The teams stood round the gate restlessly waiting for the MALP imagary to come back. McKay held his tablet in front of him as Lorne and Sheppard looked over his shoulder, staring at the static as if merely by looking the process would be sped up.
"Were you never told a watched pot never boils?" McKay grumbled, feeling uncomfortable by the proximity of the two men.
"I do remember being taught another phrase involving the word pot that seems quite apt." John shot back, his eyes never leaving the tablet.
"Shouldn't we have seen something by now?" Woolsey asked from the control deck.
"We're in the window, but don't get worried for another thirty seconds." McKay answered. As if on cue the screen suddenly flickered and displayed a video image of the alien planet.
"Life signs?" John asked.
"None immediately apparent., near the MALP anyway. Confirmed on visual." Rodney replied after a few seconds. "Atmosphere still good, no detectable poisons in the air." Having heard McKay's report John glanced up at Woolsey who looked at Chuck, who nodded.
"You have a go." Woolsey said. "Good luck."
"You remember the rules?" John asked as he walked past Kiryk. Seeing the former runner nod he continued. "And what will happen if you break them?" Again Kiryk nodded his response. "Good." John responded before sweeping his eyes over the two teams and ordering. "Let's go. Stay alert."
-00-
As Kiryk stepped through the event horizon he was immediately prepared to fight. However, as the MALP suggested there were no Wraith nearby, making him feel almost disappointed. Not letting his guard down he walked up to Lorne who held an unfamiliar device in his hand. He held back by a couple of feet waiting for instructions. Finally Lorne nodded to Sheppard who addressed the group.
"Okay, the good news is the base still seems active. Here's the plan." John said. "Four teams. Team one, McKay and myself will try to get the information we need. The other three will lay the charges. The default rendezvous is on that ridge. Once I give the signal set the timers for ten minutes and fall back."
"Any safeties in place on the charges?" Lorne asked.
"No. Once the timer is set the only way to stop it will be to remove the charge manually." John explained. "It's risky, but we won't be able to connect wirelessly from outside the base so all it'd do would allow the Wraith to disable them. Any other questions?" He asked. Getting no response he added. "We want to keep our presence quiet for as long as possible so no needless shooting." The last response aimed at Ronon, although he also glanced at Kiryk.
-00-
"What's wrong with this one?" John asked McKay as he pointed towards a Wraith console deep inside the base.
"Won't know until I'm plugged in." Rodney replied attaching his tablet.
"Do you want to guess, so far you haven't used the excuses, it's too hard or it's too hot."
"Haha. The Wraith network is incredibly complex and there are many standalone systems. Like I told you last time, I need one with access to the master network."
"It would have been quicker to capture the Queen and interrogate her." John muttered as more gun fire echoed in the hallways.
"This isn't my fault. I never said any terminal would do." Rodney said defensively. "How was I supposed to know the first eight were unsuitable?"
"Nine."
"Nine what?"
"You have ruled out nine terminals not eight." John said.
"Really? I must have forgotten one of them. Go lay more charges while I see what this is connected to."
"I have no more charges to lay as we have already covered so much ground." John grumbled.
"I'm in. I have access to the main network. Now the hard part."
"Rodney." John growled.
"I have to search for the right information. We can't download all of it. I have to search a complex database and extract data in an unknown form. To do that I ne-"
"Rodney." John interrupted, growing impatient.
"Going as fast as I can." McKay complained.
"Go faster."
"Listen, if I do this wrong it could result in bad things happening."
"Bad things?" John asked.
"Yes, explosions, guards, gas, the options are limitless. Hundreds of bad things." McKay snapped.
"Hear that McKay?" John asked waving his hand as gunshots rang out in the corridor.
"Of course I hear it."
"Well that's the sound of hundreds of bad things heading this way so get a move on."
"Again, I'm going as fast as I can." Rodney replied as he furiously tapped at a console, trying to ignore his thumping heart. Just as he was giving up hope he saw what he'd been trying to find and exclaimed. "Got it!"
"And?" John prompted.
"And I'm downloading as fast as I can, although as this is the equivalent of a FAT32 file system it's not that fast."
"I meant what does it say?"
"How am I meant to know? I don't read Wraith."
"Then how do you know that you're downloading the correct information?" John asked, growing increasingly frustrated.
"I know a few words, enough for me to identify the right files. It's the right stuff, we'll just have to get it home to interpret it." Rodney assured him as he impatiently waited for the transfer to happen. All the while the gunshots grew louder.
Reaching for his radio John ordered. "Report." He then listened as each of the teams reported that the charges had been laid and they were holding ground. Glancing at McKay he commented. "You're keeping everyone waiting Rodney."
"I can't speed this up anym- okay, got it." McKay said unplugging his tablet from the Wraith console.
"'bout time." John commented before reaching for his radio and saying. "We've got we came for. Set the timers and fall back to the viewing platform." Cutting the connection he looked back at Rodney and said. "Let's go. We've only got ten minutes so no stopping for snacks."
Glaring at John's back Rodney sprinted out of the room after the Colonel.
-00-
"Everyone here?" John asked as he ran to the rendezvous position.
"No." Ronon replied. The answer causing John to look round and realise that Lorne's entire team was missing. He was reaching for the radio when he saw two bodies limp towards them.
"Sorry we're late Sir. Twisted ankle."
"Where's Lorne and Kiryk?" John asked, receiving two worried, but blank, looks he radioed.
"Lorne where the hell are you?"
"Slight problem." Lorne's voice crackled after a few moments.
"What kind of problem?"
"The kind that involves me being trapped and surrounded by lots of angry looking Wraith with guns."
"Where's Kiryk?"
"Trapped on the other side." Lorne replied over gunfire.
"Can we stop the count down?" John asked McKay.
"No."
"No as in no chance or no as in I need to threaten you?"
"No. It can't be done remotely.
"Crap." John replied, looking at his watch. "You have ninety seconds to come up with a plan."
"There's nothing I can do." Rodney said looking defeated. "The only way to disable them is to remove the charges one by one."
"Lorne." John radioed.
"It's okay. I know." Lorne replied, again his answer punctuated with gunfire. "Oh cr-" The Major added before his answer disappeared into static.
"Lorne?" John called. "Lorne come in…..Lorne." The Colonel kept trying, feeling helpless and desperate. He became so focused on trying to reach his second in command that he stopped looking at his watch and lost all track of the count down. So much so he was midway through Lorne's name when a bright flash, followed by a shockwave and a blast of heat propagated to the survivors of the mission.
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.