John stepped through the 'gate on M9R-174 and squinted against the bright sunshine. He pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on as he moved away from the active 'gate. He tried not to think about the fact that two hours ago, he'd been sitting in the mess hall waiting for Rodney to show up for dinner.
Two hours, he thought as Ronon, Teyla, and Lorne's team followed him through the 'gate. Two hours since that cube had trapped McKay inside who knows what sort of nightmare.
"If he doesn't regain consciousness, his body could remain in this state for days or even months with external support."
John clenched his jaw. That was not going to happen, he promised himself. Somewhere on this rock, there had to be an answer to what the cube was doing to McKay and, more importantly, information on how to stop it.
The 'gate shut down, and John barely glanced at the tall oak and maple-like trees surrounding the clearing. A warm breeze blew through the clearing, bending the grass in front of the 'gate and bringing with it the sweet and spicy scent of various flowers.
"Perimeter sweep," John ordered, ignoring Lorne's surprised expression. He wasn't taking any chances. He still wasn't convinced that Tybis handing over the cube was as altruistic as Lorne wanted to believe.
"Umm, yes, sir," Lorne replied and motioned his team to fan out around the clearing.
Lorne's team circled the clearing, and John pulled an Ancient scanner from his vest pocket. He mentally powered on the device and tried not to think about the fact that this was usually McKay's job any time they were off-world.
Focus, he ordered himself. You aren't going to do him any good if you get careless and get yourself killed.
He shoved the distracting thought of McKay lying in the infirmary to one side and tabbed through the various data screens. He stopped when he found the one showing seven dots, all in close proximity. The few remaining dots were scattered and too small in number to be the village.
Must be the scanner, John grumbled to himself. Rodney had made so many modifications to his scanner over the last couple of years that John had forgotten how limited the base version was.
"We're all clear, sir," Lorne reported. He pointed to a dirt path near the edge of the clearing. "The village is about five miles in that direction," he added.
John pointed the Ancient device at the path but still didn't pick up anything that could be the village. Should have gone back to the lab for McKay's scanner, he thought and pocketed the device.
"Take point," John said to Lorne. "We'll follow you."
"Yes, sir." Lorne turned to his team and added, "Corporal Resnick."
"On it, sir," Resnick replied, leading the way across the clearing to the path. Sergeants McNair and Valdés took flanking positions on either side of Lorne while John, Ronon, and Teyla brought up the rear.
Sun dappled the path under the trees, and John felt a little tension ease from his shoulders as he inhaled the earthy scent of warm wood and loamy dirt. If this had been a regular mission, he thought, he would have enjoyed the hike. Walking in the warm sunshine, listening to the birds.
Listening to McKay complain about the sunshine and the walking, he thought with a tiny smile. The smile vanished when the memory of finding Rodney lying on the floor in his lab rose in his mind.
"Major Lorne," Teyla said as they walked. "I understand you have been to this planet before?"
"Yes, ma'am," Lorne replied and slowed to let Teyla catch up with him. He glanced back at John and added, "Several times, in fact."
John ignored the look, adjusted his grip on the P-90 clipped to his vest, and studied the nearby trees.
"I am unfamiliar with this world," Teyla continued. "What are the people like?"
"They really aren't that different from your people on the mainland," Lorne replied. "I'd say there are two hundred people in Tybis' village. Lots of families, so there are always a few kids running around underfoot. They grow several different crops and raise animals, and wild fruit grows in the forest. Tybis says the hunting is always good. They also weave cloth for trade."
"They sound like good people," Ronon said.
"They are," Lorne replied with an eager smile. "I've gotten to know Tybis pretty well over the last few months. He's a good friend. He was so proud that his son, Hayden, was of age for the ceremony. Tybis asked me to attend, and I made a special trip just to be here for it."
John listened to the conversation with half an ear as he scanned the forest for any Ancient structures that could explain where the cube had come from. He hoped Lorne's friend would be able to answer his questions, but if Tybis couldn't, he didn't want to waste precious time searching for Ancient ruins.
They left the forest an hour later and stood at the top of a gently sloping valley. A stream ran from a lake at the valley's far end, meandered across the valley floor, and disappeared behind them. From his vantage point, John made out what appeared to be cleared fields and a few animals grazing near the lake.
"Major?" John said as he peered down the valley. "Where's this village of yours?"
