Author's Note:

Okay, I'm really really sorry about the long wait on this. Talk about being blocked! But I'm back on it, now I promise. Thank you for your patience.

OOOOOOOO

"Seriously, how are we going to get them out of there?"

"Relax, Rodney," River told him, glancing over his shoulder. "We'll get them. We just need to find the door."

"And if there isn't one?"

Ronon scowled. He didn't like the way Sheppard and Brooks had vanished without any kind of fight.

"Then we make one."

"It's not that simple," McKay said, with only a little more patience than normal. "A beam came in and kidnapped them from a cloaked Ancient vessel… Whatever did that can almost certainly keep that same vessel from blowing a hole in the mountain that probably houses it."

"If we decide we need help we can go get some," River said, reasonably. He wasn't worried yet, because even though McKay was right about the technology needed to do what had been done, whoever it was had been foolish enough to kidnap Ian. Who was bright enough to think his way out of a lot of trouble – and was with Sheppard, who River admired and liked. Between those two, Hayden was relatively sure they'd be able to keep themselves safe until help came.

"And if we can't make a door?" McKay asked, not as certain as River – and far more pessimistic by nature than the Californian.

"Cassandra can."

They all knew that he wasn't talking about Ian's wife.

McKay leaned back a little in his chair.

"Good point."

Provided they were still alive.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Ian scowled up at the glowing ball that was hovering above them while Sheppard glanced over at Eriek.

"What do you mean?" John asked. "What is it? A weapon?"

The man shook his head.

"No. It's more amazing than any weapon you could imagine…"

"An energy source?" Ian asked, looking over at Eriek as well, now. An Ancient energy source he'd never heard of? That would be something worth finding.

"Perhaps."

Ian had never really been one for guessing games, no matter who it was that was trying to play it – aside from his boys, of course, but that didn't count. And he definitely didn't like evasive answers. If the old coot wanted to keep his energy source to himself, fine. Ian and the others didn't need it. Not really. And he wanted to get home.

"Right. Well, if you know where the door is, point it out to us and we'll leave you to whatever it is you're working on…"

Eriek looked surprised at the disinterest; Sheppard looked over at Ian as well, but didn't say anything.

"There is no door. The device brought you here to assist me."

"Then it can pop us back out. I'm ready to go."

John nodded.

"Looks like you have everything in hand here…" he agreed. "I can't think of anything we could tell you about it. We've never seen it before."

"The device brought you because you carry the blood of the Ancients."

It wasn't really a question, although there was definitely a challenge in his expression that made both men scowl. They hadn't missed the fact that there was blood smeared on the older man's hand in the same place that John's hand had been pierced by the device.

"Does it need the blood of the Ancients?" Sheppard asked.

"I do."

"You don't have it?" Ian asked – and now the challenge was his own.

"I do, but it's not that common. My people have been searching for many years for this place – and someone with the blood to help us learn to use it."

"You're not from here?"

"I am not. My kind are scholars – advanced, but not-"

"What about the people who lived here?" Sheppard asked.

"They are of no concern," Eriek said, dismissively. "They were not even aware of this place."

Ian scowled but Eriek probably didn't notice it. His attention was on Sheppard.

"They did not possess the blood of Ancients and could not use this device at any rate."

"Why not?" Ian asked. "What does it do?

"He doesn't know what it does," Sheppard decided. He was better than Ian when it came to reading people, after all.

Ian looked over at him and then at Eriek, who scowled.

"We know what it does," he replied. "Sort of."

"What does it do?"

"I can't tell you."

There was a long moment and then Ian made an annoyed noise.

"Right. Like I said… where's the door? We're out of here."

"I can't tell you because you'll abuse it. We can't risk-"

"We didn't even ask to come here, remember?" Sheppard pointed out.

"Our greatest scholars have studied the few writings and records we have found that mention this device," Eriek told them after a moment's hesitation. "They believe that this device will move a person with the blood of the Ancients to a place where they will have untold power."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow at that.

"Really?"

"We are not certain."

"Has it done it?" Ian asked. "Where are the rest of your people?"

"Untold power does not come without sacrifice," Eriek replied, evasively enough that Ian wished he could see the man's face more clearly in the dim light given off by the glowing ball floating above them. "The records mention that as well."

"What kind of sacrifice?" John asked.

"Human sacrifice."