Sploosh
Chapter 4 - Bloody Insanity
Written 2010.
The assurances of the science department that the power fluctuations had been dealt with did nothing to change the fact that they had swept it under a fairly wet and squelchy mat. While the main spire of Atlantis was functioning perfectly – or as near to as it could without three ZPMs and a good long holiday – the South pier remained darker than even the clouds descending upon the city.
"Hey, McKay," Aiden chortled into his radio. "What's the forecast on the weather channel?"
"Let me see. Cloudy with a chance of complete imbeciles falling overboard."
"You volunteering?"
Teyla reached over and turned the radio off. Hovering it front of Ford's face, she requested, "Could you please radio in and give the Major our position?"
"He knows where we are."
"Then I will say this – if you use the radio to taunt Dr McKay again, I will challenge you to a sparring session. One which Major Sheppard will not let you refuse."
"You'd better do as she says, lad," Carson advised.
Ford turned away to comply and then they were off again, treading around puddles and the odd pile of...something. When the shadows started to drown them, Teyla activated the light on her P90 and they followed the thin stream of light further down the corridor. The main exit onto the exposed part of the pier was jammed with only an inch-sized gap running down the side.
"I suppose one of you is going to offer a brilliant plan around this one," Carson said.
Aiden hung the harpoon over his shoulder as he glanced back through the dim corridor. "Actually, I was thinking of just shooting it open. But the Ancients kind of built this stuff to last."
"Violence never solved anything, son."
"I was joking."
"Of course you were."
"Lieutenant," Teyla said sharply. "Were you not part of the first scouting party assigned to this area of the pier?"
Ford considered this for a moment, squinting from side to side. Well, it looked a little familiar but most of Atlantis seemed engineered towards the boring end of the design spectrum. Then again, Sheppard had put Teyla in charge and she had two very solid wooden sticks stashed in her quarters.
"Yeah, like three months ago," he responded.
Teyla lowered her P90, directing the beam down his shoes. He looked down involuntarily, then back up again as the Athosian rested one arm over the top of the weapon. "Is there another convenient path we can take?"
The safest answer was a hurried, decisive nod. Never mind that it wasn't entirely truthful, but no one needed to know that. Ford nodded as planned. Dr Beckett raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh I've seen that look before."
"When?" Aiden challenged.
"Now Lieutenant, I'm not sure you'd want to upset me because I'll make a wee electric shock seem like paradise."
Teyla Emmagan directed her gaze at the ceiling. Sometimes it was hard to believe that these humans were in part descended from the ancestors. Or perhaps it was just a problem among men who seemed to have missed the important rite of passage from adolescence. A common affliction across many different cultures on many different planets.
Fastening her P90 back onto her gear, she extended both hands and inserted herself between the pair of them, pushing them out of her way. Teyla took the gun back into her hands and fired a quick burst at the control panel, before peppering some across the door.
Sparks spat through the shadows surrounding them, settling down just as the door made a protest that sounded between the whine of a dying animal and the growl of the predator responsible. Teyla waited until there was silence, then slipped her fingers through the gap, levering herself off the part of the wall that curved around into the door. It gave by a few inches.
"I need some assistance," she instructed calmly.
Ford stared at her. Carson hurried forward and forced his weight against the door, wincing as his elbowed Teyla in the face. Her expression remained carefully neutral but it was hard to feel safe with her close by. After a minute or so, the door grumbled and retracted back into the other side.
"Nice work, doc," Aiden noted.
"Aye, no thanks to you. Luckily, I've wrestled far worse than a terrifying sliding door."
Teyla closed her eyes and went through the recipe for tuttleroot soup in her head. A pinch of the ground leaves from the plant itself to flavour, avoid being generous with the root for the it is tuttleroot soup in name only...
"If we are done storing this event for further discussion," she said, "I think it would be to our advantage to complete the task that Major Shepppard has given us."
Her two charges followed dutifully out onto the narrow walkway that led out onto the pier. Spray blew up in their faces, the wind biting just as much as the salty water. Carson shivered under his thin shirt and regretted not asking to go find his jacket before he was roped into this insane adventure. A creature capable of swallowing a car full of loud relatives didn't sound like something that wanted to pour a cup of tea and discuss the complexities of biologically induced wormholes.
