~ No Return ~
An Author's Note follows the story.
Word Count: 2363
Takes place when Weir is in charge.
Characters: Sheppard, Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, Beckett. Brief appearance by Chuck.
Disclaimer: 'Stargate Atlantis' and its characters are not mine. I would not have left them under the aegis of those whose interest lay elsewhere.
SGA ~ SGA ~ SGA
"Colonel Sheppard?"
Teyla's voice. John Sheppard woke with a start. His head bobbed, bringing piercing pain. He tensed, breathed, forced himself to relax. What the heck had happened? A moment of thought, a wisp of memory and it came back ~ the Jumper had gone down.
"Teyla." John cleared his rusty throat. "Everybody okay?" He was slumped over the Jumper console. Pushing into an upright position in the pilot seat took everything he had; twisting his body to look around the cockpit was going to be a killer.
Teyla answered from behind him, "Ronon and I are well, but I am uncertain about the others."
"Ronon?" John inquired, just to be sure.
"I'm good," the big man replied. "Don't know about the doc."
John almost asked 'Which one?' but was stopped by a groan from the man in the co-pilot seat. McKay lifted his head off the console, hissed as he straightened and mumbled, "owowowow."
"Rodney, are ye okay?" Carson Beckett called from the back of the Jumper and John felt relief that the final member of their group was conscious and they were all apparently fine.
"Of course I'm not okay," Rodney groused. "I've just been through a crash landing and I think I've broken my arm."
John tuned out McKay's predictable whining and managed to swivel his seat to look back at the rest of his crew. Beckett was lying on his side on the floor of the rear compartment, refusing assistance from Ronon, who squatted nearby and from the look of it, was developing an impressive shiner. "You okay, Doc?"
"I jarred my leg when I fell, Colonel." Beckett's breathing came in painful gasps. "Give me time. I'll let ye know."
"Colonel Sheppard, are you all right?"
John had been unconsciously rubbing his forehead. He slowly faced Teyla to answer her direct question. Evidently he looked like Hell because Beckett, in his own state of discomfort, smiled and asked, "Are the wee men using their hammers?"
John lifted a small, crooked smile. "Picks and awls, actually."
"So, now that we've established that some of us are in more pain than others," and Rodney awkwardly held up an elbow and limp forearm, "what exactly happened here?" he demanded.
"Something hit us. Something big." John turned and began checking controls, methodically pushing buttons and switches.
"You mean on purpose?!" Rodney squawked. "And what do you mean, 'something big'? Animal, vegetable or mineral?"
"Can you get any power?" John's words were calm.
"What? We don't have power?" McKay yelped and picked up his tablet from the floor. "...Oh, this is not good."
"What now?" John asked in disgust.
"I'm not reading anything. No power to the drivepods, weapons, life support, comm systems..."
"Can you fix it?"
"Oh, sure, I'll just swap in the spare batteries from my backpack!" Rodney glared at his team leader.
"McKay!"
"Look, there's nothing I can do! I can't reroute from one system to another if primary and secondary power are gone!" Rodney peered out the Jumper window, his voice quieting in trepidation, "Do you really think something hit us on purpose?"
"Is the Jumper secure in this location?" Teyla asked. She'd moved to the rear to help Beckett sit upright.
Rodney almost snorted. "We're on flat ground, if that's what you mean, in the middle of a lot of hills."
"I need to see what kind of hit we took," John stated. "Rodney, maybe you can fix something from the outside. Ronon, start sorting supplies; figure out what to take if we have to abandon the Jumper. Teyla, look after the doc. C'mon, McKay."
"Wait, I think I have a broken arm," insisted Rodney.
SGA ~ SGA ~ SGA
Sunlight flooded in when John pulled the manual ramp release. He held his P-90 ready as he slipped on his aviators. Rodney followed, holding his tablet across his chest and shielding his left forearm as they walked outside to inspect the crash site.
McKay was mournfully staring at the mangled remains of the right drivepod when John returned. "I think our Winnebago is totaled," Rodney muttered. "Why does nothing go as planned?" He scanned the landscape. "What do you think happened?"
John shook his head and pointed. "Over there. Lotta recent rock debris, out in the middle of nothing but scrub trees." He drawled, "A little hard to believe we were hit by a meteor."
"Oh, hah. Do you know the probability of that?"
