Chapter Five
"Don't touch anything," was the first thing Rodney said as they entered the facility. He was surprised to hear the level of weakness in his voice. He hobbled with an awkward gait using his crutch and Ronon for support. While the fact his knee wasn't hurting as much was remotely encouraging, it still throbbed like a son-of-a-bitch.
It didn't help that Rodney's head also pounded with a vengeance. Thank God that damned ear-piercing buzz of an alarm had been silenced, but the thought of its subsonic vibrations still ongoing was enough to make his stomach rumble with queasiness. He swallowed hard to make it stop, then he looked around.
At first glance, the place reminded him of the inside of an airplane hanger – with mostly wide open spaces above, and without walls to separate the expanse into any sort of rooms or cubicles.
Despite all the overhead space, there was a decidedly cluttered feel to the area, something very un-Ancient-like, at least to Rodney's way of thinking. There were pieces of machinery hanging from chains attached to the ceiling. Some of them were connected to the consoles with colored cables of all sizes. There was netting that held an assortment of metallic odds and ends. Other cables were connected to bizarrely-shaped equipment hidden beneath shrouds sitting on the floor, serving some unknown purpose. Beyond the immediate area, there were the shadowy outlines of machinery and shelving that went as far as the eye could see.
Rodney carefully stepped around a circular mirror about a half meter long and a backup generator near the entrance just to be sure he didn't hang his crutch up on anything.
The lighting was different – darker and more diffuse than most typical Ancient installations, and the air was stale. It also didn't help that it was cold inside, colder than it had been out in the cavern – more supporting evidence that the facility's environmental controls were off in some way.
Rodney hobbled toward what appeared to be the main console, and heard Ronon following closely behind him, no doubt with his blaster poised and ready to annihilate the first thing that hinted of danger. For reasons probably related to being bullied often as a child, Rodney found immeasurable strength in Ronon's steadfast presence.
Rodney stopped and squinted at the dimness surrounding them and thought, 'Increase illumination by one quarter – and increase the ambient temperature by thirty percent.'
Immediately, the lighting adjusted to his command, but what he saw with the added brightness didn't help him much. He stopped at the main console and swept off a layer of cobwebs, then laid his hand upon it, relaxing a little when the equipment sprang to life with his touch.
"So this is Ancient tech?" Ronon asked quietly as he watched.
Rodney nodded, then frowned and said, "Well, mostly."
He didn't bother to explain further. He didn't have time for explanations. For all he knew, that high frequency signal was already reducing his brain to liquid, probably beyond all hope of recovery. He brought up the computer's operating system, which was Ancient-based, but the main menu had characteristics he'd never seen before.
He was studying a particularly interesting subsystem menu when Sheppard stepped up behind him. "You find the shut off switch yet?" he asked, his voice rough and breathless.
"Did you see a big sign with an arrow that says 'Shut Off Switch Here' when you came in, because I certainly didn't," Rodney sneered. "Seriously, keep up with the program. I just walked in here. Who knows where the controls for something like that would be... well, hello. That looks promising."
He set his tablet computer on the console and retrieved some cables from his backpack. As he began connecting his system to the main console, Sheppard leaned closer. "Well?"
Rodney only shook his head. He was in no mood to play the 'are we there yet' game with John Sheppard. When Rodney didn't answer him, John started pacing behind him, bent slightly forward, holding his ribs, looking grim and pasty pale, or maybe it was the mud on his face that made him seem more pale. Rodney watched him from the corner of one eye as he continued to work, then he exchanged a worried glance with Ronon, knowing Ronon was also concerned about John.
At least Sheppard had put away his handgun. Rodney noticed Ronon hadn't holstered his weapon, so the big guy was still primed for danger. Taking a deep breath, Rodney forced all worry from his mind and concentrated on turning off that damned alarm once and for all – then he stopped, his fingers hovering mid-air.
"Oh, crap," he muttered.
"What?" Sheppard asked, moving back beside Rodney.
