Off-World Alphabet Soup, page 2 of 2

[fignewton]

This is the continuation of Off-World Alphabet Soup, letters N-Z. You'll find the first page of the Soup over here. The table of contents is here.

N Is For Nightmares
by magnavox_23

Ba’al leads Jack to his Stargate. Its event horizon ripples against a not existent wind. The blueish surface is an illusion, but it calls to him.

I am escape, I am freedom.

But it’s not.

Ba’al’s Jaffa goons force him up the steps, and he is not sure whether to struggle. What is the point anymore? Ba’al offers him endless death, the Stargate offers him endless life. Not so different from Daniel’s ascension then, and about as useful.

Jack is shoved through the Stargate, mock perpetual motion. He is ripped apart and flung across the galaxy, only to be thrown back together… metres above another active gate. He falls. This gate tears at him again, as does the next. An endless loop. It makes no sense, time fails to intervene to snuff the bright blue horizon. Gravity is his only constant in his short states of being. He falls. Forever.

Jack throws back the covers and gets up from his sweat soaked bed. He stands in the dark, upright. Next time the nightmare comes, he is dragging Ba’al through the gate with him.

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O is for Orphan: Uneasy Alliance
by traycer

Something's wrong, Jack thought, as he slowly made his way through the woods. The world suddenly became silent, only the swish of the wind through the leaves that hung over them like a pall. The sounds of the forest seemed to just turn off. Jack stopped suddenly, holding his hand up to stop his team from taking another step, his instincts running on overdrive.

He turned slowly and scanned the area around them. Trees everywhere, dense and leafy, they provided a shady relief from the sun that had shone bright and hot on them before they followed the path that brought them deep into this place. But nothing else seemed out of place. Everything seemed normal.

Everything except for the deep silence that replaced the normal sounds of birds and chittering of small animals that lived here. A silence that sent an ominous chill down his spine.

He listened intently, straining his ears as his eyes continually roved over the landscape. Something was out there, there had to be.

"Colonel," a soft voice said just to his left. He turned to look at Carter, then followed her gaze to see what had caught her attention. Instinct caused him to raise his gun to aim it at a large dark shape rising up from the brush that lined the trail, but he held his fire, waiting to see if the shape was a friend or foe. It didn't always pay to shoot first and ask questions later ... well, not in all situations, anyway. He took a chance and glanced quickly at Carter, glad to see that she had turned slightly away from him to aim her gun at the trees to his left. He knew without looking that Teal'c and Daniel had done the same, forming a circle with their backs toward the center.

"Hold your ground," Jack said in a low growl. He didn't know how many were surrounding them, but he was going to find out before putting themselves in the middle of a war.

"Hey!" he yelled to the one he was facing. "We mean you no harm."

He waited, wondering if his words fell on deaf ears, or even if they were human ears. He had no idea what he was facing. Nothing, but silence again.

"This is not good," he said softly. He didn't get an answer, but then again, he wasn't expecting one. They stood at an impasse for a moment longer; then the one facing him suddenly jumped up and screeched in a high, shrill octave that nearly sent Jack and his team scampering. The air was suddenly filled with yells and high pitched screeches, seeming to come at him from all sides, and Jack figured now was as good a time as any. He pulled the trigger, hoping to stop an all-out attack and got a jolt of satisfaction when he heard a thump and the figure in front of him suddenly dropped back into the woods.

A few more shots rang out, but then the noise suddenly stopped, bringing on the silence again, except now there was a low, soft keening, a strange haunting sound that raised the hair on the back of his neck. He turned to scan the woods surrounding him, but they seemed to be alone again. The rest of the figures that had surrounded them were suddenly gone, leaving only that low keening sound that had changed into a singsong melody.

Jack tried to ignore the terror creeping up as he listened to the crooning. It was the eeriest thing he had ever heard in his life. Even worse was that it seemed as if the original crooner had gained company. The chorus grew and ebbed, and Jack wished they would stop already.

"I'm going to check it out," he said as softly as he could. Carter nodded, while Daniel turned his head to look at Jack. "Teal'c," Jack went on in case Daniel was going to start an argument. "You got my back?" Teal'c nodded, but Jack already knew the answer to that question and had turned to face the Captain. "Carter, I need you and Daniel to keep an eye out for the others. Cover me the best you can."

They both nodded, while Carter responded with the standard, "Yes sir."

He nodded back at them, trying to muster up his courage. No time like the present, Jack thought as he took a deep breath and turned to face the unknown. He moved slowly at first, his gun at the ready as he made his way toward the thing he shot. The keening grew louder, then stopped as he got closer. He stopped as well, listening hard to get an idea of what was out there. He turned back to make sure he was still within eyesight of his team, then took another step closer.

He could see the shape of a figure lying on the ground. It wasn't moving, but Jack waited a moment or two to make sure. He continued to scan the brush and foliage near the area in case there were others as he stepped even closer.

He heard something else then, a small snuffling sound, and he turned toward it, his gun aimed directly at a tree. There was a small head peeking out at him from behind the tree and Jack was shocked to see that the face was that of a child. The kid's eyes grew wide, then darted back to hide behind the tree again.

A kid, Jack thought with a renewed sense of shock. What was he doing out there?

He didn't have time to think though, because the keening started up again. Jack turned back to see another child, older than the first one, squatting in the brush, his hand held out as if reaching for something. Jack wasn't about to give that kid anything, so he waited, watching, wondering what the child was going to do next.

The kid stood up, his hand still reaching out, and Jack gripped his gun as he looked at the other hand. It seemed to be empty, but his survival all these years had depended on him being careful, and he wasn't going to stop now. He waited tensely as the child began to walk toward him and Jack could now see that it was a young man, who seemed to be about 13 or 14 years old. His dark hair was long and unkempt, and he looked like he was swaddled in an oversized shirt worn over a pair of loose fitting pants. The boy stopped and looked a little puzzled, but then came forward as he brought the other hand up to show Jack he wasn't holding anything.

Jack didn't buy it. He continued to watch the kid warily, waiting until he was within a few feet, then said, "Stop right there." The boy stopped, looking for all the world like he was wishing he hadn't ventured out like this. Jack could see the fright in the boy's expression, but surprisingly, the kid held his ground. He's brave, Jack thought with a touch of irony. He had to give him that.

He lowered his gun slowly, depending solely on his team to keep him safe now. He didn't slack up on his grip, though. This was just a kid, but Jack knew from experience that kids weren't always as innocent as society would like to believe. So he held onto his gun and tried to communicate.

"Hello," he said with a small smile. "My name is Jack O'Neill." The kid didn't move, just stood there while the keening in the background had turned into soft sobs. Jack had a sudden horrible thought that maybe he had shot a kid, but he squelched that thought and concentrated on the one standing in front of him.

"Do you understand me?"

The boy shook his head. Jack squinted at him for a moment, wondering if the boy was pulling his leg, then tried again. "We came here to talk to the adults." There was now some hissing sounds coming from his right, but Jack focused on the child in front of him. The kid was frowning and shaking his head, giving Jack the impression that he had said something stupid. Kids, he thought grumpily.

"Where are your parents?"

There was a loud moan from the brush and the sobbing stopped almost immediately. The kid standing in front of Jack turned to see what was going on, then looked back at Jack, indecision making him look younger than he first appeared. He clearly wanted to go check it out, but he stood his ground, staring at Jack.

"Your friend?" Jack asked, pointing toward the figure on the ground.

The boy nodded, his attention wavering between Jack and his friend. Jack smiled to himself. So the kid could understand him. He tried another track.

"Mind if I go look to see if I can help?"

The boy turned his full attention on Jack, and with wide eyes, shook his head vigorously. "No," he finally said. "Leave us alone."

"We won't hurt you or your friends anymore," Daniel said from behind Jack. "I promise. As long as you don't hurt us, we won't harm you."

The boy didn’t respond, just stared at Daniel. Jack could see he wanted to believe, but the evidence of what the strangers could do was lying on the ground moaning and groaning for all he was worth. Or maybe, it was all she was worth. Jack strained to get a better look and based on the features, he thought maybe the figure on the ground was female.

"Let us help your friend," Daniel said in a coaxing tone, still trying to get through to the boy. "Please. We can help."

The kid looked back at his friend, then at Daniel. Backing up a few steps, he motioned to Daniel to move forward. Jack took a step to go with him, but the kid got panicky and the others in the trees started their screeching and wailing. Jack stopped immediately, deciding to wait to see if they would let Daniel come through on his own. He wasn't sure why it seemed important to him to follow up on this, but he supposed it had something to do with the fact that a kid had come forward. Not many people would send their children out to face the danger alone.

Silence fell around them once again, giving Jack the confidence that he had made the right decision. He braced himself for an attack, just in case, but there really didn't seem to be any danger. Daniel walked over to the figure on the ground and began to speak to it in low tones. Jack left him to it. After all, Daniel always seemed to have a way with this stuff.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Daniel Jackson walked slowly and carefully toward the figure lying on the ground, grateful that the boy let him get this far. He was pretty sure the others hiding behind the trees were mostly children, if not all of them, and he was intrigued. Was this a game the children on this planet played? Was it a ritual they had to go through? What kind of traditions did the culture on this planet have that allowed their children to run wild in the forest?

His mind was racing over the various scenarios, already planning on what he would need to document this society's intricacies that made them unique, but then he turned his focus to the figure on the ground as he knelt down to see who Jack had shot.

The girl lying in the dirt looked to be about fourteen years old, maybe fifteen. Her dark hair was twisted in a single braid that lay next to her head, while she stared at him warily with wide eyes filled with tears. Daniel could see terror deep within the depth of her gaze, and that bothered him a little. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I won't hurt you, I promise."

She continued to stare at him through her tears, while two little children around six or seven huddled next to her head, their bodies trembling. Daniel didn't know if the trembling was from the cold, but he suspected it was more out of fright.

"It's okay," he said with a soft smile. "I'm going to try and take care of your friend here, okay?"

Two sets of bright blue eyes just stared at him and Daniel sighed. He turned his attention back to the girl on the ground and said quietly, "Are you hurt?" He reached to touch her arm, then hesitated when she pulled back from him. He waited for a moment while the girl worked through her fear, but she was really scared. He could see the hesitation in her eyes. "Just to see how bad it is," he coaxed. "That's all."

It took a minute, but she finally gave in and nodded. Daniel moved closer and went to work looking for signs of blood and gently moving her arms and legs to see if there was anything to indicate a wound. Her eyes were wide, and he could see she was frightened, but she still let him look. She whimpered slightly when he touched her left arm, then held up her right hand to quiet the little ones who were now stroking her hair and crooning in that strange rhythmic tone.

"Shush," she told the little ones. They quieted again, and Daniel took up the slack.

"My name is Daniel," he told her as he sat back, satisfied that she had not been hit by a bullet. "We didn't come here to hurt you."

He glanced up to smile at her as he talked, and saw the raised eyebrow that showed her skepticism.

Daniel got the point. "Sorry about that," he said with a small smile.

She didn't respond, which was okay with Daniel. "We should take you to a doctor," he told her. "Can we take you to a healer?"

The girl shook her head. "No," she said in a soft whisper. "No healer."

"We can take care of this, but I think you would be better off letting a healer..."

"No healer."

This was said with some force, so Daniel put his hands up as if in surrender, but before he could say anything to convince her to change her mind, Jack spoke up.

"Daniel? Everything okay?"

All three children looked around with terror in their eyes, so Daniel did what he could to try to calm them. "It's okay. He won't hurt you. I promise."

"He scared me," the girl said in an accusatory tone. She then looked a little ashamed as she added, "And I fell out of the tree."

"It's okay," Daniel said as he tried to hide his grin. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

She shrugged, then winced. Daniel gave her an encouraging look, then said in a loud voice, "It's okay, Jack. It's just some kids."

One of the little kids jumped at the raised voice, and moved closer to the girl on the ground. She put her arm around him and said, "Go tell the others I'm fine and that they should go back to the hideaway. Rarick will stay with me so that we can find out why they are here, and we will be there soon." The children looked like they were going to argue, but the girl said. "Go do as I say. Leasie and Corin will keep you safe." The little ones looked at each other, then nodded and got up to leave. "Tell Leasie to close the hideaway until I get there."

The children moved away, but stopped when they heard a voice say, "You would have us just leave you here?" Daniel looked up to see that a boy about the same age as the girl moved into their little corner of the forest. "No. I won't."

"Yes you will," the girl snapped. "Go, Corin, and do as I say."

"What is going on here," Jack said from behind him.

"Daniel?" he heard Sam say. She came up to kneel down next to him and he saw her smile at the girl on the ground. The girl seemed somewhat surprised, but then gave Sam a timid smile.

"We're not leaving you here with them," Corin repeated stubbornly. "They're adults. Can't you see that?"

"Of course I can see that!" the girl snapped. "I'm not stupid."

"What's wrong with adults?" Jack wanted to know.

"Adults are stupid," Corin said with a look that said that everyone should already know that.

"I'm not stupid," Jack shot back.

"Jack," Daniel said wearily.

"Go do what I say," the girl on the ground said fiercely.

"You can't tell me what to do, Teann," Corin said in defiance. "I'll do what I want."

"You have to go and help Leasie," Teann told him. "She needs help."

"No I don't," said another girl who was about the same age as Teann. She had materialized from behind a tree not far from where they gathered. "He's always trying to be in charge, and he can't even build a fire."

