APPEARANCES CAN BE DECIEVING part three
The real Carson Beckett was waking up again, and the worst of it was, he hadn't even realised he'd nodded off. Water still dripped into his face, and he reached up and wiped it away. Crap. He felt like crap. All his muscles ached and twitched, and there was a deep burning sensation in his shoulder where the spider thing had bitten him. His head ached, his mouth felt like the bottom of a bird cage, and he was sure he was going to see the last meal he'd had return at any second. It took a moment for him to realise what had changed. His arm! He could move his arm. Excitedly, he tried bringing his other hand up, and felt he could almost make it if he kept trying just a little more…
The movement increased the swinging of the cocoon and it creaked alarmingly. He stopped, holding his breath, really, really not wanting to end up on the cave bottom with all those spiders. Struggling, wriggling frantically, but taking frequent pauses, both to get his breath back and to try and still the swinging of his prison, he was gradually getting free.
Just a little more…
oOo
The control room on Atlantis was seeing increased activity too. Sheppard stood with Major Lorne and the two marines who'd been on the planet with him, all dressed in full gear. Elizabeth Weir stood at his shoulder, and watched while Dr. McKay played with the biometric life signs detector to try and locate their errant chief medical officer, with little result.
"I'm telling you," said Rodney in that false patient 'I'm talking to children' voice that he could do so well, "that Carson isn't on Atlantis."
"He has to be," was Sheppard's response. "You all saw him come through the gate."
"The scans don't lie, Colonel. If Carson was here, they'd show him."
"Are you sure that thing is working properly?"
"Oh, my." Rodney raised his eyes expressively. "I only just noticed. A big sign saying 'this machine is not working'." He huffed in exasperation. "Of course it's working Colonel, I ran a diagnostic myself when Carson first failed to show up on the sensors."
Sheppard opened his mouth to say something unhelpful, but Elizabeth stepped in smoothly.
"How about if you reconfigure them to show abnormal life signs? Maybe that would help."
"On it," replied McKay, fingers flying over the keyboard. "Ah, there. That should do it. Now, why should he show up as an abnormal reading?"
They looked at the screen which showed a red dot, heading down to the deeper levels of Atlantis.
"Is that him?" queried Sheppard.
"I sincerely doubt it's the tooth fairy," was the sarcastic reply.
"What's he doing down there?"
"What am I? The answer man? I have no idea, but if he was looking for somewhere his illicit stash of whisky wouldn't be found, then that's the place."
"Right," drawled the Colonel in exasperation. "Rowley, Hudson, you come with me. Major, you stay here and co-ordinate the search. Let us know if he changes direction or shape or anything." Sheppard shrugged on his pack, and turned to leave when Rodney grasped his arm.
"I'd like to come too, Colonel,"
Sheppard regarded him solemnly for a few moments. Despite their differences, McKay and Beckett had struck up an unlikely friendship over the months. "Ok, but it's likely to get dirty and smelly down there."
McKay didn't reply, simply pulled on his vest and indicated his readiness. He turned to Dr. Weir. "Zelenka should be able to monitor things from up here," he said.
Elizabeth nodded, and put out a call for Zelenka to report to the control room. "Good luck," she said as the team headed off towards the nearest transporter.
oOo
Back in the cave, Beckett was almost free. He'd decided that the water dripping on him must have softened the- silk- for want of a better word, enough for him to be able to stretch it somewhat. It seemed to have taken a very long time to achieve this much, and he was thirsty and light-headed. Sweat poured from him, and he was a realist enough to know it wasn't simply from his exertions. He needed medical help soon if he was going to get over the envenomation from the spider bite. He paused for a second, trying to swallow in a dry mouth, panting, trembling, muscles vesiculating from the poison rampaging through his body. His co-ordination was a bit off, and his vision was blurring.
