Title: Memories in the Sand
Author: SlayersGrl
Summary: In the aftermath of the storm, discoveries in the sand provide a glimpse 10,000 years into the past.
Disclaimer: Not mine, as you all know…

Author's note: I actually got the idea for this story from seeing the amount of damage last year's hurricane season had on Florida's coastline. If that much sand can disappear from normal hurricanes, how much damage could a huge storm due?

Takes place after "The Eye".

Squinting in reaction to the glare of the sun's rays on the smooth ocean surface below, Aiden continued to stare at the expansive shoreline below him. He and Teyla were currently conducting an aerial survey in one of the Jumpers to determine how much damage the hurricane had done to the land surrounding the Athosian settlements. So far, the damage was extensive. Entire areas had been stripped of vegetation and large sections of beach had been washed away. But it was nothing that couldn't be repaired or restored given time. The land would recover. Thankfully, everyone had been evacuated from the mainland before the full force of the storm had hit the shore.

"How are your people doing?" Ford asked the woman seated next to him, referring to the Athosians' efforts to return to life outside of the city's boundaries.

"They have already begun to rebuild. Many new structures have already been built and they have begun to prepare the land for new crops." She paused as her eyes scanned the scene below her. "We were lucky no one was lost to the storm. We have lost too many to the Wraith already. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have had to rebuild. My people know what needs to be done."

"You shouldn't have to get used to rebuilding your entire society…" he replied. However, all thoughts about the Athosians' lot in life were pushed aside when he noticed something gleaming on the beach in front of them. "Hey, do you see that?"

Teyla also had noticed the object buried in the sand. As they flew closer to hover over the area, they could see a faint impression of the object that stretched beneath the white sand to disappear in the dark ocean waters. They could hardly believe what they were looking at.

Aiden reached for his radio. "Ford to Atlantis."

"Lieutenant, what's your status?" Dr. Weir's voice replied.

"We found something you're gonna want to see…"

Elizabeth frowned at the response. "Could you be more specific?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Just make sure Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay come with you."

After the lieutenant's cryptic remarks, Elizabeth's curiosity was in overdrive. What had they found out there? She quickly contacted John and Rodney and ordered them to meet her in the Jumper bay as soon as possible. She then stood tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for them to arrive. Granted, she had only been waiting about two minutes but she didn't want to wait any longer than necessary.

"What's the rush?" Sheppard asked as he arrived. "Did something happen?" She was amused to see he had stopped by the armory on his way there. She realized her urgent request must have sounded like something was wrong.

"Ford said they found something on their survey and they insisted we all go check it out."

"Found what?" Rodney asked, arriving just in time to hear her reply.

"Don't know, wouldn't tell me. Now let's go," she said brusquely as she shoved the two men into the small ship.

Deciding it would be best if they just went with the flow, John immediately took the pilot's seat while Rodney settled in beside him. A short while later, they were coming into view of the location Ford had sent them. They could see the other Jumper lying on the beach with two figures standing next to it. But it was the object that was sticking out of the sand that grabbed their attention.

"Cool!" Sheppard and McKay said in unison.

Although the object had obviously been stressed and warped from its time buried under the water, there was no mistaking its form. It was a ship, a rather large ship actually. And from the sections that were visible, it was Ancient in design. They quickly landed next to their teammates and rushed to examine the amazing find.

"I knew you'd want to see this," Aiden said as way of greeting.

All Elizabeth could think to do was to stare in wonder. Only a portion of the ship was currently visible rising above the shore. The materials used to build it were similar to those in Atlantis. And judging by the section that was exposed, this ship had been much larger than a Puddle Jumper. "How long do you think it's been buried here?"

"At least since the Ancient's last battle with the Wraith," Rodney answered. "It must have been damaged in the fight and crashed into the beach. Then the waves eventually buried it." As he spoke, he had already started to walk towards the structure rising from the sand, eager to uncover its buried secrets.

He was stopped abruptly by Sheppard calling out his name. He turned to notice the major had a weapon in hand and was calmly motioning for him to wait while he checked it out. "Oh you have got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed in frustration. "It's been buried for thousands of years! There is no way anything is still alive in there!"

John knew Rodney had a point, but it was hard to just discard the need for recon after it had been ingrained in him for so many years. And besides, there were on an alien planet. "I'm sure you're right. But I'd still like to make sure the security systems aren't still active before you go rushing in there." When the scientist looked like he was going to object further, John added, "Just humor me alright. You'll have plenty of time to play with it when I'm done."

"Fine, I need to get some equipment out of the Jumper anyway," Rodney replied as he immediately changed directions and headed back to their small ship. Elizabeth hurried after him deciding she had better run some damage control if she expected the two men to get along while in cramped quarters for the next few hours.

Aiden and Teyla merely glanced at each other in amusement before hurrying to catch up to Sheppard. They immediately fell into mission mode and began to check the wreck for any possible dangers. A short time later, the scan had failed to locate anything suspicious but they had managed to find a possible route of entry.

Standing off to the side, Rodney protested the delay in silence. He knew the major's actions were completely pointless in this situation but he also knew the man would never admit it. So, he waited until the rest of team declared the wreck safe for entry before gathering his equipment and smugly declaring, "I told you so."

"Better safe than sorry I always say," John said in defense.

"Yeah, since when?" Rodney replied. Without waiting for any further response, he quickly stepped through the gaping hole that had been discovered on the far end of the structure. He quickly pulled out a flashlight and swept its thin beam of light over his surroundings.

He was hardly surprised at the amount of damage the sea had wrought on the interior of the ship. The harsh salty water had completely stripped the alien alloy of its original appearance. The ocean had also left its mark in the form of sea life clinging to the walls. Barnacles and sea grasses covered nearly every available surface. And to top it all off, water dripped from everywhere, as if the mighty ocean of this unnamed planet was struggling to hold on to its spoils of war.

The beams of other flashlights quickly joined his as the rest of their exploration team joined him. "Somehow I was expecting something more preserved," Elizabeth commented softly. After they had found the city in almost pristine condition, she had half expected to find the same here.

"This ship wasn't protected by a shield like Atlantis was. Water is one of the most destructive forces and 10,000 years is a long time to do some damage," Rodney replied.

"This is a spaceship though," Aiden added, "Maybe some of the other sections are still in tact."

They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the tattered remnants of the Ancients' last line of defense against the Wraith. There were remnants of the power the ship had once commanded, but it had been mostly washed away by the hands of time. They managed to find what was left of the command deck, or at least what they assumed was the command deck. The room had been eroded almost beyond recognition. McKay found pieces of an Ancient computer in the rubble but the parts were damaged beyond repair. Eventually, they discovered that this was only a piece of the original ship. The rest must have crashed further out and been swallowed by the merciless sea.

After their search ultimately proved fruitless, they all eventually regrouped out on the beach. "It must have been a grand ship. I would have liked to have seen it," Teyla observed as they each stood watching the sun slowly set behind the exposed alien craft.

Throughout their many expeditions to explore this vast galaxy they now called home, the visitors from Earth continued to uncover small clues about the history of the mysterious race responsible for building the Stargates. But each piece inevitably led to more questions, questions which may never be answered. Even though this discovery had turned up only waterlogged images of the past, they each knew they would never stop their search. As the new inhabitants of the once great city of Atlantis, they would continue where the Ancients had left off. They would fight to survive until the very end. Either the Wraith would be defeated or the Lost City would lie in ruins at the bottom of the ocean, next to the other remnants of its creators' own struggle against an unbeatable foe.

AN: Um… I'm not really sure where I was going with this so the ending is a bit odd… I might edit it at a later date, if I find the inspiration.