Hibernation9

John rushed to Moira's side, swerving past broken consoles. "Moira!"

"Look! Look!" She was pointing at a pod.

John stood right behind her. Peered into the pod to see a human. He looked to be in perfect health. Pale, but a rosy hue colored his cheeks. His clothes were tattered. His bald head gleamed. "I don't believe this. How many of these guys are there?"

"You know him?" Carson asked, puzzled.

"In a manner of speaking. We met him, or rather another one exactly like him leading a pack of mutated cavemen. Is he hibernating too?" John got his answer when the man's eyes opened.

Moira gasped, stumbling back from the pod. Right into John. "He's like a vampire...do you think he's been feeding on the–"

The pod began to open. "Crap!" John pulled Moira back behind him, stepping away. Gun raised as Carson retreated in surprise. "Guess we'll find out. Why is it always a horror movie with you?" he quipped, glancing to see that Moira was behind him, out of reach of the pod.

She shrugged. "You said Renfield, not me."

"Could that be the result of this, this HIT thing you mentioned?" John asked, gun trained on the still inert form of the bald man.

"Not possible, colonel. Humans cannot hibernate," Carson rejected. "Although there has been some experimentation with HIT involving human transplanted organs and other–"

"Not now, doc!" John snapped as the man sat straight up in the pod. Reminding John exactly of a vampire from a horror film. He expected the bald man to display fangs. It wouldn't have surprised him, but instead the man just sat, staring at nothing. "Now what?"

Power flared suddenly. The pods lit one by one, including the one containing the bald man. John whirled, pulling Moira away from the pods. "Rodney!"

"It just came on!" Rodney shouted, as Teyla pulled him away from the device. "It was drained, I swear! It...wow, we've got a significant power surge all over the board! From below us!"

"Why is the floor moving?" Teyla asked.

"Colonel Shepard, Colonel Sheppard, we have 'Gate activity!" Evan's voice crackled over the radio.

"Crap. This isn't a facility! It's a ship, and something has activated it! Let's go!" John herded the group towards the outer chamber. "Lorne, hold position! Do not engage! Ronon, track to our position! Move, move!" The ground was rumbling underfoot now. The sound vibrating, becoming audible. John caught hold of Moira's arm, guiding her.

But she whirled, stumbling. "John! Look! Look!"

He turned to see the pods opening one by one. Lights flashing. But nothing moved. Nothing stirred. Except the bald man who lethargically crawled out of the pod. "Shit. Let's go! Move, move, we need to move now!"

"No! We need to talk to him! Find out what he is! John, we have to–" She tried to pull free of him but John kept a firm hold on her arm.

"We don't have time, Moira! Let's go, now!"

"No! We need the intel!" she argued, pulling free but John slid his arm around her waist. Almost hauled her off her feet, spun and shoved her ahead of him. "John!"

"Move! Move that pert little ass now!" he bellowed.

The team ran up the passageways which were now buckling. Sharp inclines were developing. The walls were shaking now. Dead vines falling, as if trying to trip them. Ran towards the opening. "We're rising! We're rising!" Rodney shouted, was pushed out the door by Teyla who followed. Carson leapt after them.

Moira hesitated as the ship was breaking loose of the ground. Dirt was flying. Rocks were scattering. They were moving higher, higher. She balanced precariously on the edge. "John!"

"Go! Go!" He pushed her, followed after. They fell hard to the ground, rolling. John lunged on top of her as dirt and rocks flew all around them. He looked up to see the ship emerging from the ground. Dead vegetation was falling. The ship turned ponderously, as if shaking off a long sleep. Then flew slowly. But turned. A culling beam shot out. "Son of a bitch! Move, move!" John shouted, scrambling to his feet. He pulled Moira to hers and they ran for the cover of the straggling trees.

Rodney dove with Teyla as the beam nearly caught them. The light slicing the ground in a sweep for any living thing. Carson dove the other way, clutching his medical kit for dear life.

"Down!" John shoved Moira into the trees, fell on top of her. Slapped his radio. "Ronon, get down! Lorne, report!"

"No activity, sir...but oh my God! Sir! There's a ship approaching the–"

"I know! Get to cover now! Let it go!"

"John!" Moira complained, elbowing him. He moved off her as the beam disappeared. Stood to watch the ship fly over the trees and across the distance. She stood, took his arm. "Where–"

"How the hell should I know? That was too close!" He glared at her. "Don't you ever question my orders! Don't you ever debate any decision I make in the field! Got it?"

She stared, shaken by his fury. "We, we needed him, John! He had valuable information for us about whatever was going on in those pods, on that ship, in the–"

"No! You will never disobey a direct order on a mission, Moira, do you hear me? Never! When I say go you go. When I say move you move. Got it?"

She frowned. "Yes, sir,"she said icily. "Damn it, John, it wasn't like I was instigating a mutiny!"

"No. You disobeyed a direct order and argued with me, costing us precious time! We are lucky we made it out of there with our lives, damn it! You and your fucking science almost cost me my team! Almost cost me my wife!"

