Chapter 3

They materialized in Atlantis to be greeted with the security team pointing their weapons at Felix as soon as he was through the gate. Felix dropped to one knee while he quick drew his two silenced pistols, cocked them and pointed them at the security team. He was scanning the entire room rapidly and had quickly found the weak points and already plotted a primary route of escape.

Teyla intervened and told Felix, "Please put your guns down - we always have this precaution when a new person armed as you definitely are comes here. Please - lower them - everybody."

The security team slowly lowered their rifles and then Felix barely lowered his silenced pistols when Teyla stepped in front of him and said softly, "Lower them. I promise you no harm. You have our word."

He looked at Teyla and she nodded in agreement - he complied and slowly put his pistols away. A collective sigh was let out in the gate room as everybody eased back a bit. Then Jumper One came through the gate, hovered and then went into its upper bay stowage area.

Ronon made a point of staying within grasp of Felix in case something went wrong.

Dr. Weir came down the stairs as soon as the gate was shut off to greet her new visitor and see the 'bushman' as she thought of him.

Her breath was taken away when she got closer to the bush that turned out to be a man who wasn't that tall - maybe 5'6" or so. He had a huge beard and moustache that covered a good portion of his face and he stunk rather badly, and the only thing Dr. Weir could notice was that the smaller man had startling blue eyes.

She spoke up, "I'm Doctor Weir, the leader here; I gather I have you to thank for the lives of our people today - I thank you very much for what you did today for them."

"They okay?" from Felix

She replied, "They are doing better, thanks to you. And you are?"

"Felix."

"Just Felix? Do you have a last name?"

"Yes, I have a last name but Felix will do for now."

"Do you mind if we can ask you some questions?"

Felix replied, "You already are asking me questions. So, what do you want to know and why?"

Just then Sheppard came down the stairs from the Jumper bay and down to the gate room floor and said, "How about we talk somewhere without weapons, for starters?"

Felix started slowly backing up and asking, "Am I being held as a prisoner?"

Sheppard answered, "Well, you did claim to be from Earth. If that were true, then you would also know that we should have you detained until we find out who you are, and until that happens - you hand over your weapons. Then we can talk in a safer area where we know you can't harm us."

Felix didn't move his hands towards any of his weapons but caught the hand signal from Sheppard to the security team, who aimed their weapons at him. Felix gave a murderous look to Sheppard as he said, "Friendly people, huh? Like I thought - only at the end of a weapon barrel."

Dr. Weir said, "Cooperate with us and we let you go, don't and..." she left the rest unsaid.

Felix looked at her and asked, "Do I really have a choice?"

She looked Felix in the eyes and replied, "No, you don't have much of a choice - we have to take certain precautions here."

Felix replied softly, "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Sheppard said, "Precisely why we are doing this - we don't know what you are capable of. Place your weapons on the floor and step away from them."

Felix slowly reached back and un-slung his McMillan 50cal and placed it on the floor, and unfolded the bipod and rested the gun that way. Next he removed his two silenced 22calibre pistols and placed then down next to the big gun. The whole time he was removing his weapons he kept glaring at Sheppard, his eyes shooting daggers at being betrayed.

After a minute there was a small pile of guns, multiple knives, a satchel of grenades, and the last was his Diablo AI gun. Felix removed it from the holster and said, "Unload, deactivate, shut down."

The room at large was surprised to hear the gun say in an English accent, "Are you bleeding well kidding me? I could take them all right now."

Felix replied softly, "Shut down now and no more lip from you." The gun flashed a series of lights and then went dark, and then it joined the pile of weapons.

Sheppard's eyebrows rose as he witnessed this strange event; once Felix had stood up again Sheppard said, "We are putting you in a secure room for now until we find out exactly who you claim to be. You will be treated fairly if you also are co-operative in return. You aren't a prisoner but we have to take these precautions until you are ... figured out."

Felix looked away, still glaring and obviously very upset by the set of his face but said nothing to anyone there.

Sheppard said, "Ronon, go with the security team to where you were the first time."

Ronon nodded his understanding and motioned for Felix to move ahead of him as two of the security team went in front and led the way to the secure holding room, not the electrified prisoner cell.

Felix didn't make any sudden moves that would get him shot and allowed him to be placed into the secure holding room.

The guards stayed outside as Ronon told Felix, "Sheppard means well, but he will check you out to see if you are for real." With that the large Satedan left Felix and the door locked behind him.

Felix looked around the large room and picked out the two cameras that were mounted up on the walls. He took note of what was placed where in the room and decided to see what happens with the cameras. Felix took one of the tables and moved it directly under one camera, then placed a chair on the table, and then climbed on the table and onto the chair so he was just about level with the camera lens. There he reached inside his ghillie suit and removed an old pen that had duct tape on it, peeled a small strip off and covered the lens.

