-1-
The door retracted and McKay was unnerved by its swish. Because somewhere between awareness and sleep, he had believed he was home, safe in Atlantis.
Lumi-fog entered, adopting the Sheppard form, grown cleaner, less fuzzy. "Mission accomplished," it said. "Our enemy has been misdirected."
"You've defeated the enemy?" McKay said.
"A small portion, in this section, yes." It stepped forward and overshadowed its namesake. "The organism Sheppard is not operational."
"I know, he's starting to worry me." McKay nudged Sheppard. His head was cool and he seemed tranquil. "You all right?"
Sheppard flinched, stared up at himself. "I'll never get used to that," he said. The color had been restored to his skin. "Fill me in."
"They've opened the door." McKay steadied John, sitting him up, and offered a hand to get him to his feet. The Lumi-fog copied, also offering a hand, though far from real flesh. "Don't be afraid, major," said Rodney. Lumi had earned his trust.
Sheppard hesitated, took Rodney's hand and accepted the fog's as well. He flexed his knee. "Son of a gun," he said. "It's working, it's good. My palm's not bleeding."
"Your head too. They repaired you."
"You're kidding." He touched his hair. "Just a bump. Beckett's out of a job."
Lumi-fog released Sheppard's hand. "How's it feel?" McKay asked.
"Like a light socket. It's got a confident grip."
"The organism Gage is also repaired," said the fog.
McKay shook his head. "What? No, impossible. He couldn't have survived."
"Unfortunately, this Gage has joined with the surface forces. He seeks to eradicate us."
"I wish you hadn't done that," Sheppard went to the door. "We need to get to the Jumper and outta' here. You have weapons?"
Lumi-fog's faux eyes scowled. "We have not."
McKay peeked through the doorway. "How 'bout sticks and stones?"
-2-
On the other side of the door, a long tunnel stretched to meet another in a perpendicular formation. Their initial goal was to take a stable route to the Jumper, retrieve weapons and hail Atlantis. Ultimately dig it out, if possible, and get home. Led by the Lumi-fog in its original shape, they traveled through the cave system, a clever combination of natural and constructed tunnels, illuminated by the nanolight wherever one touched, wee lamps in what would otherwise be a dark zone. Through one hall, they discovered what appeared to be the ghostly material remains of the master architect's living quarters, caved in at one corner. From the desiccated old foodstuffs, table, chairs, and a fiber mat on a built-in platform, they guessed he had been humanoid.
The ceiling was low in regions and they scrunched to pass. Lumi-fog warned them that rising to the surface meant confronting the enemy who, if it served them, could rapidly possess their bodies as they had Gage. McKay asked how Gage had fallen into the control of the hostile nanobots. They explained (morphed into a further improved version of Sheppard), that they had repaired him, believing that this was what ought to be done. Their adversaries, who never ceased to give up on seeking an underground entrance, had burrowed their way through a maze of debris, down a shaft from the surface. The Lumi-fog had abandoned Gage to save themselves. It had been the hostile 'bots that had wrecked the Jumper, targeting it as an intruder, masked within the clouds.
Sheppard asked, "Where is he now?"
"He ascended to the surface," Lumi-fog said. "Through a daylight hole which we have re-secured."
"I hope it holds." McKay jumped over a fissure. The complex was a maze of ramps and stairs which observed a general pattern of chamber, tunnel and artificial hallway.
After an extended hike on ascending levels, they approached the ravine through a rockbound passageway and strolled along it for an unobstructed view, noting that it varied in depth from five to eight meters. Below, the rear of the Jumper was visible, the hatch ajar, full of debris, a snaking hole and trail evident where the resurrected Gage had escaped.
"Can you extract it?" McKay asked Lumi, fishing for a solution. "Are there enough of you?"
"The majority of us are preoccupied with construction."
"What're you building?"
"That which needs to be built," it said.
Sheppard asked Rodney: "They build to build?"
McKay flicked shards out from under his boot. "Might explain why this place is so rickety."
From up the ravine, they heard a humming and Lumi-fog, their ubiquitous guide and rescuer, plainly said: "We all must go," and promptly disbanded and departed, disappearing the way they'd come.
"Hey," McKay said. "What's got into them?"
The frenzied hum grew louder, amplified within the cavern. It was coming closer. Sheppard turned to McKay: "We'd better get out of here."
Running, they reached the passageway entrance. Just inside, shots went off, echoing throughout the space. McKay dove for cover while Sheppard hurried in after him, both concealed behind an outcrop. Sheppard scanned the cavern as more rounds ensued. Across the ravine, Gage came into his line of view, appearing fitter than ever. He fired recklessly, a swarm of golden nanobots swirling about him, and emptied his sidearm. Pieces of the cavern roof crumbled, clattered down on the Jumper. Discarding the weapon, he began the descent into the ravine, nanobots surging into his body.
McKay felt his side. "Oh boy."
"Great, he's armed." Sheppard kept out of sight. "How did he manage to dig anything out?"
Blood seeped on to McKay's hands and wrists. "I'm hit," he said.
Spinning round, Sheppard knelt, laying his hands over McKay's. "Damn him. We can fix this, they can do it," he said, cringing. "I'm sure they can." He looked into McKay's eyes, touched his back. The bullet had gone through, out the front.
McKay took a broken breath. "I don't know if I can..."
"You won't need to run, too far to go back," Sheppard said. "No time. I'll intercept Gage. You will be all right."
"Careful." McKay settled into the corner between the cave wall and the outcropping. "I think," he whispered. "Time crunch here."
Sheppard acknowledged and watched Gage near the bottom of the ravine. He was unexpectedly agile and swift. "Don't move."
McKay got a chill. "I have a choice?"
"Lumi," Sheppard said, wiping blood on his shirt. "Get your ass back here. I'll owe you. Bigtime." He sneaked back to the ravine, crawling at the edge on his belly, and watched Gage begin his climb up the other side. "Sticks and stones," he said, picking up the largest rock he could carry. He held it high, aimed for Gage's head.
The rock hit its mark on the shoulder and Gage reacted as if it were a pebble, halting briefly before climbing on. Sheppard picked up another one, lugged it over his head. The ground trembled and he tipped backwards, lost it. Beneath him, the ledge cracked, separated and broke away. He plunged, dust obscuring his sight, arms and legs flailing, and was swept away in the rubble.
