A/N: I did catch the episode Duet. Amazing ep btw for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. The humor was priceless and I was very interested in seeing how it was all resolved. And that little "interchange" between McKay and Beckett—if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about—sooooo funny. Anyway, I've calculated only a few more chapters left to this story and things are about to go off the deep end. Enjoy. Warning This chapter contains violence.
------- mid scene shifts.


Chapter 11: Misery Loves Company
The cell that McKay currently resided in was otherwise silent, save for the sqweltching sounds his stomach repeatedly made. The physicist placed a hand on his gut, frowning in displeasure as it let loose another long and strangled gurgle.

"Yeah I'm pretty famished myself." Sheppard added after the last grumble dulled from their ears. So, this was prison. Sitting around and waiting for lunch. Where were the weight room brawls, laundry room duties, or hell even chipping away at massive stone blocks with sledgehammers? This was just, boring. John had literally sat through the stifled conversation between McKay and Beckett, to which the doctor was fine and well; locked up who knew where. Then agonized through four hours of Rodney snoring, mumbling in his sleep about calibrations he needed to do on something in his head. It did though, give Sheppard the time to reorganize the plan.

He knew the schedule of the citadel, the whole sun-period-thing; knew both he and McKay were dead tired as well. Not that he could see the sky or anything enough to tell when this second period lunch was going to take place, making the wait all the more frustrating. He proceeded then in twiddling Rodney's thumbs, which strangely, the physicist let him do without complaint. John accounted McKay's leniency to hunger, which seemed to sap the man's energy with each passing moment. No wonder Rodney always whined about eating, this was awful. Sheppard could actually feel himself slowing down; thoughts bordered by fuzziness. Though he despised them, John would have actually agreed to McKay eating one of those awful power bars he was always snacking on.

"You have the maximum-security sector still memorized right?" Sheppard asked. He couldn't stand the silence anymore, not when the only thing breaking it was the protests of Rodney's empty stomach.

McKay rested slovenly against the wall behind his cot, slouching until his chin dug into his chest. It was uncomfortable, but at that point, he hadn't the gumption to hold his head up let alone shift to another position. He licked at his parched lips replying. "I can't even remember my own name I'm so hungry." He exaggerated, wincing as his gut openly yelled at him again for sustenance.

"Well then from now on I'm calling you Ethel. And what I meant was, if you don't remember them, I do. From what I can recall about the blueprints to this hell-hole they only built one cafeteria. So, there's a good chance we'll see Beckett come lunch time."

Rodney rolled his eyes, whimpering slightly. "Don't even mention the word lunch. I can't take it. And that's only if they don't have separate prison sections following one another. They can't fit us all in one room."

"Well, well, well---if it isn't the infamous, Doctor McKay." Came an overly charming voice in the direction of the door to the physicist's cell. Rodney shot up where he slouched, eyes darting to the door to find Commander Dran staring back at him through slotted bars. The A'vok smiled curtly, pleased he caught the man so of guard.

"Great, now the gang's all here." Sheppard said dryly, feeling Rodney get to his feet and walk to the center of the cell, folding his arms.

The physicist eyed Dran carefully, returning in a nonchalant tone. "I suppose you feel proud of yourself." McKay himself had been wondering just when Dran was going to show his condescending self again. Though he felt that later was better then sooner in this case. Of all the people John could have made him punch out cold, why couldn't it be the A'vok Commander, that he wouldn't have minded that much. Rodney could accept fracturing his hand on Dran's jaw.

Dran laughed softly to himself, that kind of forced amusement he seemed apt to do. He then ran a long finger or two down the caged door, remarking with a widened grin. "Pride is not the issue here Doctor. I'm simply paying respects to the man I envisioned behind these bars. I must have made quite an impact on you and your men. Enough to completely disregard the agreement I made with Weir on your detainment."

Letting out a condescending chuckle Rodney interjected. "Yes, I just had to see your lovely face again Commander. So I said to myself, Rodney---what's the best way around that? Ta-da!" He held up his hands to the side before folding them back up in front of him, his smile fading, adding venomously. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"McKay. I hate Commander Stick-up-his-ass just as much as you do, but that's no reason to get us busted. Don't egg him on. He might think something's up with us being here."

The A'vok's expression sunk, taking on a sour demeanor before the man stepped up closer to the bars, their shadows lending rather sinister darkness to his already hardened face. "My point exactly Doctor McKay. I don't know what you and your friend were doing on that planet, but I can only imagine the look of shock on your faces when you found it." He continued, glasses flashing under the glow of the small energy lights in the cell. "I have plans for you Doctor. And you've only made things that much easier for me---intentionally or otherwise."

