A/N Here it is, chapter four! Sorry it took so long. Stupid homework, trying to stop me from writing, but it didn't succeed! Oh, there're some spoilers for Tao of Rodney and a big one for Irresponsible. Thanks again to all who reviewed. And now, the plot thickens… Enjoy!

Chapter Four: The First Test

"Anyone who expects to meet a lunatic brandishing a hatchet

and instead finds a man hiding a revolver in his trouser pocket is bound to feel relived. But that doesn't prevent a revolver from being more dangerous than a hatchet.

-Leon Trotsky

Planet P3X-1138…

The Puddlejumper zoomed out of the shimmering blue puddle that was a wormhole and sped across the landscape. The passengers and pilot alike looked at the brightly colored wildflowers growing on the gently rolling hills. A cool breeze made the flora sway to and fro, while this world's warm yellow sun and cloudless azure sky completed the picturesque scene below.

And to John Sheppard, it was horribly, disturbingly familiar. He'd been anxious about what he would encounter on the other side of the Stargate for the entire duration of the pointless mission briefing. Would he see the same scene from his dream? Or was it just a whopper of a coincidence? His anxiety must have been really obvious because the usually deft McKay had asked if John was feeling well. He had replied that he was perfectly fine, and stared pointedly out the window, putting an end to any further inquiries.

But now that he was actually here, in the exact same place in he saw before, any doubts about the vision had evaporated. The feeling was replaced by the worst kind of dread, and it felt like giant alien butterflies were having a party in his stomach. His gut twisted in knots as he observed the world outside the jumper.

Things had barely changed in the 10,000 years since 'he' had been here. The dense tree line had slightly encroached into the now smaller fields and the surrounding mounts were smoother, worn away by thousands of years of wind and snow. If his memory served, the Cave was several minutes away by jumper, meaning he had plenty of time to contemplate how messed up this was.

Though his mind was wandering, John automatically adjusted the ship's trajectory, correctly heading towards the Cave. Rodney noticed this and knew that it was, of course, impossible. Especially since this was John "I-prefer-straight-lines-because-that's-always-a-short-cut-in-my-world" Sheppard. Then again, this was the Pegasus galaxy and Rodney had seen how it had a despicable habit of making the statistically impossible, probable.

He stared quizzically at John. "Are you going to check for energy signatures, or do we have to stop and ask for directions?"

John furrowed his brow and pulled up the HUD with a thought, cursing himself for not remembering before. Rodney nodded in thanks as they both observed the readings.

"I'm picking up some incredibly strong energy readings," McKay stated in disbelief. "I suspected that with something like this, the Ancients would have ensured that the power would continue run after they left, but I didn't think there would be anything close to this." A small but jubilant smirk crossed the physicists face. "Looking at this, I'd say that the facility is powered by a ZedPM."

The rest of the team shared his shock. "Really?" Teyla asked.

Rodney nodded excitedly. "It's the only power source that could keep running for thousands of years. They're like the Energizer bunnies of the Ancients. If we're the first to come here since the Ancients left our space-time, the energy requirements would have been relatively low. This could mean we might have a charged ZedPM, at last." And on that note, the cockpit fell silent once more.

After a few moments, one member of the group couldn't take it any longer and Rodney questioned out of the blue, "Do I really snore? Zelenka mentioned it to me and I"- The ship was instantly filled with the laughter of the other three.

"Is that a serious question?" John inquired amused, in between crackles.

"You mean you don't know?" asked Ronon at the same time.

"No I don't know, and yes, that is a serious question! I don't see what's so funny," an exasperated Rodney declared.

"Yeah, you snore, really loudly. You drool too," Ronon stated simply.

"I-what?!" McKay sounded exasperated and confounded as the other three snickered again.

From the pilot's seat, John snorted. "Oh yeah, I remember one mission where we had to sleep on mats on the floor. Rodney's head was right above mine and snored up a storm. It kept me awake all night." John's smile was so wide that his face was starting to hurt from the strain. Their two alien teammates were staring at the look on Rodney's face, their faces turning red from the effort of not laughing.

