AN: fenestrae, your feedback touched me, but I must admit my first efforts were dismal. I love to write, and had some basic talent with it, but I needed a lot of work (and still do). You all are my guniea pigs (aren't you thrilled). Anyway, thank you so much, and again thank you everyone! I want to add that I apologize for the slow updates. I wanted a certain thing with this story, and it's hard to sit back, and work it, and not fall into the trap of rushing. I actually had this chapter written but didn't like how it turned out so I scrapped it and started over. Thanks for being patient with me and not threatening to revolt! I want to say thanks to my beta Gaffer, and my two friends Bastet and Shelly who gave me feedback! Now, on to the show!
Chapter Nine
Ancients Ancient Lab
John maneuvered the Jumper into another lazy arc; he had been increasing the distance from the gate incrementally with each pass. They had figured out how to get to the previous gates. McKay had used a combination of luck, experience, and prayer to pin down what addresses would connect to each of the gates they'd visited before, though John knew Rodney would never admit to the luck part.
The animal designations had stuck on the gates. The Bear gate was in a mountainous area, and a search within fifty miles had revealed nothing but snow-capped peaks that would make an outdoor enthusiast drool from the beauty, and scraggly pine trees. The Wolf gate had a similar result, turning up nothing but wasted time. The Desert gate hadn't had an animal to pin a moniker on it, so Ford had jumped on the name game with Desert gate. Sheppard figured nothing fit any better so he let it be, but it reminded him of some political scandal; Water-gate, Desert-gate; except there wasn't any President to blame their current circumstances on. They had searched the surrounding land, and found nothing but dimples in the sand for their efforts.
Now, they were circling the forest around the Cougar gate. The hours had ticked away like sands in the hourglass, passing with a blink of an eye, but John felt as gritty with fatigue and fever as if he were stuck inside that hourglass. The suns had sunk lower on the horizon, passing their apex, and signaling the day was dwindling. The lack of progress in the search was causing a level of frustration to erode his demeanor, and it was a struggle to keep the surliness out of his replies to the members of his team and Doctor Beckett.
"Are we there yet?" McKay intentionally needled Sheppard.
"Do you want to get out and walk?" John asked, that surliness notching up to a new level. He knew Rodney was trying to get a rise out of him, and he didn't mind complying.
Teyla frowned at the two men. She was unhappy with the continued bickering they had degenerated into. There was always a level of angst to their relationship, but for the past two hours the depth of their pettiness had increased, and it was grating on her nerves.
Beckett was having thoughts similar to Teyla, but he realized a lot of their sniping was caused by the virus running rampant in their systems, combined with the fact that they had been struggling to solve the situation for going on three days. Ironically, only one other member of the Atlantis expedition, Major John Sheppard, surpassed McKay's impatience. To be stuck in this situation with both men was a trial on his soul, yet he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Look, I realize this isn't exactly a carnival ride, but you said it yourself, it's probably our ticket home," Sheppard reminded McKay.
"I know," McKay replied. "It doesn't mean I'm enjoying it. The fact is, we could do this all day and still come up empty."
This time it was Ford who sighed. "We have been doing this all day."
McKay regarded Ford with a look that spoke volumes. "Let me try again. We aren't getting anywhere doing it this way. There's got to be a better solution."
"Don't hold back," John said, checking his display to gauge the radius from the gate. "If you've got a better idea I'm all ears."
Rodney paused, trying to collect his thoughts. "I think it's safe to say that it isn't in the other locations. We had a good visual on the ground in those areas. Here, we can't see anything through the foliage. If you were going to construct a building you wanted hidden from outsiders, where would you put it?"
Sheppard had to agree with that. If you wanted to shield prying eyes, this jungle was the place to do it. "What would they have been hiding it from?"
"I don't know," Rodney looked perturbed. "I'm just saying, could be the Wraith, could be anyone. The point is you wouldn't build your lab out in the open, right?"
"That depends," Sheppard said. "If I was doing something I didn't want anyone to know about. The Ancients weren't exactly evildoers, McKay. Why would they try to hide?"
"Oh, right," McKay grabbed a tissue, and wiped his nose, without pausing. "May I remind you again of that black cloud entity that tried to suck the life from Atlantis? They weren't playing nice by capturing the neighborhood creatures and imprisoning them for ten thousand years."
