John woke with a pounding headache. "What the hell?" he muttered, rubbing his aching head.
He waited a few moments, and when the throbbing in his head receded, he opened his eyes. At first, all he saw was white. White walls. White floor. Even the ceiling was white. And everything appeared to be glowing. He blinked a few times, hoping to clear his vision, then realised it wasn't a problem with his eyes. The walls and ceiling really were glowing with a soft white light.
John sat up with a groan and felt the weight of the pack on his back shift as he moved. The change in position allowed him to see more of the room, and he found Rodney lying next to him, still unconscious.
"Rodney," he called softly and gave him a shake, but Rodney didn't stir. He did a quick check for a pulse and patted Rodney's shoulder when he found a strong and steady beat. "McKay!" he said a little louder. "Time to wake up." He shook Rodney again but still didn't get any response.
He left one hand on Rodney's shoulder for the moment and looked around the rest of the room. There were no windows, and at first glance, John didn't see anything that looked like a door either.
"So, how did we end up here?" John asked even as the memory of finding the totem pole and the blinding white light rose in his mind. He groaned and scrubbed a hand over his jaw. "Great,'' he muttered.
John gave Rodney's shoulder another light shake, then stood and walked around the room, searching for anything that would tell him where they were. He took a closer look at the walls themselves and finally found a door.
Well, at least a sort of door, he thought to himself as he studied the door-shaped indentation in one of the walls.
The indentation was as white as the rest of the room, with several stones similar to those in the totem pole, embedded in the wall above it. John ran his hands over to the door, looking for a handle, access panel, or any other way to get it open, but he didn't find anything.
"Maybe Rodney will have better luck," he muttered and glanced at McKay still lying on the floor behind him.
John turned in a circle and felt his frustration rising. "If we can't get out, maybe there's a way Ford and Teyla can get in," he muttered. He felt his earpiece still in place, and thankful for that bit of good luck, tapped the radio. "Teyla, Ford, come in," he said and studied the walls again as he waited for a response.
The radio remained silent. No response to his hail, not even static. "Lieutenant Ford, respond," John tried again. There was still no answer from the radio, but Rodney moaned and tried to curl into a tight ball on the floor.
John walked back to Rodney and knelt beside him. He laid a hand on Rodney's arm and shook him again. "Come on, Rodney. Rise and shine."
Rodney groaned and slit his eyes open. "What happened?" he groaned and held his head as John helped him sit up.
"I think we were transported somewhere," John answered and stood. "We're in a room of some kind." He watched as Rodney dropped his hands and slowly looked around.
Rodney climbed to his feet and turned in a slow circle until he found the indentation in the wall and wandered over to it. "Did you try anything to get this open?" he asked as he ran his hands over the edge of the indentation.
John shook his head. "I didn't see anything like a handle. Thought you would have better luck."
Rodney glanced warily at the stones along the top of the 'door' and pointed up at them. "Those look familiar," he said. "Have they done anything?"
John shook his head.
Rodney studied the stones a moment longer, then focused on the rest of the door. "If I can find an access panel, maybe I can reverse whatever happened and get us out of here."
John took another look around the small room as Rodney worked on the door and muttered to himself. It didn't take him long to search the rest of the room, and he was wondering if they would be stuck in the white room forever when he heard Rodney grunt behind him.
"Aha! I think I've got something," Rodney said.
John turned back and saw McKay pulling at a section of the wall a few inches over his head. Rodney tugged at the section of the wall, and before John could move or try to help, the section came off with a pop. Rodney stumbled back with a chunk of the wall about a foot long and eight inches across in his hands and looked back at the newly revealed panel.
"Who puts the access panel up that high," he groused as he stood on tiptoe to try and see inside.
"People who are a lot taller than you," John offered with a grin, and Rodney glared at him.
McKay waved his hand over the panel and waited. When nothing happened, he tried again.
"Let me try," John offered. He waved his hand over the sensor and stared at the closed door.
"So much for the easy solution," Rodney grumbled and patted the pockets of his tac-vest.
"Think you can get it to open?" John asked, stepping back from the panel.
"Of course, I can get it open," Rodney retorted. He pulled a small screwdriver and a flashlight out of a vest pocket and studied the panel. "Just give me a few minutes. It's a little hard to work when I can barely see inside what I'm supposed to be fixing."
