Sometime...Somehow... Part VI

*More geek speak, especially when it comes to the planet-side stuff. Didn't have time to take a course in geo-surveying or whatever. . I would like to say once more that this is NOT a death fic'!

XXX

Doctor Thomas Richardson thoughtfully stroked his trimmed goatee. His long, salt and pepper locks hung in his eyes like a horse's mane. "Well, perhaps you ought to get on with that, Zelenka."

Zelenka thanked him and tuned away with his notes, secretly rolling his eyes. Perhaps you should get on with that was Richardson's catch-phrase. When it came to making decisions about whether or not to encourage his assistant's to test their own theories thereby bringing them to a logical conclusion or simply rendering an educated opinion on pretty well anything, it was about all the man ever said.

Zelenka watched Richardson and his weird hair retreat to his own work station. There were times Zelenka wished he was blessed with some of McKay's outspokenness, so he could spout a few words of his own and show the man just how ridiculous he looked.

Richardson may have a PhD in xeno-archaeology and been put in lead of the expedition but he was a man lacking any imagination what-so-ever, and it had rapidly became evident to Zelenka that Richardson was counting on his laurels to achieve notary in relation to the work on MV-624. The man knew his craft but was devoid of creative thinking on any level. In truth he was a dullard.

Zelenka had attempted to break the ice by offering to share a drink in the mess hall after a particularly gruelling day of surveying and sample taking. Richardson had politely accepted and, other than a few words here and there about the results of their day's work, no other conversation had taken place. Even telling him one of his best jokes had gotten little reaction and Zelenka had sighed with relief when after fifteen minutes the man had excused himself to bed.

Zelenka also found himself having to fight to implement any new idea that held merit. Where-as Doctor McKay would have at least listened and then suggest where he might go with the idea, or just where to go, Richardson merely hummed and nodded his head with the utmost seriousness, doing his best to look like he was grasping every word coming forth from Zelenka's mouth, and then doing absolutely nothing to assist. Zelenka was beginning to suspect that not much of what he was saying was getting through to the man.

The most teeth grinding part of the whole ordeal was privately Richardson would not sign off on any of Zelenka's work, although publically he continued to encourage Zelenka to "Get on with that, then." thus effectively tying Zelenka's hands of any hope of advancing his theories outside the boundaries of the Terra Cotta. Without Richardson's signature, his ideas remained dead in the water.

During his years on Atlantis McKay would have spoken his mind, bluntly told Zelenka where he was wrong, but then worked to help him achieve those things where McKay believed he was right. Unlike Richardson who was in it for the prestige, McKay had been a true scientist. He had loved discovery and finding the truth and then its proof. Laurels and fame, except for perhaps a good word from his superiors, had not much mattered to McKay. What had mattered to him most was doing the work. Zelenka recalled many nights without sleep as they all worked until they could no longer see, but McKay working even harder alongside them, working until the man could no longer think. McKay might have been arrogant but at least he was arrogance with action. Richardson was arrogance with no action what-so-ever. It was bizarre.

With some difficulty Zelenka drew his mind from fonder memories of Atlantis back to his own research on MV-624. After a few hours sleep, they would conduct their fourth survey of nine pre-selected areas on the planet's surface, this next one near the equator. If there was any trace of ancient structures or quantum markers of technological development incorporating artificially produced energy on MV-624, Zelenka would find it.

He read over his notes for the previous planet-side excavations. Their xeno-paleobotanist had encountered some evidence of old life in form of carbon and tiny particles of petrified remains, but thus far no remnants of any identifiable technology, the remains of structures or intelligent life on any known level. Still it was an interesting system if only for the Red Giant star, the highly regular but unusual orbits of its twelve planets and the fifty-nine plus moons so far discovered.

A yawn took away all other thought but sleep and Zelenka turned off his tablet screen, stripped to his underwear and fell onto his cot. He was asleep in minutes.

XXX

Zelenka knew he was on his own. Richardson in his usual fashion had encouraged the idea but done nothing to assist him in its development.

The virtual conference was his idea and he had an audience of distinguished researchers to convince. Zelenka cleared his throat. "As you know we are studying MV-624 and have discovered an energy reading that I believe is worth checking out further, but it would require drilling into the planet to retrieve whatever it might be."

