Dorothy - LOL, Yes, Rodney can be a little... What's the word? Reckless?
Shadows-of-Realm - I'm not sure I'd call this funny, really, but I wanted to try something different. So I figured, instead of physical harm to John, have him being mind controled and hurting at least one of his friends.
Jasminesmommy - Because it's John Sheppard? LOL. I think everyone and anyone likes to hit on him... I mean pick on him... LOL.
x Varda x - LOL I had to laugh at your review. "You hurt McKay! ...Thank you!" LOL. You're welcome? That was what I was going for, emotional hurt.
Debbie418uk2 - I wanted to add that in after your review, but the only line I could think of was the one you sent, and I figured I wouldn't since it's your line and I didn't want to steal it. LOL. I tried to check over this one, as it's an older one, and I hope everything is ok with it.
Puddle-Jumper38 - Oh, yeah, forgot all about Caldwell. Hm, I think I thought of Carson and Caldwell after you asked me who Carsewell was. LOL. No, just a random name/name-combination I thought up. Same will go with some of the characters in this chapter, that you might not recognize.
Glad you guys liked it. Here's the next update.
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(P3X-771, Normal POV)
"Why exactly do we always get the retrieval missions?" Rodney glared at the ground as he stepped over a tree stump and nearly fell through a small, covered hole. Luckily, Ronon grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside. "Thanks. I mean seriously, they have their best team tromping through the woods, as if we didn't have anything better to do!"
"Rodney, we don't have anything better to do." John stated in his usual drawl.
Hesitating for a moment, Rodney raised an eyebrow before cocking his head to the side. His expression almost wanted to say that, yeah, John was right. Then he seemed to think better about it. "Speak for yourself. I, for one, have tons to do."
"Inventory and week-late reports don't count."
"Dr Weir's last contact with SGA-17 seemed to give her the impression they were in danger, and in need of help." Teyla spoke up finally, her eyes focused on the imaginary path the team was following.
John nodded and turned, stopping as he held up his hand. "Yeah, I saw it. They were being attacked by a bunch of really pissed off looking farmers." He seemed to pause for a moment. "Come to think of it, how are four guys with P90s, C4, and handguns outmatched by a small group of farmers with pitchforks and knives??"
Hearing John muttering out loud to himself, Rodney's eyes widened and his face paled. "They were up against that and couldn't take it? Oh god!" He began to pace on the spot. "What if the farmers had ancient shield devices or something, or maybe they were really androids and the guns didn't phase them, or..." He snapped his fingers furiously. "What if they were replicators??"
Staying calm, John regarded Rodney coolly, as if none of this really bothered him. "Rodney...? Did your scan show any life signs?"
Rodney quickly pulled out the hand held scanner and began looking at it. Holding it up, he turned it this way and then that, but frowned. "No. In fact, I'm not getting any life signs but our own."
"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Turning back around John began back off into the woods.
(Else Where)
"Intruders."
"They can't make it to the facility. You! Take a team and stop them!" There was a pause. "...And if you can, save their bodies. Like the others, they can serve a purpose."
The room was heavily shadowed, and many forms stood in the middle of it. Two of the dark forms turned and left the room, and lights flashed briefly from a console, illuminating the faces of four people, four men, dressed in Atlantis uniforms. Their faces were exceptionally pale, dark circles having formed under their eyes. One had a gash across his temple that was still bleeding, and another had lost his arm in battle, the wound still pouring fresh blood.
Yet, the four of them stood there, moving out of the way as their leader walked past. Their eyes were blank and glazed, and none of them breathed. They were no longer alive, but simple puppets.
Yes, my puppets will help me succeed where I have failed before. Hmm... On Second thought... "You four..." Turning to the Atlantis team, the leader grinned maliciously as he walked over. "You will go and deal with our intruders personally." Lets have some fun. Turning back to a computer control panel in the dark, he chuckled quietly to himself and typed a command into it, ordering his other troops to return.
(With the Team, John's POV)
"How long have we been walking? Can't we take a break, just for a few minutes? Look, my legs are killing me, and I'm starving!"
Growling, Ronon looked about ready to put Rodney out of our misery, but instead he stomped off to the edge of the forest and looked out. "We're here." Pointing out, he glanced back briefly. "There's a village out there." Turning back, his eyes narrowed. "Looks abandoned."
"Well, maybe everyone's just in a meeting or something." I walked forward and stood next to Ronon. "Wait, what's that?" Pointing briefly to a black object on the ground, I grabbed my binoculars from my pack and raised them to my face. "Damn! It looks like the remains of one the packs from our men." Lowering the binoculars again, I looked around before sighing. "Well, come on. We might as well see if we can't figure out what happened."
