LIFT - by NotTasha
Thank you again! You have been great with the reviews
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PART 4: UP

Sheppard sat on that elevator platform, stuck mid-way down the tower, staring at the wall.

If he hadn't convinced the Jerons that the planet was safe, if he hadn't rung the dinner gong, the displaced people wouldn't be at the mercy of the Wraith now, wouldn't be split up.

If Atlantis had just left them alone as they'd originally wished, the Jerons would be cold, wet and muddy, but alive.

How many times had this happened already? How many times had they tried to help, and only ended up hurting?

Beside him, McKay sniffled, drawing his sleeve to his nose again. Sheppard turned, realizing that Rodney was watching him.

"I hate nosebleeds," McKay commented.

Sheppard grunted in response as he turned away.

Too many people had died because of their interference. It wasn't as if they'd tried to cause harm to anyone, but why did it have to turn out so badly?

"My arm still hurts," McKay continued, still watching him.. "I think I dislocated it." He raised and lowered the shoulder a few more times.

"Huh," was Sheppard's response.

"Have you ever seen 'Kill Bill'? Did you see what happened when anyone got a body part hacked off?"

Fountains of blood, Sheppard thought, realizing why that particular image had come to him earlier.

"There were fountains of blood spurting out," McKay said. "Pretty cool movie."

It was.

"Ninja women make everything better," McKay added with a grin.

Rodney was right.

"Ninjas, fast cars, dinosaurs and zombies make good movies," McKay went on.

True.

"I don't know about you, but I could really use a good movie. I hope we get some with the next shipment -- maybe 'Shaun of the Dead' or something like that. Did you hear that someone is making a movie called 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'?"

Sheppard looked up sharply at McKay, and seriously wondered where McKay got his information.

"There's another one coming out called 'Pride and Predator'."

"No way in hell," Sheppard mumbled.

"It's true!"

"It's not."

"It is so true. And, okay, I don't know anything more than the titles, but why'd it take so damn long for them to finally make chick lit interesting, huh?" He turned his head slightly toward Sheppard. "I mean, who watches that hoity-toity Jane Austen stuff? Women seem to like it, but"

"I don't think Teyla would," Sheppard commented.

McKay let out a long sigh. "Jennifer is always talking about how she has this tradition with these old friends of hers. Whenever they get together, they all gather 'round and watch 'Pride and Prejudice'. It's like 20 hours long or something, and they spend the whole time swooning over some guy named Darcy." His voice rose with an incredulous tone.

Rodney kept talking, "There was this girl named Darcy in my elementary school." He lowered his voice, saying, "She had 'issues'. She used to eat paste."

Sheppard shrugged. "I ate paste."

"Well, who hasn't?" McKay stated. "Darcy ate a LOT of paste. If you wanted any chance of finishing an art project, you had to hide that stuff like it was gold, otherwise Paste-y McSticky would find it and go to town. She spread it on bread! Some of my best work never saw the light of day because of her." He sniffled again. "Wasted. So much good artwork wasted."

Sheppard chuckled a little.

"Maybe this Zombies version of Austen will be something I can sit through. It's gotta spice things up the whole boring story a bit, don't you think? I mean, the lady-folk will all be sitting around, discussing dresses or hats and suddenly WHAM zombies. The undead come crashing through the garden window and someone gets their face eaten."

"Zombie Darcy would be interesting," Sheppard said thoughtfully.

"Exactly! And Zombie Darcy would be so totally NOT HOT!" McKay shot back, crossing his arms over his chest and looking pleased. "Who's sexy with rotting flesh? "

Sheppard laughed a little. "It really isn't a good look for anyone."

Rodney let out a long sigh. "Anyway, it will probably be a while before we can see the movies. They're not even out yet. Maybe both will bomb and come out on DVD right away."

"We can only hope. Considering the titles, there's a strong possibility," Sheppard responded.

"Yeah, you're right." McKay sighed again, and stretched his legs out.

"But we're getting both of them as soon as they're out," Sheppard proclaimed.

"Definitely," McKay responded. "I just need something new," he said. He screwed up his face a moment as he considered his next comment.

Sheppard said nothing, waiting him out.

Finally, McKay stated, "That's why I was up there." He gestured upward, indicated the room above them. "I needed something to do. I couldn't stand to be in my room tonight, doing nothing. I thought it would be nice to be up there, just looking at the stars. I've always loved the stars."

Sheppard turned toward McKay again, watching him in profile. He hadn't noticed it before, but Rodney looked tired dead tired.

"I know just about everything about them," Rodney continued in a quiet voice. "There's something comforting about that."

Sheppard could understand that.

The scientist leaned back, resting his head against the column. "I just wish," he paused a moment before continuing. "I just wish that I could do something that worked out perfectly." He smiled a little at that word. "I'm good," he said. "I'm really really good. My intelligence is, well, light-years ahead of nearly everyone in the galaxy." He gestured as he spoke, and glanced to Sheppard. "I'm just stating facts, and not bragging or anything."

