A/N: Head cold has turned to Bronchitis, so off work still…but it does mean yet another chapter for you!
A huge thanks to all of you that have taken the time to review or PM me! It truly makes all this worth while! A lot of the questions you have raised should be addressed in this Chapter.
I'm afraid that the latest twist to the story was down to a brain wave my husband had, so now you all know who to blame :o)
The Legacy of Janus
Chapter 11
The Infirmary had suddenly just got a lot busier. Ronon strained to hear what was going on from where he still lay in his bed. His heart picked up when he heard the name 'Sheppard', and then froze when he heard 'down'…
"Hey!" he called gruffly to one of the medics who was scuttling passed. "What's going on?" He struggled to push himself up with his free hand.
The man just apologised and hurried on by. Ronon growled in frustration. Well if they weren't going to tell him, he would just have to go and find out for himself.
His right arm, though his shoulder had been reset, was still in the sling to give it time to heal. His ribs were supported tightly by the bandages, making bending awkward. But, he was no longer on any IV fluids, so there wasn't an annoying bag thing to pull around…His headache had eased and he no longer felt nauseous. The soreness of the bruising was bearable but he had put up with worse, a lot worse.
He pulled back the sheets and slowly began to ease his stiff limbs out of the bed.
"Ronon!"
He rolled his eyes for a moment, but kept going until he was completely standing up, grunting slightly as he felt the pull and twinge as his ribs complained at the sudden movement.
A small hand grabbed his arm, and he looked at its owner.
"Jennifer."
"Ronon, what are you doing? I never said you could get out of bed!" Her voice was firm and raised, but nothing was going to stop him now.
"Sheppard needs me" he replied.
"Not like that, he doesn't!" she cried, gesturing to his bandages and sling.
He looked at her, but didn't reply. Instead he started to look for his clothes, which appeared to be in the cabinet beside his bed.
"Oh no you don't…" she said as she quickly moved to stand in front of it.
"Jennifer." He gave her a look that usually worked on most people to get them to move quickly out of his way. It didn't work on her, however, and she remained firmly in front of the cabinet, arms folded and glaring hard at him.
"I have to do this" he said.
"There is nothing you can do, Ronon. The lab they were in appears to be completely sealed for the moment, so no one can get in or out. But they have started to search the city for the Perpetrator…I'm sure they'll find him soon…."
"Then they're gonna need my help" Ronon replied simply. She seemed to consider this for a split second, and he made his move. He leant forward, and reached out his left hand to touch her shoulder. "I'm good at what I do, and you know it. Please, let me help."
He stared deeply into her eyes, willing her to relent.
"I'm gonna regret this..." she finally said, shaking her head slowly as she turned to grab his clothes out of the cabinet.
"No, you wont." He replied.
Jennifer helped him slowly get changed, making sure his bandages were still secure and tight, and carefully removed the sling. Ronon flexed his arm, and rotated his shoulder carefully; testing its strength, mobility and range. He grimaced slightly as it was sore, but it was tolerable.
"I'm good" he said, answering her questioning look.
"Ok, but the moment you start to feel any pain or nausea, I want you straight back here. Understood?"
He gave her his best grin. "Sure, doc. whatever you say."
Jennifer rolled her eyes, knowing full well he had no intention of doing that.
"Go on, get outta here. Go find the bad guy!"
"You got it!" he said and headed quickly out the door.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
John's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Oh my God, Teyla, what happened?" he whispered. "Did I…hurt you?" his voice seemed to catch in his throat as he stared at her.
For a second, Teyla couldn't understand why he would think he had hurt her. Then, she realised what she must look like; now all covered with blood.
"No, John. The blood is not mine…it is yours" she spoke calmly, trying to smile to reassure him, but there was little to smile about. He had indeed lost a great deal of blood, and the reason for it, was still unknown.
He visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and leant heavily once again against the table, bowing his head slightly as he did so.
"John?" Teyla took a step forward. "Are you alright?"
He looked up at her. "I'm good."
To anyone else his answer would have perhaps been accepted for what it was. But Teyla knew him so much better.
"John?"
He met her gaze, and she could clearly see the underlying pain and exhaustion in his face, in his eyes. She raised just one eyebrow at him, and he sighed, admitting defeat.
"I've been better…" he murmured quietly, as he touched the end of his nose with the back of his hand. As he drew it back, he saw the blood, and frowned.
