Remember, Never to Forget---6
PG-2743 hadn't changed since Rodney McKay's last visit, except for one major difference. Whereas before it was simply another planet, now it held hope…hope that somewhere Colonel John Sheppard was alive and that was something the scientist clung to. In the weeks…months since John Sheppard 'died' he'd been plagued by dreams that left him exhausted and depressed, but he'd hidden it well…or so he thought.
Carson Beckett and Elizabeth Weir both saw right through him and had made him talk several times, but he'd still kept part of himself closed off. Teyla's voice from beside him brought him back to the present.
"Rodney, did you hear me?"
"Sorry, Teyla, I was thinking…"
"I could tell. Ronan and Major Lorne are trying to bargain with Suduko for births on his vessel," Teyla explained.
"Suduko?"
"The tall man standing beside the…"
"Piece of junk? My God, Teyla, surely they are not spending good money to travel aboard that death trap?"
"Suduko assures us it may look like a death trap, but it has flown hundreds of trips into the mountains without mishap," Teyla told him.
"You will not regret traveling with Suduko," the big male said once he had the Shoclaws in his pouch.
"Please tell me you didn't spend more than a dollar for this?" McKay spat.
"You insult my ship you will stay here!" Suduko snarled and whirled on the Canadian.
"Suduko, you and I have an understanding. If Dr. McKay is not allowed then none of us go and I expect you to give me back those Shoclaws…"
"You were told there are no refunds!"
"There is if we haven't set foot on your vessel," Lorne told him. "Now what will it take for you to forgive Dr. McKay?"
"There is nothing…"
"Perhaps if Rodney was to apologize for speaking without benefit of knowledge of the interior all will be forgiven," Teyla offered.
"You have got to be kidding me? Why on earth would I…"
"Because Suduko is our only means of finding Drakar," Ronan reminded him.
"Oh…my apologies for speaking ill about your death trap, Suduko," McKay said.
"My vessel has traveled great distances and is equipped to ride under the radar of some of the out lying cities. You will not regret traveling with my crew," Suduko said and pressed several buttons on the metal attachment surrounding his arm. A sharp whirring hum began that caused those around him to cover their ears.
"Please tell me we won't be subjected to such torture during the trip," McKay spat.
"Oh, I wouldn't call it torture, McKay…more like high-pitched singing by those songbirds on TF-625," Ronan said with a grin. The songbirds were actually four females who had latched onto Rodney McKay during their last encounter. McKay had been so excited about finally getting the pretty females no one had the heart to tell him the pretty creatures were neither male nor female…or actually were able to change sex at any given time.
"Song birds my ass," McKay snapped. "Those ladies did not sound like this."
"The sound is simply a failsafe," Suduko explained and led them toward the open hatch.
"Failsafe for what?" Teyla asked.
"There are creatures in the mountains and they are smart. They can find ways to get inside a vessel and tear apart the instrument panel. The sound you here is a good deterrent and keeps them from entering my vessel," Suduko answered.
"What kind of creatures are they?" McKay asked curiously.
"They are small, but don't ever let them close enough that you can smell them because it's too late then. They'll tear you to shreds and skin you alive before taking you back to their leer and…"
"Okay, I get the picture," McKay said in disgust.
"Good, because once we enter the mountain region there are dangerous places we call the dead zone. Anyone who has tried to cross there on foot has failed…"
"Failed?" McKay asked.
"Exactly…they've never been heard from once they step foot in the dead zone," Suduko told them.
"How long will it take us to reach the mountain retreat?" Lorne asked.
"It depends on the weather. The mountains around here are well known for sudden storms that wreak havoc with a vessel's systems," Suduko explained as the hatch closed behind them. "Strap in and make sure you don't touch any of the controls on the panel's beside your seat or this trip will end before it even begins."
Rodney took the seat behind Suduko while Ronan took the seat beside Suduko. He could hear the rest Teyla and Lorne behind him while the rest of the team took up positions at the back of the craft. The seat beside him was empty and he sighed heavily at the thought of the man who would normally be there. He settled back in the seat and turned his head to look out the small window as the vessel rose high in the air and flew out over the marketplace.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Sheyenne was a beautiful planet full of lush green foliage and tall trees that blotted out the sky in some places. The fortress was as big as Shazzia's palace, and the grounds surrounding it were tended by dozens of slaves, both male and female who worked diligently to cover the crops in an effort to save as much as possible from the storm that would soon descend on them. John stood next to Hawk, unable to understand why he was not ordered to the fields with the others.
"Are you always so quiet, John?" Hawk asked.
"Rodney talks enough for both of us," John answered and frowned as the strange, yet familiar name crossed his lips.
"Rodney?" Hawk said the name and watched the slave's face for any sign that his memory was returning, but the eyes seemed devoid of emotion. "Who is this Rodney?"
"I don't know," John answered truthfully and felt as if he'd lost his best friend with the admission.
