Aegis
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Aegis |
| Author(s): | Springwoof and Leah |
| Date(s): | 2007 |
| Length: | 90,748 words |
| Genre(s): | slash fanfiction |
| Fandom(s): | Stargate Atlantis |
| Relationship(s): | |
| External Links: | Aegis |
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Aegis is a Stargate Atlantis John/Rodney story by Springwoof and Leah. It was written for the SGA Big Bang Challenge 2007. A fanfic cover and two illustrations were created by brevisse (ink and Prismacolor marker on paper) and the cover art is by Yin Li (digital). The story was the runner up in the category Canon AU in the 2007 McKay/Sheppard Fan Awards.
Summary: The Ancients' genes didn't just confer the power to activate their technology. For ten percent of Earth's population, like John Sheppard, the ATA gene also gave them Gifts: special abilities that made them admired, envied, and feared. Sheppard was a Charmer, one of the feared ones, whose particular Gift let him create faith whenever he needed to be trusted or believed. But Sheppard didn't trust himself not to destroy what he loved most. And somewhere along the line, amid the terror and chaos of the Expedition's first year in the Pegasus Galaxy, what Sheppard loved most had become Rodney McKay. McKay didn't trust anyone. As soon as you started trusting people, you started counting on them, depending on them, and that was when you became vulnerable. And vulnerable things didn't survive. So just when, exactly, had he started trusting Sheppard? And what was going to happen, now that he did?
Reactions and Reviews
In an alternate universe where a large portion of Earth's population has the ATA gene (albeit inactive in most of the population), the gene itself gives about ten percent of the population special powers ('Gifts'). Most of the Atlantis mission has these gifts; Aegis is a retelling of season one through this universe.This fic surprised me, because I wasn't thrilled with the premise but I ended up loving the story anyway. Unlike most super-power AUs, Aegis isn't a rehash of comic book mythology with SGA characters, and the most significant difference is also the one that really makes this story work: characters can't use their Gifts willy-nilly, because there is a physical cost (e.g. a huge calorie/glucose consumption by the body) each time they use it. As a result, not only do you not get a free pass out of the more difficult situations that came up in the series, but some crises become even more thrilling, due to the fact that characters are in danger of going into hypoglycemic shock if they're not careful.
On top of this, you have a really damaged John (who is, cleverly, a 'Chamer'), who is so afraid of his gift that he won't touch anyone or let anyone touch him. At all. As his history is slowly revealed through (thankfully short) flashbacks, you start to understand his aversion and at the same time you'll want to smack him because he's in love with Rodney and Rodney's in love with him and John needs to stop being an idiot already and get with the kissing. Arg! And yet this tension is what really makes the story so compelling, even if you aren't a huge fan of SuperPower!fic. Highly recommended for anyone looking for angst, action, and (mountains of) trust issues.[1]
I've always found superpowers fascinating; probably explains my initial obsession with Heroes. :) So imagine my sheer joy at finding Aegis by Leah and Springwoof. These two have created a wonderful world where the 10% of the population who has the Ancient gene also have extra abilities. What I really liked was how these abilities could be assets, yes, but they also came with their own liabilities. For example, John's ability makes him a social pariah and one who is severely feared by others. Other abilities leave their owner with mental or social issues like Bates and his lie detection. There's also the blood sugar requirement needed to power the abilities; and for one who has hypoglycemia like Rodney, that causes even more concern. And yet, through all this, the Atlantis expedition forges forward into history. A very fun and engrossing read!![2]
References
- ^ jane_elliot in epic_recs: Aegis by Springwoof and Leah (NC-17), 03 October 2007 (Accessed 05 March 2015)
- ^ "Rec by duonoaikouka posting in stargateficrec, Oct 29, 2010". Archived from the original on 2021-06-07.