He then looked slowly back over to where he had been laying, and his eyes widened again as he took in the large pool of blood on the floor. As if suddenly remembering, or realisation hitting him, John's eyes suddenly began to roll upwards into his head as he started to pass out.
This time, just as he knees began to buckle; they caught him, and helped him to a nearby stool. John, who was still conscious, leant forward with his hands on his knees and started to breathe deeply.
Daniel caught Teyla's eye as they stood over John to make sure he wasn't about to fall. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at her, and she nodded, understanding his meaning. No one knew John better than she did. They had all witnessed both her and John say their goodbyes….
Teyla moved round to kneel before John, looking up at his face. She hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and took hold of his hand. He raised his head slightly, trying to smile, to let her know he was ok. But the smile didn't convince her.
"John? What – just happened?" her voice was gentle.
She held his gaze for a moment, long enough for her to see the pain and discomfort, and then he looked away. She sighed, as she knew he was trying to shut her out, just like he had done so many times before.
But things were different now. They were different.
When the hand of death reaches out to take a life, to tear that person away that you hold so dear, all opportunities are finally lost, and the words are still left unspoken…but in that single moment, he had said them. A moment, frozen in time, where he had finally spoken the words…
No. She would not allow him to struggle on alone. Not anymore.
She moved closer, still holding his hand in one, she reached out to place her other hand on his thigh. "John?" she whispered. It was a bold move for her to make, and he seemed to know it, for he looked straight back at her. His eyes now searched hers. She had his attention. Now she had to get the answers.
For that she would have to try their new, as yet un-discussed, connection to each other. This was not the way she had intended to do this, but she needed for him to know he was not alone. Not anymore.
She took the gamble of glancing briefly at Daniel, who nodded, and signalled to Lorne to step away to give them some privacy. John looked as both of them moved away, apparently to revisit the strange door/wall.
Teyla gave his thigh a slight squeeze, and his focus immediately returned back to her. She smiled rather awkwardly at him. Then, she took a deep breath.
"You knew didn't you, John?" her voice was gentle and warm. "You knew you had to come back here…"
He stared at her for a moment, as if searching for something. She wasn't sure for what at this point; trust, loyalty….something else?
Whatever it was that he was looking for he must have found it. He nodded slowly.
She squeezed his hand to let him know that she recognised his tentative leap of faith.
"Did you…know it would…have such an affect?" she asked carefully. She wasn't just referring to the blood, but also the return of his voice…
"No" he whispered quietly.
"But, still you knew you had to come?" it was more of a statement than a question.
He hesitated for a moment. "Yeah. I knew."
She looked at him carefully. "How did you know?"
John looked at her, as though he was about to let one more barrier down, but his eyes suddenly filled with tears, and he looked away. He was closing down.
"Please, John. I seek only to help you…please, do not shut me out. Not now... I owe you so much…" Her voice was now heavy with emotion, causing him to look quickly back at her.
"You owe me nothing, Teyla, you know that," John said gently.
"I owe you…everything" she replied, her voice trembled now, as her emotions began to build. "You endangered your life for me…you…"
"And I would do it again, Teyla, in a heart beat" He whispered so quietly she almost didn't catch it. His voice carried the same softness, the same tenderness, as the moment when he had whispered those words to her….
Her breathing caught in her throat as she looked deeply into his eyes. Yes, their new found connection was definitely there, just not yet explored.
She squeezed his hand, but it was her turn to look away, as her eyes filled with tears.
John took a breath, and Teyla looked back up as he began to speak slowly.
"I didn't know that coming back here would give me back my voice. I didn't know it would hurt so much – again. All I knew was that I had to come back. I could feel it. Just like before. But something was still out of place, just out of reach."
Teyla smiled at him, grateful that he had finally let her in, although his words made her shiver inwardly. Was this all part of the same test?
"Your symptoms appeared to ease once the interdimensional device was activated…do you think that had something to do with it?" she asked, trying to remain focussed.
He shook his head. "I have no idea. All I know is that, the closer I got to the heart beat the more it felt like my head was gonna explode. But I knew I just had to keep going towards it".
He sighed heavily. "Now that just sounds crazy…. I must be going crazy…." He dragged a hand through his hair as he looked away.
"No, John, you are not. It just – may appear that way." He looked down at her, and saw her small smile, and he couldn't help but smile back at her light hearted jibe.
"I just wish I understood…why. Why me?" he said, suddenly serious again.
Teyla shook her head.
