One Last Mission

by Dream Painter

A/N: I don't own SGA or any of its awesome characters. Wish I did, but the sad truth is that I don't. Sigh.

Be sure to let me know what you think—I value your feedback. In fact, I thrive on it. I may even have a review addiction . . . Enough of me, on to the tale . . .

I dedicate this fic to my best friend—I don't know what I'd do without you!

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"John," Teyla began as she joined Lt. Colonel Sheppard and Ronon on their way to the gate room.

"Teyla?" he returned.

"I am . . . concerned for Rodney. He hasn't been acting like himself," she told him.

"You saying he's been acting like someone else?" Sheppard joked.

"I wish," Ronon added.

"He seems to be constantly—preoccupied," the Athosian insisted. "Have you not noticed?"

"No," Ronon answered. She looked at him, mildly irritated by his apparent lack of observance.

"Look," John said. "You're probably right—I'll talk to him." The truth was that he actually shared her concern. McKay had seemed a little different, but he thought he was just imagining things.

"Thank you," she nodded. "I would do it myself, but I do not think I am the right person to do so." They entered the gate room. McKay was up in the control room explaining something to a young technician, who looked rather uncomfortable. His teammates thought little of it, never dreaming that the source of the tech's discomfort was actually an almost weary patience that McKay was exhibiting at the moment that the man wasn't use to.

"You need more sleep," Dr. Weir noted.

"Everyone needs more sleep," the man responded, though the woman thought he looked even more tired than usual. She was also pretty certain she knew the reason why.

"After this mission, I'm putting your team on stand-down until you all get a little more rest," she informed him.

"Ah, well—if you think so," his tone informed her that he would likely spend such time in the lab with Dr. Zelenka trying to figure out Atlantis' latest quandary.

"Dial the gate," Weir commanded with a sigh of defeat as McKay joined his team members and the doctor in front of the gate below. The great metallic ring spun to life before spitting out its water-like spray. "Colonel Sheppard," she spoke into her radio. "You have a go." One by one they stepped into the wormhole, on their way to a planet where one of the other teams had found someone with some pretty impressive medicines. Rodney paused to look back at the brown-haired doctor that was accompanying them.

"You ready for this?" he questioned dubiously. "I distinctly remember you declaring your hate for this thing."

"Ah, well . . . this medicine could be an important breakthrough for everyone," the man responded. With that, the two men stepped across the event horizon to join the others. About ten minutes later, they strolled into the village where the healer had previously been encountered.

"Lallus?" echoed one of the villagers upon inquiry. "He's not here. He travels from village to village helping the sick. He . . . he left yesterday dawn when he did not hear back from your friends, but he'll be at the next village for several days, so you should be able to catch up with him."

"Alright, kids," Sheppard said cheerily. "Looks like we might have a field trip. Teyla, head back to the gate and tell Weir what's going on and ask her how she'd like us to proceed. The docs and I will have a look around." The woman nodded her understanding and turned back towards the Stargate.

"I'll go with her," Ronon volunteered, falling in step beside her. The air force colonel turned back to the villager.

"So . . . what's there to see around here?"

---

"Wow, that's really impressive," John uttered. They stood overlooking what seemed to be the entire planet, though naturally that wasn't true, but it was certainly several hundreds of miles of forest and plains. The place from which they caught this view had once been very nice, with built in benches and a fountain. The ground beneath their feet was made of what looked like concrete that had once been embedded with colorful mosaics. Years of weather, however, had wreaked their havoc and the floor was eroded, bushes and even a few trees growing up through cracks in the stone.

"Hundreds of years ago, when kings still ruled Vardis, the last princess had this place made so she could sit out here and see the view," their guide told them. "This is all that remains of the royal house—the peasants who overthrew the kings of old tore down the palace stone by stone."

"Too bad," the colonel murmured. He stepped towards the edge of the embankment, just able to hear the river at its base. The doctor was looking at the decrepit fountain.

"I wouldn't get too close," the native told the colonel anxiously. "It's not incredibly far, but very steep. There was once talk of building a staircase in the embankment so people wouldn't have to go around it's so steep."

"How long does it take to go around?" he asked, halting his forward motion.

"Two days," came the reply, "and then it takes four more to get to the nearest village in the valley."

"Why didn't they build the staircase?" John wanted to know, sort of standing on his toes to try to see over the edge without getting any closer. Rodney was taking energy readings with the palm scanner a few feet away.

"The soil in the embankment would not hold it—it is too soft. It erodes too easily."

"Dang," the colonel murmured.

"Colonel," Teyla's voice came over the radio.

"Yeah," he responded so she'd continue, but he missed what she said next as he watched McKay.

"That can't be right," the scientist muttered, his frown deepening, causing his forehead to wrinkle. He followed the anomalous readings with the device.

"What is it?" Sheppard asked. The medical doctor stopped what he was doing and stepped up beside him, casting his own questioning gaze upon the scientist.

"John?" Teyla questioned, realizing that he wasn't listening. "What is happening?"

"The readings . . ." Rodney muttered moving towards the embankment. "They're just not right for this entire area . . ."

"Sir!" their guide murmured anxiously as he stopped at the edge of the cliff.

"What this?" he cried incredulously, but was unable to finish his thought before the piece of concrete beneath him suddenly gave slightly, causing the device to slip from his hand and tumble partway down the embankment.

"Rodney!" John exclaimed as he and the doctor rushed forward to pull their companion back out of harm's way. Unfortunately, however, their efforts only worsened the situation as the chunk of ancient stone broke loose, carrying the Atlanteans with it . . .

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TBC