Chapter 12 – Finding The Way Back

Janus' Log: Project 117 (Live Trials) – Day One

The first trials of the time manipulating rings I created have been a complete success! The subjects are able to phase in and out of time exactly as I planned. They reported that they have been able to successfully stop time as well as speed it up.

My only concern is that there have been complaints of frequent headaches and nose bleeds. I am unable to ascertain the exact cause of these symptoms. I believe it may be due to the subspace power supply I created in order that they may use their newfound abilities anywhere in the galaxy.

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The medical team came into the lab flanked by several marines, including Major Lorne.

Jennifer was crouching down next to Solian and checking him over for any injuries.

John was kneeling by Rodney and continued to apply pressure against the drenched bandages laid out over his abdomen. He had not woken since he fell from the alcove and his nose had only just stopped bleeding.

Rodney's ghostly face was streaked with bright red. The only sign that he was still alive was coming from the almost imperceptible and very shallow rise and fall of his chest as he stubbornly continued to draw air in and out of his lungs.

Jennifer stood up as two of the medical team took over from her. She told them of Solian's condition and then walked over to Rodney.

John was pushed back out of the way as Jennifer worked on getting McKay ready for transport with another of her colleagues.

They cut away the rest of his shirt to survey him for any further injuries he may have hidden. They inserted IV lines and placed an oxygen mask over his face. Jennifer gently ran her hands along his ribcage after she found the extensive and dark bruising on the right side of his chest. "Suspected fractures to his right arm and several ribs. There's also deep bruising across his upper and lower back."

The newcomer pressed a fresh bandage in the centre of Rodney's torso and the marines helped to wrap him in blankets before they carefully lifted him onto a backboard and strapped him down.

Jennifer held the IV bag aloft and they followed the rest of her team out as the marines carried Solian on another backboard. She looked down at Rodney and then turned to her colleague, "He's lost a lot of blood from a penetrating stab wound just below his sternum. Is everything ready back on Atlantis, like I asked?"

"Yes, Doctor. They are waiting for us."

Radek was standing in a dazed silence as he watched the medical teams leaving with McKay and the stranger. John went over to him and said, "We need to leave too. Can you shut it down?"

Radek shook his head to clear the stunned expression and blinked down at his computer. He frowned, "I do not think that would be such a good idea."

John set his lips in a thin line as Zelenka reached across and extracted the spike from the console. "However, I can lock it out."

John nodded at him and took the weapon away as he hastily gathered up his gear. Teyla followed them out as they jogged up the corridor and back outside into the rear compartment of the waiting Jumper.

Just before they left, Radek activated a control on his scanner and sealed the lab once more. All that remained to show the location of the facility was featureless rock.

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Janus' Log: Project 117 (Live Trials) – Day Five

There has been an interesting and wholly unexpected side effect of using the rings on people. It seems that the radiation powering the devices is providing sustenance to the subjects and they have not felt tired or hungry since they were activated. I have scanned them all many times (the results are at the end of this report), but I have found nothing unusual.

I believe this can work to our advantage as the purpose of the rings is as a weapon against the Wraith. The subjects can work tirelessly for many hours and no time will have passed for our enemy. Hopefully this will give us the edge we need when they soon arrive at Lantea.

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Rodney gazed up at Jennifer in a drug induced and sleepy haze. His face was still pale after his recent trauma and a cannula was looped under his nose giving him oxygen.

Jennifer recited the litany of his many injuries to him while John, Ronon and Teyla stood nearby. "We surgically repaired the damage and gave you a transfusion. We also checked your ribs; two are fractured and several are very badly bruised down your right side. Your arm and back are also severely bruised, but barring complications they should heal as long as you don't move around too much for the next few days."

Rodney blinked slowly and rested one hand over his belly on top of the bandages. He suddenly screwed his face up and flinched as he was hurt by one of his many injuries. The beeps from his heart monitor sped up alarmingly and it sounded like the device was going to explode at any moment.

Jennifer spoke soothingly as she inserted something into his IV line, "I'm giving you something to help ease the pain. It'll also send you off to sleep again."

