John woke to a pounding headache and opened his eyes to see he was lying on his side looking at a glowy white wall. He raised his hands to his head and scrubbed at his face before opening his eyes again and carefully sat up, the weight of the pack still on his back not helping with his tenuous balance. He looked around and noted the high, white ceiling matched the walls and spotted Rodney, also lying on his side, unconscious beside him.

"Rodney," he called softly and gave him a shake, but Rodney didn't stir. He did a quick check for a pulse and patted Rodney's shoulder when he found it strong and steady. "McKay! Time to wake up," he said a little louder, but still didn't get any response.

He left one hand on Rodney's shoulder for the moment and looked around the room again. He didn't see any windows and concluded the glow from the walls and ceiling provided light for the room. He took a closer look at the walls themselves and finally found a door; at least there was a door-shaped indentation in one of the walls with several stones similar to the ones in the totem pole embedded in the wall above it.

He gave Rodney's shoulder another light shake then stood and walked over to the door. He looked for a handle, access panel, or any other way to get it open but didn't find anything and decided Rodney would have to figure it out once he was awake.

He felt his earpiece still in place, and thankful for that bit of good luck, tapped the radio. "Teyla, Ford, come in," he said and studied the walls again as he waited for a response.

The radio was silent, no response to his hail, not even static. "Lieutenant Ford, respond," John tried again. There was still no answer from the radio, but Rodney moaned and tried to curl into a tight ball on the floor.

John went back over and knelt beside him. He laid a hand on Rodney's arm and shook him again. "Come on, Rodney. Rise and shine."

Rodney groaned and slit his eyes open. "What happened?" he groaned and held his head as John helped him sit up.

"I think we were transported somewhere," John answered and stood. "We're in a room of some kind." He watched as Rodney dropped his hands and slowly looked around.

Rodney climbed to his feet and turned in a slow circle until he found the indentation in the wall and wandered over to it. "Did you try anything to get this open?" he asked as he ran his hands over the edge of the indentation.

John shook his head. "I didn't see anything like a handle or an access panel. Thought you would have better luck."

Rodney glanced warily at the stones along the top of the 'door' and pointed up at them. "Those look familiar," he said. "Maybe I can reverse what ever happened and get us out of here."

John took another look around the small room as Rodney worked. There was nothing to explain what the room was or why they'd been transported out of the forest.

"Aha! I think I've got something," Rodney said and John turned back to see him pulling at a section of the wall over his head. He tugged at the section of the wall, and before John could move, the section came off with a pop and Rodney stumbled back, a chunk of the wall about a foot long and eight inches across in his hands.

"Who puts the access panel up that high," he groused as he stood on tiptoe to try and see inside.

"People who are a lot taller than you," John offered with a grin and Rodney glared. "Can you get the door open?"

"Of course I can get it open," Rodney snapped. "Just give me a few minutes. It's a little hard to work when I can barely see inside what I'm supposed to be fixing." He pulled a small flashlight from one of his vest pockets and shined the light into the hole in the wall.

John stayed out of the way and watched as Rodney pulled various crystals from the hole in the wall, studied each one before carefully putting it on the floor. He peered back into the access panel and fiddled with the wires inside before picking up the crystals and replacing them in a slightly different order. John could tell he was having an issue with fitting his casted hand in the hole, but wasn't sure how he could really help.

"Damn cast," Rodney muttered to himself. "Can't get a good grip on anything in here." He glanced down at the remaining crystals on the floor and picked up two that John thought looked identical. He kept the one in his right hand and stuffed the other in one of his vest pockets.

Rodney stood on tip-toes and stuck his hand back in the access panel, banging the cast against the sides of the opening as he tried to wedge the last crystal in place. With a last shove, John heard something snap into place and a moment later the door rose up into the ceiling and he could see another room.

At least he thought it was a room. He walked through the door, and it took him a moment to realise the landscape looked eerily familiar. The nearby hills were rocky and barren, where they stood near the door, the ground was mostly sand, almost gravel, in texture. There was no vegetation to speak of and the air smelt of dry dust and sand. The landscape screamed harsh and unforgiving as all he could see was different shades of brown. It was a place he'd hoped to never see again.

