Chapter 1: A Reluctant Journey

"You need me to go to Canada?"

Rodney stared at Colonel Samantha "Sam" Carter, leader of the Atlantis expedition. She stared back. "That's what the message said. Apparently, the SGC asked for you specifically."

"Did my sister make some kind of genius breakthrough again?" Sam shook her head. "Well, then, what is it?"

"We have people going through the Asgard database that was left to us. There was a mention of a trinium deposit in Canada that was never mined. Canada has offered to lease it to us, but the neighboring community is making legal objections. Your government asked you to talk to them."

"I'm not a diplomat or a negotiator. Why me?"

Sam shook her head. "I've been ordered to make you available. You have one hour to pack. Sorry, Rodney."

"Yeah," he said, and went to pack.

He was almost done, when his door chime sounded. "Come in," he said. His teammate Ronon Dex walked in.

"I heard you're heading home," he said.

Rodney crammed another shirt into his bag. "Just temporarily. I'll be back."

"Col. Carter said I could tag along," he said.

Rodney stopped packing. "Why?"

Ronon shrugged. "I liked Canada. Your sister's nice."

"She's married," said Rodney.

"Ease off, buddy," said Ronon. "I'm not Sheppard."

"Good point." Rodney zipped up his bag. "How long do you need to get ready?"

Ronon picked up a dufflebag from the hallway.

"Okay," said Rodney. "Let's go."

Major General "Hank" Landry, commanding general of Stargate Command, greeted them as they walked down the ramp in front of the gate.

"Dr. McKay, thank you for coming. Mr. Dex, I don't recall sending for you."

Rodney coughed. "He insisted. You said it was a diplomatic problems? I'm not a diplomat."

With one last look at Ronon, General Landry said, "It has a personal connection to you. Come to the briefing room, and I'll bring you up to speed."

Rodney walked away, grumbling under his breath. The general raised an eyebrow at Ronon.

Ronon shrugged. "He said it was in Canada. I liked Canada okay last time I was here."

"Fine," said the general. "Let's go break the news to Rodney."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Dog River?!" yelled Rodney. "Not a chance! Not even a fraction of a chance!"

"I'm told you grew up there," said General Landry, giving Rodney a bit of slack, since he was a civilian.

"And I swore I would never go back!" Rodney waved arms. "That town is full of nutcases! There's not a sane, normal, person living there!"

"It's hard to imagine you grew up there," dead-panned Ronon.

Rodney glared at him. "I moved out when I entered college. Early."

General Landry flipped through the folder of papers on the conference table. "That would be when you were investigated for building a nuclear bomb?"

"I only designed it!" said Rodney. "And that's exactly the kind of thing that happens in that town!" He sunk back in his chair. "Oh, God, you're going to make me go there, aren't you?"

"The Prime Minister asked for you personally." The general closed the folder, and sat back.

Ronon leaned over to Rodney. "Sounds like we're going."

"I'd rather face a hive ship." Rodney looked up. "If I asked, would you hit someone for me?"

Ronon shrugged. "Who?"

Rodney said, "I don't know yet. But, sooner or later I'll want to hit somebody, and you're better at it than I am."

The general said, "It's a diplomatic mission. Try not to hit anyone." He stood up, and collected his papers. "There's a plane waiting for you at the airfield. Enjoy your trip."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"This is a long ways from the landing field," said Ronon.

"It's called an airport, and yes, it is. It's faster to go to another galaxy than drive here." Rodney had to drive, since Ronon had never learned. He couldn't decide whether to drive fast, and get it over with, or drive slow, and put it off for as long as possible. He ended up driving the speed limit, more or less. He was a little out of practice driving something that didn't respond to his thoughts. "I wish the Daedalus was in orbit. They could've saved us a lot time by just beaming us there." He sighed. "We should be there soon. Dog River is only forty klicks from the last town."

Just then, the grain elevator came into view. Rodney sighed again.

"It looks like we're here. And there's the town hall. Nothing changes in this town."

Rodney parked the car in front of the building, and they went inside. It was empty. The mayor's office was locked, and the police had the "For Emergencies, call..." sign on the door.

"Nobody's here?" said Ronon.

Rodney shook his head. "Do you think this might count as an emergency?"

It was Ronon's turn to shake his head. "Looks like we have some time. Come on, I'll let you buy me lunch." He went out the door.

Rodney followed, muttering. "This is what I get for making friends with aliens. I need to get him a credit card."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"How can you eat that stuff?"

Ronon shrugged. "When you're a runner, you learn to eat whatever you can find. Besides, I like these sandwiches."

"Hamburgers, Ronon, hamburgers. Burgers and fries. Didn't Sheppard get you some food last time?"

"We didn't get the chance. Too busy rescuing you." Ronon took another big bite. "What's this white sauce?"

"Mayonnaise. They don't use it where he's from."

"They're missing out." Ronon swirled a fry in ketchup and swallowed it. Rodney went back to his soup. It was better than he remembered Ruby ever making it. This new owner, the woman behind the counter, must have hired a better cook. His lunch was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Oh my god. Will you look at who's back in town."

