"Our best chance to save the most people is to initiate Radek's plan," she said at last. "With any luck, we'll also be able to find the second exogenesis machine and bring it back here, but that must be our secondary priority"
"Understood. Radek, is two hours enough-" John's world tilted again. By the time he managed to straighten up, four pairs of eyes were watching him with varying degrees of alarm and doubt.
"Major Lome's team will go," Caldwell concluded. "You, Colonel, need to face facts and go see Dr. Beckett. You're injured, and you'd be a liability out there."
The sick feeling that settled in his gut had nothing to do with the sand or the pain, and everything to do with a disturbing sense of deja vu. John looked to Elizabeth. "You're not going to let Lome search for Rodney, are you?"
"John, we have to be realistic. The odds-"
"Since when has this expedition relied on the odds?" he demanded. "I recognize that Rodney's chances aren't good. But as long as there is a chance, don't we have an obligation to try?"
"Don't think that I like this any better than you." Elizabeth sighed. "God knows we can't afford to lose Rodney. But it's overwhelmingly likely that he is dead. It's my call, and with this level of risk I can't allow a rescue mission to proceed."
Starting to feel a flicker of desperation, John held her gaze. "You once asked me to tell you if I thought you were making a mistake," he said quietly, remembering the mission that had followed the long-past storm. "I'm telling you now."
Her eyes held endless empathy but also resolve. "The answer's no. I'm sorry."
And there it was. "You're sorry," he repeated, not bothering to mask the edge of contempt in his voice. "I feel better already."
Elizabeth flinched, but didn't falter. Caldwell moved in front of her, arms folded over his chest. "In case I wasn't clear before, Lieutenant Colonel, you're to stand down and report to the infirmary immediately."
Before John could figure out how to respond, Ronon stepped up beside him, staring the older man down. "You told me your people placed high importance on your loyalty to your comrades, Sheppard."
Bristling, Caldwell drew himself taller. "I don't like what you're implying."
John knew he should shut Ronon up before this got ugly, but he was too pissed off and too wrung out to try.
"I don't care what you like. I don't like leaving my teammates to suffer and die!"
"You are way out of line, Specialist!"
"Don't use my rank like it means something to you," the Satedan growled. "I didn't take your army's oath. You don't get to decide where my line is."
"Maybe not." Still as stoic as ever, Caldwell signaled to the Marines standing guard in the corridor. "Confine this man to his quarters until further notice," he ordered. "This much I do get to decide."
"Hold on a minute," John objected, only to feel Caldwell's iron gaze fall on him next.
"Infirmary, Sheppard. And under no circumstances are you to leave until cleared by Beckett."
Out of the comer of his eye, John saw another pair of Marines inching toward him. This day just kept getting better and better. "Is this a joke, sir?"
"Put yourself in my place, handling someone with a record that reads like yours," Caldwell said, unmoved.
So, because he'd bucked orders in a similar situation before, that justified preemptive confinement`? What the hell kind of ship did this guy run? John stared at Elizabeth, willing her to stand up for him. "You're going along with this?" he accused.
"I hope Rodney can forgive me," she said softly. "But if it keeps you from blindly tilting at windmills, then yes, I am."
The feeling was familiar, and yet infinitely more of a betrayal. "Well, this has been… educational."
His body turned traitor next as a rush of dizziness sideswiped him, dropping him awkwardly to one knee. Elizabeth took a step toward him, but he pinned her with a fierce glare and staggered to his feet unassisted. With as much dignity as he could summon, he turned and started toward the infirmary, the two Marines moving to flank him as he went.
Without blinking Corletti accepted the dried meat Jinto offered her. "Good stuff," she proclaimed after taking a bite. "Best jerky ever."
"Jerky." Sitting cross-legged at the top of the jumper's open hatch, Jinto tested out the unfamiliar word. "What does it mean?"
"Um… To tell you the truth, kiddo, I don't actually know."
Teyla smiled as she finished binding Niva's leg wound. They had reached the jumper and taken it back down into the hunting camp. Clearing skies and the discovery of food and drink in the camp had improved the immediate situation measurably. The nearby mountains, though, were a testament to the power of Ea's exogenesis machine. They were being steadily torn apart in a series of landslides, evidenced by an almost continuous rumble in the air. The group had been fortunate to escape more than one close call on their journey down.
If hunting had been their goal today, their bounty would have been great. She watched as many animals, sensing the terror to come, picked their way across the mudslide that had enveloped part of the camp. Overhead, thousands of birds fled the area as well.
"Oughta think about building them an ark," Corletti said, half to herself. Teyla did not bother to question the meaning of the comment, and the Marine headed into the jumper's cockpit and activated the radio. "Atlantis, this is Jumper Three report ing in. You guys forgotten about us yet?"
"Not a chance, Jumper Three," a tech responded. "Stand by while I get Dr. Weir."
Only moments passed before Dr. Weir's voice came on the line. "It's good to hear from you, Lieutenant. What's your status?"
"Ma'am, the good news is that we've rounded up all the Athosians and made it back to the main camp. The bad news is that we can see the beginning of the nanite influx, and it's moving fast."
Beneath them, Teyla felt a reverberation through the ground. Not a tremor, but the hooves of many large-bodied grazing beasts stampeding through already churned soil. Even from this distance she could see the vapor puffing from their wide nostrils and the fear in the way they snapped at one another even as they ran. She slid into the copilot's seat to listen to the conversation. Outside the windshield the gray continued its relentless progress. It would not be long now before they were engulfed, but she would not give up hope.
"The jumper's not exactly firing on all cylinders," Corletti continued. "And I don't like our chances of making it to Atlantis. Can you spare a technical specialist to talk us through some troubleshooting?"
"I'll get someone to assist." Dr. Weir paused. "You realize, though, that-"
"Yes, ma'am." Corletti shared a look with Teyla, unnoticed by Jinto only a short distance away. Both women understood that even if they could get the jumper operational, returning to Atlantis would risk infecting the city. "Our goal is to move to another area of the mainland, farther away from the nanites. If we can buy ourselves a day or two, the brain trust back on Atlantis should be able to figure something out."
Teyla wasn't sure if the Marine's words stemmed from true optimism or from a desire to put forward a brave face. She chose to believe it was the former, but she felt a renewed sadness as she remembered that any solution the expedition might devise would have to be reached without its chief scientist.
Watching from the doorway while Radek Zelenka simultaneously tackled a dozen problems from a dozen people, Elizabeth was struck by the sharp contrast between his working approach and Rodney's. Radek's quiet, competent manner was a stabilizing influence, but it was clear that he was becoming overextended. He worked more slowly, more methodically, and was less inclined to take risks. Seeing him in action now highlighted all the reasons why he and Rodney had complemented each other so well.
Radek looked up and, noticing that she was waiting, lifted an open hand toward her. "You are in need of updates," he guessed.