Cello Suite No. 1

Cello Suite No. 1

She sat down heavily on a flat rock. It was over looking a steep cliff above what appeared to be countless more miles of forest. The trees were a wide variety of colors – green, brown, almost black, sickly yellow – and they seemed to blend into one another. Kahlen closed her eyes and held her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees.

The urge to cry bubbled more furiously this time and she couldn't hold it back down. Sobs were wrenched from her throat against her will and scalding tears fell down her cheeks. Her lungs could barely get enough air into them, causing her sobs to grow harsher.

She had spend days coming this far only to find miles after miles of more forest with no end in sight. If she turned back now – running, not walking, a habit she seemed to pick up from her brother – she could maybe cover two days worth of ground. She knew the terrain behind her and could navigate it easily.

But what happened when she had to stop again and possibly found herself on another cliff top, over looking more forest? Or possibly an ocean?

What would she do?

~

John had been stiff since his video message. All of Atlantis now knew that he had a sister and that she was missing. And all of Atlantis seemed to know that now was the not the best time to be pestering him with mission reports, instead, that responsibility silently shifted over to Major Lorne for the time being.

Only Teyla had attempted to ask John about his sister – it was news to everyone on Atlantis that he had one and they were all quite curious – but John had simply turned and walked away; his shoulders and back tight with anxiety.

Most of his tension was caused by the restraint he felt. Usually, when one of his team or one of his men went missing, he was able to go out and search for them. He would be able to go to other planets, meet with tribes and villagers, getting information about where they might be. Usually he'd be able to do something.

But not this time. He couldn't do a damned thing. It was all in the hands of the SGC linguistics department, mainly Dr. Daniel Jackson's hands now. He was the best person for the job to translate the text to get a better understanding of just what had happened.

John sighed and rolled his shoulders, deciding to go for another run. Little did he know, his sister was doing the exact same thing.

~

Kahlen started running, viciously squashing the need to cry and rant and scream as she just ran. She ran back through the woods, jumping over rocks and fallen trees, stomping through small rivets of water coming from the creek and ran as hard as she could back the way she came.

Her breath was ragged, short, but it was enough. She ran strong, her leg pounding into the ground steadily as she hoped that when she finally had to stop and rest, that she'd at least be heading in the right direction.

~

“No, I'm telling you, Sam, those things were machines.”

“And I'm telling you, they weren't. They're completely organic. There's nothing technical about them.” Daniel paced back and forth in front of the dead creature lying on the examination table in a medical lab. He was clutching the pictures of the text with bits of translated words in the margins.

“There has to be something that we're just not thinking about.” he stopped pacing and stared down at the creature intently, as if it would stand up and give him a telegram from Kahlen explaining everything.

“So, I take it you haven't had much luck.” Daniel didn't spare a glance at the door where Cameron stood, but Sam shook her head.

“No, sir, we haven't. Daniel keeps insisting that there has to be something technical about the creatures for his theory to work, but there simply isn't anything.” Cameron sighed.

“Yeah, that's what I thought.” he rubbed his eyes blearily and walked over to the examination table, barely repressing the urge to poke the damned thing with a stick. He glared down at the offending creature, wanting it to give him a reason so he could poke it with a stick but it didn't seem to be in the mood to give him a reason.

“What about the hole they came out of?” Daniel's question caught Cameron off guard.

“What about it?”

“Well, what if there's something from the hole they came from that could help explain this?” Daniel looked hopeful. “Do you think General Landry would let us go back again to look?” Cameron thought about it.

“I'm not sure. He might. I'll go check with him and see what he thinks, alright?” Daniel smiled and nodded before being distracted again by the Ancient text and the still creature on the table in front of him.

Sam left him to his own musing as he started muttering about power sources and bug spray.

~

John grunted in surprised at having slammed into a solid and warm body during his run. He didn't think anyone would bother him. He'd obviously been wrong if the way Ronon was looking at him was any indication. He sighed and stood tall, his hands on his hips as he tried to regain his breathing.

“There something you want?” he didn't mean to sound irritated, but dammit, he was irritated; at not knowing where his sister was; not even being able to help look for her; irritated that he had made her stay on Earth at the SGC instead of letting her come to Atlantis with him.

“We need to talk.” his voice broke no argument and John sagged slightly, willing to let Ronon take control over this for awhile; giving his body rest from the constant pressure.

“Okay.” Subdued, he followed along after Ronon, not bothering to ask where they were going, but trusting Ronon to not go somewhere mainly public to have this little chat. He was surprised, and grateful, when he realized that Ronon was taking them towards Teyla's quarters. Ronon stepped aside when they reached the doors as the whished opened, motioning for him to go inside.

John found Teyla and Rodney sitting comfortably on some inviting pillows, talking quietly. They looked up when the door opened and Teyla smiled warmly.

“I believe it is time to talk, John.” Rodney merely nodded; for once, content with listening instead of talking at the speed of light.