If I Die - Part One of Three
"Move it!" Sheppard screamed, over the pounding of blood in his ears. He cast quick looks either side of him: Lieutenant Ford, running to his right, youthful legs crossing ground without effort; Teyla to his left, graceful, both hunter and tough prey, avoiding her captors. At the back, McKay keeping up, the oldest of the three, but not so slow as his lifestyle - and eating habits - might have suggested.
Adrenaline had a lot to answer for.
The huge, stone archway lay ahead of them, its mouth offering a glimpse of the woods beyond. A place to lose themselves in, to weave back to the Stargate and then home, to Atlantis.
Away from this nuthouse, Sheppard thought. The sound of thunderous boots a way off, and alarmed shouts, drove extra speed to his legs.
And a shot rang through the courtyard.
He was still looking forward, still driven towards the doorway. Saw McKay stop, stagger, from the corner of his eye. Sheppard turned in time to see him rock backwards, eyes wide, rabbit in headlights look. Ford was closer and twisted back first, grabbing McKay and pulling him forward. Sheppard glanced upward in the direction of the shot, saw a dark figure duck back from the wall.
"Major," Ford called out, struggling to hold McKay's weight as the scientist's legs folded.
Doubling back, Sheppard reached them in time to stop McKay from hitting the dirt, slipping his arm under the man's shoulders and hauling him upright. Together he and Ford half-carried, half-dragged the scientist across the remaining space of the courtyard. Ahead of them Teyla had already passed under the arch, and was now beckoning them to follow.
A dark outcrop of the forest fingered its way close to the eastern wall of the city, and leaving the road behind, Teyla led the three men across a patch of overgrown arable land and into the trees. The quiet zip of firearms continued, but there were no more sharp shots from the dark, no figures in the bushes. As they plunged further into the undergrowth the sounds faded, and were soon distant, drowned out by the quick breaths from his teammates, the gasps from McKay, the thundering of Sheppard's own heart in his ears.
We need to stop. Assess the situation. Take a breather.
He heard Rodney moan beside him, a repeated mantra.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god…"
"Shush," he ordered, harsher than he intended. "You'll have the whole town down on us."
"Sir?" Ford shot him a questioning look.
They had ascended a small hill, now stood above a well in the earth, the ground relatively barren, overhung by widespread branches and shadows. "We'll stop here," Sheppard decided, starting the short descent.
The combined weight of the three men dragged them down quickly, thorny shrubs snagging Sheppard's trousers, hidden roots tripping his feet. They stumbled into the bottom of the well, Teyla putting out one hand to stop them from falling.
With a quick nod, Sheppard directed Ford to take point on the top of the rise they had just descended. Then he carefully deposited McKay on the ground, Teyla kneeling beside Sheppard as he took his first good look at the scientist. Pale face, body quivering gently, hands pressed to his abdomen.
"Crap," Sheppard breathed, pulling back McKay's shirt to reveal bright red blood oozing from a small bullet wound above his left hip. His hand crept around Rodney's side, across warm skin, then pulled back. "No exit wound."
Two wide, terrified eyes caught his own. "That's bad. That's bad, right?"
"Depends." Sheppard probed the wound carefully.
A hiss of pain. "Shi-"
"Sorry." He paused. Beside him, Teyla had her backpack on the ground and was rifling through it, finally pulling out the medical kit. A tight grip on his wrist drew his gaze back to those terrified eyes.
"I'm going to die."
Firmly: "No, you're not."
"Major, I've been shot."
"Yeah." He grimaced. "I know. But I've seen worse, Rodney." Which was true, he had. Soldiers shot down with only seconds to live, or less. Brain on the sidewalk and limbs blown to hell. He wiped some of the blood from McKay's skin only for more to pool in its place.
It'd take longer. But without a doctor, with Atlantis and its infirmary an eternity away…
"They shot me," McKay repeated, a note of high hysteria creeping into his voice.
"They were shooting at everybody, Doc," Aiden broke in, from his position atop the small hillock. His eyes scanned the darkness for movement.
Caught in the crossfire. In the confusion, Sheppard could almost allow himself to believe that, but the shot was too clean, too precise, and from the dark look on Teyla's face, she knew it too.
If we'd stood still, if Rodney hadn't been a moving target, then those genius brains of his would probably be cooling in the dust right now.
"Oh god." Rodney was squirming under Sheppard's touch. "I'm gonna die."
"Will you stop saying that!" Sheppard snapped. He paused, taking a moment to calm himself. "Look, no one is going to die."
"You say that," the scientist shot back, "but you're not the one with your guts open."
"McKay!" He dropped his voice, laid a hand on the side of the scientist's face. "Look at me."
With nowhere to go, the scientist turned his head. Two brightly dilated eyes returned Sheppard's gaze, a panicked expression.
"I am going to get you out of here," Sheppard said forcefully, feeling clammy skin under his fingers. "I am going to get us all out of here. Is that understood?"
"Well, I think one of us should be realistic - "
"Is that," he repeated, slowly and deliberately, "understood?"
McKay stopped talking, his breath slowing from hysterical gasps. He looked at Sheppard, gave a very small nod. "Alright. I get it."
"Good." Sheppard glanced at Teyla. "Because I'm making it Teyla's official job to slap you next time you decide to get hysterical on us."
She nodded solemnly. "Understood, Major."
"Huh." McKay managed a look of mock offence. "Nice bedside manner."
"I do my best," Sheppard took wad of bandages into his hands, looked back into McKay's eyes. "We have to stop the bleeding."
"Yeah." McKay shuddered, staring at his wound in morbid fascination. "That would seem like a good idea, right?"
Beside him, Teyla snapped open a fresh hypodermic, then tugged at the physician's sleeve, pulling the fabric up to reveal raised veins and white flesh. With morbid fascination Rodney watched her plunge the needle into his skin.
"What was that?"
"Painkiller."
"Huh." The scientist nodded vaguely, his eyelids drooping. "Sounds like a good idea."
Sheppard finished binding McKay's wound, the best job he could, though the material pressed against the man's side quickly stained red. Ford had torn his eyes from their surroundings to glance at his commander.
"Should we move, sir?"
"No," Sheppard muttered bitterly, tugging McKay's shirt over the bandages.
"We have no choice," Teyla pointed out. "With forces from both the Silani government and the rebels hunting us, we must keep moving."
He sighed. "I know." Stopped, wiping his hands on his trousers, leaving a smear of crimson and the slight smell of copper. "Look, I'm guessing we're about two hours off sunrise. We use the darkness as cover and try to climb as much of this mountain as we can. We'll try and find some shelter before daybreak, then check out the land. Hopefully the Silani are too busy fighting each other to worry about us just yet."
"I believe it was one of the rebels who shot Doctor McKay," Teyla pointed out.
"Yeah." Sheppard clenched his jaw. "But they only fired once. I'm hoping they think that was enough." He tapped McKay's cheek sharply, prompted a jerk of his head and a widening of his eyes. "No falling asleep on the job, Rodney."
"Whuh?" The scientist shook his head slowly, blinked at Sheppard. "What's happening?"
"We're on the move. Think you can get up?"
A grimace. "No." But McKay started to shift, pressing his hands against the ground to lever himself up. Sheppard slipped an arm beneath his friend's shoulders, taking his weight and lifting him to his unsteady feet. The scientist clung to him, the weight almost taking Sheppard down to his knees before he could gain his balance.
Ford took McKay's other side before both men could topple, abandoning his sentry duty to Teyla. She sprang to the top of the hillock, surveyed the landscape as they manhandled McKay.
"This way," she said decisively, lingering long enough for them to ascend the hill after her.
*
A clear, brilliant blue sky blasted color across the horizon, sunlight trickling through fluffy clouds and warming the back of Major Sheppard's neck as he stood beside the event horizon, viewing the land around him.
The Stargate stood atop a low mountain range, its flat top stretching to the horizon on either side. Thick greenery spilled down the slopes to a river below, offering glimpses of blue as it wove from east to west, carving deep into the bottom of the valley and frequently hiding behind the curves of the land. In the distance another mountain range rose before them, tall enough for its peaks to be graced by white snow.
Save for the sound of birds, and the wind stirring leaves, the land was silent.