The subject of their humor was red as well, though for an entirely different reason. "Why didn't you tell me this before?! Didn't want to deprive yourselves of another chance to mock me?!"

That was the last straw and the ship filled with laughter. John managed to slow his chuckles to reply. "If you recall, McKay, we got run out of town by the Wraith shortly after that. I didn't exactly have time to tell you."

Ronon also succeeded in stopping his "Ho-ho-ho"-ing long enough to say something. "And what you said." This started another bout of crackling. Rodney did the impossible and turned a darker shade of scarlet. He grumbled under his breath but didn't say anything until his 'friends' calmed down. John exhaled content.

"Wow, thanks for that, Meredith. I haven't had so much fun a while."

Meredith…um, Rodney, winced at the mention of his first name. "Oh come on, hasn't that gotten old yet?" He whined.

John shook his head as a wry grin spread across his face. "Nope. And I suspect it won't for a very, very long time. I've got to hold something against you after the 'Super McKay' incident," he said happily.

Rodney moaned pathetically, enticing another chuckle from his teammates that gradually died down. John gazed out the window at the mountainous landscape. He wasn't lying when he said that he was grateful to McKay. After all the tension building up, he was glad to have a bit of relief.

A few seconds later, John saw the mouth of the Cave… surrounded by primitive looking carts and other 'Medieval' travel devices. What wasn't so primitive were the reflective metal boxes in the wooden carts. "What the heck is that?" Teyla and Ronon were instantly by his side at his cry while McKay observed the readings the HUD displayed in response to the pilot's thoughts.

"The jumper's lifesigns screen can't penetrate the mountain. Something in the rock is causing interference with the scanners. We were lucky to pick up any energy readings." He paused for a moment. "This must be the reason why this place has remained hidden from the Wraith for all these years." McKay declared.

"Make it show all lifesigns around the Cave," commanded Ronon. John obliged as the jumper hovered over the area that the Ancients once used for landings, now long overgrown by tall pines.

The screen widened and changed. Dozens of yellows dots appeared. "With all the local animals in the area, it's impossible to tell anything apart," John commented. He glanced at the three next to him and said, "I'll land us a few hundred yards away from the Cave's entrance and cloak the Puddlejumper. We'll proceed on foot." Rodney moaned as they acknowledged the order as he directed the jumper silently away.

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The team made their way through the forest with Sheppard on point and Ronon covering their six. The apprehension that John has been feeling all morning had spread to the rest of the team. Though the jumper had picked up a lot of lifesigns, the forest was completely still. It was quiet… too quiet. Even Rodney was unpredictably silent as they trekked through the thick underbrush. John hid back a smile as he thought of a few possible reasons why.

As they neared the cave, John gestured for them to crouch. The three soldiers scoured the area while the civilian played with the lifesigns detector's controls, trying to figure out the source of the interference. Seeing that the coast was clear of 'bad guys', Sheppard waved for Teyla and Ronon to take positions on either side of the Cave's entrance. John led Rodney after they took their pose beside the opening, but the scientist couldn't resist the temptation to peek inside the carts.

"Hey, check this out." McKay murmured. John internally debated whether to chastise Rodney for speaking in this delicate situation, or go see what was so interesting. Curiosity beat caution and he smoothly moved over to the Canadian's position, glancing over his shoulder into the contents of the nearest cart. Most of the metallic crates contained digging tools like pickaxes and shovels, and others were filled with crude explosives, but several of the larger ones were mysteriously empty.

Rodney's excited whisper interrupted his thoughts. "They must be here for the same thing we are. Perhaps they simply heard of a cave full of 'Ancestor treasure' and thought that they could mine it out. From the materials here, I don't think that they'll be that much of a problem." John's hand whipped to his mouth and he put a finger to his lips in an obvious signal for "shut up" that even the thick-headed physicist could understand. His voice was getting so loud that someone inside might hear.

"I don't care how low their technology is. We have an unspecified number of potential hostiles in there and we will take every available level of caution. Do you understand?" John muttered forcefully. He was letting the military leader in him show to make sure he got through to McKay.

