LETTING GO BY wildcat88 [LFWS #2 ROUND 9]
Title: Letting Go
Author: wildcat88
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: None
Prompt for the Round: Write any story you want, with any characters plus the whole team, but it must end in a cliffhanger.
LETTING GO by wildcat88
“We’re never going to hear the end of this,” Rodney muttered as he zipped his jacket collar up to his ears, shuddering when the bitter wind knifed through him. “Woolsey’s going to make us send a MALP from now on.”
Ronon folded his arms and glared. “You said there’d be a beach.”
“I didn’t say it; the database did,” Rodney protested.
Sheppard rubbed his hands together briskly. “The database that hasn’t been updated in ten thousand years?”
“Perhaps our time would be better spent finding a way home rather than laying blame,” Teyla suggested.
“What are you… Aw, son of a bitch.” Rodney turned in a tight circle. “No DHD. Perfect.”
“Are we on the right planet?” Sheppard asked.
“Damned if I know. I didn’t dial.” Rodney pulled a life signs detector and jabbed at it. “I hate the cold.” He blew on his fingers and tried again.
Nobody within twenty kilometers.
“How can you hate the cold? You’re from Canada.” Sheppard frowned as he scanned the horizon. “Storm’s coming.”
Rodney exchanged the detector for a scanner. “What does being from Canada have to do with liking the cold? I didn’t grow up outside. We had a house with heat and everything. I like warm, dry places that don’t make my fingers or brain numb.” He poked the scanner viciously. “Oh, hello.”
“Well?” Ronon prompted.
Rodney adjusted the settings, checking and rechecking the readings, stunned at the results.
“Is something wrong, Rodney?” Teyla asked.
“Um, I, oh, my God…”
“McKay!” Sheppard hissed, his P-90 at ready. “What is it?”
Rodney couldn’t keep the goofy grin off his face. “ZPMs.”
Sheppard lowered the P-90 with a huff, but leaned to peer over Rodney’s shoulder. “ZPMs? Plural?”
“Yeah. Based on these levels, three, maybe four.”
“We should check it out,” Ronon said, staring at the growing clouds. “Definitely a storm and we’ve got no shelter.”
“Atlantis will not miss us for several hours.” Teyla shivered and rubbed her arms. “How far is it?”
“About five kilometers…” Rodney fine-tuned the scanner and pointed. “That way.”
The hike - and it was definitely a hike, no matter what Ronon said - was arduous. The cold seeped through Rodney’s uniform and shoes, while the rocky ground seemed determined to make him twist an ankle. Every time he opened his mouth to complain, Sheppard sing-songed, “ZPMs.”
The bastard.
“McKay,” Sheppard snapped.
Rodney whipped his head up from studying his scanner and gaped slack-jawed at the gorge ahead.
Teyla paced the rim. “Here.” She gestured toward a metal contraption with rope hanging out of it. “A pulley system. Someone must live nearby.”
“Oh, hell no. I am not crossing in that.”
Sheppard crouched to examine the pulley. “This was your idea, McKay.”
“No, it wasn’t. It was Ronon’s.”
“My people use systems like this all the time,” Teyla said. “I will cross first and send the harness back.”
Rodney peeked into the gorge where a river thundered twenty-five meters below. Dizzy, he stepped back and eyed the approaching storm. They had two hours at most. With no shelter, they’d freeze to death before Atlantis found them, if they were on the right planet.
“Okay.”
Sheppard blinked at him. “Really?”
“Yes.” Rodney wiped sweat from his face. “Hurry before I change my mind.”
Unable to watch Teyla shimmy across, Rodney turned away and recited prime numbers backward from a million.
“You don’t have to do this,” Sheppard said.
“The ZPMs have to be powering something, maybe an outpost or someplace warm. Plus, if we’re on the wrong planet, it might be our only way home.”
“Who’s next?” Ronon asked.
“Already? Oh, God,” Rodney moaned. “Me.”
Rodney climbed into the thin leather contraption, sitting back carefully. When it held his weight, he gave Ronon a shaky nod.
Sheppard walked him to the edge of the gorge and patted his shoulder. “You’ll do fine.”
Ronon pulled the rope and the pulley squeaked as Rodney swung into the open. He grasped the wires and pressed his forehead against the top bar. The harness jerked forward again then stopped. The wires vibrated in his hands. Rodney’s eyes flew open when the rope dipped and bounced.
