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Entry tags:
fic: SG: Atlantis, Even in the Darkness, Teyla, PG
Disclaimer: Not mine
Genre: gen, angst, post-apocalyptic
Length: 5.600 +
Rating: PG, mostly, some violence
Character: Teyla Emmagen
Set: sometime during season three of Atlantis and season ten of SG-1 (before the Road not Taken, at the least)
Notes: I have rather stolen the house on Allen Road quite wholly from Doctor Who, but there's little to no Doctor Who in this, so it's not exactly a true crossover. The house, after all, is merely a concept that whores itself out when needed. *coughs* Much thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
karma_aster for commentary, names, and not disowning me.
This is part of the 12 Days of Teyla, at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
teylafen. It's day four, but I'm early by 20 minutes.
Summary: Teyla has only herself to rely upon when the unthinkable occurs.
Even in the Darkness
by ALC Punk!
There is a house on Allen Road, and Teyla Emmagan is there. She's not exactly sure how the house is still standing (she knows how she got here--she walked), not after the bombs that have fallen and the destruction that has (probably) reduced ninety-percent of the cities of Earth to merely rubble and ashes.
She takes what she can get, though. Most of the places she's seen are falls of rock and wood. An intact building is almost a god-send, if she believed in the deities of Earth.
The front door is unlocked, and she steps into what John would probably have called a rustic foyer, if he were trying to annoy Rodney with his obtuseness. It feels nice after walking what feels like forever. Her paranoid side is warning her that being in a place the soldiers might search could get her caught, but her practical side is telling her that allowing herself a rest is essential. She can't continue at this pace without a pause, or it will kill her as surely as the Ori will.
Locking the door seems pointless and she merely closes it. Standing, she lets her eyes adjust to the meager light--her flashlight or a candle would draw attention, and if she's going to take her moment of peace, she'll do it without interruption.
When Stargate Command had asked for her team to come back to Earth, recalling almost the entire Atlantis Expedition along the way, Teyla had come for what she had thought would be a short debriefing. The skeleton crew they'd left on Atlantis would eventually need relief, and she wasn't entirely comfortable on Earth. It was a nice enough planet, but the Pegasus galaxy was her home.
The visit had turned into a political war even before the Ori descended upon the planet--congress didn't want them to return, certain they needed the resources and capabilities of the Atlantis teams more. Once the Ori appeared in the skies, it had turned into a battle for the survival of the tau'ri--the stargate had been used to evacuate many. Those they couldn't shift through the gate were sent to the fleet that the SGC had build over the years. Teyla had earned a place on the Daedalus, hoping to return home and bring reinforcements.
Unfortunately, the ship had been little match for the armada surrounding the planet. Explosions filling the bridge and the viewscreens were the last thing Teyla had seen before the resident Asgard had enacted a security protocol and beamed all of them back to the planet. She wasn't sure where it was she'd landed, but none of the others had arrived with her. With no weapons, save the knife on her belt and no supplies, she'd eyed the sun and picked a direction, hiking until she'd reached a town.
The town had already been cleansed by the Ori, leaving nothing behind but broken buildings and an emptiness that should have been filled with people. Laughing, arguing, living. Teyla searched, gathering what she could use and leaving what she couldn't.
Her instincts told her staying in the deserted town would be risking attracting the attention of the Ori. She wasn't ready yet to take their war to them--futile though it would be, without her team to back her up.
Being alone was strange, after living with her people, and then in Atlantis with the descendants of the ancestors. Being surrounded by her teammates had gotten her used to people asking her about her day, joking with her, just simply being there. And Elizabeth Weir. Discovering a woman who could understand her and be her friend in such a way had been wonderful.
Walking through the wasteland that had been Earth, Teyla felt the ache of their loss bite deep.
Now, she understood more Ronon's stillness. Even after two years, he hadn't been used to people surrounding him, as she had.
The kitchen is a simple matter to find, and her hands touch a counter that is not covered in dust as it should be. The thought occurs to her that the house may be inhabited. Her fingers close on the knife at the small of her back.
If she listens, there's almost nothing to hear--the wind in the trees, the careful movements of a house that is older than time (though she doesn't know that). It is alien, to her, that latter sound. The Athosians lived in huts, tents, places that were easily packed and moved when the Wraith appeared. Houses with multiple stories and basements full of old clothes and rotting caskets of wine are new. As Atlantis was new, once upon a time.
Something scrapes outside the window, and she moves until she can see through it without presenting a target. There's a tree, branches splayed everywhere, one of which bumps up against the loose shutter.
Letting out a breath, she considers relaxing.
She doesn't.
It takes longer than she'd like it to, but she searches the house, starting with the ground floor and only tripping over one piece of furniture in the muddy darkness. She can see vague shapes and feel her way around things that aren't quite visible. The light must come from the stars and the moon outside, though she is only mildly convinced of this. It's a directionless, ambient light that reminds her of Atlantis. Although the consideration that the house she's in could be a piece of Ancient technology is laughable.
On the second floor, she finds a cat sleeping in the middle of a small bed. The room it's in is easily defended, and the window opens outwards, with a trellis that looks sturdy enough to climb down, should she need it.
"Surely, you are not alone in this world," she murmurs to the cat, stroking its soft fur.
A purr is her only answer, but she can tell that the cat is cared-for. Someone will return to this house, and possibly soon, to make certain the animal is fed.
The attic contains little more than dust and someone else's memories. Cobwebs litter the air, and the dust on the treads shows no recent prints, save a few that are clearly animal in nature. She half-smiles, imagining the trouble the cat might be in, scampering up and down the attic stairs, looking for mice.
Perhaps her supposition was incorrect and the cat is merely subsisting on what it can, living off the land.
But the rest of the house is, if not uncluttered, at least tidy. Someone has been keeping it that way, and it certainly isn't the soldiers of the Ori.
Teyla moves back down to the kitchen, checking her supplies and slipping her knife back into its place. It's a gamble, but for the rest of the night, she will stay here.
A search of the cupboards gives her more provisions--quite a few of the MREs that Sheppard loathed, and energy bars that will probably taste like cardboard. Rummaging through the drawers near the sink, she finds a map and a compass, both feel worn with age and considers a moment before adding them to her growing pile on the table. The kitchen is too dark to read the map and it will wait until morning for her. The compass will be useful, either way.
A store of matches and a few more useful implements go into her pack before she closes it, tucking the map and compass into a side-pocket.
Three drawers of teabags bring back sharp memories of sharing tea with Elizabeth in the afternoons. Usually, it was she who interrupted Elizabeth's never-ending stacks of paperwork. On occasion, it was Elizabeth who found Teyla.
