"Did you find him?" Weir asked as three very discouraged-looking people stomped into the control center.
"Does it look like we found him?" Rodney shot back, with more venom than he had intended.
Weir raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. They all looked frustrated.
"We have searched the immediate area within a day's walk around the Stargate," Teyla reported, "But we found no sign of Col. Sheppard, and we have not heard from him since we left the jumper."
"I told you one of us should have stayed with him," Rodney admonished.
"We were gone for less than an hour," Teyla continued, "there were no signs of current civilization, and I do not believe that he would have left on his own."
Weir pursed her lips, "you think he was captured."
Ronon grunted in agreement.
Teyla nodded, "There were signs of a landing site nearby."
"A couple of burnt sticks and flat patches of grass," Rodney elaborated, "not exactly promising evidence that Sheppard was abducted by aliens."
"We certainly can't rule it out," Weir reasoned. She turned to Teyla and Ronon, "Are either of you familiar with any races that might have done this?"
"Just the Wraith," Ronon muttered, "and if it was Wraith, we'd have known about it."
"We would like to take a few more men," Teyla requested, "my people are experienced trackers, I am certain that they would be glad to offer assistance."
"Go," Weir nodded, "take Lorne's team as well, just in case. And check in regularly."
"Thank you," Teyla and the guys began to exit the control center.
"Good luck," Weir called after them.
"I am sorry," the person at the info kiosk shook her head, orange and purple eyes showing confusion, "I have never heard of a 'DeLorean', nor do I believe that we have any here on Atlantis."
"Worth a try," Sheppard sighed.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing waves exploded from all of the speakers everywhere, sounding both urgent and relaxing at the same time. A sleepy female voice droned, "Blue alert. Blue alert. Please calmly return to your quarters and transports, or stay where you are until a Guide comes to escort you to a safe zone."
"What?" Sheppard blinked, "What's going on?"
"Blue alert, sir," the info person said by way of reply, and shut the wooden sliding door across the top of the desk.
"What does that mean?" Sheppard cried.
"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard to the Throne Room of the Ancestors, please," the sleepy voice seemed to answer him.
"Fine!" Sheppard stomped off, "but I expect some answers when I get there!"
The puddle jumper slid through the gate again, this time with a few more passengers. Lorne handled the controls expertly as they turned and headed upward into low orbit.
"So, what are we looking for?" Lorne asked.
"Sheppard," Rodney muttered.
Teyla glared at him, but Lorne ignored the other man's sarcastic tone.
"I'd just like some idea of what to expect."
"We honestly don't know," Teyla replied.
"Better be ready for anything," Ronon added, not looking up from the already polished knife he was cleaning.
"Thanks, that narrows it down," Lorne sighed.
Teyla smiled slightly at him, "We all wish we knew more. That is why we are here. Do you see anything yet, Rodney?"
"Plenty," McKay answered, "none of it unusual for a backwoods planet like this, however."
"What about that?" Ronon glanced up and pointed with his knife.
"What?" McKay blinked up at what was, according to his sensors, empty sky. He frowned at the strange coalescing gases ahead of the jumper, "Uh, that's not there."
"What do you mean?" Lorne asked, appearing mildly fascinated by the cloud.
"I mean," Rodney's tone became longsuffering, "that according to the fancy Ancient sensors, that cloud doesn't exist. At all. It doesn't even appear to be affecting anything around it, which is generally accepted to be physically impossible in a finite universe."
"Maybe we should check it out," Ronon suggested.
Rodney gave him an "are you kidding" stare, "Didn't you just hear what I said? There is no astrological precedent for this sort of phenomenon! I have no idea what it's doing to the universe, let alone what it could do to a jumper if we get too close!"
Teyla nodded, "but it may have something to do with Col. Sheppard's disappearance."
"Well," Rodney shrugged, "given its proximity to the planet and mysterious nature, that's…plausible."
"Then we should learn what we can," Teyla insisted firmly.
"I'm with Teyla," Lorne nodded.
"Fine," Rodney relented, "but keep a distance of at least 20 kilometers. I can get a fairly detailed scan from there." He harrumphed in reluctant agreement, unwilling to reveal his curiosity, and turned to begin the scans as soon as they were within range.
