A/N: Well, I guess this chapter's not much longer than the last one. Oh well, c'est la vie. Thanks for the reviews by the way!
It turned out Rodney was right on the money with his translations, something Elizabeth was sure would only add to his inflated sense of self-worth. The last two lines were fairly easy to decrypt. "Finished!" she called, standing up and brushing the dust off of her pants.
"So what's it say?" John asked, sauntering over from where he'd been keeping watch.
"You're so impatient," Rodney grumbled.
"Me?" Sheppard was indignant, "Look who's talking."
Elizabeth cleared her throat and looked at each of them pointedly. "Shall I continue?" she asked.
"Please do Dr. Weir," Teyla spoke from behind her.
"Actually Rodney, why don't you read the first few lines? After all, you did translate them."
McKay visibly brightened. "Well, the passage apparently speaks of a labyrinth inside these walls, built by the Atlantians to deter trespassers and thieves. At the center of the labyrinth, it says there is 'a guide to the stars," he glanced at Sheppard, "a navigational device."
John raised his eyebrows, "So what exactly does it do?"
Rodney rolled his eyes. "It doesn't say," he answered, a hint of exasperation creeping into his voice, "If I knew I would have told you."
John pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, so what did the rest of the text say?"
Rodney shuffled his feet, "That's as far as I got, and Elizabeth actually figured out the part about the device. I was having some trouble with the phrasing and…"
"Elizabeth?" Sheppard inquired, interrupting the scientist's rambling explanation.
She ran a hand over the engraving. "This part here," she explained, fingers pausing on a group of symbols, "mentions a guardian, one who cries 'tears of betrayal.' Then there's a vague warning, sort of the equivalent of 'beware.'"
"That doesn't exactly sound pleasant," Ronon commented wryly.
"There is no mention of a way to enter this place?" Teyla cocked her head to the side.
Elizabeth stepped away from the wall with a sigh, "No, there isn't."
John's eyes flicked from her to Rodney and then back again. "So we're back at square one." It wasn't a question.
"At least now we know for certain what's in there," McKay pointed out.
"That doesn't do us a whole lot of good if we can't get in there to get it," John countered.
"Couldn't we use explosives?" Ronon asked, folding his arms.
"Yeah, maybe we could set up some C4 and…."
John was cut off by McKay. "Are you kidding me! Who knows how much damage you could do. The whole structure could cave in and then we'd have no chance of recovering anything!" he exclaimed, aghast.
"Okaaay, so what do you suggest we do?" John was starting to sound annoyed.
Elizabeth found herself wondering how this team ever got anything done. "If you just give me more time, I'm sure I can figure out a way in." Rodney stated confidently.
"We were here for many hours yesterday yet we were unable to find an entrance," Teyla interjected.
John smirked and Elizabeth hid a smile with her hand. Way to go Teyla, she mentally applauded the younger woman. Rodney visibly deflated. "Just give me a couple of hours?" he pleaded.
Sheppard looked at his watch. "All right, two hours," he consented, then gave the scientist a look that clearly said, 'and no arguing.'
Rodney practically ran to the other end of the football field-length structure. Elizabeth watched him go, amused by just how fast the astrophysicist could move when he really wanted to. Feeling eyes on her back she turned to meet John's gaze. She narrowed her eyes, "What?"
"Nothing, you just looked like you were having fun," he replied.
She smoothed an unruly curl away from her face. "I was."
He sat down on a large boulder and rummaged through his pack. Pulling out an MRE he asked, "Hungry?"
Elizabeth grimaced, only half-jokingly, and said, "Actually I was thinking of taking another look around myself, see if I can't help Rodney."
He shrugged, "Suit yourself; you're missing out on a delicacy."
She laughed, "I guess I'll just have to make do."
As she strode along the edge of the main structure, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she hadn't been able to help out more. She ran her hand along the wall as she walked, savoring the feel of the weathered stone beneath her fingertips, the sun warm on her back, and the light breeze that ruffled her hair. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, realizing with a pang just how much she missed this, taking time away from life's hustle and bustle to enjoy a warm spring day, to enjoy just being alive.
Elizabeth had almost allowed herself to get completely lost in the sensation when her hand brushed something. Frowning, she opened her eyes and leaned in for a closer look. There, in the faint trails her fingers had left in the dust was an indentation of some kind. Starting to get excited she immediately set about clearing away the rest of the dust. Some of the centuries-old buildup had become quite impacted, and by the time she had uncovered what was beneath it her hands were absolutely filthy. Dirt streaked her pants, and she suspected her face. Elizabeth was too eager to care however. She had discovered more writing and something else. At first she'd mistaken it for a flaw in the architecture but the rectangular form jutting out from the wall was too symmetrical, too perfect, and its close proximity to the writing led Elizabeth to believe it was put there on purpose and might possibly be their way inside the ruin. Cleaning the dust off of the object, Elizabeth had turned to call Rodney when everything started to spin uncontrollably and her world faded to black.
