-- HIDDEN RESOURCES --

PART TWO: The Amazing Mesa

About two days previously, a probe sent through the gate to this world had detected a fairly strong energy reading, strong enough to suggest it could be a Z.P.M. As the world itself appeared peaceful and quiet without any obvious signs of life, it didn't take much for Weir to authorize the mission. Once here, McKay had discovered the energy being utilized was more spread out than initially indicated, but still remarkably potent. His readings suggested that something was powering an area the size of a small city, and, seeing as all they could visually see was trees and the occasional meadow, that probably meant it had to be underground.

Not the most auspicious of discoveries.

Still, power was power and McKay was leading to them to one of the highest concentrations of it.

Teyla moved to the front as she walked in the direction pointed out by the doctor, striding purposefully, probably still a little annoyed with them. A woman with a mission, Shepard thought to himself.

Thing was, it wasn't her mission.

Shepard cleared his throat, stepping up to match her stride.

"You've been here before, then?" he asked innocently.

Teyla looked askance at Shepard, her brow furrowing slightly. "No. I believe I have already said that. I have not been here before."

The major frowned in response, then shrugged, "Then how do you know where you're going?"

Teyla frowned again, then stopped moving. She realized then that she had unconsciously moved into the lead of the group, as if she herself were, in fact, the leader. Shepard nodded in mock thanks as he took over the role of point, and she blinked slightly as she rejoined the vaguely circular formation they usually took when visiting new planets. Ford winked at her, while McKay gave no indication at all that he'd heard the exchange, focused, instead, on the device in his hand.

"So," Shepard spoke again a little while later, "we almost there, McKay?"

A grunt was his reply.

"McKay?" the major glanced over his shoulder, his tone a little more commanding.

"Not much farther, Major. Keep your pants on."

"I'm only asking, because," Shepard slowed, "well, we're running out of road, here."

He stopped. So did Teyla and Ford. McKay only slowed a little, eyes still on his scanner.

"Well, since you seem so intent on knowing," the scientist was saying, "the most concentrated readings are coming from exactly...." McKay stopped finally, discovering what Shepard meant as his foot hit solid rock, "Oh." Then, a moment later, as his body registered that he'd stubbed his toe, "Ow." Shaking the foot, he held up the scanner again, puzzlement clear on his face.

Before him the solid rock face of a massive cliff rose straight up into the air. It seemed to climb into infinity, rising well above the treeline before eventually capping out a horizon somewhere well above their heads. It also stretched away from the little party to both the left and right without obvious end. Bits of grass and plant life peeked out of the rock's crevices, but, for the most part, it was sheer. The stone itself was gray and speckled, like granite.

"It should be here," McKay muttered, tapping the cold rock with his finger before stepping back with a frown.

"Inside the mesa?" Shepard asked coyly.

"Yes, um," McKay peered up at the apparently seamless rock, then back at his scanner, then back to the rock again, "Seems odd, doesn't it?"

"A little," Shepard said, stepping forward and placing a hand palm down against the rock. Then he knocked on it, earning a slight sting in his knuckles but learning little else. "I think it's solid McKay."

Ford and Teyla both looked at the doctor, who grimaced, his eyes once more on the scanner. He was still looking supremely puzzled and now a little disgruntled.

"Um," Ford adjusted the P90 on his shoulder with a shrug, "sir, not to be difficult, but are we sure it's a mesa?"

Shepard and McKay both looked at the lieutenant.

"As opposed to...?" Shepard prompted.

"I don't know. A butte?"

McKay half smiled, looked over at the major, already sensing what was coming.

Shepard's eyes narrowed at the young man. "A butte?" he repeated incredulously.

"Sure, I mean, just—"

"Ford."

"Yes sir?"

"As someone who is trying not to be difficult, please, tell me, what is the difference between a mesa and a butte?"

"Um, well," Ford frowned, "buttes are...smaller?"

"It could also just be a really big rock," Teyla suggested, looking at them all expectantly.

McKay grinned at that. He quickly schooled his face when he received a glare from Shepard.

"A big rock," Shepard repeated, looking back at the Athosian. "Listen, this," he pointed behind him at the cliff, "is a mesa. Buttes," he looked at Ford, "have sloping sides, while this is a vertical cliff face, and," he looked at Teyla, "it's too big just to be a big rock."

