Mine Cave
…Chapter One…
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There was a time when words were plentiful and they were what you wanted to hear. But what if something bigger than you could ever have imagined then took that established way of life. What then? What would you do? – Perhaps you would listen to your heart and bend those new uninvited rules. Perhaps you would keep a secret so dangerous it could destroy everything you hold dear.
For John Sheppard, there was no perhaps!
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"I'm telling you he cannot keep this up for long."
Silence.
"Ronon, are you listening to me?"
"Yes, Rodney I'm listening to you…as I have done for the past few minutes now, but what do you want me to do? There is nothing I can do about it, now would you just shut-up!"
Rodney sat down and pulled his knees up, rested his aching arms and put his forehead down on them and sighed deep.
"I'm sorry." Came his way.
"No, I'm sorry Ronon. It's just…"
Rodney left his sentence unfinished. There was nothing he could say that Ronon didn't already know. It was just sometimes he was so frustrated at having to watch his friend suffer every time a new artefact was brought his way and he refused to 'light it up' and see what it did for them. Then they would drag him from the slaver's tent where they would tie him to a wide wooden pole in the centre of the camp and force the objects into his hands anyway. He would fight it; of course, he would, but his swollen fingers would be forced to uncurl or break, and there was no way to avoid the cool metal surfaces as they were pressed into them. He couldn't even feel them for goodness sake. There was no need to either, his gene was that pure and strong.
"He's tough, remember, McKay. He'll fight each one as much as he is able."
Rodney nodded with his head still down and shuddered. Sometimes the artefacts would remain still and inactive; but other times there would be great excitement when unwittingly Sheppard's gene activated one that would cause him pain or discomfort. They, of course, wanted one to be a weapon, but usually they would just be some sort of planetary map that lit up and they would keep him tied there until it was dark and they could see the sphere of a constellation clearer and brighter, then they would shout questions; spit flying and landing on his face; where are these? Or how can we get to them? Is that all that it does?
Sheppard would be left hanging against his bindings in pain as they pressed them into his palms again and again, trying to force out their enclosed information that wasn't even there, until it left an imprint that would last for hours.
Sometimes he would tell them later at night before going to sleep, that he felt nothing at all, but they did not believe him even though they remained silent.
The ones that seemed to do nothing at all were the worst, and Ronon and Rodney worried for their friend when occasionally a spark or radiance would escape from one and seemingly enter his body and he would shudder. The purpose never seemed to remain clear. These ones made their captors' furious, thinking Sheppard was absorbing some powers that he could use against them. These ones came with a lingering feeling like pins and needles he told them. Sometimes they thought he lied to them more and more.
The greedy miners had hit gold with capturing the Atlanteans. Of course, Ronon had no ATA gene so was swiftly put to manual work in the mines, pleased with his strength. With Rodney, it was not so simple; yes, he had the gene, but could offer nothing much with his artificial one, so he was teamed up with Ronon on the manual front, although they tried the artefacts with him sometimes.
Rodney would always remember the first time they forced an artefact into Sheppard's hand that was held down by several of their strongest men and it lit up against his wishes. He had been immediately separated from them and singled out as someone special. Someone to abuse when the mine heralded several long buried ancient treasures, so when he wasn't dragged away, he was at least beside them working the mines as well.
"It's stopped glowing now." Ronon said dead pan.
Rodney jerked his head up. "Yeah? Does he look ok?" From his lower position behind a large boulder, Rodney could not see Sheppard and was reliant on Ronon, being taller, to update him on Sheppard's condition.
"His head is on his chest…"
"Oh no, he must be unconscious!"
"Looks that way."
To anyone listening, it probably sounded to them that the big man did not care about the man tied up. They did not see the slight tremor that tickled at the sides of his eyes and the lips that were held tight; but Rodney did, and he knew that he was a simmering pot just waiting to blow.
Ronon added whilst looking at the slaves gathering beside him. "Te'gan is with him now, trying to get him to drink some water."
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not." Rodney said sullenly. Ronon turned to him. "Sheppard doesn't seem to mind his presence. We have to trust him."
Since they had arrived at the camps after the battle against the Ashirree near the Stargate with their Allies the Shoana, Sheppard had befriended the young man, saying he had saved his life earlier in the battle and was now looking out for him.
Wraith worshippers and also presently slavers in charge of a mine; the Ashirree had captured many of the Shoana along with Sheppard, Rodney and Ronon and two of Sheppard's men who also had the artificial gene, and who were currently missing.
