Not Alone Anymore

Madi tossed and turned for what felt like forever, before finally admitting to herself that she wasn't about to fall asleep any time soon. She got up and paced around the room, noticing a door by the windows which opened onto a large balcony. She walked to the edge and peered down, her breath catching at the sight of the great city spread out far below her. Her gaze travelled over the horizon, and the water that seemed to stretch on as far as the eye could see, shimmering with the light of the stars overhead. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought such beauty could exist, and she was so caught up in the sight that she didn't hear the man approaching behind her.

"There's nothing else like it," Ronon said, grinning to himself as she jumped. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you,"

"Yes you did," she said accusingly, raising an eyebrow in his direction as he leaned on the railing beside her. "You can't sleep either, or are you and Colonel Sheppard afraid I might wander off?" she asked.

He glanced quickly at her out of the corner of his eye. Apparently, she wasn't quite as naive as they'd thought. Then again, she had survived on her own for the last ten years. That was a long time, and he had some idea of what that could do for a person. "My room is next door," he told her, "I could hear you moving around. Figured this is all kinda new for you,"

"I have never seen a city so big," she admitted, "With so many people...The energy of this place, it's just so...overwhelming. I suppose it takes some getting used to?" She looked up at him questioningly.

He nodded his agreement, and they fell into silence. He hoped that the fresh sea air would help ease her to sleep, so he could get some rest himself. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she stretched and turned back to her room.

"My head is pounding, I am so tired," she admitted, offering him a tiny smile from her doorway. "Sleep well, Ronon. I haven't the strength to slip away this night. Perhaps I shall test your vigilance in the morning," she joked.

He narrowed his eyes at her and nodded good-naturedly. "I look forward to it."

The balcony door hissed shut behind her, and she fell onto her bed in exhaustion. The dull throbbing behind her eyes had eased somewhat with the fresh air, and she was soon sound asleep.

The next morning came sooner than she would have liked, and she awoke to the sound of chimes at her door. She opened it to find Teyla's face smiling back at her.

"I trust you slept well?" the woman asked, stepping inside at Madi's request.

"More or less," the girl mumbled, rinsing her face in the basin provided and tying back her copper-colored hair with a leather thong.

"You must be hungry by now," Teyla continued, leading the way out into the corridor, "I will show you the way to the commissary, and then perhaps you would like to see more of the city?"

Madi was not surprised to see Ronon emerge from his room just as she and Teyla rounded the corner. "I would enjoy that very much," she replied, pitching her voice loud enough for the man behind them to catch, "But I'm afraid I must clear that with my warden first." She turned to raise an eyebrow in his direction as they paused outside the transport chamber.

Teyla cast him a curious look as they stepped into the transporter, to which he responded with an eloquent shrug. "I'm up for a walk," he admitted.

They stepped out of the transporter and crossed the hall to the large commissary, taking their place in line. Madi didn't recognize most of the foods they had on offer, so she chose a variety of strange fruits and a few slices of bread. Ronon placed a small bowl on her tray, full of small green cubes that jiggled as she walked, as though they were not entirely solid. "Trust me, try the jello," he advised, grinning conspiratorily at Teyla.

Colonel Sheppard waved them over to his table on the far side of the room, eyeing Madi's plate as she sat down across from him. "You gave her the jello?" he looked accusingly at Ronon, who smiled mischievously.

"I must admit, I am curious," Madi admitted, managing to balance one of the strange cubes on her spoon as she saw the others do. They all seemed to watch her expectantly as she popped it into her mouth. It's texture was unlike anything she'd ever eaten before, and it seemed to dissolve in her mouth almost instantly, transforming into some sort of gooey blob. It tasted wonderfully sweet, though. "Not bad," she said finally.

"See?" Ronon slapped the table in amusement, "Told you. Everyone likes it."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "So, any big plans for your first day in Atlantis?" he asked, watching Madi figure out how to peel a banana.

"I had thought to give her a tour of the city," Teyla said, hoping he would approve of her offer.

"Sure, sounds like a great idea," he smiled, "Why don't we all go?"

"You have nothing better to do?" she asked in surprise, glancing between him and Ronon.

"Not really," "Nope," they replied.

The three of them took turns pointing out the various parts of the city they had discovered, and Madi was once again left gaping at the sheer size of it all. They passed dozens of laboratories and research stations, where many scientists were busy bustling about and fiddling with various important-looking gadgets. "What sorts of studies do you do here?" Madi asked, fascinated.

"You name it," Sheppard replied, jumping out of the way of a woman in a white coat rushing past. "Plants, animals, weapons, technology...anything that might be of use to us here."