McKay remained silent, not liking the obvious intimidation in Dran's tone. The A'vok backed away then, features lightening as he returned genuinely. "I do so hope you find your cell accommodating. If not---" The Commander added lightly, gesturing with a hand towards the outside. "—well, you won't be staying in it very much longer. I can promise you that."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Rodney asked shortly, not at all pleased even if it was an empty threat. "Look, you've already won Dran. So why don't you just totter off like a good general and bother someone who cares."

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

Near the same time as McKay was having his reunion, Beckett was having one of his own. After getting in touch with Rodney and the Major, Carson had settled back, trying to remain as calm and comfortable as possible considering the situation. For the first hour or two he paced, then he slept for what seemed only minutes but turned out to be nearly an hour, then spent the remainder of the time staring off at the wall. He had already gotten over the fact that his belongings were stripped from him, including any of the medical supplies he daringly smuggle in. The only thing Carson managed to keep on him was the trinket he pulled from the tree in the temple. He held it now in one hand, rubbing a thumb over the rough weathered metal.

It was a medallion of sorts from what he could tell, now that he had proper time to examine it. It looked to be made of pewter but what the real metal composition was he couldn't tell and most of its surface was marred by rust. Beckett stood then holding the necklace up to the flickering energy light stationed on either side of his cell. There was something defiantly etched in it, perhaps some sort of symbol though it was too hard to make it out with the metal's fatigue. On the other side of the disk, round an inch and a half in diameter he guessed; was what looked like smaller writing. Flowing symbols grouped to form words he couldn't read but knew they must have meant something if they were important enough to place on a necklace.

Catching a movement on the corner of his eye, Beckett managed to catch the fleeting image of a dark haired man passing by his cell door, dropping a bit of paper in the instant he was there. Carson closed his hand around the medallion, pocketing it as he went across the cell, carefully picking up the folded paper.

He stood up by the barred door, finding the hall on either side empty and receiving a very dirty look from the prisoner stationed in the cell across from his. Beckett gave him a friendly if not fearful wave and crept back deeper into his cell, paper in hand.

Taking up the still warm spot he left on the cot, Carson opened the note, scanning the writing, which he could remarkably read. He skipped to the end, seeing the hasty scrolled initials MN.

"Malic." The doctor remarked to himself, jumping his eyes to the beginning of the short note, which read thusly:

Gertz is missing. Execution still scheduled for tomorrow after second period. I will keep in touch. Destroy this letter after reading.

MN

With heavy breath, Beckett folded up the note, shocked by what he had read. How could the inventor be missing? It certainly put all sorts of kinks into the plan to say the least. He had to talk to McKay. Quickly Carson shoved the note into his pocket and slid off the cot. Crouching down, the doctor slowly slipped his hands under the mattress and felt around for his earpiece, finding it after a panicked moment where Beckett had thought he lost it.

He shifted deeper into the cell, squatting in a nearby-secluded corner. Though, in truth the cell really afforded no seclusion in the first place; being around three yards by three yards in width and two yards and a half in height. Beckett could barely get out of the sight of the cell door let alone have any sort of privacy.

Placing the intercom in his ear, Carson switched it on, hoping Rodney was awake.

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

With a nauseating smile, Dran gave a short nod. "If that is what I'm to do Doctor. Then I shouldn't be kept from my duties." He added smugly. "Do enjoy your stay."

He was about to leave when unexpectedly there was a muffled sound coming from within McKay's cell. The physicist froze up, realizing instantly what it was. Dran paused listening to the scattered vibrations in the air, arching a brow at Rodney.

"What was that?" The A'vok looked about the cell, spying nothing at the moment. "What was that noise?"

"Ah." Rodney stuttered, letting out an awkward laugh. "I didn't hear anything. Maybe it was something down the hall, one of the other cells---" He pointed out the door.

Dran narrowed his eyes, standing stone still, listening. Again he heard the muffled noise of what sounded like talking.

McKay held his breath, jaw clenched.

"Your stomach."

"It's---It's my stomach." The physicist said finally, evening his voice as he frowned at the A'vok; slapping a hand to his gut. "Seems I'm not accustomed to your, pitiable if not insufficient food regiments. You'd think you were running a prison." He added lamely, catching the expression on Dran's face creep from suspicion to a slight offense.

Dran, having no further want to feign his friendliness turned and stalked off, hands clasped behind his back. Rodney watched him until the very moment the man's form disappeared from sight before he plopped back onto the cot, breathing a sigh of relief. "Well that was about as fun as a root-canal."

"About as fun as being with you in the shower."Sheppard quipped.

The physicist shook his head, running a hand through is hair. He jammed a hand inside a slit he'd ripped in the mattress, john's suggestion; and pulled out the intercom. Beckett's voice came forth loud and clear in his hand a moment later; as Rodney placed the piece in his ear with a disdainful look.
"Yeah I'm here!" He snapped; regretting it afterwards.

"Oh, thank goodness." Carson exclaimed in a whisper, either ignoring the man's present attitude or not noticing it in the first place. "We've got a bit of a situation."