Up in the control centre Weir, Sheppard, Teyla, and the technician were watching all this happening; Weir commented, "That didn't take very long - you were right to lock this guy up, Colonel Sheppard." She then asked the technician, "Did you manage to get a good shot of his face so we can transmit that to the SGC to find out who this mystery person is?"

The technician nodded as he punched a few keys and there was Felix's face on the screen as he was about to cover the camera lens.

Dr. Weir looked at Sheppard and said, "We have a call going through to the SGC planned for 30 minutes from now. Why don't you use that time to see if our guest feels like talking and maybe we can see what information he knows?"

Sheppard nodded and replied, "That should be fun - I'll make sure Ronon is with me, just in case. Besides - look at the size of the guy - he isn't that big - what could he possibly do to Ronon or me?"

Teyla looked at Sheppard with a raised eyebrow and said, "I'm not that big either and I can definitely do damage if I were in his situation, Colonel. I don't think we should underestimate him; I sensed deep anger in him, and that could be used to his advantage. I know I would."

Weir added, "She has a point, Colonel - make sure Ronon is in the room with you at all times."

Sheppard and Teyla went down to the secure holding room and saw that Ronon was still waiting there along with the security team. Sheppard said, "Open it," to the doorman, who then waved the door open. He then drew his pistol, made sure the safety was on, watched as Ronon placed his weapon on stun, and then they entered the room.

They saw that one of the metal grates covering the windows from the inside was off and placed against the next pane.

Ronon said, "Sheppard!" and rushed towards the window as it looked like it too was gone. Just as Ronon was part of the way there he crashed to the floor as he tripped over something and the loose metal grate came towards the big man, who barely managed to deflect it off him in time.

Sheppard was about to get nailed by the same grate when the two security members also entered the room, and Sheppard caught out of the corner of his eye the two men being landed on and quickly disarmed.

Felix had both assault rifles in his possession and had kicked the two security men over towards Sheppard who was finally facing towards a very armed and pissed off looking Felix. The smaller man had one rifle slung and the other pointed casually but effectively towards the Atlantis team.

Ronon stood up and rearmed his blaster so it was on kill instead of stun, as he was angry that he got taken out so effectively by this much smaller person.

Sheppard held out his hand to Ronon and said, "Stun only - I still want to talk to him, so I would like to keep him alive for the time being."

Ronon grimaced while glaring at Felix and rearmed his blaster to stun and continued to point it at Felix's head.

Felix still hadn't said a word since he was put in the holding room, so Sheppard started with, "Put your weapon down and nobody gets hurt - otherwise I let Ronon here take you down with his blaster."

Unknown to Felix, Teyla had gotten a taser and aimed it at him, and Sheppard's nod she pulled the trigger. The electric probes struck the ghillie suit and when she pulled the trigger nothing happened except Felix grabbed the probes threw them aside.

But it was enough to distract him for a moment, which was all Ronon needed to pull the trigger on his blaster. The first shot Felix easily just stepped aside, but the second blast caught him square in the chest and Felix slowly sank to the floor, still holding the assault rifle. Then the third shot nailed him and Felix dropped like a sack of potatoes; the security team rushed in and retrieved their rifles while Sheppard nodded his thanks to Teyla and Ronon for their quick thinking.

Everybody stood looking to Sheppard for what was to happen next; he said, "All right then - the secure holding area it is. Pick him up or drag him there, strip him before you place him in the cell, and give him an old blanket to cover him up."

The security team asked, "What of his ... clothes, sir?"

Sheppard replied, "Bag it for now until we figure out what is going on here."

Teyla looked at Sheppard questioningly and asked, "Is there something wrong, Colonel?"

Sheppard waited until the security team had taken the unconscious Felix away to the secure holding area, and then answered, "There is something about this guy ... I just can't put my finger on it yet. It's like ... I don't know ... like I know him or something."

Ronon pointed at the direction Felix had been taken and asked, "You think you know him? That guy is probably more feral than I was. You should keep him locked up until you find out about this guy, Sheppard."

Sheppard's reply was, "Oh I definitely plan on that," and left the holding room and went to the control centre to talk with Dr. Weir.

While Sheppard was talking with Elizabeth about the situation with Felix, the security team had the daunting task of stripping the unconscious Felix before putting him in the secure holding cell.

They managed to find a blanket that could be disposed of if necessary and laid that next to the prone bushman. The one man found that the ghillie suit had a zipper at the front and was basically a one-piece suit. One man unlaced the almost non-existent boots and had his nostrils assailed by the foulest stench he'd had to be near in quite some time. The same smell hit the man undoing the ghillie suit - it took them nearly a good 5 minutes before everything was removed from Felix and placed into a bag, which they then sealed.

The two members then dragged Felix inside the Atlantean style cell and activated the security force field that held prisoners inside.