John said, "We'll be here when you wake up, McKay."

Rodney's frightened eyes soon lost their focus and he slowly shut them. His breathing and heart rate steadied and his face tipped over to one side of the pillow as he lost consciousness.

John turned to Jennifer and asked, "How's our guest?"

Teyla and Ronon pulled up chairs next to Rodney's bed while Jennifer led John away from them and over to the other side of the infirmary. She shook her head and frowned down at the monitors as she studied them.

She turned to John and said, "He's not doing so well. At the rate his cells are degrading I don't think he has a lot of time left. You could say that time is finally catching up on him now that the device has been removed.

"Dr Zelenka scanned both him and Rodney with Janus' altered hand scanner. He said that prolonged exposure to the radiation could keep someone alive and ageless indefinitely. They were in a sort of stasis field, Rodney was able to heal his cut and keep going without any rest due to the radiation giving him the energy he required directly."

John looked down into the pale face of the man in front of him and narrowed his eyes, "It must be Solian. Has McKay said anything?"

Jennifer shook her head, "No. I don't think he'll fully wake up for at least a day after the surgery we had to do to stop the bleeding"

"How long does Solian have left?"

"It's hard to say. It could only be a few minutes or he may survive for several days."

John turned and looked back across the infirmary at Rodney's still form as he slept and glanced back at Solian, "McKay will be so disappointed if he doesn't get a chance to speak with him again."

Jennifer smiled sadly and nodded.

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Janus Log: Project 117 (Live Trials) – Day Seven

The experiment started to go wrong today. Subject Three reported that he became trapped frozen in time for a number of years and could not exert enough control to get back. After he reported his complaint to me, I took him back to the planet to get the device removed, but he stole the key and vanished out of time.

I am unsure how to proceed, as the other subjects are also reporting the same problem and it will take me several days to manufacture a new key and regain access to my equipment.

The Wraith have begun to close in on the planet where I am hiding the power supply for my experiment. Time is running out for both the subjects and me.

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John was in a chair next Rodney in the infirmary as McKay sat propped up against his pillows and spooned jello into his mouth.

John asked, "So, how're you doing, McKay?"

Rodney dropped the spoon back into the pot and sighed, "It feels like I've just aged about ten years in ten hours."

John's eyes widened in shock, "You weren't out of time for ten years were you?!"

"I don't know. I didn't really keep a tab on it and my watch stopped before I was pulled out of there."

John whistled softly and leant back in his chair while Rodney finished the rest of the jello.

Rodney placed the empty container on the table next to his bed and shuddered as the motion stretched his stitches. He rested both of his hands on his middle and asked, "How did those crazy locals know about the metal bands?"

"Zelenka told me he found evidence in the data he downloaded that the lab has been activated on more than one occasion over the last ten thousand years. He reckons they managed to break in there and activate a video or log entry and that fuelled their paranoia."

Rodney narrowed his eyes, "You don't think the fact that the planet used to be a Wraith outpost helped them along the way? I'm sure there's a lot of nasty stuff still hanging around that they left behind."

"Probably. Zelenka doesn't think the lab can be shut down without causing damage to subspace. He's going to take a team back soon and check it out."

Rodney raised his chin indignantly, "Can't he wait for a few days? I'm sure I can figure out how to shut it down."

"Don't like the idea of people still running around out of sync with us, McKay?"

"Not really." He sighed loudly and flinched, "Ugh, I don't ever want to touch any pieces of metal again."

John smirked and held up his hands in surrender, "I'm not flushing the toilet for you, McKay! You'll just have to get over it."

Rodney scowled and then his face softened when he saw the other occupied bed which he had insisted on being pushed up next to his. He asked, "How's Solian? Has he been awake yet?"

John glanced at the other bed grimly and said, "No, Keller's not sure that he will before the end. He's very weak."

"Oh, that's a shame. There's so much I want to ask him." Rodney released a small breath in sadness and closed his eyes.

John remained there long after Rodney's exhaustion forced him into sleep once more.

