Act II

"Damn it, Rodney, I can take care of myself," John said through gritted teeth as he tried to push away McKay's hand from where he was applying pressure to John's wounds. "You just stay alert for more trouble."

According to Rodney, John hadn't been out long. That knowledge gave John little comfort. They'd been attacked – and, at the moment, their only defense was Rodney. While Rodney was a brilliant scientist who had come a long way since he'd first joined John's team, he was no Green Beret.

John stirred, trying to force his muscles to come back to life, but they seemed to be at war, because most of them refused to move at all and the others that could move wouldn't stop shaking. He was sitting on the floor beside the door, still leaning against the wall for support, rather than up on his own, mostly because the continued pressure Rodney was using made him feel like he was going to be sick.

John felt bile rising up the back of his throat and he swallowed hard to force it down. He wasn't about to throw up with Rodney in such close proximity – no, he just wasn't up to the responding hurl that would come from McKay. The mere thought made John swallow hard one more time, just to be sure.

His thoughts kept flashing to the horrific agony he'd experienced right before he passed out and he wondered what could have caused such pain. He squeezed his eyes closed as he pushed the disturbing memory away until he had time to really think about it. He shook his head and repeated, "Rodney, I said I can take care of myself."

"Oh, yeah, right, that's very obvious," Rodney muttered as he looked around. "What the hell is taking them so long?"

John's capacity for tolerating Rodney's hysterics was limited at best and he said, "They'll be here. McKay. You've screamed at them enough already. Do it anymore and Ronon will blast you with his stunner the moment he sees you. Just relax a little – this looks worse than it really is."

The muscles in Rodney's face contracted with disbelief, then practically exploded with frustration. "This just looks much worse than what it really is? What? Are you crazy? Wait, don't answer that. I already know the answer. From where I am, this looks pretty damned bad."

"I'm just stating a fact – "

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Grin-and-Bear-It. You weren't the one who had to listen to you scream in agony. I mean, what the hell was going on?"

John frowned and shook his head without meeting McKay's gaze. "I don't know. The hole in my shoulder was nothing compared to that."

"Well, whatever it was, I thought you were dying."

John closed his eyes for a moment, then said honestly, "So did I."

John took a deep breath and started to push away Rodney's hand again, but Rodney shook his head. "Listen, Beckett has ingrained so many basic life-saving techniques into my skull because of you, it's all I can do to refrain from saying, 'What have you gone and done to yourself this time, son? You know, I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker.'"

John grunted at Rodney's pretty good attempt at a Scottish brogue, then wiped the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead. He couldn't seem to catch his breath yet, despite his best attempts to breathe normally. He looked up at Rodney and bit his lip in frustration. Rodney was focused on everything except the danger that might come through the door and attack them.

"This is ridiculous," John said as he started to get up.

Rodney's hand applying pressure to John's wounds pushed down more forcefully, keeping him in place. John sucked in a gasp of air and Rodney hissed as if the sudden movement hurt him, too. After Rodney recovered, he said, "Don't move, damn it! I've got my jacket wadded up against the wall behind you to keep pressure on the wound on your back, so sit still!"

John looked at McKay, his tac vest and P90 scattered across the floor and then glanced over his shoulder at Rodney's wadded jacket behind him. McKay's idea probably did help slow the blood loss from the entrance wound, but it made John sit at an odd angle, one that was almost impossible to find a comfortable position.

"Look, I've only got one good hand right now, so don't make me sit on you to keep you down. And what the hell is taking them so long? I told them to be careful. They better listen, damn it. I can't be responsible for everyone – "

John cringed, looking at Rodney's hand as it was still pressed against Rodney's chest. "Geez, I'm sorry about the arm. How're you doing?"

Rodney's pained expression eased a bit and he shook his head. "Hurts like hell, but I'll survive. You, on the other hand, need to stop bleeding or else you won't survive at all."

John was about to give Rodney a quick pep talk about thinking positively when Teyla's voice came over the radio. "Rodney, we are nearly to your location. How is John doing?"

Rodney's shoulders visibly relaxed at the sound of her voice. Then he glared at John. "He's being petulant, as usual, insisting he's fine. Just get over here fast so that you can deal with him. If I hear much more of his bullshit, I may kill him myself."

John was about to come up with some snarky retort, but Teyla spoke first. "We will be there shortly."

John started to get up again and Rodney shook his head, "No, no, no, you are not getting up until you get checked out."

"Give me a break... I'm blocking the doorway," John said with irritation.

"No, you aren't. Teyla and Ronon can just step over you if they need to. You are not moving, understood?"