Sheppard had to admit that had surprised him. He had thought the Ancients were some powerful, benevolent race, above wrong-doing, but in his own words he'd admitted he'd have been pissed if it'd been done to him. "True, but, you said this was some zoo, or gate testing planet, what's secret about that?"
"The zoo thing is just an assumption, maybe there's some other explanation?" Ford interjected.
John adjusted the flight path again. He didn't know what reasons the Ancients had for what was going on here. He had the gene, but he didn't have their database downloaded into his brain. He wasn't privy to what made them do the things they did. The closest person who could do that was McKay, so, "What do you suggest, McKay?"
"We go on foot." McKay dropped his bombshell.
The reaction was what McKay had expected. Ford looked eager, Teyla seemed apprehensive but open to the idea, Beckett looked like he wanted to hide under a blanket, and John looked, McKay didn't know how exactly John looked; tired, resolute, accepting, maybe all three.
"You do realize there are some very big animals down there?" Beckett asked. He was a doctor, and he wasn't embarrassed to let his timidity show. He never claimed he was up to playing Rambo in the jungle, or doing any of the other things that had been happening since they had gated to the Pegasus galaxy. That didn't mean he wouldn't go, but he wouldn't be lining up in first place.
Beckett had experience with jungles, and cougars. He'd spent a couple of years in Brazil, traveling amongst the tribes in the rain forests, and delivering basic medical care. At one of the tribal villages there had been a seven-year-old boy, a small lad for his age, ravaged by a cougar. There had been nothing he could do. If he'd been near a hospital, maybe, but there in the midst of the jungle with only rudimentary supplies, the golden hour had passed, and with it so had the boy.
Sheppard had made his decision. He adjusted the path again, examining the display for a clear location south of the gate where they could land. He understood Beckett's fears, but McKay had good instincts, and if you were to examine the possible outcomes of this disaster that had been the trip to M3M-552, things weren't looking so hot. There weren't any nearby planets with gates, and the Jumper could travel for weeks to reach the nearest gate. He wasn't willing to consign all of them to that kind of trip without exhausting all other options first. He'd give McKay his chance.
"We'll go on foot," Sheppard announced, and he didn't leave any doubt that it was an order. He reached for a tissue at the same time as McKay, and looked up, surprised to see Rodney staring at him as well.
Words not spoken passed between them, an acknowledgement of John's trust in McKay's advice. A silent thank you, and a promise to not let the other down. John looked away after grabbing the next Kleenex. "Make sure you take plenty of ammo. I don't want to be caught on the menu, again."
As the others made their way out of the Jumper after loading their gear, Sheppard called Beckett back, "Doc?"
Beckett was half out the hatch, and turned back, "Aye?"
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Beckett headed back into the vehicle, up towards the front hatch where Sheppard was leaning against the bulkhead door. "What do you need, Major?"
It took all John had to admit to any weakness, but the truth of it was, he was feeling like warmed up two-day garbage. "I need something to keep me going. Not feeling so hot."
Beckett was startled by Sheppard's admission. He lifted a hand without a thought to the Major's forehead and wasn't happy to feel the heat radiate out from the Major's skin. "Worse than this morning?" he asked sharply.
John nodded. Truth be told, he felt a lot worse than earlier. "Just give me something to keep me on my feet."
"This isn't going to work for long, but it should keep you upright for a while." Beckett handed him a couple of pills he had dug out of his bag.
"Give McKay something also. He needs to be at his best more than I do once we find this lab of the Ancients."
Beckett grimaced. "If we find it."
Sheppard shook his head. "Not if, we will."
He headed towards the exit. Beckett tossed the bottle into his bag and called after the Major, "Let me know if you feel worse."
John didn't look back. "Can do," he replied.
Beckett sighed. "Sure you will," he murmured to no one.
The sting of another broad leaf slapping his face caused John to wince. He was leading the team through the dense undergrowth, following a path that McKay had decided upon. The rain forest was thick with branches, leaves, trees, vines, and moss. Anything that could possibly grow, grew here. He had hoped to clear a path, but as soon as he released a branch or vine, it would snap back to its original location with an almost human defiance.