Teyla, they presumed had been able to get to the 'gate with Lorne and the others, as she was no longer with them; a fact that they were all pleased about as this male dominated tribe of men showed no mercy to woman, and it would have been an extra worry for them. Not that she wasn't tough and a warrior herself; but they all knew that even she would not have survived the horrible things she would have been subjected to. Several of which they had unfortunately witnessed for themselves, and Rodney still couldn't come to terms with the sights in his mind.
They had been herded through many gates to the now almost barren land, and it had already been several days; perhaps a week since they had been taken. Rodney knew it would take Radek longer to track them and that was if he could at all.
The planet they had found themselves on was like something the world forgot. Barren, damp and covered in a mossy bog. You could walk on bed-rock one minute and sink in the thick peaty ground the next. Underneath the soil, in secret caverns, ore was mined to sell off world. Slave labour was the cheapest way to do it and the Ashirree had loads of them. New slaves were needed constantly for the work was hard and few survived the damp conditions for long. Rodney coughed just once to prove it and Ronon was on him.
"Take my coat for a time."
"It's too big."
"Take it." Ronon shoved it in his hands. "Don't make me make you." Ronon said and Rodney looked up to see the slightest bit of a twinkle in his eyes. "That's what your Earth films say, do they not?"
"That you remember out of all we have shown you!"
Ronon smirked but whipped his head back when he heard a noise near Sheppard.
"Te'gan has been told to leave Sheppard, he dropped his cup." A vein in Ronon's neck pushed against his skin as if it would break free.
"The mask creeps me out."
Ronon nodded absentmindedly but Rodney had looked up at him after gratefully donning his coat so didn't push for a verbal response. The fact that the young man was in close proximity to Sheppard again worried him. The mask was a visual warning worn by those who were of the afflicted; tarred with the weakness of bearing the plague; either directly or by being a carrier. Everyone knew it, but for generations the Ashirree thought it to be bad luck to cast off those who were tainted by it; rather they were to be kept alive; albeit in ill kept and lowly positions within the travelling race. A face mask and gloves made out of leather were to be worn by those as a sign of their illness and contact was to be discouraged.
Sheppard had been in contact with Te'gan on many occasions.
"You!" One of the guards bellowed at Ronon, walking towards him at great speed.
Ronon stood tall, hoping it had something to do with Sheppard.
"Collect your friend, he will not wake. It is almost dark and he is to be well rested for tomorrow. Take the weak one with you."
Ronon wasted no time in thumping Rodney on the shoulder to get him moving, and together they walked fast towards Sheppard as he was being cut free. Rodney grabbed his left shoulder as Ronon circled his waist, supporting him and watching his face as he was coming to.
"Wha…?"
"It's okay Sheppard, we are here. Walk with us." Ronon said in his ear.
Sheppard nodded. He knew they were there but wasn't quite focused yet. A warm feeling was surging through him that was unpleasant; the aftermath of the latest artefact that had made a huge impression on him. He reckoned it was a weapon of some sort. He had had to fight it hard to contain the energy it was trying to unleash and had left him feel really tired, really fast, his whole body still tinged.
Sheppard thought about answering Ronon further but words were a step too far at the moment.
Supporting him between them, Ronon and Rodney glanced at each other with furrowed brows. They were worried, the amount of pressure the Ashirree placed on him at times was too much. The leaders here; Ri'shba and M'atra had two different ways of working their slaves; unfortunately, Ri'shba was in charge today and he worked everyone to the bone, whereas M'atra understood that to get more out of his slaves you have to rest, feed and water them. It was almost dark now; the slaves having worked for almost ten hours with only some oatmeal looking sludge and a piece of bread. A light ale was freely supplied, and this they were discovering was a life line to help give them energy and nutrition.
"Te'gan…" Sheppard murmured.
Ronon was placing Sheppard down on one of their thin mattresses and patted his knee to get his attention.
"Hey, he's gone to get our supper for us." As had been the way of it ever since they had arrived it seemed.
"Good, good…I thought…" Sheppard went silent.
"You thought what?" Rodney asked, squatting down in front of him to see how he was faring.
Sheppard shook his head, but his eyes were darting back to the pole he had been cut free from.
"Nnn, nothing."
Ronon watched as he tried to get comfortable and waited on him to sit upright without sliding to the side. Sheppard noticed and managed a grin. "I'm good now, big guy."
"You okay?" Rodney asked. "That one sure knocked you out for a bit."
Sheppard nodded and grabbed Rodney's arm. "Did you get a look at it? What shape it was?"
"Yeah. Flat, like a credit card size and shape."