How did they end up in Afghanistan? he wondered. And more importantly, how were they supposed to get back to Atlantis?

Rodney stood beside him and stared out at the landscape. John could tell he was trying to process what he was seeing and that he had no idea where they were. Rodney took one last look around and turned, presumably to go back through the door.

"Umm, Sheppard?" he said, and John heard the slight panic in his voice as he scanned the area for threats. "We lost the door."

"What?" John cried and spun around. Instead of a door and the white room, he just saw more brown. "What the hell is going on around here?"

"Are we even still on the mainland?" Rodney asked. "Maybe this is some other planet and that's why the transporter knocked us out."

"That would explain why I can't get Teyla or Ford to answer the comms," John agreed, not sure how to tell McKay where he thought they were.

Rodney glared at the blazing sunlight and then down at his bare arms, he was only wearing a button down shirt with short sleeves. "I can feel the skin cancer starting as we speak," he groused.

"We have bigger problems," John said as he took a few more steps away from Rodney and the now missing door. "I don't see a 'gate anywhere, how are we supposed to get home?"

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Teyla watched the sun start to set over the water and looked at Aiden. They'd been back at the campsite on the beach for more than an hour and still no word from John or Doctor McKay.

She heard a crashing through the woods behind the camp and a few seconds later Jinto came into the camp at a run, Halling not far behind.

"Teyla," Halling greeted. "Jinto says Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay may be missing?"

Teyla nodded. "We have not been able to reach them on the radio for several hours."

"Is the jumper still parked behind the village?" Ford asked as he stepped over to their huddle.

"Yes, it is," Halling replied. "And no one in the village has seen either of them since your arrival yesterday."

"Halling, have any of the exploration groups found any evidence of large predators here on the mainland?" Teyla asked and she heard Ford suck in a breath.

Halling looked out at the water for a moment before he turned back to Teyla and nodded. "There is a kind of large cat as well as a few scavengers," he said. "We have seen several indications of tracks in the deeper parts of the forest, but nothing this close to the water or our village. You suspect they encountered some sort of animal?"

"It is the only explanation I can think of," Teyla said. "If they had returned to Atlantis, the jumper would be gone and we would still be able to reach them with the radio or Doctor Weir would have informed us. The fact they are not responding can only mean they cannot answer."

"What about the energy reading?" Ford asked suddenly.

"Energy reading?" Halling asked in return. "We have not found any sort of ruins or other signs of the Ancestors on the mainland."

"Doctor McKay claimed the scanner was showing a powerful energy signature to the southeast," Teyla replied. "But the signal was not constant."

"Maybe it was the pole, Father," Jinto piped up and all three adults turned to him.

"What pole is that?" Halling asked. "You have never mentioned such a thing before."

Jinto shrugged. "Wex and I found it. It is this really cool pole in the middle of a clearing. It has designs on it, kinda like the windows in Atlantis. It didn't seem to do anything, but it is in the right direction."

"Lieutenant?" Teyla asked.

"Sounds like it's worth a look," Ford agreed. "I need to contact Atlantis and let them know what's happened, then we can go check it out."

"Halling, can some of the villagers meet us there and help search?"

"Certainly. I will see to it myself," Halling said, and started to leave. "Jinto, you show Teyla and Lieutenant Ford where your pole is located. I will find Wex and have him show the rest of us the way."

"Ford to Doctor Weir," Ford said and Teyla tapped her radio as well.

"This is Weir," Elizabeth replied.

"Ma'am, we've run into a … snag," Ford said and closed his eyes.

"What sort of snag, Lieutenant, and where is Major Sheppard?"

Ford made a face and Teyla watched him stiffen to attention. "That would be the snag, ma'am. We can't find him or Doctor McKay."

"All right, Lieutenant, tell me exactly what's been happening over there," Weir said and Teyla heard her voice change from curious to concerned.