John leaned his head back against the wall and took in a long breath. He figured that was better than biting off McKay's head, especially when the man was only looking out for John's best interests. John sighed. He wasn't stupid, he knew his injury was serious, but it wasn't life threatening. John couldn't let down his guard until they had backup and the dangers his team might be facing made him antsy.

Rodney must have read John's thoughts because he shook his head and muttered, "Just sit tight, Superman. Remember, we've all got our weaknesses. Yours happens to be kryptonite and a proclivity for bleeding. Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye out for trouble."

John shook his head. "We've got to figure out who attacked us before they attack again."

"I said, I'm on it," Rodney said with gritted teeth.

Before he knew it, Ronon was pounding on the door and shouting, "McKay, we're here! Open up!"

"Open sesame," Rodney said sarcastically as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the door command.

John glanced up to see the door try to open, but it stopped about three-quarters of the way, due to the metal rod still sticking out of the upper section of the door. John stared at the metal rod again. Damn, that thing looked a whole lot smaller sticking out of the door than it had protruding from his shoulder.

Ronon kicked away some of the debris piled up outside the door, then stepped over the rest and turned sideways to squeeze himself through the partially open doorway. He took in the blood trailing down from John's shoulder wound before he glanced up at the bloody rod still protruding from the door.

"I guess we can't blame that on a waking dream," Ronon said grimly as he came to a stop beside them. "Looks pretty damned real to me."

Teyla came up next with Tiebin and Tierab at her back. She stopped at the doorway, her eyes widening at the scene before she moved forward.

"How are you?" she asked softly, kneeling down beside John. She unclipped her P90 from her tac vest and put it on the floor.

"It's not that bad," John said with as much conviction as he could muster.

Rodney rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. John didn't bother to listen; he'd already heard Rodney's opinion on the subject. Rodney raised his voice as he kept pressure on John's wound. "He's sweaty and can't catch his breath, not to mention the hole in his shoulder that's losing way too much blood to be good and I think he might be going into shock."

John shook his head. "No, I'm not."

He looked Teyla in the eye and said, "I'm not. It hurts but it's not life-threatening."

Teyla took his wrist in her hand, taking his pulse as she eyed him closely. After a moment, she relaxed a little and let go of his hand. She brushed her fingers across his brow and then rubbed her fingers together as if assessing John's condition from the amount of moisture her fingers detected.

"That remains to be seen," she said quietly.

Her gaze narrowed when he started to argue with her. Then she gave him that look, the one that meant she wasn't going to change her mind, no matter how much he fussed. John glanced over at Rodney and Ronon for support, but found none.

Ronon shrugged and said, "You're losing blood. Let her dress the wound, then we can leave."

"It will only take a moment, John," Teyla said firmly.

John relented finally. "Make it fast. We need to get the hell out of here."

She nodded and gently put her hands up to look at his wound once Rodney moved away. She peeled back the bandage Rodney had slapped over John's uniform shirt, hefting the weight of the soaked bandage in her hand before she set it on the ground. Then she pulled her knife from its sheath and slit the top of John's shirt over his shoulder open for better access.

She put away her knife and said, "John, I need for you to lean forward a little, so that I may view both the entry and exit sites and apply a proper field dressing."

Teyla moved closer, peering at the puncture wounds. The bloody panels of fabric slipped down John's chest and made John shiver for a moment. Ronon leaned closer to check the wound for himself while Rodney closed his eyes and turned his head away. John thought Rodney had a decidedly green cast to his complexion.

After a moment, Teyla's tension seemed to ease. Nodding at Ronon, she pulled out a fresh field dressing and wrapped it around John's shoulder. "The jagged edges of the rod have caused some tissue damage as it went through, something Dr. Beckett will no doubt have to address with surgery, but you should be fine, John, once we get you back home again."

"That's what I've been saying," John said as he nodded, putting his hand to his shoulder once Teyla had finished with the dressing. "We've got to go."

Ronon glanced out the storage room door, seeming hesitant to move out without more information, and said, "What attacked you?"

Rodney cradled his left hand close to his chest as he wiped the blood from his right hand onto his BDUs with disdain and answered for John. "I don't know. I never saw the damned thing."

John glanced at Ronon, ignoring Rodney's comment. "Whoever or whatever attacked us must be damned near invisible because I never got a good look at it, so watch out."

Tiebin and Tierab were at the doorway and obviously disturbed by the incident, but there was something more going on between the two brothers. Their facial expressions changed as if they were arguing, but without spoken words.

John raised his voice and asked, "What do you two know about what's happening?"

Tiebin stalled, looking again at his brother. They both wiped a hand over their faces, struggling for words before Tierab said, "The one – the thing – that attacked you... if what we suspect is true, we will need every man here to defend ourselves."

Ronon looked at John, then at Tierab and said, "Explain."

