In the Halls of the Ancients

by Anonymous

Table of Contents

Tabloid cover, by Lim

Author's Preface, by aesc

Iram Nos once wrote, "You who write, seek the truth in all things." And when I found John Sheppard and Rodney McKay in a clinch in a far-flung corner of Atlantis, I knew I had found it, and so much more.

Now, it isn't my intention in these pages to be prurient or to cater to those who are titillated by descriptions of such encounters. And I certainly have no intention of being labeled a voyeur by the more repressed societies of the galaxy. Indeed, as I stood there (hidden by a convenient angle in the corridor), watching as our galaxy's most brilliant, legendary scientist pushed the lord of Atlantis up against the wall and licked at and devoured his mouth and insinuated one strong thigh between his, all I could think of was two reports I had heard not long before leaving for Atlantis. One, from an Atani warrior, said that Lord Sheppard's ascendancy heralded the beginning of a thousand-year golden age; another, from a Karth trader, said that the return of the Lanteans and the end of the Wraith had been predicted in an apocalypse that linked these events with the destruction of the galaxy and its rebirth from the ashes.

Admittedly, these thoughts did not quite match up with the soft, wet, desperate sounds I could hear quite clearly from my hiding place, or the pale curve of the top of Lord McKay's posterior as Lord Sheppard very deviously undid his belt and worked his pants down. I found myself increasingly uncomfortable, thinking of how the Atani and the Karth had been equally convinced of the galaxy's salvation and destruction, and of how Lord McKay was licking and biting at Lord Sheppard's neck, very likely hard enough to leave a mark, if not several. How could I reconcile such profoundly differing viewpoints, I wondered, and what was it that Lord McKay did that made Lord Sheppard moan, deep and low, and twist his hips up into his hand?

I sensed that these would not be easy questions to answer, if not outright impossible. You don't interfere in the affairs of Ancestors, after all, and I had heard it said around the city (by some of the Lanteans no less, and they were regarded with rather a lot of awe and people tended to listen to what they said) that you especially don't interfere in the affairs of Rodney McKay. Well, I thought, I had no small native knowledge of the sciences, my homeworld being relatively advanced compared to many others, and I would not have to interfere as such--merely observe. And in terms of beginning, well, there was no time like the present! I didn't have my writing journal or any recorders with me at the time, so I concentrated extremely hard on Lord McKay falling to his knees and how the sound he made was perhaps more pained than aroused, although he did not seem at all deterred from his intended action. The hands that had destroyed solar systems had some difficulty dealing with buttons and fastenings, but it is also said that with Rodney McKay victory is only a matter of time, and so in short order... Well. I said above I would not seek to gratify prurient interests, including my own, so I will leave the rest unsaid.

(For the conclusion of this scene I direct you to Chapter Ten, "Divine Love or Lanteans 'Doing the Dirty'?" But, with an author's pride, I ask you to read the intervening material! I promise it's worth it.)

A last note: Who I am is not important, nor is the planet of my birth. I came to Atlantis along with many thousands of others about two years after the Wars, desiring, like them, to see the fabled city with my own eyes. Unlike the many thousands, I wanted to write about what I saw in something other than cheap postcards home. For a while, though, I didn't see much to record in my journal (there is only so much one could say, or would want to say, about Athosian farming practices and the social structure of the trading districts). It wasn't until that fateful encounter in the corridor, and a favorable shift in my own fortunes, that I was able to embark on the book you hold in your hands today and to tell you the true experiences of one privileged enough to walk in the halls of the Ancients.

Excerpt from Chapter 10, by aesc

While I myself was never permitted access to the family chambers, I am told by a source who does not wish to be identified, lest the wrath of Ronon Dex come upon him, that he heard voices coming from the Lady Emmagan's room, voices that left no doubt as to the activities in which their owners were engaging. He made out three distinct voices, one belonging to the Lady Emmagan and the other two prove to belong to the Lords McKay and Sheppard, whom my source saw exiting the chambers a couple hours later.

