Rodney sat in the co-pilot's seat and forced himself to stay awake. No sleeping, he ordered himself as Sheppard ran through the preflight checks and powered up the jumper's engines. There's an Ancient tower with who knows what sort of interesting technology inside. After everything you went through to get here, don't blow your chance now.
John pulled back on the yoke, lifting off, and pointed the ship's nose toward the mountains.
Rodney glanced out the windscreen at the sea of trees below. A moment later, he grasped the armrests in a tight hold and squeezed his eyes shut as a wave of dizziness washed over him.
No good, he thought as he eased back in the chair, keeping his eyes closed. I'm going to kill Zelenka. His head throbbed in time with his heart, and the rest of his body sent up a raft of other aches and pains. Pain meds can start working any time now, Rodney grumbled to himself as he rubbed his head.
"Picking up anything?" John asked a few minutes later.
"What?" Rodney muttered, opening his eyes.
He glanced to his left and saw Sheppard watching him. Pull yourself together, he ordered himself. He looked out the windscreen, ignoring a fresh wave of dizziness along with John's frown, and stared at the tall spire rising in front of them.
"Umm." Rodney ignored Sheppard's concerned expression, shook his head, and squinted at the HUD. "Umm, no. Nothing," he replied. "There's a few scattered life signs, but nothing near the town. Oh," he added more to himself than to Sheppard. "That could be a problem?"
"What?" John asked.
"I'm not seeing anything like a power source," Rodney replied. "That's going to complicate things."
"Perhaps such systems are merely powered down?" Teyla suggested.
"Maybe," Rodney replied, with another glance at the tower.
"We're about to find out," John said. "We're here."
The jumper sailed over the last of the trees and into a wide valley at the base of a series of mountains. The tall spire, which looked remarkably similar to the central tower in Atlantis, stood in the middle of the town, surrounded by several other tall metal and glass buildings.
The remains of dozens of stone buildings and cobbled roads surrounded the tower complex in ever-widening circles like ripples on a lake. Diagonal roads bisected the circular streets at regular intervals like spokes on a wheel.
Rodney stared out the windscreen, his aching head and joints momentarily forgotten as the possibilities of what he might find in the tower bloomed in his mind.
No damage to the tower or the other central buildings, he thought as he visually catalogued the town. If this is a completely undisturbed site, there could be research, maybe a unique database, not to mention a Zed-PM or two.
"These Ancients certainly had a thing for circles," John said as the ship flew over the tower.
Rodney frowned as what Sheppard said penetrated his aching head. Something's not right, he decided. Something was just a little bit … off.
"What?" John asked.
Rodney shook his head and pointed out the windscreen. "We've found several Ancient settlements in the last three years. Were any of them laid out like this one?"
John opened his mouth, but Rodney spoke over him.
"The tower and maybe a few of the other central buildings are definitely Ancient. The rest of that," Rodney waved his hand at the windscreen, "probably came later."
"Only a few outlying buildings are still intact," Teyla said.
Rodney glanced up and saw Teyla and Ronon standing behind the pilot and co-pilot chairs.
"But the damage does not appear to be consistent with an attack by the Wraith," Teyla finished.
"How can you tell?" Rodney asked.
"Wraith would have destroyed everything," Ronon replied before Teyla could elaborate.
John glanced at Dex standing behind Rodney. "So what happened?"
"Doesn't matter," Rodney said. "Whatever happened here is ancient history." He grimaced at the unintended pun. "The central buildings are the ones I'm interested in, and those are still intact." He glanced at John and added. "Where can we land? I need to see if there's anything inside worth taking back to Atlantis."
"All right," John said. "Let's try the easy way first." He hovered the jumper over the central tower and pressed one of the tiles on the panel in front of him.
Rodney watched the tower and frowned when the sunroof didn't open.
John pressed the tile again. "Maybe there isn't a bay," he muttered when the roof still refused to open.
"I think I mentioned I wasn't picking up any power readings."
"Either way, we aren't getting inside through the sunroof," John replied.
Sheppard pulled back on the yoke and circled the ruined town.
"What are you doing?" Rodney asked.