"I can," Corin insisted. "You always get in the way."

"No I don't," said Leasie.

"Everyone, just stop," Jack said.

"Yes you do," Corin said, totally ignoring Jack.

"Stop it!" Jack said again, his voice louder this time.

"You can't tell me ..." Corin started to say, but Jack cut him off with a finger pointed straight at him.

"Shut it!" he said in a voice so loud it shut everyone up.

"Now," Jack said in a much calmer voice. "Let's do this rationally." Daniel couldn't help but grin while everyone else was now watching Jack. Corin still glared at the man, though. Jack glared back for a moment, then tried a more reasonable approach.

"Okay, let's start with something simple. Where are your parents?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam Carter sat with the child on the ground as the Colonel tried valiantly to gain control of the situation. She had to smile at the way he finally got through to everyone. He and the child named Corin were a lot alike so it would be interesting to see who won this match. Knowing Colonel O'Neill as well as she did, Sam decided there was no contest. She'd put her money on him.

She smiled at Teann, glad to see that she was sitting up, albeit with a sheepish expression.

"Our parents are dead," she said in answer to O'Neill's question. The little ones who had been hanging close to Teann moved in closer, almost as if in a protective manner. Sam smiled at them and one of them, a little boy now that Sam got a good look at him, smiled back then shied away.

"All of them?" the Colonel asked as he looked around at the children. Apparently he thought these kids represented more than one family.

"Adults die before they get old enough," Corin said in an oddly strange voice. He had lost the bravado within the last few minutes and Sam had to wonder about that. What happened?

"Old enough for what?" Daniel asked.

Corin shrugged and looked away, suddenly not wanting to be a part of this conversation. Sam watched him for a moment, then turned back to Teann, who seemed to be at a complete loss. "Hey," Sam said softly. "What's wrong?"

Teann shrugged, then winced. Sam immediately brought her hand up to smooth back the dark strands of hair that lined the girls face. "It's okay," she soothed. "Try to relax."

"What happened to the adults?" Colonel O'Neill asked. He, too, had taken on a softer, more soothing voice, and Sam was glad he took the effort to reach them in a different way.

"They died." This came from the boy who had been the one to come out with his hands stretched outward.

"Rarick," the girl named Leasie said in a quiet yet pointed tone.

Rarick ignored her. "They all die when they become of age," he said defiantly. He looked around at the children and said, "We all will."

"Shut up!" Corin suddenly shouted, his bravado apparently back in full strength. He glared at his friend, then growled, "Don't say that!"

"Why not? It's true."

"No, it isn't!" Corin had become so red in the face that Sam worried for him a little. Did little kids have heart attacks?

"Stop it!" the Colonel yelled again, this time with his finger pointed at Rarick. "Both of you just stop it!"

Both children quieted down for a moment, but then Rarick said softly, "It's still true."

Not to be outdone, Corin nearly screamed at his friend, "You're a liar!"

"Hey," Colonel O'Neill said, his finger now pointing at Corin. "What'd I say to you?"

Both boys quieted down again, albeit a bit reluctantly. The Colonel gave them one more look, then tried again. "Let's do this without the shouting, fighting, or dramatics, shall we?" He looked over his audience, glaring in particular at Corin, then went on. "We need to talk to some adults. If there are none, as you say, then we'll keep going until we do find one." The two boys looked skeptical, but Colonel O'Neill was not to be deterred. "I can't believe that on a planet this size, there is not one adult." He glanced around at the kids once more than said. "Anyone?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Teal'c stared at the children and wondered when the next outburst would occur. It had been his experience that many human children shared the same impulsive characteristics that shaped their futures and brought on fights and squabbles that held no consequence to the issue at hand. O'Neill seemed to have them under control at the moment, but Teal'c wondered if their impetuous behavior would have them arguing again.

He watched as the children squirmed and tried to find a way to avoid the question. He shook his head slightly as he thought how different these children were from those of the Jaffa.

Still, he waited patiently while O'Neill tried again. "Come on, there has to be an adult somewhere on this rock."

The children stayed quiet. The child named Corin stood with his back partially turned away from O'Neill, trying hard not to cry. Teal'c was surprised to see the moisture in the boy's eyes. He had seemed to be very ... Teal'c tried to think of a word that would fit. Strong, he decided. The child appeared to be strong, yet there were tears in his eyes.

Never judge a book by its cover, he remembered O'Neill saying to him during his early stay at the SGC. This situation seemed to fit that adage very well.

O'Neill took another look around, then said, "Look ..."

"Maybe you can talk to Shrana," the girl named Leasie said. "She can tell you what it's like."

"No!" Corin shouted again. But it seemed that he was done fighting. "No," he said again, much quieter.

But his denial came too late. O'Neill turned to Leasie and said, "Who is Shrana? Can you take us to her?"

Teal'c didn't pay much attention to the girl. Instead, he watched the boy named Corin. He sank down to the ground to sit crossed-legged, then lowered his head as if in defeat. It was odd behavior for a child of that age, and more so for a child who appeared to want to be the best in everything. Teal'c wondered at the strangeness as Leasie went on to explain.

"She is of age and she is dying. Maybe she can tell you more."

O'Neill nodded. "Let's go, then," he said with a clap of his hands. He turned to the others, then lost the smile on his face as he saw Corin on the ground.

"Hey," he said with a renewed grin. "What's up?" No response, but Jack was insistent. "Come on. Let's go."

Corin didn't move. He just sat there for a moment, then without looking up, he said in a very small voice. "Shrana is my sister."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Some kids can be such a pain in the neck, Jack thought wearily. But for every aggravating kid, there was always a deeper reason for the behavior, and sometimes that reason can be devastating. Jack tried to ignore it, but the defeat and anguish in Corin's voice nearly broke his heart.

"Hey," he said softly to Corin. He reached down to tug him by the arm and said, "Come on. Let's go. Maybe we can save her."

Corin got up, although it was more out of an automatic mode than anything. Still, Jack could see that the kid's heart wasn't in being the tough guy anymore and that bothered him a little. "Come on," he said again in an encouraging tone. "We'll do what we can."

"No one can help her," Leasie said quietly. "She will die, just like the others."

"Give us a chance," Carter told her, as she stood up and brushed the dirt from her pants. "We've helped other people before. Maybe we can do it this time."

The children all looked skeptical, but they seemed willing to lead the way, so Jack jumped on the opportunity before they changed their minds. He went over to Teann to help Daniel get her to her feet as the smallest children took off toward the woods, seeming to lead the way.

He glanced at Teal'c, who nodded in silent agreement to watch their backs, then turned to follow the little ones.

They walked through dense woods, following a path that led them away from the Stargate. The path they followed turned into a trail that was barely noticeable, yet Jack could see that it was well traveled. The woods seemed to get darker as they went, then cleared up almost immediately as they came into a small clearing surrounded by woods on all sides. The little ones stopped and looked back at them, while Leasie and Rarick rushed past them all, running and doing cartwheels, as if they were in a competition.

Kids, Jack thought as he watched them play. Somber and scared one minute, then goofing off the next. They seemed to feel safe here, even if they were in clear view of anyone who happened by. Jack couldn't help but wonder if they felt safe because there might be some adults around.

"Is this your home?" he heard Daniel say. "Is this where Shrana lives?"

There was that eerie silence again, Jack thought, as all the kids seemed to shut down. No one spoke. They just stood and stared at the adults in the group with wide eyes, almost as if they had committed some crime.

"What?" Daniel asked as he looked from one person to the next. "What did I do?"

"I will take you to her," Teann said, having decided to follow through on her earlier plan. She moved away from Jack and looked straight at Corin. "Maybe they can help."

Corin shook his head, but he didn't say anything. But the glare was back and Jack couldn't help but grin when he saw it. There was still a spark in that kid after all.

"This way," Teann said. She walked past Jack and led the way to a log that had been a left over from a storm some time ago, stepped up on it, and then disappeared.

Jack stared at the log in disbelief, not quite sure what happened, but knew that there had to be a logical explanation. He studied the log then watched as Rarick got up on the log, gave them a wide grin, then followed his friend in the same fashion.

"That's it," he said, having decided to find out what's going on. "Carter, you're with me. Teal'c, Daniel, stay out here and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."

"Wait a minute Jack, you need me in there," Daniel said, but Jack cut him off.

"No. I don't."

"Yes. You do," Daniel insisted.

Jack stared at him for a moment, knowing deep down that he could do this on his own, but then decided Daniel may be an asset after all. The kids did seem to trust him. "Teal'c?" he said with a glance at the big guy.

"I have no need to go in, O'Neill," came the response.

Jack nodded and indicated with his head that Daniel should go first. Apparently, Teal'c knew Daniel as well as Jack did.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stepping up on the log was the easy part, Daniel discovered. Sliding down a steep incline, however, took some getting used to. He went down fast, then slowed when the incline leveled out. He landed on his rear at the bottom. Trying to ignore the pain, he groaned a little as he stood, then fell forward and hit the ground again when someone slid right into him.

"Whoops," he heard Jack's voice from behind him. "Get out of the way next time."

Daniel just grunted as he stood up again, this time much quicker to avoid Sam's descent. He got his bearings then looked around with amazement. He was in what looked like an underground village. There were rooms, with windows and doorways, built into the sides of the cave, a communal fire pit in the center, hammocks strung up in various places, and torches along the wall in ornate iron handles. One wall had what looked like chalk drawings that were clearly made by children, and there were even a few rugs scattered around the pit. Daniel took it all in with a fascinated interest. He felt like he had landed in a gold mine.

"Wow," Sam said as she came to stand next to him.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed with a great deal of enthusiasm.

"Cool," Jack said from his left.

"We shouldn't have brought them here." This came from Corin, who shoved his way past Daniel and strode up to where Teann stood next to the fire pit. "You don't even know them."

"Maybe they can help us," Teann said defensively.

Corin apparently wasn't buying it. "What if they can't?"

"Hey," Jack said to interrupt another argument. "It's too late. We're here now, so why don't we just meet this Sharon person and see if we can help?"

"Shrana," Daniel said in a side whisper, for all the good that would do.

Jack nodded and turned to Teann, who Daniel had deemed was in charge. Apparently, Jack agreed.

"Will you take us to her?" he asked.

They were led into one of the rooms and Daniel was surprised at how big it was. The walls inside this room were bare and the room was sparsely furnished, yet there were plenty of signs that it was a well-used room. Two roughly made mattresses with coverings and blankets were placed along opposite walls, and there were dishes set up on a small table at the other end of the room. Daniel found himself automatically cataloging the items for documenting when he got the time, even as he noticed the girl in in one of the beds.

Sam didn't hesitate. She went directly to the bed and knelt next to it. "Hello," she said with a small smile. "My name is Sam. Are you Shrana?" The girl nodded, then coughed. Daniel took in her appearance and began to worry that maybe they should have been a little more cautious before entering the room. She was definitely sick; her eyes were sunken and dulled by the illness, whatever it was, and her skin seemed to be almost translucent in the dim interior of the room.

"Everyone gets sick when they become adults," Leasie said quietly. She stood next to the mattress and looked down at her friend with a resigned expression. The attitude bothered Daniel. No child should have that much acceptance of a fate destined to be short lived. She shook his sadly as she said, "Everyone."

"She's burning up," Sam said from her position near the mattress. "And her breathing is shallow." She looked at Jack and added, "We really should get a medical team out here."

Daniel nodded in agreement as Jack said, "Yeah. I can see that." He looked around at the others who crowded in the room, then said, "Carter, take Teal'c and head back to the Gate to send a message to Hammond. Tell him we need a medical team out here with hazmats, and whatever else they're going to need."

"Yes, sir," Sam responded dutifully.

"Daniel," Jack continued. "I know what you want." Daniel gave him a quizzical look, then grinned when Jack added, "You stay here and do what you do best. I'll stand guard outside."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It's an unusual form of an autoimmune disease," Doc Fraiser said as they stood outside the hidden village. She and her team had arrived within an hour of the request and they spent nearly a day and a half running tests on every child they could find.

Jack grimaced at her, wondering if she was going to go into an in-depth discussion of the disease. Even though he was interested and probably needed to know what was going on, he was just as happy not to have to hear the gory details.

"It's not something we've ever had to deal with on Earth," she said, completely unaware that Jack was gearing up to hear all about it anyway, "But it is definitely a unique form of the disease."

"Is there a cure?" Daniel wanted to know.

"And can it be prevented for the rest of the children?" This came from Carter, who was holding hands with one of the littlest kids. She looked down and smiled at the child before looking back at the Doc. "Is there anything we can do to keep them alive for years to come?"

"Actually, there is," the Doc said. She then nodded at Daniel. "To both questions." She went on to tell them all about it - something about missing nutrients and supplements - but Jack barely heard her. His attention had been drawn to a boy who had his back to a tree, glaring at them.

Jack figured he knew what was going on in that kid's mind. At least he thought he did. Fear, distrust, anger, hope ... Corin had to be fighting the urge to believe that things would change, despite Daniel and Sam's encouragement that he do so.

Jack supposed it wouldn't hurt if he tried his own brand of encouragement.

He walked over and stopped a few feet away, not wanting to scare him. Corin held his ground, but the glare told Jack that trust was a long way off.

"Your sister is going to get better," Jack told him with a level expression. "And the Doc over there knows what needs to be done to keep you all healthy until you are as old as me."

