Survival Instinct4

John tapped his radio. Glanced round the verdant jungle surrounding him. "Daedalus, copy? Are you receiving?"

"Copy, lieutenant colonel," Steven's voice crackled over the static. "We will maintain orbit."

"Copy that. Sir." He glanced at the marines, gestured for them to flank the ruins of the city. The moss was wildly overgrown. Nearly overtaking the tumbled stones, the fallen bricks. It ran riot over the grass. Climbing the broken structures. Tiny blue flowers bloomed. The air felt hot, fetid. A strangely dead atmosphere despite the vitality of the plant life. "McKay, this way. Ronon, six. Lorne, take flank."

"You think our friends are still here, sir?" Evan asked, as they began to move through the maze of masonry and moss.

"Somewhere," John noted.

"Since Moira's not here we have no way to placate them," Ronon noted.

John glanced at him. Frowned. "Exactly. Let's go. And don't drink or eat anything! McKay?"

"I heard you the first time, John," Rodney grumbled. Slinging his equipment over his shoulder as he trudged after his team leader. To his consternation the moss was clinging to his boots. Nearly drowning them with each step. The ground felt spongy, springy.

"Especially since Moira's not here, right, Sheppard?" Ronon persisted. Laughed lewdly.

John frowned. Hands tightening on his P90. "Move out. Now." His thoughts flitted to Moira. The sex in the lab. In the chair. On the table. The feel of her body. Squirming. Welcoming. Snug and wet. He shook his head to clear the images. Scratched his arm where a bandage wrapped the gunshot wound.

**************************************************************************

Moira noticed the discrepancy two days after John had left the city. She sorted through the samples again. Turned to Katie who was working next to her. "Look at this. There's a sample of moss missing. I've counted it twice."

"What?" Katie met her gaze. Eyed the bags of moss they had collected from the planet. Each one labeled, dated. She counted through the samples. "You're right. Not a lot, but still..."

"Enough."

"Maybe Matthew took some to Carson. They're testing the medicinal properties. Trying to separate the molecular cohesion to make it a viable source of healing. I know they have not had much success."

"Maybe..." Moira mused, suspicious. She moved to the glass cabinet. Unlocked it. Began to search through all of the various specimens.

"Is everything in order?"

"So far."

"See? It's probably nothing. We'll take a new count just to be sure. And see if it changes again."

************************************************************************

"Ingenious!" Rodney exclaimed. He circled the Ancient device, now that it was moderately cleared of the moss. "The crystal modifications are extraordinary. And the ZPM is smaller. A more compact version of our own. But unfortunately it has less power too. It would be useless in the city. The equivalent of using a battery when we need a whole generator."

"So I didn't break it," John posited, watching the scientist examine the device.

"No, you did. Show me what you did. Exactly."

John inwardly sighed. He considered. Touched the side of the structure. Tilted forward to brush against it, to grab a crystal as he had the first time. "I was sort of falling since we were on the run from those cavemen."

"Whoa!" Rodney shoved him away as the crystals chimed, flared to a brightness that made him squint. It faded.

"It didn't do that the first time," John protested.

Rodney approached the machine again. "Don't touch it again! Moira was right. Don't touch any Ancient device ever!"

"Okay, okay, geez!" John complained, stepping back from the machine. He scanned the area. Remembered Moira blaming him for disrupting the signal, as if he had done it on purpose. Moira coming on his lap, moving up and down, taking him deeper, deeper. He shook his head again. Scratched his arm.

"Sheppard? You okay?" Ronon asked, noticing the other man's seeming distraction.

"Fine, fine!" John snapped. "Keep watch! Rodney! Today!"

"Give me a minute! And stay over there!" The physicist pointed dramatically to a place several yards from the machine. Waited until John had stomped over to it, a scowl on his face.

***********************************************************************

"There's more missing, here." Moira shut the drawer, closed the cabinet. She locked it. Programmed the keypad. "There. No one gets in but me. I changed the password."

"How much is missing?" asked Katie, staring at the glass cabinet. The contents within it. Vials and specimen jars.

Moira shrugged. "I'm not sure. At least two bags. I'll check with Carson. Maybe he has it all. He did want to run some tests on it."

"I'm sure that's it," Katie reasoned.