Sheppard was wet. His jacket was damp, his head dripping, pants and socks waterlogged. The air was saturated with moisture, and it collected on the plants, transferring to their clothes and bodies as they worked their way through the forest. His hair clung to his forehead, while sweat congealed and mixed with pure rainwater on his skin. It was as uncomfortable as he'd been in a long time. When they'd taken a swim in the river, that'd been a clean wet, dangerous, but not dirty. This was something different. He could feel dirt caking in cracks he'd rather not think of. The tangy taste of sweat dripping onto his lip reminded him of the need to get some water. It was ironic that in the middle of such abundant moisture, you could die from dehydration.
"Let's take a break," John called.
"Finally," McKay grouched. "I was beginning to think you'd walk us till we passed out."
Sheppard smiled in a noncommittal way. "What's the fun of that?"
Rodney was on the verge of replying; something Sheppard figured would probably be caustic and equally rude, when McKay sneezed, spraying the air to John's side. "Bless you."
McKay waved an impatient hand. "Thanks," he said, conveying his disgust in the one word.
Teyla had approached Sheppard, on stealthy footsteps from years of hunting experience. She held out her canteen, "You need to drink."
Sheppard knew he did. "Yes, but not yours." He didn't know how the Athosian would react to this virus, and he wasn't willing to find out if they could help it. He was keeping his distance, and avoiding touching anything of hers. He reached over and picked up McKay's jug that was resting by his boot. Rodney had found a spot on a log that had fallen to time, and seemed clear of anything harmful. "Thanks McKay."
"You're welcome," Rodney said, not being bothered. John hadn't brought his own canteen because of the extra ammo. It went without saying the two were stuck sharing as they were the only ones sick, for now. "But I get the chocolate power bar."
Sheppard screwed the lid back on, and set the bottle by McKay, pulling out two energy bars, one chocolate, and one peanut butter. Peanut butter wasn't his favorite but he guessed he'd let McKay have his pick, this time. "You're in luck," he tossed the package to Rodney.
"Ford, you and Beckett stay with McKay. Teyla, come with me." Sheppard wanted to scout ahead while the others rested. He eyed the slivers of darkening sky above. They would need to head back to the Jumper soon if they couldn't find the building. He hadn't seen any sign of cougars, or snakes, but nocturnal animals would be a danger he wasn't willing to risk.
He and Teyla worked their way ahead, forging through the growth. Teyla worked alongside him, quiet for a time before speaking her mind. "You seem troubled, Major."
Sheppard had a different relationship with Teyla than McKay, and even Ford. He was usually more honest and open with her. She had a keenness that often saw right through him so he didn't figure it was worth pretending, or putting her off. "It's getting dark."
"And you are worried because we haven't found the Ancient's building?"
"Yes, that," he wanted to say the rest of what was bothering him, but that was unburdening his mind, and he wasn't sure he was up to letting that out right now.
"I believe Doctor McKay would not have suggested this if he weren't certain it was here," Teyla said.
"I know that, Teyla. It's just, I don't know," John struggled to find the right words. "There's something wrong here."
Teyla eyed him with confusion. "Here?"
"Yes, here, this planet. Something's not right." Sheppard didn't know how else to explain his feelings, but there was a crawling in his gut, and it was telling him to watch out. It wasn't the animals, the bugs, or the fact that he was sick. There was something else, and no matter how he tried to pin it down, it eluded him like a firefly in the twilight sky. "Let's head back, I don't see anything."
Teyla was about to agree when she noticed something odd about the plant life in front of them. "Major "
John turned to look at what had grabbed her attention. The jungle had been full of a multitude of plants, varying in size, thickness, and colors, but in front of them was what he could only describe as a solid wall of plants. The vines were gnarled, thick, and black, like the dark nutrient rich soil you would find in a garden. Thin leaves jutted out in every direction, and it all had an air of old age, hanging over it like drapes in a kitchen window. Some branches had withered under the eons of days, and the persistent pull of gravity, despite the lush promise of life. It was different from the other areas they had seen up till this point.
Sheppard clicked his radio. "McKay, get up here."
McKay placed a tentative hand against one of the vines. "How do we get in?"
"I was hoping you'd have an idea." Sheppard had explained to Rodney what they'd found. It had only taken minutes for the others to catch up to Teyla and John's location. John had been able to wedge a stick in a small hole and press inward till he'd hit something solid.
"Can't you think us in, like you did on that frozen planet?" Beckett asked.
Sheppard fixed a disgruntled stare on Carson.
"Right, sorry."
"Assuming that the systems aren't operational, the only way in would be the old fashioned way," McKay said, while he was pulling and prodding at different locations, grunting with the exertion in between words.
