Chapter 6: Tunnel dwellers

"I don't believe this!" Lorne muttered under his breath, exchanging worried glances with Teyla.

"Perhaps we have something we can trade for safe passage," Teyla called out.

"Anything you have is tainted since it came from the Ancestors," the man replied. "Now go before I'm forced to shoot you!"

Grabbing Teyla's arm Lorne moved back around the corner, stopping once they were clear of sight from their new foes. "I don't think we're gonna reason with them," he said grimly. "Which means fighting our way through. We need some kind of indicator on how good those weapons of theirs are."

"If you are suggesting walking back out there to confront them in order to find out," Teyla began.

"No," Evan returned, thinking. "I wonder who they are, and how long they've been making use of these tunnels."

"I have not heard of anyone other than Amalita's people living on this planet," Teyla offered.

"Which means they've probably been down here a long time," he concluded, an idea forming. Turning he approached the corner again, Teyla at his shoulder. "Listen ... whoever you are," he called out, "we don't want any trouble here ... don't you think it'd be in your best interests to let us pass? I'm guessing the last thing you want is for us to tell the locals you're here. Plus if you don't let us pass then our friends are gonna come looking for us ... that means lots and lots of people down here messing with your space.

The bullet ricocheting off the wall across from him was his only answer.

"We have weapons too," Evan yelled, angry now. Shouldering his P-90, he sighted a few metres up the corridor and fired a short burst that lit up the corridor and echoed harshly in everyone's ears. Waiting for the dust to settle he spoke again. "Believe me, you don't want to mess with us!"

Another bullet slammed into the wall near his head, tiny chips of rock hitting his face painfully.

"Fine!" Evan knelt low to the ground, readying his weapon again.

"What do you intend?" Teyla asked.

"I'm just gonna put a warning shot a little closer to home," Evan reassured her. "Make sure they know our capabilities." He had no wish to kill anyone, particularly people who were only trying to defend their homes. "This just caps off a shitty day," he muttered, his words echoing into the corridor. "I've been shot by an Ancient laser, squashed through a wall of rock and almost eaten alive by rodents. We got through all of that; we can get through this too."

"Wait!" the voice of their foe called out suddenly. "You defeated the Scarba?"

"The what?" Lorne called back.

"The Scarba ... large creatures who leap through the darkness and attack any who enter their tunnels," the man replied.

"Right," Lorne frowned, hoping like hell the Scarba didn't turn out to be the sacred animal of these tunnel dwellers. "Then yeah, we did defeat them."

"All of them?" the tone shifted into disbelief.

"All of the ones that came at us. Buried them under a mountain of rock," Lorne clarified, "which is why we're stuck needing to get past you!"

There was a moments silence ... Evan was sure their assailant and his friends were busily whispering about what to do with the interlopers. The longer the silence went on the edgier Lorne became.

"We have put up our weapons," the man's tone was now much friendlier but Evan wasn't convinced it wasn't a trap. "Please," the man added when neither Teyla nor Lorne appeared. "My name is Loc. On behalf of my people I thank you for removing the Scarba. They have been a source of much aggravation over the years but we never possessed the means to completely destroy them, only control their numbers somewhat."

"He sounds sincere," Teyla whispered.

Lorne agreed but he still wasn't willing to take any chances. "Stay back until I say it's okay," he told her in a low tone. Moving forward he walked around the corner and then stopped, waiting for Loc to approach him. When the other man did, he was without his weapon and had a welcoming smile on his face. He was about the same height as Lorne but slender and pale and more scholarly looking that Evan would have guessed while Loc had been shooting at them.

"Welcome," Loc said, holding out a hand in greeting. The familiar gesture surprised Lorne enough that he was putting a hand into the resulting handshake before he thought about it. His right hand ... the one attached to his right arm which was still burning and throbbing in time to the beat of his heart. He couldn't help but wince as Loc shook hands, drawing the man's attention to his condition that was also advertised by his blood stained shirt and arm.

"You are injured," Loc said simply.

"It's nothing," Lorne shrugged. "One of the Scarba decided I'd make a nice dinner ... I disagreed."

Laughing Loc motioned for one of his own people to come forward. "Gret is well versed at healing Scarba bites," he said. "She will assist you."

