A/N: Thanks for the feedback so far… This is turning out to be a much bigger story than I first planned… I hope it will keep your interest until I manage to get it all out!

I have yet to find a beta so please PLEASE forgive the Boo-Boos!

PART V

Nine Months Previous (Heh, don't you just love flashbacks?)

"Troy?"

"No."

"Okeanos?"

"No."

"Homer?"

Major Sheppard frowned at that one and threw a sideways glance at Lt. Aiden Ford. The young marine was grinning from ear to ear. "What?" he asked in feigned innocence. "You never heard of Homer's Iliad?"

"Ah," McKay said knowingly. "Like leaves on trees the race of man is found, now green in youth, now withering on the ground; Another race the following spring supplies: They fall successive, and successive rise" he quoted.

"Who is this Homer?" Teyla asked.

"A fat man who likes doughnuts." Sheppard muttered under his breath, remembering the humorous earth cartoon. Another thing he had in common with General O'Neill, it was the only thing he really missed while he was in Antarctica. That, and college football of course.

Teyla screwed up her face at the Major's mumbled answer. "And you want to name a planet after this man?"

"Hey!" John protested. "Don't look at me." He shot a dirty look at Ford. "And for the record, we are not calling this planet 'Homer'."

Moments ago, the Atlantis team had stepped through the silvery blue tinted shimmer of the Stargate from Atlantis and into what looked to be some kind of paradise.

Immediately, they tasted the salty tang in the air- slightly different to that of Atlantis but unmistakeable all the same. The wind was warm but fresh as it circled their bodies and gently ruffled at their hair. Bright sunlight beat down onto a dry, hard packed earth that stretched out before them and disappeared into what appeared to be a sheer drop over an edge. To the distance, they saw the sparking navy blue of ocean and heard the roar of the surf slamming onto rocks below.

Slowly and as one, the team turned in a full circle to look through the now hollow Stargate They saw above them in the flinty hillside a gleaming white township that dazzled in the distance.

"This place reminds me of a postcard my cousin sent me from the Greek islands." Aiden had first said. It brought to mind tales of ancient Greece, which had prompted the young Lieutenant to find a suitable name for the new planet. He thought back to his childhood and of the ancient Greek myths his grandmother was so fond of.

"You know, Prometheus is from a Greek myth," Aiden continued, pretending not to notice his CO's dirty look.

"The rebel titan, yes we know." McKay wiped away the rapidly forming beads of sweat from his forehead. The hot sun was already giving him a headache. He looked longingly towards the township. "I hope they have something cool to drink up there."

Noting what appeared to be a worn path leading from the 'gate towards the general direction of the township, John motioned for his team to start walking. McKay stared at him in dismay.

"You want us to walk to the township? In this heat?"

John slipped on his trademark sunglasses. "Well, I don't see any other forms of transport, do you?"

"Uh, I'd hate to state the obvious" Rodney snapped, "but what about using a Jumper?"

"McKay, we don't know anything about these people." John had committed to memory the disastrous first encounter with the Genii. He didn't want to give away all of Atlantis's defences in the first meeting. "It's only a couple of miles. We're walking." His tone left no room for argument as he pushed past the scientist and lead the way down the path, Teyla and Lt. Ford following him and leaving McKay trailing behind.

"Hey!" Rodney's feet crunched on the rocky surface as he hurried to catch up with his team mates.

PART VI

"What's that noise?"

Lt. Ford paused mid stride on the path, stopping so suddenly that McKay almost barrelled straight into him. Ahead, Teyla and Major Sheppard continued walking. The marine cocked his head to the side as he tried to listen. "I don't hear anything."

Rodney squeezed past the young soldier on the narrow path and turned his face upwards, squinting up at the bright sun that blazed overhead. Surrounding them were sparsely foliaged trees with silvery tinted leaves and slim trunks. Despite the meagre shade, the team had been grateful from the small reprieve from the hot sun, but the unusual looking mounds that dotted the landscape between the trees attracted the scientist's attention. They reminded him creepily of the large termite mounds you sometimes saw in photos of the Australian Outback. He tried not to imagine killer termites jumping out at them.

Concentrating on trying to locate the source of the high pitched noise, Rodney continued to walk a few steps ahead of Aiden. "How can you not hear that, Lieutenant? It's extremely irritating!"

Two more steps and Rodney was sprawled face first on the path. Ford shook his head to himself, unbelieving the man could be so clumsy. He sauntered forward with the intent to help Rodney up but as he did so, something caught his eye.

A small ferret like creature rose on its hind legs from a nearby mound and squealed viciously at the scientist slouched on the path. Black beady eyes stared into blue for an instant until McKay broke the connection, scrambling back in fright. He shimmied back a few steps, but not before a blur of dark brown fur launched itself at his bare arm. He howled in pain as the animal sunk its teeth into the soft flesh of his limb.

"Get this thing off me!" McKay shook his arm in panic, but the not-ferret refused to relinquish its hold, instead biting harder. Tears of pain sprang unbidden into the scientist's bulging eyes. "Ow," he gasped, "Hurts!"

"Hold still, McKay!" Lt Ford hastily lunged forward and grasped the small beast by the scruff of its neck. He yanked hard. The thing shrieked blue murder in a high pitched protest and swung its head around, teeth bared trying to bite the solider.

"Oh no, you don't!" Ford flung the creature away with a wide arc of his arm. It landed with a sickening thud some distance away. A few shots of Ford's P90 through the trees finished it off.

"Lieutenant, what the hell was that?" Sheppard demanded, his voice sounding harsh in the Lieutenants ear over the radio. He looked up to see the Major jogging back to them through the trees ahead. His P90 was gripped ready in his hands.

Still on the ground, Rodney was panting heavily as Ford gently attempted to inspect the scientist's bloodied arm.

John's eyes widened in alarm as spotted the blood. "McKay, what did you do?"

Rodney looked fiercely at the Major, his pain momentarily forgotten as he lay with his back against a large rock towards the edge of the path. "Why is it automatically my fault?"

"Do you really need me to answer that?" John crouched down to Rodney's side and peered over the Lieutenant's shoulder. "Is he going to be okay?"

Aiden grinned and shrugged, as he rummaged through his flak vest's pocket to find some first aid materials. "Just a little bite."

John lifted an eyebrow. "Lot of blood though," he remarked. Rodney winced as Aiden tightened a bandage around his arm. "I guess that animal didn't take kindly to us invading its territory. Some kind of ferret I think," the marine added at his CO's questioning look.

"So McKay'll live?"

Aiden smirked, a glint of humour in his eye. "We're stuck with him." He shot a grin at McKay, whose brows knotted together dangerously. He gave the scientist a pat on his shoulder. "Take some Tylenol and you'll be fine, McKay."

"Oh right, and you have a medical degree from where exactly?" he snarked, but not really meaning it. His arm safely bandaged, the scientist got to his feet, begrudgingly grateful for the soldiers assistance. His eyes, however, darted around suspiciously as though he expected more of the vicious creatures to jump out at him.

"Major," Teyla's voice came over the radio. John removed one hand from his weapon and tapped his headset.

"What is it Teyla?"

Teyla's voice was strained. "It appears we have company."

TBC