The civilian hated being ordered around like some military bonehead, but when the said boneheads had large fully-automatic weapons, Rodney tended to listen. "Perfectly," replied Rodney. John held eye contact with him for a long moment, as though he was mentally trying to impress the seriousness of the situation on him. As the colonel turned away and headed into the mouth of the Cave, Rodney wondered why this mission had him so much more stressed out than usual.

John turned on the light of his P-90, and strode carefully into the inky blackness. That bad feeling quadrupled as he entered the Cave and the space-alien butterflies multiplied in his stomach, weighing it down till it sank to his toes.

He gripped the weapon tightly in an effort to control the shaking of his hands, the result of the adrenaline that was surging through his system. John hated to admit it, but he was scared. Not the 'someone jumped out from behind something and said Boo!' kind of fear, but the heart gripping, blood freezing terror that he hadn't felt in a long time. But the most horrifying part of it was that he didn't know why he was so afraid.

That in itself was petrifying.

After they had walked for several minutes in the darkness, Ronon with his super-senses heard something up ahead. He motioned for them to slow and stay alert. Ronon gripped his pistol tighter, ready to fire, with the others following suit. Within a few steps Rodney could distinctly hear the sound of men's voices. From the way they were speaking, it didn't seem like a pleasant conversation. There were several medium-sized boulders strewn about in the broad corridor, probably caused by an ancient earthquake, and each member of the team sat behind one.

John was the closest to the men with Ronon leaned against the boulder next to him, Teyla behind John and Rodney at the rear, playing with the LSD, doggedly trying to make the static-filled screen work. John swore, bitterly wondering how someone so smart could be so positively dense sometimes. He chose not to reprimand Rodney and risk revealing their position, and hoped that the Canadian would get some sense and would pay attention when the time came. He pulled his focus away from his friend and turned to the scene before him.

There were about a dozen men in a large, round cavern ahead of him. They were clad in simple leathers and wielding Genii guns, interestingly. One wall directly in front of him was covered in Ancient text save a small doorway-like section that reminded him of the time dilation device, but instead of seeing the area beyond, it looked like the rest of the slate-gray stone.

The leader (at least, John assumed he was the leader. The man had his back to him, but he seemed vaguely familiar…) was standing behind two arguing men, one was very thin and lanky, the other stockier and slightly taller. He dubbed them Hank, Bill and Joe.

Joe was very angry. "Why don't we just blow it and get it over with? We've got plenty of explosives outside."

Bill timidly disagreed with the man in front of him. "No…This structure is highly unstable. Any amount of explosives could make this place collapse right on top of us."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Merki?" Joe placed at the engraved wall. "There's no way in!" He waltzed up to Merki drawing himself up to his full height. Merki cowered beneath the larger man's piercing glare. "I think you're trying to trick us into leaving so you can come back and have all the treasure to yourself!"

At this, the leader faced his men. "Gentlemen, please, let's be reasonable. We'll figure this out." John's breath caught in his throat. It was a man he thought he'd never see again. Torrell…

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McKay squatted behind his little rock, completely immersed in his work. He was still attempting to make the lifesigns detector function, but even it was proving to be futile. The scientist was becoming increasingly frustrated, swearing under his breath.

"Why isn't this working?" He breathed. Rodney continued to tinker with the device, oblivious to the world around him. In fact, he was so engrossed that he didn't hear the quiet footsteps that approached from the Cave's entrance. Nor did he hear the echoes get increasingly louder till it was nearly on top of him, and stopped.

However, the physicist did hear the sharp click of a round being loaded into its chamber. Rodney looked up sharply to see a pair of buckskin clad legs right in front of his face. He looked up… and up… to where a very tall man rivaling Ronon in stature was standing. The massive man was holding an equally large Genii rifle which was pointed directly at Rodney's head. Behind the savage looking man were a dozen or so similarly dressed men with the same weapon.

