Fifteen minutes. John only gave himself a few seconds to think about all of the ramifications of that and tightened his hold on Rodney's arm as McKay swayed beside him.
John turned to Ford and Teyla standing closest to the exit. "Ford, help Teyla. You two get moving. We're right behind you."
"Yes, sir," Ford acknowledged, and John watched Teyla limp back up the hallway with Ford at her side.
John turned back to Rodney. "You got everything?" he asked.
Rodney nodded and awkwardly clipped the pack to his vest.
"Time to go," John said and pushed Rodney ahead of him as they made their way back up the hall to the atrium.
He could see Ford and Teyla nearly back to the open room and reached out a hand as Rodney stumbled against the wall. The itch at the back of his skull was starting to flare again, and John kept his hand on Rodney's arm as he propelled both of them back toward the atrium.
"Almost there," John murmured.
Rodney nodded but didn't say anything.
John noticed Rodney was breathing hard, almost panting as they hurried down the hallway. He needed Carson, John chastised himself, not to be running all over an Ancient outpost bound and determined to kill them.
Ford helped Teyla back through the entrance to the atrium, John and Rodney were only a few steps behind when John heard a series of loud bangs and saw the door next to the lab hallway slide closed. He and Rodney cleared the doorway leading back to the lab just before that door sealed as well.
Ford helped as Teyla sank down on one of the steps leading to the horseshoe-shaped console, then walked over to the sealed entrance across the room and ran his hands over the frame. He turned to John and shook his head. "It's no good, sir," Ford said. "It's sealed tight."
John left Rodney braced against the nearest wall and tried another of the doors. Ford was right. The door was flush against the wall, no cracks or seams they could use to force the door open.
He skirted around the horseshoe-shaped control console as he wandered around the room looking for another way out. He heard a soft whirring noise overhead and saw Rodney's face lose what little color it had as he stared, wide-eyed, at the pipes above their heads, still trying to catch his breath.
"What now, sir?" Ford asked as he walked back to Teyla and sat beside her.
"Something tells me this was the next step in containing any Wraith that escaped the lab," John said grimly as his gaze followed the pipes circling the ceiling. "There has to be a way out of this room," he added and turned to Rodney. "McKay? Any ideas?"
Rodney, however, stood frozen, his eyes locked on the pipes overhead as his breathing became more ragged.
John understood the fear and could sympathise. It had been less than an hour since he'd found Rodney unconscious and not breathing. He glanced at the bits of debris littering the floor around the console as he walked back over to Rodney.
"McKay!" John said in his command voice and shook Rodney's arm, forcing McKay to focus on him and not the sound of their air escaping through the pipes above them.
Rodney jumped and looked at him as his breathing hitched.
"We'll find a way out of this, all right?" John said in a softer tone. "But you need to calm down, or you're going to hyperventilate. Then we really will be in trouble."
McKay swallowed, and John watched as he closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing back under control. A few seconds later, he managed a deeper breath, shook himself out of John's hold, and made his way over to the door John thought led back to the rest of the outpost.
"Umm, maybe I can find a way to override the door controls," Rodney suggested as he ran his hands over the door frame.
"Sounds like a good plan," John agreed. "What do you need?"
"I need my tools," Rodney said sadly and looked back toward the now sealed door leading back to the cells. "Which we no longer have." He leant his head against the wall and closed his eyes again.
"Hey, I've got your tools right here." John reached into his vest and handed him the small bundle. "I did not want to suffer the wrath of Rodney for leaving them behind." He smiled slightly as Rodney glared at him.
"Oh, ha-ha," Rodney retorted as he took the bundle, and John was happy to see some of McKay's usual attitude.
Rodney set the tools on the floor in front of him and felt along the edges of the door. John watched as he pulled at one edge of the door with his fingers, then found a screwdriver in the bundle of tools, and pried the cover off an access panel.
He pulled a small flashlight from his vest pocket, peered inside the panel, and shook his head. "Of course, it couldn't be a simple system," he groused and set down the screwdriver. He reached into the open panel with one hand while he angled the flashlight into the access panel with the other.
John heard him grunt as he pulled out a crystal and studied it carefully for several seconds before he set it on the floor next to the bundle of tools. He could see the light wavering as Rodney's hands shook a little and he wondered if McKay would be able to do whatever delicate work was needed inside the panel. He was about to suggest he do the work instead when McKay turned to him and held out the flashlight.