Teyla listened as Ford described their actions for the last two days, ending with the lesson on plant life and breaking into teams to bring back samples.

"Jinto can help you find this pole?" Doctor Weir asked.

"Yes, Doctor Weir," Teyla replied. "He and another boy found it a few days ago. Halling will bring several of my people to the clearing and we can begin a search."

"Then it sounds like you have a plan. Lieutenant, keep me informed."

"Yes, ma'am. Ford out."

"We will find them, Lieutenant," Teyla said.

"Yes, we will," Ford answered and started for the edge of their campsite. "Come on, Jinto. Show us this pole of yours."

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Rodney gazed out at the brutal landscape in front of them and wondered how anything could live in such an environment. He glanced over at John and watched as he carefully scouted the area where they stood. Something was off with John, however, he was acting odd, warier and suspicious like he was expecting a specific response to their arrival in the area. Yes, they'd just stepped through a door into an unknown desert, but Sheppard's reactions were more than his usual precautions from being in a new place. Rodney watched as Sheppard scanned the nearby hills and reached for a weapon that wasn't there.

"Is there something you know that I don't?" he finally asked. "I know in reality there isn't much that you know and I don't, but you're acting like you know something I don't."

"We have a problem," Sheppard said in a way Rodney found completely unhelpful. He knew they had a problem, by his count, they actually had several problems.

"I think I know where we are," John said with another wary look around.

"Great," Rodney replied. "Then you know the way back, too." He looked around again. "I have to say, though, I don't remember visiting a planet that looked like this."

John barked out a harsh laugh. He moved past Rodney in the direction of the nearby hills, pausing only long enough to make sure Rodney followed him.

"Care to share the joke, because I'm not seeing the humor at the moment," Rodney said as he fell into step.

"If I'm right, you've lived most of your life on this planet," Sheppard replied with another glance behind him.

Rodney looked around again. "You think this is Earth?"

John nodded. "Not only that, I think we're in Afghanistan." He kept his eyes on the surrounding terrain even as he reached back to grab Rodney's casted arm. "Trust me, we do not want to get separated out here."

"How did we even get here and what are we supposed to do?" Rodney asked as he tugged his arm free.

Before Sheppard could answer, something shimmered into view beside them. Rodney only had the briefest impression of an old man wearing some sort of quilted white robe before Sheppard was in front of him, blocking his view.

"Who are you?" Sheppard growled.

"I am The Overseer," the man explained, seemingly unfazed by Sheppard's defensive posture. "It has been many years since a waypost has sent acolytes for the testing." He looked them up and down slowly. "A warrior and a logician, an interesting combination, indeed. But you are of The People, so you are worthy to stand the trials. I must say, however, you are not like the usual candidates, you seem to lack most of the training required."

"Trials?" Rodney asked as he took a step to the side to see around Sheppard.

"I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding," John added. "We weren't sent here. We sort of ended up here. We didn't ask to come here."

The Overseer smiled and looked them up and down again. "You sought the waypost, it is the same thing."

"The waypost?" Rodney asked.

The Overseer looked at him oddly. "How do you not know of the wayposts? It was what brought you here."

"I think he means the totem pole," Sheppard said, never taking his eyes off The Overseer.

Rodney took a step forward but stopped when Sheppard blocked him with an arm. He glanced over at John, and seeing the combination of anger and suspicion in his expression, stopped where he was. He had a bad feeling about what they'd walked into and hoped he was wrong.

"When was the last time someone was sent here for the trials?" he asked.

"It has been a very long time," The Overseer replied. "So long, in fact, some of my scenarios are no longer accessible."

"And The People?" Rodney pushed. "You said we are both of The People. Would that be the people from Atlantis?" Rodney heard Sheppard whistle softly beside him and knew he'd caught up with Rodney's train of thought.

"Atlantis, yes. The city of The People."

"So The People would come here as part of what? Training to fight the Wraith?"

The Overseer frowned. "In a manner of speaking. The Wraith are a scourge of the galaxy. These trials are to test those who wish to attain the final phase."