"That's okay," Lorne countered. "Teyla," he called back for her to join him. "This is Teyla Emmagen and I'm Evan Lorne. What I'd really appreciate is if you could point us to the way back to the surface."

"I am sorry Evan Lorne," Loc replied and by his expression he really looked sorry too. "There is no way to leave these tunnels."

"This is gonna be tricky," Rodney muttered, still working the controls of his scanner.

"What is?" Ronon asked impatiently.

"Breaking through this wall without killing all of us," Rodney snapped back. "You'll need to hit each point I indicate precisely, with just the right amount of force."

"I can do that," Ronon said confidently.

"Of course you can," Rodney shot back, turning to John. "I've done all I can - we either act or find another way to get to Teyla and Lorne."

"Do it," Sheppard told Ronon without hesitation.

Nodding, the Satedan stepped into position, listening carefully to Rodney's instructions.

"Okay, first point," Rodney consulted his screen and then marked a cross on a rock with a smaller one he picked up from the ground. "Here - short blast, lowest setting." He knew the power of Ronon's weapon and had factored that in to his force calculations, deriving the needed durations for each point.

Saying nothing Ronon fired competently, waiting while Rodney checked his readings.

"Good," Rodney moved to another spot and marked another rock. "This one - full blast, medium setting."

Ronon acted again, again getting a nod of approval from Rodney. They went on in the same manner for some time to the point where Sheppard lost all interest in the process and moved well beyond impatience into that state of barely controlled energy.

"This is taking too long," Cadman whispered, coming to stand beside John. They both knew the stats ... the longer a person remained buried in a tunnel collapse without rescue the less chance there was they'd survive. Not that they had any evidence that Lorne and Teyla were buried but they had to operate under a worst case scenario.

"We'll get to them," John tried to express enough confidence for both of them.

"That can't be right!" Lorne protested Loc's words. "How do you get food and water if you can't leave the tunnels?"

"Come to our settlement, we will show you," Loc replied, motioning for Lorne and Teyla to follow him.

It wasn't like they had any other options. Nodding, Lorne walked beside the tunnel dwellers until they joined the rest of Loc's group - six others, all dressed as he was and holding the same weapons. "With the Scarba loose we could not afford to go out unarmed," Loc explained.

"Any idea where they came from?" Lorne asked as Loc continued to lead them through the tunnels.

"No, just that they have been here as long as we have," Loc replied.

"How did your people end up here?" Teyla moved closer to ask.

"Legends tell of a great flight from creatures who would suck the very life from us," Loc explained. "We came down here to hide ... in retaliation the creatures destroyed our means of entry."

"The Wraith," Teyla said, getting a nod from Evan and a puzzled look from Loc. "A foe much active on many worlds," Teyla explained. "Your people did well to avoid their culling."

Lorne was going to ask another question but they turned a corner and he was struck speechless by the site before him. An unbelievably large, almost round room - well, a canyon really, well lit with natural light from a long way above. The walls were almost mirror smooth, the effect beautiful as they reflected the colours of the plants that grew in the centre and the water that rippled nearby. As he looked closer he decided it wasn't a natural formation - something had made the opening but Lorne was pretty sure it hadn't been Loc's people - they'd simply taken advantage of it being there.

"This is ... amazing," Lorne turned in a slow circle to take it all in. There were no signs of accommodation, the entire space taken up with food and water for the people living there. "Where do you live ... sleep?" he asked curiously.

"There are many caves not that far from here," Loc explained. "We sleep there, patrol the tunnels to ward off the Scarba population, and then gather and eat here."

They spent the next few minutes walking around the large space ... at first Lorne was openly appreciative but when they were only part way around the canyon he began struggling to keep his focus. His arm hurt like hell and everything was starting to get a liitle hazy around the edges. Swallowing hard he blinked and tried to pay attention to what the others were saying.

"Your home is very beautiful," Teyla complimented softly.

"Thank you," Loc smiled. "You are both welcome to come and live among us."

"Thanks for the offer but we have people waiting for us back home," Evan returned, frowning. "The Scarba must have had some way to get to the surface," he tried to reason it out. "Did you never find any other canyons leading above ground?"

