Disclaimer : Stargate Atlantis and all its characters and so on belong to MGM. Not, alas, me.
Chapter Two
McKay found Sheppard pacing around the village restlessly when he, Ronon and Elworth made it back. Teyla and Keller stood gazing at the column of smoke rising over the horizon.
"You're sure it was a Hive?" he asked as Sheppard approached.
"No, I think it may have been a Boeing," he scoffed. "Yes, it was a Hive. Went down right over that ridge, looked like it was shot up pretty good too."
"Did you see what the weapon was?" McKay queried.
"It appeared to be a metal tube," said Teyla. "It moved extremely quickly and made a great noise as it travelled."
McKay turned to Sheppard. "Like a missile?"
Sheppard nodded, "That's what it looked like. No sign of any trail on it though."
"Definitely not Ancient technology then," McKay mused, "Looks like there was an advanced race here."
"Not advanced enough," Sheppard replied pensively. " It was beaten up but not destroyed."
"That could be good," said McKay. "There might be things we can salvage, or we might even be able to pick up some clues on how the weapon worked."
"That doesn't matter right now," said Sheppard. "We need to establish if any Wraith survived before we can do anything else."
"None have done so before," said Elworth.
Sheppard turned to him, "You mean other ships have crashed here?"
"Yes," he said, "Several in the last four years."
"You didn't think to mention that?" Sheppard asked incredulously.
"I am sorry, we are simply quite accustomed to it."
"It doesn't matter," he said with a sigh, "We need to check it out. If a few Hives have been downed here they might have been expecting it. Maybe they did something to protect their ship. We need to see if there were any survivors and we should get the jumper into orbit and see if there are any other ships in the system. Ronon, you and I will scout out the crash site. You three head back to the gate and let them know the situation."
"There's an easier way," said McKay, "we can check for survivors with the Tracker."
Sheppard paused. "Good point," he said and set off towards it.
McKay jogged to keep up with him. "Aren't you excited to find out more about this race? We've just seen they can shoot down Wraith, who knows what else they could do?"
"I get it Rodney but I'm more concerned about the immediate future."
Elworth caught up with them, red in the face and breathing hard. "Excuse me one moment, I'm not as young as I was."
"I think I can do it," said McKay.
"Not now Rodney," Sheppard said irritably.
"I can do it, just a sec."
Standing over the stone pedestal he waved his hand across the Tracker.
"See?" he said as the familiar globe appeared.
"Get on with it."
McKay focused on the large landmass they were on and flexed his fingers across it, cursing under his breath when the display flattened and zoned in on the coast.
"You said you could do this," said Sheppard, slightly amused despite the need for urgency.
"I can! Just let me work."
Moving carefully he zoomed out and began to pan over to the area of the village. A bird chirped from a nearby tree and he jerked his hand away and the display vanished.
"Perhaps you would like me to do it?" asked Elworth politely.
"No!" McKay insisted, "I've got it."
Moving more purposefully he brought it up again and located them on the map. Moving out of the valley a bright spot showed the impact zone. McKay sighed as he zoomed in closer and saw only the yellow blob.
"It's detecting the living parts of the hive. There's no way to tell if there's any Wraith alive or not."
Sheppard shook his head. "Plan A it is. Ronon and I will scout the area."
"If there are Wraith survivors we must request Atlantis prepare an evacuation mission," Teyla added, "Elworth and his people could not hope to defend their village."
Sheppard nodded. "Agreed. Let's head back to the jumper."
"I should stay here," interjected Keller, "I should make sure my new patients are fit to be moved if it's required."
"And if this place is going to be overrun by Wraith I want to take another look at the ruins while I still can," said McKay, "Who knows what else is in there?"
Sheppard looked disapproving for a moment and then shook his head. "Fine. But you're going to leave as soon as I tell you to."
***
McKay cursed their luck as he watched Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon leave. They find real game-changing technology that could shift the balance of power in the galaxy and immediately the Wraith turn up. He belatedly realised Elworth was looking between him and Keller, expecting an introduction.
"Oh sorry," he said, "Elworth, this is Dr. Jennifer Keller, our Chief Medical Officer. She's always kept very busy back on Atlantis but she still does outcalls on special occasions." McKay's eyes widened in horror and he quickly added. "Housecalls, housecalls I meant. I didn't mean that you... you could never be...not that I'm saying there's any reason why you wouldn't be able to if you wanted...but you wouldn't because you're a great doctor."
Keller carefully avoided laughing at his panicked spluttering. "Thank you Rodney. It's nice to meet you," she said, smiling and shaking Elworth's hand, "I'm told you have patients for me to see."
"Yes of course," he said, gesturing toward the west of the village. "This way please."
McKay walked with them on his way back to the ruins as Keller and Elworth discussed the symptoms afflicting the couple.
"It would help if you could bring me samples of what they have had to eat and drink recently," she said. "You are probably right that because no-one else is sick then it's not the food but everyone has different tolerance levels for toxins so it's best to be sure."
