“They look like regular windmills, sir.”
“They have to be powering something, Lieutenant.”
Sergeant Cole glanced up from inspecting the base of one of the mills. “Maybe they’re here for aesthetic purposes.”
Miller shot him a wry grin. “Yeah, just like Cole’s an aesthetic member of our team.”
Cole opened his mouth to retort when Katie interrupted to say she’d found something. She was standing at the base of one of the larger windmills amongst the particular group they had decided to investigate. Her hand was running over the engraved lettering on the side of the brick monster. Lorne took one glance at the lettering and rolled his eyes in a silent sigh.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to Doctor Weir about getting someone on my team who can read Ancient.”
“I can read Ancient.”
Miller shot a glance to Cole.
“He means can read Ancient good.”
“Well, I can’t read Ancient well,” Cole countered before they both closed their mouth with a quick, yet stern glance from the Major. Cole ducked his head and moved forward to the wall, studying it in silence.
“Anything?” Lorne asked after given him a few minutes to mull the Ancient text over, but they didn’t have all the time in the world. They were racing the clock.
Cole took a step back with his eyes still on the words and shrugged. “I think it says something about grains.”
“Grains?”
“Oats, specifically.”
“Oats,” Lorne repeated and frowned. “That doesn’t help us.”
“Maybe it’s a riddle,” Katie offered with a small smile.
“On how to make bread?” Miller grinned, but his face quickly turned back to the standard military expression when Lorne looked at him. “Sorry.”
Lorne paced away from the windmill, turned, and looked up at the large blades moving in a clockwise motion.
“Oats,” He repeated as his hands went to his hips and continued gazing upwards.
****
“Teyla?”
Ronon called out in the empty cavern he found himself thrust into. The heat of his breath condensed into white smoke and floated through the cool air. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline coursing through the Satedan’s veins, Ronon would be freezing.
The cavern that was mysteriously illuminated by a soft light was covered with white haze. His leather boots crunched softly in the undisturbed snow as he turned around in a circle to get his bearings. It was empty and completely enclosed by snow-covered walls in a large circle.
Convinced there had to be a way out, Ronon began to inspect the walls with his hand. The snow was soft, but compacted and seemed to stick against the solid rock walls of his prison. The temperature of the snow was beginning to numb his hand when his hand disappeared into the snow even further. He paused and pushed his hand in deeper and deeper until the snow was to his shoulder and then – air. There was a way out.
****
“What exactly are we looking for again?” Cole’s eyes glanced over the cluster of windmills. By his count, this was the ninth grouping of windmills they had explored and each grouping had ten to twenty windmills in them. If he never had to see another windmill again, he would be happy.
“We’re looking for one with a door. Or one with more writing,” Miller offered, eyeing the one closest to him.
Lorne finished walking the perimeter of a windmill and approached the two men. “Doc Brown thinks that maybe there’s a working mill that grounds oats.”
Cole frowned. “Does she realize how many windmills there seems to be?”
Major Lorne rubbed the top of his head. “It’s the only lead we have. And unless you can find that cave we went through, I suggest we keep looking for something. Anything.”
It took another three groupings before they found a windmill with a round wooden door. Compared to most of the mills, this one was relatively small and it possessed an extra panel on its fan. The sound emanating from behind the solid door was mechanical. The door itself wasn’t locked and the team entered without much of a challenge. However, once they were inside, they found themselves clueless once again.
“Any more ideas?” Lorne looked over to Katie Brown with a playful smile. The inside of the mill revealed an old-fashioned granary station. It was completely automated. The oats were crushed by the wind-propelled blades and slid down a chute that was too long to see far down.
Before Katie could answer, Cole spoke up. “There’s a trap door.”
They gathered around a small square door in the ground. There was a ladder leading down into the darkness. Major Lorne volunteered to go first. He lowered himself carefully down until his feet hit solid ground. Turning on the light from his P-90, Lorne tried to get his bearings. It looked like a small, empty room until a gust of wind rushed passed him, almost knocking him over, and a corridor of torches suddenly came to life.
“All clear. Come on down, guys,” Lorne shouted upwards as he began to walk towards the wall at the end of the corridor. Soon Cole, Miller, and Katie joined him, staring at a jewel in the middle of the wall he had discovered.
“Doesn’t this look like—“
“Yeah, yeah it does,” Lorne nodded to Miller.
“But I thought the Asgard –”
“Yeah, me too.”
Katie was the only one who looked confused as Lorne ran his hands through his hair. He gave her a smile.
“A couple of years ago SG-1 went to a planet protected under the Asgard treaty. They had to go through this trial thing and they described a jewel in a wall just like this one,” Katie suddenly halted and she looked at the wall again.
“The Asgard never mentioned they came to this galaxy before, did they?”
Lorne shook his head. “We haven’t found any evidence of them either.”
“Until now,” Cole said and reached out to touch it.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Lorne caught the man’s hand. “If we’re right, this thing takes us somewhere else, and that’s the good scenario.”
“Do we have any other choice, sir?”
Lorne took a moment and sighed. They didn’t. Instead of Cole touching it, Lorne stretched out his hand and grazed the smooth jewel with his fingertips. It glowed for a moment, but nothing happened. He tried again, but this time the jewel didn’t even glow. He frowned.
“I think I broke it,” he turned to Miller. “Can you fix it?”
“I’m not McKay, sir.”
“Thank God for that,” Cole snickered.
They tried the jewel a few more times before Lorne ordered everyone back up the ladder and out of the mill. It was starting to feel like a dead end when he glanced up to the sky and paused.
“Wow.”
A floating city. Lush, green vegetation was the most visible trait to the island in the sky. It looked as if it had been pulled right out of the ground. From where they stood, they could make out a large structure towering over the trees. The only question they all had was how they were supposed to get there. As if on cue, a white beam of light appeared from the centre of the windmill. They were enveloped in it and disappeared.
****
“Ronon?”
Teyla rasped in the hot air of the narrow cave she found herself in. However she had gotten there, it was clear there was no way back. Sweat was already beading on her dark skin from the intense moisture in the air. She pulled her fingers through her dampening hair as she took a step forward through the narrowing rock. The rocks themselves were warm to the touch as she was forced to turn and shimmy through the small space.
“Ronon!”
She called out again, coughing at the heat in the air as she was forced to a crawl. Sucking in her stomach she inched forward and finally emerged into an open space. Several feet away the opening broke off into three different tunnels.
Teyla stood, eyes scanning each passageway for some sign, some indication as to which one would lead to an exit. It was useless. They all looked the same. Movement caught her eye and Teyla turned to look as a little boy disappeared into the far tunnel.
“Wait!” She frowned as she started after him down the left tunnel. She could see the boy running up in front of her. “Wait. I do not mean you any harm!”
The child veered right and Teyla turned the corner shortly after him. She found him huddled in the corner on the dirt ground. His hands were around his knees and it sounded as if he were crying. She took a step towards him
“Please don’t hurt me!”
Teyla froze at his cry and her frown deepened. After a moment of consideration she bent to meet him at eye level.
“Everything is alright. I do not wish to hurt you. I am a friend.”
The boy didn’t respond to her. He continued to remain in a tight ball on the ground, sniffling quietly. Teyla took a deep breath and tried again.
“My name is Teyla. I am looking for a friend of mine. Have you seen him?”
