A/N: Sorry for the delay in this story. Thanks to Betherdy Babe for the beta.

Victoria took several photos and scanned the city using a 3-D imager before they began to descend the hill. Gunny explained that there was some type of interference with the radios. McKay, Zelenka, Sheppard and Teyla went to investigate a possible source. The rest of the Marines with Major Lorne and the other archaeologists were surveying the pyramid to determine the best place to climb it.

"Do we have climbing gear?" Victoria asked when they neared the others.

"We always bring some if there are tall structures on the site," Gunny replied.

"I have climbed before," Victoria stated.

"Are you volunteering?"

"Yes. I'd like to. It's my theory that the pyramid houses jumpers and opens on the roof, so I should have a chance to prove it," she said with more bravado than she normally displayed. There was something about the attention this man paid to her that gave her confidence.

"I'll see what Carter thinks. He's the climbing expert," Richards said as he glanced over to the blond Marine pulling ropes and harnesses out of a pack. His grey eyes returned to survey Victoria in a fashion she was unaccustomed to.

"Carter?" she muttered, trying not to turn bright red under the intense gaze.

"Climbed K2 without oxygen."

Victoria's eyes widened as she remembered all the movies she'd ever seen about climbing in the Himalayas and changed her view of the goofball Marine.

"Sometimes he lives up to his own hype," Richards offered, his voice so low only she could hear.

"Enjoy your walk with the boys?" Dusty asked with a smirk. Victoria's new friend stopped by her side as they watched Carter, Ronon and Warrington prepare grapples and ropes to climb up the structure. Lorne took Sergeant Raven and headed off to update Sheppard on the situation, leaving Richards and Dusty to keep an eye on everyone.

"Can I ask you something? I don't really listen to gossip but some things are hard not to miss," Victoria said softly.

"I've been gone from Atlantis for a while, but I'll try to help." Dusty scanned the area before turning her attention to Victoria.

"I've heard that Ronon's a stoic warrior who never says anything to anyone but his team. Today he's engaged in more small talk with me than anyone else has since I got here," she confessed, glancing at the Satedan while he shot a grappling hook over the wall.

"He can be talkative… with certain people." Dusty frowned as Victoria kept talking and staring.

"I can't imagine that I'm the type of girl he normally talks to," she said. "Not that I've given it much thought. My friends are always drooling over him, and Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne and… basically any man not attached to somebody."

A barely audible sound – like one of annoyance - came from the Marine's chest before she spoke. "You are exactly the type of girl Ronon likes. Too bad for him you're off-limits."

"Off-limits? What does that mean? Not that I'm interested in pursuing anything with him," she stated rather loudly.

"You and the Satedan?" Toledo's laughter caused Victoria and Dusty to turn.

"Eavesdropping is an ugly habit, Doctor," Dusty said, shooting daggers at the archaeologist.

"So is not paying attention," Doctor Upton said snidely as he walked past them with Toledo in tow. "Come on, Parker. Let's go for a little climb."

Victoria looked at her nasty associate. She wanted to say something to him, but he was obviously going to let her go up top with him, and he could ruin her career on Atlantis if he wanted to, so she held back her comments. Once again she glanced at a furious Dusty, offered a weak smile and followed Ryan Upton to the pyramid.

"I've climbed for many years," he announced as he approached the men.

"Really?" Carter responded. "What?" A glare from Master Gunny made Carter rephrase his question, "What have you climbed, Doctor?"

"I've been climbing in the Rockies and even attempted Mount Denali in Alaska," he said, jutting his chin out.

Carter smiled, "Oh, well, I guess you are the expert."

"Of course I am. Since you're already in your harness, I guess you can provide some security. Doctor Parker and I will accompany you," Upton said as he grabbed two harnesses and tossed one at Victoria.

Since she wasn't expecting it, the harness hit her and fell on the ground. Doctor Toledo couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you sure you want to take her? She might fall off."

"That's enough," Dusty's voice thundered through the area. "I don't give a damn what…"

"Sergeant Mehra!" Richards' voice stopped her as she stormed toward the archaeologist who stepped behind Victoria. "Why don't you assist Doctor Parker with her harness?"

Dusty's nostrils flared and the murderous gaze she sent at Toledo caused the man to swallow and quickly make his way toward his pal. Upton, who was obviously trying to think of something snide to say that wouldn't get him decked by the female Marine, ended up turning away and keeping his mouth shut.

"I'm not scared of heights, so his comments don't mean anything," Victoria told her friend. "You need to stop threatening them or you're going to get in trouble."