John stayed out of the way and watched as Rodney unscrewed the panel from the wall and peered inside the wall. He pulled various crystals from the hole in the wall and studied each one before carefully setting it on the floor.
Why did we end up here? John pondered as Rodney worked. And where exactly was here? Were they still on the mainland? he wondered.
"Damn cast," Rodney muttered, and John glanced back at the door. "Can't get a good grip on anything in here."
Several wires trailed out of the hole, and John noticed most of the crystals were no longer on the floor. Rodney picked up the last two crystals, glanced at each, then looked inside the hole. He kept the one in his right hand and stuffed the other in one of his vest pockets.
Rodney stood on tip-toes and stuck his hand back in the access panel, banging the cast against the sides of the opening as he tried to wedge the last crystal in place. With a last shove, John heard something snap into place, and a moment later, the door rose up into the ceiling.
"Good work," John said as he glanced into the new room.
At least he thought it was a room. John walked through the door, and it took him a moment to realise the landscape looked eerily familiar. Rodney followed him and stopped next to him.
"Where are we?" Rodney asked. "This isn't the mainland." He stared out at the landscape with a puzzled expression. John could tell he was trying to process what he was seeing and that he had no idea how much danger they were in.
The nearby hills were rocky and barren. Where they stood near the door, the ground was mostly sand, almost gravel, in texture. There was no vegetation to speak of, and the air smelt of dry dust and sand. The landscape screamed harsh and unforgiving, and all he could see was different shades of brown. It was a place he'd hoped never to see again.
How did they end up in Afghanistan? John wondered. And more importantly, how were they supposed to get back to Atlantis?
"Get back in the room," John ordered as he scanned the area for threats.
Rodney nodded and turned around. "Umm, Sheppard?" he said, and John heard the panic in McKay's voice. "We lost the door."
"What?" John cried and spun around. Instead of a door and the white room, he just saw more brown. "What the hell is going on around here?"
"Maybe this is some other planet, and that's why the transporter knocked us out," Rodney suggested.
"That would explain why I can't get Teyla or Ford to answer the comms," John agreed, not sure how to tell McKay where he thought they were.
Rodney glared at the blazing sun overhead and then down at his bare arms. "I can feel the skin cancer starting as we speak," he groused.
"We have bigger problems," John said as he took a few steps away from Rodney and the now missing door. "I don't see a 'gate anywhere. How are we supposed to get home?"
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Teyla watched as the sun started to set over the water and frowned. They'd been back at the campsite on the beach for more than an hour and still no word from John or Doctor McKay.
"Major Sheppard, please come in," Aiden said, and Teyla glanced at Ford standing near the tent. "Doctor McKay, please respond."
He looked over at her and shook his head.
"Careful," a voice said from the nearby trees. "You're gonna spill it all."
A moment later, Jinto walked out of the woods with Wex. Both boys carried a bucket with them, and Teyla watched as water sloshed out of the bucket Wex carried as the boys stopped a few steps away.
"Hi, Teyla," Jinto greeted. "We've brought more water." He held up the bucket in his hands.
"Thank you, Jinto," Teyla said and went back to watching the forest.
Jinto glanced at Wex and shrugged, then led the way over to the tent. A few minutes later, both boys came back with empty buckets.
"Teyla?" Jinto asked. "Is everything all right?"
Teyla tried to smile and shook her head. "Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay have gone missing. Have they returned to the village?"
Jinto shook his head. "I haven't seen them."
Teyla blew out a breath. "I need you to go back to the village and bring your father to me. We need to start a search."
"Right away," Jinto replied and disappeared back into the forest at a run with Wex on his heels.
"Anything?" Teyla asked as Aiden walked over to her a few minutes later.
Ford shook his head. "Nothing. It's weird. It's like the radio can't find their transceivers."
"How is that possible?"
"It shouldn't be," Ford replied. "The range for the radios is strong enough. It should cover most of the planet."
"We should contact Doctor Weir."
Ford nodded and reached up to tap his earpiece, then stopped and glanced at the trees behind the tent.
Teyla heard branches snapping in the forest, and a few seconds later, Jinto came into the camp at a run, Halling not far behind.
"Teyla," Halling greeted. "Jinto says Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay may be missing?"
