Chapter 5: The mission.
John stood in the gate room ready to proceed to the Hyspergan homeworld and although he was a bit apprehensive about what he may have to endure, he'd never let Elizabeth or Carson know of his concerns. He knew that he needed to do this as the Daedalus wasn't due for another two weeks and they were already running low on supplies. So, if he didn't do this the chances were that they'd run out of food before they could find others to trade with. The Athosians supplied them with a small amount of food from their crops on the mainland, but since they had brought more personnel from Earth it really wasn't enough to feed everyone.
It had been two days since he'd shared Pizza with Elizabeth in her office and due to Elizabeth and Carson's overprotective nature; they had made him see Kate Heightmeyer and discuss his feelings of abandonment before they were willing to let him go on this mission. As usual, he'd told Kate exactly what he thought she wanted to hear and much to his surprise it had worked, and he had been returned to active duty within hours. He knew what a smart woman Kate was and although he made fun of her profession as a psychologist, deep down he knew that she had his best interests at heart.
"Are you ready Colonel," Elizabeth asked interrupting his thoughts?
He turned to look at her and put on his trademark crooked grin, hoping to put her mind at ease, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Minister Mithon will meet you on the other side with some of his soldiers. Apparently, they're a bit worried that you won't go through with the test."
"I know what I have to do Elizabeth, so you don't need to worry."
"Well, whether you like it or not John I am going to worry about you as are all of your friends and colleagues."
He really needed to get this over with as quickly as possible so he could come back to Atlantis and spend some quality time with his friends. Although he kept telling everyone he was okay, the truth was that he really needed to be with his Atlantis family right now.
He took a deep breath and turned to Chuck in the control room, "dial her up Chuck."
Turning back to the gate he watched as the Chevrons lit up and he couldn't help but think of the last mission that he'd been on, the one where his team had abandoned him for six months. It wasn't long before the wormhole sprang to life, so he turned around and took one last look at Elizabeth and stepped through the gate. He had no idea what to expect but he hoped that it would be over soon.
Stepping through the gate was a challenge for him considering what had happened the last time, but he knew that he had to do it for the sake of Atlantis. When he arrived on the other side he found minister Mithon waiting for him and alongside him were two soldiers pointing guns at him.
He never really liked the man; to him, he looked like a businessman who would do whatever he could do for you if it served his own best interests. If not you had no value to him, much like his father and brother when they were conducting business. Unfortunately, they treated him the same way, seeing as he had refused to give them what his family had wanted, he had been cast out. What they had wanted him to do was join the family business, but he'd decided when he was six years old that he was going to join the air force and fly planes. When his mother had been alive, she'd always supported his dreams, but when she'd died when he was fourteen, there was no one to believe in him, or support his dream.
He looked down at the Minster and thought that he looked like one of the businessmen that his father had dealt with as well. Mithon was short and round, with an olive looking complexion, his hair was a dark brown and his eyes were almost black. He was meticulously dressed in a grey tunic and matching pants and there wasn't a hair out of place. When Mithon smiled at him it sent a shiver down his spine because it looked more like a sneer.
He looked at the minister and gave him his best smile, "Minister Mithon I will come with you willingly so you can ask your soldiers to put down their guns."
"I'm sorry Colonel, but please try and see it from my point of view, we have had many people in recent times agree to go through with the ceremonial ritual and then at the last minute they have attacked our people."
"Well, I assure you, minister that is not my objective, I have every intention of going through with the ceremony and honour our agreement. We are always looking for allies against the Wraith and we will do whatever it takes to achieve that aim."
"Well, in that case, Colonel Sheppard, come with me, I believe that a celebration meal is in order."
"You won't get any arguments from me, minister."
John was relieved when the minister asked his men to lower their weapons and they were able to proceed to the village. He had no idea how beautiful the view was when he'd first stepped foot on the planet because he'd had to deal with weapons being pointed in his face, but when he finally took the opportunity to look around he was amazed by what he saw. The world was luscious and green, with huge wooded areas to the left of him, and to the right were fields filled with an abundance of crops and he had to wonder why the Wraith hadn't desecrated this world a long time ago.
"Minister I have to wonder if the Wraith have ever come to your world, and if not, do you have any idea why?"
"They haven't been here for several generations and I really have no idea why. All we know is how to live one day at a time and tell our children to not fear the Wraith. Our lives are full and we have everything we ever need right here and right now so we do not worry about the future."