She needs to return home, if only so she can feel less alone--the thought that Elizabeth is probably dead, killed either at the SGC or on Earth is not comforting.
If she can find her location, she can make her way back to the SGC. She expects to find little there, but it is a starting point. Her throat closes, and her mind attempts to remind her that she is alone and friendless, and the people she trusts, her team, are gone. Gone forever. Elizabeth will never look confused when she arrives with a pot of tea, Rodney will never be humble for an instant before his arrogance resurfaces, John will never come up with a crazy plan, and Ronon... Ronon will never watch her back again. There are others, so many others crowding her mind suddenly that she feels almost weighted down by them all.
Teyla sits, head bowed as she wrestles with her emotions. The grief is over-whelming, even as part of her refuses to believe it. This is her team and they have survived certain death far too many times for her to allow all hope to die within her.
A sound causes her to spin, and she feels guilty to have allowed herself these emotions while she is in constant danger before she recognizes the cat as it saunters into the kitchen.
The warm weight of the creature lands on the table and leans up against her outstretched hand, purring. Teyla allows herself to become lost in stroking the soft fur until her stomach reminds her it has been too long since she last ate. Leaving the cat to fend for itself, she opens one of the heavier cans of stew.
It's not the most appetizing meal she's had, but it at least won't kill her.
The cat takes advantage of her lax housekeeping and licks the top clean before plaintively crying until Teyla breaks down and shares a bit of the gravy and meat with it.
Exhaustion weights her shoulders down until she realizes she's fallen asleep on the table. Dragging herself up, she sets the can and top in the sink and grabs her nap sack before making her way up the stairs to a random room. She has enough of a brain to slide a chair under the doorknob before she tumbles into the blankets.
Teyla barely registers the movement of the bed as the cat joins her, settling at her back, a small lump of heat.
-=-
With the light of morning comes birdsong, an incongruity that pulls her from the tangle of blankets and feline to stare out the partially-opened window. She supposes, as she watches the birds flock and flirt in the bushes and birdbath, that even with the humans gone, the animals of the planet will survive.
She's surprised to find running water when she checks the taps out of habit. A quick wash feels like heaven. A shower would be even better, but it's a risk she doesn't feel like taking--as much as she would be amused at fighting someone in nothing but her skin, she has no need to prove herself thus. The cat gives her a disapproving look when she leaves the bathroom with only her shirt changed.
Ignoring the cat, Teyla makes her way back to the kitchen. Comfortingly, the can and top are still in the sink where she left them, the can opener still on the table, as well. She clears the implement and then retrieves the map she'd found, spreading it and running her fingers over the colored lines and words until she finds the small black star, with the notation telling her it is Allen Road. The sign on the gate had said as much, and she wonders if it's accurate.
Her finger finds the town she raided three days before, and her mind uses the map legend to calculate how far she must be from it--with the sun and the sky to guide her, she's been headed in generally the same direction since she began.
Allen Road is where it says it should be, more or less.
The map also tells her that she is in Great Britain. England, John had once mentioned it. Teyla hasn't spent time memorizing the globe of Earth or even most of the large countries, but she knows that England is nowhere near Colorado Springs.
The enormity of the distance she will have to travel takes her breath away, and she sits down on the chair again, almost overwhelmed.
John would have come up with some crazy plan to steal an Ori ship and travel the distance with ease, Elizabeth would have shot him down until there was no other option. The thought cuts and she swallows, reaching for the flask she found in the cupboard. A sip of the potent-smelling alcohol burns down her throat, obliterating the pain for an instant.
Practicality shoves the rest of it away, and she straightens. The idea has merit. An Ori ship would be an easy thing to steal, given that the Ori and their soldiers believe Earth to be conquered. Her plan will be somewhat simpler than anything Sheppard has ever devised, however. A slight smile touches her lips, knowing he would be amused at her mockery.
Breakfast is another can of something rather unappetizing and she gives most of it to the cat before making one last search for anything else useful.
There is another town within half a day's walk, if her calculations are correct. It looks large enough to still have an Ori presence, if only so they can gloat as they clean up after the unbelievers. Teyla folds the map and tucks it away.
Pack over her shoulders, she leaves by the back door, bemusedly bidding the cat farewell as she walks into the sunlight in the garden. A surreal quality affects the light as it falls around her, and as she reaches the edge of the lawn, she has a curious feeling--as though she's leaving something behind that she shouldn't. Glancing back, Teyla stiffens at the sight of a light in one of the windows.
The light flickers out and she turns, heading into the trees which surround the backyard of the house on Allen Road.
Once in the tree-line, she checks the house again, but sees no one and nothing coming from it.
She might not be safe, if the Priors' troops have found the place, and so she hurries deeper into the woods and further from the house. After an hour, the weather begins to shift, and the rain begins. It's not a heavy rain, but it's enough to soak her thoroughly after several minutes.
Her body reminds her that she could have stayed warm and dry in the house, but she ignores it, determined to live on her own terms.
-=-
Rodney would have been complaining.
The rain had never let up, and Teyla had the worrying sense that she might be too cold now. But there was nowhere to go but forward. When she is beginning to feel as though the rain and scrubby land will never end, the town appears more or less where she thought it would be, and she congratulates herself on her map-reading and calculations.
Moving into cover automatically, she scans the area, eyes picking out the shapes of several Ori vessels. She's in luck.
Their formation is loose, leaving several of the smaller ships scattered in the open with few guards. And those guards appear to be there more out of habit than need. Earth is a conquered planet, after all.
A slight smirk touches her lips then is gone as she chooses her target and moves towards it.
The rain and dim light of day give her excellent cover until she can slip up behind the lone guard, knife digging neatly into the spot behind his jugular and then sweeping forward, tearing out his windpipe as it sliced outwards.
She keeps him from falling, lowering him without so much as a clank from his unwieldy armor. Retrieving his sword, she belts it around her waist before hefting the staff weapon. It seems similar to the goa'uld weapons that Teal'c had once shown her how to use. She doubts she will be as accurate with it, but it will be useful to have.
Not taking more time, she slips into the ship, moving towards the pilot's compartment and stepping in to find only one soldier there. She smiles at him, staff raised. "Show me how to fly this ship."
He tries to raise his own weapon, and Teyla sighs before swinging the staff up and over, catching his and stepping into him. A few swift blows, and he's on his knees, helmet off and head back. Teyla's knife brushes the side of his throat lightly.
"Now," she says, her tone calm, "Show me how to fly this ship."
