"Sometimes a few hundred years will pass before they awaken again, sometimes it is even longer…" Teyla added. "But the end is always the same."
Sheppard's eyes locked on the picture, on the crudely scratched images of dying men, women and children. He felt cold, and not just from the chill of the cave. "Why don't you go somewhere else?" he asked at last, knowing it must be a stupid question. If they could, they would. Right?
"We have visited many, many worlds," Teyla sighed. "I know of none untouched by the Wraith." For a moment she eyed him strangely, then added in a different tone, "The last great holocaust was five generations ago but still they return in smaller numbers, to remind us of their power. My mother was taken three years ago."
Her mother. "Hell of a way to live."
She shrugged. "We move our hunting camps around. We try to teach our children not to live in fear, but it is hard."
Hard didn't even begin to describe it. These people lived with the certain knowledge of a holocaust hovering above their heads every day of every year; their children grew up knowing that their entire world could be wiped out at any time. That wasn't living — that was nothing but surviving.
"Some of us can sense the Wraith coming, that gives us warning," Teyla added more brightly. Then, glancing toward the entrance to the cave, she added, "We should go, it'll be dark soon."
Huh? "The sun just came up six hours ago," Sheppard protested. But when Teyla cast him a curious look and he grimaced at his own ignorance. Ah, right… "Alien planet."
Flashing another of her half-bemused, half-amused smiles Teyla simply led the way back to the entrance. This time Sheppard didn't hesitate to follow her, but as he watched the drawings fade back into darkness he couldn't prevent a shiver from racing up his spine.
This enemy — these Wraith — were out there, and dollars to donuts they had their eye on Atlantis…
It felt as though everyone was holding their breath. No one was moving, everyone was talking in hushed tones, as if even their voices might drain more of the precious power that kept the ocean at bay. Or perhaps everyone was listening for the first signs of trouble, a creak or groan as the city began to drown in earnest.
Shaking herself, Elizabeth Weir banished the dismal thoughts and fixed her eyes more determinedly on the silent Stargate. They'd heard nothing since Lieutenant Ford's last communication; Sumner's team had made contact with the locals and would soon be able to determine if they'd found themselves a lifeboat. But Weir was beginning to worry that if they didn't get back soon she would run out of time to explore other options. Weir was sure they'd find sanctuary somewhere out there, but what were the odds of it being on the very first world they visited? Slim, to say the least. And yet with the clock ticking they might have no choice. Beggars, as the saying went, could not be choosers.
That it should come to this… To find exactly what they'd dreamed of, and then to be forced to give it up within hours of arrival. How could she let that happen? Not for the first time since she'd stepped through the Stargate, Weir found herself wondering if someone else — Dr. Jackson, perhaps — would have been a better choice for mission leader. Someone with tactical experience, someone who might have some clue of what to do right now…
Behind her she heard footsteps slowing. She recognized them as Dr. McKay's and turned to face him. While second-guessing herself was all well and good, she had an absolute duty to keep her worries to herself. These people deserved a leader, and that's exactly what she'd give them.
McKay stood outside the small room where Weir had retreated, and was watching her with a somber face. At his side stood Dr. Grodin, equally grim.
"Tell me some good news, Rodney," she said quietly.
He shrugged slightly and stepped into the room. "I can't do that."
And he wasn't going to soft-soap it either, she liked that.
"We've successfully managed to interface two auxiliary generators," Grodin offered, without great conviction, "but it's nowhere near enough."
Damn it. "This shield has held back the ocean for centuries-"
"And probably would have kept going for years more," McKay cut in, "but our arrival changed that. Now it's nothing more than a thin shell between the buildings and the water."
"We stopped all exploring-"
"The damage was already done," he snapped. "Another section on the far side of the city flooded an hour or so ago."
"Even occupying this room is draining power," Grodin added.
We came, we saw, we destroyed…
McKay shifted nervously, his gaze flitting between her and the gate, as if he dreaded what he had to say next. "We need to evacuate the moment Colonel Sumner reports back it's safe."
His words hung in the air for a long, heavy moment. At last Weir spoke, "You're saying we have to abandon the city-"
"The sooner we leave, the longer that shield will hold."
Grodin sighed heavily. "We'll have come all this way for nothing."
"Not if we find a solution out there," said McKay, his eyes once more fixed on the Stargate. For all his irritability and frustrations, he at least was looking at the silver lining. There was still hope. While they were alive, there was still hope.
Abruptly a tremor rippled through the floor, forcing Weir to grab at the wall to keep from losing her balance. Her eyes locked briefly with McKay's, who looked frightened but determined.
"I agree," she said firmly. "It will only be for nothing if we die along with this city."
She wasn't going to let that happen. Whatever else she did, she'd get her people out, and then, together, they'd find a way to reclaim this city. However long it took…
Lieutenant Ford had to check his watch twice. Yup, he'd watched the sun rise six hours ago, and now it was falling beneath the horizon as fast as the New Year's Eve Ball on Times Square. He glanced over at Parker and Smitty, who stood with him near the Stargate. "Man the days are short here."
Parker was about to reply when Ford's radio squawked and Colonel Sumner's voice barked into his ear. "Major Sheppard, this is Colonel Sumner, come in.
No answer. After a moment Ford keyed his own radio. "Colonel, this is Lieutenant Ford. Major Sheppard is out of radio range at the moment."
Sumner paused; Ford could swear he heard cussing through the static. Eventually the Colonel's voice came back. "Where the hell is he?"
Oh, this wasn't going to go down well. "Teyla wanted him to see something-"
Without warning the Stargate burst into life, the symbols lighting in a rapid sequence, faster than any thing Ford had seen on the Earth gate. "Take cover," he ordered his men, dropping into a crouch. Then, to Sumner, "Colonel, we have gate activity here."
Keeping his weapon fixed firmly on the Stargate, Ford ducked behind a fallen tree. Smitty and Parker were to his left. Within seconds the event horizon surged out into the gloom, then settled into the familiar puddle. Perhaps Dr. Weir had needed to evacuate- He didn't even have time to finish the thought before a black ship, glistening like oil, exploded from the gate. It sliced through the air with a scream, deadly and pointed like a bayonet.
A gunshot of adrenaline flared in Ford's chest. He trailed the ship with his weapon, directly overhead and then off toward Teyla's village. A second and third ship followed, as if being spat from the gate, all tearing in the direction of the settlement. "Colonel," he yelled into his radio, "three bandits, headed your way!"
When the sun decides to set around here, it sets fast. Sheppard blew out an irritated sigh, squinting through the gloom as he and Teyla picked their way through the forest. The journey that had been long and laborious in daylight was twice as difficult in pitch darkness, and he'd already found himself facedown in the dirt once. He could swear the tree roots were actually reaching up and snagging his ankles on purpose, because falling over was usually something he reserved for the times when he'd had one too many tequila shots. And he knew how to hold his drink, so it was pretty rare that he-