Chapter 5: Hope and Despair.
John couldn't believe what was happening. Did these people see him as some kind of Deity? And if so, Why?
He turned to look at Ronon, who was trying to suppress a laugh - he was sure of it. Carson just looked worried. He couldn't blame the doctor because he felt a little anxious himself.
Looking at the scavengers now prostrate at his feet. John tried to address them, "Umm…faithful followers, can I have a moment with my…umm…" he paused because he didn't know how to address his friends, "offsiders, please?."
The scavengers stood and stared at him. And he took the time to study them. They no longer had their masks on, and their faces looked hideous. Some had ears missing, and some had black, crooked teeth. The most disturbing thing was some had half their noses missing. Suddenly, he felt sorry for these people and what they'd endured, and a big part of him wanted to help them, but he also knew there was nothing he could do now.
Thankfully, the worshippers left John alone with his friends. The only problem was they were still singing and worshipping him.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on!? The last thing I remember was these guys throwing us in a hole and wanting to execute us!" John had worked himself into a rant and was annoyed at how much he sounded like Rodney. His arm and back were hurting, so the last thing he needed to deal with was the locals thinking he was a god.
Carson began the story, "Well, you were deeply connected to Ilaria when the scavengers walked in. Initially, they didn't look too happy and threatened to execute us. They then saw you in the control chair and immediately bowed in front of the chair. They've been here for five minutes worshipping you. I guess it wouldn't be unheard of for a golden glow to surround a god."
"Really, I was surrounded by a glowing light. That's never happened when I've connected with Atlantis. Did that happen the first time I connected with Ilaria?"
"Yeah, and it was kind of cool," Ronon answered.
"Typical, Sheppard! These guys wanted to kill us, and you get us out of it with your good looks and ATA gene." Rodney said sarcastically.
"I don't want or need these people worshipping me, McKay! What I want is to find a way home. So I'm open to ideas on how to get out of here without them executing us."
"I have an Idea," Rodney said with a grin, "but you may have to play god for a while longer."
John knew he would regret this but couldn't think of a better idea, so he nodded at his friend.
"Okay, lean back in the chair and activate it."
"Why do I need to activate the chair, McKay?"
"Just play along, Sheppard. All you have to do is commune with Ilaria for a few minutes. Or would you rather the scavengers find out you're a fraud and execute us."
Sighing, he lay back and activated the chair. It wouldn't be a problem to talk to Ilaria for a while, so he closed his eyes and thought about the great city.
Within seconds, he was on his favourite balcony on Atlantis, and the image of Elizabeth was there to meet him.
"Hi, Ilaria."
"Why are you still here, John Sheppard? I thought you would have left by now. Do you need a way out of the city? Because if you do, there may be some Gate ships in bay one with hyperdrive."
"What do you mean there may be?"
"Some of my records are not complete or damaged."
"Well, I'll have to take that chance because we could use a gate ship. We may need to escape the locals quickly since they see me as a god.
The image of Elizabeth chuckled, and for an instant, he felt sad. He'd lost Elizabeth over seven years ago and still missed her every day.
"If you need me to, I can leave some areas of the city active when you leave."
"That would be great. Thanks, Ilaria."
He could hear Rodney calling, so he concentrated and disconnected from Ilaria.
Blinking his eyes a few times to clear his vision, he sat up and wasn't surprised to see the scavengers kneeling around the chair again.
"Oh mighty one," Rulan began, "we would like to offer a feast in your name. Will you accept our offering?"
He glared at Rodney, wondering what had happened while he was in contact with Ilaria this time. These people had very little, so the last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of them.
"His Highness needs to leave but would gladly accept an offering of food and water," Rodney told the scavengers.
John wasn't impressed by what he'd just heard, so he turned to Rulan and his followers and smiled, "You may go while I speak with my offsiders." He said with a wave of his hand.
Once Rulan and his friends had left, John turned to Rodney and glared, "Mckay! What are you doing?"
"Well, these people insist on providing us with a meal as an offering to you. I think it is rude of us to reject their offerings. Or would you rather be executed?"
Suddenly, his stomach rumbled, and he knew Rodney was right. He was starving, so he may as well accept food from these people.
"Alright, let's have a meal and go. Ilaria says there might be a jumper with a hyperdrive in bay one. We could use it if we need to get away in a hurry. Or do we have to enter the underground caves to share a meal with these people?"
"They insist on bringing it here," Carson said, "they feel this is a holy place and a worthy place to make a sacrifice to a god."
John was relieved he could sit in the same place for longer because the pain in his arm and back had reached an all-time high. "That's great because I'm too tired to move."
"Are you in pain, General?"