Did all people in the Pegasus galaxy sound so optimistic? He had to wonder. But if he had to live with the fear of the Wraith every day of his life, perhaps that was the best way to live.
They walked on in silence for the next twenty minutes which gave him plenty of time to contemplate what the test may be. Was it a test of his fighting skills, or his running skills? He really had no idea so perhaps he should just wait and stop trying to work it.
A few minutes later his thoughts were interrupted by minister Mithon talking to him, "Colonel Sheppard, welcome to my home. Please come in and sit at my table and we will have a meal before we start the test of endurance."
He looked around the room that they had entered, and he was surprised by its opulence. The dining room was as large as the dining room in his childhood home and there was thick grey carpet on the floor. The walls were off white and the window dressings were a similar shade of grey as the carpet. The chairs and table were made of wood, and the finish on them looked expensive. It was certainly a bit drab and boring, but the minister obviously had money.
"Please, sit down Colonel Sheppard, dinner will be out in a minute. My chef has cooked a large meal for us since you will need your strength for the trial that is to come."
John sat down at the table, The Minister had sat at the head of the table, so John sat to his left, "are you going to tell me what this trial is?"
"I will tell you once we have eaten, but before you undertake the trial, I insist that you have a rest as it may go on for days."
The thought of it going on for days really worried him, "what do you mean that it may go on for days?"
"I will discuss it with you later, but first you must eat."
A plate of meat and vegetables was set in front of him, and his stomach groaned at the thought of eating so much food as it hadn't been long since he'd eaten breakfast. He should have thought about the difference in time zones before coming on the mission, but then he had no idea that Minister Mithon would be offering him a meal.
"Thank you for your hospitality Minister, but I would like to get to the test as soon as possible."
John was shocked when the Minister's countenance change, "I would insist that you rest before the test of endurance Colonel Sheppard!"
At that moment he was worried about what they had in mind for him and he suspected that whatever it was he would have to endure it alone. He wondered if Elizabeth and the others knew that he could be missing two or three days and if they did what they thought about it.
The Minister had insisted that he left all communication devices and weapons behind and he and Elizabeth had had a major argument about it. He had insisted on carrying a knife, but they had agreed that he should leave his earpiece behind as Minister Mithon had assured them that he would contact Atlantis to give Elizabeth updates on his progress. But none of that gave him any peace right now and he felt a huge sense of foreboding about his current circumstances.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Elizabeth had just returned to her office after having lunch with Teyla and Carson and although they were all worried about John it had been an enjoyable occasion. She knew that she shouldn't worry as Minister Mithon had assured her that the test that John was to undertake was one that all young Hyspergan males went through when they reached the age of eighteen and only a few of them had an adverse reaction to it, she still had her suspicions that this probably wasn't a good idea. Although she and John had talked about it at length over the last couple of days and John had assured her that they were doing the right thing, she still couldn't shake the feeling of dread that she was having.
When she had questioned the minister about what the test would entail, she had been told that females were not allowed to know; in fact, the only people who knew about it were the males who had gone through the ritual. When she suggested that they find another way to reach an agreement, she was told that if they wanted to trade with the Hyspergans, this was the only way.
Sighing she took another file off the stack of paperwork and got to work. As usual, the IOA and Stargate command had insisted on paperwork for every small detail of life on Atlantis and she was getting sick and tired of it. Perhaps it was time she ordered some downtime for everyone on Atlantis including her.
She'd been working steadily for half an hour when the chevrons on the gate began to light up. That's odd, she thought, John's the only person off-world at the moment and I'm not expecting to hear from him for a least twenty-four hours.
She hurried out of her office and into the control room just as the wormhole sprang to life. "Who is it, Chuck?" She asked with apprehension.
"It's a radio signal from the Hyspergans."
"Put it through."
She watched as chuck pressed a few buttons before she spoke, "it's Dr Weir here, what can I do for you?"
Minister Mithon's voice came over the com, "Dr Weir I'm just letting you know that Colonel Sheppard may be here for a few days. At the moment he is resting after a rather large meal. I have decided not to disturb him this evening, so the ritual will take place first thing in the morning."
"Thank you, for letting me know. I trust that Colonel Sheppard is okay."
"You have nothing to worry about Dr Weir he is being well looked after. The alliance with your people is important to us, so there is no way we would let anything happen to someone as important as Colonel Sheppard."
"In that case, I look forward to hearing from you in a couple of days."
