John shifted carefully in the pilot's chair and tried to think. "What's the temperature … in here set for?" he asked as he pulled his gloves back on. "If we lower it … that could give us more time."
"Don't you think I would have considered that?" Rodney snapped and rubbed at the brace on his arm. "I've already adjusted the system to keep the cockpit at seven degrees," he continued, his tone conciliatory as he glanced at Sheppard. "That's about forty-five Fahrenheit to you."
John glared at him. "I knew that."
Rodney shut the computer down and stuffed it back in his pack.
"We're going to have to conserve whatever heat we can," Rodney said as he stood and dug through the supplies piled on the chair behind John until he came up with the case of MREs. He handed one of the meals to John and found another for himself as well as a couple of bottles of water.
The first rule of staying warm, John remembered from his cold-weather survival training, stay fueled. John idly wondered if the civilians with the Stargate Project received the same training before arriving in Antarctica, or if Rodney was simply hungry.
Once they'd finished eating, Rodney stood and surveyed the rest of the items he'd salvaged from the rear of the jumper. John watched as he straightened out the cushions on the floor behind the co-pilot's chair then propped a couple more against the bulkhead wall. "Hopefully, the cushions will protect us a bit from the metal leaching out heat," Rodney told him when he noticed John watching him.
John nodded even as he eyed the floor with trepidation. He knew they had a slightly better chance of survival if they were sharing body heat, but the thought of how much it was going to hurt getting out of the chair and down on the floor gave him second thoughts. Maybe they could each take one of the sleeping bags and stay in the chairs, he thought and zipped his coat a little higher.
"No," Rodney said, never looking at John, as he zipped the sleeping bags together.
John frowned. "No, what?" he asked, completely confused by the non sequitur.
"You're thinking of staying where you are," Rodney told him impatiently as he climbed to his feet. "The answer is no. I'm not going to freeze to death because you're afraid to move."
John glared up at him as McKay stood next to his chair. "It's not a question … of fear," he retorted.
Rodney held out a hand. "I'll help. The sooner you move, the sooner we can try and warm up a little bit. I'm already freezing here."
John studied him for a moment and saw Rodney was shivering slightly and he wasn't wearing any gloves.
"All right, fine," John said and grasped the outstretched hand.
Contrary to his tone, Rodney was gentle and patient as John slowly stood from the chair. Getting down on the floor was every bit of a trial that he expected. He heard Rodney grunt in pain as he took John's weight with both hands to help ease him to the floor, but McKay didn't let go until John was all the way down.
"Hang on a second," Rodney said as he wedged another of the cushions between John's left side and the bulkhead. "That should help protect your ribs, too."
John leant back against the cushions and watched as McKay shoved the case with the food and water against the back of the co-pilot's chair and set the first aid kit and the flashlight on top of it. He was about to sit down when John said, "Your gloves."
"What?" Rodney asked as he held up the sleeping bags.
"You aren't wearing … gloves," John repeated and pointed at the console.
McKay grabbed the gloves off the console, sat down, and pulled the sleeping bag up over them both. He managed to get the left glove on, but the right wouldn't fit over the brace and he eventually gave up as he tugged the sleeping bag higher.
With their shoulders touching, John could feel the slight tremors running through Rodney's body as he shivered. "Relax," he said gently, "You tense up … you're going to be colder."
Rodney glared over at him.
"I'm serious," John said.
McKay huffed out a breath and John watched as he took a deep breath and tried to relax.
"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Rodney asked a few minutes later.
"Bring a deck of cards?"
"Funny."
John felt Rodney shift against him and glanced over to see him rubbing the brace. "How's the arm?" he asked.
"It hurts." Rodney looked down at the brace on his arm. "If we ever meet any Ancient engineers, I plan to have a few words with them about putting an access system in the rear compartment where someone has to stand during who knows what sort of situation to effect emergency repairs."
John started to laugh and grabbed his side. "Don't. Don't make me laugh. It hurts."
"Sorry." Rodney looked at his hand again. "The inevitable cast is going to complicate a few things."
Oh?"
"I hadn't finished making …" He paused. "Something," he finished with a sideways glance at John.
John grinned. He suspected he knew exactly what Rodney was trying not to say. "Making something, 'eh?" he teased. "You didn't seem interested … in the whole Secret Santa idea … when Ford brought it up."
Rodney shrugged. "I changed my mind, I guess." He looked around the cockpit. "Of course, if someone doesn't find us soon it won't really matter."
John sobered at that thought. "Teyla and Ford … will find us. They knew where … we were going. Someone will be able … to tell them how to get here."