"Unbeliever!"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you'll be lauded in the halls of Valhalla for your resistance to me--" She leans down, mouth near his ear, "However, I have places I would like to go. And while I could kill you, it would amuse me more to have you alive. Perhaps I will merely cut off body parts until you bleed yourself unconscious."
He is young, but fervent in his belief.
She has met men like him before, men devoted to their causes and unshakable in their plans. However, all men have weaknesses, and pain is usually an easy guess.
The tip of the knife digs in just under his ear and he shudders and gives in.
"Good." Teyla releases her hold on his hair, shoving him forward and leaving her knee in his back a moment longer before standing again. "Now, I suggest you get on with it. Before I become impatient."
-=-
It is different. Teyla has found that all ships fly differently, of course, but this one is one step removed from the others. She watches his hands as he manipulates the controls, trying to memorize what he uses, when. These smaller ships seem to be more maneuverable, and she wonders how close to jumpers they are. If they require the Ancient gene, she might have difficulties, once her current pilot has outlived his usefulness.
She's impressed that he makes two attempts to contact the Ori to alert them to his situation. Teyla thwarts both of them, knife nicking him the second time.
Once over the large ocean between England and America, he seems to settle down, though Teyla doesn't relax her guard. He makes no further attempts as they cross from late afternoon to early morning, the sunlight stealing out from behind the clouds as they fly over a continent now strangely silent. Even from their height, Teyla can see the broken cities far below them, and her mouth dries just a little.
It's not fear.
The Ori have taken over the area surrounding the stargate, though her captive lets slip that they haven't been able to penetrate the mountain containing it. A surge of hope nearly makes her smile, but she shoves it down, locking it away until later. When she finds Sheppard and Elizabeth, Ronon and Rodney, then she can rejoice.
He proposes to land them in an outlying area, claiming they'll be safe there and Teyla shoots him down, pointing towards the center of the Ori encampment.
There's a strange sense of exhilaration, flying over so many of them without them knowing she's there. She thinks about striking right at the heart, destroying them where they're vulnerable. But it's not that simple. The Ori have power and the technology to use it in devastating ways, and there is no heart to destroy. There is only their unrelenting faith, and Teyla doubts they will be as easily swayed as the jaffa were, once upon a time.
After all, the 'magic' of the Ori is real, and not based upon technology.
Tucking her bitter thoughts away, Teyla directs her captive to land them close to the edge of Cheyenne Mountain. She can see the crowd of soldiers, digging or attempting to break down the doors even from here, and she wonders why the self-destruct that is surely in place was never set.
Once they're on the ground, Teyla kills him, knife sliding efficiently through his neck before she cleans the blade. Briefly, she considers taking his armor as a camouflage, but the weight is prohibitive, and she leaves in her own clothing, pack on her shoulder.
The thought occurs to her that she will die soon. The soldiers might be stupid, but their sheer numbers make it possible they'll discover the unbeliever in their midst. A grim look enters her eyes and she starts working her way through the woods, taking a circuitous route to her destination and avoiding the main bulk of the troops, hoping to delay the inevitable.
Ford had once talked about his initiation into the SGC, how he'd trained at a disaster-scenario which required quite a lot of physical derring-do. After his story, he'd gleefully shown her the schematics of the installation, should she ever need to defend it against an alien incursion. At the time, Teyla rather thought he'd been trying to impress a pretty girl. She hadn't known she would later need that layout to find her way around to the emergency exit.
Sparing a thought for Ford and his fate and hoping that he was, if not well, at least not trapped on a planet with thousands of Wraith, Teyla ran her fingers around the lock on the grate that was recessed into the slab of concrete.
It opens easily, but she doesn't lift the latch as her fingers quest for traps left to kill the unwary. On finding nothing, she pulls it up and swiftly climbs inside, feet making no sound upon the upper rungs of the ladder within.
Shutting the hatch behind her feels final, and Teyla shivers a little before starting down.
The going is swift, hands and feet moving ever-downwards, and arms and legs beginning to ache after a time. She loses sight of the brief light coming from the grate in the hatch almost immediately and closes her eyes, trusting in her instincts as she continues in a world of darkness. She can smell the concrete of the tunnel around her, and taste the slight tang of the metal of the rungs at the back of her throat when she swallows.
Distracting herself from the physical sensations brings her back to memories of those she's lost--Elizabeth, with her bright-eyed gaze intrudes first and Teyla tries to block her out, wondering if her memories are going to crowd and clamor for attention the closer she gets to what could be her death.
That breaks the memory into nothing again and she relaxes slightly, listening for anything out of the ordinary. Brief humor quirks her lips: it's hard for anything to sound ordinary in an escape tunnel.
After a while, she can see again, and in doing so she realizes there is a light source below her. Moving more slowly, she stops several rungs from the bottom of the shaft and waits for her eyes to adjust before moving the last few feet and setting her feet on concrete rather than a steel rung.
Not touching the flashlight, Teyla moves to the door, fingers searching out the lock.
The light was obviously dropped when someone escaped, and yet there was no sign of them at the top. Perhaps they simply never returned, or didn't make it all the way to the top. Which means there was someone else down here, at some point.
The hatch isn't locked and Teyla pauses before opening it and stepping back and to the side. If there is anyone out there, they won't find her easy prey.
Her hand touches the knife at her back, then slides it free, waiting.
Nothing.
Eyes adjusted to the brighter light source, she moves, ducking her head out and checking both ways before sliding free into the corridor, back to the wall. There's no sound, and Teyla breathes easier before eying the designation painted on the wall and turning to the right.
-=-
Four floors later and she's still found no one, though a brief side trip netted her several pistols and all of the ammunition she could use. She has plans for the cafeteria that will wait until she's checked the control room and its countdown. For surely they had set the self-destruct before leaving. Colonel Carter had been telling her it was the last thing they would do before fleeing, and she trusted the Colonel to do her job.
The place seems deserted, and she feels a sense of sadness. The halls that had once echoed with the sounds of airmen, marines and scientist echo now only with the sound of Teyla's footfalls.
She is expecting to find someone, anyone, really. Something to explain the continued silence from the mountain and the lack of it exploding. A wry grin twists her lips: that she would be happier had the place gone up in flames than she is to find it intact.
The control room is mostly dark, and it makes her wonder also who has been making certain the lights stay on. Finding the panel which contains the self-destruct is a simple matter, since Atlantis has a similar one. She wiggles the mouse and the screen resolves itself into a countdown clock.
It's frozen.
The countdown has stopped inexplicably at four minutes. Teyla has very little idea how to restart it, but she tries, prodding the keyboard, inputting her password from Atlantis--even some hacking tricks Elizabeth taught her once when Rodney was annoying them.