"The other end of the valley," Lorne replied. He started to point toward the lake, and John saw his relaxed expression change from excited to concerned.
"Field glasses," he ordered Valdés, holding out his hand.
Sergeant Valdés handed Lorne a small pair of binoculars. "Sir?"
Lorne shook his head and peered through the glasses. "Something's wrong," he said, lowering the binoculars.
John felt a jolt in his stomach. Now what? he wondered.
He took the offered field glasses, adjusted the focus, and clenched his jaw when he saw the destroyed buildings and burnt crops.
No, no, no! his mind screamed. This had been their best chance of discovering what the cube was doing to McKay. If the village was gone, that left searching the planet and hoping they found something the Ancients had left behind.
"If he doesn't regain consciousness, his body could remain in this state for days or even months with external support."
John tightened his grip on his P-90 as Carson's prognosis rose in his mind.
"Colonel?" Teyla asked, shaking John out of his spiralling thoughts.
John shook his head. "Looks like the village was culled," he said and handed the field glasses to Valdés.
Teyla hissed in a breath, and John heard Ronon's low-throated growl.
Teyla closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes a moment later and shook her head. "I am not sensing Wraith in the area," she reported.
John nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line.
"There's still smoke rising from some of the buildings," Lorne said. "This happened in the last day or two."
"If the villagers had good hiding places, there might be survivors," Teyla offered.
John didn't have the heart to tell her he hadn't seen any people moving around in the ruins. He turned to order Lorne to lead the way to the village but stopped when he saw the major's sad expression.
He knows we aren't going to find anyone, John thought.
Lorne swiped a hand over his cheek and cleared his throat. "We aren't going to find out anything staying here. Valdés, take point. Keep your eyes open."
"Yes, sir," Valdés replied.
"Ronon," John said, jerking his head in Valdés' direction.
Ronon nodded and hurried to catch up with the Marine.
They entered the village outskirts an hour later and stood in what had once been the village square. A trickle of water burbled from a damaged fountain in the center of the square. Several stone buildings lining the edge of the square were heavily damaged. A few were little more than piles of rubble. Scorch marks marred the few structures that were still standing. The smaller houses on the outskirts of the town had been made of wood and were little more than burnt timbers.
A few horses, sheep, and bovine grazed at the edges of the smoldering fields.
John stood next to the fountain and wrinkled his nose as the breeze carried the smell of smoke and burnt vegetation from the fields.
Now what? he asked himself as he gazed at the destruction. This had been their best chance of finding the information Beckett needed. With the village gone, they needed a new plan. He turned to Lorne standing a few feet away.
"Major," John started to say, but Lorne spoke over him.
"Spread out," Lorne ordered his team. "Check the buildings for any survivors."
Lorne crossed the square and peered into the nearest building. "Tybis?" he called. He stepped through the door and called again, "Is anyone here?"
Ronon stopped beside John and gazed at the ruined buildings. "Not much left."
"We need to see if the Wraith left anything we can use," John said.
Ronon shook his head. "This wasn't Wraith."
John glanced up at Dex in surprise. "Who else could it be?"
"I agree with Ronon," Teyla said, stopping on Ronon's other side. "These buildings were not damaged by darts or a hive ship."
John grimaced. "Great. There's another group out there trying to kill everyone?"
"The Asurians?" Ronon asked.
John shook his head. "Rodney." He clenched his jaw then continued, "Rodney said there was something in their base code preventing them from harming humans."
He looked around the square, noticed that Lorne's people had all disappeared, and pointed to a large building fronting the square. One wall was gone, and part of the roof had caved in, but the rest was still standing.
"Let's check in there," John said, crossing the square.
Teyla fell into step beside John. "I do not believe we will find any survivors inside."
"Not what I'm looking for," John replied.
"Colonel?"
"Lorne mentioned something about a book the villagers used to record their history. We need to find it. It may tell us something Carson can use to help McKay."
John crossed the square and stopped outside the large building. He didn't see any scorch marks or other evidence of weapons fire. "Strange," he muttered, brushing his hand across the damaged wall. "What caused it to collapse?"
"Look at these holes," Teyla said, pointing to a series of long gouges in the wall. She ran her hand over one of the deep grooves. "It looks like something gnawed through the stone."
"Never heard of an animal eating rock," Ronon said.
"Neither have I," Teyla replied. "But these indentations look similar to the pattern left by insects on plants."