"Yeah. Have you got any Tylenol doc?"
"Yes. I think it's time for your pain meds, and I want you to put your sling back on."
Rodney shook his head, and John wondered why, "Carson, it wouldn't give the locals the right message if their god was injured."
"And the splint and bandage on his right arm doesn't give it away?" Ronon asked from the doorway.
Of course, Ronon would be standing by the door, always on alert and trying to keep them safe.
"They haven't noticed that yet," Rodney replied.
"Have I got time for a nap before the meal?" John asked, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"Yeah, I'll go and stall the scavengers," Ronon suggested.
"Don't scare them, Chewie. The last thing we need is for the locals to execute us."
"Oh, and the people want to wash their god's feet," Ronon said with a gleam in his eye before leaving the room.
Sighing, John sat back in the chair and closed his eyes. How has my life come to this? John wondered before drifting off to sleep.
A disgusting smell invaded John's senses the next time he became aware, and if he were to make a guess, it was fish - although it smelt rotten. He felt like gagging but knew it would offend the locals, so he tried to stop the bile from rising in the back of his throat.
However, it didn't bother Rodney if he upset the locals, "What is that horrendous smell? I hope I don't have to eat that."
"McKay, Shut up!" John growled.
Rulan stood beside the control chair and bowed before John, "Oh, mighty one, please accept this offering."
John bowed his head and accepted the plate of fish and vegetables, "thankyou Rulan."
He looked at Ronon, Rodney and Carson and was pleased they were doing the same. However, Rodney didn't look happy about it.
"May I ask you a question, holy one?" A young man asked, and he looked about fifteen earth years.
John nodded at the young man, "Why did you not reveal your identity when Rulan first met you?"
"Umm… I wanted to try and get to know you first."
"We were thinking of executing you, and then we threw you in a hole. Why didn't you rain down curses on us?"
John sighed. He'd been doing that a lot lately, but it was hardly surprising since these people still thought he was their god.
"I'm compassionate and kind. Raining down curses is not my style," John answered truthfully.
"We will leave you alone to enjoy your meal, and then we will perform the ceremonial feet cleansing," Rulan suggested.
He watched as Rulan and his friends left the chair room. Once he was sure they'd left, he turned to Rodney and glared at him, "I do not want these people to wash my feet. I feel bad enough for taking food and water off them."
"Don't worry about wasting water, Sheppard. These people know where there is an underground spring. And it's right under this city. So you should let them wash your feet so we don't get executed."
"Yeah, I know Ilaria told me about it."
"Well, why didn't you tell us about it?" Rodney whined.
"I didn't have time." John yawned before continuing, "Look, Rodney, I'm tired of playing this game. After the meal, I will thank them for their offering, and we shall be on our way."
"I agree with the General," Carson stated.
Ronon nodded in agreement, which made John feel marginally better.
John felt nauseous as he tried to eat the large bowl of fish and vegetables the scavengers gave him. For some reason, there was more on his plate than Rodney's or Carson's. Ronon seemed to have almost as much as him, though.
It took John fifteen minutes to get through his meal, and by the time he'd finished, he was sure he would be sick. Taking a large drink of water, he hoped it would settle his stomach. No such luck because he gagged a few times before he gained control over his rebelling stomach.
"Chewie. Send the locals back in because we should be on our way."
Ronon opened the door, and Rulan came in with a middle-aged woman carrying two large clay pots filled with water.
"We will now wash your feet, almighty one, "one woman offered.
"Please don't," John told her kindly. "I will gladly accept an offering of water, but I do not need my feet washed.
The woman's eyes were wide and fearful as she answered," "if that is what you wish."
"Now, my offsiders and I must go," John said, getting ready to get out of the control chair.
What Rulan said next took him completely by surprise.
"May we watch you ascend into the heavenly places?"
He was shocked and had no idea what to say to these people. Luckily, Carson did.
"The mighty one does not wish for you to see him leave. But do not worry, I am sure he will return one day. He may even leave the lights on for you."
The woman looked confused, "lights?"
"Never mind," John muttered.
Rulan and the woman bowed before him one last time before leaving the room.
John was exhausted and in pain by this point, so he lay back in the chair, took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"That was interesting," Ronon muttered.
Rodney's voice was loud and annoying, causing John to open his eyes, "is the mighty one ready to leave?"
"Yeah, I think I am McKay. And Carson, can you please put my sling back on now?"
John was happy when the sling was back supporting his broken arm and was looking forward to resting in the jumper while they worked out where they'd be going.
The woman had left the two clay pots of water beside Carson, so they all took the time to fill up their canteens and a few extra bottles they had with them. The pots still had water, so John decided Ronon should carry them to the jumper to have water for their journey.
