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Chapter Fourteen – Unexpected Rescue

Teyla stared at the hole in the ground, wondering how far down it went. "Doctor McKay. How long do you think it will take, for the heating system to melt the ice below?

"I've got no idea, but it must've been a good few hours before Torlian showed his face, if he was in hibernation, I'd say another two before his associates wake up."

"Something tells me we haven't got that long," replied Ronon, whilst thinking about John and Elizabeth.

"What if we don't use, the drill-head to re-open the hole, what if we dug it? Torlian wouldn't be able to hear us and if he doesn't show up in the next few hours, we might be able to give him the element of surprise."

Ronon took Teyla's idea to mind and started looking around the room for something they can use to dig with and found what looked like spades tucked away behind some old machinery. "We could use these, more then enough for one each."

Rodney looked from Ronon to Teyla. Seeing he wasn't going to get out of digging he grabbed one from Ronon and Teyla took the other. But then he thought of something, which might help them and moved back over to the heating system.

Ronon called out to him. "McKay, what are you doing?"

"Buying us some time." With that, McKay turned the heating system down a bit, after which return to the digging spot. Only to find his spade hit metal instead of snow, just after lightning hit the dome.

-----

"John. How long do you think it's been since we arrived here?"

"Hard to say, since our watches have stopped. At a guess, I'd say at least five possibly six hours, why?"

"One hour overdue our check in time with Atlantis. With any luck Major Lorne will send a search and rescue team soon."

As if on queue, John's radio crackled into life and Elizabeth's eyes lit up with hope, when she heard Caldwell's voice trying to contact them. "Th… Cald…. Daed...s…, we h… Doc… Mc…, Ronon, Tey… on boa…, ther… is too much… inte… to be… you out."

"We must be too far underground, for them to get a lock on us." Questioned Elizabeth.

John nodded and tried to relay the message to Caldwell; he ended up repeating it twice to make sure their situation was clear.

As he did, the bat type creature, which flew past earlier hooked its claws into the ceiling above them and folded its wings. Then listened in on the conversation.

The response came through, which was just as muffled as the first time. "Dr. McK… is… look… at th… prob…, will ge… back… to yo… out."

"We can always count on Major Lorne to sense trouble on the horizon," smiled John as he terminated connection.

"He obviously knows you better then I do, when it comes to a mission then."

"I'll remember that for next time."

----

"Hermiod. Tell me again how you beamed us out with the shield up around the dome?"

"We found a weakness in it, every time lightning strikes, a hole is opened for just a few seconds, that gave us enough time to beam the three of you out."

"I'm sensing a but."

"We couldn't get a lock on Lt. Colonel Sheppard or Doctor Weir."

"McKay, any luck with the transporter?" Asked Caldwell as he entered the room occupied by both him and Hermoid.

"Give me time. I've only just started working on the problem."

"Well, you might want to hurry things along a little. From Sheppard's information Doctor Weir isn't doing so well."

"How bad?"

"Bad, he can't stop a head wound from bleeding this time and she's running a fever."

Rodney's face once again drained of colour hearing the news and tried to concentrate on his task as Caldwell continued talking.

"We've relayed the information to Doctor Beckett back at Atlantis and informed them to have the infirmary staff on stand by."

"Good thinking, " replied Rodney as he disappeared behind a console, with a tool in hand.

Teyla's voice came in over the radio. "Colonel Caldwell, I've been asked to inform you we have Wraith Hive Ship heading our way."

"How far out?"

"Approximately half hour sir," came the helmsmen's voice.

"That close?"

"Yes sir."

"I'm on my way," Caldwell terminated connection and turned to speak to Rodney, "half hour McKay."

All Caldwell saw was a thumb's up from behind the console.

Next Chapter: The Wraith

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