FIC: Dumb Luck Led Us Here (SGA)
Title: Dumb Luck Led Us Here
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: John, Ronon, Rodney, Teyla
Prompts: luck at stargateland, explosion for dark_bingo, 01. these are the moments (Table 35) for 5_prompts
Word Count: 1110
Rating: R
Warnings: Character Death *weeps*
Summary: There's a second gate on this planet that they stumble upon just at the right moment Ronon feels that something is off but can't express it to John in time.
*whispers*This is dark, right? Please tell me this is dark.
It was just dumb luck that they came across the second stargate on the planet just when they realized that the initial gate was heavily guarded. As always, there was a problem. Or, as Rodney put it as he muttered under his breath, "Guess it's just another Tuesday."
Ronon wasn't sure what a Tuesday was but he agreed whole-heartedly with the sentiment. This always seemed to happen to the team, no matter how innocuous the situation seemed when they set out. It kept life from getting boring, for which he was grateful. Sometimes he needed the constant motion just so he didn't have to remember what he was missing in his life. He had friends, most of them as close as family. He had a beautiful place to live and decent enough food to eat. He could have new clothes to wear so that he looks like everyone else but he clings to the leather and woven cloth that reminds him of Sateda. No matter that he's seen the destruction first hand, he's always hopeful that there is a remnant somewhere. A remnant not worshipping the Wraith, that was.
He doesn't know why he was thinking about Wraith worshippers but it made him suddenly narrow his eyes at the group of men who offered to escort them to the gate in the first place. Why was it that they lived on this planet, not far from this gate, and didn't know that it existed? They'd seemed as surprised as the rest of them to find the Circle of the Ancestors in among these trees.
When he looked around for a good excuse to wander away from the group, he couldn't find anything. It was never easy for him to use his words so he just stood up as straight as possible, trying to look menacing. "I'm going to over there." He waved his hand toward a stand of trees. Normally he might have looked at John for agreement but he didn't bother to look at him this time, as if he didn't care one way or another if John gave his permission. That should have been plenty of signal.
It was a forest like any other than he'd been on while a Runner or with the team from Atlantis. Nothing special. Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was another Tuesday here, too. He'd have to ask Rodney about that later.
"Okay, spill it." John came up behind him, silent over even the leaves on the forest floor. It was freaky how the man moved sometimes. "Why're you being so antsy?"
"Antsy?" But he knew what John was asking. He just didn't want to have this particular conversation so close to the group. They weren't quite far enough away yet so he kept walking, conscious that he was leaving Teyla and Rodney unprotected. "What's antsy?"
"You know what antsy is. It was one of the first words that Rodney tormented you with. What gives?"
He led them through the woods for several more yards before answering. "I don't like this."
"What's there to like?" John was frowning at him, trying to get a read on the situation without having to deal with the few words that Ronon was willing to give him. It tangled up his tongue even more than usual because John had been frowning at him more often lately. He'd been expecting things of him, suddenly demanding that he toe the line. Ronon expected it was because the SGC was making more trips through the gate now that Atlantis had a complete supply of ZPMs.
Still, Ronon couldn't quit being who he was. He'd never been gifted with the ability to explain himself well and it was only made worse by this new presence of men and women who clearly didn't like him.
"John," Rodney yelled. "I think I've figured-"
The force of the explosion rocked the forest - movement beating out sound, wind beating out heat. Ronon saw the deep red of the fire outlining Rodney's body before the man was engulfed in the deep white of hell. His mind couldn't handle the correlation between what he was seeing happening to Rodney and what he remembered happening to Melena, flashing back and forth between the two events so that they melded together, becoming one. The look of horror was evident on both the faces of the people he loved right before the fire ate them.
At first, he thought he was the one yelling but he realized it was John, running forward instead of back away from the burning air. Large chunks of rock and smaller bits of burning debris rained down on them. Even under the protective canopy of trees, Ronon could still feel the sting of spark and ash. John was bearing the brunt of it as he ran forward but he didn't seem to care. Didn't seem to hear Ronon yelling after him.
There was nothing they could do but watch. The fire was eating away at everything that the force of the bomb hadn't obliterated into nothingness. Ronon began running after John as if he could hold the man back from the anguish of the moment. When he fell to the ground, Ronon assumed it was because his legs had given out but he'd found something. Something that Ronon was't sure how to name.
"Rodney? Rodney, talk to me."
The burned husk of a body might have been Rodney but it could have just as easily been one of the guides. Ronon had noticed them moving away from the gate, as if they knew what was coming. Of course, they might have just been wary of Ronon and John slipping away, thinking they needed to get between the two groups to keep a better eye on them. That was doubtful, though. Something had happened when Rodney had started the dialing sequence. Even Ronon knew that a gate could be rigged to explode that way. He'd never done it himself but he'd seen it done. Heard stories about villages who destroyed several hive ships at a time by setting off a detonation. If done correctly, it allowed the stone to remain standing, a sentinel for all time.
But Ronon had never heard of anyone doing it against other types of intruder. How did they become as bad as the Wraith? When did they become a threat?
A mournful keening song filled the air as John realized that he was never going to get Rodney to answer. In answer to his pain, Ronon gave voice to his own sadness. Not only had they lost two teammates (as close to family as either of them had), they were now trapped on this planet.
