Disclaimer: If you haven't got it by now I can't help you ;)

and now the conclusion...

Indiana McKay Part II

oOo

Ronon woke up first. He sat up and looked around. They were just outside of the settlement on a grassy plain.

John was starting to stir and look around him. Rodney was also starting to move. Ronon helped John to his feet and then walked across to Rodney. He bent down, gripped the front of Rodney's tac vest with both hands and lifted him to his feet.

"Whoa," Rodney said. "Easy..."

"We have to get moving," Ronon said. "It's daylight already."

"Right," John said. The map had been stuffed into the front of his vest and he pulled it out and unrolled it. "OK," he looked at the map and looked around. "There's the settlement," he said pointing to his right. "There's that clump of trees," he pointed forward. "So," he said turning around. "We go this way."

"We could break into the settlement and get Teyla out," Ronon said as they started to walk.

"We don't know where they're holding her," John said. "They could kill her before we find her."

They walked for about half an hour before they came to a valley.

"OK," John said reading the scroll. "This seems to be it. There's a poem. "To retrieve the scarab from it's lair, you first must scare the golden bear.""

Rodney looked across at John. "Who writes this stuff ?" he asked. "They can't be straightforward ?"

They looked down into the steep valley. A pathway led down each side to the left and also to the right.

"That pedestal down there with the shiny thing on it. Bet that's where the scarab is," Rodney said pointing as all three of them lay on the ground looking down into the valley.

"And that would make that..." John pointed at a large heavily furred creature about the size of a baby elephant prowling around it...

"The golden bear."

Ronon took a knife from his hair and threw it hard at the creature. The knife barely stuck into its hide. The bear shook it out and roared showing huge teeth.

"Well now we've pissed it off," John said. "OK, Rodney. You make your way down the right hand path and get the scarab.."

"Whoa,wo,wo,wo,wo,wo. How come I have to go get the bug ?"

"Would you rather distract the bear ?" Ronon asked.

"Bug detail it is."

"Give us about a two minute head start," John said as he and Ronon moved to the right.

Rodney watched as John and Ronon moved to opposite corners of the clearing and the bear started towards them.

It was only a few yards across the clearing from the tree line to the pedestal but it seemed like a half mile dash to Rodney as he ran to the center.

On the top of the pedestal was a cube covered with symbols. Rodney twisted it and it moved.

"Hurry up Rodney !" John called out as he dodged around the creature.

"There's a Rubik's cube thing. Looks like I have to line up the symbols," Rodney answered. "Give me a moment."

"Rodney !" John yelled as the bear turned its attention away from them and started towards the pedestal.

"Working..." Rodney said without looking up.

The bear launched itself at Rodney and hit him on the left shoulder. It was remarkably agile for its size.

It was only a glancing blow but it was enough to knock Rodney flat and force the breath out of him.

Ronon was running closely behind the animal and leapt on its back as it started to turn back towards Rodney. He gripped the bear around its throat and around its back with his legs. It roared and tried to throw him off.

John helped Rodney up. "You OK ?" he asked.

"Just been hit by a freight train is all."

John steered Rodney back to the pedestal. "Can you finish it ?" he asked.

Rodney shot him a look. "I'm almost done," he said. A few moments later he clicked the last piece into place.

A shrill whistle filled the air. Rodney and John clamped their hands over their ears and Ronon released his grip on the bear who ran off into the trees yelping.

The noise stopped as suddenly as it started and the cube split open to reveal an ornamental scarab about the size of Ronons hand.

As John picked the scarab up and put it in his vest Rodney peered into the pedestal. Reaching for his padd he said, "Gee, I wonder what powers that thing ?"

"Not now, McKay," Ronon said grabbing him by the back of his vest and dragging him towards the path.

"Hey...Alright I'm coming..."

oOo

As they approached the second site John unrolled the scroll and read the second poem.

""A secret serpent you must find, to locate the silver hind.""

Rodney stood facing the artifact. He looked sideways at John. "I don't like the sound of that," he said.

"See anything on that thing that looks like a snake ?" John asked.

It was a large stone box with an angled top covered with markings. In front of Rodney was a blank wall several feet thick.

"These look like gate symbols," Rodney said running his fingers lightly over the panel.