"Oh, yes. Let's walk towards the obvious trap."
Glaring back at Rodney, I raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a better idea?" I saw him opening his mouth and held up a hand. "On second thought, I don't wanna know. We're going. Or do you wanna be the one to return empty handed and explain to Elizabeth why we turned tail and ran at the sight of a pack on the ground at the edge of an abandoned village?" Although sometimes I wonder if that wouldn't be the smarter route, considering walking towards it usually leads to an ambush or trap of some sort.
Pausing at that, Rodney glared at me but took a deep breath and stalked off ahead of us, through the tree line and towards the village of straw huts, and the fallen pack. Being the first one there, he stopped for a moment and simply stared at it.
"Are you waiting for it to get up and tell you a story, McKay?" I asked calmly as I sidled over and picked it up. Promptly, I dropped it again with a grimace. "Wha...?" Looking at my hands, I felt my eyes widen.
Blood.
Lots of it.
"Oh, that can't be good." Rodney had turned a little green, and if the situation wasn't so dire, I probably would have made a joke about competing for the new 'Jolly Green Giant', though Rodney would have a lot to make up for, in the 'jolly' section. ...And the 'giant' section.
"So? We knew they were either hurt or dead." Ronon looked less than impressed and he pulled out his blaster, making a show of setting it to stun, before I could even open my mouth.
Good boy. It was right on the tip of my tongue, but I knew saying that out loud was basically a death sentence, when dealing with Ronon. Instead, I nodded pointedly and looked down at the fallen pack. Though I do have to admit, I've got him trained well.
"What do we do, now? We are fairly certain at least one member of their team is injured. We should proceed with caution."
"Yeah. Let's split up into groups, we can cover more ground. Ronon, you're with Teyla. Rodney, you're with me."
(In the Woods, Normal POV)
Four shapes moved swiftly, barely making a noise as they rushed through the forest. Blood streaked down their forms, and their injuries had yet to stop bleeding, but that, and the occasional snapped twig, was all they left in their wake. They had no projectile weapons on them, having lost them in their initial run from the locals of this planet or had them stripped by their earlier captors, but they did still have their hunting knives, and two of the men had them drawn, the steel blades glimmering in the faint sun, almost thirsting for blood.
Not a word or glance was exchanged. They avoided running into each other with ease, as if being able to sense they were there. Their eyes never met, never strayed from their intended path as they finally made their way to the edge of the woods, looking out over the village SGA-1, Sheppard's Team, were now searching. It was almost as if none of them knew the others were there.
Dull eyes widened and almost seemed to flicker with emotion, but it did not last long. One man grinned and licked his lips, his thirst for battle already taking precedence. Another stayed back, half hiding behind a tree as he stared at the forms of Rodney McKay and John Sheppard, who moved from one investigated hut to one that was not yet investigated.
Finally, after several moments of just watching, the four men dispersed into groups of two. One group went through the woods even more silently then before, making their way around the village. The other two went forward, quickly making their way to the hut their former Colonel had just entered.
Suddenly, they stiffened. Their eyes glassed over even more before clearing back into what was becoming their usual dullness. They had received new orders.
(With Rodney and John, John's POV)
"Do you get the feeling we're being watched?" Rodney was standing by the window of the hut, frowning in worry. "I mean, I know it sounds crazy-"
"Yeah, pretty much." Staring at him a moment, I sighed. "Look, this village is abandoned, ok? How many huts have we searched now? No people, no animals, no signs of fresh food or water..." I raised an eyebrow and gave him a look I knew dared him to challenge that.
With a nod, Rodney sighed and looked around the sparsely decorated hut. "What I don't get is... Why make a village and then abandon it?"
"Maybe it was a culling." I suggested, heading for the door. "Who really knows?" Opening the door, I stared in shock at the pale, almost mutilated face of... "Lieutenant Baxtor?" Before I even had a chance to react, I felt a sharp pain in my side and my legs gave out under me as another pain followed at the back of my head.
The last thing I heard was Rodney cry out in shock, then in pain, before a thud sounded, and silence.
Honestly, it felt like days before I came to. Hell, for all I knew, it had been days. I also felt like I'd had a few too many, and woke up in a place that I didn't recognize. It was dark, dank, smelly, noisy... My head hurt, my stomach hurt, my side really hurt, and oh, there was Rodney, lying unconscious beside me.
