SOMETHING WICKED……
The wormhole snapped shut behind the four members of SGA1, who stood on the platform in front of the gate, looking around them wonderingly. The MALP had shown this to be a planet of rolling green meadows, at least around the gate area, with an atmosphere that would sustain human life, but it hadn't done the planet justice. For a moment longer, they stood there, then Major Sheppard moved forward gulping in great breaths of the air as he did so. The other three members of the team followed on, all of them breathing deeply, filling their lungs with the wonderful air.
The MALP had also shown energy readings that had McKay almost salivating, and it was towards this reading that they were making their way now. However, it was impossible to hurry. They were wading through a shallow sea of green grass, gently swaying in the breeze and starred with copious wild flowers, pink, white, blue, yellow…
The sun was shining, it appeared to be mid-morning here, and the air was warm and fragrant with the smells of growing things. Insects droned and hummed sleepily as they went about their business, tiny iridescent birds flashed from flower to flower, and far away to their left, the sun glinted off a large body of water. Ahead of them, rising from the grassy plain was a range of mountains, purplish in the clear air, some of them snowcapped.
The gentle breeze blew, lifting Teyla's hair away from her face, keeping the temperature down to comfortable. Even Mckay wasn't complaining. They'd been walking for a while now, so Major Sheppard raised a hand and said, "Let's take five."
Eagerly all four divested themselves of the heavy packs they all wore, using them to lean against as they sat in the long grass, weapons to hand, just in case. For a while, no-one said anything, all enjoying the peaceful feelings that this planet was generating. Sheppard leaned back, closed his eyes, and said, "This is nice. We could do with having somewhere like this for a little RR"
"Mmmmm," agreed Ford. "I haven't felt as relaxed as this since – I don't know when."
McKay was busy downing the last remains of an energy bar, but he swallowed quickly and said, "Ah. But every Eden has it's serpent. The air here is wonderful though. I wonder why?" He got out one of his science – scanner thingies and waved it around looking thoughtful. "Nothing showing up here," he offered eventually.
Ford looked at him amused. "Maybe there's something in the air making us all high," he ventured. "Something like a great big joint." He almost laughed at the comical expression that crossed McKay's face.
Rodney grabbed at his scanner again. "Do you think so?" he questioned nervously. "Nothing showing up here except for the usual, oxygen, nitrogen stuff."
"Relax, Rodney," Murmured Sheppard. "Ford's just winding you up."
"Hah! Easy for you to say, you didn't read the report from SG1 when they went to the planet with the addictive light. They had to stay there for weeks while it worked itself out of their systems."
"Whew," from Sheppard. "Well, if we are all stoned, we'll have to deal with it when we get home. Nothing we can do about it now, except enjoy it."
Teyla had been silent throughout the exchange, not even picking up on the Eden – serpent thing. Sheppard looked over, she was busy weaving flowers into a chain.
"Daisy chains ?" he questioned, amusement in his eyes.
Teyla blushed slightly. "I used to do this as a child," she replied. "It has not felt appropriate to do so for a long time. The air here isintoxicating."
"Yeah," said Ford, "It's like breathing in champagne."
"Champagne?" from Teyla.
"It's an alcoholic beverage from Earth, made from fermented grapes, and it's sparkling- fizzy. It's held in high regard," replied McKay.
"It sounds nice." Teyla said.
"Yes, it is, and nice as this is, we still have a community to provide for, so let's go," ordered the Major, reluctantly standing and shrugging on his pack again. Sighing, the rest of the team stood and shouldered their packs again. They started walking, feet trailing in the soft grass.
"How much further?" questioned Sheppard after a while, sounding to his own ears too much like a petulant child.
McKay consulted his doohickey and gestured off ahead. "Oh, about a mile or so this way," he said offhandedly, "Shouldn't take too long."
The team carried on at a slow amble, the soporific affect of the air slowing them down. Ford and Sheppard couldn't help but be a little distracted by the large pink flower Teyla had tucked behind her ear, while McKay was engrossed in his energy readings.
"We should talk to Dr. Wier about designating this planet as a resort area," said Ford, still in that relaxed way.
McKay, though feeling the effects himself couldn't help but comment, " Why don't we wait until we see how long we have to spend in the infirmary going cold turkey first?"
Teyla looked confused. "Cold turkey?" she asked.
"He means withdrawing from the effects of addictive substances," clarified Sheppard, and to McKay "It won't be that bad, and anyway, I thought you liked hospital food."
"There is such a thing as too much of a good thing," muttered McKay in response."Ah, here we are." He said brightly, looking up from his gadget.
The team stood and stared. Ahead of them was a low building, set into the hillside. It was made of a pure white material that almost seemed to glow in the sunlight, but despite it's aesthetic loveliness there was an aura of unease surrounding it. They walked slowly forward, their earlier euphoria dissipating the closer they got to the building. A wall stood around it, not high, but presenting the appearance of a barrier nonetheless. A gate was set into the wall, directly in front of them. Sheppard opened it, and they stepped through, keeping close together. As they crossed into the grounds surrounding the structure, the sunshine appeared to dim, and the air felt much colder, despite the fact that the sun was still shining brightly. The silence became profound.
