Part 5
Sheppard and Beckett perched on high lab stools as they listened attentively to Zelenka's explanation of his findings. The scientist had locked himself up in his lab all day, working on the delicate disassembly and examination of the broken sphere. A few hours earlier Sheppard had been forced to deal with an indignant Dr Kavanagh, demanding that Zelenka be pulled off his 'fool's errand' and be allowed to return to more 'constructive' work; since then Zelenka had refused to allow anyone to disturb him. The Major wasn't sure what had occurred between the two scientists, but he had left Kavanagh in no doubt exactly what he could do with his demand.
"I don't pretend that I understand precisely how it works, Major." Zelenka began. "But the key to it all appears to be this piece here." He held up a large metal fragment, identical, in Sheppard's eyes, to all of the other twisted lumps of metal that made up the mechanism of the sphere. "From what I can tell, it is designed to store the essence – the…the mind - of a person, separate from the physical body, while placing the body itself in a form of suspended animation. When the other sphere emitted the beam of light that hit Rodney, his mind should have transferred to the corresponding component." He turned the fragment over in his hand, giving it a thoughtful look.
"And his body would have appeared dead?" Sheppard leaned eagerly forward, intent on Zelenka's answer.
"No, Major, it would have 'been' dead. No lifesigns, no brain activity, nothing." Zelenka replaced the fragment on his bench and turned to a laptop, bringing up a screenful of technical data. "If I understand this correctly then the..."
Sheppard could not contain his impatience. "Bottom-line, Doctor. Can we get him back?"
Without looking up from the screen, Zelenka absently shook his head and Sheppard felt his chest tighten. He closed his eyes against the sudden pain, asking bleakly. "Are you sure?"
Zelenka started in surprise at Sheppard's tone and looked up sharply; distress crossing his face as he realised that Sheppard had misunderstood him. "Ah, I'm sorry, Major. No, that's not what I meant. I meant that that is the bit I am uncertain about." Visibly flustered at the anguish he'd caused, Zelenka continued. "When the Wraith wake from hibernation, their bodies and minds are restored. But how they achieve it ...?" He shrugged apologetically.
As relief flooded through him, it took Sheppard a moment to take in Zelenka's words and he frowned, thrown by the apparent non sequitur. "But the people in the cave weren't Wraith."
"Ah, no, but the sphere is; or at least is derived from Wraith technology." Back on firmer ground Zelenka relaxed and gestured towards the incomprehensible gibberish on his laptop screen. "As you can see, Major, it would appear that someone has adapted a Wraith hibernation device to suit human physiology so that when..."
Sheppard's stood, bringing Zelenka to an abrupt halt. "Thanks, Doc. But the point is that McKay might still be alive down there."
"Major, wait." Dr Beckett spoke for the first time since Zelenka began his explanations. His voice was soft and held no trace of the excitement that filled Sheppard's. "Just think about this for a minute. I understand that there is a possibility that whatever the sphere did, it didn't actually kill Rodney, and, believe me, I want to get him back as much as you do, but you saw that cave; no one could have survived that rockfall. Now I don't know what's left in there, Major, but I doubt it would be capable of sustaining life."
"We won't know until we look." Sheppard appreciated the Medic's doubts, but his own determination now burned inside him like a fire. He locked eyes with Beckett and held his gaze steady until the doctor looked away. "Zelenka - find out how to reverse this. Beckett - you're with me."
Xx oOo xX
Rodney knew that he was staying awake longer and longer each time now. This last time had been the longest; it was difficult to tell, but certainly many minutes, possibly an hour. And then the pain had ended and he stood again beside the sphere. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. Each time the agony hit as hard as the first, and each time he wondered if it would ever end. Looking down on his body he could see where his hands had clawed into the dust and debris, breaking nails and drawing blood. Wearily, he turned away and started the familiar walk back to the Stargate to begin his lonely wait.
Less than fifty yards from the cave and he was back, awake, too exhausted this time to cry out in pain. His scrabbling hand closed on something cool. Instinctively his fingers curled around the grip of his 9mm. Well, that gave him another option. He wasn't there yet, but at least he wouldn't die of hunger or thirst.
He opened eyes that he hadn't realised were closed. He'd blacked out but something had woken him.
"McKay?" Sheppard's shout echoed through the cave.
"Major?" He knew that no one outside could have heard his mumbled reply but he was too tired to shout. He vaguely remembered the weapon in his hand, and, with an effort of will, forced himself to pull the trigger.
