An hour had passed by since Greer had vanished off into the night and each second that ticked on seemed longer than the last, all but Lieutenants Scott and James had found sleep – though Corporal Barnes kept waking up every ten minutes or so. Rush had curled up on his left side facing in towards the centre of the roof with Cressida cuddled up to him, she had her back pressed to his chest and his right arm holding on to her shoulders tightly. Everyone thought the two were asleep but they'd been hanging in a state too exhausted to remain away and too full of adrenaline to sleep.
"Are you cold?" He asked his daughter when he noticed her little body shaking. Cressida didn't answer and Rush found himself muttering in a tone of self-loathing. "I'm a terrible father, I never should have let you come."
In less than a second Cressida had flipped over to face him gripping his borrowed BDU jacket for dear life and had pressed her cheeks to his chest.
"No." She said defiantly. "I love you Daddy."
"I love you too, Cressida."
The young girl froze solid as a stature, grip growing tighter. That was the very first time Rush had said he loved her and it made her heart swell with happiness, if all her tears hadn't already been used up she would have burst out crying again. He loved her, her Father truly loved her.
"Try and sleep, Little One." He whispered against her forehead. "You'll be alright, I promise."
It took a while but Cress finally fell asleep with those words echoing around her head bringing her comfort; I love you too, Cressida. A little while later Rush found slumber as well.
Time went on with snarls and growls filling the chilly night air, Scott started to grow twitchy as the night continued until suddenly there was a rattling at the ladder, someone or something was climbing up. Scott shot to the edge of the crumbling roof eyes locking onto the ladder, James only a beat behind him.
"Greer!"
Quickly clambering up the was the Sargent, he looked exhausted with sweat dripping down his forehead. Scott grabbed hold of one arm while James grabbed the other and pulled him up onto the roof, Greer just panted on the ground.
"Where the hell have you been?" Scott demanded while James dropped to her knees and pulled Greer up into a seated position, the man continued to pant.
Finally he got his breath back enough to speak.
"Man those things can run. I ended up... going through that... skyscraper thing that's collapsed against the other one."
Scott snapped up to look at the skyscraper and then back down to his exhausted friend.
"That's got to be a two clicks away."
"I lost them up there – most of them – some kept coming but I managed to slip out of sight a few streets away." Greer took a deep breath. "Got any water?"
"Yeah, of course." James leapt into action pulling her canteen from her backpack and handing it to Greer.
He took long gulps letting little trickles of the liquid tumble down his chin, Adams apple bobbing with each swig. It took a while but eventually Greer regained normal speech and told his tale of charging through the ruined city in a desperate attempt to escape but with each turn more of the monsters seemed to appear from nowhere. He'd raced up crumbling stairs and through broken windows, under damaged beams and down yet more stairs, James and Scott didn't pressure him further.
XXXX
Despite everyone being on edge – and that was putting it lightly – they managed to find sleep, even Sargent Greer. Varro and Corporal Barnes kept watch, desperate not to see the creatures return. The air was ice cold without a fire but they couldn't risk indulging in one, they'd all rather be cold than dead. Corporal Barnes rubbed at her arms wondering if the cold could actually kill them first, it had been so warm during the day but there in the dead of night it was as though she'd been thrown into the Arctic, still she kept her mind filled with thoughts of fresh logs crackling on the hearth and a wave of pleasant warmth seeping past her skin into her icy bones. Varro hadn't even registered the temperature, far too caught up with watching the streets.
Volker lay on his side curled up in the foetal position and his coat pulled up over his lower face, his hands had been tucked under his armpits and his chin pulled down to his chest. Scott had curled himself up in almost the exact same position a few feet over only he had his ballcap pulled down almost as a shield; poor James just kept tossing and turning. Greer, who had truly been exhausted, lay flat out on his back with hands tucked into his pockets too tired to care about warmth.
Suddenly Cressida's eyes flew open with the speed of a shooting star but focused on nothing almost as though she were sleepwalking, no not like, sleepwalking was exactly what was happening. She tilted her head left and the right without really taking in anything around her. She seemed to be on autopilot, as though she'd been drained of all personality. Not once did her eyes dilate. Cressida didn't speak, didn't blink, she just took slow silent steps towards Varro and Corporal Barnes who had their back to her. The two were talking but the seven year old didn't register a single word, it was unimportant to her task. Brown unfocused eyes looked up to the heavens, there were two large moons, one silvery and the other somewhat rose tinted, there was a little cloud cover but not much and far off stars glistened as if calling out for attention; Cressida noticed none of this. Despite the black look on her sleeping face, anyone who'd seen her would have assumed she was looking for something, having not found it Cress simply stepped back over to Rush and curled back up in his warm arms. Her eyes closed as though nothing had ever happened.