"I need two hands," Rodney told him and waggled the flashlight at John.
John took the light and shined it into the access panel. All he could see was a mass of crystals and what he assumed were circuit boards. Rodney must have had an idea of what he wanted to do, however, as he pulled out more crystals, set them on the floor near his feet, and studied the remaining innards of the panel.
John heard him muttering about power overrides and new routing options and glanced at his watch. Just under ten minutes left before they hit Rodney's deadline. He turned to Ford and Teyla and jerked his head for them to join him.
"We need to be ready once Rodney gets the door open," he said as Ford helped Teyla to her feet.
"This will work, won't it, sir?" Ford asked, his hand splayed across his chest as he tried to take a deeper breath.
John glanced over at Rodney still muttering to himself as he rearranged the crystals into a new configuration. "It'll work," John told him. He didn't add the 'because it has to', but he was sure Ford and Teyla could read the sentiment in his expression.
Ford glanced over at McKay and nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Teyla, how's the leg?"John asked. He tried to ignore how she seemed to be struggling for air as well.
"The numbness is gone from my leg," she replied with a look down at her foot. "However, the cuff is still tight. I have little feeling below my ankle."
John grimaced. "Ford, check her foot. If the circulation is compromised, we may not be able to wait for Carson to cut the cuff off."
"Yes, sir," Ford replied and bent down to remove Teyla's boot. "Can you feel that?" Ford asked as he pinched her toes.
Teyla nodded.
"I think she's okay for now, sir," Ford said. "Her foot looks a little swollen, but it's still warm, and the nail reacts to pressure." Ford put her sock and boot back on and re-tied the laces.
John nodded and glanced at his watch. Five minutes left. The cuff was going to be the least of their worries in a few minutes. He could feel his chest getting tight as it became harder to breathe. He looked back over at Rodney to see how close he was to overriding the door controls and frowned. McKay had stopped working and stood staring at the two different crystals he held, seemingly lost in thought.
John nudged his arm and waited for Rodney to look at him. "Almost done?" he asked and nodded at the crystals in McKay's hands. He didn't want Rodney panicking, but they were about out of time.
"What?" Rodney asked and gave John a startled look. He glanced down at his hands and finished, "Yes, yes, just a couple more minutes." He stuck one of the crystals in a vest pocket and went back to work. "I just have to do one more thing."
John looked at his watch again but resisted the urge to tell Rodney they didn't have a couple more minutes.
"How are you doing?" he asked Ford and Teyla as they both sagged against the wall. He could tell they were both sweating and their breathing was ragged. He realised he probably didn't look much better.
"Fine, sir," Ford said and tried to stand up straight.
"We will be ready as soon as Rodney has the door open," Teyla added.
John smiled slightly. Maybe it was the thinning air and the looming hypoxia, but John had a sudden flash of memory walking through a forest wondering how he would get this group of individuals to ever work as a team. Now he saw the results of months of their working together and couldn't help the feeling of pride he had in each of them.
He was brought back to the present when Rodney staggered against him, and John reached out a hand to keep him upright. "Rodney?" John asked, and watched as McKay leant his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He was gasping, and John could feel his own breathing falter. He also felt the vice-like pressure building in his skull again as Rodney tried to catch his breath.
"I-I think I've got it," Rodney mumbled. "Once the door opens … I'll need to manually hold the connection … it won't last long … so you'll need to move fast."
"What about you?" Teyla asked, and John saw the frown on her face.
"I'll be right behind you," Rodney replied. "I've already suffocated … once today. Wasn't planning … on doing it twice."
"And you won't," John said. "Show me what to do. I'll hold the door open."
Rodney started to protest, but John held up a hand. "Like you said, you've nearly died once today. You're exhausted which means I can react faster than you. Show me what to do."
"The only reason … I'm giving in …" Rodney said, gasping every few words. "Is because … we don't have time … to argue."
"Glad you see things my way, McKay," John said. "Now, show me what to do."
Rodney packed up his few tools, scooted out of the way, and took the flashlight from John.
He shined the light into the access panel. "There are two crystals … on opposite sides of the panel … about half way up. Do you see them?"
John peered into the hole and saw the two crystals nearly touching. "Okay, got them."
"When you push the two crystals together … the door should open."