"Did you say toxins?" McKay asked in alarm. "I was just eating some of their food an hour ago. Could I be sick too?"
"I'm sure you're fine Rodney," she assured him.
"Shouldn't you check before it has a chance to develop?"
"Now Rodney," she said, smirking, "People will think you're just making up excuses to be around me."
"No no, I er.. was just um-,"
"Relax," she said, patting his shoulder. "You're not sick."
McKay fell silent as they reached the house in question. A young girl ran out the door and peered at them with large, bright eyes.
"Well met Morlena," said Elworth, stooping to bring himself closer to eye level with her.
"Well met Elworth," she replied somberly.
"Dr. Keller has come to try to heal your parents. She has come from beyond the Ring just to help us."
"Hi Morlena," said Keller with a bright smile, "I'm going to do everything I can to help."
"Good," said the girl, "That's your job."
"Charming," muttered McKay, "I'll head off to the ruins. Good luck."
It took him a couple of minutes after he had set off to realise Morlena was following him. He stopped and stared at her.
"Yes?" he demanded.
"I'm going to the ruins with you," she chirped happily.
"No, no, no," he replied, "I am going to the ruins alone, you are going to go back to the village and do whatever it is you should be doing."
"My parents never let me see the ruins."
"I'd listen to them," he shot back, turning back and starting to walk again, "Lots of dangerous stuff up there, you wouldn't like it."
"But you'll be there," she reasoned.
"That's it!" he snapped, "Just go home and leave me to do my work."
She stopped abruptly and as he turned to look at her he thought she was going to cry. Great he thought but fortunately she simply sighed and spun on her heel and walked back down the path. McKay shook his head and set off again.
The tunnel network was just as dark and confusing the second time round but he was certain now that there was valuable knowledge to be gleaned from the mud and darkness. He found a ramp leading downwards and followed it on the principle he hadn't been to the lower level on the first trip. A short distance from the bottom of the ramp he found a larger room, circular and preserved better than most of the surrounding area.
He stepped forward into the room, looking past the water dripping from the ceiling and thinking of what it might have once been. It had the feel of a control room to it. He could imagine standing here, directing operations across a city or even an empire, surrounded by holographic displays beating in time with his thoughts. Who could have built this place and why had they vanished from the galaxy with so little evidence they had ever graced it?
McKay's musings were cut short when he heard a light footfall behind him and he spun around to see Morlena standing in what had once been a doorway, smiling innocently.
"I told you to go home," he snapped, waving his hands in frustration.
"I wanted to watch what you were doing," she said with a slight whine.
"You shouldn't wander off by yourself," he said irritably, walking toward her to try to shepherd her back the way she had come in.
"You did," she replied, darting around him and into the room to see what he had been looking at.
"I... yes.. but that's not the point," he stuttered in exasperation. He hated arguing logic with kids, especially when they had a point. "I'm not going to fall for that," he added as Morlena raised a trembling arm and pointed behind him.
Belatedly recognising the genuine fear in the young girl's eyes as she backed away he turned around and did a double take. Before their eyes the dirt floor shifted, patches of a smooth white surface appeared and ran towards each other. McKay felt Morlena hug his leg, shaking as he watched the white tide sweep up the walls. Absent-mindedly he laid a hand on her shoulder as he followed the changing environment with his eyes.
It looked for all the world like pools of some white liquid were running towards each other and merging but the surfaces formed were clearly solid. He realised his flashlight was superfluous as the changing room now seemed to give off light from every surface. The tunnel behind them began to transform too but his attention was drawn to the ceiling. Above them the ceiling was receding upwards. No debris fell, nothing appeared to be causing it but the distance to the rock above them perceptibly increased as he stared. A low noise somewhere between a crackle and a rumble started all around them.
McKay glanced at Morlena. "We need to get outside."
Grabbing her hand he set off up the tunnel which now had the appearance of an airy corridor. They caught up with the forefront of the changing wave and pressed on into the darkness. He stopped as light from an arch to their left drew his attention. As the walls of the connecting corridor turned white they lit up an oddly shaped, metallic construction unfolding from the floor.
For a moment he was tempted to go and inspect it but Morlena tugged at his hand and the sight of her eyes wide with fear returned him to his senses. Whatever was transforming the tunnel network was moving fairly slowly but the noise of it grew steadily louder as they made their way back to the surface.
McKay half led, half dragged Morlena down the trembling path, He saw Keller emerge from a house and look past them at the writhing hilltop. He turned as they reached her and looked back. The scene was unrecognisable from what had been there an hour previously. The grass of the hill had been replaced with the smooth white surface and shapes were emerging from the ground, twisting and expanding into regular forms.
In the middle of it all he saw what was unmistakably a tower, rising inexorably out of the hilltop It shone brightly in the afternoon sun. A city was rebuilding itself before their eyes.
Author's note : I hope you enjoyed reading this. Like most authors I'd be delighted if you could leave a review with any thoughts, critiques or suggestions you have.