Rodney puked over the side of the fishing boat taking them and the new lens for the lighthouse to the island before they left the bay. Kanaan quickly turned green and joined him at the rail when they reached the open water of the strait. John and Teyla abandoned them, taking Torren with them to join the captain on the bridge and talk. Teyla because she was interested in whatever they might learn; John because he suspected listening to Rodney and Kanaan might make him sick in sympathy. Ronon stayed on deck to look after them.
The lift and fall and sway of the water felt different enough from the rhythm of the train they rode in across the continent that even John felts off-balance.
"There used to be some fishermen that lived out by the lighthouse, but it's too cold," the captain explained. "Now it's just the keeper. Boats take out fuel for the light and heating -- that's why the fishers left. Nothing on the island to burn."
"It must be lonely," Teyla commented.
John agreed. It seemed like they'd traveled to the end of the world by the time they reached Kauko Bay and now they were sailing beyond it.
Torren gurgled and grabbed at the wheel as the captain steered his boat around a rocky point. "This one seems to be a sailor born," the captain remarked.
Teyla hefted Torren higher in her arms. He was getting too big and heavy for her to keep that up much longer, but wasn't steady enough on his legs to walk. Another reason they needed to find a place to settle.
"He's never been on a boat before," Teyla said.
"A natural then."
"Give him over," John said to Teyla and opened his arms. He was concentrating on bouncing Torren, looking into his face, when Rodney and Kanaan opened the door into the bridge and lurched inside, followed by Ronon.
"Do you see that!?" Rodney demanded.
"See what?" John asked, frowning at him.
Rodney waved at the window of the bridge. "The lighthouse!"
John turned and stared.
The lighthouse was an Ancient tower, the angular lines unmistakable even beneath the scaffolding and stairs the locals had built outside it.
"Ancestor work," the captain said.
"Does it have power?" Rodney demanded.
"No one here has ever found a way inside." The captain scowled at Rodney. "You'll not be wasting your time trying that. You're here to install the new glass."
"Yes, fine, that's not news. But no one said the tower was Ancient," Rodney snapped, staring hungrily as the boat chugged into the small cove at the tower's base.
John felt the same pull. Leaving Atlantis and the jumpers behind had been harder than turning his back on Earth forever. He missed the feel of it around him.
"Perhaps we should not stay on this world after all," Teyla murmured after they were docked and the captain left to oversee the supplies unloaded. One of the sailors climbed the stone steps past the dilapidated boathouse and headed for the only cottage in good repair.
"There's no reason anyone from Atlantis would ever come here," Rodney said. "It's too far from the stargate. It's probably just a shell, anyway."
They were still debating when the sailor came back and told the captain, "Nilts has got the water cough."
"Blast and break," the captain cursed. "We'll have to take him back to town." He turned back to the team and addressed Rodney. "Can you lot install the glass yourselves?"
"Of course," Rodney said.
An hour later, the crate with the new lens was wrestled up the steps and Nilts was half-carried down to the fishing boat. Kanaan and Teyla were tidying the keeper's cottage, while John, Ronon and Rodney contemplated the best way to get the lens up the rickety stairs spiraling up the tower.
"It would be so much easier if we could get inside and use the internal stairs or a transporter," Rodney commented wistfully.
"We'll take Nilts back to town and come back for you," the captain said as he joined them. "Make free with whatever you need."
"Does that include food?" Rodney asked.
"Aye."
John had been studying the tower and found a doorway half hidden beneath the stairs. Without thinking about it, he ducked beneath, pulled off his glove, and set his hand against the cold metal cover over the controls. The cover slid away and a display beneath lit up with a schematic of the tower. John touched his finger to the symbol for the door.
As obliging as Atlantis ever was, the door whooshed open and the interior and exterior of the Ancient tower lit up like Christmas.
He turned back to Rodney and the others, including the fishing boat captain, and grinned.
