As Rodney walked down these oh so familiar corridors he felt like he was in a dream, a terrible nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. The only thing that told him that this wasn't a dream was the steady, throbbing pain that was coursing all across his body.
"We are here." Came the stranger's voice from up the front of the group, Rodney hadn't thought to ask his name.
"Okay, well how do we open it?" Came John's annoyed voice from somewhere in front, it was hard to see through the gloom even with three flashlights on.
"I do not know…But I will try." This last bit of speech came out so fast that Rodney was sure that the Major had started forwards looking threatening.
"So what do we do whilst we wait?" asked a young Lieutenant just behind Rodney, he seemed a bit jumpy which worried Rodney because he thought all Lieutenant's and marines were supposed to be, well, hard to worry or frighten.
"Why don't we just stand in silence?" Sheppard snapped, Rodney stared at the dim outline of John his eyebrows becoming lost in his hair. John had never really snapped at someone before, and definitely not a young Lieutenant who had probably never been on a mission off-world before.
"Okay, why don't we all jus' calm down." Carson had stepped into the defence of the young man; he was watching John with a worried look on his face.
"Whatever." John turned back to the blank bit of wall in front of him and began to mutter darkly.
"It's done!" came a slightly startled statement from the blank stretch of wall in front of them, the soldiers moved forwards as one and took up positions as a large door shaped piece of wall practically melted away.
"Whoa! Nice!"
"Oh god, why do you soldiers always have to be so impressed by something that is so scientifically simple… whoa!" Rodney couldn't help but let out an exclamation as he entered the new room through the melted wall. It was huge; with a variety of strange instruments all stacked haphazardly on tables, and the noise that they were making was incredible!
The lights from the soldier's P-90s were shining swiftly around the room, before they began to rest on the different machines, lighting up different pieces of their equipment.
"What are these?" John asked to no one in particular, but Rodney guessed it was directed more closely at the new guy.
"I do not know." He replied blankly, as he too stared around apparently awestruck at the cavernous room. Rodney immediately didn't trust him, it was something about the tone of his voice, as though he was waiting for something planned to happen any minute.
Suddenly lights flickered on all around them, all of them screwed up their eyes from the sudden intense light that was blinding them. When Rodney finally managed to open his eyes again he saw at least twenty people all dressed in plain brownuniforms standing all around the room and pointing strange weapons at the group.
'Oh great.' Rodney thought as he watched someone walk forwards towards them, someone with a definite feminine walk and shoulder length hair. 'Just great.'
She stopped in front of them and smiled, Rodney could feel Torrela stir at the back of his mind and he could hear the quiet hiss that she made as Rodney's eyes focused on the woman in front of them.
"Doctor McKay, how nice of you to join us again!" She said still smiling, her tone one of great joy as she glanced around at her other captives all of whom were still squinting against the light.
"Yes, well I wasn't exactly able to voice my objections to coming back."
"McKay are you gunna introduce us to your friend? Or are you gunna stand there all day and exchange sarcastic remarks?" Rodney glared at John, who like the others was still squinting, but Rodney had no idea why, the light wasn't nearly as bright as it had been a moment ago.
"Oh yes please do introduce us Doctor McKay." The woman said in a horrible silky voice, as her smile widened "I'm simply dying to meet my captives."
Rodney glared at her, the only thing stopping him attacking her was the little voice of reason at the back of his mind going 'They've all got big guns, you have none. Don't be an IDIOT McKay. Big guns! Very big guns!'
But before Rodney could respond with either a sarcastic remark or with the introductions a voice piped up from the group, and they all turned in unison to see who it was.
"I brought them here my lady, I did it! No one else would risk it, not after the last incident but I did! I went out and found them, bringing the hapless idiot in here, and I made sure they found the writings! You promised a reward, my lady. You promised."
"You!" Rodney stared horror-struck as John lunged forwards towards the stranger and grabbed him by the throat, he felt the three other soldiers move towards their CO to try and prise him off the traitor but they never managed it. Seconds after John had grabbed the man's throat; he had been hit by a blast from one of the weapons and fell to the floor with a crash.
"SIR!" came a startled cry from Lieutenant Ford, as suddenly the young soldier that had beena bit too jumpy earlier began to fire blindly into the crowd of uniformed officers surrounding them.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Rodney yelled at him, but it was too late the young Lieutenant was hit by weapons fire and fell to the ground his eyes glazed over.
"Oh my god." Rodney heard Carson say before a second blast hit the doctor in the chest, he too hit the floor hard and didn't rise.
Major Lorne and Lieutenant Ford raised their P-90s defensively, they knew that they were no match for the twenty-or-so guards whom surrounded them but it made them feel better to have some form of weaponry to fight with.
"Lower your weapons, and no one else need get hurt." The woman said slowly eyeing the guns in the two soldier's hands.
"Oh yeah! Like that's gunna happen. You just killed an unarmed doctor! Excuse me if I don't believe you when you say we'll be unharmed if we drop these." Major Lorne replied steadily, and Rodney could tell why Major Sheppard had picked him for this mission. He was calm under pressure, and he had a good load of sarcastic remarks tucked away in that military brain of his.
The woman laughed loudly, and signalled to one of the guards who moved threateningly towards Zelenka and Volga, Rodney saw Lorne's eyes flick swiftly towards the two scientists before settling back on the woman in front of them.
Lieutenant Ford had one eye on Major Lorne and one eye on the two scientists, who were slowly and cautiously drawing closer to the two marines for safety.
"Don't make this any harder on yourselves." The woman said softly, as the guard took another step towards Zelenka and Volga, as his face passed by a light held by one of the guards Rodney recognised him as one of the goons who had held him last time he was here, his eyes narrowed slightly before snapping back onto the brown haired woman now watching them all closely.
'Doctor McKay, listen to me please. I know this is out of character but I am willing to help you if you listen to me.' Rodney almost jumped as Torrela's voice drifted through his mind; he managed to control his small gesture and responded as quickly as he dared.
'Okay what?'
'That woman in front of you, is not me…'
'Okay, well gee that's a lot of help. I will definitely phone you when we need some help in a pub quiz!'
'Doctor McKay, SHUT UP, please…thank you. Now as I was saying, that woman in front of you is not me. She is an impostor, and very much like what I have done here to you, she has invaded my mind and body. Now I have a plan which will benefit us both if you just listen to me, and do as I say.'
'Oh sure, I'll listen to the virus that has so far taken over my mind, my body and tried to kill me. What could possibly go wrong with trusting that person?'
'Now I see why so many people find you tiresome and annoying. But please just listen to this plan, and please you must act upon it. It will save your friends, and it will save my people!'
'My friends are lying on the floor around me dead! How can it help them?'
'It will, I promise!'
Slight cliffhanger there, lol sorry about the lastness of this chapter. Next one will come up soon.