Locking his gaze on Ronon, Tierab said, "We think the Soul Drinkers may have awakened. On some level, I think we have all been feeling their presence ever since we entered this place."

"Soul Drinkers?" Rodney squawked. "Oh, that so does not sound good. What are they?"

Tiebin nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We believed it was – we thought it was only legend. Honestly, we did."

Tiebin's mouth opened and closed a few times. Tierab's expressive eyes watched his brother closely as he nodded. No one said anything for a moment, giving Tiebin a chance to find his words. Finally, he said, "In the old stories, the Mordiis or Soul Drinkers as my people called them, fed on the soul of a dying man. They were said to have been the reason why the Ancestors disappeared from our world, never to return again."

"Fed on his soul? What the hell does that mean?" Rodney asked incredulously.

"It is as it sounds – they feed on the essence of a man's soul as he dies."

Rodney was still skeptical and it showed in his wide-eyed gaze. "And just how can you possibly know that?"

Memories of the intense pain John had experienced before passing out made John's breath hitch. Something might have been feeding on him, something ungodly given the level of agony he'd felt. Deep down, John felt Tiebin was right, but he didn't say anything.

Tiebin shrugged. "It is what has been said over the ages."

McKay wouldn't let up. "But – "

"McKay," John warned. "We need intel. Now is not the time for twenty questions. Let the man speak."

Rodney swallowed back his response and nodded begrudgingly, only to stop a moment later, his eyes bulging and his hand waving in the air as he asked, "Wait! Are they flying creatures with big flapping wings and terrible screeches?"

Tiebin shook his head. "No, those are the prydewings. They inhabit the caves in this region. They've probably made a nest somewhere here inside this installation. They are more bothersome than anything else, but the Soul Drinkers are another story entirely. They do not have physical form that we know of or weaknesses."

"That's great, just great! How many other ways can this mission become some hellish, ever evolving nightmare?" McKay muttered.

The muscles in Ronon's jaw twitched with frustration. He glanced out the door and he said, "Tierab and Tiebin, be ready for anything."

The two men nodded and turned to watch the outer room. John shook his head as he tried to sit up a little straighter and pointed a bloodied finger at Ronon in warning. "No, Ronon, you guys don't need to just watch for whatever attacked us. You need to keep an eye on Rodney and me. Rodney started to have a waking dream, and one of those... prydewing creatures startled him out of it. Then, I had one and Rodney was hurt because of it. Hell, he's lucky I didn't kill him."

Teyla and Ronon glanced at each other. Rodney waved his good hand in John's direction in a dismissive motion, sounding irritated that John would even consider complicity. "You can't blame yourself – "

John scowled. "The hell I can't – "

He paused, staring at Rodney's arm for a moment. He glanced at Teyla. "Wait, you need to check Rodney's arm. He might have broken something." He shook his head. "Talk about being an idiot. I know he's hurt and I don't say a word... "

Rodney murmured in a very uncharacteristic tone, "I'm okay. At least, I'm not leaking all over the place, unlike others who shall remain nameless."

John looked at Ronon. "Check him."

Ronon leaned forward, reaching for Rodney's arm without permission. He touched it in a few places very quickly. Rodney hissed and moaned loudly before the sounds died off into a whining whimper.

Ronon turned toward Teyla and John. "Yeah, his wrist is broken."

Ronon picked up a long narrow scrap of wood and broke it in half over his knee, then reached into a pocket of Rodney's tac vest and pulled out one of Rodney's bandages. Rodney sighed, but didn't move away. Instead, he muttered, "Feel free to use whatever you need... "

Ronon gave him a toothy grin and went to work. Within moments, a makeshift splint was in place. Ronon used the last portion of the gauze roll from the pressure bandage to secure the splint and create a temporary arm sling.

"Are the conduits pretty easy to travel through?" John asked, trying to focus on something other than the throbbing ache of his shoulder as Teyla sat back, seeming satisfied with her first aid efforts – at least for the moment.

Ronon rocked back on his heels and shrugged. "It's kind of tight with all the pipes and machinery, but they should take us where we want to go and that's the important thing. At least, it looked good as far as we went."

John caught a long look between Teyla and Ronon. Ronon raised his chin and said, "You know, I could get through to the jumper, high winds or not. I've been in them before. I could go back to the jumper to get help if you aren't up to the trip."

The twins shook their heads, and Tiebin answered before John could say anything. "No one is going out in that storm until it eases up. We have seen far too many deaths amongst our own people from those ignorant enough to venture out at the height of our sandstorms."

Ronon shook his head. "Okay, I'll go through the conduits then."

Both Tiebin and Tierab mirrored his movement by shaking their heads. Tiebin said, "We shouldn't split up again. We aren't alone any longer."

