The reviews have been fantastic! Thank you all so much for reading my story and leaving reviews. I'm so glad so many people are enjoying it:) Now, where were we?...
Rodney stared out the jumper's window at the dense vegetation that passed swiftly below them. He grimaced. We have to find this plant in that? "Landing could be ahh... a problem."
"We're still a ways off from the coordinates," Miller, the pilot, answered absently. "Hopefully, we'll find a clear spot."
Rodney stared at the HUD, his hands flying over the controls as he widened the display parameters. He squinted slightly. "Looks like mountains coming up in the distance. The target area is on the other side."
"Got that," Miller answered as he gradually pulled the jumper into an ascent to an elevation that would clear the peaks.
Rodney looked through the half transparent HUD display at the rapidly approaching peaks. His gaze refocused on the display as he widened the parameters even further. "Interesting," he muttered.
"What?" Ronon asked.
"The mountains," Rodney answered as he scanned for climate changes. "Beyond that mountain range you see there is another one. It's far enough off we can't see it, but it's there. Both of them curve slightly and between the two they form a semi-circle with the only land access to the, for lack of better term, 'valley', is facing away from the ocean." Rodney scrutinized the readings further. "According to the scans, the climate is vastly different within that area." He smiled slightly in wonder. "The natural barriers have created a micro-climate where the terrain and the environment within that area is drier and sparse. It's more of a prairie or grassland than a jungle."
"Sorry I asked," Ronon muttered.
Rodney shot him a cold glare before refocusing on the HUD. "Landing shouldn't be a problem. We should be able to hit the coordinates right on." He looked out the jumper windshield as Miller pulled the jumper into a steeper ascent. White capped, rugged peaks passed under them.
"These mountains are different than the ones my people have found on the mainland," Teyla commented quietly.
"They're younger," Rodney answered. "The mountains on the mainland are round and smooth because they're really old. Geologically speaking, these mountains are young and haven't been worn to a smooth surface yet." Rodney looked around. "Bet there's volcanic activity on this continent as well."
"Impressive," Ronon commented as the jumper passed over a glaciated jagged peak.
"And very beautiful," Teyla added.
Silently, Rodney was impressed too. The Canadian Rockies had peaks like this, but he had to admit, it never got old. He quickly fell back behind his acerbic mask. "So was Mt. Saint Helens," he muttered.
"Mt. Saint..." Teyla started.
"I'll tell you about it later," Miller interrupted as he slowly descended into the valley.
Rodney looked over his shoulder at the six Marines sitting quietly in the back of the jumper. Stoic, each one was heavily armed, prepared for whatever they might encounter. He sighed and reached down next to his seat, grabbing the datapad he'd set there as Miller eased the jumper to the ground.
"Right on target," Miller smiled at Rodney.
Rodney stared icily back. "Want a medal? You had the coordinates for the navigational computer. A ten year old could've done it."
Miller rolled his eyes. "You're welcome."
Rodney stood turned and held up his data pad. "Okay, listen up. This is what we're looking for. It's called the Alenius plant. I have no idea how much antitoxin one plant yields, so ideally we want at least four or five specimens. More would be better. Alive would be ideal. Let's go." Rodney turned back to his seat, and grabbed a Life Signs Detector. He followed Teyla and Ronon as the big Satedan was the first one out the back of the jumper.
Rodney poked a couple buttons on the LSD. "All kinds of life forms registering. Nothing close by though."
"Sounds about right for a wilderness," Lieutenant Harrison commented.
Rodney ignored him. "Okay, I think the best thing to do is..."
"Set a perimeter," Harrison interrupted as he stared at his squad. "We'll start here then shift the perimeter if we have to in order to widen the search. Keep your eyes peeled for that plant. If you spot it, radio Dr. McKay. Stay within sight of each other and I want radio contact every fifteen minutes. Move out." Without looking at Rodney, Harrison and his Marines fanned out in an organized pattern around the jumper.
"Right," Rodney sighed. He watched Teyla team up with one of the Marines and move off to the south before he smiled tensely at Ronon. "Guess you're with me."
"Yep," Ronon answered a hint of amusement touching his eyes. "I lost the draw."
Rodney's forced smile held every note of his irritation. "Funny." He turned away and started slowly walking through the knee high grass. "With any luck, Alenius is in bloom," he muttered as he scanned the ground around them. "Much easier to spot with bright red flowers." Rodney took a moment to glance at his silent companion. A light bandage still graced Ronon's arm, reminding Rodney of Ronon's near miss encounter with the T'eshii. "They're pretty bad, aren't they?" Rodney pointed at Ronon's arm when the big man stared at him blankly. "The T'eshii, they're pretty bad."
Ronon nodded slightly. "Yep." He looked around his feet. "Should've told you about them before."
Rodney turned away and resumed searching. "Yes, well... yes, but, that's all past now..."
"McKay?" Ronon asked, his voice puzzled.
