Chapter Ten

Ten Thousand Years Later

Year Two of the Expedition, 1421 hours(Atlantis Base Time)

The scarlet red blood sprayed up and down into the snow from Luietenant Lee's leg. Lee screamed in pain as the blood continued to flow out of the wound. The large peice of the Jumpers hull was lodged right through his upper thigh. Luietenant Yanson pulled a small syringe from his vest and injected it into the other leg of the wounded soldier.

"Hes losing alot of blood. We need to get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible," said Yanson surpressing the blood flow. The blood flowed out and between his fingers as he pushed down.

Kurt looked down as the blood continued to flow out and into the snow. The snow was changing from white to a dark red color. The blood was continuing to pour out of the wound, it steamed in the cold winter air.

"Doc, go dial us out!"

Kurt reached down and grabbed Lee's shoulders, he nodded to Yanson and they both lifted the wounded man as he screamed in pain. Yanson took the lead and began to run towards the Stargate a few hundred feet away. Dr. Swenson already stood at the gates DHD and was pressing the large buttons on the device. Flaming chunks of debris and Fires surrounded her from the crashed Puddle Jumper. She crouched down and looked at the inside of the device.

"Move your ass, Yanson. Hes bleeding out here," said Kurt as he ran holding up wounded Lee.

They continued to run as Swenson turned and ran back towards them. "Stop!"

Kurt and Yanson stopped running and slowly placed Lee on the ground. They stood as the Doc ran up to them. "The DHD's gone. A peice bigger then that went right through it," she said pointing at Lee's leg.

Kurt stood dazed for the moment, he thought about what this new information meant for all of them. Not only could they not get back to Atlantis to help Lee, they couldn't get back home. They couldn't even check in, they would have to wait six hours till they were over due to check in. Then Atlantis would send a Jumper which had its own DHD inside of it. "Were gonna have to wait till were over due."

Yansons face turned angry as he protested. "Sir, hes not gonna last that long. We need to find a way off world, real soon."

Kurt nodded but a frown crossed his face as he spoke, "Doctor is there any other way to dial the gate?"

She stood thinking for a second as she thought about the different things that they could. She made a weird face as she thought, it made Kurt smile at its awkwardness. Her eyes got bigger as she had a thought come to mind. "The Dart. It has its own DHD onboard. If you were to go dial it out, we could get back."

Yanson smiled and shook his head,"what about us? Won't the gate shut off before we get back to it?"

"Once I'm through, I'll tell them to hold it open. You'll have less then thirty eight minutes to get back to it."

Kurt nodded and looked at Yanson who nodded in reply. He looked down at Lee who had long since stopped screaming and moaning from the pain. His face was relaxed and he looked from person to person, with a large smile on his face. Kurt looked back up to the Doc. "Alright, we'll keep in radio contact. I want both of you with your guns out and ready," said Kurt as he looked from Lee to the Doc. "If enough of the Dart survived the crash to dial home, then the pilot probably made it too."

Dr. Swenson reached down and took her M9 Beretta from its holster and pulled back the slide. It made a loud click in the deathly quiet air. Kurt nodded and looked over at Yanson, they both began to slowly jog in the direction of the crashed Dart. "C'mon move it Yanson. Were on the clock."

The wind quietly blew through the trees and pushed snow off of the branches which fell with quiet a poof sound. The sky was growing dimmer and dimmer as the sun was setting on the planet. Below the snow filled trees layed the two Marines. Kurt breathed in and out quietly, the only thing that showed he was breathing was the mist caused by his hot breath. Beside him layed Yanson who was also breathing in and out quietly as they both looked into the trees. Kurt had his binoculars out and looked into the trees.

Two hundred feet ahead of them trees burned and were knocked over. Flames were scattered across the area and debris was randomly thrown in places.The main fuelsalage of the Dart was hidden behind a large peice of flaming organic metal. It prevented Kurt from seeing the cockpit in any detail. All he could see was the large rear area where the advanced red glowing engine was located.

Kurt leaned over and whispered, "what do you think?"

"Its shitty angles sir, we couldn't see him from here even if we wanted to," he whispered in reply.

"Alright, whos going to look for him?"

Yansons face changed from a concentrated look to another look. He smiled and shook his head at Kurt, "alright. I'll go, you better watch my ass."

Yanson nodded and turned on his laser sight, he steadied his P-90 on a log and watched as Kurt got up and slowly began to walk to the flaming dart. Kurt held his P-90 at the ready as he slowly stepped in the hard snow, it crunched with every step. The flaming debris made dark shadows in the dusk air as he walked forward. Kurt scanned from each dark shadow to the next as he scanned for any signs of the pilot. He continued to walk to the Dart.

He felt the fear twinge down his spine as he walked forward, he was just over forty feet from the Dart. Sweat began to bead down his forhead and down his back. He felt the cold air against his skin even through his layered winter clothes. A cold chill ran up his spine as he passed the large flaming peice of a wing that had obscured their vision. He continued to walk towards the cockpit, it was facing away from him. He walked towards it, he felt the energy come to him as his adreneline pumped. Kurt stayed a few feet from the cockpit as he approached it. He stepped out and looked into the cockpit with his gun at the ready. It was empty.

Kurt reached up and turned on his radio, "alright its clear. Everyone heads up, hes out here somewhere."

Kurt looked off into the trees with the fading light, shadows were everywhere in the forest. He turned and watched as Yanson ran towards him, it took the man a few seconds to cross the two hundred feet distance to him. Yanson ran up and looked inside the cockpit aswell. It was empty, and he looked back at Kurt.

"Alright lets dial this and get outta here," said Kurt.

Kurt turned and moved to the cockpit as something made a loud clacking sound. Both Kurt and Yanson looked at the egg shaped device as it bounced down the hull and into the cockpit of the Dart. Kurt turned and yelled,"run!"

They both began to run as the time ticked away, they were a feet away when the blast errupted from the cockpit. The explosion ripped out of the fighter and metal flew in all directions. The ground shook from the blast and both Yanson and Kurt were thrown by the concussion of the grenade. A large fireball ripped into the sky and several trees were lit ablaze by the bomb.

Kurt landed in the snow and felt a burning pain in his back. The world went dark as the sound of gunfire began to chatter around him.