Author's Note: This is the second installment of the Escape Route series, co-written by myself and my friend Nimeria. As always, we own nothing and no one except for ourselves. Enjoy reading! )
The
Never-Ending Escape Route
Chapter Four
(In a cell on the Hive ship in orbit.)
(Major Lorne, Sergeant Derek Jordan, Lt. Nathaniel Crines, and Dr. Brian Moss are being held in a cell on the hive ship, which is indeed in orbit around Keden.)
Lorne: Crines, how's Moss doing?
(Dr. Brian Moss, botanist, moans from his sitting position against the wall.)
Crines: He's doing better, Major. His head's still killing him though.
Lorne: That's a good sign, Lieutenant.
Moss: Bloody hell, it's a good sign.
Lorne: Means you're still alive doc.
(Moss just grumbles. Crines checks the bandaged around Moss's temple.)
Lorne: Still with us Sergeant?
Jordans: Yes sir. Just resting, sir.
Lorne: Good thinking. We'll need all the help we can get when we get out of here.
Jordans: Any idea when they'll come get us, sir? We've been here for a few hours.
Lorne: You're complaining?
Jordans: (laughs) No sir. It'd just be nice to know.
Lorne: Well, they can take all the time they want. (Settles back against the wall) I'm just starting to get comfortable.
(The other three laugh the hollow laugh reserved for times when one knows the joke really isn't funny. It isn't easy being a meal.)
(Back with Sheppard and co.)
(The Puddle Jumper is heading upward through the atmosphere as Rodney is filling Elizabeth in.)
McKay: ...and it was then that I realized that they were above us in the ship.
Elizabeth: Alright. I assume you still want to mount the rescue mission?
Sheppard: Yes.
Elizabeth: Am I correct in guessing that you're already headed towards the Hive ship?
Sheppard: Also, yes.
Elizabeth: Colonel...
Sheppard: Elizabeth, look. We've got the girls. We have the element of surprise and we can cloak the Jumper. We can't just leave them there.
Elizabeth: I was going to say good luck.
Sheppard: Oh. (Jessie snickers as Sheppard glares at her and Taylor tries to hide a smile as others attempt not to laugh) Right. Well. We'll remake contact as soon as we can.
Elizabeth: You've got the next 24 hours. I'll have the Daedalus detour and meet you over there. Be careful.
Sheppard: Absolutely. Sheppard out.
Mitchell: That went better than I had expected it would.
Ronon: Yeah.
Teyla: She was more agreeable than usual.
Mary: It's probably because of Taylor and Jessie. The power of Invisibility and to escape through walls makes any secret mission more likely to succeed.
Jessie: Oh.
McKay: Well, that would make sense. We're in an invisible ship, and we'll be invisible and dare I say, unstoppable once we get out of the jumper.
Sheppard: I wouldn't say unstoppable...
Ronon: We'll be damn close. (Ronon then pauses, and considers his use of profanity in front of the young women. Nothing happens. No screaming, complaining, or stares. He relaxes with a mental note to check before swearing again. Probably. Well, he'll try. Or not.)
(Pause)
Taylor: (begins to giggle) Jessie! You know what that means?
Jessie: (giggles as well) I do!
Ronon: I don't.
Taylor: We're invincible!
Jessie: Nearly. Nearly invincible. (Pause) Like Ninjas!!!
McKay: (turns to Mary) Can you make them stop.
Mary: Probably.
Sheppard: You know, not all ninjas are invincible.
Jessie: Nearly invincible. And the majority of them are.
Ronon: I'm still a little lost.
Mary: They're staying sane. There's no way I'm stopping them.
Teyla: I find the chatter...amusing.
McKay: Well you would. You're a woman. You practically understand these things.
Teyla: (turns to Mary) What did he mean?
Mary: (shrug) Just ignore him. All will be well when he learns to stop fighting it.
McKay: Hey! Sitting Right Here!
(Ronon and Sheppard chuckle.)
Taylor: Hey, don't lose sight of the topic here!
Sheppard: What topic?
Taylor: Invincible Ninjas. I bet you can't name one non-invincible one off the top of your head.
Sheppard: Well... umm... There was-
Taylor: Triumphed in the end. Never died.
McKay: Or that one-
Jessie: Faked it.