Nothing works, and she slumps back in the chair, almost amused that she can't kill herself by setting off a chain reaction that would take out the mountain and most of the Ori in the vicinity.
"I was wondering who would come here."
The voice has Teyla up and out of her chair, side-arm pointed accurately at the woman who stands in the doorway. She reminds Teyla of Vala Mal Doran, and given the excessive amount of gold on her silk dress, she must be Adria. Teyla tries to decide if she should feel flattered or not.
"That won't help you." Adria makes a simple gesture and Teyla's hand is yanked to the side by an invisible force, the gun wrenched from it and sent spinning away, thunking against the floor too far from her suddenly empty hands. "I do so hate to be a spoilsport, but shooting me would be pointless."
"Why hasn't the countdown finished?" asks Teyla.
"Because I'm holding it still."
"Why not simply turn it off? Or is it that you don't know how?"
Irritation flashes across Adria's face, and Teyla knows she guessed right. "Such a lot of questions. Do you accept the Ori as your Gods, Teyla Emmagan, or shall I cleanse you from the Earth now?"
Adria knowing her name is only a slight surprise. The reports had mentioned she was telepathic, after all. Teyla smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "You've cleansed quite a lot of Earth. Was it your aim to be queen of a ruined planet?"
The shot hits home--Adria hasn't enjoyed the devestation she's caused to further her reign. "The power of the Ori will restore it."
"But it won't be the same."
"You are perceptive, for an unbeliever," Adria muses.
Teyla decides she's had enough conversation and begins moving towards Adria, "A compliment I accept."
"Are you going to try to attack me? How amusing." Adria laughs, her hand coming up to brush the amulet at her throat, "You won't get very far, but it's so refreshing to see you try. Really."
Sarcasm is something Teyla recognizes, and she ignores it in favor of getting close enough to Adria to punch out at her.
"Really."
Teyla freezes, her muscles constricting, her throat stopped. She tries to breathe and can't. Adria is holding her, with simply her mind. The effort isn't even noticeable. She fights, trying to break free, and one of her muscles she uses, unthinkingly, is the gift in her mind. That tiny almost telepathic reach that allows her to touch a Wraith. Through it, she can feel Adria reaching into her, touching her mind, mental fingers running through her memories and thoughts as though they were mere grains of sand.
Anger propels her inner sense, and she lashes out, not knowing what it will do, but needing something, anything.
The pressure eases and Adria's eyes widen.
Pushing again, Teyla manages another step towards the Orisi, and now she's close enough for that punch.
"How is this possible?" Adria asks, pushing at Teyla's mind, pulling it into pieces as if it's a toy she wants to understand, even if she breaks it.
One last movement of a mind that feels like nothing more than tattered pieces, and Teyla is for a moment seeing through Adria's eyes.
Adria's defences shove her out, pain crashing into her mind.
"You dare--!"
Close enough to touch, Teyla swings her hand up (it takes impossibly forever), fingers closing around the brooch and yanking the personal forcefield free. Adria grabs for that hand, bending her will towards it and her mind towards Teyla, and misses her left hand and the knife in it.
Adria gives a soft gasp, her eyes wide, as the knife slides into the pale skin of her throat.
It's hard, but Teyla manages the flick of her wrist and pulls back, slicing through Adria's carotid and windpipe. The pressures on her mind and throat begin to ease, and she can think a little more.
Moving out of the spray of blood, Teyla catches Adria as she begins to fall. Her hand pulls back on Adria's head, determined not to allow her any dignity in death. Not after what she has wrought upon so many planets in her misguided attempt to convert people who wish to be free.
It takes only a little time for the Orisi to die, and her mind is still tangled with Teyla's when the darkness overcomes her.
Teyla realizes her danger almost too late and pulls free, pushing her meager defenses up and around herself, hiding from the pull of the death in her arms. She had wanted to die, before, had wanted it all to go. But now she doesn't, she wants to live, even if there is little left of her world. Adria surges against her, frantic for a moment, then is finally still as her life dissipates.
Sound pulls her eyes to the door as a guard arrives to check on the progress of his mistress--or perhaps Adria had called for him.
"Orisi--" The man breaks off, a shocked look on his face.
Moving, Teyla leaves the body, dives and rolls, coming up with the gun Adria threw away from her so long ago. She fires, killing the man before he can raise the alarm.
Not allowing herself time, Teyla cleans her hands on her legs as best she can, ignoring the tackiness of the blood between her fingers. Something makes her glance towards the computer screen and she almost laughs. The countdown clock has resumed.
Of course. Adria was holding it still with merely her will and now her will is broken and gone.
There is no way to escape in time--the blast radius will reach too far, and even if she could escape she refuses to warn the Ori of their impending destruction.
Looking through the control room windows, she frowns. There's a cat sitting on the ramp to the stargate. She rubs her eyes, certain it can't be real and when she looks again it's gone.
But in its place is an idea for her own survival. She can use the stargate, she merely has to dial out. Teyla moves towards the computer, trying to remember the dialing sequence. Her fingers are shaking as she types, memory dredging up the correct command codes. The gate dials up, spinning far too slowly for her eyes, watching the countdown as it destroys the seconds of her life.
She grabs her pack as she passes it on her way from the room. The address she chose wasn't the Alpha Site's, and she may need everything in her pack before she finds her way there. Even then, the Ori might already have invaded the Alpha Site. But Cimmeria is probably safe, and she remembers Ford once saying it was good for occasional vacations. Whether he was merely joking or it was true, she would soon find out.
Her internal clock tells her she has fifteen seconds as she reaches the doorway into the gate room. The wormhole splashes open, and she runs up the ramp, determined that this won't be her end.
The threshold swallows her up as the clock reaches five, and Teyla finds herself wishing to pray to Gods she's uncertain she believes in. She hits rock on the other side of the gate and continues moving, jumping from the platform and rolling into cover as the wormhole gives a strange sound and for an instant, Teyla wonders if the blast will follow her through before it shuts down abruptly.
In the silence that follows, she breathes in, tasting dirt and rain.
Righting herself, she gazes around her new location, wondering what she'll find there, whether there will be allies or enemies.
They will not replace those she has lost, but they will prove useful, if she is to regain her home and her people. And perhaps, she will be able to halt the incursions of the Ori and the Wraith. Teyla laughs softly to herself. She is usually not quite so fanciful, but the thought warms her almost better than a fire.
Inspecting the worn path which must lead to the closest village, Teyla sets off to discover how the world will be.