The boy peeked over his arms to her and watched her for a moment before he shook his head. Teyla offered the child a smile and held out her hand. He seemed to hesitate for only a moment before he untangled himself and reached out for her hand.
“My name is Paiden.”
Teyla continued to smile at the sniffling child. “It is very nice to meet you, Paiden. Do you know where we are?”
The little boy shook his head, frowning. Teyla put a hand on his shoulder and opened her mouth to reassure the child when she felt an unfamiliar pang rush through her body. She faltered for a moment, blinked, and the smile returned to her lips.
“That is alright. We will find our way out.”
But the child was staring now. Staring at Teyla whose gaze had left the boy’s face and was focused on his chest. Teyla felt another pang. It was strong, fierce - made her shift her weight anxiously and lick her lips. She could sense the life essence of the boy flowing through him. At such a young age, the energy was sweet like Athos berries.
She frowned, blinking back the thought as her eyes focussed on her hand which had found its way to the boy’s chest. The boy was trembling, looking at her as if she were a monster. Her brow furrowed in confusion. What had been those thoughts? The carnality of it had been frightening. And yet, Teyla could not move her palm from the boy’s heart.
“Get away from him!”
The shrill voice of a woman sounded behind Teyla. Her hand released quickly and she turned to find a woman and a man standing behind her. The man had a gun in his hand and it was pointed directly at Teyla. She stood slowly, hands up in a non-threatening gesture, as the boy scrambled to his feet and over to the adults.
“I did not harm him.”
The man with the gun narrowed his eyes at her. “Your kind is not welcome here.”
Teyla watched as the man slowly retreated with the others behind him. It was only when he disappeared out of sight did she let go of the breath she had been holding in and considered his words. Her kind?
****
“Looks like no one’s been here for years.”
Katie was walking next to Lorne down a cobblestone street while Miller and Cole were up ahead knocking on doors and looking through windows of the quaint Dutch-like village. The village was surrounded by large trees that offered a constant rustling sound from the wind that swayed its bows. If it hadn’t been for the absence of people, it would have been peaceful.
“Ten thousand years is a long time to survive, for any race,” Lorne offered as he motioned for Miller and Cole to regroup. “Alright,” he said as they came to a halt in front of him. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say no one lives here anymore. I’m also willing to bet that what we’re looking for is going to be found there.” He pointed at the towering building at the end of the street.
There were two things that brought a concerned expression on Lorne’s face. The first one was that the tower was a lot taller than it appeared to be. As they stood directly in front of it and craned their necks skyward, they couldn’t quite make out the top of the structure. The other concerning factor was that the stairs to climb the tower were located on the outside of the building and there were no railings. Cole muttered something about mountains as they started to ascend the structure.
The first few loops around the building were easy. The steps were even and solid and they kept their pace at an easy climb. But as they started getting higher, the conditions of the steps began to deteriorate fast. At first it was just chips in the stone steps. Then they began to slope away from the tower.
“Try and keep as close to the wall as you can.”
It was easier said than done. Some steps had whole chunks missing out of them and then Lorne came to a stop. “Great.”
Cole, who was at the back of the line, went on his tip-toes to try and see what the Major was looking at. Even on the tips of his toes he couldn’t get a visual. “What’s wrong, sir?”
“There’s a couple of steps missing.”
“What?”
“It looks like a chuck of the stairs fell off.”
“You know,” Miller shook his head, “remind me if I ever meet an Ancient to tell them their upkeep sucks.”
“I think we can jump it,” Lorne said eyeing the other side of the ledge carefully. He decided it was worth the risk and ushered the group back a few steps. Bracing himself, he took a few quick steps and landed on the other side. Letting out a silent exhale, Lorne turned around and held out a hand to Katie. “Okay, your turn, Doc.”
Katie wasn’t as confident as Major Lorne, but there was little room to shimmy around the men and retreat and the more she looked at the gap, the more she told herself that it didn’t look as far as it was. She took a deep breath and jumped forward. Lorne’s hand caught her vest and pulled her up to him and away from the ledge.
“See, Doc? Easy as pie.”
Miller jumped next and then it was Cole’s turn. Cole braced himself and took the leap, only to jump short by an inch. His eyes met Miller’s just before his feet slipped from the edge of the stone step and his body fell vertical.
“Cole!”
Cole grunted as his hands held tightly to the crumbing piece of stone. His legs were dangling five and a half stories above the ground. “I’m fine,” he spoke through his teeth as he tried to pull himself up. There wasn’t enough grip to pull himself up and Cole could feel the stone crumbling away beneath his fingers. “A little help?”
It took a few minutes for everyone to get into position before Miller had his hands securely around Cole’s wrists and was pulling him up. A little elbow grease and some struggling and the sergeant was pulled up onto the steps.
“Missed a few days at the gym?”
Cole shot Miller a ‘very funny’ smile as he made sure he had all his equipment.
****
Ronon’s hands were raw from the cold snow he had dug through to get out of the enclosed room. The cold was starting to creep its way into his bones as he moved through the large ice tunnels. There were no signs that the place had been travelled in for a while. Wherever he was, he figured it had been a while since it had seen human traffic.
The quiet of Ronon’s surroundings unnerved him a little. He was alone again with only his thoughts to preoccupy him. It had been a while since he had been in a position to listen to his thoughts for more than a few minutes. Ever since he had come to Atlantis, there hadn’t been a lot of free time. It was one of the things he liked about being in the city. Seven years on his own had been long enough with his thoughts. But now there was this.
His silent prayers were answered. The telltale sound of a Wraith stunner sounded through the chilly tunnels. It flew past his right and into the snow-covered wall causing a mini avalanche. Ronon glanced back long enough to recognize a Wraith hunter before he was off at a sprint with the hunter close behind him.
Ronon ducked, another blast flying closer to his head this time. The adrenaline that was pumping in his veins again warmed the Satedan as he went into survival mode. He darted off to the right, disappearing in front of the Wraith who turned the corner and was met briefly with an energy blast to the head. The hunter dropped, dead.
The Satedan stepped over to the body to make sure the Wraith wasn’t going to get up. When Ronon was satisfied, he let out a silent exhale and looked down the corridor he had run through. His thoughts were on Teyla and Sheppard. If the Wraith were here, they were probably in danger.
His thoughts were cut short when another stunner blast erupted the snowy mound above his head. Ronon looked back through the falling snow to see two more hunters down the end of the hall. His eyes narrowed and he let out a slow, throaty growl as he shot back at them, but he only wounded one in the shoulder.
Ronon was sprinting away from the pursuing Wraith, zigzagging to avoid the shots of the stunners as he veered left. He shot back at them as the Wraith turned. He killed one, but the wounded one still pursued. A frustrated growl escaped the man’s lips as he disappeared down another narrow corridor of ice. He was running with little sense of direction.
By the time he realized the Wraith was no longer behind him, he was standing in the entrance of a large cavern. Large, pointed icicles that looked longer and thicker than Ronon hung from the ceiling and jutted up from the floor. Ronon leaned on one of them to catch his breath. The Wraith hadn’t been soldiers, they had been hunters. If this was a simple Wraith attack, the hunters wouldn’t have been dispatched to deal with the humans. It wasn’t their way.
The soft crunch of snow to the right caught his attention. It was the wounded Wraith. Ronon frowned; he thought he had lost him. The feeling was disturbingly familiar. Ronon inched around the large ice column out of view of his pursuer. His hand snaked behind to his back and over his scars. His breath caught for second as he felt a bump that hadn’t been there for three years.