John shook his head. "If you want to get inside that tower, we need to find a place to land."
Rodney mentally groaned at the thought of landing the jumper and climbing countless stairs to reach the tower's control room. "There has to be another way."
"I'm listening if you have any bright ideas," John said as the jumper circled closer to the tower.
"Use the rear hatch and make a bridge to one of the balconies," Ronon suggested.
Rodney twisted around in his chair and glared up at Dex. "Are you insane?"
"Sheppard did it before."
The memory of being trapped in one of the city's towers after a Wraith grenade exploded rose in Rodney's memory, and he felt a shiver down his spine. He had read the report on how John had created a similar bridge to rescue him and Ronon and had counted himself lucky he had been unconscious when Thompson and a med tech carried him across the precariously balanced rear hatch to the ship.
"Would Ronon's plan work?" Teyla asked Sheppard.
John grimaced. "Probably," he replied, and Rodney noted his pensive expression.
"You do not like the idea," Teyla stated.
John shook his head. "I don't like the idea of leaving the three of you to search the tower alone."
"If I can find the control room, I might be able to get the Zed-PM power up and basic systems running. Then I can open the sunroof to the jumper bay." Rodney offered.
"Assuming there is a jumper bay," John said.
Rodney grimaced at the reminder.
The jumper circled the tower again.
"What are we going to do?" Rodney asked as the jumper made another lazy circuit. "We can't fly around in circles all day."
John grimaced. "Fine." The ship circled the tower again, then stopped and hovered in place. "If this tower is like the one in Atlantis, that balcony should be the same as the one outside Elizabeth's office." He pointed to a wide, open area surrounded by a metal railing.
Rodney stared out the windscreen at the narrow railing and the long drop to the ground. "You're sure this idea will work?" he asked as the jumper rotated until the rear hatch faced the tower.
"I didn't hear you come up with something better."
Rodney scowled and stared at the crumbling ruins.
Sheppard concentrated on the flight board in front of him as the ship inched closer to the tower.
Rodney held his breath as the ship hovered in place, and John pressed the tile to lower the rear hatch. Rodney shivered as a gust of wind blew through the cockpit. He heard a metallic clunk a moment later, glanced behind him, and watched as Ronon walked into the rear section.
"Looks good," Dex reported a moment later and returned to the cockpit.
John nodded, and the ship dipped.
Rodney gripped the armrests and glared at Sheppard. He was about to make a sarcastic comment when he saw John grimace and Sheppard's white-knuckle grip on the yoke.
John glanced at Rodney, then jerked his chin toward the rear section. "This isn't as easy as it looks," he said, glancing at the HUD. "Go."
Rodney glanced into the rear section and the open hatch. You can do this, he told himself. Just think about all the amazing discoveries you are about to make and not the long plunge to a grisly death if you slip.
Ronon tugged on Rodney's jacket. "Move, McKay."
"Yes, yes, I'm coming," Rodney retorted. He stood and tried not to groan as he grabbed the pack beside his chair.
"What will you do?" Teyla asked John as Rodney clipped the pack to his tac vest.
"I'll circle the rest of the town and keep an eye on things," John replied. "Radio when you find something."
Teyla nodded, and Rodney followed Dex back to the open rear hatch.
Ronon pulled a large flashlight out of the cargo netting, then stepped onto the lowered hatch. He walked across the hatch with ease and jumped down onto the balcony. He unholstered the particle weapon and checked one end of the balcony and then the other.
"We're clear," he reported over the radio.
Rodney felt the ship dip and grabbed for the cargo netting over the bench seat.
Teyla went next, and Rodney noticed she seemed almost as at ease as Dex as she stepped out onto the hatch and crossed over to the balcony.
Ronon helped her down, and Teyla nodded her thanks.
Rodney stepped into the open doorway and grabbed for the edge when he felt the wind in his face.
The ship dipped and swayed, making Rodney grab for the edge of the hatch opening. He glanced down at the ruins far below and squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of vertigo hit him.
"Sooner rather than later," John said from the cockpit.
Rodney swallowed as the ship twitched again.
"McKay! Move!" Sheppard ordered.
Rodney took a deep breath and shuffled out onto the lowered hatch.
