Hunting. That was the consensus among the members of Major Adams' team. Aceso was having a hard time imagining how they were going to hunt without using their guns.
Adams' team had confiscated the guns from the soldiers, but using them would be a different matter. Everyone agreed that all the noise from the shots would attract too much attention, so using the weapons would be a last resort. What no one could agree on was what to do instead.
The morning sunlight began to warm the group, and slowly, the camp became more active. Today was the day they'd move, but everyone had lost their energy as their appetite grew from hungry to starving.
"I can make a trap," Adams said. "That creature is just like a squirrel, it'll be attracted to pieces of your power bar."
"This is the last piece I have left," Lieutenant Boyd warned.
"I'm going to need it," Adams said. The lieutenant handed over the remaining piece of power bar.
Aceso knelt on a patch of moss and watched as Adams took the piece of food and placed it beside a loop of wire at the base of a tree. She observed the creature, seeing that it watched Adams every move with curiosity. Aceso had seen creatures like that before. It was a foraging animal that spent most of its time in treetops. They were very intelligent, and mischievous.
"There," Adams said. "Now when it comes down from the tree to investigate, it'll get caught in the trap.
"Then what?" Isobel said. "What if it doesn't die right away?"
"Killing it will be easy," Adams sassed.
Isobel raised her eyebrows skeptically. "If you say so."
Adams gestured for everyone to back up, and they all watched expectantly.
The creature stared at them for a few moments, but slowly and in short bursts began descending the tree. It watched them carefully with each step to see their reactions.
"It won't work," Aceso warned. "It's too smart to fall for that."
"It can't be that smart," Adams said.
Aceso shook her head, resigned to watch this nonsense play out.
In one swift move, the creature descended the tree, went around the snare, grabbed the piece of food, and bolted up the tree.
"I can't believe it," Adams said. "I was sure it would work."
"That's okay," Isobel consoled. "I wouldn't want to eat him anyway."
The creature finished the food, and as if to add insult to insult, took seeds from the tree and started throwing them at the group situated below.
"Ow," Adams said, rubbing his forehead.
"Serves you right," Isobel said, giggling.
"We'll see who's laughing when I catch something to eat." Adams retorted.
"Your future will be humorless if you don't improve your trap." Aceso said.
Adams gave her a dirty look. "All right, I'll figure something else out."
Even if they caught the little creature, there were too many in the group to make it worthwhile. After repositioning the trap multiple times only for the creature to subvert it each time and steal the bait, Adams gave up on that idea entirely.
That left her still wondering how she was going to ensure the group didn't starve.
Suddenly, the temptation to steal food returned again. Her heart and mind sank. Even if they stole food, it would draw attention to them, putting the group at risk. There was no way to win, and no way to stay safe. Atlantis had to find them, or else they would be in a dire situation.
Moving on from this place was the only thing they could do to improve their odds, but there was no guarantee either way.
She calmed herself with deep steady breaths.
"Let's get the group moving," Aceso said a little forcefully. "Get our things packed and fresh water boiled." The group looked to her, and lethargically sprang into action.
(0)
Woolsey waited as the jumper descended through the open roof and landed in its parking spot. The door opened and Zelenka walked out onto the ramp. The scientist frowned and shook his head. Behind him, several technicians and Teyla walked out of the jumper.
"No luck I take it," Woolsey asked.
"No," Zelenka said. "We tried to re-activate the emergency life support, but the life support base code got a bit scrambled from the overload."
"What do you need to fix it?" Woolsey asked.
"Honestly, the limiting factor may be raw materials. We've been trying to bypass missing components because the ship isn't completely finished, and the problem is now that there are no redundant systems left operating."
"It was quite cold," Teyla said. "The ship also seemed to get—annoyed."
Woolsey raised an eyebrow. "Annoyed?"
Teyla nodded and blinked. "It kept telling me to stop trying to activate systems, and that I clearly do not know what I am doing."
Woolsey sighed. "Great, we have a ship with a bad attitude that won't go anywhere."
"Sorry," Zelenka said.
Woolsey turned and paced a few steps. "We're still weeks away from the Daedalus being able to help the lost team, and we can't fly our only other hyperspace capable ship."
Teyla excused herself and walked away.
Woolsey knew that letting Doctor McKay and Aceso remain without help for this long weighed heavily on her mind.
"Are there any options to get the ship moving?" Woolsey asked.
