The Light at the End of the Escape Route

A/N: Hi everybody! Welcome to part three of the continuing Escape Route saga. That's right, this is a part three. If you want to read it alone, go for it, but no complaining if you don't understand what's going on. Nimeria (my co-author) and I recommend that you read parts one and two first. And as I just stated, Nimeria is my co-author. Yep, this is just as much hers as mine. We write this together via MSN messenger, hence the format and the irregularity of posting stories. (The irregularity of posting chapters is entirely my fault. College seems to make you lazier than the rest of the population. Heehee!) Please feel free to let us know what you think! - Bann and Nimeria

Disclaimer: Neither Nimeria nor I own anything that is mentioned, discussed, referred to in passing, or blatantly stated. We don't own any of the characters, and we don't own the settings. We do, however, own ourselves (and the third original character owns herself as well). If we did own them, we wouldn't be wasting our time writing fanfiction and going to school. Mostly because there would be this whole new galaxy to go play in, and all these really awesome people to meet. But just because we don't own them now doesn't necessarily mean that sometime in the near future that we won't! Stay tuned for more information on that front! And now, on to the chapter…

Chapter 2

(That Evening)
(Taylor, Mary, Jessie, and Shep are walking down a corridor from the mess hall, heading towards the lab McKay is in.)
Taylor: So do we honestly think we'll be able to get him to stop?
Shep: (Shrugging) Even if we can't, the walk is worth it to irritate him.
Jess: This is true.
Mary: What is it he's working on anyway?
Shep: I know about as much as you do. I haven't seen him since he left breakfast this morning.
Mary: You could have just asked someone else.
Shep: Yeah, but then I don't get to bother him.
Taylor: You could do it anyway.
Shep: It's not as fun unless I honestly don't have a clue what's going on.
Jess: That makes sense.
Mary: It does?
Jess: Of course it does. If you know what he's talking about but pretend you don't he'll be able to tell and you won't ask irritating questions you would ask if you don't know. It's like this guy who was in our Honors Chem. class in high school. Never had a clue. It was amusing to listen to but it got irritating.
Taylor: Oh, god. I remember him. Good grief. (Jess nods her agreement)
Jess: But one time he tried to act like he didn't know when he did and it wasn't anywhere near as amusing. Or as irritating.
Mary: Alright, alright, I know when to admit I've been beaten.
Taylor: You do?
Jessie: No you don't.
Mary: You're probably right.
Jessie: Huh?
Taylor: Stop admitting we're right!
Mary: Okay.
Taylor: Aaargh! Stop that!
Jessie: Agreeable Mary is creepy...
Mary: Oh, I'm sorry. I'll stop now.
Taylor: AAARRRRGHHHH!!!
(They arrive at the lab where McKay is, and he looks up from fiddling with one of the many little panels in the Jumper that lies in the center of the room. In a device on the floor of the jumper, on a pedestal if you will, sits the Jewel, and there are innumerable wires running from the Jewel to various panels and gadgets around the room.)
McKay: Why was there screaming in the hallway?
Taylor: (Pointing to Mary) She's Evil!
Jessie: And she's Being Nice!
Taylor: It's not normal I tell you!
Jessie: And It's CREEPY!!!
Mary: I said I'm sorry. (Smiles)
Taylor: (Thwacks Mary) STOP IT!
Mary: Okay.
Jessie: (Hiding behind Sheppard) Make her stop, Please!
Shep: Ahhhh. (He looks at Mary who winks at him) Ummm.
Rodney: I ask again. What is going on?
Mary: They're freaking out because I'm being nice.
Rodney: That's a bad thing?
Mary: It'd be like you...hugging an underling.
Rodney: I'd never do that. If I did it'd be creepy.
Mary: Exactly.
Shep: So if you know it bothers them, why do you keep doing it?
Mary: Because it's fun.
Taylor: Because she's evil. (Pulls Jessie out from behind Sheppard) She won't bite. She doesn't like blood.
Jess: How do you know? How do you know she's not a cannibal? How do you know she's not a...a... a...(She trails off trying to come up with something to say.)
Taylor: (sighing) Because we aren't dead. She's evil, but she won't hurt you.
Shep: Wow... Okay...
Rodney: You're all so strange.
Mary: You're one to talk. What are you working on anyway?
Rodney: Haskins over there-
Random Science Guy we now know as: Hodgkins, Dr. McKay.
McKay: Yes, yes, that's what I said. He was doing some testing on the Jewel of Atlantis and he found that-
Jessie: (Staring at the ceiling) How did you get the Jumper in here?
McKay: What?
Jessie: How did you get the-
McKay: This lab connects to the Jumper Bay, probably for maintenance but we're not exactly sure.
Jessie: Oh.
McKay: Can I go on?
Jessie: Yep.
McKay: The Jewel seems to power this.
Shep: ...Which is?
McKay: We got the plans out of the ancient database a while back but didn't know how to get it up and running. (Smirking) It's a Time Jumper.
Taylor: Cool.
Jessie: Very.
Shep: Time Jumper? What?
McKay: Remember when we found that older Dr. Weir in one of the labs in the city, and she told us that the First time she was here, she got away in a time traveling jumper, and that later the Ancient whatsisname stashed the plans in the database before he left?
Shep: Yeah.
McKay: (Gestures to the jumper) Viola!
Shep: Cool.
Taylor: I already said that.
Mary: (Walking into the Time Jumper) So...
Taylor: Mary NO!
Mary: What?
Taylor: (Rushes into the Time Jumper after Mary, dodging Rodney and the Jewel and the coils, and Drags Mary to the cockpit of the Jumper.) You Can't Touch ANYTHING!
Mary: What??
Rodney: Can you be more careful Please? I've been at this for, oh, seventeen hours and I'd really prefer it not to Blow Up.
Taylor: I know. That's why I had to get Mary away.
Shep: What?
Taylor: To put it simply; Mary touching electronics equals boom.
Rodney: Then definitely don't touch anything.
Shep: What do you mean?
Jess: Exactly what she says. Mary touches electronic things and they explode.
Hodgkins: Like another power?
Taylor: No. Just like boom.
Jess: Our theory is that electronics just don't like her.
Mary: As much as I'd love to deny all this, I can't. So Taylor, why don't you show me what you learned today?
Taylor: Kay. So, (Turning toward the control panels on the dashboard) This here is steering, it works kind of like a cross between a game controller and a bike.
Mary: Is it sad that I understand what you mean?
Taylor: Nope.
---
(Outside the Jumper)
Shep: Look, all I'm saying is that if you're going to insist upon working non-stop and not eating, then don't drag the underlings with you.
Rodney: What are you talking about? Hodgkins wants to be here.
Shep: Really? Hey, Hodgkins, you ready to take a break?
Hodgkins: Yes. Please. Please!
Shep: See?
Rodney: Fine. Go. Take your break.

