DISCLAIMER – Stargate: Atlantis is the intellectual property of MGM/UA and associates. I have not received compensation from any source, in any form, for the creation of this story. I am writing this for entertainment and enjoyment only.
RATING – This story carries a content rating of T (in this chapter it's mainly for swearing but also for the mention of dead folks.)
ARCHIVE – Feel free to archive this story if you'd like to. Please tell me where it goes, though. A mother likes to know these things about her children. -nod-
SPOILERS – Anything up to the end of Season 2 is fair game.
A/N – At the time of writing this author's note, I haven't gotten many replies to Chapter 18.. In case that sounds like me whining, let me say I wasn't really expecting a lot of replies to a short, fluff-ish chapter like that one. Well, Chapter 19 is better, I promise. Anyway, thanks to those who did reply to Chapter 18. I always appreciate all the replies I get! Well, I hope you like this chapter. I'll see you all when I get back from visiting at my brother's house!
Any blocks of text that are written in present tense and italicized are flashback scenes.
Translations for anything in Czech are at the end of the chapter.
I don't have a beta. If you notice any mistakes, blame them on me.
The Song Of Silent Rivers
19. Into The Vale Of Shadow
Mission briefings scheduled for 0700 hours never appealed to John. Anyone privy to this thought might have assumed he wasn't a morning person, but that assumption would have missed the mark. John didn't mind getting an early start. He looked forward to watching the sun rise and going for an early morning run and meeting Elizabeth for breakfast in the mess hall each day. He liked mornings, so the trouble with early briefings wasn't the time. The problem was in having to face the crabbiness that was McKay before the physicist had consumed at least three cups of coffee. Today, however, John had been utterly surprised to find Rodney McKay acting civilly toward his co-workers at the meeting, despite his decaffeinated state. John guessed the presence of Radek Zelenka at the table might've had something to do with it. Everyone had been treating the engineer as if he was in mourning, being solicitous and talking to him in quiet voices. Even Ronon had seemed subdued in Radek's presence. It was weird; a bit surreal, even.
Somehow, John had managed to survive the briefing without incident, verbal or otherwise, and now he and his team were about to step through the Stargate. Even before walking into the shimmering blue event horizon, John anticipated the heat and humidity of M4X-382. He'd advised his team to bring hats this time, to protect them from the radiant sun. Ronon, predictably, hadn't bothered to heed that particular advice. Rodney, on the other hand, had brought a hat and sunglasses and his specially-formulated SPF 100 sunblock. John could smell the scent of coconut wafting from the Canadian physicist. He gave his head a shake. There was no end to the madness that was Rodney, but John realized he wouldn't have wanted things to be any other way.
John looked at the other members of his team. Teyla was the one he worried about the least. She was competent and smart and knew how to handle herself in practically any situation. At the moment she stood calmly next to Ronon, P-90 clipped to her tac vest and coppery hair trailing from beneath a khaki-coloured hat. Definitely a warrior, John thought.
When his gaze came to rest on Radek Zelenka, John wanted to cringe. It was scary how the tactical vest and BDUs seemed to transform his image from a mild little scientist into a wiry soldier. More unnerving was the way Radek was standing at rigid military attention, eyes forward, almost unmoving. John had seen pictures and news footage of Soviet soldiers just like this. Step out of line and we shoot you, John could imagine some commandant barking at a line of scared conscripts. His own country's military was tough, but not like that. It made him wonder what Radek's country had done to their kids.
"At ease, Zelenka," he found himself saying before he could stop himself.
The Czech blinked. "What?"
"Everybody ready to go?"John asked. Oh, nice save, Sheppard.
His team members were giving him nods of assent. John glanced over his shoulder to see Elizabeth standing in the control room. She was always there to see him off. He came to the realization he anticipated her smile of encouragement before he left Atlantis.