Rodney shook his head instead of answering him, making his fingers fly over the keyboard as he frantically worked. His voice was amazingly calm as he said, "Contact Radek. I need to talk to him. Now."
He saw Ronon shift uneasily as Sheppard tapped his radio set in his tac vest, so that Rodney could join in on the conversation . "Lorne, put Zelenka on the line," he said, urgency creeping into his voice.
As they waited for Radek, John put a hand on the console and said in a low voice, "What is it, McKay?"
Rodney bit his lip, unable to believe what he was seeing. Wasn't it enough to survive their plummet into the cavern, then to have to deal with the killer high frequency signal? How in the hell could there be another hurdle to jump through now? It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair at all.
"McKay?" Sheppard asked.
"There's – " Rodney blinked a few times, his headache increasing with his anxiety level, and then shook his head slightly. He regretted the shaking motion, because itt made his stomach roll.
Putting a hand to his forehead, he was about to say more when Radek's voice came over the radio. "Yes, Rodney?"
Rodney looked at Sheppard as he said in a rush, "There's a countdown on this damned security system! It looks like it's been active for a very long time. When I overrode the door controls, it must have bumped it up to another level. If I don't shut it down in time – " he paused, unconsciously rubbing a hand across his forehead as his gaze darted from console to console.
Sheppard leaned closer, trying to catch Rodney's eye. "What? What happens if you don't shut it down in time?"
"Well, I don't know for sure, but things like boom and bang spring to mind. Whatever it is, I don't think it will be good."
There was some ominous beeping from another console about ten meters away. Sheppard's head popped up and he shared a worried glance with Rodney. He handed Rodney his radio. "Keep working. I'll check it out," Sheppard said as he walked away.
Rodney glanced nervously at Sheppard as he left, but then Radek asked him a question and he turned his attention back to dealing with the emergency at hand. He prayed he could keep them from blowing up, or from suffering whatever terrible demise came as a consequence of not disabling the security system in time.
oOoOoOoOo
John saw Teyla with Ashina in her arms when he turned to go over to the console that had just started beeping. Teyla had taken Ashina down in that direction in an effort to comfort the child while Rodney worked. Teyla turned toward him and met him halfway, still rocking Ashina gently as she moved. Even from a distance, John could see Ashina's eyelids were heavy with sleep.
"Is she okay?" he asked in a hushed tone.
She nodded. "I believe she has worn herself out with all the excitement," Teyla said softly.
He continued on toward the console and Teyla followed him, saying, "She needs to change into dry clothes, but then that goes for all of us."
Teyla's expression grew more concerned as she looked at the console. "What is wrong?"
John grunted. "What isn't?"
He stopped at the beeping console and put a hand on it to bring up more of its systems. In the background, he could hear McKay and Radek talking rapidly at the main console, spewing all kinds of technobabble that John was only half able to follow. His gaze skimmed over the monitors, but stopped when he saw the rapidly approaching completion of a countdown.
"Uh, McKay, I think you better get over here!" he said loudly, then shot Teyla a sorry glance when Ashina's eyes opened.
Ronon and McKay turned in unison, then McKay cursed under his breath as he started hobbling over to them. "What? What now? The arrival of a Wraith hive ship? An exploding stargate? Or the need to save the galaxy singlehandedly from harm yet once again?"
John licked his lips nervously as McKay approached. "Not quite. I may not understand a lot of what's on this console, but I know enough to say that's not good."
McKay's wide eyes skimmed over the same instruments and he brought the radio to his lips. "Zelenka, do you still read the high frequency pulse?"
There was a pause and then Radek said, "Yes. It's still increasing in intensity."
"Damn it!" McKay said loudly as he slammed a fist on the console, knocking his wooden crutch to the floor. The noise roused Ashina and she began to cry. McKay shot her a sharp look, and said, "Teyla, do... something about her, I already have enough trouble concentrating as it is!"