"We have to see if we can grab it sometime. That was powerful, it took a lot to contain it ... think it was a weapon of some sort, but what it exactly does I don't know ...I had to stop myself from going further with it, the time wasn't right…whew, sorry…I need to lie down."
"We could see you were in trouble but we just thought it was causing you pain."
"Good, I hope everyone thought that."
Sheppard started to lie down, but Ronon shook his shoulder. "Stay awake for a few minutes yet until we get something to eat and drink into you."
At that Te'gan arrived, balancing three mugs of ale in one hand and a large wooden bowl in the other with three spoons precariously balanced in between his fingers.
Sheppard seemed to relax slightly at the sight of Te'gan arriving and gratefully took a mug off of him.
Te'gan who was also mute, handed him a spoon; any expression hidden by his leather mask. Rodney might have found it a bit creepy to look at, but Sheppard seemed to take it in his stride and understood what was being asked when Te'gan tapped his shoulder with the spoon.
"I'm fine. Just need to sleep it off. Thanks for the ale and food Te'gan."
"Yeah, thanks. We can take it from here." Rodney said; a bit too fast for Sheppard.
"Rodney!"
"What? I thanked him!"
Sheppard lowered his eyes at the scientist, but found he hadn't any strength to take his lack of manners to task any further and just settled on scowling at him.
Rodney took his mug and sat at Sheppard's left in unusual silence, leaving Ronon to go to clasp Te'gan's shoulder, only to remember to not touch him in fear of catching the disease.
Te'gan saw his discomfort so backed off slightly, but made no move to leave them to eat their meal; rather, he sat down at Sheppard's feet and just picked at a loose piece of thread on his jacket.
"Hey, thanks for the water earlier, sorry I was disorientated for a minute and made you drop the cup. I hope they didn't shout at you for that?"
Te'gan shook his head, and the two stared at each other for a moment before Te'gan looked away.
Ronon had several times tried to catch the eyes of the young man, but the mask only allowed for slits so had no headway trying to gauge what the young man was thinking every time he saw him. He was surprised to find that, like Sheppard, he didn't seem to mind the company of Te'gan, whom he found to be helpful, kind and attentive to Sheppard, and that was good enough for him. Sheppard had not told them yet what happened in the battle at the 'gate for Te'gan to have saved his life; fair enough he was not the talkative type most of the time either. If Sheppard wanted to keep it to himself, he was fine with that. Rodney, on the other hand, constantly quizzed him; not understanding why he allowed the young man to be privy to some of their conversations so readily and it annoyed him. Ronon trusted Sheppard, so he let it be, although it couldn't hurt to just silently watch Te'gan from afar.
After having his fill, and not up for any more conversation, Sheppard stretched out flat and was out like a light.
Te'gan watched him sleep for a moment and then looked towards Ronon before quickly whipping his head away and then down to the ground.
"You can stay here with us if you want?" Ronon said on a whim.
The head was quickly raised and for the first time Ronon saw deep brown eyes stare back at him before Te'gan slowly shook his head and looked away. He pointed to a canvas tent at the far side of the mine and Ronon understood. It was where the inflicted spent their down time and were supposed to remain there. Te'gan, they presumed, must be a carrier of the disease and allowed more freedom to move about, but was still required to be amongst others as little as possible. If he had had the disease himself, he would have been expected to stay in the tented area and break up the larger pieces or more by hand. The Ashirree did not have anyone lying idle if it could be helped. On this planet they were worked to the bone.
Te'gan got up to leave and after a nod to both Ronon and Rodney, he left them in peace to eat their supper. They watched the slight man walk away and make his way over to the tent he was to spend the night. Rodney shivered. "I wouldn't like to sleep in that tent."
"Let's just hope you don't get infected then."
"Bit risky him coming here all the time."
"Sheppard trusts him. Good enough for me."
"Still"
"Rodney just leave it. Just don't touch him and you will be alright. It's not an air borne disease."
Rodney felt like arguing more about it but knew he didn't have the energy, and was pretty much aware of how tired Ronon must be as he had helped him out with his load on more than one occasion, so he relented and made to lie down beside Sheppard.
"One of the Shoana's came to me when I washed to tell me he heard that our two missing Marines were killed two days ago in some sort of gas explosion. I'll tell Sheppard tomorrow."
"Gas?"
"That's what he said."
"I'm no geologist but it could be there is natural gas on this planet, so the depth they take these mines could be problematic."
Rodney sat quietly for a while. "Sheppard is going to be pissed."
"I know."
"They might still be alive?" Rodney said hopefully.
