A/N: Thanks so much for the lovely feedback! Whoo-hoo! Hope you like the next bit.
UNDER GLASS
By NotTasha
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CHAPTER 2: THE ESSENCE OF JENFRUIT
Instantly, the group converged. Teyla and Sheppard came alongside the Satedan –McKay pressed forward, any trepidation overcome by the joy of discovery. He approached the door with his scanner held out before him like a talisman. "Yes…" he muttered, running the device around the perimeter of the doorway. "Oh… yes!"
"You getting any power readings?" Sheppard asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the scanner's display, and not being able to interpret the blips anyway.
In response, McKay smiled.
"ZPM?" Sheppard asked.
The smile dropped to a frown. "Possible," the physicist replied a little glumly. "Perhaps one that is nearly depleted or… powered down." The last realization perked him up a bit.
The site had been cleared, hanging vines and roots removed, and dirt had been scraped away. The decorative archway was impressive – and obviously of Ancient design.
Sheppard stepped closer to examine the symbols at the lintel – the symbols that the Tuweepan hunters had discovered and copied down. There were other hieroglyphs running down either side of the door.
"Why you think they went through all that trouble?" Sheppard asked as McKay fussed about.
"Trouble?"
"Yeah," Sheppard responded. "Those hunters who found it, they cleaned out all the crap around this thing. And, they took the time to record the three most important symbols. What are the chances?"
"The three most PROMINENT symbols," McKay interjected. "Anyone would have chosen them," he said, pointing to the largest symbols above the door.
"Then," Sheppard continued, "They brought the information to one of our trading partners. Why?"
"Probably because they expected some sort of reward for their troubles," McKay responded sharply. He glanced to Teyla. "Don't they get some sort of colored glass or a string of beads for providing information?"
The Athosian pursed her lips. "The information was reported in Supai and delivered to us through an intermediary. No tokens were exchanged."
"Hmm," McKay responded, not listening. "Well, I'm sure they expected something for their trouble." He waved a hand, dismissing any argument as he poked around the doorway. "I mean, why bother putting oneself out if one isn't expecting some sort tangible reward in return." McKay's gaze was on his scanner, and he smiled as he worked.
"For the love of it?" Sheppard tried, grinning at his friend's back.
"I doubt these hunter can live off of that," McKay continued. "We should probably think up something. Tell people, 'bring us an Ancient Artifact, get a prize'. We could even have posters printed up."
"Free pancakes when information submitted leads us to Ancient Technology," Sheppard tried.
"Throw in a bottle of syrup if a ZPM is involved," McKay added.
Teyla and Ronon exchanged a glance. The former runner shrugged, telling her in a low voice, "I'd go for it."
"You find anything yet?" Sheppard asked, letting himself sound annoyed at the wait – knowing only seconds had passed since McKay started his search.
"Give me a minute," Rodney snapped. He paused, and grinned widely as he spotted something unseen by any of the others. He pressed a hand and a panel opened. He looked to Sheppard, a self-satisfied expression burnishing his face.
Sheppard returned the look with a smug smile, and hoisted his P90, preparing for what might be within.
McKay touched the revealed panel and the door instantly pulled upward. A room gaped beyond – dark and dense. Sheppard flicked on the P90's light and checked out what was revealed -- one room – the architecture familiar, mimicking Atlantis. There was a console, and several dark alcoves – everything looked pristine and untouched.
"Well?" McKay groused, obviously annoyed that Sheppard had managed to block him from entering. "Can we get on with it?"
"Ronon," Sheppard said as he stepped forward. "Can you keep watch out there?"
Dex relaxed. "Sure," he responded.
The other three moved forward. As Sheppard walked in, lights came on – nearly blinding after the previous darkness. With one hand, he clicked off the flashlight and narrowed his eyes at the room, moving forward judiciously.
McKay breezed right past him, and paused at the console. "This obviously is the control panel for the room," he stated.
"Obviously," Sheppard echoed.
