Experiment part 5

Slave Trade

A/N- I wrote this over two years ago, and put up the first few chapters. It didn’t get any kinds of views/reviews until a few months ago so I dug it back up. I don’t know if I’ll ever finish it just to warn you, but the reader wanted all that I had. So here it is. If enough people like it I might finish it...

Chapter 1: Another Planet

“Remind me why we didn’t just take the Jumper?” Complained Rodney after about thirty minutes of walking along the trail. There was a sea of trees on one side and a high, rocky ledge on the other. It would have been claustrophobic if not for the brilliant sunlight that came from the planet’s two suns. Rodney wished some of the sunlight could go away. He was sweating like crazy.

John, who hadn’t even broken a sweat answered agitated, “Because Rodney, the jumpers are stretched a little thin right now and it’s our turn to walk.” And you need the exercise. He added mentally.

“Well couldn’t one of the inconsequential teams have walked?” Rodney’s gargantuan ego was annoying the crap out of John right now. Ronon too, who was contemplating using his stunner. Teyla, however, was watching him closely knowing what he was probably planning. All it would take is one second. Ronon’s fingers started to reach automatically toward his gun that everybody wanted.

Teyla reached out a hand and placed it gently on his shoulder, “Ronon.”

“What?” She gave him a knowing stare. Had he been anybody else, Ronon would have cringed. But instead he just pulled his hand reluctantly away from the weapon and continued to survey the area in front of him. Teyla brought her hand back to her own weapon. Had either one of them looked back at the ridge along their right side however; they both would have a reason to pull out their guns.

There were four people along the ridge watching them. They were lined along the rock. Each ducked down low. The woman at the end got up and stealthily ran down the line. She tapped each person on the shoulder as she ran past them. They then rose and followed her to the red haired man closest to the group of strangers.

They clumped together. Two men and two women. The tall white haired woman, who had been at the end of the line held some sort of authority or respect from the younger woman and short man. The second man, the one in charge, looked annoyed at her presence.

He gave out orders to the other three mentally using a private channel in case any of the strangers had the gene, *Jacob I want you to lure them to the ledge.* Jacob, the short man nodded.

*Sandra, I want you to get into the trees with your stunner.* Sandra nodded too. She looked to be much younger than the other three, only twenty perhaps.

*And Nicole.* the white haired woman whom he obviously disliked cocked her head to the side slightly her eyes still intent on the strangers, *You’ll carry the woman and the scientist back to the caves.* Nicole turned and flared her nostrils in annoyance. She saluted him partially out of old habit and sarcasm.

“Stuck being the pack mule again.” she thought to herself as Jacob and Sandra started up their hoverboards as quietly as possible. *Be Careful* She said to Sandra and Jacob leaving Mel out of the mental loop. They both smiled at her and took off. Mel might be the commander of their rebellion but Nicole was the one everybody liked.

Mel and Nicole moved farther along the ridge to keep the group of strangers in sight. After a minute Jacob contacted them, *Ready.* then after another minute came Sandra, *Ready.* Mel turned to look at Nicole, “No funny business just grab the woman and scientist and go, understand?”

Nicole rolled her eyes internally, “Yes Sir.” She was being completely sarcastic now. Nicole then jumped, snapped her fingers, and turned her board on. *Go.* She told Jacob this time allowing Mel to hear her also. Mel activated his board and they watched as the team from Atlantis fell into their trap.

Ronon was the first to see Jacob and, after he shot a stunner at them, so did everybody else. Jacob then turned into the trees and ran straight to the place where Sandra was waiting with her stunner.

Nicole and Mel followed, several hundred feet in the air. Ronon was at the head of the Atlantis expedition followed closely by Colonel Sheppard. Teyla and Rodney brought up the rear a little while behind.

Ronon was right on Jacob’s heals until suddenly they came to a cliff and Jacob ran right over it. From their vantage point Nicole and Mel saw his board activate saving him from a deadly fall. Done with his part, Jacob headed down the gorge to circle back up later.

Nicole’s eyes turned to the strangers. Ronon stopped at the edge of the gorge and for a precarious moment almost fell over. Just as he righted himself, he was shot with Sandra’s stunner. His body fought for a moment and then crumpled near the edge.

*Nice shot.* Nicole complimented her and then John came running. He didn’t see Ronon though and tripped right over him, into the chasm that Ronon had barely managed to avoid.

A/N- I have no rights as always

Chapter 2: Falling

Nicole stared at Mel who made no movement. He caught her gaze shook his head at Nicole.