"What? You're exaggerating!" she flared. "We needed him, John! God knows what the Wraith are doing with the Hoffan serum and the hibernation inducing triggers! Maybe it's not the Wraith at all! Maybe it was Baldy! What if it was Baldy and his, his clones or whatever all along? What are they doing, John? What is the connection between this and the ATA Wraith in that other reality? Between those countless drones and the proto-Wraith? Something is going on here, John, something we just can't see! Something connecting all of this, all the biochemical and evolutionary experimentation and if we don't figure it out we could be dooming Atlantis not to mention the galaxy to God knows what kind of horror! What then?"

John was staring at her, the rush of words slapping against him. His anger momentarily calmed by the sheer verbosity of the woman in front of him. Ponytail being whipped back and forth by the wind. Dirt and grim on her cheek, on her clothes. Anger in her brown eyes. "Hey, you're the connect the dots person, remember? I'm the complete the maze for the prize person." Before she could reply he took her arm. Led her out of the trees. "Rodney! Carson! Teyla!" He relaxed as each joined him. Battered and dirty but alive. "Let's go. We can meet up with Ronon and then go home. There's nothing else here."

"Don't look at me! I didn't activate it!" Rodney flared before anyone could accuse him.

"If not you then who?" Teyla asked, shaking her head.

"Oh, I'm thinking that." John pointed. The ship was heading towards the Stargate. Clumps of rocks and dirt still falling from it. It was an ugly sight. A strange amalgamation of a Wraith hive ship and other components that John could not identify. He tapped his radio. "Major, status?"

"Sir, the ship...the ship is nearly over the 'Gate now. It's...it's ejecting something...a pod..." Evan watched in wonder as the cylindrical sphere shot through the wormhole. "It's gone through! The ship is accelerating into atmosphere now."

"Get that address!" John turned as Ronon joined them. Shaking his head. "What is it?"

"Wraith. Bodies. Bodies of drones being littered across the land like so much debris. Garbage. Which they are. From the ship."

"What? Why?" Carson wondered.

"It's lightening the load. Ejecting all unnecessary weight. The power levels must be exceedingly low," Rodney reasoned.

"Or it needs excessive power for where it's going," John suggested. Brows furrowed in thought until Moira elbowed him. Freeing herself from his grasp. "What?"

"Sounds like we can get our samples now, colonel. Oh, unless you have an order to completely ignore any kind of scientific advancement or discovery?" she snapped.

"Moira," he said, frowning at her sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, colonel, it's O'Meara on missions." She turned to Carson. "Do you think any of those drones will have enough fluid for viable–"

"Sheppard," John said tersely, "you and Beckett can gather samples on the way. Ronon, take point. But we are not dallying for any scientific discovery. Got it? Let's head out! Rodney, can you get any readings on that ship?" Before Rodney could reply John had tapped his radio. "Lorne, did you get the address?"

"Yes, sir, Josephes got it...sir, it's odd. It has seven chevrons."

"What?" Rodney exclaimed, tapping his own radio. "Are you sure about that, major?"

"Yes, McKay." Evan sounded resigned as the scientist began to harangue him.

"Are you sure sure? That's not possible for a 'Gate address in this galaxy! You must have transposed a symbol or copied the same chevron twice! I'm on my way. That ship is gone," he answered before John could ask. "It went to a hyperspace window. No way to track it."

"Track it anyway. See if you can isolate a unique energy signature or any kind of pattern. Let's go! We're not spending all day here!"

Moira squatted, leaned, trying to procure a sample from the arm of a drone Wraith. The flesh was like paper. So dry and devoid of any liquid it was practically falling apart in front of her eyes. She sighed. "This one is too dry also." She stiffened. A shadow was thrown across her. A long, lean shadow she knew only too well. She could feel John's eyes boring in on her rear. Frowned at his overzealous protection. She looked over her shoulder, up at his towering frame. "Damn it, John, would you stop hovering! I can't get any work done with you constantly crowding me!"

"Tough. Deal with it, Moira." He smirked, enjoying irritating her. "You know it's my job to guard that pert little ass."

"Shut up!"

"And as I recall," he added, squatting next to her, bumping his thigh into hers, "you quite enjoy when I crowd you. When I am pressed so fucking close to you and we are joined by all that sweat and sweet, sweet–"

"John!" She scrambled to her feet, glaring at him. "Stop it!"

"No," he said mildly. A smile curving his lips.

"Fuck you," she muttered, moving to yet another corpse.

"Oh really, baby?" he taunted, following. "I wish you would. You are not pulling that crap tonight, Moira. I am sleeping in our bed."

"Fine. I'll sleep in yours."

"No, you won't."

"Fine. I'll sleep on the floor."

"No...we'll be doing something else on the floor."

"No, we won't," she countered. She whirled, shoving him so hard he almost lost his balance. "Will you just fucking back off?"

"No," he said mildly to her fury. Smiled.

She raised her hand, about to slap the smugness off his handsome face. Hesitated. He raised a brow, said nothing, but his expression dared her. Wanted her. He slowly licked his lips. Moira scowled, but felt herself responding. Wanting him. She lowered her hand. "I hate you," she muttered, trying to move by him.

He blocked her. "Back at you, baby. Repeatedly."

"John..." She moved past him, headed for Carson. "Anything?"

"Very little, I'm afraid," Carson informed, standing. "I think this is the best we can do, colonel."

John had followed Moira, was standing behind her. "Okay. Let's go. You can analyze to your heart's content in Atlantis. Repeatedly," he said into her ear, turned before she could respond. "Let's head out!"