Flashing his gaze over the controls, McKay nodded and uttered a quiet, "Uh-huh, uh-huh. Okay." He looked up, scanning the walls of the room. It was a relatively small space – hexagonal – about twenty feet across. At each wall was a doorway –the exit behind them – the other five openings led to small alcoves.
"The transporters," McKay declared, approaching one. "Smaller than on Atlantis." He glanced about the area. "About as big as a…" and he paused to come up with a proper comparison.
"Coffin?" Sheppard supplied.
"I was going to say 'shower stall'," McKay told him.
"In a camper maybe," Sheppard went on. "So, why are they smaller?" he asked, sidling up next to the control panel. "Thought this would be a more sophisticated system."
"Probably the power requirements dictated that only small 'packets' could be transmitted," McKay conjectured, bringing his hands together in an attempt to illustrate 'small'. "They were sending people over an enormous distance – planet to planet. Makes perfect sense."
"Speaking of power," John prodded. "Any sign of that ZPM?"
"Looking," McKay continued, flashing the scanner about with an annoyed expression. "Power source is very weak here." He tapped at his favorite Ancient device. "It doesn't appear to be a ZPM. Hmmm. Possibly the power is stored in a buffer."
"Buffer?"
"There's always a buffer, colonel," McKay said tiredly.
"Power had to come from somewhere," the colonel decided as he moved past Teyla. The Athosian smiled at him, seeming to enjoy the banter between the two.
"My, what an interesting theory you've fashioned, Colonel," McKay sniped. "Yes, I fully realize that power must come from 'somewhere'. Once I've done a scan of this room, I'll discover exactly how this room is powered and how we will get our hands on the source."
John leaned over the counter, examining the controls – similar and yet different from what he was used to on Atlantis. He reached out to finger a lever that was just begging to be toggled.
McKay chose that instant to lift his gaze. "Don't!" he exclaimed, shooting one hand out toward Sheppard. "Don't touch anything!"
"I wasn't!" Sheppard complained in return.
"You were, and you would have," McKay replied.
Sheppard turned to Teyla who moved in beside him. He gave her a questioning glance.
She returned the expression with a knowing smile and nodded, putting on an expression that said she knew him better than he knew himself.
For that, she got a dirty look.
McKay went on, oblivious. "Let's not touch anything until we – meaning Dr. Rodney McKay – know exactly how this place functions." He maneuvered to Sheppard and stood beside him to glance down at the controls. His hands moved over them, not touching anything, but seeming to trace everything.
Sheppard watched his face, noting the way McKay's eyes took on a hawk sharp expression. It was as if someone had turned on a data recorder and McKay was absorbing everything.
Teyla wandered about the room, silently examining it. Ronon remained outside, keeping an eye on the surrounding area.
"The buttons in this circle correspond with the alcoves around the room," McKay stated, one hand hovering over the circle of controls. The other hand moved to another series of buttons, but this time the buttons were set up in series growing ellipses. "This control would correspond to the planets within the solar system." He lifted his gaze to grin at Sheppard. "Controlling the transporter is straightforward. Just touch the button corresponding to the appropriate alcove and configure it to the chosen planet. There must be a receiving station on the other end." He changed his gaze to Teyla. "Quite easy, really."
"What's that button in the center for?" Sheppard asked, indicating the control that was set in the midst the 'transporter bay' buttons.
McKay cocked his head a moment, then strode away from the panel. In the center of the room, the tiles on the floor formed a large circle. He looked up at the corresponding circle on the ceiling. "Large matter transporter," he decided, rubbing his chin.
Teyla finally spoke up, asking, "And what is a 'large matter transporter'?"
"Oh, it may be similar to a ring platform, but I'm thinkin'," and he paused to point to his head. "I'm thinkin' this is something much bigger. For instance," He spread his arms. "It's bigger."
"Ring platform?" Teyla repeated, sounding perplexed.
McKay waved a hand to rid himself of any further questions. "We believe that the Ancients mined the planets surrounding this world. To do that they'd have to transport people and supplies – and transport the mined product back to this base, correct?" When he received nods in return, McKay went on, "People were transported in the alcoves. Supplies…" and he pointed to the circle on the floor.
