Chapter 225

Atlantis

As each jumper returned, it entered the gate room and came to an immediate halt. From there, each jumper rose through the now open ceiling into the jumper bay above. Once coming to rest, each jumper opened its rear ramp and the outpouring of evacuees began. Exiting the jumper, each new arrival was catalogued by Atlantis's artificial intelligence system. This cataloging included a complete genetic indexing, facial and body mapping, and a scan for contagions.

Meeting the evacuees was a large medical team. As none of the evacuees was injured, no treatment was needed. From there, the motley group of individuals was led out of the jumper bay. Many of the two hundred were taken for a hot mean, and shown quarters to rest. Slowly, a majority dispersed across the city, carrying burlap bags filled with the possessions they had brought with them.

After the return of Lorne and his Look Out flight of four jumpers, the man known as Cato was located. Asking the man to accompany him, Lorne and Cato leisurely made their way to the conference room near the control center. Passing through the open doors, Lorne ushered Cato to his seat, before taking a seat of his own. Seated around the table were Richard Woolsey, Teyla, and Carson Beckett. Not wasting time, Woolsey jumped into discussion.

"Let me begin by saying that I think I speak for us all when I say what happened to your world is an atrocity beyond measure." Woolsey began.

"Cato, I am Teyla of Athos. Welcome to Atlantis." Teyla said kindly.

"Thank you for coming to our aide. Your kind words about Manaria are appreciated, but misplaced." Cato replied.

"Misplaced how exactly?" Woolsey asked.

"Manaria was not our world." Cato explained.

"Then where is it you come from exactly?" Beckett asked.

"We are refugees from many worlds. For many months, we have run from world to world seeking to escape the Wraith." Cato replied.

"You are not alone. In the past, we have encountered groups doing much the same thing. You will be safe here." Teyla said soothingly.

"We are more than happy to help your people find a suitable home. I do have one question though." Woolsey said.

"Please, ask your question. I will answer to the best of my ability." Cato replied.

"I'm told that none of your party required medical attention. How is it you escaped what appears to be an event that left no other human life on Manaria?" Woolsey asked delicately.

"A higher power was watching over my group." Cato replied simply.

Before Woolsey could formulate a reply, a commotion was heard outside the closed doors of the conference room. Rising from his seat, Lorne makes his way to the opening doors. As the doors open fully, a scream is heard from the control room. Going for his pistol, Lorne is hit in the chest with an energy bolt, falling unconscious to the floor. Seconds later, two men armed with Wraith energy pistols enter the room. On Cato's face for all to see is a content smile.

Rising from his seat, Cato walks over to the prone figure of Lorne. Removing the unconscious mans pistol from his holster, Cato turns to look directly at Woolsey. Teyla and Beckett remain motionless in their seats, unsure of what was happening.

"Now that I have your full attention, I have a question for you. Who is in command here?" Cato asks innocently.

"I am the commander here." Woolsey answers in a shaken voice.

Leveling the pistol at Woolsey, Cato squeezes the trigger. In an explosion of noise, the pistol fires a single round. Impacting his shoulder, Woolsey crumples from his chair to the floor beneath him. His hand gripping the wounded shoulder, blood runs over his hand.

"What have you done?" Beckett demands in a frightened voice.

"Speak again and you will join him. Now, I will ask my question again. Who is in command here?" Cato asks in a voice dripping with contempt.

"You are." Beckett replies quickly.

In multiple areas of the city, men and women brandish Wraith pistols. Not expecting an event such as this, the expedition members give little resistance. Those that do resist are immediately fired up, and rendered unconscious. In response, claxons begin to sound all over the city. Automatic doors slam shut, transporter booths are taken offline, and critical systems are locked out from use and access. Sensing the emergency, the Atlantis artificial intelligence has initiated lockdown procedures.

In a tower on the north pier of the city, Colonel Dean Frost sits at his office desk. Hard at work on the many reports needed to doc.u.ment the recent attacks against Wraith facilities, he's lost in thought. Hearing the blaring alarms throughout the corridors, he begins to stand, with an arched eyebrow. As he gets to his feet, the Atlantis avatar appears five feet away.

"Colonel Frost, forgive the intrusion. As the senior officer aboard, I must report a development within my hallways to you directly." Atlantis states with urgency.

"What is it?" Frost asks.

"The group rescued from Manaria has brandished Wraith weaponry. As we speak, they are consolidating hold over multiple areas of this city. In response, I have initiated a lockdown. We are under siege Colonel." Atlantis explained.

"Are they Wraith?" Frost asks.

"No Colonel, they are human. Their weaponry is of Wraith origin though." Atlantis replies.

"Lucky us. Ok, I need you to do a few things while I get our people together. Can you do that?" Frost asks.

"I stand ready to carry out your orders Colonel." Atlantis replies.

"Get word to the fleet, Borealis, and the SGC. Tell them we have a foothold situation. Instruct anyone beaming down to the city to beam to my location until otherwise notified." Frost instructs.

"It will be done Colonel. Do you have any other orders?" Atlantis asks.

"Keep the lockdown in place and all systems offline for now. I will need you to lift the lockdown for me as I make my way lower in this tower." Frost states.

"As ranking military officer, the lockdown does not pertain to you. Your movement will be in no way restricted Colonel." Atlantis replies.

"Ok, get those messages out. I've got to get things rolling." Frost says as he exits the room.

Unholstering his sidearm, Frost quickly makes sure a round is chambered. Returning the pistol to his thigh holster, he quickly makes his way to the staircase at the end of the hallway. Bounding down the stairs two at a time, he covers ground quickly. Were he not in top physical shape, the flurry of action might have left him winded. In record time, Colonel Frost makes his way down ten floors worth of stairs. Turning left and entering a long hallway, he moves at a run to a large room seventy yards away. Coming to a stop in front of the room's automatic door, the doors part and allow him to enter.

Stepping across the threshold, Frost takes in the occupants' therein. Around the room are eighteen enlisted men. Instead of the highly trained operators of Task Force 190, these men are support personnel from both the Army and Air Force. Weapon technicians, combat engineers, and other specialties; none of these men were special operators. Seeing the Colonel enter the room, the collection of men snap to the position of attention.

"At ease men. We've got a situation." Frost begins.

"What's going on Sir?" The highest-ranking enlisted man in the room asks.

"You're all aware of what a foothold situation is, correct? That is what we have. An armed group has gained access to the city. Our job is to show them why that's a very bad idea." Frost explains.

"Tell us what you need sir." The enlisted man replies.

"Those of you who joined for the GI Bill stay here, because I can't use you. If you joined up to kick down the door and be the first person through, then follow me." Frost says with iron in his voice.