Cold wind buffeted him, and Rodney shivered as he shuffled across the hatch with his arms extended out from his sides.
"Don't look down," he muttered. "Don't look down."
The jumper dipped, and Rodney fell more than jumped from the hatch to the balcony.
Ronon caught him, setting Rodney back on his feet with a grunt.
"We're across," Ronon reported over the radio.
The hatch sealed a moment later, and the jumper moved away from the tower.
"Watch your backs," John replied over the open channel as the ship sailed out over the ruined town.
Rodney took a deep breath as he tried to get his heart rate back under control and looked around. Unlike the balcony outside Elizabeth's office, there was no furniture. Only a large open area with a sealed door at one end.
Rodney walked over to the solid door and ran his fingers over the frame. Instead of glass, the door was solid metal and appeared to slide open. Rodney studied the door, then waved his hand over the sensor.
"Figures," Rodney muttered when the door remained sealed.
"Rodney?" Teyla asked.
"Give me a moment," Rodney replied and pried the cover off the access panel.
He peered into the hole and noted the three crystals inside were dark. He grasped one of the crystals but didn't feel any vibrations.
"We might have a problem," Rodney said, stepping back from the door.
"McKay?" John asked over the radio. "What's wrong?"
Rodney rubbed his forehead. "The access panel isn't responding to the ATA gene. I don't feel any vibrations when I touch the crystals, so there probably isn't any power getting to the door."
"So you're telling me you can't get inside?" Sheppard asked.
"I don't know yet. Just give me a few minutes to think about this." Rodney pinched his lower lip and studied the access panel. "If no power is getting to the door …" He glanced from the open access panel to the jumper. "Maybe I can -"
His only warning was a faint whine, and Rodney barely had time to duck before Ronon fired on the door.
"What are you doing?" Rodney exclaimed.
"Opening the door," Ronon replied and fired two more times.
The smoke and dust cleared, and Rodney saw a gaping hole where the door used to be.
Rodney turned on Dex with a scowl.
"Rodney!" John yelled over the radio. "Teyla? What's going on?"
Rodney turned, saw the jumper flying toward him, and waved as much to clear the smoke and dust out of the air as to let John know they were all right.
"Ronon decided to take matters into his own hands," Rodney grumbled and coughed when he inhaled some of the smoke.
"You wanted inside the tower," Ronon replied, picking up the flashlight near his feet.
Rodney got the coughing fit under control and glared at Dex. "If you had waited two seconds, I had an idea for fixing the door."
"My way is faster," Ronon said.
Rodney scowled in reply. "Unbelievable."
"Just let it go," Sheppard said. "You wanted to get into the tower. He got you into the tower."
Dex stepped through the gaping hole in the door, holding the flashlight in one hand while he pointed the particle weapon and the beam of light to his left and then his right. "Clear."
Teyla flicked on the P-90's barrel light and followed Ronon through the hole.
Rodney watched the flashlight beams bounce off the inner walls, then glanced at the jumper but couldn't see John through the windscreen thanks to the sun's glare.
"Go on," John said over the radio. "You've only got seven hours left."
Rodney gave John one last wave and ducked as he stepped through the hole.
Ronon stood near the inner door on the other side of the room, pointing his flashlight and the particle weapon out into the next room. Teyla stood in the center of the room, pointing the light from her P-90 at one of the solid walls.
Sunlight trickled into the room from the hole, giving Rodney enough light to make out the shape of the room and the glass walls looking out at the dark control center. A desk and chair sat against one wall covered in dust, but there were no other furnishings.
Ronon pushed open the door between the office and the control room, and Rodney noted in passing there wasn't a bridge connecting the office to the control center.
"No 'gate," Rodney reminded himself. "No gateroom."
Teyla followed Ronon, and together, they walked over to the control center, shining their flashlight beams over the consoles and the walls. Ronon quickly searched around and behind the consoles, while Teyla watched the rest of the room.
"Stay here," Ronon said.
"Where are you going?" Teyla asked, glancing at Ronon.
"To check up there," Ronon replied, jerking his chin toward a set of steps behind the dark consoles. "Should be the jumper bay."