Rodney was over by the control panel, so John turned to him and asked, "How far are the coordinates Ilaria has given us?"
"We should be there within thirty-six hours. Providing we find a jumper with a hyperdrive. If we don't find a jumper in the jumper bay, we should return to the jumper we brought with us."
"Alright, let's go. The sooner we get to the jumper, the sooner I can close my eyes," John told them while trying to stand.
Suddenly, he felt dizzy, and if Ronon and Carson hadn't steadied him, he would have fallen flat on his face. He sat in the control chair again, trying to regain his equilibrium.
"Are you sure you're ready to go, General?" Carson asked with compassion.
"Yeah, I'm ready to try and find a way home."
With Carson and Ronon's help, he managed to stand and begin the walk to the jumper bay. Ilaria had sent directions to Rodney, and according to the scientist, it should only take about five minutes to get there.
After a few minutes, John felt strong enough to walk without help, so he shrugged off Carson and Ronon's arms and walked ahead of them. He knew he wasn't well because Carson told him how pale he looked. There was sweat beading on his brow, and his stomach was nauseous. His head was pounding, and he felt like his back was on fire, so there was a good chance the wounds on his back were infected.
It took them ten minutes to reach the jumper bay, and when they did, John was shocked to find no jumpers were in the bay.
"What the…"Carson began before Rodney interrupted.
"Where the hell are the jumpers, Sheppard? Your girlfriend told us there would be jumpers in the bay."
"I told you Ilaria said there might be jumpers in the bay. She also said some of her systems were incomplete and degraded."
"Well, perhaps we should return to the jumper we came in?" Ronon suggested calmly.
By this time, John's stomach was beginning to churn, so he sank to his knees and started to throw up, emptying his stomach contents on the jumper bay floor. He continued to hurl long after his stomach was empty, and the actions did nothing for his pain. When he'd finished, he sat on the floor and realised Carson was rubbing tiny circles on his back. He felt like complaining but was too tired to care.
"I think you need to rest before we return to our Jumper," Carson suggested, helping John stand and leading him away from the mess.
"You won't get any arguments from me."
John sat with his side against the bay wall and closed his eyes, "Just let me close my eyes for a few minutes before we get moving again."
Carson nodded, "I'll clean up the mess while you sleep."
"I'll check the database to see if I can find anything helpful," Rodney suggested.
Ronon patted his leg to try and reassure him," I'll keep watch."
John felt safe with his friends watching over him, so it wasn't long before he fell into a restless sleep.
oOo
Teyla sat and stared at the Wraith across the table from her. She had no idea why Lorne had called her to another meeting, but she guessed it had something to do with Todd.
When the meeting with Zelenka had finished, she'd gone to her apartment and fallen asleep, only to be awoken half an hour ago and told she was required to attend another meeting.
"Why am I here?" She asked, using her best fake smile.
"I hear you've lost John Sheppard again," Todd replied with his sadistic smile.
She shuddered at his yellow, crooked teeth and wasn't amused. So she turned to Colonel Lorne, "Why and I here?"
"Todd claims he has information on General Sheppard's whereabouts."
She put on a fake smile again as she spoke to Todd, "Well, I suggest you give us the information so we can find him. And do not expect anything for the information because you owe John more than one favour."
"I wouldn't dream of asking for anything, my queen," Todd replied, bowing his head.
"Why don't you tell us what you know? And then you can be on your way," Lorne asked, and Teyla could sense his impatience.
"I have an eight-symbol address that I believe leads to galaxy KK203. I do not know what planet it might lead to or if it is a space gate, but I am positive it leads to that galaxy."
"Well, how about you give us the information, and then you can return to your hive."
"Now, my Queen, what if I want to enjoy your hospitality?"
Although they were on good terms with Todd and his hives, she still didn't like to spend much time with the Wraith - not without John here.
Todd and his hives no longer needed to feed on humans to survive and were engaged in a civil war - those who fed on humans against those who did not. John and Lorne met with Todd occasionally to discuss military matters, but she wasn't involved in those meetings.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Todd spoke, "I must go now, my Queen. I have given your Colonel Lorne the coordinates. I do have one more question before I leave, though."
Teyla was weary and wanted to go to bed again, so she nodded, hoping the Wraith would get to the point quickly.
"And what might that be?"
"Human procreation has always interested me, so I was wondering if I could be present at the birth of your child."
She was horrified at that suggestion and couldn't think of anything worse.
"No!" She replied forcefully. "But I am sure Dr Keller can give you some information about human procreation if you ask her."
"I might ask her at another time, but now I need to return to my hive."
