Hope is a Waking Dream

Chapter 3

Sheppard woke before dawn, watching his breath mist in the cool air above his head as the stars disappeared into the lightening sky. At least two of Jenar's men had been up all night, keeping watch over their prisoner and the camp. Sheppard had woken a few times in the night, looking for an opportunity to escape. With the constant guard he had no chance. The ropes had been tied well and he was unable to free his hands. As Jenar and his men woke and started moving about the camp, packing their belongings and cooking breakfast, Sheppard braced himself for what he guessed was to come.

Jenar brought him a bowl of something that looked like oatmeal, slicing his bonds and handing him the bowl to eat as the Genii drew his gun. He held the gun loosely, but again crouched far enough away from Sheppard that he was out of arm's reach. The pilot was sure he was still in no shape to be attacking anyone, however, as his head reeled with any fast movement. As hungry as he was, his stomach still felt nauseous. He forced the bowl of food down, knowing that he needed the energy after three days with no food or water. The food was plain but nourishing, and Sheppard felt as though his stomach seemed to settle more now that it had something in it.

Another man approached and held a gun on Sheppard when he finished, and Jenar motioned for him to stand. Sheppard was slightly embarrassed at how long it took him to find his feet, and he had to steady himself against the tree trunk when he swayed, his equilibrium off.

Jenar pulled his hands behind his back, tying them tightly before pushing him over to a vehicle that Sheppard had noticed earlier. It was a large box-like structure with an open top and had no wheels. A bench lined both sides of the back, and Sheppard watched as someone powered up the vehicle, causing it to lift off of the ground. A hovercraft. McKay would have loved to take a look at it, he knew. He briefly wondered if it was Genii technology or if they had stolen it from someone.

Jenar shoved him roughly into the back of the vehicle, pushing him down onto one of the benches as four other men piled in, their guns trained warily on the pilot. Jenar jumped into the front seat with the driver.

The vehicle took off at a high speed through the trees, leaving the rest of the group behind. Sheppard had counted around 34 men during the night and wondered if there were more. Why only a small group was taking him away, he could only imagine.

They travelled through the better part of the day through what appeared to be mostly a wooded and uninhabited area of the planet. The sun had shone for most of the day and the air had the smell of spring to it. The cool air of the night had turned into a pleasant warmth as the day progressed, but Sheppard had no opportunity to enjoy it as he mulled over what Jenar was going to do with him and tried to stay aware of his surroundings so that he could make his way back to the camp if need be.

When they stopped in the late afternoon, Jenar jumped out of the vehicle, coming to the back and pulling Sheppard down from the bench to the ground. He cut the ropes binding his wrists and quickly stepped away, drawing his gun.

"The rules are simple," he drawled. "You run, we hunt. If we find you, I'm not responsible for what my men might do. It'd be nice to keep you alive for a while. I think you're worth it. But my men have been told to take you down using any means necessary. Keep that in mind. This planet is a tough one to survive on. The gravity is heavier than most and the air is thinner. We chose it for that, so if you're fit, you'll be fine."

Sheppard rubbed at his wrists. "You gonna give me a head start at least?"

Jenar grinned. "You think I won't play fair? You've got one night. From dawn, the hunt begins." He swung back up onto the vehicle as it turned back the way they had come. "Oh, and Sheppard, don't make it easy on us. We catch you in the first 24 hours and you're dead for sure."

The vehicle disappeared through the trees with a high-pitched whine. Sheppard stood still for a moment, watching them as long as he could until they faded into the distance.

His situation was desperate. He had no idea if there was a Stargate on the planet and if there was a ship or another way off. If he kept going in the opposite direction from where they had dropped him off, he might possibly be moving further away from a source of help or escape. The vehicle they had been traveling in was fast, and he knew it would take him at least the better part of four days to make it back to the campsite on foot.

In the end, he struck off at a 90-degree angle from where they had come from, laying as many false trails as he could before, heading back the other way several hours later as dusk fell. As he worked, he formed a plan.

When you were being hunted, the best thing to do was always have a goal in mind, and it wasn't just to get away. He needed information.

Exhausted, he pushed hard, recalling his Black Ops training as he worked eastwards, leaving no sign of his passing. His head pounded with every step. He noticed the thin air and heavier gravity as soon as he had begun moving. His lungs felt shredded after a few hours of movement and he sweated profusely at the extra effort. As the sun finally disappeared behind the trees, the air cooled considerably, and Sheppard shivered as he walked, realizing that not only did he have to find water soon, he was also going to need to find a source of warmth, and it couldn't be a fire.

Who knew if Jenar was telling the truth and the hunt would start at dawn? His men could be tracking him now, and the thought made Sheppard press on through the darkness, keeping an eye on the sky through the trees so that he would stay in the right direction. This world had three moons, two very tiny and one about the size of Earth's. It was a reminder that he wasn't home and could be anywhere in the Pegasus Galaxy at this point.

After moving for several hours through the moonlit night, Sheppard was exhausted. He still had found no source of water but knew that he needed to rest. The ground was not an option, so after finding a suitable tree, he climbed up until he found a nook that he could nestle his body into safely without falling when he slept. It wasn't the most comfortable option, but he was glad that this area was forested. It was always easier to hide in a forest. The bushes on the ground were too sparse to make a good hiding place, and he was sure that Jenar's men most likely wouldn't think of looking up for their prey.

Making sure he was securely hidden behind the branches of the tree, Sheppard closed his tired eyes and slept, thankful that he didn't snore.