"Final phase?" John asked. "Final phase of what, exactly?"

The Overseer's frown deepened. "You sought the waypost, correct?"

Rodney gave John a guilty look. "Umm, yes?"

The Overseer's expression brightened. "Then the waypost was correct to bring you here for testing."

"So these trials test what exactly?" Rodney asked.

The Overseer frowned again. "This should have been made clear before you sought the waypost."

Rodney crossed his arms and glared back. "Well, it wasn't. So could you please enlighten me as to exactly what these trials are?"

The Overseer took a step back and pulled himself up to his full height. "Certain areas and systems of The City can only be accessed by those who have completed the trials and are thus mentally linked. It is a symbiotic relationship; individuals must be tested to ensure their compatibility with each other."

His gaze drifted off as if he were reading something. "According to your scans, you are both seemingly well matched, but a recent event has triggered concerns of fear and trust." The Overseer studied Rodney, then John. "This is will be the focus of the tests."

Rodney stared back for a moment. "What happens if we decide we don't want to do these tests? What if we want to opt out?"

The Overseer shook his head. "You cannot. By seeking and finding the waypost, you have committed to the trials."

Rodney exchanged a stunned look with John. They were so screwed, he realised. He should never have suggested they look for the energy signature.

The Overseer's gaze hardened slightly. "You did not, however, need to damage the entryway to this facility. The portal would have opened automatically once you were recovered from the transportation."

Sheppard seemed to recover from the shock first and said to Rodney, "The faster we do this, the faster we get back to the mainland. Teyla and Ford have got to be looking for us by now. Who knows how long we've been gone." He turned back to The Overseer, "All right, where do we start?"

"The first test is a simple one. You need only find the waypost that is in this land within the time limit."

"Okay, how exactly do we do that?"

The Overseer shook his head. "That is the point of the trial. You must find it and successfully reach it. I will be waiting, you have from now to the next sunrise." Before John could stop him or Rodney could ask any other questions, The Overseer vanished.

"Well, this sucks," John said and kicked a rock near his foot. He glanced over at Rodney. "I don't think he likes you very much."

Rodney shrugged. "I'll try not to be upset about that," he said. "I don't like it when people can't answer a simple question with a simple answer."

John smiled slightly, and Rodney watched as he did another wary scan of the area; he could see Sheppard was uncomfortable with more than just their current situation, the backdrop for this trail had obviously been chosen on purpose to unsettle John.

Rodney wasn't the most sensitive of men, but he knew he needed to tread carefully. John never talked about Afghanistan. Antarctica, yes. A few other places, occasionally, but never Afghanistan. All he knew about John's time in country was a cryptic statement from Ford that John had lost more than just possible promotions and nearly his life.

"I don't suppose you remember any weird totem poles when you were here before?" Rodney asked, trying to sound normal.

"This isn't funny, Rodney," John replied with a glare.

"I know it's not. I'm painfully aware of just how screwed we are here," he snapped back and took a deep breath. "We need a plan," he said as patiently as he could.

Sheppard surveyed the landscape again and started walking toward the nearby hills. "We need to find cover," he said shortly. "Let's go."

They started walking toward the hills before Rodney remembered the Ancient scanner in his vest pocket.

"Wait, hang on a second." Rodney stopped and pulled out the device. "That Overseer person said we needed to find the waypost, right?"

He waited for John to turn around and stiffly nod.

"All right, on the mainland, we found it using the scanner." He turned on the scanner and started adjusting the parameters he wanted to look for. He felt John's growing impatience as he slowly turned in a circle hoping the scanner found something they could track.

He'd almost completed his circle when he caught a faint spike on the scanner off to their left near the edge of the hills. "That way," he said and looked up. "I'm getting something off in that direction."

John looked where Rodney indicated then nodded and silently led the way. He seemed to watch every direction as they walked and Rodney just hoped they found this waypost soon, he wasn't sure John's nerves would survive a prolonged stay in the desert.

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

"The clearing is just up here," Jinto said and was about to run into the open area before Teyla took his arm and stopped him at the edge of the woods.

