STARGATE SG-1 ATLANTIS: Homeworlds : Volume three of the Travelers' Tales (SGX Book 5)

by Sally Malcolm

  Much to Daniel’s surprise, Jack’s plan worked. The missile exploded and the herd spooked, running as one, an unstoppable mass of flesh and blood and horn. When they reached the bluff, they swerved and ran along the base, mowing down bushes and small trees as if they didn’t exist. Sam launched the second missile to encourage them to keep moving, and then shoved the UAV controls into her pack.

  The hy-afs held their ground until the last second, snarling and snapping, then scattered like a bevy of quail, racing to avoid the buffalo’s pounding hooves. The front of the herd reached them a few seconds later, the backs of the animals passing just a few feet beneath their feet.

  Sam had to shout over the thunder of hooves. “On the count of three. One. Two. Three!”

  As one, the team slid to the bottom, setting off small avalanches of gravel and soil. Handicapped by his lack of sight, Jack landed awkwardly, his right leg twisting under him. Disregarding dignity, Teal’c and Daniel grabbed Jack’s arms and pulled him forward.

  The four of them ran for the gate.

  The buffalo’s hooves had left the surface a churned-up mess of loose dirt and scattered rocks. O’Neill stumbled repeatedly but Daniel and Teal’c kept him moving forward. They tried to pick up speed when they reached the undisturbed ground but the thick grass conspired to slow them down. It felt like running through thigh-high water. O’Neill concentrated on keeping his balance as he counted steps...1017...1018...1019. “How much further?”

  “We’re almost there,” Daniel panted. “Another hundred yards.”

  “First thing, you get the DHD,” O’Neill ordered. Then he heard the bzzzt of a zat to their rear. “Teal’c, what’s going on? Where’s Carter?”

  “Hy-afs.” Teal’c shoved the colonel toward Daniel. “Go ahead. I will assist her.”

  O’Neill resisted as Daniel tried to haul him forward. “We’ve got to help.” Even as he spoke, he knew how ridiculous he sounded. He couldn’t help anyone in his current state. Helpless as a baby, he thought bitterly. But he wasn’t going to leave her behind. That was simply not going to happen. He heard two more bzzzt’s and felt Daniel pulling on his arm. “Jack, it’s all right. Teal’c’s got her. Now come on, we’ve got to get the gate open.”

  “They’re okay?”

  “They’re fine. Now c’mon!”

  Reluctantly, O’Neill let himself be pulled forward. They stumbled through the thick grass — 58, 59 — then Daniel released his arm and started dialing home. He heard the chevrons slam into place with reassuring thumps, then the whoosh of gate activation. “Where are they?” he demanded as Daniel urged him up the ramp.

  “Right behind us.”

  O’Neill jerked his arm free. “We’ll wait for them.”

  Daniel knew better than to argue. Instead, he fired off a long burst to the left, then another, shorter burst to the right. O’Neill heard a yelp, then a chorus of snarls and yips. Twenty seconds later, he heard two sets of footsteps pounding up the ramp. “We’re here, Colonel,” Carter panted. “We made it.”

  O’Neill resisted the urge to touch her, to make sure she was really in one piece. “Then let’s go home.”

  Teal’c straightened as Dr. Frasier came through the door.

  “Good news,” she said, stripping off her gloves. Though Teal’c’s expression remained impassive, Janet could detect a minute lessening of muscle tension around his eyes. Sam and Daniel were more demonstrative — they wore matching grins. Even General Hammond permitted himself a grin. “As you suspected,” she nodded toward Sam, “both the gerbil’s and hy-af’s saliva contained neurotoxins. We’re still working on antitoxins for future visits but the gerbil version seems to be wearing off on its own. I expect the colonel should be back to his old self in another day or two.”

  “His eyesight…?” General Hammond asked.

  “Will be fine. The pupils are still dilated and he can’t control his eyelids but the muscles are starting to twitch. Luckily the optic nerve is unaffected.” Janet focused on Sam. “You’re sure the hy-af didn’t bite or scratch you at all?”

