Damn it John

Chapter 3: Just Why?

"How did you talk me into letting you join an off world team, again?" John asked Meredith over his shoulder.

"Well it involved a highly sophisticated argument about how it was highly probable that you would need my expertise at some point."

"Uh huh."

"And I had to agree to let Teyla teach me how to fight."

"Yes. I will get you tomorrow morning so we can begin, Dr. McKay." Teyla cut in.

"Great," Meredith sarcastically remarks, "And finally I think there was some silk and lace involved in your final agreement."

John smirked, "Mmm, I liked those. Where did you keep them hidden?"

Mare raised her eyebrow, "Why? So you can go snooping?"

"I'll have you know that I am an Air Force officer we do not –" Meredith deadpanned at him, "Okay, yeah, I'd snoop. But can you blame me? I want to know what I have to look forward to taking off you."

"Can you guys not talk about this in front of me," Ford interjected, "It's gross."

Meredith snickered, "Really out of all the adjectives in the English language, you decided on gross."

"It's a valid word and I'm sticking to it," Aiden defended.

"Yeah, okay," Meredith began to retort.

"Hold up," John commanded as the group neared the tree line. He pulled out some binoculars and walk the rest of the way out before kneeling. He peered out, then dropped his arms down, "It's gone."

"What?" Meredith exclaimed, "I thought you said it was in a mountainside."

"It was," Teyla affirmed, "We were inside it."

John still gazing at the area, gave the order, "Let's move."

The quartet headed off with John in the lead. It wasn't long before they came across a ginormous crater. It was at least 5km in diameter and 1km deep.

"This was the spot," John stared down into the hole.

"Well, now it's a hole," Meredith remarked.

"Wow, really," Sarcasm was dripping off John's words, "I hadn't noticed."

"Could it have been destroyed?" Teyla inquired.

"No," Aiden refuted, "This is not a blast crater."

"It looks like they just picked up and left," John stated, "So, ship?"

Aiden glanced at John in disbelief, "I don't know sir. That mountainside had trees growing on it."

"Yeah, but Wraiths hibernate for centuries right? So, a lot of trees could have overgrown in that time."

Teyla gazed out across the crater, "Then we were held prisoner inside one of the great ships I showed you in the drawings. They've left to begin culling worlds."

Meredith shook her head in horror. A giant ship filled with the monsters John told her about roaming the cosmos in search of its next buffet? The fuck is wrong with this galaxy? Unable to stomach staring at the depression left by the ship (and how did it rise up from the ground if it was as big as a mountain? Physics is failing her) Meredith turned her head to the side and observes the woods around the group, she double takes as silhouettes form and move, "There's movement over there!"

Shots are fired at the quartet. John shouts for them to move and they race off to the Jumper. Meredith takes one glance back, getting her first look at a Wraith. They are humanoid at first glance, but she can see the disturbingly grotesque features that make it obvious that they aren't. Her first observation is of the white, cotton candy like hair. Then it's the porcelain looking skin, not just the color or the complexion, but the fact that it's face looks like it's made like a porcelain doll.