A familiar muffled cursing signaled the arrival of McKay, the last of the team through the 'gate, struggling to remove the Ancient life signs detector from his jacket pocket. Caught up in his task, Rodney stumbled down the last of the steps, the jolt prompting him to finally lift his head and take in the landscape.
"Huh. Another forest." He looked across at Ford, a smug look on his face. "I believe you owe me your next choice at movie night, Lieutenant."
Sheppard broke off his gaze to round on the younger man, a look of mock horror on his face. "Ford, please tell me that you did not do what I think you did."
Ford grimaced, dug one foot into the mud awkwardly. "Sorry sir. I really did think we'd see something different this time."
"Like?" Sheppard challenged.
"A jungle. A desert." He shrugged. "Anything except more pine trees."
McKay surveyed the landscape, a hill that rolled away from them, its surface hidden beneath a dense weaving of dark foliage. "Some of us like pine trees, Lieutenant. Plays less havoc with my allergies. And it reminds me of Canada." He broke off to grin at the uncomfortable Ford. "Now, I wonder what film I should pick. Your next turn is in four days time, I think. Plenty of time to think of something."
Sheppard gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "Great. So it'll be 2001 for the fourth time running."
"Hey! It's a classic movie!"
"Classically dull."
"I do not understand it," Teyla admitted, her forehead wrinkling in a frown. "Why would those animals behave as they do to the reaction of the giant rock? If the beasts of my own planet saw something of that nature they would flee."
"Oh god," Sheppard groaned, slapping his hand to his forehead. "Don't get him started."
McKay, ready to launch into a lengthy explanation, closed his mouth and glared at Sheppard. "At least Teyla is willing to appreciate the depth of the story. Obviously subtlety is beyond some of the audience."
"I'm wounded." Turning away, Sheppard resumed his gaze across the land. A snatch of something gray caught his eye, an oddly angular shape half-hidden by the trees. He took several steps to his left, then stopped, and blinked. "Huh."
Ford was ready with his binoculars, following Sheppard's eye line down to the bottom of the valley. Nestled between the two mountain ranges, lying atop the river, was a large settlement. A good eight kilometers across at its widest points, a dark wall circled a gathering of smaller structures, small houses and larger, unidentifiable buildings. Following the course of the river, it too disappeared behind the mountain's rocky fingers, and only gave up itself in pieces, a jigsaw of stone and wood.
"Teyla?" Sheppard prompted.
The Athosian shrugged. "As I said in the briefing, Major, I have not been to this address before. The people here are unknown to me."
"Could be some good trading opportunities," Ford offered, turning his binoculars to the east of the city to where the trees parted, and fields of cultivated land took their place.
"Coffee?" McKay said, hopefully.
"Wrong environment." Sheppard considered the fields thoughtfully. "Could be wheat. Maybe barley," he added, thinking of the illicit still Stackhouse had failed to hide from Weir.
"The city lies some way from the Stargate." Teyla's frown had returned. "I would not imagine these people have traveled beyond their planet."
"Or beyond those walls," Ford added.
"Uh…" McKay hesitated, his gaze drawn to the west. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Lieutenant." He pointed down the slope, to where a thin cloud of dust and smoke was winding its way through the trees. The distant sound of engine noise could be heard, and whatever was causing the noise was also stirring the trees, sending flocks of ruffled birds into the sky, weaving about each other and cawing angrily.
"Right." Sheppard pulled his side arm free, nodded at Ford. "Let's go take our first look at the locals, shall we?"
*
The source was discovered to be two engine-powered vehicles following a roughly hewn path up the mountainside. Sheppard, having led his teammates as close to the road as he dared, now knelt in the ground using a fallen tree as cover, binoculars fixed on the small convoy below.
They looked like jeeps, albeit jeeps with a different sense of style to the ones used on earth. They were slimmer and taller, standing above the ground in four thick wheels, but they were of a similar length. Two men rode in the front cabin, their faces partially disguised behind a metal grill that seemed to serve as a windscreen. The back resembled a trailer, little more than a box on wheels, with a metal cage-like structure giving it some form. Three men rode within, dressed in neutral colors of beige, brown and a deep green, trousers and sleeveless shorts. But even without the camouflage, the long, metal devices held in their hands labeled them easily.
"Soldiers," Sheppard breathed. "Looks like they're on patrol."
"Yet I saw no tracks by the Stargate," Teyla whispered.
"Maybe they don't know about Gate travel," Ford suggested. He shifted uneasily against the undergrowth, both hands on his gun.
McKay snorted softly. "They'd be one of the only people we've met who don't."
"How about we ask them?" Sheppard suggested, stalling a discussion before it could erupt.
"I will go," Teyla offered.
"We'll watch your back."
She nodded quickly, then rose, slipping soundlessly into the trees. Sheppard tried to watch her path but her movements barely ruffled a single leaf and he soon gave up and turned his attention back to the road.
A single "Greetings," called out down the hillside prompted the soldiers in the jeeps to raise their weapons, the vehicles pulling to a clumsy stop. Teyla emerged about ten meters to the left of their aim and waved.
"Hello there."
The weapons turned on her, prompting Sheppard to raise his own, but Teyla only smiled and started to walk towards the road, continuing to hold her hands in the air. "I am Teyla Emmagan. My teammates and I are travelers from distant lands. We mean you no ill will. Perhaps we can talk awhile?"
There was a brief commotion in the nearest truck as it occupants whispered to each other. "Where are your companions?" a voice called back.
Sheppard hesitated, but since Teyla was now within arms reach of the first vehicle and was still unharmed, he judged their risk of being target practice was an acceptable one. He turned to the others with a "that's our cue," and then rose, McKay and Ford following suit, weapon held down against his leg.
"Hi," he said, offering his best smile, but making no move forward.
The door to the first jeep opened and a man stepped out. He was tall, with olive skin, older than Sheppard with skin wrinkled by the years, and hair graying at the edges. He held no weapon, and at his signal ordered the other men to lower their own.
"My name is Haleel Jawesh," the leader stated, smoothly. He looked up at Teyla. "And your team?"
Sheppard started the short descent down the hill, Ford and McKay on his heels, and drew to a stop alongside Teyla. "Major John Sheppard. This is Lieutenant Ford, and Doctor McKay."
"Ah." Jawesh turned to Sheppard, his eyes flicking across the stranger's garb. "You are not native to this land."
"Not exactly." Sheppard hesitated, ready to assess Jawesh's reaction. "We came through the Stargate."
His comment earned a confused blink. "The Stargate?"
"Big, circular thing on top of the mountain," Ford explained. "You might have a different name for it."
"The Great Circle." The older man had taken a step back, looking at Sheppard appraisingly. "You say you are travelers? Not of this land?"
"Not of this planet, actually," said McKay.
Jawesh's eyebrows suddenly threatened to bury themselves into his hair line. "You are not of this world?" He shook his head, still disbelieving. "I did not think I would live so long as to meet travelers from the skies, although tales are told of trips through the Great Circle." He hesitated, then asked: "Have you heard of our planet? The great civilization of the Silani?"
"Um…" Sheppard's turn to hesitate.
"We have not been so fortunate," Teyla interrupted, smoothly. "However, we desire more knowledge of other worlds and are eager to learn all of your culture and history."
"And maybe do some business," Aiden added.
Jawesh's eyebrows continued to climb. "Traders as well as explorers."
"Well…" Sheppard glanced at the soldiers in the jeeps around him. "Medical supplies, food, that sort of thing."
Jawesh looked at McKay appraisingly. "Our people are also eager for knowledge. I know our scientists would be keen to exchange medical ideas."
"Ah," McKay began. "I'm not that sort of doctor. I'm a doctor of physics." He gestured vaguely with both hands. "Of, uh, gravity, and velocity, and…"
"McKay figures out why stuff does what it does," Sheppard summed up succinctly, earning himself a blue-eyed glare. "Machines, mostly."
Jawesh's expression of strength faltered, and he took a step towards McKay. "You are a doctor of machines?"
"Yes," McKay answered, briefly glancing meaningfully at Sheppard: "Basically."
