sgatazmy

I wrote entry 16 for my advent calendar fic. Finally! I'm at the main plot. I've been waiting for this section as it's one of the main ideas for the story from the beginning. It was

cassiope25 who had the idea of making this an advent calendar. We discussed Rodney having a bad reaction to medicine and it affecting his mental health. Then we discussed making it around Christmas and giving it a ghosts visiting to help him.

So for this story, I have Energy Carson and Energy Elizabeth talking and we get to learn that Atlantis is sentient. So for those not reading the calendar that want to see a peek, this is a scene I was soooo excited to write:

This scene starts directly after Ghost in the Machine. It's my way of giving some closure to these characters:

Elizabeth, or what is left of her anyway, turns to her long lost family and says goodbye for the last time. She will step through the event horizon and into space, knowing her story had already ended years before. She made a promise to watch over others, to be a force for good, and this is how she can do that on her own terms instead of putting others at risk.

She can tell Rodney disagrees. He looks ready to be sick, disgusted at the very suggestion of this plan. She worries how this will hurt him, but this seems the only option. Maybe one day he will understand and forgive himself for the role he plays.

She takes her final steps. Her human body freezes as space steals her air. Her code begins to shutdown.

Reaching across the distance, a familiar hum sings her a comforting lullabye. She expected her thoughts to stop, but they continue as does the hum, which is getting louder and louder, leading her as a siren song: Come home.

So she does.

Her machine code surrounds her spirit as waves of light, reaching across the vastness of space. The hum caresses her and holds her, guiding her. They merge together, becoming one.

The hum is Atlantis.

Elizabeth is the hum.

Elizabeth and Atlantis are now one.

She hums to John, who hides alone in his quarters, horrified at the steps he’s taken and mourning the hope he’s lost. She hums to Teyla who hums back in meditation, not knowing it’s Elizabeth she feels. She hums to Ronon who plays a melancholy tune on his recorder. He is angry at what they did to her, wondering if he should leave. She hums for him to stay.

She hums to Rodney, who wonders how many lives he can destroy before he finally breaks himself. She is surprised at the pure emotional pain consuming him that no one else seems to notice, but has been there long before now. So many deaths he holds himself responsible for. So many mistakes.

She hums but they do not recognize her. They hear her, but they do not know her.

As time passes, she sees the pain in Rodney manifest into physical hurts. A body can only hold so much trauma. He is tearing apart, ready to implode. He can not hear her words as she is but machine energy, but he hears her hum. So she hums louder.

“He canna go on like this,” the energy once known as Carson tells her.

“No, he cannot. His body cannot heal while he holds onto so much guilt and trauma. But I have a plan.”

“I thought you might. Go on then. What can we do?”

“We can show him the light in the darkness—let him see himself the way we do.”

“That’s hardly an easy task, lass.”

“No. We will need help.”

“Ford?”

“Yes. The stars are aligned for the winter’s night and he is near the bright azules flores . His emotional weight is enough that he might be able to hear you now.”

“Aye, I believe you are right. I will go to him.”

As the Energy Carson leaves, Elizabeth settles into Rodney’s room. She grasps his shoulder with her nonexistent hand and hums him to sleep.