Zelenka shook his head. "No, without life support, we'd either freeze, or boil, depending on what part of the ship we're in. It's only tolerable here because the ship is in a low power mode and spends part of its time in sunlight. In hyperspace, the interior would heat to oven temperatures from the power core. To get it moving, we'd need to land the ship and re-start some of its construction protocols, and then hope there are enough raw materials to finish the process."
"Okay, how about ways to penetrate the Vorash stargate?" Woolsey asked. "There have been methods in the past used to unblock a stargate."
Zelenka raised an eyebrow. "If we could somehow get a lock, we might be able to fire a particle accelerator at the gate to break through whatever is blocking it, but so far we haven't been able to establish a connection."
Woolsey scratched the side of his head, and turned away. "Thank you, Doctor," he said quietly.
His duty hours technically ended an hour ago, so it worked for him to walk straight back to his quarters and try to get some rest for the night.
It took a transporter ride and two flights of stairs to get to his room.
Woolsey walked through the sliding doors into his dark apartment, and went straight for the shower, trying to find some solace in the hot water, or perhaps some inspiration to figure out how to get his team back.
The truth was that they had no idea why the stargate suddenly became inaccessible. The world may have suffered a natural disaster, a wraith attack, or political instability. They really had no way of knowing why this happened. A part of him suspected that the malfunctioning stargate was related to Beckett's disappearance somehow, but he had no way of knowing for sure.
The search for Beckett had proven equally fruitless. Orbital scans for his locator beacon, or a sign of the jumper had turned up nothing. They hadn't expected to find anything since it was confirmed by the locals that Beckett's jumper had exited through the stargate, but it was all they had to work with.
Woolsey shut off the water and tried to dry himself off when the intercom was activated.
"Mr. Woolsey, report to the control room. Colonel Sheppard, report to the control room."
Woolsey felt suddenly exhausted at the announcement, but dutifully put on some half decent clothes and an Atlantis jacket, then walked back through the city out to the control room.
"What is it?" he said the second the doors opened.
The cause of the problem became immediately apparent as Todd appeared on the visual communications radio. The stargate remained active as the link was established.
Colonel Sheppard was there, along with Teyla and Ronon.
Woolsey walked up to them. "We didn't expect to be seeing you." Woolsey said to Todd. "What's going on here?"
"Well," Sheppard started. "He has some interesting information."
"Your people are alive," Todd said. "They are on Vorash. Doctor McKay is in prison, and a science team is missing, but presumed alive."
"That's good news," Woolsey said. "Where did you come by this information?"
Todd shrugged. "I have eyes and ears everywhere. I did hear something very surprising however. Apparently your Doctor Beckett is working with the Vorash government to try to kill your scientists, and kidnap your wraith queen."
"Woah, hold up." Sheppard interjected. "You mean Beckett is on Vorash?"
"My source confirmed it."
"Why is he working with them?" Woolsey asked. "Is he being coerced?"
"I asked that as well," Todd said. "My source seemed to think that Beckett was there of his own accord. He is working with Secretary of Security Kellim, however I have no details as to why."
"Why would Beckett do that?" Teyla asked Woolsey. Woolsey's mind reeled from the revelation, and he couldn't answer.
Ronon leaned into the camera. "How did you know Aceso is there?"
Woolsey almost missed it, but Todd did say 'wraith queen' which could only refer to Aceso.
"The Secretary knows of her true nature," Todd explained. "Beckett told them."
Beckett's duplicity made no sense at all.
"So is he working against us?" Woolsey asked.
"It would seem so," Todd said.
Woolsey immediately suspected Todd of deception. That seemed infinitely more likely than Beckett suddenly turning on them.
"I have a better question," Sheppard said. "Why are you telling us this? The last time we met, you culled Irinak and tried to assassinate Aceso."
"Did you think I never culled worlds?" Todd asked. "Did you believe that when we parted ways, that I simply disappeared?"
Sheppard blinked, and shrugged. "Okay, but your actions seemed targeted at us."
"Irinak is under my domain. It is mine to do with as I please, and at that moment, I needed humans."
"What about sending someone to kill Aceso?" Teyla countered. She added a slight fire to her voice. "That was spiteful, and put an innocent family in danger."
"You do not understand wraith culture, do you?" Todd said. "Queens are both a benefit, and a threat to us. When controlled, they provide valuable cohesion to a hive, strengthening it. When allowed to their own devices, they can lead a hive into ruin. She proved too powerful for me—impossible to control. Even during her brief period as queen, she learned valuable information about my alliance that could not under any circumstances, fall into enemy hands."
