The Archway (2/3)
For Part 1, go here.
Teal'c had been leading his teammates through the forest for hours now. The downpour swiftly washed away the Jaffa tracks, but from what Teal'c had seen before, the freshest tracks could not be any more that two days old. Apparently this was the first rainfall since they had arrived because the tracks had been crossed over many times. The advantage of the storm was that the heavy downpour disguised their own movements. They watched for potential enemies as they explored.
Teal'c felt unsettled, but without any real focus to his unease. Perhaps if he still had his symbiote, he could localize the feeling better. He had often cursed his dependence on the foul creature, but after living with one for ninety years, existing without one was adjusting to a whole new body. The familiar twists and turns of a symbiote in his pouch were concrete feelings to analyze and understand. This amorphous sense Colonel Carter called intuition was too inexact for Teal'c's taste.
But intuition was all Teal'c could rely on: intuition, experience, and his teammates. He trusted in them to watch for dangers behind while he focused on the danger ahead. Their main advantage was surprise. Since the Jaffa had not hidden their movements, they had not expected company. Otherwise, they would have set traps, or an ambush for other unwary travelers trapped by the Ancient device.
"Do you have any idea how many?" Colonel Carter eventually whispered.
"The tracks indicate a scouting party. Four...no more than six. It is difficult to determine their exact number. They retraced this path too often over the last few days to be more exact."
"Returning to the archway?" Daniel spoke softly as well.
Teal'c nodded. "That would be my conclusion. They have been here for sometime."
"Why? If it's a scouting party, shouldn't they have returned?" Daniel Jackson asked.
"Of that, I am unsure." Teal'c did not state the obvious--that the Jaffa may be trapped in this place as well. Scouting parties would be more circumspect in their trails. The fact that they had become so lax indicated they were here long enough to dismiss any threats.
He stopped, holding up his hand for silence. This area was not the virgin forest he had been directing his team through. Someone else had been here before. There was a movement separate than the rain coming down, a strange gust of air. He felt Colonel Carter shove him forward, calling out his name. He did not resist her push but shifted quickly, spinning in a circle to determine what threat she had perceived.
A Jaffa had dropped from one of the overhanging branches, hoping to catch the team by surprise. Instead of Teal'c cushioning his fall, he landed awkwardly on the muddy ground by Colonel Carter. He knocked her weapon away and tried to grab her, presumably as a hostage. He had not counted on Colonel Carter's fighting prowess. Before Teal'c could bring his weapon to bear, she had flipped the enemy in a classic move he had watched her perform many times before on the sparring mat.
Teal'c primed his staff and held it the Jaffa's face. "Where are the others?" he hissed.
The Jaffa appeared young, barely more than Rya'c's age. The symbol of Anubis was on his forehead. He pressed his lips together, but his eyes darted to the left. Teal'c spared barely a glance at his teammates. They had both caught the unconscious movement. Colonel Carter had already retrieved her P-90 and was now pointing it in that direction. Daniel Jackson followed her movement with his own pistol. No further attack came.
Teal'c pushed with his boot upon the Jaffa's tender abdominal region. It was not the most noble tactic, but stealth and speed was of the essence here. His team was at risk.
"How many others? Three? Five?" A widening of the Jaffa's eyes indicated Teal'c's surmise was correct. "Six total then. A scouting party. What Goa'uld do you serve?"
The Jaffa finally spoke, his expression puzzled. "The true god Anubis."
"The dead false god Anubis."
"Undead false god," Daniel Jackson's murmur was too low for the prisoner to hear, but Teal'c had caught it. Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow, countering Daniel Jackson's skeptical expression. He remembered all too well the sickly shadow that transferred from one person to another. Anubis may be powerful, but he did not deserve worship.
Their prisoner continued his bravado. "Anubis is the one true god. Not even the system lords can defeat him."
Colonel Carter called back from her guard position. "Exactly how long have you been here?"
"Time matters not. Our lord Anubis charged us with this mission, and we will achieve it to be rewarded above all others." Teal'c did not bother responding to his bluster.
"Must've been several months ago." Daniel Jackson picked up on Colonel Carter's line of questioning. "Hate to break it to you, but Anubis has been defeated...by us, the Tau'ri." Teal'c noted Daniel Jackson was able to keep the venom in his voice to a minimum. At times Teal'c wondered if Apophis or Anubis was most hated amongst Daniel Jackson's enemies. Perhaps it would be like him trying to distinguish his own hate for Cronus or his former master.
His attention was brought back to the Jaffa at his feet, who was staring at them in disbelief. Teal'c did not believe the prisoner could look younger, but somehow he did. He again stated the mantra he'd been taught since birth, but it was tinged with a lack of conviction this time. "This cannot be. Gods cannot die."
"The Goa'uld are not gods. They are parasites who enslave us to do their bidding. He speaks the truth, cha'tii." Teal'c explained. "We killed several of his kull warriors in a ground battle before the Tau'ri's weapon destroyed your master's ship. The system lords now fight with each other and with Ba'al over the former territory of Anubis."
He watched the flood of emotions over the young Jaffa's face. He could not read the truth in one's eyes as well as Master Bra'tac, but this boy was not schooled to be evasive. He was moved by their words; he wanted to believe them. Teal'c's expression softened. "What is your name?"
The youth looked wary, but replied. "Ack'to."
"Ack'to. The Goa'ulds have Jaffa to fight and die in their name, but they merely use us when we should join together. I no longer serve any false god, and I am not alone. Many Jaffa, no matter what rank or former pledged Goa'uld have banded together to cast off this mantle of slavery. Your master has no army now. Do you wish to be subservient to yet another false god, or will you join your brothers to search for freedom for all Jaffa?"
Teal'c lowered his face and could see Ack'to watching him, desperately. He was searching for direction, insight. Ack'to said, "I-I don't know what to do."
"You have no master now, Ack'to. To shakka mel."
He could see the new determination on Ack'to's face. Ack'to bowed, unwittingly vowing the pledge of all free Jaffa with his response. "Shel kek nem ron." Ack'to raised up his hand. Teal'c grasped his forearm and helped him rise.
"Uh...Teal'c?" Colonel Carter swung her rifle over to point it at Ack'to.
"He has joined us." Teal'c smiled at the young Jaffa.
"That's all well and good, but..." Colonel Carter's face was full of mistrust.
"He will prove his worth." Teal'c knew this as a fact and ignored the doubtful expressions his teammates were exchanging. Another Jaffa joining the cause of freedom was already a victory. He looked at Ack'to and grasped his shoulder. "You were on watch."
"We-we've been alone for so long, I was already beginning to...to doubt." He cringed in fear. It would take time to get used to the idea that his god was not all powerful. "I climbed the tree to stay out of the mud. It's been so monotonous. We've been here for three seasons."
Colonel Carter asked, "Why were you here?"
"Anubis sent us on this mission. After defeating Kali, we discovered this world had writings of the Ancients. We were hand chosen by Pal'kor, the first prime to join him on this mission and bring glory to our god."
"I thought Herak was Anubis's First Prime." Colonel Carter questioned, her expression still suspicious.
"Herak is a go'tach who killed his former master for power. Pal'kor was First Prime from Anubis's first resurrection." Ack'to appeared nervous about speaking so freely. Getting used to his freedom would take time.
His team leader appeared to accept this answer. Her weapon pointed back outward, but she continued to watch Ack'to's face. "Where is their camp?"
"Two mech forward. There are some caves where we take shelter."
Daniel Jackson asked, "More importantly, did you find what the Ancients left here?"
"No." Ack'to shook his head. "The Ancients have hid their secrets well. Pal'kor suspects that the truth is in the ruins we never reached. The archway that pulled us on that first dawn was merely left as a trap for the unwary. And now you are as trapped as we."