With Elizabeth's unspoken send-off firmly in his mind and his team following close behind him, John Sheppard stepped through the Stargate.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Radek had an alarming sense of déjà vu when he stepped through the Stargate's event horizon and into the sweltering air of M4X-382. it took every bit of will power he had to keep the memories of his last visit to this world under control. Nothing would happen to him this time. He was going to be vigilant and careful. He had a purpose for being here, and he was determined not to let his own fears get in the way of accomplishing what he needed to do.
Colonel Sheppard had made Radek promise to stay either beside or directly behind him as they hiked through the sub-tropical forest. Ronon had gone ahead of them, while Teyla and Rodney followed behind. They followed nearly the same route as they'd taken last time they'd been here. Radek was glad he'd paid attention to his surroundings on his previous visit, because he was able to point out a few geological details to the colonel as they walked along. He was also able to remind Colonel Sheppard of the location of the bridge that spanned the river.
The colonel didn't seem surprised when Radek mentioned the bridge. All he said was, "You're a pretty observant guy, Doc."
"Some left over army skills, perhaps," Radek said.
"Nah, the military can't teach you that. Some people are just naturally more observant," the colonel said. He glanced over his shoulder at Rodney. "Isn't that right, McKay?"
"Huh?" said Rodney. He had his attention firmly focussed on power readings and was no doubt oblivious to the finer points of the forest.
John Sheppard laughed. "See what I mean?"
"Rodney is observant when he tries," Radek said.
"How do you get him to do that?"
"I could not tell you. Is scientific secret."
"Classified, huh?" said Sheppard. "Well, never mind. I have ways of finding out stuff when I want to."
"You should not underestimate us, Colonel," Radek said. "Scientists are…resourceful."
Sheppard smiled at that, but it wasn't a look of amusement Radek saw in the soldier's eyes. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he might have seen admiration there.
"You're a surprising person, Doc," Sheppard said. "I guess I shouldn't underestimate you."
They were silent after that, until they finally reached the river. The water seemed to be flowing more swiftly than Radek remembered it. He wondered if there'd been rain since they'd been here the last time. That would have accounted for the increased humidity, too, he decided. He was curious to know how often it rained here, and if there was a flood season, and when that might have been.
They'd stepped out of the trees several meters away from the location of the bridge. Ronon led them downstream toward it. Just like last time, Ronon crossed first. Colonel Sheppard made Rodney go next. Though the Canadian wailed and complained all the way, he made it across safely.
When Radek felt the colonel's hand come to rest on his shoulder, he knew it was his turn to cross. Sheppard's tone was kind when he asked, "Doc, you going to be okay?"
Radek knew what the colonel must be thinking, because he was thinking the same thing. He glanced at the bridge and then he looked up to meet Colonel Sheppard's gaze. "I am okay," he said.
"Do you require—" Teyla began.
"No," Radek said firmly. "I can do it by myself."
He could sense the stares of all four of his teammates on him, watching now from both sides of the river. Radek tried not to think about the audience. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Radek is supposed to be sleeping. At this time of the night, they're all supposed to be asleep, all the good little soldiers in their beds, resting for tomorrow. They're never alone, so many of them live here together in the barracks, but even though they're all housed in one place like this, it's possible to be lonely. Radek still marvels at his luck in being placed in the same company as his best friend Mirek. They'd thought they would be separated on the day they'd arrived. They hadn't, and Radek is grateful. Having a friend near him eases his loneliness a little. He feels sorry for the soldiers who don't have a lifelong friend to help them survive their military experience.
Radek is composing a letter to Dušana. He'll write it all down later, once he figures out what he wants to tell her. Maybe he'll talk about the training exercise he and his fellow soldiers will begin tomorrow. They're going to have a mock battle, sleep on the ground, pretend to capture and kill the enemy. Radek doesn't want to do it. He still hates the feeling of the weapon in his hands and he thinks he probably always will. He decides he should tell Dušana about the amusing sergeant who is one of their commanding officer's aides. He always forgets Radek's name, though the sergeant's name is Zelenka, too. He'll tell her how Mirek and another conscript sneaked into the officer's quarters several nights ago and put glue on Sergeant Zelenka's comb and toothbrush. He won't, however, retell the punishment Mirek and his cohort received for their little trick. He will only say Captain Vojacek had not been pleased.