He raised his arms in the universal sign of surrender. The brute sent him a twisted yellow-toothed grin and gestured for McKay to stand with a jerk of his gun. As he rose, the twelve behind him raised their weapons as well. He turned around to face the men waiting in the cavern, one of which recognized him immediately and smirked. Rodney also recognized his former, and current, captor. Could this get any worse? Why is it that every nut-job we meet always comes back to try and kill us again?

The hostage cleared his throat. "Um, guys? A little help here?"

John continued to watch Torrell and his minions bicker until the mood suddenly lightened and their faces filled with triumph. When the Olesian turned to stare in his direction, the soldier instantly flinched and ducked behind his cover. That's when he heard the frightened voice of McKay.

"Um, guys? A little help here?" John spun to chastise Rodney for his carelessness, when he saw the dozen burly figures behind the Canadian. One of the larger men had the rifle in McKay's back to ensure that he didn't try anything. John brought his weapon up to the man's chest level, which was protected by the scientist's. Ronon and Teyla already had their weapons ready and aimed, looking for the slightest opportunity to fire. But as John saw the armed treasure-hunters in the cavern, with their weapons pointing at them, he knew that they were dead if they tried anything.

The man holding McKay moved a little and pain crossed Rodney's features as he groaned. "Hey, why don't you lower your guns so the crazy people with the bigger guns don't blow our heads off? A mind like mine shouldn't end up as goo on the floor." His team hesitated, not wanting to relinquish their weapons, but at the same time wanting to keep their brains, even McKay's, and other fluids inside their body and intact.

"I'll have to agree with Dr. McKay," Torrell said. "Why don't you give up your weapons? You're of much more use to us dead than alive. But at the same, I don't really care. It's your choice." John surveyed the room once more and sighed, accepting this momentary defeat. He held up a placating hand and placed his P-90 on the stone floor simultaneously. He was doing the same with his pistol just as Teyla and Ronon were reluctantly setting their weapons down as well.

With their arms pointing skyward, the team was escorted into the cavern, which McKay glanced around curiously. It took John a moment to remember that he hadn't seen it before. Ronon and Teyla were taken to the far walls and held there by two of the men who were forcing their arms into the 'handcuff' pose and binding them with rope. There was a brief scuffle as Ronon fought the capture, but one of the guns-for-hire struck him on the head with the butt of his rifle and the former Runner crumpled as he fell unconscious.

Okay, so it wasn't Teyla or Ronon that were going to free them. John noted that Torrell did not tell his men to do the same with himself and Rodney; something he darkly knew would come into play later.

The mercenary holding John locked his arms behind his back with a iron grip that he couldn't struggle out of, making any escape by him impossible. Rodney was only held by the rifle still pointed at his back, but with the sheer tension and fire power in this small space, any false move on the part of McKay wouldn't do anything except kill him. As of this moment, there was no way out for the team.

Torrell observed the scene casually, and when he deemed that everyone was settled, he spoke. "Well, well, well. Never thought I'd see you four, my saviors again. From the looks on your faces, I'll assume the feeling is mutual." The slight drawl of his voice reminded John of the Southern or Texan accent back on Earth. After glancing at his clothes and background, John thought that the term 'outlaw' applied well.

The newly christened outlaw gazed once more at his prizes. He turned to Rodney. "Now, I don't know how much you've heard of our little… situation, but we've got ourselves into a real bind. You're an answer to prayers, Dr. McKay."

John snorted sarcastically, but it was Rodney who spoke. "You want me to help you steal the 'treasure' in here? What could you possibly do with a mother load of technology that you can't even comprehend, nevertheless use"-

Torrell interrupted. "You're completely right, Dr. McKay."

Rodney blinked in surprise. "I am?"

"Yes. We have no use for this…" He waved a hand at the carvings behind him. "…whatever it is. However, there are a few interested buyers for intact Ancestor technology and are willing to pay a handsome sum for it."

"Genii," spat John.