"You can lead us away from the Jaffa?" Colonel Carter asked.
"Or perhaps reach the others." Teal'c added, ignoring his teammates' raised eyebrows. More followers to the rebel Jaffa cause would benefit the Tau'ri as well.
Ack'to nodded, willing to prove his worth to his new allies. "Of course."
Ack'to pointed up the trail, then a bright flash and thunderous sound echoed, and the youth fell flat. Teal'c's teammates were already diving for cover while Teal'c stood there in shock. Framed amongst the rain was a Jaffa with a staff weapon. Teal'c could barely make out the glint of gold on his forehead--Pal'kor.
Teal'c reached down to pull their Ack'to out of the line of fire while Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter started shooting. As he turned the youth over, he knew at a glance the wound was a mortal one. "Tal shekka mel?" Ack'to asked.
"Indeed, my brother," Teal'c responded, squeezing his shoulder. Ack'to smiled, then expired.
In a rage, Teal'c started shooting his staff weapon blindly, but Pal'kor had taken cover from the gunfire.
Frustrated at a lack of target, Teal'c roared out, "It does not have to be this way, Pal'kor!"
Pal'kor's voice came out of the wilderness. "You have swayed the weak minded with your lies, shol'va, but you will not do the same with us. We are loyal to our god."
Teal'c persisted. "No lies. Just the truth. Your god is defeated. Your mission has no purpose now. Do you wish to spend your life serving false masters? Join with me. We are brothers. All Jaffa can be free!"
The response was merely more staff weapons' blasts, coming from a variety of angles. SG-1 returned fire.
"They're surrounding us!" Daniel Jackson shouted.
Teal'c was only distantly aware of Colonel Carter's subsequent order to fall back. His focus was on the enemy. He heard Daniel Jackson call his name and the hail of gunfire.
There was a pull on his arm. "Teal'c, we've got to go. They're closing in, and we're too vulnerable here." Colonel Carter shook his arm. He glanced back to see her fierce gaze upon him. "We need you."
He looked from her to Daniel Jackson, still firing at the Jaffa. Grimly, he nodded. He would do his teammates no good fighting an unwinnable battle. They must regroup and gain the advantage. They fled into the forest.
The rain provided cover for them. Their sudden flight through the brush gave them enough advantage to put distance between the team and the Jaffa. Teal'c led them through the woods, trying to find areas where the groundcover would be less likely to show their prints. They ran for so long, even Teal'c began to feel slightly winded.
The rain finally relented, and without the storm to mask their movements, they slowed. Teal'c double backed while his team moved on, ensuring no pursuit. He returned to the others. "I believe they have lost our trail."
He lowered his head and sighed, thinking back to his failure with the Jaffa, the waste of a young life.
His teammates seemed to have read his thoughts. "There wasn't anything you could do," said Colonel Carter.
Daniel Jackson nodded, adding his own comfort. "He died free, knowing the truth, Teal'c."
"I..." Teal'c was uncertain what words would express how he felt at that moment. He felt the need to cry out, explain, apologize. The cha'tii's death was his fault. He had become focused on the youth. He had known the others may not be far, but had lost track in his zeal of conversion. Pal'kor naturally retaliated at Ack'to's betrayal. It was what he would have done when under Apophis's orders-what he had done in the past.
"It wasn't your fault, Teal'c," Colonel Carter reassured him, as if reading his thoughts. "If anything, it was mine. I wasn't paying attention."
"We weren't paying attention." Daniel Jackson hastened to add, not willing to let Colonel Carter take the blame. But Teal'c knew the fault was his.
"You were distracted and right to mistrust. He was our enemy." He started leading them through the forest again, more watchful of his surroundings.
Daniel Jackson immediately followed, still speaking, "But you knew he believed you."
"I..." Teal'c bowed his head. "I saw the truth." He knew not how else to explain it, and he did not blame his teammates for not blindly leaping to the same conclusion.
There was a pregnant pause, and Teal'c could sense his friends exchanging a silent conversation of looks behind him. Finally Colonel Carter spoke, "You didn't fire the weapon to kill him, Teal'c. Anubis's First Prime did."
"Pal'kor did his duty." Teal'c was not ready to accept such solace.
"Serving Anubis, who sent them to rot here in the first place. It's his zeal for finding Ancient weapons, no matter what the cost, is what has led to Ack'to's death." Daniel Jackson's tone was bitter. "He abandoned them here months ago, before the battle of Antarctica."
Teal'c could not dispute the truth of that statement. He remained silent.
They moved on. Although the rain had stopped, the darkness had become more oppressive. This was more than cloud cover. Night had fallen. Continuing to move in this unfamiliar territory with no specific direction would be dangerous.
Colonel Carter appeared to realize the same. She spoke. "We need to find a place to rest, somewhere defensible."
"Agreed."
"I'm sure Jack's noticed we're missing by now."
"He's going to be so worried." Colonel Carter sighed.
"It could be worse. He could be trapped with us. Can't you just hear the complaints he would make?" Daniel Jackson's teasing words had no real humor behind them.
Teal'c answered the sentiment behind the question. "I too miss O'Neill's presence."
They found good shelter twenty minutes later. It was a tiny area, devoid of trees because of the arrangement of rocks sheltering at three sides, making a small, but defensible area. Colonel Carter nodded her approval, and they settled at the makeshift shelter. Daniel Jackson ran his hand across one of the mossy stones, squinting in the dark. "There's something about these stones that's...I wish it wasn't so dark."
Teal'c refrained from thinking of the inevitable comment O'Neill would make at his friend's fascination with the stones. Instead he dropped his pack and loaded his pockets with sensor alarms. "I will set a perimeter."
"Just don't go too far," Colonel Carter warned and touched his arm. "It's enough we're trapped and lost together."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. It was as if she suspected his half-considered idea of retribution. Instead of answering her unspoken warning, he countered with the obvious. "We are not lost. We are five klicks away from the archway in a heading approximately of what we would label east of here."
"Really?" Daniel Jackson murmured, still half-lost in his study of the stones. "That-that's significant."
Teal'c waited, but his friend made no further comment. Teal'c knew from experience Daniel Jackson could sit like that for moments or hours before inspiration hit like a bolt of lightning.
He turned to Colonel Carter. "I will return soon." He bowed and left his friends in the makeshift shelter.
Bill Lee knelt under the console and studied the crystal inner workings with a sense of awe. He connected the last lead from the naquadah generator to the most likely candidate, smiling when his voltmeter detected power. He couldn't believe the similarities to other technology he'd seen. "This is very likely the origin of a lot of the Goa'uld technology." He looked up at Major Altman. "They must've stolen the power crystals and mechanics and adapted it to their own use."
SG-5's archeologist, Captain Brannon spoke. "Or scavenged it. All the evidence found seems to indicate the Ancient civilization predated the Goa'uld with no overlap."
SG-5 was one of the more experienced teams in Ancient and/or alien technology. Bill was happy to have the team as backup in these offworld ruins. This was one of the largest finds of Ancient technology they'd found outside of Antarctica. He'd probably be more excited at what he was discovering here if the stakes weren't so high.
Bill replaced the cover and stood brushing some residual dust from his hands. "Well, I'm reading power in all the crystals, but I still can't see any way to initialize the controls. Have they contacted the SGC yet?"
Altman nodded. "Major Hadden called in about ten minutes ago. I still don't understand why you requested General O'Neill to come out here."
Bill chuckled. Major Altman was pretty new to the SGC: he had a doctorate in engineering from Stanford and was scheduled to teach at the Air Force Academy before Stargate Command plucked him as one of the best and brightest. This was one of his first assignments as the team's commander. He looked very concerned at calling the base commander offworld. Bill had to admit it was not standard operating procedure, but he figured the general wouldn't mind. Besides, Bill didn't see any other choice.