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Rodney sat in a wheelchair next to Solian out on one of the piers. They had both been granted a few minutes to leave the infirmary. The sun shone down warmly and a cool salty breeze drifted over the ocean and enveloped both of them.

Rodney glanced across at Solian's pale face and furrowed his brow when he saw how gaunt and tired the other man looked. Through it all though, Solian was smiling and he closed his eyes happily as he lifted his face towards the sun.

John, Teyla and Ronon had helped them get out there at Solian's request and had now left them to be alone for a while.

Solian opened his eyes after a few minutes of taking in the sounds of the sea that he had not heard for over ten thousand years and looked at Rodney who was still gazing at him in sorrow.

He said, "I spoke with Radek about the data Janus left behind for you. I was able to decode as much as I could remember. I believe there are now several logs pertaining to 'Project 117' that you should be able to access."

"Uh, okay. I'll have to have a read through later."

Solian smiled at him and his eyes lit up in gladness as he said, "Thank you, Rodney. You saved my life in more ways than one."

"I saved your life?" Rodney said incredulously, "As I recall, you kept getting me out of the way of that lunatic before he got me on many occasions."

"I am also sorry," Solian frowned and gestured across at Rodney's midsection where the bandages were well hidden beneath his shirt, "That I could not prevent him from stabbing you and that you had to suffer for so long before I found you. I am glad he did not kill you or I would still be there now."

Rodney grimaced and then tilted his head to the side as he asked, "Why didn't you just ascend like the rest of the Ancients?"

"Oh, believe me, I tried for an eternity to leave that place. But I could not. Rorkan was binding me there and now that he is gone and I no longer have that infernal metal around my neck, I am free."

"I hope we can shut down the lab back on the planet." Rodney's eyes widened a little in panic, "I wonder how many others are still trapped out of time?"

Solian answered tiredly, "The data I decoded for you should be able to help."

Rodney sighed softly and turned away to look out across the water.

Solian reached across and gently squeezed his shoulder, "Do not be sad, Dr Rodney McKay. It is nice to finally be able to die after all this time. After all, who would want to live forever knowing that everyone you ever knew was already dead? The world remains the same and carries on and on into eternity in the timeless place."

Solian released his grip on Rodney and leant back in his chair again.

McKay suddenly gasped as his abdomen pained him and the rapid inhalation jolted his broken ribs. He closed his eyes tightly and waited for the tremors to subside. He considered calling Sheppard on his radio, but he managed to control himself with his hands pressed down on the bandages. He drew in shallow and steady breaths until the pain diminished to a more manageable ache.

He narrowed his watering eyes and squinted across at the sea. Without looking at him, he asked Solian, "So, where do you want to go now?"

When he did not receive a reply, Rodney looked across at where Solian had been sitting next to him and his eyes widened in shock when he saw that the other man had gone. He called out in alarm, "Solian! Solian?"

They were too far away from the edge of the pier for him to have fallen into the ocean and Rodney had not heard anything other than his own rasping breaths as the healing injuries abused his senses.

His questioning and fearful expression quickly dissolved into happiness when he realised what had just happened. He whispered into the wind rolling over the pier, "He ascended…"

John had been watching them from a short distance away to make sure they were both alright and he was grinning at what he had just witnessed. He let Rodney have a few more minutes, before he went over and wheeled the contented and smiling scientist back to the infirmary.

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Janus' Log: Project 117 (Live Trials) – Day Eight

I have made a terrible mistake. I am hoping that one day it can be rectified and that my colleagues will read this. I do not expect you to forgive me, what I have done is too thoughtless to deserve your forgiveness. I never meant for you to become trapped out of time like you have.

I realise now that I was a coward for not participating in my own experiment. The planet where I hid the power source is now overrun with Wraith. I cannot shut it down. If I demand it, the others will find out what I have done. I have no choice other than to go to Earth with them and leave the seven trapped here forever. In the hope that maybe one day they will be able to figure out how to free themselves.

I am sorry…

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The End

A/N – As always, thanks for reading and for the lovely reviews!
They make me very happy! x Varda x