Moira wondered. She strolled to the medical bay. Trying to keep her thoughts from straying to John as they frequently did. His odd behavior in the lab. So sexual, so indifferent. Caring one moment and then cold the next. Wondered if he was affected by the enzyme. Or if she had glimpsed the ladies' man he was purported to be. Wondered if this meant he was going to dump her after all. Just another in the long line of women.

"Moira, love, did you need something?" Carson Beckett inquired.

Moira blinked. Hadn't been aware she had arrived, was standing in the middle of the infirmary staring at nothing. "Oh. Carson. Have you been testing the moss?"

"No, not recently. I still have the samples you brought back. It's analgesic properties are promising, but the enzyme is too prevalent for any substantive application. What is it?"

"We're missing some. Not a lot, but enough to notice. And if you don't have it..."

"Someone else does. I know that Matthew took some to the physics lab. Some sort of electromagnetic test. A feedback theory. I'm sure that's all it is."

"I'll go check with him," she said. "I'm sure he just forgot to log it."

**********************************************************************

John was pacing. He glanced at Rodney who was busily working. On his knees, head nearly in the device. Muttering equations. "Major? Any sign of our buddies?" he asked, tapping his radio.

"No, sir," Evan replied. Moving among the moss as he checked the perimeter of the city. "It's very quiet. Too quiet."

"I hear you," Ronon agreed. "Sheppard, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" He paused. Unaware he was scratching again at his arm. "This bandage...it's too tight! That's all." He looked round. "I'm thirsty."

"I'm not." Ronon eyed their surroundings. "Look at this. The moss has covered everything we cleared. In a matter of a week. Is that normal?"

"Hell if I know. I'm no botanist." He smiled for a moment. "Moira wondered if it grew this quickly, and why." Moira's mouth entwined with his. Welcoming. Moaning. Her mouth going down on him. Her hand squeezing his cock. He swore, forced his mind to other things. "Fuck it!" he grumbled. He set down his P90. Tore off his jacket. Yanked up his sleeve to claw at the bandage. He ripped if off his arm. Stared. The injury was healed. Completely healed. Not even a scar marred his skin.

Ronon stared. "Should a bullet wound heal that fast? That cleanly?"

"No. Shit. This can't be good, can it?" John remarked.

"How do you feel?"

John rubbed his arm. "It doesn't itch anymore. So that's a plus."

"Sir! Company on the ridge! Six o'clock!" Evan warned.

Ronon whirled as John did. Both men raising their guns simultaneously. He snatched his jacket off the ground. "How many, major?"

"Ten...now twenty..." Evan was busily counting as he crouched behind a sliced tower. "They're holding position."

"McKay! Now would be a good time to fix that thing!" John shouted, running to the scientist.

"Why? We don't need 'Gate access and–"

"We've got company! If you turn this on it will calm them down and give us time," John explained, staring at Rodney who was on his hands and knees in the moss. Surrounded by crystals and wires as he had pulled out the panel.

"Oh." Rodney glanced at the ridge. "Cavemen? Really? I just assumed you were exaggerating."

"No, I wasn't. Now fix it." He tapped the radio. "Lorne, form up right flank with the others. We'll hold them until we have to go. Daedalus, this is Sheppard. Copy? Daedalus, this is Sheppard. Copy? Great," he grumbled. "Keep on it, Rodney." He sprinted to Ronon and the two men ran to Lorne as he formed a line of defense with the marines.

*************************************************************************

Moira found nothing in the physics lab. No one as the equipment was dormant. The room empty. The counters clean of any moss or vegetation. She returned to the botany lab. Found Matthew hitting the control box on the specimen cabinet. "Matthew?"

He whirled. Moira took a step backwards. The normally gently, calm scientist had a wild look in his blue eyes. A tension lining his thin face. "Is this lock broken? I tried to access the panel three times."

She neared slowly. "It's locked. I changed the password. Only I can access it now."

"You?"

"Yes. There are some moss specimens missing. Did you know that?" she tested.

"Yes. Of course I did. I took them."

Moira stared. His matter-of-fact tone should have been reassuring, but it was not. "You?"

"Yes, Moira. I am the lead botanist on this expedition, aren't I? This moss holds great potential. For example, did you know that it's micro chemical content is nearly analogous to some endorphin-inducing hallucinogens? "

"No. I–"

"Open the cabinet. Please. I need more."

"I don't think so, Matthew. You should probably confer with Carson before you engage in any more experimentation. The enzyme's affects can be quite disturbing."

