Dr. Orla Grant looked at the women she stood with completely bewildered. Was she dreaming? She had to be. As she looked down at herself she knew she must be, the body she was looking at certainly wasn't hers. Orla didn't understand what was happening, what was the last thing she remembered? She'd been sitting on her bed in her bedroom listening to the new Pink Floyd record. She'd been cramming for her upcoming exams and mum had just brought her a cup of tea. Dad wanted the music turned down and Fraiser was on in ten minutes. So what the hell was all this?
Lieutenant Laura Cadman was looking at the people next to her confused, this wasn't her body, so, she was dreaming right? She'd been watching last weeks X-Files, dad had recorded for her. She was supposed to be going back to her studying; an hours break was all dad would let her have from her studies tonight. Laura was sure she'd been headed back to her room, she was going to listen to her new Stone Temple Pilots record. She'd saved up for ages for it, her allowance had been cut as she'd been late home from her date with Tommy a month ago.
Teyla Emmagan stood trying to understand what had happened and where she was. Teyla knew she'd been with her mother and father helping them harvest the crop during the day, the whole village had been there. She'd then gone to help her mother make the evening meal; her father having gone to talk to some of the men in the village about their trading partners. She looked at the clothes she wore; not understanding what they were made from or whose they were as they were not hers and it was certainly not her body.
Dr. Jennifer Keller was in shock, what was going on? These women were strangers and the place she was in alien. She'd been studying for her exams. She'd been in her pyjamas in her room and her father had been in his study waiting for NYPD Blue to come on. Why was she in scrubs? She'd fallen asleep, she'd had to… there was no other explanation.
"Umm, this is a dream, right?" Orla shakily asked the women.
"I dunno, guess so, your English right?" Laura asked Orla.
"Yes, I am," Orla was mentally trying to wake herself up.
"Who are you all? If I am dreaming would I not know what an "English" was?" Teyla tilted her head and raised an eyebrow expecting an explanation.
"Can we all be dreaming? And English is my nationality, okay… technically it's British," Orla responded to the woman not seeming any less confused.
"We can't," Keller chipped in. "I mean, it's not possible is it for four people to all think they're dreaming and talking to each other at the same time? Is it?" she blushed hoping they wouldn't laugh at her.
"Okay, well my name is Orla Grant; I live in London, England. I'm fifteen years old and this isn't my body," Orla grabbed at the front of her blouse her eyes wide. "I definitely didn't have that much down there last night," she voiced flustered and took a gulp of her drink only to spit it out in a coughing fit. A fifteen year old Orla wasn't a Vodka drinker.
"I'm Laura Cadman, I'm fifteen years too, I live in Portland, Oregon in the US and I don't think this is my body either," Cadman blinked wide eyed.
"I am Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan. I do not understand your "years" but I think you are describing your ages?" Teyla eyed the women for confirmation. "I am fifteen winters old and this is not Athos and this is most certainly not my body," Teyla surmised.
"I'm Jennifer Keller, I'm from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in the US and I'm fifteen years old too and I umm… had a shower ten minutes ago and I know this isn't my body," Jennifer whispered to the women.
"Where is Athos? Teyla, is it? I know… it's in Europe! Right?" Laura asked trying to figure out where it could be.
"I am unfamiliar with the word Eu… rope, Athos is my home planet, which planet are you from?" Teyla quizzed Laura.
"It's your planet? Okay, when did you hit your head?" Laura smiled relieved the woman could make a joke of the situation.
" I do not understand, I have not hit my head and Athos is a well know world in the Pegasus galaxy," Teyla proudly informed the woman.
"The Pegasus galaxy, oh right, I get it. They're making new Candid Camera episodes, that or we're in the Twilight Zone," Orla giggled.
"Are you calling me a liar!" Teyla confronted Orla clenching her fists ready to defend her honour should this woman doubt her.
"No, no. So, your from the Pegasus galaxy and Athos and we are from Earth in the Milky Way. So how'd we get here, where ever here is?" Orla crossed her arms trying to look bigger than the woman obviously looking for a fight.
