FYI: There will be 8 more chapters. :) Next week is a bear, so if I don't post regularly, it's only because of nasty old RL getting in the way.
--//--
More chills crawled up Elizabeth's spine as she peered into Dr. Keller's now peaceful face. Her eyes were closed. Then her body moved as if she were simply walking in her sleep. Every muscle in her body was quivering, though it was barely perceptible. The other two mimicked her actions. Then, the three silently knelt upon the grime, linked arms with one another and leant towards each other in a circle, heads bowed.
"I should go back…get reinforcements." Lance Corporal Andrews suggested, standing beside Elizabeth and nervously eyeing the three kneeling before them. Dr. Row was standing to the side, seemingly oblivious to their situation as she studied the floor with acute interest. Elizabeth curled her lip in disgust as she observed the doctor dip a finger into the grime and proceed to lift it up to her nose for a quick sniff.
"No." She hugged her arms tight about herself, making eye contact with the marine. "We should stay together. We don't know what's wrong with them and we don't know whether we are at risk ourselves."
"I should really take some of this back to the lab." Dr. Row murmured nearby.
"We have to do something." The Lance Corporal was nearly dancing on his toes, his hand patting the P90 strapped to the front of his vest. His demeanor distantly reminded Elizabeth of one Lt. Ford. She swept the thought from her mind however. She had to stay focused.
Dr. Row, on the other hand, had switched into scientist mode and began to study their creepy environment in earnest. She ran her bony fingers along the dank wall scanning the dark surface with a look of intrigue.
"I've seen this before...there's mention of this substance upon the floor and what created it in the Ancient database. If I recall correctly, there was mention of something that sounds strikingly similar to the Arachnocampa. Quite fascinating little things…I visited a cave in New Zealand. Fascinating." Her voice carried through the dim corridor, sounding hollow and small.
"These…" Elizabeth stalled, unsure of the exact name the doctor had just referenced.
"Arachnocampa." Dr. Row supplied with a smile and a vacant look on her face. Elizabeth imagined the eccentric doctor reminiscing of her trip.
"Yes…what exactly was compiled about them in the database? Were they dangerous? Are they to blame for what's happening to Dr. Keller, Dr. Yi, and Sgt. Withers?"
Dr. Row tilted her head and nodded slightly though her eyes still contained a vacant look.
"The Ancients knew of a species similar to the Arachnocampa…on the mainland. Caves filled with them. Rather unpleasant I suppose, to those who do not appreciate them. I believe they might have referenced to the same thing in some experimentation. However, I never had the opportunity to study their findings. Iratus bugs rather take up too much of my time, unfortunately." Even for a doctor who appreciated bugs, the woman displayed a faint look of disgust upon her face.
"What do we do?" L.Cpl. Andrews looked to Elizabeth. He was quite the green soldier: she wondered if the man had even been through the gate yet, as he had only just arrived on the Daedalus weeks ago.
"I don't know." She rubbed her arms and glanced wearily at the floor, ceiling, and surrounding walls.
She was growing more unsettled by the minute and her mind kept playing tricks on her. Was that movement in the corner? Was there something on the back of her neck? She shivered.
"Do you think those things are down here with us?" Elizabeth hazarded a guess. Why else would the doctor mention such things?
Dr. Row smiled. It gave Elizabeth the willies.
"I don't think…I know."
--//--
Sheppard's eyelids fluttered.
Teyla was the first to notice. She spun around, knowing that the men had their eyes set on the advancing worms. However, the other three had noticed as well, and were peering over their shoulders in time to see Sheppard's awakening.
Fingers clawed into the grime. His body shuddered, curling into the fetal position. A pale face jerked back and with great relief, the team saw his eyes open.
Yet the man was in obvious agony: he gasped desperately for air. Panicked eyes met each and every one of theirs and at that moment, each of them knew it was the first time Sheppard was realizing his true reality.
Teyla dropped to her knees, coming to crouch level with her team leader. She whispered to him, hoping to console him.
Ronon could not stand to look at Sheppard in such pain without being able to help. Instead, he kicked at the approaching worms, withering and slithering towards them. They remained at bay, yet lined up along some invisible line they had set, perhaps in preparation to strike.
Pale as the morning light, Rodney stood stiff as a board, laptop nearly slipping from his grasp. Tears sprung to his eyes and he was too shocked to attempt to hide it.
Zelenka swallowed harshly, unable to do anything but stare.
To witness such pain and not be able to do anything was tearing each and every one of them apart. Everything they had done to this point had only hurt Sheppard more.
"I…I…." Came desperate gasps.
"Shhh…do not try to speak, John. Just breathe." Teyla's voice shook.
"Pleassss…." …another gasp for air…
"We have to do something!" Ronon growled from behind.
"I…order you….t…to…." More gasping, and along with it came a small cry of pain.
"Please, John, just breathe." Teyla cried. Tears began to fall from her face as she shook her head in despair.
A scream escaped Sheppard's chapped lips and he squeezed his eyes shut, clawing at the ground around him. Ronon released a howl in response and Rodney began to furiously tap away on his laptop, conversing in harsh whispers with Zelenka. Teyla bowed her head, unable to watch.
Sheppard's body unfolded, his chest rose into the air, and he released a pain-filled cry.
"SHOOT THEM!"
The cry died on his lips, his eyes opened, and his body relaxed. He rolled to his side, his face mere inches from the threads and Teyla's pale face.
The stillness spread across the corridor and all those within came to a halt, staring at Sheppard's stationary form.
Teyla raised her head and met John Sheppard's dull eyes. He blinked very slowly. She brought up her hand, hovering just an inch from the threads, aware of the heat and minute vibration coming from them.
"John?" She whispered in desperation.
"…Hi…Teyla." The faintest hint of a smile reached Sheppard's face before his eyes closed and he became deathly still. A look of peace settled onto his wane face.
Teyla's heart stuttered. Ronon slammed his fist into the nearest wall. Rodney dropped his laptop. Zelenka muttered an expletive under his breath, eyes wide in shock.
Only the sporadic snapping of worms rubbing against one another broke the stunned silence that fell upon the four standing on the wrong side of the barrier.
John Sheppard was dead.
The ominous threads glowed with the renewed vibrancy of life. Life they stole.
Then Ronon withdrew his blaster. Teyla jumped to her feet and unclipped her P90. Rodney fumbled around with the holster strapped to his leg and withdrew his 9mil. Zelenka covered his ears, being the only one unarmed.
All three stood in a line and aimed for either the barrier or the growing heap of worms beginning to advance on them. Zelenka backed up to a near wall, unaware of the single uncurling length of a creature hanging just above his left shoulder.
An explosion of fire and thunder erupted into the corridor as all three fired their weapons in rapid succession. The glowing threads vibrated and pulsed from light to dark and back again. The humming returned and the threads began to violently quiver, like the erratic wavelength of a troubled heartbeat.
The worms upon the ground zoomed back in retreat, either heading for the darkened corridor from whence all had come, or their protective burrows within the walls. The floor was a sea of sparkling blue as bodies rubbed against one another in haste. It was like a strobe light flickering in the night.
Zelenka released a yelp as one of the worms landed upon his shoulder, slowly easing its way like a snake towards his neck and unruly hair. He flung it off in haste, rushing back to stand amongst Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla as they continued to fire away in angered payback.
Without warning, a concussive force preceded a brilliant flash of light, sending all four sailing onto their backsides. Seconds later, the corridor grew dark and silence was restored.
--tbc--