Sheppard: Oh Hey. The one where-
Mary: Nope.
McKay: That guy who-
Taylor and Jessie: Faked it and then won in the end. (Long pause where Sheppard and Rodney keep thinking and Jess and Taylor just smile evilly)
Sheppard: Huh. I guess you're right.
Taylor: Of cour-nevermind. (Jess and Mary shoot her a confused look and then Jessie smirks) Shut up.
Jessie: I didn't say anything. (Taylor glares. Jessie continues grinning. The others look even more confused.)
Ronon: What's with you girls and Ninjas anyway? (They look at each other)
Mary: Taylor and Jessie are obsessed with a show called Naruto.
Sheppard: Oh. Hey. I've heard of that. Any good?
Taylor: Mhmm. Excellent story lines, plot twists catch you way off guard and there's this one character who always wears a mask and at some point really really late in the series you finally get to see his face.
Jessie: Kakashi's pretty pretty face. (Taylor grins in agreement)
Rodney: (confused) Isn't that an anime?
Mary: Yep.
Ronon: What's an anime?
Mary: ...Haven't we already been over this?
Ronon: Oh. That TV thing you watch for hours at a time. (Mary nods.) I still think it sounds stupid.
Taylor: Well, I guess it probably is.
Jessie: You're not going to defend Kakashi?
Taylor: If I don't we get to keep him ourselves.
Jessie: Ah. Say nothing more.
Taylor: (smiles) Wasn't planning on it.
Jessie: Good.
Mary: You know you should pick topics that we all can relate to.
Jessie: Three out of eight isn't bad.
Mary: Two.
Taylor: Oh right. You aren't into Naruto.
Jessie: Mary! You're not the person I thought you were...
Mary: (shrugs) Sorry.
Jessie: How is that even possible?
Mary: I had more of a life than you two?
Jessie: Hey! Just because we---oh. You're probably right.
Mary: Thank you.
Taylor: Just because we have less of a life than you doesn't mean we don't enjoy it more.
Rodney: And of COURSE you find a way to argue.
Taylor: It's what I'm good at.
Mary: She's very good at it. Even if her arguing point is based on nothing but her own twisted logic and an insane opinion-twisted fact, she can do it.
Taylor: Than-Hey!! Wait a minute!! (All laugh) That was mean!!
Ronon: You walked into it kid.
Taylor: That doesn't make it right! (Protesting vehemently and blushing slightly)
Jess: It was funny though.
Taylor: E tu, Twinie? (Jess laughs)
Mary: Oh calm down. We're just kidding. Right guys? (All nod agreement, but Rodney just rolls his eyes and Sheppard is still grinning)
Taylor: I don't believe you... but I'm too bored to care much. What were we talking about?
Mary: Muffins.
Teyla: The food?
Mary: Yep. Yummy, yummy muffins.
Ronon: Why would we talk about muffins?
Mary: Because they're evil and monstrous. And attack people.
Jessie: We were so not talking about muffins.
Mary: Can you prove that we weren't talking about muffins?
Jessie: To do so I'd have to propose a conundrum that would negate reality itself.
Mary: It wouldn't necessarily negate reality.
McKay: True. It'd just negate the suggestion of reality. Reality would still exist.
Jessie: But would we know it existed?
Mary: Interesting point.
Jessie: Well?
McKay: You know, I could probabl--
Taylor: (to Sheppard) No, Really, how much longer until we get there?
Sheppard: (chuckles) Give me a second. (Pulls up display on the HUD) Not much longer now. Here see. This is us (he points at a blue dot) and this is the hive ship (he points at a larger dot of indeterminate color)
Taylor: Oh good. The sooner we get this going the sooner it'll be over.
(Sheppard looks at her from where he'd been watching the discussion behind them)
Sheppard: Are you nervous?
Taylor: Yeah. So is Jess, and Mary is, too. Is that bad?
Mitchell: (just waking up from his nap and overhearing the last part of their conversation) No. Not at all. I'd be more worried about you if you weren't nervous.
Sheppard: You just all seemed so calm during the whole Jewel of Atlantis thing.
Taylor: I think we were able to convince ourselves it was just a game. That it wasn't real. But now...