Sheppard was crawling out to him.
“Are you insane?”
“Easy, McKay. Something’s stuck. I’m gonna…” Sheppard’s face drained of color. “Give me your hand. I’m pulling you back.”
Rodney’s heartbeat hammered in his ears. “What’s wrong?”
“The rope.” Sheppard nodded ahead. “It’s unraveling.”
“I’m gonna die.”
“Not today you aren’t.”
Rodney held out his arm and Sheppard caught it in an iron grip then slowly backed toward Ronon.
The pulley creaked.
The rope trembled.
Then Rodney was in freefall, flailing wildly. He wrapped his arms around something solid and howled when he slammed into rock.
“McKay.”
He opened his eyes and found himself clinging to Sheppard’s leg. Rodney kicked frantically, trying to find purchase on smooth stone. “Help me!”
“Rodney.”
Ronon's quiet desperation broke through Rodney’s blind panic. Rodney stopped kicking and tilted his head back, flinching when something wet splashed on his face. The next droplet, fat and red, landed on his arm.
“Ronon?”
“Hang on.”
Ronon’s voice was hoarse with pain. Rodney stretched enough to spot him hanging off the side of the canyon with one hand gripping something up top. Sheppard was dangling unconscious in Ronon’s other hand, blood dripping from a gash in his forehead. Ronon strained to pull both of them up, veins and tendons popping, and he roared as his shoulder slowly began to dislocate.
They bounced when Ronon’s grip on Sheppard slid from forearm to wrist. They were out of time. Sheppard had climbed out there to save Rodney’s life.
Now it was Rodney’s turn.
His usual jumble of thoughts narrowed down to one. “Madison’s birthday present is in my quarters. Make sure it gets on the Daedalus.”
Ronon’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare.”
“We’ll all fall if I don’t. I can swim. Maybe I’ll land in the water.” Rodney swallowed thickly. “You’ll come for me, right?”
Ronon’s grip on Sheppard slipped again.
Teyla’s shouts echoed in the gorge.
“Rodney,” Ronon whispered. “Don’t.”
Rodney smiled.
Closed his eyes.
And let go.
Don’t forget to leave ONLY FEEDBACK in the comments and NOT VOTES. All comments will be screened until the voting closes.
Author: wildcat88
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: None
Prompt for the Round: Write any story you want, with any characters plus the whole team, but it must end in a cliffhanger.
LETTING GO by wildcat88
“We’re never going to hear the end of this,” Rodney muttered as he zipped his jacket collar up to his ears, shuddering when the bitter wind knifed through him. “Woolsey’s going to make us send a MALP from now on.”
Ronon folded his arms and glared. “You said there’d be a beach.”
“I didn’t say it; the database did,” Rodney protested.
Sheppard rubbed his hands together briskly. “The database that hasn’t been updated in ten thousand years?”
“Perhaps our time would be better spent finding a way home rather than laying blame,” Teyla suggested.
“What are you… Aw, son of a bitch.” Rodney turned in a tight circle. “No DHD. Perfect.”
“Are we on the right planet?” Sheppard asked.
“Damned if I know. I didn’t dial.” Rodney pulled a life signs detector and jabbed at it. “I hate the cold.” He blew on his fingers and tried again.
Nobody within twenty kilometers.
“How can you hate the cold? You’re from Canada.” Sheppard frowned as he scanned the horizon. “Storm’s coming.”
Rodney exchanged the detector for a scanner. “What does being from Canada have to do with liking the cold? I didn’t grow up outside. We had a house with heat and everything. I like warm, dry places that don’t make my fingers or brain numb.” He poked the scanner viciously. “Oh, hello.”
“Well?” Ronon prompted.
Rodney adjusted the settings, checking and rechecking the readings, stunned at the results.
“Is something wrong, Rodney?” Teyla asked.
“Um, I, oh, my God…”
“McKay!” Sheppard hissed, his P-90 at ready. “What is it?”
Rodney couldn’t keep the goofy grin off his face. “ZPMs.”
Sheppard lowered the P-90 with a huff, but leaned to peer over Rodney’s shoulder. “ZPMs? Plural?”
“Yeah. Based on these levels, three, maybe four.”
“We should check it out,” Ronon said, staring at the growing clouds. “Definitely a storm and we’ve got no shelter.”
“Atlantis will not miss us for several hours.” Teyla shivered and rubbed her arms. “How far is it?”
