Part One: An Unsettling Discovery
Summary: On a survey mission, the team discovers the aftermath of a Wraith attack as well as something very strange.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Atlantis folks but original characters are mine. This is a work of fiction (complete and utter) and it was written for nonprofit entertainment purposes.
Even from the 'Gate, Sheppard could see the thick, black smoke. "All right, everyone," he announced, a serious look on his face. "Let's keep our eyes open." Behind him, his team fanned out. Teyla moved to the right and Ronon to the left, leaving Rodney to bring up the rear.
"What do you remember about these people, Teyla?" Sheppard asked quietly, glancing at the young woman.
"Those that live on the outskirts are mainly farmers or raise animals. Further into the settlement, there are metalworkers, healers, the sort of people normally found in a large settlement of this kind," she answered, her brown eyes scanning the foliage around them.
"Maybe they should have found themselves some soldiers," Ronon observed in a low tone as they came upon a clearing. Bodies littered the ground, some unmarked while others bore the unmistakable emaciated look of Wraith victims.
"I don't think the soldiers would have fared much better," Rodney muttered, his eyes wide as he surveyed the carnage.
Sheppard, his eyes narrowed, swore under his breath and keyed his communicator. "Atlantis, this is Sheppard. The Wraith have been here," he said almost angrily.
"Any survivors, Colonel?" he heard Elizabeth Weir ask.
"None yet. We've only reached the outskirts of the main settlement."
"Keep us posted, Colonel."
"Will do. Sheppard out."
Teyla looked as if she was about to speak but was cut off by a low moan. Her alert eyes scanned the bodies. She moved closer and, after checking a few of them, found the poor soul that was just barely alive.
The woman might have been young but there was no way to tell. Her hair was stark white, her eyes gray with pain and her skin stretched taut over her high cheekbones. "Must…protect," she barely managed to wheeze. Teyla, on one knee beside the dying woman, gently took her hand.
"I do not understand," she murmured and the woman took a heavy, wheezing breath.
"Temple…chrysos…must…protect…not…die," the woman gasped and then her body went rigid. A moment later, the poor soul was dead, her body limp and unmoving. Teyla murmured an Athosian prayer and rose to her feet.
"What did she say?" Sheppard asked curiously, having checked the immediate area for any further sign of the Wraith.
"There is something in their temple that must be protected. She called it a chrysos," Teyla answered and Rodney blinked.
"I wonder if it means the same thing to us," he put in and Teyla looked at him. "Caterpillars use them to become butterflies. Our word is chrysalis." He got blank looks from Teyla and Ronon. He sighed heavily. "A cocoon." Teyla nodded and Ronon just glared at him. "Going back to work now," he muttered and continued to scan for energy readings.
"Well, keep up. Ronon, you take point. Let's see if we can't find this temple she was talking about," Sheppard ordered and they moved out.
Nearly half an hour had passed before they reached a building near the edge of the main settlement.
"This is their temple, Colonel," Teyla informed him, gesturing at the pyramid shaped building that stood on the other side of the clearing.
"Pyramid. Why am I not surprised?" Rodney laughed and Sheppard flashed him a look. "Okay. Shutting up…for now," he snapped and brought up the rear as Ronon entered the temple first, his weapon drawn.
Sheppard entered next and then Teyla. "Clear," Sheppard called out and then Rodney went in.
He blinked rapidly and peered around the immense room. Sheppard was checking over the few bodies that lay on the floor while Ronon stood guard. Rodney's eyes found Teyla near what appeared to be a big fish tank. There was a hole in the side and something lay in the bottom. "What is it?" he called out, not moving any closer.
She turned and looked at him, sorrow filling her dark eyes. "I believe it is the chrysos. We were too late," she replied and moved aside. Sheppard moved over to her and peered inside the tank. The object was dark blue and ovoid in shape. Its surface looked rough and cratered though the part that was still underwater was smooth and full.
"There must have been one hell of a caterpillar in there," he commented quietly and turned to Rodney. "Can you check it for life signs, McKay?"
Rodney thought about it for a moment. "Of course, I can," he replied brightly and carefully stepped over the emaciated body of a man that lay right in the middle of the aisle way. Holding up the scanner, he slowly moved it back and forth over the cocoon. His eyes widened. "Whatever's in there…it isn't dead. But I think it's dying," he told Sheppard.
The soldier stared at him. "Dying…of what?" Sheppard demanded, taking another look at the cocoon.
Teyla spoke up. "There is barely any water in this container. Perhaps it is the water that kept it alive," she suggested and McKay nodded.
"Kind of a womb thing, you know? It's the liquid that sustains it like with pregnant women," he observed and Sheppard nodded in understanding.
"And you know all about pregnant women, right?" Ronon sneered from his position by the door.
Sheppard rolled his eyes and keyed his communicator. "Atlantis, this is Sheppard. Request permission to bring back living subject in, well, stasis," he said urgently, pulling his canteen free of his belt. Teyla did the same and they began to pour water slowly over the cocoon.
"Colonel, what do you mean by living subject in stasis? I thought the D'iaa weren't technologically advanced enough for that," Dr. Weir asked and he sighed heavily.
"It's a cocoon, Elizabeth, and whatever is inside is dying. If these people were willing to die to protect it, there's probably a reason," he reported and there was silence.
"What do you need on my end?" she finally asked and Teyla smiled at him, pointing to the cocoon. The surface of the ovoid object had begun to smooth and fill out again.
