Chapter Seventeen – A Fighting Chance
A large room was revealed, the corners hidden in shadow. Rodney stood back as several of the native tribespeople walked into it, their torches flaring. He could hear the gasps from inside as they took in their surroundings. Rodney hesitated before walking into the room, almost afraid to see what it contained. Then his face broke into a wide grin and felt Ronon slap him on the back, because in the middle of the room stood a chair.
It wasn't ideal because, usually, he was the one who oversaw the readings and saw to it that everything was in working order, but today he had to sit in the chair himself. Sheppard was no longer at his side and Carson was dead, Lorne was back on Atlantis.
Rodney swallowed, feeling his mouth go dry, he trusted Ronon with his life, he really did, but when it came to things like this the Satedan hadn't a clue about what to look for and how to prevent errors and fluctuations.
"What's wrong, McKay?" Ronon asked.
Rodney shook his head. "Nothing," he said then threw his hands in the air theatrically. "Everything."
Ronon watched him walk over to the control board and swipe it clean of dust and debris. It came to life as soon as it felt the ATA gene carrier and started humming softly.
Several of the young soldiers took a step back as the room was bathed in light, but Dadan silently communicated that everything was as it should be.
"How does it look?" Ronon asked curiously as he walked over to the scientist, staring over his shoulder.
Rodney's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Apparently the drone room is almost empty, there are only ten left," he said in a hollow voice.
Ronon shrugged. "Ten would be enough to blow those freaks out of the sky," he returned. "Sheppard's taken out a Hive with only nine. I've heard him brag about it."
Rodney turned to his team mate, his face a mask of anger and frustration, his eyes cold as he spoke up once again. "There are several things that are different here. For one, Sheppard is a fighter pilot thus skilled in combat and possesses a fair amount of expertise in firing on moving targets. Then there's the fact that I was there to monitor him and give him assistance by constantly adjusting the system."
Ronon looked at him, not sure what he was on about. "So, our odds are a bit worse," he said casually.
"A bit?" The scientist echoed in amazement before he exploded. "I've only fired at a Hive once and I used a lot more than ten drones, also I had Zelenka to oversee the systems, at least he was a scientist and knew what he was looking at – don't go tell him I told you that, ever."
"Show me," Ronon reasoned. "What are our options?"
"Fine, let's say that we've solved that problem, then there's only one major obstacle left; we don't have the power left to fire," Rodney finished.
"Doctor McKay," Dadan said carefully. "There was a glowing crystal of power that you found of great value upon your first visit."
Rodney whirled around to face the old man. "Yes, it was a Zero Point Module. A power source, just like-" he trailed off as he walked over to the dark power station just behind the chair and knelt next to it, staring at the faint glow of the almost depleted ZPM. "If I at least had had one, then we could have fired, three are only required for space flight."
Behind Rodney's back, Dadan nodded toward one of the young men with a bag strapped by a rope over his shoulder. The old man's face split into a large smile. "Taree, bring me the magical power," he said.
Ronon, still wary of the tribespeople and everything else going on around them, carefully let his hand wander to the hilt of his gun.
Dadan beckoned for the young man to step forward and then carefully retrieved the Zero Point Module. He gave it to Rodney, his eyes twinkled and spoke of wisdom as he then took a step back waiting for the scientist to take action.
Temporarily at loss for words, Rodney just stared at the power he held in his hands before he snapped out of it and sprang into action. With a careful yet knowing hand he exchanged one of the dark modules with the one he'd just received. The power station lit up at once, the new zero point module installing itself, connecting to the system.
OOOOOO
Rackie ducked as dust from the cracked ceiling rained down on them. Meren was suddenly close to him.
"I don't know about you but I think this must come to an end," Meren said seriously.
"I do know that had you not given Amni Lak extra resources and helped him plan certain events, the resistance would never have been as strong as it is and maybe we would not have been at the brink of civil war and beyond," Rackie returned angrily.
"That's unfair giving me all the responsibility for everything that has gone wrong over the past year," Meren said, his voice neither angry nor defiant, but devoid of all emotions. "Do you not see the whole picture? Dadan and the prophecy, the government and the power failures, the shimmering sky and the media's constant propaganda and the way to undermine everything that has been creating stability for the people?"
Rackie nodded thoughtfully, sadly as he led the way toward the experimental bunker. "What do you hope to achieve in the media house?" he asked carefully.
"To broadcast the truth, to give them information and bring order to this chaos. I just hope that Sha will manage to get rid of those creatures above and that we can still unite people."
OOOOOO
Teyla held the life signs detector in a steady grip as she hastily made her way back to the end of the old city. It was a dangerous route to take but she judged it to be safer than going straight up the ladder onto the market street. She was aware that the Alpha teams or members of the resistance could easily stop her on the way, but her despair was such that she didn't care. Rodney needed a city map and he'd seen one at the museum. If it could help them find the gate she was at least going to try and reach the place safely. Lani had explained the way to Rodney while she and Ronon were still in the jumper so she was confident she would find it but she wasn't sure about the hindrance on the way.
Twenty minutes later, her body high on adrenaline, Teyla reached the door leading to the experimental bunker. The Lantean door obediently opened to let her inside the corridor where disaster had struck a few hours earlier, and she shivered, recalling her friend and team leader lying in a pool of blood before her. His blood was still on the ground, a stark contrast to the rest of the place. Teyla took a deep breath and concentrated on how to get the next door open. She retrieved the keycard John had had on him and carefully, double checking the life signs detector, slid the card into the holder. The door opened before her to reveal a large, long brightly lit white hallway.
Without warning a klaxon started to blare above her head and flashes of yellow light cascaded the walls. Within a few seconds several black clad Alpha members had poured out of hidden doors before her, weapons raised.
