Chapter 3: Shadows
Rodney McKay pulled a power bar out of his vest pocket and slowly began to unwrap it. They had been walking through dense forest now for over an hour and he was starving. the trail they were following was practically invisible and so full of twists, turns, and switchbacks that he had stopped trying to keep track of the path within the first twenty minutes. Instead he just followed behind Ronon, attempting to pick up any energy readings on his scanner. So far he hadn’t had any luck, no matter how much he adjusted the sensors. It was baffling to him. If Replicators were on this planet, an energy signature should have been registering...
“I don’t get it,” he said out loud to no one in particular. “Every bit of Replicator technology we’ve come across before has given off some kind of energy. This must be something new... unless, and I highly doubt it, they’ve decided to live as hermits in some miserable leaky hut.” He glanced up at Shanna. “No offense.”
She gave him an odd look. “None taken,” she said, and resumed searching the forest for the trail. She had proven to be a good guide, finding the way quickly and easily. She hadn’t said much, only asking a few questions about where they had come from. The brief descriptions of Atlantis seemed to impress her, and she had expressed a desire to one day see such a marvelous place, but she soon became completely focused on the task at hand.
Rodney finished his snack and stuffed the crumpled wrapper back into his pocket before once again taking up his scanner. “Anything yet Rodney?” asked Sheppard. He replied in the negative and was just about to fiddle with his machine some more when the group suddenly came to a stop. He narrowly avoided running into Ronon’s back and looked up in surprise, wondering what was going on.
Shanna had stopped beside a large oak-like tree and turned around to face the Lanteans. “This is as far as I will go with you,” she said. “The lomya encampment is not a great distance from here, and I promised Derlin. You should be able to discover the rest of the path with ease.”
“Thanks for your help,” said Sheppard.
“You are welcome. It was only my duty,” She took a few steps back down the trail before pausing. “I wish you luck in whatever you plan to do here.” She glanced in the direction of the Replicator dwelling and gave an uneasy smile. “I admit I am glad I promised not to go any farther. The lomya frighten me and I am not sorry to have an excuse to avoid being near them.”
She said goodbye and started the long walk back to the village. When she had vanished among the trees, John turned to Ronon. “You’re up.” Ronon drew his gun and led the way past the large tree and into the deep forest.
Even though it was the middle of the day, the shadows made the place appear permanently bathed in late twilight. John looked up and saw nothing but leaves and branches, not a hint of sky to be seen anywhere. He had grown accustomed to Atlantis’s airy hallways and large sunny windows, and felt a mild sense of claustrophobia coming on, which he quickly shook off. ‘I bet Rodney’s having fun right now,’ he thought, remembering how often the scientist mentioned his fear of enclosed spaces.
As if right on cue, McKay’s voice floated past John. “This place gives me the creeps. All we need is a little fog and a vicious monster and this would be the perfect setting for a horror movie.”
John smirked. “Yeah, and I wonder who would get eaten first?”
“Oh ha ha very amusing. You know...”
“Quiet,” ordered Ronon. He had frozen in place, his eyes scanning the forest surrounding them. “We’re here.” He pointed to a large clump of overgrown bushes sitting at the base of a small hill. Barely visible behind the thick leaves was the frame of a metal doorway.
“Huh,” said Rodney, “I never imagined the Replicators as the type to hide their secret bases with greenery.”
“Something doesn’t feel right,” said John. He had his P-90 at the ready and was slowly turning in a circle, eyeing the trees warily. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. The only sounds were the leaves rustling in a slight breeze and the noise made by the teams’ boots as they crunched through the undergrowth. “Does this feel like a trap to anyone else?”
Ronon strode up to the bushes and pulled them away from the doorway, revealing a seamless sheet of metal. There was no access panel and no way to get in. “Yeah. It does.” He moved to stand beside John and held out his gun in front of him, a small whine announcing the weapon was no longer set to stun.
“It’s not like the Replicators need doors,” said Rodney, a slight note of panic creeping into his voice. “I mean they walk through walls all the time. This could just be a...a... a security precaution.” Neither man answered, too busy concentrating on the trees. Rodney reluctantly prepped his P-90 and joined them.
They waited for a full two minutes with no sign of any activity. John felt his nerves stretching to a breaking point. His whole body was tensed like a coiled spring, awaiting... anything. He wished if they were going to attack they would just do it already.
There was a noise off to John’s right. He slowly pivoted and raised his gun in the direction of the sound. It grew louder as it got closer, and John’s finger inched towards the trigger. He put the sight to his eye and prepared to fire. The undergrowth shook and suddenly... Shanna burst into the clearing, out of breath and disheveled. John brought his gun down immediately.
“What..?” he began. A blue light flashed by him and he saw Rodney fall to the ground on his left. He spun to face the attacker and caught only a glimpse of an unfamiliar face before an intense pain raced through him and darkness closed in.
oOo
John woke up with a groan. He felt like he was nothing but one giant ache. He opened his eyes, but shut them again just as quickly. He was lying on his back and a bright light was shining right in his face. Hoping to get away from it, he turned on his side and with a colossal effort managed to sit up. The light wasn’t as blinding now, and John could actually see where he was.
