[Stargate: Drabble] "Flash Flood" [SG-22, G]
Title: Flash Flood
Prompt: writerverse challenge #36 quick fic amnesty (‘bewildered wretches’ “This is your fault” & ‘grouchy’)
Word Count: 592
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: Stargate SG-1 ( SG-22, original characters)
Summary: The thunderstorm was a surprise.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Flash Flood
All of the MALP data and visits by two other teams had described the area around the stargate on PX-890 as an arid desert, and for the first seven hours of SG-22’s mission, the weather had been hot and dry, with a few fluffy clouds overhead.
Which was why the thunderstorm was such a surprise.
Gryff, Toby, Jason and Levi had been documenting some ruins on the currently-uninhabited planet, so that the science teams coming later would have a better idea of what they’d find. They’d done a rough survey map, taken measurements in various locations and were moving on to more-or-less random photography when Levi found the carvings in the wall of a small canyon.
“The geeks’ll want to know about this,” said Jason. “Sorry- anthropologists.”
As he began taking pictures, Toby leaned in for a closer look. “This isn’t just dirt,” he said. “I think this is covered in dried mud.”
“Mud?” Gryff repeated. “But where would this planet get-”
Almost on cue, the skies opened up. Rain pelted down in huge drops, soaking them in seconds, but before the members of SG-22 could move for cover, there was a sudden roar. The tiny stone corridor became a fast-moving river and they were swept along with it. Twice, Gryff was slammed against something softer than the stone walls, but she couldn’t turn fast enough to catch hold of them. It was all she could do to keep her head above water, then suddenly the river widened, slowing enough for Gryff to actually start swimming. She reached the side of the canyon and hauled herself out of the water.
A few yards away, Jason was doing the same- he tottered back to his feet to collapse beside her.
“The others?” he asked.
Gryff shook her head. “I haven’t- no, wait!”
Toby and Levi bobbed to the surface, and they hurried to haul them out of the water. “Okay,” said Toby, when he’d gotten his breath back, shouting to be heard over the continuing storm. “What the hell just happened?”
“Flash flood,” Levi coughed. “The ground was too dry to absorb even a fraction of this rain water, so it had to go somewhere.”
“And it took us with it,” said Jason, then he squinted into the rain. “Can anybody see the ‘gate from here?”
They all shook their heads.
Jason scowled and poked Levi’s shoulder. “This is all your fault,” he said.
“How was I supposed to know there was going to be a flash flood?” Levi protested. “I’m not a meteorologist.”
Gryff used Toby’s shoulder for leverage to get to her feet, boots squelching loudly. She helped Toby up, too, then Jason, who dragged Levi along with him.
“I hate being wet,” Jason whined, sounding more like a kindergartener than a Marine. “My shoes are wet. My socks are wet. My underwear is wet-”
“Do we really need to hear about your underwear?” muttered Toby.
Jason ignored him. “It’s wet, and windy and now we’re going to have to walk all the way back to the ‘gate…”
“We’re all wet,” said Gryff, in her Team Leader voice. “If we want to ever be dry again, we have to get back to the ‘gate. We’ll follow the river- it got us here, so it can get us back. Okay?”
Toby nodded. “Lead the way, Gryff.”
As they started off, Jason fell into step with Levi, reaching out to catch the other man’s arm. “I know it isn’t really your fault, Lee,” he said, softly.
The sociologist smiled. “That’s okay.”
THE END
Current Mood:
dorky
Prompt: writerverse challenge #36 quick fic amnesty (‘bewildered wretches’ “This is your fault” & ‘grouchy’)
Word Count: 592
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: Stargate SG-1 ( SG-22, original characters)
Summary: The thunderstorm was a surprise.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Flash Flood
All of the MALP data and visits by two other teams had described the area around the stargate on PX-890 as an arid desert, and for the first seven hours of SG-22’s mission, the weather had been hot and dry, with a few fluffy clouds overhead.
Which was why the thunderstorm was such a surprise.
Gryff, Toby, Jason and Levi had been documenting some ruins on the currently-uninhabited planet, so that the science teams coming later would have a better idea of what they’d find. They’d done a rough survey map, taken measurements in various locations and were moving on to more-or-less random photography when Levi found the carvings in the wall of a small canyon.
“The geeks’ll want to know about this,” said Jason. “Sorry- anthropologists.”
As he began taking pictures, Toby leaned in for a closer look. “This isn’t just dirt,” he said. “I think this is covered in dried mud.”
“Mud?” Gryff repeated. “But where would this planet get-”
Almost on cue, the skies opened up. Rain pelted down in huge drops, soaking them in seconds, but before the members of SG-22 could move for cover, there was a sudden roar. The tiny stone corridor became a fast-moving river and they were swept along with it. Twice, Gryff was slammed against something softer than the stone walls, but she couldn’t turn fast enough to catch hold of them. It was all she could do to keep her head above water, then suddenly the river widened, slowing enough for Gryff to actually start swimming. She reached the side of the canyon and hauled herself out of the water.
A few yards away, Jason was doing the same- he tottered back to his feet to collapse beside her.
“The others?” he asked.
Gryff shook her head. “I haven’t- no, wait!”
Toby and Levi bobbed to the surface, and they hurried to haul them out of the water. “Okay,” said Toby, when he’d gotten his breath back, shouting to be heard over the continuing storm. “What the hell just happened?”
“Flash flood,” Levi coughed. “The ground was too dry to absorb even a fraction of this rain water, so it had to go somewhere.”
“And it took us with it,” said Jason, then he squinted into the rain. “Can anybody see the ‘gate from here?”
They all shook their heads.
Jason scowled and poked Levi’s shoulder. “This is all your fault,” he said.
“How was I supposed to know there was going to be a flash flood?” Levi protested. “I’m not a meteorologist.”
Gryff used Toby’s shoulder for leverage to get to her feet, boots squelching loudly. She helped Toby up, too, then Jason, who dragged Levi along with him.
“I hate being wet,” Jason whined, sounding more like a kindergartener than a Marine. “My shoes are wet. My socks are wet. My underwear is wet-”
“Do we really need to hear about your underwear?” muttered Toby.
Jason ignored him. “It’s wet, and windy and now we’re going to have to walk all the way back to the ‘gate…”
“We’re all wet,” said Gryff, in her Team Leader voice. “If we want to ever be dry again, we have to get back to the ‘gate. We’ll follow the river- it got us here, so it can get us back. Okay?”
Toby nodded. “Lead the way, Gryff.”
As they started off, Jason fell into step with Levi, reaching out to catch the other man’s arm. “I know it isn’t really your fault, Lee,” he said, softly.
The sociologist smiled. “That’s okay.”
THE END
Current Mood:
dorky