"We are not sure what has happened. Stay here and wait for your father and the others," she told him as Ford circled around the clearing.

She started around the clearing in the opposite direction, watching for any signs of danger in the area.

The clearing itself was like dozens of others she'd seen in forests. The ground cover was low, probably continuously eaten down by herbivores, the trees grew such that the clearing was roughly circular, the only odd thing was a pole, several feet high standing in the center.

She heard three clicks over the radio as Ford signaled her to move forward. She slowly moved out into the clearing and closer to the odd pole. Teyla could see why Jinto was reminded of the windows in Atlantis, the pole was carved from base to top with the same geometric patterns seen throughout the city. The only difference was the colorful stones set in the pole at regular intervals. She and Ford slowly circled the pole and still, nothing happened.

"Teyla!" Halling called as he entered the clearing with a dozen Athosians at his heels and Jinto beside him. "I have brought people to help with the search. Where would you like us to start?"

The Athosians stayed at the edge of the clearing as Halling moved to stand next to her.

"Halling, have you ever seen something like this before?" she asked and gestured to the pole.

Halling studied the pole for a moment and reached out to touch it but was stopped by Ford grabbing his wrist.

"We have no idea what that could do to you," he said as he let go. "Best not to tempt fate."

Halling studied Ford for a moment then stepped back from the pole with a nod. "You may be correct, Lieutenant." He turned to Teyla. "There are stories of wayposts in the old writings." He studied the pole carefully. "The texts describe the wayposts as lone testaments to The Way of The Ancestors. There is little known of how the Ancestors used them."

"The designs look like a lot of the walls and windows in Atlantis," Ford agreed. "I can believe it was made by the Ancients."

"It is possible Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay were not as cautious, touched the pole, and were injured in some way," Teyla said. "Perhaps we should start with a search of the woods near the clearing. We may find their trail or some indication of where they went after leaving this area."

"Good idea," Ford replied. "I'll get in touch with Atlantis and let Doctor Weir know our status."

"We will start a search of the surrounding woods and report back to you what we find," Halling said.

"Thank you, Halling," Teyla said and watched as the Athosians spread out and started searching the woods before turning back to study the strange pole.

"We will find your friends, Teyla. Have no fear," Halling said before he started for an edge of the clearing. She heard several voices calling the Major's name as well as Doctor McKay's.

She stepped closer to the pole, ignoring Ford's conversation with Atlantis. Halling's information about wayposts gave her an idea and she slowing reached out to the pole and brushed her hand along one of the geometric patterns. As she suspected, nothing happened.

"Teyla! What are you doing!" Ford exclaimed.

"I am in no danger, Lieutenant," she reassured him as she let her fingers trace another pattern. "I suspect one would need to have the Ancestor's gene in order for this device to activate."

Ford glanced from her to the pole and nodded. "And both Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay have the ATA gene," he agreed. "So one of them touched the pole and they were, what, disintegrated?"

Teyla shook her head. "I do not believe so, that would be counter to the purpose of the gene."

"Sure, I guess that's true."

"What did Doctor Weir say?" she asked as she continued to circle the pole.

"She's sending Markham's team here along with Doctor Zelenka. Hopefully, he can figure out what the pole does and lead us to Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay."

Teyla nodded and reached out to touch the pole again. "What is a waypost, Lieutenant?" she asked as she finished another circuit of the pole and stopped beside him.

Ford shrugged. "A sort of mile marker, I guess. A signpost to tell you the way to go to get somewhere."

"Exactly," she said and turned to him. "What if this," she patted the pole, "is more than just a signpost. What if it really does show you the way."

Ford looked up at the pole. "You think it transported them somewhere?" he asked, and she could easily read the disbelief on his face. "How?"

"I have no idea," she replied. "Hopefully Doctor Zelenka will be able to tell us." She looked out into the surrounding forest. "However, I fear we will not find Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay anywhere in the woods."