He didn’t have time to think as a blast hit the ice column and set shards of ice scattering over him. Ronon pushed off the column, shooting arbitrarily behind him. The Wraith was joined with four others and they began their pursuit. Their shots moved from Ronon to the ceiling, aiming for the base of the icicles.
Ronon glanced up just in time to see the first mammoth ice tower fall from the ceiling. He growled, veered left, and was knocked to the ground by the concussive force. His heart was racing, tension building in his chest as his muscles corded. A way out. His instincts were to find a way out. There were too many of them. They were gaining ground, circling around him. There was no escape and his gun was low on ammo.
****
“So you have a theory?”
“Aye,” Carson nodded to Elizabeth and finished placing the last sensor on her chest. “When I drew your blood sample the first time, there was no evidence of the Navo Gene at all, but then I decided to test a sample of blood I already had in the lab and there were traces of the activated enzymes.”
“How is that possible?”
“That is what I’m trying to figure out.”
Doctor Beckett moved over to the counter and retrieved a machine that was connected to what looked like an IV needle.
“This is going to monitor the enzymes in your blood,” he told her and took her wrist in his hands and carefully slid the needle into the appropriate vein. “Has Colonel Sheppard checked in yet?”
Elizabeth winced only slightly when the needle went in and suppressed the sigh that urged to come out.
“Not yet. They aren’t overdue for another hour or so.”
Carson noticed the familiar strain in his friend’s voice and gave her a smile.
“I’m sure they’re alright, Elizabeth.”
The machine began beeping.
“That’s interesting.”
“What?” Elizabeth craned her neck to look at the monitoring machine, but couldn’t understand the information written on it.
“The enzymes are already active.”
“They are? What did I do?”
“I don’t know,” Carson pressed a few buttons on the machine thoughtfully and then looked to Elizabeth. “Do you trust me?”
Elizabeth eyed the doctor suspiciously. “Yes.”
Carson reached out and pinched Elizabeth’s arm, which prompted in the woman crying out both in surprise and in pain. “Carson!”
Carson’s eyes were focused on the monitors. Finally, he pulled away to look at Doctor Weir. “I’m sorry. I was testing a theory.”
The initial ache subsided, but Elizabeth continued to rub the spot anyways. “And?”
“And I think I figured it out,” Carson said and paused, but saw the familiar ‘continue’ expression on Doctor Weir’s face. “Emotions. The higher stressed you are, the more the gene seems to work. I imagine it does the same with other emotions as well.”
“But the previous blood sample…”
“Was from right after the siege by the Wraith.”
****
It seemed longer than a half an hour had passed as Teyla wandered through the damp, heated tunnels before she came to a dead end. The only way left was up. Rocks jutted out of the wall sporadically enough for her to pull herself up. The top of the vertical climb revealed a crawl space which forced Teyla onto her hands and knees. The ground was warm to the touch and as she continued through the low hanging, she began to notice various pin-sized holes dotted the surface. It was only when the first erupted, a blast of heavily heated steam shooting through the hole and darkening the ceiling, did she realize what it was.
Her pace picked up, trying her best to evade the seemingly random bursts of hot condensation. Soon the crawl space was tall enough for a crouch and Teyla used her new position to move faster as the geysers continued to spray. She cried out as her arm grazed to side of a blast and turned to spot an opening several metres away. Biting back the aching pain, Teyla pressed on towards the exit, but as she approached the tunnel three large men appeared and blocked her way.
She opened her mouth to ask for assistance, but all that came out was a rough cough and a weak, but urgent, “please!”
The men didn’t move. Their gaze was passive, but judgemental as they stood with their arms across their chests. Another blast of steam shot up beside her, causing her to fall backwards. The fall gave her a glimpse of another exit across the room. Crawling again, Teyla scurried towards it, only to be met with three more stone-faced people.
“Please!” She coughed. “Let me through.”
There was no answer and Teyla was forced to turn and look for an alternate route again. But there was no other way out. Teyla dodged another geyser as she ran back to the first blocked tunnel, but was met with the same barrier.
She collapsed onto her knees. The heat from the steam was too great. It was making it hard for her to breath. Heaving, Teyla was able to gasp out a “Why?” to the cruel men blocking her path.
“Your kind is not welcome.”
Teyla shook her head as she tried to catch her breath.
“What,” she swallowed hard, “kind?”
“Wraith!” another one spat.
She looked aghast, head shaking emphatically.
“I am,” she shouted harshly, “no Wraith.”
“You are!”
Teyla’s eyes shot up to the man and for a brief, but powerful moment she felt the urge to grab him and take his life. She blinked, her hands going to her head as she shut her eyes.
“No!” She shouted, shaking her head furiously as she held it. “I am no Wraith.”
“But you hunger the same as them!”
Teyla shut her eyes tighter as the same sickening feeling started boiling in the depth of her belly.
“No!” She doubled over, arms out to brace herself. “I am not! No!”
The floor below her gave way and she fell, landing unconscious on her side.
****
One hour and three more gap-leaps later and they were nearing the top. The higher they got, the harder the wind began to blow. By the time they reached the top, the Atlantis team was inching up the steps with their backs against the wall. The top of the tower was completely flat with no railings or pillars or anything to hold onto and the strength of the wind was enough to send even the heaviest man falling over.
“Stay here.”
Lorne took the last few steps up onto the platform and almost flew off as a gust of wind hit him. He braced himself in time, leaning forward in a crouch and crept towards the middle. Intricate shapes and lines decorated the stone surface and seemed to point towards the centre.
When Lorne reached the centre, he saw it: the crystal. It was tucked into the stone surface and was in so tight he couldn’t pry it out with his fingers. He had to resort to taking out his combat knife and chipping away at the stone until he could jimmy it out. Major Lorne had it tucked away in his vest pocket when the wind stopped suddenly and the entire island began to shake. You have got to be kidding me.
He scrambled back to the stairs. “We need to get out of here fast.”
His team didn’t have to be told twice. They made their way down the tower as quickly as humanly possible and were back in the city by the time the top of the tower was crumbling down.
“What’s happening?” Miller was bent over taking a moment to catch his breath.
“The city.” Lorne said with his eyes on the windmills below. “It’s falling.”
“From the sky?”
Major Lorne was right. The floating mass of land was slowly descending towards the planet’s surface. He had a feeling they didn’t still want to be on the rock when it landed.
“We need a way off this thing.”
“Anyone have any umbrellas?” Cole asked, but promptly shut his mouth from the glare Lorne shot at him.
“What about there?” Katie was pointing at a small mill tucked away between two houses. It was worth a shot. By the time they got to the mill the buildings around them were losing their structural integrity. Various debris was falling everywhere as they yanked the door to the mill open and scampered inside.
The inside of the mill was different from the one on the planet’s surface. There were no pulleys or oats. There wasn’t even wood. Instead, the entire interior was sand-yellow stone and in the middle was an obelisk with a jewel in the middle. Lorne and his team approached it and Lorne good-naturally reached out and touched it. There was a flash of light.
****
“Ronon? Teyla?”
