COURSE OF ACTION BY TO BE REVEALED [LFWS #4 ROUND 2]
Title: COURSE OF ACTION
Author: To be revealed
Rating: PG/kids 8 and up
Spoilers: N/A
Genre(s): Action/Danger
Character(s): Sheppard, Teyla, McKay, Ronon. OC’s: Ardim and Liana
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Prompt for the Round: The fic must be centered around the known basic conflict of Man vs Nature.
COURSE OF ACTION by TO BE REVEALED
McKay had volunteered to go on the tour, neither he nor Sheppard expecting the foul weather that had rolled in. It had been raining for fifteen minutes. Ronon and Teyla were at the main house, helping to organize the medicine and supplies they had brought. Standing in the orchard, they heard a terror-filled call.
“A turner! A turner!” the workman yelled.
Sheppard and Rodney looked at their host, Ardim, both pairs of eyebrows raised.
Ardim explained, “Follow me. It’s a weather phenomenon. A rotating column of air, funnel shaped-“
“-Yes, yes, a tornado,” Rodney finished for him as they broke into a run.
“A tornado?” John repeated, “Ardim, do you have a shelter?”
“Not here. Must run back . Near main house.” Ardim panted. Sheppard kept pace with their host, Rodney only footfalls behind him.
The rain and wind had picked up. Workers and residents ran ahead of them. John had not realized how far away from the main house they were. After a few minutes at a dead run, he saw two sets of doors for the big shelter open from the ground. Men, women, and children were helped inside.
Ardim began to slow and John put a hand on the man’s shoulder, pushing him ahead. Marble-sized hail began pelting down, stinging John’s exposed flesh. He heard Rodney cursing. Looking steadily at Ardim’s back, John kept shoving the man forward. Lightning struck and thunder clapped.
“John!” Rodney called and Sheppard turned back to see his friend dashing away.
“What are you . . . ?” As the question formed, he saw the answer. A girl huddled under a tree, hugging it for safety. John stopped in his tracks. He was feet from the shelter and yards away from Rodney, who was half again as far from the child. The menacing, gray funnel was tearing up a row of trees.
“We cannot wait for them.” Ardim advised him.
“They’ll die out here!” John turned to the man. “We’ve got to help!”
Ardim stood alone at the entry of the shelter. “We cannot. Please, please do not risk your life without need.”
“Are my people down there?”
“Right here,” Ronon said, his head popping into view.
“I, too, am here.” Teyla had joined Ronon.
The funnel cloud whirled closer. Thunder and lightning flickered and sounded again. The wind blew fiercely, and hail bounced on the slippery grass. John saw that Rodney had reached the youngster and started back.
Sheppard ran, Teyla and Ronon on his heels.
“We are completely crazy,” Ronon said, humor in his voice.
“Admittedly, this is not the wisest course of action.” Teyla agreed, keeping pace with the other two.
The trio met Rodney, and Ronon took the terrified child. John gave McKay a shove toward the shelter. They saw the shelter doors ahead and heard the howl of the storm behind.
“Not gonna make it!” Ronon warned, stopping at a long, horizontal pipe jutting out of the ground. “Grab and hold on!”
Ronon dropped to the ground, the girl on top of his right arm, his body protecting her, and his left arm hooked around the pipe. John dropped beside him, with Rodney sliding down beside him and Teyla on the end.
“I’m going to die!” the child screamed.
Ronon asked, “What’s your name?”
“Liana. We’re going to die, I know it!”
“My name is Ronon, and Liana, you’ll be fine.”
John turned his head to see the tornado practically on top of them. He closed his eyes to the weather, unable to hear anything other than the storm. His legs left the ground. Both arms hurt from his effort to stay earthbound, but he refused to let go. John thought he heard a scream but whether it was Liana or the storm, he did not know. Water entered his nose, ears and mouth, making him fight to breathe without choking.
Moments later, John’s legs dropped, and the storm let up. Experimentally, he opened his eyes, feeling none the worse for wear. Ronon was helping Liana to her feet. Teyla had risen and Rodney was checking to ensure he was still in one piece.
Liana strode over to Rodney and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. You saved my life.”
“No, um, no problem.” Rodney said, finally standing.
“You helped me, too.” Liana hugged Ronon.
Ronon squatted to the girl’s level and smiled. “It was a pretty wild ride, huh?”
“Everybody okay?” John had to be sure.
“I look worse than I feel.” Teyla confided, followed by mutterings of agreement from her teammates. All were soaked, disheveled and mud covered.
“Good.” John looked for the tree where Liana had been, but he couldn’t find it. Most of the nearby trees were demolished. The main house had avoided the wrath of the twister. Shelter doors opened, and Ardim was among the first to exit.
He greeted Sheppard and the team on the steps of the great house, “We owe you our gratitude.”
“We were happy to do it,” Sheppard assured him.
“Not that happy,” Rodney argued, squeezing water from his shirt.
“I can certainly assure you that we will be glad to trade with you.” Ardim bowed to the team, who followed him into the house to cement the new friendship.
