MORE THAN JUST PRETTY FACES
By TIPPER
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CHAPTER TEN: SIDEWAYS
BOOM!
The whole hall shook, bits of rock dust and other muck falling from the ceiling. Teyla threw her hands up over her head, staggering into the cart, then nearly tipping it over when the floor beneath her feet gave a particularly violent shudder and she fell over Rodney.
"LOOK OUT!" Ronon yelled behind her, grabbing at Sheppard and pulling him back, just as more of the ceiling collapsed onto the rocks blocking the stairwell exit. The two men scrambled backwards, barely avoiding being crushed. And when it was done...the stairwell doors were completely hidden.
"NO!" Sheppard yelled at the rubble, his frustration thick.
BOOM!
The force of the Wraith's second blast was greater this time. Confused as to why they needed a second charge, Teyla managed to get closer to the edge of the platform so she could see the bottom doorway better. The lights had gone out completely down there, sending the lower half of the hall into a strange half-light, but she could see something flickering like fire down there. Something was burning. The door must still be partially in place, but she just couldn't really see that well.
She jumped when she saw an enormous chunk of ceiling collapse down there, hiding the whole area in a thick, grey, billowing smoke. The Wraith had just brought half the cave down on top of themselves! She smiled coldly at the thought.
At least it bought them some time.
"All right," she heard the colonel snap behind her, "No choice now. Ronon, get back—"
"No, colonel, wait!" Teyla called, holding up her hands. "There is another way!"
"What?" Sheppard stared at her in clear surprise.
"A little less than half way down, where we found the cart, I saw another door. I thought it was a closet of some kind, a storage room, but this hall is too long for just two entrances. I think it is a side door of some kind—and the lights are definitely on down there. Look!" she pointed vaguely downwards to where, sure enough, the middle of the hall was still brightly lit.
Sheppard frowned, "Are you sure?"
"Means going down," Ronon said, his tone dark, obviously disagreeing. "Back-tracking."
"If it is a transporter," Teyla stated confidently, "It will not matter."
Sheppard shook his head, "Teyla..."
"If you try and blow those rocks, Colonel Sheppard, that ceiling will come down on us. The Wraith are proving that for us. Please...there is another way out. I am sure of it."
Ronon's frown was almost a scowl, and Sheppard still looked unsure. He looked past Teyla, down the long hall.
BOOM!
Teyla spun around, her eyes wide. That had sounded close! They were setting off charges in the hall itself now, trying to get through the cave-ins they were creating. As if to prove her right, she saw a Wraith shove through a pile of rocks, its pale skin glistening in the unearthly light down below. Her head buzzed with their presence, and she realized that they only lived for one thing now—to capture the Atlantians. Their need to find Earth must be getting desperate—the intensity of their mind-set was more terrifying than anything she had ever felt.
They had to get out of here!
Refusing to wait any longer, she grabbed McKay's cart. It sprang instantly to life, eager for guidance, surprising her. Apparently, it didn't need the gene to work it.
"Teyla!" Sheppard yelled, seeing what she was doing. But she was already moving, directing the cart to head back down. She pushed faster and faster, until the cart was moving faster than she was. With a shout, she put on a burst of energy and leapt, landing on top of the cart on her feet. She stood crouched over McKay, her feet bracing him, balanced like a surfer riding a wave, though both her hands held onto the edges of the cart instead of being raised in the air. The cart shuddered at the action, but didn't slow down—if anything, it went faster, urged on by her need to hurry.
Behind her, she heard Sheppard and Ronon pelting after her and McKay, running to keep up.
What had taken almost an hour to climb felt like it only took minutes to roll down, even with the cart tilting every which way as it screamed around rubble. Wherever the ramps were blocked by stones, she just sent the cart flying over the steps, using her own weight to keep it stable when it landed, though the Ancient design was doing a damned good job of managing that on its own.
Suddenly, she was on the right level, and she jumped off...and fell hard and awkwardly on her left arm, the whole limb going numb. Next to her, the cart screeched to a halt at her mental command...and, amazingly, didn't tip over, and the cloth strips held McKay in place on top, though he slid to one side. She struggled to her feet to check to him, then gasped as pain spiked through her arm like someone had driven a lance through it.
Gasping, she held her arm tightly to her chest, pins and needles shivering up and down it, and staggered over the cart to check on McKay. Shaking her hurting arm a bit, she found it still worked—just not as well. Favoring her right arm, she dragged Rodney's heavy body away form the edge of the cart, then urged the cart to the door and set it as close as she could, untying the cloths holding him down as she did so. Then she inspected the door, holding her hurt arm against her stomach again. There was light inside, showing through the glass panels, and she smiled gratefully, thankful she had remembered that correctly.
It was still partially covered by rubble, but not too much, and, she started to attack the rocks one-handed, clearing them away.
A second later, Ronon was there, helping.
And then Sheppard, gasping for air, was there, pressing his hand to the door to open it.
Nothing happened.
"Damn it!" he yelled, slamming his hand against the unyielding metal. "What the hell!"
Teyla was stricken, stepping backwards. She didn't understand—the door had power! Why wasn't it working? Sheppard turned to look at her, his eyes dark, and she froze...waiting for his anger.
He stared for a moment, then shook his head. "Find defensive positions," he ordered, "Now! Cover me until I get this open."
"Yes, Colonel," she said, turning and quickly finding a location behind a particularly dense section of collapsed wall. Ronon settled down next to her, his motions efficient and cool as he checked his weapon and prepared for the firefight that was coming.
Below them, ten huge Wraith soldiers and one Wraith leader, accompanied by a handful of furious looking villagers, hugged the walls, also using the collapsed portions for cover as they climbed. They'd be on them in moments.
Teyla lifted her P90 and stuck it between two rocks, to keep it steady, since she knew her left arm would not be able to grasp it tightly enough. She then crouched down behind it, making sure she could shift it enough to aim. The Wraith were still out of range, but not for much longer. They never slowed their unyielding advance, and the stunners in their arms were lifted, ready to fire as soon as they were close enough.
It was only then that she realized just how hard she was breathing. She swallowed thickly, trying to wet her incredibly dry throat, and steadied her shaking body.
And prayed she had done the right thing.
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TBC...