"That's too bad," Sheppard said. "Because she told us everything."
"I do not consider you an enemy Sheppard," Todd said. "If I did, a fleet of hive ships would already be above your world."
Woolsey had an involuntary shudder, and Sheppard tensed.
"Still, I am glad that she has found a home with you," Todd said. "I would rather her be under your protection than alone where other wraith could find her. Queens who become isolated like that seldom live very long. Yours has shown a remarkable ability to survive."
"This is all very interesting," Woolsey said, "but nothing you tell us will help because we can't access the stargate on Vorash."
"Yes, my contact communicated that fact to me. I believe I can offer a solution,"
Woolsey's shoulders slumped. "Oh no, don't tell me."
"I would like you to accompany me to Vorash."
"No way," Sheppard said. "There is no way you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart. What's in it for you?"
Todd yawned. "Sheppard is quite correct. I want your mission there to succeed. I know the object of your mission was to obtain a piece of Lantean technology that is capable of altering Wraith DNA. I know that this device is critical in the treatment of wraith who wish to not feed."
"It's the last piece of the puzzle," Teyla said. "When we have that, we will have all the information and devices that we need to re-create the treatment."
"I am aware," Todd said. "Don't forget, I also have a copy of the information we retrieved from the Lantean outpost."
"Right," Sheppard said. "So you want us to trust you again? Even though you violated the terms of our last agreement?"
Todd did not answer right away. "I understand how my actions caused you to lose trust in me."
They were silent. Woolsey felt the sentiment was being understated. "I think that's as close to an apology as we're going to get."
"Why do you want us to go?" Ronon asked. "If you want the device, why not just take it?"
Todd looked away. "Vorash is not in my territory, so I cannot approach the surface from space myself without causing an engagement. I need one of your cloaked ships."
"You need a cloaked jumper," Woolsey said. "Well then, we have things to discuss, so allow us some time to come to a decision."
"I will only work with Sheppard's team," Todd said. "If you attempt any form of trickery, our deal is rescinded."
"We haven't made a deal yet," Sheppard scoffed.
Todd smirked faintly. "Very well. If you decide to proceed, meet me in space above this world. We will then set out for Vorash aboard my cruiser."
A text transmission came in with stargate coordinates that appeared on a separate monitor. The stargate snapped off and the transmission disconnected.
"What are we going to do?" Woolsey asked the group.
(0)
Waiting for the boat to unload their passengers and cargo was proving to be an exercise in patience. Aceso felt overheated, sweaty, hungry, and angry all at the same time. The humans called it 'hangry,' and no word described her better right now. The humans around her seemed to feel a little warm, but she felt miserable. Having a body temperature a few degrees colder had left her a little disadvantaged her whole life on human worlds. She longed for the cool, humid forests of one of her home worlds.
They waited behind bushes across from the docks, where the workers unloaded their cargo from the large open hull boat. The boat seemed to operate with a kind of combustion engine, which turned a large central paddlewheel in the rear of the hull.
The workers stopped in the middle of unloading and sat down on the edge of the dock, apparently taking a break to smoke some kind of pipes.
"Of all the times for a smoke break," Adams said.
Aceso could hardly bear to watch, and sat down on the ground.
"Are you okay?" Isobel asked. "You look less green than usual."
"No," she said truthfully. "I am not feeling well."
"Water?" Isobel asked, handing her a steel bottle of once-boiled river water.
She gladly accepted the water, still knowing that the heat and direct sunlight needed to ease off, or else she would suffer from heat exhaustion.
The workers took another hour to unload the boat, but once they did, they all left for the town, leaving the boat unattended. Aceso guessed that this town might have a road connection to the city, because she could spot wheeled vehicles parked around the dock warehouses. It didn't really change the plan, but it just underscored the need to stay out of sight.
Once the last of the dock workers was out of sight, Adams jumped into action and led the small group down the embankment toward the boat. His team helped everyone get across the dock and to get aboard safely.
Aceso kept feeling unsteady in her footsteps, and her head hurt. She couldn't stand anymore without her head throbbing, so sat down on top of a crate with her back to the edge of the boat. The sun beat down harder now that they were in direct sunlight.
The group quickly set to work untying the boat, and getting it cast off downstream. The boat drifted a few meters in the slow current, still well within sight of the docks. The technicians got to work trying to operate the motor. They argued back and forth about the functions of the various controls, unsure as to how the thing operated.