"So the answer is a gate address ?" Ronon asked.

"The logical one would be the one for this planet," Rodney said scanning the board. "But the last symbol is missing."

John and Ronon checked around the short wall. "I don't see any others," John said.

"Well I can put in the ones that I have..." Rodney started pushing the symbols. As he hit each one the stone sank slightly into the panel. As he hit the last symbol a panel in the wall opened up in front of him. He shone his flashlight into the hole. "Oh they have got to be joking !" he said looking inside.

John looked into the hole. A pair of slitted amber eyes stared back at him as the snake uncoiled and raised its head.

"I'm not sticking my hand in there," Rodney said.

"Let me see if I can find something to entice it out," John said opening pockets in his vest.

Ronon suddenly reached into the hole, grabbed the snake and in one fluid movement threw it away into the trees.

"Or that works too," John said.

Rodney shone the light back in to make sure that there were no more. "There's the last symbol," he said reaching in and pushing the button.

Another panel popped open on the side of the wall. Inside was a silver deer about the same size as the scarab. John pulled it out and put it in one of his vest pockets.

John turned away, reaching for the scroll and stepped on a flat stone in front of the artifact. The stone gave way under his foot and an arrow shot out of the open panel in the wall. John reacted automatically and dived forward. Rodney, who was standing behind him. wasn't as lucky.

The arrow struck him in his left shoulder just below the collar bone. He fell backwards as his knees buckled and he lay still for a moment, gasping for breath.

John was by his side in an instant. "Oh my God, Rodney," he said. "I'm sorry."

Ronon appeared at the other side. "We've got to keep going," he said. "It will be dark soon."

Rodney nodded. "O..K..." he gasped. "Help me...up..." he said eyes squeezed shut in pain and reaching up with his right hand. "Ow !" he yelped as Ronon quickly obliged. "Careful..."

Moving away from the artifacts Rodney leaned against a tree for a moment as John checked the wound. Ronon snapped the shaft of the arrow off a few inches from his shoulder.

"It's not bleeding much," John said.

"Oh..." Rodney replied. "Good.."

"The next site isn't far away," John said. "It's between here and the settlement."

Rodney nodded and pushed himself away from the tree. He swayed slightly and John stepped towards him. Rodney held his right hand up. "I'm good.." he said. "I think..."

oOo

By the time that they reached the third site Rodney was breathing heavily and clearly in pain.

They stopped at the foot of a square walled structure that looked to be about eight foot high. A platform was on the roof with a central obelisk on top of that.

"There's no way that I can get up there," Rodney said. "You're on your own. What does the poem say ?"

""A golden feather set in stone, will point you to the prophets bone.""

"Well that's particularly unhelpful."

"Maybe it will make sense once I'm up there."

Ronon boosted John up onto the flat roof and he walked over to the obelisk. It was completely plain.

"Is there a feather ?" Rodney yelled out.

"No feather. No markings at all."

"Any switches, buttons, levers ?"

"I'm looking..."

Ronon climbed up on to the roof. "Maybe we need to move it," he said.

John stepped back and Ronon pushed on one corner. Nothing happened for a moment and then the obelisk split in two lengthwise and the half that Ronon was pushing on moved about a foot.

A large golden feather fluttered out of the center of the stone obelisk onto the ground at his feet.

John picked the feather up. It felt heavier at the end. "OK," he said. "Now what ?"

There was nothing else on the roof so they clambered back down and showed the feather to Rodney.

"There's something in the end of it," Rodney said. "Maybe it's ...wait a minute..." He walked over to a small ornamental pool and dropped the feather into it.

The feather turned and stopped suddenly. It was pointing towards an overgrown statue at the end of the pool. John pulled the vines away to reveal a miniature version of the statue of Katura back at the settlement.

Ronon grabbed the statue and lifted it. It raised easily revealing a round hole beneath it. John shone a light down inside. Something was down there.

"Wait a minute," Rodney said as John started to reach for it. "Everything else has had something guarding it."

John stopped. "Good point," he said. Looking around he picked up a stick and used it to poke inside the hole.

Suddenly a sharp blade snapped across cutting the stick in two. It retracted back inside leaving the opening as before.