Corin grunted, but the look in his eyes as he glanced over at the doctor betrayed his attitude. Jack could see that he really did want to believe.

"Shrana was little when my mother died," Corin said as he watched the group of adults talk. "She never let anyone hurt me, or ..." he stopped for a moment then, and Jack waited. He understood the pain and the fear all too well.

Corin looked at Jack for a moment, then turned away to study the trees in the distance. "I promised her that I wouldn't let her get sick," he said with a small sob.

Hence the anger and bitterness, Jack thought as he reached out and put his hand on Corin's shoulder. Corin didn't pull away, which surprised Jack for a moment, then he pulled the kid into a hug, holding him tightly as the boy broke down and cried.

"She's going to be okay," Jack finally said. "She's going to be glad that you brought us here to save her."

Corin stiffened for a moment, then pulled back to stare at Jack. Tears still streaked down his cheeks as he shook his head. "I didn't …"

"Yeah, and you didn't try to stop us from letting the Doc and her people find out what's wrong with her either. Good thing, because if you had, we wouldn't have found the medications she's going to need to get better."

Corin's expression slowly changed as he processed Jack's words. There was a renewed sense of hope in the boy's eyes. Jack grinned at him. Just a little more, he decided. "She's going to be glad that you were here to help her."

Corin gave him a shaky smile, and he nodded his head, apparently ready to believe that he had come through on that promise he had made to his sister.

"She's going to get better and will be up and around before you know it," Jack told him with as much confidence as he could muster. "And you'll be back to taking care of her again."

Corin nodded again, his attention back on the trees. Jack could see he was working on something in his mind, but was still surprised when Corin turned back to him and said, "Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," Jack said with a broad grin. He clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder and added, "Come on. Let's go see what we have to do to make sure no one else gets sick!"

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P is for…
by carlinjona

I’m not sleeping in that.

Why?

Need I spell it out, Daniel?

Um, yeah?

It’s plaid.

More a tartan, I’d have said…

It’s plaid and it’s puce.

Princess.

What was that, major? Haven’t you finished yet?

Almost, sir. Another twenty minutes and the pulsar will be visible over the horizon. Then we can charge the power crystals.

Enough to get the Peltak working?

Hope so, sir.

I look forward to departing this world, O'Neill. My primta is unsettled by all this…

Plaid. The word is plaid, T, and I’m with junior. How’s the priest-lady doing?

The priestess said she’d let us out of this prison cell as soon as the pygmy people have passed by.

There’s a song in that line.

Do not start singing, Daniel.

Hey, what was that?

Ow.

Is that a dart?

Uh, oh.

I think – it might – be – poison…

Jack!

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Q is for Quitting
by antonomasia09

Vala knows six ways of escaping from the Tau’ri homeworld. Four by Stargate and two by ship. Three of these methods can accommodate up to ten other willing participants; one can be accomplished with a single unwilling guest. She had never thought she would have to use any of them.

And yet, here she is, spinning around lazily in the copilot’s chair on a rickety tel’tak with a former smuggling partner she hasn’t seen in years, an unconscious potentially homicidal clone of Daniel Jackson, and no concrete plans beyond rescue the real Daniel and try not to die.

Maybe she can go back into business with Keto. They had made an excellent team (if somewhat prone to betrayal). Perhaps she can even convince Daniel to stay with her, be a junior partner. His friendly demeanor and sparkling blue eyes would make him a great distraction while she steals the loot. Keto can fly the getaway vehicle.

It’s probably for the best that she is leaving Earth now, before her skills get too rusty. What was a brilliant con woman like herself doing on a team like SG-1 anyway? Wasting her talent, that’s what.

“So, the Tau’ri?” Keto says a little bit too casually, interrupting her rambling thoughts. She curls a foot behind the base of the chair, stopping her spin to face him. “How did that happen?”

“Long story,” she answers. “Short version: I stole Daniel’s ship. And Daniel.”

He whistles appreciatively. “Bold opening move. You always did have a flair for the dramatic. Must’ve done something pretty special to get them to trust you after that.”

“I did,” she says in a tone that discourages further questioning, not in the mood to discuss the whole sacrificing herself for the greater good thing. Nothing even came of it anyway besides a bit of torture, a fanatical husband, and a new figurehead for the Ori.

She grabs a non-vital-looking crystal out of the panel in front of her, wanting something for her hands to do. Keto glares at her, snatches it away, and stuffs it back into place. She pouts at him until he relents and gives her a shiny metallic bauble from his coat pocket.

“I’ve heard rumors about how much the Tau’ri have been annoying Lucian Alliance lately,” he says. “Apparently, some of the higher-ups would love to get their hands on SG-1.” He nods pointedly to the velcro on her shoulder where her patch would go, and she instinctively moves to angle it out of his line of sight. “I’ve still got contacts. Could get a lot of money even if we just handed over one of them.”

She can’t help darting a glance back at Daniel lying unconscious in the cargo area. He doesn’t look good. Probably has a day left at most before his brain turns to mush, or whatever it is that happens to unstable clones who are subjected to pneumonic scanning arrays.

From Keto’s satisfied grin, she knows her glance gave them away.

“Thought so,” he says, and shakes his head admiringly. “The Tauri’s frontline team. Don’t know how you pull these things off, Vala.”

She has a sudden urge to use the zat in her belt. “We’re not turning him over,” Vala says, her voice cold. “Not him, not the real one.” She slips the bauble into her pocket, in case she needs to punch Keto in the face.

“Come on,” he wheedles. “This one’s not going to live much longer anyway. Might as well make some money off him while we still can.”

She is up out of her chair and standing between Keto and Daniel before she even realizes that she’s moved. Her zat is out, pointed straight at the smuggler, and she’s breathing hard. “You’re not going to touch him,” she growls.

Keto raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay,” he says. “It was just an idea. What’s the matter with you, anyway? You’ve never been one to turn down easy money.”

“He’s not easy money,” she says, lowering her zat but not relaxing enough to retake her seat. “He’s my friend.”

Keto is looking at her carefully. “People in our business don’t have friends,” he reminds her.

He’s right, she thinks. There are marks and there are fellow grifters, but a good con artist never gets attached to either. So why does she already miss Cameron’s drawl and Teal’c’s easy presence and Samantha’s quiet competence?

“You’ve changed, Vala,” Keto continues. “You’re risking everything you’ve built just to save one man. You care about things now, big things, like truth and good and evil. Time was you wouldn’t be caught dead thinking about stuff like that.”

“Is that bad?” she asks him, leaning over on the control console between their chairs, hands propping up her chin.

He shrugs. “Dunno. I personally have no use for lofty ideals. They have a tendency to make people miserable and dead.”

“I think I know what you mean,” she agrees, remembering getting burnt to death for heresy and the guilt she’d felt after Adria wiped out Dakara. “Well, it was nice while it lasted, but I’m ready to go back to being the happy-go-lucky and carefree Vala you used to know.” She gives him her widest smile, hoping it doesn’t feel as fake as she thinks it does.

“Really? You’re giving up?” Keto asks, surprised. “That still doesn’t sound like you.”

“What choice do I have?” She’s getting angry at Keto for thinking he knows her. At Daniel for getting them both into this mess in the first place. “I stole Daniel again to get him to that scanner of yours. Broke him out of prison. They barely trusted me before, even if they took advantage of my talents. Made no secret of the fact that they’ve been waiting for something like this to happen. I’ve as good as handed in my resignation.”

“What about him?” Keto nods to Daniel.

“What about him?” she challenges.

“You think he’s just going to let you go?”

“He doesn’t control me,” she says, but Keto shakes his head.

“Not what I meant. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, the way he’s been following you around like a stray puppy. He sat down in that chair, even after I mentioned that the last guy to use the scanner’d had a brain hemorrhage, just because you asked him to. If that’s not trust, I don’t know what is.”

“So what?” she says, bitter. “For all we know, it was all an act and he deliberately showed us a fake memory. He could be leading us into a trap.”

“Do you really believe that?” he asks.

She sighs, her anger draining away. “No.”

“There you go, then.”

“It’s not that easy, though,” she says. “Even if we rescue Daniel and he vouches for me, his word isn’t going to mean much after what this one did.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate him,” Keto says. “If he could make you care about him, he’s got to be pretty persuasive.”

“He is good at coming up with compelling arguments,” she agrees.

Behind them, Daniel groans and stretches, and she hurries over to see how he’s doing. Keto hides a smile and pretends piloting requires his full attention.

Six strategies for escaping Earth, and not a single one for getting back. Well, she didn’t have any plans this weekend anyway.

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R is for Rocks
by solstice0612

“You gave us a rock for Christmas?” asked General Jack O’Neill, raising his eyebrows.

Behind him, beyond the small window in the bulkhead, the universe seemed to rush by as the Hammond journeyed through deep space. Most of the crew was given a few hours break to celebrate the end-of-the-year holidays. Generals Jack O’Neill and Sam Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Master Teal’c had shared a nice Christmas meal with the crew, including a few traditional trimmings the kitchen staff were able to keep in the freezer for a couple of weeks.

Back in Jack’s quarters, the members of the first SG-1 team were huddled in the small sitting area, exchanging a few personal gifts. The General had hand-picked his former teammates for this mission. It was a long trip, so he might as well pass the time among friends. Besides, few would dare to argue that they were not the best people for the job.

“Is this a traditional Christmas present?” asked Teal’c, looking at the colorful box with a plum-size rock inside it.

As far as rocks went, the porous and uneven surface of the dark stone did not look particularly interesting.

“Only if you were a bad boy,” said Sam with a giggle. Since she had become a General she no longer bothered to hide her infectious laughter.

“It’s not about that. It’s from the Andromeda galaxy.”

“Daniel, ya know how I feel about rocks. Didn’t you exit by the gift shop?”

“Well, sir, to be honest, that’s all that was left on the surface of the planet with the Stargate. According to the reports, the place looked pretty dead.”

“Carter, I read the reports.”

Three pair of eyes grew in size as they looked at the General.

“What?... It happens.”

Teal’c was the first one to recover.

“Daniel Jackson, is this rock meant to be comparable to what the Tau’ri call a ‘moon rock’?”

“In a way, since there was not much else we could grab wearing space suits. But that isn’t why I’m giving you these rocks. The planet was at the edge of an area of space affected by a supernova. The remnants were still visible in the sky.”

“Then why is there a Stargate at that location?” asked Teal’c.

“Well, that’s really the big question, isn’t it?” asked Daniel. “The Gate was obviously placed there after the nova. We found the address in the Asgard database and gave it a try. At least the remnants of the nova we observed explained to me something about this particular star.”

“Why is that?” asked Sam.

“Because this nova was visible on Earth a little over two millennia ago.”

“You mean, this rock comes from a planet near a star that went kablooie 2,000 years ago?“

“Ah, no, sir. The supernova took place more than 2 million years ago. It’s just that it was…”

“… seen on Earth 2,000 years ago; got that, Carter.”

“Oh my god, Daniel! I get it too!” exclaimed Sam, wonder sparkling in her blue eyes as she looked at the dark object in her hand.

Jack’s eyebrows met in the middle while Teal’c’s right one went up. Daniel took advantage of their temporary confusion to continue with his explanation.

“This nova was seen on Earth around 2,015 years ago, when tradition says a bright star was visible for a few days over the Middle Eastern sky,” offered the archeologist.

“Daniel, you mean, the Andromeda supernova. . . is THAT star?” said Jack, as he stopped tossing the rock up in the air.

“Yep. Over Bethlehem,” clarified Daniel with a sweet smile.

“Daniel Jackson, is this about the story of the Baby Jesus in the Manger with the Bethlehem Star that is associated with Tau’ri Christian mythology?”

“Yes it is, Teal’c. The Bethlehem Star supposedly shone above the place where the messiah was born so people could go welcome the baby.”

“Wow,” said Jack looking at the rock more closely. “But that means that when the star exploded all those who lived out there near it…”

Everyone in the room felt silent contemplating what such devastation could mean to countless civilizations now lost forever to the unrelenting workings of nature.

“But how could such a supernova be a good omen?” questioned Teal’c.

“It is hard to reconcile, Teal’c,” said Daniel. “I guess that if a star had to be so extinguished, at least it brought some hope to others in its passing.”

“And this rock?”

“A Christmas keepsake for all of us to remember this journey together, Jack,” said Daniel as he took his own rock from his pocket and put it on the low table next to other three stones.

When faced with the incomprehensible vastness of the universe--the meaning of life stuff--this tight family of friends found the answers in each other’s company. Around them, the Hammond maintained its unwavering speed as it cut through the darkness of space in its flight towards Andromeda.

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by dragonfly_sg1

The day was mid, the sun was high and it was SG1’s third day on the uninhabited P3X-2-something-rather. Thus far, it was one of Jack’s favorite research planets—it had a beach that went on for miles. The beach was purple, but Jack kind of liked that too.

“Carter?” Jack asked after returning with Teal’c from their very important scouting/site seeing…mission.

“Last two pots, sir,” she answered without looking up from the soil samples she was happily collecting.

“That a girl.” Jack walked past her into the caves where he knew he’d find Daniel. Taking off his sunglasses, he scanned the large, dark cavern. It was a drastic difference to the bright, inviting skies outside. “Daniel?”

This was supposed to be a relaxing mission. A fun one, dare he say. And it was. Daniel, however, was having a hard time with the relaxing part. He just didn’t know when to quit. The boy could run on excitement for days.