Dr Beckett tried to be optimistic about life in general, but if it involved Stargates or errant Loch Ness Monsters, it was bloody insanity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slung across one of the consoles in the control room, his injured leg propped up behind someone's laptop, John Sheppard watched the scientists and other assorted geeks flounder around with apparently no goal whatsoever. That couldn't exactly be said for Rodney, who had moved his chair into the middle of the floor, laptop balanced on his knees while he typed. And there was Dr Zelenka skirting between his boss and other computers arrayed around the room like large square Christmas lights.
"Does anyone actually know what's going on?" John asked.
Elizabeth leaned back on the console beside him, resting her hands on her thighs. She shook her head. "I've learnt that if I want something done, I ask for it – but if I ask for an explanation, I'm a little unqualified to understand it."
"Aren't you a bit high up the food chain for blind faith, Elizabeth?"
"I prefer to think of it as blind hope," Weir said, lips curling into a smile. "Rodney, have the sensors picked up anything?"
The head scientist of the expedition looked up and around until he located the source of irritation. He dropped lower into his keyboard. "For that to actually happen, our little friend would have to be somewhere nearby, but as it's not turning up on any sweeps right this minute, it's safe to assume it's biding its time. I think we can all agree that it would be better if the sensors didn't pick up anything."
Sheppard covered what could have been a smile or a yawn. Elizabeth wasn't sure if he was annoyed or had come to find amusement in watching his team mate work. There were stranger friendships, she supposed, but none she could think of at that moment.
The Major inspected the wrappings around his ankle, pulling at the tape until it gave with a very distinct ripping noise. John slapped his hand over the tear and casually rested his shoulders back against the plexiglass before asking seriously, "Do you think it is the Loch Ness Monster?"
"After what we've seen...?" Elizabeth mused. "They say every story has an element of truth to it."
"They've probably got a point, but there's such a thing as superstition. That gets people killed at the front line."
Elizabeth crossed her arms and tipped her chin forward, frowning. "I don't doubt that. But we're going to start losing people here unless we change our approach. Just what has fire power accomplished for us?"
"It has a weakness," John said confidently. "I nearly had it, Elizabeth. If it wasn't for the doctor's orders, I'd be out there."
His headset warbled into his ear, right on cue. Teyla's voice informed him, "Major Sheppard, we are in position."
"About time," Major Sheppard muttered, sliding off the console to stand on his good leg.
He'd barely started to hobble off in the direction of Rodney to get any new information he could pass on to the other half of their team when Zelenka spun out in front of him. Granted, the Czech wasn't a bad wheely chair pilot, but he'd chosen the wrong time to put the spokes of the chair right underneath John's only good foot. He hopped, cursed and slapped the side of his head to activate the headset. "Okay, let me know if you see something even a little out of the ordinary. How's our good doctor doing?"
"I do not think that Lt. Ford will be very welcome in the infirmary."
"Sorry I'm not there, Teyla. Just...do what you can. Keep me posted."
That settled, John barked at everyone to keep out of his way and finally made it to Rodney's epicentre.
"Tell me you have something," Sheppard commanded.
Rodney waved him off, scowling into his screen. Watching this, Elizabeth shook her head and nicked her fingers over her own headset. "Teyla, come in."
"Doctor Weir," Teyla returned from the other end.
"I understand that Major Sheppard would prefer you to meet this conflict with force, but should any situation arise that can be resolved in a less volatile way..."
"Are you suggesting I open negotiations with the creature?"
Elizabeth had to quickly cut down on her laugh. "I'll try anything at this point."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three now well-soaked and well-frustrated residents of Atlantis stood and waited on the South pier for something to happen. They didn't have to wait too long.
Teyla's radio squealed, a mixture of white noise and the shouted reports flying in from another pier. And then a loud crack filled the air, coming not from the minute speaker of technology, but seemingly from every point on the smudged horizon. A low hum multiplied into a roar, drowning out any orders or queries that either of the three could throw at each other.
Then – nothing but a fevered crashing of the waves. A drop of rain wended its way down from the dirty clouds until it plopped neatly down onto the brim of Lt. Ford's cap. Carson jumped as another few sprinkled across his shoulders.
"Expect a little shower," warned Rodney on the radio this time. "I'd have sent out umbrellas and ponchos, but I think your problems are a little more immediate than that."
