Chapter the Fifth: Walk this way.

Sheppard knew Ronon wouldn't harm Rodney; he also knew Rodney knew that and just liked to pretend he didn't like Ronon. In reality, the two got along just fine. Sheppard thought they liked each other because, for the most part, they could be who they were, accepting each other as is.

"Alright, guys, doesn't seem like there's anyone watching us, so let's try and head for the gate. Any ideas which way that'd be?" No sooner had Sheppard finished his sentence that he felt a sting all over his body. "AH!"

He heard similar reactions from his team. "What the hell!" He looked around for the provenance of the sting, but saw nothing and no one.

"It's those things they threw!" Rodney was looking down at himself in disgust.

"What?"

"Look at us, we're all clean!"

Sheppard wasn't following. "And that's bad because?"

The sneer was a thing of beauty. "Because they pelted us with food? Remember? I nearly died of anaphylactic shock?"

Sheppard looked down at himself. Clean. Teyla. Clean. Ronon. Clean. Rodney. Clean, except for the jam stain on his trousers from this morning's breakfast. He returned his sight to Rodney's face, confused. "How did this happen?"

There was another full-body sting.

"I'm thinking they have technology we really don't know anything about."

"In food?"

"Maybe it wasn't food."

Teyla stepped forward. "Ronon ate some of it."

Rodney turned his sneer on her. "That doesn't mean it's food! He's like a trash compactor, inhales anything that stays still for more than ten seconds!"

A shout came from behind. "START THE TASKS OR YOU WILL GET STUNG!"

Another sting, this one sharper than the previous. "Ok, guys, maybe we should get moving. It could be some sort of system they use to watch over us."

Laughter rose from nearby, as if a crowd was extremely amused. "And they can hear us." Applause rose from the crowd. "So, I guess we should really get moving." Shouts and more applause greeted Sheppard's statement.

"Wow, Sheppard, you're really the King of Stating the Obvious Land. No, no, don't tell me, middle name's Akhos, right? I thought there was something familiar about the stup–" Rodney jumped. "HEY!"

He looked at his team-mates who hadn't seemed affected by the quick shock. "How come I'm the only one who got it this time?"

"I believe it would be wise to refrain from mocking the people of this world," Teyla said sagely.

"I wasn't mocking them! I was mocking Sheppard!" Rodney turned toward the stone arena. "Got that? I wasn't mocking your remarkable idiocy, I was mocking –" The scientist jumped again and decided silence was golden, in this case.

Sheppard snorted as cheers and applause sounded from behind. He let Rodney suffer through a few seconds of discomfiture before reprising his role as serious military man with the plan. "Just…go before we get hit again. Be careful, don't get separated." He hoped the look on his face conveyed what he was really thinking, something along the lines of gate home, be safe, be good, don't die.

"Yeah."

Sheppard nodded; Ronon got him.

He looked down at the map he held, listening to Rodney's fading voice. Teyla stood close, looking at the map as well. There was a cross, not far from their position, and a dot, blinking in what seemed to be a 'you are here' manner, or at least Sheppard hoped. "That's us."

Teyla raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, ok." He took his P-90 in hand and stopped stating the obvious. "Let's go."

She nodded and they broke into a light jog, side by side.

The woods darkened as they penetrated further, but not enough to warrant the use of flashlights. Tall trees towered over them, forming a canopy that blocked the sunlight, letting a small amount filter through. The smell of damp, trees, moss and other things Sheppard associated with forestry was sharp though not unpleasant. The silence was heavy and he was surprised; he should be hearing McKay, they couldn't have gone that far, could they? He shook his head. No use thinking about the rest of his team. He had to focus on keeping himself and Teyla safe. Birds cried high above them and things he had no wish to encounter moved through the underbrush. He sneaked a glance at the map and saw that they were heading too far to the left.

"This path won't lead us to the cross, we need to go right."

Teyla nodded and followed his lead. She should really be the one carrying this map; she had a much better sense of orientation. John knew he was useless on land, but would never tell. It was his secret; he could map land from sky, know where to settle his craft and where to go, but once he got down he was lost. Yeah, big secret, as if his team hadn't figured that one out already; John Sheppard was mystery no more; his cover was blown.

He glanced at Teyla as she passed through a streak of light. It made her skin glow, her hair shine and he eyes squint. They'd be fine. They'd be just fine.

They had to adjust their way a few more times before reaching the cross on the map which turned out to be set in the middle of an aggressive river. Its flow rumbled and tumbled and shone in the bright light that was unobstructed by trees. A wide, sturdy-looking rope stretched from one side to the other. It moved in the wind, dipping low over the water, but never low enough to be wet. Sheppard turned to Teyla, who was studying the rope. "I think this is you."