He explained to the major, "It's because of the gene."
"What?" Altman blinked at him.
"The Ancient gene. At first we thought General O'Neill was able to power the chair in Antarctica because he had downloaded the knowledge of the Ancients, but later research showed O'Neill has a rare genetic anomaly." A sudden thought struck him. "...which may be why the Asgard were so intrigued with O'Neill they protected him from being cloned." Seeing Altman's blank expression, he realized now was not the time to go off on tangents. "Anyway, a lot of international personnel were tested for the Ancient gene. One of the physicians, a Doctor Becker? Beckett? was doing some research to artificially recreate it. There were concerns that only people with this genetic disposition could work some of the more advanced Ancient equipment--not only the chair, but other technology. We weren't certain, of course, and since we haven't heard back from the Atlantis expedition, it's still conjecture, but the fact that we can't get anything up and running here would lend credence to the theory."
"But...he's a general."
"Yeah, and he's also our best shot at getting this stuff to run. Everyone else who naturally had the gene went to Atlantis," answered Bill.
Altman straightened, looking over Bill's shoulder. Bill spun around. General Jack O'Neill was silhouetted in doorway to the ruins, fully kitted out in field gear, baseball cap covering his head. Bill felt equal parts of relief and nervousness. With the general here, perhaps they would be able to accomplish something. But working with Jack O'Neill hovering over his shoulder while Bill tried to find out what happened to SG-1 would not be the easiest work environment. He had firsthand experience more than once of how one acted when the others were in danger, both to his benefit and to his detriment. Still, Jack O'Neill's presence curiously gave Bill comfort. If anyone could help get the rest of the team back, Bill had confidence it would be the general. The man had already saved Bill's life more than once.
Bill watched as O'Neill scanned the whole room; Bill knew what he would see. He and Altman had gone through every piece of equipment. This room was the only building standing amongst the ruins-a solid stone structure about the size of Bill's lab back home. In fact, it kind of reminded him of the bunker environment of Stargate Command. Against every wall except the one that had the door was a console the size of a large table. Large toggle switches and a few buttons were encased in the surface. Bill related the switches to piano keys. If the Ancients used chairs at these consoles, they were long since disintegrated. The only light in the room came from SG-5's lights and the faint glow of the naquadah generator.
General O'Neill asked, "Any progress?"
"Some." Major Altman spoke first; apparently military training trumped his nervousness. "We know the FRED was directed to come here, but something happened to the team before they could direct the machine around that ditch. We haven't found any evidence of anyone in the area or of any hidden technology between here and the Stargate, at least so far. The devices here all appear to be in working order, and Dr. Lee has been able to power all three of the devices with our generator. However, we still can't get the panels to operate."
"That's why we need you." Bill broke in.
"Me?" The general raised his eyebrows. "I'm not an electrician."
Bill smiled. "No, of-of course not. But we think the gene you have could be the key to getting this place to operate."
"You don't need one of those...?" He waved his hand to approximate a description.
"A ZPM?" Bill shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. We've hooked up the generators to give some added juice. Power readings seem more than enough, and the connections are all solid. It just needs something...or someone to turn it on."
General O'Neill looked from Altman to Bill, his expression somewhat disappointed. "So you've called me across the galaxy just to flick the switch."
"With your Ancient gene." Bill nodded. "With that, we can hopefully get this place up and running. It seems a control room of sorts."
O'Neill sounded suspicious. "And how will this bring SG-1 back? As I recall, none of them tested positive for it. So they wouldn't have gotten this stuff working either."
"No, you're right, th-they didn't. But..." Bill lifted his index finger and walked over to the center console. "If I'm right, these consoles still have enough power to give some indication of what this place is used for, and where SG-1 might be."
"Or this stuff may have nothing to do with the disappearance." O'Neill followed him over to the panel. "Major Altman just explained they never even made it to these ruins."
"True, but if they got caught in something, this structure could be the key to getting them out of it. It's our only clue." Bill looked at him sadly. He was nowhere near as close to SG-1 as the general was, but he considered them friends. Finding the team was his first priority. "Sir, it's the best chance we have right now."
O'Neill frowned at the device in front of him, then sighed. "All right, so what do I have..." He leaned his hand on the edge of the table, and it immediately sprang to life. "...to do."
Bill stared at the console for several seconds in surprise. This worked out better than he had conjectured. "It initialized just by your touch!" Glancing over, he could see Major Altman looked just as excited.
O'Neill was frozen. "So, now what?"
"Um..." Bill wasn't sure. "Let go?"
The general turned to Bill, his expression thunderous. "That does not sound like a confident answer, Doctor."
"Well, it-it's unknown technology. There's going to be some trial and error here, General."
Rolling his eyes, General O'Neill raised his hands off the console and stepped back. To Bill's delight the console stayed lit. The two members of SG-5 joined Bill hurriedly and began to translate and touch the controls. With Captain Brannon's assistance, they were able to find some master screens.
Dimly, Bill was aware of Captain Brannon walking with O'Neill to the other consoles. The general initialized all of them. After a few minutes, Brannon spoke. "I've found something that looks to be a checklist, sir, perhaps an inventory."
Bill soon had his own discovery--he had found a schematic. If only he knew what it meant. "Huh." He blinked at the display in surprise.
"What?" O'Neill asked from right behind Bill. The scientist jumped, startled. When had the general moved over here?
Major Altman came to his rescue. "Doctor Lee's pulled up what seems to be a master control, sir. It's a map of...somewhere. It looks similar to the area by the Stargate, but..."
"But?"
The major punched a few keys. How had Altman figured out these keyboards faster than Bill? The screen imaging changed to some kind of wider perspective. "The topography is different, sir. And not in ways that would correspond to just the passage of time since these were last turned on."
Captain Brannon joined them and squinted at the screen. "No...and if I'm translating this correctly it's a real time image." He pointed. "Look, it's just updated again."
Bill nodded in agreement. There were symbols there that seemed to correspond to weather forecasts. He was looking at an Ancient version of barometric readings for someplace that was...not here. "Maybe this is where SG-1 is." He hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud until he realized everyone was staring at him. "Well, I-I mean--It would make sense. They went somewhere from here, and there certainly seems to be a link to this place and another. Look, they even have that same archway."
They were interrupted from further conjecture when SG-12's commander called in from the radio. "We've discovered some kind of modification to the Stargate."
"What kind of modification?" Major Altman asked, then looked apologetically at the general for usurping his position. O'Neill merely waved him on.
The tinny radio response came back, this time one of Altman's teammates responded. "It's an addition at the base. We thought it was decoration at first, but it definitely seems linked to the rings. It's not active, but there are definite power readings."
Major Altman turned to General O'Neill. "We've been dialing out with no problems."
The general didn't look happy. "Does this give a clue to what happened to SG-1?"
"Anything's a clue at this point, sir." Bill shook his head. "We need to find out more."
The radio receiver keyed again. "And...we're starting to get some readings from this old archway."
General O'Neill raised his eyebrows at that. "I thought you said I was the only one who could turn things on around here?"
Bill shrugged. "Well, you are. And maybe you did. It may be related to the schematic. Or it could be externally powered." He looked again at the map. "The two archways could be linked-like a transporter from one spot to another. We may have found our answer to where SG-1 went."
A purple light was starting to drift into the room. Had Bill been working all through this planet's night? Was that the dawn?
O'Neill keyed his radio. "Stay away from that archway. I'm headed to you."
"Wha-wait a minute, where are you going?" Bill blinked at General O'Neill in surprise.
"You said the archway's a transporter." He pointed to the screen. "Ergo...it's the best clue we've got to find SG-1."