Glancing around as if she were going to reveal a state secret, the Marine confessed, "I screwed up on my last mission in Pegasus because I got bored."

Victoria's eyes widened as Dusty glanced at her fellow Marines. The archaeologist wasn't sure where this conversation was going. Dusty was letting her in on something she'd never shared with anyone, so Victoria kept quiet as she adjusted the harness and slipped into it.

"I'm an action junky. I've gotta be in the thick of a fight to feel alive," Dusty continued in a low voice after a minute. Her brown eyes looking anywhere but into Victoria's blue ones.

Victoria wasn't sure why Dusty mentioned this, but she expected it had to do with Richards' angry shout. "What happened?"

"I woke a sleeping dragon, so to speak, and then left two civilians on their own, almost getting them killed," she said in a monotone with her eyes closed for a second. "My teammate was so distraught she returned to Earth and still hasn't come back."

"That's why you were gone?" Victoria's voice softened and her eyes never left their assessment of Dusty. It appeared that her companion had learned her lesson if her face and profile were any indication.

"Yeah, got sent back for a while. Lorne and Richards didn't want me, but Sheppard thought I deserved another shot." Dusty tugged on Victoria's harness to tighten it around her hips and legs.

Victoria tried to reconcile the seemingly unfair behavior of Lorne and Richards with the care and concern they showed her. "I don't know anything about military discipline, but I'm sure you'll get back into their good graces." She offered her friend a sincere smile. "If I can help in any way, you can count on me."

Dusty flashed a huge grin back at the archaeologist. "With your brains and my brawn we'd be an unstoppable pair."

The women suddenly laughed like two high-schoolers, earning them stares from the men.

"Warry, Dusty and Ronon will be the belayers for us," Carter started his explanation.

"What?" Ronon asked.

"You'll hold the rope while Doctors Upton, Parker and myself climb. You can hold mine. Not sure anyone else is strong enough, except Gunny, but the last time he held a rope I was at the other end of my head came within inches of the ground before I stopped."

"A foot," Richards corrected from his position several yards away surveying the area.

"You'll feed the rope through the belay device and hold on. Nothing to it. If I fall you'll need to hold tight and possibly lower me to the ground if I can't recover," Carter explained primarily to Ronon.

The Satedan glanced at the device and Carter. "I'll just hold the rope. I won't drop you." Their eyes locked for a few second with brows rising.

"Warry, why don't you take my rope?"

After ten minutes of climbing, Carter helped Victoria over the lip at the top of the pyramid as Upton started surveying a large vine-covered rock.

The entire surface was covered with sand and small plants grew in various places. Vines had overrun the edge of the structure, which stretched for several hundred feet on either side of Victoria. She pulled out her camera and began to snap photographs before Carter and Upton walked all over the area.

"Carter? Everyone okay up there?" Master Gunny's voice came over their earwigs.

"Hey, looks like McKay came through again. I can hear you loud and clear," Carter said. "We're fine."

"Where are you?" McKay's voice came over the radio and Victoria couldn't help but jump. Her department head didn't sound happy at all.

"Doctors Upton and Parker along with Sergeant Carter have reached the top of the central pyramid, sir," Richards replied.

Victoria had a bad feeling that they were all going to get one of Doctor McKay's famous rants. Better make the best of this short time up here. She looked once more at Upton as he was cutting back vines and muttering quietly to himself. Carter had gone to look at what he was doing only to be told, Take a hike, grunt. His tone and body language told her to not even bother telling him he should be more careful.

She turned back to look toward the gate and could see it very far in the distance. It was a straight line from where she stood. The jumpers would fly straight here and lower inside. But why? What's in here?

"Hey, Doc, this is starting to hum," Carter said. "You better stop what you're doing."

"Don't even think you can comprehend what I'm doing," Upton snarled.

"What's humming?" McKay's voice came over the radio again.

Victoria turned as saw a blue glow coming from under vines in the back of what was obviously an Ancient device. "Doctor Upton, stop! You have the Ancient gene…" Her words stopped as rumbling and shaking coursed through the pyramid.

"Carter, report," Master Gunny called.

Because she wasn't thinking about anything except that Upton just activated something, she backed away from him and the edge of the pyramid.

"Look out!" Carter screamed when he turned toward her.

"Whaaaaaaaa..." Victoria's question was lost as the surface beneath her feet disappeared.

"What's going on!" several voices shouted.

"Victoria!" Carter screamed as the archaeologist plunged into the darkness that opened up beneath her.

TBC

A/N: Haven't left an evil cliffhanger in a long time. Enjoy.