Chapter 2: How Do you steal a Startgate?
Sheppard jogged through the jungle, trying to keep his mind off Rodney and his own guilt, and focus on the matter at hand. The heat was really oppressive, but he pushed on grimly. Heatstroke wouldn't dare take him at this point. Besides, he was still soaked from the stream (although with the high humidity, evaporative cooling didn't seem to be helping much). Even fighting the foliage, he reached the gate in less than twenty minutes.
Or rather, where the gate HAD been. Ronon was right, of course. The clearing was still there, ringed in stones, but the gate was…just gone. And so was the DHD. He stared in confusion.
Ronon looked up at his approach, equally confused. He had drawn his gun and was slowly circling the clearing. "I don't like this."
Sheppard was nervous himself, but didn't really see that it merited a gun. What was there to shoot at? "I don't like it either." He glanced at the gun. "Are you, uh, sensing something?"
Ronon sighed and reholstered the weapon. "No. I just don't like it."
Sheppard walked to the exact center of the circle, where the gate had stood, and turned all the way around. "Do you think…" he started. He let the thought trail away, though, at the absurdity of it. He wished McKay were here, and that thought brought a new wave of guilt.
"Think what?" Ronon prompted, snapping him back to reality.
"Oh. I was just wondering if it was possible that someone lifted it off?"
"You mean with a ship?" Ronon
asked, looking at the sky.
"Yeah. I mean, what else could have happened?"
"Wouldn't we have heard it?"
Sheppard shrugged. "Thick vegetation. And it may have been cloaked."
"Why and how would anyone steal a Stargate?" Ronon asked dubiously.
"Well, the why is pretty obvious. I imagine that a Stargate would be a really useful commodity. Imagine being able to have your own. It would be quite a coup for a world."
"Do they even work that way? I mean, are they portable?"
Sheppard shrugged, realizing he didn't know, and wishing again that McKay was here to come up with the brilliant answer. "It was just an idea," he muttered.
"Well, if nothing else it certainly prevents us from leaving," Ronon commented, still looking at the sky.
"Yes, it does," Sheppard said grimly. "And from getting medical help for Rodney. I wonder who'd behind it?"
"It doesn't seem to be the Wraith's style," Ronon said, considering. "If we were the targets at all. Who else hates us?"
Sheppard didn't even have to consider. "The Genii."
"But I thought we had a truce?" Ronon asked, brow creasing.
"I trust those bastards about as far as I can throw them," Sheppard growled. "But I don't think they have the technology to do this. In fact, I know they don't."
"Then who?"
"I don't know," Sheppard said. "Who else even has space travel?"
"Olesia," Ronon said promptly.
Sheppard grimaced. Ah, the Olesians. He had a special place in his heart for them, all right. "True, but I imagine the Wraith wiped them from the face of the planet after we released their all-you-can-eat prisoner buffet."
"They may have culled some and left the rest."
Sheppard shrugged. "It's possible. And I can see why they might want another Stargate. But it doesn't make sense. Their planet is nowhere near here, and I doubt their ships are capable of traveling through space very far."
"Which brings us back to nothing. We need Doctor McKay."
Sheppard looked at the ground. "He's not up to helping us right now."
"How was he when you left?" Ronon asked, voice softening.
"Better," Sheppard admitted. "He was waking up, and his temperature's dropped."
Ronon's shoulders relaxed. "Good. I'm not very familiar with this heatstroke, but it can be fatal, right?"
Sheppard nodded. "Yes."
"Then good he's getting better." Ronon hesitated. "I'm sorry."
Sheppard's head shot up. "What are you sorry for?"
Ronon looked at him. "You sent me for help. I couldn't get it."
Well, of all the stupid—"What the hell? It's not your fault that somebody stole the Stargate!" He was aware he was yelling, getting in Ronon's face, but he couldn't help it. How could the runner even consider that any of this was his fault?
Ronon looked confused, then frowned and grabbed Sheppard by the shoulders. "Sheppard, calm down," he said shaking him.
Sheppard shook off Ronon's hands, but he took several breaths and tried to calm down. "Right. Ah…sorry."
Ronon shrugged. "So now what?"
"I guess we go back and wait until Rodney's recovered enough to…" to tell us all what to do. "To help us figure this out," he finished.
"Sounds good," Ronon rumbled, leading the way back to the spot they had left Rodney and Teyla.