Pocketing his glasses, Jack walked deeper into the damp hollow. Finding his friend on the other side of a large rock, he sighed at the sight of him. Daniel was sitting cross-legged in the sand, hunched over his journal and a flashlight. Periodically, he’d look up at the wall in front of him, then back down at his journal, blink, furrow his brow, then look back up at the wall again—as if it would tell him all the secrets of life if he were just patient enough…or awake enough.

Because what he was was exhausted… and past the point where he realized it. Jack would bet he couldn’t even see what was written on the wall or the pages at this point. It looked like the ole’ caffeine-for-decaf-switch was finally taking its toll. The fact that Daniel hadn’t noticed was testament enough to just how badly he needed rest.

“Daniel.”

Still no reply.

He was in the zone. A big, geeky zone. Jack had depended on that zone more than once over the years. Lives have been saved thanks to it. But, there were no lives in need of saving today, no answers desperately sought.

Walking closer, Jack knelt next to him. He was mumbling quietly—trying to figure out which scribbles stood for what. The only thing Jack knew for certain was that “S” stood for “sleeping”—which was what a certain archaeologist should be doing.

Daniel absently scratched at his cheek and Jack could see his hand trembling. He reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, time for a break, fella.”

The younger man unconsciously leaned into his touch, but didn’t take his eyes off the wall. “I just have to fini….” He trailed off when Jack gently took his glasses and tucked them into his own pocket.

Daniel turned and blinked owlishly at him. “Jack?”

There he is. “Daniel?” Jack parroted.

“What are you doing?” He didn’t notice when Jack took his journal too.

“Hitting the ‘off’ switch.”

“Wh—?” Daniel suddenly yawned widely.

“Need I say more?”

The younger man stared at him blankly for a moment. When his eyelids started to droop, he asked, “Did Sam?”

“You betchya. Two pots ago.”

Groaning, Daniel closed his eyes, shoulders slumping.

The corner of Jack’s mouth turned up. “Come on.” Standing, he pulled Daniel up with him and held on until he stopped swaying. Daniel scrubbed at his face like a sleepy toddler and Jack regarded him fondly. “If you go willingly, maybe Teal’c will tell you a bed time story,” he teased lightly.

Already more asleep than not, Daniel’s brow furrowed. “Not the one about the blood-sucking goats,” he murmured, leaning into Jack as he slipped an arm over his shoulders.

“No? I kind of liked that one.” Pulling him in closer, Jack led his friend back out into the light. “Happy ending.”

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T is for Trade
by eilidh17

"It is a fair offer, no?"

There was no such thing as a fair offer when it came to trading in human lives, and in this case the trade was less than fair, it was offensive... and very personal. In this marketplace, on some forsaken backwater planet on the very edge of the known 'gate system, peddling lives to make a few dollars was considered having an honest job. Jack had fought all day to hold back the bile clawing up his throat, and the sense of foreboding that came with being so close to finding Daniel, only to have him yanked away at the last minute. They had been close before.

"Fair?" He sniffed loudly, trying not to let his revulsion to the foul stench of the market place, where the human stock defecated in their cages right alongside animals, show on his face. There were large metal cages piled all around him, one of top of the other, stretching so high that he had to crane his neck just to see where they ended. The ground underfoot was muddy, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. No rain here on this desert planet. No, the mud was coarse sand mixed with urine. Most disturbing of all was that the locals, the traders and their working slaves, and those who came to barter for lives that cost barely the equivalent of a decent meal back on Earth, were totally oblivious to the misery that surrounded them.

It was the Tok'ra who told them about this place. The information had been gathered by one of their operatives who said Daniel could be found here at one of the many slave markets, if he hadn't already been sold. He had gone missing several months ago, on a mission with SG-16 to investigate a set of obelisks found on a planet once ruled by Osiris. All of SG-16 were found with their hearts ripped from their chests and their throats cut. Of Daniel, there was no sign, but whoever had taken him had known exactly what they were doing and who they had come to capture. He had been paraded, according to the Tok'ra operative who had been posing as a minor system lord at the time, from planet to planet by his captors, used like an advertisement for some wealthy slaver. Only by the time the operative had seen him, Daniel was in no state to be anyone's poster boy. And the operative had no means to get word to the Tok'ra for several days after the sighting without blowing his cover. Stupidly, Daniel's captors had left a calling card for his sale in the form of an invite - the address to this world.

The little trader Jack was dealing with now, a man by the name of Har'up, was nothing but a mouthpiece for his boss; someone who made the sale, took the money and handed over the goods. It was a simple job, one Har'up seemed aptly suited for given his limited vocabulary and bad sense of smell.

"Yes, yes, fair!" Har'up said with gusto and a lot of head nodding as he waved up at the closest stack of cages. "Very fair. You pick?"

Jack would have taken them all given half the chance and a whole lot more of the local currency, but the Tok'ra had warned him to make only one purchase, and make it count. Anyone buying more than one slave would automatically gain the attention of whichever slave master owned the market, and if Daniel had been known enough to warrant kidnapping, then Jack's face would be just as recognizable. It was a risk, no less than bringing Teal'c with him, who, in the end, had been forced to stay in orbit in the Tel'tak the Tok'ra had given them, because the face of the Jaffa's most notorious shol'va would have probably landed them all in the sales ring.

Fortunately, and for which Jack was relieved, women were required to be covered here, so having Carter with him meant safety in numbers. And she was packing a mini-armament under her robes.

Choosing was the next problem. Jack knew who he wanted, but coming right out and saying it would bring them the sort of attention they didn't want, so he had to think fast.

"Tau'ri?" he said, making a show of inspecting the closest cages, ignoring the downcast eyes of the filthy and malnourished slaves, some of whom wore forehead tattoos of system lords who had fallen, and whose armies had either been taken as the spoils of war, or who had been unfortunate enough to be sold. Jack didn't think it was possible to see them here, given how arrogant the Goa'uld were, and how they lived off the backs of having the warriors of their enemies as their own.

"No, no. No Tau'ri here. Too expensive."

Jack stopped his inspection of the cages and turned back to Har'up, keeping his face as dead-pan as possible. "Too expensive?"

"Damaged. Too expensive. Here..." Har'up said with an almost theatrical sweep of an arm in the direction of a cage holding what Jack was sure were children, though huddled as they were it was hard to tell. "Good boys. Very strong. Small price."

"No price," said Jack, struggling to maintain his composure, and the need to rip this guy limb from limb. "I don't buy kids, got it?"

"Sure, sure."

"Tau'ri?"

This time Har'up frowned, almost a grimace, and then looked around him as though someone might be listening in. He had a sudden look of fear on his face that had Jack worried. Next to him, he could just see Carter's eyes through the veil she was wearing. She was marking out the lay of the land, noting every cage, where it was, how many it held, and the quickest route out of here and back to the ring platform that had transported them here from the Tel’tak.

"Quickly," Har'up said quietly, gesturing to Jack to follow him, all the while looking about this small corner of the vast market place like he was being watched. "He is broken. Barock no more want."

"Broken?"

"Bent. Broken. He no good slave. Barock had me sell but no buyer want broken slave. Not pretty."

Jack swallowed hard. The Tok'ra warned them that the law here only allowed for male customers, and how many of those buyers bought only male slaves. No questions were asked, no heads turned. The deals were done and the buyers moved on to the next sale, usually in another city. It was the way they avoided the one slave rule that would keep suspicions about their purchase numbers hidden from curious eyes.

They were led away from the central market place and down an alleyway that was lined by more cages, only these were covered up.

"Empty," Har'up said as he ushered them towards a shanty building at what Jack thought was a dead end.

"Waiting to be filled?"

"Yes, yes! You learn well, for one who is no trader."

Jack stopped in his tracks and grabbed Har'up by the arm, spinning him around to face him. "No trader?"

"Tau'ri." Har'up waved over his shoulder towards the building. "You are Tau'ri, you come seeking Tau'ri. It is the order of things. Goa'uld seek Jaffa. We have many Jaffa."

"I saw."

"Yes, yes. I sell quickly. No symbiotes to give."

Har'up was clearly no fool. The rags he wore, the matted hair and unshaven face were just a facade for a man who, as far as Jack could tell, knew how to work the market to his advantage, and probably had sold more than just a few slaves out from under his boss' nose to make a modest living on the side. The quick turnover of Jaffa highlighted an underlying problem when it came to killing off of the Goa'uld: the ever-increasing lack of available symbiotes for implantation.

So, Har'up was probably writing off a healthy slice of the Jaffa as dead loss, lost without a symbiote to sustain them once the ones they were nurturing had reached maturity. When, in fact, he was selling them on at a reduced price and pocketing the profit.

Jack felt for the gun hidden in the belt of his trousers, shielded by the open robe he was wearing. It wasn't enough, not if it meant having to fight their way out of this place - something he really didn't want to do - but aside from whatever Carter was carrying, it was all they had. Har'up was no honest trader, not on a world where the economy was propped up by the cost of human misery.

Har'up lead the way once again, and opened up the rickety plank door of the shanty, letting the light from outside break through some of the darkness within. He stepped across the threshold and gestured for Jack to follow, but held up a hand when Carter got close to the door.

"No she," he said firmly and moved to get past Jack to block her way. "No she here. Not the way."

"Yeah," Jack said slowly and deliberately, "that's not going to happen."

"Please. No she. This is male slave hut. She safe outside. My place."

"Sir, I can wait out here." Carter put her right hand on her hip and tapped at the weapon concealed beneath. It was a sign, not only intended to reassure Jack, but, from the look on Har'up's face as he followed the movement of her hand, it also told him she was well armed.

"Five minutes, Carter. No more. You know what to do."

~oOo~

There were levels of human destitution that Jack didn't even think was possible. If the despair he saw in the eyes of the slaves in the market place was heartbreaking, then the sheer horror of watching those who had already passed the point of suffering and were waiting to die was something else completely.

Even Ha'rup had gone silent, his head bowed down as he shuffled between floor pallets that held the last vestiges of what once were human beings, their bodies twisted and tortured in such a way that Jack could scarcely believe they were still alive. Skin stretched over frames like it had been pulled and pinned in place, eyes sunken into skulls, lifeless and unseeing. No clothes, no dignity.

"Har'up--"

"You want Tau'ri?"

"Yes, but--"

"Then I take you. You pay. I make profit. No questions."

Har'up continued forward, kicking at legs that got in the way, pushing them aside like branches of a tree that was slapping him in the face, while Jack fought to hold down his last meal as the stench of death and decay sat thick and heavy in the heat of the shanty.

"Here," Har'up announced as they came the end of the room, to a narrow door with a plank of wood across the front to keep it sealed. He slid the plank off and tossed it aside, and then turned to Jack with an outstretched hand. "You pay."

"Without seeing the goods first? What type of trader would I be if I didn't inspect the merchandise?"

Har'up held Jack's gaze for the longest of moments before pushing the door open.

Jack had seen Daniel bruised, bloody and bleeding. Heck, he'd seen him die more times than he'd care to recount, but this was completely different, and it took every ounce of self-control for Jack not to rush to his side. He needed to play the game. Enough interest to let the deal go through, but not so much as to further lend any suspicions Har'up might have as to why Jack was there in the first place, nor to give the man a reason to up the asking price. This was a numbers game where Jack held the money but the seller was holding goods far more valuable than he realized, a fact Jack didn't want to let known.

"You like?"

There was no liking what he saw laying on the pallet at his feet. The clearly SGC uniform, ripped, no, shredded in places, so bad that Jack didn't know how it hadn't already fallen off Daniel's clearly malnourished and beaten body. And then there were the stains, marks, of who knew what that Jack didn't even want to think about, though through the fabric he could see the telltale burn marks produced by being repeatedly struck with a pain stick. Daniel was curled in a ball on his right side, his head tucked under one painfully thin arm, but Jack could see enough of his face to recognize his teammate.

Jack wanted to kneel down next to Daniel and carefully move the fabric, assess whatever injuries he could see beyond the obvious, but he was worried about showing excess concern for someone that was supposed to be nothing more than merchandise.

"How was he broken?" Jack asked, using the toe of his shoe to gently nudge Daniel's leg in a mock show of disinterest, but silently hoping for some movement. He got nothing. At least he could see his chest rising and falling ever so slightly.

"No matter. He is your Tau'ri?"

"Nope, not mine."

"You said--"

"I said I wanted a Tau'ri, I didn't say I was looking for this one in particular. How was he broken?"

"He talk too much. Barock's man shut him up with pain sticks."

Sadly, and it took all of Jack's willpower not to smile, he could just picture Daniel talking away at breakneck speed, trying to get himself out of what was an impossible situation. "How much?"

"He talk?"

"No. How much do you want for him?"

"Barock ask two thousand litak."

"For damaged goods?"

"Was ten thousand when not broken."

"How much for a Jaffa?"

"You no want Tau'ri?" Har'up, suddenly angered by an apparent loss of sale, lashed out at Daniel only to have Jack yank him away at the last moment.

"I didn't say I don't want him! I asked how much a Jaffa was worth."

Har'up shrugged out of Jack's grasp and stepped back away from the pallet. "Two hundred," he ground out defiantly. "Less for the men. They symbiote older, no replacement."

"Bit of a difference."

"They are enemy."

"And the Tau'ri is?"

"Profit. Barock think he already dead."

"You told him?"

"He kill his man when Tau'ri broken. I tell Barock Tau'ri dead now. My profit."

