Rodney groaned, cold seeping into his back. He opened his eyes to dim light. He blinked and forced himself to sit up. He gritted his teeth against the pounding in his head. He placed his head in his hands and moaned.

"What happened?"

"We were captured," Teyla answered.

He stared at her. "Thanks for stating the obvious. By who and why?"

"I didn't see who, but I bet I can tell the why." This from John Sheppard.

Rodney blinked at him and Sheppard pointed. He followed the motion and saw through the bars of their cell to a slab in the middle of the room. Two smaller tables were positioned on the opposite sides. Various medical instruments cluttered one table. A large light poured its brilliance onto the slab.

"Oh, this is just great. We're going to be experiments."

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Sheppard mimicked.

Rodney glared at him. He opened his mouth to reply with a nasty comeback when the banging of a door echoed through the room. He climbed to his feet and stepped toward the bars. He squinted, wanting to see who their captors were.

Two pairs of footsteps reverberated in the silence. Two figures stalked toward their cell and his heart rate increased.

"You're awake," a female voice slithered down his spine. He shuddered, not liking the eager tone in the voice.

"Who are you?" Sheppard asked. He stood next to Rodney.

The figures stepped into the light and Rodney's eyes widened. They were human with long white hair falling over the shoulders of their brown robes. Menace didn't flow from these people and that worried him more.

"We're scientists," the woman said. She was two inches taller than her companion. "We're conducting experiments on how much pain a person can take."

"That's not science, that's torture!"

"We have learned much in the months this experiment has gone on," the shorter scientist said as if Rodney hasn't said anything. "We've learned some people can only take so much and die."

"Others have last longer."

Rodney shook his head. It sounded too much like torture. How many people have died for these people's perverse knowledge?

"Sadly our testing pool has shrunk. Our leader as deemed we need to look outside our own people for subjects if we want to continue our experiments."

"So you've taken to capturing offworlders," Sheppard said, his tone sardonic.

The taller scientist smiled. "Yes and you have the chance to show us how much an offworlder can take."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Lucky us."

"Though most offworlders have died within two days, I think you four will last much longer."

"Great."

"Whose idea was it to visit this planet?" Rodney asked, turning his gaze to Teyla.

Teyla stared at him, her chin raised. "Do not cast the blame on me. I was not the one who stepped in that trap."

Rodney pointed at her and opened his mouth, but the cell door creaked open stopping his tirade. He turned and stepped back when the shorter scientist stepped into the cell. He carried a staff with an electrified end.

The scientist aimed the staff at him. "You look like a good subject. We'll try you."

Rodney stared at the staff, the electricity dancing on the end. He took another step back. Ronon and Sheppard attacked the man, but he was quicker with the staff. He jabbed the end into Ronon's stomach. He yelled in agony and dropped like a stone. He used the other end and slammed it into Sheppard's head. Sheppard stumbled back and crashed into the wall.

"This isn't good," Rodney said, holding his hands up. "Why don't we talk about this? I'm a scientist, maybe we can trade technology."

"We have all the technology we need," the taller scientist said, holding the cell door open. "We have other interests."

"None of them good, I bet."

Adrenaline rushing through him, he grabbed the staff just above the electrified end. The scientist stared at him and tried to yank it from him.

"Let go!"

He pulled the staff forward, bringing the scientist toward him. He punched the man in the face, but he didn't drop the staff.

"A little help here," he shouted to Teyla.

Teyla kicked the man, but the taller scientist charged in, grabbing Teyla around the waist. The two collided with the wall and exchanged punches and kicks.

"This has got to be the worst break-out ever unplanned," Rodney griped.

He took a swing at the staff welding scientist, but the man dodged the attack. He swung the staff and it connected with the side of his head. He stumbled to the side, pain jolting through him. Agonizing pain shot through him then everything was black.

~*~

Rodney woke to nausea rolling in his stomach. He moaned and took a deep breath to keep from losing what little food he ate before coming on this mission. What were they doing here again?

His sight focused and the two scientists came into view. He realized then the cold seeping into his back wasn't the cold floor, but the table. His heart picked up its pace and he struggled against the straps tying him to the table.

"You're awake," the woman stated. "We can begin the process."

The man turned and Rodney spotted a syringe in his hand. He smiled and rubbed cold liquid on Rodney's arm.

"You're going to poke me? That's not much different from a doctor's visit."

They said nothing while the needle pierced his skin. He winced, but gritted his teeth against the pain. He noticed the two smiled and he narrowed his eyes. Did they really want to know how much a person could take or were they just sadistic? He suspected it was both.

"There," the man said and removed the needle. "He should feel the effects shortly."