"Yes, hey were once one of our leading customers, but since Landon has taken power, business has declined. But now that Kolya is dead, his small group of rebels are eager for weapons to defend themselves and kill those responsible." John cursed mentally. Even six feet under that man somehow managed to make his life miserable. Stupid, stupid karma. "I heard from one of my sources about this place, decided to come check it out, was between a rock and a hard place (pun intended), and here we are." Torrell spread his arms wide, as though to encircle the entire room and let them fall once again to his sides.

McKay spoke up once more. "So, you're scavengers, we get it. What do you want with us?"

"I thought I had made that clear, Dr. McKay." Torrell made Rodney's title seem derogatory and it was getting on his nerves. The Olesian pointed to the wall behind him. "I want you to use that oh so brilliant mind of yours to get us in there."

The scientist gave a humorless laugh. "And what makes you think I'll do that, hmm? Out of the kindness of my heart?"

"No. So I don't kill you all. Starting with him." Torrell took out a Genii pistol and aimed it at Sheppard. "Sorry, you don't get to choose this time." He said with a wry smile.

Rodney nervously swallowed. "Well, that's good motivation isn't it?" He tried to inspect the text. At a nod from Torrell, his keeper moved him closer to the text, but reused to let him out of his sights. After a few uneasy moments, the scientist announced his findings. "It says that there's only one way in there: the gene. The doorway is permeable only to people with the ATA gene. No one else can go in."

"ATA gene?" Torrell asked.

"It's a rare gene that a few people, like the colonel and myself, possess. It allows us to use Ancient, um, Ancestor technology. Since it won't let any of you through, I'm assuming none of you have it, thank God." He added the last part quietly.

"So, only you and the colonel here have it?" Rodney nodded in response. "Very well." Torrell stepped away from the door-like inscription in the wall and re-aimed the gun at Sheppard and spoke to him. "Go though and get something for us. I'll even be nice and let ya get that healin' device that's supposed to be in there if ya don't wanna get a weapon. How's that fer a fair deal?"

Sheppard returned an icy gaze. "No," was the succinct reply.

Torrell took a step back, as if the word struck him. "'No'?! What do ya mean, 'no'?!" He asked, incredulous.

The colonel was resolute. "It is against the policy of my people to give into the demands of terrorists." John knew that he was on thin ice, but that same gut feeling that had told him that something was very wrong in this Cave, was now telling him not to give this piece of slime anything. He was more than happy to oblige.

The terrorist gazed at him in shock for a long moment, then an instant transformation occurred and his demeanor changed. His back stiffened and ice entered his eyes.

Rodney saw the change from his location near the far wall, and knew that when psychopaths got that look, it was never good. He'd seen enough horror movies and had more than adequate personal experience to know that. "Uh, John, are you really sure you want to"-

In a flash, Torrell spun around with his Genii hand gun extended, pointed it at McKay…

And shot him directly in the chest.

The gunshot echoed loudly in the small chamber as Rodney crumpled to the floor in a bloody heap. Smoke was still coming from Torrell's weapon as John bellowed and struggled against his captor with renewed vigor. Fueled with adrenaline, he managed to break free and rushed to his fallen comrade's side.

"You do not know how long I've wanted to do that." The murderer declared.

"You jerk!!!! You filthy SOB!!!" John screamed as his face turned crimson. The whole world condensed into McKay's unmoving, bleeding corpse and the man who killed him. Nonononono this can't happen, not again!!! "If he's dead I swear, Torrell"- John roared.

The jerk smiled pleasantly, making John fume even more. He could hear his pounding heartbeat in his ears and felt his muscles tighten and bulge. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Colonel. This was your choice. His blood in on your hands just as much as mine."

Teyla broke the tension. "Please, I know some basic medical training, let me tend to him," she begged. Torrell looked her over and nodded. The man holding her loosened his grip and cut Teyla loose. For a fleeting moment, John vainly hoped that Teyla would take the knife and stick it in Torrell, but she simply strode over to McKay and together they turned him on his back.

His face was as white as a ghost and covered with a thin sheet of sweat. Blood was pouring out of the gaping hole in his ribcage. His breath came in short gaps, and McKay's once lively eyes were expressionless and glassy. John remembered how that now pale face was once beet red as the team laughed in the Jumper, something that seemed a lifetime ago.

