Please keep the reviews coming. I love to know what you think.
Chapter 8: From bad to worse.
Lorne struggled with his bindings, determined to escape at any cost. He had no idea how long since Radek had left him to try and find him something to cut through the thick rope that held his hands behind his back. His arms and legs were numb, and he knew even if he managed to loosen them, it would be a while before he could move.
The invader was still sitting behind the General's desk and, for the moment, was asleep and snoring softly, giving him hope that when Zelenka finally arrived with a knife, he could get to his stunner and incapacitate him.
When Zelenka arrived a few minutes later, he was shocked to see blood running down the scientist's face. His eye was black and swollen, and he had a big grin. The little scientist never ceased to amaze him.
"What's going on, Radek?" He asked, his voice tinged with worry and a little bit of awe.
"I managed to pick a fight with one of the hostiles, Lagell. He didn't like my tea. So I had to convince him to drink it. Now they are all unconscious, and I have managed to free several of the marines to start tying up the invaders."
"You mean you drugged them?" Lorne asked with surprise, "What about this guy?" Lorne asked in a whisper, hoping the sleeping giant wouldn't wake up any time soon.
"Yes, I put some sleeping pills in their tea, and No, that guy is just sleeping," Zelenka replied, cutting the ropes binding his hands with a sharp knife. Before Zelenka moved on to his feet, he pulled out a stunner and stunned the man behind the desk.
"Thanks, Radek," Lorne said with a hint of gratefulness. He started to rub his hands and feet furiously, trying to get some feeling back into them.
Now that Zelenka and the marines had neutralised the enemy, Lorne and Zelenka needed to lift the lockdown and take the prisoners to the holding cells. Before going on a rescue mission to find Teyla, he needed to contact the other senior staff and arrange a meeting.
When Lorne finally got some feeling in his hands and feet, he stood up and started to give orders," Radek, get someone in here to tie this guy up, and then we should lift the lockdown so our marines can take the enemy down to the holding cells for questioning."
Radek nodded and left the office, and Lorne quickly followed him to the control room. When he arrived, he saw Lt Peters standing guard over one of the intruders. "Lt, please tie up the man in the General's office. I then want you and your men to take the prisoners to the holding cells when they wake up. I want four guards posted in the brig at all times, and if there are any problems, you will need to contact me."
"Yes, Sir," Peters replied as he stood guarding the prisoner.
Lorne liked Peters. He'd been on Atlantis for a few years now and was a pleasure to work with. The soldier knew how to follow orders but would also ask questions when he disagreed with an order. The young soldier was a perfect fit for Atlantis, and General Sheppard only wanted the best working on Atlantis.
Lorne turned to Zelenka. "Is there any way we can lift the lockdown without any more enemy combatants coming through because they clearly have a way to get through our shields?"
"Yes, I can block that gate address temporarily. I was working on that when these idiots thought I was trying to lift the lockdown," Radek said with a grin.
Lorne had no idea the little scientist could be so devious, so he chuckled and answered, "Well done, Radek. How long will it take to block that address?"
"I can do it in a matter of seconds," Zelenka replied.
"Do it," He replied, feeling a sense of pride at how far the little scientist had come since he'd first set foot on Atlantis.
It took another ten minutes before the lockdown was finally lifted, and Teldy and her team entered the control room through the doors. Teldy looked worried and confused, but who could blame her? He'd had no way of telling her what was happening in the gate room when they were in lockdown.
"What's happening, Sir?" Teldy asked. She looked around the control room suspiciously before continuing, "Where's Teyla?"
"It's a long story, and I'll tell you once the Marines have removed the enemy combatants from the control room."
When Teldy nodded, he immediately tapped his earpiece, "Lorne to Keller, come in, please?"
"Go ahead, Colonel."
"I want all senior staff in my office immediately."
"Okay, Colonel, I am on my way. Keller our."
He was relieved that Keller hadn't started asking questions, so he stood and watched as the ten hostiles were led away from the control room. His thoughts turned to Teyla, and he prayed to whoever was listening that she would be okay.
oOo
Carson watched John being dragged into the holding cell. The first thing he noticed was that the silver disc on his chest regulating John's breathing was gone. The second thing he saw was John on his back, which had to hurt, and the third thing he noticed was that the scrubs he was in were filthy. He wondered why the General hadn't bothered to put on some clothes, but given the state of his arm and their situation, it didn't matter.
Once the hostiles left, Carson's heart raced as he immediately rushed to John's side and checked his vitals. John's breathing seemed difficult, and Carson was consumed with worry. He needed the disc to regulate John's breathing, and John needed to wear it for at least another week.
"How is he?" Dr Logo asked from the other side of the tiny cell.
"The silver disc has vanished, and he's struggling to breathe. His arm is still broken but hasn't been damaged any further, and some of the wounds have reopened on his back." Carson replied, his worry evident in his voice.
