Welcome to everyone who has decided to continue reading! I want to say a huge thank you for your reviews on the first chapter. It was very pleasant for me to read your comments and see your interest. Your support is very important to me and inspires me to continue! I hope you'll enjoy the second chapter as well.

Chapter 2. Contact. Part 1

"โ€” I don't like this place," Dex grumbled, for the hundredth time casting a gloomy glance at the nearest buildings, as if expecting an enemy to jump out from there at any moment.

John nodded, feeling the same way. This whole place, with its leaning walls and a sense of oppressive emptiness, was unsettling. He didn't like it here either. The thick, almost palpable air pressed on his lungs and seemed to be completely saturated with dust and soot; rare gusts of wind brought a barely perceptible smell of decay. But most of all, he was frightened by the strange and inexplicable similarity of this place to Earth. Readjusting his grip on his weapon, he glanced at the dark voids of the windows. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was intently watching him from the darkness.

From afar came a grinding sound, accompanied by a dull friction, as if something large and cumbersome was squeezing between the fallen buildings. Turning towards the sound, Sheppard caught a barely noticeable tremor in one of the houses, as if it had momentarily shuddered under an unseen force. From the roof, covered with a thick layer of slimy plants, a flock of large birds took off, their guttural, clucking cries spreading through the area, breaking the silence. Squinting, John watched their flight carefully, and the longer he looked, the less they resembled birds. Their flight looked strange and graceless, more like the chaotic and disorderly movement of bats โ€” large, very large, and possibly unfriendly bats.

"McKay!" John shouted, turning to the scientists who were fiddling with the dialing panel. And judging by their tense and focused faces, all their attempts to revive the DHD had so far been unsuccessful. "We need to hurry."

"Oh, really?" Rodney snapped, irritably twitching his shoulder and not taking his eyes off the glowing screen of the tablet. "And we were just about to take a break."

"Any progress?" John ignored McKay's sarcastic tone, taking a step towards them.

Rodney glared angrily from under his brow, his gaze clearly showing irritation at being rushed. Without deigning to answer John, he immediately buried his eyes in the tablet. His fingers quickly and impatiently slid across the screen, and his face was gloomy and angry. Zelenka only slowly and hopelessly shook his head, and Kavanagh threw up his hands. However, John was in no hurry to write off Rodney's stubborn genius.

Leaving the scientists alone and trying not to provoke McKay, who was already on edge due to countless failed attempts, Sheppard returned to Ronon. Dex kept his eyes on the flock of bat-birds, which continued to fly aimlessly over the roof of the house with hoarse croaking.

Looking at the lifeless gate, John ran a hand through his hair, damp with the stuffy air. Doubts gnawed at him, and a feeling of guilt gnawed at him. Now his decision to lead the team through the gate with a faulty DHD seemed absurd, foolish, and reckless. Unwillingly, he had put the lives of his people at risk. He could have listened to Kavanagh and tried something else. But what's done is done, and now his primary task is to get his people out of here safe and sound. He will do everything possible to ensure that this risky step does not turn into a catastrophe.

The already familiar, grating screech tore John from his thoughts. Sheppard tensed, peering intently into the gaps between the houses. He saw nothing, but the sound repeated and seemed to get louder. This time, even the scientists heard it, fearfully raising their heads from the dead panel.

Climbing onto the roof of the nearest car, Sheppard took binoculars from his tactical vest pocket. Adjusting the focus, he looked in the direction from which the grinding and noise were coming, trying to catch the slightest movement and understand what could be making such sounds. But there was nothing alive in sight โ€” only a chaotic jumble of building debris and mangled cars, as if someone had deliberately piled them up. Then he turned his gaze to the flock of bat-birds to get a better look at them. The only thing they had in common with birds was the presence of wings, but the bared rows of sharp-looking teeth on their elongated muzzles bore little resemblance to feathered creatures.

"Anything?" Ronon asked, climbing up after him and standing beside him.

"Nothing," John shrugged and handed the binoculars to Ronon. "Take a look."

"Can't see anything," Dex muttered gloomily, peering intently through the binoculars.

"Hey, what did I say?"