Once she'd cut the connection, she immediately contacted Major Lorne, there was something that she didn't like about this man and she felt as if she needed a backup plan in case things went wrong.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
When John awoke again, his head felt fuzzy, and he felt extremely tired, and he had to wonder why he felt the way he did.
Looking around at his surroundings he realised that he was in a large bedroom and he was lying on a king-sized bed. The sheets were satin, and the room was decorated the same way as the lounge room was.
The last thing he remembered was sharing a meal with Minister Mithon, towards the end of the meal the Minister had offered him a glass of the local brew and things had become fuzzy after that. It was nighttime by the time they had finished their meal, so it was obvious that the days were short on this planet.
Climbing out of bed he was relieved to find that he was still in his BDU's from the day before. He walked slowly across to the window and looked out and he was surprised to find that the sun was out, and the view was breathtaking. He could see the mountains in the distance, with a river snaking through them until it reached the plains.
Turning away from the window he walked the short distance to the door and tried the handle and much to his chagrin it was locked.
"Hello, is anyone there?"
There was no reply, so he started to pound on the door. When there was no reply, he tried calling out again, "Hello, I could really use some breakfast."
Still, there was no reply, so he decided that he would go and lie down again, if no one was coming, he may as well enjoy the bed for a while longer.
He was just closing his eyes when he heard the door unlocking. Sitting up he opened his eyes to find that Minister Mithon was there with two soldiers.
One of the soldiers approached him and his immediate reaction was to reach for his gun, but it didn't take him long to realise that the only weapon he had was a small knife and he didn't think that it would do him any good in this situation.
"Do not be afraid Colonel Sheppard, we must blindfold you to take you to the place where the ritual is to take place," the minister told him with a sadistic smile.
There were two words in that sentence that freaked him out, number one was blindfold and number two was Cave. Who knows what bugs he might find in a cave and he really hated bugs?
"Really? You want to blindfold me and take me to a cave? How about you don't blindfold me, and I'll promise to never tell anyone where your secret caves are?"
" I'm sorry Colonel Shepard, but this is the way that it has been for generations and we are not going to change our beliefs for anyone. If you wish to trade with us, you need to respect our customs."
This conversation was going nowhere fast, so he decided that to get this whole ordeal over with he should just play along for now, "Look minister, I don't want any trouble, so I will do as you ask, but I swear if you are deceiving us in any way….," he didn't get a chance to finish that sentence before the minister interrupted.
Mithon smiled at him and it sent shivers up and down his spine again, "Colonel Sheppard we have no reason to betray you. Our agreement still stands, once you have finished the ritual, we will ratify the trade agreement."
The soldiers were also pointing their weapons at him again.
Sighing he turned to the minister and put on a fake smile, "is there any breakfast before we go?" He asked hopefully.
"No this is best done on an empty stomach."
"Alright do what you have to and let's get this over with."
Five minutes later he found himself not only blindfolded but handcuffed as well. When he'd told the minister that the handcuffs were not really necessary as he had no intention of trying to escape, the minister had insisted.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Teyla rushed into Elizabeth's office, she had just been told that John may not return for two or three days and she wasn't happy. Upon arrival, she realised that she wasn't the only one with concerns, because Lorne, Ronon, Carson and Rodney were also there and none of them looked happy. Ronon was pacing the room as was Rodney, Lorne and Carson were sitting down and staring at the opposite wall.
"Elizabeth please tell me what is going on? Is it true that the minister is keeping John for up to three days?"
"Yes, Teyla it's true, but he assures me that The Colonel is being well looked after."
"Well, if the minister is looking after him, I feel a whole lot better already," Rodney said sarcastically before coming to sit next to Teyla.
"I don't trust that guy," Ronon growled while still pacing the room.
"I'd have to agree with Ronon, Dr Wier, Minister Mithon has given us no indication that we can trust him," Lorne stated clearly.
"He has given us no reason not to trust him either, so I suggest we wait for another twelve hours to see if The Minister contacts us. If he doesn't, I want a plan to go in and extract the Colonel without any loss of life."
"I'll get right on it, Dr Weir," Lorne said before turning to Ronon, "do you want to help me?"
"Sure, why not," Ronon muttered before following Lorne out of the room.
Carson quickly followed, muttering something about being on duty in the infirmary.
Once Lorne and Ronon had left the room Teyla turned to stare at Rodney, she really wanted to have a conversation with Elizabeth alone and she was hoping he'd leave the room.
