Warning: Language
Chapter 9
Keep Them Xerigorians Movin', Rawhide!
Rodney looked down on the city and watched everyone pile out of it like leaf-cutter ants in a rainforest documentary. People were carrying everything they could. Carts were loaded down. Horse-like animals were trudging along the streets under enormous amounts of weight. In the middle, one robed individual scurried from one person to the next begging them to stop. From the external speakers, the klaxon was deafening. Rodney was amazed anyone was even left in the squalid town.
They could follow the line of refugees from Melis End to Xerigor like it was ants filed in line. Then the inappropriate laughter wanted to rear its ugly head, because didn't everyone look like ants from this height?
He looked over at the pilot's seat as Sheppard grimaced and brought his arm up to his chest. He rubbed at the spot where the bullet had entered and exhaled slowly. "Looks like Gahale is having trouble keeping residents. Looks like even part of his goon squad is beating a hasty retreat," he observed as he shifted, again, and exhaled in pain, again.
Rodney had thought that Carson was going to explode like Vesuvius when Sheppard said he was piloting the Jumper to the city for a little recon. Lorne had dropped them off and gone to update Dr. Weir. It had already been a few hours since Carson and he had arrived. Carson had taken his sweet time checking each and every member of the team. Rodney's bullet burn now had a shiny new bandage and his bloodstream had some great antibiotics.
Now that they were at the controls, the sensors told of the planet wide alarm system sounding. "I guess part of what powered up when we entered the medical center also powered up sensors. Hello, Wraith calling. They must have tripped proximity sensors on the approach to the planet. At least, according to what the Jumper is telling us." Xerigor was not the only place where warning klaxons were blaring. It was everywhere. Anasta started sending messengers to the other towns to get the news of the Wraith circulated. "It must be in primary systems that booted up when we stepped into the shrine." Rodney finished postulating.
Gahale was having no luck keeping everyday folk from leaving. As they hovered and took readings, not all of the people left but enough did.
"You know we could shut off the alarm," Rodney casually suggested.
"Why would we do that?" Sheppard casually answered. "Why would we want to make that asshole's life any easier? Anyway, it will keep people out making it easier to complete our objective."
"I think you're right. If we wait for just a couple of more hours, it will just be him and a couple of others there and then we can waltz in, turn off the alarm, turn on whatever defenses they have, and be home in time for dinner."
"You know it's not going to be that easy, right Rodney?"
"Why not? Aren't we due? I think we're due!"
"I believe someone should be knocking on a tree or something right about now?" Ronon added in a low, snide mumble.
"I believe you're right there big guy. Rodney, you had better knock on wood."
Rodney huffed. "We're due. I'm telling you, we're due!" He went back to looking at the readouts on the HUD. They showed the structure above and below ground. The detail was a rough outline with no specifics but he recognized certain elements from working at Area 51 and even visiting the Prometheus site once. Rodney switched from level to level and then gave a low exclamation as he stopped on a large empty area.
"Holy shit. I know what this place is."
"Well?" Sheppard said after waiting for McKay to expound on his knowledge.
"You remember on Taranis that they could fit an entire warship in an underground hangar?"
"Yeah, kind of walked, meaning ran, through it."
"Well, you're looking at a facility that can house up to three. You're looking at dry docks. You're looking at shipyards. Xerigor is the place where they built their ships."
"Holy shit." And really that was all that needed to be said. "So…no ZPM production."
Well, except maybe that.
"My thoughts exactly," is how he replied trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Rodney continued to display the different views from level to level while letting his wonder grow at this particular find. "Here, there seems to be underground bunkers for workers in case of attack…ugh, this is frustrating. The connection is so limited since the city is not at full power and only seems to be operating on auxiliary."
"Newton said as much…"
"What? What do you mean: Newton said as much?"
"Where do you think we can enter?" Sheppard continued ignoring the question. He looked like he really did not want to get into this right now.
But, Rodney being Rodney would no let go. Ronon leaned closer to the pilot as did Teyla from their respective rear seats. "What happened when you were unconscious? Now that I think about it, how did you know I put nanites in your body?"
"I…it's…well…had a message from the A.I. in the city's computer."
"I'm sorry, what? You're just mentioning this now? Carson said all of the nanites were inactive, right? You aren't going to keel over and go catatonic with messages from the great and powerful Oz, right?" This took the cake. Sheppard had received a signal from that little case holding the Nestle Crunch Bar and now had a conversation with a computer without so much as saying a word. "You realize, you're and idiot, don't you?"
"Thanks McKay. Yes, the nanites are gone. I guess their job was finished. I just hadn't had a chance to say anything and it just didn't come up in conversation. I gave all the pertinent information. I would have mentioned it later."
"In a pig's eye." Rodney slouched back into his seat.
"You said something about a birdie before, not an A.I.," Ronon said.
"Another figure of speech…but I'm sure if there is anything else that needs to be said that the Colonel will say something, right?"
"Of course, McKay."
"Good, now back to the huge facility. According to the information shared with the Jumper, there is a chair room in the above ground complex, in the basement."