"I agree." She turned to him and smiled.

There was a hiss and Sheppard turned toward the water, seeing a floating branch disappear, seemingly eaten by the water. "Ok, that…could be a problem."

"I will not fall."

"That's a really good idea, Teyla."

She studied him for a moment then reached out.

The sting had them both flinching. "Guess they want us to move on. I'll look for a way to get across."

She nodded. "I will see you on the other side, Colonel."

He stepped away and watched as she grasped the end of the rope that was attached to a tree nearby. She pulled herself to a sitting position, her muscles bulging, moving beneath the smooth skin. The rope swung from side to side, spurred into movement by her kinetic energy. Both hands on the rope helped her rise to her feet and take Sheppard's breathe away.

Agile, she was like a circus act, a tightrope or trapeze artist, those who lived far above the earth, moving across or flying through the air in graceful arcs. Sheppard had dreamed of joining the circus as a boy; it had been his first incline towards the heights. He had wanted to be them, to fly as they flew, to defy ground, laugh in the face of gravity. Now, he watched as beauty rose, arms outstretched, legs solid and angling just right.

Teyla moved across the rope, as regal as ever. Back straight, hair flowing through the wind, kissed by the sunlight. He was witnessing perfection. He had always thought she was most beautiful when she fought, but he had been wrong. She would never be more enthralling, enticing, then she was here.

He prayed she would not fall. Certainly, the faiths, or gods, or whatever powers that allowed them to return home time after time would not allow such exquisite flawlessness to be undone.

He watched, marvelled and hoped. Then he was stung and moved away.

--OOOOO--

Kilometres away, a lesser perfection was at work.

"Don't touch that one! It's not that! Look, just bring them and pile them here!"

Rodney huffed as Ronon continued to ferret the devices from under fallen debris. He muttered to himself, as was his usual way of work. "Core of Stone, what's that! Can't they name things properly anywhere! It's Naming thing for Morons 101. That's what it is." He took a device, thought at it, threatened it, flattered it, flirted with it and ultimately discarded it with an angry sound.

"Why don't you have the gene yet? Uh? How come Carson hasn't given you the treatment?"

Ronon deposited a pile of device on the ground, as close to McKay as he could get them without mixing his piles. He straightened and shrugged. "Didn't ask."

"How come he didn't offer! What if, one day, me and Sheppard are out of commission and you need a gene, huh? What'll happen then! I'll talk to him. You need to be tested. More genes, we need more genes, I don't care who the carrier is!"

Ronon nodded and went to fetch the remaining devices that scattered the room. He sent a judging look at the roof of the cavern. These people liked rocky surroundings for their playthings, Ronon supposed. He didn't think the large beams that seemed to be holding back the mountain above their heads would collapse, but one could never be too careful. He had arranged for McKay to be closer to the door at all time. The scientist had not put up much of a fight, happy to stay seated while Ronon brought him work. Ronon smiled lightly, amused despite himself. Not a big secret that McKay, was he not running around the galaxy filled with nervous energy and the burning need to learn, would grow as large as the whales that populated the Lantian Ocean in body and encompass the whole of the universe in mind. So, Ronon had taken advantage of the scientist's laziness and love of knowledge to keep him safe; if rumble sounded, his team-mate would get out safely.

An Ancient-looking object flew past his head and he turned to see McKay already fondling another, muttering darkly under his breath. Ronon picked up the last device and placed it in the last pile. He then started to collect those that were of no use and moved them away from Rodney's eager hands. Once it was done, he settled by the door and waited, his weapon at the ready.

He thought of the image that had risen from the box. Trucks, they had been called. They looked like no animals he had ever encountered. In fact, it looked like something taken directly from a…those things they watched on team-nights, meant for the TV box. Movies, that was it. They looked like…

"McKay."

"Busy."

"What are the things they use to make other unreal things happen in the movies?" Ronon really didn't care whether Rodney was busy or not. He could listen and handle a device at the same time.

"What?" Rodney was taken out of his device-induced haze by the question.

"Those things that make it seem like things are real, in the movies. Like the light weapons you said didn't exist, the Black Man and the little guy used in their fight."

"Could you be more cryptic please, you're making too much sense, I'm about to hallucinate."

"The movie that you and Sheppard think is us. It has false things that look real and you said they were…that thing."

"Star Wars? Are you talking about Star Wars? Why are you disrupting me with talks of Star Wars when I have very important things to do!"

"Not the movie. The thing that makes false things seem real. Those you thought shouldn't be messed with."

"Special effects?"

"Yeah," Ronon said, leaning back against the rocky surface. He heard Rodney curse him and his shaggy mane before the muttering returned to the devices.

They'd be out of here in an hour, two tops, Ronon thought with a strange sense of pride.