Snippet :: SGA :: Green Sea 'verse
The Lighthouse at the End of the World
Rodney puked over the side of the fishing boat taking them and the new lens for the lighthouse to the island before they left the bay. Kanaan quickly turned green and joined him at the rail when they reached the open water of the strait. John and Teyla abandoned them, taking Torren with them to join the captain on the bridge and talk. Teyla because she was interested in whatever they might learn; John because he suspected listening to Rodney and Kanaan might make him sick in sympathy. Ronon stayed on deck to look after them.
The lift and fall and sway of the water felt different enough from the rhythm of the train they rode in across the continent that even John felts off-balance.
"There used to be some fishermen that lived out by the lighthouse, but it's too cold," the captain explained. "Now it's just the keeper. Boats take out fuel for the light and heating -- that's why the fishers left. Nothing on the island to burn."
"It must be lonely," Teyla commented.
John agreed. It seemed like they'd traveled to the end of the world by the time they reached Kauko Bay and now they were sailing beyond it.
Torren gurgled and grabbed at the wheel as the captain steered his boat around a rocky point. "This one seems to be a sailor born," the captain remarked.
Teyla hefted Torren higher in her arms. He was getting too big and heavy for her to keep that up much longer, but wasn't steady enough on his legs to walk. Another reason they needed to find a place to settle.
"He's never been on a boat before," Teyla said.
"A natural then."
"Give him over," John said to Teyla and opened his arms. He was concentrating on bouncing Torren, looking into his face, when Rodney and Kanaan opened the door into the bridge and lurched inside, followed by Ronon.
"Do you see that!?" Rodney demanded.
"See what?" John asked, frowning at him.
Rodney waved at the window of the bridge. "The lighthouse!"
John turned and stared.
The lighthouse was an Ancient tower, the angular lines unmistakable even beneath the scaffolding and stairs the locals had built outside it.
"Ancestor work," the captain said.
"Does it have power?" Rodney demanded.
"No one here has ever found a way inside." The captain scowled at Rodney. "You'll not be wasting your time trying that. You're here to install the new glass."
"Yes, fine, that's not news. But no one said the tower was Ancient," Rodney snapped, staring hungrily as the boat chugged into the small cove at the tower's base.
John felt the same pull. Leaving Atlantis and the jumpers behind had been harder than turning his back on Earth forever. He missed the feel of it around him.
"Perhaps we should not stay on this world after all," Teyla murmured after they were docked and the captain left to oversee the supplies unloaded. One of the sailors climbed the stone steps past the dilapidated boathouse and headed for the only cottage in good repair.
"There's no reason anyone from Atlantis would ever come here," Rodney said. "It's too far from the stargate. It's probably just a shell, anyway."
They were still debating when the sailor came back and told the captain, "Nilts has got the water cough."
"Blast and break," the captain cursed. "We'll have to take him back to town." He turned back to the team and addressed Rodney. "Can you lot install the glass yourselves?"
"Of course," Rodney said.
An hour later, the crate with the new lens was wrestled up the steps and Nilts was half-carried down to the fishing boat. Kanaan and Teyla were tidying the keeper's cottage, while John, Ronon and Rodney contemplated the best way to get the lens up the rickety stairs spiraling up the tower.
"It would be so much easier if we could get inside and use the internal stairs or a transporter," Rodney commented wistfully.
"We'll take Nilts back to town and come back for you," the captain said as he joined them. "Make free with whatever you need."
"Does that include food?" Rodney asked.
"Aye."
John had been studying the tower and found a doorway half hidden beneath the stairs. Without thinking about it, he ducked beneath, pulled off his glove, and set his hand against the cold metal cover over the controls. The cover slid away and a display beneath lit up with a schematic of the tower. John touched his finger to the symbol for the door.
As obliging as Atlantis ever was, the door whooshed open and the interior and exterior of the Ancient tower lit up like Christmas.
He turned back to Rodney and the others, including the fishing boat captain, and grinned.
"Honey," he said, "we're home."