A need to hurry made him redouble his efforts, and suddenly he was free. Unfortunately that meant there was nothing holding him up, and he tumbled from the swinging cocoon, limbs flailing, trying to grab purchase on empty air. He hit the ground hard, and lay there for a few seconds trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him by his sudden contact with the ground. Two things had saved him from serious injury, one being the looseness of his arms and legs, and the other, (and this caused him a grim sense of satisfaction), was the carpet of spider things that had cushioned his fall.
The realisation that he was lying on a mattress of squashed spiders gave him all the incentive he needed to get up fairly quickly, and the further realisation that more of the horrid things were coming to investigate what was going on with their food source gave him the kick start to get moving and get out of there. Even so, it seemed to take a long time before he was at the entrance to the lair.
He stood at the entrance, breathing hard, batting at spiders that were trying to crawl over him, and up his legs, squinting in the sudden bright light. It was the light that finally forced the rest of the spiders off him, and he watched disgustedly as they scampered back into the welcoming darkness of their cave. He shuddered at the memory of their legs running all over him, then abruptly turned to the side, and threw up, cradling his bruised chest as he heaved and retched. Finally done, he stood on trembling legs, trying to get them under some sort of control, then began to lurch unsteadily back towards the Gate.
oOo
The tunnels were damp, and dank, and water could be heard dripping ahead of them. They were slipping on slimy stuff that was faintly phosphorescent, and gave off enough of a glow that they could see where they were going without using their flashlights. It didn't smell very nice, either, as Rodney had pointed out on more than one occasion.
The scientist stepped in something, his foot went out from underneath him and he grabbed at Sheppard for support, nearly taking them both down.
"Ewww," he said, gasping, "Now that is just disgusting. What the hell is it?"
"It's just slime, McKay," replied the Colonel, amusedly, helping to right the disgruntled doctor.
Rodney picked up one foot, and examined the gooey mess sticking to the sole of his boot. "Yes, well, it's still disgusting, and who knows what made it." He tugged on his vest, trying to regain some of his lost dignity, aware of the two marines behind them, watching, and no doubt sniggering quietly to themselves. He regarded the lifesigns detector he was carrying. "He's still ahead of us, though we seem to be catching up. What he could be wanting down here is beyond me. We've got to be in the lowest levels of the city, below the water level if I'm right." His tone brooked no argument that he could be wrong. He started to move off again, realised he was going alone, and turned, glaring at Colonel Sheppard. "Well?" he asked.
Sheppard moved up beside him. "Just watch where you're putting your feet."
McKay stopped almost as soon as he'd started, and Sheppard almost ran into the back of him. "Rodney?" he asked.
"He's stopped," replied McKay regarding the lifesigns detector, "But I have no idea what he could be doing." He held the sensor up for Sheppard to look at, but all the Colonel could see was the little dot representing Beckett moving backwards and forwards at a rate of knots.
Sheppard tapped his communicator. "Dr. Zelenka, do you see what our sensor is showing?"
"Indeed I do, Colonel Sheppard."
"Any idea what he's up to?"
"None. It would seem however, that Dr. Beckett has acquired speed since he has been offworld."
"Right, well, look sharp, everyone," Sheppard raised his P90, and began to move forward carefully.
Rodney regarded him incredulously. "You're not seriously going to shoot him?" he asked.
"I'm just being careful, Rodney. You might want to get behind me. I wouldn't want you being in the way if Beckett's gone all darkside and decides to come running"
"Right, right, yes, of course." Rodney slipped in behind Sheppard; Rowley and Hudson bringing up the rear. The foursome continued warily down the slippery corridor.
oOo
Carson leaned up against a tree, and tried to catch his breath. Sweat ran into his eyes, and he wiped it away with an increasingly shaky hand. He had no idea he'd come so far under the alien influence, or maybe it just felt like it was an incredible distance, since his body was getting progressively weaker from the poison coursing through his veins. Shakily he tried to slow his breathing down. It was getting darker, night was approaching, and he didn't want to be out alone on this planet after nightfall. Summoning up his failing strength, he staggered off into the gathering gloom.
TBC