He looked at Ronon who had moved closer. Rodney glared at him, too, and barked, "Make yourself useful. Get my tablet computer that I left at the other console. Just disconnect the cables from the console." He sighed before turning back to the computer. He yelled without looking. "And hurry, damn it!"
"Geez, McKay," John muttered. "Take it down a notch or two."
Rodney pointed a finger at him. "Lecture me later about being nice when I don't have the responsibility of saving everyone hanging over my head!"
Rodney got back on the radio with Radek as Ronon returned with the tablet computer and Rodney's backpack, then Rodney connected his computer to the console.
Frustrated with nothing to do, John stood at Rodney's side and listened to Rodney and Radek speak in half sentences, one following the other without having to finish saying the words. Finally, Rodney said, "Okay, I'm going to try it, but it will probably jam our radio transmissions for a few minutes. I'll call you back when it's done."
Behind him, John heard Teyla shushed Ashina gently when she started murmuring, "I want my mamma" again. Teyla started walking away, John assumed, because she didn't want to bother McKay. It didn't take much before Ashina's eyelids began to droop closed again. Teyla stopped walking, but not rocking, and glanced back at John, asking in a hushed tone, "John, could you help me for a moment?"
He turned toward her, but couldn't resist another look back at Rodney's frenetic movements. He bit his lip, torn between helping McKay or Teyla. In the end, he figured there wasn't much he could do to help Rodney right then, except to help keep Ashina quiet.
Teyla gestured with her head toward a work bench that was stacked with tarps and towels about twenty feet away from Rodney and the beeping console. She looked at the work bench, and then at John. "Perhaps, we could make a bed for Ashina to sleep on, away from everything going on right now?"
John nodded and went to the work bench. After a few moments, there was a makeshift bed of dusty tarps covered with a not too dirty lab coat on the bench. He helped Teyla lay Ashina upon it. Ashina was so deeply asleep, she didn't move as Teyla removed her jacket from Ashina's shoulders, then placed it over her as they got her settled.
"I can feel the air warming up," Teyla said. "That is good for all of us. Perhaps we can find something that will help to dry our clothes when things slow down a bit."
John nodded in agreement, then brushed his thumb over Ashina's brow when she started to mumble again in her sleep. "She's so cold," he said with concern.
Teyla sighed, glancing up to meet John's gaze. "Can you turn up the heat a little more? And get the duffel bags with the med kit and blankets? They are over by Rodney and Ronon."
John nodded as he glanced up and thought, Increase room temperature by twenty percent.
He looked at her and said, "I'll be right back with the duffel bags."
He went for the duffel bags. They were heavier than he thought, but then he remembered all that they contained. He paused by McKay and Ronon on his return trip. "How's it going?" he asked quickly.
McKay shook his head. "Not good."
Rodney didn't even glance over at him as he answered, then John looked at Ronon. Ronon merely shrugged in response. "Keep at it," John said as he walked away.
"As if I'd stop suddenly to take a break," Rodney muttered.
John went back to Teyla and knelt. He opened the first duffel bag and pulled out a blanket for Ashina, then he got the med kit. "Here you go," he said, handing it off to Teyla while stowing the rest of the supplies.
Teyla opened the med kit's zipper and immediately began sifting through it until she found a splint and arm sling. With a sigh, Teyla held them up for John to see.
The splint was, of course, adult-sized and way too big for Ashina. John looked around and found two small pieces of flat metal about six inches long, an inch wide and an eighth-inch thick and brought them to Teyla as he said, "Get a roll of gauze. We'll make our own splint."
She nodded and soon they had a splint proportional for a four year-old. Ashina was so deeply under, she only grimaced and murmured a quiet moan when Teyla tied the splint in place. John spread another one of the blankets over Ashina. Teyla put a hand over his and said, "Thank you."
"Stay with her," he said, then quickly moved away to return to McKay and Ronon, but as he straightened, he grimaced and brought his hand to his throbbing ribs. He paused as he took a careful breath.
