Chapter 11: Outa Here…

Even as they raced towards the control room, Carter, and Bolton worked on the gate, while Daniel and Vala did their best to stay out of the way. The gate wasn't giving in easily, and hadn't budged an inch since they'd started. Not even the manual dialling method they had previously used wa doing anything – the gate seemed to have been welded in place.

"Ba'al" said Daniel. "wasn't he down by the gate earlier"

Vala tilted her head to one side, and answered "Well, more likely it was one of his warriors – they're excellent at breaking things – have you noticed?"

"Yes, well" answered Daniel, irritated "warriors, Ba'al same thing isn't it? I mean, they are his warriors, and they don't exactly think for themselves do they – so, same thing really…"

"No it isn't…" Vala snapped back.

"Anyway, those warriors aren't bright enough to string two words together, let alone disable a Stargate…"

"Give it a rest you two!" said Carter, checking her watch and then continued to poke rather aimlessly among the gate control crystals "At risk of sounding like Mckay we may only have 15 minutes left and I need to concentrate…"

"What was that about me?" asked Mckay, stomping heavily into the room. "Someone complimenting me again?" He looked around the room, but the five there seemed to be impervious to this comment.

Mitchell entering behind him rolled his eyes, and then asked "So, what are our options?"

Carter shook her head "Unless we can get the gate working again – none."

"Well, there's my classic list of death options for this type of thing…" said Mckay.

"Ok, so, everybody pull together." He looked around and the seven people in the room with him – today his team. "So, we need a plan."

Mitchell walked down to the gate. Looks like it'd work he thought, but obviously not… He looked up to the command up the stairs as Mckay clicked his fingers several times, looking around.

"Can we vent the air?" asked Mckay. Even Vala seemed to find this rather stupid, asking "Where to?"

"Oh – that's right…"

Mitchell looked up. The drill hole from Ba'al's laser cutter stretched away into the distance.

"Hey guys – forgive me if this is really stupid – but can we get out through there?" He pointed up in to the hole, stretching upwards through the rocky crust of the planet, all the way through to the planet's icy surface.

"Well, it is possible Mitchell, but…" started Carter

"…unless you've seen some spare rockets lying around to strap to our backs we're not getting out that way" finished Mckay sarcastically, "that is as ridiculous an idea as venting the gas was…" He stopped, a thought suddenly coming to him. "The jumpers! This place is exactly like Atlantis, right?" he stopped, and looked around at the others. Carter and Bolton nodded and he continued. "Ba'al's drill… He's drilled straight though the puddlejumper bay – maybe we can fly one out of here!"

"Ok, great, a plan. Better and better" said Mitchell. He turned to Carter "would you say that hole's big enough to fly one of these Ancient ships out of?"

"Well," she said "I'm not really sure how big these ships are, but…"

"Yes it is" said Mckay "and so our chances of survival increase…by a fractional percentage at any rate – but that is a definite improvement…" He stopped again, and looked around, and pointed "This way to the jumpers."

Mitchell's gaze took in the Puddlejumper bay, two levels of ships with 5 in each level, a hole almost exactly in the centre of the ships, where the bay's roof exit would normally be. He glanced at his watch, and then hurried aboard Mckay's chosen ship. 7 minutes until the explosion…

He flinched momentarily. Mckay was arguing with Lieutenant Bolton…

"…but I've never even flown anything before…"

"…I'm sure you'll do great…"

"…I mean, I can barely even get the car round the block back home on Earth…"

Vala could also be heard saying "truly remarkable technology – Do you actually know what this is worth if you have the right contacts, Daniel"

"No"

"Well, I do have the right contacts…"

Daniel faced the jumper's hatch as it closed, and answered no further.

"Are you actually listening to me?"

"No"

Mckay spoke loudly, over the noise, this time to the rest of the ship. "Ok, everybody, here's the deal. I've finally convinced Lieutenant Baton here (Bolton glared at him) to fly the ship, because despite what everybody seems to think I can't be everywhere at once, and I'm needed to keep power levels from failing completely…"
" Well, I could do that…" began Carter.

Mckay turned to Carter, and answered "Forgive me, blue eyes, but despite the fact your almost as smart as I am I have far more experience with this technology then you do, and so I'm needed back here. See, I'm needed everywhere… You can help if you want to of course… but ultimately saving us will depend on me."

"And Bolton here, of course" said Mitchell.

"Yes well…" said Mckay, irritatedly "5 minutes left people, so let's get flying shall we?"

Bolton rested her hand on the control panel in front of her. As had the rest of the ship around her it sprung to life, and she tried to listen as Mitchell quickly ran her over the controls needed to lift the ship out and keep it steady as they made their way towards the surface.

"Ok," said Mitchell. "First, move us into position." He put his hand over hers on the controls.

Suddenly the ship's engines fired, as she concentrated on moving forwards, pushing forwards on the control Mitchell had guided her hand to.

"Power's stable for the moment people, but the sooner we get out of here the better" came Mckay's voice from the back of the ship.

"Why would you say that?" asked Vala " I mean, the whole place is about to explode and the ship's going to run out of power. Why would we want to get out of here?"

Bolton managed to extend the drive pods, and turn the ship into a vertical position. The ship began to climb up into the dark shaft, slowly at first, but then more and more quickly.

"I'm actually doing it!" she said, amazed.

"Yes you are." said Mitchell.

"Yes, we're all doing well" said Mckay. "But could we do well a little faster perhaps? We have 2 minutes before this place reaches critical point. When it does the explosion will shoot out of the this hole and rip the surface off the planet in this entire area!"

"It won't go any faster" answered Bolton angrily "In fact, this thing's losing power if anything. Maybe if you kept you're mind on keeping power flowing and stopped criticising my flying skills, after a 5 minute crash course labelled "Mckay and Co's guide to Puddle jumper flight".

"Hang on!" said Mitchell. "Something coming up ahead, some kind of blockage…"

"It'll be a ring transporter" said Carter. "Some kind of mobile ringing platform. Ba'al probably installed one to make access to this place easier."

"Coming up quick!" shouted Mitchell.

"Blast a hole using the drones!" yelled Daniel. "Now! Blow a hole!"

Bolton brought her full concentration to bear on firing the projectile weapons she knew must be somewhere inside the ship's shell. Only less and less power seemed to be reaching her controls… "Mckay, can you boost the power?"

"Trying!" came the loud response.

At seemingly the last second a glowing drone missile weapon shot out from each of the jumper's drive pods, breaking through to the surface, light from the planet's distant sun filtering down into the jumper's fore section.

Even as the ship burst free there came a groan from the rear section of the ship. "Despite everything, and even threat of certain death I can't get enough power to get us into orbit." said Mckay.

"Alright then" said Daniel "let's get as far away from the explosion as possible…"

"No, you don't understand" said Mckay frustratedly. "We're out of power. That last little trip to the surface and the strain of firing the drones… it took everything out of the ship's power source it had left…"

And with that, the controls died under Lieutenant Bolton's hands.

The jumper began its dive towards the surface. Without power it fell like the ungainly cylindrical tube of metal it was. Mitchell watched as the surface of the planet became more defined, as he could suddenly make out shapes on the surface…

"Well, nice knowing you all" said Mckay.