"Like I said, hard to believe. Smashed rocks. Dust and damage to the hull. Uneasy conclusion: meteor hit...or a really big slingshot. What about the LSD? Still no life signs?"
"No life signs," Rodney confirmed. "This place would never be considered as an alpha site if there had been." McKay sighed loudly. "Just once I'd like a mission with no problems."
John had the same thought, but he didn't say so. "Can we take the drones? We don't have a full load."
"Well, yeah, I can get them, but how will we carry them?"
"I'll rig something." John slapped McKay's arm. "I'm gonna take a look around. Something doesn't feel right."
"What? 'Doesn't feel right'? Wait! Where are you going?"
"Just get to work, McKay," John shouted as he left.
SGA ~ SGA ~ SGA
John set off, jogging in the direction of the Gate, heading up a hill in order to take stock of the surroundings. The path the Jumper had taken was easy to discern by the damaged foliage. They'd been making a low, circular flight from the Gate and they'd gone down in a hurry ~ the ship had pretty much slammed into the ground. They'd skidded along a flat swath in the midst of what seemed like endless hillocks. A dry riverbed? The dirt everywhere was soft, the hills rounded and covered with scraggly trees, except for their landing strip, and in the middle of it all, some out-of-place broken boulders. None of it seemed quite right.
McKay wanted a mission without problems. So did John, but he also wanted one without questions. Why had the Jumper lost power? Could it happen again? Things had gone wrong from the start, like a worst-case scenario. He rubbed his forehead. All he wanted was to take his people safely home.
John continued scouting the area, feeling not quite as if he were being watched. No tingling telling him 'ambush' but more like an itch of 'urgency', as in 'The sooner they left, the better.'
John returned from his recon just as McKay was extracting the last of the drones, performing the task in a manner to favor the 'broken arm'. When John entered the Jumper he observed Ronon's neatly stacked items on the benches and the doctor, seated on the floor with a cold-pack on his right leg.
Something must have shown in John's face. Beckett winced and ran his hand over his thigh. "I'll be fine," he stated positively. He removed the cold-pack and shifted, preparing to stand.
"Stay put, Doc. We're not ready yet." John addressed the group. "I've taken a look around. I wouldn't call it a cake walk, but it looks like a straight shot to the Gate over fairly level terrain. About five klicks. Under normal circumstances I'd hoof it and bring back help..." John paused, hesitant. "The bad news is I don't think we should come back. I can't explain it, but I don't want to risk another Jumper. I don't know why we crashed and I don't want it to happen again. McKay can't fix this one, so we'll have to abandon it. Teyla, leave nothing with the 'Atlantis' label ~ somehow take the label off, or take the piece with us. Rodney, any crystals or electronics worth salvaging? Ronon, I need help to rig the webbing to make a sling for drones. Carson, you'll eventually have to get out from underfoot, but for the time being, it's cooler inside than out in the sun. Your choice."
No one hesitated, or argued about leaving. Not even McKay.
SGA ~ SGA ~ SGA
They were ready to go. Or so John hoped. Everything was packed to be carried by four people by hand, backpack or sling. John considered his charges ~ Beckett could barely walk, so it would be roughest on him; McKay probably had a sprained wrist, which meant he couldn't carry anything except his pack and he couldn't help Beckett; Teyla and Ronon were shaken, but nothing hampered their abilities; he, himself, had the grandpa of headaches, but he knew concussions and he'd at least been spared that.
John waited until Beckett swallowed pain meds before he sat on the opposite bench. "Carson, level with me. Can you make it?"
"Aye, I can, with help. It'll be slow, though."
John nodded. "I couldn't find anything to make you a crutch." He paused and the doctor waited patiently. "Why'd we all pass out? All of us. Think about it. No truly serious injuries, so the inertial dampeners had to've held or we'd've been thrown all over the Jumper, yet we have no power. I have a headache, but no sign of head injury. Teyla isn't injured, so why'd she pass out?"
"Ye think something else is going on?"
"I don't know, Carson." John looked out the rear hatch. "The Jumper mishandled as soon as we arrived, yet I don't really remember the crash or even coming through the Gate. None of us can recall details. I just wanna get out and not come back. My neck's been itchin' since we got here. Reminds me of the Mist Planet. There's nothing here and I mean nothin' ~ no insects, no animal tracks, no energy readings, nothin'. But there's a Gate."