"I have no idea but I really want to know where here is, quick pinch me, see if it wakes me up" Laura looked at Orla.
Orla reached to Laura and pinched her, hard.
"Owww, not that hard!" Cadman scowled at Orla.
"Had to do my best to wake you up," Orla grinned watching Laura roll her eyes at her rubbing her arm.
"Well, either you have no pain sensors or this is not a dream," Keller said flatly as the three women looked at the blonde woman in scrubs.
"Ermm, what's this?" Orla pulled her radio from her ear staring wide eyed before flinging it onto the floor.
"I don't know but I got one too," Jennifer replied throwing hers away too. Laura and Teyla found they too had the strange object attached to them and like the others discarded the radio's.
The botany lab was filled with twenty two scared and frightened girls, some crying most talking in panicked tones to each other.
Ronon adjusted the spit roasting the rabbit like meat wondering if Orla was enjoying herself. He expected her and Laura to get up to mischief, Laura just couldn't help herself and Orla was a more than willing accomplice. If Teyla got involved then any kind of mayhem could await their return in the morning.
"Is it ready yet?" Rodney asked hungrily eyeing the roasting food.
"Not yet, won't be long McKay, have a drink," Ronon suggested passing the Athosian ale over to the man.
"I've missed this, the open sky, fresh air. I can't cope with being indoors for so long," Sheppard said relaxing back near to Ronon and the crackling fire.
"Been trying to get Orla to come over here, camp overnight," Ronon admitted, wanting the woman with him.
"Why won't she?" Sheppard inquired.
"Bugs," McKay answered, both men looking at him as though he'd announced a great secret.
"What? It's obvious. Any woman not outdoorsy doesn't want to bed down anywhere near bugs," Rodney defended his answer.
"He's right, she doesn't want to sleep near bugs" Ronon grabbed the ale from Rodney and took a long drink. "If you've ever seen her near a spider you'd understand," he chuckled at the last time she'd found one in their quarters. He'd thought she was being bludgeoned to death till he saw her pointing at the bath.
"So, Rodney, how's things with Keller?" Sheppard probed at the scientist knowing he'd clam up.
"Actually, very good," Rodney blushed hoping the others wouldn't notice. Jennifer had become special to him and he was slightly terrified he was going to do something to mess it all up. Like he did with Katie Brown.
Ronon and Sheppard exchanged glances both agreeing without words that they'd not tease Rodney about Jennifer… just yet.
In the botany lab the room was filled with confused, loud, scared… fifteen year old girls in the bodies of their adult self's.
"What are we gonna do?" Keller said what they'd all been thinking.
"If you'll come with me we could look about the place, I don't want to go alone though," Orla bit her lip nervous the women would think her silly at being scared.
"I think Orla is right, we should go and see where we are and what this place is, it is better to know your enemy than wait for them to introduce themselves. At least there is no Wraith, at least I cannot sense them," Teyla announced deciding that someone needed to lead this women, and she would not lie down and accept this… situation.
"What are Wraith?" Keller wasn't sure she wanted to know but the question was out before she could take it back.
"You do not know what Wraith are?" Teyla looked at the group in shock. How could these people not know the Wraith?
"No," they answered in unison.
"Maybe it is better that you do not know, not yet," Teyla said with a hurt look of someone all too versed in what Wraith were.
Teyla walked over to the other women occupying the lab, they were bunched into groups. "We are going to see what this place is and where we are, do any of you wish to join us?"
The women shook their heads, still too confused to understand anything, all hoping to wake up at home in their beds.
"Very well, we will be back. If anyone comes, hide," Teyla ordered, waiting for their nods she then turned to the three women at her side, "Let us go, I am used to hunting and tracking so hopefully we can find some answers. Shall we?" Teyla started to walk towards the entrance of the labs with Orla, Laura and Jennifer following.
"Are you sure we shouldn't wait, I mean. I'm not good at this sort of thing," Jennifer worriedly asked.
"Who is?" Orla retorted.
"I think she is," Laura pointed at the Athosian waiting at the door.
TBC... Please review