The sound of the shot jolted him fully awake, his heart beating wildly. As the ringing in his ears died away, he held his breath for a moment and listened. Had he just heard Major Sheppard call his name or was his confused mind mistaking dreams for reality? Suddenly the room grew darker. Drifting back towards unconsciousness it took a moment for McKay to realise that someone was standing in the doorway, blocking the hazy light.
"Rodney! Hang on. We're coming to get you." At Sheppard's cry, Rodney lifted his head and a wave of nausea swept through him. He tried to call out, but the effort was simply too much. Letting his head fall back onto the cool stone floor he allowed the darkness to reclaim him.
Xx oOo xX
Sheppard stared in disbelief at the lifesigns-detector in his hand. He had scanned the cave through force of habit as soon as he and Beckett had arrived, ahead of the team of Engineers, but the unexpected point of light had left him dumbfounded. It contradicted everything that Zelenka had said.
"Rodney?" Sheppard called hesitantly through the rubble-filled doorway then stood motionless, straining against the silence but hearing nothing but the steady drip of water. "McKay?" He shouted louder, leaning into the cave as far as the debris would allow.
A shot rang out and Sheppard threw himself back from the doorway as Beckett looked to him in alarm. The two men exchanged startled glances before Sheppard leapt back to the doorway in excitement.
"Rodney! Hang on. We're coming to get you."
Xx oOo xX
The task of clearing a safe path to McKay was taking longer than Sheppard had hoped. Men and equipment had taken an eternity to arrive and the slow progress was wearing at his nerves. He stood as close to the cave entrance as the machinery would allow, constantly monitoring the lifesigns-detector, watching the tiny flashing light that declared that, against all probability, McKay was alive.
"Major?" Sheppard turned his head at Beckett's call, taking a moment to locate the Doctor among the busy crowd of Engineers. He waved to Beckett to join him, unwilling to leave his position near the doorway, then checked the lifesigns-detector in his hand again.
The light that was Rodney had vanished. Sheppard froze, his mouth suddenly dry as he stared at the ancient device in horror. The screen was alive with overlapping blips, covering the area outside the cave, but the only one that mattered had suddenly disappeared.
"What's wrong, Major?" Beckett's voice at his shoulder was full of concern and Sheppard looked up into anxious eyes.
"He's gone." The despair in Sheppard's voice was tangible. He'd thought Rodney lost and then been given hope, and now to have come so close to a rescue and to have lost him again was more than he could stand. His eyes fell back down to the device in his hand.
Beckett reached out and placed a hand on Sheppard's arm. "John?" He waited patiently until Sheppard looked up again. "John, think for a moment. Dr Zelenka could still be right, just because there're no lifesigns doesn't mean we should give up now. Come on, Major, you know that."
Sheppard turned to face the cave entrance, the hope that had driven him this far now exhausted.
Xx oOo xX
As Beckett spoke, a weary figure emerged from the cave and came to a halt beside the two men. Looking from Sheppard to Beckett, Rodney took in the lines of stress and exhaustion that marked both faces, before gazing around in amazement at the men and machines that filled the small clearing in front of the cliff face. Sheppard really had returned prepared for a rescue; he must have mobilised virtually every piece of Engineering equipment on Atlantis. Rodney grinned to himself. He knew that the Major 'didn't leave people behind', and that rescuing such a valuable member of the Atlantis team would be important, but this seemed more personal than that. He looked back at Sheppard, his grin fading at the uncharacteristic despair in Sheppard's eyes.
"Major Sheppard!" The call came from the Royal Engineer who had accompanied Sheppard back to the planet earlier and was now walking towards them with a grave look on his face. "Sir, Doctor." The Engineer nodded politely to Beckett; "We're through to Dr McKay." He paused before continuing. "Other than damage to his legs caused by the ceiling joist, which we have now removed, he seems relatively uninjured." He stopped again, as though expecting a response from the Major, but, receiving none, he continued. "I'm afraid that Dr McKay shows no signs of life, Sir, but, if you want to go in the way is now clear."
As the British Lieutenant spoke, Rodney watched Sheppard's face. The dull despair began to fade to be replaced with cautious hope, although Rodney could see that the Major's reserves of determination were starting to run dangerously low. Straightening his back and taking a long, deep breath, Sheppard finally nodded in acknowledgement to the Engineer.
