Major Lorne eased the jumper through the Stargate into afternoon sunshine. Assuming a standard search pattern, he quickly gained altitude and began to circle the gate in a slow, ever-expanding spiral. The interior of the little craft was a bit crowded with Lorne's team plus Drs. McKay, Miles, and Brown along for the ride. McKay had commandeered the seat just behind Lorne in the cockpit and was tapping on a portable tablet computer. Dr. Katie Brown was seated next to him behind the co-pilot's seat, and Lorne really hoped he would be able to keep from laughing at the way McKay was trying to incorporate a swagger into his awkward hunched-over posture.

"Bring up the Life signs detectors. Let's see if my modifications are going to do any good…"

If it were anyone but McKay, Lorne would have been annoyed by being told what to do on his own command. Scratch that: He found McKay annoying at the best of times, but Sheppard put enormous trust in the caustic physicist, so Lorne found it his duty to endure the man with good humor. Or at least endure the man. Triggering the mental command that brought the windshield in front of him to life with bright colors and overlapping diagrams, he could feel Rodney lean over his shoulder to peer more closely at the overload of information.

"That's a lot of life signs…" Lorne said simply, for just like the small palm LSD, the screen was overwhelmed with the number of dots being detected.

McKay tapped once more on his tablet, leaned over Lorne's shoulder insolently to twist a dial on the control panel, and the screen changed from a solid mass of yellow dots, to a couple dozen or so red and blue dots, many in little clusters of 2-4. They would occasionally change color from red to blue, blue to red. Now and then one would wink out for a moment only to reappear again. "What am I seeing here?" Lorne asked testily.

"I've reprogrammed the LSD to filter out all stationary life signs. The ones remaining are those signatures that, from the perspective of the surrounding environment, are in motion. Seeing as flowers don't typically migrate," McKay shot a sickeningly jovial look over at Dr. Brown, "I was kind of hoping that Ronon would be the only thing out there moving around."

"So these are other things out there moving around?" Lorne thought that was rather important information.

"Apparently. Teyla and I came across a dead creature before she became delusional. Some sort of indigenous canine. Perhaps these are its friends and family running around."

"Great. I don't suppose there's a way to tell the difference between human and canine from here, is there?"

"No, the sensors in the jumpers and palm devices aren't that sensitive… although this isn't the first time I've wondered why the Ancients didn't find that as annoying as we do."

"Maybe they didn't get in as much trouble all the time as we do," hypothesized Lorne, earning him a disgusted look from McKay, who was distracted a moment later by an urgent poke on the shoulder. Swiveling his chair slightly, Rodney threw the remnants of his expression at the tall, thin, non-descript man in science blues who was just reaching out to poke again.

"Excuse me, did you say you observed an indigenous canine on this planet?" Dr. Miles spoke with a light Australian accent and would tell anyone who asked, and some who didn't, that he was from New Zealand, not Australia. At the moment he was leaning into the front compartment with an expression of excited interest.

"A dead one." McKay answered as uninterested as the biologist was eager.

"I would love to examine the creature, maybe even bring it back to Atlantis for an autopsy and further study…"

"Do you think the creature could have some sort of immunity to whatever is affecting Colonel Sheppard's team?" Now that was worth the effort to find and examine a dead dog, thought Lorne!

"Um, well. No actually we just haven't seen any other mammals in the Pegasus galaxy yet that resembles the canine family and it would be fascinating to compare them to Earth species." He took a deep breath as if he was planning to continue his thought in full lecture mode.

"Sorry Doc," Lorne interrupted brusquely. "You can play science fair another day. This is a recon and recovery mission. If it ain't going to find or help our people, then we're not stopping." Usually he was all patience and well used to the quirks of working with civilians, especially civilian scientists who thought a lot of themselves. Lorne was often assigned escort duties, in part because of his easygoing nature. But that patience was non-existent today, his concern for his CO and colleagues overriding any coddling of ego he might otherwise attend to.

Dr. Miles looked mildly affronted, but returned to the rear with only a bit of a huff. Lorne shot McKay a look as if to say, "what's up with that guy?" and was pleased to see him squirm a bit. Usually Rodney was on the other side of the aisle so to speak, and Lorne thought it was good for him to sympathize with security for once.

After a moment, Rodney spoke, sounding awkwardly polite and looking nervously over at a slightly frowning Dr. Brown, "Teyla wanted to know what killed the creature and that was where she first fainted. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to examine the animal after all. We can do that and get the plant samples at the same time. We're only assuming the flowers are involved, so covering more bases couldn't hurt."