XXXX
When dawn finally came Varro went round rousing everyone form their uncomfortable slumber – which meant nudging the group with his foot, save for Cressida. The blonde man crouched down beside her and shook her shoulder softly muttering it's time to wake up quietly, Rush bolted upright at the slight movement still hyper-aware of the dangerous planet and the need to protect his daughter; seeing it was just Varro he calmed his body.
"It's been light for a little while." Said Varro. "We haven't heard any of those things for a while now and haven't seen them in hours."
"There aren't enough shadows for them to hide in, right Daddy?"
Rush smiled down at his still sleepy girl.
"Aye, that's right."
Rush stood and stretched before reaching for his water bottle and passing it to Cress who took a long gulp and then returned it. She rubbed sleep from her eyes.
"If it's daylight then we have better make a move." Began Scott as he straightened his ball cap. "Greer, you alright?"
The Sargent was still exhausted and hadn't slept that well – not that any of them had – and kept scraping a large hand over his stubble coated face in an attempt to wake himself up. God I could use some real coffee was his only thought.
"Yeah, I'm good." Came his response mid yawn.
"Those things didn't bite or scratch you did they?" Volker asked with an air of worry and possible panic. "We have no idea what they could be carrying."
"Nah, I'm fine. Nearly broke my ankle jumping over some kind of fence."
"We can worry about all this later. TJ is going to have us all in quarantine for this."
Everyone there knew just how right James was about that, it would be the first thing that happened when they got back to Destiny – if they got back.
"For now can we please just focus on getting out of this creep show?" Scott almost sound pleading.
Carefully they descended the ladder, Scott going first to make sure nothing was lurking, and retraced their steps from the evening before. At first it was difficult to remember which way they'd come thanks to the maze of streets and fear they'd felt, the group got lost several times in the labyrinth with hours floating by. However, as soon as they found the rubble pile it got easier, only by then it must have been around noon if not later. Lieutenant Scott and Varro took point while James and Barnes brought up the rear leaving Volker, Cressida, Rush and a shuffling Greer made up the middle.
Rush didn't say it but he was so proud of Cressida, fear had taken her the night before but she seemed to have forced that away and taken on the courage of her Mother; she looked tired though. Little black bags had started to form under her eyes making them look even more like Rush's own.
No one spoke on the walk back unless it was absolutely necessary, if they were too tired to take or just didn't know what to say they didn't much care. They gate sat on a grassy hill just outside the abandoned city and they couldn't wait to see it, Volker's feet hurt and he kept thinking one of the monsters would jump out at him like a bad horror movie but it was as though they'd never existed. Only dusty mass tracks indicated the pack of devils had ever been there.
"Oh shit."
All eyes darted up to Scott and then in the direction he was looking to see the gate had collapsed; Volker could have cried. Feet pounded the hot ground as they bolted towards the gate, had the bogeymen felled it on purpose or had it just happened when they'd emerged from their tunnel? No one really cared about the answer they just wanted to go back to Destiny.
"Does this mean we're stuck?" Barnes asked no one in particular.
Rush took a deep breath. "No." He had to think about this logically. "To be honest a gate will open no matter which way it's facing, they were designed to last. It'll be a rough landing though."
"We can live with that." Said Scott. "Volker, dial the gate."
The blonde scientist did so quickly, fingers moving faster than they ever had before... nothing happened.
"Volker?" The Lieutenant didn't sound pleased.
"It's not me!" Barked the blonde defensively. "Something is wrong."
"Daddy, what's that?"
Rush looked down to the section of silver-white gate that his daughter pointed curiously at, his eyes narrowed; why couldn't we just go?
"Crap! The gate casing is damaged, must have happened in the fall. I bet it's jamming the gate rotation."
"Well what the hell does that mean? We stuck?" Greer barked.
"The newer gates like the one on Icaurs have exposed chevron rings." Seeing all the blank faces he explained. "You can see it going round while the gate dials. The ones left by the seed ship are for lack of a better term old school, it's all internal."
"That sounds rather backwards." James made a fair point.
"Actually it's not. I need to get this damaged panel off and remove whatever is blocking it, it shoulder take too long. Cress I need you."
Rush rolled up his sleeves and crouched down beside the gate with Cress not a foot behind him, Volker was a little annoyed that Rush didn't ask for his help, he had studied the gates for years after all.
"Cress, we don't have any cutting tools so I'm going to pull the casing back as far as I can and I need you to put your hand in, okay?" She nodded. "There's going to be a sort of latch, it'll feel different to everything else, small and round like a peg. Push it as hard as you can. It won't come free but push anyway." Another nod.
Rush and Volker spend almost two hours cutting through the casing with their measly cutting tools that were practically useless. Eventually Rush got enough leverage to fit his fingers under and pulled with all his strength, seconds later Varro joined in while the others cautiously watched the perimeter, raising it just enough for Cress to stick her tiny hand into the inner gate. It took a moment but she found the peg like anomaly her father had said would be there, everything felt smooth and metallic save for this little round peg that felt more as though it had been made of stone; rough and uneven. She pushed with all her might, fingers going white.