"So, not above ground," Sheppard said with his usually flippancy.
"No, but it's in the complex attached to the city and not in the ginormous underground shipyards. All it's getting is schematics and according to this, there is only one way in. The shrine and other places like it are all one way transporters. Exit points with no reentrance. And I guess now we can see why they have a time dilation here."
"Did you just say, 'ginormous'?"
"Yes, yes I did. And a bunch of other stuff, weren't you listening?"
"Why do you think the time dilation is here?" Teyla asked from her seat interrupting them so the tangent would go no further. She also sounded impatient which took a lot to accomplish and this trip had certainly accomplished it.
Of course, Carson had not been any happier about her going than Sheppard. She just would not leave her team's side until they were finished, impatient or not. She looked better than Sheppard anyway. So the reasoning was: if Sheppard could go, then she could go. Rodney was just glad the team was all together.
"Well, if you need to manufacture warships, and have so little time to do it, then speed up the time. They did it just enough so that the people stationed here would not lose too much time in the outside universe. No, gone four and five hours and six months have passed. More like gone a day and a couple of days had passed here."
"Makes sense and what a way to build an armada. Stands to reason they have some sort of defense system…" Sheppard postulated as he angled the Jumper to look at a different part of Xerigor.
"I figure there's a shield of some sort and maybe a weapon because, when they evacuated, there may have been a battle from the state of Melis End. They may have been shooting over their shoulders and running for the ships as they left." Rodney kept switching screens manually, much to Sheppard's apparent annoyance. It was like watching T.V. with his sister. He could hear that shrill, "I was watching that!" He shook off the unwanted voice in his head. Another question brought his attention back around.
"But why leave it standing?" Sheppard asked the craft in general.
"How should I know? Maybe, they made it look dead. Maybe, the Wraith did not know exactly what was done here and just thought it was another scientific outpost. Maybe, the Wraith are lazy." They may have thought him the Answer Man, but, sometimes, (and only sometimes) he did not have a clue as to what motivated these highly enlightened beings.
"Do we have everything? 'Cause I'm feeling the strain," Sheppard said with yet another grimace. It had only been a day Xerigor time but it might as well as been forever. Sheppard was a stubborn ass and would not stop until his job was done. And unfortunately, he might be the only one to do that job. Rodney was making a guess at what role the Protectoress played at this facility. She was the shop manager. She ran the whole shebang from the control chair. But, that was just a guess.
The cloaked Jumper hovered over the city and witnessed the last few stragglers fleeing the city. A group of about twenty stood in the middle threw up their arms and walked back towards the city hall. Rodney thought they had the right idea. "Let's head back, look over these readings and get a nice cold beverage and some food."
"Sounds like a plan," Teyla answered.
"You've been hangin' with us too long, Teyla," John said with a smile in his voice as he headed the Jumper back to Melis End.
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The first thing that happened to Sheppard when he disembarked the Puddle Jumper was for Carson to grab his arm and walk him straight to one of the guest rooms in the complex.
"Doc, listen, I'm…"
"…fine. Yes, I know Col. Sheppard. And I'm the Queen Mother."
"His chest is bothering him," Ronon added to further make Sheppard's life miserable.
Carson tutted and waited long enough for one more to exit the small craft. "Teyla, you too," Carson ordered before her boot hit the grass of the courtyard.
Sheppard watched her eyes roll as he harbored a little justified glee in his heart. He would not be alone in the dog house.
Ronon started to follow Rodney to another door until Carson yelled, "I expect you to come by for a check up once Rodney is settled!"
More glee filled his heart as Ronon grunted a disgruntled answer before hurrying (with his noticeable limp) to catch up with Rodney.
"When we're done, I need to talk with Tangred and Anasta," John said just so Carson knew his work was far from over.
"When we're done, Colonel."
"Gah!" John snarled under his breath and dutifully followed Carson into the dim hallway leading to their cells. The Ponderers insisted they stay, so Lorne insisted they have four marines, one for each room. Remarkably, the cells were more comfortable than the floor of the Jumpers. John liked all the insistence because it gave him the warm fuzzies.
Anyway, Lorne's exact words were, "Way to be alive, sir. And, I'm keeping you that way, sir." He had said it in that dry, second in command tone. Sheppard could remember when he was the one babysitting and coddling higher-ups. He did not miss it and discovered he really did not like being on the other end of the coddling either. Protective-- yes. Babysitting-- no.
But damn it, his team and those under him were sure protective of him and he was not sure why. Someone like Dan Newton had earned it. He was a man that Sheppard would lie down in the road for and the other guys in the unit would have to-- they had known Newton longer and had more reason to do it. It was the first toe on the ground and the last one to leave philosophy. Newton had said he had learned it from one of his colonels in the Air Cav. It was one of those things that just stuck with you. A life lesson that clung like Velcro.