He was in an empty room. There was nothing in it but him and a heavy table that looked like it hadn’t been moved in a while. The room had a definite Lantean look to it, confirming what John already knew about his captor’s identity. He rubbed the back of his aching neck and started looking for a way out. There was no entry panel on this side of the door. He looked away from it in disgust. It might as well have been a solid wall for all the good it would do him without one. There were no windows to break or handy vents in the ceiling to climb out through. It appeared he was stuck.
As the pain from being stunned slowly receded, John remembered his teammates. He had no clue where they were being held or what was happening to them right now. ‘Not that I could do anything about it if I did,’ he thought ruefully. He mentally relived what had occurred in the forest. Shanna... He didn’t think she was working for the Replicators. She didn’t seem like the type. Had they just chased her then? He would have thought...
The door slid open, and John pulled himself to his feet. In walked the Replicator he had seen in the clearing just before he passed out- the man with curly blondish hair and a thin face. He looked at John, his eyes revealing no trace of any kind of emotion. He came fully into the room and stood directly in front of where the colonel was leaning against the wall.
“Why have you come here?” he asked flatly.
“What, you’re asking questions? I thought you preferred to just stick your hand in people’s heads.”
“At the moment that is not necessary. Why have you come here?”
“Oh, you know, new planet, new places. Just thought we’d see the local sights.”
“We know that you are from Atlantis. There is no point in hiding that fact.”
“Well,” said John casually, “I guess that just makes my job a little easier then.”
The Replicator stared at John, as if considering what his next move should be. He closed his eyes, silently communicating with someone. A minute later his eyes snapped open. “We will know why you have come to this planet. Make no mistake about that.” He turned and walked towards the doorway. “Until that time, perhaps a little reunion...”
John was confused. They hadn’t probed his mind, hadn’t even really questioned him and they were already letting him see Rodney and Ronon? That didn’t make any sense... He put a hand over his face and tried to rub away the headache he felt coming on. The door to his prison opened with a hiss and someone walked in.
“John?” The voice sounded absolutely astonished. That voice... He froze, almost afraid to look. He knew that voice. It was one he had never expected to hear again. Very slowly, he took his hand away from his face and looked up.
Shock closed his throat, forcing him to whisper. “Elizabeth...”
Rodney McKay pulled a power bar out of his vest pocket and slowly began to unwrap it. They had been walking through dense forest now for over an hour and he was starving. the trail they were following was practically invisible and so full of twists, turns, and switchbacks that he had stopped trying to keep track of the path within the first twenty minutes. Instead he just followed behind Ronon, attempting to pick up any energy readings on his scanner. So far he hadn’t had any luck, no matter how much he adjusted the sensors. It was baffling to him. If Replicators were on this planet, an energy signature should have been registering...
“I don’t get it,” he said out loud to no one in particular. “Every bit of Replicator technology we’ve come across before has given off some kind of energy. This must be something new... unless, and I highly doubt it, they’ve decided to live as hermits in some miserable leaky hut.” He glanced up at Shanna. “No offense.”
She gave him an odd look. “None taken,” she said, and resumed searching the forest for the trail. She had proven to be a good guide, finding the way quickly and easily. She hadn’t said much, only asking a few questions about where they had come from. The brief descriptions of Atlantis seemed to impress her, and she had expressed a desire to one day see such a marvelous place, but she soon became completely focused on the task at hand.
Rodney finished his snack and stuffed the crumpled wrapper back into his pocket before once again taking up his scanner. “Anything yet Rodney?” asked Sheppard. He replied in the negative and was just about to fiddle with his machine some more when the group suddenly came to a stop. He narrowly avoided running into Ronon’s back and looked up in surprise, wondering what was going on.
Shanna had stopped beside a large oak-like tree and turned around to face the Lanteans. “This is as far as I will go with you,” she said. “The lomya encampment is not a great distance from here, and I promised Derlin. You should be able to discover the rest of the path with ease.”
“Thanks for your help,” said Sheppard.
“You are welcome. It was only my duty,” She took a few steps back down the trail before pausing. “I wish you luck in whatever you plan to do here.” She glanced in the direction of the Replicator dwelling and gave an uneasy smile. “I admit I am glad I promised not to go any farther. The lomya frighten me and I am not sorry to have an excuse to avoid being near them.”
She said goodbye and started the long walk back to the village. When she had vanished among the trees, John turned to Ronon. “You’re up.” Ronon drew his gun and led the way past the large tree and into the deep forest.
Even though it was the middle of the day, the shadows made the place appear permanently bathed in late twilight. John looked up and saw nothing but leaves and branches, not a hint of sky to be seen anywhere. He had grown accustomed to Atlantis’s airy hallways and large sunny windows, and felt a mild sense of claustrophobia coming on, which he quickly shook off. ‘I bet Rodney’s having fun right now,’ he thought, remembering how often the scientist mentioned his fear of enclosed spaces.