"Assuming they can get here. Didn't that Mica person say the pass got snowed over in the winter?"
"Then they'll go back to Atlantis. Get Markham or Stackhouse. Fly in another jumper."
Rodney stared at him. "So they can crash on top of us?" he exclaimed. "If you couldn't control a jumper in this storm, how is anyone else going to do it?"
"They'll wait … until the storm is over," John said patiently. "How long … can a storm like this last?"
"There was a storm in New York a few years ago, dumped three meters of snow over six days," Rodney told him as he pulled the sleeping bag higher. "We'd better hope the storms here don't last that long. There's also the problem of actually finding us. Chances are the jumper is completely buried by now."
John did the conversion in his head. Ten feet of snow in less than a week. McKay was right, they had to hope this storm wasn't going to be that bad. "If they have a jumper … they'll be able to detect our life signs. Ford knows … what to do."
Rodney didn't reply and they fell into another silence.
John concentrated on keeping his breathing even as he thought about Rodney's comment about the jumper being buried. He'd tried to turn the ship at the last minute when he saw the side of the mountain looming in front of them. The fact they were both sitting there and the cockpit was intact told him he'd managed to alter their flight path enough to avoid a head-on crash but suspected the ship was wedged up against the mountain.
Probably what breached the rear section, he thought to himself as he felt Rodney lean against him. If there was a mineral blocking the radio signal, would it prevent the scanner from detecting life signs as well?
McKay would know, but John didn't want to ask. On the off chance Rodney hadn't already thought of the possibility, he didn't want to worry him more than he already was.
How long could they wait for rescue? If the jumper was buried, and the mountains blocked more than just the radio signal, how long should they wait before trying to hike out? He shook his head. Who was he kidding? There was no way he'd be able to hike down unknown terrain with broken ribs. Just moving from the chair to the floor had been enough to convince him any other movement was a bad idea.
He sighed. No. Their best, and frankly only, hope was that Ford and Teyla would find them, buried or not.
He felt Rodney shift again and turned his head to find McKay slumped against his arm with his eyes closed. "Hey," he said and poked Rodney's side with his elbow, "no going to sleep."
Rodney opened his eyes with a glare. "I wasn't sleeping. I was thinking."
"Think with … your eyes open," John told him. "What were you … thinking about?" he asked a moment later.
Rodney sighed and sat up slightly. "Niagara Falls."
John turned and stared. Of everything Rodney could be thinking about while they were stranded in a blizzard … "Okay. I'll bite. Why Niagara Falls?"
Rodney sighed. "I spent most of my life living less than a hundred and fifty kilometers from it and I never went to see it."
"Ahh," John said and glanced at McKay before he looked down at the sleeping bag covering their legs.
"What was that look for?" Rodney said with a scowl.
"There was no look," John replied. "There's a few things … I regret, too."
"It's not regret as much as a -"
"Disappointment?" John offered. "That's still … regrets."
"Fine," Rodney said and huffed out a breath. "Just wish I'd gone, that's all."
"Tell you what, assuming we survive this … and find a way to contact Earth … we'll go to Niagara Falls."
"I was being serious," Rodney snapped and crossed his arms over his chest.
"So was I," John told him and frowned when he noticed Rodney wasn't wearing a glove on his right hand. The fingers were red and looked slightly swollen. He tugged the sleeping bag a bit higher.
Rodney stared at him for a moment and must have seen the sincerity in his expression. He relaxed and leant against John's arm again. "Assuming Ford and Teyla somehow manage to find us," Rodney mumbled as he pulled the sleeping bag up around his neck.
"They will."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
The change from the blustery weather on the planet to the warmth of the gateroom was a bit of a shock as Teyla came through the 'gate behind Ford. She brushed the snow off her arms and pushed back the hood of her coat.
"Teyla. Lieutenant. In my office, please," Doctor Weir said from the balcony above them.
Teyla unzipped her coat and pulled off her gloves as she followed Ford up the steps and across the bridge to the glassed-in office.
"All right," Doctor Weir said once they had their packs and coats off and were seated in the chairs in front of Weir's desk. "Tell me what happened."
Teyla listened as Ford told her about the stories of Yana and the possibility John and Rodney had found the cave where the ZPM was presumably hidden.
"They went even though there was a storm coming?" Doctor Weir asked, surprise clear in her expression. "That doesn't sound like John. It certainly doesn't sound like Rodney."
"Major Sheppard stated they were only going to make sure the stories were true, then return to the village until the storm passed," Teyla replied in defence of her missing teammates. "They thought they had enough time before the storm reached them."
Ford sat on the edge of his chair. "I'll get Sergeant Markham and we can take a jumper back to the planet."