Lorne thought it through. Dr. Weir had impressed upon him that speed was critical for both Sheppard and (they assumed) Ronon. "Ok," he began slowly, "We'll split up. I'll drop you Doctors and two of my men by the dead dog to take samples and do whatever it is you want to do. Me and Stackhouse will take the jumper and chase down your moving dots. Hopefully Ronon won't be taking a nap and we'll find him that way. Where was the creature?"

"Little over a mile due South of the gate. And Major, you'll need everyone you've got to bring Ronon back if he's even half as delusional as Sheppard was. You should keep your team together, I'll secure the research area for Drs. Brown and Miles."

Managing just barely to avoid gagging like a 12-yr-old girl at the wholly pathetic arrogant smirk McKay threw at Katie, Lorne did have to admit that the man at least had a point. "Alright, I'll leave Jones with you good doctors and the rest of us will continue the search."

"Alright. If you really think that's necessary…"

"I do."

"Oh."

Lorne managed to find the carcass quickly, and landing the jumper in the flowers beside it he left the pilot's seat to join the group leaving through the rear hatch. Everyone, Lorne and the remaining team members included, had donned breathing filter masks. Although less bulky than fully shielded gas masks, the lightweight filters fit snugly over the mouth and nose. Cylindrical filter-tubes jutted out of the chin area and they all looked rather like a troop of two-legged bugs, mandibles poised to snatch up crumbs.

Dr. Miles immediately made a beeline for the interesting creature and Lorne exchanged an exasperated look with Jones who had to jog quickly to pass up the eager biologist and remind him that they needed to secure the perimeter first. Hanging back with Lorne and watching Katie Brown walk casually towards the creature, McKay hurriedly whispered to the Major once she was out of earshot, "You really think there's something dangerous around here besides the toxic happy-flowers?"

"You're the one who found the packs of wild dogs running around, McKay."

"Right. Wild dogs." Lorne chewed his lip trying not to snort as McKay looked nervously around them for a moment, then drew his 9mil to hold in an inexpert grip. "You, ah, sure you don't want to leave Walker too?"

Lorne grinned, clapped McKay on the back and pointed North. "The Stargate's only a mile in that direction. You get in trouble, radio me and head for the gate. You've got the control crystal with you. You can gate out if you have to."

"Right."

"Good luck."

"You too." And Lorne was certain that McKay was sincere. As annoying, arrogant, cowardly and generally unpleasant as he was, he was also loyal to a fault and had a knack for pulling off the impossible. Begrudging the thought only a little, he also had to admit that the man cared for his team. And that made Lorne all the more certain that Sheppard's trust was not misplaced.

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Ronon's memories overwhelmed him with visions of running from the Wraith, fighting the wraith, killing the wraith. Yet, he had been to so many worlds, run so far for so long, that the memories blurred together into one long run. The worlds he ran on in his visions tended to resemble the unpopulated and lonely P1C-270, and most of his mental energy was centered around staying hidden and keeping the proper distance from the Stargate.

For a runner, the Stargate was both prison and escape. If you stayed too close, you ran the risk of being surprised by a Wraith hunter. If you wandered too far, you left behind your only means of escape. For once the wraith did find you, find the planet you hid on, your only choices were to kill it or run to another planet. There was no hiding or waiting out the Wraith.

Ronon had survived so long on the run because he understood the game. He allowed no room for hope and simply endured. Hope made you careless, sloppy. And sloppy made you dead. That was, until Sheppard.

Even after a year of living on Atlantis, Ronon couldn't quite explain why he had trusted Sheppard that day they met…or rather that day he took him and Teyla hostage. The Atlantians were blocking the gate. He had to go through the gate. Capturing them was only necessary to surviving. But something about Sheppard had gotten through to the very small and deeply buried spot in Ronon's soul that still craved hope. If he were to be honest, he had thought Sheppard weak and careless, easily to be deceived and overpowered. Ronon accepted Sheppard's offer of help very much planning to get what he needed and leave. And if he didn't get what he needed, as he assumed would be the case, he'd be justified in killing them all and would leave anyway.

What he hadn't planned on was for Sheppard to return, for his Doctor to perform the miracle promised…and to remember the honor he had once proudly held dear. He'd kept his promise to Sheppard to try to bring Lt. Ford home. And then, with the freedom to go anywhere he wanted without being followed for the first time in seven years, he'd felt overwhelmed by the choice and followed Sheppard to Atlantis to buy himself time to think through his freedom.