"It's called a breather, and if he struggles to breathe, we need to find it immediately because I fear his breathing will only get worse," Logo replied, his voice tinged with urgency, and Carson could sense the determination in his voice.
"So Conon. Do you have any knives in that head of hair or any other ideas to get us out of here?" Rodney asked, entering the conversation for the first time.
Ronon smiled and pulled a knife out of his dreadlocks, leaving Carson to wonder why the man didn't stab himself in the head.
"I have a plan, but we should wait until Sheppard wakes up first."
"Of course, we should wait until he wakes up," Rodney ranted, "I have no intention of carrying a smarter-than-average flyby."
Carson nodded," I agree. I don't think the General will appreciate being Carried by anyone."
"Just what is your plan anyway, Ronon?" Rodney asked, and Carson could sense the worry and agitation in his voice.
"I pick the lock and take out the guard before fighting our way out of here. We then get to the bridge and retake the ship. Piece of cake."
Carson could sense Ronon's anger and resolve as he spoke, but he knew it wouldn't be that simple. Things never were for them.
"I only hope things are that simple," Logo replied, "although I wonder where the rest of the crew is." If we can locate them, they can help retake the ship."
"Do you know where the hostiles could have taken them?" Carson asked, and for the first time, he noticed that only his team and Logo were being held in the tiny holding cell.
"Perhaps they are being held in one of the cargo bays," Logo suggested with a furrowed brow. His concern for the rest of his crew evident.
"I guess all we can do now is wait until Sheppard wakes up," Rodney suggested, his voice tinged with hope and eagerness.
"Well, he'd better wake up soon because the quicker we get out of here, the quicker we can retake the ship and get home to Atlantis!" Ronon stated firmly, his impatience evident.
Carson sighed and turned back to monitor his patient. The last thing he'd heard before losing consciousness was the invaders discussing dropping the ship's crew on a deserted planet at the first opportunity.
oOo
A roar brought Teyla to complete awareness, and she soon realised she was lying on her side. The last thing she remembered was sitting with her back against the wall, mesmerised by the fire's flames. She'd felt warm and comfortable, so she must have drifted off to sleep.
Something roared again, and her immediate reaction was to sit up and reach for her weapon, followed by her flashlight. The cave was engulfed in pitch black, a void of sight and sound, and all she could see was a pair of red eyes staring at her. The sound of the beast's growl was disconcerting. When she finally came to her senses and turned on her flashlight, the beam seemed to enrage the sizeable black creature, so her survival instincts kicked in, and she killed it with one shot.
When Teyla finally got her breathing under control, she took her time to assess her situation. Clearly, it was still dark outside, and the wind blowing through the cave was icy. The fire had died down during the hours she slept. Something she was angry with herself for because a wild beast had almost attacked her. She stood to her feet, walked to her pile of wood, and tossed an extra piece of wood on the fire; her back ached with every step, and there was a niggle in her abdomen, leading her to one conclusion - if she weren't already in labour, she soon would be. Her physical discomfort was evident.
She sat by the fire and relished in its warmth as the flames took hold, eating the other half of the power bar she'd started the night before. As soon as the sun rose, she needed to look for a water source as her canteens were almost empty - a task she wasn't looking forward to, given her current condition.
By this time, the first light of the day was creeping into the cave, spreading a small amount of warmth against the chill of the night. Although she'd slept the night before, she still felt drained and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she knew there'd be plenty of time for sleep later. When the baby was born, she was optimistic that Jennifer would look after him for a while to allow her to sleep.
She took a deep breath and stood to her feet, just as she felt a slight twinge in her stomach, "no, not now," she muttered while grabbing her stomach. Her unborn child was kicking, and she was more convinced than ever that he wanted to be born as soon as possible. But she couldn't let it slow her down because if she didn't find water, it wouldn't matter. Her determination to overcome the challenges ahead was unwavering, inspiring even herself.
Once the pain had subsided, she put her hand on her aching back and made her way towards the exit with her two canteens. Hopefully, the river wasn't far because she may need to fill her canteens more than once daily.
oOo
A loud moan brought John to his senses, and it didn't take him long to realise the moan was coming from him. There were pins and needles in his extremities, and soft voices were whispering nearby. The whispers continued, and John knew the only way to discover what was happening was to open his eyes.
"What's going on!?" John demanded, struggling to open his eyes, but they seemed sealed shut.
"We're breaking out of here," Ronon declared with unwavering determination.
Finally, he opened his eyes and soon realised he was in a tiny cell. It all came back to him then; the enemy had caught him by surprise and stunned him. He knew it would never have happened if he was one hundred percent well.
After blinking away the last vestiges of unconsciousness, John took the time to look around the cell. There was barely room to move. Three sides of the cell were metal, and one was steel bars. If he had to hazard a guess, he'd say there was a forcefield around it as well, making it more difficult to escape.