"But that was just theoretical!" Bill hadn't meant to call the general out here to put him in danger like that. Former field commander or not, Bill didn't want to think about what it would mean to lose the base commander offworld in some alien tech. He waved his arms frantically at the console and the door. "We don't know what these things do, or even where this place is."
Major Altman stepped forward, strapping on his gear. "Sir, I can go. It's too big a risk for you. If you're trapped in there as well..."
"Then I'll know where SG-1 is." O'Neill countered. "Everything's running in here now whether I'm touching it or not. And you and your team know what you're doing with these devices. I don't have a clue. You try and figure out how to get them back from this end. But if things work on that side the same as over here, then it looks like I'm the only one that can bring SG-1 home."
Major Altman swallowed, but Bill was impressed he stood his ground. "Sir, you don't need to go alone. I understand about me staying, but SG-12 could..."
O'Neill shook his head, and Bill quailed under the glare he gave them all. "No one else in or out of that archway. No matter what. I will not have other personnel endangered, understood? See if you can get us back using this stuff, but I want no one else risking themselves. If you don't hear from me in twelve hours, get your butts home to advise Colonel Rudnell. He'll have to make a call to Hammond at Homeworld Security."
"Yes, sir." The military team members looked mutinous, but they followed the order. Bill didn't like the idea of losing Jack O'Neill to where ever SG-1 was either, but he didn't have any better ideas to offer. O'Neill gave a sardonic smile, adjusted his cap, and left.
With no other options, Bill continued to press buttons on Ancient device. After a few minutes of playing with the keyboard, a new display overlayed the map in front of Bill. "Oh no."
"'Oh no', what?" Altman's eyes flashed with worry.
"Has General O'Neill stepped through the portal yet?" As he glanced at the monitor, he caught a new dot appearing by where they conjectured the archway sat. "Never mind."
Altman radioed anyway, confirming what Bill thought. "What is it?" the major asked.
Bill pointed to the console. "Well, if I'm right, this is some sort of life signs monitor." He pointed to the newest dot. "That's General O'Neill." He pointed to the eight other dots. "And those are other people."
"But SG-1 is a three person team." Altman studied the screen.
Bill gulped, trying unsuccessfully to hide his concern as two of the dots moved near O'Neill's position. "I know."
Teal'c moved silently through the nighttime forest, scanning the shadows as Master Bra'tac taught him. He was aware of the distance to the stones that sheltered his teammates, of the wind, of the subtle slope of the forest. Even strange territory could reveal anomalies in its sounds, sights, and smells. The rain had cleared away anything that could lead to distractions.
The clouds had moved, but the thickness of the trees blocked the moonlight. It was too dark to make out fresh tracks, but other senses served him. It was scent that directed him now--that led him to scout further than his planned perimeter of their makeshift camp. A familiar scent in unfamiliar surroundings-the strange mixture of metal, oil, sweat, and burnt ozone that Teal'c had lived with for years as warrior under Apophis. One Jaffa was to his left.
Teal'c moved as swiftly as he dared while still not making sound. Surprise was his greatest weapon. Now that he had a sense of the warrior's location, the small bit of moonlight was enough to detect movement. A brief flash revealed silvery armor. This warrior was good, but Teal'c was better.
The Jaffa was larger than Teal'c in both height and build. Teal'c moved fast from behind, swinging his staff weapon down in a sharp blow to knock him out. The Jaffa was quite skilled; he somehow knew of Teal'c's approach and dodged at the last moment, swinging his own weapon round to flip Teal'c off balance. Teal'c anticipated the movement and countered it, knocking the Jaffa onto his back, winding him. Before Teal'c could press his advantage, the Jaffa pushed with his staff weapon, and tried to fire it as warning to his companions. Teal'c grabbed it as well, rolling with the warrior through the woods before the shot was fired. They tumbled together, trading blows. The ground here was softer, muddy from the rain. A flaky moss carpeted the forest floor. The Jaffa tried to strike Teal'c in the lower belly, but with no symbiote, that area was not as vulnerable for him. Teal'c's own blow rang true, and the Jaffa released his hold on the staff weapon, wincing in pain.
Teal'c rose, swirling the staff between his hands in a graceful dance. Firing would bring too much attention. He arced the blunted edge down, but the other Jaffa rolled away from the strike, trying to kick Teal'c's feet out from under him. Teal'c stayed upright, but his balance was unsteady on this insecure ground. He used the staff as a crutch to keep him upright. His enemy pressed his advantage, his next kick spinning Teal'c to fall to his knees. Another blow caught Teal'c across the temple, and his eyes teared as he tried to suppress the ringing in his head. Teal'c swung the staff weapon in a wide arc, catching the Jaffa in the elbow as he tried to hit again. Teal'c let his body move with the swing, using its momentum to roll further away from the attack and regain his own footing. His enemy gave no quarter, again attacking. Again, Teal'c knocked him away with a well placed kick.
"I spoke the truth before. I speak it now. We need not fight, brother."
The Jaffa's only response was a snarl of rage and renewed attack. To Teal'c's right, the trees cleared away in an abrupt fashion. The rosy moonlight was more prominent, and the steeper slope gave Teal'c clues as to what this change in topography meant. They were on the edge of the precipice. Was his enemy also paying attention? Evidently not, considering the raging attack the Jaffa launched at Teal'c at that moment. Teal'c crouched, letting the Jaffa's tackle sail over him. The Jaffa grabbed onto his tac vest and tried to pull Teal'c down with him. Teal'c rolled, swinging the staff weapon to break the other's hold. It worked; the arm broke. The Jaffa released him and tumbled into the void of rosy moonlight. Teal'c dug the staff into the ground as much as he could to anchor himself and not echo his enemy's fate.
Teal'c lay on the edge of the precipice, blearily watching the silhouette tumble until landing on the rocks below. Teal'c stared down at the Jaffa with a twinge of regret that once again the false gods had made this one his enemy rather than his brother. At least he had died in battle, and he would no longer pose a threat to Teal'c's friends.
Teal'c could not rest. Perhaps his battle did not go undetected after all. On the ridge above, he heard more movement. Scrambling to his feet, he evened his breathing and moved towards the new threat.
This shadow was quieter, moving with much more stealth. Still readjusting to the darkness after his exposure to the moonlight, Teal'c could barely track the motion through the trees, but he got enough hints of activity to predict the course of this new Jaffa. He moved through the trees, hoping to cut the threat off. Even so, he barely reached the intersection point before the other. His only hope for surprise was to push straight forward, grabbing the throat of the other and propelling them both against another tree.
A shaft of moonlight bathed his opponent in red. Teal'c could not believe his eyes. He released his captive in shock. "O'Neill," he whispered, wondering if this strange place now created flesh and blood illusions besides ghostly DHDs. But the man certainly felt solid enough.
O'Neill coughed, shakily regaining his balance as he massaged his neck. "Nice to see you too, Teal'c," he choked out. "What's with the welcome?" Teal'c noted that while O'Neill maintained an offhand manner, his hand strayed to his P-90. Teal'c's behavior would need to be explained.
"A group of Anubis's Jaffa are here." Teal'c explained. "I had thought you were one of the remainder."
"Daniel? Carter?"
"When I left them, they both were fine."
"And you don't use your radios? I've tried calling you."
"We have not needed to communicate in that manner." He considered this and checked the feedback on his receiver. "They do not appear to work in this place."
O'Neill rolled his eyes as if this was expected. "You said Anubis's Jaffa?"
Teal'c could not completely prevent his aggravation from showing. "They have been trapped here for some time. They are unconvinced Anubis has been defeated."
Apparently his frustration was more visible than he had meant to express. O'Neill's eyes narrowed as he looked Teal'c up and down. "So why are you wandering off on your own at night?"