"Can you hear it?" asked McKay.
"Hear what?" replied Sheppard, uneasily scanning their immediate surroundings.
"Exactly." Responded Rodney, smugly.
"McKay," began the major.
Teyla interjected. "There is no birdsong or insect noise in here"
Sheppard looked at them questioningly, then stepped back through the gate. Immediately he was aware of the return of natural noises and the air felt distinctly warmer. He stepped back towards his team, and the birdsong stopped.
"Some sort of energy shield?" he hazarded.
"Not according to this." McKay held up his sensor.
"Okay. Keep close everyone, and be sharp." Sheppard walked forward, resisting an urge to look over his shoulder.
The entrance to the building lay in shadow, and was open, but it looked uninviting, forbidding even. The team held back, reluctant to enter, but that was where the energy readings were coming from, according to McKay, so feelings had to be overcome. At last, Sheppard took point and entered through the doorway, P90 at the ready. McKay, Teyla and Ford crowded in behind him.
The building appeared to be empty, and somewhat relieved, Sheppard let his P90 drop to hang from it's clip.. The room in which they stood was a large open space, empty except for a pedestal set on a raised dais in the centre. The walls appeared to be covered in frescoes and murals but were muted in colour. The whole room, in contrast to the sparkling whiteness outside, was grey, sombre, even funereal. The colour scheme did nothing to raise their spirits.
"I wonder who they had as their interior decorator?" remarked Sheppard in an attempt to lighten the gloom, but his comments fell on deaf ears. McKay was waving his energy sensor around like a child in a toy shop, and Ford and Teyla were still near the entrance, looking as if they were ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Sheppard watched Mckay as he moved around the room, eventually crossing over to the dais in the centre, where he clambered up to examine the pedestal.
"Careful, Rodney," he said. "This place feels – off."
"Oh, really." Replied McKay sarcastically. "What gave it away?"
The Major ignored him, moving to stand next to Ford. "Ford, stay here with Dr. McKay while Teyla and I scout the perimeter.
Ford looked less than enthused about the order, but merely replied to the affirmative. McKay looked around.
"Actually, Major, I could use you here. I think that this may be ancient technology, and I may need you to use your gene to get to this energy source. It's got to be a ZPM or something equivalent to be giving off readings like this."
Sheppard looked resigned. "Okay, Ford, you and Teyla go scout around. I'll stay and be guinea-pig. Stay in radio contact every twenty minutes ."
"Roger that, sir," replied ford, trying not to look too relieved to be getting out of the building. The Major watched them leave, walking into the light, feeling his sense of foreboding increase. He turned to look at McKay again, Mckay who was toatally engrossed in what he was doing, muttering to himself as he worked.
"Need my gene yet, Rodney?" he asked sarcastically.
McKay never even looked up from what it was he was doing. "Not yet. I'm doing this all by myself so far."
"Mind if I check out the artwork?"
"Be my guest. Just – stop talking."
Shrugging, Sheppard strode off to look at the murals, more to pas the time than from any real interest. However, he hadn't been studying them for long when he began to feel acutely uncomfortable. He turned to McKay.
"Are you done?" He noticed that the scientist had both hands firmly placed in the centre of the top of the pedestal, and watched uneasily s McKay pushed down, depressing the centre panel of the column.
"Are you sure you should be doing that?"
"No, I'm not done, and no, I'm not sure, but nothing else moves, and I think that the ZPM or what ever might be hidden under this panel."
A low vibrating hum began to emanate from the column, gradually increasing in volume and intensity. It quickly became uncomfortable.
"Mckay-" began Sheppard.
"McKay began to look panicky. "I can't get my hands off-" he started.
The noise and vibration were increasing exponentially. It had gone from uncomfortable to downright painful, causing Sheppard to feel dizzy and disorientated. He couls swear his teeth were vibrating in his head.
"Major!" yelled McKay, now totally panicked.
Sheppard started across to him, staggering against the pulses of sound that were battering his body. He clamped his hands over his ears as the pain in them became intense. He noticed that McKay's ears were bleeding, the scarlet blood seeming even brighter in the grey building.
After what seemed an eternity, he reached McKay's side, and letting go his own ears, tried to prise Rodney's hands away from the pedestal. Nothing doing.
McKay was looking at him, eyes wide with fear, hoping the major could somehow undo what he was doing, and ,once again, get them the hell out of this mess. Sheppard's ears were bleeding too now. He could feel the warmth as the fluid trickled down his neck. The pedestal rocked, and Sheppard staggered back. It felt as if the whole building was shaking, pulsing in time with the vicious sound that was trying to scramble his brain. He took a few more unsteady steps back, then launched himself at McKay in a flying tackle just as the sound reached an unbearable crescendo, knocking McKay flying just as a huge white light imploded against them, travelling through McKay first, then flinging them both through space to land sprawling against the far wall, unconscious.
TBC