CHAPTER FOUR: EARTHLY MOVEMENTS

"Look out!" Sheppard yelled, as a chunk of ceiling narrowly missed crushing McKay, the scientist diving into the doorway on his side and cowering down. The Ka-Thunk noise they'd been expecting to hear was drowned out by a high pitched squealing and the distinctive sounds of breaking gears as the ancient device finally gave up the ghost.

Rodney stared with terrified eyes as cracks splintered and split the shaking walls, ceiling and floor, bits of rock dust, wet earth and moss puffing and spitting out of the openings. Another large chunk of ceiling landed about two feet away from him, sending him deeper into the narrow hallway. The firelight in the room spluttered and went out, leaving only the ones in Rodney's corridor lit.

"McKay!" Sheppard shouted from the shadows, shining his flashlight across at the scientist, "Get out of here!"

Rodney shook his head, peering through the dust at light, "No! What about you!"

"I'll find my own way out! Go! Now!"

"No! Major, what if there isn't—"

"I'll be fine! We have to get moving! Keep your radio on!"

"But—"

"MOVE RODNEY!"

And without waiting to see if the stubborn scientist would do as he was told, Sheppard swung his light around and ducked down the pitch black hallway on his side. McKay saw him leave by the movement of the light, standing up straighter in his corridor.

"Major! Wait, no! I won't just leave you down—"

His shout was cut short as a massive part of the wall collapsed into the room right in front of him, the force of it sending him flying backwards into the hallway.

For a second, everything rang inside McKay's head, and he had to shake his head to get it to stop. Rubbing at the back of his neck where he landed, grimacing at the ache in his abused left knee, he gritted his teeth and pushed to his feet, staring with wonder behind him. The chamber was completely blocked off now, the doorway just a memory.

"No," he whispered. Around him, the ancient stone walls continued to shake, and he looked up as cracks spidered across the ceiling. Self-preservation finally clicked in, and he turned, moving as best he could down the narrow corridor. The sconces lighting his way were going out one by one, before he could even reach them, as the force of the quakes grew. "Damn it," he muttered, fumbling for his own P90 and turning the flashlight on. As he stumbled, trying not to fall as the ground seemed like jelly beneath his feet, he hit his radio.

"Major? Major are you still there? Please answer!"

A pause, then, "What?"

Relief flooded through the scientist, "Are you okay?"

"I...crap!"

McKay grimaced as the sounds of rocks falling echoed eerily over the radio, passing several pitch dark openings as he moved as quickly as his knee allowed up the rising corridor towards the next level above. He could see the stairs up ahead, barely lit by the fires in the chamber above.

"Major!"

"I..." Sheppard coughed, "I'm fine. Just have to take...a different route. Keep moving McKay!"

McKay's expressive face showed his worry and fear as he considered what he could do to get to the Major if the other man got trapped down here. There was no question in his mind that they would both get out of here. He just had to find a way. As he limped, he tried to map out the temple in his mind, trying to imagine which way Sheppard might be heading....

He got so lost in the idea, that he didn't even notice the raised stone until he tripped over it, landing hard on his hurt knee. A gasp of pain burst from his lips, then one of fear as the walls in front of him suddenly shook with terrifying power. Falling back onto his butt, he crabbed backwards as rocks tumbled down in front of him where, had he not tripped, he would have been standing.

"Help!" he shouted, throwing his arms over his head and pulling himself into a fetal position. Stones, pebbles and dust showered down on top of him, and a few of the larger stones bruised his legs and arms. After a moment, it slowed, and he managed to look out at the dust filled world in the light of his flashlight. Pushing backwards, he crawled out from beneath the rubble and somehow got to his feet.

And found himself staring at another wall of fallen rocks.

"McKay!" Sheppard's shout over the radio was panicked, and McKay realized he hadn't turned it off. The Major had heard his cry. "McKay! What happened? Answer me!"

"Fine...fine," McKay stammered, still not really sure it was true. "The, uh, the way out...it's blocked."

There was no response, then, calmly, "It's okay. There are other doors. Try to find another way out."

McKay nodded, then, realizing that the major wouldn't be able to see that, emitted a shaky, "right." Gathering the last shreds of his survival instincts around him, he limped back down into the darkness, for the first side corridor he could find.

---------------------------------------------------

Sheppard frowned, wishing he could see Rodney to make sure that the man's vocal tremor was caused by fear and not something worse. Hefting his flashlight higher, he ignored the ache in his now painful left arm. A large chunk of wall had managed to hit it at just the right point, and he was deadly sure it was broken. It wasn't a bad break—just hairline, most likely—but enough to maintain a constant throb and preventing him from moving his fingers much.

It made him think about Rodney's left leg. He hadn't even asked if....

Another horrific rumble shook the floor, and the major fell against one wall, shaking his head as dust coated his hair. Damn it! Focus, Sheppard! You have to get yourself out of here right now. You're no good to anyone if you get trapped down here!

He focused the light down another dark corridor to his right, trying to remember how many turns he'd taken so far. He'd generally been trying to follow corridors in mirror image to those on the other side, but like McKay he'd been cut off twice and had a horrible suspicion he was, well, lost.

------------------------------------------------------------

TBC