Immediately one of the distinguished looking researchers staring at him through the screen adjusted the glasses balanced on his nose and asked "Richardson has not even signed off on this project as yet, Doctor Zelenka, and you say you have no idea what it is?" He sounded disillusioned already.

Zelenka swallowed heavily. "No, no, well, I suspect I know what it is but we need further research which cannot be done effectively in the harsh environment of the planet. We, we need to bring aboard whatever it is. Doctor Richardson has said that if you agree, he will go along with your decision and the excavation can proceed."

"Or if we do not agree."

Zelenka reluctantly nodded. "Yes, of course."

Another scientist, an older woman, her expression less skeptical asked "What do you suspect it is Doctor Zelenka?"

Zelenka knew it was hard to swallow since no evidence of them had ever been found this far from their home territory "Er Ancient. I believe it is an Ancient energy signature. It is very faint, but it is unmistakable."

"How can you possibly be so sure?" asked a very fat man with no hair but a double chin that wiggled every time he moved his head. "There is no record of any Ancient settlement this far out."

"Well," Zelenka tried to keep his voice level. "B-but Wraith have been out this far and we know the Wraith borrowed technology from the Ancients after they won the war. The energy signature is Ancient, but I think it is likely that its source could very well be Wraith."

""Borrowed" is hardly an apt description of the pillaging the Wraith did of our ancestors and their cities."

Zelenka lowered his eyes. "No, of course not, Doctor Manning, I only meant that if this is old Wraith technology, then we have a rare opportunity to study it. The strata and layers covering the origin of the signature suggest it's been buried for approximately nine thousand years. Even finding it was one in a billion and there's no telling what else may be buried with it. Plus we could survey a thousand worlds and never get such an opportunity again. I feel we must-"

Interrupting him, another scientist who reminded him of Grodin asked in a soft Middle Eastern accent "Didn't you say that this planet was coming back to its perigee in orbit around the star? If we wait we may be able to dig it up under better circumstances and so not risk bringing something so old, and possibly contaminated with who knows what, aboard the Terra Cotta."

Zelenka had saved his next bid for next to last. "We would be waiting another eight hundred to a thousand years for the planet's orbit to return to its closest point around the star for the surface ice to begin to melt. It is fifty meters thick, gentleman – and ladies - and the underlying sedimentary silica another forty-four meters." Zelenka thought a room full of PhD's and no one wants to risk a blotch on their record. "And any contaminant that may have been present is very unlikely to have survived such a long time under those conditions."

"But you can't be sure?" Beetie insisted, "Can you?"

Zelenka sighed softly to himself. "No, sir, I cannot be sure, but if we lose this opportunity to study Wraith adapted Ancient technology – and remember it is from a time shortly after the war - we would be fools. We may never have such an opportunity again in our life-times. Never mind that it would be a find of extraordinary historical significance and a feather in the scientific community's cap but, as you all know, in our war against the Wraith we are barely holding our own. This could very well help to turn the balance of the conflict to our favour." And then his coup de gras "I have already suggested as much to the President's Military Office via Stargate Command."

Richardson, in his taking no action of any sort, either for or against Zelenka's work, had actually done him a favour by granting Zelenka the freedom to do pretty much as he pleased when it came to his communications. Beetie was no doubt well aware of Richardson's poor leadership skills but then Richardson was well connected and, other than a place on the Terra Cotta Expedition Research Council, Beetie wasn't and he knew it.

"I see." Beetie appeared annoyed. "Excuse us, Doctor, as we discuss this privately."

Zelenka sat as the screen went dark for a few moments. When they came back, Beetie stated simply. "You can go ahead."

XXX

The environmental suits were bulky and hot as hell inside. Zelenka shook the sweat from his eyes, scolding himself. Outside the suit the temperature averaged minus two-hundred and four. You should be glad you have the suit Radek. Stop complaining.

The sensors on the Terracotta II had confirmed Zelenka's discovery of what appeared to be a layer of unusual sediment, unlike anything they had found elsewhere on the planet. Zelenka kept his eyes on the readings of the MALP, this one retro-fitted with a state-of-the-art Seismic Survey Pulse Generator, an On-Site Soil Atomizer-Analyzer, Ten Million Candle Power flood lights, and a Pulse Laser Cutter.

