A/N: Just wanted to thanks to those who reviewed! Those reviews gave me the encouragement to get up this next chapter in spite of physics homework. Enjoy, and then let me know if you really did or not ;)


CHAPTER 3

Back in Atlantis

Dr. Elizabeth Weir stood on the balcony outside the gate room. It was the middle of the night, and the only sounds were those of the waves and the breeze. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she came here, where she always came when there was a team missing. Elizabeth's sighed into the darkness as she thought over the events of the day.

The worry that settled in her gut when Teyla had told her that Sheppard and McKay hadn't radioed in during the last checkpoint had only gotten worse as the day went on. The team that was sent to see where the missing men had gotten to hadn't brought back encouraging news. Several patches of stained blood had been found at a two hours walk from the gate. Samples of the blood had been taken for testing. Elizabeth drew her hope from the fact that no bodies had been found as of yet. Why was it that when something went wrong off world it nearly always happened to her lead team?

With a final look at the stars and the waves, Elizabeth turned. She knew she should get some rest. Tomorrow would be an even more stressful day as they expanded the search with the puddle jumpers to include more of the planet.


City of Amnis Levis

The city was incredible. Two giant stone guardians stood to either side of the city's main gate. Huge stone and brick buildings towered overhead, many entryways lined with fluted columns. Mixed in among the majestic architecture and statuary was the reality that this was a living city. People bustled to and from buildings that looked like they had been pulled from Earth's past. The slavers finally made a turn off the main boulevard onto an equally busy side street.

Finally stopping in an open courtyard lined with cells they began to unload their 'merchandise.'

John looked around at the complex. There appeared to an auction block at the far end, currently empty. However, there did seem to be a variety of different peoples working out deals with the various traders. Slaves were trading hands left and right, it was enough to make him sick; or maybe that was the concussion.

"Well, isn't this just homey?"

At that, John turned and gave Rodney an incredulous look, which settled into a more comforting grin when he saw the naked fear in his friend's eyes.

"Just add a touch of color and it'd be downright inviting," he quipped back. "Ah, looks like we're next.

The slavers came over and unlocked their door, taking out each person one by one. The slavers asked each individual what they had been before their capture, then placed a metal collar on the person as they were put away. The person doing the asking was obviously the chief-asshole, judging by the way he looked at even his own guards.

"Hey! Wounded man here," John heard McKay yelp as the guards roughly pulled him up by his good shoulder.

"McKay," John muttered warningly as they were dragged to the front to be analyzed and tagged, at least that's what it felt like.

John watched as the astrophysicist was dragged forward, praying the man would keep his mouth shut. He might as well have wished to be back in Atlantis.

"Where the hell do you think you're taking us?"

John clenched his jaw in frustration; the man just didn't know when to shut up. The slaver looked down at McKay with contempt written all over his face.

"Hmmm, damaged goods. Not exactly the fine physical specimen I'm used to dealing. However," here he paused and finally turned to address McKay, who looked quite miffed at being analyzed like a piece of livestock. "What were you before your capture?"

"A scientist. Not that that means anything to you. Lets just say that my intelligence probably outweighs tenfold that of you and your henchman combined, if not more," McKay responded with his usual arrogance.

It didn't go over well with the slavers. The man backhanded McKay to the ground. John tried to get to him, but the two thugs to his sides kept an iron grip on him.

"A scholar, I recognize the weak body and the sharp tongue. Can you write in the language of the Ancestors? Or perhaps you are a manipulator of numbers?"

Looking up from his position on the ground Rodney grumbled up, "Both, and far better than anyone you know most likely."

"You are lucky I have a buyer in mind for you; otherwise you are fit for nothing but to stain the arena floor." He practically spat at McKay, who was regaining his feet while clutching his wounded arm.

John was worried about what that meant for them. His mind had been so focused on how to get them home, that he never considered what might happen if they were to be separated. This city wasn't small; if they were sold to separate people…

He was brought back from his mussing as he heard Rodney whine in protest as a heavy metal collar was snapped on his neck and he was dragged to a cell in the wall. The man who seemed to control their fate then turned to a squirlish man behind him.

"Go find the Senator, tell him I have what he's been looking for."

John wasn't sure he liked the eager tone of the man's voice, but it was his turn next.

The man walked around him, appraising, analyzing.

"And you were?"

"A soldier"

The look John gave him could have frozen an entire ocean.

"Ah, yes, perfect. He's perfect for the arena, that anger will make him a good sell." The slaver had now turned his back on John, moving to the next cart in line. Feeling the cool sensation of metal on his skin, his eyes attempted to bore holes in the back of the slavers head. He felt a jerk on his arm and was roughly led into a group cell, where Rodney now sat huddled in a corner. John walked over and slid down the wall to sit next to his friend. Now that he was sitting still, the pounding in his head came back with a vengeance.

"So, what's your crazy plan to get us out of here," a familiar voice said to his side. John turned and looked at Rodney. Seeing the naked fear in the scientist's eyes he couldn't bear to tell him the truth, that he had no plan.

"Still working on it."

"What! Colonel, they're going to sell you off to the highest bidder, and apparently I'm already half sold. You don't have a clue what to do. We're going to die on this god-forsaken planet-sized litter box."

That headache had just doubled in size. Rodney was right, not about the dying part, John had no intention of dying, but about him having no clue. They were about to be sold off like cattle, and there was nothing John could do about it.


Rodney awoke in the middle of the night to the soft sound of voices that could be heard as they moved across the courtyard.

"He's damaged."

"It's his mind you need. Anyway, the wound will heal with time."

"How much?"

"Fifteen hundred pars"

As he slowly became more alert Rodney realized they were referring to him.

"As I said, he is damaged I will not pay that price. If you do not find a buyer, he will go to the arena as fodder. I doubt you could find another willing to pay what I am, and you will get next to nothing for him as fodder. One-thousand, no more."

"So be it. You will take him now then."

"Of course, I want that woman off my back as soon as possible. Have him taken to the villa by sunrise. You will receive your payment by first bloodshed tomorrow."

"It will be done. Thank you Senator"

Rodney tried to move, to tell Sheppard what was happening, but in his weakened state, he was unable to wake the Colonel.

Two guards walked to the cell holding Sheppard and McKay. One removed a small box from a pocket, while the other opened the door. The guard with the box depressed a small button, and suddenly Rodney blacked out. The guards moved his limp form to a cart outside. Dr. Rodney McKay was now the personal property of Senator Garai.

TBC


A/N: Due to those lovely things called mid-terms it may take me awhile to post the next chapter. Curse you economics! But hey, the next chapter starts getting into the fun stuff. cracks fingers in anticipation