John placed his hand on either end of one of the grooves. "That's a pretty big bug," he said, holding his hands eighteen inches apart.
"A new weapon of some sort?" Teyla suggested.
"Makes sense if this is a new threat," Ronon replied.
Great, John thought as he stepped through the crumbling doorway. Just what they needed, another bad guy on top of the Wraith and the Genii.
He turned on his P-90's barrel light and played the beam over the room. Rubble blocked his path only a few feet inside the building, and he was looking for a way around the pile of stone when he heard a voice in the square.
"Don't move," the voice ordered.
John spun around and found cover against the doorway. He peeked around the corner and saw a boy, no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, standing outside. The boy wore dark trousers held up with suspenders and a loose-fitting cotton shirt, but what caught John's eye was the long-barreled rifle the boy had aimed at Teyla and Ronon. Teyla had her hands raised, but Ronon's hand twitched aside his duster and gripped the butt of the particle weapon.
Where did the kid come from? John wondered. He aimed the P-90 in the boy's direction but kept his finger off the trigger.
"We are not here to hurt you," Teyla said. "We are here -"
"Who are you?" the boy interrupted.
John grimaced when he saw the rifle barrel never wavered as he threatened Teyla and Ronon.
Whoever this kid is, John thought, he's not afraid of using a gun. Need to end this before someone gets hurt. He darted his head through the doorway, looking for cover.
"Come to finish what you started?" the boy demanded.
"We did not attack you," Teyla replied. "We are here to help."
Ronon unholstered the particle weapon and pointed it at the boy. "Drop it," he ordered.
The boy shook his head and pointed the rifle at Ronon. "We haven't got much. I won't let you steal it."
We? John thought and felt a spurt of hope in his gut.
John stepped out of the building, found cover behind a pile of rubble, and balanced the P-90 on a chunk of stone.
"Like the lady said," John said, aiming the rifle at the boy, "we're here to help. Put the gun down."
The boy shook his head and tried to cover all three of them at once.
John saw the boy's finger curling on the trigger and grimaced. So much for no one getting hurt, he thought.
"Hold your fire!" Lorne exclaimed. "Hold your fire!" He ran out of another building with his hands raised and stepped between the boy and Ronon.
John glanced at the boy still aiming the rifle at Teyla. "Major -"
"Colonel, please, I know him," Lorne said to John, then turned to the kid and added, "Hayden, it's me. Evan."
Hayden, John thought. The name sounded familiar.
The boy glanced at Lorne, then lowered the rifle. "Evan?" he parroted, and John heard the mixture of confusion and hope in his voice. "It's really you? How did you know about …" He waved his hand at the damaged buildings.
"We didn't," Lorne replied as the rest of his team ran into the square.
Lorne lowered his hands, stepped closer to the boy, and reached for the rifle. "Give me the gun."
Hayden let go of the rifle, and John saw the boy's shoulders shake.
Lorne checked the gun, then pointed the barrel at the ground. "Hayden, where's your father?"
Hayden looked up, and John saw tears running down the boy's cheeks. He whimpered and wrapped his arms around Lorne as he started to cry.
John lowered the P-90 and motioned to Ronon to lower the particle weapon.
Lorne hesitated, then handed the rifle to Teyla and hugged the boy.
"Hey, hey," Lorne murmured in Hayden's ear. "We're here now. It will be all right."
Hayden sniffed a few more times and pulled back from the embrace but didn't let go of Lorne.
"Tell me what happened," Lorne said softly. "Where's your father?"
Hayden shook his head and stared down the path that led back into the forest. "Gone," he whispered.
Lorne bowed his head. "What happened?"
"They came at night," Hayden replied in a ragged whisper.
John stepped around the debris he'd used as cover and walked over to Teyla and Ronon. "You two all right?" he asked in a low voice.
Teyla nodded.
"Wraith?" Lorne asked Hayden.
Hayden wiped his eyes on his sleeve and shook his head. "It was dark. I didn't get a good look at them. They were big. Bigger than a Wraith. And they made this funny chittering noise."
Teyla glanced at John. "Wraith drones are incapable of making sounds," she whispered.
John nodded and focused on Hayden's next words.
"I was with Father in the meeting house." He pointed at another heavily damaged building on the other side of the square. "I was helping him plan the next matua ceremony when the warning bell rang."