-f-
Genre: gen, angst, post-apocalyptic
Length: 5.600 +
Rating: PG, mostly, some violence
Character: Teyla Emmagen
Set: sometime during season three of Atlantis and season ten of SG-1 (before the Road not Taken, at the least)
Notes: I have rather stolen the house on Allen Road quite wholly from Doctor Who, but there's little to no Doctor Who in this, so it's not exactly a true crossover. The house, after all, is merely a concept that whores itself out when needed. *coughs* Much thanks to
karma_aster for commentary, names, and not disowning me.This is part of the 12 Days of Teyla, at
teylafen. It's day four, but I'm early by 20 minutes.Summary: Teyla has only herself to rely upon when the unthinkable occurs.
Even in the Darkness
by ALC Punk!
There is a house on Allen Road, and Teyla Emmagan is there. She's not exactly sure how the house is still standing (she knows how she got here--she walked), not after the bombs that have fallen and the destruction that has (probably) reduced ninety-percent of the cities of Earth to merely rubble and ashes.
She takes what she can get, though. Most of the places she's seen are falls of rock and wood. An intact building is almost a god-send, if she believed in the deities of Earth.
The front door is unlocked, and she steps into what John would probably have called a rustic foyer, if he were trying to annoy Rodney with his obtuseness. It feels nice after walking what feels like forever. Her paranoid side is warning her that being in a place the soldiers might search could get her caught, but her practical side is telling her that allowing herself a rest is essential. She can't continue at this pace without a pause, or it will kill her as surely as the Ori will.
Locking the door seems pointless and she merely closes it. Standing, she lets her eyes adjust to the meager light--her flashlight or a candle would draw attention, and if she's going to take her moment of peace, she'll do it without interruption.
When Stargate Command had asked for her team to come back to Earth, recalling almost the entire Atlantis Expedition along the way, Teyla had come for what she had thought would be a short debriefing. The skeleton crew they'd left on Atlantis would eventually need relief, and she wasn't entirely comfortable on Earth. It was a nice enough planet, but the Pegasus galaxy was her home.
The visit had turned into a political war even before the Ori descended upon the planet--congress didn't want them to return, certain they needed the resources and capabilities of the Atlantis teams more. Once the Ori appeared in the skies, it had turned into a battle for the survival of the tau'ri--the stargate had been used to evacuate many. Those they couldn't shift through the gate were sent to the fleet that the SGC had build over the years. Teyla had earned a place on the Daedalus, hoping to return home and bring reinforcements.
Unfortunately, the ship had been little match for the armada surrounding the planet. Explosions filling the bridge and the viewscreens were the last thing Teyla had seen before the resident Asgard had enacted a security protocol and beamed all of them back to the planet. She wasn't sure where it was she'd landed, but none of the others had arrived with her. With no weapons, save the knife on her belt and no supplies, she'd eyed the sun and picked a direction, hiking until she'd reached a town.
The town had already been cleansed by the Ori, leaving nothing behind but broken buildings and an emptiness that should have been filled with people. Laughing, arguing, living. Teyla searched, gathering what she could use and leaving what she couldn't.
Her instincts told her staying in the deserted town would be risking attracting the attention of the Ori. She wasn't ready yet to take their war to them--futile though it would be, without her team to back her up.
Being alone was strange, after living with her people, and then in Atlantis with the descendants of the ancestors. Being surrounded by her teammates had gotten her used to people asking her about her day, joking with her, just simply being there. And Elizabeth Weir. Discovering a woman who could understand her and be her friend in such a way had been wonderful.
Walking through the wasteland that had been Earth, Teyla felt the ache of their loss bite deep.
Now, she understood more Ronon's stillness. Even after two years, he hadn't been used to people surrounding him, as she had.
The kitchen is a simple matter to find, and her hands touch a counter that is not covered in dust as it should be. The thought occurs to her that the house may be inhabited. Her fingers close on the knife at the small of her back.
If she listens, there's almost nothing to hear--the wind in the trees, the careful movements of a house that is older than time (though she doesn't know that). It is alien, to her, that latter sound. The Athosians lived in huts, tents, places that were easily packed and moved when the Wraith appeared. Houses with multiple stories and basements full of old clothes and rotting caskets of wine are new. As Atlantis was new, once upon a time.
Something scrapes outside the window, and she moves until she can see through it without presenting a target. There's a tree, branches splayed everywhere, one of which bumps up against the loose shutter.
Letting out a breath, she considers relaxing.
She doesn't.
It takes longer than she'd like it to, but she searches the house, starting with the ground floor and only tripping over one piece of furniture in the muddy darkness. She can see vague shapes and feel her way around things that aren't quite visible. The light must come from the stars and the moon outside, though she is only mildly convinced of this. It's a directionless, ambient light that reminds her of Atlantis. Although the consideration that the house she's in could be a piece of Ancient technology is laughable.
On the second floor, she finds a cat sleeping in the middle of a small bed. The room it's in is easily defended, and the window opens outwards, with a trellis that looks sturdy enough to climb down, should she need it.
"Surely, you are not alone in this world," she murmurs to the cat, stroking its soft fur.
A purr is her only answer, but she can tell that the cat is cared-for. Someone will return to this house, and possibly soon, to make certain the animal is fed.
The attic contains little more than dust and someone else's memories. Cobwebs litter the air, and the dust on the treads shows no recent prints, save a few that are clearly animal in nature. She half-smiles, imagining the trouble the cat might be in, scampering up and down the attic stairs, looking for mice.
Perhaps her supposition was incorrect and the cat is merely subsisting on what it can, living off the land.
But the rest of the house is, if not uncluttered, at least tidy. Someone has been keeping it that way, and it certainly isn't the soldiers of the Ori.
Teyla moves back down to the kitchen, checking her supplies and slipping her knife back into its place. It's a gamble, but for the rest of the night, she will stay here.
A search of the cupboards gives her more provisions--quite a few of the MREs that Sheppard loathed, and energy bars that will probably taste like cardboard. Rummaging through the drawers near the sink, she finds a map and a compass, both feel worn with age and considers a moment before adding them to her growing pile on the table. The kitchen is too dark to read the map and it will wait until morning for her. The compass will be useful, either way.
A store of matches and a few more useful implements go into her pack before she closes it, tucking the map and compass into a side-pocket.
Three drawers of teabags bring back sharp memories of sharing tea with Elizabeth in the afternoons. Usually, it was she who interrupted Elizabeth's never-ending stacks of paperwork. On occasion, it was Elizabeth who found Teyla.
She needs to return home, if only so she can feel less alone--the thought that Elizabeth is probably dead, killed either at the SGC or on Earth is not comforting.