John straightened, his intuition picking up on something he should have realized long before now. "What is it, Tiebin? What aren't you telling us?"

"The Soul Drinkers are a formidable foe – " he began, then stopped and looked at his brother.

John frowned and pointed a bloody finger at the twins. "I think you two better brief us on what we're facing here and you better tell us everything you know."

John's hand hung in the air for a moment and he drew in a ragged breath, then asked, "Wait a minute, you said they feed on the soul of a dying man – could they attack a person to put them close to death, so they can feed on them as they die?"

Tiebin nodded. "Yes, there are stories of that very thing, and now we have proof of it happening." He pointed to John's shoulder.

Rodney looked over at him, his eyes widening as he realized the same thing that John had. "Something did happen to Sheppard, after he was stabbed – "

John nodded. "Yeah, something did happen... it could have been a feeding of some sort – all I know is I was damned glad to wake up again. I thought I was a goner."

He thought for a moment, then asked, "How do they do all of this if they have no physical form?"

Tierab answered, "It is said the Soul Drinkers can create unstoppable maelstroms, and cause hallucinations as we've seen, but... ཁ

Ronon moved closer to Tierab, looking the man directly in the eyes. "But what?"

"That is not all they do. It is said they can induce madness."

John chewed on his lip for a moment, then said, "You mean the waking dreams?"

Tierab shook his head. "Worse. The madness can become so involved, the victim can become lost permanently in their dream, unable to react to the real world around them at all."

Rodney grunted, then muttered, "And we thought the Wraith were bad."

John sighed, then frowned in thought. "When I was caught up in that second waking dream, it took everything I had not to buy into the reality of the hallucination, even when I had Rodney right beside me telling me it was a waking dream."

Tiebin nodded. "Sound is supposed to be about the only thing that can break through the Mordiis' illusion once it begins."

Tiebin stammered for a moment, and Tierab spoke for him. "We apologize. We really didn't think it was possible – that they could actually exist. These are legends told to us as small children, as it has been done for generations. Legends."

Ronon put his hands on his hips. "Yet you brought the herbs."

A quick smile raced across Tiebin's expression. "It is a practice in our people, any time one of us comes to this area. We – my brother and I – always thought it was pure superstition, but we carry it to honor the elders among us."

Ronon digested Tiebin's answer and seemed to accept it. Next, he asked, "How many of the Soul Drinkers do you think there are?"

Tierab rubbed a hand over his mouth and Tiebin mirrored the movement. "There's no way to know. Numbers were never mentioned in the old stories."

"That's it!" Rodney said with excitement. "That's what has been bugging me ever since you started talking about these Soul Drinkers. How the hell are they still here after thousands of years of isolation? I mean, the Ancients – the Ancestors – left this place a long, long time ago."

"It is said the Soul Drinkers exist in another place, and they come and go as they wish, but they only visit the holy ground inside this mountain. They've never been seen or heard of anywhere else on our world."

Tierab nodded nervously, agreeing with his brother. "You have to understand we are only passing along the knowledge that has been given to us. We wish we had more answers for you, but this is all we know."

Rodney blinked a few times, then asked, "So, the Ancients just locked up the place and ran? Doesn't sound very Ancient-y to me."

John gave Rodney a look. Ancient-y had been John's contribution to the lingo bantered about Atlantis. In fact, Rodney had given John a very hard time about its use. Now, he said the word like it was something he'd invented.

Tierab shrugged. "Maybe they didn't have any choice."

Tierab reached beneath his cape and pulled out the gourd with the herb mixture. "Here, drink this. I have more vials. We all need to drink the nectar."

The others pulled out their canteens and soon everyone had consumed it. John wiped the back of his hand across his mouth when he was done, his nausea brought back in full force by the bitter taste of the herbs, but at least he was breathing better and he wasn't sweating as badly.

Teyla straightened from her position at John's side. "We need to make a plan and also find a more easily defended position if we are forced to stay here for any length of time."

John nodded, swallowing again, hoping the tactic would continue to keep his nausea at bay. "Let's fall back to the control room," he said as his hand dropped away from his shoulder. "Maybe McKay can hook up to one of their computers and find us the best possible location."

He must have sounded worse than he thought because Teyla caught his gaze and held it. "You are weak, John. Moving around will only hasten your blood loss."

"I'll manage," he said, dismissing the issue.

A chill came over him as he spied his P90 on the floor. Weapons in the hands of possibly hallucinating soldiers was a very dangerous thing. He grabbed Teyla's arm. "I want all of you to be ready for trouble – and when I say trouble, I mean you need to watch out for it from even Rodney or myself since we've both experienced it. The way those waking dreams can descend upon you without warning – well, you guys just need to stay on your toes."