John's voice crackled immediately thereafter. "He means, expect a big blue dot bearing down on your position. Aim for the mouth if you can."
Ignoring the oncoming curtain of rain, Aiden whipped out the harpoon and hunched into an alert position before skimming down the pier. Teyla tucked her P90 closer to her body, carefully placing her feet as she followed after her team mate. Gesturing back over at Carson, she made sure he was only two or so metres behind in her advance. Pinpoints of cold water began to fall briskly from the sky, pinging off the plexiglass and metal of Atlantis.
Two steps across the slippery pier and Dr Beckett lunged onto a railing as the surface beneath them vibrated and creaked. His fingers slipped over the wet metal and he crashed down hard on his stomach, arms bent awkwardly beneath him. Teyla scooped up the Beretta that had flung away from him and grabbed the CMO by his shoulder, forcing his shaking hands around the weapon.
The pier inexplicably bounced. Carson ended up on his knees, but this time the gun stayed fast in position. He propped up one leg and leapt to his feet, extending his arms as far as they would go and swinging the Beretta side to side through the downpour.
Teyla dropped her hand over his wrist to steady him and met his eyes with hers. After a moment, they both hurried down the pier side by side. They didn't make it half way down before Aiden Ford came running back at them. He pointed wildly off to the water side closest to them.
Immediately freezing her steps, Teyla threw out an arm to halt the doctor as well. She turned and took a step back towards the centre of the pier.
It watched them.
Carson tilted his head back and took in the arch of the neck that thickened into the large head now bobbing way too close, jaws extended as air whistled out of its open mouth, punctuated by the fangs peeking out with extreme interest.
"Oh crap," he murmured and retreated to Teyla's position.
"I'll get it!" shouted Ford, appearing through the thick sheets of rain.
He slowed, aimed the harpoon high and let it loose. Brown rope uncoiled to fling out in a line that tightened as the projectile found purchase in the beast's mouth, poking out the other side of its hide. The ensuing roar stank of rotting fish and all sorts of other delightful things that one should never experience in one or two lifetimes.
Teyla shot down the even more exposed gullet, unflinchingly continuing even as the head began to fall towards her. Meeting it with a polite stare, she curled back her lip and emptied the clip. Meanwhile, Carson decided that eating the floor was a good idea.
Ford pulled hard on the harpoon but short of being dragged back towards the thing he really would rather avoid, this was turning out to be a little impossible. He wrapped an arm around the nearest handhold (a bar jutting out from the side of the ground that was totally ugly but definitely worth it) and tried to jam the weapon against it. The harpoon screeched along the surface before snapping off through the air, smacking into the fleshy cavern of the creature's mouth.
It turned its massive head and howled hot air over him. Ford held his breath.
Teyla flicked another clip into her P90 and restarted her attack. The head reared back as though in defeat, but the tail whisked around to pummel into the side of the pier. Losing her footing, the Athosian rolled until she reached Aiden, grabbing hold of his ankles.
"I suppose you're going to tell me that you got it?" Teyla asked.
"It's just going to take a little time is all – hey Beckett! Your turn!" Ford paused to cough nastily against the ground. "Yuck. Should I call back-up?"
"I do not think any of this has gone unnoticed."
A magnified wave broke over the pontoon, swamping them in water and a greenish haze that smelt even worse than the breath. Teyla dug in harder to her team mate as another few waves rolled over them...and then let go when nothing followed for a minute. Once the water had receded and the rain had lessened to a manageable patter, she noticed that her P90 was missing.
"Doctor Beckett?" she called over. "Are you alright?"
"Just peachy, thanks!"
Teyla pressed her lips together. She consulted her radio, which hadn't fared very well in the onslaught. Aiden gave her his, which he'd decided to stick into a zip-lock bag for this particular occasion. Nodding at him in thanks, Teyla spoke into it, "Major Sheppard. We lost sight of it."
"Yeah that's not all we lost," Ford said dryly, looking down at his empty hands.
Teyla cupped a handful of the green leftovers of their encounter, passing her nose over it until her eyes watered. Holding her palm up to the sky, the let the slow drips of rain rinse it from her fingers. After a moment, she nodded. "We injured it. I believe we angered it enough to return."