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

John kept his head on a swivel as they hiked up into the hills. He'd hoped never to be back in this part of the world again, and the last thing he wanted was for Rodney to see how ugly the war truly could be. McKay was first and foremost a scientist, John had no interest in making him into a soldier. Sure, he'd had to defend himself against the Wraith, but that was far different from possibly killing another human being. John ignored the cold chill that ran down his back. He'd done any number of things when he was stationed here, some of those things he wasn't proud of; that was a side of himself he never wanted Rodney to see.

"I don't think this is really Afghanistan," Rodney announced, slightly out of breath, as they crested another hill. He stood with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath and John shook his head before pulling Rodney down into the cover of the hillside.

"It doesn't really matter," John said. "The bad guys will still shoot at you if you make yourself a target by standing at the top of a ridgeline."

Rodney glared at him for a moment and let his breathing even out before he responded. "Of course it matters," he argued. "It's all part of a sadistic mind game. This Overseer is trying to psych you out by creating this …" he waved a hand around, " … whatever this is."

John sat down beside Rodney and handed him one of the bottles of water and an energy bar from his backpack. "Why would The Overseer do that?"

"This is supposed to be a test, right?" Rodney said as he ate the power bar.

John shrugged and nodded as he continued to watch their surroundings for threats.

"Okay, the Ancients really wanted to make sure the people who passed their little gauntlet really earned it. So they stacked the deck." Rodney looked over at him. "You really don't like this place. The Overseer somehow found that out and is using it to get in your head. You're so busy remembering what happened to you when you were in the real Afghanistan, you're allowing it to distract you."

"Thanks for the armchair psychology, there, McKay," John said sarcastically.

Rodney scowled and took out the scanner. "Just don't let what you think you're seeing get to you." He pulled his knees up and rested the scanner on them as he fiddled with the settings, presumably looking for the energy signature that would lead them to the waypost.

John glared over at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and tried to let the memories go. Rodney was right, he couldn't afford the distraction. He squeezed Rodney's arm in apology.

Rodney looked over at him, and while John could see a fair amount of fear, there was also a good amount of concern for him in Rodney's eyes. John smiled in acknowledgement and Rodney relaxed slightly and went back to studying the scanner.

"We're getting close," he said a few minutes later. "The energy reading seems to be coming from somewhere in the next valley."

John crept to the top of the ridge and carefully eased himself into a prone position and took a set of small field glasses from his vest pocket. He felt more than saw Rodney join him as he scanned the valley looking for the telltale pole that would signal the completion of their first trial.

The valley was really more like a small canyon bordered on both sides by the surrounding hills. He could see the opening of the valley in the hazy distance. The valley floor wasn't too far down which would thankfully save them the time and trouble of a hike out to the valley mouth and then back. There were no trees or rock outcrops they could use for cover, however. If the waypost was in the valley, they'd be completely exposed while they looked for it.

He looked in the other direction and found the other end of the valley already in partial shadow. He couldn't make out much, but he thought he caught more than a few hints of movement. If the waypost was in the valley, it had to be in the far end; it was the most defensible spot.

As if reading his mind, Rodney pointed at the place where the valley walls joined to form the back of the canyon. "The energy reading is coming from there," he said and John saw him squint as if trying to see through the shadows.

He nodded and dropped back down to where they'd left the backpack. He needed to scout the area, which meant he needed to find a safe place for Rodney to wait for him. He used the field glasses to study the ridgeline until he found a likely spot, pulled on the backpack, and motioned Rodney to follow him.

Another twenty minutes of hiking and he found a cave he was satisfied with; the entrance was slightly hidden and both he and Rodney could fit inside it if they had to use it for shelter.

Rodney stood outside the cave, panting and eyeing the hole with distaste. "I really don't want to do this," he said quietly once John explained his plan.

John stepped in front of him. "I know you don't. And I'm sorry to have to make you, but you need to get in there and you need to stay there until I come back."

"I think we should stick together," Rodney tried one more time and inched away from the cave.

John knew what he was asking, he knew exactly how much it was costing Rodney to even consider waiting in a cave, but he also knew he could scout faster if Rodney wasn't with him. They needed a plan and for that they needed intel. This was the fastest, and hopefully safest, way to get it.

