Finally found some time to type more. Being back at school means crazy busy esp. since I'm taking this intense drawing class, now I spend ALL my free time drawing instead of drawing and writing. Enjoy.
XXII
Ronon was bored out of his mind. For two days they had been trapped on the puddlejumper, journeying towards this planet where the alleged ZPM was hidden. Ronon had trouble staying still in the jumper for a few hour so a few days had him at wits end. And he was driving the rest of the team crazy.
Sheppard was all for locking Dex and McKay together in the back compartment and see who would go mad first. For now it was Teyla and Rodney asleep on the benches in the rear, the heavy door separating them from John and Ronon.
"So are you going to tell me who your girlfriend is?" John was relaxed back in the pilot's chair, hands behind his head and a lazy eye on space whipping past.
"That's none of your business," Ronon near barked.
"Whoa!" John held up his hands, "I'm just curious."
"I'm still not going to tell you."
"Aw. Come on buddy," John wheeled, "Friends tell each other things like this."
"No. She would not appreciate it."
"Oh. She asked you to keep your relationship a secret?"
Ronon did not reply, only glared at his friend. But John didn't notice, just continued talking. "So if she wants to keep it a secret then she must be worried about her position on the base. Oh Ronon, you dog. You got yourself one of those cute marines." John looked impressed, "Most of those girls just arrived on the Daedalus a few weeks ago. Damn you move fast."
Ronon didn't respond to John's teasing, glad the Colonel didn't figure out he was really with someone who had a whole lot more to lose and a longer way to fall.
Seeing he was going to get nothing more out of Ronon, John switched the subject, "So Ronon, you've been with us almost two years now. You happy here?"
Ronon looked up, startled by the new line of questioning. He shrugged, "I'm fighting the Wraith. I'm avenging my people with every one of those life suckers I kill. It's what I want."
"Okay. I can understand that. But are you happy in Atlantis? Content at least?"
"Eh. I prefer the land and the trees and the open air but your city is fine."A short silence fell before Ronon spoke again, "You, your people, Dr. Weir, they have been – for the most part – very kind to me. I have found a place here. So yes I am content." And happy when I am with Elizabeth. But he didn't say that out loud.
Just then the main consol beeped. John sat forward, excited. "Wake Teyla and Rodney," he said, "The planet is in sight."
Ronon activated the door and stepped in to wake his teammates. Sensing his presence, Teyla awoke immediately. Rodney on the other hand, snored on oblivious.
"Come on. Get up," Ronon shook the Canadian's shoulder.
"Go away you big oaf," McKay mumbled shifting so his back was to Ronon.
"Get up, we're almost to the planet."
"Fine fine. I'm up. Happy? Now who has something to eat?"
Ronon ignored the grumbling scientist and stalked back into the forward compartment.
"Is Rodney up?" at Ronon's grunt, John nodded, "Good. We are scanning the planet now. We just need to find the area the map corresponds with."
The screen flashed up before the group as Rodney stumbled in. leaning around Teyla seated in the co-pilot's chair he began manipulating the consol. The recorded pirate map appeared semi transparent and began running over the 3-D image of the planet they now orbited.
"This is going to take forever," John complained.
"Well this planet is about twice the size of Earth."
"Isn't there any way to narrow the search down?"
"Look, I'm using all of our technological reserves here," Rodney snapped.
"Maybe there is a key," Teyla spoke up.
"A key?"
"It is obvious this planet must be approached from space. There is no other way to reach the surface. So it makes sense that there is a land mark visible from space that matched the map."
Rodney snapped his fingers, "That's it!" he turned to John, "Sheppard what is the most notable mark on this map?"
John concentrated on the map. "The middle symbol in the border. The markings on the map itself are faded. That one character stands out the most."
"Yes exactly," Rodney paused the slow spinning hologram and pointed, "See here, this mountain range. Doesn't it look a lot like that symbol?"
"Are you saying that the map itself is unimportant?"
"Yes. It must be there to lead the searcher astray. The important has been in these characters all along."
"Well lets go," John laid his hands on the controls and set a course towards the mountain range. He flew low over the jagged peaks while McKay set the scanners to detect the powerful ZPM signal.
"I'm not picking anything up."
"How can you not pick anything up? That ZPM should have enough power to blow this planet straight to hell."
"Well maybe there isn't even a ZPM here and this has been a complete and total waste of time!"
"No," said Ronon firmly, "Something must be here. The map was too important to the pirate Queen for this to be a waste."
"Perhaps there is another clue in the map," suggest Teyla.
"It's worth another look," said John as he pulled the map on screen once again. The four of them scanned the Ancient characters looking to match them with the mountain range spread before them.