"Actually," McKay mused, "Teyla could be right; it could be a monolith." He glanced at the Major, "Ever been to Ayers Rock? It's really quite an amazing—"

"It's a mesa! That's what we're calling it; that's what it is!" Shepard was glaring fully now at the doctor. McKay grinned crookedly in response--he loved baiting Shepard--and looked again at the cliff. As he did so, something occurred to him, and he frowned again, taking a step forward to look more closely. Meanwhile, the major's eyes narrowed, just then realizing he was being made fun of. Licking his lips, he quickly turned the tables.

"So, doctor," Shepard leaned on one leg, "You've basically led us to an impenetrable wall. Now what?"

"Um," McKay played with his lips a moment, looking back up at the rockface, "Well, look, it is clearly hollow."

"Doesn't look hollow."

"Well, looks can be deceiving."

"Doesn't feel hollow, either."

"Fine," McKay grimaced, grunted, and lifted his scanner again. He moved a few steps to the right, then pivoted around and walked a few steps in the other direction. His eyes lifted upwards, narrowing as he inspected a portion of the cliff above their heads. "Okay, here's the thing," he said, looking down again, "according to the readings, there is a concentration of power here, but it then leaves this point and spreads itself out in roughly three directions. To the left and right, the energy output is negligible but evenly distributed, as it rises upwards, however," he looked up, eyes narrowing again, "more power is utilized."

"So more energy is used as you go up," Shepard reiterated.

"Yes."

"So?" The major shrugged.

"Well," McKay frowned, arching an eyebrow at the major, "doesn't it make you wonder why?"

"Why what?"

"Why the sky is blue," the doctor snapped. "Why more power is being used up above, of course!"

"McKay—"

"Look at the cliff, Major," McKay returned his gaze to the rock, "Doesn't anything about the cliff over our heads strike you as odd?"

"No."

"Look closely," the doctor pressed, "and think about the fact that we flew to a spot very close to here."

Shepard's eyes narrowed, while Teyla just looked at Ford. The lieutenant was blinking, trying to guess what McKay was getting at. Suddenly, the young man's eyes lit with understanding, and he was about to speak but the major beat him to it.

"Oh, just tell us McKay," Shepard growled. "I would prefer to return home sometime this century, if you don't mind."

The doctor sighed, clearly disappointed.

"Okay, okay," McKay tucked the scanner back into his belt and looked around his feet, "Maybe I should just show you." After a moment, he saw a fairly hefty rock and he leaned down to grab it. Tossing it in his hand for a few moments, he pursed his lips, then leaned back and threw it with all his might in the direction of the cliff wall about ten feet above their heads. As one, the other three members of the Team followed the trajectory of the rock as it arced, fully expecting it to hit the wall and bounce off.

So, it was with some surprise, then, when it instead passed straight on through the solid rock.

McKay grinned.

"An illusion!" Teyla gasped, stepping back.

"How did you know?" Shepard asked McKay, grudgingly impressed.

McKay, in full smug mode now, opened his mouth to answer, but Ford beat him to it.

"Because we didn't see this when we flew in," the lieutenant said, nodding to himself. "Something this big should have been really obvious from the air, but all we saw were rolling hills." He looked at McKay, "Is that right?"

"Give the boy a prize!" McKay grinned back. "Yes, that, and, if you look at that creeper there," he pointed to where a fairly large clump of ivy was growing out of a crevice to the upper right, "it's identical to that one there," he pointed at a crevice much closer to the ground to their left. "It's simple cloning," he chuckled, "a more impressive version of a simple photoshop effect."

"Well, whaddya know," Shepard nodded, his hands on his hips. "That's one hell of an illusion."

"But," Teyla frowned, "I would not think such a thing would offer much protection from the Wraith." She shook her head as they all turned to her, "They would have the same readings as us, and would move to investigate this place as we have, and, though I know how quickly your mind works, doctor," she nodded at McKay, "I do not imagine it would take them long to discern that this," she glanced at Shepard, "mesa is an illusion either."

"But perhaps long enough to give the people inside the opportunity to find a good place to hide?" Shepard suggested.