"Father told me to stay inside, and he went to see what was happening. He came back a few minutes later and told me to take charge of the children. He told me I was responsible for getting them all to the shelter and keeping them safe." Hayden ducked his head. "That was the last time I saw him."
"He was taken?" John asked.
Hayden looked up in surprise, then glanced at Lorne.
"These are some friends of mine," Lorne replied and pointed to each of them in turn. "Colonel John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagen, and Ronon Dex."
Hayden swallowed and nodded to John. "They were all taken," he replied.
"All?" Ronon said.
"Everyone who was left in the village," Hayden replied.
"How many of you are left?" Teyla asked.
"Umm, I managed to get most of the children to the shelter."
"There are no adults left in the village?" Teyla asked.
Hayden stood straight and faced Teyla with an indignant expression. "I had my matua a few months ago. So did a few of the others who helped me. We are adults."
"That is not -" Teyla started to say, but Lorne held up a hand.
"What Teyla meant was, where are your parents?"
Hayden ducked his head and sniffled. "I waited until it was light and then came back to see if the monsters had left." He looked around the village square. "There was no one here. Not the monsters. Not my father or the men defending the village. No one."
Lorne grimaced. "Javi," he said in a low voice.
"Sir?" Valdés replied.
Lorne glanced at John, then said, "Take Graham and Matt. Check the area for any sort of trail we can follow."
"Yes, sir," Valdés replied. He turned back the way they had come and motioned for the other two Marines to follow him. "I'll radio if we find anything."
Lorne nodded and turned back to Hayden. "Why were you here today?"
Hayden shrugged. "It's been four days," he mumbled. "I was hoping …" He looked around the village with a forlorn expression, then turned to Lorne. "I was hoping someone had come back," he whispered. "Then I saw you," he glanced at Teyla, "and I thought you were going to steal everything we had to leave behind when we ran."
"After what you have been through, that is understandable." Teyla squeezed Hayden's hand, and the boy gave her a watery smile in return. "You mentioned hiding some children. Where are they?"
"Umm, this way," Hayden replied.
He led the way out of the square, past several burned houses, out of the village, and across the sparsely wooded valley toward the lake. They were near the valley's edge when Hayden stopped in front of a line of tall bushes and glanced to his left and right.
Unlike the gentle grassy slope at the other end of the valley, the steep slope of solid rock near the lake climbed about fifty feet straight up. A few trees grew along the lip of the rock above them, but John didn't see any movement. Flowers dotted the low grass between the lake and the rocky slope.
John raised a suspicious eyebrow when he saw the tall bushes lined along the cliff's base. Just a little too perfect to be natural, he thought.
Hayden glanced at Lorne, then pushed through the branches between two bushes. John followed Lorne, stopped in the narrow space between the plants and the rocky slope, and nodded when he saw the opening into the hillside.
"In here," Hayden said once Teyla and Ronon joined them.
John crouched and followed Hayden inside the low cave.
"I'm back," Hayden said as the low tunnel gave way to a wide cavern.
John entered the cavern, stood with the P-90 pointed at the ground and his back against the wall, and studied the group of waiting children. There were a few infants and several more under the age of five. Most of the remaining children looked to be between seven and twelve. Three or four of the others were in their early teens.
Lorne, Ronon, and Teyla joined him, and John smiled as the children greeted Hayden.
A young girl ran up to Hayden and grasped his hand. "Did you find them?" she asked. "Did you find my parents?"
"They're all dead, aren't they?" an older boy standing near the back of the cave said.
"Shut up!" another boy ordered. "You don't know that."
A boy about the same age as Hayden with brown curly hair gripped a knife sheathed at his belt and glared at John. "Who are they?" he demanded, pointing at John.
"Friends," Hayden replied. "It's okay, Leo. They can help."
Leo scowled at John but let go of the knife.
Teyla stepped around John and knelt next to two girls sitting nearby. "Hello," she said with a gentle smile.
The older of the two girls sat forward on her knees. "I like your hair," she said, pointing to a lock of Teyla's auburn hair.
"I like yours, too," Teyla replied, nodding to the girl's tight black curls.
"Are you going to find our parents?" the girl asked.
Teyla patted the girl's hand and glanced at John. "I believe we will try," she said with another tiny smile.
John wasn't sure they would find anyone but refrained from saying anything.
Teyla smiled at the two girls, then stood, looking around the rest of the cave.
"How many are here?" Ronon asked.