John’s voice carried over the still grotto with little hope of actually getting an answer. From what he could see, there was only a small rocky platform that led to a still pool of water that was illuminated from the bottom. The shadows from the pool danced along the jagged ceiling and over his body, giving him a false sense of serenity. Colonel Sheppard would have been put at ease if it wasn’t for the sinking feeling he was getting. His attention was on the wall behind him. It had been a mirror a minute ago, but there was no sign of possible re-entry. He frowned to himself before checking his watch. They were running out of time.
The hushed, soft sound of water dripping caused him to turn. His eyes widened slightly as he caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking brunette dive under water.
“Elizabeth?” He practically whispered as he slowly stepped towards the pool of water.
It was hard to see beneath the water’s surface, but he was able to spot a hint of red moving around at the bottom of the pool. His brow furrowed as he considered what it all meant. Could it be Elizabeth? It had been her, hadn’t it? There were just too many uncertainties to ignore. If Elizabeth was here, he wanted to make sure she was safe and once she was safe, he would have some words with her about following them to the planet.
John quickly removed his boots, his guns, his vest, and anything else that could possibly drag him down into the water. Tossing his jacket into the pile, John slowly lowered himself into the pool as if disturbing the water was dangerous. When he could no longer hold himself up above water, John began to kick gently until he was far enough away from the shore to dive under.
Opening his eyes under water proved easier than he thought. The water was fresh, not salty, but unlike the water on the surface of the planet, he couldn’t breathe in it. His eyes quickly surveyed the surrounding area and he was able to catch sight of standard issue expedition boots disappearing behind a rock.
He pushed on, his chest only mildly beginning to burn as he turned and tried not to lose the air he held. It was Elizabeth. He would recognize the figure any day. She turned under the water and seemed to smile at him before beckoning for John to follow with a gesture. He had little choice but to obey. He was running out of air and hoped Elizabeth knew where she was going.
As John turned another corner, Elizabeth had disappeared again. He frowned, but saw a faint light a few metres away. At least there was a surface. He pushed himself towards the surface. The moment his head broke the water, John Sheppard was gasping for air. His lungs burned and his throat ached, but his military training kicked in and he calmed himself within a few minutes.
He turned in the water, completing a full circle before heading towards the only side with a shore. It was a lot like the grotto he had left, but his equipment wasn’t where he had left it and the last room hadn’t had the abundance of ice mirrors like this one had. It felt as though he were walking through a fun house.
Movement to the left caught his eye - the red uniform again. John pursued slowly, cautiously. If it really was Elizabeth, why hadn’t she just talked to him? The ice was like a maze. When he caught Elizabeth running to the left, he would move and run into an ice wall. The cat and mouse game seemed to continue for a while before John finally emerged in a round room.
Elizabeth stood, back facing him, standing over the husks of two corpses which looked as if they had been fed on by the Wraith. His brow furrowed in concern as he heard the faint sounds of whimpering. Was Elizabeth Weir crying?
“Elizabeth?” John called out softly and watched as her back stiffened and her whimper stopped.
“Go away!” Her voice was shaky, but there was no question that it was, in fact, Elizabeth. She sounded frightened and it made John’s heart tighten.
“Elizabeth, what’s wrong?”
Elizabeth shook her head and seemed to suppress a sob. His eyes moved to the two dead bodies and the line on his forehead deepened. He recognized the clothes. Athosian and Satedan – could the bodies be Ronon and Teyla? There was little question once John’s eyes fell on Ronon’s familiar gun.
“What happened? Are you alright?” John was slowly advancing on Elizabeth as quietly as he could. He didn’t want to startle her, but he couldn’t stay away. He needed to see her, hold her, and make sure she was alright. When he got close enough to her, he reached out, but she pulled away.
“Get away from me!”
John’s expression fell as he struggled to hide the hurt that lingered in his eyes. Why wouldn’t she let him help her?
“Elizabeth…” he pleaded.
She turned and it was John’s military instincts that swept down and grabbed Ronon’s gun and pointed it to her. Her once white and fair skin was blue and scaly. She was turning into an iratus bug, just like he had before. He felt like his heart was being crushed by a hand as he stared at her in disbelief. “Elizabeth?”
“I did this, John!” She gestured frantically to the bodies and had tears in her eyes. “I can’t stop myself.”
John faltered for a moment and tried desperately to collect his thoughts.
“We’ll work this out.”
She shook her head. “I can’t stop myself. I’m a monster.”
John’s lips pressed together. “We fixed this before, we can fix it again.”
Elizabeth shook her head again. “No, John. Not this time.”
“Why not?” His stubborn expression mixed with the fear that was in his heart and hardened on his face. Elizabeth took a step towards him.
“Even now, John, I hunger. I need to feed, John.”
“You can fight it, Elizabeth.”
“No, John, I can’t!” Her eyes seemed to cloud. He recognized that look. He had had it when he was turning – animalistic and wild. Elizabeth was fading and the creature was taking over. She took a threatening step forward.
“Shoot me, John!”
“I can’t.”
“You have to!”
“I won’t.”
“It’s the only way.”
“There’s always another way.”
“But I’ll kill you!”
She lunged out at him with a carnal cry and he didn’t think. Colonel John Sheppard pulled the gun on Elizabeth Weir. She lurched and then sunk forward into his arms. John couldn’t breathe. His heart was racing and his mind was on overdrive.
As he turned her over, he sank to the ground as if the air had been knocked out of him. There was no scales, no yellow eyes, no nothing. She was perfect. She was human. What had just happened?
“Elizabeth?” He cradled her lifeless body in his arms. His head buried into her hair. He could smell her shampoo and he bit back a sob of his own. What did I just do?
****
“Boy, is Doctor Weir going to be mad with you,” Cole joked. Lorne glared at him, and he added with a small smile, “Sir.”
“It’s not my fault,” Lorne sighed as they climbed the steep path up.
“Still one heck of a record, sir,” Miller offered while helping Katie over a large boulder. “Two Jumpers in under a week. That has to be a record or something.”
“I think we should go for three.”
Lorne looked at Cole and Miller. “Ha, ha. Very funny guys,” he had a smile on his face as they reached the top of the path and were faced with a DHD and the Stargate.
“Okay sergeant, dial it up.”
****
I’m done running. I’m going to stand and fight.
I am not the same as a Wraith. I am different. I do not hunger. I can overcome.
I had to. It was the only way.
Suddenly Teyla, Ronon, and John found themselves back in the elaborate room with Pax and the snide-looking man. Pax had a smile on her lips and a sapphire crystal in a box in her hands. It was easy to tell how shaken the three of them were. John, especially, was looking down at his empty hands in disbelief.
“John?” Teyla asked softly.
John’s eyes remained focused on his hands. “Elizabeth…” He muttered under his breath before looking up to Teyla and Ronon with an almost panicked concern. “Did either of you see Elizabeth?”
Teyla’s brow furrowed in confusion. She opened her mouth to reply when she was interrupted.
“Congratulations,” Pax slowly stepped towards them as they climbed to their feet. “You all have proven yourself worthy. Here is the crystal of Arnemetia.”
John was stunned, but held out his hands for the box regardless.
“What the hell was –”
“A test,” the snide man curtly replied. “Of your greatest fears. Now you must hurry. You are running out of time.”
John looked at his watch. The man was right. He pressed the comm. button on his radio. “Rodney, come in.”
There was a moment’s pause before a frantic sounding scientist was on the air waves.
“Sheppard! We have a problem!”
“What is it?”
“Let’s just say I’ve been treading water for the last twenty minutes and I’m getting tired!”
