Chapter 11: Escort

The sun filtered through the trees and cast shadows on Teyla, McKay, Sheppard, Akire, and Ford as they sat on the ground of the village. Keras and Ares were inside, discussing the team's arrival, while the others watched the population live their lives long before they should have.

"This is, without a doubt, the most screwed up way of living that I can imagine," Sheppard declared.

"Well, I knew this one man who lived underground for fifty years," Akire offered, but no one was listening.

"Never in my life have I felt so old," Ford shook his head, watching a girl of about ten wheelbarrowing a crop that looked like carrots past them.

"They seem to accept this way of life," Teyla said.

"They're kids. What do they know?" Sheppard exclaimed. "And they obviously don't want us around."

"Because they think that our presence will bring back the Wraith," Akire countered. "But it won't, will it?" The others said nothing. "Will it?"

"Of course it won't," McKay said, annoyed. Akire sighed in relief. "The reason the Wraith don't come by anymore is that when their Darts fly near the village, the electromagnetic field takes out their systems, like what happened to the puddlejumper."

"Why do they just not land outside the field and take the village by foot?" Teyla inquired.

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm not being clear," McKay said, without a trace of remorse in his voice. "Nothing works here. Not their stunners, their Darts--even their shields would function properly. I mean, why would they risk their advantage when there's a whole ton of defenseless people through some other Stargate?"

"We must tell them," Teyla insisted. "They are sacrificing themselves for no reason."

"What are we going to tell them, Teyla? 'Listen, kiddies, everything you believe to be true is wrong, and trust us because we've been here for almost an hour?' We aren't going to do anything before I have a look at those ruins."

"McKay--" Sheppard began, but he was interrupted by Keras and Ares climbing down the ladder from the treehouse. The team stood up to face the two Elders.

"We've talked it over," Keras explained. "You can stay until you've fixed your ship, but you must work quickly. The fact that so many full-growns are here from outside makes our people uneasy."

"Fair enough," Sheppard answered. "We'll work as quickly as we can."

"There may have been something in the ruins where you picked us up that, uh, caused us to lose control of our ship," McKay interjected.

Ares directed his next sentence to Keras. "They should be watched at all times." His voice was low, and Akire decided that she definitely did not like this man. Keras looked as his companion, then back at Sheppard's team. "I shall choose two of the villagers to keep an eye on you," he decided.

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"I'm still trying hard not to laugh at our escort," Akire suppressed a smile.

"Me too," Ford grinned. He, Akire, McKay, and the two villagers who had been selected to accompany them were now on their way to the ruins. The only thing was that the villagers were two young children, no more than six or seven years old. Ford and Akire had opted to walk in front of McKay and the children, and were now listening to the, for lack of a better word, interesting conversation that was being held behind them.

"Casta says you're a hundred years old. Are you?" That was the little girl--Cleya--speaking. She and the boy were on both sides of McKay, looking up at him as they skipped or walked along.

"Who's Casta?" McKay demanded.

"Me," the boy piped up.

"Where are you getting your information, Casta?"

"Why are we going to the old city?"

"I gotta check something."

"What kind of thing?"

Akire and Ford were now walking backwards as best they could to get a full view of the situation.

"It's...grown up stuff," McKay retorted.

"What's a grown up?" Cleya asked.

"Some one who's older than you are."

Casta's face brightened. "I'm three days older than Cleya. You can tell me!"

"Nice try, but you're not a grown up."

"But you just said," Cleya's tone was confused. "That someone older than me is a grown up."

"I don't need you to tell me what I just said, OK?" McKay snapped.

"OK," Cleya said warily.

After a pause, Casta spoke. "So, why are we going to the old city?"

"Ford, Akire, a little help here?" McKay called to them. Ford chuckled. "What do you mean? You're a natural!"

"Let's see how long we can be quiet," McKay attempted to talk to Casta and Cleya again. "Who can be quiet the longest, huh?"

"Well, I'm not a quiet person," Cleya said, proving her point to be true.

"That's not quiet, that's talking."

"Well, I'm not a quiet person. I talk a lot."

(If you want to watch a clip from the actual episode, about the last half of this post, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvf_kwArlp4

You may have to turn up the sound, and the quality is not so good, but it's a pretty funny scene XD)