding officer practically threw me through it.” he admits.
“Thanks for not doing that to me.” Rachel replies.
“I wouldn’t do that to a girl.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Well you aren’t exactly…”
“What Lieutenant Ford?”
“Nothing…” Ford trails off and looks down at the canteen Teyla has handed him back.
Rachel smiles to herself and leans back onto a large piece of rock. McKay is stood with his back to the group swearing at the scanner under his breath.
Rachel idly plays with a smooth stone in her hands and throws it into the air, aiming for McKay. She manages to get it between his flak jacket and his shirt. He digs it out and frowns looking around for the culprit. Ford gives her a sidelong look and grins at her. “Nice shot.” he says in a low voice as McKay turns away again and continues his work on the scanner. “Under 25’s Basketball Star Player at Cambridge University three years running.” Rachel says with a wicked smile. Ford looks impressed. “Maybe you and I should play, I’ve heard some of the guys have hooked up a basket ball court on one of the bigger observation decks.” he says with a grin.
“You bet.” Rachel replies.
They’ve been walking for a good hour and McKay and Rachel are flagging behind. Neither of them are built for walking, and both of them are suffering. “We-should’ve-brought-a-puddle-jumper.” Rachel gasps.
“It is not far now, you can see the smoke from the village over the tree tops.” Teyla says with a smile. “Thank GOD!” McKay says throwing his hands into the air in joy.
“I hope they don’t see us as a threat.” Rachel mumbles.
“You had to curse it didn’t you? If I get attacked, what am I going to do, throw my degrees at them?”
“The world doesn’t revolve around you McKay, but I’m about as useless as you in a fight. I wish I’d kept going to Judo when I was younger.” Rachel mutters. McKay looks at her and points to his eye, which is a violent shade of purple. “You hit anyone like this again and you’re laughing.” he mumbles in a low voice only Rachel can hear.
“If you will be accompanying us on further away missions you are welcome to take some fighting lessons with me,” Teyla offers, “I have asked Rodney if he would like to take a few lessons, however he has always found something more important to do.”
“Hmm…getting hit several times by wooden sticks or actually SOLVING our ZPM issue?” Rodney replies, not looking up from his scanner. Teyla looks over at him, her face fixed with a bemused look. “The point is not to get hit by the stick, Rodney.” she sighs. Rachel looks down and laughs silently to herself.
The village was tiny, with a population of just under 50 people. The village elder, Taylus was a nice man who was happy to help the team in their investigations of the planet. On the way through the village, McKay had picked up a strong energy signal to the south and he was dying to investigate it.
After having a long conversation with Taylus he agreed to set up a trade link with Atlantis for medical supplies an if a doctor could come and help his wife, who had been suffering with unusual pains in her final few weeks of pregnancy. Sheppard agreed and sent Teyla and Ford to collect Dr Beckett from Atlantis. They’d been gone for over two hours now and the sun was beginning to set.
The village elder had given Rachel, McKay and Sheppard one of the empty huts on the outside of the village. The three of them sit outside in front of a small campfire. Rachel sighs and looks up at the beautiful golden sunset. “Seems weird that in a few days it’ll be Christmas Day.” she says. “Really?” Sheppard asks.
“Yeah, I mean where’s the cold?”
“God I hate Christmas.” McKay says, opening a power bar.
“Now come on Mr Grinch, tell us all why you hate Christmas.” Rachel asks looking out of the corner of her eye. McKay reluctantly sits up. “I just don’t understand why the whole country grinds to a halt for a kids, expensive holiday. The only good thing about Christmas is the food. Oh, the roast dinner.” he rants.
“And his stomach grew three sizes that day.” Rachel says in a high pitched storybook voice. McKay glares at her and Sheppard laughs loudly. “Oh, ha, ha. That’s the last time I share anything with you.” McKay replies snippily.
“Oh, come on! At least tell me what you do on Christmas Day!”
“Not much, I work in the lab. It’s the one day of the year where there’s no one around to bother me.”
“Oh, Rodney,” Rachel sighs, “Don’t you go and have Christmas dinner with your family?”
