The sun had just started to rise when John had gotten up from his uneasy resting place. Sitting at the mouth of the cave, he was watching the sun rise while he opened an MRE. John fished out the mint cookie and started eating. He wasn't really hungry, but the sugary snack was refuelling his energies. It was going to be a long day. He had promised Rodney that he was going to check out the energy source together with Ronon. He almost wished he could send Teyla and Ronon to do the task, but someone needed to watch Rodney's back. Not that he didn't trust the physicist with a gun; the man had learned a lot in the past year and a half. Rodney's aim wasn't even that bad, even if he sometimes still hesitated to fire. But compared to the rest of the geeks, Rodney was top notch. John shuddered to remember the time Carson had confronted a Wraith, gun in hand, offering medical help instead of opening fire. John shook his head. No, Teyla was needed at the Jumper. When Rodney was lost in his work, a whole herd of Wraith could sneak up on him without noticing.
John would wait a while longer until he woke up Ronon. Before the sun was up, the heat would be oppressive. Better not to walk four kilometres in sweltering heat, possibly carrying a hundred pounds of alien technology. Finished with the cookie, he shook the crumbs off his shirt
Footsteps approached from inside the cave and John spotted Rodney walking up to his position. The scientist was fairly wild haired, something he always accused John of, and looked ill rested.
"Major, have you even slept?" Rodney shot John an angry look, before he slumped down against the wall on the opposite site of the cave.
"Coffee?" John offered Rodney the coffee from his MRE, ignoring the question. Things between him and Rodney hadn't been too good lately and Rodney hadn't gotten over the professional disappointment that Duranda had been. Rodney wasn't used to being a failure. And he had nearly killed them in the process.
Rodney took the coffee and starting drinking, not saying another word. They had not spoken again after Rodney had stormed off the previous night. He'd stayed in the Jumper until dusk, and then he had joined them in the cave, not speaking much all evening. John needed him to snap out of it, if they were to continue going on missions together as a team. The asteroid storm wasn't as serious as it had seemed. Aside from his broken arm, nobody had been hurt in the crash and Rodney was able to repair the Jumper. But a crisis was bound to happen some time or other. John needed to be able to rely on Rodney.
"We should be leaving, Sheppard." Ronon's deep grumble came from the inside of the cave. John turned and saw Ronon walking up towards him, weapon in hand like always. John could understand why. At McMurdo, people would have looked funny, but since coming to the Pegasus Galaxy, the thought of carrying at least a handgun at all times seemed like a good idea.
"Don't you want to eat before we go? At least we brought plenty of food," John offered, not eager to get up just yet.
"I'll eat on the way. McKay's right, those funny PowerBars aren't that bad," Ronon said. "Toss me some."
He caught the bars easily and was about to stuff them into his various pockets, which Sheppard was sure, contained numerous weapons as well, when Sheppard stopped him.
"We'll take a back pack. I prefer actual food. Some water might not hurt and we need to carry the Ancient toys somewhere too." John got to his feet, careful not to jar his arm too much. Before he could go and get his pack from the cave, Teyla walked out, handing him the requested object.
"Good morning, Colonel Sheppard. Are you feeling any better?" she smiled and asked.
"My head hurts less." John returned the smile and grabbed the pack. "Thanks. We're checking out the energy source. Watch McKay's back while we are gone. We should be back this afternoon. I'll radio in every hour, but there is no telling what the range of these things is here, energy waves disturbing radio frequencies and all," John told her.
"I don't understand." Teyla frowned at his last sentence.
"Frankly, I have no idea. That's Rodney's business. Hold down the fort." Teyla frowned again, but caught herself quickly. She had only met the humans the summer before last when they had come to her planet seeking allies from the Wraith. They could learn a lot from each other.
oOo
The citadel looked exactly like it had on the HUD. The hexagonal structure with gold walls and a dark greenish slanting roof was not unlike the architecture of Atlantis and other Ancient building John had seen. It stood about three stories high in a green meadow, untouched by the ages.
"It looks like the work of the Ancestors." Ronon spoke out what John had been thinking.
"Exactly. It's the only thing on the planet and it looks like it was built yesterday. That's the Ancients, all right," John agreed. "The energy signature is coming from inside. I'm not sure I'm reading this thing right--that's normally Rodney's gig--but it's no ZPM, I can say that." John looked at the portable Ancient scanner.
"Is it dangerous?" Ronon thought like a warrior.
"It's giving off energy, but it's not radioactive, I think," John said.
"We should have taken McKay, even if he is an annoying man," Ronon commented dryly. "Anyone home?"
"Nope." John glanced at the life signs detector. "Let's go in."