"Open the cabinet," he repeated. "Moira, now," he ordered, taking a step towards her. His gaze raked over her.

"No. You need to see Carson first. What have you done exactly, Matthew?"

She nearly jumped as he slammed his hand down on the counter. Making a microscope jerk. "Open the damn cabinet, Moira! Now!"

**********************************************************************

The three men stood firm, in defensible positions as the marines fanned out slightly to form an inward-facing semi-circle. The ridge filled. More cavemen lining the trees. Some hunkering down. Some standing. Holding sticks. Rifles. Rocks.

"How many?" Evan asked.

"Too many. There's another contingent over there," John pointed. "About...thirty, near the tree line. And there...about ten or so lurking in the shadows."

"You can see them?" Evan asked, glanced at Ronon. The Satedan shrugged, also unable to see the forms John was indicating.

"Yeah. Can't you?" asked John, nonplused.

"No," Ronon answered. "They're too far out of range. What else?"

"That's it," John stated, shading his eyes as he scanned the surroundings. A sea of green surrounding them. Threatening in its massive growth. "Looks like they have basic guns...no P90s. Those early twentieth century weapons." He glanced at them. "You really can't see that?"

"Not from here, sir. Not without binoculars. How can you?" Evan asked.

John shrugged, but knew the answer. "Lots of carrots, major," he quipped. "Ah...there's that bastard."

"Who?" Ronon asked, staring round. As perplexed as Evan.

"Niko..." John's gaze narrowed as his grip on the P90 tightened. A sudden bitterness filled him.

"John! I need you here!" called Rodney.

"Hold the line. Do not fire unless engaged," John ordered. He sprinted back to Rodney, finding his way easily around the moss and the broken masonry when before he had struggled to find footholds like the rest. "Daedalus, copy! Daedalus!" he attempted.

"You were right," Rodney announced. Stood. Brushed the clingy moss off his pants. "There's a subset of crystals which have their own power source. A very similar configuration to the ones in the DHD. This connection," he pointed, "which in turn creates the harmonic wave. Which in turn shuts down the Stargate dialing rotations if de-activated."

"So I can turn it back on," John surmised.

"Yes. Now. It's tied not only to the ATA gene but also the enzyme's trace elements to–"

"Colonel! Bogeys on the move!" Evan's voice crackled over the radio. "Slow but steady."

"So I can turn it on, to subdue the cavemen?" John asked.

"Yes."

"And that would also activate the Stargate?"

"Yes."

"Then no." John tapped his earpiece. "Daedalus! Do you copy?"

"What?" Rodney exclaimed. He grabbed John's arm. "You have to activate it! We can't be caught by those ravening hordes! Without the 'Gate working we are sitting ducks!"

"I won't risk them getting through the 'Gate, Rodney! They need to stay here."

"But the Daedalus isn't receiving!"

"Keep trying to hail Daedalus! We'll hold the line. Activate that thing only on my order!"

"I can't! Haven't you been listening? You need to activate it!"

"No, Rodney! Hail Daedalus!" He spun, sprinted back to see the cavemen advancing. Waving sticks and guns. Grunting. A weird, growing fury in their wild eyes.

"Sir! Orders?" Evan asked.

"Hold the line, major!"

"Can't you turn on the machine?" Ronon asked.

"Yes. But I don't want them using the 'Gate, do you? Terrorizing other communities? The Daedalus will pick us up, we just need to hold the line." He tossed Ronon his P90. Stepped ahead of the marines.

"Sheppard?" Ronon asked, deftly catching the gun in one hand while holding his in the other.

"Colonel? What the–" Evan asked, as puzzled as Ronon.

"Hold the line! That's an order!" John sauntered ahead of his men. Past the razed structures of the city. Past the mounds of moss springing under his boots. Towards the advancing, ragged line of cavemen. "Niko!" he called. "Niko!"

"What the hell is he doing?" Evan asked, sighting his P90 on the now stopped line of enemies.

"I haven't a clue, but something isn't right," Ronon stated. "With him."

*************************************************************************

Moira shook her head. "What have you done, Matthew? Please tell me you didn't eat it?"

"Of course not, Moira! Do you think I'm stupid? Do you?"