Weir shook her head even as Ford finished speaking.
"We must do something," Teyla argued.
"I agree, but I can't authorise taking another jumper back to the planet."
"Why not?" Ford demanded, then looked down at his feet when Doctor Weir gave him a hard look. "Why not, ma'am?" he repeated, moderating his tone.
"Two reasons. One, we've already got one crashed jumper on the planet. A jumper that was flown by our best pilot, by the way. I doubt Sergeant Markham or Sergeant Stackhouse would fare much better in the weather conditions you've described."
"But -"
Weir held up a hand and Ford closed his mouth.
"Two, neither of them are here. Markham and his team are back on M3R-937 wrapping up the survey of the super-volcano and Sergeant Stackhouse's team has another week on P2J-883 while Doctor Corrigan investigates the building where you and Rodney were held captive." Weir glanced at Teyla as she finished speaking.
Teyla did her best to hide any reaction to the reminder of Rasha and what had happened while assisting Stackhouse's team as she exchanged a concerned look with Ford.
"Doctor Beckett?" Ford asked, his lack of confidence at Beckett's skill as a pilot evident in his tone.
Doctor Weir shook her head. "No. I don't think it's a good idea to ask Carson to pilot a jumper in a blizzard. However …" She tapped her earpiece. "Carson, this is Elizabeth. Can you come to my office, please?" She listened for a moment then tapped her earpiece again.
"He'll be here in a few minutes," she said to Ford and Teyla. "In the meantime, Lieutenant, the only team in the city right now is Sergeant Thompson's. He's still evaluating potential team members and doesn't have a scientist in place, but I don't think that will be an issue with a search and rescue mission."
"No, ma'am," Ford replied as he stood. "I can go talk to him now. Get his team up to speed and prepped."
"Good idea," Weir agreed, and Ford left the office just as Beckett arrived.
"Where's he off to in such a hurry?" Carson asked with a smile as he stepped in the office.
Teyla watched as he glanced from her, then behind him to where Ford left the control room at a near run, then back at Doctor Weir. "What's happened, then?" he asked, his expression shifting from humor to concern in the time it took for him to cross from the door to Weir's desk.
Teyla glanced at Doctor Weir then said, "We suspect the jumper Major Sheppard was flying … crashed during a snowstorm."
Teyla saw Beckett swallow hard and clench his hands behind his back. "Was Rodney with him?"
Teyla nodded.
"Has anyone been able to reach them on the radio?" he asked in a near whisper.
Teyla shook her head. "Lieutenant Ford tried. We are not sure if the lack of response is due to interference from the storm or …"
"Or if they cannot respond," Beckett finished for her.
"I'd like you to go back with Teyla, Lieutenant Ford, and the search team," Doctor Weir said. "If by some miracle they are still alive, chances are they are going to need your help."
"Aye," Beckett replied. "I'll get my people ready. We can leave in thirty minutes." He gave Teyla a nod, then left the office.
Teyla stood as well. "I would like to return to the planet, now," she said as she pulled on her coat. "Yev and the others may be able to help with the search."
Weir frowned. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to go back alone."
"I have known these people for many years, Doctor Weir. I trust them. There is no danger." She could tell Weir wasn't convinced and was saddened how suspicious the Earth people could be at times.
"The Lurrans use sleds to navigate in the winter," Teyla said and sat back in her chair. "Klaus drove us to the stargate and said he would wait for word from us. He is probably still there. Since it will take some time for Lieutenant Ford and Doctor Beckett to prepare, I would like to return to the village and ask if a few others with sleds would be willing to help with the search. Without a jumper, sleighs are the fastest mode of transport on the planet. At the very least, they will hopefully be willing to bring our people from the stargate to the village, saving valuable time."
Weir studied Teyla for a few moments, then nodded. "All right," she said. "I'll hold Ford and Carson here until we hear back from you."
Teyla nodded and stood. "It was roughly thirty minutes from the village to the stargate. I will try to contact you in less than two hours with news." She picked up her pack and left the office.
Doctor Weir followed her out of the office, and Teyla heard her ask Chuck to dial Lurra. She went down the steps, zipped up her coat and put on her gloves then stood to one side of the stargate. As soon as the wormhole formed she pulled up her hood and took a step forward.
"We'll be waiting to hear from you," Weir said, and Teyla turned and waved before she stepped through the event horizon and was hit with a blast of wind as she came through the other side.
"It's getting a bit blustery," Klaus said in greeting as he took her arm until she found her balance. "Where is your friend?" he asked as the wormhole shut down.