At first there was no apparent entrance in the wall. John tried to think at the building, tried to touch the wall, but nothing moved.
"Something wrong?" Ronon asked.
"With the gene? I don't think so. Never happened before. Maybe it only works for Ancients." John shrugged and stepped closer to examine the surface of the wall
Ronon shot him a strange look. "Step back."
John did just in time before a blaster shot hit the wall where he had just been standing. He stared at Ronon, who broke into a grin.
"What the hell..." Sheppard swore when Ronon pointed to a spot next to him.
"It's open. It was probably just stuck." Ronon grinned smugly and walked by Sheppard into the dark citadel.
Sheppard followed him, switching on his flashlight, as the lights didn't turn on when he stepped in.
"I'm starting to think this place wasn't build by the Ancient after all," John said. "We don't know too much about their history, aside from them being at odds with the Wraith. This thing could have been built by another civilisation inspired by the Ancients. Pretty much every planet we have been too so far has heard of the Ancients."
Ronon made a low noise that John interpreted as an affirmative.
The inside of the citadel was shrouded in deep blackness. The air smelled pure and it was much cooler than outside. John directed his flashlight to the ground, illuminating a shiny black floor, without a trace of dust.
"Just like Atlantis. When we first got there, after the city had been on the ground of the ocean for ten thousand years, it looked like the Ancients had left yesterday. Have you ever heard of a civilisation that could have created something as advanced as the Ancients?" John asked.
"Aside from the Wraith, no. They would have destroyed any civilisation that advanced far enough to threaten them," Ronon said solemnly.
John nodded. He had seen the MALP footage from Sateda. The Wraith had left the world in ruins. No one had survived.
"There it is. I think this is what we were looking for." The cast of John's flashlight fell on a silver cube on the ground. "The energy is coming from this thing."
He approached and took a closer look. The surface was smooth and dull to the eye. No displays, regulator, no nothing. John verified his readings, before he carefully reached to touch the cube.
It was cool to the touch, but when he put his hand on it, a projection appeared above it. A hologram.
"Ronon, have you seen this language before?" John asked, not recognizing the characters as Ancient, Genii or Wraith.
"I have never seen this language." Ronon joined him. "We should make a recording."
"Camera is in my pack," John said. "Maybe Teyla can decipher the message. The light's not good, but try to get a shot of it."
Ronon handled the camera while John held the flashlight. The hologram faded a minute or two after John had lifted his hand from the cube. Both men looked down at the silver box.
"We should take it back with us," Ronon said finally.
"You take it." John nodded at his broken arm. In truth, all the walking hadn't done his arm any favours.
"Whatever you say." Ronon picked up the box with ease and cradled in on his arm.
"It's not heavy," he said, noticing John's curious glance.
oOo
John was spent by the time he and Ronon returned to the crash site. The pain from his broken arm had spread again through his entire arm up into his shoulder and the headache had returned. He felt like he'd been marching in the dessert all day; it was like on the worst days in Afghanistan.
Teyla stood near the Jumper, P90 hefted to her flak vest. She waved to greet them.
"Everything quiet?" John asked.
"Nothing has happened. Dr. McKay has been working to repair the Jumper since you left," Teyla said. "What have you been able to find out about the energy source?"
"Well, Ronon brought it with him. McKay will have to take a look at it. Actually there is something for you to look at as well," John said tiredly, already taking down his backpack. Teyla hurried to help him manage the task with one arm.
"Thanks," John said softly. He walked over to the back of the Jumper. Rodney was sitting on one of the benches, laptop on his thighs. He was immersed in his work and didn't notice John approach.
"Rodney? How's the Jumper coming?" John asked, taking in a mess of strewn parts, power bar wrappers and Ancient instruments on the Jumper floor.
Rodney looked up at him, upset settling on his features.
"Diagnostic program is running. It will take another sixteen hours at least." Rodney clipped and turned back to his computer. "You should have Teyla change that bandage on your arm. You look feverish," he added.
John ignored him. "What about the dents in the hull. Are they going to be a problem? I never had a hull breach and I'm not planning on it."
"I can't exactly hammer them out. But the Jumper is going to fly," Rodney confirmed.
John nodded. He trusted Rodney, even after his gross miscalculation with the Ancient weapons system. He could understand Elizabeth's hesitance, but he thought it unfair of her. One mistake didn't change the long list of Rodney's accomplishments, both on Earth and in the Pegasus Galaxy.
"If the diagnostic doesn't need you…" John started.
"I'm needed here," Rodney cut him off. He sounded angry. John shrugged his good shoulder and left
TBC