Sheppard didn't look convinced. "Doesn't look like their sort of design. Looks a little… sloppy."
"Doesn't matter," McKay countered. "It didn't need to be neat. They didn't care if things got rearranged a bit in transit. You send raw supplies and it doesn't really matter if one bit of it ends up on the opposite side of its original position."
"Could be trouble if your transporting munitions," Sheppard told him. "Or tools of some sort."
"Yes, but they weren't transporting pick axes and flash bangs, were they?" McKay muttered. "When I said raw supplies, I mean the basics. And the transporter wouldn't tear apart elements or molecules. It might just put them back together a bit… wrong… on one side. Hardly matters when you're sending rocks or a pile of potatoes."
"Okay, McKay," Sheppard responded. "If you say so."
McKay harrumphed and continued looking about, as Teyla and Sheppard kept watch within. The scientist kept scanning, when he suddenly frowned and turned toward them. With a grimace, he declared, "Something feels off."
"Off?" Teyla questioned. "But the power has turned on?"
Ronon, just outside the door tried, "Maybe he means it smells 'off', like something died in there." He took an experimental whiff at the doorway. "Smells clean," he offered.
With a put-upon sigh, McKay explained, "But that's just it. Something isn't right. It feels… hinky."
"Hinky," Teyla repeated, glancing first to Ronon, who shrugged as he turned his back on the room to keep watch.
"It's a scientific term," Sheppard supplied helpfully. "It means 'weird, odd, bizarre'."
"Unsettling," McKay added with vehemence. "Disturbing, disconcerting, troubling…"
"And you believe that something is 'hinky' because…" Teyla trailed off, watching the doctor scuttle about like a beetle.
"I don't know," McKay answered truthfully. "It's almost too clean."
Sheppard ran a finger along a counter, gaining a gasp from McKay.
"What did I say about touching things!" he cried.
Sheppard raised his digit, showing a clean fingertip. "Tidy," he declared.
Teyla nodded. "The Ancients are known to be …" she struggled a moment to find the right word. "…clean," she finally decided.
"Cleanliness, after all, is next to godliness," Sheppard added. "So it's probably got a lot to do with getting yourself ascended."
"But that's just it," McKay went on. "It's clean. It's very clean." He snapped his fingers. "Lemons! Or something like them. Smell it?"
Sheppard and Teyla both stood quietly for a moment, sniffing the air. Ronon, at the doorway, turned again and took a deeper sniff. "Jenfruit," he declared, nodded, and turned away once more.
Teyla nodded. "The room does smell slightly of the fruit," she conceded. "The jenfruit tree grows on many worlds, usually near brooks. The fruit is a pleasure to all who encounter it."
"Tasty," Ronon declared, as if everything edible didn't already fall into this category. "I wouldn't mind sinking my teeth into a jen right now."
Sheppard frowned, not smelling anything peculiar.
"Citrus?" Rodney pursued.
Teyla nodded again. "Most people find the jenfruit very enjoyable."
McKay scowled. "Well, don't count me among them."
Teyla went on, "It is often used in cleaning." She offered a smile. "It is a delightful food, prized by many and treasured for its pleasing flavor. The fragrance is refreshing."
To that, McKay scowled. "Why does everyone think lemons make things smell better? They're always scenting cleaning products with it. It's the odor of death if you ask me."
Sheppard chuckled. "The scent isn't going to hurt you."
"Very little of the actual fruit essence would have been used in cleaning," Teyla said helpfully.
"One drop could kill me!" McKay reminded.
"Don't worry about it," Sheppard ordered, watching as McKay moved about the room as if he was terrified to touch anything. "Let's get this place checked out and then you can go detox."
"You're a funny man," McKay grumbled. "You don't get it. Someone cleaned up in here, recently. Why would it still stink of this stuff it they hadn't?"