“About five kilometers…” Rodney fine-tuned the scanner and pointed. “That way.”
The hike - and it was definitely a hike, no matter what Ronon said - was arduous. The cold seeped through Rodney’s uniform and shoes, while the rocky ground seemed determined to make him twist an ankle. Every time he opened his mouth to complain, Sheppard sing-songed, “ZPMs.”
The bastard.
“McKay,” Sheppard snapped.
Rodney whipped his head up from studying his scanner and gaped slack-jawed at the gorge ahead.
Teyla paced the rim. “Here.” She gestured toward a metal contraption with rope hanging out of it. “A pulley system. Someone must live nearby.”
“Oh, hell no. I am not crossing in that.”
Sheppard crouched to examine the pulley. “This was your idea, McKay.”
“No, it wasn’t. It was Ronon’s.”
“My people use systems like this all the time,” Teyla said. “I will cross first and send the harness back.”
Rodney peeked into the gorge where a river thundered twenty-five meters below. Dizzy, he stepped back and eyed the approaching storm. They had two hours at most. With no shelter, they’d freeze to death before Atlantis found them, if they were on the right planet.
“Okay.”
Sheppard blinked at him. “Really?”
“Yes.” Rodney wiped sweat from his face. “Hurry before I change my mind.”
Unable to watch Teyla shimmy across, Rodney turned away and recited prime numbers backward from a million.
“You don’t have to do this,” Sheppard said.
“The ZPMs have to be powering something, maybe an outpost or someplace warm. Plus, if we’re on the wrong planet, it might be our only way home.”
“Who’s next?” Ronon asked.
“Already? Oh, God,” Rodney moaned. “Me.”
Rodney climbed into the thin leather contraption, sitting back carefully. When it held his weight, he gave Ronon a shaky nod.
Sheppard walked him to the edge of the gorge and patted his shoulder. “You’ll do fine.”
Ronon pulled the rope and the pulley squeaked as Rodney swung into the open. He grasped the wires and pressed his forehead against the top bar. The harness jerked forward again then stopped. The wires vibrated in his hands. Rodney’s eyes flew open when the rope dipped and bounced.
Sheppard was crawling out to him.
“Are you insane?”
“Easy, McKay. Something’s stuck. I’m gonna…” Sheppard’s face drained of color. “Give me your hand. I’m pulling you back.”
Rodney’s heartbeat hammered in his ears. “What’s wrong?”
“The rope.” Sheppard nodded ahead. “It’s unraveling.”
“I’m gonna die.”
“Not today you aren’t.”
Rodney held out his arm and Sheppard caught it in an iron grip then slowly backed toward Ronon.
The pulley creaked.
The rope trembled.
Then Rodney was in freefall, flailing wildly. He wrapped his arms around something solid and howled when he slammed into rock.
“McKay.”
He opened his eyes and found himself clinging to Sheppard’s leg. Rodney kicked frantically, trying to find purchase on smooth stone. “Help me!”
“Rodney.”
Ronon's quiet desperation broke through Rodney’s blind panic. Rodney stopped kicking and tilted his head back, flinching when something wet splashed on his face. The next droplet, fat and red, landed on his arm.
“Ronon?”
“Hang on.”
Ronon’s voice was hoarse with pain. Rodney stretched enough to spot him hanging off the side of the canyon with one hand gripping something up top. Sheppard was dangling unconscious in Ronon’s other hand, blood dripping from a gash in his forehead. Ronon strained to pull both of them up, veins and tendons popping, and he roared as his shoulder slowly began to dislocate.
They bounced when Ronon’s grip on Sheppard slid from forearm to wrist. They were out of time. Sheppard had climbed out there to save Rodney’s life.
Now it was Rodney’s turn.
His usual jumble of thoughts narrowed down to one. “Madison’s birthday present is in my quarters. Make sure it gets on the Daedalus.”
Ronon’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare.”
“We’ll all fall if I don’t. I can swim. Maybe I’ll land in the water.” Rodney swallowed thickly. “You’ll come for me, right?”
Ronon’s grip on Sheppard slipped again.
Teyla’s shouts echoed in the gorge.
“Rodney,” Ronon whispered. “Don’t.”
Rodney smiled.
Closed his eyes.
And let go.
Don’t forget to leave ONLY FEEDBACK in the comments and NOT VOTES. All comments will be screened until the voting closes.