"Got it!"
"Varro, pull." Rush ordered and the two men used everything they had to free the metallic casing.
Just when it seemed it wouldn't come free Scott aided them and it popped free with a grating sound. With the chevron ring exposed Rush dropped to his knees in search of the blockage but didn't find one.
"It's not here. Cress can you reach down the next section and-"
He cut himself off seeing she was already doing it. That's my girl, were the first words that came to his mind but his thoughts were quickly cut off by Volker who seemed both annoyed and suspicious.
"Doctor Rush, how do you know any of this? We've never taken a gate apart before."
"You haven't." Came his quick response that lacked much attention, he never even tilted his head towards the other doctor. "I took Destiny's apart almost the second we got on board." There was a slight sense of smugness to his words.
"Rush!" Scott began with outrage but Nicholas was having none of his crap while on an alien planet filled with murderous, chemically mutated monsters.
"What?! The gate still works, you didn't even know. And because I did Cressida and I can get you off this insane asylum."
"Found it, Daddy!"
The little girl beamed as the chirped words left her lips. She stretched her arm further into the small opening, there wasn't much room between the chevron rings and the exterior metal but thanks to her tiny frame her hand and arm just fit. If it was a tight fit for Cress then none of the others stood a chance, she was there saving grace.
"Good girl."
"I... I can't quite reach it. I think I need a knife."
Rush didn't say a single word, simply handed over his lock knife to the seven almost eight year old, he did however flash her a cautionary glance. His daughter wasn't stupid, in fact she seemed rather mature for her age; Rush suspected her mind had developed somewhat faster than her young body had. She's probably more mature that most of the people on Destiny.
Minutes went by, first one then ten then twenty. With each one the away team grew more and more frustrated, edgy and tense. Greer even felt the need to point out their survival rested on a genetically engineered child but Rush and Cress paid no mind, she was too focused on prising the piece of metal free from the chevron ring and Rush didn't care where she'd come from, Cressida was his daughter no matter what; Greer's opinions didn't matter.
Tension continued to build as yet more minutes passed, Cressida started to grow tired but she didn't give up. Varro and Rush remained encouraging but Volker grew apprehensive which caused little outbursts such as hurry the hell up and do you even know what you're doing kid? He didn't mean to sound so rude and angry but fear had started to get to him.
"Got it!"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the dark-haired girl pulled her arm free holding both the knife and a sharp fragment of metal, it was large and strange considering they couldn't see any exterior damage to the gate but none of them questioned it; the casing had probably fractured internally.
"That's my girl."
Rush beamed like a proud Father – because that was exactly what he was – as he took back the knife and threw the metal off in a random direction, the Scotsman then picked up his backpack slipped it over his shoulders and picked up his darling bourbon eyed daughter.
It tool less that half a second for Volker to jump into action dialling the gate, never had any of them – except maybe Rush – wanted to see Destiny more. Cress smiled up at her father, she adored the look he gave her, it was warm and loving. All happiness faded away to nothingness though when the gate made no movement.
"There must be another blockage." Said James hoping they could deal with it quickly, if they kept going at this rate darkness would descend once more.
"Unlikely." Was all Volker could say as he tried again with no new result.
"The receiver could be broken." Young Cressida suggested, still clinging to her Father.
Everyone but Rush and Volker stared at her with questioning eyes.
"That makes sense." Rush agreed.
"For anyone who doesn't speak science nerd, would you explain?" Greer asked.
Rush sighed. "What Cress is saying is that the dialling device won't connect to the gate. The original dialling devices used crystals to establish a link between-" Barnes cut him off.
"Like when your phone won't connect to the wifi."
"That's a seriously dumbed down version but yeah, sure."
"Sorry to interrupt the science lesson but could you maybe stop talking about fixing it and just fix it?" Lieutenant Scott was starting to grow impatient. "It took use hours to find our way back here and nearly three more to get that bit of metal, we can't risk staying here any longer. The sun will go down again."
"Unfortunately it's going to take a while to get to the gate's receiver-" Volker began only for Cress to talk over him; she really was like her Father.
"Why bother? It's slow to do that." She registered his annoyed face. "Sorry, sorry, I'll be quiet."
"Thank you. As I was saying-"
"Volker shut up. Cress what's your plan? You thinking what I am?"
Cressida nodded at her Father as soon as he set her down. "We do it by hand. The chevron ring is already exposed."
"Little One, you're a genius."
Rush kissed the top of her head and then dropped to his knees pushing the chevron ring around manually, as each chevron locked hope in the group rose until finally, finally, the wormhole established and a bold burst of silver-blue burst forth.
They all jumped.