"The cover of darkness is best for scouting the enemy. Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson are protected in an area of Ancient ruins." He paused. "I was establishing a wide perimeter."
O'Neill took in his disheveled appearance. He reached forward and wiped something from Teal'c's face. "Yeah, I can see." Teal'c copied the movement, noting a bit of blood from where the Jaffa had struck him down. He had not realized the blow had broken skin. It was no matter. What concerned him was his friend's presence.
"And you, O'Neill?" Teal'c frowned. Despite the team's earlier conversation missing him, O'Neill's presence here was not proper. Tau'ri tradition placed O'Neill in the position of General Hammond--headquarters strategist, not field commander. As much as O'Neill chafed at his new role in the bunker, he would not blithely enter the field, even for SG-1. His new responsibilities weighed too heavily on him.
"The geeks called me in. Said you were trapped in an Ancient doohickey. Figured that I was the only one to get you out."
Teal'c paused and looked back, raising one eyebrow in question.
"SGs-5 and 12 are waiting on the other side of..." O'Neill waved his arm towards the direction of the false DHD and archway. "Lee and Altman think stuff here's only keyed into an Ancient's genes. And well, I'm the closest we've got to that at the moment." He grimaced, but Teal'c detected a brightness in his eyes that showed his pleasure at being in the field belying his words. O'Neill must've detected some amusement on Teal'c's part because he raised his eyebrows. "What, you missed check-in just because you've been playing with Jaffa?"
Teal'c turned and continued to move forward, leading O'Neill through the woods towards the rest of SG-1. "We have not yet found a way to return. The DHD here is a hologram. We encountered Jaffa. There were six. Now there are four."
O'Neill raised his eyebrows, but when Teal'c offered nothing further, he spoke. "Well, there's a bunch of gadgets over in those ruins you guys never got to that the other teams are still trying to figure out. Lee was figuring that arch was some sort of transporter. I went from daylight to nightfall as soon as I came through, so maybe he's right. I swear if we end up stuck on a moon again...It'll take Prometheus weeks to get here." Despite O'Neill's mutterings, Teal'c could tell how pleased the man was to be not only on a mission, but with a safe and healthy SG-1.
Unfortunately, that contentment was short-lived. The telltale sound of a firefight was coming from nearby, echoed by the shrill alarm Teal'c had set up on the other side of the clearing. Teal'c broke into a run, O'Neill right behind him. Teal'c cursed his foolishness. The single Jaffa was chosen as a ruse-a skilled warrior leading Teal'c away from the others and meant to defeat him while the others would attack the supposedly weaker Tau'ri. It was an elementary tactic, and Teal'c was angered by his blindness. Staff weapon blasts harmonized with the sharp staccato of Beretta fire. The pair approached careful to take a position not immediately in the crossfire. It would do their friends no good to be inadvertently shot.
The gunfire was coming from the sheltered area, but to Teal'c's surprise it was only Daniel Jackson firing. Colonel Carter was not visible. Daniel was crouched by the moss-covered stones, shooting determinedly towards a wider tree trunk from which Teal'c could see the flash of staff weapon's fire. Teal'c and O'Neill were able to take position fifty yards from their friend.
From this angle it was difficult to get a clear shot at the enemy. Teal'c gestured to O'Neill that he would move closer, but before he could cross half the distance, he saw Daniel Jackson's aim strike true. The Jaffa fell back, his last staff blast going wild and knocking down a branch in the distance behind the ruins. It was when he noted the branch that Teal'c finally noticed other movement. He cursed his folly. Behind Daniel Jackson, as if rising from the earth itself, was a Jaffa. He had lost his staff weapon at some point, because he was only armed with the standard issue knife, but he was close enough to be a deadly threat to his friend. From where Teal'c stood now, he could not fire without striking Daniel. He could only cry out a warning.
"Daniel Jackson!"
On to Part 3
Teal'c had been leading his teammates through the forest for hours now. The downpour swiftly washed away the Jaffa tracks, but from what Teal'c had seen before, the freshest tracks could not be any more that two days old. Apparently this was the first rainfall since they had arrived because the tracks had been crossed over many times. The advantage of the storm was that the heavy downpour disguised their own movements. They watched for potential enemies as they explored.
Teal'c felt unsettled, but without any real focus to his unease. Perhaps if he still had his symbiote, he could localize the feeling better. He had often cursed his dependence on the foul creature, but after living with one for ninety years, existing without one was adjusting to a whole new body. The familiar twists and turns of a symbiote in his pouch were concrete feelings to analyze and understand. This amorphous sense Colonel Carter called intuition was too inexact for Teal'c's taste.
But intuition was all Teal'c could rely on: intuition, experience, and his teammates. He trusted in them to watch for dangers behind while he focused on the danger ahead. Their main advantage was surprise. Since the Jaffa had not hidden their movements, they had not expected company. Otherwise, they would have set traps, or an ambush for other unwary travelers trapped by the Ancient device.
"Do you have any idea how many?" Colonel Carter eventually whispered.
"The tracks indicate a scouting party. Four...no more than six. It is difficult to determine their exact number. They retraced this path too often over the last few days to be more exact."
"Returning to the archway?" Daniel spoke softly as well.
Teal'c nodded. "That would be my conclusion. They have been here for sometime."
"Why? If it's a scouting party, shouldn't they have returned?" Daniel Jackson asked.
"Of that, I am unsure." Teal'c did not state the obvious--that the Jaffa may be trapped in this place as well. Scouting parties would be more circumspect in their trails. The fact that they had become so lax indicated they were here long enough to dismiss any threats.
He stopped, holding up his hand for silence. This area was not the virgin forest he had been directing his team through. Someone else had been here before. There was a movement separate than the rain coming down, a strange gust of air. He felt Colonel Carter shove him forward, calling out his name. He did not resist her push but shifted quickly, spinning in a circle to determine what threat she had perceived.
A Jaffa had dropped from one of the overhanging branches, hoping to catch the team by surprise. Instead of Teal'c cushioning his fall, he landed awkwardly on the muddy ground by Colonel Carter. He knocked her weapon away and tried to grab her, presumably as a hostage. He had not counted on Colonel Carter's fighting prowess. Before Teal'c could bring his weapon to bear, she had flipped the enemy in a classic move he had watched her perform many times before on the sparring mat.
Teal'c primed his staff and held it the Jaffa's face. "Where are the others?" he hissed.
The Jaffa appeared young, barely more than Rya'c's age. The symbol of Anubis was on his forehead. He pressed his lips together, but his eyes darted to the left. Teal'c spared barely a glance at his teammates. They had both caught the unconscious movement. Colonel Carter had already retrieved her P-90 and was now pointing it in that direction. Daniel Jackson followed her movement with his own pistol. No further attack came.
Teal'c pushed with his boot upon the Jaffa's tender abdominal region. It was not the most noble tactic, but stealth and speed was of the essence here. His team was at risk.
"How many others? Three? Five?" A widening of the Jaffa's eyes indicated Teal'c's surmise was correct. "Six total then. A scouting party. What Goa'uld do you serve?"
The Jaffa finally spoke, his expression puzzled. "The true god Anubis."
"The dead false god Anubis."
"Undead false god," Daniel Jackson's murmur was too low for the prisoner to hear, but Teal'c had caught it. Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow, countering Daniel Jackson's skeptical expression. He remembered all too well the sickly shadow that transferred from one person to another. Anubis may be powerful, but he did not deserve worship.
Their prisoner continued his bravado. "Anubis is the one true god. Not even the system lords can defeat him."
Colonel Carter called back from her guard position. "Exactly how long have you been here?"
"Time matters not. Our lord Anubis charged us with this mission, and we will achieve it to be rewarded above all others." Teal'c did not bother responding to his bluster.
