AN: I sincerely hope this chapter a) is not boring and 2) makes sense. As I have no beta to reassure me on these things, I must go with the voices in my head, who like to sing Irish drinking songs at 2:00 AM. Thus, I'm not too sure about their reliability...

Chapter 4

Five hours later, Weir, Beckett, McKay, Zelenka, Teyla, Ronon, and Lorne were gathered in the conference room to go over the events that had taken place on the planet. McKay's foot was thoroughly bandaged and his crutches leaned against the wall behind his seat. Zelenka's shoulder was now wrapped in a fresh, clean bandage and he had a much more sturdy-looking sling for his arm.

All eyes were focused on the two scientists, neither of whom seemed to want to initiate the discussion. Dr. Weir finally broke the silence.

"What happened down there?" she asked. Her tone conveyed her concern for all her men, and it snapped Rodney out of his silence.

"We were investigating power readings," he began. He quickly ran through the events leading up to finding the cave. "Sheppard went in first, to make sure it was safe. He came back out, told us it was all clear. It wasn't even a very big cave, there wasn't really anyplace for anyone to hide."

"We were only in there a minute when I heard the Colonel swear," Zelenka broke in. "He was standing at the mouth of the cave, but then moved in to the back. I asked him if he was all right, but as I approached --"

"We approached!" McKay corrected.

"Yes, as we approached him, he drew his weapon and... pointed it at me," Radek said, not contesting Rodney's correction. "For a moment, I thought that maybe there was something behind me he was aiming at, but I looked in his face, and," he drew a breath and gathered his thoughts. "I knew something was horribly wrong. He told us to run, then he fired his gun." When Radek fell silent, Weir looked at him expectantly. It was Rodney who picked the story back up.

"We ran," he said. "I heard another shot, then I heard Radek fall down." He carefully avoided eye contact with anyone. No way he'd let on what he'd been thinking when he heard that thump. "I grabbed his arm and hauled him back up, and we kept on running. I called for help. I remember one more shot, and a lot more running. Then we fell down that damn hill." Radek nodded.

"That was when Rodney hurt his ankle and knee," Radek said, having found his voice again, "And we lost our radios, though we didn't realize that at the time. We just got back up and kept going."

"Though not for much longer," McKay said, indicating his leg. "Everything else, you pretty much know."

"All right, then let's go back to what happened at the cave," Weir said. "You said you heard Colonel Sheppard swear. Any idea why?" Zelenka shook his head.

"Not really. Sounded like he hurt himself."

"What do you mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Like... like how Rodney swears when a circuit shorts and he gets a shock." McKay glowered at Radek. "What, are you going to argue?" McKay opened his mouth to do just that, but Weir cut him off.

"Ok, between the swearing and the shooting, did he do or say anything else that might help us figure out what happened?"

"He just... leaned against the back wall, as though he was very tired, and by the time we were near him, the gun was out," Zelenka said.

"Why did you go into that cave to start with?" Elizabeth asked. She was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Like I said, the sensor went crazy," McKay groused. Teyla looked at Ronon, some confusion in her face.

"We went past that same cave earlier with Dr. Klein, and the sensor did not indicate anything past the usual interference of the area," Teyla said, leaning forward slightly.

"Get Dr. Klein in here," Weir said. Five minutes later, the lanky, dark-haired man walked into the room and sat at the table. "I assume you know the situation." Klein nodded. News traveled fast on Atlantis. "You went on the first survey for the energy source with Teyla and Ronon. What did you find?"

"Not very much," he said with a shrug. "We came to a big rock wall that seemed to interfere with the sensor readings, but that was about it. We weren't able to pinpoint anything."

"That's all? Nothing else spectacular happened?" McKay demanded.

"The wall looked good for climbing, but I didn't have my gear," Klein replied with another shrug.

"So why would our sensor go crazy when we got to that cave, while Klein's read nothing?" Zelenka asked. "What was different?" McKay snapped his fingers a few times rapidly, and everyone in the room braced themselves for 'genius at work.'

"Klein, you got here on the Daedalus, what, four weeks ago?" The tall man nodded.

"Thereabouts," he said.

"Do you have the ATA gene, or gotten the gene therapy?"

"No, on both counts," Beckett said, his face lighting up as he caught on to McKay's idea. "And Teyla and Ronon don't have it either."

"However, both the Colonel and I do have the ATA gene," McKay crowed, a triumphant smile plastered across his face. "Our proximity might have triggered the power spike, and Sheppard must have been affected by... whatever it is."

"Which brings us to, what is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know, since I haven't even seen it!" McKay snapped.

"A booby-trap, maybe?" Carson suggested.

"Who would set a booby-trap for the Ancients?" Rodney chastised, rolling his eyes. "None of the technology on the planet was remotely Wraith, and setting a trap on a deserted planet isn't really their M.O."

"Who said it was set for the Ancients? Maybe the energy spike was a warning to keep Ancients away from the trap," Zelenka pointed out.

"None of the technology was Ancient, either. So what, some supremely technological race said, 'Hm, I think I'll set a trap on this empty planet, to guard this funny wall of rock, but just in case any Ancients wander by, I'll put in an early warning system for them'?" Rodney snarked.