Ronon didn't answer, but bedded down at Sheppard's other side. He put his cheek in his upturned palm and followed Sheppard in the speed he fell asleep.
Rodney heard his breathing match Sheppard's slow beat and knew he was asleep but he also knew his would take longer to come; it usually did.
He held in a cough not wanting to wake the others. He had been coughing a lot recently and that was why he continued to look at Te'gan with distrust, although if he was honest, he doubted he was responsible; it was the conditions of the mine they worked in that was the problem.
Eventually he laid back and watched the sparkling roof where the moon's light hit it. He fantasised with the specks and they turned into the fire of P90s's as they were swung around to slay their enemy. Bullets sprayed under his closing eyelids and the cry of Teyla and Lorne shouting on them to get to the gate, mingled with the cries of those in pain and agony that reverberated around the cave system both day and night. It amused him that the afflicted never; or rarely, cried out. He hoped Teyla, Lorne and the rest of the Marines had got through the 'gate intact. He raised himself up onto one elbow to check on Sheppard when he stirred slightly, but he soon settled so Rodney did as well.
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"Point out the one who told you this." Sheppard asked of Ronon the next morning.
Ronon searched for the one who had told him the Marines were dead. "Over at the far side. Dirty white hair."
Sheppard chewed his bottom lip. "I'll make my way to him later."
The news of the Marine's demise – if true, and he thought it was - had hit him hard as usual. Yet more deaths on a faraway land and no bodies to take back to their loved ones. This was the hardest part for Sheppard, the Lt. Colonel side of Sheppard. The man in charge. The one that was to come up with the game plan and keep them all safe. Damn, but that order, through no fault of their own, continually backfired. So it must be his fault. That's what he kept thinking even though it was dangerous to second guess your decisions. It disturbed him to the point that he felt ready to leave the Pegasus Galaxy if it went belly up again. And it had. This time he had failed to keep two men under his command safe, and he had others still alive to worry about as well.
"You look tired tonight, like you have had enough somehow, am I correct?"
"I don't know what you mean?"
"Come on, John. I can see it in the way you look into nothing."
Silence.
"Teyla. What would you?... Oh never mind!"
"John? Do not stop there? What were you going to ask?"
Sheppard slammed the pick axe into the ore at the memory, thereby knocking it away. He had been melancholy with Teyla the night before the mission to go and visit their Allies the Shoana's. He regretted that he had brought his feelings to the surface in an off-guard moment.
"Water, Sheppard."
Sheppard let the long-handled axe fall from his hands to turn towards Rodney's voice and was startled when Te'gan handed him over a filled cup of cool water.
His hand went up in surprise as he had not heard them arrive and accidentally pushed Te'gan away, almost knocking him back, but he instinctively reached out to right him before he fell, grabbing his elbow.
"Sheppard!" Rodney gasped.
Sheppard spun to look at him, wondering at his shout of warning; only for Rodney to be seen pointing at his hand still holding Te'gan upright. Sheppard yanked it back and Te'gan backed up from him.
"Sorry, I did not hear you approach."
Te'gan just dipped the cup into the water for Sheppard to take another drink. This meant that M'atra was in charge today, great.
"You okay?" Sheppard asked of him.
A silent nod as expected and Sheppard drank long and deep. He was tired already and they were only a few hours in mining a new area away from where they had been the last few days. The walk there alone carrying all the equipment had been tiring enough and he suspected that the artefact of yesterday had taken more out of him than he cared to admit.
The light from gold and copper hues fought for dominance as they danced on his flushed face. The low-level lighting reminding Sheppard of Atlantean sunsets on the pier as he and his team sat there some evenings recounting their tales. He had gotten to know Teyla and Ronon better in these rare times when they let themselves loosen up just a little.
He took a final gulp and handed the cup back to Te'gan and smiled his thanks. He watched him go to the next one who was willing to take a drink from him and grimaced at the verbal abuse that was spat out of ungrateful filthy mouths and wanted to hit them for their insolence. Some people from different lands did not agree with the afflicted's presence.
Something flitted over his face for a moment before landing in his eyes and staying there, but which did nothing to change his rigid stance that was bordering on breaking into a run at somebody with a curled fist.
"That gonna let you relieve your pent-up anger?"
"Eh?"
Ronon was a shield that took the dancing bright lights away. "You look like you could do with an excuse to bring someone to harm."
"I do have an excuse!" He growled back.
"Only, Sheppard, that could cause a load of trouble our way."
Sheppard cocked his head to the side and laughed, manically. "And that from you."
"Whose side of the cave did you wake up from this morning?" Rodney piped in stupidly.