"Must've been several months ago." Daniel Jackson picked up on Colonel Carter's line of questioning. "Hate to break it to you, but Anubis has been defeated...by us, the Tau'ri." Teal'c noted Daniel Jackson was able to keep the venom in his voice to a minimum. At times Teal'c wondered if Apophis or Anubis was most hated amongst Daniel Jackson's enemies. Perhaps it would be like him trying to distinguish his own hate for Cronus or his former master.
His attention was brought back to the Jaffa at his feet, who was staring at them in disbelief. Teal'c did not believe the prisoner could look younger, but somehow he did. He again stated the mantra he'd been taught since birth, but it was tinged with a lack of conviction this time. "This cannot be. Gods cannot die."
"The Goa'uld are not gods. They are parasites who enslave us to do their bidding. He speaks the truth, cha'tii." Teal'c explained. "We killed several of his kull warriors in a ground battle before the Tau'ri's weapon destroyed your master's ship. The system lords now fight with each other and with Ba'al over the former territory of Anubis."
He watched the flood of emotions over the young Jaffa's face. He could not read the truth in one's eyes as well as Master Bra'tac, but this boy was not schooled to be evasive. He was moved by their words; he wanted to believe them. Teal'c's expression softened. "What is your name?"
The youth looked wary, but replied. "Ack'to."
"Ack'to. The Goa'ulds have Jaffa to fight and die in their name, but they merely use us when we should join together. I no longer serve any false god, and I am not alone. Many Jaffa, no matter what rank or former pledged Goa'uld have banded together to cast off this mantle of slavery. Your master has no army now. Do you wish to be subservient to yet another false god, or will you join your brothers to search for freedom for all Jaffa?"
Teal'c lowered his face and could see Ack'to watching him, desperately. He was searching for direction, insight. Ack'to said, "I-I don't know what to do."
"You have no master now, Ack'to. To shakka mel."
He could see the new determination on Ack'to's face. Ack'to bowed, unwittingly vowing the pledge of all free Jaffa with his response. "Shel kek nem ron." Ack'to raised up his hand. Teal'c grasped his forearm and helped him rise.
"Uh...Teal'c?" Colonel Carter swung her rifle over to point it at Ack'to.
"He has joined us." Teal'c smiled at the young Jaffa.
"That's all well and good, but..." Colonel Carter's face was full of mistrust.
"He will prove his worth." Teal'c knew this as a fact and ignored the doubtful expressions his teammates were exchanging. Another Jaffa joining the cause of freedom was already a victory. He looked at Ack'to and grasped his shoulder. "You were on watch."
"We-we've been alone for so long, I was already beginning to...to doubt." He cringed in fear. It would take time to get used to the idea that his god was not all powerful. "I climbed the tree to stay out of the mud. It's been so monotonous. We've been here for three seasons."
Colonel Carter asked, "Why were you here?"
"Anubis sent us on this mission. After defeating Kali, we discovered this world had writings of the Ancients. We were hand chosen by Pal'kor, the first prime to join him on this mission and bring glory to our god."
"I thought Herak was Anubis's First Prime." Colonel Carter questioned, her expression still suspicious.
"Herak is a go'tach who killed his former master for power. Pal'kor was First Prime from Anubis's first resurrection." Ack'to appeared nervous about speaking so freely. Getting used to his freedom would take time.
His team leader appeared to accept this answer. Her weapon pointed back outward, but she continued to watch Ack'to's face. "Where is their camp?"
"Two mech forward. There are some caves where we take shelter."
Daniel Jackson asked, "More importantly, did you find what the Ancients left here?"
"No." Ack'to shook his head. "The Ancients have hid their secrets well. Pal'kor suspects that the truth is in the ruins we never reached. The archway that pulled us on that first dawn was merely left as a trap for the unwary. And now you are as trapped as we."
"You can lead us away from the Jaffa?" Colonel Carter asked.
"Or perhaps reach the others." Teal'c added, ignoring his teammates' raised eyebrows. More followers to the rebel Jaffa cause would benefit the Tau'ri as well.
Ack'to nodded, willing to prove his worth to his new allies. "Of course."
Ack'to pointed up the trail, then a bright flash and thunderous sound echoed, and the youth fell flat. Teal'c's teammates were already diving for cover while Teal'c stood there in shock. Framed amongst the rain was a Jaffa with a staff weapon. Teal'c could barely make out the glint of gold on his forehead--Pal'kor.
Teal'c reached down to pull their Ack'to out of the line of fire while Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter started shooting. As he turned the youth over, he knew at a glance the wound was a mortal one. "Tal shekka mel?" Ack'to asked.
"Indeed, my brother," Teal'c responded, squeezing his shoulder. Ack'to smiled, then expired.
In a rage, Teal'c started shooting his staff weapon blindly, but Pal'kor had taken cover from the gunfire.
Frustrated at a lack of target, Teal'c roared out, "It does not have to be this way, Pal'kor!"
Pal'kor's voice came out of the wilderness. "You have swayed the weak minded with your lies, shol'va, but you will not do the same with us. We are loyal to our god."
Teal'c persisted. "No lies. Just the truth. Your god is defeated. Your mission has no purpose now. Do you wish to spend your life serving false masters? Join with me. We are brothers. All Jaffa can be free!"
The response was merely more staff weapons' blasts, coming from a variety of angles. SG-1 returned fire.
"They're surrounding us!" Daniel Jackson shouted.
Teal'c was only distantly aware of Colonel Carter's subsequent order to fall back. His focus was on the enemy. He heard Daniel Jackson call his name and the hail of gunfire.
There was a pull on his arm. "Teal'c, we've got to go. They're closing in, and we're too vulnerable here." Colonel Carter shook his arm. He glanced back to see her fierce gaze upon him. "We need you."
He looked from her to Daniel Jackson, still firing at the Jaffa. Grimly, he nodded. He would do his teammates no good fighting an unwinnable battle. They must regroup and gain the advantage. They fled into the forest.
The rain provided cover for them. Their sudden flight through the brush gave them enough advantage to put distance between the team and the Jaffa. Teal'c led them through the woods, trying to find areas where the groundcover would be less likely to show their prints. They ran for so long, even Teal'c began to feel slightly winded.
The rain finally relented, and without the storm to mask their movements, they slowed. Teal'c double backed while his team moved on, ensuring no pursuit. He returned to the others. "I believe they have lost our trail."
He lowered his head and sighed, thinking back to his failure with the Jaffa, the waste of a young life.
His teammates seemed to have read his thoughts. "There wasn't anything you could do," said Colonel Carter.
Daniel Jackson nodded, adding his own comfort. "He died free, knowing the truth, Teal'c."
"I..." Teal'c was uncertain what words would express how he felt at that moment. He felt the need to cry out, explain, apologize. The cha'tii's death was his fault. He had become focused on the youth. He had known the others may not be far, but had lost track in his zeal of conversion. Pal'kor naturally retaliated at Ack'to's betrayal. It was what he would have done when under Apophis's orders-what he had done in the past.
"It wasn't your fault, Teal'c," Colonel Carter reassured him, as if reading his thoughts. "If anything, it was mine. I wasn't paying attention."
"We weren't paying attention." Daniel Jackson hastened to add, not willing to let Colonel Carter take the blame. But Teal'c knew the fault was his.
"You were distracted and right to mistrust. He was our enemy." He started leading them through the forest again, more watchful of his surroundings.
Daniel Jackson immediately followed, still speaking, "But you knew he believed you."
"I..." Teal'c bowed his head. "I saw the truth." He knew not how else to explain it, and he did not blame his teammates for not blindly leaping to the same conclusion.
There was a pregnant pause, and Teal'c could sense his friends exchanging a silent conversation of looks behind him. Finally Colonel Carter spoke, "You didn't fire the weapon to kill him, Teal'c. Anubis's First Prime did."