"If there is a jumper bay," Rodney said as he left the office.
Ronon grunted and disappeared up the stairs.
"You do not believe there is a jumper bay?" Teyla asked.
"How should I know," Rodney grumbled, rubbing his head. "Nothing about this place is making any sense."
Teyla turned, and the beam from the barrel light hit Rodney in the face.
"Do you mind," he said. He grimaced and tried to shield his eyes as the headache flared.
"Are you all right?" Teyla asked, moving the flashlight. "You appear out of sorts."
"I'm fine," Rodney replied.
He walked farther into the control room and frowned. "That's not good," he muttered.
"What?" Teyla asked.
"The consoles should have reacted to the ATA gene as soon as I entered the room," Rodney replied.
"This is not Atlantis," Teyla said. "Perhaps these systems require physical contact."
Rodney grunted. "Maybe."
He pulled a tiny flashlight out of his vest pocket and wandered over to the central control panel. He waved the beam over the console and blew out a breath when he spotted a faintly glowing tile.
"Yes," he hissed. "Finally, something is going right."
"Rodney?" Teyla asked.
"It seems something around here is still generating some power."
Teyla walked across the room and stood at Rodney's side. "I thought you said there was no power."
Rodney shrugged. "Maybe it's in stand-by, or the power signature is too faint for the jumper to pick up. For our sake, let's hope it's that first one." He studied the tiles for a moment, then glanced at Teyla. "This looks like the same setup as Atlantis. Once I power up the console, I should be able to get basic systems up and running in a few minutes."
Teyla nodded and moved the flashlight beam around the room.
"Here goes nothing," Rodney muttered and pressed his hand against the console's edge.
Nothing happened.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath as he shrugged out of the backpack.
"What is wrong?" Teyla asked.
"Your hypothesis was wrong," Rodney replied. He pressed his hand against the console again and concentrated. "Even when I touch it, the console still won't power up."
"So there is no way to activate the systems?"
Rodney pressed one of the dark tiles, then reached for the backpack. "Maybe I can initialise the systems manually."
He pulled his laptop out of its sleeve, then dug through his pack for his tools and the computer cables. He plugged one end of the cables into the computer, then ducked under the console.
"A little light would help," he called to Teyla.
A flashlight beam played over the underside of the console a moment later.
Rodney found the access port, plugged in the cables, and crawled out from under the console, trying not to groan as he moved. He hunched over the computer as the machine booted, then typed in a series of commands and pursed his lips into a thin line.
"Well?" Teyla asked.
"This doesn't make sense." Rodney pressed one of the console tiles and shook his head when nothing changed on the computer screen. "The console has minimal power, but the systems are stuck in some sort of stand-by loop."
Rodney straightened and scowled at the computer and then the console.
"That is unusual?"
"Not just unusual. That shouldn't happen," Rodney replied. "If there's power, the console should have responded to the ATA gene. It's a basic function."
"Is there a way to break the loop?"
Rodney crossed one arm of his chest, pinched his lip with his other hand, and tried to think around the persistent headache. Could the Zed-PM simply be too depleted? he wondered, then shook his head. No, that wouldn't explain the loop. There's enough latent power that the computer can measure it. Certainly enough to get a basic read from the diagnostics. The console just isn't acknowledging the gene. It's almost as if …
He bent and typed another series of commands into the computer.
Several tiles glowed with a faint light.
Rodney straightened and nodded. "Okay, that's more like it."
"Someone want to tell me what's going on in there?" John asked over the open channel.
"We have found the control room," Teyla reported. "Rodney is attempting to access the control consoles now."
"McKay?"
Rodney tapped his earpiece. "The good news is, it looks like the tower still has some power."
"And the bad news?" John asked.
Rodney crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the console. "The systems aren't responding the way they should."
"What's that supposed to mean?" John asked.
Rodney rubbed his head as he studied the information on the computer screen. "Even though the console appears to have power, I'm having to come up with code workarounds for basic functions."
"Perhaps an additional security measure?" Teyla asked.
"Maybe, but that doesn't make sense, either," Rodney replied. "The ATA gene would be all the protection the Ancients would need to secure their systems."
