''Interstellar Destiny''

We Could've Helped

Another world, another failed attempt at having the locals tell them what is happening that has them so afraid to talk. This is Evan's fourth world and he's still coming up empty, not a single local being willing to talk and all of them saying that they don't know what he is talking about. It's starting to get frustrating.

Evan and his team are making their way back to the gate, when he sees a young woman signaling them over to the treeline, trying her hardest to remain hidden from anyone else that might be around.

Evan approaches her carefully, Walker close behind to provide backup if needed, while the rest of his team stays a little further back, so not to scare the woman and to make sure they are covered in case it's an ambush of some sort.

-"Are you okay?" - Evan assesses the woman, making sure she is not armed.

-"I know what no one is telling you. We were ordered by Arbor not to say anything to you."

-"Why?"

-"He fears that it will make things worse for us."

-"What do you mean?"

-"The Genii have been coming to our village and taking people away with them, through the gate. No one knows where they are being taken to, but wherever that is, they never return."

-"How long have they been coming?"

-"About one and a half rotations of our world."

-"That's the equivalent to one of our years, Sir." - Walker clarifies.

-"Got it." - Evan nods at Walker, grateful that the man is quick with conversions. -"Why wouldn't you just say something to us? We could've helped."

-"The Genii leader that came that first time, he spoke alone with Arbor and told him something that made him scared of saying anything."

Evan is about to ask her if she knows the name of the Genii leader when a noise comes from the woods behind her. The woman looks around frantically, telling them she has to go and, just like that, disappears through the trees.

Looking back at Walker, Evan tells him they need to return to Atlantis and sooner rather than later, the man looking back at him, with a sense of understanding in his eyes. Signaling the rest of his team, the four men make their way back to the gate in a much faster pace than before.

As they walk the path that leads them to the gate, Evan can't stop wondering why the Genii need the people they are abducting. He knows the Genii and knows that, whatever it is they need those people for, it isn't anything good and they need to stop them before things get too out of hand.

They reach the gate and Evan tells Reed to dial Atlantis, thinking that things are about to get interesting, dangerous but interesting.