Several loud pops and an ensuing crack coursed underneath them and the area all around them shook and buckled.
"You had to say it!" spat the Lieutenant.
Teyla was already rectifying her previous statement over the radio.
"Hey, McKay," Aiden chortled into his radio. "What's the forecast on the weather channel?"
"Let me see. Cloudy with a chance of complete imbeciles falling overboard."
"You volunteering?"
Teyla reached over and turned the radio off. Hovering it front of Ford's face, she requested, "Could you please radio in and give the Major our position?"
"He knows where we are."
"Then I will say this – if you use the radio to taunt Dr McKay again, I will challenge you to a sparring session. One which Major Sheppard will not let you refuse."
"You'd better do as she says, lad," Carson advised.
Ford turned away to comply and then they were off again, treading around puddles and the odd pile of...something. When the shadows started to drown them, Teyla activated the light on her P90 and they followed the thin stream of light further down the corridor. The main exit onto the exposed part of the pier was jammed with only an inch-sized gap running down the side.
"I suppose one of you is going to offer a brilliant plan around this one," Carson said.
Aiden hung the harpoon over his shoulder as he glanced back through the dim corridor. "Actually, I was thinking of just shooting it open. But the Ancients kind of built this stuff to last."
"Violence never solved anything, son."
"I was joking."
"Of course you were."
"Lieutenant," Teyla said sharply. "Were you not part of the first scouting party assigned to this area of the pier?"
Ford considered this for a moment, squinting from side to side. Well, it looked a little familiar but most of Atlantis seemed engineered towards the boring end of the design spectrum. Then again, Sheppard had put Teyla in charge and she had two very solid wooden sticks stashed in her quarters.
"Yeah, like three months ago," he responded.
Teyla lowered her P90, directing the beam down his shoes. He looked down involuntarily, then back up again as the Athosian rested one arm over the top of the weapon. "Is there another convenient path we can take?"
The safest answer was a hurried, decisive nod. Never mind that it wasn't entirely truthful, but no one needed to know that. Ford nodded as planned. Dr Beckett raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh I've seen that look before."
"When?" Aiden challenged.
"Now Lieutenant, I'm not sure you'd want to upset me because I'll make a wee electric shock seem like paradise."
Teyla Emmagan directed her gaze at the ceiling. Sometimes it was hard to believe that these humans were in part descended from the ancestors. Or perhaps it was just a problem among men who seemed to have missed the important rite of passage from adolescence. A common affliction across many different cultures on many different planets.
Fastening her P90 back onto her gear, she extended both hands and inserted herself between the pair of them, pushing them out of her way. Teyla took the gun back into her hands and fired a quick burst at the control panel, before peppering some across the door.
Sparks spat through the shadows surrounding them, settling down just as the door made a protest that sounded between the whine of a dying animal and the growl of the predator responsible. Teyla waited until there was silence, then slipped her fingers through the gap, levering herself off the part of the wall that curved around into the door. It gave by a few inches.
"I need some assistance," she instructed calmly.
Ford stared at her. Carson hurried forward and forced his weight against the door, wincing as his elbowed Teyla in the face. Her expression remained carefully neutral but it was hard to feel safe with her close by. After a minute or so, the door grumbled and retracted back into the other side.
"Nice work, doc," Aiden noted.
"Aye, no thanks to you. Luckily, I've wrestled far worse than a terrifying sliding door."
Teyla closed her eyes and went through the recipe for tuttleroot soup in her head. A pinch of the ground leaves from the plant itself to flavour, avoid being generous with the root for the it is tuttleroot soup in name only...
"If we are done storing this event for further discussion," she said, "I think it would be to our advantage to complete the task that Major Shepppard has given us."
Her two charges followed dutifully out onto the narrow walkway that led out onto the pier. Spray blew up in their faces, the wind biting just as much as the salty water. Carson shivered under his thin shirt and regretted not asking to go find his jacket before he was roped into this insane adventure. A creature capable of swallowing a car full of loud relatives didn't sound like something that wanted to pour a cup of tea and discuss the complexities of biologically induced wormholes.
