ship_manifesto

Title: Three is Better
Author:

cassiejamie
E-Mail: angelusaquiluscaelitus@hotmail.com
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard/Carson Beckett
Spoilers: Up to and including S2's Instinct.
Notes: Special thanks to

amezri who pushed me when I needed it and read it over until it made sense. This manifesto is 3500+ words.

The Show
Stargate: Atlantis is the ~~bastard lovechild~~ spin-off series of Stargate: SG-1. Based on research done in Antarctica, an expedition was sent to the city of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy. Their mission is to find aliens and make friends, but as usual for the show, they ~~fuck it up~~ make a few enemies, including the beings that chased the Ancients from Pegasus known as the Wraith, and must make do since they’re cut off from Earth. They're joined by the people of Athos, led by Teyla Emmagen. Since they cannot return to their homeworld safely, they create a village on the mainland of the planet Atlantis is on while Teyla stays behind. It is with her, Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, and Aiden Ford, that the flagship team is made.

In the beginning of Season two, however, they are reconnected with Earth through the Daedalus, an intersteller space ship capable of making the trip to Atlantis from Earth in eighteen days. The ship's captain, ~~AD Skinner~~ Colonel Caldwell (played by Mitch Pileggi), almost immediately begins butting heads with John and Elizabeth. This makes for some interesting play between the lead characters. It is also at the beginning of season two that Aiden Ford changes and Ronan Dex joins the team in his place which changes the team dynamic as well. No longer is there Ford following everyone of John's orders but Dex putting up a little fight here and there about them as in Season two's Condemned.

The People

Dr. Rodney McKay, Ph.D.
(The Amazing David Hewlett)
"And I am responsible for his death, yes. I am painfully aware of that. I sent him in there and I will have to live with that for the rest of my life. But we have a responsibility to understand what happened and learn from it."
Referring to Collins, Trinity.
Snarkier than your average scientist and the self proclaimed smartest man in Pegasus, Rodney was one of the two characters on the show to have appeared on SG-1 prior to his universe-crossing trip. In those episodes - 48 Hours and Redemption, he managed to insult Sam Carter by calling her a “dumb blonde” which gained him no points with her. Because of his attitude and behavior, he also got sent to Siberia. Literally. He was apparently recalled to Antarctica after O’Neill’s recovery from ~~Daniel’s bedroom~~ the stasis chamber in SG-1’s New Order, where he was working with all the technology discovered there.

"People don’t just see things and drop dead, Lieutenant."
Hot Zone
Rodney’s one of the best characters on the show for many reasons:
1. He boasts about his genius all the time. Even at the most inopportune moments.
---- The Storm & The Eye: “I don't know if you noticed or not but I'm an extremely arrogant man who tends to think all of his plans will work!”
---- Underground: “Did I mention I know almost everything about almost everything?”
2. Though arrogant and sometimes overly critical, he’s still human and a brave one at that.
---- The Storm: Stepped in front of the gun for Elizabeth. "You need her!"
---- The Intruder: Goes into the hanger bay with John where there is a likelyhood of decompression to get the memory boards from the F-302's. He and John then go into the corona sphere of a sun.
3. Rodney's, well, Rodney. He doesn't apologize for his actions most of the time and he doesn't care to sugarcoat things for people nor shell out compliments unless necessary as in the opening minutes of Hot Zone. It is because of this that I find his interplay with Carson and John most interesting.

There are two forms of Rodney McKay as I have found. The first, Canon version, follows the points I've made above. However I must make mention of the Fandom version - a man who had emotionally distant or abusive parents, never dated because of his ineptitude with women, and while he hates children will love any of his own. These are clichés that may or may not be the Rodney the writers are giving us, but they're the clichés we've honed in on and enjoy writing about.

My usual interpretation of Rodney is such that while I will write him as being inept with relationships and a bad childhood, I try to make it more toward reality than others do. Rodney is a sarcastic, arrogant genius who definitely suffered some heartache along the line. He's not a broken person looking for that one person to make him whole; he's not a girl so I doubt he'd cry unless there was something truly horrendous happening. But that's my perception of him.

