One armed Man
OFFWORLD. Team Sheppard is at yet another village in the Pegasus Galaxy, but unlike most villages Primori has discovered the use of steam. With this knowledge they have created several machines and devices that use steam for power. Doctor Rodney McKay stands outside a wooden building with a look of pride and joy on his face. He stands aside and gestures for a villager to wheel a cart past him, then looks to Teyla Emmagan, who is standing nearby, and Ronon Dex who is sitting on a bench outside the hut.
"You don't have to look like that." Ronan was sitting on a rough stone bench near a wooden art piece. The Satadean was extremely bored and hoped that some Wraith would come through the Stargate to end his boredom before he cut off his own hand.
"Look like what?" Rodney had a self-satisfied look on his face.
"Alright, let's get ready to leave." Sheppard emerged from the building with one of the elders of Primori.
"You're not sticking around for my lecture?" Rodney looked somewhat injured that his team was leaving.
"We are going to the gate to give Woolsey an update. We'll be back way before your lecture ends, I'm sure." Sheppard reassured Rodney as they headed off towards the Stargate, with Ronon quickly taking lead.
"Oh, okay. Well then I will see you when you get back." Turning to the village elder Rodney gestured to the door and they both walked in.
At the Gate
"So how is Dr. McKay's lecture to the Primori going?" Woolsey asked from Stargate command. He was looking over the daily reports from all the various departments of Atlantis while listening to Sheppard.
"Ah, good. You know Rodney, any chance to help elevate the technology on any planet is a great opportunity for us." Sheppard wanted to miss what he knew would be a long and boring scientific lesson on steam power.
"So you left before he started?" Woolsey knew Dr. McKay was one of the most valued members of the Atlantis mission and he didn't have a problem letting you know that he was that valued. As geniuses go, McKay could sometimes be difficult to get along with, but he has improved over the last couple weeks since being abducted by a rogue element of the Asgardians.
"I… thought that… our mission report should be done on time. The Primori are very open and willing to trade pretty much anything with us. As soon as Rodney helps them improve their steam power output and make it more efficient for them." Sheppard paused
"Ah hum, well it's good to see that you are being punctual with your reports. Especially being 30 minutes early. Is this going to become a new trend with you Sheppard on every mission?"
"Well I wouldn't say that, but it does feel good being…."
Just then a large explosion echoed from the village where McKay was going to be demonstrating a new high pressure valve and boiler to the Primori engineers that would increase their power output a thousand fold.
"Colonel Sheppard what was that? Sounded like an explosion?" Woolsey's voice was full of concern
"It was, back at the village where Rodney is at. Woolsey you better send a medical team and combat engineers to the village." Sheppard Ronon and Teyla where running back to the Primori village which was about a 20 min walk from the gate and Sheppard was hoping a quick 6 to 8 minute dead run.
Entering the village Colonel Sheppard felt a gut wrenching knot in the pit of his stomach. The building where Rodney and the Primori elders and engineers was all but destroyed. Debris scattered over the road and some pieces of wooden embedded into the building across the way giving evidence to the power of the explosion. Slowly they walked to the building, hoping that somehow Rodney McKay had survived. The sound of a jumper over head grew louder as he, Ronon and Teyla search for signs of life.
"There are no burnt marks that are customary with a large explosion?" Teyla Emmagan was praying silently in her heart for Rodney's safety as they and the villagers picked through the ruins of the building.
"Steam power is different than most power sources. It's the gathering of high pressure from boiling water and that release through various pipes and valves allow for machines to move and work. Rodney's design was to achieve maximum pressure in a short period of time, almost instant, then release it through a series of small regulated pipes." Colonel Sheppard was directing the combat engineers to move the larger pieces of the building.
"Colonel Sheppard where is Rodney?" Dr. Jennifer Keller had a worried look on her face.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Rodney is okay. Once we find him…" She cut him off with a raised had
"That's not what I mean. Where is anybody or body parts?" John Sheppard looked around the scene of destruction and saw, partial pipes, wood, metal and furniture, but not one single piece of any body part.
"There had to be at least 20 people in that building." Ronon looked puzzled as did several others in the search as they listened to Sheppard and Keller.
"If none of them where in it when it blew up and they aren't in the village, then where the hell are they?"
The lite humming of the hyper drive can be soothing during travel, but to Rodney McKay it was an alarm. As he and several of the Primori people gain consciousness they realized they were in a holding cell of some kind.
"Seriously, not again!" Rodney McKay said in disgust, fear and weariness.