"Are we almost ready to leave, Doctor Beckett?" asked Teyla as she walked into the Jumper bay.

"Aye love, I think so." The doctor replied in his broad Scottish accent. "Rodney's just helping me load up the last of my equipment, and then we're all set. How about you?"

"We are ready to leave when you are." She replied, as she strapped her handgun holster to her thigh.

"We?" Carson asked.

"Ronon has asked if he may join us. I did not think it would be a problem." She replied.

"Not at all, love. There's plenty room."

"Yeah, well, remember, if something goes wrong, don't blame me." Rodney said as he emerged from the rear of the Jumper, out of breath from loading the last piece of equipment.

"Should there be cause for concern, Doctor McKay?" Teyla asked.

"Well I don't know, because Nessie McHaggis here insisted on leaving for the mainland before I had a chance to run a diagnostic on the Jumper." Rodney snapped, gesturing at Carson. "And Colonel Sheppard agreed with him over me as usual, so if you crash, blame those two."

"And why would we crash, Doctor McKay?"

"Have you seen Beckett try to fly one of these things?"

"Oi! I can pilot one better than you can." Carson replied indignantly. "After all, you even admitted me that you can't even fly one in a straight line." He added with a slight grin. Rodney gave the doctor a dirty look and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "sheep-herder", before turning abruptly and stalking away.

"Oh dear." Carson said, chuckling. "He's not in a very good mood today, is he?"

"It appears that way," replied Teyla, smiling. "Ah", she added, "Here is Ronon now." She said, as the tall, dreadlocked man walked into the hanger, narrowly missing Rodney who tutted, waved his arms and sauntered through the door. Ronon glanced back at Rodney, raised his eyebrows at the pair, and grinned.

"Who upset him this time?" He asked, walking towards them, his dreadlocks swaying with every stride.

"That would be me." Carson said with a sigh. "We'd better be off then."

"I'm ready when you are" Ronon replied. "Which ship is it?"

"This one." Carson nodded to the nearest Jumper. "Let's go."

The trio walked around to the back of the Jumper and up the ramp, entering the rear hatch of the craft. Carson sat in the pilot's seat, and placed his hand on the control panel, which lit up at his touch. Carson was one of the lucky few that possessed a unique gene that enabled him to use Ancient technology. However, he was not always happy about it, as past experiences with certain devices had got him into some trouble.

"All set?" Carson enquired. Teyla and Ronon nodded, and smiled at the doctor, trying to reassure him. They knew he rather disliked flying. "Right, here we go. I hope you're strapped in…" He activated the controls that released the roof hatch, and it slowly retracted, allowing a shaft of bright morning light to shine through the widening gap onto the floor.

"Flight", Carson said into the radio. "This is Jumper One. We're go for launch."

"Jumper One, this is flight. You're good to go." said the familiar voice of Elizabeth Weir, the expedition leader, down the radio. "Good luck, Carson."

"Aye, I'm gonna need it. Thank you, Doctor Weir."

Carson activated the Jumper and manoeuvred it up and out of the bay, until they burst into the sunlight.

"Here goes." muttered Carson, as he increased speed, a look of deep concentration on his face.