"I see," Madi mused, though she was far from understanding everything she was seeing. Sheppard led them on, winding his way through the corridors. She was thankful the others were there to guide her; the place was a giant maze, and she would have likely gotten hopelessly lost. As it was, she was getting quite turned around. Not only that, but her headache was starting to come back. "What's down that hall?" she asked, pointing to a corridor that branched off to their right.

"Power generator," Ronon informed her, "Not all that interesting. Hey, you ok?" he asked, noticing her rubbing at the bridge of her nose.

"Mmm," she nodded, offering him an apologetic smile. "Headache's back. Don't worry, I'll be alright,"

They descended a few levels, and she had the impression that they were heading roughly back to where they had started, but she couldn't be sure. They stopped in at the Infirmary, where Dr. Beckett cheerfully greeted them.

"I wasn't expecting to see you all again so soon," he said jovially, then turned to Madi with a smile. "And how are ye?"

"Tired," she admitted, "And...confused. I really have no idea how your people navigate all these hallways." She returned his warm smile.

"Yeah, we might wanna start posting maps," Sheppard joked, "Something that says 'You are here'. Maybe some pretty colors."

Beckett chuckled. "Might help,"

"Anyways, I think we'll wind up this tour with the control room. Doctor," He waved farewell, heading off again.

They entered the Gate room, and Madi only half listened as Sheppard went on about the Puddle Jumpers in the bay above them, and how they launched them through the gate. They mounted the steps towards the Gate itself, Sheppard nodding to the two soldiers flanking it.

"May I?" Madi asked tentatively, her hand reaching out in curiosity. Sheppard shrugged, figuring she couldn't do any harm. She stepped forward hesitantly, her hand hovering a moment over the edge of the gate before allowing her fingertips to trail slowly down it's smooth, cool surface. She gazed up at it, remembering how small it's counterpart had seemed, floating in space. She walked to the center of the large, open circle, then stepped forward until she was standing in the very center of the gate. Her eyes travelled the whole way around the ring before she turned back to the others with a shy smile. "It's fascinating," she said quietly, not quite sure how else to describe it.

Weir, who had been in her office watching in amusement, met the four of them in the control room as they came up the stairs. "So, what do you think?" she asked, waving her hand about the room.

"Your city is truly amazing," Madi replied, peering up at the images scrolling across the large display screen. "It is...beyond words to describe."

Weir smiled. "I know what you mean."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At dinner the next evening, Madi sat with Colonel Sheppard and his team. Teyla and Ronon related stories to her about their home worlds, while Sheppard and McKay were caught up in a discussion about Rodney's latest discovery.

"I just wish we had the resources to test it," McKay remarked wistfully.

"I thought you said you were running simulations?" Sheppard asked.

McKay sighed around a mouthful of food. "We are," he explained, "But in order to fully integrate the interface with the database and sensors on a city-wide level, we're gonna need a lot more power."

"As in, a Z.P.M." Sheppard drawled.

"Precisely," McKay agreed, pointing his fork in the man's direction accusingly, "Which, might I remind you, you were unable to locate on your little field trip the other day."

Madi, overhearing, became curious. "This is why you came to my world?" she interrupted, "You were seeking this...thing?"

"A Zed.P.M," McKay replied, "Yes. We had received a report that there was one somewhere on the planet. Unfortunately, the last time someone actually checked up on it was, oh, maybe ten thousand years ago."

She furrowed her brow, not understanding. "And what exactly is this...Zed.P.M.? What does it do?"

"It's...it's kinda like a super-battery," he began, then sighed at her look of confusion. "It gives us power. It's what runs a lot of the Ancient technology, like the Gate, shields, weapons...most of the city's systems. It's basically a self-contained area of sub-space time, producing a vacuum that --"

"It's a little orange glowing tube thingy, about yea big," Sheppard cut him off, holding up his hands to demonstrate.

Her eyes narrowed, thinking. "And you say that these...things, they are what give power to this city of the Ancestors?"

"Yes," McKay repeated, exasperated. "A lot of Ancient technology was designed to run on Zed.P.M.'s. Including Atlantis itself," He waved his arms around him, before shoveling in a mouthful of pasta in annoyance.

"Could those others in the village have been seeking this Zed.P.M. as well?" she asked, turning to Sheppard.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe so," he said slowly, casting McKay a quick glance. "They were after that one we found on Dagan, remember?" McKay nodded. "So it's a very good possibility. When we flew in from the gate, we headed towards the only significant life-signs reading we could get, figuring it'd be our best bet to find the Z.P.M." He gave Madi a meaningful look. "If they did the same, it would explain why they were there, in your village."

Madi lowered her eyes, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Then they will never find it." She raised her head and glanced around at the questioning looks of the others. "This Zed.P.M. you seek...my people call it the Life Crystal, and it is housed in the inner shrine of the Great Temple. I can take you to it."

McKay dropped his fork, his face lighting up in an excited grin. "Really? You...you...you would do that?"

