Chapter II
Atlantis was left sitting in the San Francisco harbor, until the logistics could be resolved. But after a week it was decided that she couldn’t be left there for much longer, the risk of discovery was going up exponential and with Atlantis on Earth the Gate in Stargate Command was no longer the primary and that interfered with normal ingoing and outgoing missions. It was decided that Atlantis would be better, for the meanwhile, on the Moon. After the incident with the Langaran government about the life-line for Destiny Dr. Rodney Mackey return to Atlantis with the intent of finding a way to help those people trapped aboard Destiny.
Mackey was working at his desk as usual, trying to find a way to reconfigure the long range sensors to work in hyperspace. He yells “I’m a genius” and runs out the lab leaving Zelenka starring at his back with a “typical Mackey” type expression in his face.
DR. ZELENKA: Where are you going now, Rodney?
DR. MACKEY: I have to talk to Woolsey, immediately.
DR. ZELENKA: Why?
Mackey doesn’t bother to answer, he just walks out. When he reaches Woolsey office, the door is open and as soon as he enters the office he starts to talk:
DR. MACKEY: I found a way, like I always do. I knew if I just thought about it I could find something more viable solution that those so called doctors at the SGC.
MR. WOOLSEY: Excuse me, Dr. Mackey you can’t just walk in here and…
DR. MACKEY: Yeah… yeah… sorry about that but this is very important, like all my work and it couldn’t wait. I found a way to help the crew.
MR. WOOLSEY: Crew? What crew? What are you talking about Doctor?
DR. MACKEY: Destiny. I think I have found a way to help Destiny’s crew.
COL. SHEPPARD: How?
Mackey turn is head and saw that Sheppard was sitting in the chair looking at him very intently. He didn’t even noticed him there when I came in.
DR. MACKEY: After the fiasco with the Langarans, we needed to find another Icarus Type Planet so I started to think about an easier way to find one.
COL. SHEPPARD: And you found it?
DR. MACKEY: Of course I found it. Who do you think you talking to?
COL. SHEPPARD: Come on, Rodney.
DR. MACKEY: Sorry, I’ll explain.
MR. WOOLSEY: Please, do.
DR. MACKEY: The major problem with creating a life-line for Destiny is finding an Icarus Type Planet. i.e.: A planet with an naquadria core, which we all know that is very hard to find because naquadria is not an nature occurring element.
COL. SHEPPARD: Of course we do…
MR. WOOLSEY: Carry on, Doctor.
DR. MACKEY: I managed to, brilliantly I might add, change the way the long sensors work. It’s now able to detect naquadria core planets.
COL. SHEPPARD: If it works, what do you suggest we do Rodney? Fly around the galaxy scanning every planet?
DR. MACKEY: First of all, of course it’s going to work. I did the modifications myself…
Sheppard and Woolsey look at one and another…
DR. MACKEY (cont.): What’s with that look? Never mind… Like I was saying, we don’t fly around the galaxy because I configured two separated settings. The one always used, the one we are using now and one that detects naquadria.
COL. SHEPPARD: What’s the catch?
DR. MACKEY: What do you mean?
COL. SHEPPARD: There’s always a catch, and sometimes you forget to mention it early on.
DR. MACKEY: Well, when the naquadria setting are one, we basically only detect naquadria. If any Wraith ships or anything for that matter came in danger of reaching Atlantis we would detect it.
COL. SHEPPARD: I knew it. There’s always a catch.
DR. MACKEY: That doesn’t really matter anyway.
MR. WOOLSEY: Why, Dr. Mackey?
DR. MACKEY: Because we will be in hyperspace where the long range scanners are pretty much useless.
DR. WOOLSEY: Unless we came out of hyperspace into an asteroid field.
COL. SHEPPARD: That’s right. – Sheppard replies pointing to Woosley. See there’s always a catch.
DR. MACKEY: I not saying it is perfect but we are not going to sit here forever. Atlantis will, sooner or later, return to the Pegaus Galaxy. And because we can’t use the Wormhole Drive again, I’m still amazed it worked the first time, we have to fly back to Pegasus. We just need to turn the naquadria settings on and let the scanners do all the work while we fly home. With a bit of luck we find an Icarus Type Planet within the range of the scanners, range that I managed to increase, brilliantly like I mention earlier.
MR. WOOLSEY: Good job, Dr. Mackey. I’ll run it by Gen. O’Neill.
COL. SHEPPARD: Yes, Rodney. Nice job. But maybe you should calculate the hyperspace jump before we decide to do this, just to make sure that we won’t need the normal setting in the long range scanners, during the trip back.
DR. MACKEY: Yes, that is a good idea.
After a few weeks and with the approval of Gen. O’Neill, Atlantis lifted of the surface of the Moon after a couple of months of just being there, after all I.O.A. bureaucracy can be tedious.
The crew gathered in the balconies scattered around the main spiral. Small pockets of people, here and there, witnessed the start of the voyage home. After the dust of the lift off settled, everybody got the chance to say goodbye to that beautiful blue planet, the third rock from the sun. Most if not all of them would not see Earth from that perceptive again.
MR. WOOLSEY (Ship-wide): We still have a mission to complete, and people still need us in Pegasus. Friends left back there must be anxious to see us again, as we are to see them. So guise upon Earth once more time and say your prayers because, Atlantis is returning home.
MR. WOOLSEY: Dr. Mackey, initiate the naquadria protocols in the long range scanners.
Mackey didn’t reply. He just pressed a button and soon was outside, with the others looking at the shrinking Earth. When Atlantis was at the designated safe distance, she jumped into hyperspace and the journey home began.