Hawk didn't miss the look of sadness that crossed his slave's face and wondered who this Rodney was and why even the name cast suck a spell over John's face. The slave rarely showed any emotion, but the mere mention of the name had made him sullen and withdrawn. Perhaps Shazzia could shed some light on Rodney, if not he would press John for the memory using a technique he'd learned from several slavers who'd visited him on many occasions.
"We will be leaving for the underground chambers as soon as the slaves have finished covering the fields," Hawk told him.
"Why wasn't I sent to the fields with Tyrel and the others?"
"Because you have something that makes you special…"
"Funny…I don't feel special," John told him.
"That will change once you realize your place in my home, John. You are the reason I went to the slave sales that day…I was not interested in acquiring new slaves until you were brought onto the platform."
"I'm so damn honored," John snapped.
"Watch your sarcasm, John, or I will have to bend that stiff neck of yours again," Hawk vowed.
"Master Hawk, the fields are secured," Philiam said upon joining the two males. He eyed the man standing next to his master and wondered why he wasn't working alongside the other slaves, but Philiam knew better than to ask questions.
"Very well, have the slaves confined to the underground chambers here," Hawk ordered.
"All of them?"
"No," Hawk answered and looked at John. "Tyrel, Drake, Wylia will be accompanying me."
"What about him?" Philiam asked.
"John accompanies me wherever I go," Hawk answered. "See that the others are secured in my ship and make sure the slaves here are safe. You will remain here with them and should anything befall my property it is on your head."
"Yes, Master," Philiam said, casting a heated glance toward the new slave before retreating to the fields and collecting the slaves Hawk had requested.
"What do you think, John?"
"About what?"
"About the slaves I have chosen? Do you think they will keep us entertained and make my pockets full before we return home?"
"How would I know?"
"You seem like a man who has an opinion on matters like this. On your world I'd wager that you are a man to be reckoned with. How many slaves do you have in your home, John?"
"I don't have slaves?"
"How do you know when you have no recollection of your life before Shazzia found you?"
"Because I'm not like you," John answered.
"Again I ask how do you know? Has your memory returned? Is this all an act so that you can earn my trust and find a way to escape?"
"How can I escape when you've placed a tracker under my skin?"
"I'm glad you realize that the tracker binds you to me and will be easily recognizable to other slavers should you succeed in escaping the fortress," Hawk told him. "Come, we must get to the ship and leave as soon as the other slaves have boarded."
John knew he had no choice but to obey and walked alongside the bigger man. His thoughts went back to the name he'd spoken and he wondered who the name belonged to. It conjured up a sense of friendship and a warmth spread through him, but he could not explain why the name Rodney meant so much to him. He clung to that warmth and prayed that someday whoever Rodney was he'd find him and find his way home.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Elizabeth Weir looked at the picture on her desk and ran her fingers over the faces smiling back at her. The photo was taken a week after they'd arrived in the Pegasus Galaxy. It included every member of the expedition with the front row consisting of the ranking military and civilian personnel. Rodney McKay, Radek Zelenka, Peter Grodin, Carson Beckett, Teyla Emmagan, Aiden Ford, herself, and sitting on the end was John Sheppard. The shot was one they each had a copy of and she knew Sheppard had his hanging on the wall in his quarters.
There were a lot of problems in that first week, a lot of lives had been lost, but they'd managed to survive and Atlantis was home for them now. They could contact Earth and supplies were sent every few weeks, taking away the urgency of trading with the people of the Pegasus Galaxy. Although if truth was told she'd have to admit there were several items the Pegasus Galaxy offered that were not available elsewhere.
Elizabeth placed the picture back on her desk and reached for the laptop. She tapped several keys, bringing up the history surrounding PG-2743, at least the brief history they now had on the planet. The people who lived in the market place lived a simple life, whereas those who lived in the mountain retreat had acquired a taste for the 'finer things in life'. For instance there was a fruit on a planet near the edge of the galaxy that tasted like a strawberry, but looked more like an apple with the texture of a kiwi fruit. The name given the fruit by the native people was unpronounceable and they'd started called it Strapple Fruit. Sheppard had simply shaken his head when McKay named it.
"Elizabeth, has there been any word from Major Lorne?"
"Nothing since they left for the mountain retreat, Carson," Weir answered. She knew most of the senior members were aware of the possibility that John Sheppard might have been spotted, but she'd warned them to keep it to themselves until they had more information. "I'll keep you in the loop."
"I know you will…do you think Colonel Sheppard is alive?"
"I don't know, Carson…God I hope he is, but Teyla and Ronan both saw the ship disintegrate when Rodney pressed the button," Weir told him.
"Still…we've seen some pretty strange things happen…"
"Yes, we have…us being here is one of them," Weir said, smiling at the chief of Atlantis's medical section. "If John is alive then something's been keeping him from contacting us and usually that means you'll have your work cut out for you."