John was really confused on how he, Lt. Col. John Sheppard, had gained such loyalty-- especially for such a perceived anti-establishment officer. But there it was. All he ever expected was for his men to follow him because he was the commanding officer and to do no less than what he was prepared to do. It had angered him that volunteering to go into a cave full of Iratus bugs and trying to harvest the eggs was left to others and not to him. Hell, Rodney had even gone…and that totally blew his mind.
Even recently, when Kolya (that bastard) had taken him, he knew they were coming. He just did not expect everyone to be there. Rodney had said it was very hard to watch him get abused like that. But they did watch so he would not be alone even if it was only in spirit. "We couldn't get to you, but we didn't leave you either."
That had meant a lot. He never doubted them trying to find him. He had learned a hard lesson when stuck with Teer in Ascension Land. He learned he did not trust them as much as he should have. He learned where his insecurities lay. He learned what he meant to them and what they meant to him. His faith in his friends did not waver anymore.
And somehow, he had gained this status with some of the men under his command, even if he was a Nancy-boy, Air Force Lt. Colonel. Marines were weird sometimes…okay, all of the time. What could he do?
After Carson futilely told him to rest, he was back to the problem at hand: gaining entrance into a locked and heavily fortified building with him possibly being the only key. It was an everyday kind of problem, at least for them. With the city evacuated, and with the only resistance a handful of thugs, and with them in limping fighting form, they had slim to none chance, and Slim was packing, but just had not left town quite yet. He liked those odds. That was why he had reinforcements.
Rodney had said that the place may only open for one person and obviously the nanites and pseudo-Newton chose him. So, Anasta gathered some ancients of her own to recount their memories of the city. The HUD's scans were immensely helpful and Anasta's own hand drawn renderings gave a complete picture. Of course, Gahale would not have left well enough alone. There had to be changes in the Xerigor that the Ponderers would not know about.
When Lorne returned, Tangred and he started assigning people to settle the refugees in confined areas outside of Melis End. That included guards. Others had left on two Puddle Jumpers to inform the other towns and communities what was happening. He had also pulled all the Atlantians aside to inform them of Teomin's warning. He wanted them to remember that they could not let their guard down around anyone. John knew killing Teomin was going to come back and bite him in the ass. Teomin was the third in command and such an act could not go unanswered. Even if the other zealot's did not exact revenge, Anasta and Tangred would be within their rights. He hoped it could wait until after he heroically destroyed the Wraith and saved the planet. Maybe, they would accept the points system.
Instead of sleeping, he met with Lorne, Anasta, Tangred and Rodney. He'd deal with Carson's disappointment later.
"Even with no one there, Gahale will not give up his power easily," observed Anasta. "He will lie in wait like an Ambush Scorpion. They build a nest in the ground and wait for an unsuspecting meal to walk by. Then it attacks from the cover of its lair."
"We've got a few things like that back home," said Sheppard. "We've a got a few people like that, as a matter of fact. I noticed O'Shea was with you, Major."
"Yes sir, like to keep my ass covered and options open." Lorne rocked on his heels.
"It looks like we land, fan out and gain access right here," Sheppard pointed to a door on the blueprint like parchment. Once the facility sealed itself, this is the only way in. I'm sure Gahale knows this, right Dame?"
"Yes, but, Gahale will want the city back and access to inside sanctuary as a show of his power. He will probably let us proceed until it does not suit his purposes."
"Let's count on his greed and lust for power. And as I said, we've played this kind of game before." Too many times, he thought. Such banal qualities were common factors amongst humanity. His people included.
Anasta gripped the table in the dining hall. He could see her excitement in the prospect of being the one to return her people to power in the city. He would have to count on her lust for power too. Tangred was the key to keeping everything an even keel. He would have Lorne chat her up. Pairing them together would give him insight he was sure would have been lost because of his actions. He had a feeling she would keep her Dame on the objective: saving this world.
"Anasta, get your army together, just in case. They will have the perimeter. Do you have an elite guard?"
"Yes."
"Good, they will come with us into the city. We'll need people who know Gahale's tactics. You will come with us and show us the in and outs of the city. You studied the inside of the basilica for years, am I right?"
She looked momentarily stunned. "Yes, how…?"
"It's just the way you've been looking and speaking of them."
She looked flustered for another moment and then smiled. "I should have expected nothing less than such astute observations from messengers."
Sheppard let it slide. It would actually serve their purposes to have the populace believe the lie during the crisis. They would listen to directions without question. Afterwards, if this little misrepresentation bit them, then they would accept the consequences. There would be quite a few consequences on this mission.
He had not talked directly with Elizabeth, on purpose, and he knew there would be a few words passed between them. Lorne had already relayed a message of good luck and just you wait until I get you in my office. He was going to have that called to the principal's office moment. Poor Lorne was playing errand boy and wingman on this venture.
That's for later, he thought. He would deal with everything, one situation at a time, when those particular times came. "Jumper 5, continue surveillance on the city and outlying areas."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's wait for dark and then we can get this plan underway."
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A/N: Wow, this chapter was easy to write just hard to put into some sort of order. The bots have left us stranded but please feel free to drop a note. They are much appreciated!
Oh, the tooth is fine. The crown is coming. The temporary is driving me insane!