So, that was how it all went down. Daniel had kicked up a fuss, enough of one that he became more than his captor could handle.

"And this is how you look after your profit?"

"He broken. I sell, I happy. No sell..." Har'up shrugged indifferently. "He die. Next slave."

"Two thousand?" Jack reached for the money bag in his pocket, testing the weight of the tiny gold balls through the fabric. Each ball was worth one hundred litak each, and the Tok'ra had given them the equivalent of four thousand litak in total. He was carrying two five, Carter had the rest.

"Two thousand. You want him cleaned? Cost more."

Check the tires, top off the gas tank, wax and polish. "Two is fine." Jack left five of the balls in his pocket and handed the rest over to Har'up, who stood there and counted each one, a broad smile on his dirty face that died almost instantly when the butt of Jack's Beretta caught him on the side of the head.

~oOo~

Daylight struck Jack square in the face as he stumbled out of the shanty with Daniel over his right shoulder. He couldn't see Carter at first, but let out a long breath when she walked out between two cages with her weapon drawn.

"Daniel," she whispered, quickly moving to Jack's side to check him out.

"Leave it, Carter. We need to get going."

"Shouldn't we cover him up?"

"We've got about ten minutes until Har'up wakes up with one hell of a headache and an axe to grind. No time for playing nursemaid, and I doubt there's anything you can do for him here. Get Teal'c on the radio."

They had to make it to the rendezvous point, a ring platform on the outer edge of the market place. Jack knew the way was relatively clear because it was only used by buyers, and by slavers who received their merchandise from orbiting ships. He anticipated their biggest problem being the amount of curious onlookers they would attract, especially at the sight of a master carrying a slave over his shoulder when this job normal fell to another slave.

"Already have, sir," Carter said as she tucked her weapon back under the folds of her robe, within easy reach but well out of sight. "There's another ship in orbit."

"And?"

"Rings lock on to the nearest platform. Teal'c is trying to get closer but the other ship has been sending people down since the moment it arrived."

"Offloading human cargo?"

"I wasn't going to go there, sir."

"This place gets top marks for human depravity, no need to get all sensitive on me."

They left the meager safety of the alley way and wound their way towards the outskirts of the city, garnishing, as predicted, a fair following of curious onlookers, some of whom stepped in their path but ultimately made no attempt to stop them. The ring platform sat to the right of a huge holding pen that was already full of shackled slaves, all being corralled by traders brandishing pain sticks and staff weapons. Uneasiness spread through Jack as he closed in on the corrals. He turned to Carter, who had already spotted several traders looking in their direction.

"Try Teal'c again," Jack said leaning in close and whispering to her. He shifted Daniel's weight on his shoulder and was greeted by a small but pathetic moan. Not enough for Jack to be sure he was waking up, but enough to be a problem if he did and actually recognized them.

Carter's "Ship has left orbit, sir" came just as the closest of the traders raised his weapon and started running in their direction, yelling at them in some language Jack didn't recognize. He took that as their cue to leave and, securing his grip on Daniel, let Carter fall behind to cover their six as he sprinted to the ring platform.

"Now!" Carter yelled into the radio as she slid into home and fired off some warning shots into the ground, pulling her arm in at the last minute as the rings descended over them.

~oOo~

Jacob pulled the healing device back and stepped away from Daniel's bed in the underground bunker of the Tok'ra's latest base planet. "Selmac doubts Daniel had any idea of what was happening to him."

"Meaning?"

"Drugs. Lots of them. It's pretty standard for slavers and bounty hunters to resort to drugging their captives to make them more pliable."

"They beat him pretty bad," Jack said as he looked down at Daniel, who was still covered in bruises and unconscious.

"You know how this works, Jack. And Daniel is no stranger to having to talk himself out of a bad situation, even when he knows it might not make an ounce of difference. If Barock's asking price was right, then losing Daniel is a huge blow to his operation."

Jack gave Jacob a sideways glance, eyes slighted. "You've heard of this guy?"

"Barock? Yeah. Real piece of work. The planet you found Daniel on used to be part of Apophis' domain until it was annexed by a cartel of slave traders after they learned of his death. Your actions against Apophis gained you a bit a bit of notoriety."

"And put a price on our heads."

"This isn't your first run in with a bounty hunter."

"Aris had a conscience. Eventually."

Jacob shrugged and moved back towards Daniel's bed. "Selmac has repaired his internal injuries, and the rest will heal in time. You got lucky this time, Jack."

"Tell that to the families of SG-16. I really wanted to kill the guy."

"Barock?"

"Him too, but no... Har'up. Hand out my own brand of justice, which wouldn't have meant a damn thing in a place where one less slaver means more profit for the rest."

"You're better than that."

"No. I'm not. And we don't have the resources to shut these people down, but I do know who does."

Jacob tossed Jack a questioning look. "Anyone I know?"

"We saw some Jaffa slaves down there. Who better to free them than their own kind."

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U is for Utopia
by stringertheory

Arrival through PYX-389's Gate offered the traveler a panoramic view of the sea. The Gate was set on a small, man-made island – no more than a pillar whose base disappeared into the surf – that was connected to the mainland by a narrow drawbridge. Visible to the ruined city that lined the mainland coast, but quite deliberately set at some distance and off to one side from it, the island's location made it clear to Jack that whoever had once lived there didn't consider the Gate an important part of life. The arrangement brought to mind a city-scale version of a fire escape.

Jack took in the sea view – the deep blue-green water, the cloudless sky, the rocky coastline footed by sandy beaches – and drew a deep breath of salt-tinged air. “Well, this is refreshing.” And not quite what they were used to.

He turned around, only to find himself alone on the island with Teal'c, who was standing at the entrance to the bridge and raised one eyebrow ever so slightly in response to Jack's look. Daniel and Carter were already halfway across the bridge; Jack could just hear them chattering at one another. He sighed and waved Teal'c forward. “Let's get after them before they get lost. Or hurt themselves,” he said, only half joking. Initial scans of the planet had indicated that it was uninhabited, but there was always the chance they had been wrong. And the scans didn't account for indigenous flora or fauna. Or for the exploits of overzealous and excitable scientists.

Alert more out of deeply ingrained habit than any real concern, he set a strolling pace as he and Teal'c followed after the other pair. Aside from the muffled roar of the surf, the area was quiet and he figured if Daniel and Carter slipped out of sight, they could be located by sound alone.

After the past few months, Jack was relieved to have a simple, safe reconnaissance mission. The team needed a break, and his scientists needed some science time that didn't happen to coincide with getting-shot-at time or running-for-your-life time or the-base-has-been-infiltrated time. He was pretty sure Hammond agreed and had given them the mission for just that reason. For his part, Jack had accepted the orders with uncharacteristic and entirely sincere enthusiasm after he had seen the way the Wonder Twins' faces lit up when reading the briefing report. To be fair, their faces often did that, but this time their excitement had not been tempered by one “... but the natives are hostile” or “... but it's a Goa'uld stronghold” or “... but it could be fried by a blast of solar radiation at any moment” caveat. Nope, PYX-389 was a soldier's and a scientist's paradise: not a hostile in sight on a beautiful beach lined with the nearly pristine ruins of an ancient, long-dead civilization.

Aside from their pristine nature, the ruins were extensive and elaborate, as it turned out. The long, winding hallways and variously shaped rooms, pocketed here and there with the signs of damage or decay, played havoc with sound, and with Jack's reluctance to resort to the radios, it took longer than expected to locate Daniel and Carter. By the time he and Teal'c found the chamber they were in – a particularly large one with a wide balcony overlooking the bay – equipment had been set up, tools pulled out, and notes were being furiously scribbled.

Bypassing his scientists for the moment, Jack sauntered out onto the balcony to once again enjoy the view. He could see why the planet's former inhabitants had chosen this place for their own; to the left they had the bay and to the right, the open sea. The natural beauty of the world was breathtaking, and the architecture of the city – while not his personal style – suited the landscape, flowing lines contrasted with sharp angles. He studied the room from the balcony for a moment. The soft midday light of the planet's sun, darker than their own back home, threw the pillars of the balcony against the far wall in shadow relief. The far side of the room had suffered damage of some sort; the wall between it and its neighbor was partially missing, and that side of the balcony, which originally would have extended across the other room as well, had been completely sheared off. Carefully walking to the edge, Jack spotted the remnants wedged in the rocks below, the low tide just lapping at the polished stone.

Rejoining the others in the room, he scanned the walls that still stood, which were etched with an assortment of writing. Daniel was at the wall that housed the door leading back into the hallway, nose mere inches from its surface as he studied the inscriptions in contained. Carter, sitting crosslegged in the center of the room, held a piece of rubble from the damaged wall in one hand and clicked away at her computer with the other. Teal'c stood sentinel near the entrance, watching his teammates with a placid expression that would have passed as indifferent for anyone who didn't know him. For SG-1, it was basically a scene of domestic bliss.

“Well, children,” Jack said, “what have we found?”

Carter glanced up, the same small furrow between her eyes that she got whenever she came across something puzzling. “The mineral composition of the stonework doesn't match what I expected based on our initial geological surveys of the planet, sir.” She turned her focus back on the hunk of rock in her hand, frowning at it as if it had personally insulted her intelligence. “But given the location of the Stargate, it doesn't seem likely that the stone was quarried elsewhere and brought here; getting a load large enough for one room alone across that tiny bridge... I suppose they could have moved the Gate...” She trailed off, turning to her computer again, and Jack knew he had lost her.

At that precise moment, as if they had planned the hand-off, Daniel turned around. Similarly to Sam, his brow was furrowed in concentration and his eyes, though focused in Jack's direction, had the faraway glaze to them that Jack thought of as his Science Look.

“This appears to be a library or museum of sorts for this society,” Daniel began, waving a hand at the walls. “The inscriptions here give detail as to how the society came to be. It's written in a variety of languages, though, which is unusual.” He pivoted back to the wall and ran a finger over various lines of text as he spoke. “This is some kind of Latin dialect, this one is related to Sumerian, I think, and this one is a form of Chinese, and this one appears to be diluted ancient Egyptian. The inscriptions were made at the same time, which is unexpected – these cultures didn't all exist in the same period, and even the ones that did overlap wouldn't have been transplanted here by the same Goa'uld.” He favored the wall with a curious stare, hands on his hips.

Jack fought back a smile. Carter was furiously tapping away at her computer for non-life threatening reasons, and Daniel was staring down an archeological puzzle for fun. He cleared his throat. “Does the wall happen to tell you this place's name?”

“Eutopia,” came Daniel's absentminded reply.

“Utopia?” Jack glanced back over his shoulder at the gaping hole where a balcony should be, heard the sea breeze whistle down an empty hallway. “Didn't exactly work out for them, did it?” he muttered.

“'E-U-topia, meaning 'good place', not U-topia meaning 'not place',” Daniel said, slipping into the tone of lecturer that, for once, had no hint of exasperation in it. “It's a rough translation. It's also Greek, which isn't one of the languages on the wall, but it is very specifically used in reference to the name.” He pushed his glances up his nose before shifting slightly to his right to squint at that section of the wall. “I've been working on the passage that explains how these people came to be here, and it sounds like this wasn't a Goa'uld controlled planet. It was a haven.”

“A haven?”

Daniel nodded. “In a very real sense.” His finger flew over the inscriptions as he translated. “The record tells that a few people of various planets, ones spared the fury of their masters – they very specifically do not use a word for 'god' in any of the languages – left their devastated worlds to found a place of peace far away from the reach of their former tormentors. It was to be a sanctuary, a safe place for them and any others who managed to find it.”

“From the damage this city bears, it is clear that their plan was unsuccessful.”

Teal'c's voice was unexpected, and the others turned to him in curiosity.

“You think the Goa'uld found them?” Daniel asked.

Teal'c pointed to the damaged wall. “That bears the marks of glider fire,” he said simply.

The all turned to study the wall again. Looking at it more closely, the faint remains of scorch marks were obvious. Jack moved over to the wall and glanced into the room on the other side. It was much more heavily damaged than the room they were in, part of the floor having collapsed into the room below it. Even without the typical carnage that would accompany such an attack, the signs of destruction were numbingly familiar. Another society wiped from existence by an enemy that would not seem to die.

Jack found himself irrationally angry. Despite the fact that they encountered signs of the Goa'uld everywhere they went, it seemed extra wrong, somehow, that they were intruding on the idyllic day out this was supposed to be. His mouth thinned to a firm line as he bit his tongue, hesitant to spoil things even further by giving voice to his thoughts.

Carter suddenly spoke into the silence. “At least they got some time. I mean, it would have taken a while to build all of this,” she said, encompassing the city with a flick of her wrist, “and to pull together such disparate peoples. They were free for a while, even if it didn't last.”

“There are no bodies.”

Jack stared at Daniel. “What?”

“There are no bodies,” he repeated, as if in realization. “If the Goa'uld who came here had been intent on total destruction, where are the bodies? I doubt the Goa'uld would have attacked an empty city, and with destruction like this, there would have been casualties.”

“What's your point, Daniel?”

“However many were lost, they were clearly buried by someone. When the Goa'uld are out for punishment or mean to set an example, they kill everyone and don't bother with clean up. And the city is damaged, but still mostly intact. Maybe those who survived left, started over somewhere else. I mean, in a society like this, there should be many more artifacts left behind – furniture and dishware and tools – not just rubble and empty rooms. Maybe they packed up and left. Maybe they weren't even here when it happened.”