Jawesh's mouth opened, ready to say something more, but then he closed it, clammed up, hiding his previous eagerness behind a controlled mask. The error was not lost on Sheppard, who silently filed the moment away under 'things to be examined later when there are less guns around.'
"The Silani government will be most eager to meet all of you," Jawesh said, quickly. "But it is not safe here."
Sheppard glanced about him, as though expecting Wraith to jump out of the bushes and shout 'boo.' "Really?"
"The Silani government has its," Jawesh hesitated delicately, "problems."
Huh. "Well then," with a gesture of his hand, "Lead the way."
"Our city lies some distance from here." Jawesh nodded at the two vehicles standing behind him. "You and I, Major, shall take this carrier, accompanied perhaps by your Doctor McKay?"
McKay blinked, as though astonished to hear his name, then nodded. "I'd love to see it's engines," he said, approaching the nearest vehicle, apparently oblivious to the shifting of weapons amongst Jawesh's men. A slight, almost imperceptible hand gesture from their leader and the weapons dropped, but Sheppard had noticed the movement, even if McKay had not.
"Perhaps later," Jawesh said, smiling. "I imagine there will be much of interest for you to see."
Sheppard nodded at Ford and Teyla. "You two okay to go together?"
"Yes sir," answered Ford, eyeing up his 'carrier' speculatively. "I'm looking forward to the ride."
The carriers, it turned out, not only looked but drove like jeeps. Battered, elderly jeeps. They creaked and clattered over both rocks and mud, oversized wheels grinding and crunching up and down hills, through ditches and squashing all beneath. Two of Jawesh's men sat in the front cab, next to the driver. Two others joined McKay, Sheppard and Jawesh in the back, and three clambered into the back of Ford and Teyla's carrier. The passengers stood gripping the metal rails of the cage, dividing Sheppard's concentration between the scenery around him, and trying to keep his balance. Periodically one of the men next to the driver would bang on the partition that separated them, reminding the carrier's passengers to duck to avoid low hanging branches.
Hardly the most dignified ride, John thought, although a thoroughly enjoyable one. A boys ride, although when he craned his head to watch the carrier behind theirs he saw Teyla, a look of unrestrained excitement on her face, hair whipping back to reveal a smile and bright eyes.
Sheppard lent into McKay's ear, having to shout above the sound of the wind. "You think Teyla's ever been in something like this?"
McKay, who was looking distinctly pasty, shook his head. "No idea." His hands gripped the metal railing tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Did I mention I was travel sick?"
Rolling his eyes, Sheppard turned his attention to the city ahead. As the distance between the carriers and their target decreased, more details revealed themselves through the trees. Several hundred small buildings of mud brick and metal sheeting housed the inhabitants, and crowded around a larger edifice. Four stories high, it was the only building made of the same stone as the city walls, and seemed to share its strength, roofed by green tiles and towering over the rest of the settlement.
"The great city of Silan," Jawesh said, his face beaming.. "Have you seen any finer?"
Sheppard thought briefly of Atlantis, emerging from the sea, silver spires glittering in the sunlight like some great, glass cathedral. "Not recently."
The carrier was moving at a faster rate, bumping along the track as it dove steeply down the hillside. The rough movement knocked Sheppard against the caging, prompted McKay to screw his eyes shut and flinch with each new shudder. It was only as the road started to flatten and widen, and trees started to thin, that the scientist relaxed enough to open one eye and peer at the city as it loomed ahead of them.
The road led towards an angular projection of the wall, a great stone archway as high as the tallest trees. Jawesh's proud smile now threatened to split his face. He gestured up at the wall as it drew closer, blocking out the sun. "This wall has stood for many generations, for a time beyond even our historian's remembering. But I like to imagine that my own ancestors had a hand in its creation."
"It's, uh, nice," Sheppard said back, wondering whether Jawesh would continue to wear that same smile if he had glimpsed Earth's Great Wall of China, or Atlantis itself. He raised his head and fixed himself with an expression of suitable awe, but this faltered as his gaze focused. Paying the wall closer attention, Sheppard began to see patches of paler stone, seemingly newer, bricks free of moss and of a coarser, clumsier craft. The city wall had seen damage, some recent, and the hasty efforts to cover the holes were less than successful.
Jawesh caught Sheppard staring, and his face darkened. "Not all respect Silani history," he said, gravely. "Some seek to destroy that which shelters and protects us." He glanced at McKay. "I imagine there are such fools on every world, however."
McKay, whose attention was focused on controlling his stomach contents, nodded vaguely. "Uh-huh. Completely." He stretched out a finger, pointed at a spot above the highest point of the stone arch. "What's that?"
Sheppard squinted, and with effort could just make out an image carved deep into the stone, and flecked with gleaming gold. A human figure, dressed in a long robe, held up a square, flat object with both arms. In the top right hand corner a simplistic sun beamed merrily, its rays reaching out to touch the flat object.
"That is a relic of times past," Jawesh said, his face gaining the same tight, pinched expression he had worn before. Dropping his gaze, he turned his back on Sheppard and McKay to address the driver in a quick, sharp tongue.
Second mental note of the day, Sheppard thought, privately. He glanced at McKay and saw the scientist wearing his frustration openly, chewing on his lip and staring up at the image above them with an intense look, nausea temporarily forgotten.
On Jawesh's instruction the jeep had begun to slow, traveling under the arch and finally drawing to a stop in the courtyard beyond. The second carrier pulled in alongside them, a cloud of dust rising form its wheels. One of the guards climbed out of the carrier's front cabin and was now unhooking the back flap, dropping the side to allow its passengers to clamber out. Sheppard followed Jawesh, dropping to the dirt neatly. Another guard did the same for the second jeep. Ford bounded out quickly, Teyla following with more grace.
Sheppard grinned at her. "Enjoy that?"
She did her best to brush the hair from her eyes, her cheeks flushed. "It was most exhilarating."
"Can we go again?" Ford asked, bouncing on his heels and grinning.
McKay was still, carefully, climbing out of the carrier, brushing off the offers of help from a nearby guard. He looked distinctly green. "I really hope not."
The two carriers and their cargo stood in a large, empty courtyard, surrounded on either side by towering stone. On the opposite side to the archway were two great wooden doors, and stood in front of them were a line of soldiers dressed in similar clothing to their compatriots, each one armed. Jawesh was busy talking excitedly with one of their number, occasionally gesturing towards the Atlanteans wildly, whilst the other man's eyes grew wider and wider.
Sheppard side-stepped to stand next to Ford. "So," he asked, in a low voice, "You think they're talking about us?"
"Don't know what we've done to deserve so much attention," said Ford, grinning. "I guess folks round here aren't used to visitors."
Teyla was frowning, studying the conversation between Jawesh and the stranger closely. "His reaction seems most odd considering the strength of this city. I have never seen a settlement so large or fortified as this without the people knowing of gate travel."
"And what about those?" McKay, now a healthier shade of pink, was nodding up at the walls around them. In the centre of each was a picture similar in size and style to the one above the arch. To the right, two figures rode what looked like an odd shaped lion, but with greater angles, with a face to its front and a tail at the back. Half-beast, half-carrier. To the left, a woman stood before a bountiful harvest of fruits and wheat, her arms held out wide. And before them, above the wooden doors, a male figure stood holding a long staff, his back bowed slightly in effort, as in the sky above him hovered…
"Wraith," Teyla said, grimly.
Sheppard studied the image of the dart, its neat lines contrasting sharply with the more organic curves of the figure below it. "Funny Jawesh didn't mention them," he murmured. "Us being the first travelers from the sky, and all."
"But look at the staff," McKay said, momentarily forgetting to lower his voice. "The way it's being held. Major, I think -"
"Visitors!" Jawesh called out to them, a smile plastered to his face. "Come! I shall lead you to our council halls."
Sheppard nodded, pulling his gaze away from the carving in time to see Jawesh's expression falter a third time, to see the man's eyes flick towards McKay, and then back when he realized he was being watched.
Hmm. Third mental note.
This, Sheppard decided, following Jawesh as the great doors opened for them, was going to be interesting.