"Almost thirty," Hayden replied. "There's enough food and water stored for another few weeks, but after that …" He let the sentence peter out.
John heard an infant crying, turned, and saw a boy of about nine awkwardly holding a fussing baby and rocking back and forth. "Shh, shh," he cooed as the infant cried.
"Colonel, we must do something," Teyla murmured.
"Lorne, here," Lorne said before John could reply. "I see," he said a moment later.
John turned to Lorne with a raised eyebrow.
Lorne grimaced, and John's eyes narrowed.
"You're sure?" Lorne said into the radio. He listened for a few more seconds, then nodded. "Get back to the village. We're not that far away. I'll meet you there. Lorne out." Lorne tapped his earpiece and stared at the kids scattered around the cave.
"Major?" John asked, though he knew from Lorne's pursed lips and closed expression that the news wasn't good.
"Could I speak to you, sir?" Lorne glanced at the children. "Outside?"
"What's going on?" Hayden asked. "That was your team, right? Did they find my Dad?"
Lorne ignored the question and turned toward the low tunnel.
"Evan?" Hayden said.
"I'll be right back," Lorne replied. "Just stay here."
Lorne led the way out of the shelter and through the break of bushes.
John followed him and stopped near the lake. He glanced at the bushes hiding the cave and said, "All right, let's hear it. What did they find?"
Lorne took a deep breath and stared at the lake.
"Major?" John prompted.
"Yes, sir," Lorne said. "Umm, sorry. That was Sergeant Valdés." He paused and clenched his hands into fists. "They, umm, found a shallow pit in a clearing near the village."
"Bodies?" John asked.
Lorne nodded. "Looks like most of the villagers, sir." He cleared his throat. "Including Tybis."
"I'm sorry," John said. "I know he was a friend."
"Yes, sir. Umm, thank you, sir." Lorne hesitated.
"I take it there's something else?"
Lorne glanced at the bushes, then nodded his head toward the lake. He stopped near the water's edge and bent close to John. "According to Javi, I mean, Sergeant Valdés, it looks like some of them were, umm, partially eaten."
"Damn." John scrubbed a hand over his chin.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Teyla called.
John turned and watched her push through the bushes. She waved to John, then hurried across the open ground, stopping beside Lorne.
"What has happened?" she asked, glancing from John to Lorne.
"Lorne's team found the rest of the villagers." John paused. "They're all dead."
Teyla hissed in a breath. "What happened?"
"Valdés wasn't sure," Lorne replied.
Teyla glanced at the hidden cave. "Are there other nearby villages that could take in the children?"
Lorne shook his head. "Tybis mentioned once there had been some sort of falling out among the nearest villages generations ago. He didn't know where they had gone or if they were even still on the planet."
John glanced at the sky and then the lake. This was a recon mission, he thought. Not to mention time critical. They weren't prepared to help refugees. On the other hand, they had to do something.
"Colonel?" Teyla asked.
John sighed. Sorry, Rodney. "We can't leave a bunch of kids alone here to fend for themselves," he said to Teyla and Lorne.
"We could take them back with us," Teyla suggested. "My people have taken in refugees in the past. I'm sure something could be arranged."
"That could work," John replied. "Major? Thoughts?"
"I don't know, sir. Shouldn't it be their decision if they stay or come back with us?"
"They are only children, Major," Teyla argued. "We cannot leave them here to fend for themselves."
Lorne shook his head. "They don't see it that way. You heard Hayden. He and a few of the others have had their matua ceremony. According to their laws, they are adults."
They didn't have time to argue the semantics of what made an adult, John thought. "In that case, who should we be talking to?"
"As Tybis' son, Hayden is their de facto leader now," Lorne replied. "But the village runs on a council system. We should present our idea to everyone who has had their matua."
"All right," John said. "Teyla, you and Ronon keep the younger kids entertained while we talk to the older ones."
"I'll get Hayden and the others, sir," Lorne offered.
John nodded, and Lorne walked back to the line of bushes.
"I will let Ronon know what has happened," Teyla said.
"Quietly," John reminded her.
Teyla nodded and followed Lorne back to the cave.
John stood near the lake, watching the gentle ripples lap against the shore. So much for plan A, he thought. With the villagers dead, that left searching the planet for any Ancient buildings that might hold the answers he needed to help Rodney.
"If he doesn't regain consciousness, his body could remain in this state for days or even months with external support."