McKay looked around for a moment then scooted over to the other side of the cot, so he was out of earshot, turning his back to the door. "Let me guess; their governor gave you a reprieve?"

He heard Carson sigh over the intercom.
"Listen, I said I was sorry, how was I supposed to know you'd get more years then me? They didn't have me on file."

"I only think it's fair that since we were both arrested on the same offence, we'd get an equal share of conviction time. Is that too much to ask? I'm already having the month from hell!" McKay snarled, scrunching up in a tense ball of frustration.
Rodney heard the Major interrupt then. "McKay—need to focus. You can bicker about sentencing later if we're not all dead. Now find out what's wrong with the Doc."

"Right." The physicist muttered, sobering himself. "What's the problem?"

Carson was silent for a moment. Which, worried John to no end. Either something was going on in the doctor's cell---maybe Dran had paid him a visit as well—or maybe he was just hesitant to say whatever it was he had to say. Turned out to be the latter of the two, to Sheppard's discord.
"Gertz---is missin'."

Sitting there a moment, McKay stared at the wall before replying slowly. "Wait---did you just say, what I think you just said. Because it sounded like you just said that Gertz has gone AWAL. And why am I using military lingo! Huh Major! I shouldn't be having these questions! These questions shouldn't be even---" Rodney shot out a dismissive hand. "—gracing my mind." "What do you mean he's gone? Where did he go? The A'vokien Wal-Mart?"

"Ethel; breath."

"Don't you---" Combated the physicist harshly as he stood up, bending to glance outside, seeing there was no one about he slipped into a corner; pointing accusingly at the wall with a hiss. "—Don't you Ethel breath me!"

"Pardon? Who's Ethel?" Beckett radioed back, sounding more then confused. It seemed in the short time he had not spoken to Rodney, the man had completely lost it. Perhaps it was an effect of the final days of transfer. The doctor had a nagging fear that the switch between the two consciousness would be any day now. And without medical supplies, or even access to Rodney and John for that matter; things could go horribly, horribly wrong. "Rodney, are you feelin' alright?"

Letting out a long and satisfying breath, McKay continued. "No, no I'm not feeling alright. I'm starving. That's worse then death for me. In fact, that means death for me. How many times do I have to tell you people? Hypoglycemic isn't just a fancy word I like to use!"

"We really need to get together and figure this out."

"Where's Gertz? And where's the goddamn lunch bell!" McKay spun around shouting to the empty cell, caring little if anyone actually heard him.

Just then there was a blearing sound echoing through the halls, the cell door clinked loudly and swung open. McKay blinked at the door, standing up and walking towards it. He ever so slowly popped his head outside to see prisoners down the corridor of cells, leave theirs and follow in an orderly line.
"Whine and ye shall receive. You happy now?" John commented.

"Yes, I'm very happy." Rodney smirked, satisfied. "Can't you feel me brimming with happiness?"

"And here I thought it was your bladder."

"Did your door just up and fly open?" Beckett came back after a moment, speaking loudly over the tolling of the alarms.

"Yes—yes." McKay muttered, hesitant to follow up behind the rather scarier looking inmates. "They must be on some sort of unified channel. We'll meet you in the cafeteria Carson." With that Rodney yanked the intercom from his ear, shoved it back inside his mattress and slipped out of his cell. He carefully walked up to the line that had formed from his section of cells, the prisoners made to move in a slow and monotonous line, escorted by armed guards. It was tedious, Sheppard thought, but at least it was productive and would get McKay's mind on something other then his self-preservation for a little while at least.


The cafeteria of Othalin, if you could even call it that, consisted of one enormous room. Long steel like tables ran its length and in four rows long its width. Along the ceiling flickered thin panels of powered lighting, giving everything under them a sickly yellow tint. The air was chilled leaving McKay to believe the citadel had some sort of erratic climate control system; which was on the fritz it seemed.

Prisoners were guided, by force to enter a grate-covered tunnel that hooked in an L along the side corner of the cafeteria, where they entered. Here, after a slow shuffling procession, McKay finally spotted what looked like a serves station.

He had been slinking behind a brutish man at the moment. The prisoner's head was shaved, making his skull look even larger, a spiking tattoo sprawled round his thick neck and down to disappear underneath his shirt. The man's arms were practically the same size of Rodney's head. McKay heard a low chuckle between his ears.
"See, you could have been bunking with Bluto over there." John mused.

"I'll count myself lucky." McKay said to his side before realizing he spoke just a touch too loudly.The Brute turned round, angling his tiny eyes downward to where Rodney had froze like a deer in headlights.Inhaling made the man look even larger. "You say something?" His voice reverberating deeply in his heaving chest.