"Ye've raised an interesting point, son."
John stood and looked down at his friend with a smile. "So, enjoying your day off? How's that air?"
Beckett chuckled. The mission was supposed to be the cake walk John had mentioned earlier. The planet was listed in the Ancient database with no accompanying information. The MALP had shown a world of medium-sized plant life and readings that were acceptable for human habitation. It was a chance for them all to explore, with no expectation of conflict. And Beckett had been cooped up in the city and had just wanted some fresh air...
SGA ~ SGA ~ SGA
With only a slight back-and forth-movement of his head John kept a constant eye on the surroundings. He could hear Beckett's breathing behind him and the periodic encouragement by Teyla as she paced beside the doctor, providing support. Now and then John turned to check on his team ~ McKay was monitoring the LSD and his tablet for life signs and energy readings; Beckett was leaning on Teyla while she carried his pack in her free hand; Ronon was bringing up the rear, loaded down with as much as Teyla, Rodney and John carried in all their packs combined.
John was tracking the sun, which had nearly reached its zenith. The temperature had remained constant ~ he hadn't even broken into a sweat. His headache had lessened to a dull throb, but the sense of being watched had increased. Ronon had spoken to John briefly at the start, saying simply, "I don't like it."
Step after step John considered Rodney's view of the cosmos: it was personal. McKay was convinced obstacles were purposely placed in his way. To annoy him. The way John had been feeling since they'd arrived, he wasn't sure McKay was wrong. It was as if an unknown hand had jinxed the mission from the start. Allowed to choose, he'd pick Door A ~ the mission never happened. Or second best, he just wanted it over, with everyone safe.
The group made the slow, steady walk without conversation. They were making remarkably good time. They'd stopped once, when Beckett's painful gasps indicated he needed a rest, but he assured them he needed only a 'wee breather' and he'd be good as new. The exertion seemed to have worked out some of the pain in his leg; Teyla had to shoulder very little of his weight.
The path John forged was over low, desert-like scrub, but the air didn't seem very dry. John smiled to himself. It was dry enough for puffs of fine dust to cover his boots with each step. If it weren't for their injuries ~ and the itch at the back of his neck ~ they could be taking a casual stroll in a desert park.
The distant view of the stargate had an energizing effect on their step. At the Gate John could relax his vigil. Despite Rodney's assurance there were no other life signs, John had still been waiting for that one, unexpected thing they could never count on but which always showed up and bit them in the ass.
Rodney juggled the LSD and tablet in one hand to dial the DHD with the other. John realized he'd been holding his breath until the wormhole bloomed and they received confirmation of their IDC. Beckett managed to make it up the steps on his own, although Teyla and Ronon were there should he need support.
At the top of the platform John looked back. There was a kind of barren beauty to the place ~ nice for a visit, but he didn't want to live there. He could appreciate it now that he was one step from home, relaxed at the end of a mission, and even his headache was gone. Then he turned and stepped through the puddle.
SGA ~ SGA ~ SGA
"Colonel, we weren't expecting you back so soon. Not much there, I suppose, if you could step it off in fifteen minutes?"
Chuck had asked a question and it was met with silence. No one said anything, they simply looked at one another.
John inspected his team, all standing straight, tall, and carrying the usual vests and accouterment for a standard mission off-world. On foot. He looked down at his feet. No dust.
As he'd stood on that platform, looking out over the scrub, he'd felt a sense of relief that the mission was over and his people were safe. He'd felt the relief, only he wasn't certain it was his own. One thing he did know ~ they weren't going back. *~*
Author's Note: This adventure would have to take place early in the series, since it would be unlikely that later on Sheppard would need to instruct everyone what to do when abandoning a Jumper. [It was somewhat comical in the series that they sanitized their uniforms when going on a mission, yet Rodney's computer and the equipment in the Jumper had 'Atlantis' labels on them. And when they did abandon a Jumper, they took nothing with them.] I didn't think I could load Ford down with as much as I gave Ronon to carry, so let's say it's early in Season 2, before 'Conversion', after which Teyla called Sheppard "John".
The story actually began based on the idea "Rodney thinks the universe has a master plan against him" and it morphed into something quite different. Such is the writing process...
Thanks for reading.