If she can find her location, she can make her way back to the SGC. She expects to find little there, but it is a starting point. Her throat closes, and her mind attempts to remind her that she is alone and friendless, and the people she trusts, her team, are gone. Gone forever. Elizabeth will never look confused when she arrives with a pot of tea, Rodney will never be humble for an instant before his arrogance resurfaces, John will never come up with a crazy plan, and Ronon... Ronon will never watch her back again. There are others, so many others crowding her mind suddenly that she feels almost weighted down by them all.
Teyla sits, head bowed as she wrestles with her emotions. The grief is over-whelming, even as part of her refuses to believe it. This is her team and they have survived certain death far too many times for her to allow all hope to die within her.
A sound causes her to spin, and she feels guilty to have allowed herself these emotions while she is in constant danger before she recognizes the cat as it saunters into the kitchen.
The warm weight of the creature lands on the table and leans up against her outstretched hand, purring. Teyla allows herself to become lost in stroking the soft fur until her stomach reminds her it has been too long since she last ate. Leaving the cat to fend for itself, she opens one of the heavier cans of stew.
It's not the most appetizing meal she's had, but it at least won't kill her.
The cat takes advantage of her lax housekeeping and licks the top clean before plaintively crying until Teyla breaks down and shares a bit of the gravy and meat with it.
Exhaustion weights her shoulders down until she realizes she's fallen asleep on the table. Dragging herself up, she sets the can and top in the sink and grabs her nap sack before making her way up the stairs to a random room. She has enough of a brain to slide a chair under the doorknob before she tumbles into the blankets.
Teyla barely registers the movement of the bed as the cat joins her, settling at her back, a small lump of heat.
-=-
With the light of morning comes birdsong, an incongruity that pulls her from the tangle of blankets and feline to stare out the partially-opened window. She supposes, as she watches the birds flock and flirt in the bushes and birdbath, that even with the humans gone, the animals of the planet will survive.
She's surprised to find running water when she checks the taps out of habit. A quick wash feels like heaven. A shower would be even better, but it's a risk she doesn't feel like taking--as much as she would be amused at fighting someone in nothing but her skin, she has no need to prove herself thus. The cat gives her a disapproving look when she leaves the bathroom with only her shirt changed.
Ignoring the cat, Teyla makes her way back to the kitchen. Comfortingly, the can and top are still in the sink where she left them, the can opener still on the table, as well. She clears the implement and then retrieves the map she'd found, spreading it and running her fingers over the colored lines and words until she finds the small black star, with the notation telling her it is Allen Road. The sign on the gate had said as much, and she wonders if it's accurate.
Her finger finds the town she raided three days before, and her mind uses the map legend to calculate how far she must be from it--with the sun and the sky to guide her, she's been headed in generally the same direction since she began.
Allen Road is where it says it should be, more or less.
The map also tells her that she is in Great Britain. England, John had once mentioned it. Teyla hasn't spent time memorizing the globe of Earth or even most of the large countries, but she knows that England is nowhere near Colorado Springs.
The enormity of the distance she will have to travel takes her breath away, and she sits down on the chair again, almost overwhelmed.
John would have come up with some crazy plan to steal an Ori ship and travel the distance with ease, Elizabeth would have shot him down until there was no other option. The thought cuts and she swallows, reaching for the flask she found in the cupboard. A sip of the potent-smelling alcohol burns down her throat, obliterating the pain for an instant.
Practicality shoves the rest of it away, and she straightens. The idea has merit. An Ori ship would be an easy thing to steal, given that the Ori and their soldiers believe Earth to be conquered. Her plan will be somewhat simpler than anything Sheppard has ever devised, however. A slight smile touches her lips, knowing he would be amused at her mockery.
Breakfast is another can of something rather unappetizing and she gives most of it to the cat before making one last search for anything else useful.
There is another town within half a day's walk, if her calculations are correct. It looks large enough to still have an Ori presence, if only so they can gloat as they clean up after the unbelievers. Teyla folds the map and tucks it away.
Pack over her shoulders, she leaves by the back door, bemusedly bidding the cat farewell as she walks into the sunlight in the garden. A surreal quality affects the light as it falls around her, and as she reaches the edge of the lawn, she has a curious feeling--as though she's leaving something behind that she shouldn't. Glancing back, Teyla stiffens at the sight of a light in one of the windows.
The light flickers out and she turns, heading into the trees which surround the backyard of the house on Allen Road.
Once in the tree-line, she checks the house again, but sees no one and nothing coming from it.
She might not be safe, if the Priors' troops have found the place, and so she hurries deeper into the woods and further from the house. After an hour, the weather begins to shift, and the rain begins. It's not a heavy rain, but it's enough to soak her thoroughly after several minutes.
Her body reminds her that she could have stayed warm and dry in the house, but she ignores it, determined to live on her own terms.
-=-
Rodney would have been complaining.
The rain had never let up, and Teyla had the worrying sense that she might be too cold now. But there was nowhere to go but forward. When she is beginning to feel as though the rain and scrubby land will never end, the town appears more or less where she thought it would be, and she congratulates herself on her map-reading and calculations.
Moving into cover automatically, she scans the area, eyes picking out the shapes of several Ori vessels. She's in luck.
Their formation is loose, leaving several of the smaller ships scattered in the open with few guards. And those guards appear to be there more out of habit than need. Earth is a conquered planet, after all.
A slight smirk touches her lips then is gone as she chooses her target and moves towards it.
The rain and dim light of day give her excellent cover until she can slip up behind the lone guard, knife digging neatly into the spot behind his jugular and then sweeping forward, tearing out his windpipe as it sliced outwards.
She keeps him from falling, lowering him without so much as a clank from his unwieldy armor. Retrieving his sword, she belts it around her waist before hefting the staff weapon. It seems similar to the goa'uld weapons that Teal'c had once shown her how to use. She doubts she will be as accurate with it, but it will be useful to have.
Not taking more time, she slips into the ship, moving towards the pilot's compartment and stepping in to find only one soldier there. She smiles at him, staff raised. "Show me how to fly this ship."
He tries to raise his own weapon, and Teyla sighs before swinging the staff up and over, catching his and stepping into him. A few swift blows, and he's on his knees, helmet off and head back. Teyla's knife brushes the side of his throat lightly.
"Now," she says, her tone calm, "Show me how to fly this ship."
"Unbeliever!"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you'll be lauded in the halls of Valhalla for your resistance to me--" She leans down, mouth near his ear, "However, I have places I would like to go. And while I could kill you, it would amuse me more to have you alive. Perhaps I will merely cut off body parts until you bleed yourself unconscious."