In the intervening year, he'd learned that Sheppard's careless attitude came not from cowardice or negligence, but from a position of such strength that he could afford to be casual, and an unquenchable optimism that had not been driven out by jaded experience. In Ronon's opinion, Sheppard depended too much on his weapons and thought too much. But he had come through again and again, and Ronon found himself grudgingly awarding the man rare respect.

That was why, when the Stargate activated and Ronon perceived the jumper emerging to climb immediately into large sweeping arcs, a memory of trust and hope finally emerged through the endless memories of despair and survival.

Crouching low into a barely noticeable dip in the field surrounding the Stargate, Ronon had covered himself with grasses and rubbed mud made from spit and dust onto his face and arms. When he was still, he vanished into the landscape. Tracking the jumper through the sky, he watched it circle then land in the near distance. Ignoring the racing of his heart and the urge to run with absurd ease... he had long mastered the impulses of panic and fear…he lay in wait, drawn to the symbol of hope and home that the jumper represented.

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Sheppard ran. And for a short while, the running relieved the sensations of panic. But the memories that overwhelmed him were of betrayal and rage.

"Phoebus?"

"It's alright. These people recovered our pods. We may well be the very last of our kind. These generous people have allowed us to be together one last time."

"You consented to this?" Thalen turned to Caldwell and McKay, his face a placid, calculating mask.

"One last chance, to say goodbye to my husband."

Sheppard watched from behind his own eyes as Phoebus/Elizabeth stepped close and kissed him with cold, humiliating passion. He screamed at Thalen to trust his people, to let them stop Phoebus before she hurt anyone. Thalen only laughed at him and Sheppard could feel Thalen's thrill of excitement and smoldering rage as the hunt began.

Elizabeth had betrayed him. No, wait…she was Phoebus…

Elizabeth would strap him into an infirmary bed to die.

But Elizabeth would never hurt him. He trusted her. She was Phoebus?

A sharp pain jolted through John's chest and gasping, he fell to his knees. The metallic clang as he dropped compelled him to look around. He was on the catwalk in an unpopulated, difficult to reach corner of Atlantis and for another moment, he closed his eyes against a parade of visions of jogging with Ronon. Yet, the memories were pleasant, calming, feeling of comfortable daily routine and silent unassuming companionship.

When he opened his eyes again, the pain was fading, although a dull lingering ache remained. Resting in a brief moment of lucidity, he allowed himself to think of nothing. He realized he was still holding the stunner he had stolen from the guard in the infirmary, and he idly wondered if he still had his radio on. Reaching up to tap his ear, he felt the small piece of plastic and electronics and instinctively called out to the people he knew could help…

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Elizabeth watched in horror as John ran out of the infirmary and into the corridors beyond. She was stunned by his abrupt burst into violence and was momentarily rooted to the spot, still overwhelmed by the look on his face as he had dropped to his knees before her. She wasn't sure exactly what memory he'd been seeing as he'd looked up at her with defiant terror, but she had an inkling. She had read his mission report after spending several days as captive on Ford's Hive ship. But his report had only mentioned that he'd spoken with the queen of the Hive. It had not described the fear, nor being driven to his knees during the interrogation.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth," Carson's voice was thick with self-rebuke. He helped heave the stunned guard to his feet and coaxed him to tilt his head back to stop the flow from his bloodied nose. "Whatever is affecting the Colonel stimulates hormones that very much resemble a 'fight or flight' survival response…"

"We seem to have allowed him to do both." Elizabeth's voice was cold. She turned away from Carson to tap her radio headset. "Security, this is Weir…" but she paused after opening the channel. Clearly John was capable of reacting to threat, imagined and real. Who knew what he would do or where he would run if confronted by a full pursuit force…or who he would hurt if he believed them to be enemies. Thinking quickly, she continued, "Security, organize a small search party and meet me in my office for instructions in 10 minutes."

Next she purposefully strode out of the same door John had run through calling for Carson to follow her. When she reached the control room, she stepped to the communications station and commanded briskly, "Open a citywide channel…" When the technician nodded at her, she paused for only a moment to gather her thoughts then spoke into the receiving microphone. Her voice echoed throughout the city, and the command in her tone caused everyone to pause in their work, listening carefully.