He glared at the scientist. "What the hell did you inject me with?"

"A serum designed to instigate pain," the woman answered. She walked around the table to stand near her companion. She smiled down at Rodney and he wanted to strangle her.

"We'll monitor you and make note how long it takes you to pass out," the man continued. He placed the syringe on the table behind him. "For now, you'll be placed with your friends."

"How nice of you."

The straps were removed and they helped him off the table. The woman grabbed his arms and placed them behind him to keep him from attacking. He grumbled and forced to step toward the cell.

His teammates stood near the bars and relief washed over him. They were still alive which meant escape was still possible.

"Will this wear off?" Rodney asked, hoping.

"We don't know," the man said, opening the cell door. "All of our subjects died."

He stared at the man. "Have you tried not making your subject die?"

"No."

The woman shoved him into the cell and the door slammed shut behind him. He spun around and grasped the bars, wishing it was their throats. They weren't scientists, they were insane.

"Is there an anecdote?"

The woman looked at him. He saw a twinge of regret in her pale blue eyes. "There is not."

"Have you ever thought of making one?" He had a feeling they hadn't. Why create something that would reverse what you wanted.

"We haven't."

He closed his eyes and groaned. He turned and slid down the bars. He was doomed. He'd never been one for pain and he truly had no idea how much he could take. He didn't even know what to expect. There were so many different kinds of pain. His mind ran through the times he'd been shot, stunned, punched, and knocked around. He'd survived all of it.

"Are you all right?" Sheppard asked.

"For now. Ask me again when the pain starts."

"We need to get out of here," Ronon stated.

Rodney cracked an eye opened. "You think?"

The big man stared at him, but said nothing. He turned his gaze to Sheppard. "What's the plan?"

"They're going to come back and check on Rodney. Their guard won't be up, so we'll catch them off guard. We'll attack then."

"Good. I want another chance at them."

Suddenly, a stabbing pain shot through his chest. He gasped and clutched his chest.

"Rodney!" Sheppard knelt down beside him, but there wasn't anything he could do. He placed his hands on Rodney's shoulders.

The pain spread through his chest and he cried out. He jerked back and Sheppard placed helped him lie down. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed. He'd never felt anything like this. He couldn't breathe. It was worse than being stabbed and shot at the same time.

"Is he still conscious?" The woman's voice floated to his ears.

He glared up at her, but couldn't say anything. Scathing remarks hung in his mind, but the pain prevented him from speaking them. The pain shot through him again and his scream filled the room.

"Stop this," Teyla said, her voice hovering above him. Was she standing over him? "You're going to kill him."

"We can't stop it," the man's voice was smug. "He will die, but how long is up to his ability to withstand the pain."

The door squeaked opened and many footsteps shuffled. He tried to get a breath, but he couldn't. Slowly the stabbing pain subsided and he took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and stared up at the people around him. Sheppard hovered to the side and the female scientist knelt beside him.

"He's sweating," she said, wiping his brow. "He's withstood the pain."

Ronon slammed his arm into the male scientist, sending him stumbling into the wall. Teyla grabbed the woman's hair and yanked her to her feet. She shoved her fist into the scientist's face.

"Come on," Sheppard said, helping him to his feet. "We need to get out of here."

Rodney groaned, his legs weak. He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. He heard the fighting behind him, but forced himself to ignore it.

I have to get out of here. Need to get back to Atlantis.

"Wait," he stopped. He pointed to the syringe on the table. "Get that. If there's even a little bit left, we can figure out what it is and hopefully find an antidote."

"Good idea." Sheppard hurried to the table, grabbed the syringe and raced back to him.

"I am the genius."

Sheppard helped him out the door. Sunlight nearly blinded him and he blinked several times. He raised his hand to block the sun. Before them was an endless meadow of purple and red flowers. A warm breeze wafted through causing the flowers to wave. Birdsong finished the picture of a serene landscape.

"Let's get out of here," Ronon said behind them.

"What took you so long?" Sheppard asked.

"They were a lot tougher than they looked," Teyla quipped.

Rodney looked at them and saw the results of the fight. Teyla wiped blood from her nose and Ronon supported a black eye. Their clothes were torn and their hair a mess. They were smiling, though and he couldn't help, but smile in return.

Sheppard shook his head in amusement. "Now that we're all here and accounted for, let's get the hell out of here."

"Best idea I heard all day," he agreed.

They stepped out into the meadow and Rodney breathed in the fresh air. Pain tore through him and he doubled over. He cried out, clutching his mid-section. He dropped to his knees and fell to his side.

"McKay!" He barely heard Sheppard shout and all went black.