Teyla nodded. "We have not been able to reach them on the radio."
"Is the jumper still parked behind the village?" Ford asked.
"Yes, it is," Halling replied.
"Halling, have any of the exploration groups found any evidence of large predators here on the mainland?" Teyla asked, and she heard Ford suck in a breath.
Halling looked out at the water for a moment before he turned back to Teyla and nodded. "There is a kind of large cat as well as a few scavengers. We have seen several indications of tracks in the deeper parts of the forest, but nothing this close to the water or the village. You suspect they encountered some sort of wild animal?"
"It is the only explanation I can think of," Teyla said. "If they had returned to Atlantis, the jumper would be gone, and we would still be able to reach them with the radio, or Doctor Weir would have informed us of their return. The fact they are not responding can only mean they cannot answer."
Ford snapped his fingers. "What about the energy reading?"
"Energy reading?" Halling asked in return. "We have not found any sort of ruins or other signs of the Ancestors during our exploration of the mainland."
"Doctor McKay claimed the scanner was showing a powerful energy signature to the southeast," Teyla replied. "But the signal was not constant."
"Maybe it was the pole, Father," Jinto piped up, and all three adults turned to him.
"What pole is that?" Halling asked. "You have never mentioned such a thing before."
Jinto shrugged. "Wex and I found it. It is this really cool pole in the middle of a clearing. It has designs on it, kinda like the windows in Atlantis. It didn't seem to do anything, but it is in the right direction."
"Lieutenant?" Teyla asked.
"Sounds like it's worth a look," Ford agreed. "I'll contact Doctor Weir and let her know what's happened, then we can go check it out."
"Halling, can some of the villagers meet us there and help search?" Teyla asked as Ford stepped away.
"Certainly. I will see to it myself," Halling said and started to leave. "Jinto, you show Teyla and Lieutenant Ford where your pole is located. I will find Wex and have him show the rest of us the way."
"Ford to Doctor Weir," Ford said, and Teyla tapped her radio as well.
"This is Weir," Elizabeth replied a moment later.
"Ma'am, we've run into a … snag," Ford said and closed his eyes.
"What sort of snag, Lieutenant, and where is Major Sheppard?"
Ford made a face, and Teyla watched his back stiffen to attention. "That would be the snag, ma'am. We can't find him or Doctor McKay."
There was a pause over the radio, and then Weir said, "All right, Lieutenant, tell me exactly what's been happening over there."
Teyla listened as Ford described their actions for the last two days, ending with the lesson on plant life and breaking into teams to bring back samples.
"Jinto can help you find this pole?" Doctor Weir asked once Ford finished his report.
"Yes, Doctor Weir," Teyla replied. "He and another boy found it a few days ago. Halling will bring several of my people to the clearing, and we can begin a search."
"Then it sounds like you have a plan. Lieutenant, keep me informed."
"Yes, ma'am. Ford out." Aiden tapped his earpiece and pursed his lips.
"We will find them, Lieutenant," Teyla said.
Ford took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, we will," he replied and started for the edge of their campsite. "Come on, Jinto. Show us this pole of yours."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Rodney gazed out at the brutal landscape in front of them and wondered how anything could live in such an environment. He glanced over at Sheppard and watched as he carefully scouted the area where they stood. He could tell something was off with John. Sheppard was acting strange, more wary and suspicious than usual. He watched as Sheppard scanned the nearby hills, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there.
As if he expected a specific response to their arrival in the area, Rodney realised and gazed out at the desert again.
"Is there something you know that I don't?" he finally asked. "I know in reality there isn't much that you know, and I don't, but you're acting like you know something I don't."
"We have a problem," Sheppard said in a way Rodney found utterly unhelpful. He knew they had a problem. By his count, they actually had several problems.
"I think I know where we are," John finished.
"Great," Rodney replied with a relieved sigh. "Then you know the way back, too." He looked around again. "I have to say, though, I don't remember visiting a planet that looked like this."
John barked out a harsh laugh, and Rodney frowned as Sheppard pushed past him, his head in constant motion as he watched the surrounding desert.
"Care to share the joke?" Rodney asked as he fell into step behind John. "Because I'm not seeing the humor at the moment."
"If I'm right, you've lived most of your life on this planet," Sheppard replied.
Rodney looked around again. "You think this is Earth?"