“That would explain the state of things,” Carter agreed, looking pensive.

Jack pondered the possibility, then looked to Teal'c. “Ever hear of these people, T?”

“I have not, O'Neill. But the Goa'uld fiercely control outside information reaching those under their influence, and the existence of such a place as this one and of such a people as those who built it would not be something the Goa'uld would want known.”

“True.” Daniel nodded. “It would severely undermine their claims of being omnipotent.”

“And omniscient,” Sam added.

“They'd still have the megalomaniacal thing going for them, though.” Jack said it almost out of habit – the snakeheads really did seem to enjoy being flamboyantly, self-importantly evil – but Carter sniggered and Daniel smiled and he even would have bet money that Teal'c looked amused. The sound of the surf reached him again, and he made a decision.

Leaving Teal'c in the city with Daniel and Carter, he trudged back to the Gate to call for provisions. They had found a utopia – or a eutopia, whichever – and they were going to stay there. At least for one more day, which Jack convinced Hammond to approve (thought it hadn't taken much in the way of convincing, it had to be said). They were going to camp by the beach and tell stories with no purpose. Daniel was going to translate that whole damn room if he wanted to, and Jack would personally collect however many soil and rock and planet samples Sam desired. He'd even pretend to care about what they both discovered. And Teal'c – well, Teal'c could simply enjoy not being required to de one damn thing that he didn't want to do. For a short, precious moment in time, his team was going to get to relax and just be. They'd go back to saving the world Wednesday.

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V is for Velocity
by jedibuttercup

"So. Now that it's just us girls." Vala threw a sly glance in Sam's direction.

Sam arched an eyebrow at her as they walked down the steps from Hebridan's transplanted stargate. They weren't exactly alone, but they would have a few seconds before the rest of the team came through. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, no," Vala replied, breezily. "Just wondering. Teal'c said we were coming here to reconnect with long-missed allies. Colonel Mitchell said we'd be spreading the good word about the final defeat of the Ori. The IOA spokesman said we'd be renegotiating for technology from a position of greater strength. And Daniel gave you a wink and told us not to have too much fun. One of these things is not like the others, Sam. What are we really doing on Hebridan?"

Sam made a show of glancing back to make sure they'd put enough space between them and the 'gate so that the others just coming through wouldn't hear, then let her excited smile break through at last. "All right, you've got me. What do you know about the Loop of Kon Garat?"

"Wait, that was held here?" Vala's eyes widened as she tilted her head back, looking up at the scarred heights of shiny post-industrial construction around the 'gate square and the subdued whirr of elevated trains racing between them on invisible tracks. "I've never attended in person, but some of the best betting to be had in the galaxy was on that race! At least, until the Ori shut them down. I was never tempted to participate myself, though; the winnings weren't exactly portable, and I couldn't afford to do it for free."

"Wanna?" Sam grinned, waggling her eyebrows.

"Are you serious?" Vala gave her a skeptical glance.

"Well, not exactly for free, I guess," Sam had to admit, "but for all those things the guys said, at least. I flew copilot once before; it's not like we'd be completely out of our depth."

"You are serious. No prize then? Just a good will sort of thing?" Vala's eyebrows rose, though her eyes were starting to sparkle as much as Sam was sure her own were.

"Well, Tech Con Group didn't exactly survive the invasion intact; it's more of a government sponsorship this year. But they are still offering a contract to the winner. When I heard about it, I looked up Warrick Finn-- the Serrakin I copiloted for last time-- and found out he'd survived, as he was out on a run when the Priors took the planet. But he was injured in the fighting when his people reclaimed it and won't be able to fly himself this year. So I talked him into letting us use his ship, in exchange for him getting the contract if we win the race. Interested in being my copilot?"

Vala made a thoughtful moue. "Well, now, that depends. Exactly how much fun is too much?"

Sam laughed. "Is that a yes, or should I go tell Teal'c he's off the hook for diplomatic duty?"

"Far be it from me to disrupt Teal'c's enjoyment of whatever insipid wine and stale finger foods the Hebridans have managed to provide. I rather doubt he's had enough quality glowering time lately since the Interim Jaffa Council finally disbanded after the elections."

"That's a yes, then." Sam shared a grin with her, then waved as she finally spotted their contact approaching.

"Warrick!" she called to her friend.

"Major Carter!" Warrick waved back.

The reptilian alien looked as worse for wear as his planet did; he'd picked up several still-healing scars and a distinct limp. But his attitude was as earnest as ever.

"It's Lt. Colonel Carter now; but it's so good to see you, Warrick. I was glad to hear about Eamon, and I grieve with you for your losses."

"Those who fell made their mark," Warrick gave her a solemn nod. "And their names will be honored as we rebuild. Congratulations on your promotion; and on your recent achievements. The galaxy owes your team a great debt."

"Thank you. Though we wouldn't be here without your people's courage, either; we were very relieved to hear from your resistance movement after the Ori were defeated."

"As you say," he agreed, then turned his attention to Vala. "And this is...?"

"Vala Mal Doran, who'll be copiloting for me; she joined SG-1 after our last visit."

"Ah; Ms. Mal Doran. I have heard of you from Dr. Jackson since we resumed communications."

"All good things, I hope?" Vala extended a hand to shake.

Warrick took it with a slight bow. "Of course. Now, I assume you will be wanting to see the Seberus? You made some mention of technological advancements since the last time we were in contact?"

"Oh, yes!" Sam replied as Warrick turned to escort them toward the hangar. "We've had some, ah, assistance from the Asgard; as you might know, their ships also used ion propulsion, and they shared a number of other advancements with us. We've acquired quite a bit of technology from the Ancients as well, and built upon what we've back-engineered from Goa'uld sources. There are still several areas we're behind in, of course-- our scientific progress has been more than a little uneven-- but I have a number of ideas we might be able to apply to give us even more of a boost than the naquadah trick last time...."

The conversation lasted for several more minutes; by the time they'd reached the hangar and checked in with the rest of the team, Vala was starting to fidget. But she'd kept up with Sam on the technical details, and even Eamon, cynical as ever, had seemed grudgingly impressed with their plans.

"Still interested?" Sam nudged Vala, after the Finns showed them to their temporary quarters. "You look a little distracted; but it's not too late to back out, you know."

"Oh, it's not the race," Vala said, then shook her head. "Well, I suppose it is in a way; I'm just... a little bemused. It's been... how many years since you stepped off your planet for the first time?"

"Ten, eleven; something like that. Why?"

"And after all the things you've done during that time-- the worlds you've seen, the battleships you've flown, the armies you've defeated, the gods you've cast down-- this little merchant's holiday still has the power to make you smile like a small child with a new toy?" Vala said in a teasing tone.

Sam frowned, thinking about it. It was true, she'd done far more spectacular things, even before the first time she'd flown the Loop. And soon enough, she'd be leaving SG-1 for another promotion and another project, probably joining Dr. Lee in the construction of the Midway space station. This was far from the first time, or the last, she'd have a chance to see the stars from close up, and not just from the surface of a planet, her own or otherwise. But there was just something about the idea of the race; she couldn't explain it.

"You're talking to someone who rides motorcycles," she finally said, "and grew up watching sci-fi television. The last time I was here, when Warrick turned to me and said, 'Major, give it all you've got'...."

She bit her lip at the memory; she'd felt almost like she'd been transported to the bridge of the Enterprise in that moment. "I've gotten used to a lot of things over the last decade or so; after enough repetition, just about anything becomes old hat. And some of that... might not be a good thing, given that we've been at almost constant war the entire time. But I think... as long as I can still find a sense of wonder in what we do, I'm ultimately going to be okay?" She offered a shrug.

Vala tilted her head, studying Sam's expression. Then she gave a wide, tooth-baring smile. "Plus, they cheated last time, and you've wanted to try again ever since," she said, cheerily.

"So what if I have?" Sam laughed, shaking a finger at Vala. "You did talk to Daniel about that mission."

"So what if I did? Now, let's go check out the local cuisine; what did you say the Hebridan specialty is, again?"

Vala linked her arm through Sam's, and steered them through the door out into the hopeful noise of a rebuilding world.

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Link: W is for Wormhole
by ivorygates

Daniel would have called it "cognitive dissonance". The Red Queen would have said something like: "When I was younger, I believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Is it Old Home Week if it was never home to begin with?

Harry's little offworld fief is on top of a butte. The place looks like Monument Valley crossed with Ancient Greece. He can't help but imagine Daniel's squalls about the miniature Rebel Alliance they've constructed in the middle of it: he suspects this "NID Offshoot" isn't really interested in responsible conservation of important archaeological sites.

He has to stop thinking about his team. He's got a new one now. Seven more or less ex-military looters; two women, five men. He tries not to think about the fact that up until a few years ago there wasn't much difference between the things he did and the things they're doing. He wonders how they rationalize being marooned out here (now that the Antarctic Gate is locked up tight). Maybe they figure Harry's going to ride to their rescue one of these days. Maybe they're willing to die for their country. (Maybe this black program is only the overture of a symphony that ends with the Stargate under the control of somebody else.)

Doesn't matter. Only it does, because he's their new boss. Three women, four men: Tobias, Kershaw, Slater, McGuire, Butterworth, Grieves, and Newman. All of them scruffy (McGuire has a beard) and none of them quite in uniform (he remembers being in-country for the Southeast Asia War Games; guys who'd been there more than a week modified their uniforms in a number of creative ways). The place is like an oven; he's sweltering in his leather jacket but he keeps it on for now: there are two ceramic knives hidden in the lining.

Newman makes the introductions, calling him "Colonel", introducing his people by rank. He's pushing for a military call-and-response O'Neill refuses to give him. (Always do the unexpected, one of his instructors told him once. It keeps the bad guys off balance.) Newman's a Major, Tobias is a Lieutenant, the other five are NCOs: A Chief, two SMSgts, a couple of TSgts. All of them engineers and techs aside from Newman; not an anthropologist in the bunch: Harry's kids don't go in for all that touchy-feely "peaceful explorer" crap. (It shouldn't feel so familiar, but it does.) These are just the smash-and-grab teams; there are about a dozen support personnel here too (cooks, bottlewashers, security, medical).

Newman shows him to his bunk so he can stow his gear. It's a reminder of how damned trusting the SGC had been (that everyone was on the same page, that Area 51 was secure), because it has to have taken months to bring through the gear to set this place up. (He wonders what they're doing about resupply--ammo, rations; things like that tend to run out. He wonders if this is the only Black Site out here, and if there's any way to find out.) After that, Newman is happy to give him the grand tour. His attitude is a mix of puppy-dog hero worship and uneven defiance: this has been his command for a while and O'Neill doubts Harry consulted him before putting it under new management.

Part of O'Neill admires the job they're doing here, and wants to make the operation sit up and sing. (Meet the new boss: same as the old boss.) Part of him is wondering how hard it will be to take down. (If someone gets spooked and puts a bullet in him, the question's moot, of course.) He wonders how long General Hammond will wait for him to come back before telling his team (his other team) the truth. After he has his little chat with Lt. Tobias (Newman handed him off and fled; O'Neill would like to know why but he can't be in two places at once), he wonders if General Hammond, would ever tell them the truth: Tobias says there's a mole on one of the Teams at the SGC. (They knew there had to be one somewhere, of course. But General Hammond had thought the mole had to be groundside support, if not someone further up the food chain.)

Of course, maybe there is no Team mole: Tobias also says Carter beat her out of a position at the SGC, which isn't plausible to anyone with any hands on information (they're always desperate for engineers and other wonks, and officer wonks are particularly scarce). He wonders who told it to her. Was this how Harry got her to sign on the dotted line? No way to tell. Maybe it means he can flip her. If he's here long enough. (If nobody shoots him.)

Then Newman comes bouncing back (O'Neill's duly grateful for the interruption; like every scientist ever, Tobias thinks everybody speaks fluent technobabble) to tell him Harry's on the phone for him. At least that settles the question of why Newman ditched him earlier: communication is a one-way street here. After all, it would be really inconvenient if Harry's luggage started talking at the wrong moment.

The call isn't just a demonstration that Harry gets the news from the SGC almost as fast as it happens: it's a mission. O'Neill's intel is two weeks out of date, but Harry's happy to tell him that SG-9 couldn't pry loose the widget du jour from the gentle people of dear old PX3-595. (It also tells that they've got a copy of Carter's dialing software: this place uses a DHD to dial the Gate, so they have to have some way of converting dialing algorithms to glyphs.)

Newman's happy as a kid at Christmas. Harry tells O'Neil to "do what you have to do". Funny how the brass is always happy with the idea of wiping out whole villages so long as they don't have to use the word "kill".

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It takes maybe two hours to get the team together, and to get O'Neill geared up and armed (couldn't take a weapon through the Gate when he left, didn't even try). Newman, Tobias, Slater, and him: two boys, two girls. Their destination is a cave about fifty yards from the Gate.

The others all have streetsweepers in addition to sidearms. All he has is a pistol, but hey, at least its got a full clip. It's night when they arrive, and they don't run into any Tirnoks on the way. The payload is right there in plain sight (Newman decides to play kid's games with it; he's lucky O'Neill doesn't shoot him on the spot, much as he'd like to). The device isn't Tirnokian, it's Asgard tech, some kind of super-duper invisibility device about the size of a bar of Fels-Naptha. And that's when Tobias decides to mention to the new kid on the block (that would be him) that this is an Asgard Protected World.

