The Solaris Device pt11

The Solaris Device

Squirrel fiction isn’t always cute and fluffy – sometimes it bites. The story is about to get a lot more serious. There are going to be Wraith, and Jayne gets to shoot something.

Chapter 11. The Base

Sheppard carefully landed the jumper on the narrow ledge, and opened the hatch.  The team picked up backpacks and weapons, and walked over to the far end of the ledge. Behind them, the cloaked jumper was invisible to any Wraith who might come that way. The path up to the base was steep and slippery. Teyla climbed up to the top with the balance of a mountain goat, then signaled to the others that it was safe. Mirth scrambled up the path after Ronon, and Jayne followed. When it came to WG’s turn, she hesitated. She had done this sort of thing before, but it was a long time ago when she was at university. Sheppard noticed her nervousness, and reached out a hand.
“Hey, it’s OK Nikki, I’ll help you.”
WG hesitated, then swallowed her pride and reached out to take Sheppard’s warm hand in hers.
“Thanks”.
WG told herself that if her heart was beating faster than normal, then it was due to the way her feet kept slipping on the path, and not the firm grip that the Colonel had on her hand.

At the top of the path was another narrow ledge, in front of the entrance to the base. The door had a strangely organic appearance that made Jayne shiver. WG quickly located the mechanism that opened the door. Ronon reached for his gun, but Sheppard waved at him to lower it.
“Not that way, it might set off an alarm” he whispered. “WG, time for you and Jayne to do your thing.”
Jayne pulled out a small device that looked a bit like a life sign’s detector, and passed it to WG. The two women began work on deactivating the lock.

While they were waiting for WG to open the door, Mirth drifted to the far end of the ledge, and pulled out her packet of cigarettes. Ronon watched her curiously, wondering what she was doing.
“Want a cigarette?” Mirth offered the open packet to Ronon and Teyla.
““I have seen these before.“ said Teyla thoughtfully. “One of the scientists offered me one. I found the taste to be unpleasant.”
“How about you Ronon, want to try one?” Mirth asked.
Ronon hesitated for a moment, then reached for the cigarette. Mirth took out her lighter, and to Ronon’s astonishment she lit the cigarettes.
“You have to put it in your mouth and inhale the smoke.” Mirth demonstrated, blowing out a small circle of smoke.
Ronon did as she suggested, and ended up coughing hard. When he recovered, he handed the cigarette back to Mirth, with a look of distaste.
“You earth people are weird.” he said.

Eventually, WG and Jayne opened the door. The wraith base was like nothing the two women had ever seen before, dark and strangely organic, with a metallic smell that reminded Jayne of blood. Sheppard collected his team and they entered the base. WG was at the front of the group, holding a device to monitor the energy readings that would lead them to their goal. The others followed, with Ronon at the back to cover their six. Mirth stroked her P90 nervously, and Jayne kept one hand by the thigh holster holding her pistol. They followed a winding path through the strange corridors, and were almost at their destination, when they were surprised by a group of three Wraith soldiers. Sheppard instinctively pushed WG against the wall and stood in front of her, as he raised his P90. Jayne and Mirth reached for their weapons, but Ronon had already drawn his gun and quickly dispatched the first of the Wraith. Teyla and Sheppard shot the other two.

At that moment an alarm sounded, and suddenly the team were under attack from both sides.
Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon fought bravely, before they finally succumbed to the Wraith stun weapons. WG fired of a few shots, and then she was slumped on the floor next to Sheppard. Jayne and Mirth found themselves the only members of the team still conscious. With a grim smile, Mirth stood back to back with Jayne and fired her P90 at the remaining Wraith. Jayne emptied the clip of her pistol into a Wraith drone, and watched with satisfaction as it fell to the floor. She reached for a new clip of bullets, but another Wraith stunned her before she could reload. The Wraith stunned Mirth in her unprotected back, and she fell to the floor by her friend.

to be continued…..