“They have to be powering something, Lieutenant.”
Sergeant Cole glanced up from inspecting the base of one of the mills. “Maybe they’re here for aesthetic purposes.”
Miller shot him a wry grin. “Yeah, just like Cole’s an aesthetic member of our team.”
Cole opened his mouth to retort when Katie interrupted to say she’d found something. She was standing at the base of one of the larger windmills amongst the particular group they had decided to investigate. Her hand was running over the engraved lettering on the side of the brick monster. Lorne took one glance at the lettering and rolled his eyes in a silent sigh.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to Doctor Weir about getting someone on my team who can read Ancient.”
“I can read Ancient.”
Miller shot a glance to Cole.
“He means can read Ancient good.”
“Well, I can’t read Ancient well,” Cole countered before they both closed their mouth with a quick, yet stern glance from the Major. Cole ducked his head and moved forward to the wall, studying it in silence.
“Anything?” Lorne asked after given him a few minutes to mull the Ancient text over, but they didn’t have all the time in the world. They were racing the clock.
Cole took a step back with his eyes still on the words and shrugged. “I think it says something about grains.”
“Grains?”
“Oats, specifically.”
“Oats,” Lorne repeated and frowned. “That doesn’t help us.”
“Maybe it’s a riddle,” Katie offered with a small smile.
“On how to make bread?” Miller grinned, but his face quickly turned back to the standard military expression when Lorne looked at him. “Sorry.”
Lorne paced away from the windmill, turned, and looked up at the large blades moving in a clockwise motion.
“Oats,” He repeated as his hands went to his hips and continued gazing upwards.
****
“Teyla?”
Ronon called out in the empty cavern he found himself thrust into. The heat of his breath condensed into white smoke and floated through the cool air. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline coursing through the Satedan’s veins, Ronon would be freezing.
The cavern that was mysteriously illuminated by a soft light was covered with white haze. His leather boots crunched softly in the undisturbed snow as he turned around in a circle to get his bearings. It was empty and completely enclosed by snow-covered walls in a large circle.
Convinced there had to be a way out, Ronon began to inspect the walls with his hand. The snow was soft, but compacted and seemed to stick against the solid rock walls of his prison. The temperature of the snow was beginning to numb his hand when his hand disappeared into the snow even further. He paused and pushed his hand in deeper and deeper until the snow was to his shoulder and then – air. There was a way out.
****
“What exactly are we looking for again?” Cole’s eyes glanced over the cluster of windmills. By his count, this was the ninth grouping of windmills they had explored and each grouping had ten to twenty windmills in them. If he never had to see another windmill again, he would be happy.
“We’re looking for one with a door. Or one with more writing,” Miller offered, eyeing the one closest to him.
Lorne finished walking the perimeter of a windmill and approached the two men. “Doc Brown thinks that maybe there’s a working mill that grounds oats.”
Cole frowned. “Does she realize how many windmills there seems to be?”
Major Lorne rubbed the top of his head. “It’s the only lead we have. And unless you can find that cave we went through, I suggest we keep looking for something. Anything.”
It took another three groupings before they found a windmill with a round wooden door. Compared to most of the mills, this one was relatively small and it possessed an extra panel on its fan. The sound emanating from behind the solid door was mechanical. The door itself wasn’t locked and the team entered without much of a challenge. However, once they were inside, they found themselves clueless once again.
“Any more ideas?” Lorne looked over to Katie Brown with a playful smile. The inside of the mill revealed an old-fashioned granary station. It was completely automated. The oats were crushed by the wind-propelled blades and slid down a chute that was too long to see far down.
Before Katie could answer, Cole spoke up. “There’s a trap door.”
They gathered around a small square door in the ground. There was a ladder leading down into the darkness. Major Lorne volunteered to go first. He lowered himself carefully down until his feet hit solid ground. Turning on the light from his P-90, Lorne tried to get his bearings. It looked like a small, empty room until a gust of wind rushed passed him, almost knocking him over, and a corridor of torches suddenly came to life.
“All clear. Come on down, guys,” Lorne shouted upwards as he began to walk towards the wall at the end of the corridor. Soon Cole, Miller, and Katie joined him, staring at a jewel in the middle of the wall he had discovered.
“Doesn’t this look like—“
“Yeah, yeah it does,” Lorne nodded to Miller.
“But I thought the Asgard –”
“Yeah, me too.”
Katie was the only one who looked confused as Lorne ran his hands through his hair. He gave her a smile.
“A couple of years ago SG-1 went to a planet protected under the Asgard treaty. They had to go through this trial thing and they described a jewel in a wall just like this one,” Katie suddenly halted and she looked at the wall again.
“The Asgard never mentioned they came to this galaxy before, did they?”
Lorne shook his head. “We haven’t found any evidence of them either.”
“Until now,” Cole said and reached out to touch it.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Lorne caught the man’s hand. “If we’re right, this thing takes us somewhere else, and that’s the good scenario.”
“Do we have any other choice, sir?”
Lorne took a moment and sighed. They didn’t. Instead of Cole touching it, Lorne stretched out his hand and grazed the smooth jewel with his fingertips. It glowed for a moment, but nothing happened. He tried again, but this time the jewel didn’t even glow. He frowned.
“I think I broke it,” he turned to Miller. “Can you fix it?”
“I’m not McKay, sir.”
“Thank God for that,” Cole snickered.
They tried the jewel a few more times before Lorne ordered everyone back up the ladder and out of the mill. It was starting to feel like a dead end when he glanced up to the sky and paused.
“Wow.”
A floating city. Lush, green vegetation was the most visible trait to the island in the sky. It looked as if it had been pulled right out of the ground. From where they stood, they could make out a large structure towering over the trees. The only question they all had was how they were supposed to get there. As if on cue, a white beam of light appeared from the centre of the windmill. They were enveloped in it and disappeared.
****
“Ronon?”
Teyla rasped in the hot air of the narrow cave she found herself in. However she had gotten there, it was clear there was no way back. Sweat was already beading on her dark skin from the intense moisture in the air. She pulled her fingers through her dampening hair as she took a step forward through the narrowing rock. The rocks themselves were warm to the touch as she was forced to turn and shimmy through the small space.
“Ronon!”
She called out again, coughing at the heat in the air as she was forced to a crawl. Sucking in her stomach she inched forward and finally emerged into an open space. Several feet away the opening broke off into three different tunnels.
Teyla stood, eyes scanning each passageway for some sign, some indication as to which one would lead to an exit. It was useless. They all looked the same. Movement caught her eye and Teyla turned to look as a little boy disappeared into the far tunnel.
“Wait!” She frowned as she started after him down the left tunnel. She could see the boy running up in front of her. “Wait. I do not mean you any harm!”
The child veered right and Teyla turned the corner shortly after him. She found him huddled in the corner on the dirt ground. His hands were around his knees and it sounded as if he were crying. She took a step towards him
“Please don’t hurt me!”
Teyla froze at his cry and her frown deepened. After a moment of consideration she bent to meet him at eye level.
“Everything is alright. I do not wish to hurt you. I am a friend.”
The boy didn’t respond to her. He continued to remain in a tight ball on the ground, sniffling quietly. Teyla took a deep breath and tried again.
“My name is Teyla. I am looking for a friend of mine. Have you seen him?”