Lt. Col. John Sheppard
(The Facial Expression King Joe Flanigan)
“ I’m just naturally lazy, but I will [fight] if I have to – and it’s starting to look like we have to.”
Condemned
John likes ferris wheels, college football, and anything that goes faster than 200 miles an hour. I think those three things sum him up so very well. He’s a flirt, evident from the first time he meets Teyla. He's also far smarter than he allows himself to appear. John passed the MENSA test, though he didn't join. Obviously, he also has some talent with math given how he has done calculations in his head on a few occasions, notably in Rising and in Home. And while appearing carefree and pretty laid back, if there is a threat to his people or the city itself, John's not one to stand by. He definitely was trained well and is not afraid to kill as when the Genii attempted to take over the city during The Storm and The Eye. His anger in the two parter was something I equate to knowing Rodney wouldn't be able to handle himself well as well as the thought that if Elizabeth was dead nothing buffered Kolya from Rodney.

"Are you injured?" - Rodney
"Yeah, that’s what I mean by “I took some fire”." - John
Defiant One
Having not been introduced to the Stargate project until after he'd activated the control chair in Antartica, John had a hard time making the choice to go to Atlantis. The infamous coin flipping made his choice for him and he showed up on departure day looking almost nervous yet cocky. He meets his CO, immediately smarts off to him, and instantly won over fandom. He continues to be a smartass on many occasions and begins to 'snark' with Rodney about varied topics.

I often call John the facial expression king and with reason. John has many expressions, some of which are distinctly humourous, while others are so obviously directed at Rodney. He uses a lot of body language as he talks and it's something that everyone seems to have picked up on. His hair even appears to have moods - there are several instances where it flattens or is extra lively depending on what situation they are in. It is this behavior that makes it harder to find moments between himself and Carson, but it is there beneath all the attempts to look like just-friends.

John is also somewhat of an enigma. While we know of his black mark from Afghanistan and that he was attempting to save the lives of service men, it's not been discussed yet the exact details. It does set up the fact that John doesn't leave his people behind if he can help it. He doesn't like letting his friends go easily (Ford). Much about John is unknown and it's hoped that this season will bring out more. I certainly hope to hear if he has family and if he does, why he wouldn't have sent them any letters when they made the inital contact during Letters from Pegasus.

Dr. Carson Beckett, M.D.
(The Adorable Paul McGillion)
" I’m a doctor. I can help."
To a wraith, Duet.
Carson is the most interesting character. His speciality is at this time unknown, though Elizabeth referred to him in Intruder as her "Chief Surgeon". He is always the one around to treat injuries and illness, so he obviously takes his job as the CMO seriously. It is assumed he has some basis in genetics due to his making the discovery of the ATA gene and subsequent creation of the retrovirus to give the gene to the those who didn't have it. In Season two, the viewers find out that he and his department have even created another retrovirus - one that can recode a Wraith's DNA to accentuate the human portions and remove the wraith portions.

Despite Carson's discovery of the gene, he is terrified of using it. Carson seems to fear what could happen when he activates something. It doesn't help matters that after Rodney prodded him to sit in the control chair in Antartica, he set off an attack drone which nearly killed both John Sheppard and Jack O'Neill. He's a person who's almost scared of his surroundings and makes no excuses for his homesickness (Letters from Pegasus). He also, during the course of season one, didn't want to go through the stargate nor go on any missions. During Poisoning the Well, he complains that they shouldn't have volunteered him to go to Hoff without his permission.

"...but it’s the principle of the thing, isn’t it? You can’t go volunteering someone for something without consulting them first. That’s not even volunteering, is it? It’s being pressed into service. Not to mention the fact that I’m not..."
Poisoning the Well
However, in the second season, Carson is seen offworld without complaint and has appeared to have gotten over his fear of going through the 'gate (Duet). He was at ease while he was off-world too, though he is with Rodney and John in every instance. It is most likely because of the company he is with that he is less threatened by what he could potentially come up against.

