Disclaimer - "Stargate" and all related characters are the property of MGM Television Entertainment.
The strangeness begins…
Chapter 2 – Cloudless Rain
McKay was seated and stared at his laptop impatiently. After a few moments he looked up and peered down into the Gateroom where someone was double checking the MALP. He sighed and went back to studying the database entry he had found. It had not been very hard to convince Dr Weir that they should go to this planet. Any hint of a new power source always presented it's fair share of excitement and hope. He only wished that just for once, the feelings would not be in vain.
The database entry held, as usual, a woefully inadequate amount of information. It had a gate address and a few cryptic sentences about an experiment that was abandoned when the Wraith approached and forced the Ancients to retreat to defend Atlantis. The Ancients also recorded that there was a small human settlement, but there was no hint as to whether they were evacuated with the Ancients or whether they were forced to stay behind.
"We're ready Doctor Weir," the tech announced from next to the MALP.
Weir was standing next to McKay, "Are you ready Rodney?"
"Hold on," he pressed a few keys and the database entry disappeared to be replaced with several blank boxes set up to receive and analyse the MALP telemetry when it came back. "Yes. Go ahead."
"Dial it up." Weir said.
Another tech next to McKay and Weir hammered the gate symbols until the wormhole formed.
The tech who had been preparing the MALP ran up the stairs and settled himself in a seat behind McKay and Weir. The MALP slowly rolled towards the event horizon and disappeared.
"We're receiving data," McKay pressed a key and the display panel in the control room flashed up with a grainy video feed.
They could see straight away that it was so dark it appeared to be almost night time. The tech changed the image to night vision and they were then able to see that there was a huge amount of rubble and building shells around the gate.
Weir asked the tech, "Pan round please."
The image began moving horizontally. It revealed nothing new, just more rubble.
"Do you have anything Rodney?" Weir asked looking away from the video feed and down at him.
"The atmosphere is thin, but breathable. I wouldn't recommend spending too long there though." A smile flashed across his face, "I'm also detecting an energy signature, although I can't localize it using just the MALP sensors."
"What about life signs?" Weir asked. She was looking slightly relieved. Hopefully this would be 'the one' and she felt some of the weight lifting off her chest. Being responsible for so many lives. She wished they had more protection from the Wraith.
"I'm not reading any, but the energy signal could be disrupting the data stream."
Weir straightened up, "Okay, I think this is well worth checking out. Get geared up and I'll ask Colonel Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon to meet you by the gate in half an hour."
The gate shut down and McKay unplugged his laptop and had to fight to restrain himself from running to get ready to leave and investigate the planet.
Now standing in the Gateroom in full gear, Sheppard looked over at McKay and felt a slight pang of pity for the scientist. He watched as McKay absent-mindedly fiddled with his P90, trying to shift it into a more comfortable position on his vest. He was the only one of the team not military trained. He had not had to endure endless training sessions running with a heavy pack and gun. Yet he always seemed to be the most heavily loaded member of the team whenever they went through the gate.
Sheppard thought, "I suppose it means we are free to protect him properly as we have less restrictions on our speed and movement."
McKay had just told them about the results they received from the MALP earlier and the energy readings.
"Okay, let's go." Sheppard said. "I wonder if it's possible to die from over excitement," he thought and felt a small smile spreading across his face as he walked through the gate.
The team stepped through the gate and were greeted by the half light and utter devastation of the planet.
"The photos sent by the MALP didn't do it justice." McKay said.
The gate behind them shut down, plunging them into further darkness.
"It's the Wraith, I've seen it before. They destroyed everything." Ronon gruffly added, "It is daytime, right?"
"I think so, McKay?" Sheppard looked round at the scientist, who had a look of abject terror upon his face.
McKay looked at the scanner in his hand and then lifted it up so that Sheppard could see the screen. Although he could not understand the readings, he did notice that the screen was red. Something was very wrong. McKay was staring at the Colonel.
"There's a massive build up of energy forming. It started as soon as we stepped through the gate," his voice shaking slightly he continued, "It seems to be coming from over there." He pointed behind the gate. "It's growing in size and rapidly approaching our position. I suggest we get back to Atlantis before it hits us. I'm unfamiliar with the type of energy the scanner is detecting and I'm not sure what effect it would have on us."
Sheppard ran down from the gate platform and over to the DHD. He didn't see the edge of the wave as it approached but only noticed because all around them the world was changing.
Brown dust and dirt was being replaced with grass and flowers. The ruined buildings disappeared and where they had once covered the ground, trees appeared. The most incredible change was the sky. As the wave progressed it created a line across the sky as it changed dark swirling clouds into dazzling blue and sunshine.
He had only pressed two symbols when the energy wave washed over them. To Sheppard's horror the gate and DHD shimmered out of existence and long grass appeared, swaying in mockery at them as they all stood helplessly by.