He is young, but fervent in his belief.
She has met men like him before, men devoted to their causes and unshakable in their plans. However, all men have weaknesses, and pain is usually an easy guess.
The tip of the knife digs in just under his ear and he shudders and gives in.
"Good." Teyla releases her hold on his hair, shoving him forward and leaving her knee in his back a moment longer before standing again. "Now, I suggest you get on with it. Before I become impatient."
-=-
It is different. Teyla has found that all ships fly differently, of course, but this one is one step removed from the others. She watches his hands as he manipulates the controls, trying to memorize what he uses, when. These smaller ships seem to be more maneuverable, and she wonders how close to jumpers they are. If they require the Ancient gene, she might have difficulties, once her current pilot has outlived his usefulness.
She's impressed that he makes two attempts to contact the Ori to alert them to his situation. Teyla thwarts both of them, knife nicking him the second time.
Once over the large ocean between England and America, he seems to settle down, though Teyla doesn't relax her guard. He makes no further attempts as they cross from late afternoon to early morning, the sunlight stealing out from behind the clouds as they fly over a continent now strangely silent. Even from their height, Teyla can see the broken cities far below them, and her mouth dries just a little.
It's not fear.
The Ori have taken over the area surrounding the stargate, though her captive lets slip that they haven't been able to penetrate the mountain containing it. A surge of hope nearly makes her smile, but she shoves it down, locking it away until later. When she finds Sheppard and Elizabeth, Ronon and Rodney, then she can rejoice.
He proposes to land them in an outlying area, claiming they'll be safe there and Teyla shoots him down, pointing towards the center of the Ori encampment.
There's a strange sense of exhilaration, flying over so many of them without them knowing she's there. She thinks about striking right at the heart, destroying them where they're vulnerable. But it's not that simple. The Ori have power and the technology to use it in devastating ways, and there is no heart to destroy. There is only their unrelenting faith, and Teyla doubts they will be as easily swayed as the jaffa were, once upon a time.
After all, the 'magic' of the Ori is real, and not based upon technology.
Tucking her bitter thoughts away, Teyla directs her captive to land them close to the edge of Cheyenne Mountain. She can see the crowd of soldiers, digging or attempting to break down the doors even from here, and she wonders why the self-destruct that is surely in place was never set.
Once they're on the ground, Teyla kills him, knife sliding efficiently through his neck before she cleans the blade. Briefly, she considers taking his armor as a camouflage, but the weight is prohibitive, and she leaves in her own clothing, pack on her shoulder.
The thought occurs to her that she will die soon. The soldiers might be stupid, but their sheer numbers make it possible they'll discover the unbeliever in their midst. A grim look enters her eyes and she starts working her way through the woods, taking a circuitous route to her destination and avoiding the main bulk of the troops, hoping to delay the inevitable.
Ford had once talked about his initiation into the SGC, how he'd trained at a disaster-scenario which required quite a lot of physical derring-do. After his story, he'd gleefully shown her the schematics of the installation, should she ever need to defend it against an alien incursion. At the time, Teyla rather thought he'd been trying to impress a pretty girl. She hadn't known she would later need that layout to find her way around to the emergency exit.
Sparing a thought for Ford and his fate and hoping that he was, if not well, at least not trapped on a planet with thousands of Wraith, Teyla ran her fingers around the lock on the grate that was recessed into the slab of concrete.
It opens easily, but she doesn't lift the latch as her fingers quest for traps left to kill the unwary. On finding nothing, she pulls it up and swiftly climbs inside, feet making no sound upon the upper rungs of the ladder within.
Shutting the hatch behind her feels final, and Teyla shivers a little before starting down.
The going is swift, hands and feet moving ever-downwards, and arms and legs beginning to ache after a time. She loses sight of the brief light coming from the grate in the hatch almost immediately and closes her eyes, trusting in her instincts as she continues in a world of darkness. She can smell the concrete of the tunnel around her, and taste the slight tang of the metal of the rungs at the back of her throat when she swallows.
Distracting herself from the physical sensations brings her back to memories of those she's lost--Elizabeth, with her bright-eyed gaze intrudes first and Teyla tries to block her out, wondering if her memories are going to crowd and clamor for attention the closer she gets to what could be her death.
That breaks the memory into nothing again and she relaxes slightly, listening for anything out of the ordinary. Brief humor quirks her lips: it's hard for anything to sound ordinary in an escape tunnel.
After a while, she can see again, and in doing so she realizes there is a light source below her. Moving more slowly, she stops several rungs from the bottom of the shaft and waits for her eyes to adjust before moving the last few feet and setting her feet on concrete rather than a steel rung.
Not touching the flashlight, Teyla moves to the door, fingers searching out the lock.
The light was obviously dropped when someone escaped, and yet there was no sign of them at the top. Perhaps they simply never returned, or didn't make it all the way to the top. Which means there was someone else down here, at some point.
The hatch isn't locked and Teyla pauses before opening it and stepping back and to the side. If there is anyone out there, they won't find her easy prey.
Her hand touches the knife at her back, then slides it free, waiting.
Nothing.
Eyes adjusted to the brighter light source, she moves, ducking her head out and checking both ways before sliding free into the corridor, back to the wall. There's no sound, and Teyla breathes easier before eying the designation painted on the wall and turning to the right.
-=-
Four floors later and she's still found no one, though a brief side trip netted her several pistols and all of the ammunition she could use. She has plans for the cafeteria that will wait until she's checked the control room and its countdown. For surely they had set the self-destruct before leaving. Colonel Carter had been telling her it was the last thing they would do before fleeing, and she trusted the Colonel to do her job.
The place seems deserted, and she feels a sense of sadness. The halls that had once echoed with the sounds of airmen, marines and scientist echo now only with the sound of Teyla's footfalls.
She is expecting to find someone, anyone, really. Something to explain the continued silence from the mountain and the lack of it exploding. A wry grin twists her lips: that she would be happier had the place gone up in flames than she is to find it intact.
The control room is mostly dark, and it makes her wonder also who has been making certain the lights stay on. Finding the panel which contains the self-destruct is a simple matter, since Atlantis has a similar one. She wiggles the mouse and the screen resolves itself into a countdown clock.
It's frozen.
The countdown has stopped inexplicably at four minutes. Teyla has very little idea how to restart it, but she tries, prodding the keyboard, inputting her password from Atlantis--even some hacking tricks Elizabeth taught her once when Rodney was annoying them.
Nothing works, and she slumps back in the chair, almost amused that she can't kill herself by setting off a chain reaction that would take out the mountain and most of the Ori in the vicinity.