Rodney sighed loudly. "Okay fine, I'll just say it. You're not the first one to make a mistake! Just don't... obsess over it."
"Obsess?" Ronon's brows arched. "You should talk."
Rodney let annoyance into his expression as he stared back. "Oh fine. I try to be nice... never mind. Just look for the Alenius." He turned away and continued searching. Fine, Rodney, that's what you get...
"McKay."
Ronon's voice was quiet. Rodney turned and stared neutrally at him. "What?"
Barely recognizable, the corners of Ronon's eyes crinkled slightly and one side of his mouth subtly turned upward. He held Rodney's gaze for a moment, before turning away and resuming his search.
Rodney stared at him for a second before he too started looking for the Alenius again. You're welcome.
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He kept walking.
The sheer darkness robbed him of his sight, but something urged John on and demanded that he go forward. So, he continued, one foot in front of the other and each time his foot met solid ground instead of some unseen cliff part of him was sure he'd fall off of.
For a while he'd tried to call out, hoping someone would answer him. But no one did. Hoarse, he'd fallen silent, focusing on walking as he brooded, his mind restlessly jumping from question to question and thought to thought. What was pulling him? Compelling him not only to walk but to walk this direction? Behind him, somewhere, he'd left his mother.
John closed his eyes for a moment and stopped walking. Mom. Why had he left her? Why had she let him leave? Again, deep inside him something urged him, demanded that he resume his trek and he felt he had to comply. He resumed walking, the darkness shrouding him like a warm blanket as his mind struggled to find answers.
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Elizabeth had to admit the sleep, as restless as it'd been, and the hot shower both did wonders for her. The apple in her hand felt cool as she walked through the infirmary doors. She stopped and stared at John for a moment. Nothing had changed. He was deathly still; the even hiss of the respirator and the steady beeping of the monitor over his head, the only thing reassuring her he was still alive. She sighed quietly, crossed to the chair by his bed and sat. Leaning back, she took a small bite of her apple. Movement to her left caught her attention and she turned her head, finding a small smile for Carson who walked towards her.
Elizabeth nodded to herself as she took in his appearance. The circles under his eyes had faded some and he looked slightly refreshed... or at least he no longer looked like he was going to collapse on the spot. "Carson," she greeted him as he stopped next to her. "How is he?"
Carson sighed. "The same, although I have to say the medication changes I've made as a result of the data Rodney found have made a difference. For the moment, he's holding his own, but I don't know how long that will last. The colonel's strong and otherwise healthy but the body can only take so much." He looked down at her. "Ye look better, lass."
Elizabeth arched a brow. "So do you."
Carson chuckled lightly. "Aye. Caught a few winks myself."
Her smile faded. "I never realized..." Elizabeth swallowed. "I mean he's..." she slapped her free hand on her thigh in frustration. "I even miss the constant snarking between him and Rodney for god sake!"
"Aye," Carson agreed. "He's part of the backbone of this place, for sure." His smile returned as he looked down at her. "Much like ye are, Elizabeth."
Her reciprocal smile was thin and she said nothing. She stared apathetically at her apple.
"Is that all ye are eating?" Carson questioned.
"I'm not that hungry, Carson," Elizabeth tried to reason but deep down, she knew he'd never accept her answer.
"Ach," Carson waved vigorously at the apple. "Ye finish that and I'll have Carolyn bring ye a sandwich. I expect ye to finish it as well."
Elizabeth shook her head. Carson's voice had that tone again; the one that left no room for argument, but she tried anyway. "Carson..."
"No. I'll not have ye turning into skin and bones on my watch. Ye eat it or I put you in a bed on an IV."
Elizabeth smiled slightly. She was far from malnourished to the point where Carson would take such drastic measures, but the meaning of his words was clear. The topic was closed. "Okay."
"Okay." Carson repeated. "If my mum saw ye, ye would never leave the table for two months." He smiled warmly and walked up to John's bed.
Elizabeth nibbled on the apple as her gaze fixed on John's pale face. The fruit lost its appeal, but since Carson was nearby, she managed to finish it anyway. She glanced at her watch anxious for the hour to pass and for the status report from Rodney's team. It'd been ten thousand years and there was a chance the plant was extinct on this world and others. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that wasn't the case.
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"Damn it," Rodney muttered as he and Ronon once again shifted their section of the perimeter further north. They'd already moved their search grid three times, moving to the point where the jumper was a distant spot on the horizon and widening the perimeter extensively. The flat plains were massive and part of Rodney had a sinking feeling it'd take them far too long to find the Alenius plants even if they still survived. He didn't have a time frame, but inside Rodney knew time was running out for Sheppard. They had to find this plant soon and that urgency pushed him to achieve. He searched to the very extent of the perimeter, going beyond what Harrison would approve of and predictably, Ronon silently followed his lead.
"What?" Ronon asked.
