Chapter 2

Sheppard went to the recuperation room and saw the remainder of Team 2 being finished up with bandages.

He asked, "Hey guys - what happened out there? It was a standard recon - wasn't it?"

One team member spoke up; "Sir, it started out as a normal recon but when we got close to the town we were attacked by the locals, we think. It was like we got ambushed, sir - they had us cold and then all of a sudden they were running back for the town as fast as they could. I don't know why they did, sir. Major Lorne was hit in the first burst, I went down with a bullet to my helmet, and then I remember being at the gate sir. There was some ... thing - like a bush - that was patching up the Major, then he did something with the IDC device and then we were back here in Atlantis."

The other team member then spoke up, " Whoever that bush ... thing was sir, it patched us up and helped us all get home. I don't think he is the one that ambushed us sir - it just didn't make sense. Why ambush us and then patch us up to send us home?"

Sheppard stood there and asked them both, "Are you sure the bush ... thing wasn't the one who ambushed you?"

The first teammate replied, "I'm pretty sure sir - I saw a couple of the locals stand up just after they started shooting at us - the bush thing came in after we were down. The locals were aiming right at us, and then all of a sudden a couple of them went down as if they were hit from a different angle, and then they ran away. The ones that were hit flew back a bit - must have been some powerful round or something. We didn't hear anything but they sure got nailed hard."

Sheppard thought for a moment and then replied, "Hm. Okay thanks guys - get some rest and get better."

Sheppard went back to see Dr. Beckett and asked him directly, "What were they shot with Doc? I'm looking for what size of bullet here."

Carson protested, "Hang on a second - the bullet is just out of the Major a moment ago - you just can't go in there."

Sheppard persisted, "Can you? I need to know soonest."

Beckett sighed and then said, "Just hang on a second..."

Beckett went and got the tray with the bullet and brought it to show Sheppard. They looked at it and came to the same conclusion - that it was about a small to medium sized round like from a hunting rifle or like that.

"Thanks Doc..." As Sheppard ran back up to the control room he wondered what the heck was going on here.

Elizabeth looked at him and asked, "How are they doing?"

Sheppard replied, "Doctor Beckett says that Major Lorne will pull through and be able to return to duties soon, and the others are being discharged later today. Two of Major Lorne's team said that some bush 'thing' helped them get to the gate, dialled the gate using Lorne's IDC device, and got them home. So that says the person or thing is familiar with our equipment potentially. That bother me - it might be Lieutenant Ford for all we know, but I don't think so, not from what they described to me. Plus the bullet that was pulled from Major Lorne," he held out his hand and showed them the round, "This is from a hunting rifle, not a P90 like we carry. They said the 'bush thing' had shot a couple of the people that ambushed Lorne's team and scared the locals away. So that says to me trouble on two scales: the locals are possibly hostile, and we have an unknown person or thing that could be a threat to us - especially if it is familiar with our equipment."

"How do you want to handle this?" Elizabeth remarked.

Sheppard replied, "Well, carefully for starters - we'll go in a Jumper and cloak as soon as we are through the gate, and then look for this 'bush thing'. We should be able to spot it from the air with the on-board sensors and then land nearby and see what it is - if we can."

Elizabeth looked directly at Sheppard and asked, "You sure about this? This 'thing' may be the responsible party for the shooting."

Sheppard replied, "That's what I thought at first too. Take a look at the wounds of Lorne's team - Beckett said they were professionally fixed up before they came back through the gate. If it is responsible for helping our people wouldn't we want to say thanks? It might also be of assistance to us, especially if it is the one that scared the villagers away. It could be worth looking into."

Dr. Weir thought for a long moment and then replied, "All right, but be careful. Rodney can stay here and help monitor things if they go sour."

Sheppard looked at Teyla and Ronon and said, "Okay - gear up and meet at the Jumper in 5."

Sheppard called in, "Jumper One - ready to go."

Dr. Weir answered, "You have a GO and be careful."

Sheppard replied casually, "Always."

As the Jumper went through the gate at the planet end they cloaked and Teyla activated the scanner. "I'm picking up a faint life form just a short distance from here but it isn't firm."

Sheppard looked at her and asked, "What?"

Ronon armed his weapon and waited patiently for now as Teyla replied, "It comes and goes - almost like a Wraith but ... not like a Wraith. It is weird."

Sheppard pointed and said, "There is a clearing just over there - we'll set the Jumper down there and walk to the area. Ronon - do you think you can track this thing?"

The big Satedan glanced at Sheppard as if to say, 'give me a break' and replied, "Yes."