"Should?"
Rodney glared at him.
"Okay, the door opens. Then what?"
"Once you let go … the door will slide closed. You'll have about … two seconds … to get through the door … before it seals again. Will probably … fry the circuits too," he added as an aside
Two seconds, plenty of time, John told himself and glanced at the others.
"All right. Ford, make sure they get through the door." John nodded at Rodney and Teyla.
"Yes, sir. We'll be fine. Just make sure you get through too."
John took as deep a breath as he could. "On three. Ready?"
He waited for three nods and turned back to the panel.
"One." He positioned his hands inside the panel next to each crystal.
"Two." He glanced over at Rodney and saw him nod slightly. John nodded back.
"Three!" He touched the two crystals together and frowned as the door refused to move.
"Rodney?" John asked, forcing down his own panic.
Rodney shook his head and braced a hand against the wall.
John was about to release the crystals and try again when the door finally started to slowly slide open. He felt a gust of air rush into the room as the pressure on each side of the door tried to equalise.
As soon as the opening was wide enough, Ford pushed Rodney and Teyla through it, and with a quick look at John, followed them.
John inched as close to the opening as he could while still maintaining the contact of the two crystals. He took another quick breath, let go of the crystals, and dove through the doorway, landing on his hands and knees next to Rodney's prone body as the door slammed closed behind him.
He gulped in air for a few seconds, waiting for the dizziness to pass and his chest to stop hurting. Once he had his own breathing under control, he squeezed Rodney's arm and glanced over at Ford and Teyla on Rodney's other side. Teyla sat against the wall, rubbing the leg with the shackle still attached while Ford stood next to her, bent forward with his hands on his knees.
"You guys all right?" John asked hoarsely as he sat next to Rodney and tried to catch his breath.
"Think so, sir," Ford replied as he slowly straightened up.
"I am breathing easier," Teyla added, stretching her leg out in front of her.
John glanced down at Rodney lying in his back with his eyes closed. "Rodney?" he asked and tapped McKay's arm.
Rodney nodded. "Just … just give me a minute," he whispered and rolled onto his side as he started coughing.
"I don't get it," Ford said as he sank down beside Teyla. "How did this Crius get that room to purge all of the air like that?"
"He didn't," Rodney croaked as he stopped coughing and slowly pushed himself upright. "I think that whole section was initially set up to study the moon. Maybe that's how they found the naquadah in the first place." Rodney shrugged. "With the thin atmosphere, they had to have an airlock system in place to go out on the surface and not lose the atmosphere inside the outpost."
Rodney looked over at John. "At some point, the investigation of the moon ended, maybe when they found the naquadah, maybe when they started their surveillance of the Wraith, who knows."
Rodney stopped and John watched as he took several deep breaths.
"When Crius took over the section for his secret experiments, he tapped into the airlock system to create the booby-trap on the console. He also found a way to use it to purge the entire section if a Wraith ever managed to escape from his lab." Rodney stopped talking and started coughing again.
"We need to get back to the 'gate," John said once the fit passed.
"The corridors in this area are very convoluted," Teyla said. "Rodney and I could not take a direct route from the stargate to the lab area."
John nodded. "It does seem like a maze down here." He stood and walked to the end of the hall. The corridor branched off in two different directions, and he wasn't sure which route he had taken in his mad dash to find Rodney and Teyla earlier.
"So how do we get back?" Ford asked. "There can't be more than a couple of hours before we're overdue to be back in Atlantis."
John checked his watch. He'd been so focused on escaping the lab area, he'd forgotten Elizabeth's imposed deadline. "More like ninety minutes," he replied.
Rodney unclipped his pack and pulled out his computer. John watched as he typed for a few minutes, then turned the computer around. "This is where we are," he said and pointed to one corner of the map. John knelt beside him and studied the computer screen.
"This is the 'gate, four floors above us." Rodney pointed to a section of the map near the middle top of the screen.
He pressed a few keys on the computer, and a yellow line appeared on the screen connecting the two sections. "This is the shortest way back to the transporter and the 'gate area."
John glanced from the computer, to Rodney with an arm wrapped around his chest, then over at Ford as he helped Teyla to her feet. He kept his arm wrapped around her waist as she hopped on one foot.
Good thing they'd decided to leave the sample case in the 'gate area, John thought with a frown. Neither Rodney nor Teyla was going to get back to the 'gate without help, he realised.