"Let's do it," John agreed, attempting to stand. But the pain and numbness in his hands and feet made it a daunting task. There was also the fact he suspected there was a forcefield around the cell, but if he knew Ronon, the man would have a plan to deal with it.
"Do you need some help?" A tall brown-haired man with blue eyes asked. John wondered if he'd met the man before. But he'd spent a whole heap of time unconscious since he'd been on the ship, so chances were he had. He also wondered how long it had been since he'd arrived on the ship. But that was a question for another time.
"Yes, thanks…Umm who are you?"
"I'm Dr. Logo. We haven't officially met because you were asleep in the infirmary when we were captured. Well, you weren't captured, just the rest of us. However, you were captured eventually," the doctor rambled, and John wished he'd be quiet.
"Yeah, how did that happen anyway?" John asked, sitting with his back against the wall. However, that wasn't a good idea because the wounds on his back were beginning to sting. He had a good idea who these people were but didn't understand how easily Ronon was overpowered.
"I'm not sure," Ronon replied a little sheepishly. "We were leaving the conference room when a large ship started to attack us. We got off a few good shots before we were boarded, and somehow, these guys quickly overpowered us."
"It did take three people firing at the one time to stun Ronon," Carson added with a sigh and a little bit of pride in his voice.
At least John knew Ronon put up a fight; given that he had two doctors and a fearful scientist with him, it wasn't surprising the enemy overpowered them quickly. But what happened to Minister Toth and Jonan? It worried him that he couldn't remember if Jonan was aboard the ship.
"Where's Minister Toth, Jonan and the rest of the crew?" John asked
"I have no idea where Minister Toth or the crew are, but Jonon decided to stay on old Hilaring," Logo replied in bewilderment.
John could also sense fear in Logo's voice, but who could blame him? Although this kind of thing happened all the time for the people of Atlantis, it was clear it barely happened to the Hilarian people.
"Well, as touching as the conversation is. Can we get out of here now," Rodney asked in a panicked tone.
"McKay's right. Let's get the hell out of here?" John said with an air of authority. He was still in charge of the mission despite his injuries.
John stood to his feet and looked at Ronon, "what's your plan?"
"I have this," Ronon replied, pulling a large knife out of his pocket.
"Okay, and what about the forcefield around the cell?" John asked
Rodney commented, "I don't think there is one, and if there is, it's not on."
"Okay, let's get going then," John suggested, feeling agitated and in pain.
John stood behind Ronon, expecting him to do something, but two men entered the cell before the Satedan could act. They were taller and thinner than the Hilarings and incredibly pale. They both had green eyes, and their hair was grey. They looked so similar that he wondered if they were clones.
"What are you up to?" Clone one asked. John decided to call that one Tom.
Before anyone could comment, Ronon rushed towards the man with a fist, the fury evident in his face, but before Ronon's first could connect with Tom's face, he hit something else.
Clone two - who John had decided to call Jerry - laughed, "personal shield emitter."
"Great, these guys have the ATA gene," John muttered before pushing past Ronon. He was in agony from his numerous injuries, but he still needed to protect his friends.
"Okay, Jerry, can I call you Jerry? What do you want from us, and where are the rest of the crew?"
"It's simple, John Sheppard. We want your ship, and the answer to your other question is we need your crew to help fly this vessel."
What happened next took him completely by surprise. Tom pressed a button, and he felt the familiar feeling of a transporter beam envelop him.
oOo
After a tense fifteen minutes, the senior staff finally gathered in General Sheppard's office, and Lorne was on edge by this point. His apprehension about Teyla was palpable, and the situation's urgency weighed heavily on his shoulders.
He wondered whether he should have sent someone to look for her by now, but very few gene carriers were left in the city. Besides, he needed to inform the rest of the staff about recent events, such as the breach in the gate room and the subsequent lockdown.
Colonel Teldy, Zelenka, and Jennifer Keller sat staring and waiting for him to start.
Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to the staff, "As you may or may not know, Atlantis went into lockdown when a group of unknown hostiles came through the gate. All we know is they come from a planet called Core in the galaxy K2203, and they desire to take over Atlantis," he turned to Teldy before continuing," Did the prisoners say anything to you?"
"No, they refused to speak to anyone but you."
Lorne knew that would be a problem because he needed to find Teyla and didn't have time to speak to them until he returned from that mission.
"Well, I want you to question them again, Colonel Teldy because I have to go to the mainland to try and rescue Teyla?" Lorne responded with authority.
"I'll go and try again when this meeting is over," Teldy replied with unwavering determination," I'm sure I'll get something out of them."
Lorne nodded at Teldy and turned to face Keller, who seemed to be fussing over Zelenka, whose face was black and bruised from his altercation with one of the intruders, "How is he?"
