A/N: Many thanks to my friend ladygris who encouraged me to write something a little different from my usual fluffy fare. She also Beta'd and brainstormed. DaniWilder also gave me a few ideas.
Thanks to both,
~ Sandy ~
Threads
Chapter 1
Following a Pattern
The wormhole shot out of the center of the Stargate on the planet designated M7M-536 and seconds later a Jumper emerged banking around to land nearby. A squad of Marines was left to guard their only way off the planet then the Jumper lifted off again to head toward the sun. Inside, the members of Team Sheppard were each engaged in their own pursuits. Teyla tapped at her PDA while Ronon closed his eyes, his long legs blocking the aisle. In the shotgun seat, Rodney had his computer out analyzing the MALP data while John did what he did best, flew the Jumper.
They flew in silence for a while, but John could only take it so long. "So, Rodney, you and Keller have a date tonight?"
The physicist answered without bothering to stop what he was doing. "If it's any business of yours, which it's not, yes. We're going to movie night." He looked up sharply when his friend snorted. "What?"
"Nothing." John tried to look innocent but he could never pull it off. "It's just that Aliens is the movie tonight."
"But Jennifer told me it was How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days."
"Maybe we're both wrong." The Colonel snorted, obviously pulling Rodney's chain. "How'd she convince you to go anyway?"
Rodney looked at John and away. "She's a, uh, Matthew McConaughey fan."
Teyla took her nose out of her hand-held and smirked. "I have seen several movies with this Matthew McConaughey. He is very handsome, especially when he takes his shirt off, and speaks with an unusual accent that I find very…appealing."
Ignoring his companions, Rodney turned back to the front window. "We should be coming up on it just about…" he raised his hand and pointed, "…now."
A building came into view and even though it was nearly invisible from the overgrowth of plant life, they could tell it was Wraith design. The difference here was that it didn't look like a ship that had been turned into a ground-based laboratory. It had the mark of being a permanent structure.
"Rodney?"
"It's just as we thought. There's minimal power and the signature suggests there might be a ZedPM somewhere on the premises."
Now that there was a real chance that he'd be able to kill Wraith, Ronon was awake and attentive. "Teyla?"
"I do not sense any Wraith, but we are still far away."
"Rodney? Any life signs?"
More tapping at the computer. "Hard to tell at this distance, but judging by the encroachment of flora and fauna, I'm gonna go with no."
~~O~~
John did a quick flyover and landed near the main entrance. The team disembarked and cautiously approached the front of the building. When they got close Rodney raised his hand. "Wait." The others watched the surrounding foliage warily while he stared at his scanner.
"What d'you see?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. I was gonna sneeze." Rodney took out a bottle of water and used it to swallow a pill just as John reached out to slap him on the back of the head. "I can't help it if I have allergies." Rodney went to the door, pulled dark green ivy tendrils out of his way and touched the controls in what looked like a random pattern. It slid open with a grinding noise that spoke of hundreds, maybe thousands, of years of disuse.
Flicking on the lights from their P-90's, John took point with Rodney just behind him and Teyla and Ronon on their six. They followed Rodney's directions turning left and right when told to until they came to a large open area surrounded by stasis chambers and what looked like cabinets. The air smelled stale though there was the slight hum of an air filtration system, almost as if it were just a background noise you could easily ignore. Dust and other unidentifiable substances were in piles all over the floor. The clincher that this was a Wraith facility came when John located a pile of desiccated corpses in a far corner. He gave them a moment of empathy and moved on.
"This looks like one of Michael's labs."
"Too old for that though it is a medical lab of some sort. Touch nothing." Rodney aimed that last at John as he unhooked his P-90 and set it aside. He attached his computer to the main console in the center of the room, manipulated the controls and the lights came on.
As Rodney downloaded the database John roamed around opening hatches and trying to peer into stasis chambers. All were empty. He came to a small alcove that had two circular pads on the floor and in the ceiling like a miniature transporter. It was just big enough for two people to stand side by side. A keypad began to flash. "Hey, Rodney…"
In a distracted tone, the physicist said, "In a minute. I just need to…" His voice trailed off.
"But it's…"
John reached out with a finger to touch the keypad when it began to flash faster just as Rodney rushed forward shouting, "No, don't!"
Just as he grabbed John's arm, a light came down from the pads in the ceiling pinning both men in place. They stiffened, held fast, the sounds of Teyla and Ronon calling their names fading away.
~~O~~
John's vision darkened as every muscle in his body felt as if it were being pulled in ten different directions, none of them the way they were meant to go. The forefinger of his right hand spasmed repeatedly on the trigger of his weapon and he was thankful that the safety was on. He heard his name being shouted again as his jaw clenched. Moments later, the light shut off and John slumped unconscious into Ronon's arms.
~~O~~
Rodney watched silently as John writhed in pain though he only felt a warm and gentle pushing sensation. Dizziness assailed him then just as suddenly was gone when the light winked out. He staggered and Teyla was there to keep him from falling.
The Satedan lowered John to the floor while Teyla, after making sure Rodney was okay, unhooked the neck strap and pried the P-90 from his hand. "John!" She lightly slapped him on the cheek but he didn't respond. Pressing her fingers under his jaw, she was relieved to feel his pulse steady if a little weak. The muscles in his arms, legs and rib cage were still contracted pulling him into a fetal position and causing him to breathe shallowly.