Crap.

He's on edge after that until the moment they Gate back to their secret clubhouse. He wants to grab Tobias and shake her until her teeth rattle: sure, go on an interstellar looting spree, alienate their allies, give Earth a bad rep--but when you start stealing stuff from Asgard worlds, you're pulling the big dog's tail. He catches himself thinking about ways to do this better, faster, smarter, and pulls up short. Whose side is he on, anyway? It's hard to remember now. He'd thought, going in, that he'd despise whatever mercenary thugs Mayborne had manage to enlist, but instead it's like looking through a funhouse mirror at the man he used to be. (That man had standards, as he recalls; well, Newman has standards too.) Maybe they are brass-knuckle idealists. Maybe, instead of shutting them down he ought to be improving them: hands off the Asgard stuff--too dangerous--and Tobias is already retro-engineering a lot of what they bring back, so where's the harm in putting that stuff back where they found it once she's done?

He misses his team. Carter, all idealism and trust, certain he'd never give her an unlawful order. Daniel, their conscience, insisting they care about the civilizations they meet as much as (more than) they care about their own.

Teal'c, who gave up everything he had for nothing more than a promise.

No, he can't break faith with them. Even if they never know the truth.

#

When they get back, there's a party atmosphere O'Neill has no trouble decoding. They have two teams, a handful of support personnel, and no backup. Any time a team comes back in one piece, it's party time. (It doesn't matter that back at the SGC backup and rescue were often just a comforting lie; at least they had that much.) When Newman starts crowing about their latest trophy, and how useful it could be to them on Earth, he thinks of what Chancellor Travell said at the beginning of this: "Forgive me, Colonel, but our research shows that you are far more likely to use our technology against enemies on your own planet." The kids are talking a great game about defending the fatherland, but it's just smoke and mirrors. He manages to draw Newman out a little more: Tobias may be retro-engineering the big stuff, but the stuff small enough to hide goes back to Earth by mole.

So there is a mole on one of the Teams. Good to know.

So when Harry phones in to see if they've brought home the bacon and to tell them when and where to hand it off, it's easy enough to arrange to be the courier. Newman swallows his line of bushwa more easily than any of his Cos ever did: there's a point to having spent two weeks building himself up as a plausible quisling, and this is it. The payoff. The whole enchilada. He's one of them now. (Yes and no.) Once he's made the drop, maybe he can find out who the mole is. With that, and the address for this place, he and General Hammond can tie this whole operation up in a pretty pink bow and make it go away.

If nothing goes wrong.

If he lives.

Tobias goes to the DHD and dials.

He steps into the wormhole.

#

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Only Tobias and Newman get named in S3e5 "Shades of Grey". At least two of the others have names--Sean Grieves; Lt. Kershaw--but you don't find that out until S5e20 "The Sentinel", and the other characters aren't even listed in IMdB's entry for the show (probably because they don't have lines?) so I grabbed some other names at random from the crew who worked on the episode (and then spent a couple of hours on Wikipedia researching NCO ranks, because Newman introduces Tobias first, which implies that the other five are of lower rank than Lieutenant).

I spent a lot of time staring at backgrounds: (S3e5), starting around 29:08. That gave me the sex ratio in the two "away teams", and it also shows that there are a lot more than seven people there (eight if you count Jack). You see them going back and forth in the background as Jack, Tobias, Newman, and another unnamed spearcarrier prepare to go to loot the Asgard Protected Planet. What happens to them when the Asgard show up, and whether or not there are other black operation sites out there, is something canon never resolves, but possibly some of the people captured knew about other sites and gave up that information in exchange for clemency.

I was unable to identify the type of automatic weapon the black teams are carrying when they go through the Gate. Woe.

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X is for Xenolalia
by fignewton

Xenolalia: the ability to speak a language which a person has not actually learned.

Sam had to keep consciously slowing her steps to follow Colonel O'Neill's steady pace through the woods of Vis Uban. She wanted to be through the Stargate now, now, now. She wouldn't truly believe that Daniel was coming back with them until he was actually safely on Earth.

Even now, she realized, she was crowding Jonas, almost stepping on his heels. She blew out a soft breath and eased back a little. She was supposed to be watching their six, after all, while Teal'c took point. Another ten minutes, perhaps, and they'd be dialing home. Home. With Daniel.

With Daniel, who still seemed uneasy and uncertain, despite his decision to go with them. He said little, ignoring the colonel's frequent stabs at conversation, and his eyes kept flickering from one member of the team to the next. The grip on his small bag was white-knuckled.

They'd get him home to safety, Sam told herself, and back to familiar surroundings, and his memory would come back.

Of course it would.

Ahead of her, the colonel had stopped trying to get Daniel to talk to him, and was now chatting with a kind of forced lightness with Jonas. It was actually working, Sam noted with relief: Daniel's posture relaxed a little as attention shifted away from him, and he seemed to be listening to the conversation with interest.

"...while we can, Colonel," Jonas was saying. "I'm sure you understand that."

The colonel gave a half-shrug. "Can't say I do, Jonas." Sam couldn't see his face, but she could easily picture that self-deprecating quirk to his mouth as he added, "You know me. I'm not all that bright when it comes to -"

He broke off abruptly, and wheeled to face Daniel. Sam, too, had seen the sudden stiffening of his shoulders, heard the choked gasp.

"What is it?" Colonel O'Neill demanded, and it seemed to be exactly the wrong thing to do, because Daniel was backing away from him, and looked about two seconds away from bolting into the woods to escape... what?

"You said I was a good person." It was a strained whisper, harsh with accusation, directed at Sam.

"You were," she said, bewildered.

"You are," corrected the colonel, his eyes narrowing, and Sam could see how much he wanted to reach out and grab Daniel by the arms to drag him back to the Stargate. But any attempt at force would only backfire disastrously. Even now, Daniel's weight was shifting in preparation to run, and Sam was almost distracted from the crisis by her fascination at her ability to read his body language so effortlessly. His memory might have been lost, but his physical responses hadn't changed....

His memory.

"What if I don't like who I was? What if I don't want to be that person? What if I don't have it in me to make up for something I've done wrong?"

What had he suddenly recalled that could disturb him so badly?

"Daniel," she called, keeping her voice soothing and calm. She moved forward slowly, allowing him to gauge her approach. "Daniel, we know you. Whatever it is you think you're remembering, it must be out of context. Could you tell us what it is, and allow us to explain?"

He darted a glance at her, then back at the colonel. His eyes were still wide, his breath still coming in rapid gasps, but at least he hadn't made a break for it yet. Teal'c had turned back at the sudden tableau, but he kept his distance, careful not to alarm Daniel further.

"Jonas," the colonel said, his gaze still fixed on Daniel's face and his tone almost expressionless. "Head for the Gate. We'll catch up with you in a bit."

Jonas bit his lip, but nodded. "I'll see you soon," he said. He gave Daniel a respectful nod. "You, too, Doctor Jackson," he added. Then he turned on his heel and walked rapidly up the trail, pausing only to exchange a few quiet words with Teal'c before disappearing out of sight.

Teal'c lifted his chin to regard Daniel with solemn regard, then turned and paced further away, stopping when he was far enough to avoid looming but still close enough to hear what was said. When Daniel's tense gaze darted towards him and away again without any lessening of tension, Colonel O'Neill shifted his weight, flicking a hand signal in Sam's direction: Let's take it slow. Don't spook him.

Daniel warily looked at each of them in turn, then relaxed a little. Sam caught her breath against a surge of hope. He'd seen their minute gestures, the slight changes in their expressions, and he'd understood them. Somehow, that inexplicable bond that tied SG-1 together was still there.

"Okay, Daniel." The colonel jammed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Carter asked a question."

How much was it costing him to cede this moment to her? Sam followed his lead and adopted a casual, non-threatening stance, even as she took another cautious step forward. Daniel had responded to her when she'd tried to convince him to leave with them; maybe she could coax him into explaining himself now.

"You are a good man." She willed her expression to be steady and reassuring. "I don't know what you remember, or what you think you remember. Tell me, please."

Silence stretched, twanging. Daniel's breathing grew more rapid again. The distant call of some alien bird seemed startlingly loud as they all waited. Out of the corner of her eye, Sam saw the colonel open his mouth, then press his lips firmly together. They needed patience, not pressure. It hurt to think of Daniel as some half-tamed creature poised for flight, but until they were safely back in the SGC, no one wanted to risk losing him.

She watched Daniel visibly steel himself. "I'm a murderer," he said, his voice barely audible. "I - I've killed..."

"You're not a murderer," Sam rebutted strongly.

He licked his lips.

"You're not," she insisted, wondering what desperate firefight off-world had flashed into Daniel's mind.

"But I have killed."

"Many people kill," she said, keeping her voice calm and steady with an effort. "It doesn't define you. We've been fighting a war against a powerful enemy for a long time. You've killed in self-defense, or to defend others. That doesn't make you a murderer."

His brows shot up in an expression of cynical disagreement so hauntingly familiar that it was all Sam could do not to rush forward and fling her arms around him in reassurance. Careful, she told herself sternly. They'd seen his apparent aversion to touch, and they couldn't afford a misstep now.

"So I'm part of some war-mongering, trigger-happy kind of -"

"You're not a soldier, either," Sam interrupted, fighting once again to avoid an obvious reaction to this leakage of the Daniel they once knew so well. The man standing in front of her, uneasy and uncertain, was not the academic product of multiple universities with an ingrained contempt and rejection for the military. This was Arrom, who only knew that he instinctively rejected the idea of himself in battle without actually knowing why... or knowing what a "trigger" was, either.

"Worse than a soldier, then," Daniel snapped. He crossed his arms and glared. "At least a soldier can claim he was only following orders when he kills."

Sam could feel her face going blank, which was an admission in itself. The colonel's relaxed stance didn't change, but she saw Teal'c's expression flicker as Daniel pivoted to face him directly.

"Why should I trust a word any of you say?" he demanded. He took a step forward, apparently willing to confront the person who hadn't come chasing Arrom into the tent when he'd first retreated from them. "Why should I believe you?"

"Have we given you cause to distrust us, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked in turn. Sam wondered if Daniel accepted that apparent calm at face value, or if he read the strain in Teal'c's expression without actually understanding how he could .

"You - you're all in the same uniform, you carry weapons like they're part of you, and I'm supposed to just take your word for it that I haven't killed hundreds of thousands of people?"

Hundreds of thousands of people?

"Say what?" Sam blurted.

It was a stupid, ridiculous thing to say, but to her relief, it seemed to work. Daniel turned away from Teal'c to frown in her direction, his skepticism morphing into confusion. "What?"

"Daniel, you never - it's impossible to think you would ever do such a thing." She swallowed bile against the thought, then said firmly, "There has never been a time when anyone asked you to do something like that, and you never would." A suddenly memory flared in her mind of that disastrous mission two years ago, when Daniel had actually been talked into trying to assassinate a roomful of System Lords, but she forced it back down. Even if Daniel remembered that incident without the context of knowing what the Goa'uld represented, it didn't match what he was saying now.

The shattering of glass and the dying squeals of infant symbiotes echoed in her brain. Sam made herself forget that, too.

"And if I remember doing it?" Daniel challenged. "If I know I gave the order and watched all those people getting -"

"It didn't happen!"

He scoffed openly, waving his hands in yet another painfully Daniel-like gesture. "Oh, so I dreamed it, right?"

It was the colonel's turn to react unexpectedly, and the sudden torrent of profanity he unleashed left even Sam, who had long since become inured to barracks language, blinking in surprise.

Daniel's brows rose again. "If that's your opinion of -"

"Yes, Daniel, it is. Because you did dream it."

"Really."

"Yes."

Daniel snorted. "Like I died, I suppose."

"Come to think of it, the same oh-so-helpful aliens were responsible for both." Colonel O'Neill had abandoned his pose of unruffled calm. He was now every inch the commanding officer: forceful, demanding, compelling.

Sam would never dare challenge the colonel when he was like this. Daniel, on the other hand, had always refused to be intimidated by homicidal System Lords, much less Colonel O'Neill in command mode. The stubborn expression on his face spoke volumes now.

"You know, Jim, if you're going to make up stories, you might try to be a little less -"

"You dreamed that, Daniel. It never happened. Teal'c isn't dead, Carter's not in prison, and Moscow is still there."

Daniel blinked, visibly staggered, even as Sam traded incredulous glances with Teal'c. Moscow is still there? What?

"If - if it was a dream, then how do you -"

"I said you were a friend of mine," the colonel said, and just like that, the anger was gone again. "Friends tell each other... things. Sometimes."

"Things" like dead sons, Sam thought numbly, and tried not to visibly react to the pain she could hear in that level tone. The two men were staring at each other, and she didn't want to disturb whatever silent, fragile communion they might achieve. She didn't need to understand what they were talking about, anyway; she just needed Daniel to agree to come home.

It was Teal'c who finally broke the frozen silence. "Daniel Jackson. There is much you do not comprehend, and much that we can tell you. You cannot judge your worth without knowledge, and it has always been your nature to seek what information you can. If we have not yet earned your trust and friendship, will you not at least come with us so you might learn more?"

Daniel broke away from the staring contest to regard Teal'c with a rueful expression. "That's... I think you people really do know me."

"We do," Sam whispered.

"We do indeed," Teal'c agreed. "So we ask again, Daniel Jackson: will you come with us?"