The End
Author: To be revealed
Rating: PG/kids 8 and up
Spoilers: N/A
Genre(s): Action/Danger
Character(s): Sheppard, Teyla, McKay, Ronon. OC’s: Ardim and Liana
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Prompt for the Round: The fic must be centered around the known basic conflict of Man vs Nature.
COURSE OF ACTION by TO BE REVEALED
McKay had volunteered to go on the tour, neither he nor Sheppard expecting the foul weather that had rolled in. It had been raining for fifteen minutes. Ronon and Teyla were at the main house, helping to organize the medicine and supplies they had brought. Standing in the orchard, they heard a terror-filled call.
“A turner! A turner!” the workman yelled.
Sheppard and Rodney looked at their host, Ardim, both pairs of eyebrows raised.
Ardim explained, “Follow me. It’s a weather phenomenon. A rotating column of air, funnel shaped-“
“-Yes, yes, a tornado,” Rodney finished for him as they broke into a run.
“A tornado?” John repeated, “Ardim, do you have a shelter?”
“Not here. Must run back . Near main house.” Ardim panted. Sheppard kept pace with their host, Rodney only footfalls behind him.
The rain and wind had picked up. Workers and residents ran ahead of them. John had not realized how far away from the main house they were. After a few minutes at a dead run, he saw two sets of doors for the big shelter open from the ground. Men, women, and children were helped inside.
Ardim began to slow and John put a hand on the man’s shoulder, pushing him ahead. Marble-sized hail began pelting down, stinging John’s exposed flesh. He heard Rodney cursing. Looking steadily at Ardim’s back, John kept shoving the man forward. Lightning struck and thunder clapped.
“John!” Rodney called and Sheppard turned back to see his friend dashing away.
“What are you . . . ?” As the question formed, he saw the answer. A girl huddled under a tree, hugging it for safety. John stopped in his tracks. He was feet from the shelter and yards away from Rodney, who was half again as far from the child. The menacing, gray funnel was tearing up a row of trees.
“We cannot wait for them.” Ardim advised him.
“They’ll die out here!” John turned to the man. “We’ve got to help!”
Ardim stood alone at the entry of the shelter. “We cannot. Please, please do not risk your life without need.”
“Are my people down there?”
“Right here,” Ronon said, his head popping into view.
“I, too, am here.” Teyla had joined Ronon.
The funnel cloud whirled closer. Thunder and lightning flickered and sounded again. The wind blew fiercely, and hail bounced on the slippery grass. John saw that Rodney had reached the youngster and started back.
Sheppard ran, Teyla and Ronon on his heels.
“We are completely crazy,” Ronon said, humor in his voice.
“Admittedly, this is not the wisest course of action.” Teyla agreed, keeping pace with the other two.
The trio met Rodney, and Ronon took the terrified child. John gave McKay a shove toward the shelter. They saw the shelter doors ahead and heard the howl of the storm behind.
“Not gonna make it!” Ronon warned, stopping at a long, horizontal pipe jutting out of the ground. “Grab and hold on!”
Ronon dropped to the ground, the girl on top of his right arm, his body protecting her, and his left arm hooked around the pipe. John dropped beside him, with Rodney sliding down beside him and Teyla on the end.
“I’m going to die!” the child screamed.
Ronon asked, “What’s your name?”
“Liana. We’re going to die, I know it!”
“My name is Ronon, and Liana, you’ll be fine.”
John turned his head to see the tornado practically on top of them. He closed his eyes to the weather, unable to hear anything other than the storm. His legs left the ground. Both arms hurt from his effort to stay earthbound, but he refused to let go. John thought he heard a scream but whether it was Liana or the storm, he did not know. Water entered his nose, ears and mouth, making him fight to breathe without choking.
Moments later, John’s legs dropped, and the storm let up. Experimentally, he opened his eyes, feeling none the worse for wear. Ronon was helping Liana to her feet. Teyla had risen and Rodney was checking to ensure he was still in one piece.
Liana strode over to Rodney and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. You saved my life.”
“No, um, no problem.” Rodney said, finally standing.
“You helped me, too.” Liana hugged Ronon.
Ronon squatted to the girl’s level and smiled. “It was a pretty wild ride, huh?”
“Everybody okay?” John had to be sure.
“I look worse than I feel.” Teyla confided, followed by mutterings of agreement from her teammates. All were soaked, disheveled and mud covered.
“Good.” John looked for the tree where Liana had been, but he couldn’t find it. Most of the nearby trees were demolished. The main house had avoided the wrath of the twister. Shelter doors opened, and Ardim was among the first to exit.
He greeted Sheppard and the team on the steps of the great house, “We owe you our gratitude.”
“We were happy to do it,” Sheppard assured him.
“Not that happy,” Rodney argued, squeezing water from his shirt.
“I can certainly assure you that we will be glad to trade with you.” Ardim bowed to the team, who followed him into the house to cement the new friendship.
The End