Radek listens to the soft snores of the other conscripts. On the other side of the room, several bunks down, he thinks he hears someone whimper. He counts the beds. With a little jolt of mingled worry and shock, he realizes who it is, whose bunk the noise is coming from.
"Mirek?" he calls out quietly in the dark. He slides off his own bunk and creeps across the floor until he is kneeling beside his friend. He puts out a hand and touches Mirek's shoulder. "Mir, are you okay?"
"No," Mirek moans into his pillow.
"What's the matter?"
"I don't know. I…I just started thinking about home, and…you know how it is."
"Yes, I know."
"It hurts, Radek. You know what I mean?"
"I miss my family just as much as you miss yours. We all do," Radek says. He pats Mirek's shoulder awkwardly. "You need to try to concentrate on something else. War games tomorrow. We'll be sleeping in tents. You'll like that."
"Yeah," Mirek says shakily.
"Rations," Radek says. ""Lots of field rations. You'll like that, too."
"People think I'm weird because I like those."
"Hey, that's not why I think you're weird."
Mirek makes a noise that is somewhere between a snort and a sob. "Oh, God… don't make me laugh. Somebody will hear. I don't want to get in trouble again."
"Sorry," Radek whispers.
Mirek sniffles and wipes his nose with his hand. Radek makes a face at him, but Mirek doesn't seem to notice. "Radek," Mirek says. "Have you ever thought about…about defecting? About running away and going home?"
"No," Radek says. He leans in close to his friend so that his face is nearly touching the side of Mirek's head. "Mir, you shouldn't talk like that. What if someone hears? Anyway, I thought you wanted to be a soldier."
"I did," Mirek says. "I do. Sometimes I just get scared, you know?"
"I know," says Radek. "Me too."
"You must think I'm stupid for crying."
"No, I don't."
"Really?"
"Want to know something?" Radek says. "I want to be here even less than you do right now. I feel like crying sometimes, too."
"But you never do. I never hear you."
Radek chews on his lower lip. He realizes Mirek's observation is correct. He hasn't cried since the day he left home, as much as he's wanted to since he's been here. Other soldiers have wept. Radek has heard them, late at night, like misbegotten ghosts keening eerily in the darkness for the loss of their former lives. The little fellow in the bunk next to Radek's sobs nightly for his mother when he thinks everyone else is asleep. His name is Andrej and he doesn't look old enough to be in the army, though Radek knows Andrej is eighteen, just like Mirek and himself and so many of the others.
At the moments when Radek feels like weeping, he remembers Jirina's words at the train station. Soldiers don't cry. He had wanted to be brave for Jirina, and he wonders if she'd be proud of him if she could see him now. When he's afraid, he thinks of Dušana, too. He imagines he can hear his cousin singing to him, chanting the monster rhyme with him to frighten away the denizens in his closet. He repeats in his head all the stories Uncle Jaromir has told him. He thinks of time spent reading with Mother and skating with Milena. The memories surround him with a feeling that chases away his tears.
He says to his friend, "What makes you happy, Mir?"
"I don't know," Mirek says. "Girls? Hockey, I guess. Potato soup."
Radek bites the inside of his mouth to keep himself from laughing. "Good Lord, how can you like potato soup? You really will eat anything that's edible, won't you? Anyway, I'm talking about things that make you really happy, not just things that you like."
"You'll hate me if I tell you."
"No, I won't," Radek says. "Tell me."
Mirek rolls over and props himself on one elbow. "Promise you won't be mad, okay?"
"I promise."
"Okay," says Mirek. "I…um…when I think of your sister…"
"Milena?" Radek blurts, and then looks around to see if he's wakened anyone. He continues in a whisper. "My sister makes you happy?"
"Yeah," says Mirek. "I think I might be in love with her, as weird as it seems. That's okay, isn't it? I mean, you're not going to shoot me in the leg, or something, are you?"
