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[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Title: Where are the marines when you need them?

Author: sharpes_hussy

Rating: G

Prompt: rule

Summary: the rules of engagement are at times unclear. . .

He wondered if McKay was finished yet on whatever it was that was taking so long. He had NOT wanted to do this. He had reluctantly agreed because McKay was so certain there was life of some sort on this forsaken. . .

“McKay, are you finished yet? I plan to head back for mess in two hours.”

“Why don't you make yourself scarce and go for a walk?” was McKay's reply accompanied by was an exasperated voice. Sheppard noted that Ronon had sought other activities already and apparently Teyla was busy propping up McKay as he fiddled with whatever.

Sheppard began his trek through vegetation which was unusually thick, but covered in bright red flowers, resembling those he had once seen when he was TDY at Hickam in Hawaii; they were called hibiscus.

Shoving his way through the thicket he found it opened onto a bluff overlooking a wide valley. As he began to approach the lip, he noticed the ground was soft where he was stepping.

Before he could take another step it gave way totally.

CRAP! was Sheppard's last thought as he pitched forward.

He held tightly to his P90 figuring if there was a nasty welcoming party at the bottom he would be prepared. Wasn't that what they were told in flight training if you were bounced out of your aircraft?

Of course that was dependent on if you survived.

Odd how you can see it all so clearly when doom is staring you in the face.

The fall featured him hitting one part of the wall after another in a haphazard dive to a ledge below.

When he realized he had stopped, he carefully peered over the side to see how far he was from the bottom of the ravine, and then began to take inventory.

He was surprisingly intact. Nasty abrasions on his arms which were uncovered, a definite no no in flight training, torn BDUs, and a nasty hit on his cheek which was now bleeding, but there seemed to be no fractures or near misses.

He lay there checking to see if he had perhaps miscalculated during the initial inspection.

No, everything was in working order, well, sort of.

Okay enough of that, it was time to get some assistance, but he had somehow 'misplaced' his communicator, which meant he was up the creek as far as issuing a MAY DAY !!

While he had been protecting his P90, he had ignored another important item.

It rested no doubt somewhere at the bottom of this massive ravine, valley, whatever it was.

He looked up and the wall that was looking back at him was quite steep and no foot holes.

It was like being trapped in a well, three sides open, but in this case, one featured a steep drop.

He did not try yelling as he was so far down the bluff, that it might not sound above.

He began to think of how he would explain this to Carson.

“You lost your footing? A seasoned off worlder?”

Sounded lame and then the lecture would begin. . .

Screw it!

Looking up again he shouted “Anybody up there?”

The echo was beautiful, but no reply from topside.

Then he thought anybody could bring 'anybody' which might not be a good idea

given the life forms they had discovered off world, some quite unfriendly.

As he lay there, he looked up again and now noticed that the sky was turning a distinct black.

Crap! Rain. That's just what he needed now.

It brought a slight smile to his mouth as he recalled survival training and how disappointed they would now be in his lack of preparedness, but how does one prepare for something like soft dirt, soil, terrain, whatever?

On the brighter side, maybe if it got wet enough, his team might decide to pack it in and head back, but maybe they would first realize Sheppard was nowhere to be found.

The drops came light at first, then pounding.