Carson for the most part is a quiet man, rarely seen on the show and normally in his official capacity. He tends to only become authoritative when needed as with Aiden Ford during Siege III when the man left the infirmary. The distinction people have made about Carson is that while quiet, do not cross him in his infirmary. He has the last word there. But this may be just the Fannish (and my own) perception.

Why the Boys are Obvious
Not everyone's a person who has an OT3. They can only fathom two people or only sees the chemistry between two of the boys. For those who love one character and like seeing him with one person or another, it's like heaven getting to read John sandwiched between Rodney and Carson. And for some (like me), it's all about the subtle things they do. Like watch Rodney, a prickly man who is selective in letting people near him, act around John and Carson, From day one, Rodney's reacted to both of them differently than he does the rest of the people on the expedition.

For the purposes of this manifesto, there will be only a few episodes chosen with specific scenes referenced. I've done this because while I do have a catalogue of scenes in my head of the boys, I cannot write them all out and it justice.

"You need to get out more." - Rodney
"We're in another galaxy, how much more out can you get?" - Carson
Rising
Rodney, when we first meet him, is attempting to get Carson into the control chair. Carson will have none of that. It's been pointed out to me by people who don't even like slash that he treats Carson in the manner of an old friend not someone he (most likely) met when he arrived at the base. It's suspiciously different from how he treats everyone, even Elizabeth. And at the end of the episode, they are calm and relaxed as they talk to each other.

Unfortunately, there's no really interaction with Carson and John except early in the episode when John sits in the control chair. There I find that yes, there seems to be something of an undercurrent between the two - John seems to not really listen to what Carson's saying yet trusts him. That is my take on it and I've not seen any discussion of this so you're getting my opinion here.

Rodney and John in this episode have one shining moment that just screams UST. The permutations scene just after the city has risen from the ocean floor:

John: When can you tell me where the Wraith took Colonel Sumner and the others?
Rodney: Even with the six symbols Lieutenant Ford provided there are still hundreds of permutations ...
John: Seven hundred and twenty.
Rodney: Yes. I knew that of course. I’m just surprised you did.

It's as if Rodney had to take a second to process that the cute gay military man just did something intelligent. It's one of the best scenes in the episode and sets up the relationship between the two men so well it's hard to miss the chemistry they have with each other. For me, this was the moment where I began to see the McKay/Sheppard bits. When I first saw Rising it was like I was watching geek foreplay while John attempted to get his job done.

"Converting a human body into energy and sending it millions of light years through a wormhole – bloody insanity."
Poisoning the Well
For this episode, there are three important OT3 scenes - when John says that Carson will help, the walk through the tunnel, and when the boys meet Perna.

John: Our Doctor Beckett’s already volunteered to help us find that out.
Elizabeth: Oh, he has, huh?
John: He will.

Why would John make that statement? Perhaps because he knew that Carson would do ask his partners asked him to. Afterall, when John Sheppard gives the puppy eyes, it's hard to resist.

The second instance of OT3 occurs as the boys walk through the tunnel. They tease each other happily as they walk though Carson does seem disturbed by his surroundings. He makes a point of saying that he's being pressed into service and John cuts him off before Carson can launch into a rant about how he's not military. The undercurrent between the boys at this point is strong and it continues into the next scene when Carson is introduced to the "lovely" Perna. I note that John grins during this scene and it's very much like he's heard all the arguments before, perhaps something of pillow talk since we only hear Carson's "I'm not military" complaint once before in Rising.

When Carson and Perna meet, Carson gets a smitten look on his face while Rodney and John both look on. For me this is a very clear OT3 moment because of John and Rodney's reactions. Anyone who's watching can see the disgusted/annoyed looks that pass over both their faces. They obviously don't want anyone trespassing on their terroritory and especially not a girl at that. It's clear that they become jealous for a split second before slipping back into themselves and carrying on as if their boyfriend wasn't flirting with the local woman.