"Jumper bay is clear," Ronon said, walking down the stairs.
Rodney looked up in surprise. "It's really a jumper bay?"
Ronon stared at him. "Seems to be."
"So why didn't the entry command work?" Rodney asked, scowling at the computer. "None of this makes sense."
"I don't suppose any jumpers are left in the bay?" John asked.
"Ten," Ronon replied.
"Good," John said, and Rodney was sure Sheppard was grinning. "We can always use more ships. If McKay can find more drones, too, we might salvage more than just a stargate from this planet."
Rodney ignored the jab, typed a long command string into the computer, and pressed several tiles on the console. He nodded when he heard a low grinding noise above the control room. "All right, the sunroof should be open," he said.
"It is," John replied. "I'll land and meet you in the control room in a few minutes. Sheppard out."
Rodney waved his flashlight around the room until he found a stool pushed under another console. He dragged the stool back to the central control console, sat, and typed another series of commands into the computer.
Overhead lights glowed to life a moment later. It wasn't as bright as the standard lighting in Atlantis, but it was still enough to make Rodney squint as the light stabbed into his head, ratcheting up his headache.
This is all Zelenka's fault, Rodney grumbled, shading his eyes from the lights. He just had to come into my lab spreading his germs.
A corner of Rodney's mind reminded him that he hadn't been around Radek long enough to be infected, but he ignored the logic. Blaming Zelenka was easier than admitting he was simply getting sick.
Teyla and Ronon switched off their flashlights.
"Amazing," Teyla murmured.
Rodney blinked a few times and looked out over the rest of the room.
The empty office with the outer balcony, the control consoles, and two other rooms across from the control center stood at the edges of the open space that would have been the gateroom in Atlantis. Instead of a stargate, a thick, floor-to-ceiling pillar carved with geometric shapes stood in the center of the room. The geometric designs carried over to the floor and the ceiling and radiated out from the pillar in a series of ever-expanding circles. There were no windows in the main room, and the walls, floor, and ceiling appeared to be made from some sort of stone.
Rodney suspected further investigation would reveal the material was similar to the faux stone walls in the meditation room with the alcoves they had found the previous year.
In addition to the stairs leading up to the jumper bay, four hallways, two near the control consoles and two across from the console stations, led out of the room.
"More circles," John said, walking down the stairs from the jumper bay. "Guess now we know where the people around here got the idea."
Rodney grunted and tried not to rub his aching head. He pressed another group of tiles and shook his head when they didn't activate as he expected.
"Teyla, you and Rodney stay here," John said. "See if you can find any information in the database about why the Ancients were here and why they left."
Rodney looked up from the computer. "Where are you going?"
"I'll take Ronon and check out the rest of this floor. See if there's anything else we can take back to Atlantis."
"Be careful," Teyla said.
"You too," John replied. "And no wandering off," he added, glancing at Rodney. "If you find anything interesting, use the radio."
Rodney watched as Sheppard and Ronon left the control center, then turned back to the computer, rubbing his head.
"Rodney, are you sure you are all right?" Teyla asked.
"What?" Rodney replied. He saw Teyla's concerned expression and added, "Oh, umm, fine. Just a, ahh, just a headache."
Rodney wasn't sure she believed him, but was silently grateful when Teyla let the matter drop. She walked over to the tall pillar, and Rodney focused on the console.
"I wonder what the symbols mean," Teyla said.
Rodney looked up and saw her tracing one of the shapes with a finger.
"Just so long as it doesn't decide to transport me into another Ancient death trap, I'm not really interested," he replied.
Teyla lowered her hand, and Rodney shrugged.
"Sorry," he muttered. Rodney dug through his pack and pulled out a video camera. "Here," he said, holding up the camera. "Get as much detail as you can of the pillar and the symbols." He waved his free hand at the floor and ceiling. "Maybe Elizabeth or Chaudhri can figure out what the symbols mean."
Teyla took the camera and slowly walked around the room, pointing the camera at the pillar, then up at the ceiling and down at the floor.
Rodney watched her move around the pillar for a few seconds, then focused on the computer. "May as well start with the database," he said. He studied the console, found the section of tiles he needed, and pressed the three tiles to activate the central computer systems.