  Sam held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor,” she said. “They jumped me from behind. Teal’c shot them before they figured out what a backpack was.”

  Janet shifted her focus to Teal’c. “Bringing one of the bodies back with you was good thinking. The toxin in its saliva is very different from the gerbil’s. We won’t know without further testing but I suspect it’s more potent.”

  “Because it is intended for bigger animals,” Teal’c said.

  “I suspect so.” Now that their immediate worry was over, she could feel the team’s impatience to see the colonel. She really should order them to get some rest, but she knew that none of them would relax until they had assured themselves their leader was all right. “Before you ask — yes, you can go see him but keep it short. He needs rest. As do you all.”

  “Just a couple of minutes,” Sam promised. Teal’c and Daniel nodded.

  She held up her hand. “One more thing. I’m letting him sleep in his own room only because he promised he would leave the bandages alone. So don’t let him talk you into taking them off for him.” Janet gave all three of them a stern look. “That’s an order. Don’t make me do something you’ll regret.”

  General Hammond added his authority to hers. “I second the order. Understood?”

  There was a chorus of “Yes General” and then the room emptied.

  “We brought pie,” Sam said.

  “And coffee,” Teal’c added. “Decaf as per Dr. Fraiser’s orders.”

  “As long as it’s hot and black,” the colonel said. “Bless you both, I’m starving. Where’s Daniel?”

  “He’ll be here in a minute,” Sam said. “There’s something in his room he wanted to get.”

  Colonel O’Neill held out one hand for coffee and gestured toward the back of his head with the other. “Teal’c, can you help me with this knot? It’s a bugger.”

  “Dr. Frasier told us you would request our help to remove your bandages.”

  “She did?” The colonel replied, his voice pure innocence.

  “She also warned us not to assist you in any way.”

  He straightened to attention, a difficult feat to manage while sitting in bed and holding a cup of coffee. “Are you going to listen to her or to your commanding officer?”

  “General Hammond seconded the order.”

  “Damn.” The colonel muttered something under his breath — Sam thought she heard the words ‘Napoleon’ and ‘mini-me’ — but then his expression brightened. “Did you say ‘pie’?”

  It took about a minute for him to wolf his slice down. “And what kind of pie did you get Daniel?” he asked as he used his fingers to swipe up the last crumbs from his plate.

  Sam exchanged an amused look with Teal’c. “Blueberry,” he said.

  “His loss.” The colonel waggled his fingers in Teal’c’s direction. “He’s not here, so hand it over.”

  As the colonel enjoyed Daniel’s pie, Sam brought him up to date. “Janet analyzed the samples from your jacket and my backpack. Similar but different. She’s working on antitoxins and General Hammond will make sure that follow-up survey teams have proper protection. Daniel has already said he wants to return — he thinks the writing on the totem might explain what happened to the people.”

  “I can tell him what it says.” The colonel used his left hand to sketch imaginary words onto an imaginary blackboard. “It says ‘Beware of spitting gerbils’.”

  “About the gerbils,” Sam said. “I might have been wrong about them.”

  The colonel feigned disbelief. “Carter, I’m shocked. You? Wrong about something?”

  She swallowed a smile, even though he couldn’t see it. “I agreed with Daniel initially — I thought it was just defending itself.
But now I think it was actively attacking.”

  “I do not understand, Major Carter,” Teal’c said. “The animal is small and eats insects. Why would it deliberately attack something as large as the colonel?”

  Glad to be asked — she loved explaining the answers to puzzles she’d figured out — Sam said, “They and the hy-afs, and the monkeys, have an opportunistic relationship. When the gerbil spits at something, the hy-afs or monkeys smell the venom —”

  “The apple smell?”

  “Yes, the apple smell. Odors can travel for miles. They smell it and come to take advantage of the situation. It doesn’t help the gerbil directly but insects would be attracted to the, uh, decomposing parts left over.”