John nodded. "Not only that, I think we're in Afghanistan."
Rodney stopped short and stared at Sheppard's back. Afghanistan? he wondered. They were back on Earth? He realised the jolt in his stomach had more to do with the fact they were no longer in the Pegasus galaxy than the fact Sheppard thought they were in a war zone.
"Hey," Sheppard said. He grabbed Rodney's cast and tugged his arm. "Stay behind me. Trust me, we do not want to get separated out here."
"How did we even get here?" Rodney asked as he pulled his arm free. "There's no way there was enough power in that totem pole to send us back across a galaxy."
"No idea," John replied. "I'm more concerned about getting back to Atlantis."
Rodney couldn't argue with that. "But why?" he asked the desert as much as Sheppard. "Why send us anywhere? What are we supposed to do now?"
Before Sheppard could answer, something shimmered into view bedside them. Rodney only had the briefest impression of an old man wearing some sort of quilted white robe before Sheppard was in front of him, blocking his view.
"Who are you?" Sheppard growled, and Rodney was surprised by his harsh tone.
"I am The Overseer," the man explained, seemingly unfazed by Sheppard's defensive posture. "It has been many years since a waypost has sent acolytes for the testing." He paused and slowly looked them up and down. "A warrior and a logician. An interesting combination, indeed. But you are of The People, so you are worthy to stand the trials. I must say, you are not like the usual candidates. You seem to lack most of the training required."
"Trials?" Rodney asked. He took a step to one side, trying to see around Sheppard.
"I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding," John said. "We weren't sent here. We sort of ended up here."
The Overseer smiled and looked them up and down again. "You sought the waypost," he said with an absent wave of his hand. "It is the same thing."
"The waypost?" Rodney asked.
The Overseer studied Rodney with a puzzled frown. "How do you not know of the wayposts? It was what brought you here."
"I think he means the totem pole," Sheppard said, never taking his eyes off The Overseer.
Rodney took a step forward but stopped when Sheppard blocked him with an arm. He glanced over at John, and seeing the combination of anger and suspicion in Sheppard's expression, stopped where he was. He had a bad feeling about what they'd walked into and hoped he was wrong.
"When was the last time someone was sent here for these trials?" Rodney asked.
"It has been a very long time," The Overseer replied. "So long, in fact, some of my scenarios are no longer accessible."
"And The People? You said we are both of The People. Would that be the people from Atlantis?" Rodney heard Sheppard whistle softly beside him and knew John had caught up with Rodney's train of thought.
"Atlantis, yes. The city of The People."
"So The People would come here as part of what? Training to fight the Wraith?" Rodney asked.
The Overseer frowned. "In a manner of speaking. The Wraith are a scourge of the galaxy. These trials are to test those who wish to attain the final phase."
"Final phase?" John asked. "Final phase of what, exactly?"
The Overseer's frown deepened. "You sought the waypost, correct?"
Rodney gave John a guilty look. "Umm, yes?"
The Overseer's expression brightened. "Then the waypost was correct to bring you here for testing."
"So these trials test what exactly?" Rodney asked.
The Overseer shook his head. "This should have been made clear before you sought the waypost."
Rodney crossed his arms over his chest and glared back. "Well, it wasn't. So could you please enlighten me as to exactly what these trials are?"
The Overseer took a step back and pulled himself up to his full height. "They are to test if you are fit for the mental link. The linking is a symbiotic relationship. Individuals must be tested to ensure their compatibility with each other. Once a pair of acolytes successfully complete the trials, they are mentally bonded and thus able to access certain areas and systems of The City."
The Overseer's gaze drifted off to Rodney's right as if he were reading something. "According to your scans, you are both seemingly well-matched, but a recent event has triggered concerns of fear and trust." The Overseer studied Rodney, then John. "This will be the focus of the trials."
Rodney stared back for a moment. "What happens if we decide we don't want to do these trials? What if we want to opt-out?"
The Overseer shook his head. "You cannot. By seeking and finding the waypost, you have committed to the trials."
Rodney exchanged a stunned look with John. They were so screwed, he realised. He should never have suggested they look for the energy signature.
The Overseer's gaze hardened. "You did not, however, need to damage the entryway to this facility. The portal would have opened automatically once you were recovered from the transport beam."