Scooting over beside him, I was surprised to find out I could barely crawl. The pain in my side made it almost impossible to do anything else, and when I glanced down, I could make out a wet-looking stain on my shirt. I really didn't need to touch the area to know it was blood, and that I'd been stabbed.
"Rodney!" I hissed quietly, trying not to alert our captors I was awake. "Rodney! Wake up!" Reaching out, I ignored how it pulled at my injured side, or how my vision swam. I grabbed his arm and shook. "McKay! Wake the hell up, already!"
There was a groan, and like magic Rodney was rolling over, his eyes opening heavily as he gingerly felt a small welt on his forehead. "Ow! What the hell?!"
"We were ambushed."
"Thank you Captain Obvious. Tell me something I don't already know." He spat, wincing as he sat up. Looking around, he raised an eyebrow. "And where the hell are we?"
"I don't know." I probably could have made the perfect comeback at that moment, but I wasn't really feeling up to it. My head was still swimming, and I still felt like I had the king of all migraines.
"Hey, you ok?"
"I've been stabbed." I tried for a casual shrug, but hissed and groaned as it pulled at my side and a fresh wave of pain came over me. "Ok, remind me not to shrug."
"Oh." Rodney was quiet for a moment. "You ok? No, wait, dumb question. Uh, what about Ronon and Teyla?"
"Not here."
"You think they were captured, too? I mean, if they weren't they're out there and can probably help us, right?"
"Like I said, they're not here. Who knows?"
The sound of footsteps alerted us both to the approach of our captors, and Rodney scooted over beside me. It was hard to tell if it was for the comfort of being near a friend, or if he was trying some half-assed attempt at protecting me, or what. Either way, his company was appreciated.
The cell door opened, and we realized it was a cell when the light, however dim, from the hallway shone in. The walls of the room were covered in red veins, and material similar to what you'd find on a Wraith Hive ship. Strangely, the room reminded me of the underground cells that held the eggs containing the Iratus bug hybrids we found, from Michael's experiments.
Two figures stepped inside, and in the dull light, I recognized them as Lieutenant Baxtor, who'd stabbed me earlier, and Captain Dunigan, another of our marines. Baxtor's face was pretty cut up, and was still bleeding freely, though he looked like he'd gotten those injuries some time ago. His face was white as a sheet, and his eyes were dull and emotionless. Dunigan's face was also white, and he too had dull, emotionless eyes. He carried a stab wound in his chest, and I could see he would have been killed instantly by the blow, as it was bleeding bad enough to suggest going right through to the heart.
But… That doesn't make sense. If he was stabbed in the heart, he'd be dead. How is he standing here? Taking another look at Baxtor's injuries, I winced deeply. He doesn't look like he should be walking around so relaxed, either. "What the hell is going on?!" I demanded as loudly and firmly as I could, despite the pain in my side.
There was no answer. Hell, neither of them even looked like they could hear me.
"I guess we know what happened to our guys." Rodney muttered, his eyes widening as he stared at our men. "It's like they're zombies, or something."
"That's because that is precisely what they are." Came an overly familiar voice.
I think both our heads snapped in the direction the smooth voice came from as another figure entered the room. As he stepped into the light, I felt my heart plummet to see Michael himself standing in front of us. He was still the same as the last time we saw him. A human-Wraith hybrid of our own creation, thanks to the retrovirus.
"Hello, Colonel Sheppard. Dr. McKay. I trust you have been well?"
"Michael. I should have known. I've been better." I answered dryly, gingerly pressing my hand above the stab wound.
He nodded, though he didn't really seem all that bothered by it. "Ah, yes, I trust you will forgive me for that. They were only meant to subdue you, but Lieutenant Baxtor has an…unusual thirst for blood. The knife was not intentional."
"I'm sure."
"I am serious. Having you injured hampers my plans, as they involve a lot of experimentation with the two of you." He gave a Wraith-like grin. "After all, I have been successful in finding the perfect warriors, now I am in the process of converting them without damaging their memories."
If he's damaged their memories… He probably doesn't know the gate address to Atlantis. Frowning, I stared at them. "And you really expect us to cooperate?"
"You will be first, and if you resist, we will simply have to torture Dr. McKay, here."
Damn!
"Whoa, no! Leave me out of this!" Rodney was glaring at him. "I refuse to be part of your sick experiments!"
I nodded in agreement with him, gritting my teeth as my vision spun and a headache became pronounced. Glaring at Michael, I swallowed heavily against nausea. "Where…are the rest of…my team?!" It was starting to get harder to focus, but I refused to give in.
