Fools Said I You do Not Know2
Snow and ice were visible beneath them. A vast field of white, almost blinding in the sunlight. The ship adjusted, casting a screen over the viewport to make the glare less harsh for its occupants. A bluish sheen sparkled on a glacier protruding from the ground. Immense. Towering above the landscape like a majestic ship at sea. The jumper bumped. Bumped again, as if hitting a pothole on a road.
"John?" Moira asked, as the baby began to fuss. One little hand touching her mother's.
"Air pocket. Here, junior, let daddy take over now. The air currents are more difficult here."
"Okay, daddy. That was fun!" Johnny released the controls.
"When, daddy, when?" Seamus asked.
"When can you fly the ship? When you are older, Seamus. Here we go. Nice and steady for my princess."
"Mommy, look! Mammuts!" Johnny exclaimed, pointing.
"Mommy! I can't see!" Seamus cried.
Moira leaned forward. "Yes, mammoths! Hang on, Seamus." She turned to unbuckle him. Held him in her lap as she took her seat again. "See? Wow, that's a large herd! John, can you–"
"On it already, Moy." He moved closer, angling the ship so they could see more details. Cloaked it so they could approach unseen, unheard. He steadied the ship with a thought. "And yes, the sensors are recording all of it, doctor."
"Thank you, colonel. Wow!" Moira was leaning towards the viewport, holding Seamus on her lap as she stared in amazed delight at the large herd below them. A seemingly endless line of the enormous beasts, treading across the harsh terrain. Icy snow was sparkling in their heavy fur. Their trunks rising and falling, as if in conversation with one another. Tusks glinting, massive curves of ivory to either side of their faces.
"Wow, mommy! They have red brown hair!" Seamus exclaimed, pointing. His green eyes wide with excitement.
"Dada dada dada dada dada," Emily prattled, reaching for her father. Oblivious to the commotion she shook her rattle again.
"Yeah, Ems, I don't see what all the fuss is about either," John teased, sounding bored.
"Daddy!" Johnny scolded. "A herd of mammuts!"
"Hey, I've heard of mammuts too. Get it? Get it?" He snorted as Moira rolled her eyes at him. "What? I thought it was funny. See? Ems is laughing." The baby was chortling as John glanced back at her and made a funny face.
"Look at the female! See, the one leading the herd. She's in charge of all of them. Most of them will be female, with their babies, with a few young males in attendance. A matriarchal society."
"What that, mommy?"
"It means mommy is in charge. Elephants have a strange society, don't they?" John commented.
"They're not ephants, daddy! They are mammuts," Johnny corrected.
"Oh. Sorry, junior. Mammuts."
"Woolly mammuts!" Seamus clarified. "Like Mr. Woolly!" he clarified, referring to his favorite stuffed animal.
"And they are so beautiful!" Moira enthused.
The family fell silent, watching the herd ponderously crossing the snowfield. Massive beasts with long reddish-brown hair and large, curving tusks. A few young ones were sheltered among the adults. A loud trumpeting could be felt even through the ship. Their footprints left deep depressions in the snow. Creating a trail behind them. Ears flapped. Tails swished. It was a scene from the prehistoric past. Startling. Vivid. Astounding.
"Mommy! Look, a big cat!" Seamus exclaimed, pointing again.
"Yes. Probably Homotherium latidens. See how it is stalking them, looking for the weakest among them? They have moderate sabertooth adaptations. It won't attack unless one falls behind. They are probably more of them somewhere. They are one of the few predators that can hunt a woolly mammoth. They hunt in a pride like lions do."
"Is that a lion?"
"Yes, Johnny, but not quite. They are their own subfamily Machairodontinae, and then belonging to different genera depending upon the specific species. They have a completely different method of attack and kill compared to more modern felines because of the saber-tooth adaptations which render them–"
"Whoa, no lecturing in the ship! Pilot's rules!" John interrupted. "No more science, doctor! That's an order!" The ship swooped low, following the herd. The boys were gasping, exclaiming as they made comments.
Moira smirked. "Sorry, boys. Your father can't handle the science."
"I can handle the science just fine. I can't handle all of that Latin!" John eased the controls. The ship veered past the herd, eliciting moans of disappointment from the children. He skimmed over the top of the glacier. Ice sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight. The ship climbed into the bright blue sky. The children gasped, shrieked with delight as the vehicle accelerated, did a complete 360 and shot across the terrain. Duck and dove past an enormous bird as large as a jet plane. Then shot past it, as if in contest with the avian.
John was grinning, as were his sons. The ship was humming under his control, running smoothly. Responding to his every thought, every command. Inertial dampeners making the ride comfortable. But Emily started to cry.
"John!" Moira sighed, turning to the whining infant. "Easy, Emily. It's all right." She kissed the infant, stroked her rosy cheek.
"Oh! Sorry, Ems." He slowed, steadied the craft. "That better? Let's see what else we can find." He flew across the landscape. It changed beneath them to more temperate zones. Greenery replaced the snow. Trees replaced glaciers. The bright blue waters of an ocean beckoned, and John slowed, slowed. Glanced at Moira. "What do you think?"
She glanced at the waters. At her sons. At her daughter who was calmed now. Sucking on her pacifier. She met her husband's inquiring gaze. Smiled. "You always like to go under, don't you, flyboy?"
He smiled. "Yeah." He replaced the cloak with the shield. "Here we go, boys! Let's see what lies beneath!"
