Originally Posted: Jul. 19th, 2006
Length/Rating: 331 words, PG, Dark, Gen
Pairing/Warnings: none
Summary: Everything’s relative and it all comes down to ones and zeros. Evil!Rodney (or really, Pragmatic!Rodney, but still.) sga_flashfic Dark Side Challenge. (AU: Where the Ocean Meets the Sky).

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“You can’t do this!”

Rodney didn’t look up from the control room’s primary terminal, “Can you please go have hysterics elsewhere? It’s distracting.”

“Let me in.” John pounded on the door, glaring through the impervious glass riddled with scratches from the previous barrage of bullets.

“No.” Rodney flicked his fingers absently and the force field bubble around him expanded, shoving John away from the door.

“There are people down there.” Teyla’s voice was cold and sharp and this time McKay looked up.

“Oh really? And here I thought I was just killing thousands of hamsters. Thanks for the clarification.” He pushed a button on the interface and the entire complex shuddered as centuries old machinery lumbered into motion. A faint shiver of dust floated down from between the cracks in the bedrock above them. A warning chime went off and Rodney spun around with a curse to deal with the problem.

The rest of the team retreated as Rodney’s force field expanded and contracted as he shifted focus.

“You have to stop him.”

“I’m trying!” John snapped back, then yanked Teyla out of the way as the field suddenly flexed outwards.

“So destroy the building.” Ronon shrugged as Teyla and John looked over at him, “You have a better idea?”

“I can hear you just fine you know.” Rodney looked up from the second terminal with a satisfied smirk as the warning chime died away. “Destroy the building if you want, I’m not leaving and I’m not stopping just because some semi-sentient hunter-gathering morons refused to evacuate. They can’t fight the Wraith, we can. It all comes down to basic math.” He waved an arm encompassing them, the building, the planet, “Everything does.”

“Those are people, not numbers!”

“Everyone’s numbers. You, me–” He cut-off with a frustrated snort and pulled in the force field with flick of the wrist, refocusing on his work. “Go home John, it’s my turn to save the world. If you won’t, someone has to.”