This entry was cross posted at dreamwidth - where the cool kids hang out.
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: John, Ronon, Rodney, Teyla
Prompts: luck at stargateland, explosion for dark_bingo, 01. these are the moments (Table 35) for 5_prompts
Word Count: 1110
Rating: R
Warnings: Character Death *weeps*
Summary: There's a second gate on this planet that they stumble upon just at the right moment Ronon feels that something is off but can't express it to John in time.
*whispers*This is dark, right? Please tell me this is dark.
It was just dumb luck that they came across the second stargate on the planet just when they realized that the initial gate was heavily guarded. As always, there was a problem. Or, as Rodney put it as he muttered under his breath, "Guess it's just another Tuesday."
Ronon wasn't sure what a Tuesday was but he agreed whole-heartedly with the sentiment. This always seemed to happen to the team, no matter how innocuous the situation seemed when they set out. It kept life from getting boring, for which he was grateful. Sometimes he needed the constant motion just so he didn't have to remember what he was missing in his life. He had friends, most of them as close as family. He had a beautiful place to live and decent enough food to eat. He could have new clothes to wear so that he looks like everyone else but he clings to the leather and woven cloth that reminds him of Sateda. No matter that he's seen the destruction first hand, he's always hopeful that there is a remnant somewhere. A remnant not worshipping the Wraith, that was.
He doesn't know why he was thinking about Wraith worshippers but it made him suddenly narrow his eyes at the group of men who offered to escort them to the gate in the first place. Why was it that they lived on this planet, not far from this gate, and didn't know that it existed? They'd seemed as surprised as the rest of them to find the Circle of the Ancestors in among these trees.
When he looked around for a good excuse to wander away from the group, he couldn't find anything. It was never easy for him to use his words so he just stood up as straight as possible, trying to look menacing. "I'm going to over there." He waved his hand toward a stand of trees. Normally he might have looked at John for agreement but he didn't bother to look at him this time, as if he didn't care one way or another if John gave his permission. That should have been plenty of signal.
It was a forest like any other than he'd been on while a Runner or with the team from Atlantis. Nothing special. Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was another Tuesday here, too. He'd have to ask Rodney about that later.
"Okay, spill it." John came up behind him, silent over even the leaves on the forest floor. It was freaky how the man moved sometimes. "Why're you being so antsy?"
"Antsy?" But he knew what John was asking. He just didn't want to have this particular conversation so close to the group. They weren't quite far enough away yet so he kept walking, conscious that he was leaving Teyla and Rodney unprotected. "What's antsy?"
"You know what antsy is. It was one of the first words that Rodney tormented you with. What gives?"
He led them through the woods for several more yards before answering. "I don't like this."
"What's there to like?" John was frowning at him, trying to get a read on the situation without having to deal with the few words that Ronon was willing to give him. It tangled up his tongue even more than usual because John had been frowning at him more often lately. He'd been expecting things of him, suddenly demanding that he toe the line. Ronon expected it was because the SGC was making more trips through the gate now that Atlantis had a complete supply of ZPMs.
Still, Ronon couldn't quit being who he was. He'd never been gifted with the ability to explain himself well and it was only made worse by this new presence of men and women who clearly didn't like him.
"John," Rodney yelled. "I think I've figured-"
The force of the explosion rocked the forest - movement beating out sound, wind beating out heat. Ronon saw the deep red of the fire outlining Rodney's body before the man was engulfed in the deep white of hell. His mind couldn't handle the correlation between what he was seeing happening to Rodney and what he remembered happening to Melena, flashing back and forth between the two events so that they melded together, becoming one. The look of horror was evident on both the faces of the people he loved right before the fire ate them.
At first, he thought he was the one yelling but he realized it was John, running forward instead of back away from the burning air. Large chunks of rock and smaller bits of burning debris rained down on them. Even under the protective canopy of trees, Ronon could still feel the sting of spark and ash. John was bearing the brunt of it as he ran forward but he didn't seem to care. Didn't seem to hear Ronon yelling after him.
There was nothing they could do but watch. The fire was eating away at everything that the force of the bomb hadn't obliterated into nothingness. Ronon began running after John as if he could hold the man back from the anguish of the moment. When he fell to the ground, Ronon assumed it was because his legs had given out but he'd found something. Something that Ronon was't sure how to name.
"Rodney? Rodney, talk to me."
The burned husk of a body might have been Rodney but it could have just as easily been one of the guides. Ronon had noticed them moving away from the gate, as if they knew what was coming. Of course, they might have just been wary of Ronon and John slipping away, thinking they needed to get between the two groups to keep a better eye on them. That was doubtful, though. Something had happened when Rodney had started the dialing sequence. Even Ronon knew that a gate could be rigged to explode that way. He'd never done it himself but he'd seen it done. Heard stories about villages who destroyed several hive ships at a time by setting off a detonation. If done correctly, it allowed the stone to remain standing, a sentinel for all time.
But Ronon had never heard of anyone doing it against other types of intruder. How did they become as bad as the Wraith? When did they become a threat?
A mournful keening song filled the air as John realized that he was never going to get Rodney to answer. In answer to his pain, Ronon gave voice to his own sadness. Not only had they lost two teammates (as close to family as either of them had), they were now trapped on this planet.
This entry was cross posted at dreamwidth - where the cool kids hang out.