Stargate Defense - season one

Chapter Two

Van shook his head and moved across the console. "I can't figure out how to turn off the defenses."

"I thought you were trying to bypass them?" Mal asked.

"I am! It seems like they've worked it out to keep the system one step ahead of any attempts to circumvent it. Probably in case an enemy managed to breach their defenses somehow."

"That doesn't help us," Mal replied.

"Yes, I realize that." Van continued to read through the system files.

Lee jumped up and moved over to the console. "Maybe I can find the button I hit!" Lee said and began smacking the buttons on the end of the console where she had slapped it when she'd tripped.

"No!" Van hurried over and shoved her hands away. "You're going to make it worse!"

"How could I possibly make things worse than they already are? We're trapped in here!"

He gave her a little shove away from the console. "I don't know but I know things can always get worse! Just don't touch anything else!"

"Don't be such a pessimist!" She reached around him and smacked a button. Alarms sounded and a display popped up on a screen on the wall to their left.

"No!" Van wailed. "I knew you'd make it worse! We're going to die!"

Mal grabbed him, gave him a shake, and waited until Van quit prophesying their doom. "Van, figure out how to get us out of here! Whatever this new problem is, ignore it and get us out of here!"

"That new problem is the self-destruct! We don't have time to get out of here, we're going to die!"

Mal sent Lee a glare. "Now will you listen when we tell you not to touch things!"

She looked at Van. "How long do we have?"

"Eight minutes." Van looked at the display. "Well, seven now."

She looked back at Mal. "For the next seven minutes I promise not to touch anything else, after that I suppose I'll be heaven's problem."

"Not funny!"

"Uh, hello? Anyone in there?"

Van spun to face the console. "What was that? Who's there?"

Mal shook his head and tapped his radio. "Hello, this is Colonel Hughes, we have a bit of a problem."

"Ah, yes Hughes, I remember you. This is Dr. McKay, General Carter sent me to help get you out of ... whatever this is."

"Look, Dr. McKay, I'd love the backstory of how you arrived here but we have about five minutes until this place blows up and takes us with it so if you know of a way to get us the hell out of here I'd be grateful."

"Which one of you idiots activated the self-destruct while you were trapped in there, that was stupid," Rodney muttered.

Mal rubbed his forehead. "I realize that, Doctor, get us out of here and I'll be glad to turn her over to you for a lecture!"

"Right, right ... so there's a force shield active. I can't get to any of the external panels. I'm going to have to walk you through bypassing the system."

Van activated his radio. "I've tried to bypass the system it has an intuitive program built in that keeps it one step ahead of any attempts to change anything."

"Yes, of course it does."

"That doesn't help us, Doctor!" Mal shouted. "Four minutes!" he said when Van held up four fingers.