"You're sure this is the fastest route?" he asked as he studied the map.
Rodney shrugged and climbed slowly to his feet. "There may have been other routes, more direct routes, but we don't have time to look for secret passages. According to the maps I could download from the console in the 'gate area, that's the best I can do." He bent down to pick up his pack and John grabbed his arm when he lost his balance and nearly dropped the computer.
"Is there a way to transfer the map to the scanner?"
Rodney gave him a puzzled look.
John bit his tongue against the first thing he wanted to say. Rodney was pale, sweaty and still not breathing right. He was more than a little concerned he'd be carrying McKay back to the 'gate. Instead, he pointed at the laptop and said, "That computer is going to get heavy. Might be better to have something a little more travel-friendly."
Rodney stared at him for a moment longer, then patted at his vest pockets. His brow furrowed when he didn't find what he was looking for.
"Looking for this?" John asked and held out the scanner.
Rodney nodded absently as he took the scanner and sat back on the floor. He plugged the cable from the computer into the scanner and John watched as he typed for a few minutes.
"Here," he said as he unplugged the scanner and handed it to John.
John looked at the screen and saw the same yellow line imposed over a map of the outpost. John turned in place and noted the yellow line disappeared off the screen if he stepped in the wrong direction.
Rodney stuffed the cable and computer back into his pack and John pulled him to his feet.
"Rodney and I will take point," John said. "Ford, you help Teyla."
"Yes, sir," Ford said and pulled Teyla's arm over his shoulder.
John kept one eye on the scanner and the other on Rodney as they followed the circuitous route back to the 'gate area. They turned down one hallway then another before taking another turn that John would swear had done little more than turn them in a circle. He glanced at Rodney plodding along beside him with his head down and frowned.
When they'd started out, he'd managed to keep up with John's slow, but steady pace. It didn't take long for his energy to start to fade and John's steadying hand on his arm soon became Rodney's arm draped over John's shoulder as Sheppard kept the scanner in his other hand making sure they stayed on the right course.
According to the map, they were half-way back to the transporter when the lights along the corridor flickered for a moment. John stopped and looked at the nearest sconce then glanced back at Ford who gave him a startled look. "You saw that, too?" he asked, and Ford nodded.
"That can't be good, sir."
"Rodney mentioned this outpost was powered by something other than a ZPM," Teyla added.
"And with everything that happened in the lab, we've what? Drained the batteries?" Ford asked.
"It is a theory only," Teyla said.
"Yeah, but it's a good one," John replied and glanced over at Rodney, surprised he'd stayed quiet for so long. "McKay? Any way to find out what the power situation looks like?"
Rodney lifted his head and looked around. "Need to find an access point," he said and waved his free hand toward the scanner. He let go of John long enough to tap several keys on the device and looked up again. "Go that way." He pointed down a different corridor from the one they were following. "When it branches, take the left-hand turn, then a right. There should be a maintenance room where I can access the power systems."
John nodded, settled Rodney's arm back over his shoulder, and led the way to the maintenance room.
The door opened easily, and John visually cleared the room before he led Rodney over to the console along the far wall.
Rodney sank down on the stool with a cough before he pulled out his computer. He glanced up at John as he slowly walked around the room and came back to Rodney's side, giving the console a suspicious look.
"No reason to do anything to these systems," Rodney told him. "Any number of people would have needed to access them in order to keep the outpost running."
"No harm in checking," John replied and pushed another stool over to Teyla.
Rodney shrugged, placed his hand on the edge of the console to power it on, and pressed a couple of tiles on the console. John watched as he read the information on the computer screen and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Well?" John asked a few minutes later when Rodney stopped typing.
"Ford's right," Rodney said and pointed to the computer.
John bent down and saw what looked like a diminishing graph on the screen.
"The outpost has been running on standby power for probably thousands of years. At one time, there was enough stored energy to power the cloak that keeps this place hidden from the Wraith and maintain minimal life support. The Ancients obviously didn't intend to leave the outpost abandoned for so long since most of that power was drained before we got here.
"We were lucky we found the mine when we did. Even if we'd never come here, the cloak would have failed in another few months, maybe a year from now. If I'm reading this right, the batteries, for lack of a better term, are nearly spent."