Teyla cocked her head in thought, gazing at the once-pristine floor where they had tramped some of the forest's dirt. "Perhaps a fruit had been left behind by the Ancestors in this room and…"
"After 10,000 years, I'd think the juicy jen would have rotted to dust," McKay snapped.
"An air freshener?" John tried. "You know, they got those deals in restrooms that shoot out scent every few minutes. Maybe they got one here that's motion sensitive? We activated it when we came in. Yeah, I'm betting they had someone working here that had some severe body odor issues. They installed something to freshen up the place while he was here." When McKay scowled at him, John returned with. "It's a possibility."
"An Ancient with BO?" McKay snarked.
"They're only human… or super-human, I guess," Sheppard continued.
"You want to know what I think?" McKay returned.
"Got a feeling you'll tell us," Sheppard responded.
"I think someone has been in here before us."
Teyla spoke up, "The Tuweepans that found the doorway may have entered. Perhaps they managed to open the door?"
"But why clean up?" McKay asked. "I rather doubt that a couple of squirrel hunters would have figured out how to open the door, but let's suppose they did. Then, why not let us know about the room? Why not give us a glowing report about everything they found instead of just 'a door'?"
"Perhaps they thought it wrong to enter the room of the Ancestors," Teyla said helpfully. "They thought we might not be happy with what they had done."
"And they wouldn't get any pancakes if they annoyed us," Ronon added from outside.
McKay groaned. "Why clean up?"
Sheppard scuffed at the floor, marked with his footprints. "Made a mess?" he surmised. "Wanted it to look like they didn't take a peek before they gave it up to us."
"Possibly they were looking for artifacts," Ronon stated, snapping a branch off a nearby tree. "Might have raided the place first. Took anything that wasn't nailed down. Then figured they'd sell off the empty room to us. Had to cover their trail."
"Makes sense," Sheppard agreed.
"No, it doesn't," McKay snapped. "It's weird." He looked from one of his friends to another. "You got to admit… it's weird."
"Hinky," Teyla added.
"Figure we should get out of here?" Sheppard asked.
McKay grimaced. "Let me get a recording of the symbols in here. Maybe we can just video tape everything without causing any trouble." And he tugged his video camera from his cache of equipment in his pack.
Sheppard drew his weapon close as he examined the room with new interest. The citrus scent had been undetectable to him – and now that the three of them were in the room – stinking it up after their hike – he would probably never be able to detect it. He turned slowly, watching as his friend filmed the room, running the camera over the control panel, then around the walls, trying to encompass everything.
It was clean. Did that mean anything? No – they'd found rooms that were 'tidy' before. Why should that mean anything? But, as much as he hated to admit it, John was getting a little creeped out.
"Maybe we should get moving," Sheppard said.
"I'm almost done," McKay shot back.
The colonel moved about stealthily, trying to discover evidence that could lead them to why the place might have the faint (now gone) clean scent of a lemon-like fruit. He'd blame it all on McKay's imagination, except that Teyla and Ronon had sensed it, too.
He glanced to Teyla, finding her glancing about the room as if she expected something to jump out at them. Ronon seemed content, swishing his stick about at the weeds and keeping his gaze on the surrounding area.
It was probably nothing.
No need to worry.
Damn it, McKay! You take a perfectly normal room and get us all worked up over nothing.
But McKay was right, the longer he stayed here, the more hinky the place felt.
"Let's go," Sheppard declared.
"Hang on," McKay responded. "I'm almost done. I have to be sure to record this alcove."
"Time to go," John declared, forcefully.
"It's important!" McKay returned, "We need to understand how this all works. I need shots of the underside of the control panel after this, and then I'll be done."
Teyla let out a breath of relief and headed toward the door.
"We'll download the data and check it out in Atlantis. Come back when we know more," McKay said with a smile as he examined the opening to the alcove. He chuckled softly, trying to sound casual, but unable to keep the tension from his voice. "It was probably nothing," he said, directing the camera into the little space. "Just me being… you know. I'm sure everything is fine."
But as he stepped fully into the alcove, the trap was sprung.
TBC - There's that trap I was telling you about!