OOOOOO
Sha glanced seriously at the lone woman in the hallway displayed on one of the security monitors and then grimly hit a button.
"This is Military Defense Officer Rodin, bring the woman to control immediately," he said curtly.
Things were still a bit haphazard and shaky in the ranks and he didn't trust all his officers at the moment, some of them still allied themselves with Katan and what he stood for. However, he doubted that anyone could deny the existence of aliens at the moment. In a way it had turned in his own favor.
Suddenly a door opened behind him to reveal the sleek, alien woman.
"Sha?" Teyla asked curiously.
He nodded grimly. "Things are not going well at the moment," he let on. "How's Lani, Sheppard and the others?"
"For the moment, they are safe in Askula's infirmary. I am afraid that Colonel Sheppard's life is hanging by a thread. I can only hope that your friend will be able to save him."
"Lani was the best in her class, if there is anyone here that can attempt such a rescue it will be her," he assured her.
Teyla nodded sadly yet with a glimmer of hope. "I need to reach the museum," she said with determination.
"I cannot let you do that," he said.
"I was not aware that I was a prisoner on this world?" Teyla returned.
"Rest assured that you're not, Teyla. The creatures have advanced and it's suicidal to walk out on the streets in this instance," Sha returned, his voice softer, concerned even.
"Rodney needs a city map of Askula and there is one back at the museum. I need to get it for him," she reasoned.
"Perhaps there is another way," Rackie said as he stepped into the room, having heard the last of the conversation.
"Explain, Rackie," Sha said tiredly.
"I might be able to get it here on a link," he suggested brightly.
"The communication network has been severely damaged," Sha cautioned.
"That's not what I had hoped to hear," Meren said with a sigh as he too stepped into the room.
Several of the younger officers tensed at the presence of the renowned scientist. Two Alpha team members stepped up behind the man ready to take him away.
Sha shook his head. "Meren Kal is on our side, leave him be," he said.
"But, sir," one of the soldiers protested.
"That is an order. Now if you want to help you get Meren to the Council building and help him bring out all the files and data he needs," Sha said and watched the scientist leave once again accompanied with several armed Alpha team members, before turning to Rackie. "Do you really think you can help Teyla get the city map from here?"
The engineer nodded. "I think I can. Use the security cameras channel and open up a connection. I'll do the rest."
Sha nodded and did as he was told. With the intendents help at the other end, it took them only fifteen minutes to locate, send and study the map on one of the screens in the military command center.
"Seems I owe you, Rackie," Sha said in appreciation. "Can I repay you by sending you to the front?" he said seriously yet with a hint of teasing.
The young engineer shook his head sadly. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to kill me," he mused. "What's wrong?"
"We've lost several of the ground stations. We can't fire back at the ships and your so called colleagues at the Engineering Section refuse to go there, afraid to lose their lives."
"I hate to be the one to tell you but it sounds fairly reasonable," Rackie returned with a twinkle in his eyes. "However, I saw some of the more courageous engineers among the old ancient hallways down below, those siding with the resistance."
"Will they help?" Sha asked carefully.
Rackie chuckled. "I've always been good at persuasion."
Sha's lips curled slightly upwards and then nodded. "Wait for me, I'll come with you."
"Are you crazy?" Rackie asked incredulously. "What if they kill you down there?"
"Do you have a better suggestion? How are you going to persuade the still fighting members of Katan's teams down there on your own?" he asked innocently. "Besides, we need to find the Stargate, Teyla needs to find her team members and I'm not letting her go on her own."
Both men glanced at the screen from behind Teyla's back staring the map displaying the old city. Both men became instantly aware of Askula's greatness and resources, of what she had once been and how big she actually was. They had only scraped the surface.
"If only Rodney were here," Teyla said gloomily. "He might have been able to connect it to Askula's system so that we could see what parts of the city are still intact."
"You can do that?" Rackie asked amazed. "Your ancestors were really something," he mumbled.
"I hate to break Rackie's delirium and delight, but as of what I can gather from my limited understanding of the layout of the cityship, the main control room and other important functions was situated at the top spire in the middle of the city. That would have been beneath the large structure of what is now Hospital Section One."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, all three of them caught up in their own nightmarish scenarios of what was to come.
Then, suddenly another alarm shrilled through the department causing their attention to wander to the screens displaying the hellish fighting outside.
"What is that?" The communications officer shouted as he magnified the picture, zooming in on a large ship descending from the sky.
Teyla tensed as she could hear the thoughts of the strong queen onboard.
"It is the Wraith," she said seriously and her voice was so full of conflicted emotion that it chilled Sha to the bone. "It's the mothership. I'm afraid that it's too late to aid the stations, they will all be lost within minutes."
"Aim everything we've got at that thing!" Sha ordered.
The command was executed and there was a shudder through the building at the unleashed firepower. The Hive shuddered and then straightened after the onslaught as if it had merely been tickled and annoyed.
"Almost no effect!" The officer at the fire executing station shouted over the klaxon. "She's taken out the firing stations among the city and now she's aiming for us!"
"We must leave immediately," Teyla urged, knowing the enormous firepower a Hive possessed.
However, it was too late. Sparks began to fly as several shots hit the military command control, the ceiling collapsed above them and the structural integrity began to budge. The reinforced structure broke apart and debris rained down on them. Teyla grabbed Sha's arm in an effort to push him toward the exit and Rackie followed suit but they never reached the door.
Buried under the rubble of what had once been a proud building in the middle of the city they never saw the bright light rise from the ground and with a precision as exact as a millimeter hit its' target dead center, taking out the Hive, fracturing its hull, causing it to break apart.
OOOOOO
To be continued
/Thank you all for following this story and for taking time to review. My apologies for the delay in posting! I wish you all a wonderful Christmas.