He looked down at his handgun in its holster and pulled it out to give to Teyla. Then he pulled the knife he kept on his belt and gave it to her as well. John glanced at Rodney.

"Rodney, turn over your weapons. We can't carry them as long as it's possible we might try to attack one of the others."

Rodney frowned and turned over his weapons to Tierab and Tiebin.

Ronon glanced over at him. "Do you want your tac vest?"

John looked at it and considered what would be involved in putting it on with his shoulder injury. He shook his head. "I'll pass on that."

Rodney made a noise. By the time John glanced over at him, he looked like he was sick with guilt. "Maybe – maybe if you'd been wearing that when the Soul Drinkers tried to skewer you, you wouldn't have been hurt so badly. It was my fault for losing my scanner – "

John shook his head. "Stop it, Rodney. It's not your fault. It's not anybody's fault. We just need to get going. Let's fall back to the control room."

Teyla nodded after a moment and John took that to mean she was ready to go. He started to stand, making sure he didn't move too fast. He didn't want to collapse – Teyla would never let him move again if that happened. With Ronon's help, they got him to his feet. John ignored his dizziness and licked his lips, but couldn't keep from cradling his shoulder.

Ronon slipped an arm around John's back to help support him, but he stopped when John shook his head. "I can walk," John said stubbornly.

He started forward and wavered a little. Teyla smiled, compassion and understanding glittering strong in her brown eyes, but her determination burned brighter. "Yes, I know, but you are injured. Please allow Ronon to help you."

John sighed and decided he didn't have the energy to argue. What was more, they didn't have the time to waste for such an argument. Who knew when the next waking dream would hit one of them? He nodded at Ronon. Ronon moved closer to support him. No one said a word as they slipped out of the storage room and headed for the conduits.

oOoOoOoOo

Teyla watched the group of prydewings sitting atop some of the equipment in a far corner of the control room with the same level of interest the prydewings were giving them as she applied pressure to both sides of John's wound. The prydewings seemed like docile creatures, their small bat-like bodies with long wings constantly aflutter.

One of them dove down, landing on the floor beside a workstation across the room, and flew back with a small rodent in its mouth. Rodney made a face as he watched them before turning back to his computer screen.

"Disgusting creatures," he muttered. "They have to be part of the reason why some of the installation's computer systems are so screwy. Probably tried to make a nest in one of the main servers or something equally vital."

"Stay on task, McKay," John said with a sigh, grimacing as Teyla shifted her position slightly. "You still think this is an ATA thing?"

They were stopped in the control room, just outside of the entrance to the conduits so that Rodney could access the installation's schematics of the conduit system in order to find the most direct route to the jumper. It also gave John a chance to rest before moving on.

Teyla didn't like the way John looked, though he obviously tried to shield most of his pain and weakness from them. They would have to take frequent breaks if John was to make it to the jumper on his own, especially since John was still bleeding more than she liked. His blood loss would eventually be an issue if they couldn't slow it down.

John continued, "Because, otherwise, everyone else would be seeing things, too, right?"

Rodney shrugged but didn't answer him. Tierab and Tiebin looked at each other and Tiebin said, "We've always been told that our connection as twins offers us some protection against the Soul Drinkers. As for the rest of you, they were said to prefer to feast on the Ancestors."

Rodney seemed to be only half-listening to the conversation from where he sat while downloading files onto his tablet computer, but he was a master at multitasking completely different elements, elegantly tying them all together at the right moment to save the day. Teyla only hoped he would succeed this time, too, for everyone's sake.

She said, "I believe I have felt the effects of the Mordiis, too, though not nearly to the extent John and Rodney have experienced. All of us are in danger until we are outside their sphere of influence. The conduits might not be the most convenient way to travel, but they will get us to the jumper via the safest route."

She paused for a moment as she finished applying a fresh dressing over John's previous one. She hoped she wouldn't have to add many more layers before they could get him to Carson, then she asked, "Or would the Mordiis simply follow us out into the conduits?"

Ronon shook his head. "Look at the walls. It was something I noticed when we first got here. It's like that in all of the rooms we've been in and I saw signs of it in the conduits, too."

Teyla frowned, then looked at the twins for confirmation, as did the rest of her team. All they got in return were a couple of vague shrugs and a dismal sigh. Tierab said, "Our legends only go so far into detail. The question of whether the Soul Drinkers inhabit the conduits or not is a mystery to us."

"Gotta love a good mystery," John muttered, placing his hand over his shoulder wound as he tested the bandage by stretching slightly.

"Not me," Rodney said emphatically as he scrolled through the data on his computer. "I like to be armed with as much information as I can possibly get my hands on. Case in point, I've even downloaded the last log entries to see if we can find out what happened in the final days before the Ancients left this place – Hello, what's this?"