“No Jennie lives too far away…and she’s a vegetarian.”
“What about you Major Sheppard?”
“It’s John and not much. Watch a few films, have a few beers and its normally a microwaveable meal for me.”
“Oh…my God. You guys are so sad!”
“Why what do you do?” Sheppard asks looking over to Rachel.
“Get together with the ‘rents, big family dinner, me, my brother Dylan, grans and granddads. We wake up about 9, open presents, dinner at 1 and finished in time for the Queens Speech where we graze on chocolates and cheese and biscuits, then we fall asleep in front of the afternoon movie, supper of turkey sandwiches at about 10 then a pack of indigestion tablets each and bed,” Rachel sighs blissfully, “It’s great.”
She stares off into the distance and puts her hands behind her head, basking in the rays of the last of the sun. McKay and Sheppard look at her like she’s crazy. They all fall silent as the brilliant golden sun finally slips behind the mountains in the distance.
I had a good conversation with the other members of the party. Major Sheppard is a nice man, if a little too good looking for his own good. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say no, but he really isn’t my type…I like smarts and although this man doesn’t have the IQ of a toadstool like most military officers I have met, he just doesn’t really do anything for me.
Lieutenant Ford is a great bloke, we both share a passion for basketball and after I told him I used to play in the under 25’s Girls Basketball team at my University, we’ve scheduled a little one on one for next week. We also talked about University and what it was like in England. I told him it was pretty much the same as in America except the food was better.
The person I was really looking forward to meeting was Teyla. She is an incredible woman, she told me lots of stories of the Wraith, which to tell you the truth put me on edge a bit. I get on with her very well and she has offered to give me a few fighting lessons if I were to go on anymore away missions with the team.
I even got on with McKay, who seemed to be in a very good mood. I think that he had been feeling a little bit claustrophobic in Atlantis and the fresh air and wide open spaces were doing him a world of good.
We followed the signal to a tiny little village with no more than I would say 50 people. The village elder, a man named Taylus, welcomed us and spent some time listening to what we had to say. He kindly permitted us to stay as long as we wished, on one condition. We brought a doctor from Atlantis. His wife was pregnant and she had been suffering with unusual pains during the last few weeks. Sheppard agreed and he sent Ford and Teyla back to Atlantis to get Dr Beckett and some more equipment. It looks like we will be staying here tonight.
The people here are quite pleasant, we’ve been welcomed warmly and given everything you can imagine to eat, much to McKay’s joy. Seriously that man never stops eating.
I think we have all lost track of days since we’ve come to Atlantis, just 5 more days and it’s Christmas day. I told Sheppard and McKay and they were as shocked as I was. We had a bit of a reminisce while waiting for Ford and Teyla to return with Dr Beckett. We were talking about what we’d be doing for Christmas if we were at home.
I told them about the huge family dinner we always used to have, giant turkey none of us would eat, sitting down for the Queen’s Speech while popping Rennie like they were candy.
I asked them about theirs. McKay said he never bothered with Christmas, that he was always working Christmas Day as it was the one day of the year where there was never anyone in the lab. Sheppard just ignored my question completely with a shrug and a “not much”. It made me feel really sorry for them.
-oOo-
Timitus is a small little planet of nothing, but according to Teyla, there’s a village that may be able to trade with Atlantis. The away team readied themselves at the Stargate in the Gate Room of Atlantis. It comprised of the usual Major Sheppard, Teyla, Ford and McKay, however this time they had an additional member in Rachel.
Rachel looked up at the huge Stargate before her. She wasn’t ready for this, she so wasn’t ready for this. An alien planet, she was already on an alien planet but she’d just got used to this one. McKay looks over to her. “You feeling okay, Miller?” he asks.
“Just fine McKay.” Rachel replies, her jaw clenched tight. The fact she really needed to pee and her heart rate was close to that of a stroke patient had nothing to do with it.
The large disc around the Stargate begins to rotate, each chevron making the tell tale dialled noise. Rodney had given her a crash course on how to use the D.H.D. the previous evening. ‘Just in case.’ he had said. She knew better to ask, ‘Just in case of what?’. He‘d managed to escape with just a little punch to the arm when he insulted her.