Rodney blinked. "Who me? I-----I didn't say anything." McKay turned round quickly to the man standing behind him. "Did you say something?"
Shifting back to face the behemoth, he shrugged. "Must have been the wi---"

The physicist suddenly found himself hoisted up by his collar. Face to face with the refrigerator-sized convict, who doubled his height so much so that Rodney's feet left the ground.

"Are you and I, going to have a problem?" Growled the Brute, spraying his words literally in Rodney's face, causing the man to flinch. "Because, I don't do well---with problems."

"P—Problems?" McKay managed to squeak out, feeling the grip on his clothing tighten; digging into his skin. "I---ah don't think----think so. You seem like you don't need the added stress. Being incarcerated---"

The convict opened his hands then, letting McKay drop back to the ground. "—and all." Rodney straightened himself out then with a fearful laugh, taking a moment to rub his neck. The Brute let out a low growl, leaning himself down that McKay was forced to bend at the knees to stay clear of him.
"Good –I-de-a." Was all the hefty man said, prodding each syllable into McKay's chest with one massive finger.

The prisoner turned then, flexing his muscles as a last sign of superiority. Rodney watched as that tattoo on the man's back widened considerably, causing the physicist to gulp back his trepidation.
After a moment of silence, Sheppard spoke up. "Nice handle on almost getting us pummeled. Don't answer that, I'd like to keep you intact at least---until we can link up with the Doc."

McKay gave a short nod before the man behind rudely shoved him. Apparently, his near death experience had held up the line.

The rest of the walk proceeded without incident, which John was more then thankful for. Until that is, they reached the service area and felt Rodney's stomach turn over sharply. Moreover, for good reason too. As the grated tunnel opened up the line slipped out, forming along several blackened boiling pots near chest height on at least McKay. The physicist found a metal tray suddenly shoved in his face. He grabbed the try awkwardly as a cup and bowl were slammed down on it by one A'vok. Followed by a heaping, steaming mass of goop ladled in by another.

A hunk of bread was haphazardly tossed onto the tray; it slid across its smooth surface and hit Rodney in the chest, sending up a crumb-filled spray. McKay took one look at the 'food' he'd been served and was about to complain when he was pushed off line.
He stumbled forward, careful to control the crud in the bowl from sloshing too much onto the tray. Though in truth, it really didn't matter because whatever it was; was more gelatinous then liquid.

"Rodney!" McKay heard a familiar voice call to him over the rush of conversations and shouts. He looked up to see a hand waving far in the back of the cafeteria, many, many tables down. Quickly as he could without forcing the trailing stench of his food to curl up under his nose from the movement, Rodney reached Beckett's table. First, he eased the tray down, and then plopped down shortly after; eyeing the substance apprehensively as it burped an air bubble at him.

"I think it moved." He muttered. "In fact, I know it did. I think I saw a fin." McKay looked across the table to find Carson's bowl half-empty. "Are you insane!" He exclaimed to the doctor, seeming more then appalled.

Beckett rolled his eyes, tearing off another chunk of half stale bread and dipping it into the muck inside his bowl, noshing at it. "Just like mum use to make; save for some of the more crunchy bits." Carson remarked, stopping to pick something out of the back of his teeth.

McKay simply stared, watching him eat. "Your mother really must have hated you." Rodney took a tentative whiff of his bread, finding it sour but not overly unappealing. He broke off a piece and prodded the tanish-brown slop experimentally. It seemed to draw the bread downward as if trying to consume it.

"Oh just eat it." Sheppard said finally, tired of watching the man's hesitance. "It's either this or we starve. And if Beckett likes it, then it can't be half bad right? I have to eat it too technically."

Drawing the soaked bread up to his mouth, because there seemed to be a no spoon rule in effect, for he didn't get one; The physicist bit down, chewing as quickly as humanly possible, swallowing hard before any sort of taste hit him. He waited. Carson watched him like the physicist was performing emergency surgery. McKay swallowed a few more times, frowning before replying.
"I've had worse."

Beckett leaned back with a short chuckle before continuing with his meal. "We've got a real problem." He spoke through mouthfuls; pulling over a small metal pitcher with one finger, unscrewing the top. Carson made a grab for Rodney's cup a filled it to the brim with a murky looking liquid.

Rodney looked at it, and licked the grimy slop off his teeth before taking a hesitant sip. The water, if it was that, tasted strongly metallic. "Good lord." He winced, but at that point took another long drink. It might have tasted like a rusted tin can, but at least it was mildly cold.

"So how do you know Gertz is missing?" The physicist asked quietly, trying to keep their business to themselves. Which, wasn't all that necessary because of the noise factor in the room already was quite loud, nearly drowning them out.

Dropping his bread to his tray, Beckett reached into his pocket and produced the note, which McKay snatched out of his hand. He opened it, scanning the very short account and waited an extra second to make sure John had read it through too.

"Well isn't that just handy." The Major replied, watching McKay fold the note back up and slip it into his own pocket.

