I figured out pretty early that the old guy was Rodney, but it didn't take away from a thrilling story. The last chapter had me bawling, because the idea of him being alone for so long blaming himself and not being able to kill the creature that was John is just awful. Loved the story.

Terrific story. I wandered in from a link at SGAstoryfinders. This kept me up all night.

From Storyfinders I already knew about old Rodney, which was fine with me. I'm one of those people who don't like to be "tricked" in stories. I didn't know about transformed Sheppard, and that reveal worked out fine.

I really liked how the two Rodney's were mistrustful and sniping at each other. I could see how that could happen to those (that?) characters. Rodney is my favorite SGA character so I liked your focus on him. It was interesting to see so many sides of him. He's remarkably brave and resourceful person.

I often get confused by time travel and time loop stories, so I appreciate your Author's Note at the end that sort of said "just go with it". So I am.

Another great reading! I really enjoy your stories. I've been perusing your stories and all I can say is; Keep writing! You have talent and you clearly know how to write dialogues. Great work!

Wow. I have to confess you are sneaky enough for me - I came not even close to guessing the truth, lol. Though I should have. The one thing (or rather, the two things) that really puzzled me about the strange situation Sheppard and McKay found themselves in wasn't the monster or how they got on that mysterious planet, but the old man's reaction to Sheppard and vice versa. The old man obviously had a weakness for Sheppard from the moment he first saw him, and the way this stranger was able to calm Sheppard down with his touch while caring for his wounds intrigued me. Of course it all makes complete sense now. ;-) I don't know if you ever showed the bond between the two of them in a stronger or more touching way, though I vaguely recall thinking something like that whenever I finish one of your stories. *g*

The fate of old Rodney and monster-Sheppard was heartrending, but fitting - I really couldn't see any other way for this to end. "Ghost in the Machine" was a perfect title, because I think without "ghost-Sheppard" talking to old Rodney in the end and pleading with him to kill the monster, I don't believe old Rodney would ever have been able to take that last step.

It is really fascinating to see what McKay might have been like, after having been trapped on that planet with monster-Sheppard for so many years (I really don't want to think about what happened to Sheppard). I guess they will both think about that for a long time to come.

Btw, I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to write that story, but I can only say it really was worth the effort. There was something annoyingly familiar about old McKay and especially the interaction between him and Sheppard, but you nonetheless managed to fool me right until the moment when Sheppard found monster-Sheppard's dog tags in that cave. I think I'm gonna mull over this story and its emotional content for quite a while.

I never figured it out. I thought it was Aiden for a long time. The 'bug' being Sheppard wasn't easy either. I had to wait until the box. You made me cry with the burial and the final cave scene. Good story. It was well worth your effort. Thanks.

This is such a great story. I love the detailed plot and you really had me stumped as to who the 'bad guys' could possibly be.
The whumpage was excellent and Rodney's reaction to the possible 'contagion' was hilarious.
You have a wonderful way of capturing the true inner workings of the characters and their interactions to situations and each other without going overboard.
Another great story.

wow...

I could go into a huge description of my opinion of this fic, but I think I'm going to sum it all up with a simple and heart felt:


That was a damn good story.


I also have two compliments to add, just to give you warm and fuzzies. number 1: I actually signed in to review. That's actually saying a lot. number 2: I really really wish this would be made into an episode of SGA. It would have made a great one, and in my opinion, is a much better time travel tale then the one SG1 spun. So there you go, you're a better episode writer than the one's who are getting paid to do it ^_^

Wow. I've wanted to read this story for forever, and I finally got to do it! Awesome and fantastic job! I had some inklings in the beginning that the old guy was Rodney, but then I completely forgot about them by the time it was revealed. Just an awesome story all around.

RL has finally allowed me time to read this (well actually it hasn't but i have decided RL needs to take a runing jump just now)and it is FAB! It has everything you could possibly want in a ff! Truely great writing- thank you!

Oh my god that was so sad! SNIFF...Great story though!

Happy Halloween! This was a very good story, and decidedly creepy. And sad and scary and just very, very good. I had wondered about Old Rodney fairly early on (which just goes to show that you have Rodney's voice dead-on), but hadn't figured out the creature until the big reveal. And excellent Halloween story. Thanks for posting.

It's always reassuring, when starting to read a long story, to know that the writer writes well and you're in safe hands.

I'm curious. Who is the guy? What is this beast? And why was he digging, and so far from the place he calls home.

I guess you've thoroughly whetted my appetite and got me curious, so I'd better get reading again :-)

This story was amazing! I just found it and ended up staying up half the night to finish it! It had everything you could want in a great tale, a twisty mystery, character whumping, friendship, drama, humour and the build-up to the end was intense. You really had Sheppard and McKay’s characters nailed and your writing was powerful. Thanks for this fantastic ride!

Fantastic story! One of the best fics I've read in a very long time. It's a genius idea, and beautifully written, full of tragedy and drama and humour and all the things which make a story memorable. It will stick in my mind for a long time to come. Thank you for writing it.

Oh. My. Goodness. That was incredible! To say this has been a pleasure to read is an understatement and the way you set it up was awesome! It had to be hard to rewrite as much as you did, but your hard work certainly produced an incredible story. This is definitely one of my favorites, and is so well written it puts a lot of other fanfic to shame. (And this would be so awesome if it were an actual episode!)

I absolutely loved it! Thanks for your hard work and dedication to this story...and rather than think of it as late - consider it early for this year's Halloween. XD I look forward to seeing what else you plan for this year's Halloween, above and beyond your own usual writings. You definitely earned my respect.