It was as they had just finished dragging Felix inside and rolling him into the old blanket that the one member noticed what looked like whip marks and old bullet holes or scars on Felix's back. He said, "We should tell Colonel Sheppard about this, so they don't think we did this." They also couldn't help but notice that the body on the floor looked very gaunt, almost as if he had been starving or malnourished.

The one stayed in the room after the force field was activated and phoned the control centre to talk with Colonel Sheppard, while the other man placed the tied off bag of the ghillie suit and the rest of the rotten clothing way off to the side.

It took Colonel Sheppard almost an hour to finally come and see the still unconscious Felix lying on the floor. He looked at the two security members and asked, "Has he done anything since you put him in here?"

The one member answered, "He hasn't moved an inch, sir."

It was then that Sheppard had the stench of Felix's rotting body hit his nostrils; he moved back from the electrified cell and asked, "Is that him that stinks?"

The one member replied, "Yes sir - ripe. And his clothes are worse, sir."

Sheppard looked into the cell and could see the marks and bruises that the men had told him about over the intercom. He tapped the side of his headset and said, "Dr. Beckett? Could you bring a medical scanner with you up to where I am? Thanks."

A minute later Beckett showed up with Ronon and Teyla following close behind. Just after they entered the room all three made waving motions and plugging their noses as the odour emanating from Felix hit them.

Just as Sheppard was about to lower the force field to let Beckett into the cell, Felix suddenly sat up and looked around like a cornered animal. He quickly scanned and checked out the entire room and who was where in the room. He scuttled to a corner but didn't touch the force field and made a point of staying faced towards the Atlantis people.

Sheppard walked up to where they could see each other and said, "Well, finally you are awake. You are here because you gave us a bit of trouble in the other room."

Felix said nothing in reply; he just gave a continuous angry glare.

Sheppard continued; "You said earlier your name was Felix - is that right?"

Again no answer - just the angry glare in return.

Sheppard asked, "How did you get the grate to hit Ronon the way you did?"

Just an angry glare in return from Felix.

Sheppard added, "I can keep you in here for a very long time, unless you cooperate with us. Earlier today we think you helped one of our teams back through the Star Gate. But when we go looking for whoever did that, we find you - and you haven't exactly been ... co-operative. So unless you want to spend the rest of your time here in this cell, I'd suggest you start talking."

As the silence continued, Dr. Beckett moved around the back towards Felix so he could try and scan him through the force field. After a couple of unsuccessful tries with the scanner, Beckett shook his head for no and it was then that he noticed the scars and bruises all over Felix's back. Plus he could tell that he was definitely malnourished due to the gaunt frame on a wiry body. He said, "Colonel - look at this."

Sheppard went around to the back of the cell and when he saw the back he turned away in disgust and muttered, "Crap." Then he looked back at Felix and said, "Stand up so Doctor Beckett can look at the rest of your back."

Felix slowly complied without saying anything and looked around the cell for any weaknesses but couldn't find any yet.

Beckett said, "I can't do anything to check him out until he is cleaned up a bit. Can the wee man have a shower before I check him out? He stinks quite something awful and he needs to be scrubbed anyways if he's going any further."

Sheppard replied, "Yes - definitely. We'll take him to Michael's old room and he can shower there."

Beckett understood the implication that Sheppard meant: to be under observation as much as possible until it was determined that he wasn't a threat to Atlantis.

Ronon spoke up; "Dr. Weir said we were to stay with him at all times, Sheppard. After what I saw today - I agree."

Teyla looked at the two men and said, "I wish to stay as well. I wish to understand more about this person."

Just then a security member answered the intercom phone, talked for a minute, and then motioned Colonel Sheppard over. They talked with their back facing away from Felix but he could still pick up bits of the conversation.

Sheppard turned back and looked at Felix and asked, "Shall we then? I would assume that a shower would be welcomed by you?"

Felix shrugged his shoulders and didn't answer.

Sheppard nodded for the security field to be deactivated as Ronon re-armed his blaster to stun again. Sheppard then led the way down to the quarantine quarters where Felix would shower and change into sweats. Teyla and Ronon stood aside while Sheppard showed Felix where to put his blanket, how to operate the shower, where the soap was in the shower, and the towel and sweats for after the shower.

He stepped into the shower and the three members stepped back to allow Felix a bit of privacy while showering but still maintain their vigilance.

They had a quick chat about the new person; Sheppard asked, "Ronon - what do think?"

The big Satedan replied, "He's very quick and his small size is deceiving. He drew on me real quick - real quick. Plus he seems to know about traps and that sort of thing. But he seems ... worse ... than I was when you found me - he comes across like a caged animal that will defend - at all costs. I see a guy who will fight with a vengeance for his friends, and I can also see a guy who will jump off a cliff to come after you - if you piss him off bad enough."