"Oh my God!" - Carson, relieved.
"No, no, that can’t be. We saw the hive ship go up." - Rodney
"I assure you, Doctor McKay, that Major Sheppard is alive and well." - Caldwell
Siege III

The beginning of the episode has the most obvious of all the OT3 moments. Rodney and Carson standing in the control center and watching as John continues on his suicide mission, both of them upset about it. There's a shared look with each other as if to say, "He didn't even say goodbye to us." And then there's the looks and relief on their faces when they hear that John is not dead. Rodney and Carson both sigh with relief after the Daedalus arrives, since Carson would have likely been the next one to go had John's plan worked.

It is obvious to people who don't even like the OT3 that something is going on between the three of them at that point. The intense looks passed between the two on the screen speak of something deeper than a close friendship. It even seems closer than a brotherly relationship; it's almost like the intimacy is right there in front of us. When asked about an OT3 moment, this is the one I normally pick just because of it's clarity. While Poisoning the Well gave me the overall feeling, this pretty much gave us canon.

"So, we’re cool." - John
"No, you’re cool, I’m fine." - Rodney
Duet
Duet was an episode loaded with slash. From the beginning with Carson's teasing of Rodney to Rodney's fumbling attempts with Katie Brown to the kiss at the end. It gave many of us canon proof of Rodney and Carson's relationship, though it gave good evidence of John's involvement as well.

After Rodney awakens and finds that Lt. Laura Cadman is in his mind, this exchange occurs:

Rodney: Well, we can’t all be track stars, now, can we? It was her again.
John to Carson: Maybe there’s something wrong an MRI wouldn’t pick up, if you know what I mean.
Carson tries to suppress a smile.
Rodney: I’m not crazy – I just have another consciousness in my brain.
John to Carson: So he just looks crazy.

John teases as if he knows it will just rile up Rodney, which it does, leading to the conversation on the walkway between Katie and Rodney. It is only through Laura's intervention that he manages to finagle something decent out to the woman before going on his merry way. What some have picked up on is that Rodney seems to lack any social graces with the opposite sex. It pretty much proves right there that Rodney McKay is gay, though lack of finesse with Women doesn't mean much to some. While I understand that Rodney really could just be inept, when combined with his behaviors toward John and Carson, it seems that he has no grace with women because he doesn't really care for them.

As the episode progresses, Rodney has dinner with Katie and Carson, who'd been invited by Cadman. It ends with Rodney kissing Katie and putting one hand on Carson's face while he makes a hungry noise. Technically it is Cadman controlling his body yet there but it is still a moment I find strong between Carson and Rodney.

At the end however is the one of the best OT3 moments yet - as Carson and Rodney kiss, John looks on jealously.

I have deemed this John's "What about me?!" face.

A Bit About Me & Why Everyone Should Love Them
As for me, I fell into this pairing almost by accident. I had never read trio fic prior to entering the SGA fandom so I hadn't planned on reading it at all. It was after I'd gone through all the Beckett/McKay and McKay/Sheppard fics that I decided to try it and fell in love. An OT3 was born and from it I began writing fic with the pairing as well as reading. I find that of the few stories written with this pairing all are good, though a few are definitely noteworthy.

Why should we love the boys? Because what's prettier than two boys is three. The dynamic between them is just so perfect that to pairing them off in sets of two makes Rodney whimper and Carson sad. John may project a hetero attitude but it's hardly something to take seriously since he tries too hard to act interested with women. True he flirts but I see it as just for show, after all there is that pesky rule we all hate. And for John, Don't Ask Don't Tell didn't even exist when he joined up so his ability to repress his attraction to the opposite sex and appear disinterested must be strong. It's just amazing how despite that he gets in Rodney's personal space all the time and even gives crotch shots to Carson as in Instinct when John's sitting on the bed.

Supporting the Pairing
Comms/Archives
[x]

the_best_ot3 - A community specifically for all things Beckett/McKay/Sheppard.
[x]

the_gay_chip - Seen a moment between any characters that outs them? Report it here.
[x] Wraithbait Archive: Threesome category - Not too many stories, but definitely a few. :)

Stories
[x] A Little Gift by

mice1900
[x] No Greater Love by Adelle
[x] Coffee Rings and Fingerprints by Cynical
[x] Alone in Your Mind & What Dwells Within by James
[x] The Effects of Stress by

forcryinoutloud