FIRE FROM THE ROCK

By Enola Jones

Written for the "Last Fanfiction Writer Standing" prompt: "science must cause an injury."

It looked like any other ruined Ancient outpost on any number of backwater planets. This planet had been culled to death – literally – and the freakish quiet was unnerving.

They had decided, since it was such lovely weather, to walk the klick or so from from the clearing they had set the Jumper down in to the ruins. They were remaining together – because no matter how beautiful it was, or how deserted it was, trouble had a way of finding them.

"Anything?" John asked.

Rodney shook his head. "No energy readings. Ruins are as dead as the rest of the planet."

"Then why are we here?" John asked.

"Hello?" Rodney responded. "Ancient outpost? Dead world or not, it's still here! Even if it is just a ruin."

"They are magnificent, though," Teyla breathed, stepping forward.

Ronon nodded. "They remind me of the meditation gardens on Thrantak." Three heads turned to him with looks of disbelief, and he smiled. "Never partook, but they were beautiful."

"Of course," Teyla said, shaking her head fondly as the others grinned. She returned her attention to the ruins. "They are quite lovely even in disrepair. The Ancestors seemed to have taken great pains to make things as beautiful as they are powerful."

"Well, of course," John said. "Just look at Atlantis."

"And the Wraith, even." Now, Rodney was on the receiving end of three looks of shocked disbelief. "Oh, come on! Ugly as they are, you can't tell me you honestly haven't noticed they move with a dancer's grace!"

Teyla nodded. "They do," she admitted, moving closer to the ruins. "I do wonder what this building held at one---"

Her hip brushed one of the boulders as she stepped closer. Brilliant light flared from her hip and exited from her opposite shoulder. There was no time even to scream as the light vanished and Teyla crumpled to the ground.

"Teyla!" the others screamed and raced toward her. John and Ronon dragged her away from the boulder and Rodney threw a rock to hit it. Light sheared the rock in two.

"It's a booby-trap!" Rodney hissed. "Electrical discharge! It's like she's been hit by lightning!"

"She's not breathing and there's no pulse!" John gasped. Ronon began chest compressions and John breathed for Teyla while Rodney bolted off.

Minutes – or hours – later, Ronon reported, "I've got a heartbeat!" Teyla drew in a breath on her own a few moments later.

The Jumper suddenly soared over their heads, balancing precariously between them and the ruins as the hatch lowered and Rodney called, "There's a medical team waiting in the Gateroom! How is she?"

"Alive," John said as Ronon clambered into the Jumper. He lifted Teyla up to him, then climbed in himself. "Get us home, Rodney!"

"Hold on." Rodney guided the Jumper up about half a mile, turning it toward the ruins.

Three drones later, the ruins were obliterated and the Jumper soared gracefully through the Gate, bearing the injured woman home to heal.

THE END




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