Chapter Text
Civilization stands on the cusp of a new era, and world renowned scientific rivals, Dr Rodney McKay and Dr Radek Zelenka have played a major role in bringing about this era. Now, mysterious heiress, Dr Elizabeth Weir wishes to bring them together for the first time, to join an expedition that may bring yet more astounding changes to the world.
With the help and personnel from the secretive US Special Projects Bureau, her expedition will travel, on the Airship Daedalus, piloted by maverick lighter-than-air cavalry officer John Sheppard, to the fabled lost city of Atlantis, which lies deep inside the hollow Earth. Danger and intrigue await them as agents of the Kaiser attempt to thwart their efforts before they've hardly begun, and other enemies, known and unknown lie in their path.
McKay and Zelenka will find friendship and more as they fight to survive, and to prevent a terrible, ancient enemy from escaping the world below to invade the world above. Sheppard will find an old love, then a new one and will, for a time, believe he has lost both; Weir will fulfill a destiny laid on her by her grandfather and find love in an unexpected place, and McKay will be reunited with his sister, who has chosen a path of isolation in a convent, but finds herself swept into to her brother's adventures in spite of her vows.
The crew of the Daedalus, the scientists of the SPB and the remarkable and courageous tribes people of the hollow Earth will strive together against ancient enemies and new ones and seek to plumb the Mystery of the Star's Heart.
****
Prologue
In those days it could be said that the whole world -the whole western world, at any rate- eagerly anticipated every new missive from Drs McKay and Zelenka. Any publication which might feature an article, paper or even an editorial from either of these two savants would be guaranteed to fly off the shelves the moment it was released, for people of all walks of life knew that their future might be written there.
Such writings contained more than material of technical interest, however. Many people were just as enchanted with the two scientists' ongoing feud as they were with their scientific revelations. Every breakthrough announced by McKay was certain to be followed by an excoriating criticism by Zelenka, and every new theory released by Zelenka was sure to be eviscerated by McKay. Indeed, the debate as to which scientist was the more brilliant was matched by the debate as to which had the most cutting wit.
Each scientist had their own followers and fans, and there were even times, when, lubricated with enough drink or aggravating circumstances, parties in opposing camps came to blows. Many were those, however, who forbore from speculating as to who was the more brilliant, but who expressed the opinion that, were the two scientists ever to join forces, then surely a new and even more miraculous era would come to pass.
But such a thing could never be, as it was well known by one and all that the two men detested each other. Furthermore, Zelenka was a world renowned recluse, and never left his isolated workshop and laboratories, located in the remote and mountainous land of eastern Bohemia. What was the point of wishing for such impossible things?
And yet, one day, there came one who did more than wish, and she was a woman who was not accustomed to taking 'no' for an answer. Dr Elizabeth Weir was just as well known for making the impossible possible as the two scientists she sought to recruit, and thus did she, and they, come to change the world.
****