The Long Way Home

Chapter Eight: Genes

Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could

John Mayer – Waiting On The World To Change

Doctor Rodney McKay was in their Infirmary and in turn that made Cass a little nervous. She found herself seated at her desk, watching from the pile of paperwork as he spoke to the white mice running around in the plastic container. Not long ago both her and Carson had decided to name each of the rodents after people they had left back home on Earth. Carson had named his mice Mary and Owen after two of his siblings and Cass had labelled hers Annabel and Nicky after her young niece and nephew. It made her anxious to have Rodney in the Infirmary, he was a self certified genius and Chief Scientific Officer of their expedition. Cass found him condescending and impatient the majority of the time and that irked her. She didn't like being made to feel inferior and Rodney McKay boasted of his intellect and of other people's inability to comprehend the same things as he did.

Cass had been brought up to see the good in people and if she was honest Rodney's prickly nature made it hard to see past all of his gaping faults.

"Got your eye on anyone?" he asked the mouse they had deemed as Owen.

"Not really." Carson muttered as he filled the syringe in his hand from the glass vile in his hand.

"Actually, I was talking to the mouse." Rodney informed the other man straightening up as he turned to face Carson. "But now that you mention it some of those Athosian women are pretty hot and we did just save them from the Wraith so we need to trade on that before they discover we're not actually that cool."

Cass snorted in response to that comment as Rodney tossed a small inanimate object between his hands. He turned to glare at her as she tilted her head towards him, a small pout forming on her lips.

"You have something to add Doctor Pierce?" he asked her pointedly.

Cass shook her head before her gaze strayed down to the offworld reports in front of her.

"Nothing at all Doctor McKay." Cass said politely, toying the the biro between her fingers.

Carson tapped the treatment table loudly drawing both of their attention back to him as he spoke.

"Sit down here Rodney."

It was like watching a kid at Christmas rushing down to open his presents. Already Rodney was jumping up upon the table with excitement, his fingers rolling up the blue sleeves of his uniform to allow Carson access to his veins.

"I'm surprised your so eager to volunteer for this Rodney." Carson told the other man stretching out his arm.

"Well you know me." Rodney dismissed as Carson grasped his wrist and reached for the syringe. "Always happy to help."

"Right..." Carson drawled out the word, his gaze meeting Cass's as she set down her pen in order to watch the proceedings.

"I'm surprised you didn't put yourself down for this Cassandra, you could have been the first human to receive the ATA gene now I guess the credits all mine." Rodney said offhandedly as he glanced at the young woman.

Cass's brows arched at Rodney's proclamation as she leaned forward, placing her chin on her hand to review the procedure.

"I like my genes the way they are." Cass informed Rodney before continuing. "As much as I trust Carson I don't want anyone messing with my physiology unless it's a dire circumstance and besides I wouldn't want to be at your beck and call every hour of the day when you decide it's time to 'test' something."

"I resent that." Rodney retorted.

"The only reason you considered getting the Ancient gene in the first place is because your getting sick of people bitching at you about the more important things they have to do with their time." Cass pointed out.

"My work is important." Rodney protested shrilly as Carson tied the tourniquet his bicept.

"Yes it is." Cass agreed. "But maybe people would be more willing to work with you if you were nicer to them."

"Carson are you going to let her talk to me like that?" Rodney bristled, offended by the younger woman's assault on his character.

"The lass got a point." Carson said as he hovered the needle above the most predominant of Rodney's veins. "Any questions before we begin?"

"I'm sorry, medicine is as much of a science as voodoo." Rodney retorted as Cass rolled her eyes at his words. "All I need to know is that this will enable me to use Ancient Technology like Major Sheppard or yourself."

"Yes, hopefully." Carson uttered as Cass rose from her desk and moved so she could monitor the effects of the ATA gene more closely when it was administered. "You are the first human trial."

"Well why now?" Rodney asked as the words filtered through to his brain. "I mean if it's possible we need as many people with the gene as we can get."

"Well actually without proper FDA approval it was virtually impossible on Earth..." Carson glanced up, catching the expression of disbelief on Rodney's face before continuing. "Let's just say it's legal here in the Pegasus Galaxy."

"And completely safe?" Rodney persisted as Carson gripped the other man's arm firmly underneath the elbow.

"As far as experimental gene therapy goes." Carson shrugged as Rodney stared directly at him speechless.

"He is manipulating your DNA." Cass reminded Rodney, gesturing with her hands.

"Maybe I need to hear more." Rodney said withdrawing his arm from Carson's grasp as Cass crossed her arms over her chest.

"We believe Ancient Technology Activation is caused by a single gene that is always on instructing various cells in the body to induce a series of proteins and enzymes that interact with the skin and the nervous system an the brain. In this case we're using a mouse retrovirus to deliver the missing gene to your cells." Carson explained as simply as he could.

"A mouse retrovirus?" Rodney repeated.

"It's been deactivated." Carson reassured the other man.

"If that's the case then why isn't she trying it?" Rodney requested, tilting his head towards Cass.

"I told you, I really don't like the idea of someone messing with with my genes." Cass reminded Rodney. "It's one thing doing it to save somebody's life, it's another doing it as an experiment."

"Can't you order her to do it first?" Rodney asked Carson who frowned at the other man.

"That would hardly be ethical now would it?" Carson said, shaking his head as he jabbed the needle into Rodney's arm, dispelling the liquid gene into his blood stream.

"Any side effects I should know about?" Rodney queried, his gaze darting between the two of them as he toyed with the oval object in his hand.

"Dry mouth, headache. The irresistible urge to run on a small wheel." Carson said with a lilt of humour in his voice.

Cass couldn't disguise the snigger that emitted from her mouth. Rodney scowled at her as he twirled the object in his hand even faster.

"What is that?" Cass asked, stepping closer to catch a glimpse of the item.

"Oh, it's something I found in one of the research labs." Rodney said holding it out for Cass to see. "Something that the Anchients were experimenting with."

"Do you know what it is?" she asked quizzically, looking down at what appeared to be an amulet.

"I'm pretty sure." Rodney answered with uncertainty.

"Which means he doesn't have a bloody clue." Carson informed Cass with a wry smile before stripping off his latex gloves signalling the end to the procedure.