---
(Back in the front of the Jumper)
Taylor: -and then you... wait a second.
Mary: What?
Taylor: Where's Jessie?
Jessie: (From behind them) Hey, shiny.
Rodney: Don't touch that!!
(Mary and Taylor spin around just in time to see Shep and Rodney lunging for Jessie as she pokes a random button on the side of the device)
(After a brief pause, as everyone cringes and ducks, nothing happens)
Jessie: ...uh...oops?
Mary: Bad Jessie. Bad. Go sit over there.
Rodney: (Inspecting the Device) Hmm.
Shep: Hmm? Hmm is not a good noise Rodney.
Rodney: Would you rather I say "Oh God, Oh God, We're All Going To Die?"
Shep: Well, no. But something like "Wow. Nothing bad happened at all!" would be nice.
Rodney: Sorry, but "Hmm" is all you get for now.
Taylor: (Sitting next to Jessie) Look, at least nothing bad happened this time, but you Really need to control the urge to poke things.
Mary: Well, Taylor, it is partially our fault. We did forget about her for a second.
Jessie: But nothing's wrong, right? We're all good?
Taylor: Yeah. Nothing's wrong. Right Rodney?
McKay: Hmm. (He turns on his earpiece) Hodgkins, can you come back here for a second? (Pause) Hodgkins? (Longer pause) Darn scientists, turning off their headphones on their breaks. (Touches earpiece again) Zelenka, you busy? (Pause)
Shep: (Touches his earpiece) Elizabeth, you copy? (Pause)
McKay: Probably an EM pulse knocked out our earpieces.
Mary: We can go play messenger to someone.
Taylor: Yeah. Hodgkins can't be that far away. Unless he was running. (The girls giggle)
Shep: Sure. But just grab him and come back. Don't forget about us, okay?
Mary: Would we do that?
McKay: Probably.
Mary: (Pause) You may be right.
Taylor: Come on Jess, let's go hunting!
(The three girls leave the room and start to walk down the hallway)
Mary: So how far do you think we'll have to go to find him?
Jess: If I were him? The other side of the city.
Taylor: Jess...(Gently scolding) Play nice.
Jess: But it's true!! I could hardly stay in one place long enough to make it through school and then we got to get up and at least walk every 40 minutes.
Mary: She has a point.
Taylor: So...you think the other side of the city? Would he have gone straight down this hallway?
Jess: Yep. Why?
Taylor: Race you! (She takes off sprinting)
Jessie: Hey! Not fair!! (Takes off after her)
Mary: (Shaking her head) Crazy idiots. (Affectionately she watches as Taylor rounds a corner and Jessie follows her. Seconds later Jessie bounces backwards.)
Jess: Ow! Why'd you stop?
Mary: (Catching up to them she notices Taylor standing there staring at something) Hey are you-(She cuts off as she realizes what she's staring at)
Taylor: Oh. My. God.
Jess: (Also realizing) Uh-oh.
Mary: This can't be good.
Taylor: This is bad. Very very very very very-
Jessie: What do we DO???
Taylor: -very very very.
Mary: We run back. Now.
(The three women race back through the hallways at breakneck speed, and slow down only when they're back in the lab, almost collectively hitting the wall opposite the door.)
Shep: (Walking out of the Jumper) Hey you're back soon- what's wrong?
McKay: (Also walking out) Did you find him?
Jessie: Worse.
Taylor: It's bad. Really Bad.
Shep: What happened?
Mary: We're underwater.
McKay: WHAT?
Taylor: The windows in the halls.
Jessie: Blue.
Taylor: Fish.
Mary: Underwater.
Shep: This is a very poor joke, ladies.
Taylor: Well, come on if you don't believe us!
(The party leaves the lab en masse, and not quite believing, the men let the ladies lead them down the hallway.)
Shep: Rodney, you hear anything?
McKay: No. Why?
Shep: Because I don't either. I know there are other labs around here. Where is everyone? We passed people getting here, and it's not that late.
McKay: (Pulls out his life signs detector, which he grabbed before leaving the lab, along with his laptop out of habit.) I'll have a look, but it can't be that-
(Rodney runs into Sheppard's back, because he stopped dead in the hallway.)
McKay: What?
Shep: Rodney, look up.
McKay: (Looking out the window in front of them) Dear God.

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