Ideas collided in Rodney's brain as the implications of what The Overseer was telling them sank in. They were stuck in an Ancient gauntlet, with no way out and no guarantee of what would happen if they survived. Mental links? Secret rooms? Rodney took a step back and shook his head.
Sheppard glanced from The Overseer to Rodney. "It doesn't sound like we have much of a choice here," he said.
"No," Rodney replied with a resigned sigh.
"The faster we do this, the faster we get back to the mainland. Teyla and Ford have got to be looking for us by now. Who knows how long we've been gone."
"Right. Fine," Rodney replied. "Why not."
Sheppard turned back to The Overseer. "All right, where do we start?"
The Overseer studied them for a moment, then nodded. He stepped back and folded his hands into the sleeves of his robe. "The first test is a simple one. You need only find the waypost that is in this land within the time limit."
"Okay, how exactly do we do that?" Sheppard asked.
The Overseer shook his head. "That is the point of the trial. You must find it and successfully reach it. I will be waiting. You have from now until the next sunrise." Before John could stop him or Rodney could ask any other questions, The Overseer vanished.
"Well, this sucks," John said and kicked a rock near his foot. He glanced over at Rodney. "I don't think he likes you very much."
Rodney shrugged. "I'll try not to be upset about that," he said. "I don't like it when people can't answer a simple question with a simple answer."
John smiled, and Rodney watched as he did another scan of the area. Rodney knew Sheppard was uncomfortable with more than just their current situation. The backdrop for this trail had obviously been chosen on purpose to unsettle John.
Rodney wasn't the most sensitive of men, but he knew he needed to tread carefully. John never talked about Afghanistan. Antarctica, yes. A few other places, occasionally, but never Afghanistan. All he knew about John's time in country was a cryptic statement from Ford that John had lost more than just possible promotions and nearly his life.
"I don't suppose you remember any weird totem poles when you were here before?" Rodney asked, trying to sound normal.
"This isn't funny, Rodney," John replied with a glare.
"I know it's not," Rodney snapped back. "I'm painfully aware of just how screwed we are here." He paused and took a deep breath. "We need a plan," he said as patiently as he could.
Sheppard surveyed the landscape again and started walking toward the nearby hills. "We need to find cover," he said shortly. "Let's go."
They started walking toward the hills before Rodney remembered the Ancient scanner in his vest pocket.
"Wait, hang on a second." Rodney stopped and pulled out the device. "That Overseer person said we needed to find the waypost, right?"
He waited for John to turn around and stiffly nod.
"All right, on the mainland, we found it using the scanner." He turned on the scanner and started adjusting the parameters he wanted to look for. He felt John's growing impatience as he slowly turned in a circle hoping the scanner found something they could track.
He'd almost completed his circle when he caught a faint spike on the scanner off to their left near the edge of the hills. "That way," he said and looked up. "I'm getting something off in that direction."
John looked where Rodney indicated, then nodded and silently led the way. He seemed to watch every direction as they walked, and Rodney just hoped they found this waypost soon. The possibility of skin cancer aside, he wasn't sure John's nerves would survive a prolonged stay in the desert.
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
"The clearing is just up here," Jinto said. He was about to run into the open area before Teyla took his arm and stopped him at the edge of the woods.
"We are not sure what has happened. Stay here and wait for your father and the others," she told him as Ford circled around the edge of the clearing.
Teyla started around the clearing in the opposite direction, watching for any signs of danger in the area.
The clearing itself was like dozens of others she'd seen in forests. The ground cover was low, probably continuously eaten down by herbivores. The trees grew such that the clearing was roughly circular. The only odd thing was a pole, several feet high, standing in the center.
Teyla heard three clicks over the radio, glanced up, and saw Ford signalling her to move forward. She slowly moved out into the clearing and closer to the odd pole. It wasn't hard to see why Jinto had been reminded of the windows in Atlantis. The pole was carved from base to top with the same geometric patterns seen throughout the city. The only difference was the colorful stones set in the pole at regular intervals. She and Ford slowly circled the pole, looking for any sign Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay had been in the clearing.
"The ground has been disturbed," Teyla said, pointing to several places where the grass was flattened.
"So they were here," Ford replied and looked around the clearing.
"I believe so, yes." Teyla stood. "But I cannot tell where they would have gone when they left."