"God forbid," Sheppard deadpanned.

"It's just that It seems ages since I did anything that was a total success." And he let out a long sigh as he stared across the little room. "People diebecause of my ideas." His voice trailed off, but then became stronger as he stated, "I just wanted to figure out this room. I couldn't even do that right."

"Well," Sheppard tried. "You did figure it out."

"And as usual, something went horribly wrong. We could have fallen to our deaths, and now we're stuck in this little room!" Rodney blinked and said quietly, "The walls aren't moving closer, are they?" He cringed closer to the pillar.

"The walls are not moving," Sheppard reassured. "We're not moving."

"Because if I look at the walls just right, they seem to be closing in," McKay said, his voice sounding small.

"Do you still have the data on those gliders?"

McKay frowned at the question. "Obviously," he said.

"Do you think the plans would work?" Sheppard asked. He nodded upward. "If we can get this elevator working again"

"Of course, I can get the elevator working!" McKay responded.

"Once you got that, do you think we can launch a glider or two from up there?"

"It might be foolhardy, but" McKay's eyes darted as his mind worked. "it certainly seems possible." He leaned forward, his hands moving. "The designs were very yes. Yes, we probably could. And I've had some pretty impressive theories about how to improve them."

Rodney grinned, and some of the weariness seemed to leave him. He snapped his fingers. "And I know just where to get the materials. There was this storeroom not far from the base of this tower. I bet everything we need is right there." He looked smug. "It's totally possible."

"Great," Sheppard responded. "Once we get out of here, we can start planning."

And Rodney's eyes narrowed as his brain worked. "Have you ever flown a glider?" the scientist asked.

Sheppard felt some of his own exhaustion lessen at the idea of flying just gilding on the breeze. In his career, he'd flown just about everything imaginable and a few things that were unimaginable ultra-lights, an old Jenny, a Cessna, a Harrier Jump Jet, F-15s, Blackhawks, space battleships and even a freakin' a moon.

Gliders were different animals. There was a peacefulness to them. One had to be constantly aware of the air currents, to be quiet and calm. One had to trust in lift. "I've flown a few," Sheppard stated.

McKay bit his lip. "It's not dangerous, is it? Because, well" he fluttered a hand. "I have this fear of heights thing."

"Heights aren't a problem, Rodney," Sheppard said. "Going up isn't what's going to kill you."

"It's the 'down' that I worry about," Rodney admitted.

Sheppard went on, "It'll be fine. You design the gliders, and I'll fly 'em. I'll take you up. It'll be cool."

"Yeah, really cool," McKay said, smiling.

"Sir!" A voice cut in, called from above. "Sir? Are you down there? We're here to help."

Sheppard craned his head. Uldis Woodrow leaned over the hole at the top of the shaft, little more than a silhouette.

"We're here, Sergeant," John shouted in return.

"Sheppard?" That was Ronon's voice. His outline was impossible to confuse with anyone else. What was he doing up at this hour? Uldis wouldn't have awakened him. "You okay?" the big man asked. The smaller shape that joined them was, undoubtedly, Teyla.

"We're okay," Sheppard yelled back.

"I hurt my arm!" McKay countered.

"Rodney?" Teyla called, sounding anxious at this news.

"He'll be fine," Sheppard assured, and gave McKay a little punch in the 'injured' arm. Rodney flinched and glared at him.

"And my nose," Rodney added, pointing to his no-longer-bleeding nose. "I banged it pretty hard on the floor."

There was a pause, and Sheppard could picture Teyla's smile as she called back, "I am sorry to hear about your nose, Rodney."

"You and me both," Rodney replied, then quietly, probably because he realized the ridiculous of it, he added, "Tore my sleeve off, too." And he touched the ruined fabric.

"How far down are you?" Ronon questioned from above.

"You're going to have to figure that one out," Sheppard replied. "Let's start with 'a long long way down'."

"Use a Life Sign Detector," McKay commented. "You should be able to figure distance from that."

"Right," Sgt. Woodrow replied, and turned way from the hole, probably to locate someone in his group that had the gene and the necessary device.

"We'll get you lifted out," Ronon assured, and his shape disappeared from above, probably to confer with the rest of the rescue team. Teyla's silhouette remained.

"That marine's name really is Uldis?" McKay questioned quietly. "What kind of name is that?"

"I have an uncle named Uldis," Sheppard responded.

McKay frowned as if he wanted to contest this fact, but he looked up, and asked Sheppard, "Why does 'fridge' have a D in it?"

And Sheppard answered in a serious tone, "I have no idea."

McKay continued to look upward as Sheppard watched him.

"They'll get us out," Sheppard assured.

"Yeah," Rodney responded, clenching his hands nervously at his sides. "It really is a long long way up, isn't it?"

"About these gliders" Sheppard started.

THE END - there you go. Hope you enjoyed it