"Wraiths are masters of illusion themselves," Teyla shook her head, "it would not be enough time. Their probes, darts and scanners would penetrate this illusion as easily as the doctor's rock did, as easily as they did the trees on Athos or any other structure." She shook her head, "I do not see it as offering any protection at all. It would delay the inevitable, that is all. If anything, it would hasten it, as the Wraith would be drawn here."

"Like moths to a flame," Ford said. Teyla froze for a second, then turned to look at the lieutenant. He blushed at her gaze, "Sorry. Kinda hard to stop."

"Well if it's not for protection," McKay interrupted, scratching at the back of his neck, "then it must have another purpose."

"Maybe," Shepard said slowly, his fingers tapping the butt of his P90, "it's not to hide the people inside," he frowned, "but something the people have."

"If there are people inside," McKay quickly amended. "We haven't exactly seen any signs of life around here."

Shepard shrugged, "They may not know we're here."

"I threw a rock through their illusion," McKay said, "don't you think that would have triggered some sort of alarm?"

Shepard grimaced, staring at McKay out of the corner of his eye, "Are you saying...that you may have already pissed these people off?"

McKay blinked a few times, and smiled briefly before shrugging, "Well, we are pretty good at doing that; why buck the trend?"

Ford cracked an involuntary smile, and Teyla looked back up at the cliff, not about to ask what a buck was. As she studied it, she became more convinced she could see where real rock ended and fake rock began.

"Sorry, sorry," McKay held his hands up. "Fact is, what you said makes sense. If it's not there to hide people, then it's hiding something else. Question is, what?" He crossed his arms, his lips pursing in concentration, eyes trailing up and down the illusion for an answer. The other three members of the team found their minds drawing a blank at the question, but, then again, that's why McKay was there. As they watched, the tension left the scientist's face and his lips stretched into a smile—an answer had been found. Tilting his head slightly, McKay looked into the expectant face of the major. "What if what's hidden in there," he smiled more, "is a weapon?"

The major's eyebrows rose, "A weapon? You're kidding."

"Well, Teyla said that the Wraith would be drawn here, right? Well, unless they have some ability we don't know yet, they still rely on their eyes to see. If they can't see a threat until too late, then an illusion is effective. What if," he licked his lips, "what's inside is a weapon? When the Wraith ships go inside, the weapon is triggered...." He shrugged.

Shepard looked back at the cliff, arching an eyebrow. "A weapon," he repeated, saying the word as if tasting it.

McKay shrugged, "Don't get too excited. It's just a theory."

"But one worth checking out." The major stepped forward, hands on his hips now as he looked up. "So, how do we get in?"

"Well," McKay frowned, peering again at the rockface, "there must be a door somewhere."

"Why do we not just climb?" Teyla asked. They all turned to look at her, and she pointed up. "I am almost certain I can see where the illusion begins. It is not that high. And if a rock can pass through it, why not a person?"

The major frowned, "I don't know," he shook his head. "We don't know what's behind that screen. Could be this world's version of an electric fence or barbed wire, and you wouldn't see the danger until you're right on top of it."

"True," she admitted, eyeing him, "but there could also be nothing at all. Is it not worth the risk? It could take many days to find a door, if one even exists."

The major frowned, then looked at McKay, "Can you disrupt the illusion, enough to give us an idea of what's behind it?"

McKay frowned, "Um, maybe." As he spoke, he was unbuckling the pack on his back, shifting to slip it off, "It's possible I can interrupt the power to it for a moment, enough to open a kind of window. Though," he looked back at Shepard, "If I do...and that rock didn't trigger some sort of response from whomever may be inside, I can almost guarantee that my monkeying with their power source would."

Teyla's eyes narrowed slightly at "monkeying," mentally connecting it to the flying monkey comment from earlier. Made a little more sense, now.

"Oh come on, McKay," the major stood hipshot, "you're saying someone like you doesn't know how to hack into someone's computer without leaving a trail?"

The scientist rolled his eyes as he knelt, opening his pack to rifle through the contents. After a few moments, he pulled out what the major would describe as a "doodad" along with some wires. Moving forward, he wedged it into a portion of the cliff-face, then stepped back, connecting the wires to a tiny keypad he had also pulled out of his pack. The other three waited patiently as the scientist's hands attacked the pad, fingers tapping away like a pianists' on his keys. Ford, the closest, was the only one to see the number of times McKay hit the tiny "delete" button in the corner. It was pretty often.