He paused to read, then stiffened. Dread filled his expression as he said, "Oh, crap, it gets worse."

He stood and activated a large screen that revealed an image of several rows of stasis pods – the type they'd seen used on the Ancient space ship, the Aurora. "These are stasis pods up in the main complex. They're gone now, but they were once filled with Ancients affected by the Soul Drinkers – geez, there's got to be a better name for them than that. Every time I say that I get shivers going down my spine... "

"McKay," John said, "what did you find?"

Rodney stood a little straighter and nodded as he said, "Right, get to the point." He gestured toward Tierab and Tiebin. "Twin One and Twin Two here were right about one thing. The effects of the... "

"Mordiis," Teyla supplied the answer Rodney was looking for.

He nodded, but he moved as if he was irritated by the fact he had to remember things as trivial as names. "The effect of the Mordiis' presence on the Ancients was so significant they had to put as many of their people in stasis as they could just to keep them from going mad. There were a few of the Ionini, who of course did not have the ATA gene, working at the installation and they were barely affected. It was the Ancients who suffered the madness."

Rodney licked his lips. "It got to the point that there were only a dozen Ancients still up and around, along with the Ioninian workers. This says they finally came up with a way to keep the Morticians – or whatever you call them – from killing each other or to keep them from going stark raving mad."

"Mordiis, McKay," John said quietly. "Geez, for someone with a near-photographic memory, you'd think you could occasionally retain a name or two, at least for a few minutes."

Rodney didn't bother to shoot back an equally sarcastic remark or even look up from his computer screen. He made a face and said with a sigh, "You know how I am with names – "

Rodney stopped in mid-sentence, his attention riveted on what he was reading.

John and Ronon stared at him, waiting for him to explain further, but Rodney didn't say anything. That alarmed Teyla more than an extended rant. Rodney always talked about things in great detail, often with much more detail than necessary – especially when he was scared. The volatile emotions dancing across Rodney's face were so strong, they caused a gnawing to start deep in Teyla's stomach.

Rodney typed very quickly, then waited for a response. "Damn."

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The Ancients' final plan for protection from the Mordiis had something to do with a defensive program they had designed. They had some sort of automated proximity trigger that activated whenever one of their people was approached by the Mordiis, but the log entries after this point are corrupted somehow."

"Can you clean it up enough to find out what they did?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Of course I can. The real question is do you want me to waste the time to clean up the log entry now or do that after we get out of here, because frankly I'm leaning towards getting the hell out of Dodge."

John sighed. "Did the Ancients at least discover any weaknesses we didn't know about that we can use against the Mordiis?"

"Not really. The Mordiis caused madness in those with the ATA gene by affecting their brain waves with something called omega wave energy, disrupting normal brain function enough to cause hallucinations and lose contact with reality. For some reason, the Mordiis preferred to feed on an agitated soul, rather than one at peace... Must add a little spice to the meal. Anyway, the defensive program alters the brain waves in such a way that it hinders the feeding of the Mordiis on potential victims."

"But you still don't know how to activate the program?"

Rodney shook his head, then paused to rub at his temple. "Not that I can find – yet, at least."

"I thought you said it was automated. Why hasn't it activated for us?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone who has spent more than five minutes looking through their logs!"

John's expression didn't change. "So, you're saying you don't know much about what's happening here?"

Rodney straightened his shoulders indignantly. "No, I am not saying that in the least. My point is that I need more than a couple of minutes to put together a picture of a series of events that happened over ten thousand years ago!"

John kept his expression schooled. Teyla knew when John prodded Rodney like this, it wasn't out of meanness, but a desire to motivate Rodney to do whatever it took to keep them alive. John sighed finally. "Well, let's not waste any more time on it at the moment. Pack up. We're leaving."

The group of prydewings began screeching without warning, taking to the air as they flew into an open air shaft high above the team as quickly as they could. The unexpected departure left them all a little disconcerted, even as the high-pitched screeches echoing through the ventilation shaft grew quiet.

"Stupid, smelly, germ-carrying vultures," Rodney muttered as he slowly disconnected his tablet computer from the console, but he didn't put it away. Instead, he seemed distracted and rubbed at his forehead as if undecided what to do next.

John's demeanor changed at the same time and he stiffened as he glanced around warily, then stood up from his chair. "We need to keep moving. This place just doesn't feel right all of a sudden. In fact, it feels very wrong. Come on, let's go," he said, his voice grim.

Teyla glanced around warily, mostly because a sense of apprehension had come upon her suddenly. Perhaps, the effects of the Mordiis weren't reserved solely for those with the ATA gene. Ronon was scowling, too, as if ready to leap into battle.

When she looked at Tierab and Tiebin, they didn't appear to be suffering any ill effects at all. They were concerned, but it was only as if they were reacting to John's comments and not to the wildly pulsating sense of danger that felt like it was closing in on Teyla.