"Alright then, what are we going to do now?" Rodney snapped in frustration, losing a piece of bread in his lunch; forced to fish it out with a finger.

"Let's look at the things we have." Sheppard began, excepting the unusual taste in McKay's mouth. "A pretty outdated description of the inventor, his name, the area he should be around in, the area the Yu'set Mave should be in, and no chance in hell to check either of them out---till now."

"What's he sayin'?" Carson asked, watching Rodney stare down at his tray, seeming to be listening intently.

McKay turned his eyes back up to him. "I think he has a plan. You do---have a plan right?" He went quiet once more, concentrating on the voice only he could hear.

"Ok. So Gertz is missing. Not exactly the greatest of details, but not all that bad either. We can use this to our advantage. Now, I haven't the slightest clue why his execution is still on the menu unless Dran plans on recapturing him by then. Meaning--"

"Meaning---" McKay held up a finger catching on. "The military groups will be split in two. One half preparing for this inauguration or whatever and the other half searching for him."

Beckett nodded. "Sounds like your Commander has his hands tied at the moment."

"Exactly Doc. I'm sure they're running around crazy up there trying to find him."

Rodney held up a hand, stopping the Major as he shoved a lump of bread in his mouth. "Wait a minute. Wouldn't that mean Dran's men would be combing the area? I don't know how you expect us to search a sector crawling with A'vok soldiers."

"Na-ha."John said simply.

Pausing in his chewing, Rodney let out a sigh. "And Na-ha would specify that you've already thought of that?"
"Bingo."

"What's his plan?" Carson pushed his empty tray away, leaning in over the table.

Sheppard took a moment, cleared his throat and began, hesitantly. "You're not gonna like it."

"I bet I won't."

"Won't what?" Asked the doctor. He received a curt hand from Rodney who narrowed his eyes, trying to listen.

"Well what we need now is a diversion. Something that's going to keep the guard's attentions for a while. Something big. But I'm going to need you McKay to let me work you for a little while."

"Oh no!" Exclaimed Rodney, clapping a hand on the table. "Whatever it is I can do on my own. I told you, no more stunts."

"Fine."Replied John firmly. "I need you to start a fight."

McKay looked to Beckett then, held up a finger that he'd be only a moment, then proceeded to slip underneath the table.

Carson sat there, confused as to what was going on when suddenly from below he heard Rodney scream.
"WHAT!"

The doctor raised a hand to his face, adverting his eyes to the table when the prisoners nearest them started staring. Beckett checked under the table and leaned forward then, drumming his hands on the metal surface. Anything to look like he didn't acknowledge the commotion going on just underneath him.

"I'm NOT GOING TO----no I will not keep my voice down!" McKay roared into a hiss. "Are you trying to get me killed? Us killed? Because I think you are. In fact, I have a distinct feeling you're out to destroy what little life and dignity I have left!"

Beckett held his breath, folding one hand into the other; scattered bouts of silence followed.

"No." He heard Rodney snarl. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no."

An exclamation seemed to catch in the physicist's throat before he barked. "Oh don't you dare!"

There came a spell of quiet then, which worried the doctor. He leaned back slowly, shifting his gaze under the table to see one clenched fist. Suddenly Rodney came back up, nicking the side of his head on the table before he sat back down. His chest was heaving, face flustered and one eye seemed to twitch.

"FINE! But I'm not doing it!" McKay cried through a rush of breath; like some inner torment had suddenly ended. His eyes fluttered as he looked to Carson, sighing. "Sheppard has the bright idea of starting a diversion." Rodney was silent for a moment, looking off to the table. "Yes, yes! I got that. I'll tell him." He turned his glare back up to the doctor. "When you get the chance, slip out of here and head to the eastern high security sector. Look for the Yu'set Mave. I'll take the one north of here for Gertz. Norweg didn't exactly keep a running list of what cells they've been in, but we have a general idea where. So search there first."

Beckett nodded.

Rodney looked around, more or less John did. Their eyes shifted from one convict to another. Sheppard was searching for the perfect place to start an explosive chain reaction that would take maybe hours to clean up. But, where to begin the mess? The Major watched as McKay's stare fell over the brutish man he nearly got slaughtered by earlier.
"Couldn't of picked better myself Ethel."

The physicist shook his head vigorously but without warning, stood up. He began walking stiffly around the table and through the rows. The gargantuan prisoner was at the moment, chatting it up with one of his fellow inmates when McKay came up behind him. The physicist tried in vain to pull himself backwards but Sheppard prevented it, gluing the man's feet to the floor. Rodney's eyes went wide as his hand rose, palm out and proceeded to shove the convict in the shoulder, clashing against thick unyielding muscle. The prisoner barely even moved from the force.
John curved the physicist's hand into an accusing point as the tattooed prisoner turned round, dark animalistic gaze narrowed and his chest heaved once more.