"Major? Major Sheppard!" This time it was a young woman's voice calling for Sheppard's attention. Rodney recognised the woman a member of Zelenka's team; a capable scientist with a flair for problem solving. He smiled in approval at Zelenka's choice.
"Major Sheppard," She spoke with a light German accent, her speech rapid with enthusiasm. "I have just been in contact with Dr Zelenka, and he believes that he had discovered a way to deactivate the sphere." Without waiting for a reaction from the Major she continued, "He has downloaded the necessary information to my laptop, so if you are ready..." Her voice trailed away as she finally noticed the eager look on Sheppard's face.
"Follow me." Sheppard turned back to the cave entrance and stepped inside. From the doorway the narrow excavation weaved its way through the wreckage and Sheppard led the young scientist into the dark passageway towards McKay.
Following behind, Rodney heard a sharp intake of breath and, stepping up to stand beside Sheppard, looked down on his own body once again. This time, though, he saw himself with Sheppard's eyes.
There could be no doubt that he was looking at a corpse. A new layer of thick dust, stirred up by the Engineers' equipment, covered him from head to foot, undisturbed in the total stillness of death.
A noise from behind him made Rodney turn his head. Dr Beckett was making his careful way towards them through the debris. As he reached them and knelt beside the body, the Doctor's eyes were drawn to the damage left by the massive metal beam that had fallen across McKay's legs.
"If this works, Major, we've got to get him back to the infirmary ASAP." Beckett spoke without lifting his head while he began to assemble his medical equipment, his tone making Rodney wince in trepidation.
From beside the platform the chirping of a radio dragged Rodney's attention back to the young scientist. She knelt beside the sphere, the outer casing already in pieces at her side and her laptop attached by a network of wires to the complex mechanism within. She responded to the radio, following what Rodney assumed were Zelenka's instructions and seconds later a pencil-thin beam of pale blue light shot from the sphere, striking McKay's body and encasing it with a shimmering glow.
Behind Sheppard, Rodney closed his eyes and surreptitiously crossed his fingers. "Please work." He whispered.
"I've got a pulse!" Beckett's jubilant cry reached the doorway, giving rise to a hubbub of voices outside.
Rodney cautiously opened his eyes. He was still standing behind Sheppard, looking down onto his own body. He swallowed the hard lump that formed in his throat.
It hadn't worked.
"Pulse is getting stronger." Beckett's excited voice drew a wide grin from Sheppard, but, to Rodney, it seemed only to mock. "All vitals are stabilising." Beckett continued more calmly as he took an Ancient medical device from his bag and scanned McKay's body. A moment later his face fell. "Major, I'm not reading any brain activity."
Sheppard looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"
"His body has been revived, but there's no sign that his mind has been restored." Beckett quickly tapped on the Ancient device, shaking his head in frustration.
"Dr Zelenka!" Sheppard shouted into his radio, an edge of panic in his voice. "It didn't …."
Rodney opened his eyes and cried out in agony. He was awake, looking up at Sheppard and Beckett; their shocked faces staring back down at him. Taking a ragged, dust-filled breath he forced his eyes to focus on the Major's and his mouth formed a silent, "Thank you."
"Rodney!" McKay could see delight and concern spreading across Sheppard's face as he knelt down and gently laid a hand on Rodney's shoulder. The warm touch sent a shiver through McKay; the first human contact he had felt since the slight resistance of his hand on Sheppard's arm in the firing range cut through the pain and left him almost weeping with relief.
"Out of my way, Major." Sheppard readily stepped back as Beckett took control, calling orders to his medical team outside while preparing a hypodermic, but Rodney desperately raised his hand, unwilling to lose Sheppard's reassuring touch and Beckett manoeuvred himself to allow the Major to kneel at Rodney's side.
Then time passed as if in a dream while McKay watched the activity around him. Whatever Beckett had given him had dulled the pain and filled his head with a warm, comforting fog. He lay quietly as Beckett immobilised his legs, listening with detached indifference as the Doctor explained to a concerned Sheppard that, in addition to the obvious broken bones, the wounds had become infected and it was critical that they get him back to Atlantis without delay.
Rodney let the warm fog engulf him; drifting in and out of consciousness as Beckett and his team transferred him to a stretcher and carefully removed him from the cave. As they emerged into the bright sunlight he woke; Sheppard was at his side, a steadying hand resting on his shoulder. Finally he closed his eyes and relaxed, safe in the knowledge that next time he woke he would be home.
Xx oOo xX
TBC - Just the Epilogue to go.