The shuffling sound repeated, this time more insistent and closer, as if something heavy was dragging itself across the stone floor. This sound was mixed with a deep, measured thud, which caused a slight vibration underfoot. The car they were standing on swayed slightly from side to side. John took the binoculars back from Ronon, and among the piles of stones and metal he noticed something long and bumpy, like a tail. The tail slowly crawled, disappearing behind the wide facade of a ruined building in time with the heavy steps.

"Whatever it is, it's got our scent," John said, jumping off the roof of the car.

"And not just it," Dex remarked, drawing his pistol and holding it ready.

The thudding grew louder, and the tremor underfoot more noticeable. The building near which the bat-birds were circling shuddered, and rusty pieces of metal and concrete debris crashed down from its battered facade, raising a cloud of dust and soot. Frightened by the sudden roar, the flock took off as if from a disturbed hive. Their chaotic flight instantly turned into a panicked escape, and the whole screeching, darting mass rushed madly towards them, rapidly closing the distance.

"Oh, ัrap," John breathed out and raised his P90, ready to fire at the creatures as soon as they got closer. "We need to get out of here! Faster!" he roared, turning to the terrified scientists, who, stumbling and dropping things, hastily stuffed equipment into their backpacks. Everyone except McKay.

"Give me a minute!" McKay panicked. His fingers frantically drummed on the tablet screen. "Just one more minute!"

"We don't have even a second, Rodney!"

"I need time!"

"You can bargain with them!"

The flock was approaching with terrifying speed, and John realized with horror that they wouldn't make it. The chances that the creatures would simply fly past were vanishingly small.

"To the cars! Hide! Move!" he commanded. Not a great hiding place, but better than nothing. "McKay!" he shouted angrily, noticing that Rodney was still fiddling with the panel, while Zelenka and Kavanagh had already hidden behind the bulky body of a local version of a minivan.

Rodney, muttering something under his breath, hastily slammed the tablet shut, ripped several crystals from the dialing panel, and ran towards cover.

The flock swooped down with a deafening screech and guttural clamor. The main mass of these creatures swept past in a seething, swift wave, but several, separating from the main flow, dived straight at them with predatory croaks.

John turned and fired a short burst from his P90 at the nearest diving creatures. The shrill cries stopped, and several twitching bodies crashed onto the dusty ground. The rest, as if changing their minds, abruptly soared upwards and, describing a wide arc, gathered again into a sinister swirling mass. Sheppard fired another short burst at them, trying to keep the creatures at bay, but their chaotic movement made them difficult to track. Out of the corner of his eye, John saw Ronon try to fire his pistol, but only a dry click of a misfire sounded. With a muffled growl and curses, Dex shoved the useless weapon back into its holster and drew his blade.

"Here!" John shouted and tossed his pistol to him.

Flying around them in a wide arc, the flock rushed to attack again, circling erratically overhead and making piercing guttural croaking sounds. Sheppard fired short double bursts, trying to shoot down as many creatures as possible. Suddenly, one of the bat-birds swooped down on him from above, and he instinctively raised his arm, shielding his face from sharp claws and a toothed maw. Screeching shrilly, the creature beat with its stiff wings and scratched furiously, tearing John's jacket sleeve to shreds with its sharp claws. Forcefully pushing the clinging creature away, John barely had time to notice the flash of steel, and the bat-bird was instantly severed by Ronon's deadly sword swing.

Nearby, behind the mangled car bodies, chaotic, panicked shots rang out. The sound indicated that the bat-birds had reached the scientists' hiding place as well. "Ronon!" John shouted, firing at a creature approaching him. "Help them!"

Dex nodded and, gripping his bloodied sword in one hand and John's pistol in the other, rushed towards the sound of gunfire, leaping over debris and ignoring the bat-birds circling overhead.

Through the deafening clamor of the darting flock and their hysterical croaking, the heavy thudding and dragging scrape clearly broke through. The ground beneath their feet trembled more strongly than before, and pieces of brick and plaster crashed down from the nearest building, hitting the rusty roofs of burned-out cars. A low, guttural roar sounded, and in the gap between two houses, the massive head of a monster slowly appeared, covered in chaotic growths of sharp spikes and protrusions.

The monster noisily sucked in air through its wide, flaring nostrils, making a hoarse whistle, and exhaled sharply, raising clouds of acrid dust around itself and scattering small stones. John had no doubt that with such a colossal nose, the creature had definitely smelled them. The monster slowly crawled towards them, heavily dragging its bumpy, massive body. With each movement, its gigantic bulk crushed debris, and its broad, bony muzzle carelessly tossed aside car carcasses with a dull clang, clearing obstacles in its path to prey. Against such a behemoth, they didn't stand a chance.