"I was wondering who would come here."
The voice has Teyla up and out of her chair, side-arm pointed accurately at the woman who stands in the doorway. She reminds Teyla of Vala Mal Doran, and given the excessive amount of gold on her silk dress, she must be Adria. Teyla tries to decide if she should feel flattered or not.
"That won't help you." Adria makes a simple gesture and Teyla's hand is yanked to the side by an invisible force, the gun wrenched from it and sent spinning away, thunking against the floor too far from her suddenly empty hands. "I do so hate to be a spoilsport, but shooting me would be pointless."
"Why hasn't the countdown finished?" asks Teyla.
"Because I'm holding it still."
"Why not simply turn it off? Or is it that you don't know how?"
Irritation flashes across Adria's face, and Teyla knows she guessed right. "Such a lot of questions. Do you accept the Ori as your Gods, Teyla Emmagan, or shall I cleanse you from the Earth now?"
Adria knowing her name is only a slight surprise. The reports had mentioned she was telepathic, after all. Teyla smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "You've cleansed quite a lot of Earth. Was it your aim to be queen of a ruined planet?"
The shot hits home--Adria hasn't enjoyed the devestation she's caused to further her reign. "The power of the Ori will restore it."
"But it won't be the same."
"You are perceptive, for an unbeliever," Adria muses.
Teyla decides she's had enough conversation and begins moving towards Adria, "A compliment I accept."
"Are you going to try to attack me? How amusing." Adria laughs, her hand coming up to brush the amulet at her throat, "You won't get very far, but it's so refreshing to see you try. Really."
Sarcasm is something Teyla recognizes, and she ignores it in favor of getting close enough to Adria to punch out at her.
"Really."
Teyla freezes, her muscles constricting, her throat stopped. She tries to breathe and can't. Adria is holding her, with simply her mind. The effort isn't even noticeable. She fights, trying to break free, and one of her muscles she uses, unthinkingly, is the gift in her mind. That tiny almost telepathic reach that allows her to touch a Wraith. Through it, she can feel Adria reaching into her, touching her mind, mental fingers running through her memories and thoughts as though they were mere grains of sand.
Anger propels her inner sense, and she lashes out, not knowing what it will do, but needing something, anything.
The pressure eases and Adria's eyes widen.
Pushing again, Teyla manages another step towards the Orisi, and now she's close enough for that punch.
"How is this possible?" Adria asks, pushing at Teyla's mind, pulling it into pieces as if it's a toy she wants to understand, even if she breaks it.
One last movement of a mind that feels like nothing more than tattered pieces, and Teyla is for a moment seeing through Adria's eyes.
Adria's defences shove her out, pain crashing into her mind.
"You dare--!"
Close enough to touch, Teyla swings her hand up (it takes impossibly forever), fingers closing around the brooch and yanking the personal forcefield free. Adria grabs for that hand, bending her will towards it and her mind towards Teyla, and misses her left hand and the knife in it.
Adria gives a soft gasp, her eyes wide, as the knife slides into the pale skin of her throat.
It's hard, but Teyla manages the flick of her wrist and pulls back, slicing through Adria's carotid and windpipe. The pressures on her mind and throat begin to ease, and she can think a little more.
Moving out of the spray of blood, Teyla catches Adria as she begins to fall. Her hand pulls back on Adria's head, determined not to allow her any dignity in death. Not after what she has wrought upon so many planets in her misguided attempt to convert people who wish to be free.
It takes only a little time for the Orisi to die, and her mind is still tangled with Teyla's when the darkness overcomes her.
Teyla realizes her danger almost too late and pulls free, pushing her meager defenses up and around herself, hiding from the pull of the death in her arms. She had wanted to die, before, had wanted it all to go. But now she doesn't, she wants to live, even if there is little left of her world. Adria surges against her, frantic for a moment, then is finally still as her life dissipates.
Sound pulls her eyes to the door as a guard arrives to check on the progress of his mistress--or perhaps Adria had called for him.
"Orisi--" The man breaks off, a shocked look on his face.
Moving, Teyla leaves the body, dives and rolls, coming up with the gun Adria threw away from her so long ago. She fires, killing the man before he can raise the alarm.
Not allowing herself time, Teyla cleans her hands on her legs as best she can, ignoring the tackiness of the blood between her fingers. Something makes her glance towards the computer screen and she almost laughs. The countdown clock has resumed.
Of course. Adria was holding it still with merely her will and now her will is broken and gone.
There is no way to escape in time--the blast radius will reach too far, and even if she could escape she refuses to warn the Ori of their impending destruction.
Looking through the control room windows, she frowns. There's a cat sitting on the ramp to the stargate. She rubs her eyes, certain it can't be real and when she looks again it's gone.
But in its place is an idea for her own survival. She can use the stargate, she merely has to dial out. Teyla moves towards the computer, trying to remember the dialing sequence. Her fingers are shaking as she types, memory dredging up the correct command codes. The gate dials up, spinning far too slowly for her eyes, watching the countdown as it destroys the seconds of her life.
She grabs her pack as she passes it on her way from the room. The address she chose wasn't the Alpha Site's, and she may need everything in her pack before she finds her way there. Even then, the Ori might already have invaded the Alpha Site. But Cimmeria is probably safe, and she remembers Ford once saying it was good for occasional vacations. Whether he was merely joking or it was true, she would soon find out.
Her internal clock tells her she has fifteen seconds as she reaches the doorway into the gate room. The wormhole splashes open, and she runs up the ramp, determined that this won't be her end.
The threshold swallows her up as the clock reaches five, and Teyla finds herself wishing to pray to Gods she's uncertain she believes in. She hits rock on the other side of the gate and continues moving, jumping from the platform and rolling into cover as the wormhole gives a strange sound and for an instant, Teyla wonders if the blast will follow her through before it shuts down abruptly.
In the silence that follows, she breathes in, tasting dirt and rain.
Righting herself, she gazes around her new location, wondering what she'll find there, whether there will be allies or enemies.
They will not replace those she has lost, but they will prove useful, if she is to regain her home and her people. And perhaps, she will be able to halt the incursions of the Ori and the Wraith. Teyla laughs softly to herself. She is usually not quite so fanciful, but the thought warms her almost better than a fire.
Inspecting the worn path which must lead to the closest village, Teyla sets off to discover how the world will be.
-f-
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I'm quite pleased with it, and mocking myself with the fact that I couldn't leave it all Angsty and World-endy.
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It's very awesome. I don't understand the house, but I don't *need* to--it has just enough of the haunted mansion story in it that it makes perfect sense to me.