"This!" Rodney waved his hands emphatically. "This is like trying to find a needle in a haystack!"
Ronon just shrugged, the analogy clearly lost on him. "What choice do we have?"
"None!" Rodney snapped. "That's the frustrating part!" He ripped his LSD from his TAC vest pocket. "There has to be some way to calibrate..." Rodney's thoughts derailed as he stared at ten or more blips on the screen, all converging on the search party. "Oh no."
"What?" Ronon demanded as he stepped around behind Rodney and looked over the doctor's shoulder. "What are those?"
"I have no idea, but they're closing on us." Rodney looked up, scanning the horizon intently, jumping slightly at the sound of Ronon drawing and charging his gun. "I don't see them."
"Me either." Ronon's voice was tense. "Didn't you see them before?"
"No!" Rodney snapped. "They just... appeared." He tapped his headset. "Harrison, this is McKay. I'm picking up a large group of life forms moving towards us."
"McKay, this is Harrison. Can you be more specific? And I can barely see you! What the hell are you doing so far off?"
Rodney rolled his eyes upwards for a moment. "Can people not get it through their thick heads that LSD's cannot distinguish between life forms?" He tapped his radio back on. "I'm trying to find this damn plant and no, I can't be more specific. I just know that there are at least ten and they're headed for Ronon and myself."
"Copy that," Harrison answered. "All teams, fall back to the jumper immediately."
Rodney quickly turned towards the jumper, only to be pulled to a stop by Ronon's strong grip. "What?"
"If they're predators, running is the last thing you want to do," Ronon answered Rodney's annoyance with an even reply.
Rodney swallowed. "Right. Evisceration by some wild Pegasus predator is not high on my list of 'must do's'." He pulled his nine mil and held it tightly to his side with one hand, while he watched the LSD with the other. He scrutinized the display. "Oh damn it!"
"What?" Ronon tensely raised his gun.
"We're cut off from the jumper." Rodney looked up, but the scenery that met his gaze was empty. "I still don't see them!"
Ronon grunted. "Nope."
"Okay, that is just creepy!" Rodney tapped a couple keys. "It's not the device. Something is there."
From over the sights of his gun, Ronon's dark eyes narrowed. "We're being hunted."
"What? How do you know?" Rodney looked around again, all the while trying to keep the panic in his gut at bay. His wandering gaze stopped and fixed on Ronon's tense but quiet one.
"I just know."
"Piece of information I did not need to know!" Rodney started backing away from the approaching blips. He smacked his headset. "Harrison! We're cut off! We're in a lot of trouble here!"
"Copy that!" Harrison immediately responded. "Hang in there, we're coming! All teams converge on McKay and Ronon's position."
Rodney froze as his gaze zeroed in on movement. "Oh god..." He tensed as Ronon stepped in front of him, but over the big man's shoulder, Rodney could see a large animal moving silently through the grass. The browns of the knee-high, late summer grass provided the perfect camouflage for the animals and with the apparent gift of stealth inherent in most carnivores, he and Ronon had not been able to see them until they were dangerously close by. About four foot high at the shoulder, the silent carnivore loosely resembled a lion and apparently had the hunting instinct to match. Great, long canine teeth protruding from each side of its mouth reminded Rodney of a Saber tooth tiger and long claws extended from each of the animal's feet. Its coat was light brown, mottled with darker spots and a shock of white hair that ran from the underside of its jaw, down its chest and presumably all along its belly. Much like lions, this 'pride' apparently hunted as a group effectively isolating and snaring their prey.
Rodney turned in a circle and each direction was blocked. He shoved his LSD into his vest pocket and firmly gripped his gun with both hands, resisting the urge to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants. "Got any ideas?" he whispered. Rodney swallowed hard as what could only be characterized as snarling came from a nearby animal. The snarl turned into a low keen, much like the sound his cat made when it was really pissed at him. Except this cat is at least two hundred pounds...
"Don't run." Ronon stepped slowly around and pushed himself back to back with Rodney.
"Oh, brilliant!" Rodney spat quietly but emphatically. "What else, Einstein?"
"Don't make any sudden movements and don't fire until you have to."
Rodney swallowed hard as his breathing quickened. He pushed himself reassuringly against Ronon. He knew the Satedan would go down fighting before anything would blindside him, but could he say the same for Ronon's back? "Great. You sure you want me watching your six?"
"No choice." Ronon's voice was distracted as he slowly circled left, forcing Rodney to move right to stay in position.
"There is that." Rodney muttered.
"McKay?" Ronon's voice was gruff.
"Yeah?" Rodney resisted the urge to turn his head and loose sight of the felines closing in on them.
"You'll do fine."
"Sure. Whatever you..." Rodney's eyes widened as on of the "cats" leapt from the grass straight at him. "Shit!" He fired repeatedly, as the sound of Ronon's blaster mixed with the loud shots from his gun.
Cliffie!! Bwahahahaahaha!!
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