*
The council halls were housed in the great green roofed building that lay in the centre of the city. A straight, thin road headed from the gates and it was along this that Jawesh and his visitors now walked. Jawesh's men took up positions in front and behind them, seeming more relaxed than before, their weapons slung into their belts, their postures natural. Jawesh's friend from the courtyard ran ahead of them, sandals slapping against the dusty ground as he disappeared into the distance.
"Preparing for our arrival?" Ford guessed.
Teyla considered the departing figure. "Most likely," she answered, her gaze drawn away to their surroundings.
Sheppard was equally busy looking about him at the city of Silan. Now inside, the settlement revealed itself as less impressive than its formidable walls suggested. Ramshackle houses made of mud brick sat in small plots of land, roofed by metal sheeting and with windows comprised of the same grill that had formed the windscreen to the carriers. Some buildings were larger than others, some identifiable as a hospital, a warehouse, a factory. None were in a wonderful condition, walls crumbling and propped up by wooden scaffolding. Several lay abandoned entirely, roofs fallen in and doors rotting. In a space of land outside the hospital stood rows of washing lines, damp, coffee-colored sheets hung to dry in the wind, stained and faded. Shops spilled goods out onto the street, fruit and vegetables displayed in baskets, their colors dimmed and their number paltry. Their tenders lounged against walls, eyeing the visitors cautiously, or broke off their chatter with a customer to indulge in an open stare. The faces of the Silani were drawn and hollow, thin arms folded over scraps of clothing, but their skin was scrubbed clean and their heads held high with a strange, noble pride.
The team passed what appeared to be a school, twenty or thirty children chasing each other with the unrestrained energy of youth, squabbling over a playground game or play fighting with mock punches, oblivious to the strangers. Sheppard lingered by the school fence, unable to stop a grin from forming, until he caught one of the adult teachers studying him from across the space. He returned the gaze evenly and the teacher looked away, dipping their head and flushing.
"Sir?" Ford asked quietly, stepping up next to Sheppard.
"Anything about this place seem off to you?"
The younger man frowned, glancing at the schoolyard. "Seems like any normal village," he said, then hesitated. "But I know what you mean, sir. There's this, I dunno, wiggy feeling."
Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "Wiggy, Lieutenant?"
Aiden shrugged.
McKay was engrossed in the Ancient scanner he clutched in one hand, walking on autopilot and oblivious to either his surroundings or the curious stare from Jawesh. The soldier had dropped back to walk alongside the scientist, looking over McKay's shoulder to peer at the display screen.
"What is that?" he asked, in a conversational tone.
"Huh?" McKay looked up, surprised at the man's appearance. "Oh. It's a scanning device. Tells me if there are any power sources nearby."
Jawesh pursed his lips. "And are there?"
"Well…" McKay stopped, having seen Sheppard's face over Jawesh's shoulder. The Major had caught the conversation and was now giving McKay his best hand signals. "Look," he said, changing tactics, "Jawesh, those images in the courtyard, what were they? I mean, I know what they looked like to me, but -"
"We are here," Jawesh said sharply, coming to a stop so sudden that McKay had taken several more steps before realizing.
Ahead of them the road split, forking to the left and right. Two trees were planted either side of the junction, their branches stretching out to each other, leaves intertwining. Ahead rose the council halls, an old building, the brick work mottled with age and repeated repair. The first floor was almost one hundred meters in length, a wide veranda reaching down to the trees. The second storey was longer still, a narrow balcony overhanging the first, constructed of wood and coated in flaking red and green paint. Details were picked out in flecks of gold, gargoyles carved into the swooping arches of the balconies and the shadows of the green roof that topped the fourth storey, each level expanding on the last like an angular mushroom.
In the centre of the verandah stood six men dressed in faded robes of gold and red, their heads bowed respectfully. They were surrounded on either side by half a dozen armed solders, dressed in the same clothes as Jawesh, but with a green sash across their chests marking them as of a different group.
Bodyguards, Sheppard guessed, wondering what threatened the planet-bound Silani to the extent that their government needed constant protection.
Jawesh had stepped forward, bowing low, then pulling himself upright into a stiff-backed position. "These are visitors from beyond the stars," he began, formally. "Major John Sheppard, and his team." His hand swung around to point at each of the Atlanteans in turn. "Teyla Emmagan, Lieutenant Ford, and scientist McKay."
"Hi," said Sheppard, stepping up next to Jawesh. "Uh, we're pleased to meet you."
The central figure of the six returned Jawesh's bow. "As are we pleased to meet you, Major John Sheppard. What planet do you hail from?"
"A place called Atlantis." He hesitated, noting the lack of reaction from any of the six men. "You haven't heard of it?"
Six heads shook. "It has been many generations since we were visited by people from through the Great Circle," said a figure on the far left, an older man with wisps of a grey beard clinging to his chin. "Our records of that time do not mention the name Atlantis."
"I am Antu Marikar," the first figure said, stepping down off the verandah to stand before Sheppard. The top of his head barely reached the Major's nose. "I am spokesman for the Silani council. We are most pleased to meet travelers from a distant star." He smiled ingratiatingly, and waved back towards the council halls. "Perhaps you and your team are tired after your journey? We have chambers within where you can rest and eat."
"Uh, sure," Sheppard responded. It had been less than two hours since he'd left the mess hall after breakfast, but a good military leader knew to eat when ever time allowed. "Then perhaps we can get to know each other a little better?"
"We are explorers keen to know more about other cultures," Teyla explained.
"And trade?" Marikar said, giving another Cheshire Cat smile. "You may find the Silani have much to offer you."
Sheppard caught Ford's skeptical look, although if Marikar noticed there was no sign. "Then I guess we've got a lot to talk about," he said, looking down at Marikar, and suddenly feeling very unclean.
Marikar clapped his hands together, turning back to the other five council members. "Then come! You will be shown to your chamber." He paused, turned back out to the road, his gaze falling on Jawesh. His voice became harsher, clipped. "You may return to your patrols, soldier."
Jawesh's expression fell for a moment, though he recovered quickly. "Yes. Thank you, Antu." He gave another bow and then stepped back, giving Sheppard and his team a lingering look before turning to his men.
"This way," Marikar repeated firmly, ignoring Jawesh. He turned on his heel and started walking towards the hall's open doorway. Teyla and Ford followed, Sheppard on their heels, but Rodney was still stood staring up at the building.
"Hey. McKay."
A gentle elbow in the ribs dragged the scientist's gaze downwards to meet those of his friend. "What?"
"Food. Inside. Now." Sheppard glanced at the bodyguards, who were stood either side of the doorway waiting patiently for their guests to enter. "Before they impatient, okay?"
*
The inside of the council halls wore the same, faded sense of opulence as the councilors. There were still vestiges of a lost luxurious period, great sheets of red and gold hanging from dark oak beams rich with intricate engravings, the walls decorated with fine tapestries and paintings, the furniture antique, steeped in history and strength. Now the colors had faded, the fabrics threadbare, the antiques scratched and worn.
Despite the state of their surroundings the council members and their bodyguards walked stiff-shouldered and heads high, carrying the same sense of regal nobility glimpsed in the faces of people outside. The look didn't seem to fit right on Marikar, the mask spoilt by a pair of cold eyes and his fixed, self-satisfied smile.
They were led to a room on the second floor, a long chamber with a wide window overlooking the city. A few quick orders brought bowls of fruit and boards of bread and cheese, carried by dour faced women, long hair covering faces wrinkled by the sun. Though in better condition than the produce sold in the streets, the food was universally decided to be a bad move by Sheppard's team, though Teyla went to the effort of thanking its bringers profusely.
Sheppard was rather relieved when the councilors left them alone. Two bodyguards remained at the door, their weapons slung at their sides. Taking a seat at the head of a long table, he waited for his team to join him at the far end of the room before leaning forward and asking: "So?"
"They seem like a…" Teyla hesitated, struggling for the right word, "a polite people."
"I can't se anything they could trade with us," Ford said. "It looks like they can barely feed themselves."
"And doesn't that strike you as odd?" Sheppard asked. "There are fields outside, and plenty of land to grown on. Things seem pretty fertile."
"Wraith, perhaps?" Teyla suggested. "They have visited this place."
"You'd think Jawesh would have mentioned it," Ford pointed out. "He acted like he hardly knew of life on other planets."
