Chapter V: Here comes the Wraith
Sheppard and Ford were heading down the hallway and past a corner to the right. What the life signs detector was showing couldn't be right.
John 's thoughts were occupied with the discussion he had just had, and he was still feeling angry. But some of her words were imprinted on his mind, and he tried in vain to disregard them as just angry words: 'I made her an outcast... she let herself be an outcast!'
He remembered the day clearly, and after giving it some thought, John knew that he partially at fault for what had happened that day. Elizabeth was mad at him, not only because of their little encounter when the nanovirus attacked, but she was fuming because of the bets going on the day before the incident. She had somehow managed to get word that he had bet with Rodney that he would go with her to their new bar. She had accepted, he was happy and in the night after drinking a lot she had left him alone, right after telling him that she wasn't pleased about the bet. Now more memories invaded his mind as he remembered that Rodney had lost the bet, and John spent most of the day, thinking up more ways to tease the loser. He'd been so distracted that day, that he didn't pay attention to his work, and at the moment, he hadn't felt he needed to do much as Sgt. Stackhouse had informed him earlier that Stella was a good pilot and was learning fast. But then she'd screwed it up and she blamed it on him. Too bad for her.
So, now he tried to think about the problem at hand. They were trapped at the end of the hallway. He took another look at the life signs detector, and an expression of worry came over his face.
Ford saw the expression on his CO's face. "What is it? Sir?"
"I don't think–"
But before John could finish his sentence, a particularly big and ugly Wraith appeared beside Ford. Instantly the Wraith smacked the young man in the chest sending him several feet back. Sheppard took his gun and managed to shoot twice, but the Wraith hit him in the face. John staggered backward into the wall. Before he could recover, the Wraith grabbed him by the throat and demanded, "Where is she?"
John was a little confused by the question, and the Wraith must have seen it in his face because he asked again, "The girl, where is she?"
Then John's radio came alive – it was Bates. He quickly tried to shut it off, but the Wraith took it away from him.
-0-0-0-0-
Stella was now sitting on the floor; she knew that if they were to remain there any longer she would start to doze off pretty soon. At the moment, she wished she could be in her big bed, she had back on earth.
Her daydream stopped when she saw Lt. Ford land on the floor at the end of the hallway, right in the corner, then followed by gunfire. Bates, who had been standing guard, grabbed Stella by the arm and dragged her to the closest door. He opened it and the two dove into a dark room.
Stella looked straight at Bates – or rather, at the spot in the impenetrable blackness where she thought he was. "What are you doing? Shouldn't we be out there helping them?"
Stella could feel Bates's eyes drilling into her as he said firmly, "No. You need to stay out of that hallway. I should be out there helping them." Bates now clicked on his radio. "Major Sheppard, come in. Major Sheppard What's going on out there?" When there was no answer, he said to Stella, "Stay here."
Bates had started to move toward the door, but Stella cut him off. "No, no, no, you're not leaving me alone!"
"They are out there, you said it yourself, and they need help."
But before Stella could reply, the radio came alive, "Sergeant Bates."
Bates responded quickly. "Is everything all right, sir?"
"I am three inches away from having my life sucked out of me. He wants Stella."
Both Stella and Bates replied, "What?"
"Bates, take her away from here."
Her eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness, Stella now snatched the radio away from Bates. "Wait! No! Major Sheppard, we can help you!"
"Stay away, Stella!"
Now Stella could hear the Wraith's creepy voice on the other side, she couldn't understand what he was saying. Stella just snapped, "What the hell do you want me for? You had your opportunity to feed on me! I thought that after five times you would give up."
Now she could hear the sounds of a struggle, then Major Sheppard's voice, "Shut up!" There was another ruffled sound and now the Wraith's voice was heard, "I can be very patient. Eventually I will feed on you."
Stella felt a shiver going through her body, the creature continued, "Humans such as yourself are harvested and aged."
Stella couldn't control herself, "What am I, wine?"
But the creature ignored her and continued, "I can feed right now."
Stella's mind raced fast; she didn't know what she was doing. Now she could feel Bates staring, she was negotiating with a Wraith, she had never negotiated anything in her life. The radio came alive again. "Shall I take his life?"
Instantly and full of fear, Stella shouted, "No! Please don't!" There was silence, and she continued, "OK, you can have me, but let them go."
"You are in no position to demand anything. If you surrender to me, you won't have to see them die. Or else I'll kill them all so you are the only one left."
"Then I have a proposition. I am right in front of the transport doors. Come and get me, let the others go for now. You will have me, and then you can play hunter with the others. I've heard that you guys like to play with your food."
There was silence once again. Stella walked toward the door, but Bates now stood in front of her. "What are you doing?"
"I know he'll come for me. I can save Major Sheppard. I'm the one the Wraith is really after."
But before Bates could stop her, Stella stepped around him and out the door. he heard her say, "Stay there please," she said.
Bates now looked toward where Ford lay sprawled on the floor, then back at Stella. Realizing what she had in mind, he stayed inside the room with the door half open.
Stella stood in the middle of the hallway, and soon saw the Wraith walk around the corner dragging Major Sheppard. Once the Wraith had a clear view of Stella, flung Sheppard across the hallway. The major hit the floor and stayed there.
The Wraith kept on walking towards Stella. She felt now that her body was trembling. She now feared that Major Sheppard was injured, but tried not to think about it. Dwelling there could bring up the guilt of her last words to him, and she needed to focus.
The Wraith was getting closer and closer, and Stella felt her body stiffen by the minute. The creature was now no more than 15 feet away from her. She had never felt so scared in her life. Stella couldn't believe that after her encounters with the creature, she was now willingly placing herself within his grasp.
The creature stared at her like a kid ogling his favorite lollipop before eating it. Her head began to feel heavy, growing worse as the Wraith approached. She sank to her knees, the heaviness was so deep that she could barely open her eyes.