"I don't understand any of this. Is it because of my 'mutant' gene?" Teyla flinched a little at the sudden sharpness of his tone. She had not heard him refer to his ATA gene like that for many years.
"Because I never asked for it. Any of it." His voice had hardened, and he now sounded angry.
She reached out to him again, her voice calm and soothing. "It is part of who you are, John. It is what makes you…different."
He stared at her intensely for a moment. "Different" he echoed, but his voice was now low and almost menacing. She had accidently struck a dangerous chord.
His whole demeanour changed, and she moved back. "I am sorry, John. I did not mean…"
"No. You are right. I am…different." His eyes were now strangely electric, almost mesmerising to look at as he stared back at her. "I can feel it changing me. Inside. Not like before... It's like…." He faded out.
For a second the look in his eyes reminded her of the time he had appeared to her in her dreams…when the crystalline life form had invaded all their minds; his eyes smouldering, raw and powerful. It took her breath away for a moment, and she had to struggle to bring her focus back.
"Like what, John?" she asked, somewhat shakily now, trying hard to maintain eye contact with him.
He looked at her, and her heart missed a beat. He clearly had seen her very strong reaction, and thought he had frightened her, for now he looked almost ashamed. She squeezed his hand once more, urging him to go on, to continue to let her in.
He took an unsteady breath in, and he now seemed to find it hard to meet her gaze. "It's like something is being unlocked. I can feel…this energy…it seems to be growing…somehow…"
"Do you remember…your energy when you…were ascended?" she asked hesitantly. "Is it like that?" She could still remember what that energy felt like, only too clearly.
John frowned. "Yeah, a little. It's growing though, especially since I got my voice back."
"And lost all that blood…" added Teyla, clearly understanding his meaning. "So you think that, by coming back here, you may have somehow completed something that allowed your voice to return. That appears to have unlocked something…in your mind?"
John suddenly stood up, and took a few steps away. "Ah! This is nuts!"
His voice had become louder, causing Lorne and Daniel to turn towards them.
"John? Are you alright?" asked Daniel calmly.
John turned quickly. "No. I can definitely say, without hesitation, I am NOT alright!"
Daniel moved towards him, his hands outstretched. "Ok, John, just calm down. You've just lost a lot of blood. I know there's a lot we don't know at the moment, but we are all working on trying to figure out how to stop it."
John's head suddenly flinched. "No." His voice had suddenly grown calmer; all anger had appeared to have completely left him.
"I'm sorry?" Daniel wasn't quite sure what he meant, or for the sudden change in his demeanour.
"No. We can't stop it." His voice now seemed strangely disconnected. "We have to let this happen…"
Teyla looked quickly at Daniel, who had stepped closer to John.
"What do you mean, John?" asked Teyla, instantly picking up on the change.
He turned slowly to look at her. "There is no way of stopping it. Not now. The transition has already begun, and we must be allowed to complete the trials."
Daniel was instantly alarmed, and took one step closer, whilst signalling to Teyla and Lorne to move back slowly.
"We? Who is 'we', John?" spoke Daniel once again.
John stared at him blankly, almost as though he no longer recognised him.
Then, John grimaced sharply and staggered slightly. He held a hand to his head. "OW!"
It sounded like John. It appeared that, whatever had just happened had suddenly stopped.
"John?" Teyla said quietly. "Are you alright?"
He looked up, and she gasped. "Your…nose, John…it's bleeding!"
He brought a hand up briefly, and pulling it away, he saw blood. He sighed heavily, closing his eyes briefly. "Ah crap…"
"Er, John? What was that?" asked Daniel.
John opened his eyes, which now reflected the pain he had just felt. "Well, I'm not sure exactly, but it felt like someone was trying to take a little look around my head…Too bad they didn't know I'm pretty good at resisting mind control…"
"Like a wraith?" Daniel didn't like the sound of that at all.
"Sort of, but definitely different." John rubbed his forehead.
"But, you no longer feel their…presence within your mind?" asked Teyla carefully. She sensed no presence of any wraith, so knew it wasn't that.
John looked at her, trying to smile. "No. It's just me in there now."
"Other than the wraith, who would be able to do such a thing?" she asked to no one in particular.
"I have no idea" replied Daniel. "But, whoever it was, certainly made you bleed in the process, John."
"I'm pretty sure I know who it was. And that he was testing me…." John's voice was now level and controlled.
"He, sir?" asked Lorne. "You mean the perp.?"