"John?" Teyla asked as she turned toward him.
"I'm good," he said with a forced smile. "I'm going to see what I can do to help McKay."
"Be careful and good luck," she said and turned to Ashina, humming softly as she brushed her finger across Ashina's brow.
When John turned toward McKay, he saw Rodney shaking his head frantically, then he started typing in a frenzy. "It's asking me for the security password. How the hell do I figure out what the freaking password is in the next ten seconds?"
John rushed forward. "Ten seconds?"
"Thereabouts."
"Is there a way to get around it?" Ronon asked.
"Um – we'll see?"
John was halfway to them and said, "Keep trying – "
Everyone froze as a squawking alarm began and the facility's lighting became blaring bright. John squinted against the brightness, then something bright red swept across the periphery of his vision and he dove aside just as a laser beam swiped past where he'd been standing, burning its way deep into the machine part that had been on the shelving behind him.
Gritting his teeth together to ignore the explosive pain the jarring movement caused his ribs, John shouted, "Everyone, get down!"
Ronon pulled McKay down as a beam hit the console, searing a quarter-inch hole into its most distant edge, narrowly missing Rodney's head. A quick glance at Teyla revealed she'd picked up Ashina and they were crowded below another work bench. Teyla had very few options available to her, pinned in like she was. Of course, the abrupt motion awakened Ashina and she was crying in earnest.
John popped his head out from behind a large spindle of clear fiberoptic cable he was hiding behind. He glanced around to see where the laser beams were coming from, then said, "I don't think it liked your password, Rodney!"
McKay wiped a hand over his face and sighed. "I'm afraid we've jumped up to the next security level!"
John peeked out at McKay and said, "The next level? How many damned levels are there?"
McKay's eyes bulged as he sputtered. "Do I look omnipotent to you? I may be a genius, but there are some things I don't know, okay? I just don't know! You see, I only just arrived in this hell hole five minutes ago and things have been a bit brisk since then!"
John peered out once more before moving, just to be on the safe side, then slid across the aisle to take refuge beside a large empty two door cabinet. He smiled with relief once he arrived there safely, then said, "Excuses, McKay! I bet Radek would have had things under control by now!"
"Oh, that's hitting below the belt, even for you! What is it with you and Ronon? Just for the record, goading me with derisive taunts does not improve our situation one bit! Give me a minute!"
Rodney looked at Ronon. "Can you reach my computer?" Ronon nodded and groped around the top of the console with one hand until he found it, then pulled it down and handed it to McKay.
John peeked out again. The shots from the laser cannons seemed to have stopped. He frowned. Maybe the security system was just waiting for one of them to make a wrong move.
There was a metal pipe sitting on a shelf beside him; John picked it up and flung it into the air high across the room. Within a split second, it was hit by three separate laser beams and fell to the ground in a multitude of pieces.
"Ah, crap. That's not good," John told himself.
He got to his knees, peering out to check on Teyla and Ashina. Ashina was becoming more rambunctious in her escalating tantrum. John cursed under his breath. He had to do something to help them. He grabbed and threw a large football-shaped device into the air far above the consoles. It suffered a similar fate as the pipe, but before the remains hit the floor, there was a loud explosion as Ronon blasted one of the laser cannons to bits.
McKay peeked out from under the console. "What the hell are you doing? Throwing practice tosses for skeet shooting?"
"No," John said patiently, "just pinpointing the location of the laser cannons so Ronon can take them out."
"Oh," McKay said as he picked up some scrap metal. "Let me try."
Ronon shook his head, stilling McKay's movement. "Don't."
"And why not?" Rodney asked indignantly.
"Leave the laser cannons to me and Sheppard, McKay," Ronon said gruffly. "You need to focus on shutting down this security system."
Rodney let the metal piece in his hand fall to the ground and sighed. "I never get to do any of the fun stuff." Then he gaped at Ronon. "And just how am I supposed to shut down the security system? I can't even touch keys on the console, so I'm no good there, and as hard as it is to believe, I'm not able to move objects with the power of my brilliant mind."
