Chapter: 29 - Lorne
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The dark centre to the anomaly grew wider until it filled the entire front view from the Jumper. Lorne's instincts were to pull back and away from it and at times he felt the Jumper brake slightly in response to him, so he focused on moving forwards and to have faith in the scientists.
"The drive is working at maximum levels." Zelenka reported as he tapped on some controls on the tablet resting against the front console.
Lorne took a breath and fully committed to the mission. The Jumper surged forward as the pull of the anomaly combined with the drive pods and suddenly the anomaly was all there was. The radio crackled, but Lorne couldn't hear anything from the other end other than static crackling, but if Lorne cranked his head forward he could see the edge of the Jumper One beside them; they were still together.
The pull of the anomaly became so forceful that they began to feel it inside the Jumper even with the inertial dampeners. Zelenka said something, but his voice sounded strange, the words arriving in a strange rhythm. A tight pressure began to press down and around Lorne and the lights inside the Jumper dimmed until there was almost no light around him. Lorne tried to turn his head round, but it was too much effort, so he returned his attention to the blackness outside. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but it felt strange, like it was echoing throughout his body in an odd rhythm. The pressure increased and he felt a flash of fear as it felt like his body was being squashed and stretched all at once.
And then abruptly the pressure disappeared and Lorne realised he hadn't been breathing properly. He took a deep breath, his vision swimming slightly, as he drew in fresh oxygen. Around him he heard everyone else groaning.
"Everyone okay?" Lorne managed to ask. Everyone groaned back that they were alright. "What was that?" He asked, but the radio finally jumped to life surprising them all.
"Jumper Two this is Jumper One; you guys okay over there?" Colonel Walker asked, his own voice sounding strained.
"Yes, Sir. Felt a little weird there for a minute." Lorne replied.
"You're telling me." Walker replied.
"It was the temporal differential." McKay supplied from the background. "No lasting affects. Probably." He added. Lorne opened his mouth to say something in response to that, but Walker began talking again.
"Right, we're reading four planets here. No stars."
"Of course there wouldn't be stars, other than the one sun the planets are orbiting." McKay interrupted again.
"Okay." Walker took control of the conversation again. "Let's first see if their locators are working. Doctor McKay?"
There was a pause on the end of the radio, but Lorne could see Zelenka was already scanning the planets ahead. Lorne looked out at the planets; with nothing but blackness surrounded them, they were lit only by the strangely pale small sun in the distance. The whole pocket felt claustrophobic and uninviting. For the first time he really began to fear that the Colonel and Teyla were lost. If they had made it through the anomaly intact, what were the chances they had actually made it alive to one of the habitable planets?
"We've got nothing here, but we knew that could happen." Walker reported. "The locators have probably been drained, damaged or too weak for us to pick up from here. Remember by the Colonel and Teyla's standards they've been here for about year and a half."
"Should we split up and check over each planet?" Lorne asked, knowing that had been Walker's plan.
"Sounds good." Walker replied. "Any other recommendations, Doctors McKay and Zelenka?"
"We don't." Rodney replied over the radio.
Lorne shared a look with Zelenka. "No, I do not." Zelenka supplied Walker.
"Okay, people. We need to be thorough, but quick about it, we've got a lot of territory to cover."
"What if their locators aren't working at all?" Someone asked from the other Jumper.
"We'll deal with that possibility if it arises. For now let's head out. We'll take the two planets to the right and you take the other two. Remember to check over both planets thoroughly, even the inhabitable one and we need to cover the entire planet surface; all that could be left are the remains of the observatory section they were in." There was a quiet moment as everyone reflected on that. "Stay in regular contact. Good luck, Jumper One out."
"Understood, Jumper Two out." Lorne replied and turned the Jumper towards the closest planet which so far appeared to have no life. It was a depressing thought that the Colonel and Teyla may have made it this far only to be pulled into the dark bare planet ahead. The HUD displayed the scans of the surface which was completely incapable of supporting life. Lorne shifted the scans with a thought and dozens of dots appeared over the barren planet surface; crashed space craft. And absolutely no life readings at all. He prayed they hadn't crashed here, but instead had ended up falling to the next planet they would check later; that world was covered in life readings, the atmosphere thick and the readings presented a world with warm skies and flowing rivers. Hopefully they made it there and were still alive. But, first the team had to check this planet, just to be sure.
He steered the Jumper down closer to the bleak planet surface and the others crowded in behind him and Zelenka in the front of the Jumper to help study the broken pieces of fallen space debris for anything that might be recognisable.
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TBC