"They don't know of gate travel," Sheppard mused. "That's new. You think they're hiding something?"
"Probably."
He looked across at McKay, who until this point had been unusually silent, engrossed in his scanner. Sat in a chair across from Sheppard, the scientist looked up and waved the device vaguely.
"I'm picking up some faint power signals. I think."
Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "You think?"
"It's intermittent, and very weak." McKay frowned, studying the display screen intently. "I only picked it up as we got closer to the halls, but now it's disappeared completely." He shook his head. "It's strange. It's a centralized power source, as far as I can tell - nothing huge, no ZPM or naquadah generator, but nevertheless -"
Warningly: "McKay -"
"I don't think the Silani are as technologically backward as they might pretend," he finished.
"I don't think they're pretending, doc," Ford objected.
"We didn't think the Genii were either," Sheppard reminded him, grimly. His hand slipped subconsciously to the gun on his hip.
Teyla stood by a window overlooking the city. She turned towards it, contemplating the view. "You cannot fake hunger, Major. Whatever resources the Silani may have, the needs of the people are not being met."
"Well something's going on," McKay declared, his gaze drawn back to the scanner. "There's power coming from somewhere. And I want to know more about those pictures on the wall."
Sheppard sat back in his chair, resting on the two back legs. "The Wraith dart."
Teyla turned away from the window, her face creased into a frown. "It is possible that the Wraith have not been here in several generations," she suggested. "Their long period asleep may have led to some feeding grounds going untended for centuries."
"That's one theory," McKay said, dismissing it with a wave, "but I was more interested in the rest of the picture." He sat back smugly. "I take it nobody else spotted the weapon?"
Ford almost fell off his chair. Grabbing the table, he pulled himself forward and set all four legs of his seat onto the floor. "Look, Doc, I realize the Genii tricked us…"
"And the Silani couldn't possibly have a similar underground base?" Scowling, the scientist glared at the younger man. "What seems to have passed you by when you were playing spot the obvious is what else the image showed. Such as the staff the figure in the picture was holding."
Ford looked doubtful. "Sorry, Doc, but I don't see how that little stick could be a weapon against a single Wraith, let alone a dart ship."
McKay rolled his eyes and gave his best exasperated sigh. "Of course not, Lieutenant. But I don't think the Silani used to ride half lions, half machines. It's representative of something, in the same way that the lion represented a carrier."
"A weapon against the Wraith?" Teyla asked, a note of uncertainty in her voice.
The scientist gave a casual shrug. "Looked that way to me."
"No assumptions," Sheppard said sharply, watching the guards in the doorway cautiously. "Look," he continued, quietly, "All we know for certain is that the Silani are hiding something from us. And given our track record I think we should all be careful about what we say until we know a little more about what's really going on, okay?"
"Major Sheppard! I hope you do not think poorly of Silani hospitality?"
The voice came from Marikar, stood in the doorway, his hands clasped before him. Behind him stood the five council members. Sheppard straightened in his chair, his hand falling back to his gun, hidden beneath the table.
"No," he said, smoothly. "But it's not long since we last ate, y'know?"
"And alien food tends to play havoc with my stomach," McKay added.
"We are most grateful," Teyla cut in, her face a collected expression of calm.
They were gifted with another, wide smile. "Then perhaps we should begin to, ah, 'get to know each other'?" Marikar led the council members into the room. He waited for the five to sit and indicated Teyla and Ford should join them, before taking his own seat at the table end opposite to Sheppard. The Silan minister folded his hands together, his back straight, and looked across at Sheppard. "So, Major, perhaps you could tell us more of your home planet? Atlantis?"
"It's, y'know…" Sheppard floundered. First contact situations were his least favorite aspect to exploring Pegasus - aside from occasional firefights and hostage situations - and he found himself wishing for Weir's fluid tongue. "Nice," he finished, lamely. "Kind of like Silan."
Marikar greeted this with ill-concealed, if bitter, amusement. "Perhaps once that might have been true. Alas, our city is not as great as it once was." He leant forward and took hold of a jug of water, pouring its contents out into a beaker. "Have you heard of the Wraith?"
Sheppard felt, rather than saw, his people shift awkwardly. "We know of them."
"They have come to your planet? To Atlantis? You have been attacked?"
"We're not best friends, if that's what you mean." He watched Marikar drink. "Don't take this the wrong way, but Jawesh gave us the impression that we were the first aliens to visit Silan."
Marikar placed the beaker back onto the table. "You saw the images above the City gates. Had we wanted to, we could not have hidden our history from you."
"The Wraith are in our past," a second councilor spoke up. "They have not visited this planet for several generations. There are some who wonder if they still exist."
"Oh, they still exist alright.," Ford said, grimly.
"They are a threat to all people in this galaxy," Teyla said.
"Our common enemy?" Marikar gave a thin smile. "Then you see, we have already found something which unites us." He took a small breath. "Four generations ago, the Wraith came to this planet. They had visited us before, taking perhaps a dozen people at a time, but this time they nearly destroyed us. Our ancestors tried to defend themselves and were punished for their actions. Many were killed where they stood. Hundreds more were taken into the Wraith ships."
He stopped, his gaze drifting to the window. "Silan was once magnificent. Our great capital, surrounded by fertile lands, our people many in number, healthy and strong. Our homes towered higher than these halls, overlooked by the Great Circle. The Silani were smiled upon by the Gods." His expression hardened. "The Wraith almost destroyed our civilization. Our history, our knowledge of the sciences, they were all lost. The few survivors took refuge in the hills and only returned to the City once the ships had left. Their only thoughts were of surviving."
A third councilor turned to McKay. "We believe you may be able to help us reunite with our past, Doctor."
McKay blinked, confused. "Ah, okay. How would that be?"
"The Wraith left little standing," Marikar said, steepling his fingers. "Our scientists were killed, their laboratories burnt to the ground, their notes lost. What remains are fragments of their knowledge. The survivors gathered what they could find and archived them, studied them in the hope that we could one day rediscover their secrets." His gaze returned to McKay, expression thoughtful. "Alas, our progress has not been as successful as we would like."
"We wish for your help in this," the second councilor said, leaning forward a little in his chair, excitement evident despite attempts to restrain it.
McKay perked up, his eyes bright with curiosity, prompting Sheppard to inwardly wince. Woah boy. "Look, Marikar," he began, before the scientist could open his mouth, "I sympathize, but I'm still not sure how we can help you."
"Major -"
He shot a look at McKay, which Rodney had the sense not to ignore.
"You can work the Great Circle," the third councilor said. "Our historians tells us that our people were on the verge of discovering its secrets when the Wraith attacked."
"There are power in our relics," added another. "It is believed Silan was once able to harness the power of the sun, but our scientists struggle with the theory, and their efforts to recreate this past skill have so far been in vain."
"You seem to have knowledge," Marikar finished. "Perhaps greater than that which was possessed by our ancestors." Raised his eyes to meet Sheppard's. "Unless we are mistaken? I would hope that your arrival here signals the start of a great new age for Silan."
"We'd love to help," Sheppard said, his jaw tightening despite his efforts at a diplomatic calm. "But we need to know a little more detail. No offence, Marikar, but we've only just met."
Marikar inclined his head slightly. "Your restraint is understandable, Major. But we have a common enemy. We believe that the Wraith will return, and that the best way to defend our people against future attacks is to harness the power we once had." He rose suddenly, clapping his hands. "Perhaps the best thing for us is to show you our potential?"
Sheppard hesitated. Marikar was hiding something. No number of fake smiles could mask a slimy personality - the man reminded him of car salesmen back on Earth, or of the civilian bureaucrats who had tried their best to have him thrown out of the air force after Afghanistan.
He didn't feel safe.
No leaping to conclusions, a voice reminded him, ruefully. On his right, McKay was almost bouncing in his chair, his scanner tucked back into his jacket pocket, forgotten. Teyla was maintaining that same aura of calm control, and only Ford seemed to share Sheppard's sense of hesitancy, the younger man's relaxed shoulders betrayed by the hand that lingered near his gun.
After a moment, Sheppard returned Marikar's smile and rose from his seat. "Sure. Can't see that it hurts to try and make a few new allies."
*
"It hurts." Ground out between clenched teeth.