"Pal'kor did his duty." Teal'c was not ready to accept such solace.
"Serving Anubis, who sent them to rot here in the first place. It's his zeal for finding Ancient weapons, no matter what the cost, is what has led to Ack'to's death." Daniel Jackson's tone was bitter. "He abandoned them here months ago, before the battle of Antarctica."
Teal'c could not dispute the truth of that statement. He remained silent.
They moved on. Although the rain had stopped, the darkness had become more oppressive. This was more than cloud cover. Night had fallen. Continuing to move in this unfamiliar territory with no specific direction would be dangerous.
Colonel Carter appeared to realize the same. She spoke. "We need to find a place to rest, somewhere defensible."
"Agreed."
"I'm sure Jack's noticed we're missing by now."
"He's going to be so worried." Colonel Carter sighed.
"It could be worse. He could be trapped with us. Can't you just hear the complaints he would make?" Daniel Jackson's teasing words had no real humor behind them.
Teal'c answered the sentiment behind the question. "I too miss O'Neill's presence."
They found good shelter twenty minutes later. It was a tiny area, devoid of trees because of the arrangement of rocks sheltering at three sides, making a small, but defensible area. Colonel Carter nodded her approval, and they settled at the makeshift shelter. Daniel Jackson ran his hand across one of the mossy stones, squinting in the dark. "There's something about these stones that's...I wish it wasn't so dark."
Teal'c refrained from thinking of the inevitable comment O'Neill would make at his friend's fascination with the stones. Instead he dropped his pack and loaded his pockets with sensor alarms. "I will set a perimeter."
"Just don't go too far," Colonel Carter warned and touched his arm. "It's enough we're trapped and lost together."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. It was as if she suspected his half-considered idea of retribution. Instead of answering her unspoken warning, he countered with the obvious. "We are not lost. We are five klicks away from the archway in a heading approximately of what we would label east of here."
"Really?" Daniel Jackson murmured, still half-lost in his study of the stones. "That-that's significant."
Teal'c waited, but his friend made no further comment. Teal'c knew from experience Daniel Jackson could sit like that for moments or hours before inspiration hit like a bolt of lightning.
He turned to Colonel Carter. "I will return soon." He bowed and left his friends in the makeshift shelter.
Bill Lee knelt under the console and studied the crystal inner workings with a sense of awe. He connected the last lead from the naquadah generator to the most likely candidate, smiling when his voltmeter detected power. He couldn't believe the similarities to other technology he'd seen. "This is very likely the origin of a lot of the Goa'uld technology." He looked up at Major Altman. "They must've stolen the power crystals and mechanics and adapted it to their own use."
SG-5's archeologist, Captain Brannon spoke. "Or scavenged it. All the evidence found seems to indicate the Ancient civilization predated the Goa'uld with no overlap."
SG-5 was one of the more experienced teams in Ancient and/or alien technology. Bill was happy to have the team as backup in these offworld ruins. This was one of the largest finds of Ancient technology they'd found outside of Antarctica. He'd probably be more excited at what he was discovering here if the stakes weren't so high.
Bill replaced the cover and stood brushing some residual dust from his hands. "Well, I'm reading power in all the crystals, but I still can't see any way to initialize the controls. Have they contacted the SGC yet?"
Altman nodded. "Major Hadden called in about ten minutes ago. I still don't understand why you requested General O'Neill to come out here."
Bill chuckled. Major Altman was pretty new to the SGC: he had a doctorate in engineering from Stanford and was scheduled to teach at the Air Force Academy before Stargate Command plucked him as one of the best and brightest. This was one of his first assignments as the team's commander. He looked very concerned at calling the base commander offworld. Bill had to admit it was not standard operating procedure, but he figured the general wouldn't mind. Besides, Bill didn't see any other choice.
He explained to the major, "It's because of the gene."
"What?" Altman blinked at him.
"The Ancient gene. At first we thought General O'Neill was able to power the chair in Antarctica because he had downloaded the knowledge of the Ancients, but later research showed O'Neill has a rare genetic anomaly." A sudden thought struck him. "...which may be why the Asgard were so intrigued with O'Neill they protected him from being cloned." Seeing Altman's blank expression, he realized now was not the time to go off on tangents. "Anyway, a lot of international personnel were tested for the Ancient gene. One of the physicians, a Doctor Becker? Beckett? was doing some research to artificially recreate it. There were concerns that only people with this genetic disposition could work some of the more advanced Ancient equipment--not only the chair, but other technology. We weren't certain, of course, and since we haven't heard back from the Atlantis expedition, it's still conjecture, but the fact that we can't get anything up and running here would lend credence to the theory."
"But...he's a general."
"Yeah, and he's also our best shot at getting this stuff to run. Everyone else who naturally had the gene went to Atlantis," answered Bill.
Altman straightened, looking over Bill's shoulder. Bill spun around. General Jack O'Neill was silhouetted in doorway to the ruins, fully kitted out in field gear, baseball cap covering his head. Bill felt equal parts of relief and nervousness. With the general here, perhaps they would be able to accomplish something. But working with Jack O'Neill hovering over his shoulder while Bill tried to find out what happened to SG-1 would not be the easiest work environment. He had firsthand experience more than once of how one acted when the others were in danger, both to his benefit and to his detriment. Still, Jack O'Neill's presence curiously gave Bill comfort. If anyone could help get the rest of the team back, Bill had confidence it would be the general. The man had already saved Bill's life more than once.
Bill watched as O'Neill scanned the whole room; Bill knew what he would see. He and Altman had gone through every piece of equipment. This room was the only building standing amongst the ruins-a solid stone structure about the size of Bill's lab back home. In fact, it kind of reminded him of the bunker environment of Stargate Command. Against every wall except the one that had the door was a console the size of a large table. Large toggle switches and a few buttons were encased in the surface. Bill related the switches to piano keys. If the Ancients used chairs at these consoles, they were long since disintegrated. The only light in the room came from SG-5's lights and the faint glow of the naquadah generator.
General O'Neill asked, "Any progress?"
"Some." Major Altman spoke first; apparently military training trumped his nervousness. "We know the FRED was directed to come here, but something happened to the team before they could direct the machine around that ditch. We haven't found any evidence of anyone in the area or of any hidden technology between here and the Stargate, at least so far. The devices here all appear to be in working order, and Dr. Lee has been able to power all three of the devices with our generator. However, we still can't get the panels to operate."
"That's why we need you." Bill broke in.
"Me?" The general raised his eyebrows. "I'm not an electrician."
Bill smiled. "No, of-of course not. But we think the gene you have could be the key to getting this place to operate."
"You don't need one of those...?" He waved his hand to approximate a description.
"A ZPM?" Bill shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. We've hooked up the generators to give some added juice. Power readings seem more than enough, and the connections are all solid. It just needs something...or someone to turn it on."
General O'Neill looked from Altman to Bill, his expression somewhat disappointed. "So you've called me across the galaxy just to flick the switch."
"With your Ancient gene." Bill nodded. "With that, we can hopefully get this place up and running. It seems a control room of sorts."
O'Neill sounded suspicious. "And how will this bring SG-1 back? As I recall, none of them tested positive for it. So they wouldn't have gotten this stuff working either."
"No, you're right, th-they didn't. But..." Bill lifted his index finger and walked over to the center console. "If I'm right, these consoles still have enough power to give some indication of what this place is used for, and where SG-1 might be."
"Or this stuff may have nothing to do with the disappearance." O'Neill followed him over to the panel. "Major Altman just explained they never even made it to these ruins."