"What about the 'gate?" John asked. "Is there still enough juice to power the 'gate from this side?"
Rodney pressed a couple of tiles on the console. "Maybe," he replied.
John could tell the answer was really 'no' from the sideways glance Rodney gave him as he nervously fiddled with the console tiles.
"Can we turn off the lights or something?" Ford asked.
Rodney shook his head. "The lights don't draw that much power, and the life support is already running at the bare minimum."
Which, John thought, was probably why he still felt a bit light-headed and why Rodney was still coughing even after escaping the lab area.
Rodney turned back to the computer and typed a query into the system. "If I manually turn off the cloak, there should be enough power for the 'gate." He looked up at John. "Activating the 'gate will probably drain the remaining power. And without the cloak, we'll be immediately exposed to any Wraith in the area."
"Are there any Wraith in the area?" Ford asked.
"There's no way to know with this equipment," Rodney told him with a wave at the console. "It only has basic functions. I'd need the console in the 'gate area to check the sensors."
"We don't have the time to run back and forth," John said. He looked down at Rodney. "Turn off the cloak. It's the only way we can be sure there will be enough energy to power the 'gate." He glanced over at Ford and Teyla. "We'll just have to hope there aren't any hive ships nearby."
Rodney nodded and turned back to the console. He tapped a series of commands into the console then leant back. "The cloak is off. There should be enough power to get the 'gate to power up long enough for us to get back."
"All right," John said and looked at his watch. "We've got about an hour before Elizabeth starts to wonder where we are. Let's go home."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
"With Paulsen, Jacobs, and Masters, that's all the Marines tested for the ATA gene therapy," Carson said as he sat in front of Elizabeth's desk. "Unfortunately, it didn't take with any of them," he added. "There are still a few of the scientists who volunteered, but even if the therapy works on all of them, that's only another five people with the gene."
"We're going to need all the help we can get, Carson," Elizabeth said.
"Aye, but with only two weeks until the Wraith get here, I'm not sure what it is you expect them to be able to do."
"I'm not sure yet, either, but I'd rather have as many people with the gene ready to help defend the city as I can."
Beckett saw her check her watch for the third time since the meeting began. "Is there something the matter?" he asked.
Elizabeth pursed her lips. "No, not really. I gave John and the others twelve hours to find the naquadah Rodney needs. Their time is almost up. I thought they'd be back by now." She smiled slightly. "I guess I'm beginning to worry."
"Maybe the naquadah mine was farther away from the 'gate than they thought," Carson offered.
"Maybe." Elizabeth looked out at the control room at the same time the stargate started to light up. She glanced at Carson then stood from behind her desk.
"We have an incoming wormhole!" Grodin announced as Carson followed Elizabeth out to the control room. A few moments later Peter looked up at Elizabeth. "Lieutenant Ford's IDC."
"Lower the shield," Elizabeth said, and stood with her hands clenched around the railing as she looked down at the stargate.
"Sheppard calling Atlantis. Please respond."
Grodin pressed a tile and nodded to Elizabeth.
"This is Weir. John? It's good to hear from you. We were getting worried."
The wormhole flickered and spat for a moment before it steadied again. Carson had never seen the wormhole act like that before and looked over at Peter in confusion. Grodin shook his head and checked something on the console.
"... naquadah and some intel," John said over the radio's open channel.
"John, say again," Elizabeth replied. "Your transmission is breaking up."
"No time. Rodney isn't sure how much power the outpost still has to run the 'gate."
"That's not good," Carson heard Grodin mutter as he pressed a series of tiles. He looked up at Elizabeth. "There's not much I can do from this end."
She nodded absently as the wormhole blinked and sputtered again.
" … Have Beckett standing by."
Elizabeth frowned and looked over at Carson. "Understood," Elizabeth said over the radio, concern evident in her tone.
Carson didn't wait to hear any more of the conversation. "Sharon, I need a medical team in the gateroom," Carson said over his radio as he ran down the steps from the control room to the 'gate. "I'm not sure what sort of injuries yet."
"Yes, Doctor Beckett," Sharon replied. "I'm sending David and Jason now."
Carson glanced at the 'gate as the event horizon flickered again. A few seconds later, a large sample case slid through the 'gate and stopped a meter away from the edge of the watery pool. One of the Marines ran to the case, picked it up with a grunt, and moved it out of the way.
