The Colonel, several steps in from of him, had already let out a long whistle. "Man, it's like standing on Santa Monica Beach and looking out over the Pacific-except that someone pulled the plug."
"Or, more precisely, hasn't opened the tap yet," McKay corrected, wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve. "Personally, I'd describe it more as standing on the edge of a vastly scaled-up version of Monument Valley."
Ronon had never given much thought to the landscape of any planet except insofar as he could use it to his tactical advantage. This, however, was a first. He didn't have any idea what a Santa Monica beach or a monument valley was, but it looked to him as though a whole chunk of the planet had been carved out, down to a depth of-
"Five kilometers," McKay declared, lifting his scanner in triumph. "Three miles for the metrically challenged, although the distance varies, of course, given the terrain." He pointed to a couple of dark rents in the ground several miles-or kilometers-below.
Although it made no sense to Ronon why two people from the same planet used different forms of measurement, he had quickly adapted his thinking to accommodate the inconsistency.
"That would explain the aquifer," McKay continued. "We're currently standing on the edge of the continental shelf, overlooking what will one day be an ocean."
"What's an aquifer?" Ronon wondered. He wasn't sure what a continental shelf was, either, but one thing at a time.
"Water that's retained underground. Actually, that's a bit over simplified, so maybe `reservoir' would be a more accurate term. In any case, the terraforming process apparently excavated the surface for the necessary elements to create a breathable atmosphere and a substantial ocean, and dumped the leftovers" — McKay turned and pointed back the way they had come-"there."
Ronon pivoted around. From their elevated vantage point, he could now make out a chain of mountains in the distance.
The only one among the group who didn't express any surprise was Beckett. "As far as I can understand," he said, "there should be four or five of these massive subterranean oceans abutting equally large excavations."
"Why keep the water underground?" the Colonel asked.
"They must have planned to release it all at once." McKay pulled off his boot and poured out a stream of sand. "And then, voila, instant hydrology cycle. It'd be staggeringly violent at first, massive storms and floods and the like, and the underground reservoirs would probably collapse as they're emptied. At the risk of repeating myself-which, I admit, seems necessary all too often-the dune sea would be inundated, thus becoming a continental shelf"
"What about the 'gate?" Ronon looked back down at the ring, all but dwarfed by the sheer scale of the dunes.
"It and the Ancient structure are sitting on a plug of solid basalt." McKay poked at the scanner's screen. "It would undoubtedly become an island, while the coastline of the mainland would be somewhere closer to those mountains."
"So we have a ZPM somewhere down there," Sheppard said, staring out over the cliff. "That's good to know, but finding the exogenesis machine is our first priority."
"And for that," McKay said, tapping his foot ineffectually on the apex of the dune, "we need to access this Ancient structure"
Ronon strained to look in all directions. "Don't see any buildings, Ancient or otherwise. Maybe there's another way in through the cliffs?"
"Do I try to do your job for you?" McKay snapped.
"It was just an idea." Ronon would have said more, but the Colonel caught his eye.
"And a good one, at that." A faint smile crossed Beckett's face. "Try looking over the edge, Rodney."
For a few seconds, no one said anything, until McKay adjusted his scanner and frowned. "Huh."
"Care to elaborate?" Sheppard watched him intently.
McKay visibly brushed offhis surprise at having been shown up. "There are several thousand life signs-human life signs-about two hundred meters to the left and fifty meters below us."
Not needing any further invitation, Ronon started down the dune, Sheppard right behind.
"Wait up-can't we fly there?" McKay whined.
"Two hundred meters?" Even Beckett sounded disbelieving.
"Plus the two hundred we've had to walk up this hill, then fifty meters down and back up again. And as you pointed out, time is a factor here."
"Then we'll make it a brisk walk," the Colonel called over his shoulder.
The narrow patch of ground at the bottom of the dune was more solid underfoot. A fine, crystalline substance coated the exposed surface. Taking a sample on his finger, Ronon tasted it and spat. "Salt." He cautiously made his way to the edge of the vertical face.
"Base jumper's paradise," Sheppard said, peering over with him. "Three miles straight down, huh? Sounds about right."
Looking left, Ronon couldn't see much because they were near a headland. To their right, the line of cliffs curved in and then out again until reaching another headland several miles away. "Nothing except rock." Heights didn't bother him, and he knew that as a pilot, Sheppard was equally unaffected, but they both were careful when easing back from the brittle precipice.
"This way." McKay turned left, unwrapping a food bar as he walked. "My advice is to keep well back from the edge. I wouldn't guarantee that the ground away from the basalt plug is entirely stable."
"Okay, everyone." Sheppard moved out ahead of him. "Just for a change, let's try not aggravating the locals."
Around a mouthful of food, McKay said, "I for one would be happy not having the Wraith popping out from behind every tree-ow!" Clutching at his jaw, the scientist shot a laser-edged glare at the offending power bar. "Are there nut shells in these things? That's just flat-out negligent."
"A tree would be nice right now." The Colonel put on a pair of sunglasses. "Maybe even a few decorative bushes here and there. Give us a little cover."
"God, I think I chipped a tooth." Still holding his jaw, McKay exchanged one scanner for another. "Has anyone noticed that the humidity around here is approximately zero? My eyeballs are already drying out."
Ronon didn't need McKay's instruments to tell him. The complete lack of moisture in the air was impossible to ignore. It wasn't all that hot, but the cloudless sky did nothing to soften the sun. Beckett tipped his head back and downed half his canteen, while McKay fumbled in his pack for something called eye drops.
Why anyone would want to drop something in their eyes was a mystery to Ronon, but he'd given up trying to understand the scientist's peculiar physical shortcomings.
"Well, lookee here." Sheppard increased his pace.
The sight that came into view was a total contrast to the desert. Fifty yards, or meters-couldn't they just pick one? — down from the top of the cliff, an entire village had been carved out of the pale stone. Below the dwellings was an escarpment divided into well-cultivated terraces and planted with what looked like grain and vegetable crops, even some fruit trees in the near distance.
"How are those able to grow?" Ronon wondered. Until now, he hadn't seen so much as a lichen.
"These people must be tapping into the water in the reservoirs, most likely via wells and subterranean irrigation systems" McKay had pulled a pair of binoculars from his pack and was examining the village. "The structures are built right into the cliff. They're similar to those once used by a group of humans on Earth. Somewhere in the American Southwest, I think-"
"The Anasazi," Sheppard supplied, lowering his own viewing device. "Doesn't look like anybody's home right now. Are you sure about those life signs, McKay?"
Checking his handheld unit again, McKay announced, "Except for one in that direction"-he motioned towards the dunes-"they're mostly all inside."
That had been bothering Ronon-the utter stillness of the place. It was unnerving, even from a distance. Fingering his weapon, he muttered, "Doesn't feel right."