When he just stared back at her, she decided that perhaps she should give him a hint, "Is there something that you should be doing in your lab, Dr McKay. Perhaps some of your minions are destroying your work?"
The look on Rodney's face would have been comical if the situation hadn't been so dire.
He was on his feet in a flash and was walking out of the room before he replied, "you're right Teyla, who knows what's happening in my lab."
She watched him leave before turning back to Elizabeth, "I am worried about John, I do not believe he has dealt with what happened in the sanctuary."
"I tend to agree with you Teyla, but Kate has deemed him fit for active duty, so we just have to trust her judgement."
She sighed, perhaps Elizabeth was right, but it still didn't allay her fears for John's safety.
She was about to leave the room when the chevrons on the gate started to light up, Elizabeth stood up and rushed into the control room and she wasn't far behind her.
"What have we got? Elizabeth asked Chuck.
"It's Minister Mithon with a radio transmission."
"Put him through."
"Dr Weir, I am just contacting you to give you an update on Colonel Sheppard."
"Thank you, for contacting me, Minister. Can you let me talk to John?"
"Sorry, but he is on his way to begin the coming-of-age ritual. When he has completed it, he will be a member of our tribe."
"Wait, what does it mean he will be a member of your tribe?"
"Do not worry Dr Weir, he will be returned to you once the ceremony is over."
"Thank you for keeping me, informed minister."
"I will contact you when the ritual is over, Mithon out."
Teyla watched as the gate shut down and turned to look at Elizabeth, "what happens now?"
"Now we wait," Elizabeth replied.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
John suspected that they had been walking for around half an hour and from the sounds, he had heard he was sure that they were moving away from the river. The surroundings were obviously shady, perhaps a wooded area because he couldn't feel the bite of the sun which he'd felt when they'd left the Minister's home. He heard and smelt wildlife all around him, so it was obvious they were heading to a more remote part of the planet.
He shuddered when they finally stopped, and he heard a strange chittering sound and it reminded him of the sound that an Iratus bug made when it was feeding. He sure hoped that there were none of them around.
A voice came out of the darkness and startled him, "Colonel Sheppard we are at the location that the ritual is going to take place."
He felt someone undoing his blindfold, followed by the handcuffs. Once his restraints were released, he blinked a few times and rubbed his wrists to get some circulation back in them, finally he looked around and found that Minister Mithon was the only person standing with him.
"So, Minister what is this test that I am to undertake?" He asked with a sense of trepidation. Looking around at his surrounding he was relieved to see that the chittering sound he was hearing was from some strange looking birds.
"It is more of a vision quest than a test Colonel and by the end of it you need to have dealt with some of your demons."
That didn't sound too hard, go into a cave and deal with the ghosts and demons from his past. The only problem was that there were so many of them that it could take forever.
"Let me get this straight, I have to go in a cave and deal with any issues from my past? That shouldn't be too hard, although it may take a while."
"No Colonel it is not that simple, you will need to be bitten by the Callanta snake, which will induce a trance like state leading to the demons from your past coming to visit you. It is only when these demons disappear that you will be deemed worthy to join our tribe and then we will be able to trade with your people."
This whole situation was beginning to worry him again, "you mean I have to go in there and allow myself to be bitten by a snake? Is it poisonous?"
"The snakes are exceedingly rare on this world, so we have one in a cage at the opening of the cave. All you need to do is put your arm in the top of the box and let it bite you and then within the hour, you should begin to see your demons manifest themselves. The snakes are reasonably harmful other than inducing a trance."
He took a deep breath, snakes were about to become another thing to add to the list of things he hated, right up there with bugs, "alright let's get this over with."
"You are on your own now Colonel Sheppard. You must stay in the cave for two days, even when your vision quest is over, you must remain until someone comes to collect you. There's freshwater inside for you and if you're hungry there's also some fruit, but most people don't feel that hungry when they've finished the quest."
Nodding he walked towards the cave, knowing that he was doing this for his people. He had no idea what the next two days were going to hold for him, but he suspected that it wouldn't be pleasant.
Once inside the cave he located the cage with the snake in, taking a deep breath he put his hand in the top. Instantly something bit him, and he felt a shooting pain in his arm, pulling it away he began to feel dizzy as strange colours began to swirl around him. Before he had a chance to realise what was going on he found himself falling and then just before he hit the ground everything went black.
TBC…