DISCLAIMER -- Stargate: Atlantis is not mine. This is a story for fun, not profit. Don't sue me.

SPOILERS -- None in this chapter, but I will continue to keep you posted.

A/N -- Yes, this chapter is short, but I promise the next one will be longer.


The Song Of Silent Rivers

2. Too Close To Nature

"How're you doing back there, Doc?"

"I'm all right, Colonel Sheppard," was the quiet reply.

John had to admit, he'd had his doubts when Elizabeth suggested he should bring Radek Zelenka along on the mission. The Czech was a nice guy, unquestionably smart, and easy to get along with, but John had been less worried about Zelenka's attitude and more about his stamina. Now, John found himself re-evaluating his earlier opinion of Zelenka. Seriously, he had to admire the man.

They'd been walking for an hour, though to John it felt as though they'd been marching along for ages. The air was heavy and humid, and they were all hot and tired, but unlike himself, Teyla and Ronon, Zelenka wasn't used to this sort of thing. Traipsing through some alien forest was a far cry from working in the cool, comfortable, relatively safe environment of his lab in Atlantis, but the Czech engineer had not complained once since they'd started on this trek. It was a nice change, John decided, to have a scientist along who knew how to behave himself. If it had been McKay trudging along back there, John suspected he'd have been hearing a steady stream of whining about the bugs, the humidity, sore feet and the dangers of ultraviolet radiation. Maybe he should ask to have Zelenka along more often. Without McKay's strident voice demanding attention every ten seconds, John discovered he was actually able to hear himself think. This was nice. He could get used to it.

"How about those power readings?" John inquired.

"Getting stronger," was the reply. "I'm sure we are headed in the correct direction."

"Great. Anybody feel like stopping for a water break?"

"Yes. I would like to stop," said Teyla from the rear of the line.

"Me too," Zelenka agreed.

John glanced over his shoulder at Ronon Dex. Predictably, the Satedan wasted no breath on unnecessary words. Ronon merely shrugged.

"Okay then. We'll stop here." So saying, John dropped to the ground and leaned his back against a tree. He unscrewed the cover of his canteen. While he drank, he contemplated the mission. He wondered if the power reading was really coming from a ZPM. He hoped so. They'd been so close, so many times but ultimately had to surrender to ethics because it would have been wrong to remove a ZPM from a world where the native inhabitants needed it just as much as the Atlanteans did. Maybe this world would be different. Rodney had assured them this world was uninhabited, and Rodney – in his own egotistical words – could not possibly be wrong about something like that.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Radek sat beside Colonel Sheppard, under the canopy of a tree. Nearby, Ronon was leaning against another tree and Teyla was sitting cross-legged on the ground at Ronon's feet. Radek had been surprised to discover he'd actually been enjoying the walk through the forest, though just now he was grateful for the opportunity to rest. He thought he was doing well, even though he was itchy from bug bites and seemed to be perspiring more than anyone else. Well, the others were all experienced at this sort of thing, weren't they? It stood to reason they'd be in better shape for it.

Radek drank lukewarm water from his canteen and listened to the calls of birds in the branches far above his head. Some of them might have passed for Earth birds, but others could never have been mistaken for anything but alien. Radek was fascinated by them. He was captivated by the alien flora, too. He'd been occupying himself by counting each species of flower he'd observed since their arrival on M4X-382. So far, he'd counted thirteen. He was particularly taken with a rose-like plant whose blossoms were the color of a ripe cherry. Radek had tried to pick one, and was dubiously rewarded with a thorn in his hand and an amused snort from John Sheppard. The colonel had asked who Radek was picking flowers for. Radek had stoically refused to tell him. Of course he would have given the flower to Elizabeth, but Colonel Sheppard most definitely did not need to know that. He'd tease Radek mercilessly if he knew. Colonel Sheppard would be worse than— Well, worse than Rodney.

Radek grinned when he thought about Rodney. He wondered if the Canadian regretted going to the Infirmary this morning. Most likely he did. According to Elizabeth, Carson had kept Rodney in the Infirmary for some reason. Radek wished he had sought out Carson and asked him about it. Elizabeth said it was a funny story. Radek was certain he'd hear everything when he got back, but he'd probably hear it from Rodney himself, and that would be much less enjoyable than Carson's version of events.

"Something funny, Doc?" John Sheppard's voice cut into Radek's musing.

"Hmm…? No. I was only thinking about Rodney," Radek said.

"Me too. I sure hope he was right about this planet."

"What do you mean?"

"Dr. McKay believes this planet to be uninhabited," Teyla supplied.

"And you believe him," Ronon said. It wasn't a question, but it sounded like one.

Colonel Sheppard shifted around so he could look at all of them. "Look, we all know Rodney can be a little overconfident at times – okay, a lot overconfident – but I don't think he'd be wrong about this. I mean, there'd be lifesigns and evidence of civilization. Right?"

"Who says there aren't any signs of life?" said Ronon.

"I haven't seen any," the colonel said.

"Just because you don't see them, it doesn't mean they're not there, Sheppard."

"What? Have you seen—"

The sound of a snapping branch interrupted the colonel in mid-sentence. Ronon's hand went to his weapon immediately as he spun in the direction of the noise. Radek scrambled to his feet. He was aware of Teyla doing the same. From the corner of his eye, Radek thought he saw movement in the trees. Ronon must have seen it, too, because he raised his weapon in one smooth motion. Only Colonel Sheppard's raised hand prevented the Satedan from firing into the thick foliage.

Walking through this forest didn't seem so enjoyable any more. Radek's mouth suddenly felt dry despite the water he'd consumed. Rodney might have been correct about the planet not having a human population, but something was definitely out there.