"No,' Radek says. "Can I tell you something?"
"Sure."
"Your sister makes me happy."
Mirek's smile is smug. "I knew that."
"You did?"
"Everyone knows. A person would have to be deaf and blind not to have noticed," Mirek says. "You know what? When Jirina grows up, I hope she marries you, because I don't think she could do any better. She wanted a brave soldier. I hope she knows she's got the bravest."
"But, I'm not—"
"You do what you have to do, even when it scares the hell out of you. That takes guts, Radek. Not everybody can be like that." Mirek flops onto his stomach again and buries his head in his pillow. "We'd better go to sleep before that damned sergeant hears us. I swear to God, he's got ears like a dog. Hears every damn thing."
"Mirek—"
"G'night, Radek. See you at roll call," Mirek mumbles. "Thanks for the talk. It was good."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Beyond the river, the terrain began to slope upward. Nobody talked much as they climbed. This was new territory for all of them on this world. The forest was dense and occasionally Ronon and Colonel Sheppard had to cut through some thick foliage in order for them to pass. They'd walked for half an hour after crossing the bridge. Rodney kept insisting the power readings were getting stronger, but nobody saw any evidence of anything that could generate power.
Radek wondered how much further they would have to go before they discovered anything. He had to keep telling himself they would find something. The power had to be generated somehow, and Shadow had said that beyond her village there was an Ancient structure which contained a lot of machines. Radek kept looking for anything that appeared remotely Ancient as he marched along behind Colonel Sheppard.
When they topped the rise of a small hill, the forest began to grow less dense. At first, Radek worried that they might be getting close to another body of water. He wasn't anxious to traverse any more streams until the return trip to the 'Gate, so he was greatly relieved when, instead of a lake or a river, they encountered a clearing.
"Well, what do you know?" Colonel Sheppard exclaimed as he stepped out fo the woods. "There really is a village!"
Radek emerged from the trees and stood beside Teyla and Colonel Sheppard. He sensed Ronon and Rodney come to a stop behind him, as they all beheld a grouping of neat little huts in the clearing. Everything was very still and quiet. There were no sounds or signs of movement anywhere, except for the occasional shrill note of a bird. Radek felt an eerie tremor run the length of his spine when he realized there were no fires, no one gathering water, no one tending animals or working with tools. The little settlement was empty. An image came to Radek's mind of the ghost towns he'd read about in stories of the American west.
"Here is the village," he said quietly. "But where are the people?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"This is weird," John said, and immediately felt like an idiot for letting his mouth get ahead of his brain. Of course it was weird. Spread out before them in a picturesque little clearing was an idyllic little village that was completely deserted. Usually, there was only one reason for a settlement to be devoid of life in the Pegasus galaxy, and the thought of it made John's insides clench. Still, when he looked around, he saw no signs of the destruction usually left behind after a Wraith attack. There was no evidence of fires or broken-down buildings. The place looked as though the inhabitants had just packed up and left.
"This is way beyond weird," Rodney said from his spot just behind Radek Zelenka's left shoulder. "It's creepy."
"It is ghost town," was Radek's comment.
"Leave it to you to bring ghosts into this, Zelenka," Rodney said. 'What is it with you and the paranormal, anyway?"
"You're not afraid of paranormal, are you, Rodney?"
"Me? Are you kidding? What's to be afraid of? Everyone knows ghosts aren't real anyway, and—"
"McKay!" John said sharply, cutting him off before he got into a really good rant. "Can you please leave the X-Files stuff for later? I think we need to check this place out."
"Hmph. If you don't want any discussions of the paranormal, then you should be getting after Agent Mulder over here," Rodney grumbled. He jerked a thumb in Radek's direction. "Spooky."
"That's enough," John said. "No more picking on Dr. Zelenka, okay?"
"Hey!" Rodney exclaimed.
"Thank you," said Radek.
Rodney looked indignant. "How come you never get after people for picking on me, Sheppard?"