Teyla said what he already thought. "The wound is deep, and it is bleeding heavily." With shaking hands she removed the gauze and pressed it into the wound. "It most likely hit a lung, but I cannot be sure." Her face appeared to be calm, but as Teyla locked eyes with John, he could see the fear that lurked within the brown depths. "He must get help soon or…" The sentence did not need to be finished; the silence said enough.

"Only the Ancestor healing device can save him now." said Torrell pointedly. John sent him a murderous glare, an accurate description considering that was what he wanted to do. The soldier held this gaze for a heartbeat, and then another and another. For a brief moment, he considered again rushing at the man and killing him with his bare hands.

Torrell sensed his struggle and swung his weapon around to aim at the unconscious form of Ronon. "Ah, ah, ah, ah." The man looked at him callously. "One false move and he dies too, Sheppard."

John tore his eyes from the shooter and turned once more to McKay. His lips were tinted blue and he was breathing shallower. Not good signs at all. He shared a glance with Teyla who was still pressing the now blood soaked cloth into their friend. With all of the blood seeping from the hole in Rodney, her efforts were futile; it was just too much to contain. From the way the scientist was struggling to breathe, John thought that Teyla's assessment was correct.

In that look, they both acknowledge that even if they left now for Atlantis, Rodney probably wouldn't survive the trip. John bent his head down in an attempt to stop the tears welling up in his eyes. He wouldn't cave, he couldn't give in, not while his teammate still breathed, not while his murderers stood watching. He leaned over McKay as he realized what he had to do.

"Hey buddy, I'm gonna be gone for a while, but Teyla will take real good care of you till I'm back. Okay?" In a dark corner of his mind, he realized that even if he hurried through the four challenges, he probably wouldn't get back in time to save Rodney.

John did not expect a response, but that was what he received. "Don'…time…device…" The whisper was so soft John thought that he might have imagined it. He leaned forward so his ear was closer to Rodney's mouth and asked him to repeat. "The doorway… it's time dilation… don' worry…"

He sat back up to process what the scientist said. John shot a quick look at the very solid appearing stone wall. Time dilation… it made sense for the Ancients to do something like that. They seemed eager to give people enough time to do what they needed. It would also take the pressure off John; he wouldn't have to do some meticulous task while worrying about getting to McKay in time. He fought the urge to sigh in relief.

"Don't you dare start that 'don't worry about me' crap! Now sit here, shut up, and concentrate on getting through this. Let me handle the rest. I can take care of it. Just have to wander around, solve some puzzles, get the Ancient thingy, and get back here. Shouldn't be too hard."

"For military…get lost…a lot… I get shot… you play Sudoku…Mr. MENSA." Rodney tried to laugh, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. Dark blood sprayed from his mouth and dripped over pale lips.

John clenched his jaw at his friend's condition. That was McKay for you, snarking till the end. "What about 'shut up' don't you understand, Meredith?"

"John, you must hurry," said Teyla. "He is fading quickly."

The solider gravely nodded and turned towards the carved wall. "I know." John faced Torrell and stated his answer as succinctly as he could. "I'll do it." He got up and moved to the engraved wall.

Torrell and his crones backed away, as if afraid of what might happen after he went through. John remembered the pain of going through the time dilation device for the first time over a year ago. He stood in front of the 'doorway' and placed his hand upon the stone. The hand passed into the stone as if it were not there, ripples covering the surface of the supposed 'rock'. Rodney would have loved to examine the cloaking techniques used here. No, I won't talk about him in the past tense; he's not dead yet.

John pulled out the hand and wiggled his fingers in front of his experimentally. Everything seemed to be in working order. He cast one last glance at the scene before him: Rodney on the floor with a surely fatal bullet wound, Teyla squatting near him trying to stave off death long enough for John to save him, and the mercenaries surrounding them. John closed his eyes braced and himself for the pain. He took a deep breath and held it.

Taking a step forward, John passed into the slate-gray stone and disappeared from sight.

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TBC