"Why would anyone set a trap on a random cave?" Ronon asked. McKay was startled by the question, but recovered quickly.

"They wouldn't," he said, his eyes starting to light up. "So the cave probably isn't random. There's probably something special about that whole damn wall, which is why it interfered with our sensors."

"Ok, so what," Weir asked, tipping her head, "Sheppard tripped an alarm system? A defense mechanism? What was it defending?"

"I don't know, but I think we need to find out," McKay stated.

"All right, what do you propose?" Weir met his gaze, and he swallowed, knowing the reaction his suggestion would get.

"Someone needs to go back to the planet and figure out exactly what it is that we're dealing with," he said, tipping his chin up slightly.

"Do you think that's wise?"

"I think it's the only way we're going to figure out what happened to the Colonel and how to fix it," he said. "And whatever that device was defending is probably worth something too." His tone told Weir that he was determined, and she nodded.

"Who should go?"

"Me, Zelenka,Teyla and Ronon," McKay said. Carson and Radek both cut him off.

"Absolutely not!" came from the Scotsman.

"I am wounded!" Zelenka stammered.

"Rodney," Carson said, in a slightly less irritated tone, "Ye can hardly walk around Atlantis, how do ye think yer gonna make it through the woods on that ankle?"

"A jumper can't make it any easier, the trees are too dense everywhere except the clearing they had been working in anyway," Lorne added. Rodney huffed, but was forced to concede to logic.

"Fine, then take Klein instead," McKay said to Zelenka, irritated that his plan had held such an obvious flaw. Klein raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. It took far less than four weeks to understand how Rodney McKay worked and learn to ignore the snark. Weir looked at Beckett.

"How do we know that what happened to Sheppard won't happen to anyone else?" Weir asked, concern tugging the corners of her mouth down.

"We don't," Rodney admitted, "But as long as they're careful, I think this is worth doing." Weir looked skeptical. "Look, my instinct for self-preservation is infamous, and I would go in a heartbeat if I was physically capable of getting there." Weir sighed, but didn't see any other options.

"Is Zelenka all right to go?" she asked Beckett. She hated to ask the slight man to go out again so soon, but they needed answers, and Rodney was right. If he wasn't going to be able to go, Zelenka was next best.

"He lost a fair amount of blood, he should be resting," Carson said, already regretting releasing the men from the infirmary.

"Yes, well if we sit around resting and the Colonel dies," Rodney snapped, "I think we'd be a bit worse off!"

"We don't even know if his life is actually in danger!" Carson yelled right back. Radek listened to the argument raging around him, but he knew it was a foregone conclusion. After his initial reaction, he realized Rodney was right. The Colonel needed his help. Radek did not consider himself a brave man, but when his back was to the wall, he did what needed to be done, to help his friends.

Though new people filtered in from the Daedalus, and old people filtered out -- or died -- the group from the original expedition, who stepped into the unknown and lived as a family for the first year here had formed a deeper bond than most of them realized. At least, until something threatened to tear them apart.

"I will go," he said, drawing a few stunned glances from around the table.

"You need to rest, not galavant about the woods on an alien planet!" Beckett said, fearing that he was fighting a losing battle.

"I need to do this, or I fear I will not rest at all," Zelenka retorted, and Beckett knew it was over.

"Damn stubborn..." he grumbled. "Ye at least have to eat a solid meal before ye do anything." Radek nodded slowly.

"Doctor," Weir said, looking at Beckett, "How long until you have all the results from John's tests?"

"Probably another two or three hours."

"Fine, then after you have all the results, we will meet back here and make the final decision as to weather or not anyone is going to go at all. That gives Dr. Zelenka plenty of time to get something to eat and even rest a bit." Weir knew the slight man would be doing anything BUT resting, but he might at least eat. McKay would probably help see to that. "Dismissed."

The group stood and they made their way out of the conference room, but only Klein wandered off towards his lab, presumably to start getting gear together. The man had a knack for packing. The others looked at Beckett expectantly. He knew what was coming. Either life was incredibly predictable or he was becoming psychic.

"When can we see Colonel Sheppard?" Teyla asked. He sighed. These people were nothing if not incorrigible; but that was part of what made them great at what they did.

"Give him a half hour, by then he'll be out of testing. But not everyone all at once! And remember, he's heavily sedated, so he might not be feeling up for any visitors."

"Half an hour, good, that gives us time to eat. Let's go," Rodney said, tapping Radek on the calf with his crutch. Radek rolled his eyes.

"Do not expect me to carry your tray, I only have one arm!"

"Well I don't have any arms available at the moment!" The conversation trailed off as the men made their way down the hall.

Weir shook her head and mused. It amazed her how her people dealt with each situation handed to them. They came face to face every day with problems most people could only ever imagine; not to mention some problems she wasn't sure anyone could ever imagine. They had all suffered, they had all watched friends suffer and die; but they persevered. They now have the chance to go home, but they chose to stay. Instead of letting the stress tear them apart, they channel it into sarcastic humor and dedication to their work and their friends. As tiresome as they may become, she knew she had the best of the best.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

End Notes: I know, all that talking can get boring, I hope it wasn't too bad (or illogical...). Next chapter gets more into the action again. I do hope y'all are still enjoying this beast!