"Yeah, and he's close…."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"So, Carter, tell me again, why can't you turn it off?" asked O'Neill as he stared at the device. The force field was giving off a rather irritating humming sound as it continued to surround the machine.
"Well, sir, with all force fields there has to be device that creates the barrier; some kind of generator or emitter. They also require a steady supply of power. There is also usually an Activation/Deactivation button of some kind. This?" Sam pointed at the machine, "doesn't seem to have a button, generator or obvious supply of power…"
"So how is that possible?"
"I'm not sure, Sir. But it certainly wasn't there when we left it."
O'Neill frowned. "So, someone activated the force field after you had set the device going?"
"It would appear so, Sir, yes."
"Ok, now that's disturbing," commented O'Neill.
"It has to be the Perpetrator…" offered Rodney.
"Ok, but surely he must now know we are onto him, right? That, by keeping the device on, he's gotta know it's only a matter of time before we find him. Why would he do that?" O'Neill scratched his head.
"Well, if he is in fact watching Sheppard," began Rodney slowly, "then he would know that while the device is active we can't get to John, and that John can't get out."
"And?" O'Neill was sure he would get to the point, any minute now…
Rodney's eyes widened slightly as sudden realisation hit home. "That whatever is going on inside that lab? The guy really must want Sheppard to finish it."
"Well, at least we know he is still in the building, I guess." O'Neill sighed. "Ok, then, back to plan A." He said, turning to Woolsey. "We'll start sweeping the city. See if we can't find the guy responsible for all this…"
He turned back to Carter and McKay. "Keep at it. We are gonna have to turn that thing off at some point…"
"Yes, sir."
SGA SGA SGA SGA
With blaster held high, Ronon moved silently down the less frequented corridors of the East Pier. Three marines followed quietly behind in single file, their P90s at the ready.
O'Neill had focussed the attention of the search on the East Pier, as that was where Sheppard and the others now were. That, if their suspicions were correct about the perpetrator being a spy, then that was where they would find him.
Fifteen teams of four quietly worked their way through the now empty corridors and stairways, methodically checking each room and storage area as they went. Radio chatter was minimal; only the low voices of the team leaders could be heard as they quietly reported in when another section had been checked and cleared.
They were closing in. Ronon could feel it. All his years as a tracker, his instincts knew when his prey was close.
And Ronon so seriously needed to be the one to find him; the one responsible for all this mess, particularly with what was happening to his friend. As he thought about what he wanted to do to the guy, his grip on his blaster tightened reflexively…but he knew he couldn't do that. Reluctantly he had set it to stun. They would need answers. And that was something he could definitely assist with…
One more corridor, one more bend, and they would be outside Janus' lab. Ronon suddenly sensed something, and held his fist up quickly. The marines instantly froze behind him. He moved close to the wall and slid carefully along. He paused for a second, listening intensely and then slowly peered out.
Sure enough, his senses had proved correct. A man dressed in a long dark cloak was stood facing towards the lab entrance, which now appeared to once again be a wall. He seemed to be holding something, which he was hitting repeatedly, as though trying to get it to work. Ronon couldn't quite see as his back was towards him.
Ronon recognised the clothing to be the same as the photo O'Neill had shown them during the briefing. He'd found him!
Ronon quietly withdrew back and silently signalled to his team of this, and that he was going to take him down. They all nodded, and raised their p90s, ready to back him up. Ronon then turned back and moved back to position. Sure enough the figure was still there, still focussed on whatever he had in his hands.
Ronon made his move. "Freeze!" he roared, pointing his blaster straight at him.
The hooded figure instantly froze.
Ronon took one step forward, his aim directly at the man's head. The marines moved out from behind him, their guns also aiming directly at the cloaked figure.
"Put it down, slowly!" Ronon wasn't sure what it was the guy had in his hands, but he didn't want to take any chances.
The figure seemed to hesitate.
"Do it now!"
The figure slowly crouched down, placing the item on the floor. One of the marines stepped quickly forward, and pushed the item away with his foot.
"Turn around, real easy." Growled Ronon again, grimacing from both the anger and the discomfort from his ribs, that were now beginning to throb. Which only made him more angry, as here stood the guy that was responsible for it all.
As the figure began to turn, he seemed to glance off to the side of him. Ronon suddenly knew what was about to happen, but he just wasn't quick enough.
The cloaked figure bolted, and ran down the side corridor.