"Shut it, McKay. Both of you just shut it!"
"What's going on over there?" One of their guards bellowed.
Ronon got in front of Sheppard's face again and picked up his axe, forcing it in his hands. "Not now. Stay calm until we can all get out of here in one piece."
Sheppard took the axe from him and turned to start attacking the wall again; taking his anger out with it. He knew Ronon was right, but it didn't help his mood.
The guard pulled on his shoulder and traded places with Ronon. "Everything alright here?"
Sheppard felt the sweat accumulate in his palm, the axe threatening to slip out of his grasp, but he bit his tongue and nodded, even retaining a neutral expression trying not to piss the guard off.
"Get to work!"
Any verbal observation of his anger by Rodney wasn't forthcoming so after a quick glance his way and Ronon's, he did as he was told and continued to pick at the ore, filling the buckets in record time.
The artefacts were hurting him, wearing him down until he didn't know how much more of it he could take. He kept the true account of the pains they caused him to himself. No reason to worry his friends about it. Sometimes he wanted to throw up. Sometimes he felt like he would collapse. What kept him from doing either was that he had people relying on him. This whole torture thing was not new to him after all. It was just a matter of managing it. What he did know was that they had not been separated, so that was good. That's what worked just now for him. If it got too bad for him, he would tell his team mates. He wasn't stupid. He could not afford to be a weak link.
Just now he felt useless and frustrated. He did not want to be in fear though. He did not want to think about anything else but getting through the day and hoping tomorrow would be better.
Te'gan had now finished his rounds and was making his way back to the wagon with the water barrel. A possible volatile situation was calmed for now. Sheppard breathed and got to work aware that Ronon and Rodney were eyeing him all the same, making sure he was remaining upright. They knew, dammit. Knew he was at the edge of a precipice. Time to step back for the moment and focus on the job ahead.
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Te'gan leaned against the wagon and breathed out as best as could be done against the heat of the leather mask. It was permanently stifling hot behind it and itchy. The hot hands in the leather clad gloves were excusable on cold days like today but the mask was something to hate with a passion.
Arms, aching with the weight of the water buckets, Te'gan leaned against the old wood waiting on more orders. All the guards seemed busy so it afforded a quiet moment to stare into the mine and watch the goings on inside with interest and longing.
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Dusk soon came around again before they knew it and the long hard walk through the bogs to their mattresses took longer than expected; they all struggled to walk through the soggy ground.
The oatmeal bowl that was delivered by somebody else other than Te'gan when they were settling down for the night, caused Sheppard to rise in worry, but he soon relaxed as Te'gan arrived with their drinks of ale.
Rodney's face was flushed pink and was already lying down with an arm across his eyes, snoring softly. Ronon was off to relieve himself, so it just left Sheppard on his own. Te'gan risked coming closer and feigned a stumble. Sheppard felt something cool slip down his open fronted shirt against his hot skin and he drew in a quick breath at the contact, covering his reaction with a cough.
Te'gan didn't stay for a visit this night, just turned heel and strode away leaving Sheppard turning to lie on his stomach facing away from anyone watching him. Within minutes he had reached into his chest and pulled out a familiar shaped artefact that could easily have fitted in a wallet if he had one. He smiled. Te'gan had just handed him a way out, so he quickly hid it behind a wedge of rock before anyone saw the light show that threatened to spill out of it. The contact had been brief but Sheppard's skin tinged again at the touch.
Ronon came back and raised an eyebrow at his sleeping position. Sheppard shook his head towards the hidden space and even though Ronon could not see what it was, Sheppard whispered to him what had just happened with Te'gan.
"Ronon, I've said it before, but this is important. When we can get out of here, Te'gan comes too, you don't want to leave him behind."
Ronon sat down with a grunt, his muscles aching. "Ok. Sheppard."
"It's just a matter of time now."
"You got a plan?"
"I didn't really until two minutes ago."
Ronon grunted his acknowledgement and settled down for the night. Sheppard went out to do the necessaries himself and then crept back into their shelter when he noticed his two team mates out for the count.
He was wired, not wanting to sleep; his body not wanting to let go of his waking moments even though he knew he had to rest. Te'gan's gift was a surprise. A welcome surprise. He just needed to bide his time and wait on an opportune moment to escape this hell hole. His hopes had just received a boost knowing he had the artefact in his possession. He forced himself to lie down; to sleep. Funnily enough it came easier now that he had a means to save them all.
"Are you sleeping?"
"Almost. Did you want something?"
"Yes...you!"
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TO BE CONTINUED….