"We're getting closer." Zelenka said unnecessarily. He knew the crew of two would simply follow him to whatever coordinates he chose. Richardson had remained behind on the ship, complaining of a headache. It was just as well, Zelenka found the man's presence only interfered with the real work being done on the expedition. Zelenka had grown used to being his own boss in the lab and at that moment what was MV-624 but an enormous lab?

Zelenka frowned. His hand-held energy scanner, slightly less powerful than the one on the MALP, suddenly began emitting a tiny light pulse – its color radiating from purple over to red and then fading. Zelenka held up his hand for the crew to stop their advancement, and then he backed up a few steps. The purple indicator re-appeared. Zelenka took another single step back, and it settled into red. "We're here." He said, sharing his thoughts, and his excitement, with them. "This is the spot from before."

He turned to the crew, pointing one white-suited finger down. "I have the same energy reading." He studied the little device's read-outs. Whatever results the scanner was giving him, they would be preliminary. They would need to get closer to the source to determine if its origin was artificial or simply some highly magnetized molten rock hundreds of meters below the surface playing a game with their instruments. "We need to dig here."

With difficulty, the female of the crew of the two handling the MALP walked over to him, stiff in her suit, and looked at the numbers on his hand-held scanner. "Richardson will want more definitive markers." She reminded him.

Through his face mask and the swirling particles of dust and ice that made up MV-624's atmosphere, she looked distorted. Zelenka nodded, finding it impossible to keep his own excitement out of his voice. "I know. Bring the MALP and we'll do a grid scan of this area to pin-point it, then we don't have to cut any deeper or wider than we have to." Once that was done, the excavators would do the rest and beam up whatever it was to the Terra cotta itself.

Hours later, with their suit oxygen heater/filters cleaned and ready for another go in MV-624's breathable but killing cold atmosphere, Zelenka oversaw the Large Pulse Laser Drill as it was guided into the correct spot and activated. He checked his numbers and over his communication link said to his two distorted looking assistants "Make sure the numbers are exact. Make sure they match up perfectly. We want exactly two-point-four meters starting at five-one-point-one-four-seven North-North-East by one-point-three meters at negative-one-one-three-point-six-seven-four South-South-West and minus ninety-two meters. I want this accurate to the millimeter."

They nodded and with the assist of the MALP's onboard computer and using a set of hydraulic-electro "feet" it automatically settled itself into the correct spot, raised its own wheels up off the surface to avoid any accidental roll, and began drilling into the planet.

XXX

Colonel Sheppard was still not used to the captain's seat and shifted his backside every few minutes. Over the last few months he'd had to up his amount of exercise in the Daedulus's small gym to counter-effect all the sitting around the job entailed. His body had protested the lack of physical activity by growing slightly thicker around the middle and his uniform felt tighter.

But at least they were heading back to Atlantis or, rather, the planet where Atlantis lay hidden at the bottom of the ocean. It was just a check-in, to make sure no Wraith or Replicators or any other unwelcome visitors had out of curiosity taken up orbit. If they were ever to raise Atlantis and rescue it from the Iratus infestation, they would need to ensure no other invaders took up residence anywhere on the planet or in orbit above it.

Sheppard let his eyes take in his former home. He had an apartment back on Earth but Atlantis he had come to regard as his real home. Sheppard hid it from everyone but he had loved Atlantis. He was a city boy and Atlantis was the ultimate city of the Galaxy. Thousands of soldiers and scientists, researchers and technicians had applied every year to join the Atlantis expedition, but only a few dozen had ever made the cut. To serve on Atlantis you had to be the best or, failing that, you had to know someone.

Sheppard hadn't known anyone and McKay, well, he had simply been the best. "Standard orbit Sergeant." Sheppard said, by now the commands associated with captaining a war ship coming automatically. Still, for all the responsibilities and challenges that had come his way, including a run-in with two Hive ships they had managed to severely damage in a battle only weeks before resulting in the Wraith ships high-tailing it through a hyperspace window to escape, it wasn't nearly as satisfying a career path as serving on Atlantis had been.