"Don't remind me," Beckett told her. "I just stopped in to let you know Peter Grodin should be able to return to duty by tomorrow morning."
"That is good news," Weir said of the man who'd helped bring Atlantis online. Peter Grodin was a constant in the control room until the day before when he'd been checking a stabilizer and wound up being shocked halfway across the room. Grodin had spent the night in the infirmary and Elizabeth was glad the man would be back at his post before long.
"You do realize if this doesn't pan out then Rodney will be back where he started when he was forced to carry out John's last order," Beckett observed.
"I hope you're wrong, Carson, but be ready for anything when they return," Weir said and followed the physician out of her office. She made it a point to speak with the members of the expedition, but sometimes she just needed some time to herself and she left Carson outside her office and headed toward the tower John Sheppard would normally be found. It was a place she often found herself late at night when most of Atlantis was sleeping, a place where she felt closest to Colonel John Sheppard.
SGASGASGASGASGA
"Hold on, we're about to hit a few rocky spots," Suduko explained as a dark cloud obliterated the mountains they'd been headed for.
"Is that normal?" McKay asked.
"It is out here. They don't call this he dead zone for nothing. That cloud or one like it is responsible for bringing down dozens of vessels…fortunately for you you're onboard the best damn vessel on the planet and with me at the controls we'll navigate through the dust cloud and be clear sailing all the way to the retreat," Suduko explained.
"Oh I know I feel relieved," McKay sniped and watched the ominous cloud as it roiled in a maelstrom of dust and debris.
"Hold on to your shirt boys and girls…this is going to be one hell of a ride!" Suduko warned and sent the ship directly toward the advancing cloud.
"Are you crazy?" McKay snapped. "You're going to get us all killed."
"Not a chance, McKay, I'm going to take you on a ride you'll never forget and have you begging for more when we come out the other side!" the big male stated with a toothy grin.
"Bring it on!" Ronan said from the seat beside Suduko. The big Satedan looked as if he was enjoying the ride as the vessel swayed with the turbulent winds that came before the cloud. The vessel shook as it entered the cloud, buffeted back and forth, twisting through a swirling spectrum of luminescent dust particles.
"Oh, God, I'm going to be sick!" McKay snapped.
"Hold on, Rodney, you'll be fine," Teyla told him. She'd witnessed a display like the cloud twice before and Suduko seemed to know exactly what he was doing as they threaded through the eye of a needle. The luminescent display was dazzling to the point of making her stomach queasy, but she knew it would not last much longer. Major Lorne and the rest of his team looked as green as McKay, yet Ronan had a childlike grin on his face as the vessel was catapulted along as if in the eye of a storm.
"I'm going to die!"
"Not on my vessel! I just had the interior cleaned and it's not included in the fair so you'll be doing it with your own two hands!" Suduko warned.
"You might want to chew on this, McKay," Ronan offered and handed the scientist something that looked like a root.
"What is it?"
"It's Shosta Root from Sateda. It'll calm your nerves and your stomach. Just put a little piece under your tongue and" Ronan explained.
Rodney did as he was told and was somewhat surprised by the pleasant taste that reminded him of mint leaves. He bit off a fair sized piece and placed it under his tongue and smiled as he settled back in the seat. A smile formed and his eyes glazed over as the Shosta Root took hold.
"Better, McKay?" Ronan asked.
"Much…does Carson know about the benefits of Shosta Root? It makes everything look different. Why don't we see how many shapes we can find before we die?"
"Rodney, we're not going to die," Teyla said, shaking her head at the man's actions.
"Teyla, when you do that you remind me of Prince Charming…not Rinderceller's Pransome Hince, but the one in Shrek…oh, you've never seen Shrek…he's a big green ogre and his sidekick is this mule who sort of gets on his nerves until he meets...his lady love…"
"Rinderceller? Shrek?" Ronan asked.
"I think you gave him too much," Teyla observed with a hint of a smile. "Rodney, close your eyes and sleep."
"My eyes are closed…aren't they?" McKay said and reached up to fan his hand in front of his face. "Oh, my, this is really strange…"
"What's strange?" Lorne asked.
"My hand…it never did that before…looks like Mr. Spock's Vulcan greeting," McKay answered.
"Mr. Spock? Vulcan greeting?" Teyla asked.
"It's from an old Earth sci-fi called Star Trek. Mr. Spock was from the planet Vulcan and when he greeted others he splayed his fingers like Dr. McKay is doing and said 'live long and prosper'."
"Captain Kirk was played by a Canadian actor, but I can never remember his name…that's such a shame," McKay said and suddenly grew still as his eyes closed.
"Rodney?"
"He should sleep the rest of the trip, Teyla," Ronan told her and turned to Lorne as Suduko continued to hold the vessel on a steady, but tumultuous course. "Tell me more about Star…Trek."
TBC