The gate opens and the brilliant blue glow of the event horizon fills the Gate Room. Rachel had seen it several times, but had only ever been through it once. For her once had been enough, it had made her want to vomit.
Major Sheppard gives her a reassuring glance and steps through the gate. Teyla and McKay follow which leaves Rachel and Ford to go through last. Rachel’s feet feel like lead and she tries to move forward but can’t, nerves have got her. Ford looks back at her and smiles, he backtracks and holds his hand out to her, she takes it and he leads her forward. Together they step through.
It’s weird to be there one second and gone the next. As soon as Rachel’s feet land on the planets ground, her legs give way and she drops to her knees. McKay and Sheppard look back at her. She groans to herself, McKay had to see that didn’t he? He’d done this thousands of times, this was only her second time. McKay, however didn’t laugh, rather he just told her to get out of the way so he could close the gate.
Rachel gets to her feet slowly and walks a little shakily towards the D.H.D. watching closely as McKay shuts the gate. She sighs as the gate closes. “The village is this way. It should take us a few hours to get there, but the people are extremely welcoming.” Teyla informs them.
“A few hours? I knew we should have brought a puddle jumper.” McKay says grumpily. McKay has managed to voice exactly what Rachel was thinking. “You going to moan the whole way Rodney? Think about it, you’ll be able to walk off all those power bars you’ve been eating.” Sheppard replies. Ford and Rachel share a look and smile at each other.
At first the going is easy, the way is flat and there is even a small broken down path. Ford, McKay and Teyla walk on ahead, Sheppard hangs back with Rachel who is still shaky after her trip through the Stargate. “You’ll get used to it.” Sheppard says in a quiet voice. “Mmm…” Rachel replies.
“You okay?”
“Mmm…”
“You don’t sound it.”
“I’m fine, just…knackered.” Rachel says with a sigh. Sheppard looks at her puzzled by her wording. Oh yes, he’s American, she’d forgotten. “I’m tired.” she says and Sheppard makes a little ‘oh’ noise. “You’ll get used to being constantly tired too.” he says with a smile. “You know that really doesn’t make me want to go on anymore away missions, you know that don’t you?” Rachel replies with a small laugh. Sheppard laughs with her.
McKay looks at the scanner in his hand and looks ahead. “Anything?” Rachel calls ahead. McKay shakes his head and purses his lips in anger. He was hoping to get some sort of interesting reading buy now. They decide to take a break while McKay recalibrates the scanner for the next part of the journey.
Ford passes Rachel a canteen of water and she takes a long drink. She hands it back and Ford passes it on to Teyla. “Thanks for the help back there by the way.” Rachel says with a smile. Ford shakes his head and gives her a wide smile. “Not a problem. Tell you the truth, I was so scared the first time I went through a Stargate my commanding officer practically threw me through it.” he admits.
“Thanks for not doing that to me.” Rachel replies.
“I wouldn’t do that to a girl.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Well you aren’t exactly…”
“What Lieutenant Ford?”
“Nothing…” Ford trails off and looks down at the canteen Teyla has handed him back.
Rachel smiles to herself and leans back onto a large piece of rock. McKay is stood with his back to the group swearing at the scanner under his breath.
Rachel idly plays with a smooth stone in her hands and throws it into the air, aiming for McKay. She manages to get it between his flak jacket and his shirt. He digs it out and frowns looking around for the culprit. Ford gives her a sidelong look and grins at her. “Nice shot.” he says in a low voice as McKay turns away again and continues his work on the scanner. “Under 25’s Basketball Star Player at Cambridge University three years running.” Rachel says with a wicked smile. Ford looks impressed. “Maybe you and I should play, I’ve heard some of the guys have hooked up a basket ball court on one of the bigger observation decks.” he says with a grin.
“You bet.” Rachel replies.
They’ve been walking for a good hour and McKay and Rachel are flagging behind. Neither of them are built for walking, and both of them are suffering. “We-should’ve-brought-a-puddle-jumper.” Rachel gasps.