"Colonel Sheppard." The faithful Daedulus Sergeant pilot said "We are receiving a message from..."

Sheppard tried not to sound bored. "Yes? From who Sergeant?"

"Well, from Deep Space Stargate Nine, sir. It's from the Terra Cotta. Science Vessel."

Sheppard sat up straighter. He was sure Radek had mentioned the Terra Cotta as the ship he was going to serve aboard for a while. Some archaeological dig way the hell out there. "Let's hear it."

"It's for your eyes only, sir." The sergeant obliged him by handing over a Tablet with the coded message already transferred.

Sheppard punched in his password and read. "Sergeant, get me General Landry at Stargate Command."

"Yes sir."

XXX

After days of excavating and removing hundreds of tons of sedimentary layers, they reached the correct depth where their tantalizing treasure had been buried for nearly ten thousand years.

An excited Zelenka oversaw the transport of the roughly three meter-long by two meter wide by one and half meters thick of mostly solid material from the surface of MV-624 to the beam-up point. The surface crew swiftly covered the block with thermal layers to insulate it from the heat of the ship until it could be ferried to the Cold-Clean-Room.

Zelenka, dressed in a silver colored Clean suit and hooked to oxygen and a body-cooling air flow, began a series of minimal-power x-rays of the entire thing section by section. "We don't want to influence or alter whatever's causing the energy signature of...whatever this is." He explained needlessly to his assistant.

"Yes Doctor." His lab tech was an efficient young woman who had always admired the Atlantis expedition but had never been chosen to be a part of her crew. Working alongside Doctor Zelenka, whom she admired because he was one who had, was as close as she knew she was ever likely to get, especially now that Atlantis was at the bottom of its own ocean. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes thank-you Rachel." Zelenka muttered almost absent-mindedly as he studied the read-outs of the mineral content of the block. "Much of this is a semi-solid and organic." He stated, voicing his thoughts as he circled it, his face-mask plate inches from its surface. "And there appear to be some sort of spherical deposits with in the material each roughly two inches in diameter. Hmm," He said, puzzling over it. "If I were asked to guess, I'd say these were eggs."

Technician Rachel completed her x-rays and allowed the computer to combine into a whole, though not completely distinct, image on her wall screen. What she saw made her pause suddenly. She had to catch her breath before she spoke. "Doctor Zelenka."

Zelenka was still engrossed in his visual inspection of the spheres imbedded within the silica. "Mm, yes, Rachel? What is it?"

"Doctor Zelenka – look."

XXX

"General Landry, the message was urgent."

"What is the nature of their emergency?"

"It's not an emergency per-say, but they would like our assistance as soon as possible."

"It's a two week trip through hyperspace, Colonel. And it means losing the protection of one of our war ships. They must have given you some idea of why you're needed."

"Their Captain termed it an extraordinary geological find. One he said his scientists claimed could help us in our war against the Wraith." Sheppard did not divulge that it was Radek Zelenka who had worded that particular part of the message. And his other message.

"What have they found or think they've found?" Landry asked.

Sheppard knew an old stand-by ought to satisfy the general's worries. "They said they did not want to send any more details through normal channels of communications in case the message is intercepted."

Landry set his lips into a thin line. "I see. Very well, colonel but you have exactly five weeks. Two weeks out, one there and two weeks back, and not a day more. We need our ships here."

"Understood sir."

Sheppard left his second-in-command on the bridge and retreated to his officer's den to consider Zelenka's portion of the message. And to read the private message Radek had piggy-backed on the first one. "All it read was: "Need your presence. Explain when you arrive. Urgent."

Need your presence. Not the ships. Sheppard had no idea why Zelenka needed him on a xeno-planetary science expedition but there was only one way to find out. He called the bridge. "Commander Sorez, open a hyperspace window and set a course for MV-624 as soon as possible."

XXX

Zelenka paced the Clean room. The x-ray wasn't lying. There was a body at the centre of the mass they had brought on board. A body, something or someone, had been buried along with the technology producing the low-level possibly Ancient possibly Wraith energy signature. The bone and flesh structure suggested humanoid but it was impossible to tell for sure with the lay of the body, curled up as it was into a fetal ball of tangled limbs. The skull appeared human but without melting the block there was no way to do a DNA test.