Rodney dropped his hand, under his own volition and stared up at the bomb he had just detonated with a gawking dismayed expression, though said angrily. "That's for wrinkling my shirt---jackass!" Those weren't his words. His mouth had moved, vocal cords vibrating as if he did, but McKay hadn't thought to say them----Sheppard did.

The convict clenched his jaw. Inwardly, John could of sworn he heard the man's fists tightening like strained ropes.

"Duck!"John shouted, his voice echoing back and forth between the physicist's ears. Rodney stuttered a 'what' before he saw the blurry movement of a meaty fist flying towards his face. Gasping, McKay quickly sunk down, dropping to all fours as the fist flew through the air; ramming into a prisoner who was passing by. Rodney uncovered his head to see the other man, the one struck turn round; save he really wasn't a man.

This creature, whatever sort of species it was stood a near four feet taller then the Brute, and about three times as bulky; its features resembling something bovine in nature. Long nostrils flared, huffing out sour breath as the thing shouted something in another tongue before taking a swing at other prisoner, clocking him right in the chin and sending him sailing into the food line. Taking out the inmate he was talking to previously along with him.
Someone from behind the towering creature leapt up and attacked him, causing the man-like thing to stumble forward nearly trampling Rodney.

"Move damn it!" John growled as McKay scrambled across the floor on all fours. A riot broke out, convicts viciously attacking other convicts as the violence spread like wildfire throughout the cafeteria. Rodney dodged left and right, slipping under legs, diving round chairs and running guards as the A'vok swarmed in to stop the chaos.

The physicist stood up facing several armed A'vokien guards, aimed at him. Some saving grace in the form a chair flew inches behind McKay's back, taking out one guard and causing the others to open fire beyond him. Taking his chances, Rodney ran for his life and shoved through the crowds. He managed to slip round the corner as prisoners began to overcome the guards near the beginning of the grated-caged tunnel, bypassing it and coming straight into the cafeteria to join the fight.

Finding an opening after a group of charging inmates, McKay squeezed out of the cafeteria and found himself in a dark corridor, guards rushing past him and not giving the cowering man the time of day. Hastily he made his way down the hall, hiding in a shadowed hallow along the wall as several more guards padded by, charging their weapons.

McKay tried to catch his breath, limbs and lungs aching from the exertion, the shear havoc of it all. Beyond him, he heard energy-gun fire, roaring and shouting; the sound was only lessened from where he was standing.
Promptly, the physicist dug the intercom from out of his pocket and put it in his ear with shaken hand. "Beckett? Carson where are you! "

There was a long pause. The very silence filled the man with such dread. Through after a few more tense moments he heard a voice on the other end of the transmission.

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Carson, had watched McKay begin the cataclysmic events with a sort of strange fascination, like watching a train wreck. Then when the convicts literally started flying across the room; the doctor had taken cover under the table. He observed the scurry of feet under safer confines, when the guards started to open fire. Beckett had a finger in one ear, his hand to the radio with the other.
"I'm still in here, where are you!" He shouted over the shear rumbling of the fighting around him.

McKay replied. "Out side. Are you alright?"

Just then a fight shifted to right behind Beckett, he looked over his shoulder to see the legs of two prisoners standing beyond the chairs, one throwing the other onto the table as the doctor heard fist meet flesh right above him. Carson winched, radioing. "More or less. You?"

"Fine, no thanks to John." He heard Rodney call back, pausing for a second. "I'm going to head to the North sector----Sheppard says if you can't get through, just try to stay out of harm's way."

Carson, squatting beneath the table, suddenly found himself shifting along the ground just to stay beneath it. The whole structure started sliding to the side as one inmate rammed into another. The table met the next in line and stopped there with a shrill clang. Beckett caught his breath and clicked back. "Easy for you to say. Just find that inventor!"

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Pulling the radio from his ear, McKay peeked his head out slowly to see if the coast was clear. He could still hear the ruckus inside the cafeteria raging on and down the opposite direction seemed empty. Carefully, Rodney crept out of the indentation in the hallway and made his way down, crossing towards and off shoot that began him on giant spiral. As specified in the plans delivered to them by the Yu'set, the maximum-security sector was located ten levels below the general level; the one the cafeteria was located on.

The physicist kept to the shadows as John instructed, moving at a steady speed though pausing periodically for both men to listen. When McKay got the ok from the Major, he moved; when John told him to stop---he did. And it worked like this until they reached their destination.
"Well I counted ten." Sheppard spoke up, getting a nod from Rodney. He could feel the man's heart pounding in his chest, and rightfully so.

The maximum-security sector was set up quite differently from the upper levels, like the one McKay's cell was stationed in. One he hoped he'd never see again after this. The corridor he traveled on was empty, and uncomfortably quiet. A sealed door ahead signaled the start of a cellblock, seven in total wrapped around the circular hallway within according to the blueprints. Rodney stepped up to the door, glancing through a small cutout to see a long short hall consisting of several cells. He tallied five in all.

