Not mine, just taking them out to play.
Respectful feedback welcome.
One.
"McKay."
The sharp voice through the earpiece made Rodney McKay jump. He cursed under his breath at yet another interruption. Why didn't these military types understand that science takes time? Even more-so when it involves translating the instruction manual before following it.
They had found the underground room in which he stood by sheer accident while taking soil and plant samples. Rodney had quite literally fallen into the cavern when the ground beneath him just opened up.
He slid down a slab of stone that was once a ceiling into a building long ago buried. Once Major Sheppard knew he was uninjured, he was allowed to explore the ruins. The major stayed at the opening should McKay get into trouble, while Teyla and Lt Ford gathered the samples.
It seemed to be a laboratory of sorts, but for medical or another purpose, he didn't know. He puttered around and had just found an interesting piece of equipment, intact and complete with engravings when the major told him it was time to leave.
"Rodney." The major's grating voice came through more insistent.
"Yes, yes, I'm still here," he called back.
"We're done here. Time to go." 'And no arguing' was the silent tag to that statement.
"Major, I really need more time..."
Topside, in the fading daylight, Major John Sheppard shook his head at Rodney's stalling tactics. Why didn't these scientist types understand when to call it a day? Strange planet, encroaching night, big hints to get home. "Don't make me drag you outta there," he warned.
Rodney looked toward the ceiling of the room in which he stood, imagining the major pacing, stomping, getting irritated above him. "Go ahead, drag me out because to do that you have to come down here and get me thus allowing me opportunity to show you what I've found."
John grit his teeth. Stubborn people really got on his nerves. "Ford, Teyla, I'll be right back. McKay wants me to see something," he called over his shoulder to the other two team members. They looked up at him from about forty feet away where they were packing away the collected samples in crates.
"Night falls soon, Major Sheppard," Teyla reminded him. "This planet's nocturnal wildlife are extremely dangerous. We must not get caught after dark."
"I know. This will only take a second. Back in a few." With that, he slid carefully down the slab.
"In here," Rodney's voice echoed from the left. John used the light on his P-90 to pick his way across years of debris and rubble into an adjoining room.
Rodney had returned to studying the etchings on the base of a pedestal. John peered at the top noticing a hand shaped indent in the stone.
"So what is it?"
Rodney didn't look up as he explained, "Uh, it appears to be a diagnostic device." He stood up beside Sheppard, continuing, "According to these writings, the patient stands about...here," he lined himself up with a mark on the pedestal, "And the physician stand there," he pointed, "and...something happens." Rodney shrugged looking from the machine to John.
"And why is it so important that I see it? I thought you ranked the medical sciences right up there with voodoo."
"Yes, but if it could give us even the slightest clue about the civilization that was here and, more importantly, what they used as a power source, then it doesn't matter if it was a medical facility..."
Sheppard held up a hand to stop Rodney's rant. "Ok, we'll send a team back." He looked from the machine to McKay, with a half smile he turned to leave.
"Well, wait. Don't you even want to try it out?" Rodney couldn't help it, he learned by touching, experimenting, pulling apart. This was, after all, his discovery. He didn't want other people touching and prying and disassembling it.
John just looked at him. Was he serious? General O'Neill had given him some excellent advice once, 'Don't touch anything.' Of course, had he actually listened he wouldn't be living a Star Trek episode every day. Would that be so bad? He wouldn't have awakened the Wraith, either. "No, I do not want to try it out."
"Oh, come on. I'll just stand here. You put your hand in that depression."
"How do you even know it has power?"
"I have down here all day, Major." Rodney pinned him with his wide 'Duh!' stare. "There is a slight power signature coming from somewhere under here. I'm guessing this was a major structure that was actually purposefully buried..."
Sheppard rolled his eyes, slapping his hand down in the imprint. Rodney was instantly paralized and engulfed in a white light emanating from the ceiling. With a shocked, "Rodney!" John took his hand off the device expecting it to turn off. When it didn't, he hit it with his fist. Wincing, shaking his hand, he walked over beside Rodney to look for the origin of the restraining light. Seeing no other options, he switched his P-90 to single shot and squeezed off six rounds directly into it. The light disappeared, dropping Rodney into a heap on the stone floor.
"Ford, I need you down here," Major Sheppard called into his walkie, kneeling to get McKay's vitals. Rapid breathing, erratic pulse.
A thunderous cracking drew John's attention toward the ceiling he had just riddled with bullets. The world seemed to be in slow motion, as the aged stone began to crumble. John threw himself over McKay as the world fell down on top of them.