The marine who had been closest to him had tried to grab him, but the figure was too fast. Ronon instantly let of a shot from his blaster, but the shot just impacted on the wall beyond where the man had been, narrowly missing the marine by inches.
Ronon growled loudly, angry at himself that he had been so careless, and then raced after him, closely followed by the marines.
As he ran, he activated his headset. "It's Ronon. Target has been sighted, I repeat, the target has been sighted! Now heading towards the gym! We are in pursuit!"
The chase was on.
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"Ok," said Daniel slowly. "So perhaps we should start by making some kind of a plan – like finding a way outta here."
"Good idea" agreed Lorne. "And, how do you propose we do that? With no obvious door sensor or handle…"
Daniel looked at him. He had been around Sheppard too long; his mannerisms were becoming very similar. "Yes, Major, I realise that. But…" He started to move around the room slowly, looking at all the various panels and displays that seemed to cover the entire room.
"You just have to think like an ancient. Nothing is ever as straight forward as giving you a handle to a door of a secret lab…"
"Good point." Lorne conceded. "But I gotta ask…"
"What is it, Major?" replied Daniel.
"Just why the heck does the lab now look like the explosion never happened? I mean, it's like we've time travelled or something!"
Daniel rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and looked over at John. "I have a few theories but…nothing definite at this point."
"Do you think we have travelled in time?" asked Teyla slowly.
"It's hard to say for sure, without some point of reference. All I do know is that everything changed the moment the device was activated."
"Which deals with interdimensions, yes?" asked Teyla.
"Yeah. So possibly not so much travel in time as a shift in dimensions…."
"I am sorry, I am not sure I understand…" said Teyla slowly.
"The explosion forced the lab into another dimension." John said quietly.
"What?" All three cried out in unison, all turning to look at him.
"What kind of explosion would be powerful enough to cause an entire room to be shifted into another dimension?" asked Lorne wondrously. "If it's possible for a room to be forced through, then why didn't it take the whole city?"
John turned slowly to look at him. "The lockdown and fail safes prevented that from happening."
"How…do you know, John?"
"Because it's the reason why I activated them seconds before the blast." John said slowly, as if realisation was slowly dawning on him what it all meant. "I think…its all part of the test, Daniel. Only the person that touched the device would know that it still existed."
They all stared at him.
"You knew it still existed?" asked Teyla slowly.
"I wasn't sure at first. Not till I came back and felt…the same…heart beat. I could feel it was still here. I just wasn't sure how to get to it."
"Even though it was still in another dimension, you could still sense it?" Daniel reiterated, just wanting to clarify what he thought John was saying.
John shrugged his shoulders, realising how unbelievable that actually sounded.
Ok" said Daniel slowly, after a moment. "That's just rather…"
"Weird?" offered John, somewhat light-heartedly now. "Yeah, believe me. From where I'm standing? Everything about this is weird!"
Daniel sighed and smiled at him. After all he had been through John was still trying to be positive about it all. But, he had heard that said about Colonel John Sheppard; he never was one to give up, give in, or take things lying down. He just hoped the guy could hold onto that attitude. Because, from what Daniel was quickly piecing together from his research, and what John had just revealed, he was going to need it.
"Ok then, let's get started, shall we?" said Daniel.
Lorne and Teyla started to look around the room for anything that might help. John, however, remained where he was. It didn't take long for Teyla to notice.
"John?"
The others stopped and turned to look at him. He was staring straight ahead, yet focussed on nothing.
Teyla's heart skipped a beat once again. Please, no more pain, no more blood…she prayed silently to the Ancestors.
"John? What's wrong?"
John's eyes were distant as he slowly moved his gaze to one side of the room. He frowned slightly and then slowly started to make his way over to one side of the room.
He approached the wall, which looked plain enough, with no visible signs of panelling or sensors. Yet John continued to walk straight up to it. He then looked down at his hands for a moment, and turned them over, so his palms were now facing up. He then raised both hands, and placed them flat on the surface. He closed his eyes.
Within seconds the wall seemed to shimmer with a strange bright blue energy, which then quickly faded. Only now, instead of a plain wall, there stood a doorway.
John paused for a second, and then stepped inside. The others were quick to follow.
Clearly responding to John's presence, the once hidden chamber was slowly awakening, and the lights were beginning to reveal that they now stood in a small circular room that appeared to be completely empty.