David and Jason ran into the room, medical gear slung over their shoulders, and Carson directed them to the steps nearest the 'gate. He had the first case open and was checking what supplies they had brought when Ford came through the 'gate supporting Teyla who was limping heavily.
Carson ran up the stairs to help take Teyla's weight and ease her down onto the nearest step.
"What happened to you, lass?" Carson asked as he found the piece of metal clamped tight around Teyla's ankle. He glanced up at her and noted she was pale and seemed out of breath.
Ford sank down next to Teyla and Carson frowned as Aiden rested his arms on his knees and bent forward as he tried to catch his breath.
"Did you have to run to the 'gate?" he asked as he checked Ford's pulse and frowned at the rapid beat.
Before either could answer, the wormhole fritzed again, then slowly returned to normal. Seconds later, John and Rodney stumbled through the event horizon, and the wormhole shut down with a snap.
John staggered as Rodney sagged against him. Two Marines hurried forward, took Rodney and laid him on the floor where he curled on his side and started coughing.
John sank down beside him, keeping one hand on Rodney's shoulder, as Carson knelt in front of John.
"Major? What happened?" he asked as he checked John's pulse then turned to Rodney still on his side with his eyes closed.
"Trap," John muttered and glanced up at Carson then over at Rodney. "He stopped breathing earlier," he said softly. "Scared the hell out of me."
Carson frowned. "Do you know for how long?" he asked John then looked behind him. "Jason, I need the portable oxygen."
John shook his head. "Still had a pulse. Only took a couple of breaths from me before he started breathing on his own."
Carson nodded absently as he placed the mask over Rodney's nose and mouth and took the stethoscope Jason handed him. He listened to Rodney's heart and lungs for several moments, nodded, and squeezed Rodney's arm gently.
Rodney opened his eyes, looked around lazily for a moment, then closed them again.
"You did a good job, Major," Carson said as he looped the stethoscope around his shoulders. "His lungs sound clear, but I'll run a scan just to be sure." He frowned when he heard John wheezing slightly. "David, start the rest of them on O2. And call down to Sharon. Ask her to have wheelchairs sent up here. I think this lot are going to need a ride."
Carson handed John another oxygen mask, waited for him to place it over his nose and mouth, and moved back over to Teyla and Ford. He was happy to see both were breathing easier with the supplemental oxygen and noted their color was better already. "Was this part of the same trap?" he asked as he examined the metal band around Teyla's ankle.
Teyla shook her head. "It was not," she replied, her voice muffled by the mask. Carson looked up at her as he removed her boot.
Her foot was swollen but still felt warm. "Close your eyes," he said and waited. "Can you feel that?" he asked as he pinched one of her toenails and watched the skin response.
Teyla opened her eyes and nodded. She removed the mask and added, "I can feel slight pressure. However, my foot is mostly numb."
Carson stood as Jason stopped next to him with a wheelchair. "Let's get you down to the infirmary, and we'll see about getting that cut off. I don't think there will be any permanent damage once it's gone. You're going to be bruised and sore for a few days."
Jason helped settle her in one wheelchair while David and two other technicians helped John, Ford, and Rodney. Carson was a bit concerned that neither John nor Rodney protested the enforced ride down to the infirmary. Their passive attitude told Carson more than enough about how they were actually feeling.
"Carson?" Elizabeth asked as she watched the wheelchairs leave the gateroom.
"I think they'll be fine," he told her as he walked over to stand next to her. "I will probably keep Rodney and Teyla overnight just to be safe. John and Aiden should be fine once their O2 levels stabilise."
"What's wrong with Rodney and Teyla?"
"John told me Rodney stopped breathing at some point. I want to make sure there are no problems with his lungs before I release him. My bigger concern is the band around Teyla's leg. I'm not sure what sort of metal it's made from. We might not have a way to remove it." He didn't say anything more, but could tell Elizabeth understood what that meant.
Elizabeth nodded and glanced down the hall where the medical team had disappeared. She looked down at her hands clasped in front of her and sighed. "Keep me updated about both of them," Elizabeth said and turned toward the stairs back up to the control room.
"Certainly," Carson said and stopped her with a hand on her arm. "It was the right decision to send them, you know. Now we at least have a fighting chance when the Wraith get here."
Elizabeth looked out the window behind the stargate. "I hope it's enough, Carson," she replied.