Stargate Rejects

Dr. William Beckett turned to his best friend, Dr. Nick Wheeler, who was fidgeting in his seat, his eyes darting wildly around the room.

"Excited?" William asked, chuckling.

Nick was too excited to even disguise his enthusiasm with his usual sarcasm. "We're traveling to the lost city of Atlantis in an unexplored galaxy! Of course I'm excited. I just wish Blackington didn't have to come..." he adding, shooting a dark look at Dr. Ryland Blackington, who was talking animatedly to Colonel Watkins.

"Don't start that again," said Dr. Alex Gaskarth, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

Nick looked up at Alex with his best puppy-dog eyes. "Come on, Dr. Gaskarth. Do we really need him?"

"He's my second-best scientist, Nick."

"But I'm your best scientist. You don't need him if you have me."

"And what happens when you get eaten by a Wraith? We're going to need a second-in-command."

Nick looked up sharply. "What's a Wraith?"

"I'll be briefing everyone in a few minutes," Alex said, and disappeared into the crowd, probably in search of Dr. Barakat.

Nick sighed, frustrated, and turned to William. "What's a Wraith?"

William shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"Dr. Wheeler?" a voice called out. Nick looked up to see a man standing a few feet away from him. A gorgeous man.

"Yes?" Nick asked stiffly. "I know some of the generators aren't working, there's already a team working on it, so you people can stop bothering me about it."

"No, it's not about that," the man said, looking amused.

"Oh," Nick said awkwardly. "Right."

"I'm Major Tyson Ritter," the man said. "I'm going to be the leader of one of the new exploration teams on Atlantis. Dr. Gaskarth recommended you as a member of my team."

"Oh. He did?" Nick made a mental note to buy Alex dinner for a week once they got to Atlantis.

Major Ritter gave him a crooked, adorable smile. "Yep. So, are you in? Or are you already taken?"

Nick forced himself to ignore the double meaning behind Ritter's words, and shook his head. "No, I haven't got a team yet."

Ritter grinned. "Great! You do now."

"Who else is on the team?'

"I haven't decided yet," Ritter replied. "Major Saporta is going to accompany us if we go off-world any time soon, but for now," he raised his eyebrows, still grinning, "it's just you and me." And with that, he sauntered off through the crowd and disappeared.

"What was that?" William asked, staring at Nick.

Nick quickly hid his own astonishment. "Well, unlike you, he obviously appreciates my good looks," he said, almost managing to pull off his usual lofty tone of voice.

William snickered. "I guess Blackington has competition for winning your heart now," he said, then scooted his chair sideways to avoid a well-aimed kick from Nick.

"Can I have everyone's attention!" Alex's voice rang out through the room. Silence fell almost immediately.

"Thank you. Now, as you know, very little is known about the Pegasus galaxy. However, we do know one thing: it is home to many settlements, of both humans and other creatures. One of these races is known as the Wraith. They are the creatures that defeated the Ancients. As you should all know, the Ancients built both the Stargates and the city of Atlantis. They were more technologically advanced than we can ever hope to be, and if they could not defeat the Wraith, then we have little hope of doing so ourselves. I would advise everyone on this mission to leave, right now, if they are not prepared for the risk of dying at the hands of these creatures. They feed on human life, and they are extremely difficult to kill. There is a very real chance that any of you, whether you go off-world or not, may be attacked. If you leave now, no one will think less of you."

There was silence. No one moved.

"Thank you," said Alex. "You are all very brave to be coming on this mission. As you know, the chances of returning home any time soon are very slim. Once we enter the wormhole to the Pegasus galaxy, there may not be enough power to dial another wormhole back to Earth. We may be trapped there. We may be killed instantly when we arrive on the other side."

Nick shivered slightly at these words.

"However, the chance to explore another galaxy is worth the risk to me, and all of you have proved, by signing up for this mission, that it's worth the risk for you too. I respect all of you for you bravery. Now, if there are no further questions, we will begin dialing the Stargate." Alex nodded to Colonel Watkins, and she began pressing the buttons to dial the Gate. As she entered the last symbol, the Gate came to life, glowing blue and rippling. Watkins exchanged a few words with Alex, and then Alex turned to the crowd.

"A stable wormhole has been established," he announced. "I'll go first. Security teams, follow me, and then everyone else can enter when I say it's okay."

The security teams lined up behind Alex, and he stepped through the glowing blue Gate. The security teams followed close behind him.

Several long minutes passed before Alex's voice crackled over the radios. "It's safe. You may enter the Pegasus galaxy."

There was a loud cheer, and the crowd of military personnel, scientists, and doctors began filing through the Gate. When William and Nick finally approached the glowing wormhole, Nick shivered again. He was suddenly feeling nervous.

Ryland approached them from behind. "Ready to go?" He asked, flashing them a smile.

Nick swallowed his nervousness. "Ready," he answered coldly, and without looking back, he stepped forward into the wormhole.