"Getting shot hurts. I'd have never guessed," Sheppard muttered, staggering slightly beneath the weight of his friend. Was it possible for someone to become heavier the more blood they lost?
And McKay had lost a lot already.
"Ford?"
Aiden ducked back from the team's tail, sidearm clutched securely in one hand. "We're not being followed. I think our escape was missed in the firefight. There's still a hell of a lot of noise coming from the city, sir."
"Good." Sheppard grunted slightly, shifting his shoulder as it continued to take McKay's weight. "Teyla?"
She emerged from the undergrowth ahead of them, her eyes bright in the moonlight. "There is an abandoned building less than a hundred meters to our west. I believe it will provide sufficient shelter for the night."
"Got that, McKay? Just a little further."
He got no response except a series of short, shallow gasps. Ahead of him Teyla curved between bushes and trees, choosing the most stable path, one Sheppard was grateful for. It took enough concentration trying to find his own feet, to move in time with Ford, and to half-carry, half-drag the stumbling scientist between them. She moved as a shadow, folding between the moonlight and the darkness, occasionally doubling back to make certain she was being followed.
Maybe back on Atlantis I can join her on an Athosian hunt. See how she does it.
The building rose suddenly out of the night. One storey, barely more than a hut, ramshackle roof fallen in at one end, windows nothing more than empty holes in the mud and mortar. Definitely abandoned, and some time ago. The doorway was rotting and was pushed aside easily; the plants which clung to the stone and formed webs around gaps were less easily moved away. Sheppard considered pulling a knife, but Teyla put out a hand to stop him, moved past him to pull the foliage apart. She created a doorway with her hands, then let it close back over them after entering, concealing their hiding place nicely.
A small rock snagged the underside of Sheppard's boots, brought him, Ford and McKay down into an undignified heap. He rolled quickly, pushed himself up to see McKay lying on his side, fetal position, in the dirt. Teyla was bent over him, trying to tug the man upright, and Ford promptly joined her, slipping an arm under McKay's shoulders to pull him up and lean him against the wall.
Sweat shone off McKay's face, a fine sheen in the moonlight. Eyes glazed and breath coming in short, sharp rattles. It took several gentle taps on the cheek before his eyes turned to Teyla.
"Doctor McKay."
"Ow," he responded, prompting a quick grin from Ford, one Sheppard felt himself share. Then felt his humor die when he saw a shudder roll through the scientist.
"I bet," Sheppard said quietly, moving to kneel by McKay's side. Beside him, unbidden, Ford walked to the small window, sidearm at the ready, safety off. The sound of distant gunfire could be heard coming from the direction of the city. He left part of his mind pondering the noise, pinpointing its location, calculating the volume and time it might take to die down, then turned the rest towards McKay.
"We're stopping here for a while, right?" Rodney asked, looking up at Sheppard for a nod.
"Right. Find our bearings, get some rest. No point stumbling around in the forest just to get lost."
"Good." McKay's eyes closed, slowly. "Because it's not that I'm unfit, it's just, ah, moving felt like a bad idea. A really, really bad idea."
"I know," Sheppard admitted. "But we didn't have any choice."
He received a nod in return, slight, barely perceptible. "Yeah. Next time though, we steal one of those carrier thingies."
Another, small grin. "Agreed."
Teyla was unzipping the medical kit, rifling through its contents with slender fingers. She pulled out a wedge of fresh bandages, laid them to one side as she started to pick at the soaked wadding.
Disturbed by the movement, McKay opened his eyes and looked down with an expression of horror. "Is all that mine?"
"Dammit," Sheppard cursed, under his breath. "I thought we'd managed to slow the bleeding."
"I believe our recent journey may have re-opened the wound." She raised her gaze to McKay's, apologetic. "This will hurt."
"There's a surprise. Don't suppose you've got any of that, uh…" He lifted a hand and waved, sluggishly. "Stuff."
Sheppard rifled quickly through the kit and found four syringes, one broken but the other three intact. He snapped one out, then rolled up McKay's sleeve. After struggling for a moment to find a vein, he plunged the needle through soft skin. The utter lack of any reaction from the scientist caused him to glance at Teyla, worried, but she was busy preparing the bandages, had a wad of cloth ready to press against the wound.
She moved as if to press down, but Sheppard held out a hand, stopped her. Looked directly into McKay's eyes.
"Look, this is going to hurt. Trust me, I know how it feels. But I need you to be as quiet as possible, alright?"
"Right." The drugs were taking effect, McKay's eyes beginning to glaze over. "No sense waking the natives."
"Something like that."
Teyla: "Are you ready?"
"No."
Sheppard gave a lop-sided grin, patting McKay on the shoulder, forcing his friend to look away from the bloody wound. "Just think of something else."
"What would you -" McKay cut off with a gurgle, Teyla pressing down hard on his stomach. Instinctively he tried to pull backwards but banged his shoulders against the wall, pushed his head back against the stone and screwed his eyes shut. For several long moments there was nothing except the sound of McKay snorting breaths through his nose, and noise from the jungle outside.
Sheppard broke the silence when McKay's face had turned paper white and his knuckles, hands clenched into fists, were bright red. "Teyla."
She said nothing, her face expressionless.
Louder: "Teyla."
She pulled away with a small sigh, then quickly began wrapping bandages around the wadding. "It has slowed once more."
McKay had opened his eyes but none of the colour had returned to his face, and his breathing was ragged and uneven. "Jesus."
"Ow," Sheppard sympathized.
Teyla looked guilty. "I am sorry."
"S'not your fault." He closed his eyes again, chin dropping to his chest. Teyla's fingers crept to his neck, then pulled away.
"I believe he has passed out."
"Fainted" Ford said softly, his gaze flicking away from the window briefly.
Sheppard forced himself to give a weak smile. Patted McKay on the shoulder, got to his feet and turned to Aiden. The younger man's face was taut, studying the undergrowth outside intently.
"Doesn't look like we were followed, sir. And the fighting from below has stopped."
"Damn. I was hoping those guys would be so busy beating each other up they'd forget about us."
Ford raised an eyebrow. "Not overly likely, is it sir?"
Sheppard offered an apologetic shrug. "Guess not." He glanced back at McKay, ashen face still tense even in rest. Lowered his voice. "Look, Lieutenant, perhaps you and Teyla should use this opportunity to head back to the gate."
Inevitably, Teyla heard him, moving soundlessly up from her position by McKay to stand beside the two men. "And what of you and Doctor McKay? He requires medical assistance."
"I know, Teyla."
"You'd take him back to the Silani?" Ford guessed.
"It's crossed my mind."
Teyla began shaking her head, dark hair falling across her face. "I do not believe that is wise, Major. The Silani will ensure that you and Doctor McKay are held prisoner once more - and I do not think they will allow any mistakes a second time. Escape would be impossible."
"Maybe. But in the meantime the Silani would take care of Rodney. He's the one they need for that machine. And you guys can head back to Atlantis and mount a rescue."
"And what about you?" Ford pointed out. "No offence, sir, but you're surplus to the Silani's requirements."
"I'd be fine."
Another shake of dark hair. "You do not know that. The Silani have shown themselves to be ruthless. It is likely if you returned to their settlement they would use you to force Doctor McKay to work for them."
Sheppard was ready with a response, an easy: "Like I said, you'd send the cavalry. Besides, we don't know that they'd bother doing anything to me."
"And what about Doctor McKay?" Ford persisted. "If the Silani realize that he can't fix their machine…"
"Then he will also become surplus to requirements," Teyla finished, quietly.
Sheppard's heart sank a little, his quick answers dying unspoken. They're right, of course. Too many ifs and buts.
Ford was watching McKay sleep. "Sir, I know I speak for Teyla when I say, we're not leaving anybody behind." He raised his eyes to face Sheppard's, determinedly. "It's not what we do."
His second smile proved more genuine, despite his inner voice asking whether any of them had a chance at reaching home. "Well, then I guess we should set about building a stretcher. We might have to make the trek back to the 'gate but I'm not doing that with Rodney whining for the whole trip."
