Mild spolers for Childhood's End.
On Atlantis the Stargate spiraled into life and a wormhole sprang forth.
"Unauthorized of world activation." Chuck the Canadian Technician was already looking at his computer screen. "Receiving Dr. Zelenka IDC."
"Let them through." Dr. Elizabeth Weir took up usually place by the window of the control room to watch the Jumper come through the event horizon. Jumper 5 came through and then the wormhole disengaged. "Jumper 5 where is Jumper 4."
"Elizabeth," Zelenka voice cracked over the radio. "We have a little bit of a problem. Do you remember the dampening field on M7G-667?"
"Yes the planet with all of the children. What happened?"
"Well you speculated that there might be more of these dampening fields to protect human societies. Turns out you were right. I believe that Jumper 4 ran into another field and crashed. Normally I wouldn't be that worried about them but M6B-115 in a planet currently in the middle of an Ice Age and they don't have the equipment required to survive in that climate."
"Oh, Sheppard, report to the control room immediately we have a situation."
------------------------------------------------------------
"So we have lost two soldiers and a scientist in the middle of a freezer, and they are possibly injured. Why aren't we out there?" Sheppard asked.
"Because the average temperature is below zero." Mckay spat back.
"Celsius or Fahrenheit?"
"Um," Mckay looked flustered. "Both."
"So if it that cold how are we going to out there?"
"I have already had Dr. Thomason track down all of the available winter equipment on Atlantis. You will be splitting into two groups. Sheppard will be in charge of the rescue team. Mckay you are going to be on the team that will deactivate the dampening field." Weir explained.
"But it is cold out there." Mckay grumbled.
Weir ignored him and continued. "We hope that your team can stabilize them until Mckay can deactivate the field, so you can fly Jumper 4 out."
"Do I get to pick who is on my team?" Sheppard asked.
"Not really. Because of the unusual conditions we only have limited staff with the need skills, and they have to be extremely physically fit to survive this. Your team leaves in an hour. I expect you to be at the gate, you too Rodney."
---------------------------------------------------------
The Gateroom was field with people in puffy snow clothing. Some people you could barely see over there clothing. Sheppard could easily pick out Mckay. He was the one wearing the bright red parka with the maple leaf on the back, he was also complaining loudly. Teyla was standing next to him holding a forest green parka in her arms.
"Your looking good, Teyla." Sheppard entered the group wearing his regulation black.
"Thank you, Colonel." Teyla replied quickly, while in her own mind she thought she looked ridiculous. Before the conversation Dr. Thomason waved Sheppard over.
"Hello Sheppard, time to pick a parka. Sorry that isn't much of a selection." She motioned at the available selection which included a pink ski coat, Russian hockey jacket and a teal parka with fir lining. "Would you mind if you used the hockey jacket? It is Dr. Zelenka's and I doubt Ronan would fit in it."
"Sure," Sheppard picked up the hockey jacket. "Dr. Z. likes hockey, why am I not shocked."
Dr. Thomason then waved Ronon over and handed him the teal parka. Sheppard tried to keep himself from laughing seeing the look on Ronon's face looking at the strange article of clothing. He tried to hand it back, but she refused and some how got him to keep it. At that time the only two Ex-navy SEALS on staff came into the Gateroom pulling two sleds heaped with supplies and with skis stacked on top.
"We got the equipment, Bec." Timothy Hendricks was one of only people who looked like he fit in his black parka; the second was his partner Eric Cooper who was wearing a matching parka.
"What are those?" Ronon was pointing at skis on the sleds.
"Those are skis." Tim offered.
"What do you do with them?" Ronon was puzzled with the thin pieces of metal and plastic.
"You put them on your feet and use them to walk on snow." Tim said, and Ronon gave him a look that seemed to say, you earthlings are really weird sometimes.
"It might work better if we show you." Sheppard add.
"Right."
---------------------------------------------------------
Sheppard was the first to step through the gate. Snow was slowly drifting down out of the grey skies. Ronon followed quickly, then the Tim and Eric travel through pulling the sleds. Bec and a marine, a Lt. Lark, brought up the end.
"Time to get everyone in skis," Bec was already pulling the skis off the sleds. "We have to types of skis. I would like to put Tim and Eric in the downhill skis with the skins on them. Everyone else will be on the cross country skis. Any questions?"
"Wasn't I in charge?" Sheppard asked, the short scientist.
"Yes…Oh, the people that loaned us the equipment threatened to trashes the lab if I didn't bring it back in one piece." She laughed a little embarrassed while zipping up her coat. "Sorry."
"No, it is fine." Sheppard looked over his shoulder to see Eric Cooper helping Ronon strap on his skis. "I didn't know that we had this type of equipment on Atlantis."
"We were planning a ski trip later this year. Every time the Daedalus came we requested another piece of snow equipment. I have never been more glad some of the people wanted to learn to ski." Bec handed Sheppard his skis and he started to think maybe he should have joined the ski club. Number one he really wasn't good at skiing, number two he would have normal black skis like the SEALS instead of the white and rainbow skis which Miko had ordered.
"We have limited sunlight. I suggest we start moving." Timothy was already strapped on one of the sleds. Eric was getting ready to strap into the second sled.
"Eric, would you mind if play ski instructor. You said you taught you nieces how to cross country. Someone is going to have to bring Sheppard and Ronan up to speed. Lt. Lark knows enough to pull the sled for now."
"Wait," Sheppard was mentally adding things up. "Now if Hendricks and Lark are pulling, Eric teaching, and Ronan and I are learning how to ski, what are you doing?"
Bec strapped on a pair of snow runners. "I am taking point, so I can try to prevent you guys from skiing off cliffs."
-----------------------------------------------------------
"What are we waiting for? I am getting hot." Mckay wined to no one in particular.
"We are waiting for Dr. Weir to finish a negotiation for several sets of what you call snowshoes, and if you are truly as warm as you say, why don't you take of your parka?" Teyla was sitting by the window in the cafeteria her winter clothing heaped in a pile beside her.
"I wish we could go and be done with it." Mckay crossed his arms across his chest.
"I was under the impression that Canada was a cold place, thus Canadians must like the cold."
"What is it with people believing just because you were born in a cold climate that you must like the snow? For goodness sakes it is not like we live in the wilderness. We have cities and everyone has indoor heating. To put it simply, I was born, raised, and lived in the indoor Canada."
"I apologies, I did not realize it was a touchy subject." Teyla was about to ask more about this 'indoor Canada,' but was stopped by a call over the radio from Chuck the tech.
"Sorry if I am interrupting anything, but Dr. Weir just came through the gate and she has secured the snowshoes. Everyone in rescue team two please report to the Gateroom immediately."
"Why does Sheppard always get to be team one?" Mckay started to grumble as he walked cafeteria.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note-Hello again, I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I would like to try to make everyone happy so tips would be helpful. Warning this story is going to be a little more dark then the other two, but SGA-1 will be playing a much bigger role and of course there will be plenty of whumping to go around.
Skins-a cover you put on downhill skis to allow you to travel up hill with them.
Snow Runners-a small modified snow shoe that gives the wearer more mobility and speed but require more energy and training to use.