Physically, he's not in any danger, John reminded himself. On the other hand, this wasn't a typical coma. They didn't really know what the cube was doing. Would there come a point where they wouldn't be able to shut it down?
A fish jumped, startling John out of his swirling thoughts.
"Pull yourself together, John," he ordered himself. "You have thirty orphaned kids that need help now." He glanced at the bushes hiding the cave. "The good of the many," he muttered. "Though Rodney would probably disagree with that," he added with a wry smile.
He saw a hand push aside the branches, and Lorne appeared with five teenagers in tow. He recognised Hayden and Leo but not the three girls.
Lorne nodded when he saw John and led the teens to the lake.
"Colonel Sheppard, this is Desi, Raba, and Lytha." Lorne pointed to the three girls, all wearing colorful blouses and plain cotton skirts that ended just above their ankles.
Desi was the tallest of the three, and John guessed the oldest based on how she carried herself. Her hair was braided into long cornrows, and the beads at the end of each braid clicked together when she moved her head. The two brown-haired girls standing behind her, Raba and Lytha, seemed about the same age as Hayden.
"And you know Leo," Lorne added, pointing to the brown-haired boy beside Hayden.
"Was Wes right?" Desi asked, glancing from Lorne to John. "Are our parents …"
John pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded.
"Desi, I'm so sorry," Lorne added.
Tears welled in Desi's eyes, and John saw her chin tremble. She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath.
Lytha whimpered and hugged Raba as the two girls began to cry. Leo scowled at Lorne, then dropped his gaze and wrapped his arms around his middle.
"You're sure?" Desi whispered.
Lorne nodded. "My team, umm, found them."
"No," Hayden growled. "My dad can't be dead." He glared at John and then Lorne. "He can't be."
"Hayden -" Lorne said.
Hayden shook his head and clenched his hands into tight fists. "How?" he ground out as tears ran down his cheeks.
Lorne rested his hand on Hayden's shoulder. "The how isn't important," he said softly. "What's important is what happens next."
Hayden stared at the two girls huddled together, then Desi and Leo. "Next?" he asked. He turned to Lorne with a lost expression. "What do you mean?"
Lorne glanced at John.
"I understand there aren't any other villages near here," John said, and Hayden nodded. "You can stay here if that's what you really want, or we can bring you back with us. Teyla's people have taken in survivors from Wraith attacks before. She believes they will do the same for you and the others." He nodded at the cave entrance.
Hayden wiped his eyes, and John saw the effort he made to pull himself together.
"We don't need their charity," Leo growled. "We'll be fine here."
Raba and Lytha turned to Leo in surprise.
Desi frowned at Leo and shook her head. "No, we will not. Our crops were burned. There won't be a harvest. We have nothing to trade, assuming anyone would trade fair with us, and not enough food to last the winter."
"Desi has a point," Lytha said, wiping her cheeks, and Raba nodded. "I say we go with them."
"Hayden?" Lorne asked. "What do you think?"
Hayden swallowed and stared at the lake. "What would we do?" he asked. "We aren't soldiers."
Leo sniffed and fingered the knife at his belt.
Trust me, kid. You might bluster and have the others fooled, but you aren't a soldier, John thought.
Lorne smiled. "Teyla's people are farmers, just like you. She's offering you and your people a place and a life in her village."
'My people,' Hayden mouthed and swallowed.
"It's a good idea, Hayden," Desi said. "We won't survive here. We need to think about them." She pointed at the hidden cave. "They deserve a chance at a full life. They won't get that if we stay here."
Hayden stared at the lake, then blew out a breath and nodded. "We'll go back with you," he said.
Leo scowled and threw his hands in the air.
Desi took a deep breath and nodded. "It's the right thing to do."
Hayden gave Desi a wan smile and turned to Lorne. "What do I tell them?" He jerked his head toward the shelter.
"Be honest with them," John said.
Hayden squared his shoulders and nodded. "Wait here," he said to John and Lorne. "We'll tell the young ones, then head back to the village long enough to pack our things."
"What about the mission?" Lorne asked John as Hayden led the other teenagers back to the shelter.
John grimaced and watched the water lap at the shore. "The delay can't be helped. We'll take the kids back to Atlantis, explain what happened to Elizabeth, then come back here and see if we can find anything that might tell us about the cube."
Rodney, you'll have to hold on just a little bit longer, John thought as the sound of crying children floated across the valley.
