A/N I'm back, and so long from before! Many apologies, school and life got in the way. Here ya go.
Those of you who watch both shows, and have seen SG-1's The Other Guys, ought to recognize one of the lines in here. I shamelessly borrowed it, and I also don't own it. Or Star Trek, for that matter. Or much of anything else, come to think of it. Hmmm.
? Space?
"You make sure you are safe out there, Rodney. One of you comes back hurt on every mission, I swear."
"Don't worry, babe, I can handle this." Rodney's calm words floated around her mind for a moment, as this was the first test. If she, or any of the others, for that matter, didn't keep themselves professional, then the relationships and the whole team dynamic would have to change. That was something she had been dreading ever since Carson had declared everyone fit for duty, and now it was time to pay the piper.
"Don't worry, I'll have him home in a jiffy, Mom." John turned and leapt through the gate before Liz had any chance of retorting, leaving a laughing AT-1 in his wake.
"You tell him he's in trouble when he gets home." Liz watched Adien's head dip, and a smile crossed his face before he disappeared into the event horizon. Rodney and Teyla were quick to follow, both quiet before vanishing. Liz watched the gate disengage, and sighed. Only 12 hours until they were supposed to come back. 12 hours that she had to keep up the 'tough leader' mask.
? That's right people, we are OFFWORLD! Sing a song! ?
"Trees. What is it with the clearings, all of them surrounded by trees?" Rodney let his face crack into a momentary smile before spitting out a very McKay-like retort.
"Oxygen in the air. Duh." He pulled out the little device he always had, the one John had named the 'tricorder'. It did do a lot of things, but the real tricorder had way better graphics.
"Don't have to get snappy with me, I was just wondering why there is always a clearing." John had done a complete scan in the time he had been talking to McKay, and felt safe that there were no enemies. At least there were none nearby.
"Probably for the wraith ships, I don't know. It's not like I know everything." Rodney huffed and started walking off, away from the gate.
"And where do you think you are going? I promised Liz I would watch out for you, but that's a bit hard to do with you disappearing into the forest." John reached out and grabbed McKay's shoulder as he spoke, effectively stopping the scientist's forward motion.
"There's a strange reading over here. It could be a ZedPM, or some sort of civilization."
"You could have told me, instead of just walking." John nodded his head and turned back to Teyla and Adien. "Ford, you take point, McKay, you can have shotgun, just so we don't get lost, and I'll bring up the rear." Everyone nodded to show they understood, and Ford began walking in the direction that McKay had been moving in only moments earlier. His body was slightly crouched; his feet silent on the pine-needled floor, but all of it was for naught. Rodney was rambling on behind him, his conversation leaping topics faster than his companions could keep up. It was a wonder that Wraith didn't find them just by McKay's incessant chatter.
"Well, at least someone is happy to be off-world again." John broke his survey of the forest to focus momentarily on Teyla, who had taken up position right next to him.
"And you are not?" She was also scanning the trees, but only half-heartedly. Her ears could pick up any sound in the forest, whether or not she was paying attention. It freed up a bit of her time for her new hobby, which included observing the Humans. She may have been living on Atlantis for 6 months now, but she had barely scratched the surface of who they were, and how they spoke.
"Well, sure, but I would rather be back on Atlantis killing time with you. If I had a choice, that is. Doing recon is the most important thing though." There was one for memory, that was for sure. 'Killing time.' Obviously, John had no intent to kill time, not in the sense of it actually dieing, because that was quite impossible. He must have meant 'wasting.' Why couldn't he just say what he meant?
"As would I. However, if we hurry, we might be able to get home sooner, and have more time to 'kill'."
"Good point." John turned back to the trees and was silent. McKay was now lecturing on the disadvantages of his so-called 'tricorder', and how the one that Commander Data had was so much better. Ford effectively shut him up by telling him to stop complaining about it and just fix that one up with all kinds of techno toys. The real kicker, however, was what he said next.
"I know you have the schematics for the Tricorders' that came standard on the Enterprise-D. Dr. Zelenka showed me the computer file." Rodney turned several shades of red, sputtering out half-words before giving up and turning back to his equipment. E knew he had been found out, and there was no sense trying to deny it. After all, what scientist didn't worship at the alter of Roddenberry?
"McKay, hush. Sir, do you get the distinct feeling that we're being watched?"
"I was just going to say the exact same thing, lieutenant. Every one keep a look out. Lets keep going." John instinctively moved a half step closer to Teyla, which earned him a poke in the side.
"I can take care of myself. My people have lived with the Wraith for centuries."
"And there are two of you. I don't want anything to happen to either of you. Now hush so I can listen." Teyla had just decided it might just be easier to submit to his male protection gene, when a snapping branch made her whirl around. John heard it as well, and he softly called for Rodney and Adien. As they turned around, they all heard a rustling in the branches above their heads. What they saw next was unlike anything they had experienced yet, and something that might not happen again for sometime yet.
The trees were attacking them.
? Space?
"Dr. Weir, here are the reports you asked for." Liz lifted her head off the desk and looked at Peter Grodin. His hand was stretched out, said reports waving in front of her face. Liz reached up slowly and grabbed them, but her mind was somewhere else.
Peter must have picked up on her mood, because he said, "I'm sure they will be fine. They are scheduled to check in every four hours, right?" Liz nodded her head softly. "Well, it's been almost three. So, it won't be too much longer."
Elisabeth smiled at his attempt to cheer her up, which satisfied Peter. He backed out of the door, waving quickly before settling himself at his station. Liz opened the first report in the small stack and began to read it. It was an analysis of the system that had housed the alien creature, the one that had almost killed Rodney and the rest of the city. Apparently, one of the scientists thought the technology could be retrofitted into a weapon that would drain the Wraith stun weapons. Most of it was written in techno babble, and Liz set it off to the side for Rodney to look at.
Rodney. Just his name distracted her from her task, and Elisabeth rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her eyes unfocused. She could see all four of them walking in a forest, with Adien leading the way, but Rodney was the clearest. They all stopped, and Liz absently wondered why she couldn't seem to control her daydream. The fuzzy images of John and Teyla seemed to be talking to each other, and then they turned around and faced the other direction. John reached his had back behind him and did something, which made Adien and Rodney turn as well.
Liz kept watching, feeling like a little kid sitting on the top branch of a tree, watching people pass underneath. She started to feel a little chilly, but not on her skin. It was more like the feeling that something bad was about to happen, something very bad. Liz felt, rather than heard herself gasp as all four members of AT-1 looked up, only to be knocked down by swinging branches. She could hear herself screaming Rodney's name, but it seemed so far away, like a bad telephone connection. The trees kept attacking, and Liz felt her whole body go limp, and then, she passed out.
? Space?
And that's the chapter! And I had better get started on the next one, or a few people, who will go unnamed, coughHeathercough will be coming after me to kill me! Lol. So, until next time,
Peace, Love, and Everything Feline,
Furlings are Cats