"Because," said John. "Sometimes you just annoy the crap out of people, McKay. You bring your trouble on yourself. Now, why don't you go with Ronon and have a look around? And McKay…I want you guys to stay together. Got it? Teyla and I will take Dr. Zelenka with us. Keep in radio contact, all right?"
"Got it," Ronon said.
"What are we looking for?" Rodney said. "There's no one here."
"We don't know that," said John.
"What are you talking about? Of course there's nobody here. Do you see anyone here?"
"Maybe they are here but we cannot see them," Radek said. "Maybe they can hide like Shadow."
That had been exactly what John was thinking, too. He tried to imagine an entire village full of invisible people. It seemed way too bizarre, but he was learning all the time that weirdness in the Pegasus galaxy was the rule rather than the exception.
"And why, exactly, would they want to hide?" Rodney was saying.
"Maybe they heard you were coming, McKay," Ronon rumbled. He clapped a hand onto Rodney's shoulder. "Let's go. Maybe we can find the source of that power."
"Hey! Enough of the personal contact, already!" Rodney protested, but he didn't put up a fight when Ronon turned him around and led him toward the village and one of the little houses.
John turned toward the remaining members of his team. "You guys ready?"
"Yes," said Radek.
"I am ready," added Teyla.
"We're good, then. Let's have a look and see if there's anyone home," John led the way toward the nearest hut.
John was surprised to find the door open when they reached the small dwelling. It was almost as if the door hadn't been latched properly and had blown open in a windstorm. John gripped his P-90 and stepped cautiously across the threshold. The little house was quiet. Everything inside looked orderly and neat, even though it was all covered with a layer of dust.
John went a little further in, and nodded for Teyla and Radek to follow him. The house consisted of three rooms. The one they were standing in seemed to be the main room that served as kitchen, dining room and general gathering place. John noticed a table and several crude stools and a lot of clay pots. There was a woven mat on the floor that looked like something out of a museum. Another worn piece of cloth covered one window.
Two doorways led to other rooms. This society didn't seem advanced enough to have plumbing, so John guessed neither of the spots in back were bathrooms. John thought they might be bedrooms.
John watched Radek as he wandered toward one of the doorways. The engineer looked a little nervous, but he also seemed very curious as he disappeared into the room. John didn't feel entirely comfortable letting the engineer out of his sight, but when he made to follow Radek into the room, Teyla held up her hand.
"I will go," she said quietly.
"Okay," John said. "Watch out for anyth—"
John didn't get to finish his sentence before he heard Radek's voice coming from the back room. "Oh…! Má bůh, jaký stát se zde? Teyla! Colonel Sheppard!"
The engineer sounded a little panicked, and John wondered what he had found. He hurried for the doorway. Teyla got there a few seconds before John did, and she went quickly into the room where Radek was.
"Dr. Zelenka, are you all right?" John heard the Athosian ask gently.
"I think so, yes," said Radek's shaky voice. "But, look at those."
John came in just in time to see where the Czech engineer was pointing. Lying on the floor, side-by-side, were two humanoid skeletons.
Ah, crap, was John's first thought, but he refrained from saying it aloud. He figured he was probably stating the obvious, but he opted for, "Well, this looks like a very big problem."
TBC
--------------------
Má
bůh, jaký stát se zde? – My God, what
happened here?
A/N #2
– aren't I naughty for leaving you all hanging like that?
Well, I guess you'll just have to wait till next update to find out
more…
Meanwhile,
here's a pic of Grace for you to go "aaww!" over. This is the
one I promised to post earlier & is a pic of Grace at 4 weeks of
age. It's my Grace next to a Coca-Cola can. Sorry it's a bit
blurry. The breeder took it and she's just getting used to
learning how to use her digital camera.
To see it, you just have to replace everything I've written in parentheses with the actual symbols to make the proper URL.
http(colon-slash-slash)i3(dot)tinypic(dot)com(slash)24bkmbq(dot)jpg