Sheppard smiled. "A big tank of water, for starters. The cocoon's about a foot long and probably 10 inches around. It might not hurt to have Carson handy too. At least until we can figure out what's inside," he replied and then told Teyla, "See if there's anything here that we can transport it in. We're going to have to move fast." She nodded and began searching the ransacked temple.
A few feet away, Rodney held up what looked to be a white fabric sack. "How about this?" he suggested with a smile and Sheppard stared at him.
"Is it waterproof?" he snapped and the smile on Rodney's face faltered a little. Then he brightened again and popped open his canteen, pouring water into the sack. Nothing came out and the fabric didn't even get wet.
"That'll work," Sheppard told him and Teyla hurried over to Rodney. "Ronon, we need your canteen," Sheppard called out and a moment later, Ronon's canteen flew through the air.
Teyla shot him an irritated glance after catching it. "You could have simply brought it to me," she informed him and he gave her an irreverent smile. "I know," was all he said before turning back to the door.
Teyla and Rodney emptied all four canteens into the sack. "Keep one in case we need more water from the tank," Rodney said as they carried the sack to the tank in question. "I have already thought of that," she commented quietly. Carefully hanging the sack over one corner of the tank, Rodney looked at Teyla. She looked back at him and smiled. "You are the scientist," she said and he stared at her.
"That doesn't mean I'm touching it," he snapped, looking indignant at the thought of touching the cocoon. She simply shook her head and tilted her head toward the sack.
"Hold it open and I will put the cocoon inside," she told him, reaching into the tank. As her hands came in contact with the cocoon, it shuddered. Hesitating slightly, she took a deep breath and gently curled her hands around it. It shuddered again but went still as she lifted it out of the water. "Colonel, it feels like it has a heartbeat," she whispered, glancing at Sheppard as she carefully moved it toward the sack.
"Are you sure?" he asked, grasping the opening of the sack and helping Rodney hold it open. She nodded and put the cocoon inside the sack. As her hands released it and the water surrounded it, it seemed to spasm for a moment and then stopped. Sheppard looked inside the sack. The water just barely covered it. "More water," he said and Teyla filled one of the canteens, emptying it into the sack and repeating the process twice more until the tank was practically empty.
"I hope it is enough," she commented worriedly as Rodney and Sheppard gingerly lifted the sack.
"Me too," Sheppard replied with a slight smile.
Teyla held out her arms. "I will carry it. There is a sling strap that will make it simpler to carry," she told them, showing them the strap that had gone unnoticed when the sack was found. Rodney helped her loop the strap around her shoulders while Sheppard held the sack itself.
"Ronon, we're moving out," Sheppard called out and Ronon nodded. He was the first one out and gave the 'clear' signal. As he, Teyla and Rodney left the temple, he said, "Watch our six. I'll take point."
Ronon glanced at the sack. "If you say so," he said and waited for Sheppard, Teyla and Rodney to start back the way they had come.
Teyla checked the sack periodically as they hurried back to the 'Gate. It showed no sign of leaking and she was happy for that. The only thing that worried her was that the amount of water seemed to be lessening as time passed.
When they reached the 'Gate, Rodney quickly dialed Atlantis. Ronon and Sheppard kept an eye on their surroundings. With a loud 'whoosh', the 'Gate opened. "Teyla, go on. The tank should be ready by now," Sheppard ordered as she headed through the eye. Rodney was right behind her. Sheppard and Ronon brought up the rear.
Stepping into Atlantis' gate room, Teyla saw that Dr. Beckett was standing beside a large clear container of water. She smiled slightly as she reached him. "It will be grateful for the water, Dr. Beckett. I believe it has absorbed part of the water we carried it in," she told him and he smiled back at her.
"Let's get it into the tank and we'll see how it does," he told her, helping her lift the strap from her shoulders. Together, they carried it to the tank and lowered it in. When the sack touched the bottom, the doctor carefully lifted the cocoon out and set it on the bottom while Teyla pulled the sack back out. Surprisingly, the cocoon didn't shudder or spasm when he touched it. Instead, it seemed to visibly pulse. "That feels like a heartbeat," he exclaimed, his accent thickening with surprise.
"That is what I felt when I lifted it from its container. However, it seemed to shudder when I touched it. It did not do that when you touched it," she said and his look of surprise was almost comical.
"Maybe it likes you, Doc," Sheppard commented with a grin as Dr. Weir joined them. The Scotsman just huffed softly and signaled for two corpsmen to help him move the tank.
The water sloshed slightly as the tank was moved and Beckett glared at them. "Slowly, for God's sake. We don't want to kill it," he snapped as he followed them out of the gate room.
Dr. Weir waited until they were gone before turning to Sheppard. "No other survivors, I take it?" she asked and he shook his head.
"The bastards wiped them out," he said in a low voice. "And it didn't look like they even bothered to try culling them. Some of them were killed outright while others were fed on. I don't think I've ever seen the Wraith do something like that before. How that one woman held on, I'll never know."
She nodded, her brow furrowed in thought. "Teyla, did the woman give you any idea about what was inside the cocoon?" she asked curiously and the Athosian shook her head.
"She said only that it must be protected and not be allowed to die. The poor woman did not have the strength to say any more," she replied sadly.
"Well, I want to get all of you debriefed and then we can check in with Dr. Beckett," Dr. Weir told her and motioned for the team to follow her.
As they trooped up the stairs, Teyla cast one more glance in the direction that Dr. Beckett had gone with the cocoon. She sincerely hoped that whatever was inside would survive.
TBC…