"Teyla!" Halling called as he entered the clearing with a dozen Athosians at his heels and Jinto beside him. "I have brought people to help with the search. Where would you like us to start?"
The Athosians stayed at the edge of the clearing as Halling walked over to Teyla.
"Halling, have you ever seen something like this before?" Teyla asked and gestured to the pole.
Halling studied the pole for a moment. He reached out to touch it, but Ford grabbed his wrist.
"We have no idea what that could do to you," Ford said as he let go of Halling's arm. "Best not to tempt fate."
Halling studied Ford for a moment, then stepped back from the pole with a nod. "You may be correct, Lieutenant." He turned to Teyla. "There are stories of wayposts in the old writings." He studied the pole carefully. "The texts describe these wayposts as lone testaments to The Way of The Ancestors. There is little known of how the Ancestors used them."
"The designs look like a lot of the walls and windows in Atlantis," Ford agreed. "I can believe it was made by the Ancients."
"It is possible Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay were not as cautious," Teyla said. "One of them may have touched the pole and was injured in some way." She looked over at the nearby trees. "Perhaps we should start with a search of the woods near the clearing. We may find their trail or some indication of where they went after leaving this area."
"Good idea," Ford replied. "I'll get in touch with Atlantis and let Doctor Weir know our status."
"We will start a search of the surrounding woods and report back to you what we find," Halling added.
"Thank you, Halling," Teyla said.
Halling nodded, then walked over to the waiting Athosians. "Break into teams," Halling said. "It's possible Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay may be injured. If you find them, return here and let Teyla know."
The men and women nodded at Halling, and a few of them glanced at Teyla and smiled before heading back into the trees. She heard several voices calling Sheppard's name as well as Doctor McKay's.
"We will find your friends, Teyla. Have no fear," Halling said, then left the clearing with Jinto.
Teyla waited until they were gone, then turned back to the strange pole. She stepped closer to the pole, ignoring Ford's conversation with Atlantis. Halling's information about wayposts gave her an idea. She slowly reached out to the pole and brushed her hand along one of the geometric patterns. As she suspected, nothing happened.
"Teyla! What are you doing!" Ford exclaimed.
"I am in no danger, Lieutenant," she reassured him as she let her fingers trace another pattern. "If this waypost does something, I suspect one would need to have the Ancestor's gene to activate it."
Ford glanced from Teyla to the pole and nodded. "And both Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay have the ATA gene," he agreed. "So one of them touched the pole, and they were, what, disintegrated?"
Teyla shook her head. "I do not believe so. That would be counter to the purpose of the gene."
"Sure, I guess that's true."
"What did Doctor Weir say?" Teyla asked as she continued to circle the pole.
"She's sending Markham's team here along with Doctor Zelenka. Hopefully, he can figure out what the pole does and lead us to Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay."
Teyla nodded and reached out to touch the pole again. "What is a waypost, Lieutenant?" she asked as she finished another circuit of the pole and stopped beside him.
Ford shrugged. "A sort of mile marker, I guess. A signpost to tell you the way to get somewhere."
"Exactly," she said and turned to him. "What if this," she patted the pole, "is more than just a signpost. What if it really does show you the way."
Ford looked up at the pole. "You think it transported them somewhere?" he asked, and Teyla easily read the disbelief on his face. "How?"
"I have no idea," she replied. "Hopefully, Doctor Zelenka will be able to tell us." Teyla looked out at the surrounding forest. "However, if I am correct, I fear we will not find Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay anywhere in the woods."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
John kept his head on a swivel as they hiked up into the hills. He'd hoped never to be back in this part of the world again, and the last thing he wanted was for Rodney to see how ugly the war truly could be. He glanced at Rodney trudging along a few steps behind him and thought back to their encounter with the Wraith and capturing Steve. McKay had been nervous and scared at the idea of having to actually shoot at someone, and Sheppard was all right with that. McKay was first and foremost a scientist. John had no interest in making him into a soldier.
He scowled at the nearby hills, watching for any sign of movement. He'd done any number of things when he was stationed here, some of those things he wasn't proud of. That was a side of himself he never wanted Rodney to see.
"I don't think this is really Afghanistan," Rodney announced, slightly out of breath as they crested another hill. He stood bent forward with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
John shook his head and pulled Rodney down into the cover of the hillside. "It doesn't really matter," he replied. "The bad guys will still shoot at you if you make yourself a target by standing at the top of a ridgeline."
