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gilascaveStill rated PG. THis is a small snippet of the opening of the chapter. There's more to come.
Moonlight of Your Soul
by James
Chapter Two
Radek woke up with a start. He could hear voices and footsteps in the distance -- drawing rapidly near. Radek sat up quickly, only then realising he'd fallen asleep. He'd meant to keep moving though there was nowhere he could truly escape to within the city. But late in the night he'd stopped for a moment and closed his eyes and now he was lying here, human again, and about to be discovered.
The sounds were growing closer and he knew there was no point in running. The room he was in had only one door; there would be no way to get out except past them. A large window in one wall of the bare room looked out on the ocean, the sunlight telling him it was well into morning. He leaned sideways against a cold metal wall, drawing his legs up and wrapping his arms around them.
They were near the door, the footsteps loud and many. Through the door, in this form, he could not tell who was there by scent. It didn't matter -- they'd hunted him down. Radek thought about closing his eyes, but he found that he was not nearly as afraid as he should have been. Or perhaps he was so afraid that he could barely feel it anymore. He turned his head to face the door and waited for it to open.
A few seconds later it did and Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford were the first ones through. They were armed, muzzles aimed forward as they stepped inside. Radek didn't move, staring at the the small, round hole of the barrel of Sheppard's gun.
"Dr. Zelenka?" Sheppard looked around the room before lowering his weapon. Behind him -- Radek was surprised. Carson and Rodney came into the room; Carson pushed his way past Sheppard and walked forward, crouching down in front of him. He had a medical kit and a duffel slung over his shoulder.
"Radek, are you all right?"
Radek looked from Carson to the guns that were no longer pointing towards him. He felt Carson's hand on his shoulder and pulled his gaze back to Carson's face. He heard Sheppard tap his radio and reported to Dr. Weir that they'd located him, but the major said nothing about what was coming.
Carson was still frowning at him, touching his hand, then his arm. "You're freezing. No wonder, sitting on the floor this way. Here." He set down a duffel bag he'd been carrying, and Radek stared. Inside it were his own clothes which he'd left strewn somewhere last night. They must have followed him step for step to have located them.
He didn't move until Carson held out his shirt. He took it, though his hands didn't seem to be moving quite as quickly or agilely as he meant them too. After a moment Carson reached over and helped him put it on, then Carson muttered something in Gaelic and got Radek standing. He helped Radek put on the rest of his clothes, the familiar touch of his hands confusing Radek further. He tried to help, but his whole body was stiff and moving slowly; by the time he'd got his hands somewhere Carson's were already there, pulling clothing into place.
Bewildered, Radek finally just let him do it. No one said anything as they waited; Rodney was bouncing very slightly on the balls of his feet. Once Radek was dressed, Carson even held out his glasses and Radek slipped them on.
Radek looked at Carson again but couldn't find the right words to ask. He didn't want to know -- he knew what was coming, but he couldn't bear to hear Carson say those words.
"You're shivering." Carson had his hand on Radek's cheek; it was warm, even down to his fingertips. Radek wanted to press his face against it but didn't dare. Carson held out his other hand and gestured and Rodney leapt forward. Radek tensed, but all he brought out was a thermos. He watched, dumbly, as Rodney unscrewed the lid and poured some hot tea.
"Here, drink this. I thought you might need a bit of something." Carson was frowning at him again and Radek couldn't figure out why. But he gratefully accepted the tea as Carson wrapped Radek's hand around the cup and hesitated a moment before taking his hand away.
He wasn't at all certain he could swallow, but the heat of it felt divine. Radek held the cup to his face, letting the heat soak through his hands and rise up to his face. He didn't look at any of them, concentrating on the sensation of heat as he sipped, and on the flavor of the strong black tea.
Simple things.
"We need to head back," Major Sheppard finally said, no trace of inflection in his voice. "Dr. Weir wants us to report to her office ASAP."
"Are you up to it?" Carson asked, still frowning. "We can stop by the infirmary, first."
"No, I'm fine," Radek said, confused further by the question. He held the thermos lid tightly, afraid they might take it away before he was through. He told himself it was a foolish thing to worry over and forced himself to loosen his grip.
"Oh, thank god. I think I've been patient long enough," Rodney said.
"Rodney," Carson said, his tone scolding.
"I have questions," Rodney continued, ignoring Carson completely. "About four thousand and twelve, so far. We all have questions but feel free to start answering mine now, and we can recap for Elizabeth when we get back." Rodney waved a hand as though dismissing the importance of anyone else's questions.
He was acting so normal and Radek was oddly comforted to see that Rodney's scientific curiosity was stronger than fear. He took another sip of the tea, feeling the hot liquid go down his throat. He was cold, he suddenly realised. But he thought he understood now what was happening. Of course they had questions. They were scientists, explorers. They would ask him everything. Every question they had, then they would think of more.
