Chapter Two: Company

"Major, what the hell did you do?!" shouted a very peeved McKay.

Sheppard turned around to find not only the scientist, but an extremely confused Beckett as well. The doctor was still in the act of taking something from his nonexistent medical kit. Ford, however, was no where in sight.

"What's goin' on here?" asked the Scott, glancing nervously at the unfamiliar room.

"What did you touch?" McKay asked Sheppard accusingly. He got up quickly and marched towards the Major.

"Nothing," Sheppard replied innocently. He raised his hands and stepped away from the wall. McKay immediately started fiddling with the panel. Sheppard left him to it, turning his attention to their new surroundings. The room was about the same size as the lab. However, aside from the single panel, it was completely empty. The only other feature was a door on the opposite side of the room.

"Where are we?" Beckett asked, getting up to join him.

"I don't know." He reached for his radio: "Ford, come in." Silence. "Ford!" Still nothing.

"Do ya' think something happened to him?"

"More likely something happened to us. McKay! Talk to me!"

"Have patience, Major," McKay snapped. "This thing is completely shorted out. I'm surprised we even got here in one piece."

"So, it's a transporter."

"Yes, Major." McKay was starting to lose what little patience remained to him.

"Any idea why Ford wasn't transported?"

"No," McKay sighed in exasperation. "Now, if you would just be quiet, I might be able to get us back."

"Okay, okay," Sheppard said defensively. "Keep your shirt on." He took out a life signs detector from one of his vest's pockets and checked it. "Woah."

"What is it?" Beckett asked, looking over his shoulder. The screen showed an uncomfortably large group of life forms just beyond the single door.

"McKay," Sheppard said slowly.

"What?" he snapped, angry at all the interruptions. He turned around and was startled by the Major's sudden, serious expression. "What is it?" he asked in concern, walking over to join the other two.

"We've got company," Sheppard replied. He checked the screen again. "A lot of company."

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

Meanwhile, Lt. Ford found himself suddenly alone in the strange lab. Holding his gun at the ready, he quickly searched the room and hallway outside. Nothing. He returned to examine the lab again. Except for the absence of his companions, nothing appeared to have changed. Beckett's medical kit still lay open on the floor, exactly as it had been, but neither he nor McKay or the Major were anywhere to be found.

"Dr. Weir?" he called on his radio.

"Yes, Lieutenant? How's Rodney?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" Weir asked in alarm.

"They've all vanished."

"Vanished?!"

"Yeah. One second they were here and the next they were gone."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that McKay just disappeared?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And Major Sheppard and Dr. Beckett too?"

"Gone."

Weir sighed deeply. Why was it always the simple things that went wrong? "You'd better stay there," she told Ford. "I'll send someone down to find out what happened."

"Will do."