Rodney dropped his spoon. "Oh, no, no, no."

Ronon looked at the newcomer. "She seems harmless enough."

"Nobody in this town is harmless. They just probably won't try to kill you." Rodney stood up. "Hello, Wanda."

"Hello, Meredith."

Ronon snorted. Rodney glared at him, then back at Wanda. "I prefer Rodney." He sat back down.

"So, what brings you back, 'Rodney?'" Wanda asked. "As I recall, when you left for college, you not only swore to never come back, you also swore at some of us."

Rodney looked at Ronon. "I just swore at her, actually."

"Why?" asked Ronon, between bites.

"Because she's an insufferable know-in-all! And yes, I'm aware of the irony." Rodney's expression provoked a laugh from Ronon.

Wanda slid in next to Rodney, who pulled away from her. "It's not fair, really," she told Ronon. She paused. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Wanda Dollard, Ronon Dex, Ronon, Wanda," said Rodney.

"You work with him?" asked Wanda. "You don't look like a physicist."

"I'm a military consultant," said Ronon. "Rodney is on my team."

Wanda gaped at Rodney. "You work for the military?"

Rodney said, "No! I work for a multi-national oversight advisory panel that…."

Wanda looked back at Ronon. "Like I said, it's not fair! Rodney builds one little nuclear bomb, and he gets the scholarship!"

"Designed!" said Rodney.

"Nuclear Bomb?" exclaimed Lacey, who was eavesdropping.

"Excuse me, private and very unwanted conversation!" said Rodney.

"Nuclear Bomb? What, is that Meredith guy around or something?" said Brent, walking in from the gas station. He sat down at the counter, and said to Lacey, "He is, isn't he? Is that why Wanda isn't at work?"

Rodney said to Wanda, "You work at Corner Gas?" The smile on his face got wider than Ronon would have believed possible. "You work for Oscar Leroy?"

"No, she works for me," said Brent. "You are Meredith McKay, aren't you?"

"He goes by 'Rodney' now," added Lacey.

"That's me," said Rodney. "You must be Emma's son, what's-his-name."

"Brent," said Brent. "Dad left me the station a few years back."

"Well... good for you," said Rodney, suddenly realizing he didn't have a grudge against Brent.

"I guess," said Brent. "So, what do you do?"

"It's classified," said Rodney.

"Classified physics?" asked Wanda. "Oo! It's bombs, isn't it? Nuclear bombs?"

"No, it's not nuclear bombs," said Rodney.

"He blows up bigger things now," said Ronon, and took another bite.

"That was one time!" said Rodney. Wanda looked at him expectantly. "And I can't talk about it, anyway." Wanda's face fell as the prospect of interesting conversation dried up. "Didn't you go to college? Linguistics, right?"

Wanda nodded. "Yeah. It's too bad my best professor was a nut case."

Lacey said, "What was wrong with him?"

Wanda snorted. "He was visiting for one semester. Spoke, like, eleven languages. Turns out he thought the pyramids were built by aliens or something. Last I heard, he dropped off the map."

Rodney looked meaningfully at Ronon. Quietly, he said, "Yeah, that's crazy." Ronon nodded, and kept eating.

"So, if your work is classified, why are you here?" asked Brent.

Rodney sighed. "The oversight committee that I work for wants to set up a mine outside of Dog River. There's some kind of hitch, and someone found out I used to live here."

Wanda said, "And they sent you to negotiate? Have they even met you?"

Rodney was indignant. "I told them it was a bad idea!"

Ronon spoke up. "He said this place was full of crazy people; that there isn't a sane or normal person around here." He smiled at Lacey. "This stuff on the french fries really good."

She smiled. "Thank you! I make the gravy myself! Would you like more?"

Wanda said, "Crazy people?"

Ronon shook his head. "Do you have any pie?" Lacey nodded. "Yeah, and some more gravy sounds good. Thanks."

"Coming right up!" said Lacey.

Wanda said, "What crazy people?"

Brent answered her. "Well, there's my dad, and Hank, and you, and…."

"Never mind." Wanda frowned. "Hey, why does this multi-national supervisory…."

"Oversight," said Rodney.

"…committee want with that old iron mine outside of town? The ore is contaminated! It's got impurities running all through it. The mining wasn't cost-effective or something."

"Well, they want it now," said Rodney. "Apparently, your mayor put an environmental review hold on the project or something."

"Why would Fitzy do that?" Brent mused. "He's always in favor of bringing business to the town."

"Not to mention more people who buy gas," said Wanda.

Brent nodded. "That, too."

"I don't know. We were supposed to meet with him today, but his office was closed." Rodney shrugged. "Which is why we're enjoying your company."

"The food's good," said Ronon.

"You should try the chili dogs," said Brent. What Brent called the "dinger hose" took that moment to announce a car pulling up to Corner Gas. Brent looked at Wanda. "You wanna get that?"

Suddenly, two men burst into the Ruby. They both had shotguns.

"Hands up!" they yelled. Everyone froze.