The boy peeked over his arms to her and watched her for a moment before he shook his head. Teyla offered the child a smile and held out her hand. He seemed to hesitate for only a moment before he untangled himself and reached out for her hand.
“My name is Paiden.”
Teyla continued to smile at the sniffling child. “It is very nice to meet you, Paiden. Do you know where we are?”
The little boy shook his head, frowning. Teyla put a hand on his shoulder and opened her mouth to reassure the child when she felt an unfamiliar pang rush through her body. She faltered for a moment, blinked, and the smile returned to her lips.
“That is alright. We will find our way out.”
But the child was staring now. Staring at Teyla whose gaze had left the boy’s face and was focused on his chest. Teyla felt another pang. It was strong, fierce - made her shift her weight anxiously and lick her lips. She could sense the life essence of the boy flowing through him. At such a young age, the energy was sweet like Athos berries.
She frowned, blinking back the thought as her eyes focussed on her hand which had found its way to the boy’s chest. The boy was trembling, looking at her as if she were a monster. Her brow furrowed in confusion. What had been those thoughts? The carnality of it had been frightening. And yet, Teyla could not move her palm from the boy’s heart.
“Get away from him!”
The shrill voice of a woman sounded behind Teyla. Her hand released quickly and she turned to find a woman and a man standing behind her. The man had a gun in his hand and it was pointed directly at Teyla. She stood slowly, hands up in a non-threatening gesture, as the boy scrambled to his feet and over to the adults.
“I did not harm him.”
The man with the gun narrowed his eyes at her. “Your kind is not welcome here.”
Teyla watched as the man slowly retreated with the others behind him. It was only when he disappeared out of sight did she let go of the breath she had been holding in and considered his words. Her kind?
****
“Looks like no one’s been here for years.”
Katie was walking next to Lorne down a cobblestone street while Miller and Cole were up ahead knocking on doors and looking through windows of the quaint Dutch-like village. The village was surrounded by large trees that offered a constant rustling sound from the wind that swayed its bows. If it hadn’t been for the absence of people, it would have been peaceful.
“Ten thousand years is a long time to survive, for any race,” Lorne offered as he motioned for Miller and Cole to regroup. “Alright,” he said as they came to a halt in front of him. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say no one lives here anymore. I’m also willing to bet that what we’re looking for is going to be found there.” He pointed at the towering building at the end of the street.
There were two things that brought a concerned expression on Lorne’s face. The first one was that the tower was a lot taller than it appeared to be. As they stood directly in front of it and craned their necks skyward, they couldn’t quite make out the top of the structure. The other concerning factor was that the stairs to climb the tower were located on the outside of the building and there were no railings. Cole muttered something about mountains as they started to ascend the structure.
The first few loops around the building were easy. The steps were even and solid and they kept their pace at an easy climb. But as they started getting higher, the conditions of the steps began to deteriorate fast. At first it was just chips in the stone steps. Then they began to slope away from the tower.
“Try and keep as close to the wall as you can.”
It was easier said than done. Some steps had whole chunks missing out of them and then Lorne came to a stop. “Great.”
Cole, who was at the back of the line, went on his tip-toes to try and see what the Major was looking at. Even on the tips of his toes he couldn’t get a visual. “What’s wrong, sir?”
“There’s a couple of steps missing.”
“What?”
“It looks like a chuck of the stairs fell off.”
“You know,” Miller shook his head, “remind me if I ever meet an Ancient to tell them their upkeep sucks.”
“I think we can jump it,” Lorne said eyeing the other side of the ledge carefully. He decided it was worth the risk and ushered the group back a few steps. Bracing himself, he took a few quick steps and landed on the other side. Letting out a silent exhale, Lorne turned around and held out a hand to Katie. “Okay, your turn, Doc.”
Katie wasn’t as confident as Major Lorne, but there was little room to shimmy around the men and retreat and the more she looked at the gap, the more she told herself that it didn’t look as far as it was. She took a deep breath and jumped forward. Lorne’s hand caught her vest and pulled her up to him and away from the ledge.
“See, Doc? Easy as pie.”
Miller jumped next and then it was Cole’s turn. Cole braced himself and took the leap, only to jump short by an inch. His eyes met Miller’s just before his feet slipped from the edge of the stone step and his body fell vertical.
“Cole!”
Cole grunted as his hands held tightly to the crumbing piece of stone. His legs were dangling five and a half stories above the ground. “I’m fine,” he spoke through his teeth as he tried to pull himself up. There wasn’t enough grip to pull himself up and Cole could feel the stone crumbling away beneath his fingers. “A little help?”
It took a few minutes for everyone to get into position before Miller had his hands securely around Cole’s wrists and was pulling him up. A little elbow grease and some struggling and the sergeant was pulled up onto the steps.
“Missed a few days at the gym?”
Cole shot Miller a ‘very funny’ smile as he made sure he had all his equipment.
****
Ronon’s hands were raw from the cold snow he had dug through to get out of the enclosed room. The cold was starting to creep its way into his bones as he moved through the large ice tunnels. There were no signs that the place had been travelled in for a while. Wherever he was, he figured it had been a while since it had seen human traffic.
The quiet of Ronon’s surroundings unnerved him a little. He was alone again with only his thoughts to preoccupy him. It had been a while since he had been in a position to listen to his thoughts for more than a few minutes. Ever since he had come to Atlantis, there hadn’t been a lot of free time. It was one of the things he liked about being in the city. Seven years on his own had been long enough with his thoughts. But now there was this.
His silent prayers were answered. The telltale sound of a Wraith stunner sounded through the chilly tunnels. It flew past his right and into the snow-covered wall causing a mini avalanche. Ronon glanced back long enough to recognize a Wraith hunter before he was off at a sprint with the hunter close behind him.
Ronon ducked, another blast flying closer to his head this time. The adrenaline that was pumping in his veins again warmed the Satedan as he went into survival mode. He darted off to the right, disappearing in front of the Wraith who turned the corner and was met briefly with an energy blast to the head. The hunter dropped, dead.
The Satedan stepped over to the body to make sure the Wraith wasn’t going to get up. When Ronon was satisfied, he let out a silent exhale and looked down the corridor he had run through. His thoughts were on Teyla and Sheppard. If the Wraith were here, they were probably in danger.
His thoughts were cut short when another stunner blast erupted the snowy mound above his head. Ronon looked back through the falling snow to see two more hunters down the end of the hall. His eyes narrowed and he let out a slow, throaty growl as he shot back at them, but he only wounded one in the shoulder.
Ronon was sprinting away from the pursuing Wraith, zigzagging to avoid the shots of the stunners as he veered left. He shot back at them as the Wraith turned. He killed one, but the wounded one still pursued. A frustrated growl escaped the man’s lips as he disappeared down another narrow corridor of ice. He was running with little sense of direction.
By the time he realized the Wraith was no longer behind him, he was standing in the entrance of a large cavern. Large, pointed icicles that looked longer and thicker than Ronon hung from the ceiling and jutted up from the floor. Ronon leaned on one of them to catch his breath. The Wraith hadn’t been soldiers, they had been hunters. If this was a simple Wraith attack, the hunters wouldn’t have been dispatched to deal with the humans. It wasn’t their way.
The soft crunch of snow to the right caught his attention. It was the wounded Wraith. Ronon frowned; he thought he had lost him. The feeling was disturbingly familiar. Ronon inched around the large ice column out of view of his pursuer. His hand snaked behind to his back and over his scars. His breath caught for second as he felt a bump that hadn’t been there for three years.