John looked at what was left of the stick. "Crap !" he said.

"So how do we get that out ?" Ronon asked.

"Wonder if it floats," Rodney said.

John looked at him for a moment and then started scooping water into the hole.

"Rodney you're a genius," he said as the "bone" floated to the surface.

"Hum, yes," Rodney replied.

oOo

By the time that they got back to the settlement the sun was setting and it was twilight. Rodney was pale and shaky and John was helping him walk.

"Where is everyone ?" Ronon asked as they entered the deserted town.

"Let's try the temple," John said.

Ronon opened the heavy door. Flaming torches flickered in holders all around the room which was deserted except for...

"Teyla !" Ronon said an ran forward.

She was barely conscious and shackled to the large stone slab in front of the statue.

Ronon and John went to head of the stone and pulled at the metal loops holding her wrists in place. Rodney stayed at the foot, leaning on it for support. He was looking at markings in the stone.

"They won't budge," Ronon said.

"These symbols," Rodney said. "Are the same as on the Rubik's cube thing but in a different order...I wonder..." He pushed the symbols one by one in the same order as in the puzzle that he'd solved. As he hit the last one two panels opened on top of the stone below Teyla's feet. One was above the symbols and one to the right side. The one to the right revealed more symbols.

"Give me the bug thing..." Rodney said reaching towards John and clicking his fingers.

John handed him the scarab and Rodney positioned it in the hole revealed by the upper panel. He turned it to the right. With a loud click the manacles around Teyla's wrists snapped open.

"Aha !" Rodney said moving to the next panel. He swayed slightly and briefly leaned against the stone. "OK," he said. "The gate address." He punched it in and two more panels opened. He reached towards John and clicked his fingers again. John handed him the small deer. He snapped it in place and turned it and Teyla's feet were freed. That just left the band around her waist.

The last panel showed six symbols.

"I didn't see the obelisk," Rodney said looking at John. "What was on it ?"

"Nothing. There were no markings."

"None at all."

"Not that we saw."

Rodney frowned in concentration. "The pool..." he said clicking his fingers. "When I put the feather in the pool there were some symbols around the edge. It stopped by...this one," he said punching a button.

A panel opened. John handed Rodney the last artifact which he placed into the slot and turned.

The metal band clicked open. Ronon immediately pulled Teyla off the slab. She was dizzy but able to stand.

Moments later a shaft of moonlight shone through the open roof and hit the statue in the face. Its eyes glowed and the zpm started to pulse.

Four pointed spikes snapped up through the stone where Teyla had been lying just seconds before.

They looked at it, wide-eyed. That had been too close.

A bright light shone from the zpm. Rodney got out his padd and scanned it. "Crap !" he said.

"What ?" John asked.

"This zed p m has been running this display and probably the other three sites for God knows how long," Rodney said. "There must be underground conduits or something."

"Yeah. So ?"

"So it hasn't got any more power than the one we brought with us," he said putting the padd away.

"I'd still like to know where everyone went," Ronon said.

Rodney sat on the end of the slab. He was tired, dizzy and fed up with the whole affair. "I really don't care," he said rubbing his face with his right hand. "Can we go home now ? I believe that I have an appointment with Carson."

oOo

A couple of days later they all met for lunch in the mess hall.

Rodney still had his left arm in a sling so John carried his coffee to the table.

"How is your shoulder, Rodney ?" Teyla asked.

"Still hurts to move it. I really hate arrows. "

"At least this one wasn't in your butt," Ronon said.

"Hum. Thank you for reminding me about that. Speaking of which, did Elizabeth leave much of yours intact ?"

"Some of it," John said. "Apparently the villagers were in hiding waiting to see if we would try to steal the zpm again. This time they would have killed us outright but since we had "repented" they will allow us to trade with them again. Although I don't think Elizabeth will let us back there."

"Don't worry," Rodney said. "I won't miss that place."

"The Daedalus has just arrived," John said. "They've brought some new movies."

"Anything but Indiana Jones," Rodney said.

"How about National Treasure 2 ?" John said grinning.

Rodney threw his croissant at him.

oOo

Well Rodney almost made it out unscathed (but we know THAT'S not going to happen in this series don't we??)

love some reviews

debbie