She nodded. "I...I would like to speak with Dr. Weir first," she replied.

Sheppard leaned back in his chair, folding his arms on his chest with a pleased smile. "Done,"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weir's reaction to her offer was slightly more reserved. "What would you want in return for your assistance?" She voiced the question the others hadn't thought to ask.

Madi bowed her head respectfully at the woman's acuity. "It is true I do not make this offer selflessly," she admitted, "And I thank you for the hospitality you have shown me thus far. My proposal is simply this: I have nothing to return to on my world. All I ask is to be allowed to remain here in Atlantis. I am willing to contribute in any way you see fit," she assured her.

Weir smiled reassuringly. "You are more than welcome to stay," she said, earning a relieved sigh from the girl seated across from her. "I will authorize an expedition tomorrow morning for you to lead a team to retrieve the Z.P.M. As for making a contribution to our efforts here, for now, just take some time to get comfortable. Get to know some of the people here, and what they do. We can meet again in a few days, if you'd like, and you can let me know if there's anything in particular that seems to call to you." She rose from her desk and opened the door, where Sheppard and the others were awaiting her response.

Madi rose and bowed deeply. "You have my thanks, and I shall think on your suggestions."

Weir nodded, ushering the girl across the catwalk to the control room. "Colonel, have your team ready for oh-nine-hundred."

Sheppard gave her a lop-sided grin and flashed her a quick salute. McKay clapped his hands together in delight, then walked off to finish his research for the day, a slight spring in his step.

Teyla took Madi by the arm, leading her down the steps. "I take it you are staying then?" she asked hopefully. She had quickly come to like the new girl.

"Yes," Madi smiled, "Dr. Weir has assured me I would be welcome. I am glad, for having had a glimpse of this great city, I would hate to have to leave again so quickly."

The woman nodded. "I know what you mean. I, too, am glad you will be staying."

"Well, what shall we do now?" Madi asked, half to Teyla, half to the large presence she could feel behind her. She had to respect the man's commitment to his duty, at least.

"There's gotta be something going on in the lounge," Ronon suggested. Teyla agreed, and the trio wandered over to investigate.

The room contained many sofas and chairs, and some tables set up for chess or cards. They had even convinced Stargate Command to ship them a pool table and a big-screen tv, which was hooked up to a network of various gaming systems. Currently, the only occupants of the room were four off-duty marines shooting pool, and a small group of women watching something on the television.

Madi moved closer to the tv in fascination. "What is this?" she asked.

"A television," Teyla explained, "They watch what they call 'movies'. It is like a story, and the people you see on the screen act it out. Sometimes, though, it is difficult to remember that it is simply make-believe." She shuddered involuntarily, remembering the nightmares she'd had after Sheppard had made her watch one of his horror movies.

Madi took a seat on an empty sofa, Teyla curling up next to her. The movie seemed to be about a woman who was getting married, only to find out she was in love with another man. The man loved her back, but there was another woman who wanted him, although she was much meaner. Much of the story seemed to be strange situations that the two lovers found themselves in, which prevented them from actually being together. It all seemed rather confusing.

The two women continued watching for some time, while Ronon paced restlessly across the room. He could never stand watching these kinds of movies that the women seemed to prefer; he liked the ones that the soldiers watched often, with big explosions and chases, and people shooting things. As it was, just being able to hear what was going on on the screen was driving him crazy.

"We should probably go, before Ronon breaks something," Madi whispered, watching as the big man ran a hand over his hair in agitation. Teyla giggled, and they quietly left the other women to finish the movie.

"Can we go?" Ronon growled, urging them out of the room as quickly as possible.

"It was you who suggested we visit the lounge," Madi reminded him, lifting an eyebrow with a smirk. He gave her an angry scowl, but didn't respond. "Well, I think I shall return to my room to prepare for tomorrow," She bid Teyla goodnight, and followed Ronon to the transporter. From there, she was able to find her room on her own, for which she was rather proud of herself. "Sleep well, Ronon," she called to him, knowing that he would not enter his own room until her door was shut. She wondered exactly how long it would take before he no longer found it necessary to follow her every move. She sighed tiredly and entered her small washroom, drawing herself a hot bath.

She luxuriated in the steaming water for some time, relaxing her tired muscles. Finally, feeling cleaner than she ever had before, she dried off with a soft towel she found in the cabinet, and threw on some clean clothes. She made a point to ask Teyla the next day who she should talk to about perhaps finding some new clothing, as all she had to wear she'd patched together herself out of various articles she'd found over the years. Once she was clean and dressed, she sat down on her bed, folding her legs comfortably beneath her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, cleansing her mind in preparation for her journey to the Great Temple in the morning. Eventually, she was able to crawl under her blankets and sleep.