Authors' Note: Hi there, just so you know, this story was co-authored with my friend Nimeria. This story is as much hers as mine.
Disclaimer: We don't own anyone or anything you recognize. Except for ourselves. And that last bit's only a "maybe" on a good day.
Why to Always Have an Escape Route
Chapter 16
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(Mary studies the tiles.)
Daniel: Can you read them?
Mary: Yeah.
Sam: What's it say?
Mary: It says "Those who seek to reap destruction must first prove themselves as worthy of the power to do so by giving definite proof of their relation to the creators of said power."
Mitchell: What, it seriously says that?
Mary: No but that's the general gist of things.
Mitchell: Oh.
Jack: Alright so how do we prove that we're related to the ancients and prove ourselves worthy or whatever?
Jessie: Do we have to sacrifice something. I don't want to sacrifice something.
Sheppard: We're not sacrificing anything.
Mary: Wait a minute...
(pause)
Daniel: What?
Mary: I'm reading. Hold on.
(slightly longer pause)
Jack: Well?
Mary: Umm...that bit about definite proof? There's a bit here that sounds like they want, uh, cells.
Ronon: What?
Sam: Cells? Oh! That's brilliant!
Jack: WHAT is brilliant?
Jessie: You know Jack, you should really calm down...
(Jack glares at her.)
Sam: Cells. Proof that we're descended from the ancients.
McKay: DNA.
Daniel: Blood then. Hmm.
Jessie: Eww.
Taylor: Do they need everyone's blood then?
Jessie: (quietly) Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.
Sam: Probably not. Just someone's I'd guess.
Jack: Alright. (he pulls out a pocket knife) Just tell me where the blood goes.
Teal'c: O'Neill, is this wise?
Jack: What? I'm the one with all the ancienty-dna-stuff. I'd be best if it were me.
Taylor: He's probably right you know.
Jessie: But isn't Sheppard's gene supposed to be stronger? (Everyone looks at her.) Oh. (Everyone looks from Sheppard to Jack and back again.)
Sam: She's right sir. And he does live here.
McKay: Not to mention Atlantis is practically in love with him.
Sheppard: They're right sir. (steps forward) I'll-
Jack: Like hell you will colonel. You may live here but I'm ranking officer and I will be the one to do this. Carter, where does the blood go?
Sam: (She points at a rivulet in the top of the device.) Here sir.
(Jack steps forward to the pedestal and neatly slashes his forearm diagonally. The rivulet fills, and Jack steps back where Sam hastily bandages the cut.)
Taylor: Wow.
Jessie: Yeah.
Jack: (looking up from his arm) What?
Taylor: Didn't that...hurt...and such?
Jack: Ow.
Mary: Umm...guys? Isn't it supposed to be doing something...ancienty?
Daniel: But, well yeah.
McKay: Maybe his blood wasn't good enough?
Jack: Hey!
Daniel: By all accounts it should have been.
Mary: Is it the device? Is the Jewel not working?
Mitchell: Right, something built by the ancients doesn't work.
(pause)
Daniel: Maybe Jack's blood really wasn't good enough after all.
Jack: HEY! Standing right here!
Mitchell: Right. My turn then. (rolls up his sleeve)
Daniel: Wait. Sam, come take a look at this. You too McKay, Mary. Maybe we did something wrong, or there's more to it.
Jack: (mumbling under his breath) Not good enough my-
Jessie: Great. More waiting. Taylor, I'm bored.
Taylor: Tiddlywinks?
(Over in his corner Sheppard rolls his eyes, sidles up to the pedestal while the others are doing their own things, silently cuts his palm and lets the blood fall into the rivulet, almost immediately the pedestal lights up. There's a vaguely familiar noise and then a shield falls to reveal the Jewel of Atlantis sitting directly on top of the pedestal)
Jack: Colonel did I not order you to-
Sheppard: Actually you didn't. You just said you were going to do it. You never told me I couldn't.
(Girls, including Sam, giggle, though Sam quickly stops. Meanwhile, Ronon, who had been keeping an eye and an ear open for trouble…)
Ronon: Sheppard, trouble
Sheppard: What?
Ronon: (nods toward vent) They're coming. (The clanging sound of someone crawling through a vent becomes completely audible to everyone now.)
Taylor and Jessie: Oooooooh fuzz.
McKay: Fuzz?
Taylor: Yes fuzz.
McKay: You honestly think-
Sheppard: McKay now is not the time. Ideas?
Mitchell: We should split back up. Your group takes the jewel and figures out how to work it and we'll go back to distracting them.
McKay: Oh, Brilliant. Only one problem. There's CLAYMORES down our only way
out!!
Mitchell: Oh. Yeah.
(Everyone groans and appears to be thinking really, really hard.)
Taylor: Wait a second; we don't need the hallway.
Everyone else: Ooooooh.
Mary: Right. What with the walking through walls and whatnot.
(The majority of the party tries very hard to look as thought they had not forgotten this fact but had not brought it up to attempt to keep Taylor out of harm, except for Jessie and Mary who were comfortable with their ignorance, and those members of the party who rarely showed emotion.)
Jack: If you're sure...
Taylor: (impatiently) Yes, yes I'll be fine.
Jessie: Ooh! Can I be invisible now? Please?
Daniel: Well, it would probably help since we aren't the ones who are supposed to be a distraction...
Jessie: Yay!
Mitchell: Uh, hate to burst the happy bubble, but how are the Rest of us going to get out?
Taylor: Well, I can get everyone out two by two, and Jessie can keep everyone out of sight outside until we split up again.
Sam: What do you think sir?
Jack: Sounds good to me.
Mitchell: Okay then, everybody, get your stuff together.
(Shuffles are made to pick up weapons and whatnot set down.)
McKay: About the jewel...is it safe to touch? We aren't sure how to use it yet, you know.
(Mary reaches over and pokes the Jewel. Nothing happens.)
Mary: I think it's good.
McKay: (flustered) That was a stupid thing to do! You could have been...killed...or something!
Jessie: Ooh, can I poke it too?
Taylor: And me??
Teal'c: The guards are getting closer. It would be wise to hurry.
Sheppard: Girls we're going to be carrying the thing around with us. You can poke it later.
Taylor and Jessie: Okay.
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