Teyla was already preparing to leave along with the others when she looked back, and her apprehension grew as she noticed Rodney still hadn't moved to put away his tablet computer. Before she could say anything, Rodney gasped suddenly, but still didn't look at any of them.

Rodney seemed to be in his own world – and it was a world of terror.

Teyla caught John's attention. "John, I fear Rodney is dreaming again," she said softly.

"Ah, crap," John said as he and Ronon turned back toward Rodney. John stopped as he put a hand to his forehead and shook his head. After a moment, he said, "Yeah, that explains what I'm feeling. It's getting harder to stay focused. It must be starting again."

Tierab looked at Tiebin and they said together, "The Soul Drinkers."

John nodded. "There must be a Mordiis presence nearby. Spread out and be ready to act."

John went to Rodney's side with Ronon. Teyla moved into position ahead of them, but there was not much in reality they could do. There was no defense they could mount, nothing except to help get John and Rodney out of the installation alive and intact.

Teyla put a hand to Rodney's back and said loudly, "Rodney, it is Teyla. Can you hear me?"

When there was no response, John stepped closer to him, his voice angry and rough as he ordered, "Rodney, snap out of it!"

Rodney suddenly screamed, as in a battle cry. He whirled, sweeping up and around with his laptop. He hit Ronon hard on the side of his head, and as he came down with the tablet computer, he struck John in the shoulder. Teyla went to reach for Rodney to stop him, but then John fell to one side. She tried to keep John from hitting the floor hard, but John was moving too fast and he took her down with him.

Rodney dropped his tablet computer onto one of the consoles and ran from the room, going much faster than Teyla ever thought she'd seen him move before. Tiebin and Tierab scrambled to help them, checking to make sure they were all right. Ronon was still shaking off the blow to his head while John was on his knees, hunched over as he leaned his head against one of the computer consoles, hissing through clenched teeth as he tried to get his pain under control.

Teyla looked at him and Ronon, then at the twins and said, "Stay with them. I will go after Rodney."

She took off running, praying that she could get to Rodney before he hurt himself or he was attacked by the Mordiis.

oOoOoOoOo

"Oh God, oh God," Rodney repeated as he ran.

He had to get the ZPM in place and activated in order for the city's shields to protect them from the Wraith's kamikaze run of darts about to slam into Atlantis. The combined blast would no doubt obliterate the city and much beyond it.

Rodney had already battled a few Wraith while on his way there, managing to escape by the skin of his teeth. The two Marine guards he'd had with him were gone, vanished, nowhere to be seen, probably taken out by the Wraith still roaming the halls of Atlantis while he'd been fighting.

He could hear Zelenka talking with Weir and Sheppard over his radio headset. He still couldn't believe the Wraith cruisers had used their hyper-drive to escape, but they'd left several of their darts in the lurch... or so it seemed until Sheppard had realized the real danger they now faced. What the hell? Kamikaze Wraith?

God, he didn't have much time, no time at all really. His fingers tightly clutched the case containing the ZPM as his thoughts raced ahead to the installation and activation process he'd have to do with the ZPMs to power the desperately needed city shields.

"Rodney?" he heard Teyla call his name from a great distance.

"Oh thank God," he whispered breathlessly. "Teyla! I'm over here!"

He'd felt so alone. Just knowing Teyla was nearby immeasurably bolstered his resolve. He was almost to the heart of Atlantis, the place where the ZPMs that powered the entire city were housed. He didn't bother to stop and wait for Teyla. There was no time to wait. They were only seconds away from total annihilation.

"I'm going in to hook up the ZedPM!" he shouted, knowing Teyla would be right behind him.

As he entered the room, a hand grabbed his arm and swung him around against the wall. Pain shot through his wrist for some reason, then he looked up and saw the Wraith who had attacked him. The Wraith's hand was up and about to feed on him when Rodney swung the ZPM case around, miraculously knocking the Wraith to the ground.

"Rodney!" Teyla shouted as another Wraith entered the room. Teyla went to take on the Wraith drone.

"No time, no time," Rodney whispered as he threw open the metal lid and pulled out the ZPM.

He was almost to the ZPM housing when he heard Zelenka say, "It's too late – "

Rodney was thrown from his feet by the explosions that followed. It felt like the entire tower above him was crashing down on him, but there was a Wraith still close enough to grab him again.

"Oh God, I've survived certain death, only to face a more grisly end," he whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut so he didn't have to watch the Wraith steal away his life force. Memories flooded his mind and body as he recalled how Todd had fed on him in their ill-fated trip aboard Todd's hive ship to retrieve a ZPM from Todd's new queen.