"No, of course not! But you–"

"Drank it. I drank it. The secretions in water, like we were taking on the planet, but a more careful dosage. It's incredible, Moira!" he exclaimed to her stunned expression. "I've been able to do equations and postulations like never before! Did you know I traced the entire genome of the species we've collected? I've even found a new source for the crops we grow on the mainland, a cross-pollination that will increase our yield ten-fold!"

"Matthew, you can't! Don't you see? It's addictive! You'll build up a tolerance and just need more and more. How could I be so stupid?" she muttered angrily, recalling her use of the moss on John's injury. The water squeezed from the moss. Into the wound. She wondered if that explained his unusual, insatiable sexual hungers, not to mention his odd attitude. Her thoughts broke as Matthew grabbed her arms.

"Open it! Now! I know exactly what I am doing! I am a scientist!" He shoved her towards the cabinet but she fought free.

"No! You are a drug addict, Matthew! You need to get rid of this, now! Prolonged exposure will only make you worse! You won't be able to reason or to–"

"Open the damn cabinet!" he shouted, shoving her. She fell against the table, sprawling across it. Matthew stared at her. Suddenly he was behind her, shoving her face down on the table. "You will do as I say, Moira!"

"Let go of me! Matthew, please! Think! This isn't you!"

He shoved her down again, bent her right arm behind her back to make her cry out. "God you have a fine ass," he commented, gaze locked on it. "No wonder Sheppard was guarding it so zealously."

She struggled. "No, no!" Bent over the table she feared the worst. A complete reversal of being bent on her back, with John.

Matthew's free hand grabbed her rear. Squeezed. "Damn you have a sweet one, Moira." His fingers dug, yanking her pants to her hips. "Just how tight is that ass, hmm?"

"No, no! Stop! John will kill you!" she threatened. Struggled. But was pinned. Her arm hurting.

Matthew rammed himself against her, grinned. "I don't think so. Sheppard's not here now, is he? Not here now to keep that tight little ass all to himself. How many times, Moira? How many times has he fucked you?"

"Let go! This isn't you!" she demanded, but he ripped the back of her pants, fingers clawing at her panties, her rear. Trying to shove between her legs. "NO!" she screamed, shoved herself into him, crying out as they fell to the floor. She straightened her arm, rolled but he jumped to his feet. Grabbed her from behind and shoved her towards the cabinet.

"Open it! Open it now, Moira! Or I swear I will fuck that sweet ass of yours!"

"No! I won't open it!"

"You will, one way or another!" He thrust her into the cabinet.

Moira barely had time to shut her eyes, to squint before her head smashed brutally into the glass. Pain slammed as the glass cut across her face. A piece of wood crashed under her eye. Blood streamed down her face as Matthew hauled her back, dropped her to the floor. He dug into the cabinet, smashing more glass. Tore the panel off and threw everything aside to search for the moss. To collect it in handfuls. Stuffing his pockets.

Moira scooted to the wall, head dizzy and screaming with pain. Her vision a blurry, scarlet haze. She cautiously turned her head to see two Matthews stuffing the moss, all of the moss into his pockets. Her vision blurred, narrowed as he stepped to her.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it? Stupid, Moira, to refuse me." He squatted in front of her. "You should have listened to me."

"John..." she gasped. "John will kill you," she muttered, tasting blood in her mouth. Pain laced the side of her face, her head.

"That won't help you now, will it?" He rolled her onto her stomach. Fingered the tears in her pants, panties. Ripped them further until he revealed bare skin. "Such a lovely little ass. He must love bouncing on that. And I bet the rest is just as sweet, hmm?" He grabbed, squeezed. Bent his head to lick. To bite.

She groaned, unable to fight as she was reeling. Nearly losing consciousness now as the floor spun wildly underneath her.

"Beautiful," he said, stood. "Wish I had time, Moira. I'll come back for more."

Moira rolled onto her side, watched him leave the lab. Heard alarms. Saw Katie running to her, screaming. Then all faded to a scarlet mist. Then black.

**********************************************************************

"Niko!" John shouted.

"Sir? Shouldn't you be back here now?" Evan asked.

"Sheppard, let it be! You've got the girl, not him!" Ronon said, realizing the problem.

"What?" Evan asked, still baffled by his commanding officer's behavior.

The leader stepped out of the line of cavemen. Shaking a gun. Bellowing. Tattered clothes adorned with feathers, with skins. With moss. He gestured, looking round. At the ruins. Past John to the wary marines.