"He stayed in the city to muster a search party," Teyla replied. "I am afraid we are going to need help finding our people," she added as Klaus led the way back to the sleigh. "The ship we had hoped to use for the search is unavailable. I am hoping some of the others in the village will be willing to drive us into the valley where we think Major Sheppard's ship crashed."
Klaus helped her into the back of the sleigh. "Not many will risk the weather changing on them," he told her as he climbed in the front and picked up the reins for the hreindyr.
"That is my fear," she admitted in a whisper.
Klaus must have heard her and turned around. "Don't you worry. I know a few hardy souls who don't mind a bit of snow and wind. Prin, for one, and I'm sure some of his other family will help if they're back from the hunting camp."
She nodded, and Klaus turned around, slapped the reins, and the sleigh jerked into motion as Klaus pointed the hreindyr back toward the village.
Forty minutes later, she stood in Teg's pub surrounded by two dozen men and women. She was grateful to Yev for bringing so many of the villagers together so quickly. However, she was also well trained in reading emotions and could tell many of the people in the pub were skeptical of the idea John and Rodney were still alive.
"I am here to ask for your help in finding two of my friends," she said as the crowd settled at various tables around the room. "I am sure most of you have heard by now that two men from Atlantis are missing and it is assumed their flying ship crashed in one of the high valleys."
"They were fools to go up there during a storm," a voice in the back of the room stated. "Why should I risk my neck and animals to go find them?"
Yev stood next to Teyla and glared at the corner where the voice originated. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Luka. I seem to remember several times you managed to get yourself into trouble only to need the rest of us to rescue you."
"He asks a good question, Yev," a woman Teyla didn't know replied. "The next wave of the storm will be here soon. Should we risk more lives in what is most likely a fruitless search to recover bodies?"
Teyla turned to the woman. "I understand your hesitation," she said. "You do not know Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay. I can only tell you if the tables were turned, if one of you were stranded in that valley, they would both do whatever was necessary to assist in any way they could."
The woman studied Teyla's expression, then sat back in her chair, shaking her head. "The pass may already be inaccessible," she said, and Teyla heard several of the others murmur in agreement.
"We will not know that for certain until we get there," Teyla countered and looked around the room, hoping to see someone willing to volunteer.
"Can you be sure they are still alive?" Prin asked into the silence a moment later. "If we had some way of knowing your friends were only injured and not dead …" He let the sentence peter out.
Teyla clasped her hands in front of her. "We have not been able to reach either Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay through our communication devices," she admitted. "I am uncertain if the cause is due to the weather, damage to their equipment, or," she swallowed, "or that they perished."
She saw several of the people give their neighbors knowing looks and start to whisper again.
"What I do know is Major Sheppard is an excellent pilot," she added, pitching her voice to override the murmuring. "If something catastrophic did happen, forcing his ship to crash, he would have done everything possible to make sure he and Doctor McKay survived." She jutted her chin out the same way she'd seen Rodney's when he was challenged. "I believe they are alive. I believe they are waiting for us to find them. There are others, men and women from Atlantis, who also believe they survived and will be here soon to look for them.
"I am asking for your help to save two lives. Speed is of the essence, it has already been half a day since they left Prin's camp. You know the area, you have sleds that can move much faster than walking. And you are good people. I do not believe you would turn your backs on others in such dire need."
She heard a mug bang down on the bar behind her and turned to see Klaus stand. "Well said," he told her as he stopped at her side. "We're wasting time," he told the crowd. "There are two people stuck up there waiting for help. I'm going. How many of you will come with me?"
Teyla watched as the crowd looked around the room, each clearly hoping someone else would be the first to volunteer.
A few moments later Prin stood. "I'll go. They went because of the stories they heard while under my roof."
Mica jumped to his feet. "I'll go as well, Father. I know the valley and Shyan and I found a shorter route out of the village that doesn't involve following the river."
Two others sitting at a table near the front of the room slowly stood as well.
"Thank you," Teyla said with a nod. "The Atlanteans should be ready soon. We will need to meet them at the stargate."
Klaus patted her arm as he turned toward the door. "I'll just check the boys have switched out my teams," he told her. Prin, Mica, and the others followed him out the door and Teyla heard several shouted orders to prepare more sleds.
Teyla turned to Yev. "I have one other favor to ask," she said as Yev led her back to the bar.
Yev nodded. "What do you need?"
Teyla took a deep breath. "I must assume both Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay sustained injuries in the crash, though I have no idea how severe those injuries may be. Lieutenant Ford is bringing a doctor with him when he returns, but we will need somewhere for him to work and a place where Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay can recover."
Yev smiled at her. "That is not a problem." She waved to a middle-aged man standing against the far wall, deep in conversation with a woman roughly the same age.