Ronon bopped him on the back of his head. "No, but you're staring at the underbelly of the beast. Can't you do something to disable it from down there?"
"Don't hit me in the head, damn it! Head injury, remember?" He put his hand to his head for a moment, looking at the console above him. "Oh, sure, sure, you go ahead and get the easy job of blasting laser turrets while I have to claw my way through – "
Ronon shoved his backpack into McKay's hands and then moved away from him. "Do it!" he said, then moved to a point where John could no longer see him.
John glanced over at McKay and said, "I'm going to see if I can help Teyla."
Rodney nodded and pulled out a small toolkit as he scowled at the bottom of the console. John wiped the palms of his hands against his BDUs and peeked over at Teyla. "I'm on my way, Teyla," he said.
Teyla didn't respond, but Ashina's shrill cries did.
"Crap," John said as the lasers started shooting randomly. "Ronon, how many laser turrets do you count?"
"You mean how many are still active?"
"Yeah."
"A half dozen or so."
Rodney groaned. "That's a bit of overkill, don't you think – ugh, pardon the pun."
"We'll get them," Ronon said with quiet confidence.
John peeked out again, still worried about Teyla's situation. "Teyla?"
Teyla's voice was strained as she replied, "Yes, John."
"We've got to get you to better cover."
"Agreed."
He looked around and saw the heavy metal cabinet beside him. He nudged the doors open with his handgun and saw it was mostly empty, except for some removable shelves. "Do you think you can make it over to this cabinet? It's empty and fairly heavy duty. I think it could withstand the laser fire short term."
There was a pause as Teyla assessed the situation. "Yes, but we will need a distraction."
Their conversation was interrupted by a couple laser beams tracking something Ronon had tossed into the air. It was followed by a few more blasts from Ronon's weapon, successfully taking out another turret.
John took the opportunity to pull out one of the shelves and threw it into the air like a boomerang, then without looking up to see it hit by the beams, he pulled out the other two shelves, dropping them to the ground, then he darted back behind it. Ronon's weapon fired several times and another turret was destroyed.
"Good shooting, Ronon! Keep it up," John shouted. "I've got to get Teyla to better cover. McKay, you can help, too. When I say go, throw everything you can into the air to keep those laser cannons busy. I need to keep them distracted long enough for Teyla to reach this empty cabinet."
"Go for it," Ronon said.
"Ready when you are," Rodney called out.
"Go!" John shouted as he put a hand on a nearby cart, and pushed it flying down one aisle, then he pulled his gun and fired at the things hanging in the air, setting some of them into motion. More than a few items started fluttering to the ground.
The laser cannons went crazy, firing almost constantly as they blasted at their airborne targets. John stepped out in a crouch and waved Teyla on. "Okay, now! Run for it!"
She stood with Ashina squirming in her arms and started to run. She was almost to him when she was hit in the right thigh by a laser and went down, hitting her head on the nearby shelving as she fell.
John stepped forward, forcing himself to ignore the deadly flashes of laser fire going on above him. He was worried about Teyla, but even more worried about Ashina. Teyla had fallen on top of her, but the girl was squirming her way to get out from under her. If she got free, she would be an uncontrollable moving target.
"Teyla's down," he yelled without looking back at Ronon and Rodney. "Keep the lasers busy for as long as you can!"
The facility echoed with the sound of weapons fire and exploding things. Lightweight debris rained down around John from a net that was partially severed above him as he reached Teyla and Ashina. He held his breath when he saw Ashina draw herself out from under Teyla and get to her feet.
He reached forward and caught her right before she could move away. Scooping her up in his arms, he said, "Can't go anywhere just yet, little lady."
Securing the shrieking child under one arm, he reached down and grabbed the back of Teyla's tac vest, gritting his teeth together against the protests of his injured ribs, and started pulling her toward the empty cabinet. It took all the strength he had, but he managed to get Teyla inside the cabinet, then stepped inside himself, drawing the two metal doors closed.