Rodney expected the Wraith's hand to slam against his chest, but instead there was the loud report of automatic weapons fire – so loud in fact that he cowered down as much as he could. He heard Teyla call his name again.

When he looked to where she lay on the floor, all he could see was her unseeing gaze.

"Oh God," he murmured. "Teyla, you can't be dead – not you."

"No, Rodney! I am fine!" he heard, even as he stared at her dead body. He blinked a few times and Teyla's voice continued, "Listen, Rodney, I am not dead!"

Someone shook his arm again and Rodney squinted to look around him. When his vision cleared, he saw Teyla at his side, her face shiny with sweat. She reached up and put a hand on his chest, smiling broadly when she saw that he could see her.

"Rodney, I was very worried about you," she said breathlessly.

Rodney continued to blink, utterly confused. He had absolutely no idea where they were. Another quick glance around and he saw they were standing in a poorly lit subterranean tunnel that had huge pipes running parallel down its length – and knew they had to be in one of the Ancient installation's conduits. God, it was hot there, which was strange because he was cold, so cold he was shaking. He blinked again. What was wrong with him?

He went to clench a fist and groaned from the pain in his left wrist, but somehow the pain helped to ground him in fact. He'd been running, he realized as vague memories started to surface. They turned into vivid, terrible memories of trying to outrun the Wraith. His heart started beating like crazy again, his breath coming faster and faster from the adrenaline pumping in his system, but before he was totally lost in those remembrances, the logical part of his brain started to assert itself.

If the Wraith darts had crashed into Atlantis like he'd experienced, then he would have been killed... along with Teyla. Yet, there she was standing right in front of him, clearly alive. What the hell was going on?

Teyla touched his cheek and he noticed her hand trembled a little. "Rodney, are you all right?" she asked, moving slightly to catch his gaze.

Rodney shook his head. "What?" he asked breathlessly, only managing a single word.

"Just try to take slow deep breaths. You will be oriented again in a moment. You had a waking dream," she said, sounding pretty breathless herself.

"This doesn't make any sense," he murmured, putting a hand to his head.

As he looked around, Teyla leaned against the wall to steady herself, her left hand held in front of her at a strange angle. Rodney studied her more closely and was shocked to see a screwdriver sticking out of her left hand. She was bleeding pretty heavily and her complexion was quite pale.

"God, Teyla, what's the matter with you? Did I do that?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

Teyla shook her head. "No, Rodney, you did not. Do not worry, I will be fine. Just take a moment longer to recover."

She touched her radio headset. "John, I have Rodney and he is out of the waking dream."

Sheppard answered her right away, though his voice sounded rough. "That's good to hear. Where are you?"

Teyla frowned, looking around. "We are in one of the conduits leading up the mountainside." She paused, still trying to catch her breath. She swallowed and inhaled slowly, then spoke again. "I believe we are outside the entrance to the main installation one level above you."

John paused for a moment, and Rodney could almost see John frowning as he asked, "Teyla, are you okay? You don't sound good."

Teyla's gaze went upward as she leaned against the wall. "I will explain everything to you when I see you."

Ronon joined the conversation. "Teyla, Sheppard's right. You don't sound good."

Teyla closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. She was about to speak when Rodney said, "She's hurt. I – I don't know how, but she's been skewered with a screwdriver in one hand and is bleeding pretty heavily."

Teyla smiled slightly and shook her head. "It is not bad."

Rodney touched her skin. She was cold and clammy, just like him, and he felt her muscles trembling. "We need to get out of this conduit and inside to where you can lie down."

He took a few steps to the door and swiped his hand across the door controls, causing it to open. Rodney paused for a moment, looking at his own hand as it still trembled from waning adrenaline. He made it into a fist and spoke again, this time with a much firmer voice. "I think you guys better come here, rather than us going to you, because frankly I'm not sure just how far either one of us can go."

"Understood. We're on our way. Teyla, how do we get to your position?"

Teyla gave them directions. Rodney put a hand to Teyla's shoulder and said, "Come on, Teyla, we need to get your hand bandaged."

He forced himself to think of Teyla and her needs – anything to keep from thinking about the horror of his waking dream. At least, he knew Teyla and Atlantis were still alive and that brought him a great deal of comfort.

They entered the main installation and the first thing Rodney noticed was a huge piece of equipment that seemed out of place in the large control room. While the rest of the machinery was sleek with bright surfaces, this monstrosity was odd angles and dark and the room was cluttered with all types of building materials.

Rodney's first thought was to go to investigate, but then Teyla swayed a little and Rodney reorganized his priorities. First, he'd make sure she made it to a place where she could rest, then he would watch over her until the others arrived. He could check out the equipment after that.

oOoOoOoOo

TBC in Act III