Unless they drilled into the body and took a sample. "Has the data come back on the energy signature itself?" He asked Rachel. "Broken down into its component wave lengths might help us figure out its origin." She knows that, Radek, stop showing off. And it would give them a clue as to what sort of being had the misfortune to have been buried on a god-forsaken planet in the middle of hell's corridor for the last nine thousand years.

Rachel called the technical lab. "Someone is bringing it down now, Doctor Zelenka."

Zelenka said "Excellent." He left the Clean Cold Room, removed his suit in the enclosed foyer, and stood still, allowing the negative air blowers to whisk away all traces of sand from his hair and skin, sucking out any possible solid contaminants from his naked body. He closed his eyes as next a fine mist of anti-septic coated him from head to foot; another precaution against contamination of the ship itself.

In the next small room, he slipped into a fresh set of scrubs and exited the elaborate lab rooms altogether, sat down in a plastic molded chair to rest his aching feet while he waited for the results to arrive from the other technicians.

He accepted the report with thanks, walked to the mess hall for a much needed coffee break, and sat gratefully back down to read at his leisure. After a few moments he frowned. "Wait a minute. This can't be right."

Zelenka called to the lab. "Mister Raeffer, are you sure these results are accurate? I'm seeing a human technological based energy signature within the wavelengths."

"We wondered about that too, but we ran them three times, Doctor. They're accurate."

"Er, all right, thank-you." Zelenka muttered. He sat back. Zelenka spoke to himself softly "Could it be that the Ancients technology, all those years ago, had managed to, either by design or accident; mimic that of Human?"

He supposed it was possible. It had to be, if the data was correct. Zelenka returned to the lab. "Rachel, let's drill and get a sample. If that is the body of an Ancient in there, I'd like to do a DNA analysis to be sure."

"Certainly Doctor - I assume you're thinking hip-bone? A large bore needle?"

"Yes."

XXX

Zelenka carefully placed the small sample of bone marrow under the microscope and peered through the viewer, annoyed as always that he had to look through his glasses. He had tried contacts before and, after only a few hours of wearing them, had ended up with irritated red eyes. It was glasses or fuzzy vision. "Incredible, the bone and marrow cells are unquestionably human and completely undamaged. It has to be an Ancient. And there are no indications of cellular degradation from the cold or from the sheer vast amount of time spent suspended in a deep freeze. No crystallization of the cells at all, and the walls are completely intact." He lifted his head and looked at the pretty red-haired Rachel. "The gel the eggs are suspended in must have anti-freeze and organic preservative properties. The stuff simply does not freeze and so whatever's inside it doesn't either – it's amazing!"

Rachel turned to look at the block of stuff they had brought back from the planet. "How did he get in there I wonder? And what laid the eggs?"

How and what indeed. Zelenka thought.

Zelenka crossed his arms. Rachel was correct. If it was an Ancient how in the world did he end up there? And why since there was no record of the Ancients travelling this far from their home worlds. An energy signature with Wraith and human or possible Ancient technology, a block of sand and goo with what might be an Ancient himself curled up inside it. It didn't make any sense.

Something tickled the back of his mind and Zelenka frowned to himself. No matter how he tried to make it so, it just didn't add up. But the thought, as hard as he tried to ignore it, continued to itch at his mind until "Rachel. Let's do a DNA run through the data base."

"You mean all DNA data-bases?"

"Yes. If this guy is an Ancient he could be an ancestor of someone alive today. It's a long shot but..."

"I'll get the DNA profile done and set it up, doctor."

"Thanks."

XXX

Zelenka dismissed his assistant for some well deserved rest and spent the next several hours waiting for the data base to find a match, or not, of the DNA of the preserved body of the Ancient. In the meantime Richardson was in conference with the Science Team back on Earth to determine when and how the body should be recovered from the sediment, and who should oversee that next necessary step.

