stargateficrec | Howl, by MyDoranda (AO3-T)

Show: SGA

Rec Category: Rodney McKay
Characters:Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Carson Beckett, Teyla Emmagan, Elizabeth Weir, Radek Zelenka, Ronon Dex, Kate Heightmeyer
Pairings: None
Categories: Gen, Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Warnings: Implied (Off screen) Sexual Assault, Psychological Trauma, Mention of Suicide.
Author's Journal: Unknown
Author's Website: On AO3
Link: Howl - On AO3

Why This Must Be Read: This fic is a hard read but ultimately a very worthwhile one. Rodney is captured off-world, presumed dead by his team, and forced to work as a slave. There's a lot of SGA stories that are similar and I've honestly probably read all of them because this is a particular favourite trope of mine. What elevates this one though, is the way the recovery and rescue are handled.

There's no quick fix in this fic and the gamut of emotions and reactions are startlingly real and just wonderfully imagined.

The tags and warnings are there for a reason but it is ultimately a hopeful fic and the worst things happen offstage. I really hope more people read it because I loved it and the author deserves a wider audience.

Report number: #MIS-06-869-82PL67
Planet designation: P3X-432
Date of mission: 21.16.2917 (ACT)
Type of mission: official diplomatic initial contact, trade agreement exploration
Team members R. Dex, T. Emmagan, Dr. R. McKay, and myself made a trip to P3X-432 to explore trade agreements regarding produce, notably beans.

The day was unremarkable and included shared meals, the usual meet and greet with government officials and various members of the population, and tours of the city which mainly focused their food storage facilities.

[snipped: details of tour]

Shortly before we were to return to Atlantis, there was an explosion in a building roughly a kilometer away from our central meeting place. It was at that time we discovered that Dr. R. McKay was missing. We responded immediately to the scene of the explosion. This focus became much more immediately pertinent when we learned from eyewitnesses that McKay was one of two people seen entering the building just before its destruction. I initialized immediate emergency assistance from Atlantis in the form of an official Rescue and Recovery Unit. With the assistance of much of a local labor force, as well as our own personnel, an exhaustive search of the building’s ruins was completed very quickly. Human remains and other evidence were discovered in the rubble. Atlantis Forensics determined these were the remains of McKay and at least two unidentified persons. The mission, at that point, became a Recovery Unit.

While it is unknown why McKay had been in the building, we have speculated that he had gotten information regarding some sort of scientific breakthrough and decided to investigate on his own. This is something McKay had done in the past on a number of occasions. Given the evidence at hand, we have no reason to suspect McKay’s death was anything more than an accident involving improperly stored sirun fuel and an unattended fire. T. Emmagan has confirmed this scenario based on her current knowledge of Planet P3X-432’s reputation and presentation. Let me also add that we received the utmost in cooperation from all town leaders and citizens.

While it is not customary to include personal notes with mission reports, I want to add that besides being a highly valued member of my team, Rodney was a close friend. I take full responsibility for this tragedy. His death has been a great personal loss to me.

-- Signed, Lt. Col. John Sheppard, Military Commander of Atlantis