The tiles flashed on and off, and the data scrolling across the computer screen stopped.
"Now what?" Rodney grumbled. "Maybe that's why the Ancients left this place. All the systems were over-engineered to the point nothing could get done." He typed a long series of commands into the computer to bypass the console and access the database directly from the computer.
The computer beeped, and text scrolled up from the bottom of the screen.
Rodney scanned the scroll of data and frowned. "Access should not be denied," he told the computer.
"Rodney? What is wrong?" Teyla asked.
She walked back to Rodney's side and set the video camera on the edge of the console.
"I'm not sure," Rodney replied, dropping the camera back into his pack. "I'm trying to access the main database like Sheppard wants. Just like I've done a hundred times before." He scowled at the console.
Teyla glanced at the computer. "But you are unable to open any files?"
"Nothing is working the way it's supposed to," Rodney grumbled. "It's not like I was asking for any sensitive information. Just basic access."
He typed a new command string and pressed the three tiles again.
"Warning," a disembodied male voice stated.
Teyla raised the P-90, and Rodney stared at the middle of the room where the voice seemed to emanate from.
"Unauthorised access detected," the voice continued. "User does not have authorisation to access systems."
"What?" Rodney exclaimed.
He pressed another group of tiles, then typed another string of commands into the computer in a vain attempt to stop the shutdown. "All I did was try to open the database!"
"Warning," the voice repeated. "System access denied. Initiating system shut down procedures."
"Does that voice sound familiar?" Teyla asked.
Rodney ignored her and tried a different command string. More data crawled up the screen, and Rodney felt the blood drain from his face as he read the results.
"Oh, no," he said. "This is bad." Now you know what the voice sounded familiar, Rodney thought as he felt a stab of fear in his gut.
"Rodney?" Teyla asked, still aiming the P-90 toward the pillar. "What is happening?"
Rodney shook his head and tapped his earpiece. "McKay to Sheppard."
"Tell me you found more drones," John said over the radio.
"Not even close," Rodney replied, desperately pressing console tiles. "We need to get out of here. Now."
"System shut down procedure initiated. System shut down in sixty seconds," the disembodied voice said.
"What's going on?" John demanded.
Rodney heard running footsteps from one of the hallways as he tried another command string.
"I figured out why none of the systems are working the way they should," Rodney replied as John and Ronon ran into the control room. He swallowed and stared at John. "This isn't an Ancient tower."
"What do you mean it isn't -"
"System shut down in forty-five seconds," the male voice stated. A male voice that sounded exactly like Oberoth.
John looked around the control center, then turned to Rodney with a shocked expression. "It's Asuran?"
"Yes," Rodney replied. "Which explains why I couldn't get anything to work. The Asurans didn't use the ATA gene to secure their technology. They used computer code."
"System shut down in thirty seconds," the disembodied voice said.
"I'm locked out of the consoles," Rodney reported. He unplugged the computer and shoved the laptop and the loose cables into his pack.
The lights blinked out a moment later.
Rodney swallowed as Ronon and Teyla turned on their flashlights. "If the sunroof closes, we'll be trapped in here."
John grimaced. "There's always the stairwells," We can get down the tower that way, and Ronon can always make another door."
Rodney shook his head. "Do you have any idea how far we are from the 'gate?" He held up a hand, stopping Sheppard from replying. "You're also assuming the Asurians were willing to leave people roaming around inside their tower. There could be any number of things in here meant to kill us, and I won't be able to stop them."
"Jumper bay it is," John said, tugging Rodney to his feet. "Move," he ordered Ronon.
"System shut down in fifteen seconds," the voice stated.
Flashlight beams bounced off the wall as Ronon ran up the stairs with Teyla on his heels. Rodney tried to keep up, but his aching head and stiff joints made climbing the two flights of stairs to the jumper bay agony. He missed a step and felt John's hand grab his arm as he started to fall.
He finally made it into the bay, and Rodney blew out a breath when he saw their jumper in the center of the room, lit by the afternoon sunlight pouring down from the open sunroof.