"Nothing's broken, but I'd like him to see Dr white in the infirmary when we've finished here because I'm coming with you to find Teyla, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you she could go into labour at any moment."
"Yes, I know that, Doc," Lorne replied," so I think it's about time we got going."
"I will go and question the prisoners again," Teldy suggested, standing to her feet.
"And I will go to the infirmary," Zelenka told them.
"I'll see you in the jumper bay in ten minutes," Jennifer said, echoing the unity and teamwork that bound everyone on Atlantis together before leaving the room.
After the others had left, Lorne sat behind the desk with his head in his hands. He hated it when General Sheppard wasn't on Atlantis, and he had to take on the burden of command. Sure, Lorne was the military leader. But when General Sheppard was on Atlantis, Sheppard was in charge.
oOo
The dry, arid heat hit John the minute the transporter beam dissipated, and he found breathing difficult. His lungs burned with every breath he tried to take and to compensate, his breathing was shallow. His first garbled thought was that the atmosphere was thin and the others had the same problem.
It only took a minute for him to collapse, gasping for breath. His panic metre shot up when someone who looked like Toth approached him with a shiny piece of metal. What was happening? Was the man trying to shoot him again? Surely, that happened ten thousand years ago, and the man was long dead. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.
A soft, lilting voice invaded his consciousness, and he instantly recognised it. He tried to focus on the voice. If he did, he could find out what was happening.
"Breathe, lad. You're alright." Carson said soothingly.
The man with the silver disc was Minister Toth, who he'd met on the ancient ship, a relic from the past, on the way to New Hilaring, a distant planet. Instantly, he felt like a complete idiot for panicking.
"Minister Toth has found the breather you had attached to your chest," Carson told him, and John could see the worry in his friend's eyes. "I'm just going to attach it to your chest. Your breathing should be much easier then."
John nodded and tried to breathe as normally as possible. His lungs still hurt, but at least he got plenty of oxygen now.
After Carson placed the miraculous silver disk, a high-tech breathing device, in the centre of his chest, his breathing instantly became more manageable, and his lungs hurt less.
Now, he was breathing better. John looked up and found Dr Logo kneeling beside Minister Toth and Carson. Ronon and Rodney stood behind them.
John allowed Carson and Logo to help him to his feet before he took the time to look at his surroundings. He first noticed his appearance; he was still wearing scrubs, much to his disgust. Luckily, someone had given him a pair of shoes; otherwise, his feet would burn.
There was course red sand as far as the eye could see and three suns in the sky; none looked to be going down any time soon. He had sweat dripping down his face and felt dreadful. His broken arm was beginning to go numb, and his back was on fire. And he knew that by the time he got to an infirmary, he was going to feel much worse. The intense heat was taking its toll on all of them, and John knew they would soon desperately need water.
"Report?" He said with authority.
"Well, as you can see, we've been stranded on a planet that's hotter than hell," Rodney answered sarcastically, " but at least they've left us with supplies."
John looked at the supplies beside him, and all he saw was a rucksack and three canteens each. He knew the water wouldn't last long, so they needed to find a water source as soon as possible.
"I think there are some ruins in that direction," Toth said, interrupting his thoughts and pointing.
"Well, that's where I'm going," Ronon growled before grabbing a rucksack and walking off.
"Before Ronon had gone far, he returned and took another one," I'll carry yours for you, Sheppard."
"How am I going to carry that? I have a sore back." Rodney ranted, totally oblivious to how John was feeling.
"Shut it, McKay! Pick one up and get moving," John said, trying to hide his frustration.
Thankfully, Rodney picked up the rucksack without complaining. Logo, Carson, and Toth also picked up a rucksack and walked toward the ruins.
John walked alongside them, wondering if this mission could get any worse. His thoughts turned to home and Teyla. Was she okay? Had she given birth to their son yet? He longed to be home with his wife and family, but he knew he still had a lot of work to do to make that happen.
oOo
Teyla stumbled down a narrow path toward the river—at least, she assumed it was in this direction because she heard rushing water.
Her back ached with every step, and she was thirsty. She had no idea how long she'd been walking, but the cold, biting wind Teyla had felt when she'd started that morning had stopped, and the day was warming up. She felt almost tempted to take her cold off but knew the weather was far from warm.
She came to the lake where she and John had spent their last vacation and longed for happier times. The lake was frozen solid, starkly contrasting with the calm, sparkling lake the children had played in during their summer break.
A thin layer of snow was under her feet, and the ground was slippery as she left the lake and continued towards the sound of the river.
Her legs ached, and she longed to rest, but she knew she needed to keep going to reach the stream and return to her cave before nightfall.
Suddenly, she slipped on a patch of ice and almost lost her balance, but she managed to right herself. When she steadied herself, a pain shot through her abdomen, and that was the moment she knew she was in labour.
TBC…