Dr Beckett tried to be optimistic about life in general, but if it involved Stargates or errant Loch Ness Monsters, it was bloody insanity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slung across one of the consoles in the control room, his injured leg propped up behind someone's laptop, John Sheppard watched the scientists and other assorted geeks flounder around with apparently no goal whatsoever. That couldn't exactly be said for Rodney, who had moved his chair into the middle of the floor, laptop balanced on his knees while he typed. And there was Dr Zelenka skirting between his boss and other computers arrayed around the room like large square Christmas lights.
"Does anyone actually know what's going on?" John asked.
Elizabeth leaned back on the console beside him, resting her hands on her thighs. She shook her head. "I've learnt that if I want something done, I ask for it – but if I ask for an explanation, I'm a little unqualified to understand it."
"Aren't you a bit high up the food chain for blind faith, Elizabeth?"
"I prefer to think of it as blind hope," Weir said, lips curling into a smile. "Rodney, have the sensors picked up anything?"
The head scientist of the expedition looked up and around until he located the source of irritation. He dropped lower into his keyboard. "For that to actually happen, our little friend would have to be somewhere nearby, but as it's not turning up on any sweeps right this minute, it's safe to assume it's biding its time. I think we can all agree that it would be better if the sensors didn't pick up anything."
Sheppard covered what could have been a smile or a yawn. Elizabeth wasn't sure if he was annoyed or had come to find amusement in watching his team mate work. There were stranger friendships, she supposed, but none she could think of at that moment.
The Major inspected the wrappings around his ankle, pulling at the tape until it gave with a very distinct ripping noise. John slapped his hand over the tear and casually rested his shoulders back against the plexiglass before asking seriously, "Do you think it is the Loch Ness Monster?"
"After what we've seen...?" Elizabeth mused. "They say every story has an element of truth to it."
"They've probably got a point, but there's such a thing as superstition. That gets people killed at the front line."
Elizabeth crossed her arms and tipped her chin forward, frowning. "I don't doubt that. But we're going to start losing people here unless we change our approach. Just what has fire power accomplished for us?"
"It has a weakness," John said confidently. "I nearly had it, Elizabeth. If it wasn't for the doctor's orders, I'd be out there."
His headset warbled into his ear, right on cue. Teyla's voice informed him, "Major Sheppard, we are in position."
"About time," Major Sheppard muttered, sliding off the console to stand on his good leg.
He'd barely started to hobble off in the direction of Rodney to get any new information he could pass on to the other half of their team when Zelenka spun out in front of him. Granted, the Czech wasn't a bad wheely chair pilot, but he'd chosen the wrong time to put the spokes of the chair right underneath John's only good foot. He hopped, cursed and slapped the side of his head to activate the headset. "Okay, let me know if you see something even a little out of the ordinary. How's our good doctor doing?"
"I do not think that Lt. Ford will be very welcome in the infirmary."
"Sorry I'm not there, Teyla. Just...do what you can. Keep me posted."
That settled, John barked at everyone to keep out of his way and finally made it to Rodney's epicentre.
"Tell me you have something," Sheppard commanded.
Rodney waved him off, scowling into his screen. Watching this, Elizabeth shook her head and nicked her fingers over her own headset. "Teyla, come in."
"Doctor Weir," Teyla returned from the other end.
"I understand that Major Sheppard would prefer you to meet this conflict with force, but should any situation arise that can be resolved in a less volatile way..."
"Are you suggesting I open negotiations with the creature?"
Elizabeth had to quickly cut down on her laugh. "I'll try anything at this point."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three now well-soaked and well-frustrated residents of Atlantis stood and waited on the South pier for something to happen. They didn't have to wait too long.
Teyla's radio squealed, a mixture of white noise and the shouted reports flying in from another pier. And then a loud crack filled the air, coming not from the minute speaker of technology, but seemingly from every point on the smudged horizon. A low hum multiplied into a roar, drowning out any orders or queries that either of the three could throw at each other.
Then – nothing but a fevered crashing of the waves. A drop of rain wended its way down from the dirty clouds until it plopped neatly down onto the brim of Lt. Ford's cap. Carson jumped as another few sprinkled across his shoulders.
"Expect a little shower," warned Rodney on the radio this time. "I'd have sent out umbrellas and ponchos, but I think your problems are a little more immediate than that."
John's voice crackled immediately thereafter. "He means, expect a big blue dot bearing down on your position. Aim for the mouth if you can."