The boys gasped, shrieked in amazement as the ship dove into the waters. Became engulfed in the waters of the ocean. Greens gave way to blues which gave way to darker blues, then black as the depths swallowed them. John activated the lights of the ship to flash across the currents as they slowly sank. He adjusted the heat as the chill of the water encompassed the ship.
"Daddy, daddy, we unner water? Daddy, look!" Johnny's voice was hushed, as he stared, wide-eyed. A large school of fish made way for the ship. Silver fins catching the ship's lights and reflecting colors back to them. Eyes staring in shock at the unexpected intrusion.
"Daddy, daddy, what that?" Seamus asked quietly.
John smirked, amused at their hushed voices, as if they were in a library. "I don't know. Doctor?" he asked.
Moira smiled. "A whale. Believe it or not a primitive whale. May I?"
John sighed. "If you must, doctor."
She laughed at his heavy tone. "Sorry, colonel. As you can see this specimen still has limbs, legs and arms, but they are webbed. And a thin tail. A long snout with teeth. This one is Rodhocetus balochistanensis. It doesn't look like a whale at all, does it?"
"No," the boys chorused. Shaking their heads.
"No, it doesn't," she agreed, "but in the evolution of whales this was a very important step. Whales originated on the land and are mammals. Usually these were found in the shallow seas. I don't know why this one is down here at these depths."
They watched the whale swim alongside them. Mouth gaping, revealing the rows of sharp teeth. Its tiny eye watching them before it swam up towards the surface and warmer waters.
"Maybe it was curious," John suggested. "Wow! Look at the size of that fish!"
"Wow!" the boys exclaimed.
A huge fish, twice the size of the Jumper swam near them. Ripples of its tail made the ship rock gently in its wake. The yellow eye was the size of John's head as it surveyed them. Johnny stared back, mouth open. Seamus hid his face against his mother, frightened by the giant creature. Emily was contentedly sucking on her pacifier, happy as the ship was rocking like her cradle. She stared at her pink blanket, soothed by its softness and familiarity.
"It's all right, honey," Moira soothed, kissing the little boy. Stroking his hair.
John glanced at him. "Don't you worry, sport. Daddy won't let anything happen. Here we go." He guided the ship past the fish. "Look, Seamus. Look at those coral formations!"
Seamus peeked. Relaxed and turned to see the rows and rows of coral and sponges. They were orange and purple under the ship's lights. Fish darted among them. An eel snaked out, then backwards.
"Daddy, look at the sand." Johnny pointed.
John nodded. "I see it. There's a trench down there, black as night. Don't you worry, buddy, we're not going in there. The ship couldn't take the pressure."
"You're not thinking of landing, are you?" Moira asked.
"No. Not here. Besides...that's our thing, baby," he teased.
She nodded. "That it is, sweetie."
"Okay, enough of this aquarium. Let's go." He guided the ship up through the waters.
"Daddy! That was fun!" Johnny said as they broke the surface of the waters. A huge plume expanded outwards as they emerged into the air.
"Daddy, daddy, it too dark!" Seamus complained.
"I know, buddy, but we're clear now. It's all right."
"Seamus doesn't like the dark. He's a baby."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
Are too!"
"Boys!" Moira scolded. "He's just younger, is all. Enough."
"You heard your mother." John checked his controls, his watch. "Holding steady. I think it's about time to go home now. Especially if you boys are getting cranky."
"We not cranky, daddy!" Johnny argued.
"What cranky?" Seamus asked.
"Even so, it's time to go home." John accelerated over the waters, towards the land. He swerved low, giving them a panoramic view of the plain once more as he flew towards the Stargate. He rose suddenly, causing the boys to shriek with delight as he broke atmosphere, giving them a view of space before descending once more, tilting the ship like a carnival ride to their screams of enjoyment. Emily began to cry, a sudden wail as she dropped her pacifier.
"Crap. Ems?" he asked, slowing the ship again.
"Oh no...Emily? Here, Emily, what's wrong? John!" Moira scolded, turning to soothe the unhappy infant.
John glanced at his baby daughter. There were big tears in her blue eyes. Rosy face contorted into a picture of misery and surprise. "What's wrong with her? Johnny, dial Atlantis now."
"Do I hafta, daddy? We hafta go home now?"
"Yes, junior. We hafta go home now," John mimicked, glancing at the controls, the Stargate.
"Daddy, daddy, I wanna fly ship!"
"When you're older, buddy." John glanced at his baby daughter. The baby was sniffling, one little hand to her ear. "Is she okay?"
"Yes, I think so. I think her ear popped. It scared her and it hurt. It's all right, Emily." Moira kissed the baby, stroking her arm.
"Sorry, Ems! I forgot how delicate you are." John looked out the viewport to see the wormhole explode outwards, then form a shimmering pool. "Time to go home, boys. Say goodbye to Pleistocene Park!"
"Awww!" the little boys complained in unison.
John smoothly landed the ship. Powered down. Already the boys were scrambling to the hatch. He moved to it, opened it. "Boys, wait!" They ran down the ramp, stopped abruptly.
Moira wheeled the fussing baby past her husband.
"Does she need to see Carson?"
"No, she's fine," Moira assured. She paused, reaching her sons, seeing two marines approaching. Faces grim. Guns held to threaten. "Um, John?" she called. "John?"
"Just a sec, Moy!" he called. But there was something in her tone that made him hasten out of the ship to his family. His hand sliding to his sidearm holstered on his thigh. "What's this?"
"I'm sorry, sir." The young marine appeared nervous, apologetic. But determined to fulfill the orders he had been given. "Doctor Sheppard, you are to come with us. You are under arrest."