He didn’t have time to think as a blast hit the ice column and set shards of ice scattering over him. Ronon pushed off the column, shooting arbitrarily behind him. The Wraith was joined with four others and they began their pursuit. Their shots moved from Ronon to the ceiling, aiming for the base of the icicles.
Ronon glanced up just in time to see the first mammoth ice tower fall from the ceiling. He growled, veered left, and was knocked to the ground by the concussive force. His heart was racing, tension building in his chest as his muscles corded. A way out. His instincts were to find a way out. There were too many of them. They were gaining ground, circling around him. There was no escape and his gun was low on ammo.
****
“So you have a theory?”
“Aye,” Carson nodded to Elizabeth and finished placing the last sensor on her chest. “When I drew your blood sample the first time, there was no evidence of the Navo Gene at all, but then I decided to test a sample of blood I already had in the lab and there were traces of the activated enzymes.”
“How is that possible?”
“That is what I’m trying to figure out.”
Doctor Beckett moved over to the counter and retrieved a machine that was connected to what looked like an IV needle.
“This is going to monitor the enzymes in your blood,” he told her and took her wrist in his hands and carefully slid the needle into the appropriate vein. “Has Colonel Sheppard checked in yet?”
Elizabeth winced only slightly when the needle went in and suppressed the sigh that urged to come out.
“Not yet. They aren’t overdue for another hour or so.”
Carson noticed the familiar strain in his friend’s voice and gave her a smile.
“I’m sure they’re alright, Elizabeth.”
The machine began beeping.
“That’s interesting.”
“What?” Elizabeth craned her neck to look at the monitoring machine, but couldn’t understand the information written on it.
“The enzymes are already active.”
“They are? What did I do?”
“I don’t know,” Carson pressed a few buttons on the machine thoughtfully and then looked to Elizabeth. “Do you trust me?”
Elizabeth eyed the doctor suspiciously. “Yes.”
Carson reached out and pinched Elizabeth’s arm, which prompted in the woman crying out both in surprise and in pain. “Carson!”
Carson’s eyes were focused on the monitors. Finally, he pulled away to look at Doctor Weir. “I’m sorry. I was testing a theory.”
The initial ache subsided, but Elizabeth continued to rub the spot anyways. “And?”
“And I think I figured it out,” Carson said and paused, but saw the familiar ‘continue’ expression on Doctor Weir’s face. “Emotions. The higher stressed you are, the more the gene seems to work. I imagine it does the same with other emotions as well.”
“But the previous blood sample…”
“Was from right after the siege by the Wraith.”
****
It seemed longer than a half an hour had passed as Teyla wandered through the damp, heated tunnels before she came to a dead end. The only way left was up. Rocks jutted out of the wall sporadically enough for her to pull herself up. The top of the vertical climb revealed a crawl space which forced Teyla onto her hands and knees. The ground was warm to the touch and as she continued through the low hanging, she began to notice various pin-sized holes dotted the surface. It was only when the first erupted, a blast of heavily heated steam shooting through the hole and darkening the ceiling, did she realize what it was.
Her pace picked up, trying her best to evade the seemingly random bursts of hot condensation. Soon the crawl space was tall enough for a crouch and Teyla used her new position to move faster as the geysers continued to spray. She cried out as her arm grazed to side of a blast and turned to spot an opening several metres away. Biting back the aching pain, Teyla pressed on towards the exit, but as she approached the tunnel three large men appeared and blocked her way.
She opened her mouth to ask for assistance, but all that came out was a rough cough and a weak, but urgent, “please!”
The men didn’t move. Their gaze was passive, but judgemental as they stood with their arms across their chests. Another blast of steam shot up beside her, causing her to fall backwards. The fall gave her a glimpse of another exit across the room. Crawling again, Teyla scurried towards it, only to be met with three more stone-faced people.
“Please!” She coughed. “Let me through.”
There was no answer and Teyla was forced to turn and look for an alternate route again. But there was no other way out. Teyla dodged another geyser as she ran back to the first blocked tunnel, but was met with the same barrier.
She collapsed onto her knees. The heat from the steam was too great. It was making it hard for her to breath. Heaving, Teyla was able to gasp out a “Why?” to the cruel men blocking her path.
“Your kind is not welcome.”
Teyla shook her head as she tried to catch her breath.
“What,” she swallowed hard, “kind?”
“Wraith!” another one spat.
She looked aghast, head shaking emphatically.
“I am,” she shouted harshly, “no Wraith.”
“You are!”
Teyla’s eyes shot up to the man and for a brief, but powerful moment she felt the urge to grab him and take his life. She blinked, her hands going to her head as she shut her eyes.
“No!” She shouted, shaking her head furiously as she held it. “I am no Wraith.”
“But you hunger the same as them!”
Teyla shut her eyes tighter as the same sickening feeling started boiling in the depth of her belly.
“No!” She doubled over, arms out to brace herself. “I am not! No!”
The floor below her gave way and she fell, landing unconscious on her side.
****
One hour and three more gap-leaps later and they were nearing the top. The higher they got, the harder the wind began to blow. By the time they reached the top, the Atlantis team was inching up the steps with their backs against the wall. The top of the tower was completely flat with no railings or pillars or anything to hold onto and the strength of the wind was enough to send even the heaviest man falling over.
“Stay here.”
Lorne took the last few steps up onto the platform and almost flew off as a gust of wind hit him. He braced himself in time, leaning forward in a crouch and crept towards the middle. Intricate shapes and lines decorated the stone surface and seemed to point towards the centre.
When Lorne reached the centre, he saw it: the crystal. It was tucked into the stone surface and was in so tight he couldn’t pry it out with his fingers. He had to resort to taking out his combat knife and chipping away at the stone until he could jimmy it out. Major Lorne had it tucked away in his vest pocket when the wind stopped suddenly and the entire island began to shake. You have got to be kidding me.
He scrambled back to the stairs. “We need to get out of here fast.”
His team didn’t have to be told twice. They made their way down the tower as quickly as humanly possible and were back in the city by the time the top of the tower was crumbling down.
“What’s happening?” Miller was bent over taking a moment to catch his breath.
“The city.” Lorne said with his eyes on the windmills below. “It’s falling.”
“From the sky?”
Major Lorne was right. The floating mass of land was slowly descending towards the planet’s surface. He had a feeling they didn’t still want to be on the rock when it landed.
“We need a way off this thing.”
“Anyone have any umbrellas?” Cole asked, but promptly shut his mouth from the glare Lorne shot at him.
“What about there?” Katie was pointing at a small mill tucked away between two houses. It was worth a shot. By the time they got to the mill the buildings around them were losing their structural integrity. Various debris was falling everywhere as they yanked the door to the mill open and scampered inside.
The inside of the mill was different from the one on the planet’s surface. There were no pulleys or oats. There wasn’t even wood. Instead, the entire interior was sand-yellow stone and in the middle was an obelisk with a jewel in the middle. Lorne and his team approached it and Lorne good-naturally reached out and touched it. There was a flash of light.
****
“Ronon? Teyla?”