She watched as Todd transported to his hive and turned to Lorne, "Shall we try dialling the gate address?"
"We will, but I'd like a team of marines in the gate room before we dial in case there are any problems."
"How long do you think it will take to assemble the troops, Colonel?"
He was already contacting people, so he didn't answer her question. So, all she could do was sit and listen to a one-sided conversation.
It seemed as if she would be in the conference room for a while longer, so she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Hopefully, it would relieve her aching back and muscles.
oOo
A thick, dense fog swirled around John's feet, and he shivered as the frigid air touched his skin. Large trees bordered the dirt path he was walking down, and he had no idea where he was or where he was heading.
The night was dark except for the light of a small moon. Periodically clouds crossed in front of the moon and a wolf howled in the distance, sending shivers down his spine he wanted to run, but his feet were glued to the ground.
He tried to call his friends, hoping they were on this eerie planet with him, but there was no answer. So he tried again, and still no answer.
Suddenly, a screen filled the air, and he knew it was Teyla's voice. So he managed to run toward the scream and was shocked by what he saw. A Zombie-like creature was attacking his wife, and it looked like it was winning.
He tried to pull out his gun but soon realised he didn't have it with him, so all he could do was watch as the creature devoured his wife's brain…
He awoke to the sound of his own scream. His heart was beating too fast, and he felt breathless as if he'd run a marathon.
A soft, lilting voice brought John full awareness, "Don't worry, Lad, you're safe on Ilaria."
"Why's it so hot in here, doc?"
"It's not. But I suspect you have an infection in your back, so why don't you roll on your stomach, and I'll have a look."
For the first time, he realised he was lying on a soft blanket, and someone had found him a pillow. Both looked homemade.
"Where did these come from?" John asked while attempting to roll onto his stomach."
"I needed to return to the chair room, "Rodney began, "and it seems your faithful followers had left you more gifts. I spoke to Rulan while I was there, and he was eager to know when you were returning to your realm."
John didn't want to know, but he asked anyway, "What'd you tell him?"
Rodney looked smug as he answered, "I told him their god was well and would return home shortly."
Once John was on his stomach, Carson started to poke and prod his back, causing him to hiss with pain, "Do you have to do that?"
Sorry, John, but some of these wounds need stitches. But I can't do anything about that until we get home, and I'm afraid you may be left with some scars."
"Can't you use the healing compound on them doc?"
"I should be able to when we get home."
"Well do what you have to so we can get out of here. Until then I'll lie here and try to have another nap."
Closing his eyes, he took some deep breaths, trying to allow the pain to dissipate, and within a few minutes, he was on the edge of sleep.
He was about to drift off when a loud voice, pervaded his consciousness, "We thought we might find you here."
He looked up to see five men standing in the doorway of the jumper bay.
These were the people who'd dumped them in the chamber room, right after they'd escaped from the pit the scavengers threw them in.
"Great!" John muttered, "It's the Hilarians."
"What do you want?" Ronon asked as he pointed a weapon at the intruders.
"It's simple really. We want a way off this planet." One of the men replied.
"I'm getting sick of this," Ronon snarled as he stunned them quickly.
"What'd you do that for?" Rodney whined, "They may have information we could use."
"I doubt it," Ronon replied.
John was ready to leave, so he turned to Carson and growled, "Are we done yet?"
"That's the best I can do for now John."
"Great, let's get out of here then."
John allowed Carson and Rodney to help him to his feet and was relieved he managed to stand without feeling dizzy.
"Okay, Ronon tie these people up. I'm sure others will come looking for them, so we need to hurry.
John stood and watched while Ronon tied up the prisoners. The only problem was Carson and Rodney were holding him up. He'd probably fall over if they weren't.
Once the intruders were tied up, John took one last look at the jumper bay and shrugged off Carson and Rodney's arms before walking towards the exit.
oOo
Teyla stood in the control room and watched the Chevrons light up on the gate. She watched as the seventh and the eighth lit up, and she felt excited by the time the wormhole sprung to life.
Half an hour had passed since Todd returned to his ship and it took that much time for a team of marines to assemble in the gateroom. In that time she'd managed a ten-minute power nap sitting in her chair. Even though she felt a little better her back was still aching.
"The wormholes engaged, but there's a shield up the other end," Chuck told them.
"Try sending a message," Lorne suggested.
Befre Chuck had a chance to respond, a message came through the wormhole.
"Do not attempt to come through the great ring. If you do you will be obliterated by our shield. And don't try to contact us again because we don't welcome outsiders."
Lorne was about to reply when the gate shut down.
Teyla turned to look at Lorne and was heartbroken. She'd gone from hope to despair within an hour.
TBC…