Mitchell: Now you've suffered through the pain of a gunshot wound and you're disillusioned. You don't want it to happen again because it hurt and you're scared of the pain. (Taylor nods, looking worried. Jess leans over and hugs her.)
Sheppard: Don't worry girls. That's completely normal. I'd like to say that everything is going to be fine, but I won't do that to you. There is a very serious chance that one or more of us may be seriously injured or die.
Teyla: If you girls are reconsidering you're willingness to carry out this mission, no one will think less of you for staying in the Jumper.
Jessie: Mary would.
Mary: What?
Taylor: Yep. She' call us cowards.
Mary: I wouldn't!
Jessie: And yell at us.
Taylor: And beat us.
Mary: Hey! Come on now!
Jessie: And torture us.
Taylor: And our families.
Mary: No! I wouldn't! Where are you going with this? You're...you're...you're...
(Mary falls silent and Taylor and Jessie laugh at her expense.)
Sheppard: Let's grim up people. We're here.
(Indeed, out the forward view screen one can see the massive hive ship, still a tiny speck, but growing ever faster.)
Taylor: Wow. That's big.
Ronon: Extremely.
Jessie: Sort of cool in a "this could kill us" kind of way.
Mitchell: ...You had an odd childhood, didn't you?
Jessie: Still am odd.
Mitchell: I know. Just had to say it.
Mary: Don't call him captain obvious.
Jessie: (exhales) Awww...
(The jumper containing our eclectic crew approaches, and enters, the Hive ship.)
Sheppard: McKay?
McKay: No life signs close. Tons elsewhere, mind you, but for now this area seems clear.
Sheppard: Right. (Lands Jumper) Okay everyone. Let's move out.
Taylor: Are we splitting up?
Sheppard: For the time being, I think its best that we stay together. (They start off down the hall.)
Mitchell: Man, this place is even creepier than your description made me think it was. (Jessie and Taylor are very close together between Ronon who's at the back and Sheppard and Mitchell who are sharing point, Mary walks beside them.)
Jessie: I get the feeling that this is the kind of place that no words will ever do justice to.
Taylor: (giggles softly) You ended that sentence in a preposition, Jack and Mrs. DeJaynes will hunt you down when we get back.
Jess: Oh hush you. They will do no such thing.
Teyla: Girls, now is the time for quiet. (Taylor and Jessie nod apologetically and fall silent.)
Rodney: I wonder how Lorne's doing.
(With Lorne)
Lorne: You still doing okay over there, Doc?
Moss: No better than before, Major if that's what you're asking. But no worse either.
Crines: Sir, I'm a little new to this but shouldn't they have- (Jordans slaps a hand over his mouth while he and Lorne and Moss glare at Crines.)
Jordans: Whatever you were going to say, kid, never, ever, ever say stuff that might jinx us out loud. Ever. SG teams have bad enough luck as it is without people like you making it worse.
Lorne: Jordans, that's enough. He didn't know about the jinxing. Leave him alone. (Jordans lets go of Crines.)
Crines: I'm sorry. It's just... Colonel Sheppard's team seems to have boundless amounts of luck.
Moss: Sheppard's team consists of one of the best pilots the Air Force has to offer, he may be a cocky flyboy, but his head on straight and his priorities are set; a brilliant scientist second only to Samantha Carter, though no one would ever say it to his face; the leader of the Athosians who is an excellent peace-keeper and a fighter to boot; and an alien military specialist who can take on six fully trained marines and win. Sheppard's team isn't really lucky. They are very very good and have a small amount of luck.
Crines: Oh.
Lorne: And besides, no one wants to be jinxed, right?
Crines: R-right. Sorry sir.
Lorne: Relax Nate. The odds of them coming now are a millio-
Jordans: Sir. Someone's coming.
(Crines attempts to meld with the wall.)
Lorne: (under his breath) It wasn't you Lieutenant.
(The Wraith approaches, the doors recede. He walks back the reclining and wounded Dr. Moss, and stands in front of Sergeant Jordans.)
Wraith: You'll do nicely.
(Two other Wraith come and grab Jordans.)
Lorne: Leave him alone! Take me!
(The first wraith snarls, and follows the other two - dragging Jordans - out, sealing the cell behind him.)
Lorne: (runs to the organic mesh bars) Hold on Derek! We'll get you out!! Jordans!!!