Rodney glared at him for a moment and let his breathing even out before he responded. "Of course it matters," he argued. "It's all part of a sadistic mind game. This Overseer is trying to psych you out by creating this …" he waved a hand around, " … whatever this is."
John sat down beside Rodney and handed him one of the bottles of water and an energy bar from his backpack. "Why would The Overseer do that?"
"This is supposed to be a test, right?" Rodney said as he ate the power bar.
John shrugged and nodded as he continued to watch their surroundings for threats.
"Okay, the Ancients really wanted to make sure the people who passed their little gauntlet really earned it. So they stacked the deck." Rodney looked over at him. "You really don't like this place. The Overseer somehow found that out and is using it to get in your head. You're so busy remembering what happened to you when you were in the real Afghanistan, you're allowing it to distract you."
"Thanks for the armchair psychology, there, McKay," John said sarcastically.
Rodney scowled and took out the scanner. "Just don't let what you think you're seeing get to you." He pulled his legs up and rested the scanner on his knees as he fiddled with the settings, presumably looking for the energy signature that would lead them to the waypost.
John glared over at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and tried to let the memories go. Rodney was right. He couldn't afford the distraction. He glanced at McKay poking at the scanner and blew out a breath.
Get it together, John, he ordered himself.
Rodney looked over at him, and while John saw a fair amount of fear in Rodney's eyes, there was also a good amount of concern for him there as well. John gave him a crooked smile, and Rodney relaxed and went back to studying the scanner.
"We're getting close," McKay said a few minutes later. "The energy reading seems to be coming from somewhere in the next valley."
"Good. Let's get this over with," John replied. He shouldered the backpack, pulled Rodney to his feet, and headed out in the direction Rodney indicated.
John crept to the top of another ridge a few minutes later, carefully eased himself into a prone position, and took a set of small field glasses from his vest pocket. He studied the valley and felt more than saw Rodney join him as he scanned the area looking for the telltale pole that would signal the completion of their first trial.
The valley was really more like a small canyon bordered on two sides by the surrounding hills. John looked down the valley and found the narrow opening in the hazy distance. He noted that the valley floor wasn't too far down, which would thankfully save them the time and trouble of a hike out to the valley mouth and then back.
There were no trees or rock outcrops they could use for cover, however. If the waypost was in the valley, they'd be completely exposed while they looked for it.
John looked in the other direction and found the other end of the valley already in partial shadow. He couldn't make out much, but he thought he caught more than a few hints of movement where the hills met at the back of the valley.
If the waypost was in the valley, it had to be in the far end, he thought to himself. It was the most defensible spot.
As if reading his mind, Rodney pointed at the shadowed end of the valley. "The energy reading is coming from there," he said, and John saw him squint as if trying to see through the gloom.
John nodded and scooted down the back side of the hill until the valley was out of sight behind them. He needed to scout the area around the valley, which meant he needed to find a safe place for Rodney to wait for him. He used the field glasses to study the ridgeline until he found a likely spot, then motioned Rodney to follow him.
After another twenty minutes of hiking, John found a cave he was satisfied with. The entrance was hidden by the overhanging branches of a scruffy-looking tree, and both he and Rodney could fit inside it if they had to use it for shelter.
Rodney stood outside the cave, panting and eyeing the hole with distaste. "I really don't want to do this," he said quietly once John explained his plan.
John stepped in front of him. "I know you don't. And I'm sorry to have to make you. But you need to get in there, and you need to stay there until I come back."
"I think we should stick together," Rodney countered and inched away from the cave.
John knew what he was asking. He knew exactly how much it was costing Rodney to even consider waiting in a cave. He also knew he could scout faster if Rodney wasn't with him. They needed a plan, and for that, they needed intel. This was the fastest, and hopefully safest, way to get it.
"I'll be back as fast as I can," John said as he unclipped the backpack and handed it to Rodney.
Rodney's shoulders slumped as he eyed the cave opening one more time before he bent over and shoved the pack inside. "I really hate this idea," he groused as he followed the pack. "This is a really, really bad idea."
"You need to be quiet," John reminded him. "Even if this isn't the real Afghanistan, we don't know what's around here."