Rodney had left his computer to complete the download on its own when he attempted to stop John from touching the keypad. Now he knelt down next to his friend. "How is he?"
"Unconscious but uninjured as far as I can tell. We must get him back to Atlantis."
A beep from his computer sent Rodney scurrying back to the console. As he disconnected his computer John groaned. With Teyla and Ronon's help he was able to sit up.
"How do you feel?" Teyla's dark eyes were filled with concern.
John did a quick self-diagnostic and didn't like the result. "Like, uh…"
"…crap?" Teyla provided with a lift of one eyebrow.
"I was gonna go for something stronger, but that'll work. You guys okay?"
"We are fine. Can you stand?"
"Yeah." Teyla stepped back while Ronon lifted John to his feet with little effort. John's knees buckled and only Ronon's hands under his arms kept him from landing face first on the dirty floor. "No." He groaned again. "What happened?"
"You activated that device, whatever it is." Rodney answered from across the room. "Exactly which part of 'touch nothing' is so difficult for you to understand?"
"Sorry." The strength slowly seeped back into his extremities and this time when Ronon let go, John was able to stay standing. The LSD clattered to the floor when his left hand finally unclenched.
"Sorry?" Rodney's voice rose to a screech on the end. "How does 'sorry' help? Have you forgotten any of a hundred other alien devices that have had detrimental effects on the person or persons unlucky enough to be in the vicinity of one of your 'sorries'? And this time, you managed to take me with you on some weird journey to God knows where. This had better not be another ascension machine because I am not in the mood to release my burden. I want to stay good and pissed off for the foreseeable future."
"Rodney," Teyla admonished the physicist as she retrieved the LSD from where it had fallen and returned it to John.
The Colonel glanced down at the device in his hand but the screen was blank. "Oops." He tucked it inside his vest with a shrug.
"Perfect." Rodney's tone indicated otherwise. "I suppose you want me to fix that too."
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble." John's voice was stronger now and he was able to move on his own. Every muscle ached as he stretched and massaged his arms and legs.
"While it is a major imposition, it's also my job. Just…bring it to the lab and I'll get to it sooner or later." Rodney was huffing and complaining under his breath, his companions ignoring his mumblings as they always did. "Probably later."
"Gee, thanks." John said with sarcasm certain he'd never get the thing back. He walked around the room working the remaining knots of rigidity from his muscles though there was one spot in the middle of his back he wasn't able to reach.
"We done here?" Ronon asked ready to go now that he knew there were no Wraith to kill.
Coming to his feet, Rodney completed the shutdown of his computer and stowed it in his backpack. Shrugging the straps up over his shoulders, he headed for the exit. "Now that Colonel McGoof-up is able to walk on his own, yeah. Let's get back to Atlantis. I'll put Zelenka to work analyzing the data while we get our post-mission physicals."
"And…" John asked as they headed down the first corridor.
"And I'll fix your LSD as soon as I'm absolutely certain I'm not going to mutate into some heretofore unknown species with phenomenal cosmic powers and an itty-bitty living space." Rodney took out his scanner and brought up the schematic he'd located in the lab's computer. "That way."
~~O~~
On the way back to the Jumper, John stopped to rub his back on a tree. His skin was beginning to itch as if thousands of insects were crawling on him. His companions watched him, Teyla with concern, Ronon impassively and Rodney with disdain.
"Whenever Yogi's done showing us what bears really do in the woods, we should get back to Atlantis."
The Jumper's hatch opened when Rodney hit the remote and the team took their usual seats. John joined them a few seconds later still trying to scratch his back. He settled into the pilot's seat, tucking his P-90 out of the way. When he touched the controls his eyebrows came together in puzzlement. What the hell? He removed his hands and tried again.
"We can leave now." Rodney prodded.
"I'm trying. It's not working."
Rodney gestured him away from the controls. "What did you do to it this time?"
"Nothing. It was working when we landed."
Teyla leaned forward in her seat. "There are no Wraith here. Could you have missed a life form that may have damaged the ship?"
"I didn't miss anything or anyone." Taking John's seat, he touched the controls experimentally and it immediately powered up. "It's working now." He traded with John again and the power levels dropped to zero once more. With a huff of annoyance, the physicist leaned past his friend, one hand resting on the edge of the console. The power came up again startling both men. It also got Rodney to thinking and he didn't like the path his thoughts were taking but once started, they continued on to a logical, disturbing conclusion. "Uh-oh."
"You said uh-oh, Rodney. Why did you say uh-oh? Nothing good ever comes after you say 'uh-oh'." John reminded him with more than a little apprehension.
Rodney ignored him snapping his fingers. "Let me see the LSD. The one you supposedly broke."
"Supposedly?" John pulled the device out of his vest pocket and passed it over. "It's fried. Why…" He stopped talking when the device lit up the second it touched Rodney's hand. "What the…" Snatching it back, the bad feeling he already had increased when it went dark again. "Rodney?"
"I'm not a medical doctor, as you well know, but if I had to guess, it looks like…"
"What? It looks like what?" John had an idea what had happened but needed to have it confirmed by someone other than himself and Rodney was as good a someone as anyone until they returned home.
"Whatever that thing was that we were hit by when I told you touch nothing…it's affected your ATA gene." Rodney's pronouncement left them all stunned as his eyes met and held John's.
Ronon cleared his throat. "Isn't this were you say…"
Together, John and Rodney said, "Oh, CRAP!"
TBC