"Let's go!" John commanded.

Their only hope was in movement. This creature moved surprisingly slowly, and if they could muster enough speed, they might be able to break away. Sheppard jerked Ronon to help pull the petrified scientists from behind the wrecked minivan, and they dashed forward, weaving between the charred car hulks.

The remnants of the screeching flock of bat-birds, like annoying flies, circled above their heads, occasionally diving in daring swoops. John cut off the most brazen ones with short bursts, forcing them to veer away with cries. The scientists, crouching low to the ground and covering their heads with whatever they could, raced after them. They were urged on by Ronon's stern roar, who with sweeping blows of his sword chopped down those creatures that flew too close.

Behind them, growing louder, the heavy thudding echoed, vibrating the ground. The monster's hoarse breathing was accompanied by the clang and scrape of cars being thrown aside.

A deafening crack and crash made them turn sharply. The monster, trying to turn around in the narrow space, clumsily crashed into the massive gate. The metal shuddered with a piercing screech, and the entire structure, unable to withstand the colossal force of the impact, began to slowly tilt and crashed to the ground with a roar. A bumpy paw came down on the DHD, and it shattered into pieces under its weight. The control crystals cracked with a snap, scattering shards to the sides. Sparks sprayed from the severed wires in a fountain, and small beads scattered across the ground. The monster moved forward, crushing the gate beneath it and pressing it into the asphalt.

"No!" Rodney breathed out desperately. "I almost fixed it!"

Zelenka and Kavanagh froze in stunned silence, their eyes widened in shock. John realized with horror that their only chance of returning had just been destroyed before their very eyes. But the monster was relentlessly approaching, they had to move.

"What do we do now?" Kavanagh asked, watching helplessly as the gate disappeared under the massive bulk.

"Run!" John roared, pushing them towards the passage. "Come on! Faster!"

Propelled by fear and Ronon, the scientists snapped out of their stupor and raced forward. The monster stubbornly crawled after them, smashing its way through the car-cluttered road.

Amid the jumble of ruins and massive debris, John noticed a narrow passage between two relatively intact buildings.

"This way!" John shouted, abruptly changing direction and pulling the others along. He knew that this narrow gap wouldn't stop the monster for long, but while this slow giant was breaking its way through the rubble, they would have a chance to gain precious seconds to find a more reliable shelter or escape.

Several bat-birds lagged behind, but three or four still hovered annoyingly nearby. One of them swooped down from above and with a screeching cry, its claws sank into McKay's back. He howled in pain and surprise, spinning wildly in place, trying to shake off the creature. His cry echoed among the ruins, and a dark stain of blood quickly spread across his back.

Leaping to Rodney, John forcefully struck the bat-bird's slippery body with the butt of his P90. The creature gave a muffled screech and, tumbling, flew off to the dusty ground. Without losing a second, John raised his weapon and with a short burst riddled the twitching body before it could take off again.

"Let's go!" John said, grabbing the groaning Rodney by the arm and dragging him forward. McKay's wound would have to be dealt with later.

Squeezing between collapsed walls and piles of brick, they weaved through this stone corridor, hearing the ever-increasing roar and scrape of the monster pursuing them behind. Suddenly, John froze, seeing a sturdy metal door ahead, at the end of the passage. Covered in rust and scratches, it was fortunately only tightly closed, not bolted shut.

Keeping an eye on the passage, from which the monster could emerge at any moment, John hastily pulled out his detector. For several long seconds, he watched the flickering screen intently. The dots indicating the presence of living beings were absent.

Sheppard jerked across the threshold, pulling the stumbling Rodney after him. Following them, losing their balance on the debris-strewn floor, the panting Zelenka and Kavanagh squeezed through. Their faces were distorted with fear, and their eyes darted frantically from side to side. A thin stream of blood trickled down Dr. Zelenka's cut forehead. Ronon was the last to slip inside. Behind him, dragging a damaged wing, writhing and screeching, the surviving bat-bird tried to squeeze through the opening. With a powerful kick of his boot, Ronon threw the vile creature back and slammed the metal door shut behind him with a deafening clang. They were plunged into thick, impenetrable darkness.