Author's Note: I had hopped to find the time this weekend to post this chapter but things were all pretty crazy this weekend it being a long weekend in Canada. But if I get the next chapter back from my beta this week I will be posting again. So cross your fingers and hope for speedy work. Enjoy.

Stranger Things I Have Seen

John wandered through the halls for a while hoping to find either the commissary or his quarters, but he found neither. Hoping that someone would come along and be able to direct him, John walked out onto one of the many balconies strewn around the city. This place was immense with all its lights twinkling and reflecting off the water. It held a beauty like nothing he'd ever seen.

"If you stay here long enough you'll see a whale surfacing out there. I call her Madison after my niece. The whale saved me once, but that is a whole other kettle of fish." Rodney slapped his palms together. "So are you feeling ready for your first mission? I know you only just got here but we need those ZPMs if we can find them. The stronger we are against the Wraith the better things will be in this galaxy for us and the other humans."

"Then why did you say anything about Emetine?" John didn't look away from the water as Rodney settled against the railing beside him.

"Because I'm not sure what you saw. I mean you just happen to sit in a chai-"

"Rodney, it was me. I was there and I did it. We need to go to that planet. There is something there and-" He ran his hand through his hair, trying to gain control. He couldn't seem to explain why he needed to go to Emetine. It was a feeling deep down inside, something was pushing him. Hell, he even dreamed about it since leaving the Traveller ship. The woman in white and returned, urging him to follow her, but as soon as he did she would tell him that he was in the wrong place. To find what he was looking for he must go to Emetine.

Grabbing his shoulder, Rodney turned John to face him. "We will bring it up once I'm done searching the database I recovered from the ship. I want to make sure there is nothing in there before we toss another pipe dream into the mix."

"You have until after the meeting with the Travellers. That's all I'm going to give you and then I'm going to Daniel myself. There is something out there, I can feel it and I have to find it."

"Deal, now let's get something to eat. I'm starving I haven't eaten in a hour."

"We can do that but you have to show me how to get back to my room afterwards."

Rodney laughed. "I can do that."

The jumpers touched down and the two teams spilled out, weapons drawn. John looked over Rodney's shoulder as he raised the life signs detector, scanning the area.

After a few moments he lowered the device. "Just as we thought, there is no sign of the Wraith on this planet although the Jumper's long range sensors did pick up a Hive Ship in the atmosphere. What do you think they are doing up there? There is nothing down here for them"

Teyla looked over the ruins, shaking her head. "I have learned that the Wraith have no reason for doing anything. They are driven by their hunger and nothing else. We must do what needs to be done and leave. I do not like this place."

Sam spoke. "I agree with Teyla. Break into four teams and take up a regular search pattern. Report back every fifteen minutes. Let's go."

Rodney divided up his team. "Ronon, you and Teyla go together and I'll take John. Be careful and you know what to do."

John took point and he and Rodney moved through the rubble. John kept an eye out for some building that might hold the secrets they were searching for. It was rough going; the ground was uneven and bits were falling off the walls at every turn.

After three hours of searching they had come up dry but they continued on,; there was still many more kilometres of city left to search. Above them there was a whine of a drone and John called out for Rodney to take cover but they must have been seen because a few minutes later the area was crawling with Wraith.

"Colonel Carter, we have Wraith on the ground in quadrant four. Rodney and I are going to try to make it back to the jumper but I don't know how quickly we can do that."

Sam's reply was lost in static and John wasn't sure how much she received because he could only make out bits and pieces of her reply. "Follow me, Rodney, and I'll try to get us out of here."

The two of them moved over the rough ground, scrambling to keep ahead of the Wraith. Wraith stunner beams glanced off the rubble and flew over their heads as John and Rodney turned quick corners or darted into doorways.

Part of John wanted to get out of there before they died, but the long dormant part of him was enjoying being in the thick of things again. This was where he belonged. He ran out over a bit of open ground a metre or so ahead of Rodney and then suddenly he felt the earth give way beneath him, felt himself hover for a second before plummeting to the ground, landing hard and then nothing.

Rodney saw John disappear but he couldn't stay to find out if his friend was all right. Diverting around the hole, he took a moment to look down at John. His friend was there, unconscious, but Rodney wasn't sure he was alive. Then he kept running so the Wraith wouldn't know about his fallen comrade.

While scrambling over pieces of rubble, he keyed his radio. "Sam, John is down. The ground collapsed under him and I don't know if he's all right. I'm leading the Wraith away and hopefully I can circle back around to him."

"Rodney...location...Jumper..." That was followed by static and a squeal." Rodney gave up on the radio; there would be no help from the others. He just needed to keep moving and hope none of the other Wraith stumbled upon John.

Then he heard gunfire and cursing and Rodney knew he'd found Ronon and Teyla. Lifting his P90, Rodney let off a few rounds and then darted away hoping to draw the Wraith away so he could meet up the others. Ten minutes later it was mission accomplished.

Ronon and Teyla ducked in behind the chunk of wall where Rodney had taken shelter. "Where's Sheppard?"

Rodney fired off some more rounds before answering. "The ground gave out beneath him and I had to leave him. Five Wraith were chasing us at the time and I led them away. I need to double back and see if he's all right."

"So you do not know if he is even alive?" Teyla asked, reloading her own P90.

"No, I don't, but he better be or I might kill him myself." Rodney looked up and shot another Wraith. "Are we ready to go?"

"I'm good," Ronon said, taking out a Wraith of his own.

The small group headed back toward the place where John had fallen with Rodney leading the way. When they got there though the only thing that remained to show John had been there was a pool of drying blood.

There was a flash of light and John looked around. As far as the eye could see was a beautiful city. Carlike things whipped around in the air above his head and people were living their lives. John closed his eyes. How had he gotten here? And where they heck was here?

Turning in a slow circle, he tried to figure it out. Was this somewhere he'd really been or had his mind created it?

Then he saw something: a flash of white disappearing through a doorway. The woman, she was here wherever, this was, this was apparently where she wanted him to come. John moved to follow her, but the city began to crumbled around him as the Wraith dropped bombs. Ignoring the destruction he tracked the woman between the flashes of light. Then a bomb struck right beside her and the figure in white flew through the air and fell. She landed right next to an odd looking machine.

Immediately John knew what it was, there had been a huge file on it as well as the mission files he'd read over on the trip from Earth. It was an ancient repository, the very thing that had killed Jack O'Neill, and would this be his fate. Had he been brought here to sacrifice himself for his friends and the universe?

The woman in white rose up from her destroyed body and came forward. "You know what you have to do. I will show you the way but you have must find the courage to make the sacrifice. This device is on the planet you call Athos. I have waited a long time for you to come, please don't fail us. I will show you where the ZPMs are because you will need them. Now follow me."

There are two more chapters posted on my site if you would like to check them out Google my penname and you will find me. I love to hear from you whether you liked it or loved it. :0P

Also I have published two original pieces of work on Kindle you can find a link to them on my website as well.