"I'll be back as fast as I can," John said as he unclipped the backpack and handed it to Rodney.

Rodney's shoulders slumped as he eyed the cave opening one more time before he bent over and shoved the pack inside. "I really hate this idea," he groused as he followed the pack. "This is a really, really bad idea."

"You need to be quiet," John reminded. "Like you said, we don't know what's out here." He heard a few more mutters and then silence.

"I'll be back," he said and headed along the ridge looking for the best place to scout the valley.

He was a quarter of a mile from the cave when there was a slight shimmer in front of him and The Overseer appeared. "Is it wise to leave the logician alone?" he asked conversationally. "There are many dangers in an environment such as this."

John eyed him suspiciously and continued to hike just under the lip of the slope. "Rodney is one of the bravest people I know," he replied tersely.

The Overseer gave him a patronizing smile. "He fears to be alone. He fears to be in the cave. Interestingly, he also fears for your safety and wellbeing as much as his own. He has great faith in your abilities. You think your fears are of an equal multitude, but they can be summed up by simply stating you fear to lose him."

John tried his best to ignore The Overseer and kept walking.

The Overseer had no difficulty in keeping pace. "He is your opposite in nearly every way and yet he trusts you more than any other in his life."

John couldn't help what he knew would be a surprised expression on his face.

"You did not know this?" The Overseer asked. "It is not his level of trust being tested."

John stopped, and against his better judgment, replied, "Do you mind? I have a job to do and apparently not much time to do it." He glared at The Overseer, then turned and scrambled to the top of the hill.

John crested the edge of the ridgeline near the canyon end of the valley as the sun started to set behind him. He glanced at the sun's position and figured he had roughly three hours to check the valley, get back to the cave and Rodney, and reach the waypost before the sun set completely. Hopefully, they could finish this test and get out of the desert before full night.

"I see how much he trusts you, it will be interesting to see how much you trust him," The Overseer said thoughtfully.

Before John could force him to explain his cryptic comment, The Overseer vanished.

"I thought you'd never leave," John muttered to himself and continued along the ridgeline until he found a likely spot to scout the area. He belly-crawled to the edge, and with the field glasses, peered down into the valley below.

He made an effort to forget about The Overseer as he concentrated on reconnoitering their likely destination. He didn't like what he saw.

The valley was crawling with roughly sixty men, or at least something that had two arms, two legs, and one head. John couldn't be sure of anything really as each one wore a head-to-foot robe that concealed their faces and most of their bodies. The only thing clearly visible were their hands and feet. Each warrior was armed with a long, thin sword held at his side in what he recognised as a ready position. They certainly looked the part of impenetrable and threatening as they marched around below him. John thought they sort of resembled the warriors in an old kung fu movie.

His first instinct was to relieve several of the warriors nearest his position of their weapons and cut a swath through them to get to the waypost, but then he sat and analysed what he was seeing. While at first glance the warriors looked to be randomly scattered across the valley, they were actually fairly evenly spaced apart. There were no clusters or large gaps anywhere in the group.

Once he realised that, he simply watched how they moved. There was a pattern to it, he could tell. The warriors slowly progressed through a series of steps that, when seen as a whole, looked chaotic, but if he focused on one person, he found the pattern, the gaps, the places where every back was turned. It was chaos theory writ large.

He sat and watched the warriors move through their pattern, making sure it really was a pattern and that it didn't change, and considered their options.

Option one was brute force. In order to succeed they would somehow need to get their hands on those swords and kill as many of the warriors below as necessary, making a hole to the waypost. While it might seem satisfying, he knew that was something Rodney would never survive, and he wasn't that confident in his own chances, either.

Then he thought about mind games and considered who these trials were really meant to test. Would the Ancients have allowed wholesale slaughter of a seemingly non-threatening force as an appropriate response? He didn't think so, which left option two.

Rodney was going to absolutely hate option two, he thought with a grim smile as he edged his way back behind the ridgeline and headed for the cave.