Do not own the Stargate franchise
ONE:
The shimmering blue puddle diminished, sending the room into shadow once more.
And the silence that ensued was almost deafening.
The five stood, rigid and staring…they had just missed their only chance of escape, possibly even survival.
We're all gonna die on this useless piece of rusted ancient crap.
Eli's heart raced, cold sweat matted his dark curls as he watched the various reactions around him.
He could tell they we're all thinking the same thing…that none of them belonged out here. None of them should've been left behind, on the other side of the galaxy, in a rusty spaceship, surrounded by an armada of bloodthirsty aliens, no less.
He had run—by god, did he run. Faster than his legs had ever been able to take him—hell, probably faster than the ship should've been able to go.
Lt Scott stood by the gate, his callused hands gripping the steel ring, as if touching it would miraculously reactivate it, allowing them to flee, unscathed.
But the intergalactic portal remained still and silent, mocking them in its enormity.
"This is great man, the fucking left us behind," Sergeant Greer growled, his dark brow furrowed in annoyance, and his hands, as ever, clutching his P-90 to his chest with hopes that he would soon get to fire it.
Matthew Scott glared at the man momentarily, like the curse offended him, then his brow softened as his grey eyes travelled the individuals who remained.
Eli and Chloe standing close to TJ, looked frightened and alone, and it was down to him…he had to take care of them. He had to keep them safe.
"They'll dial back, right? I mean they must've realized that we didn't make it through," Eli's voice was panicked as he looked around the dark room, his eyes seeking answers.
Matthew bit his lip, taping his weapon idly with his forefinger.
"I wouldn't count on it," he replied honestly his usually gruff southern accent, calm and soft.
His eyes met Chloe's as he said the words—and her ice blue eyes brimmed with tears of fright. The girl had been through enough…and now this.
The blonde medic turned to Chloe and put a comforting arm around her shoulder, but remained silent.
There was nothing she could say that would put her at ease, so she said nothing, watching as the military men converged.
"Man, what the hell are we gonna do?"Greer hissed, lowering his guard slightly, allowing a small amount of anxiety to enter his voice.
Scott sighed. "I dunno—power is out all over the ship. I have a feeling that Dr. Rush set it to hibernate, so that our new friends couldn't get a hold of the tech—"
Greer jabbed the young man before him, some one whom he considered to be a close friend.
"You sayin' we're screwed bro?"
"I'm sayin' …that we have to stop this ship from falling into the wrong hands…I'm saying when they come, and they will, we fight. Until our last breaths, we fight, and we do not stop until every single one of them son's of bitches is dead…or we are."
"Whoa, hold up there captain Marvel! When I signed up for this, there was nothing in the waiver bout fighting horrible alien assassins or death. I'm not saying I wont fight, I'm just asking that we consider the non violent options first, like the shuttle…why can't we just fly down to the planet?"
"Because they'd fire on us the minute we launch," a soft voice spoke.
Chloe pulled away from TJ, and slowly made her way to the centre of the room, standing between Greer and Scott.
"I've never shot someone before, but I'm willing to fight if I need too,"
"Noble sentiments Chloe, but you and math wonder will lay low; we'll do the killin'," Scott said.
"No man, not an option, we wont sit in a dark corner while the big boys get to play with the guns. We fight with you whether you like it or not,"
Ronald glared at him. "And you think we're playing hero? You're a jobless computer nerd who probably isn't acquainted with this side of lunchtime,"
Eli shot him a dirty look. "Hmm, I knew it, you're sensitive. An uncommon quality in a man," he quipped sarcastically.
"Enough with the ape quotes Wallace, they're starting to grate," Scott commented dryly.
Chloe put her hands on her hips, her petite features fierce and resolute. "My father died to save our lives, and I will not let that have been in vain. So we fight together, or not at all,"
TJ nodded in agreement. "Lets just keep the injuries to a minimum; we don't exactly have a qualified doctor on staff. We have to be careful,"
Lieutenant Scott nodded. "Alright, let's get you kids some toys,"
"God damn it Rush, dial the gate!" Colonel Everett Young commanded, wincing inwardly at the injuries he still harbored.
The bitter Scottish doctor placed his current work aside and glared up at the Colonel.
"I am telling you that is not possible. I set the power on standby, to be activated when the timer reaches zero, and not before," He tapped the monitor beside him. "Lieutenant Scott is resourceful and he has the boy with him. They will survive,"
Young leaned against his crutch. "Not if that ship is boarded Rush, they will fight. I know these kids. Scott is a pistol and Greer…"
Rush scoffed. "Yes, I know the type,"
"So there is no way you can cut off the countdown so that we can get them off that ship? You can't restart it?"
The doctor shook his head. "Not remotely. They will just have to get through the next 96 hours and hope that their adversaries aren't as fierce or intelligent as we first thought."
As the five traversed the corridor, not willing to split up in the darkness, the ship creaked and moaned like an old galleon.
Eli gripped his P-90 anxiously, also aware of the 45. Caliber pistol holstered at his hip, and the blade sheathed in his combat boot.
The two civilians had been provided tactical vests, along with a variety of weapons and their cartridges.
Scott and Greer had also given them a quick theory lesson on how to use them before they set off down the winding corridors stealthily.
As they snuck around the cold darkness, a KINO floated ahead, relaying visuals back to the handheld monitor.
Matthew, who walked astride Eli, viewed the monitor and quickly halted the part, ordering silence.
The rest leant in to see what was going on—from the designated mess hall, clattering noises and animal grunts emanated, and Eli swallowed past the dryness in his throat.
Slowly, he maneuvered the KINO, so that they could get a clearer look at the intruders.
"How'd they get on board without us knowing?"Chloe asked softly.
"They're probably in possession of some kind of teleportation tech," TJ whispered, watching the monitor.
Eli bit his lip. "You know, I was thinking, what if they're friendly aliens?"
He took his eyes of the KINO controls for just one second, and the small camera ball collided with a stack of crates.
A massive ball of light erupted from the shadows moments later, and the KINO was reduced to a molten mass on the floor.
"I think that would be a no." Scott hissed. "Everyone SPLIT!"
He let out a burst of fire from his weapon, then disappeared down an adjacent corridor.
Eli hesitated, then dropped the monitor, and ran.
His heart thudded in his chest, and he threw a glance over his shoulder, not noticing the dark mass that had appeared in his path.
The young man collided with what seemed to be a concrete wall, and dropped to the floor.
The mass, with a clawed hand, reached down and gripped his shoulder, the serrated edges ripping through flesh.
Eli cried out, his vision swimming.
The creature growled, gripping harder, looking very hungry…Eli thought his time was over, when from behind, he heard the sounds of P-90 fire,
lights flashing within his fading vision.
It grunted, jerking back as the bullets pierced its flesh.
"Great timing," Eli gasped, before slipping into blackness…
TBC
I thought I could do a bit better, I hope you enjoy it. Kind reviews are much appreciated.