Now, of course this is speculation of the wildest, most indecent sort, the speculation in which no responsible, truth-seeking writer (such as myself) would indulge. But I invite you to consider how it would look, Teyla Emmagan's body shining brightly with sweat, gilded by light and shadowed by Sheppard when he bends to kiss her, and Rodney McKay, he of the eloquent tongue, reduced to silence, pale where he lies between her legs.

It is, as I have said, speculation--but I believe it is worth considering, nonetheless.

Excerpt, by Anonymous

There are those who whisper that Lord Sheppard's need for many sexual partners was a matter of political necessity rather than personal preference. Some say the good queen held the keys to his kingdom and forced him to serve at her pleasure. Others believe that Sheppard was held captive to the many and perverse desires of Lord McKay, upon whom so much of his power depended.

But those closest to the king say that he needed no coaxing to attend either the marital bed or his lover's pallet, that it was Sheppard himself who held lord and queen both, in thrall to his tongue, fingers, loins, and cock.

Thus was it said that the queen admitted him at will to her bedchamber and begged for the slow touch of his hands; thus was it said throughout the land, albeit in hushed tones, that only Sheppard's lips could stop McKay's mouth, though few truly finished the proverb by explicating the body part to which said lips would be applied.

One Native's Tale, by Macey_muse

Kalad was fairly certain he had not signed up for this.

’ÄòCome see the City of the Ancients,' they said. 'Come trade with the galaxy in her halls,' they said. 'Come venerate the king who will liberate us all,' they said, or rather implied.

They hadn't mentioned the sheer volume of traders who wear spreading their wares across the marketplace. The way the scent of Polanian spices mingled with the smell of countless different species of beasts from countless planets. The constant pressure of this number of people even existing in one place - and yes, Kalad knew that Atlantis was shielded. It still didn't feel safe.

They hadn't mentioned the way Atlantis's halls and doorways were blocked from casual access. They hadn't mentioned that it was a bad idea to go wandering in search of a little peace whilst your father unloaded the wagon, in case you accidentally followed someone through a door that you probably weren't allowed through.

And when they spoke about venerating the saviour-king Sheppard, they certainly hadn't mentioned that he rather preferred to be the one doing the venerating himself.

Somewhere between mortified and terrified, Kalad huddled deeper into the alcove he was hiding in and wished himself home, before he was found and got his entire planet blacklisted. That, or died of embarrassment - in the corridor just beyond, he could hear them. "Sheppard, J-John, ah god--"

A wet noise, followed - Kalad blocked his ears - by a moan, and a litany of Lantean curses. They grew louder, fabric sliding against fabric until that voice descended into complete incoherence, babbling and panting in counterpoint to the greedy slurping noises underneath. A gasp, and then a muffled thud as - Kalad's brain supplied, from the brief glimpse he'd caught before hiding in the first place - someone hit the floor. A long moment of silence followed. Kalad's foot was cramping and he tried to breathe shallowly, praying to avoid attention for just long enough.

Then - "I can't believe you just did that." A snort, and shuffling noises. "No seriously, I cannot believe you just did that. We are in the middle of a corridor! Anyone could have walked past; it would have taken five minutes to--"

"Rodney."

"What?"

A huff of laughter, then "I felt like it."

"Well they're your knees, Colonel 'felt-like-it'. Personally I don't see the problem with postponing such activities until we've reached our perfectly comfortable--"

They must have turned a corner, because the voices had faded. Kalad unfolded himself from his nook in shock.

Next time he needed 'a little peace,' he'd find a blanket to hide under instead.

Excerpt, by Speranza

It was said that when the King did not wish to visit the queen's bed he sent McKay to her, his other self. The queen found this no small consolation, for in truth, as they who loved the king best, queen and lover were in sympathy and shared true understanding. Kall'e Fronde, once a young maid in the queen's service, later told of spying upon a long and desperate lovemaking from behind one of the queen's dressing screens: "The queen was half undressed and sitting across his legs. The Lord McKay cupped her full breast in his hand, thumb circling her erect nipple. She shifted in his lap, opening her thighs and briefly exposing her sex, and then he groaned and slid his hand down, fingers playfully tangling in the dark curls before slipping inside her. She bore down on his hand, head falling back, gasping. Panting, too, McKay pleasured her in this fashion until her voice was hoarse with crying out." There are those who say that this was not true, that Kall'e Fronde never served the queen in such capacity, but it certainly the Lord McKay and the Queen often exchanged glances of great intimacy, so tales as these, however prurient, can not be dismissed out of hand.

