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Chapter Three: Through the Looking Glass
John took note of the time and decided they should start making their way back to the Stargate before it got too dark outside.
He found Ronon and Teyla sitting on a boulder in the middle of the cavern waiting for them, talking to each other to pass the time. They didn't find the mirrors quite as amusing as he and Rodney did.
John tapped his earpiece to contact the others, rather then go looking for them since the place was pretty large and it could take forever. He did tell them before they started out to stay in sight of one another but that had soon changed and everyone went their separate ways so long as they kept in contact. "McKay, Elizabeth, time to go."
It had been an hour ago since he last heard from either of them and only Rodney responded to his call. "Give me a minute."
"Now McKay!"
"Fine, I'm on my way," moaned the unhappy scientist.
When Elizabeth hadn't responded he tried the radio again, but still nothing. Teyla tried hers but she received the same static, as too did Ronon.
Something was wrong John could feel it. He looked at Teyla and Ronon with concern etched on his forehead. "Did either of you see which way Elizabeth went?"
McKay came strolling towards them, with a collection of shiny stones in his hands, and without an inclination as to what had become obvious, he started blabbering before John could ask him a question. "Something to study when I get back. These rocks feel heaver then they look, it will be interesting to see what material they hold..."
"McKay," interrupted John, but Rodney wasn't listening.
"It would have been nice to have gathered more though, but I only have so many…"
John tried again, with a more forcible approach. "McKay!"
"WHAT!?"
"Have you seen Elizabeth in the past hour?"
"No." He then looked concerned like he had forgotten something. "Was I supposed too?"
"Dr. Weir is not answering her radio," answered Teyla.
Rodney dropped the stones he was holding in a state of dread and they cluttered to the floor. "How long has she been out of radio contact?"
"An hour," added Ronon, rather bluntly.
John stopped Rodney when he was about to reach for his radio. "We've already tried that. No response and don't bother with the life signs detector, they don't work in here which is why I previously said don't travel too far out of sight."
John drew his gun from his holster and checked to make sure it was fully loaded, even though he knew it was. "I suggest we split up into pairs, and go and look for Dr. Weir. It may simply be the case she's had an accident and can't respond."
Everyone nodded in agreement and waited for the order to start the search.
"Ronon, Teyla. You two take the south side of the cave; McKay and me will take the north. Keep in contact every fifteen minutes, understood?" John waited for a response before continuing. "We'll meet back here in an hour. If we haven't found her by then we'll need to inform Atlantis so we can mount a full scale search."
--
The hour was almost up and everyone's search had turned up empty handed.
As he and Rodney re-entered the cavern, John found himself facing the mirror Elizabeth was looking at when he last saw her.
A reflection had caught his eye when he walked passed it, but when he looked into the mirror, he soon discovered it wasn't a reflection but a manifestation of Elizabeth.
At first, he spun round to make sure she wasn't standing behind him; she wasn't. But when he looked back, he saw other people with her, notably themselves. "McKay, over hear!"
When he heard John call him, McKay had been looking elsewhere, as they waited for Teyla and Ronon to show. "Found something?"
John pointed at the mirror.
Rodney did the same as John and double-checked behind him, before looking back at it when he saw the same thing. "That's not good." He then remembered something. "Is that the mirror she showed you earlier?"
John nodded as he watched the scenes unfold inside the mirror. "If she's in trouble as much as I think she is… then so are we."
Rodney covered his eyes; when Elizabeth had just been shot by Ronon's gun and talk about perfect timing, Ronon and Teyla had just shown up to witness this.
TBC