Zelenka knew that most likely Richardson would want to step in and take over, now that the more tedious stuff was passed. Whatever. As long as it was done right and he got to witness it, Zelenka didn't care who it was. He suspected the Earth Team would prefer to transport the entire thing intact back to their labs on Earth anyway, and supervise the thaw personally. The one positive thing about that it would peeve the hell out of Richardson.

His computer beeped at him for attention and Zelenka dragged his mind back to the work at hand. A family name had come up as a match for the DNA sample.

Zelenka rubbed his tired eyes and fished around for his glasses, straightening them on his nose before leaning in to read the name. For many seconds he stared at the name, frozen. "This can't...this can't be possible." He said to no one.

But the name on the screen never changed no matter how many times he read it. The implication was crystal clear. It was shockingly, horribly, heart-twistingly crystal clear. Spinning in his chair, Zelenka stared through the four inch thick glass separating him from the small outer office and the sealed Clean-Cold Room where the block of stuff hung suspended in a sterile mesh between the ceiling and the floor.

Then, in a kind of zombie walk, he stood up and went to the glass, shuffling his feet in the plastic booties he had forgotten to remove. Placing both his hands against its coolness to steady his nerves and his pounding heart, he leaned his full weight against the glass and whispered into the dead and deaf ears on the other side. "Oh dear god...I'm so sorry."

He took a moment to steady himself before donning his clean Suit once more and re-entering the room. He walked over to the block of sand, rock, eggs, goo and placing one gloved hand upon it as though greeting an old friend. "Oh my..." He whispered, leaning his head against the solid side of the thing. He could feel the cold creeping through to his head cover. It didn't matter. What was a little discomfort? "Oh my god, oh my dear, dear god...what have I done? I am so terribly, terribly sorry. I...I-I'm..." He could find no other words.

Zelenka pulled himself together enough to back away from the block. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, his feet no longer able to support his weight. Slowly it dawned on him what he needed to do next. He needed to send another message but this time not to the science team on Earth. This one was going elsewhere.

With some difficulty Zelenka left the Cold Room on rubbery legs, decontaminated once again and got dressed. He called his assistant, his voice hitching on every other word "Rachel - if you're n-not already i-in bed, I need y-your help."

"I'm in the Mess, doctor, what can I do for you?" And hearing his odd manner "Are you all right?"

"Uh, yes, I'm fine. But I need to...to speak to you a-about something. Could you come to my quarters for a moment please?"

"On my way."

Zelenka returned to his computer and deleted the file of the family name and all information connected to it, and then exited from the program.

There was no way in hell that anyone would be taking charge of the body but him. No way in hell's corridor.

XXX

"The Terra Cotta is n range, sir. On the screen now."

Sheppard nodded a greeting to the Captain of the Terra Cotta, an older woman with a pleasantly round face but eyes that could burn through steel. "Captain Del-Porter, I'm Colonel Sheppard."

"Welcome Colonel. We're glad to have your assistance. Frankly we were nervous about transporting our find with only the Terra Cotta to protect it. This isn't exactly a ship fit for battle."

"Understood." The Terra cotta had two guns and minimal shields. In a fight against a Wraith or Replicator ship it would go down quickly.

"Colonel. One of our scientists is a man of your acquaintance I believe. Doctor Radek Zelenka."

Sheppard nodded again. "Yes, we've worked together before."

"On Atlantis, yes, I am aware. May I say how sorry we all were to learn of the loss of that great city."

"Thank you, Captain, I appreciate that. Now I'd like to request transport over to your ship if that's all right with you? My superiors are anxious to hear the latest on whatever it is you've found."

"Of course."

XXX

Radek Zelenka gripped and shook Sheppard's hand like it was a life-line. "Good to see you, Colonel."

Sheppard returned the handshake. "Hey Doc', good to see you too." He then leaned in and spoke softly "What's going on?"

Zelenka was putting on a show, however, for his fellow scientists. He turned to his Captain. "Sir, I'd like to give the colonel a quick tour of the ship if that's all right?"

With the Captain's smile, Zelenka hurried off with Sheppard in tow, saying things like "She's a fine ship and we have the best teams anywhere in the galaxy."

Once he was out of earshot of the others, though, he stepped closer and whispered hoarsely. "I need your help to get him home."

Sheppard tilted his head. "I don't follow you. Who are we getting home?"