Rodney backed away looking over the door's frame for some sort of sensor or some sort of power conduit. To his left he saw one of the same circular locks that secured his cell along with the others. McKay peered into the deep depression before slipping his finger inside and with a few tugs, yanked the frontal panel right off the wall.

Inside was a webbing of circuitry, several lines of which were connected to the socket of the keyhole. McKay let out a perturbed breath as he began to poke around seeing what wires ran to what in the grey motherboard stationed behind it all. The board marked with cryptic alien symbols.

"Can you open it up?" John asked, looking through Rodney's eyes at the yellow glowing wires, gently humming and warm to the touch as the physicist shifted them back and forth.

McKay's frown deepened. "Not without the proper equipment."

Sheppard thought it over a moment. "Why don't you just yank it?"

Drawing his hand out, Rodney complained to the open air. "I'm not just going to sever highly technical equipment Major. Besides, it probably doesn't work like that. Obviously, there is a mechanism in the key the A'vok carry around that triggers something in the lock. It must be some sort of impulse or circuitry command."

"Wouldn't that mean breaking the current for a second to send in a new command?"

McKay arched a brow. "Well, that's part of it." Was John tapping into his knowledge? Was that even possible?

"Then---and I'm just taking a wild guess here. Wouldn't cutting the power to the door leave it manageable? Say, to us prying the thing to the side?"

"I'm can't shift this door by myself, it must weigh at least a hundred pounds not to mention the machinery that closes the thing backing it up!" Rodney contested and began shifting through the mess of wires once more.

John sighed. "But you wouldn't be doing it by yourself Rodney. I think with the both of us we can slide this sucker open enough to fit through. We don't exactly have the time for you to be rooting around in there hoping to sever the right connection. So sever them all."

Furrowing his brows, McKay reached inside and gathered as many of the wires as he could in one hand. Holding the bundle he turned his face away and jerked back, sending sparks shooting out of the open panel. Rodney yanked his hand out with a wince, as the gaping hole still shot out the occasional fiz. His hand seemed intact, a bit tingly but nothing life threatening. He walked over to the door and dug his fingers around its outer edge, finding a decent hold. With a strained grunt, the physicist felt the metal begin to give way as he struggled. Suddenly from within, McKay felt his muscles constricting harder, the pulling felt easier and the door itself cracked open. With a few more solid tugs both men breached a big enough gap for Rodney to fit through if he sucked his gut in.

He whipped his hands together with a smug grin. "I knew it would work."

"Sure you did." Sheppard scoffed. "Just put that panel back on. Not that they're not going to notice the gapping doors. But it's something." McKay followed suit tucking the broken guts of the circuitry back inside the wall, sealing it up behind the metal cover plate.

The first cellblock proved empty, each cell door having a thick glass window cut within the frame, made for an easy view inside. The second and third blocks held a strange assortment of inmates, some acting out rather violently at being bothered others pleading for release seeing that Rodney wasn't a guard.

McKay was about to sneak out of the fifth cell block he had searched, still uneventful when he saw shadows trailing on the wall just ahead of him. Quickly he slipped back inside the cell corridor, pressing himself up against the back of the door. The footfalls of heavy boots came closer right up to the very door he was standing by. Rodney ducked down under the cutout, hearing an A'vok guard right behind him, looking into the hold. Seeing nothing but quiet cells, the guard hollered to his men to continue on.

Feeling his knees nearly about to buckle from shock, Rodney peeked outside. "Great. Just great." He hissed, squatting behind the door. "They must have noticed the power outages."

"We can still get out of here." The Major whispered, though he really didn't need to. "There's only two more cell sections in this hall one of them has to hold some sign of Gertz. He has to be hiding out somewhere in this sector."

"Or he's dead." Grumbled McKay. "Just like we're going to be. How do you expect me to get the other doors open with guards in the hall!"

He had a point; John had to agree to that. And with the carnage they left with each hold door, the A'vok wouldn't think it was some short-circuit in the wiring. It was obvious that someone had opened the doors, it was obvious that someone had sabotaged the locks. Even though he had Rodney replace the lock panels back in place to be less suspicious. They couldn't exactly slide the doors back close. It would take too long and would have sapped their strength long before the even got to the third hall. What Sheppard hadn't calculated was how long it would take the guards to come down there.

Sheppard decided then that the only way was to continue as is. They'd just have to be extremely secretive about it. He explained this to McKay, who wouldn't hear it at first but reluctantly agreed. The physicist held his breath, turning over and looking out the space in the door, he heard nothing beyond the thundering of his heart and believed it was now or never. Letting the air out nice and slow from his nose, McKay clenched his teeth and slipped out, sliding along the hall in the opposite direction to the guards, moving as quietly as he could.