For a brief moment she thought about letting the man die. She thought about obeying her commander for once in her lifetime and letting him fall. But she wasn’t about to start obeying now. Then she disobeyed Mel and dove after the man.

“Nicole!” He roared at her but she had already made up her mind. The wind tore at her hair and the string that had been holding it back, fell away letting her inhumanly white hair free. She reveled in the speed of the fall; wind was everywhere pulling at her and her small board.

Nicole saw the stranger a dozen feet below her and increased speed coaxing as much as she could out of her little engines. They began to scream as they were pushed farther than she had ever dared before. Suddenly a wind current flipped him around so that he was face up as he did his weapon was flung away into the wind. She was close enough to see his face, exhilarated he showed little fear. This was obviously not his first free fall. It appeared that he too was reveling in the wind.

He saw her and reached out his hand, Nichole lunged and grabbed his forearm. His hand quickly grasped hers as well. The second they both had a reasonable grip she killed the brakes and their descent stopped wrenching her shoulder out of the socket. She gave a small scream. He was heavy!

She quickly grabbed his other arm and said, “Hold onto my other hand my shoulder’s out of the socket,” He obliged. For a minute they both hovered there. The sudden stillness was bizarre, “Alright I’m going to take us to a cliff and pop it back in,” Nicole said wondering briefly why she was explaining herself to this man who they had intended to stun and then leave only a few minutes ago.

“Okay,” He said clearly wondering why she was explaining herself too. He stared at her hair for a second then dismissed it. Nicole quickly looked away from his features and at the rock face. There was a small cliff only a few feet away.

She quickly moved her board directly over the cliff, “Okay let go,” He released his handhold and dropped a few inches to the ledge. Nicole righted herself and then snapped her fingers. The board folded and slid into her shoes and then she dropped a few inches onto the grey ledge. It took a second for regain her sense of balance.

Nicole flexed her fingers, “Nice grip,”

He smiled, “Nice rescue,” he inspected her as she inspected him. She had windblown, snow white hair and, even with the blinding suns, very pale skin. He was tan with short, messy, black, hair. It was almost funny how contradictory they were. He was looking at her as if he was trying to figure out where he had seen her before. The strange hair was oddly familiar.

Nicole pretended not to notice and asked, “You know how to pop a shoulder back in place? If not it’s going to be a real pain in the butt to do myself,” She spoke from experience.

“Yeah I know how,” He moved to help her and she jumped when he touched her arm. He frowned internally, “This is-”

“Going to hurt like crazy. I know, this is about my fourth dislocated shoulder,” On this arm she added mentally. She sighed, and gritted her teeth, “Alright,”

He grabbed her arm, twisted, and pulled. She gritted her teeth and sucked in a breath. The shoulder stung with pins and needles. Really sharp really big needles. To distract her he said, “So, now that I have successfully fixed you. Want to enlighten me with your name?”

Nicole held up one finger, her face was twisted in concentration. Jacob and Sandra were harassing her with mental probes on the network. Her pain had sent a mental flash across the network. They thought that she was dead, having gone splat into the bottom of the ravine “Shut up!” She cried in desperation out loud. John gave her a funny look and she ignored him.

She decided to send out her message on the local link so that everybody would know she was okay and so she wouldn’t have to establish a private link with Mel. *I’m fine you guy’s. My shoulder dislocated when I caught him. The stranger that fell just popped it back in* She glanced at him now. *I’ll bring him back up to the ledge. Mel you can scream at me all you want then* She stared at the rock face as she sent out her message. She was unaware of John looking around wildly.

Nicole sighed as she imagined what Mel was probably cooking up for her right now. She turned around, “I’m sorry what was it you asked me?” She drew her attention the stranger which she was going to get grilled for saving.

“Well first of all why don’t we introduce ourselves, I’m Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard,” His chest swelled a little at his rank. Nicole’s eyes flashed.

“Where are you from?” Her answer was not what he had expected. More like a, “Hello my name is,” La de da de da.

John decided to quote one of his favorite movies to break the ice, “A galaxy far, far, away,” The expression on her face turned to an unmasked surprise, “What?” he asked wondering why his answer had initiated such a reaction. It was just Star Wars, something she could have absolutely no clue about.

Nicole laughed quietly and pressed her finger to her temples, “After all this time…” she trailed of then came back. Her eye’s met his and she spoke, “Star Wars,” Now it was John’s turn to be surprised.

Chapter 3: Flying

“How did you get here?” asked John. He assumed that she was from earth. It was the only culture he had ever come across with Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader.

