Radek hunkers down into his coat and mutters under his breath, wondering how much further they will have to walk.
"What?" Ronon asks, striding easily beside him.
"It is cold."
"No it isn't."
"All right then--I am cold," Radek clarifies. "And tired."
"Really?" Ronon asks.
Ronon's taking one step to every two of his. Of course he's not tired.
"Not all of us can be seasoned veterans of off-world missions now, can we?" Rodney calls out from behind him.
Ronon grins, and Radek scowls at them both. He's sure that Rodney is just has cold as he is, with the way the wind is blowing all around them. And Ronon--well, he believes Ronon. Radek checks his scanner again, and to his relief there's a flicker of an energy signal off to his left. "I have found it. This way," he says, pointing.
He turns and everyone follows, Ronon shouldering in ahead of him on the narrow path and Radek lets him. Rodney hovering at his shoulder, comparing the readings of the two scanners. Radek is delighted to find that his is more sensitive, and points this out to Rodney several times. They're so busy with the scanners that it isn't until the Colonel stops them with a puzzled "huh" that Radek sees the blank rock face in front of them.
"Are you sure this is it?" Sheppard asks.
"Yes, we are," Rodney retorts, showing him the scanner. "See?"
"Curious," Radek adds.
Ronon taps on the rock with the barrel of his gun. "Maybe there's a door?"
Radek sees nothing that could be considered door-like. The wall has no markings whatsoever. It is an exposed outcropping on the side of the mountain, and when he and Rodney walk to one side of it, and then the other, trying to find an alternative route, the signal fades away to nothing.
"It's definitely right here," Rodney says.
Rodney puts a hand to the wall. "Maybe it's gene activated?"
When nothing happens, Sheppard joins him, hand flat on the wall and an earnest, thoughtful expression on his face. "Nope."
"I say we blow it up," Ronon suggests. "Come on, just a little C4 should do it."
Radek gives him a look of disbelief. "I don't believe that would be wise."
"Wait," Teyla says, speaking up for the first time after watching them thoughtfully.
Radek catches on right away. "Maybe it needs Wraith DNA--like the lab you found a couple years back?"
She flashes him a smile. Then puts her hand to the rock face.
It promptly disappears.
There's a rush to enter it, with Ronon and Sheppard going in first, guns at the ready.
Despite his curiousity, Radek is happy to wait for them to announce that it's all clear before he enters, behind Rodney. He's scientist, not a soldier. He's not about to take risks.
It is indeed a Wraith laboratory, deserted for centuries, but the database is in working order and it doesn't take them long to realize they've struck gold. The labs purpose was apparently to research ship design, from the hive ships to the small darts and everything in between. Radek can scarcely believe it--even though it is somewhat outdated, there's enough here to fill in the gaps in their knowledge and he's sure they will find weaknesses to be exploited.
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branchandroot
such a pretty icon!!
Date: 2006-12-11 04:09 pm (UTC)"What?" Ronon asks, striding easily beside him.
"It is cold."
"No it isn't."
"All right then--I am cold," Radek clarifies. "And tired."
"Really?" Ronon asks.
Ronon's taking one step to every two of his. Of course he's not tired.
"Not all of us can be seasoned veterans of off-world missions now, can we?" Rodney calls out from behind him.
Ronon grins, and Radek scowls at them both. He's sure that Rodney is just has cold as he is, with the way the wind is blowing all around them. And Ronon--well, he believes Ronon. Radek checks his scanner again, and to his relief there's a flicker of an energy signal off to his left. "I have found it. This way," he says, pointing.
He turns and everyone follows, Ronon shouldering in ahead of him on the narrow path and Radek lets him. Rodney hovering at his shoulder, comparing the readings of the two scanners. Radek is delighted to find that his is more sensitive, and points this out to Rodney several times. They're so busy with the scanners that it isn't until the Colonel stops them with a puzzled "huh" that Radek sees the blank rock face in front of them.
"Are you sure this is it?" Sheppard asks.
"Yes, we are," Rodney retorts, showing him the scanner. "See?"
"Curious," Radek adds.
Ronon taps on the rock with the barrel of his gun. "Maybe there's a door?"
Radek sees nothing that could be considered door-like. The wall has no markings whatsoever. It is an exposed outcropping on the side of the mountain, and when he and Rodney walk to one side of it, and then the other, trying to find an alternative route, the signal fades away to nothing.
"It's definitely right here," Rodney says.
Rodney puts a hand to the wall. "Maybe it's gene activated?"
When nothing happens, Sheppard joins him, hand flat on the wall and an earnest, thoughtful expression on his face. "Nope."
"I say we blow it up," Ronon suggests. "Come on, just a little C4 should do it."
Radek gives him a look of disbelief. "I don't believe that would be wise."
"Wait," Teyla says, speaking up for the first time after watching them thoughtfully.
Radek catches on right away. "Maybe it needs Wraith DNA--like the lab you found a couple years back?"
She flashes him a smile. Then puts her hand to the rock face.
It promptly disappears.
There's a rush to enter it, with Ronon and Sheppard going in first, guns at the ready.
Despite his curiousity, Radek is happy to wait for them to announce that it's all clear before he enters, behind Rodney. He's scientist, not a soldier. He's not about to take risks.
It is indeed a Wraith laboratory, deserted for centuries, but the database is in working order and it doesn't take them long to realize they've struck gold. The labs purpose was apparently to research ship design, from the hive ships to the small darts and everything in between. Radek can scarcely believe it--even though it is somewhat outdated, there's enough here to fill in the gaps in their knowledge and he's sure they will find weaknesses to be exploited.