He reached the sixth cell hall and went for the sensor panel; making short work of it. Sheppard would have commented that the physicist was becoming a pro at this, but now was not the time. He needed all his concentration on listening. The slightest sound could mean their downfall.

Together they heaved the door open, though in their rush it wasn't as much as the others and Rodney had a hard time squeezing through. Once inside the physicist crept along looking from one cell to the other. The first two were empty, the third had man sleeping soundly within, the forth a rather short impish looking creature watched Rodney under rigid brows. He hurried past this cell and came up to the fifth.

Which was empty.

McKay slapped a quiet hand to this thigh and was about to turn back when he noticed just above him the door's lock was different. On closer examination he found around the edge of the round hole were burn marks, as if from within the wires had shorted.

"I think I heard something." Sheppard said suddenly as Rodney ran a finger over the blacken marks. "I think this might be it!" He whispered excitedly.

"I mean it McKay. Go check the hall or at least get out of eyesight."

Doing as ordered he reluctantly left the cell and walked, half crouched to the door, looking out beyond it. He waited there for a moment. "I don't hear anything." When out of the corner of his eye he saw something.

Down the hall where the round corridor ended was a sizably large air vent with a heavy cover. Inside McKay could have sworn he saw movement just behind it. Standing up, Rodney slipped out of the door, pausing for a moment to listen for guards. He came closer to the vent, just beside the continuation of the corridor where it turned to mesh flooring, curving in an open catwalk down to the next level.

Again there was movement, the sound of shuffling against the venting and unexpectedly, an emerging finger tip.

"What the hell is that!" Sheppard saw it also. That fingertip, slid further out to hook upwards, beckoning them to come closer.

"Looking for something?"

A streak of cold shot straight up the physicist's spine. He stood up then, turning slowly towards the voice behind him.

"Or should I say---" Sylis Dran continued quaintly with a raised finger, inches behind Rodney as the man faced him. "—someone?"

Just then from the mesh catwalk, came several armed guards. McKay whipped round to see them while the Commander held up a hand to halt his men.

Rodney turned back, kicking himself mentally. The A'vok simply smiled, admiring the physicist's handiwork on the door sensor. "You see. I thought it strange when a man as intelligent as yourself, got himself caught so easily. Even further more when your people didn't come to claim you or even attempt to negotiate your release."

From behind, two A'vok guards swarmed up and took Rodney by the arms, restraining him. The Commander raised a brow, stepping in closer. "And now here I find you in this sector; tearing it apart. Tell me Doctor McKay. How stupid, do you think I am?" Dran asked, repeating Rodney's own words back into his face.

Swallowing, McKay stared the man down, seeing the visible joy behind his wire-rimmed glasses. "Monumentally so."

Dran's smile faded. He ran a hand down the collar of the physicist's jumpsuit before socking him in the jaw.
Pitching forward, Rodney shook the punch off, tasting blood along his gum line to which he gathered and spat out, right near the A'vok's shoe. "That's nice---" He grunted, being yanked back up. "—five against one. Real inventive of you." McKay put on a brave face, but he couldn't ignore the painful throb of his mouth, his bottom lip torn.

"Let me fight for you McKay." John snarled, ready to break free and go to town until he no longer could.

Looking at the splattering of blood on his hand, Dran rubbed it away, speaking now to his men. "Get rid of him." His steely gaze then staring down his nose, at Rodney. "Make it look like he died in the food-hall riot."

"You'll never get away with this!" Rodney struggled as the guard to his left reared up a knee and connected with his stomach, knocking the wind right out of the physicist. McKay wheezed as he was thrown to the ground.

The Commander was about to walk away when he saw something peeking out of the coughing man's pocket. He bent down and pulled a folded slip of paper. "I already have." He whispered to Rodney then nodded to his men to continue. Passing through the curved corridor, Dran heard behind him the vicious beating taking place. The folded note, held lightly in his fingers. His grin had returned.

John realized they were now hunched on the floor, felt McKay trying to curl himself up under each kick, each punch firing bolts of pain this way and that. A strike to Rodney's ear made a deafening ringing, sending the world it seemed underwater. Every sound after that muffled and distant. Sheppard saw with each fist-fall that met Rodney's face, a flash of light. Like watching an air-raid in the night sky. He heard McKay's thoughts twitching into obscurity until there was only silence inside with him. John felt as if he was submerged in a black pool of water, sinking deeper with each blow, until he couldn't feel the pain; only numbness.

Somewhere he heard then, beneath the murk of the water; what sounded like hissing---like a broken gas main and perhaps something that resembled coughing, choking.
Following that was stillness and suddenly; Sheppard felt himself sliding, dragging back.

"Rodney--" He called faintly to the blackness. "Rodney you gotta wake up. We're moving---we're---" John felt sotired; he sank deeper until there was no longer the notion of sound, nor movement. Everything slipped away into cold, blackness.

TBC….