Ignoring the oncoming curtain of rain, Aiden whipped out the harpoon and hunched into an alert position before skimming down the pier. Teyla tucked her P90 closer to her body, carefully placing her feet as she followed after her team mate. Gesturing back over at Carson, she made sure he was only two or so metres behind in her advance. Pinpoints of cold water began to fall briskly from the sky, pinging off the plexiglass and metal of Atlantis.
Two steps across the slippery pier and Dr Beckett lunged onto a railing as the surface beneath them vibrated and creaked. His fingers slipped over the wet metal and he crashed down hard on his stomach, arms bent awkwardly beneath him. Teyla scooped up the Beretta that had flung away from him and grabbed the CMO by his shoulder, forcing his shaking hands around the weapon.
The pier inexplicably bounced. Carson ended up on his knees, but this time the gun stayed fast in position. He propped up one leg and leapt to his feet, extending his arms as far as they would go and swinging the Beretta side to side through the downpour.
Teyla dropped her hand over his wrist to steady him and met his eyes with hers. After a moment, they both hurried down the pier side by side. They didn't make it half way down before Aiden Ford came running back at them. He pointed wildly off to the water side closest to them.
Immediately freezing her steps, Teyla threw out an arm to halt the doctor as well. She turned and took a step back towards the centre of the pier.
It watched them.
Carson tilted his head back and took in the arch of the neck that thickened into the large head now bobbing way too close, jaws extended as air whistled out of its open mouth, punctuated by the fangs peeking out with extreme interest.
"Oh crap," he murmured and retreated to Teyla's position.
"I'll get it!" shouted Ford, appearing through the thick sheets of rain.
He slowed, aimed the harpoon high and let it loose. Brown rope uncoiled to fling out in a line that tightened as the projectile found purchase in the beast's mouth, poking out the other side of its hide. The ensuing roar stank of rotting fish and all sorts of other delightful things that one should never experience in one or two lifetimes.
Teyla shot down the even more exposed gullet, unflinchingly continuing even as the head began to fall towards her. Meeting it with a polite stare, she curled back her lip and emptied the clip. Meanwhile, Carson decided that eating the floor was a good idea.
Ford pulled hard on the harpoon but short of being dragged back towards the thing he really would rather avoid, this was turning out to be a little impossible. He wrapped an arm around the nearest handhold (a bar jutting out from the side of the ground that was totally ugly but definitely worth it) and tried to jam the weapon against it. The harpoon screeched along the surface before snapping off through the air, smacking into the fleshy cavern of the creature's mouth.
It turned its massive head and howled hot air over him. Ford held his breath.
Teyla flicked another clip into her P90 and restarted her attack. The head reared back as though in defeat, but the tail whisked around to pummel into the side of the pier. Losing her footing, the Athosian rolled until she reached Aiden, grabbing hold of his ankles.
"I suppose you're going to tell me that you got it?" Teyla asked.
"It's just going to take a little time is all – hey Beckett! Your turn!" Ford paused to cough nastily against the ground. "Yuck. Should I call back-up?"
"I do not think any of this has gone unnoticed."
A magnified wave broke over the pontoon, swamping them in water and a greenish haze that smelt even worse than the breath. Teyla dug in harder to her team mate as another few waves rolled over them...and then let go when nothing followed for a minute. Once the water had receded and the rain had lessened to a manageable patter, she noticed that her P90 was missing.
"Doctor Beckett?" she called over. "Are you alright?"
"Just peachy, thanks!"
Teyla pressed her lips together. She consulted her radio, which hadn't fared very well in the onslaught. Aiden gave her his, which he'd decided to stick into a zip-lock bag for this particular occasion. Nodding at him in thanks, Teyla spoke into it, "Major Sheppard. We lost sight of it."
"Yeah that's not all we lost," Ford said dryly, looking down at his empty hands.
Teyla cupped a handful of the green leftovers of their encounter, passing her nose over it until her eyes watered. Holding her palm up to the sky, the let the slow drips of rain rinse it from her fingers. After a moment, she nodded. "We injured it. I believe we angered it enough to return."
Several loud pops and an ensuing crack coursed underneath them and the area all around them shook and buckled.
"You had to say it!" spat the Lieutenant.
Teyla was already rectifying her previous statement over the radio.