“Long story, I’ll explain later.” John thought about objecting for a minute but she just plowed on, “All you need to know is that we need to get back up there and I’m going to get yelled at. Don’t tell them that where you’re from. Only Sandra and I are from earth. A few are from the Milky Way. Do not provoke Mel and if I tell you to do something please do it,” The worry on her face was clear. She pointed up to where he had fallen, “And It’s not exactly going to be a walk in a park.”

“Why can’t you just take me to the bottom and say that you couldn’t reach me or something?” He asked clearly not liking the way things looked.

Nicole sighed she knew this wasn’t going to be easy, “Because everybody already knows that I got you, and unless things have changed drastically since I left. You don’t leave people behind.”

John quickly realized that there was no way out of this, “All right how are we going to do this?”

“That’s the tricky part. In order to get up I have to go almost completely vertical.”

“Oh,” John could see the problem.

“You’re going to have to wear these,” She began to unsnap her heavy looking bracelets.

“I’m sorry but how are those going to help me?” he asked, wondering how bulky jewelry could solve his problem.

“They’re crash bracelets. The magnets will stick to the board and keep you from falling.” She said this as though it was obvious.

“Oh. What keeps you from falling then?” He asked still wondering how this was going to solve the problem. Sure he wouldn’t fall of, but she still could.

“The board is in my shoes. As long as we don’t ride for too long they’ll hold.” She didn’t look nervous about it so John decided that the odds of that happening were slim. He took the bracelets and snapped them on. They were really tight for a second and then they stretched until they were only hugging instead of strangling his wrists, “Now what?” he asked.

She smiled and then stepped of the edge of their ledge. A few seconds later she reappeared, her board activated. She moved swiftly, but carefully next to him hovering half an inch of the ledge, “Now you get on,”

John maneuvered himself so that he was on the board right next to her. She was in front of him and their bodies were very close together. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with this situation, but then she was very pretty.

She took his arms and wrapped them securely around her waist, okay now he was a tad bit nervous, “Okay, now follow my movement and please don’t let go,” She leaned back and the board moved slowly up into a vertical position.

His sense of gravity didn’t change though, “Inertial dampeners?”

“My addition. You would think that a race as smart as the Ancients would think to put inertial dampeners into a hoverboard.” They were climbing the rock face quickly now.

“This is surprisingly easy.” Said John. With the bracelets and the inertial dampeners it was only a matter of staying balanced on the board. And trying not to notice how very close he was to a very good looking woman.

Nicole smiled again, “Because I’m doing all of the work, if it weren’t for the fact that we need to get back on top of the cliff, I would show you what it’s like without me,” Although, she added mentally, it shouldn’t be this easy.

“Don’t think I can handle it?” He asked playfully. John Sheppard could fly anything.

“Not unless you have what we call the Ancient gene in you. It’s a protein that allows you to use Ancient technologies like this one,” She obviously didn’t know about John’s natural ability to use Ancient technologies, “Hold on,” She warned as they came to the top.

They shot up and then Nicole leaned far forward bringing the board to a horizontal position. Then she did a peculiar movement with her hand bringing the board to a stop, “Could you please get off?” she asked her lips were tight.

John stepped off. He watched as she then skyrocketed into the sky flipping the board That is cool he thought. They were going to have to become allies. He wanted one, badly. That thought was quickly yanked away however as a stunner was suddenly charged and put into his face.

Chapter 4: Small explanations

Nicole quickly appeared in front a few feet away, “Mel leave him!” She yelled furious. The man in front of him, Mel, was also clearly furious. Out of habit John raised his hands.

Nicole snapped her fingers and landed right next to Mel and John, “Leave him,” she repeated her tone menacing.

Mel’s face turned beet red and he exploded, “You have compromised us completely! Now we will have to take all four of them with us! You have allowed complete stranger into our midst. One that could be on Jonas’s side-”

She cut him off then, “You would have let him die. And his friend would have gone down to retrieve his body and then found our camp. Would you rather us bring him there or have him storm the place in revenge?”

John was surprised that Nicole spoke to Mel like that. Not that he wasn’t grateful. She seemed to have some sort of authority that Mel respected but didn’t like. What had she done to be able to speak up to him like that?

Nicole’s head was held high. She refused to stand down as Mel’s eyes bored into her. An unyielding rage fuming behind his face, “Fine you want to save him? You can keep him. He will be your responsibility. Anything that goes wrong because of him will be considered a traitors act, by both parties,”

Nicole stared into the depths of Mel’s coal black eyes, “Done.” Mel’s eyebrows shot up. He was surprised to have gotten his way so easily. He would have to watch Nicole and their guests very closely.