Ronon stood near the sealed rear hatch with the particle weapon raised and ready as he scanned the room.
Teyla crossed behind Ronon and raised her P-90 as she watched the other side of the bay.
The rear hatch lowered, and John pulled Rodney into the ship with Ronon and Teyla behind them. Ronon punched the control to seal the hatch, and Rodney followed John into the cockpit.
Rodney dropped his pack beside his chair as John skipped his usual routine of running pre-checks and powered up the ship's systems.
"Come on, come on," John muttered as the engines came online.
Rodney heard a low rumble outside the ship, checked over the co-pilot's board, then peered out the windscreen.
"Umm," he said, glancing at John. "That's the sunroof. It's closing."
John nodded and pulled back on the control yoke. "Hang on to something," he ground out through clenched teeth. "This is going to be close."
Rodney gripped the arms of his chair and closed his eyes.
Instead of a nice, easy ascent, Rodney heard the whine of half-powered engines pushed to their limit as Sheppard raced the closing sunroof.
A moment later, Rodney heard a loud grinding noise. His eyes popped open in surprise, and he saw blue sky and the tops of pine trees as John arced the ship in a tight turn.
"What was that?" Rodney asked.
"I said it would be close," John replied. "The closing iris caught us just as we cleared the tower."
"How badly was the ship damaged?" Teyla asked.
No sooner had she asked the question than the jumper shuddered and dipped.
"Rodney?" John asked, gripping the yoke.
Rodney checked the heads-up display and then his console. "Both drive pods were damaged," Rodney reported. "We're losing power."
"I'm also losing attitude control," John said. The jumper's nose dipped, and Rodney gulped as they skimmed over the lower mountains near the edge of the valley.
"Umm, the 'gate is in the other direction," Rodney said.
"I know that, Rodney," John growled in reply. He twisted the yoke to his left. "The controls are like cement."
The jumper turned just enough to miss hitting a stand of pine trees.
Rodney glanced at the HUD, then stood, aches and fatigue forgotten as he moved into the rear section.
"What are you doing?" John demanded.
"Trying to keep us from crashing into the side of one of these mountains," Rodney replied.
He scrambled to the control box and picked up the light stylus. He ran the stylus over the section for the steering controls and clenched his jaw when several read as non-responsive. He pulled out the bad crystals, then reconfigured the remaining crystals in a new pattern.
"How's that?"
"Better," John replied. "I can steer, but we're still losing altitude."
Rodney grunted and ran the stylus over a different section.
"I think the left pod is in better shape than the right," Rodney reported. "If I can lock out the right pod, can you get us back to the 'gate with only one engine?"
"Probably," John replied.
Rodney nodded and ran the stylus over a section of dead crystals. He pulled out three and dropped them on the bench under the control box.
The engine whine increased, and Rodney winced as the sound grated on his ears, increasing the headache.
"Whatever you plan to do, you better do it fast," John said. "I'm not sure I can keep us in the air much longer."
Rodney gripped the edge of the control box as the jumper shuddered.
"Right pod is dead," John said as an alarm sounded in the cockpit. "Rodney -"
"I'm working on it!" Rodney exclaimed. He pulled two more crystals out of one section and reinserted them where he had removed the three previous crystals. "Right pod is locked down. The left pod should have minimal power," he said, glancing at the back of John's head.
John pulled on the yoke and shook his head. "Not enough," he said as more alarms sounded. "I can't keep her in the air. Brace yourselves!" John ordered.
Rodney looked out the windscreen and saw a mountain valley and a forest of pine trees approaching them. Before he could decide whether to try to get back to the cockpit or strap into one of the bench seats, the ship hit the trees, knocking Rodney off his feet.
He heard the repeated thuds as the ship crashed through the trees and tried to curl into a ball.
There was a split-second of silence, and then the ship hit the ground and bounced back into the air.
Rodney groaned when his head hit something stored under the bench seat.
"Just a little … bit … more," John grunted from the cockpit.
The ship hit the ground again.
Rodney's head smacked against the crate again as the ship bounced. He heard a deep grinding, groaning noise and Teyla's yelp of pain, then a roaring in his ears moments before he blacked out.