"All personnel, this is Weir. As of now, the city is under a voluntary quarantine lockdown, but there is no, I repeat NO medical emergency. A member of our expedition is lost and…injured within the city. We hope to use sensors to track him down, but this will be impossible to do unless everyone stays out of the hallways and for the time being limits their movement. Your cooperation is appreciated. Weir out."

Elizabeth nodded at the technician as she finished and hurried purposefully to her office, ignoring the questioning look he shot her as he closed the broadcast. She had considered and rejected the idea of alerting everyone to watch for Sheppard in the hopes that someone would spot and report him. On the one hand, he might react badly if people behaved suspiciously around him, and on the other…he would no doubt appreciate the discretion.

Carson was still tagging along, looking confused about why he was here, but Elizabeth ignored him for the moment too and sat quickly at her desk to begin tapping at her tablet, opening documents and searching through directories. Carson sat down morosely in the chair across from her and she felt a sudden pang of sadness as she remembered John sitting just there only hours ago, smirking with good humor and planning an easy hike with his team…

When the security team entered, Elizabeth finally turned her attention to the group in her office. She was pleased to see that the men on the search team were some of the original expedition members. Like her, they had been through a lot with Sheppard, and were some of his most loyal men. She briefly explained the situation and let them ask their questions. Then she fixed them with a stern look. "Colonel Sheppard's condition makes him dangerously unaware of his surroundings. He may not recognize you. He may respond with violence to being pursued or confronted. I've asked for a small team so you can work quickly and help me guide him into a position where we can coax him into returning to the infirmary. However, if he becomes a threat to you or to anyone else on the base, you are to apprehend him with physical force or stun him..."

Carson suddenly sat up and interrupted, "I wouldn't advise stunning, Elizabeth. His heart is already under incredible stress from the tachycardia…"

Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly, then met the eyes of Lt. Edison. "You have your orders, Lieutenant." She shot a warning look at Carson who was looking mutinous before finishing her instructions to the search team. "Stay in radio contact. I'll be trying to talk him home through the radio, Carson believes he was still wearing his headset when he left the infirmary."

"Yes, ma'am." Edison turned briskly to his team. "Toreil, you go get the sensors set up. The rest of us will begin a standard search pattern from the infirmary. You can advise us if you spot something."

"Yes, sir…"

"Carson?" John's voice whispering through the radio was hoarse and out of breath. Elizabeth saw Carson signal wildly and touch his earpiece. She pounced on her own headset to listen in as did Edison. Carson replied soothingly.

"Yes, Colonel. I'm here. Where are you son? You gave us quite a scare running off like that." They waited expectantly for John's reply.

"My name is Major John Sheppard and I have hidden the C4 where you will never, I repeat, NEVER find it. When I get confirmation that the prisoners have been safely released and allowed to gate off Atlantis, I will help you find it."

Edison's team exchanged puzzled looks before Edison waved off Toreil to the sensors as planned. Elizabeth thought furiously. If she could figure out which memory John was reliving, perhaps she could use it to anticipate where he might be, or go next. Suddenly it hit her… Kolya. Not the best memory, she had to admit… John had wreaked a lot of havoc trying to free her and Rodney from Kolya who'd held them hostage during the hurricane. But it was something.

"Colonel Sheppard, you need to return to the infirmary. I promise you won't be harmed, and you can walk about if you wish. We won't restrain you. You have my promise…" Carson still spoke calmly and persuasively as Elizabeth frantically searched through her folders to find and open John's report on the incident with Kolya's strike force on Atlantis.

"Wait a minute. I thought all you wanted was C4 and a Jumper." John continued the conversation as if Carson had suddenly turned into Kolya himself and Carson shot Elizabeth an exasperated look of help.

"Grounding station three," Elizabeth whispered to herself, reading frantically. "Kolya told him to go to grounding station three after he hid the C4." Catching Edison's eye, she touched her own earpiece again. "John? Kolya wants you to go to the Grounding station and uncouple the grounding rods at station three. Can you do that?"

"Don't hurt her. If you hurt Elizabeth, I'll kill you." John's voice was raspy with fury and Elizabeth blushed a bit then whispered to Edison.

"Take your men to grounding station three. The last time Sheppard was there, he killed two Genii soldiers so be careful. Try to convince him to return to the infirmary…"

"Yes, ma'am!" Edison strode sharply out of her office and hustled his team away.

"John. I'm OK. Just go to the grounding station." Elizabeth hoped to soothe his remembered fears and prevent him from feeling threatened like before. She looked at Carson and they exchanged hopeful glances. Only empty static met her pleas.