That discussion went on for a few agonizing minutes as Aceso sat there in the direct light, feeling numb in all of her limbs.
The boat had drifted many meters from the dock at this point.
A scream rang out from the town, and everyone's attention turned to see what the problem was.
Six large animals ran down the hill toward the docks. Their speed and ferocity astounded everyone. As they neared the end of the docks, all six of them jumped off in quick succession, swimming quickly out to meet them. These creatures were after them specifically.
Aceso froze, terrified at the animals, but had unwittingly been holding her breath. She realized that fact too late, and lost control of her body, falling backward into the water.
(0)
McKay squinted as the bright sunlight filtered into the transport. The six of them immediately jumped into action, searching for their quarry.
They were searching for the Atlanteans—outsiders who would smell different than the others here.
McKay caught the scent immediately, and tore off down the road. Five others with him ran in unison, their excitement building on itself.
He could smell the outsiders close by. They smelled of synthetic fabrics, cotton, which was not native to this world, rubber, and various perfumes. Another traveled with them — a non-human with their own distinct smell.
They raced past houses, and people going about their business. Smoke filled the air, putrid like all civilizations.
The roads were filled with mud and feces from some kind of animal that these people used for carrying things. Their pace slowed as they became bogged down in the wet surface.
McKay followed his nose, turning toward the water. He smelled the rotting of fish in the air. Beside the water's edge, fishermen unloaded bins full of fish into troughs where others sorted them. A woman screamed upon seeing the group of beasts, but McKay all ignored the locals. His mission was to kill the outsiders.
McKay ran to the end of the dock and jumped headlong into the water, swimming out to meet the outsiders.
One of them fell into the water just a little ways ahead of him, and he swam out to meet her.
McKay recognized this one as the non-human, but he also recognized her personally.
He couldn't figure out where the sense of recognition came from, but he felt that this one was a friend—a friend clearly in trouble.
She lay unconscious, face down in the water as though dead.
McKay remembered his directive—to kill the outsiders, but now he didn't want to. Others in the boat yelled and reached out for the one who had fallen.
McKay swam up to the unconscious one and pushed her toward the boat with his nose. She bobbed in the water until the ones in the boat grabbed her and pulled her out.
McKay kept swimming close by to the ones in the boat.
"What the hell is that?"
"Is it a dog?"
"It has four eyes and is as big as a horse! How could it be a dog?"
"Is it wild or domesticated?"
"Who would domesticate that?"
Their conversation jostled something in his mind.
He couldn't remember what he was.
What was his purpose here? Who was he?
'Rodney McKay,' a little quiet voice echoed in his mind. Ah yes, Rodney McKay the…the…what exactly?
Why did he know these people? He kept treading water and felt another one of his kind swim up beside him, only this one went past him and pushed off out of the water to rest its paws on the boat. It's weight tipped the boat over significantly.
The other one snarled and lunged at someone, narrowly missing them with its teeth.
McKay wouldn't tolerate that. These were friends. He lunged at the one in the boat with his teeth, pulling him down into the water by his leg.
The other beast who was like him lunged around and met him with a vicious bite to his face.
He smelled and felt blood starting to flow, and he panicked, turning around and swimming quickly toward the opposite shoreline.
The other creature huffed quickly as he pursued McKay. Four of the others seemed to be attacking the boat, but the engine had started and the paddle turned, making the boat move away too quickly for the beasts to close the distance.
McKay felt solid ground under him, and pushed off, propelling himself out of the water with a jolt and running through the woods, darting around trees and bushes.
The other one ran behind him, pursuing him only steps away. McKay could feel its hot breath near his side as it closed in on him, narrowly missing him with a fanged lunge. He pushed himself harder, running faster and faster until he came out inches ahead of the other one.
Their route closed in on a ravine, and McKay altered course uphill to try to find a way around it while running beside the drop-off.
He had no idea how to lose the other one until the problem quite suddenly answered itself.
The other beast struck its shoulder against a large tree trunk, sending it tumbling, which then sent it over the side of the ravine. McKay heard it yelp out in pain, followed by absolute silence.
His lungs worked like a machine, bringing in a huge amount of air in quick, short bursts. He stopped and investigated the body of the other beast, laying mangled at the bottom of the drop-off.
He caught a whiff of the odor of death, indicating that it had indeed passed.
He turned away and continued on, not sure of what direction to move in, only sure that he needed to keep moving.
(0)