Zelenka looked around with wild eyes, his manner bordering on hysterical. "Come with me."

Sheppard followed Zelenka to the room next to the Clean-Cold Room. He pointed through the glass and Sheppard peered at the bulky block of what appeared to be rock and other sediments suspended in mid air on the other side. "You found old Wraith technology" Sheppard said. So far that's all he knew. "Now look Radek, I convinced my superiors that you needed the Daedulus so I hope you have something more than a big chunk of rock."

Zelenka grabbed one of his sleeves and pulled him over to his desk. Digging a key out of his pocket, he unlocked it the bottom drawer and retrieved a file folder. "Here are the x-rays of what's inside." He thrust a series of films into Sheppard's hands.

Sheppard took the films and obliged the hyper scientist. "Just so you know I don't exactly read x-rays as a hobby..." But it was clear that some sort of humanoid was curled up inside the rock. "So you found a petrified Ancient?" He said to Zelenka as he flipped through the films. "That's kinda cool but I still don't see-"

"It's Rodney." Zelenka announced.

Sheppard stopped breathing and turned to stare at Zelenka, but his eyes could not be away from the image on the films for longer than a few seconds before they were drawn back to them. "What did you just say?" He had to make sure.

"I said it's Rodney, John. It's Doctor McKay. And he's not petrified, although..." Zelenka's expression suddenly fell a little "he is, um, he is...dead of course. But, no, not petrified."

Sheppard stared at the film and then turned his head and did the same to the block of rock and other minerals hanging from the ceiling of the Cold Room like so much beef. He walked over to the glass. "But...but you said...your energy signature, in your message, you mentioned an energy signature from something that was buried a hundred meters down. How could Rodney be a hundred meters beneath soil that hasn't shifted for ten thousand years?" And how can Rodney be dead? How can the universe have allowed that? After all Rodney did for them, after his final totally selfless act, how could they all end up here in this room living and breathing but Rodney in that room having already breathed his last long, long ago?

Sheppard felt like hitting something. Or screaming.

Zelenka bit his lip. "Rodney told us this could happen."

"He said anyone who went inside that worm-hole might be thrown back in time, not that they'd be buried in a three hundred foot grave." Sheppard was suddenly furious. He cursed all the fates who had so little disregard for his friend that for his heroic deed they would punish him in such a terrible way. It was an offence to every good thing the man had stood for and it was the supreme insult those who'd loved him. "Why is he still in there, anyway? Why haven't your teams taken him out of there Zelenka?" Rodney doesn't deserve this!

"We don't want to thaw out the block until we have it in a better equipped lab." Zelenka urged john to listen closely by drawing him away from the glass and into a corner. "Look, there's a bigger problem.'

Sheppard almost laughed in his face as his heart began to ache with an intensity he had not felt since..."What could possibly be bigger than –"

"They'll want to study him, colonel." Zelenka whispered fiercely. "Do you understand what I'm saying? They'll want to study, meaning dissect, meaning sending pieces of him to labs all over the world until they can discover why his cells have not degraded in any way."

Zelenka hoped he was getting through to the emotionally stricken soldier. "They'll want to cut him up."

Sheppard stared at the smaller man, his eyes ablaze with unshed tears and fury – oh! the fury at what had happened to his friend. Somewhere deep down he had always harbored a tiny hope that Rodney had landed on some wonderful planet somewhere where there was plenty of food and water and where the sun always shined in the heavens.

He had never imagined this kind of ignominious end for him. Never, never, never...

"Colonel," Zelenka said sharply to draw Sheppard's attention away from where Rodney's body hung suspended and hidden from naked eyes. "I called you here because we have to take Rodney elsewhere and we have to do it secretly. Do you understand? And time is short. We have to steal his body or that's exactly what's going to happen – they'll cut him up like so much salami." Zelenka added "We want to take Rodney home, don't we - for a proper burial? We both know he deserves at least that, colonel. Please, John...because I don't give a damn about the repercussions, we have to do this."

Sheppard cleared his throat, desperately trying to keep his tears in check and his mind focused. He looked at Zelenka and took a deep breath. "One body snatch coming up."

XXX

Part VII soon