Excerpt, by yinkawills

The Naveen of Tarsan, chronicling as they do our great and glorious history, have recorded how the famous alliance with the Returned of Atlantis came about. It is said that King Vux the First, a warrior of great renown, and moreover a handsome, virile man, happened to catch the eye of The Great Scientist, prince Mckay. This happenstance was during a visit by a delegation from The Ancestral City, to trade for some of the sacred rock of Tarsan,which possessed qualities prized by the Returned.

King Vux the First is recorded to have engaged in arguement of a sort so volatile, shortly after first meeting McKay, that it was initially feared that peaceful relations between Tarsan and Returned would not be possible. Indeed, Fim Ferin of the Naveen has written that the sovreign and the Great Scientist had to be seperated by attendants, although Ver Verin has denounced this as exagerated.

Be that as it may, from a near hostile beginning, over the course of many moons and a number of visits by the Great Scientist, McKay and the Lesser Great Scientist, Zelenka, it was noted that the King-himself a man of some learning with an aptitude for enabling Acestral artefacts to come to life- was finding great pleasure in the company of prince McKay.

Veel Vol of the Naveen records sightings of the King and the prince of the Returned, sharing simple meals after many hours in the Tarsan Hall of Artefacts, walking in the beautiful gardens of Loth (although Fim Ferrin disputes this as his book 'The Returned and their Ways' alleges the Great Scientist suffered from various medical conditions giving him an abhorrence of nature. He states furthermore that the relationship between the King and prince McKay 'consisted of continual arguement- hardly condusive to a love affair').

Mal Molla, who has found fame with her racy, some say- scandalous-- account of King Vux's reign, has quoted servants attending the Royal household at that time saying that on one occasion, when rumours of all not being well between The Great Scientist McKay and the legendary King of Atlantis, John Sheppard had reached Tarsan, the Great Scientist made an unscheduled visit through the ancestral ring, attended by only one Scientist and one warrior. During this alleged visit, the prince McKay was said to have spent many hours closeted with King Vux, in his private quarters, and when he finally emerged, the state of his person and clothes were highly suggestive of an intimate encounter.

Molla's great rival amongst Naveen scholars, Dal Halla goes further: He claims in his notorious record of King Vux's reign 'Vux: Warrior, Scholar, Lover' to have an eyewitness account given by the personal bodyservant of King Vux, on said servant's death bed, that runs thus:

'I attended the King's private chambers with clothing to be laid out for him to wear the following day, as was my custom. I noted that the King's bedroom door was ajar, and I could hear groaning coming from within. Alarmed that the Sovereign might be ill, I rushed to the door but by good fortune did not enter but stood at the threshold. I saw King Vux, lying on the bed naked, on top of another man,who lay on his back, also naked. The King was engaged in very vigorous congress with the man, who I recoginised as our distinguished visitor,the Great Scientist prince of Atlantis, who was urging him on. I withdrew very shortly, but could not help but see how the King lifted prince McKay's legs onto his shoulders,in order to enable deeper penetration,and how they moved against each other in a way that suggested familiarity with each other, and great passion.'

Fim Ferrin has criticised this account as wildly improbable. Particularly since, according to the same servant, the following day, King Sheppard himself is supposed to have made an unscheduled visit to Taran, and to have departed with prince McKay shortly thereafter.

'It is clear'Ferrin states, 'that the Great Scientist's visit on that occasion was connected to an emergency involving the Ancestral Artefacts known to be the subject of study for both learned Scholars on Taran and the Returned. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that the King of Atlantis, a man whose movements, save for state occasions was often shrouded in mystery, would leave his considerable responsibilities for an unscheduled journey to a foreign planet,for such a trivial purpose.Halla seeks, by placing such stories in his book, to create an air of scandal and intrigue that ill behoves a serious scholar'

Be that as it may, it is a matter of record that for a time there was a strain in the alliance between Tarsan and the Returned of Atlantis, and matters only improved after a visit by Ambassador Dex, whose legendary skills in diplomatic relations paved the way for the resumption of close ties.