Now Michael frowned. "I am…uncertain. They were meant to be captured as well, but your other two marines failed to report back with them." His eyes narrowed. "No bother, they are of little consequence, now that I have the two of you. Your friends, if they are still alive, will never be able to-"
A blast suddenly rocked the room, and he spun towards the door and P90 fire rang loudly in the halls.
"You were about…to say?" I questioned lightly, smirking a little from my spot on the floor. Leaning back against the wall, I stared as he spun back to me and took a step forward.
Then he paused. "This cannot be! How could they have found us?!" Turning his back to us, he gestured to the two marines at the door. "Finish them!" With that, he strolled quickly out of the room.
Baxtor and Dunigan walked forward slowly, grabbing their knives. Each one of them fixed their gaze on one of us, Baxtor on me and Dunigan on Rodney.
"Hey! Guys, come on! It's us!!" Rodney had gotten up at this point.
"McKay! Stay back!" I ordered, struggling to get up. A sharp pain shot up my side and I couldn't help but cry out as my legs gave out again. Everything spun and my side burned, but I tried to stay focused on the two zombies heading our way.
The P90 fire was getting progressively closer, and it rang out almost constantly.
The zombies were almost on top of us. Unarmed, we were no match for them, especially with me in the shape I was in. I tried to scramble back, but gagged as pain and nausea overwhelmed me.
Suddenly, P90 fire rang through the room, and the two bodies jerked violently. They remained advancing, however, as if not noticing it, but after several shots, they slowly collapsed.
"What the hell?! It's like they barely even felt the shots!" Rodney's eyes were wide and his face white. He was trembling a little as Dunigan collapsed at his feet, and took a step back.
"John! Rodney!"
Teyla was the first to rush into the room, followed quickly by Ronon, Lorne, and Carson.
"Colonel, sir, we've got the compound secure." The Major saluted me before kneeling to check the bodies, wincing as he recognized the men.
"Good." Nodding a little, I swallowed and gestured with my free hand to the bodies. "What the hell was up with them?" I couldn't help but wince as Carson immediately began prodding the stab wound.
"They were zombies, sir. Michael used a virus on the living bodies, then killed them, and the virus kept their bodies mobile." A young female scientist entered the room with a frown and a pale face. "The virus preserved the body and allowed him to install and activate a chip in their brains that gave them simple commands."
"Basically, undead killing machines, sir. Being dead already, it takes a lot more to take these guys down once and for all." Lorne's face was filled with regret.
"It appears that was what happened to the civilians here, too." The scientist was typing quickly on a computer tablet. "It's all here in his database." She looked up and at Rodney. "I managed to safely download it for you, Dr. McKay. I figured you may want the information."
"And how'd you find us?" I asked, before McKay could launch into one of his excited rants.
"Private Tenner, sir. Somehow he managed to regain some sense long enough to tell us where to find the compound, before the chip exploded in his head. Apparently this was a side effect that Michael was a little worried about, but it happened so rarely, that if wasn't a major factor. Something about part of the brain managing to store memories and emotions, and being able to stay alive, in a sense. I'd have to read more, to understand it fully." She was staring in deep focus at the screen in front of her.
"Right. Tell me later." Grabbing Carson's arm, once he was done examining me and lecturing me about being stabbed, he helped me up and steadied me. "Lets just...go home." I gestured for Lorne to take over, concerning the bodies of our men, though this was something I felt like I should do myself. I just couldn't take anymore. I was so tired, and sore, I was sure I was going to pass out any moment.
I figured, as soon as I was a little stronger, I could take care of everything that would be required, involving letting their families know, and getting their bodies back to earth. I did feel horribly guilty, but before I could think twice, I felt a prick in my arm, and looked over to see Carson injecting me with something. Immediately, everything began to blur and the thoughts faded from my mind.
In fact, all thought faded from my mind. I was conscious, but barely. I was aware of Ronon carrying me back to the gate, and wanted to protest. I didn't need to be carried! But nothing would come out of my mouth. Later. I thought. I'll complain later. Right now...I think...I'll sleep...
(Normal POV)
As John faded into unconsciousness, Carson sighed and looked at the others. "The stab wound isn't severe, and there doesn't seem to be signs of infection. I've sedated him because right now, more than anything, he needs to rest." Giving the rest of the team a stern look, he raised an eyebrow. "As do all of you. Come on, let's go home and get some rest." Glancing regretfully at the four dead bodies Lorne's team had gathered up, he sighed quietly and headed off.
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For a while there, I thought this was going to be a two parter. LOL
Hope you liked it.
R+R please.
Thank you
Tenshi