"Okay, we're clear!" he yelled, trying to control his rapid breathing.
He wasn't sure if they heard him because of Ashina's constant screams. He tried to comfort her, but she was an animated whirl of kicking arms and legs and was in no mood to be comforted. "Okay, listen, just calm down – "
He groaned when the metal component of Ashina's arm splint landed solidly on his injured ribs. "Son of a – " he gasped and spent the next several seconds trying to catch his breath, but luckily he didn't lose consciousness or his hold on her.
"Sheppard!"
He heard his name being called. There was a certain element of panic and concern in the voice calling for him, and he figured it wasn't the first time McKay had shouted at him. John wasn't sure if anyone could hear him over the ruckus Ashina was creating, but he tried anyway. "Yeah, Rodney, we made it!"
"What? I couldn't understand you over the kid's screaming. For Pete's sake, how can anyone howl like that for extended periods of time? The vocal cords have to give out sooner or later."
John took a deep breath and shouted as loudly as he could, "We're okay!"
He reached down, angling in the cabinet to check Teyla's pulse, but it was almost impossible to do with the whirlwind in his other arm. He managed to get a pulse. It was faster than he liked, but Teyla's breathing was steady. It looked like she was going to be okay.
As he straightened again, he heard Rodney shout, "That's good, because Ronon was hit, too!"
John straightened with alarm, then had to tighten his grip on Ashina. Losing Ronon at this point might shift the odds against them. "Is he okay?"
"He says he is! What about Teyla?"
"She's down."
Ashina's wails became ear-piercing at that particular moment and he put his face close to hers and said, "Ashina, calm down! I know you want your mother! Here, let's talk to her." He started to tap his radio on his tac vest and realized he'd left his radio with McKay.
Cursing under his breath, he tried to think of something he could say that might help calm the girl, but finally all he could say in his best military drill sergeant voice was, "Ashina, stop screaming!"
The commanding tone he used did nothing to stop her. Ashina was already hysterical and way beyond the point of hearing him, so he stopped trying to make her listen. "Okay, fine, cry."
He turned toward McKay's voice. "So Ronon's okay?"
"I'm fine," Ronon shouted. "Just singed my arm."
"Yeah, right!" McKay shot back.
John bit his lip. That description could involve a whole range of injury on the Ronon Dex scale, but he decided he couldn't worry about it at the moment.
"How's Teyla?" Ronon asked.
John looked down at Teyla's unmoving form and nudged her, saying, "Teyla? Can you hear me?"
Then he stopped. If Teyla could have heard him, she would have already been up and helping him to deal with Ashina. "She's unconscious."
He licked his lips. "How many laser turrets are left?"
Ronon replied, "I think there's only two left, but I'm in a bad position to get them."
"Then that means you have to disable the security system, McKay."
"Yeah, well, I've been trying to do that and all I've gotten for my trouble is a rather severe burn on my left forefinger."
John used that drill sergeant tone again as he said, "It's up to you, Rodney. Just disable the damned thing."
There was some indecipherable cursing, then McKay said, "I'm working on it!"
Ashina arched back in her struggles at that moment, and the metal splint struck John's ribs again, making white sparklies appear at the edge of his vision. He gasped for air, and had a hard time finding any. An instant later, Ashina kicked backward. Her foot connected with one of the cabinet's doors and knocked it wide open before John could catch it.
In the next moment, a laser beam shot out, piercing Ashina's lower abdomen just below her left rib cage. The shot went through her and caught John in the fleshy side of his right hip.
Fire erupted in his hip as Ashina went limp. He struggled to keep from dropping the girl on Teyla with one arm while the other groped around to find the cabinet door and pull it closed again. He heard McKay and Ronon both calling his name, but all he could manage was to hug the girl tightly as he slumped against the side of the cabinet and slowly slid to the floor, then darkness closed his eyes.
oOoOoOoOo