John smiled. "No, she's not here. No eso for you, Niko. No sex!" He pointed at himself. "Me. Me eso. Just me." He smiled remembering the native word.

"What's he saying?" Evan asked.

"He doesn't like rivals," Ronon translated, shaking his head.

"Rodney! Anything?" Evan asked, tapping his radio.

"Not yet! Where the hell is the Daedalus?" Rodney moaned. "Daedalus! Copy! Caldwell, we need to be beamed off-world now!"

Niko seemed to understand John's boasting. He growled, shouted in rage.

"Major Lorne!" came Rodney's voice on the radio. "I've got cavemen over here!"

"Go! I'll cover him!" Ronon offered.

Evan sprinted back to Rodney. Cavemen were moving towards them on the opposite side. "Shit. They're surrounding us. Where the hell is the Daedalus?"

"Come on!" John shouted. "No eso! Me eso! Me!"

"Sheppard, back off!" Ronon shouted. "Think! Moira's safe! She wouldn't want this!"

John blinked. Felt he was awakening from a weird daze. Only to find himself nearly face to face with a large, enraged, three-hundred pound cavemen. Who charged. "Crap." He swerved, whirled, pulled his handgun and fired. Fired, fell to the ground as a massive arm nearly beheaded him. He rolled to his feet as the cavemen surged in a screaming mass. "Go! Fall back to McKay! Go!" John ordered, running backwards and nearly tripping but Ronon grabbed his arm, hauled him as the men retreated amid the hail of gunfire.

"Daedalus!" Rodney shouted into his radio over the cacophony of bullets, of shouts, of screams. "Daedalus! Beam us now!" Rodney was still shouting as he materialized on the ship.

"Stand down!" Steven ordered. The marines lowered their weapons, relieved to be safe. Ronon smiled. John relaxed his grip on his 9mm.

"Where the hell were you?" Rodney demanded.

"Easy, doctor. We had radio interference," Steven explained.

"Probably the Ancient device," John realized. "When it was powered up."

"Expanded energy," Rodney noted. "That was too close! What the hell were you thinking, Sheppard?"

"I told you, we couldn't risk letting them loose on another–" John began to reiterate.

"That goes for me as well, sir. What the hell?" Evan demanded.

John met their angry faces. Sighed. "I'm fine now. Let's head back to Atlantis, sir. McKay can debrief on the way."

*************************************************************************

Moira fought. Shoving. Pushing. Clawing. "No! No! John! John!" she called, but hands caught her. Held her.

"Moira, Moira, love, I'm here. You're safe, safe!"

She calmed, blinked. Her face felt stiff. Body sore. She stared at Carson. The infirmary. "Carson..."

"Yes, love. No," he caught her hand as it touched the side of her face. "You're fine. You'll have a bruise under your eye, and only superficial cuts on your face that will heal in time. You were lucky, Moira. Very lucky. You could have easily lost an eye, or worse."

"Lucky?" she croaked. "I..." She groaned, trying to move.

"Pulled muscle in your arm. That's all. Nothing broken."

"I..." She colored. Stiffened. "He..he didn't...I fought him, Carson. He didn't–"

"No, he didn't," Carson assured, patting her hand. "Scratches. That's all. Son of a bitch."

"Where is he?"

"We can't find him." Seeing her consternation he added swiftly, "but we will. Atlantis is on high alert, don't worry. There's a Jumper missing. He probably went to the mainland. You're safe here, Moira."

"He's hyped on the enzyme, Carson! The secretions in the water. He's been dosing himself for days! Maybe ever since we got back!"

"So we figured. Rest. You are safe. John will be back in a few days," he soothed, but she wasn't comforted.

"No. He, he can't see me like this!" A surge of tears blurred her sight.

"He'll only care you are all right, Moira."

"No, you don't understand!" she argued, although part of her reluctance was based on his reaction to her. "He, he might still be affected by the enzyme too. We all are. Have been. I'm not sure how he'll react, he..."

"He seemed fine to me, Moira. Even if he was he won't be by now. He's not imbibing the secretions like Matthew did. Right? Don't worry. Rest. You're not going anywhere for awhile, and I have two marines on the door. Plus I'll be here with you as well."

"But, but John...he..." Her words paused. Thoughts scattering like leaves in a wind.

"He'll know what to do, Moira. He will make certain you are safe."