Chapter 9

The Jumper stopped at its bay, Teyla lowered the ramp and the four exited the craft, heading for the Control Room.

Sheppard was shaking his head and muttering under his breath until Ronon caught up to him and said, "Aren't you glad he's on our side? I could handle this - getting rid of the Wraith. Especially like what happened."

They went down the stairs to the Control Room where Dr. Weir met them.

She asked, "I gather the mission was a success. Did you get your 'goodies' I believe it was you wanted, Sergeant?"

Before Felix could reply Sheppard said, "This guy knows how to blow up Wraith Darts" and pointed right at Felix.

Dr. Weir could see Ronon actually looking happy about what had occurred and then she looked at Felix. She asked almost too casually, "Is there something you want to share with us, Sergeant?"

Felix looked red-faced and embarrassed and mumbled, "I forgot they were there, ma'am. Sorry about that - I didn't think the Wraith would be coming there."

Sheppard asked, "So how are you able to knock down Wraith Darts and we have a hard time taking them out?"

By now most of the control room was silent and listening or watching intently at the conversation as it unfolded. Felix managed to get out, "I call them Welcome Wagons, ma'am, sir. They home in on any Wraith craft and presto - no more Wraith."

Sheppard replied, "Okay, but where did they come from?"

Felix looked down at the floor and there was a distinct pause and then he answered, "I made them."

Sheppard said, "We should meet with McKay, Zelenka, and Lt. Cadman in the briefing room and you can show us how you ... get rid of Wraith Darts. How does 15 minutes sound to everybody?"

Weir said, "Good, I'll pry Rodney and Zelenka away from whatever it is they are doing. Teyla - if you could get Lt. Cadman and get her to meet at the briefing room in about 15 minutes, please?"

The Athosian warrior nodded her acquiescence and then Teyla left as well as Ronon, who went back to his room.

Weir looked at the red-faced Felix and said, "It would seem, Sergeant, that we owe you another debt of gratitude for getting rid of the Dart."

Felix stammered, "It's nothing, ma'am."

Weir smiled for the second time that day and said, "Okay - see everyone in 15 minutes at the briefing room. Sergeant - a moment of your time, please?" She waved towards her office and stopped short of entering it and turned to face Felix and then asked softly, "Are you okay, Sergeant? You seem a bit ... I don't know ... withdrawn. Are you okay? Did you want to talk with Dr. Heightmeyer - she is our psychiatrist here if you want to vent."

Felix finally raised his face and answered, "People usually avoid me like the plague, ma'am - especially women. And no, I'm not gay in case you were wondering. I just haven't had much interaction with so many women before, and you said it yourself - I have to re-integrate slowly into civilized life again. So I'm finding this a bit difficult and almost overwhelming but I'll figure it out."

She nodded her head in agreement and then said, "By the way, we've moved you into proper quarters so you can take your stuff there. The Airman here will take you to your new room - and again - welcome to Atlantis, Sergeant."

Again Felix replied shyly, "Thank you, ma'am."

He turned away and shuffled in his ghillie suit and followed the Airman down to his new room; Weir watched as the newcomer walked away and commented, "So much pain in one person."

Felix got to his new room and saw no cameras but did like the room set-up. He shed his ghillie suit near the bed and asked the Airman where the towels were. The Airman showed him quickly where the contents of the room were and said, "I have to get back to duty, Sergeant."

"Okay," was heard from the now activated shower - the door closed behind the Airman. Once Felix was showered, he quickly dressed in the Atlantis fatigues, grabbed his Bergen and went in search of the briefing room and was pointed in the right direction. He arrived with about 2 minutes to spare and stood, as he was unsure of the protocols of Atlantis.

Just a minute later Sheppard arrived and Weir about 5 seconds later - everyone else was already seated, staring at an uncomfortable Felix.

Sheppard motioned for Felix to sit next to his right and then Dr. Weir spoke up; "It looks like we are all here - good. People, I would like to introduce our newest member of Atlantis - Sergeant Felix Grey."

As she went around the table she pointed who was who and what they did. Just as that ended Rodney spoke up, "Elizabeth - is this going to take long? I was in the middle of something very important."

Weir smiled at Rodney's usual impatience and replied, "Rodney, this is the gentleman who saved Major Lorne's team yesterday, and this morning knocked down and destroyed a Wraith Dart on the return from the planet. So I think we may want to listen to what he has to show us. Sergeant?"

Felix asked, "Where would you like me to start, ma'am?"

She replied, "By the looks of your pack I would say start with that."

Felix nodded and put his Bergen of the table and opened the top of the flap, undid the straps, and opened the interior. He slowly pulled things out and spread them on the table in like groups: small mines with mines, an odd looking gun put off to the side, and several other 'goodies' as he thought of them.

Sheppard and Radek Zelenka got up and started looking at the various devices and then looked at Felix in a strange sort of wonder. There was an uncomfortable silence as Radek finally asked, "What are these things?"

Felix started with the smallest mines and held one up to show the room. "This is what I call a Toe-popper - it is an Anti-pers mine that can be used against any enemy." He went to the next mine and again held it up to show the room and said, "This one is a Shoe mine - again Anti-pers. This one is what I call a Party Popper -more of an anti-vehicle mine but can be used otherwise. This one I call a Party Pooper - I designed it to be an anti-intrusion mine. The one that Colonel Sheppard saw this afternoon I call a Welcome Wagon - it works quite well against Wraith craft as he saw. But I don't have one of those here - a bit big for me to lug around." He held up the SSG Diablo and said, "Umm, this here is my Doorknocker for when I have need of it. That's about all I have here."

Rodney looked exasperated at Dr. Weir and asked, "So this what you pulled me away for - this ... army show?"

Weir looked at McKay in exasperation and replied, "Hang on a second Rodney. Sergeant, what do you use to guide these or make them do whatever they do?"

Felix nodded his head and went to the dry erase board and quickly drew the main components for them to look at, and then explained, "This is the guidance sensor - a Wraith sac I cut from their arms; it acts like a homing device for the bigger IED's. The smaller ones I use these F4A2 couplers I grabbed a while ago from our CQ - they are the actual trip for the trap. The explosive component I use is called Naquaada I believe it is called. Works quite good for getting rid of ... your problems."

Weir asked Felix specifically, "And you made these yourself, Sergeant?"

"Yes ma'am, I did."

Weir then looked at McKay and said, "Rodney - if this 'army guy' can build these on his own, and they work effectively against the Wraith, don't you think it is worth exploring and seeing if we make these?"

McKay looked frustrated and commented rudely, "Well, that's fine and dandy for Captain Chaos here, lecturing us on 'how to kill Wraiths 101'. I need to know how it works and can we reverse engineer it and by the way what is the actual explosive - caveman dirt?"