"Um." Daniel looked at Teal'c, then glanced at Sam, and finally turned towards Colonel O'Neill.

"Yeah," he said at last. "Okay."

Two colloquial Americanisms from a man who insisted that all he knew was Vis Uban.

"Glad to hear it," the colonel said evenly. "Go ahead, Teal'c. I've got our six. Carter? You're with Daniel."

Teal'c inclined his head in agreement and resumed his trek toward the Stargate. Daniel hesitated a long, agonizing moment before he nodded and followed.

Letting out a slow, careful sigh of relief, Sam fell into step beside Daniel, leaving Colonel O'Neill to bring up the rear.

He was coming back with them after all. They were going to bring him home.

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Y is for Yoke
by madders_ahatter

“These guys are a pain in the neck,” grumbled O’Neill.

“So. Not. Funny.” Daniel grimaced. He’d have given Jack a filthy look, but his friend couldn’t turn his head far enough to see it. The heavy leather collars kept them looking more or less straight ahead, while the thick wooden beam the collars were mounted on meant they couldn’t move closer or further apart. They felt like a couple of Shire Horses.

“Haven’t they heard of the Unas?” Jack wanted to know. “Your pal Chaka could do this on his own without breaking a sweat.” Jack raised an aching arm and wiped perspiration from his eyes so he could see a little of where he was going. He’d have given a king’s ransom for his baseball cap to give his eyes a bit of shade. Daniel had more than once commented that he felt the same about his confiscated boonie hat.

“You’ll get no argument from me,” countered Daniel, “but they’ve got the whips, so keep pulling, okay.”

“Hey, I’m pulling. You’re the one lagging behind.”

“My legs are shorter,” Daniel complained petulantly.

“Yeh, you’d think they’d match slaves by stride. They’d get these logs shifted much faster if they were pulled in a straight line.”

Daniel hadn’t really thought about that before. He’d been too busy helping Jack haul the giant tree-trunk that was chained at each end to the weighty double yoke he and his commanding officer/friend were locked into. Now he did think about it, he glanced at the other two pairs of captives who were similarly occupied up ahead and to either side of them, just at the edge of their limited field of vision. Both were equally ill-matched, one with long legs, the other noticeably shorter. It had to be deliberate, but why?

The sharp crack of leather brought his mind back into focus. It had missed his bare back by centimeters. Wearily, Daniel trudged on, struggling to keep pace with a similarly topless Jack.

“Do ya get the feeling we’re getting nowhere slowly?” Jack asked after another half hour of toil.

“I’ve had that feeling since mid-morning,” Daniel gave back. He had only the merciless alien sun that had been beating down on them for hours to help him keep track of time, but from its passage across the cloudless sky he was pretty sure they’d been at this futile exercise since soon after dawn and it was now somewhere well after noon. Of course, he couldn’t be sure how many hours made a day on this backwoods planet. From the burning in his muscles and the sting of sunburn on his exposed flesh, not to mention the dehydration, it felt like they’d been at it non-stop for a week. He was so far beyond tired he’d forgotten how good it felt. In fact, they’d left exhausted behind a long time ago.

Daniel stumbled, and - not for the first time - the whip caught him sharply between the shoulder-blades as Jack reached over and yanked him back to his feet.

“Argh!” Daniel’s cry of pain was echoed by a grunt from Jack as the disturbance to their equilibrium caused the yoke to chafe his neck still further.

Both were dizzy and fighting nausea, their heads throbbing. They didn’t know how they kept putting one bare foot in front of the other. Their olive drab uniform pants were sticking to them with sweat. The only thing that kept them going was the hope that at any moment Teal’c and Carter would swoop in and rescue them. Surely they’d tracked them down by now?

Several times, they’d been sure they’d heard the hum of engines, and had strained against the dense wooden beam that lay across the back of their necks to look upwards in search of their liberators. Each time, they’d been disappointed to learn that the sound was just a swarm of the enormous bees this planet spawned. So far, they’d been fortunate to escape being stung.

The strain on their thighs and calves suggested that they were moving slightly uphill. Though it made each meter of progress harder to achieve, they were curiously grateful not to be going downhill. Both were acutely aware that with gravity in its favor, the slightest pause would have brought the full weight of the log rolling down to knock them both off their feet like nine-pins.

Ten minutes later it was Jack’s turn to falter, earning him a stripe across his back from the alien’s whip. He almost pulled Daniel down with him, but somehow they managed to regain their footing.

“You okay?” Daniel asked huskily, frowning with concern.

“Damn knee’s giving out on me,” confessed Jack through gritted teeth. He knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer, but no way was he going to let Daniel get beaten for his weakness. He’d keep moving if he had to crawl on his belly.

A warning snap of the whip got them moving again.

“Hey,” Jack gestured over his shoulder since he couldn’t turn to look behind, “Union says it’s time for a coffee break.”

Daniel would have drooled at the prospect if his mouth hadn’t been so dry. “No such luck, Jack. Come on, we gotta plough on.”

“So. Not. Funny.” Jack threw his words back at him.

“Too ‘corny’ for you, huh?” Daniel kicked at the sun-dried husks beneath his feet. Jack groaned. He might have slapped Daniel’s arm in chastisement, if he’d had the energy. Still, he had to admire the kid’s attempt to keep their spirits up.

More humming from behind. Getting louder. Getting closer. Much closer. Soon the sound was deafening. They were convinced they were going to get stung this time. They cringed and tried to duck down as low as they could, hoping against hope that the swarm would pass overhead and ignore them.

As the sound reached a crescendo, they found themselves bathed in a white light. The noise changed. Rings!

Next moment, they were aboard a Ha’tak. They collapsed with relief.

A door opened and Carter called, “Got them, Teal’c. Get us out of here.”

They flinched as she shot the lock off the yoke and helped them to get out of the heavy collars.

“What kept you?” Jack complained, fighting to stand up as Teal’c banked the glider to head for home.

“Lie still,” Carter advised, but Jack ignored her. Daniel too struggled to stand, accepting her steadying hand.

They staggered forward to join the pilot in the cockpit, Jack sinking into the co-pilot’s seat while Daniel held on to the back of it. They wanted to be sure they were leaving that hell-hole far behind.

“You gotta be kidding me!” Jack exclaimed as he looked out over the huge field they’d spent so many grueling hours in.

“No wonder they wanted mismatched pairings,” Daniel observed, shaking his weary head.

“That’s what they had you doing all this time?” Carter didn’t quite manage to stifle a giggle, despite the sympathy she felt for their condition.

Far below them, the other two pairs of slaves were still working on smaller versions of the pattern they had created. Together, it almost looked like a silhouette of Mickey Mouse’s head.

“Crop circles?” Daniel pronounced incredulously. “They had us creating crop circles? Now I’ve seen everything!”

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Z is for Zenith
by magistrate

It was still dark, though perhaps imperceptibly lighter, when Daniel turned and sat one one of the gnarled root outcroppings with his back to the twisting root wall. When the rest of SG-1 turned to look at him, all of them animated by a kind of habit that he still hadn't felt his way into, he stretched out a hand to the catacomb and said, "How many places have we found like this?"

Two beams of light pinioned him, and a moment's silence passed as though his teammates were individually updating their opinion of him. His memory, his fitness, his need for help or guidance. Then Jack said, "Like this? Not many. Usually we're among the trees, not in a tree."

Sam said, "What do you mean, 'like this'?"

The question arrested him for a moment, as it did, these days.

Somewhere in the darkness of an imperfect and incomplete recall was an understanding of this universe – his understanding; the sum of the things that he'd seen and he'd learned, and all the memories of all the different worlds he'd set foot upon. Every day a bit more of it rose to his conscious grasp, but it didn't come complete, and it didn't come easy.

Instead, he still had bits and pieces scattered here and there, like a broken mosaic. Half of a mission here on the dais and the rest of the mission kicked outside, an argument from that mission picked up and thrown against a wall, the departure for and homecoming from it packaged up in some looter's bag and carried away to parts unknown. He wanted a coherent picture, and it didn't seem like he was going to get it.

And what was left – here and now, in this enclosure walled by twisted roots and crowned with a pale circle of sky – was the inescapable sense that while the universe had once been filled with life, now it rang hollow, and its bones were picked by scavengers.

But that feeling skirted around the edges of his consciousness like something watching him from the dark; it never quite felt like the feeling was his.

"Dead," he settled on, eventually. "Abandoned."

That seemed to dispel Jack's wisecracking, at least. He gave a thin, sidelong smile – the kind Daniel was beginning to realize (again) meant that the answer wasn't actually funny.

"More than you'd think," he said. "That's why it was handy having an archaeologist on the team."

Specialist in the dead, Daniel thought. There was a certain synchronicity, or maybe irony, in that.

From further toward the center of the catacomb, Teal'c's headlamp turned toward them. "I believe it is getting warmer, Major Carter," he said. "The light of the sun is entering onto the walls."

Sam turned away, and her own light cut through the gloom, passing over all the inscriptions Daniel had already recorded, the nearby doors that had steadfastly refused to yield to them. She pulled one of her devices from her belt – a brick-like ruggedized remote for the UAV that had been buffeted into the catacomb walls far overhead. The wind, to hear its sensors tell it, was brutal; this cavernous space was just deep enough that they were insulated from it.

Daniel just turned, looking to the mouth of the cavern: high above, it pursed them in like the neck of a vase. One edge of the aperture was limned in white flame.

"It looks like the sun will pass directly overhead," Sam said. "So long as the sunlight is coming in at an angle, it's diffused by the walls until we don't really feel it. But as that angle decreases, the temperature will rise."

"How about the UAV?" Jack asked.

Sam shrugged. "It's still within its operating temperature range now, but there's no guarantee it'll stay that way," she said. "It's only been in direct sunlight for a few minutes, and it's already reading over two hundred degrees."

"We should prepare to leave this place," Teal'c said.

Daniel picked himself up from the roots. With the beams of their headlamps, most of the catacomb was in darkness, no matter which way they turned; it was tempting to believe that in that patch of darkness or this bit of shade there would be something to find; something to justify their mission here. Something to tease a story out of.

But for the past several hours, everywhere they'd turned it had been roots and tangles, isolated lines of some forgotten language, and the doors that held their secrets close.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, and Daniel gave the nod. If there had ever been a reason to stay here, it was long gone now.

"I don't think there's anything more we can do here," he said. "Unless you want to try blowing one of the doors open."

Jack nodded, but on a three-second delay, like Daniel had given the wrong answer there and Jack was waiting to see if he'd come up with the right one. He didn't give out the right one himself, though, so Daniel did his best to ignore that.

"All right. Pack it up," Jack said, and made a sweeping gesture toward the gate.

Not that there was much to pack, all told. Daniel slipped his journal into his pack and hefted it, then walked to join Teal'c beneath the slowly-brightening sky. It did feel warmer.

"How hot is it going to get?" Daniel asked.

He could see Sam's light sway through the catacomb gloom as she shook her head. "I've got no way of knowing," she said. "We can leave the MALP here to observe, but–"

"Yeah, with no technology and no tactical value to this place, that'll be a hard sell," Jack said. "We ready?"

Up above, the light was crawling down the walls. Daniel had to squint; he could see the roots tangled in their impenetrable wall, catch hints of green, hyper-saturated, and the light itself seemed like the most alien thing in this darkness. No simple assault on the eyes but something that eyes, in this place, were never meant to see.

"Ready," Sam said, and walked to the DHD.

Something caught the light, high up on the wall.

"Wait," Daniel said, and pulled his camcorder out from his BDU pocket. There, where the traversing sun was beginning to chase back the shadows of the high walls, a line of light was beginning to wend down the root structure like a cord or a serpent.

He raised the camera. Far more important than the low-light settings, it had a zoom: he could try to catch what was going on.

"I'm reading increased energy signals in the surrounding area," Sam said, coming closer. jack trailed after her, like he wasn't convinced that going to stand right under the opening was a good idea, but did want to be close enough to keep an eye on everyone who did.

"What kind of energy?" Jack asked, and something flared to life above them.

It was difficult to hear from the ground, but it was sound, and more than sound, melody; something distant and lilting, growing stronger as another node in the wall above caught the light and roared to life. Sam stared at her remote for a moment longer, then looked up.

"I don't know," she said. "It's either activated or powered by the sunlight, but–"

Another light. Another thread of melody, and another line of illumination traveling down a channel toward the catacomb floor. The sun was continuing its march across the aperture, wide as the limited sky. And the air, even as deep down below as they were, was warming.

"We can't stay here," Sam said. She glanced down, away from the searing light, back to the remote. "Two hundred twelve degrees; still rising."

"How long do we have?" Daniel asked.

Sam frowned at the readings. "Five minutes, maybe six," she said. "We're not prepared for direct sunlight from a star like this."

Voices, now – or Daniel thought he could hear voiced; unfamiliar cadences but cadences nonetheless, and this sort of mind in this flesh-and-blood body had evolved to find meaning in them. This place, powered by that searing sun, might still have been designed with something for human voices to hear.

Jack turned to Teal'c. "Let's get the gate open," he said. "Let Hammond know what's going on." Then, to Daniel, "We can leave it to the last moment."

Before we have to go. Daniel nodded. "Leave the MALP," he suggested.

"Yeah," Jack agreed, and stepped off, hand already on his radio.

Daniel adjusted the zoom on the camera and fixed it on the light above. And then he waited and listened, as the sun crept toward its zenith, as the voices and temperature rose around him.

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