Even Ronon had a look of surprise as he asked, "What happened?"
"I… don't know," McKay spluttered in reply. He looked up from his scanner and eyed the team warily. "There are several possibilities. We could have shifted to another dimension, shifted in space or shifted in time." His eyes widened, "Or perhaps we're unconscious somewhere and this is just a hallucination."
"Like that hasn't happened before," Sheppard muttered. He looked thoroughly put out and still had his hand hovering where the DHD stood seconds before, ready to press the symbols. He slowly lowered it. "Well which one is it Rodney? Surely you can eliminate at least one of them. Are we on the same planet?"
"It's difficult to tell as the surrounding landscape was so hazy when we stepped through the gate. I am however detecting several life signs and a faint energy reading. They are still coming from the same direction relative to where the gate was a couple of minutes ago."
Teyla said, "I believe it would a good idea to visit these people. They may be able to explain what just happened."
Sheppard looked between his teammates and then over in the direction McKay had pointed earlier, "Okay. There's nothing more we can do at the moment."
Teyla knew their situation was dire; if they were unable to figure out what had happened they could be stranded. The sun was warm on her face and she could not help smiling slightly as they walked. She had been expecting to be saving McKay from falling over debris every few seconds when they got to the planet. She looked over at him as he walked alongside her. He was not stumbling even though he was ignoring his feet and staring at the scanner still in his hand. He had a small frown across his forehead as his brain ticked over; trying to think of a solution.
McKay looked up from his scanner in the direction they were walking. "There's another energy wave approaching. It's smaller than the first one."
They all stopped and raised their P90s in preparation. None of them knew what changes might happen around them this time.
The landscape and sky stayed the same as they were, but it began to rain. Really heavy, driving rain.
"What the hell happened?" Sheppard shouted above the noise of the water.
"I still don't know Colonel," McKay snapped back. He shivered, as they had all been drenched to the skin in seconds after the rain started.
Teyla peeled her hair away from her forehead and looked around. She felt a sinking sensation of shock and dread as she looked up at the clear blue sky still above them. "Where is this rain coming from?" She asked, "There are no clouds in the sky."
The others, who had been looking at the ground to avoid the pounding rain in their eyes, all looked up as Teyla spoke.
"This is bad. This is very bad" McKay muttered. He lifted his hands and tried to clear the water from his assaulted eyes as he looked back down. The water was streaming over him in a torrent.
Sheppard and Ronon did not look too bothered by the rain, but just a little confused. Sheppard asked, "Does this eliminate any of the possible scenarios? If someone is messing with us, I reckon they would have made themselves known by now. Unless they've disguised themselves as you guys."
McKay looked over at him, water dripping from his nose, "I assure you Colonel, as much as I don't want to be here, I am. And no, I still don't know what's going on."
Ronon asked, "Why don't we keep moving? Let's speak with the people in the settlement."
They made slow progress through the rain as the ground was now slippery and water logged.
After a few minutes McKay held up his hand to halt them, "Uh oh! Here we go again," was all he said as another energy wave washed over them.
The rain abruptly stopped and all around them magnificent buildings were materialising. The team were now standing in a medieval square, complete with a market along one side selling food and clothing. The buildings around the edges of the square were painted either white or pastel yellow and were all two storeys high. Broad beams criss-crossed the front of each one and led upwards to support a thatched roof. Many people were milling around and did not immediately notice the four soaked and strangely clad people who just appeared.
"Sonarans!" Someone shouted. It was a shout of hatred and fear, rather than one of greeting.
There was a series of loud clanking noises, which grew louder as the gathering crowd parted.
"Oh no, it's the Knights of the Round Table." McKay muttered as ten heavily armed and armoured knights ran up to them brandishing lethal looking swords.
They all backed together as the metal covered knights surrounded them.
Sheppard had his P90 raised and held out his free hand in a placating gesture. "Come on guys. We're not Sonarans. We don't know who the Sonarans are. We're just visiting and were hoping you could help us."
McKay hadn't had time to raise his P90 as he hastily stuffed the scanner into one of his pockets. He deeply regretted it, because one of the knights now had a sword tip pressed savagely against his stomach.
"You are Sonarans and have come to kill us in order to gain control of The Forge!" The knight tormenting McKay stated. "Tell us how many more traitors to Abyss and Sobyxia have come!"
McKay gasped as the pressure from the sword increased. He felt a warm trickle forming around the point of the blade.
"Answer now or I will gut you where you stand!" The knight shouted.
A/N - A double cliffhanger you cry! My apologies, but all will begin to be revealed next chapter. If you want to know how I'm going to fix this mess (fear not – it's all mapped out). Clicky button below. Ta!