  “Thereby providing the gerbils with food,” Teal’c observed, his voice as impassive as ever. “A relationship beneficial to all.”

  The colonel forked up the last piece of Daniel’s pie. “Hey guys, that’s all well and good but it’s my rotting parts you’re talking about. I’m trying to eat here.”

  Sam blinked. “Of course, sir. I’m sorry, I just —”

  “Besides, I figured it was personal. I never liked gerbils.”

  Not long after, Daniel knocked on the door. “Come on in,” the colonel called. “Did you bring a piñata? I’m all ready.”

  “Sorry, no piñata.” Daniel pulled up a chair and accepted a piece of pie from Sam but waved off Teal’c’s offer of coffee. “We can’t stay much longer. Janet caught me outside and threatened us with bodily harm if we weren’t out of here in two minutes.”

  The colonel must have heard the unmistakable sound of fork on plate because he reacted with mock outrage. “Hey! Where did that pie come from?”

  “I brought two pieces for Daniel,” Sam replied, unperturbed by his outburst. “I knew you’d take one.”

  Oblivious to the colonel’s chagrin, Daniel carried on. “Anyway, Janet sounded serious about us not staying much longer. She said something about a ‘low-fat, low-salt, low-cholesterol diet’ and I don’t want to chance it.” He held up a bag. “On the bright side, I brought you my portable CD player. I thought a little music might help you relax.” Knowing the colonel couldn’t see him, Daniel winked broadly at Sam and Teal’c and jerked his head toward the door. “Janet thought it was a good idea too.”

  “It’s not one of those ‘natural sounds’ CDs, is it?” the colonel asked. “You know — the ones with waterfalls and crickets and stuff. Because I’m really not in the mood. And no Buddhist monks. Or artesian folk songs.”

  “That was Armenian folk songs and it’s not my fault you don’t appreciate good music.” Daniel gave the other two a significant glance and jerked his head toward the door a second time. “Anyway, we’d better get going. Janet was pretty insistent.”

  When they stood outside the colonel’s door, Sam whispered, “What was that all about?”

  Daniel put his finger to his lips in the universal keep quiet signal. “Just listen.”

  After the rest of SG-1 had left for their well-earned rest, O’Neill lay back in the darkness and listened to the silence. Things could have been worse. A lot worse. But his team hadn’t given up. They’d stuck together, worked together, and made it home together. All of them. Together. Carter, Teal’c and —

  Speaking of Daniel... He leaned over and, after a bit of fumbling, found and pressed the play button. Maybe some music would help him sleep. He pummeled his pillow into submission and tried to relax as the music started but jerked upright as he recognized the insistent beat.

  “Daniel!”

  He grabbed for the player but couldn’t turn it off before the beginning of Manfred Mann’s best known song burst into the room.

  “Blinded by the Light...”

  Stargate Atlantis

  Second Time Sateda

  Ron Francis

  This story takes place in season five of Stargate Atlantis.

  Sheppard tapped his watch when Rodney shuffled into Atlantis’ conference room and fumbled for the steaming cup on the table in front of him.

  “Welcome to the party, sleepyhead.” He smiled as Rodney lifted the cup to his lips. “You take your tea with lemon, right?”

  Rodney’s hands stopped just before the cup touched his lips. “You are joking, right?” He cast a suspicious glance into the cup, tentatively inhaling the aroma confirming it was in fact lemon-free coffee. “Hilarious. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

  “Just trying to wake you up. Mission accomplished.”

  “Oh, ha-ha.”

  “People,” Woolsey said in his usual even tone. “May we move on to the reason you’re all here so early this morning?”

  “Please,” Teyla said, sharing an exasperated look with Ronon.

  As Woolsey was about to speak, Major Lorne arrived and took his seat without a word. Sheppard shot a querying look at Woolsey, which he ignored as he stood to begin the briefing.