It would not be until they had run out of questions that they would kill him.
(end teaser)
Moonlight of Your Soul
by James
Chapter Two
Radek woke up with a start. He could hear voices and footsteps in the distance -- drawing rapidly near. Radek sat up quickly, only then realising he'd fallen asleep. He'd meant to keep moving though there was nowhere he could truly escape to within the city. But late in the night he'd stopped for a moment and closed his eyes and now he was lying here, human again, and about to be discovered.
The sounds were growing closer and he knew there was no point in running. The room he was in had only one door; there would be no way to get out except past them. A large window in one wall of the bare room looked out on the ocean, the sunlight telling him it was well into morning. He leaned sideways against a cold metal wall, drawing his legs up and wrapping his arms around them.
They were near the door, the footsteps loud and many. Through the door, in this form, he could not tell who was there by scent. It didn't matter -- they'd hunted him down. Radek thought about closing his eyes, but he found that he was not nearly as afraid as he should have been. Or perhaps he was so afraid that he could barely feel it anymore. He turned his head to face the door and waited for it to open.
A few seconds later it did and Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford were the first ones through. They were armed, muzzles aimed forward as they stepped inside. Radek didn't move, staring at the the small, round hole of the barrel of Sheppard's gun.
"Dr. Zelenka?" Sheppard looked around the room before lowering his weapon. Behind him -- Radek was surprised. Carson and Rodney came into the room; Carson pushed his way past Sheppard and walked forward, crouching down in front of him. He had a medical kit and a duffel slung over his shoulder.
"Radek, are you all right?"
Radek looked from Carson to the guns that were no longer pointing towards him. He felt Carson's hand on his shoulder and pulled his gaze back to Carson's face. He heard Sheppard tap his radio and reported to Dr. Weir that they'd located him, but the major said nothing about what was coming.
Carson was still frowning at him, touching his hand, then his arm. "You're freezing. No wonder, sitting on the floor this way. Here." He set down a duffel bag he'd been carrying, and Radek stared. Inside it were his own clothes which he'd left strewn somewhere last night. They must have followed him step for step to have located them.
He didn't move until Carson held out his shirt. He took it, though his hands didn't seem to be moving quite as quickly or agilely as he meant them too. After a moment Carson reached over and helped him put it on, then Carson muttered something in Gaelic and got Radek standing. He helped Radek put on the rest of his clothes, the familiar touch of his hands confusing Radek further. He tried to help, but his whole body was stiff and moving slowly; by the time he'd got his hands somewhere Carson's were already there, pulling clothing into place.
Bewildered, Radek finally just let him do it. No one said anything as they waited; Rodney was bouncing very slightly on the balls of his feet. Once Radek was dressed, Carson even held out his glasses and Radek slipped them on.
Radek looked at Carson again but couldn't find the right words to ask. He didn't want to know -- he knew what was coming, but he couldn't bear to hear Carson say those words.
"You're shivering." Carson had his hand on Radek's cheek; it was warm, even down to his fingertips. Radek wanted to press his face against it but didn't dare. Carson held out his other hand and gestured and Rodney leapt forward. Radek tensed, but all he brought out was a thermos. He watched, dumbly, as Rodney unscrewed the lid and poured some hot tea.
"Here, drink this. I thought you might need a bit of something." Carson was frowning at him again and Radek couldn't figure out why. But he gratefully accepted the tea as Carson wrapped Radek's hand around the cup and hesitated a moment before taking his hand away.
He wasn't at all certain he could swallow, but the heat of it felt divine. Radek held the cup to his face, letting the heat soak through his hands and rise up to his face. He didn't look at any of them, concentrating on the sensation of heat as he sipped, and on the flavor of the strong black tea.
Simple things.
"We need to head back," Major Sheppard finally said, no trace of inflection in his voice. "Dr. Weir wants us to report to her office ASAP."
"Are you up to it?" Carson asked, still frowning. "We can stop by the infirmary, first."
"No, I'm fine," Radek said, confused further by the question. He held the thermos lid tightly, afraid they might take it away before he was through. He told himself it was a foolish thing to worry over and forced himself to loosen his grip.
"Oh, thank god. I think I've been patient long enough," Rodney said.
"Rodney," Carson said, his tone scolding.
"I have questions," Rodney continued, ignoring Carson completely. "About four thousand and twelve, so far. We all have questions but feel free to start answering mine now, and we can recap for Elizabeth when we get back." Rodney waved a hand as though dismissing the importance of anyone else's questions.
He was acting so normal and Radek was oddly comforted to see that Rodney's scientific curiosity was stronger than fear. He took another sip of the tea, feeling the hot liquid go down his throat. He was cold, he suddenly realised. But he thought he understood now what was happening. Of course they had questions. They were scientists, explorers. They would ask him everything. Every question they had, then they would think of more.
It would not be until they had run out of questions that they would kill him.
(end teaser)