Shepard sighed, while Teyla returned her concentration to the rock. Stepping forward, she played her hand on the cold stone, testing its roughness under her fingers.

"Sir?" Ford asked, getting a little anxious.

"Yeah?"

"Say we do climb. Why wouldn't the Wraith do the same thing? What if the weapon is triggered the moment anything travels through the illusion, not just flying machines?"

Shepard's lips pursed, and he caught McKay glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, a fresh look of concern on his face, his fingers pausing for a moment on the keyboard.

"A Wraith would not climb this," Teyla said, her tone disdainful for the vampiric creatures. "They would see no gain. If they can not cull people using their ships, they often do not bother with them at all. When you have hundreds of worlds to choose from, one less group of people is not much of a loss. I would guess there is nothing up there but air."

"It doesn't matter," the major said, cutting Teyla short. "We're not going in blind." He looked back at the doctor, "McKay? Any luck?"

"Not yet. This technology, while familiar, is still alien, don't forget, and I'm not sure I even have the right...oh...wait...ha. As usual, I'm smarter than I think I am."

"No way!" Shepard looked at Ford, "I didn't think that was possible."

The lieutenant smirked, "It's not, sir."

"What?" McKay looked up, catching on a little late, then his eyes narrowed. "Oh, very droll." Ignoring them for now, he typed a little more then stopped. "There we go. Look up," he directed, lifting up his head. Four pairs of eyes focused on the rock wall as McKay hit the enter pad on his scanner.

A "window" opened in the illusion about five feet above their heads. It showed what looked like a metal railing, lining the end of a dark, concrete corridor, and concrete walls on both sides. Before they could see more, however, the window closed, and the illusion of the mesa returned. McKay gave a tiny swear, attacking his little keypad again.

"McKay?"

"Something has blocked me out—must be a failsafe mechanism. I could probably find another way around the defenses of the computer creating this illusion, but," he looked at Shepard, "I'm not sure what more we would learn. There's obviously a way in up there."

"Shall I go then?" Teyla asked, already shifting her P90 around to her back. Ford's eyebrows lifted.

"You?"

"I am the lightest, and I am adept at climbing. If you boost me up, I can be over that railing we saw in a matter of moments."

"Well, sure, but—"

"She's right, lieutenant," Shepard walked forward, pressing his hand to the rock again, "Besides, it was her idea." Turning, he looked back at the Athosian, "No time like the present." he looked past her to the lieutenant, "Ford, cover her. McKay," the scientist perked his eyebrows, "You see any sort of spike in those power readings from that thing, you yell and Teyla, you fall back. We'll catch you."

McKay nodded, while Teyla just rubbed her hands together to warm them in anticipation of the climb.

"Okay, Teyla," Shepard put his hands together in a cradle and lowered them, "Alley-oop."

She paused, her mouth opening to ask, then decided not to bother. Jogging up to him, she placed her foot into his hands and allowed him to propel her upwards. Her fingers quickly found handholds and, in seconds, she was scrambling up the cliff. Her hands grabbed the edge of the railing she had seen when McKay opened the window, trusting her sense of touch over that of her sight, since to her eyes it appeared as if her arms were melting through solid rock.

On the ground below, McKay kept his eyes glued to the scanner, while both Ford and Shepard had their machine guns raised and pointed, following Teyla's progress as she quickly passed straight through the illusion...and disappeared. Both the major and the lieutenant's jaw muscles tensed, trying not to be concerned when she didn't immediately reappear.

"Major Shepard," Teyla's calm voice came in clearly over the radio.

Not lowering his hold on his rifle, the major nudged the receiver on the radio on his shoulder, "Yes Teyla. What do you see?"

"Well, I am afraid Doctor McKay was correct. Our presence has not gone undetected."

McKay made a sound a little like a chirrup as the readings on his scanner suddenly spiked at the same time that a new, wider window in the illusion opened, and not one of his making.

Teyla stood watching them from the inside of the railing. She was surrounded on all sides by guards in dark green uniforms, one of whom held what appeared to be a gun like a nineteenth century peacemaker to her head, while the rest pointed what looked a little like lever-action hunting rifles down on the three men. Shepard sighed, though he didn't lower his weapon.

"Anyone else got a real strong send of déjà vu here?" he muttered.

TBC in Part Three