The man came over to the bar and Teyla noticed he walked with a slight limp.
"This is Garen," Yev said as the man stopped next to her. "He is our healer."
Garen grasped Teyla's hands in greeting. "Very impassioned speech," he told her, his tone gruff but warm, and she was oddly reminded of Doctor Beckett.
"Teyla and her friends are going to need your rooms, and possibly your help, once they find their missing people," Yev told him.
Garen nodded. "I expected as much," he replied. "I've already told Hala, my wife," he nodded to the woman he'd been speaking to before Yev summoned him, " to get things ready. I've dealt with a few cases of exposure in my time," he told Teyla with a smile and thumped his leg with a fist. "When you get them back here, bring them to the house with the red door."
"Thank you, Garen," Teyla said.
"You're welcome," he said shortly. "Now go, you don't have much time to waste before the next storm gets here."
Teyla hurried outside to find Klaus and the others lined up and ready to leave. Each of the five sleds had a team of eight hreindyr and she was pleased to see one of the sleds held several of the fur-lined blankets as well as other supplies piled on the rear seat.
Klaus handed her into his sleigh at the front of the line with a smile and a wink before he climbed in the front and slapped the reins as he called out to the hreindyr. The sled set off with a jangle of bells echoed by the sleighs behind them and they quickly left the village behind.
The path to the stargate was easier this time with the snow already compacted by their two previous trips and the sleds sped along, cutting the time out to the stargate nearly in half.
Klaus pulled the hreindyr to a halt a few feet from the DHD and Teyla jumped down and hurried over to the device. She dialled, and once the wormhole engaged, she tapped her radio. "Doctor Weir? This is Teyla."
"Teyla, you're early," Weir replied. "Were you successful in obtaining help from the Lurrans?"
Teyla glanced behind her at the five sleds scattered around the clearing, the hreindyr pawing the ground. "Yes, Doctor Weir. I have five sleds waiting here. One of the young men, Mica, believes he knows a quicker path to the valley than the one Major Sheppard took. He has agreed to show us his … shortcut."
"That's good news! I'm sending Lieutenant Ford and the others through to you now. Find them, Teyla. Bring them home."
"I will do so, Doctor Weir. Teyla out."
A few moments later, seven people bundled in heavy coats bustled through the stargate and walked over to the DHD. She recognised Ford first from the way he moved. Thompson was easy to spot as he was so much taller than the others. Doctor Beckett and his two assistants she could identify from the medical gear they carried and the two Marines watched the clearing, and the Lurrans waiting near their sleds, with wary attention.
She led them over to the Lurrans and quickly made introductions.
Ford pulled down his goggles and looked around at the waiting Lurrans. "Thank you," he said simply. "We know you're risking a lot to help and we appreciate it."
"You can thank Teyla," Klaus told him. "She gave them quite the speech."
"We need to hurry," Prin interrupted with an unhappy look at the sky. "The next storm will be here in a few hours, and will reach the mountains sooner."
"How long have they been up there?" Beckett asked as he lowered his goggles and looked around at the group.
"It was late afternoon yesterday when they left the cabin," Prin said.
Beckett looked up at the watery early afternoon sunlight and Teyla saw the worried look in his eyes.
"Doctor Beckett?" She asked softly.
"They've been up there nearly a day," he said. "I don't know, lass."
"Do you have a life signs detector?" Teyla asked.
"Aye, I do," Beckett replied, and pulled down his goggles as he pulled the small scanner from one of his vest pockets. He fiddled with it for a few moments, cursing under his breath as the device seemed to flicker on and off. "How do you tell people from everything else on this thing?" he muttered and pushed several buttons on the device.
"I don't think that's the right screen, Doc," Ford said, looking over Beckett's shoulder.
"Yes, thank you," Beckett replied peevishly. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you people, these Ancient devices rarely work for me." He tapped at the screen again and held it out for Ford to see.
"Okay," Ford said, a finger hovering near the screen. "This looks like us." He glanced out toward the mountains. "There are several other dots in the mountains, a few are even clustered together. Any of them could be Sheppard and McKay."
"Or none of them," Teyla heard Beckett mutter under his breath.
"Mica," she called and waited for the young man to step forward. "Which direction is the valley and the cave?"
"From here? The valley is in that direction," Mica said, pointing behind him and to the right.
She glanced back at Beckett and Ford hoping that would help them narrow down the life readings on the scanner.
Beckett and Ford studied the scanner then looked over at Teyla. "There doesn't appear to be any readings coming from that direction," Beckett said softly. "That whole section is just … empty."