However, in the centre of the room, was a large circular metal plinth in the centre, which all the lights seemed to focus upon. As John stepped up to it, an even stronger beam, like a shaft of light, shone down. He reached out a hand, hesitating only for a moment, before moving slowly though the beam; an action he had done so many times over the years to activate ancient technology.
It worked, as a tall silver metal column began to emerge from the plinth itself. The others all took a step back as it continued to rise, but John stayed completely still. Once it had reached its full height, which came to about John's waist, the top of the column then began to expand, like the unfolding of a cube until it had taken on the form of what looked to be a small table.
John looked down, and the others moved a step closer to look.
"Oh my God," whispered Daniel quietly.
It was not a table but a board. Contained within the board itself were approximately fourteen different shaped coloured pieces of what appeared to be a puzzle.
"Do you know what this is, Doc?" asked Lorne, who had no idea what he was looking at.
"I may be wrong about this. But that looks awfully like…" Daniel began.
John instantly interrupted him…"Archimedes Box"
They all looked at him.
"A what box, sir?" asked Lorne.
Daniel nodded, both surprised and impressed that John would recognise it.
"Archimedes Box, also known as loculus archimedius, in latin, or Ostomachion in Greek." Daniel replied.
"Ok," replied Lorne, still none of the wiser. "So, what does it do?"
"Well," replied Daniel slowly, glancing at John as he did so. "The original box is said to be one of the oldest puzzles in the world. It's a game, using fourteen pieces that you can move around to make other different shapes. It was first thought that it was used to develop the memory skills in the young. But there was more to this than just a puzzle. It was also a mathematical problem."
John had not spoken, but continued to stare at the pieces on the board in front of him.
"So, what we gotta make some shapes?" asked Lorne slowly, trying to get his head round what was expected here.
"I don't think so, no."
"So, what then?" Lorne said, scratching his head slowly.
"Well, knowing who we are dealing with here, it's gotta be some kind of mathematical test. Like, how many different combinations, or rotations you can make…" murmured Daniel, trying hard to remember something else about Archimedes that might prove useful.
They all looked back at the board.
"Wow, that's…"Lorne said slowly, "gonna take some time, Doc."
John took a sharp intake of breath. "Seventeen thousand, one hundred and fifty two."
They all turned slowly to stare at him.
"Excuse me?" said Daniel, still not believing what he had just heard.
John didn't look at him, but repeated the number.
"And you know this, how?" Daniel asked, incredulously.
John didn't reply.
"Hey, wait a second!" said Daniel suddenly, pointing a finger at John. "I seem to remember Rodney saying something about you being a member of Mensa… I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't was he? You are a member of Mensa…"
John turned to look at him. "No."
Daniel frowned. "Oh. I could have sworn…."
"I never said I joined. Just that I took the test."
"Did you pass?"
"Sure."
Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Wow."
John shrugged. "I'm just good with numbers."
Daniel shook his head, and couldn't help but chuckle a little. The guy was as self effacing as ever.
"So, how does knowing this help our predicament?" asked Teyla, quickly focussing back on their situation.
"Well, whenever I've come across Ancient tests and puzzles, they all get you to solve something in order for something else to happen or to be revealed," said Daniel firmly.
"So perhaps if John arranges these shapes in a particular way, it may open the door and allow us to leave?" asked Teyla, sounding hopeful.
"Well, I certainly hope so," replied Daniel slowly.
"That's gonna take a while," added Lorne. "If there are so many permutations, how do we know which one to go for?"
Daniel looked at John carefully. "WE don't. But then, it's not a task for us to solve. It is for John."
John winced, still looking at the board. "Great. No pressure then."
"Hey," Daniel tried to sound upbeat. "A guy with your mental abilities, this should be a walk in the park…"
"Yeah, "John replied slowly. "Some walk…."
"Some park…" added Lorne.
No one disagreed.
tbc
post script:
The Ostomachion really does exist. It's fascinating but far too mathematical for me to go into though. And yes, John did get the answer right to the puzzle!
I hope that John managed to answer a few of your questions, though he did create a few more didn't he?
Next chapter/s:
Questions are answered, secrets are divulged, and the truth about the Legacy is revealed!
(Sorry, went all 'Voice Over' then!) As usual, it's already started, though it won't be as quick as the last few chapters, as there is so much to write. Oh, an advanced warning: cliff hangers coming up as the story heads rapidly to its climax.
As always, please, please let me know what you think….and thanks for sticking with the story!