*
It turned out that the Silani, just like the Genii, had a secret underground facility, although in keeping with the rest of the city, it was significantly less impressive. Built beneath the council halls, it consisted of little more than an oversized warehouse, a row of high windows bringing light from the street onto the dusty floor. Marikar had opened the door onto a narrow wooden walkway that stretched the length of one wall, before dropping to the floor in a series of steep steps.
Below them lay the Silani's 'relics.' Laid out like a ramshackle mechanics workshop, tables and shelves took up two thirds of the floor space, their surfaces laden with various pieces of alien technology - from large sheets several meters wide to the nuts and bolts that once held them together. At the end furthest away from the door a strange, funnel shaped tower rose up from the ground, five meters wide at its base, and connected to various blinking boxes via an assortment of pipes and cables. Sporadically a thin amber light emerged from its narrow top and pulsated weakly down its surface, before sputtering into extinction.
Around and between all of this milled Silani; slender figures in brown colored tunics stood in clusters at tables, or poring over papers, or searching through shelf upon shelf of unidentifiable objects. En masse, they twitched nervously when the door opened, two dozen faces turning to stare briefly at Sheppard and his team before resuming their work. There was an air of uncomfortable tension.
Tension that McKay seemed oblivious to.
The scientist trotted along the wooden walkway beside Marikar, leaning over the edge to peer at particular objects, and then to fire a question at the councilor. His scanner dangled from one hand, and was snatched up at various intervals to be studied intently, before dropping back to his side. Marikar's smile had widened even further at McKay's obvious excitement, although his answers, whilst pleasant, were short and vague, repeated promises of "later, later."
"Like a kid in a candy store," Ford whispered, keeping pace beside his C.O.
"Now we know what to get Rodney for Christmas. His own secret laboratory."
Teyla raised an eyebrow. "You believe he does not already have one?"
Marikar had stopped at the top of the stairs, forcing McKay to come to a reluctant halt. Indicating that his visitors should remain where they were, the Silani minister descended the stairs, and was greeted at the bottom by a younger man in a long brown tunic. Brown eyes darted quickly away from Marikar up to the walkway, then back again. Slender fingers twisted into each other, agitated, then up, ruffling wisps of dark hair.
Stick a pair of glasses on him and you've got a very familiar Czech.
Sheppard strained to hear the conversation, without much success, Marikar keeping his voice to a soft hush. After several moments the councilor turned, a welcoming smile fixed on his face, beckoning them down.
"Come. Doctor McKay, Major Sheppard, please." One hand gestured to the man beside him. "This is our chief scientist, Rahul. He is more suited to answer your questions than I."
Rahul gave a twitchy half-bow, his head bobbing. "Welcome." He glanced at the room around him, rushed over his words to apologize: "Our work is nothing compared to yours, I imagine. Basic, at best. Marikar tells me you came from the Great Circle, I imagine you have rooms far more suited to their task than this one."
"Well…" Sheppard considered the lab for a moment, "It's not too dissimilar, actually. McKay here likes to work in the same mess."
"It's organized chaos," McKay snapped, raising his chin. "And the room doesn't matter. I once reassembled a Commodore in my tree house."
"A Commodore?" Rahul queried, stuttering a little.
"A computer."
"A -"
"Oh." McKay seemed to remember where he was. "Never mind. Maybe you should show me around? If we're going to be allies, I need to know a little more about what it is we can help you with."
Another quick bob. "Yes. Of course. Perhaps -"
A sudden crash from far wall stopped Rahul mid-sentence. A cloud of smoke rose above the shelves, coming from the pulsating tower that stood in the far corner. Forgetting the strangers, Rahul turned and started to run towards the alarmed shouts, McKay close on his heels.
"Aw crap," Sheppard muttered, under his breath, then louder, and futilely: "Rodney!"
No response. He gave a sigh and followed the scientist, Ford and Teyla beside him. Drawing closer, the cause of the commotion became apparent. One of the boxes hooked up to the glowing tower had shorted, smoke and sparks rising from its innards. McKay waded through the crowd of confused scientists, Rahul barely keeping up, snapping orders over his shoulder.
"You must have overloaded its circuits. Whatever material you've got as your conductor obviously isn't doing the job. This is a microwave generator, right? Then stop staring at me and start doing your jobs! Somebody check the inner chamber for cracks, we don't want -"
McKay's voice was lost amidst the sudden hubbub it provoked. Even on an alien planet it seemed people were willing to do whatever was asked of them if the brain behind the orders was big and loud enough.
"I'm not sure whether to be scared or impressed," Sheppard murmured to Ford, stood beside him.
"Glad I'm not Doctor Zelenka," Ford agreed, watching McKay snap his fingers at the now petrified Rahul.
"Don't let that exterior fool you - I've seen the doc strip chunks off McKay when he goes too far."
"Your Doctor McKay enjoys this?" Marikar queried, stepping into the space beside Sheppard.
"Any time there are experiments for him to play with," Sheppard responded, suddenly cautious, unwilling to trust the councilor or his plastic smile.
"What is the purpose of all these machines?" Teyla asked, examining the contents of a work bench.
"The tower before you is a power generator. We believe there were once five such machines providing energy to the city, but this is now the only one that remains." Marikar considered the throng of milling scientists distastefully. "When it works, it serves to power the other devices in this room. Unfortunately their success in this is intermittent, at best."
"And the rest?" Sheppard asked, not believing that Marikar would be so ingratiating if there wasn't more at stake. He suddenly found himself the object of a hard, considerate stare.
It broke off just as quickly, Marikar turning to call out over the crowd: "Rahul! Doctor McKay!"
The two scientists turned and after a second, pulled themselves away from the generator, McKay moving with great reluctance.
"I could help you fix that -" he began.
"Your help is appreciated, but I believe Rahul's team can handle it. Come," the councilor said, clapping his hands, "We should be fair to our visitors, Rahul. We should show Doctor McKay why his skills are so needed."
Turning his back on the power generator and the men struggling to fix it, Marikar led the group across the floor of the laboratory, several bodyguards following. Set into the far wall was a heavy looking metal door, flagged by either side by an armed man. They stepped aside smartly when Marikar approached, although Sheppard found himself the subject of several hard stares.
Rahul trotted several paces behind Marikar, his gaze flitting from the room he was now departing, and then at McKay. When the look was returned the Silani scientist ducked his head, his expression a mix of shame and apology.
Sheppard walked close to McKay, wary of the bodyguards. His hand rested on his sidearm casually, and he noticed that Ford was doing the same. Even Rodney seemed aware of the extra security, staying unusually quiet, his shoulders tensed beneath his jacket.
The corridor, a dull, concrete affair, stretched out for another few meters, closed doors breaking the monotony at regular intervals. Marikar drew to a halt at the far end beside another pair of security guards. After a few brief words in their ear, the men moved apart, the doors opened, and Marikar led his guests inside.
It was another room similar to the last, but although smaller in scale the number of scientists was greater. Unlike their compatriots, this group worked in a hushed silence, stood at several rows of wooden benches, their heads down, eyes focused on their task. In the centre of the room rose wooden scaffolding, enclosing something dark and metallic. Several scientists stood on the scaffolding, their arms laden with clipboards.
"What is it?" Rodney asked, stepping up next to Marikar.
"A great weapon left to us by our ancestors." The councilor continued walking, moving down an aisle between the lab benches. "We believe this was the reason behind the Wraith's venom."
The device was large and ugly. A squat box, five meters wide, sat at the bottom, its side open and its innards spread across the floor. Atop it arched a thin metal rod, and from this spilled a number of multicolored wires, some rejoining the metal base, others ripped free, loose ends trailing towards the floor. A second box sat a short distance away, and the pipe which had once connected the two now rested on the ground.
"A weapon," Sheppard repeated, skeptically.
"I realize it looks a little, ah, untidy," Rahul admitted, stepping between the group and the machine. "But our historians have found papers linked to its purpose. It was designed to fight the Wraith."
"No offence," McKay said, moving past Rahul to get a closer look, "But how? We've seen weapons before and none of them have looked quite like this."
"We…" Rahul hesitated, admitted reluctantly: "We are not sure. There are theories, ideas put forth by several generations of researchers before us. We believe it was designed to generate an energy wave that would," he meshed his fingers together, "take apart an object molecule by molecule, in an instant. Remove the bonds between each component."