“The others have been taken to the south caves,” He said and then he walked off the edge of the cliff. Nicole let out a long breath and turned her eyes to the trees *It’s Okay guy’s he’s gone* She watched as Sandra and Jacob crept out of the trees. She was then distracted by John looking around wildly.

“What?” She asked puzzled.

“Did you hear that?” He said still looking around

“Hear what?” She asked comprehension dawning on her face.

“Somebody said ‘It’s okay guy’s he’s gone’” He looked at her.

“You have the Gene,” She said, “That’s why it was so easy on the way up.” When he didn’t respond she cried, “You knew that you do!”

“Do what?” Asked Sandra who was now within earshot.

“He’s got the Gene!” Nicole shrieked.

John wondered why it was so upsetting. He got even more suspicious when the new girl came up and inspected him carefully. Her blue eyes were looking for something. She picked up his hand and inspected his palm, “Naturally?” She asked. Directing her question as John.

“Um, yeah. Is that a problem?” He withdrew his hand from Sandra’s inspection. She then stared intently at him.

*Can you here this?* The words suddenly appeared in his head and he looked around again. Then back at the young girl in front of him, “You said that?” He asked bewildered. Her lips hadn’t moved.

She cocked her head to the side and then she walked over to Jacob and Nicole who were standing a few feet away, “Human, strong Ancient, but no Nox. It’s puzzling. There’s no tenna as far as I can tell,” She shook her head as she spoke.

“Perhaps we should take him to the testing grounds?” Asked Jacob quietly.

Nicole shook her head, “Not until we’ve explained ourselves. We’ll take him to the caves.”

“Look before you take wherever it is we’re going I need to check in with my leader. Our scheduled check-in was five minutes ago. If I don’t check-in she’s going to get worried and send in more people after us.”

“Who is it?” Asked Nicole her expression carefully guarded.

“Dr. Elizabeth Weir,” He said.

Sandra turned sharply to look at Nicole, “Elizabeth is their leader? They’re from Earth?”

“I didn’t exactly get a chance to tell you. I was trying to keep Mel for killing him thank you. But yes he is,” Nicole looked at him as she said this, and then asked Jacob, “Do you have any extra boards in you pack?”

He looked at her as if to say, “You have to ask?” and pulled off his pack. Jacob put his hand in and rummaged for a minute, “Here you go,” He held out a small, red, metal, rectangle and two more shiny crash bracelets.

John took them and nearly dropped the rectangle, it was so heavy, “What is this?”

“A board. A red one, nice color Jacob,” She complimented Jacob nonchalantly, while inspecting the board, “Put it on the ground,” She instructed, “Okay, now take a step back and snap your fingers,” As John obeyed the rectangle suddenly started to open. It unslid and unfolded until it became a slick, red hoverboard.

John whistled, “Nice,”

Nicole smiled remembering her first board only two years ago. It had been an exciting site, “Now give me my bracelets back and put on your own,”

John realized he was still wearing the bulky jewelry. He moved to take them off and realized he didn’t know how. There was no visible way to make them off, “Umm,” He started but then started to grow until they were big enough to slide off. His eyebrows shot up.

Nicole smiled, “Neural interface,” John recognized the word. Like what he had to do to make the Drone Chair work. He slid off the bracelets and tossed them to Nicole, “Hey what are your names?” He realized that he hadn’t asked yet.

“Colonel Nicole Sheppard, no I am not kidding, Sandra, and Jacob,” Nicole gestured at the other two as she said their names. John looked at her doubtfully. She sighed and pulled out a pair of dog tags. They read Nicole Cassandra Sheppard, Authentic tags.

“That still leaves you rank,” He said stubbornness kicking in.

“Well I was probably declared dead, but two and a half years ago it was Colonel Nicole Sheppard of Stargate Command,” Her eyes stared off into space for a few seconds, caught by whatever memories of her friends were flying by. The way she stated her rank and spoke of where she had been stationed said everything in a way she couldn’t.

When he looked at her his thoughts went to his own friends for the first time. He had completely forgotten about them, “Where’s my team?” He asked looking around as if he expected them to come walking out of the forest any second.

Nicole exchanged glances with Sandra, “They’ve been taking to the caves,” John looked confused, “Look, once we get to my quarters I’ll explain everything and how we’re going to get out of here,” She said this ominously, “First we need to teach you to board,” Her foreboding look turned to pleasure, as if she was anticipating the lesson.