"I don't see anything." Rodney sat back with a huff, "None of these symbols match."
"Oh come on. There has to be something."
"There! What was that?" Teyla pointed to a dark opening set in the side of a sheer rock face. "Does that not look like this symbol here?"
"Good eye Teyla!" Rodney jumped up excitedly. "We must have to go in there."
"How? That cave is set into a perfectly vertical cliff."
"We land up here on top and we can scale down the side. We have ropes."
"Yeah, ropes. Not rock climbing equipment. There is no way I am going to repel down that wall," McKay protested.
John clapped him on the shoulder, "Thanks for volunteering Rodney. You can go first." He pulled the jumper up sharply and made for the plateau capping the cliff. He and McKay set up a rope system to lower the team to the cave mouth.
"Will we have enough rope?" Ronon asked, looking over the edge.
"I guess we'll find out," John replied as he pulled the final knot tight.
"There is no way I am going first," Rodney said, joining Ronon near the edge. Not as close as the big warrior though.
"I will go," Teyla's voice floated out of the puddlejumper.
"Well Rodney, you can go second," Sheppard teased as Teyla walked up. He hooked her up to the rope. "Ready?" she nodded and began walking backwards down the almost ninety degree rock face. Ronon let the rope slide through his hands, ready to grab should something happen.
"I am almost there," Teyla came over the radio.
John tapped his own, "Good, What do you see?"
The rope went slack as Teyla touched the cave floor. "The cave stretches deep into the mountain but there must be another opening because I feel a faint breeze."
"Anything else?"
"Yes. There is a symbol here, carved into the wall. The one I recognized from the map."
"Alright then, it seems we found the place. Lets go McKay." He and Ronon strapped a protesting Rodney into the harness and began lowering him down to Teyla. They both snickered when they heard Teyla say, "Rodney you can open your eyes now."
Ronon followed Rodney down with John bringing up the rear. Once the whole team was assembled, John switched the light of his gun on and led them into the shadowy recesses of the cave, the rest of them falling into line behind him. They had been moving for a little over half an hour when the natural rough walls of the cave melded into a smooth walled tunnel. Set in the ceiling was another symbol that matched the map. John halted just before it, his light penetrating only a few feet into the gloom ahead.
"Rodney?"
The scientist stepped forward a device in hand. "I don't know. I'm picking up a slight electronic reading but it seems to be coming from deeper in the cave." He stepped past John only to hit an energy barrier and was thrown forcefully back on his ass. "Owww," he lifted his head to head as Teyla knelt besides him.
She and Sheppard spoke at the same time.
"Are you alright?"
"What was that?"
Rodney sat up, irritated, "I don't know what the hell that was. Obviously an energy field."
"Well how do we get past it?"
Rodney stalked over to the wall and began examining it, looking for a trigger to turn off the force field. He ignored Sheppard.
John retreated back down the tunnel a ways and paced back and forth, impatient to be moving on. Ronon just shrugged at Teyla and squatted on his heels. Teyla returned his look with one of her own and moved over to try and help McKay look.
"Argh!" Rodney kicked the wall in frustration causing John to come running back down the hall in alarm.
"What happened?"
Ronon grinned at the scientist holding his injured foot. "McKay can't figure out the barrier."
"I have no idea how to disengage this force field."
"Is this not an Ancient outpost? The map that led us here was of Ancient design," Teyla spoke up, "Should not someone with the Ancient gene be able to pass through unharmed?"
"It almost is too easy," Rodney mumbled, "well go on Sheppard, try to step through. The rebound doesn't hurt…much."
John squared his shoulders and stepped up before the symbol marking the barrier. He stood there unmoving before rounding on McKay, "You have the gene too. Why can't you go through?"
"Maybe it recognized that mine is artificial. I don't know. Anyways it's the last idea we have right now so just try it okay?"
Shrugging John turned to face the barrier once again, bracing himself for an impact and stepped forward. Nothing happened. He took a few more steps before turning around to face his team. "Teyla you were right."
"Good," Ronon rose in one swift movement and moved to join Sheppard. The other three stared at him.
"Why didn't you tell us you had the gene?"
"Did give Beckett give you therapy?"
John and Rodney spoke at the same time.
"Eh. You never asked. I was born with it," Dex answered both questions.
Tentatively Teyla stretched out a hand to test the barrier only to be rebuffed.
"I guess it's just me and Ronon then. We'll keep in radio contact," John began moving further down the passageway with Ronon treading silently behind. The lights from their companion's behind them were quickly swallowed up by inky blackness.