"Really?" McKay reached out to touch the surface of the machine. "I'd love to see the plans."
"So would I," Rahul said, giving a strange, humorless laugh. At the questioning look he explained: "There are no plans. No original diagrams, not even a list of its parts. All we have are what you see here, and on the tables around you. This weapon was one of its kind, a prototype. The scientists who designed it died in the Wraith onslaught and their ideas were lost with them."
"Now you see why your skills are so precious to us, Doctor McKay." Marikar raised his head to look at the weapon, pride warming his features. "Our ancestors were an able people. They possessed knowledge that we can only grasp at. But you, with your experience of worlds unknown to us, you can give us the help we need to finally reclaim our forefather's dreams."
"A weapon against the Wraith," Teyla said, following the minister's gaze up the length of the machine. "It could protect all planets against Wraith attacks. Turn the tide against them."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Sheppard warned. "You understand, Marikar, that we can't promise anything until Doctor McKay knows more. Right, McKay?"
"Hmm? Oh, well, obviously." He turned to Rahul. "You'll have to show me your work, explain how you're progressing."
Rahul gave another acquiescing head bob.
"And perhaps you and I, Major Sheppard, can discuss the arrival of more of your scientists."
Alarm bells rang. "Woah. I think it'd be better to let McKay figure things out first. We don't even know if we can help you."
"Major -"
Deliberately: "McKay."
"I understand." Marikar tilted his chin into the air. "Let me show you more of our past, Major, and perhaps you can exchange yours with me. We must know more about each other if we are to build on our friendship."
Sheppard glanced at McKay, who was bouncing on his feet, eager to bury himself in the mechanics of the alien device. "Fine," he said, reluctantly. "Lieutenant, stay with McKay whilst Teyla and I go back with Marikar."
Ford grimaced, but nodded. Obedient, if not happy about the idea of babysitting their resident genius. McKay grinned, and turned to Rahul, full of questions that the Silani scientist seemed only too happy to answer.
Marikar stepped into Sheppard's vision. "Shall we return upstairs?" he said, pleasantly. "I admit, Rahul and his team speak in a language unfamiliar to me. But we can talk of other matters."
"Sure," Sheppard said, replying in the same appeasing tone as the minister. He lingered long enough to see McKay and Rahul disappear beneath the scaffolding, then turned his attention to Marikar, and put on his best diplomat face. "Let's go build a friendship."
*
McKay awoke to see a canopy of trees above him, rocked unevenly across his gaze, glimpses of sunlight dizzying and melding the greenery into a blur. He tried to move, to raise one arm to shade his eyes and found them pinned by something tight across his chest. He was trapped, lay flat between the tight thing and something taut and firm beneath him. A wave of claustrophobia swept him and he panicked, air gone from his lungs as he tried to struggle against the cloth that held him down.
Big mistake.
Pain burst across his abdomen and chest, blacked out his vision and left him with only an alien gurgle when he tried to cry out. Bit his lip hard and struggled to catch his breath, fighting against both the pain and the threat of a panic attack.
"Doc?"
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, McKay felt the pain recede, and after several long moments he was left with only a throbbing ache in his side, and a dull, nerveless tingling across his chest and in his fingers. The black spots cleared, and he tilted his head back a fraction for Ford's face to swim into view.
"Whuh?"
The concerned look was abruptly masked by an easy grin and a relieved: "Glad you're back with us. Try not to move, okay, or you might fall out."
"Is he awake? Thought he was going to sleep all day."
Sheppard's voice. He couldn't see him, but he could hear him, coming from somewhere near his feet.
The dizzying movement of the trees above him suddenly stopped, then jolted, and he heard the rustle of grass and the snap of branches before something uncomfortably hard and uneven pressed into his back.
Something hard, uneven, and cold.
The ground, he realized, belatedly. Which meant that the trees above him belonged to the forest of Silani. Which meant that they were not yet back at Atlantis.
Which meant…
"Hey." Sheppard's hand descended to clasp McKay's shoulder warmly, as the Major dropped to a crouch beside his friend. "Don't try and get up, alright? You'll ruin all mine and Ford's hard work."
"I whittled," Ford said, grinning.
McKay blinked at him, distracted by the increasing pain in his side. "Whittled?"
"Yeah. Made you your very own stretcher." Sheppard glanced up at Ford. "I think the Lieutenant has a knack for it."
"Always excelled in 'shop, Major."
"I was a maths geek." Returning his gaze to McKay, Sheppard started to examine the wadded bandages, lifting them gently from the wound. "What about you, Rodney? I'd pick you out as a jock."
"Hah hah," he retorted, struggling not to fight against Sheppard's touch. Trying to focus on something other than his friend's bloodied hands, he craned his head back to try and look around at his surroundings. Noticed the missing member. "Where's Teyla?"
"Scouting ahead." Sheppard kept his head down, concentrating on his task. "I'm afraid getting back to the 'gate is going to take a little longer than we originally expected." He tugged hard on the bandages, prompting a sharp hiss and a gurgle from McKay.
"Oh god…" The scientist clenched his eyes shut, mumbled: "So what about that jeep idea?"
"Wish we could. But the road is crawling with Silani security squads. We think they're trying to hunt down the group that attacked the city. Unless things get a bit quieter, we'll have to take a slightly longer path to the 'gate."
Having finished tightening the dressing, Sheppard wiped his hands across pre-existing trouser stains. Turned to his backpack and pulled out a water canister, then held it to his friend's lips, slipping his hand under McKay's head to support him as he drank.
"Good?" he asked, when he judged McKay had had enough. At a nod, he put away the bottle, moved to stand when he felt a weak grip grab his wrist.
Blue eyes stared at him searchingly. "You should go ahead without me."
"Not gonna happen," Sheppard said simply, although he placed his free hand over McKay's tightly.
"If you left me for the Silani to find -"
Firmly: "No. Look, you're about two hours too late, McKay. We've had this conversation and it's already been agreed. We don't leave people behind." Briefly squeezed his friend's hand and felt cold fingers. "Besides," he joked, "Who's going to fix Atlantis the next time we break something? You think I'm leaving that job to Kavanaugh? We'd be at the bottom of the ocean in a month. You're irreplaceable, McKay, or so you keep telling me."
He wasn't falling for it. A whisper: "I'm serious."
"So am I. End of discussion."
"Major Sheppard." Teyla had emerged from the bushes, her cheeks flushed with exertion.
Untangling his hands, Sheppard got to his feet, McKay watching him walk across to Teyla to consult with her and Ford in quiet tones. Their voices carried softly across the forest clearing.
"Well?"
"I believe I have found an old path to the Stargate, one that has not been used in several decades. It will take us several more hours than a straight route but we should remain unnoticed by the Silani."
"How long are we talking?"
"At our current pace, six or seven hours."
Ford was shifting his weight from foot to foot awkwardly. "Sir, can we really expect the 'gate to be accessible?"
"Marikar said the land around the 'gate was a no man's land. I'm hoping that's still the case."
"And if it isn't?" Teyla queried. "We cannot hope to take the 'gate by force."
"Not on our own." Sheppard glanced at his watch. "But in about ten hours Elizabeth will start to wonder where we've gone. The minute she dials up the 'gate, we can radio for back-up. Get Bates and a team through."
Teyla glanced over Sheppard's shoulder. "Major -" and her voice faltered.
Grimly, quiet and indistinct: "I know. But we can get him to the 'gate."
"Don't wait for me," McKay mumbled, lifting a hand in shaky protest.
Sheppard turned, revealed a glimpse of remorse mixed with fear, before plastering it over with an easy smile and a mock stern look. "I've told you already."
"Thought I'd try again." He closed his eyes for a moment, his head swimming, and opened them again to find Sheppard once more by his side, that same hand on his shoulder.
Concerned: "Rodney?"
"M'fine."
"Okay." Patted the shoulder. "Just lie still. No falling out of the stretcher."
And then Sheppard's face disappeared, he caught a glimpse of Ford's hands, and then the ground shook and leaves crackled as the stretcher was lifted into the air. Above him, the ceiling of trees blurred into mottled green and he closed his eyes against a sea of nausea, trying not to throw up.