Teyla frowned. "Old fashioned way?"
"The front door," Ford explained, reaching in and helping with the search.
"We need a machete," McKay exclaimed.
Sheppard agreed, but they didn't have one. "Are you going to go back to the Jumper, fly to the Wolf gate, and contact Atlantis for one?" When it came down to it, they might need to. These plants had thousands of years to overcome the building that lie underneath, and it wouldn't give with a few tugs.
"Pull, Major," McKay replied, grabbing on a particularly thick arm of a vine, and giving a vicious tug. Surprisingly, the plant gave, and cracked with a loudness that echoed all around, like a gunshot in a quiet night, startling birds, and sending them flying from their perches with angry squawks.
Or not, Sheppard thought, startled by the obvious brittleness of the vine. They gathered around the dark opening the branch had revealed when it split away from the other vines. John peered in, seeing what looked like a never-ending black hole, swallowing all light that leeched in towards the breach. He held out his hand, "Give me the flashlight."
Ford handed the small handheld light, and Sheppard took it, aiming it inwards, and was able to make out definite walls. "There's something there. We need to make this hole bigger."
John put the light in his mouth, and started pulling back on the thinner branches, widening the opening. Teyla, Ford and Beckett joined in, while McKay got out his energy reading device. "Anything?" John asked, ripping back one of the larger branches, and falling backwards from the force when it finally gave up the fight.
McKay shook his head. "Nothing. Whatever is in there, it's dead as a doornail. Not even enough to power a light bulb."
It didn't take long to widen the haphazard entrance to a size where they could squeeze through, but Sheppard felt as if he'd run a marathon, and then biked another twenty miles. He regarded the way in with a mixed measure of relief and uncertainty. He wiped a hand across his forehead, trying to clear some of the itchy sweat away, "You think this is the Ancients building, or maybe something else?"
McKay didn't know. He was making an assumption that it was the Ancients that had created all that they had found on this planet. The multiple gates, the zoo-like quality to the climates in the different locations, but it was an assumption, a paradigm that could be based upon a fallacy in judgment. "You know as much as I do," he finally said.
That didn't help a whole lot, but it wasn't meant to. John shrugged his shoulders, shifting his pack into a more comfortable position, and took another swipe at his face as an errant drop weaved down the side of his face. "I'll go first, Ford, you follow, then McKay and Beckett. Teyla, take the rear."
Sheppard didn't wait for acknowledgement, he didn't expect any. He crept forward and hunched over, putting his right leg in, and bending his back down, pushing his torso in, before pulling his left leg after the rest of his body. It had been a tight fit, but he'd made it. He swung the light around the room, stunned by what it revealed. "It's clear!" he shouted in the general direction of the entrance, walking into the middle of the room.
"I think they need to hire a new interior decorator," Ford joked, after he had crawled in, and surveyed the same scene that Sheppard had.
"Lieutenant, it's been abandoned for ten-thousand years, what do you think it would look like, the Ritz?" McKay snapped.
"Atlantis didn't look like this."
"Atlantis had a shield."
"Ford, McKay, shut up," Sheppard said. "Spread out, look for other doors, consoles, anything."
The room was a wreck, and that was probably being optimistic. Whatever materials the Ancients had used, nature had proven the superior opponent, because great chunks of walls and ceiling lay scattered on the floor, fallen with no rhyme or reason, but for the wasting power of erosion and time. An earthy smell permeated the room, stinking like fungus and decay. It was dank, and dark, and altogether unpleasant.
John scanned for anything that resembled a console, and found nothing. It was probably an outer room, maybe their version of a mudroom, where the workers could come in from outside and clean up before entering the main complex. He hoped that was the case, because their hopes had been for nothing if it weren't.
"I found something!" McKay shouted from the other end of the room. It wasn't a big room, probably fifteen by fifteen, if that, so Rodney's shout had more to do with elation than a need to be heard from far away.
Sheppard made fast time to McKay's location, relieved to see the scientist was standing in front of what could only be a door, and it was going into the complex. "Can you open it?"
"I'm trying."
"Try harder," Sheppard urged. How many times had he said that to McKay under similar pressure? Every time always seemed more urgent than the last.
The door opened. Just like that. One minute it was shut, and Sheppard was praying to every deity he'd ever heard about, and the next it was open, revealing something none of them expected.
