I thought it was about time you got another cliff-hanger. Enjoy!

OoOoO

Elizabeth and Radek were examining the information they had found very closely when John walked into the room.

"Found anything interesting?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth answered. "We've found that there is a link between the planet Major Lorne and his team were on when they were attacked and the one that Rodney and Carson are on now."

"What sort of link?" John asked, coming over to them to see what they were looking at.

"We're still trying to work that out. But the Ancients definitely linked the two planets together."

"So," John said thoughtfully. "Do you think the attack on Lorne's team was a decoy, to distract us from what was happening on the other planet?"

"Either that, or a ruse to get Carson and Rodney alone on the planet," Elizabeth replied.

"But how could they be sure we'd leave those two there?" John asked.

"It may not have been specifically Carson and Rodney," Radek pointed out. "Perhaps they needed to lower the numbers of people they could do whatever they do with them with." Radek looked slightly confused, as did John and Elizabeth. "I mean, perhaps they can only deal with two people at a time, and so they had to get rid of the others."

"That makes sense," John said. "And hopefully, if we ever manage to get there, we'll be able to beat them through force of numbers."

Just then, the voice of the 'Gate Technician broke into their conversation. "Dr Weir," he said. "We've managed to establish a 'Gate to the planet on which Drs Beckett and McKay were lost."

John and Elizabeth looked at each other, a glimmer of hope at last.

"Team," John said. "Meet me at the Puddle Jumper." They had readied a Jumper for just this opportunity.

John ran to the Puddle Jumper to be met there by Ronon, Teyla and Lorne, along with members from one of the other teams. Elizabeth had followed John to the hanger.

"Be safe," she said to him. "And bring them home safely to us."

John nodded, and then ran into the Jumper.

OoOoO

Rodney sat down heavily in one of the chairs that circled the room.

"We were this close," he said, holding his fingers a centimetre apart. "If I'd had a few minutes longer, I could have dialled the 'Gate. I'd managed to unlock it."

"If you've managed to unlock it, do you think the others will be able to get to us?" Carson asked.

"How do I know," Rodney said, disconsolately. "They've probably stopped looking for us by now. And even if they do get to the planet, how will they find us? We scanned the place and didn't find any buildings or structures. How do you find a building that isn't there?"

Carson was wandering round the room, picking up some of the many artefacts that had been left lying on every available surface.

"It looks like they got things from all over the Galaxy," he said, holding up what looked like an Athosian drinking cup. And," he continued, a note of fear in his voice. "This looks Wraith."

Rodney jumped up and trotted over to where Carson was. He took the device that Carson was holding and turned it over in his hands.

"It is Wraith," he said. "How on earth did they get this?"

"That's what I'm worried about," Carson responded. "If they can do this to the Wraith, what are they going to do to us."

"Are you still worried about the breeding ceremony?" Rodney asked with a smirk.

"Aren't you?" Carson asked. "I'd like to have children some day, but no' by being forced to by some Lord Revolver."

"Lord Deviser," Rodney corrected. "Though your suggestion might be more accurate. He does seem a bit trigger-happy."

Carson picked up another artefact and it lit up.

"What the . . ." he said, jumping back and dropping the device back on the table.

Rodney picked it up, but it didn't do anything. "It must be an Ancient device," he said, looking at it closely.

"But you've got the ancient gene too," Carson pointed out.

"Yes, but not all these devices work with it. Some only respond to people who have the gene naturally, like you," Rodney pointed out.

"Don't remind me," Carson said mournfully.

"So what does this do?" Rodney asked.

"You're the technical wizard," Carson pointed out.

"Yes," Rodney admitted. "But I can't make it do anything, can I?" he pointed out, sounding slightly aggrieved.

Carson gingerly picked up the device again, and it lit up on cue. He looked at the screen, puzzling over the display. It reminded him of the life-signs detector, but the visuals on the screen were slightly different. Rodney looked over his shoulder, trying to work out what was going on. Carson moved the device around. Certain of the artefacts in the room seemed to activate the device.

"I think it's meant to identify what devices are Ancient," Rodney said, gleefully. "Come on, Carson, let's try this one."

With a sigh Carson followed Rodney over to another artefact, and dutifully picked it up.

OoOoO

The Observer was busily working on the Ring, trying to repair the damage Rodney had caused. He worked furiously, concerned about what the Lord Deviser might say. They could only cope with two Other Worlders on the planet at any one time. They didn't have the facilities for any more. And if he didn't fix the lock on the Ring, anyone could come through before they had finished with the two they had at present.

Suddenly, just as he'd almost got the lock back in place, the Ring sprung into life. The Observer jumped up and ran to hide in some nearby bushes. As he watched a strange ship came through the Ring. It fitted through it perfectly. It was almost as if it had been made for it.

A big smile spread over the Observer's face. Maybe all was not lost. The Lord Deviser could be rather violent when he was angry. And he would be angry with the Observer for not fixing the Ring in time. But if the Observer could offer him this ship, then he might be spared the beatings he had received in the past.

OoOoO

John brought the Jumper into land, and checked the scanner to see if they could detect anything.

"The scanners still show no-one is here," John said exasperated.

"Is it possible they have taken Dr Beckett and Dr McKay elsewhere?" Teyla asked.

"It's possible," John said with a frown. "Hell, anything's possible. This whole planet gives me the creeps."

"Where should we start?" Lorne asked from the back of the Jumper.

"Well," John said, drawing the word out to give himself time to think. "The best place to start is probably where we left Rodney and Carson. We can maybe track them from there."

Lorne nodded, and the teams silently prepared themselves for the walk to the cliff.

"Now," John said. "Be careful at all times. This planet seems to be dangerous to the health of anyone who comes here. The Ancients even avoided it. Expect the unexpected, and the downright strange. And if you see anything unusual, anything at all, shout."

He looked round them all, and they all nodded.

"Okay," he said. "Let's go."

OoOoO

Carson was getting tired. Rodney was dancing round the room like a child on Christmas morning, picking up all the ancient devices and handing them to Carson. So far, none of them had proved to be of any use for their current predicament. They mostly seemed to be scanners or medical devices. They would be of great use on Atlantis, but didn't really help them now.

"Here's another one," Rodney said, his enthusiasm seemingly undiminished.

"Rodney," Carson said, wearily. "Is there any point to this? None of these have proved to be of any use at all, and my head aches from all this."

"Leave the headache excuse for the breeding ceremony," Rodney said, with a grin. "Now try this one."

Carson groaned, both at the joke and at what Rodney was asking him to do. But he took the device anyway.

Suddenly, the world around him started spinning in a kaleidoscope of colours. The spinning got faster and faster until the world seemed to explode in rainbow of light, leaving only darkness.

The last thing Carson heard before he slipped into unconsciousness was Rodney calling his name, his voice full of fear.