John listened as McKay's grumbling about the Ancients and their lack of anti-freeze went on and on. The astrophysicist was trying to fix the engine of the jumper, which had apparently gotten a little too cold while they'd explored this planet.John turned to Teyla, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat of the jumper. "I'm going to take a last look around, just in case we missed something."
Teyla frowned. "Will Dr. McKay not need your help in repairing the Jumper?" she asked.
John shrugged. "I think it's gonna take a while, and I hate going back to Atlantis empty-handed." He got up and walked to the rear of the jumper. Ford offered to accompany him, but John waved him off, wanting to be alone.
The Ancient database entry for M68-4Z9 had noted the planet as having large deposits of naquadah, which the indigenous population was willing to trade, if the right negotiator was sent. The planet had been described as frequently having near-zero temperatures, which was why they had brought the jumper in case they had to be here overnight. Unfortunately, all they'd found here was snow and more snow, along with some unfrozen expanses of water. McKay, Ford, and John agreed that it reminded them of Antarctica.
Coming around a large snowdrift, John halted. In front of him were two small, fuzzy bird like animals. In fact, they reminded him of the Emperor penguin chicks he'd seen in a school science film on Antarctica. The chicks stopped at the edge of John's shadow and looked up at John, their heads tilted quizzically.
"Hi there," John said quietly, not wanting to frighten them. Their heads tilted in the other direction, in unison, causing him to grin. They were adorable. "Where's your mom?"
The one on the right flapped its flippers. The one on the left just watched him, blinking. John heard a noise behind him and turned his head to see several adult Emperor penguin looking animals approaching. The two chicks squeaked and rushed past John to the adults. John turned all the way around to face them, but didn't approach. Penguin injuries were not something he really wanted to have to explain to Beckett.
The largest of the penguins stepped forward, tilting its head to the right. John smiled at it, hoping not to cause an intergalactic beak war. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "My friends and I will be gone as soon as we fix our ship." Granted, he didn't think the penguins would understand what he was saying, but he felt the need to make the effort.
//You do not wish to trade?//
John blinked. He could have sworn the penguin just talked to him, without opening its beak.
//Others would come to trade, long ago, in ships like yours. We thought you came to trade for the nahkwada.// The penguin shook his head. //Perhaps you cannot hear us.//
John blinked again. The penguin was talking to him. Telepathic penguins. Telepathic. Penguins. Just when he thought the Pegasus Galaxy couldn't get any weirder.
"Uh, hi." He finally said. "My name's John, and yes, my friends and I would love to trade for the naquada."
The group of penguins began to honk joyfully. The leader smacked his flippers against his sides. //Good! It has been many generations since someone who could hear us came to trade. We have much nahkwada stored in the caves, and are willing to trade if you can provide us with mersulae.//
Mersulae. John thought about where he'd heard that word before. Oh yeah, it was one of the native fish in Atlantis' ocean. The biologists had determined the mersulae was deadly to humans, like the Earth puffer fish. Apparently, though, the penguins could eat it. John wasn't sure it would be an even trade, fish for naquadah to recharge their generators, but who was he to argue.
"I believe we can work something out," he drawled.
The lead penguin flapped his flippers again. //Good! We will trade one nahkwada for one mersulae of equal size.//
John raised an eyebrow. Mersulae weren't exactly small fish. "That's acceptable," he replied.
The penguin group honked again. The leader moved forward to, well, bow to John. //We shall walk you back to your ship, John.//
"Thank you." John bowed to the penguin. "May I ask your name?"
Another bow from the penguin. //I am called Ohpys.//
John hit his radio as they walked back to the jumper. "Ford, I'm on my way back. I made contact with the natives, and they're willing to trade."
There was a pause before Ford responded. "Aye, sir."
John looked down at Ohpys and grinned. He swore the penguin grinned back at him.
Back at Atlantis in the gateroom, John mentally counted down from five, reaching one a split second before Elizabeth exclaimed, "Telepathic penguins?!"
There were days he just loved his job.