"Okay then - here we go." Sheppard set the Jumper down and they exited slowly, their weapons at the ready and moved about 50 metres away from the Jumper. "Remember - we want to talk to this thing - it does speak our language so obviously..."

A minute later all three of them heard a loud click and then Ronon wasn't moving at all.

Teyla looked at him and asked, "What is wrong?"

Ronon replied, "I think I just activated something that I'm standing on."

Sheppard said, "Stay still and I'll check this out - hang on."

Ronon looked at him and replied, "I don't think I should move much - it feels like a trap of some kind."

Just as Sheppard was about to move and to see what the problem was a distinct voice of a Goa'uld was heard telling them, "Don't move if you want your friend to live."

Teyla and Sheppard looked around rapidly and could see nothing as to where the voice came from. Teyla moved off to the left and they heard again the Go'oauld voice, "I said - don't move if you want your friend to live."

"We mean you no harm," Teyla said to the woods.

"Of course you mean no harm - that is why your weapons are ready to shoot. Lay your weapons down - including your sidearm. You there - big guy - toss your blaster off to the side a ways - good. Now stay there and don't move."

Sheppard guessed and asked, "Are you Tok'ra?"

There was no reply until suddenly the bushes moved and stood up right close to them - about 20 feet away. Teyla almost jumped when she saw the bush thing move towards her holding what appeared to be a very large weapon; the voice chuckled and said, "Good to see I still have the touch." She took a deep breath and forced herself to be calm.

It seemed a bit odd to Sheppard as he had never heard a Goa'uld talk like this one - it raised strange questions in his head like something wasn't quite as it should be.

The bush thing stopped just close enough that Teyla and Sheppard could see some of the face but couldn't make out the features - which were green.

The voice asked, "Who are you and what do you want here?"

There was no answer immediately from the team so the voice asked again but firmer, "I asked - who are you?" It was followed by the sound of what was probably a safety lever being changed to fire.

Sheppard finally answered, "We're explorers."

Just then Ronon was trying to shift and the bush thing started easing back from the area; Sheppard motioned for Ronon to stay still.

Sheppard asked, "Well if you aren't Tok'ra are you Goa'uld?"

Again the chuckle and this time a shake of the head as a hand went up to its throat and they heard in a perfectly clear voice, "No, I'm most definitely not Goa'uld and you aren't normal explorers."

Sheppard was starting to sweat a bit from being caught exposed like this and he replied, "No, we aren't normal explorers - we're from ... far away from here. Is there some reason Ronon shouldn't move? I heard something click a minute ago and Ronon can't move."

The bush thing replied, "Yeah, well - sucks to be him. I have no reason to stay here, so I'll be on my way."

Sheppard asked, "What - you're just going to leave us like this?"

The bush thing replied, "Why not? You'd do the same probably, just like the idiot villagers earlier today."

The team noticed that the big weapon was still rock steady and pointed in their general direction.

Sheppard said, "Were you at a village earlier today and broke up a fire-fight between two sets of people?"

The bush replied, "What if I was? What do you care if I was there?"

It was Teyla who spoke up and answered, "You may have helped some of our friends earlier today if you were there near a village."

Sheppard added, "We can become friends with you - we're a friendly sort of people."

He was cut off with the harsh reply, "I don't need any friends - the only ones I trusted are gone or..." he trailed off and left unsaid what happened to his friends.

Sheppard asked, "Do you know how to help Ronon from whatever he is standing on?"

The reply was a laconic and almost sarcastic, "Yeah, I do know how, but I don't know you - so why should I?"

Sheppard answered that one easily; "Because I think that you are the one who helped our people earlier today, and I think that you actually do want to help Ronon out of the predicament he is on. I can see it in your eyes - you aren't a killer. So why don't we put our weapons away and see about freeing Ronon? What do you say - are you willing to help us here?"

With that Sheppard placed his hands away from his body: Teyla did the same but Ronon didn't until Sheppard looked at him and muttered, "Ronon!"

The bush thing took a deep breath and sighed and slowly lowered his big weapon and slowly slung it away from his front, but his eyes never left the team and watched their every move like a hawk.

Ronon was getting angry and said, "Get me off this trap and away from me!"

The bush replied, "Patience, big guy - patience - you are standing on one of my Party Poopers and I would have to deactivate it before you can move safely. And I get a little nervous when people make a subtle threat when they want something. Now I need you to be as still as you can be and I'll have you out of here in a jiffy."

Ronon grit his teeth as the bush knelt down and slowly cleared the dirt away from what appeared to a circle of some kind.

It looked at Sheppard and asked, "You there - do your friend a favour and get that big rock just over there? It should work for this."

As Sheppard wrestled the big rock over towards Ronon, Teyla asked, "Who are you?"