“It is not far now, you can see the smoke from the village over the tree tops.” Teyla says with a smile. “Thank GOD!” McKay says throwing his hands into the air in joy.
“I hope they don’t see us as a threat.” Rachel mumbles.
“You had to curse it didn’t you? If I get attacked, what am I going to do, throw my degrees at them?”
“The world doesn’t revolve around you McKay, but I’m about as useless as you in a fight. I wish I’d kept going to Judo when I was younger.” Rachel mutters. McKay looks at her and points to his eye, which is a violent shade of purple. “You hit anyone like this again and you’re laughing.” he mumbles in a low voice only Rachel can hear.
“If you will be accompanying us on further away missions you are welcome to take some fighting lessons with me,” Teyla offers, “I have asked Rodney if he would like to take a few lessons, however he has always found something more important to do.”
“Hmm…getting hit several times by wooden sticks or actually SOLVING our ZPM issue?” Rodney replies, not looking up from his scanner. Teyla looks over at him, her face fixed with a bemused look. “The point is not to get hit by the stick, Rodney.” she sighs. Rachel looks down and laughs silently to herself.
The village was tiny, with a population of just under 50 people. The village elder, Taylus was a nice man who was happy to help the team in their investigations of the planet. On the way through the village, McKay had picked up a strong energy signal to the south and he was dying to investigate it.
After having a long conversation with Taylus he agreed to set up a trade link with Atlantis for medical supplies an if a doctor could come and help his wife, who had been suffering with unusual pains in her final few weeks of pregnancy. Sheppard agreed and sent Teyla and Ford to collect Dr Beckett from Atlantis. They’d been gone for over two hours now and the sun was beginning to set.
The village elder had given Rachel, McKay and Sheppard one of the empty huts on the outside of the village. The three of them sit outside in front of a small campfire. Rachel sighs and looks up at the beautiful golden sunset. “Seems weird that in a few days it’ll be Christmas Day.” she says. “Really?” Sheppard asks.
“Yeah, I mean where’s the cold?”
“God I hate Christmas.” McKay says, opening a power bar.
“Now come on Mr Grinch, tell us all why you hate Christmas.” Rachel asks looking out of the corner of her eye. McKay reluctantly sits up. “I just don’t understand why the whole country grinds to a halt for a kids, expensive holiday. The only good thing about Christmas is the food. Oh, the roast dinner.” he rants.
“And his stomach grew three sizes that day.” Rachel says in a high pitched storybook voice. McKay glares at her and Sheppard laughs loudly. “Oh, ha, ha. That’s the last time I share anything with you.” McKay replies snippily.
“Oh, come on! At least tell me what you do on Christmas Day!”
“Not much, I work in the lab. It’s the one day of the year where there’s no one around to bother me.”
“Oh, Rodney,” Rachel sighs, “Don’t you go and have Christmas dinner with your family?”
“No Jennie lives too far away…and she’s a vegetarian.”
“What about you Major Sheppard?”
“It’s John and not much. Watch a few films, have a few beers and its normally a microwaveable meal for me.”
“Oh…my God. You guys are so sad!”
“Why what do you do?” Sheppard asks looking over to Rachel.
“Get together with the ‘rents, big family dinner, me, my brother Dylan, grans and granddads. We wake up about 9, open presents, dinner at 1 and finished in time for the Queens Speech where we graze on chocolates and cheese and biscuits, then we fall asleep in front of the afternoon movie, supper of turkey sandwiches at about 10 then a pack of indigestion tablets each and bed,” Rachel sighs blissfully, “It’s great.”
She stares off into the distance and puts her hands behind her head, basking in the rays of the last of the sun. McKay and Sheppard look at her like she’s crazy. They all fall silent as the brilliant golden sun finally slips behind the mountains in the distance.
The Diary of Dr Rachel Miller P.h.D. (From The Waters of Atlantis) by Sarahannah Lydia Eve Hopwood is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.
Based on a work at stargate.mgm.com.