  “We’ve just received a report from the Genii that people are returning to Sateda,” Woolsey said, and Ronon sat up straighter at the mention of his homeworld. “Early indications are that the settlers are Satedan, and that their aim is to rebuild their civilization. Best estimates put the number of people at close to six hundred, with more arriving every day.”

  “So many?” Sheppard sent a careful glance in Ronon’s direction. If the big guy was excited about the news, he was hiding it well.

  “Yes, Colonel, six hundred.”

  “And these people, they are all Satedan?” Teyla said.

  “That’s what the Genii have indicated. And what I would like you to confirm.”

  “Wait,” Rodney said, “how did they get there? The Wraith bombed the gate from orbit when they brought Ronon there to hunt him.”

  “According to the Genii, the gate wasn’t destroyed, just toppled. Some of the settlers were able to convince someone with a ship, possibly the Travelers, to give them a ride back. Once they had the Stargate online, the rest of the people began to arrive.”

  Rodney glanced at Lorne. “And the major’s here because?”

  “Due to the extreme prejudice with which the Wraith destroyed Sateda, Major Lorne has been asked to accompany you. Just in case.” Woolsey’s face remained impassive, but Sheppard knew the unspoken reason was in case they ran into any more of Ronon’s old friends — and he suspected Ronon knew it, too.

  “So, we count some Satedans and then what?” Rodney said around a mouthful of coffee.

  Ronon looked at him. “Then we make them leave.”

  Woolsey’s eyebrow rose, and in a neutral tone he said, “Why would we do that?”

  “Because they’re not Satedan. My people wouldn’t be that stupid.” Ronon leaned forward and held Woolsey’s gaze. “And these people have no right to be there.”

  Woolsey didn’t back down. “Do we have any reason to believe that the Genii are mistaken?”

  Before Ronon could reply, Teyla said, “The Wraith have been known to return to planets as advanced as Sateda to make sure the survivors do not rebuild. Every Pegasus culture knows this to be the case, which is why this news comes as a surprise. If the settlers are Satedan, it would be an unprecedented event.”

  Sheppard swiveled in his seat to face Teyla and Ronon. “And if they aren’t Satedan?”

  “Then they are trespassing on my planet and need to leave.”

  “Right,” Sheppard said slowly.

  “Looks like there might be a little more to this situation than we first thought,” Woolsey said. “You leave in twenty. And remember — this is a diplomatic mission.” He fixed his eyes on Ronon. “Will that be a problem?”

  “No problem,” Sheppard said with a smile. “Diplomacy is his specialty.”

  Twenty minutes later, they stood in front of the gate. Waiting. McKay huffed. �
��What’s the holdup, Chuck?”

  “We’re not getting a lock on Sateda.”

  “Maybe the gate is currently in use?” Teyla offered.

  “Maybe the Wraith are already culling them.” Ronon’s expression suggested he believed that to be the most likely scenario.

  McKay dropped his pack with a grumble and stomped up the stairs to the control room. Without a word he interposed himself between Chuck and the terminal. “I’m running a diagnostic on the gate.” A moment later, he said, “Huh, that’s interesting.”

  “What’s interesting?” Sheppard called up to him.

  “Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just something unusual to note.”

  “Well, note it later.”

  Rodney shot him a glare before rechecking the status of the gate. “Looks like it was just a hiccup. We’re good to go.”

  This time, the seventh chevron engaged and the satisfying whoosh of the Stargate flaring to life filled the room.

  “Report in six hours,” Woolsey said from the top of the stairs. “And good luck.”

  Sheppard stepped out of the Stargate and into a battle. “Cover!”

  He threw himself behind a damaged wall and surveyed the scene. Darts zigzagged above the city, an aerial bombardment pounding the buildings and sending its people fleeing.

  “The Wraith are already here!” Lorne yelled as he hunkered down next to Sheppard, bringing his P90 to bear.

  “How? We only just learned there are people here.” Sheppard edged up alongside Ronon, who was staring intently at the destruction. The intensity emanating from the man was unusually high, even for him, and a sinking feeling took root in Sheppard’s gut. Something was wrong here.