"There are others," Loc admitted. "Even more inaccessible that this one. Only the Scarba with their deadly claws were able to get up there ... they can dig into the very rock itself to climb to the surface."

"Right," Lorne nodded, taking a moment t get his bearings. "Can you show us one of them ... we have equipment that might help us use their canyons too."

"We might also be able to use our radios," Teyla put a hand on Lorne's arm, speaking in a low tone just to him. When she felt how hot his arm was she recoiled, moving to stand in front of him and putting her hand on his forehead. "You are burning with fever!" she exclaimed.

"I'll be fine," Evan tried to shift away but she held him still, taking his arm and examining it closely.

"You will not be fine!" Teyla shot back. "This is in all likelihood infected."

"It is the Scarba," Loc explained apologetically. "Their bites are toxic ... without treatment the survival rate is very low. Gret!" He gestured for the same young woman from the tunnel to come forward again. "Go with Gret ... please Evan Lorne."

"Just Evan," Lorne said. He felt fine enough ... well, maybe a little spaced out and hot ... yeah, pretty damn hot actually, and if he could remove the section of his arm that had him flinching every time he moved that would be just fine.

"Gret will look after you Evan," Loc repeated. "You can trust her."

How could Lorne explain that it wasn't a matter of trust? He'd promised himself that Teyla would be home in time for the Christmas Eve party ... that was still a possibility even though it would have started by now. Plus he could imagine the torment Colonel Sheppard was going through searching for but not finding his girlfriend. He knew how he'd feel if it were Laura who was missing for so long. "Don't go there buddy," he told himself.

"Please do as Loc says. You will be safe with me," Gret said in a sweet voice.

"Sorry, did I say that aloud?" Evan frowned in confusion. It was as though the mere act of mentioning his injuries had suddenly magnified all of them tenfold.

"Evan," Teyla took his good arm and led him forward gently. "Let us check your wounds."

"Okay," Evan smiled dizzily at Teyla. "But you gotta stay with me okay? John would have my hide if I let anything happen to you."

"I am safe Evan," Teyla was all understanding as she dealt with his suddenly confused state. Nodding to Gret she followed the other woman, guiding Evan to walk beside her. Gret had a neat clean space clearly meant for such work. Together the two women settled Lorne on a palate, Teyla moving to sit beside him so that he could see her. It only took a few seconds for him to close his eyes and lapse into unconsciousness, Teyla quickly checking his pulse and finding it still strong and true.

Gret was very competent as she removed Evan's tac vest, ruined shirt and the bandages Teyla had previously applied. "This wound was not made by the Scarba," she commented, bending to look closer at the neatly stitched laser shot.

"No," Teyla agreed. "We came across weapons left by the Ancestors. Evan was hit before we managed to disable them."

"You got past the punishers?" Gret asked, very surprised.

"Evan was able to detect them before we were in range," Teyla explained, giving only enough to tell the barest minimum.

"We must tell Loc of this," Gret exclaimed excitedly. "There are parts of the tunnel system we are unable to explore. Beams of light shoot out that burn like fire and cut through everything."

"I am sure that Evan will help you with this problem, once he is well enough," Teyla promised, turning her attention back to her injured team mate.

"This salve will draw out the toxins of the Scarba," Gret explained, taking up a stone bowl with a bright blue paste inside. She pressed it into all three bite marks with enough force to have Evan flinching and shifting uncomfortably even in his unconsciousness. "It must go deep," Gret said regretfully. Once she seemed satisfied with her work she sat back. "The salve needs to be left to work in the open air," Gret said, meeting Teyla's eyes with a reassuring smile. "It is fast acting - within an hour or so he should awaken. Then we will bandage the wounds so that they might heal properly."

"Thank you Gret," Teyla said gratefully. Smoothing Evan's hair away from his forehead she frowned. He was still so hot and pale ... without the usual controlled energy she associated with John's 2IC.

"He is your mate?" Gret asked curiously.

"No," Teyla smiled. "He is the friend of my mate ... and my friend as well."

"I am sorry," Gret said sadly.

"We will see each other again," Teyla said with certainty. "John - my mate - would never stop searching for me. And Evan has reasons for returning home beyond his need to protect me."