It is also a matter of record that visits by the Great Scientist thereafter were rare, that from then on, either the Lesser Great Scientist Zelenka or other distinguished colleagues came to continue the study of the sacred rock and the Ancestral artefacts. Five thalls later, King Vux entered into a marriage with his Consort, Lord Tor of the Sintha clan.

Critical Commentary

Syllabus, by Slybrarian

One of the most interesting subjects of study in modern sociology is the interaction for history and mythology with regards to early modern Lantean history. While we have a reasonably clear picture of the period of the founding, thanks to the extensive store of primary sources available within the database, the tens of thousands of other worlds and societies of Pegasus make do with little more than legend and hearsay. Even after nearly two centuries of the Galactic Uplift Program, the vast majority of the galaxies population remains in pre-industrial societies with only limited contact with Atlantis. Even advanced societies such as the Genii have fragmented recollections at best - in the case of the Genii, for example, Sheppard is a figure to be feared as much as revered. It is one of the great gifts to our generation that we have plentiful documentation of how these stories change over the years and as they are handed from world to world.

This course will examine the roots and evolution of the innumerable stories surrounding the sexual and romantic relationships of the first generation. The primary focus will be on Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay, and Teyla Emmagen, but we will also touch on the lives of several others of the original expedition for comparison and contrast, including Ronon Dex, First Sergeant Adam Stackhouse, Doctor Radek Zelenka, and Doctor Miko Kusanagi. We will touch on stories, both historical and modern, from a dozen different worlds. These will be compared to Lantean memoirs, reports, and surveillance footage from the period. Individual research projects exploring these primary sources will be a key part of the course.

Doctor Edward Keller
Course Syllabus, SOC 453 - "History Becomes Legend: Interpretations of Sex and Romance"
Department of Sociology, University of Atlantis

Critical Excerpt, by slybrarian

Quite frankly, the reputation Sheppard has gained in the vulgate tradition around the galaxy seems completely unfounded when one actually looks at the primary sources available from the period. Yes, there are numerous remarks by McKay, but when one looks at them in context they seem more like playful jokes, perhaps referencing a more active time in Sheppard's youth. In fact, there is also no evidence of Sheppard having sexual encounters with anyone by McKay and his consort Teyla Emmagen that can be verified. Certainly one can not rely on blatantly fabricated tales such as the one written by Mariet Soo of the Ji Sukan, or the dozens other like it. This holds especially true when it comes to women. Take for example this overheard conversation between two soldiers, recorded by Brother Jerratus of the Toran Monestery: "Believe me, Cadman, I'm as surprised as you are about this marriage thing. I thought he was queer as a three-dollar bill. I mean, have you ever seen his face when a woman touches him? Maybe we should draw him some instructions or something, because God knows he's going need some help."

Critical Excerpt, by Speranza

"In contrast, there is a long history of warriors gaining strength from their sexual association with other men; it is believed that Sheppard, too, gained strength in this fashion. While 'his face when a woman touches him' was, by all accounts, the very picture of discomfort, there are those who said that his eye never failed to turn to appreciate a strong young limb, though his hands stretched out only for McKay, toward and for his beloved McKay, all the days of his life."

Critical Excerpt, by Xenacryst

What those historians that claim an enduring sexual bond only between Sheppard and either McKay or Emmagen fail to account for is the reality that he was passionately in love with both of them. Those that claim his devotion to McKay and cite the parade of lovers that crossed Emmagen's doorstep are making much the same error as those that dismiss the numerous risque anecdotes of McKay and Sheppard as mere playful references to a shared Earth history. Although it would certainly be unwise to take at face value certain highly sexualized parts of the mythos that has grown up around these three figures, there is nevertheless ample evidence to conclude that Sheppard enjoyed, equally, the physical pleasures of both his consort and his lifelong friend. That both occasionally took other lovers merely points to the open and trusting relationship upon which they built their lives and the success of their government.

The End