As if right on cue, McKay’s voice floated past John. “This place gives me the creeps. All we need is a little fog and a vicious monster and this would be the perfect setting for a horror movie.”
John smirked. “Yeah, and I wonder who would get eaten first?”
“Oh ha ha very amusing. You know...”
“Quiet,” ordered Ronon. He had frozen in place, his eyes scanning the forest surrounding them. “We’re here.” He pointed to a large clump of overgrown bushes sitting at the base of a small hill. Barely visible behind the thick leaves was the frame of a metal doorway.
“Huh,” said Rodney, “I never imagined the Replicators as the type to hide their secret bases with greenery.”
“Something doesn’t feel right,” said John. He had his P-90 at the ready and was slowly turning in a circle, eyeing the trees warily. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. The only sounds were the leaves rustling in a slight breeze and the noise made by the teams’ boots as they crunched through the undergrowth. “Does this feel like a trap to anyone else?”
Ronon strode up to the bushes and pulled them away from the doorway, revealing a seamless sheet of metal. There was no access panel and no way to get in. “Yeah. It does.” He moved to stand beside John and held out his gun in front of him, a small whine announcing the weapon was no longer set to stun.
“It’s not like the Replicators need doors,” said Rodney, a slight note of panic creeping into his voice. “I mean they walk through walls all the time. This could just be a...a... a security precaution.” Neither man answered, too busy concentrating on the trees. Rodney reluctantly prepped his P-90 and joined them.
They waited for a full two minutes with no sign of any activity. John felt his nerves stretching to a breaking point. His whole body was tensed like a coiled spring, awaiting... anything. He wished if they were going to attack they would just do it already.
There was a noise off to John’s right. He slowly pivoted and raised his gun in the direction of the sound. It grew louder as it got closer, and John’s finger inched towards the trigger. He put the sight to his eye and prepared to fire. The undergrowth shook and suddenly... Shanna burst into the clearing, out of breath and disheveled. John brought his gun down immediately.
“What..?” he began. A blue light flashed by him and he saw Rodney fall to the ground on his left. He spun to face the attacker and caught only a glimpse of an unfamiliar face before an intense pain raced through him and darkness closed in.
oOo
John woke up with a groan. He felt like he was nothing but one giant ache. He opened his eyes, but shut them again just as quickly. He was lying on his back and a bright light was shining right in his face. Hoping to get away from it, he turned on his side and with a colossal effort managed to sit up. The light wasn’t as blinding now, and John could actually see where he was.
He was in an empty room. There was nothing in it but him and a heavy table that looked like it hadn’t been moved in a while. The room had a definite Lantean look to it, confirming what John already knew about his captor’s identity. He rubbed the back of his aching neck and started looking for a way out. There was no entry panel on this side of the door. He looked away from it in disgust. It might as well have been a solid wall for all the good it would do him without one. There were no windows to break or handy vents in the ceiling to climb out through. It appeared he was stuck.
As the pain from being stunned slowly receded, John remembered his teammates. He had no clue where they were being held or what was happening to them right now. ‘Not that I could do anything about it if I did,’ he thought ruefully. He mentally relived what had occurred in the forest. Shanna... He didn’t think she was working for the Replicators. She didn’t seem like the type. Had they just chased her then? He would have thought...
The door slid open, and John pulled himself to his feet. In walked the Replicator he had seen in the clearing just before he passed out- the man with curly blondish hair and a thin face. He looked at John, his eyes revealing no trace of any kind of emotion. He came fully into the room and stood directly in front of where the colonel was leaning against the wall.
“Why have you come here?” he asked flatly.
“What, you’re asking questions? I thought you preferred to just stick your hand in people’s heads.”
“At the moment that is not necessary. Why have you come here?”
“Oh, you know, new planet, new places. Just thought we’d see the local sights.”
“We know that you are from Atlantis. There is no point in hiding that fact.”
“Well,” said John casually, “I guess that just makes my job a little easier then.”
The Replicator stared at John, as if considering what his next move should be. He closed his eyes, silently communicating with someone. A minute later his eyes snapped open. “We will know why you have come to this planet. Make no mistake about that.” He turned and walked towards the doorway. “Until that time, perhaps a little reunion...”
John was confused. They hadn’t probed his mind, hadn’t even really questioned him and they were already letting him see Rodney and Ronon? That didn’t make any sense... He put a hand over his face and tried to rub away the headache he felt coming on. The door to his prison opened with a hiss and someone walked in.
“John?” The voice sounded absolutely astonished. That voice... He froze, almost afraid to look. He knew that voice. It was one he had never expected to hear again. Very slowly, he took his hand away from his face and looked up.
Shock closed his throat, forcing him to whisper. “Elizabeth...”