"Then I hope that the impossible will prove possible for you," Gret bowed her head low. "We already own you much - removing the threat of the Scarba as well as some of the punishers is more than we could ever have dreamed of."

"How many of your people live here Gret?" Teyla rose to her feet, moving a few steps away from Lorne's sleeping figure to look out at the surrounding openings in the walls - all homes for other tunnel dwellers?

"Three hundred," Gret offered uncertainly. "Once we were more but over time our numbers have dwindled ... too many were attacked by the Scarba before we perfected the salve. They all died painful deaths, riddled with fever and disease."

"They were a formidable foe," Teyla said, the understanding and compliment to their ability to cope in such harsh conditions evident.

"And yet you defeat them," Gret said in wonder. "From where do you and your friend originate?"

"Atlantis," Teyla said simply, knowing she could trust the woman with the knowledge. Who would she tell down here in the tunnels?

"The city of the Ancestors?" Gret was fearful now.

"Be at peace Gret," Teyla put a hand on the girl's arm. "Evan's people found the city abandoned and were able to make use of its wonders, but they are not the Ancestors. They have helped more people that you could ever imagine."

"But the punishers?" Gret persisted.

"In all likelihood left in defence against the Scarba many, many years ago," Teyla suggested. "They could not have anticipated a time when people would live down here too."

Evan's groan and the way he began to writhe had Teyla returning to his side. She put a hand on his chest and found his heart was beating very fast, and looked up to Gret in concern.

"His reaction is normal," Gret moved to check her patient and seemed satisfied with the results. "It will not be long before he wakes ... much faster than I have seen before."

"He's from somewhere so far away I have no words to describe it," Teyla said softly, smiling fondly down at the Major. "And he is very stubborn."

"A trait that will serve him well here," Gret offered.

Teyla chose not to comment, knowing Evan would not be content with anything other than finding a way out of the tunnels. Perhaps the tunnels the people had not explored would prove fruitful. Settling at Lorne's side she waited for him to awake.

"This next one should do it," Rodney was leaning half his body into the rubble now to mark his targets. It was like the weirdest version of pickup sticks or Jenga that John had ever seen.

Nodding, Ronon fired his weapon where indicated. The dust settled and they all moved as one to look at the result. The other side of the tunnel ... just one commando crawl away.

"About time," John slapped a hand to Rodney's shoulder, doing the same to Ronon as he moved past the bigger man. Hoisting himself up he started crawling, making quick work of getting to the other side. Another scene of dismay greeted him, enough that he was still standing in the same spot when Ronon came through after him.

"What?" Ronon asked, looking around. "Oh," he squatted beside one of several squashed ... things covered in maybe two or three layers of rocks from the ceiling above. Not enough to block their way but they'd have to be careful climbing over them.

"What the hell are those?" Rodney had fallen through the hole and quickly got up, dusting off his pants, his expression distasteful.

"No idea," John admitted. "They look mean though ... explains why Lorne and Teyla collapsed this tunnel on them."

"You think they did it deliberately?" Cadman asked hopefully.

"Looks like it," John returned. Climbing over the rocks he was more than a little dismayed at the numbers of dead creatures he saw lying bloodied on the ground. There were literally hundreds - he had no idea how Lorne and Teyla had managed to fight them off for long enough to set off the collapse.

"So where are they then?!" Laura asked, frustrated.

"They'd want to get well clear of this area," John pointed out. "Just in case more of those things were lurking around."

"Of course," Cadman looked contrite and just a tinge embarrassed she hadn't realised that for herself. If anyone were still in doubt as to why she'd come on the rescue mission her behaviour would spell it out for them.

"Come on," Sheppard moved forward again, skirting the bodies until they began to thin out. Ronon had gone on ahead - wordlessly he pointed something out to John. More blood, plus a discarded bandage someone had missed in the clean up.

"Damn," he muttered, frowning in concern. "Okay, let's pick up the pace," he said decisively, leaving the evidence of more injuries behind quickly.

The straight tunnel stopped abruptly at a corner. Turning, John was greeted with the unexpected.

"Stop! Go back the way you came or else we'll shoot you!"

Authors Note:

One long chapter left to go - which I'll post tomorrow. Hope you're all enjoying the lead up to Christmas!