John’s voice carried over the still grotto with little hope of actually getting an answer. From what he could see, there was only a small rocky platform that led to a still pool of water that was illuminated from the bottom. The shadows from the pool danced along the jagged ceiling and over his body, giving him a false sense of serenity. Colonel Sheppard would have been put at ease if it wasn’t for the sinking feeling he was getting. His attention was on the wall behind him. It had been a mirror a minute ago, but there was no sign of possible re-entry. He frowned to himself before checking his watch. They were running out of time.
The hushed, soft sound of water dripping caused him to turn. His eyes widened slightly as he caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking brunette dive under water.
“Elizabeth?” He practically whispered as he slowly stepped towards the pool of water.
It was hard to see beneath the water’s surface, but he was able to spot a hint of red moving around at the bottom of the pool. His brow furrowed as he considered what it all meant. Could it be Elizabeth? It had been her, hadn’t it? There were just too many uncertainties to ignore. If Elizabeth was here, he wanted to make sure she was safe and once she was safe, he would have some words with her about following them to the planet.
John quickly removed his boots, his guns, his vest, and anything else that could possibly drag him down into the water. Tossing his jacket into the pile, John slowly lowered himself into the pool as if disturbing the water was dangerous. When he could no longer hold himself up above water, John began to kick gently until he was far enough away from the shore to dive under.
Opening his eyes under water proved easier than he thought. The water was fresh, not salty, but unlike the water on the surface of the planet, he couldn’t breathe in it. His eyes quickly surveyed the surrounding area and he was able to catch sight of standard issue expedition boots disappearing behind a rock.
He pushed on, his chest only mildly beginning to burn as he turned and tried not to lose the air he held. It was Elizabeth. He would recognize the figure any day. She turned under the water and seemed to smile at him before beckoning for John to follow with a gesture. He had little choice but to obey. He was running out of air and hoped Elizabeth knew where she was going.
As John turned another corner, Elizabeth had disappeared again. He frowned, but saw a faint light a few metres away. At least there was a surface. He pushed himself towards the surface. The moment his head broke the water, John Sheppard was gasping for air. His lungs burned and his throat ached, but his military training kicked in and he calmed himself within a few minutes.
He turned in the water, completing a full circle before heading towards the only side with a shore. It was a lot like the grotto he had left, but his equipment wasn’t where he had left it and the last room hadn’t had the abundance of ice mirrors like this one had. It felt as though he were walking through a fun house.
Movement to the left caught his eye - the red uniform again. John pursued slowly, cautiously. If it really was Elizabeth, why hadn’t she just talked to him? The ice was like a maze. When he caught Elizabeth running to the left, he would move and run into an ice wall. The cat and mouse game seemed to continue for a while before John finally emerged in a round room.
Elizabeth stood, back facing him, standing over the husks of two corpses which looked as if they had been fed on by the Wraith. His brow furrowed in concern as he heard the faint sounds of whimpering. Was Elizabeth Weir crying?
“Elizabeth?” John called out softly and watched as her back stiffened and her whimper stopped.
“Go away!” Her voice was shaky, but there was no question that it was, in fact, Elizabeth. She sounded frightened and it made John’s heart tighten.
“Elizabeth, what’s wrong?”
Elizabeth shook her head and seemed to suppress a sob. His eyes moved to the two dead bodies and the line on his forehead deepened. He recognized the clothes. Athosian and Satedan – could the bodies be Ronon and Teyla? There was little question once John’s eyes fell on Ronon’s familiar gun.
“What happened? Are you alright?” John was slowly advancing on Elizabeth as quietly as he could. He didn’t want to startle her, but he couldn’t stay away. He needed to see her, hold her, and make sure she was alright. When he got close enough to her, he reached out, but she pulled away.
“Get away from me!”
John’s expression fell as he struggled to hide the hurt that lingered in his eyes. Why wouldn’t she let him help her?
“Elizabeth…” he pleaded.
She turned and it was John’s military instincts that swept down and grabbed Ronon’s gun and pointed it to her. Her once white and fair skin was blue and scaly. She was turning into an iratus bug, just like he had before. He felt like his heart was being crushed by a hand as he stared at her in disbelief. “Elizabeth?”
“I did this, John!” She gestured frantically to the bodies and had tears in her eyes. “I can’t stop myself.”
John faltered for a moment and tried desperately to collect his thoughts.
“We’ll work this out.”
She shook her head. “I can’t stop myself. I’m a monster.”
John’s lips pressed together. “We fixed this before, we can fix it again.”
Elizabeth shook her head again. “No, John. Not this time.”
“Why not?” His stubborn expression mixed with the fear that was in his heart and hardened on his face. Elizabeth took a step towards him.
“Even now, John, I hunger. I need to feed, John.”
“You can fight it, Elizabeth.”
“No, John, I can’t!” Her eyes seemed to cloud. He recognized that look. He had had it when he was turning – animalistic and wild. Elizabeth was fading and the creature was taking over. She took a threatening step forward.
“Shoot me, John!”
“I can’t.”
“You have to!”
“I won’t.”
“It’s the only way.”
“There’s always another way.”
“But I’ll kill you!”
She lunged out at him with a carnal cry and he didn’t think. Colonel John Sheppard pulled the gun on Elizabeth Weir. She lurched and then sunk forward into his arms. John couldn’t breathe. His heart was racing and his mind was on overdrive.
As he turned her over, he sank to the ground as if the air had been knocked out of him. There was no scales, no yellow eyes, no nothing. She was perfect. She was human. What had just happened?
“Elizabeth?” He cradled her lifeless body in his arms. His head buried into her hair. He could smell her shampoo and he bit back a sob of his own. What did I just do?
****
“Boy, is Doctor Weir going to be mad with you,” Cole joked. Lorne glared at him, and he added with a small smile, “Sir.”
“It’s not my fault,” Lorne sighed as they climbed the steep path up.
“Still one heck of a record, sir,” Miller offered while helping Katie over a large boulder. “Two Jumpers in under a week. That has to be a record or something.”
“I think we should go for three.”
Lorne looked at Cole and Miller. “Ha, ha. Very funny guys,” he had a smile on his face as they reached the top of the path and were faced with a DHD and the Stargate.
“Okay sergeant, dial it up.”
****
I’m done running. I’m going to stand and fight.
I am not the same as a Wraith. I am different. I do not hunger. I can overcome.
I had to. It was the only way.
Suddenly Teyla, Ronon, and John found themselves back in the elaborate room with Pax and the snide-looking man. Pax had a smile on her lips and a sapphire crystal in a box in her hands. It was easy to tell how shaken the three of them were. John, especially, was looking down at his empty hands in disbelief.
“John?” Teyla asked softly.
John’s eyes remained focused on his hands. “Elizabeth…” He muttered under his breath before looking up to Teyla and Ronon with an almost panicked concern. “Did either of you see Elizabeth?”
Teyla’s brow furrowed in confusion. She opened her mouth to reply when she was interrupted.
“Congratulations,” Pax slowly stepped towards them as they climbed to their feet. “You all have proven yourself worthy. Here is the crystal of Arnemetia.”
John was stunned, but held out his hands for the box regardless.
“What the hell was –”
“A test,” the snide man curtly replied. “Of your greatest fears. Now you must hurry. You are running out of time.”
John looked at his watch. The man was right. He pressed the comm. button on his radio. “Rodney, come in.”
There was a moment’s pause before a frantic sounding scientist was on the air waves.
“Sheppard! We have a problem!”
“What is it?”
“Let’s just say I’ve been treading water for the last twenty minutes and I’m getting tired!”