Rodney made a few more muttered noises, then stopped speaking.
John nodded to himself and shifted the branches back over the opening. He glanced out at the surrounding hills, then headed along the ridge, looking for the best place to scout the closed end of the valley.
He was a quarter of a mile from the cave when a shimmer flashed in front of him, and The Overseer appeared. "Is it wise to leave the logician alone?" he asked conversationally. "There are many dangers in an environment such as this."
John eyed him suspiciously and continued to hike just under the lip of the slope. "Rodney is one of the bravest people I know," he replied with a stern expression.
The Overseer gave him a patronising smile. "He is afraid of these trials. He is afraid of being alone. He is even afraid of the cave where you left him. That does not sound like a brave man."
John scowled in response. He knew McKay was afraid. The point was Rodney did what needed doing despite his fears.
The Overseer studied John for a moment, then added, "Interestingly, he also fears for your safety and wellbeing. He knows this environment is affecting you, and he is afraid you will do something rash in response." The Overseer paused. "And yet, he has great faith in your abilities."
John tried his best to ignore The Overseer and kept walking.
The Overseer had no difficulty in keeping pace and continued, "You believe your fears are of an equal multitude, but they can be summed up by simply stating you fear losing him." The Overseer glanced back at the cave with a puzzled frown. "He is your opposite in nearly every way, and yet he trusts you more than any other in his life."
John couldn't help what he knew would be a surprised expression on his face.
"You did not know this?" The Overseer asked. "It is not his level of trust being tested. I see how much he trusts you. It will be interesting to see how much you trust him."
John glared at The Overseer, then glanced at the sun setting behind them. He figured he had about three hours to check the valley, find out what was down there, come up with a plan to deal with it, get back to the cave and Rodney, and reach the waypost before the sun set completely.
If they were lucky, they just might finish this test and get out of the desert before full night, he told himself.
John stopped, and against his better judgement, replied, "Do you mind? I have a job to do and apparently not much time to do it."
"Hmm," The Overseer replied. "Yes. This will be very interesting."
Before John could force him to explain his cryptic comment, The Overseer vanished.
"I thought you'd never leave," John muttered to himself.
Once he was certain The Overseer was gone, he climbed to the edge of the ridgeline and skirted along the edge until he found a spot that gave him a clear view of the valley below. He settled into position, pulled out the field glasses, and made an effort to forget about The Overseer as he concentrated on reconnoitering their likely destination.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath as he peered through the binoculars.
The valley was crawling with roughly sixty men or at least something that had two arms, two legs, and one head. John couldn't be sure of anything else as each of the bodies below wore a head-to-foot robe that concealed their faces and most of their bodies. The only thing clearly visible were their hands and feet. Each warrior was armed with a long, thin sword held at his side in what John recognised as a ready position. They certainly looked the part of impenetrable and threatening as they marched around below him. John thought they sort of resembled the warriors in an old kung fu movie.
He spotted the waypost near the back wall of the valley and shook his head. "How are we supposed to get through all of that?" he asked as he continued to watch the armed men below. "Grab a sword and cut our way through?"
John shook his head and studied the men again. While the warriors appeared to be randomly scattered across the valley floor, John realised that the men were actually relatively evenly spaced apart. There were no clusters or significant gaps anywhere in the group.
"It's not random after all," he said in surprise and pressed the binoculars closer to his eyes.
As he watched, the warriors progressed through a series of steps that looked chaotic when seen as a whole. However, if he focused on one person, John found the pattern, the gaps, the places where every back was turned. It was chaos theory writ large, he realised.
John sat and watched the warriors move through the sequence of steps again, making sure there really was a pattern and that it didn't change, and considered their options.
Option one was brute force. To succeed, he and Rodney would somehow need to get their hands on one of those swords and kill as many warriors below as necessary, making a hole to the waypost. While he might get a certain satisfaction from such a plan, John knew fighting their way through the horde below was something Rodney would never survive. He wasn't that confident in his own chances, either.
Then he thought about mind games and considered who these trials were really meant to test. Would the Ancients have allowed the wholesale slaughter of a seemingly non-threatening force as an appropriate response? He didn't think so, which left option two.
Rodney was going to absolutely hate option two, he thought with a grim smile as he edged his way back behind the ridgeline and headed for the cave.