"True, but if they got caught in something, this structure could be the key to getting them out of it. It's our only clue." Bill looked at him sadly. He was nowhere near as close to SG-1 as the general was, but he considered them friends. Finding the team was his first priority. "Sir, it's the best chance we have right now."
O'Neill frowned at the device in front of him, then sighed. "All right, so what do I have..." He leaned his hand on the edge of the table, and it immediately sprang to life. "...to do."
Bill stared at the console for several seconds in surprise. This worked out better than he had conjectured. "It initialized just by your touch!" Glancing over, he could see Major Altman looked just as excited.
O'Neill was frozen. "So, now what?"
"Um..." Bill wasn't sure. "Let go?"
The general turned to Bill, his expression thunderous. "That does not sound like a confident answer, Doctor."
"Well, it-it's unknown technology. There's going to be some trial and error here, General."
Rolling his eyes, General O'Neill raised his hands off the console and stepped back. To Bill's delight the console stayed lit. The two members of SG-5 joined Bill hurriedly and began to translate and touch the controls. With Captain Brannon's assistance, they were able to find some master screens.
Dimly, Bill was aware of Captain Brannon walking with O'Neill to the other consoles. The general initialized all of them. After a few minutes, Brannon spoke. "I've found something that looks to be a checklist, sir, perhaps an inventory."
Bill soon had his own discovery--he had found a schematic. If only he knew what it meant. "Huh." He blinked at the display in surprise.
"What?" O'Neill asked from right behind Bill. The scientist jumped, startled. When had the general moved over here?
Major Altman came to his rescue. "Doctor Lee's pulled up what seems to be a master control, sir. It's a map of...somewhere. It looks similar to the area by the Stargate, but..."
"But?"
The major punched a few keys. How had Altman figured out these keyboards faster than Bill? The screen imaging changed to some kind of wider perspective. "The topography is different, sir. And not in ways that would correspond to just the passage of time since these were last turned on."
Captain Brannon joined them and squinted at the screen. "No...and if I'm translating this correctly it's a real time image." He pointed. "Look, it's just updated again."
Bill nodded in agreement. There were symbols there that seemed to correspond to weather forecasts. He was looking at an Ancient version of barometric readings for someplace that was...not here. "Maybe this is where SG-1 is." He hadn't realized he'd spoken out loud until he realized everyone was staring at him. "Well, I-I mean--It would make sense. They went somewhere from here, and there certainly seems to be a link to this place and another. Look, they even have that same archway."
They were interrupted from further conjecture when SG-12's commander called in from the radio. "We've discovered some kind of modification to the Stargate."
"What kind of modification?" Major Altman asked, then looked apologetically at the general for usurping his position. O'Neill merely waved him on.
The tinny radio response came back, this time one of Altman's teammates responded. "It's an addition at the base. We thought it was decoration at first, but it definitely seems linked to the rings. It's not active, but there are definite power readings."
Major Altman turned to General O'Neill. "We've been dialing out with no problems."
The general didn't look happy. "Does this give a clue to what happened to SG-1?"
"Anything's a clue at this point, sir." Bill shook his head. "We need to find out more."
The radio receiver keyed again. "And...we're starting to get some readings from this old archway."
General O'Neill raised his eyebrows at that. "I thought you said I was the only one who could turn things on around here?"
Bill shrugged. "Well, you are. And maybe you did. It may be related to the schematic. Or it could be externally powered." He looked again at the map. "The two archways could be linked-like a transporter from one spot to another. We may have found our answer to where SG-1 went."
A purple light was starting to drift into the room. Had Bill been working all through this planet's night? Was that the dawn?
O'Neill keyed his radio. "Stay away from that archway. I'm headed to you."
"Wha-wait a minute, where are you going?" Bill blinked at General O'Neill in surprise.
"You said the archway's a transporter." He pointed to the screen. "Ergo...it's the best clue we've got to find SG-1."
"But that was just theoretical!" Bill hadn't meant to call the general out here to put him in danger like that. Former field commander or not, Bill didn't want to think about what it would mean to lose the base commander offworld in some alien tech. He waved his arms frantically at the console and the door. "We don't know what these things do, or even where this place is."
Major Altman stepped forward, strapping on his gear. "Sir, I can go. It's too big a risk for you. If you're trapped in there as well..."
"Then I'll know where SG-1 is." O'Neill countered. "Everything's running in here now whether I'm touching it or not. And you and your team know what you're doing with these devices. I don't have a clue. You try and figure out how to get them back from this end. But if things work on that side the same as over here, then it looks like I'm the only one that can bring SG-1 home."
Major Altman swallowed, but Bill was impressed he stood his ground. "Sir, you don't need to go alone. I understand about me staying, but SG-12 could..."
O'Neill shook his head, and Bill quailed under the glare he gave them all. "No one else in or out of that archway. No matter what. I will not have other personnel endangered, understood? See if you can get us back using this stuff, but I want no one else risking themselves. If you don't hear from me in twelve hours, get your butts home to advise Colonel Rudnell. He'll have to make a call to Hammond at Homeworld Security."
"Yes, sir." The military team members looked mutinous, but they followed the order. Bill didn't like the idea of losing Jack O'Neill to where ever SG-1 was either, but he didn't have any better ideas to offer. O'Neill gave a sardonic smile, adjusted his cap, and left.
With no other options, Bill continued to press buttons on Ancient device. After a few minutes of playing with the keyboard, a new display overlayed the map in front of Bill. "Oh no."
"'Oh no', what?" Altman's eyes flashed with worry.
"Has General O'Neill stepped through the portal yet?" As he glanced at the monitor, he caught a new dot appearing by where they conjectured the archway sat. "Never mind."
Altman radioed anyway, confirming what Bill thought. "What is it?" the major asked.
Bill pointed to the console. "Well, if I'm right, this is some sort of life signs monitor." He pointed to the newest dot. "That's General O'Neill." He pointed to the eight other dots. "And those are other people."
"But SG-1 is a three person team." Altman studied the screen.
Bill gulped, trying unsuccessfully to hide his concern as two of the dots moved near O'Neill's position. "I know."
Teal'c moved silently through the nighttime forest, scanning the shadows as Master Bra'tac taught him. He was aware of the distance to the stones that sheltered his teammates, of the wind, of the subtle slope of the forest. Even strange territory could reveal anomalies in its sounds, sights, and smells. The rain had cleared away anything that could lead to distractions.
The clouds had moved, but the thickness of the trees blocked the moonlight. It was too dark to make out fresh tracks, but other senses served him. It was scent that directed him now--that led him to scout further than his planned perimeter of their makeshift camp. A familiar scent in unfamiliar surroundings-the strange mixture of metal, oil, sweat, and burnt ozone that Teal'c had lived with for years as warrior under Apophis. One Jaffa was to his left.
Teal'c moved as swiftly as he dared while still not making sound. Surprise was his greatest weapon. Now that he had a sense of the warrior's location, the small bit of moonlight was enough to detect movement. A brief flash revealed silvery armor. This warrior was good, but Teal'c was better.
The Jaffa was larger than Teal'c in both height and build. Teal'c moved fast from behind, swinging his staff weapon down in a sharp blow to knock him out. The Jaffa was quite skilled; he somehow knew of Teal'c's approach and dodged at the last moment, swinging his own weapon round to flip Teal'c off balance. Teal'c anticipated the movement and countered it, knocking the Jaffa onto his back, winding him. Before Teal'c could press his advantage, the Jaffa pushed with his staff weapon, and tried to fire it as warning to his companions. Teal'c grabbed it as well, rolling with the warrior through the woods before the shot was fired. They tumbled together, trading blows. The ground here was softer, muddy from the rain. A flaky moss carpeted the forest floor. The Jaffa tried to strike Teal'c in the lower belly, but with no symbiote, that area was not as vulnerable for him. Teal'c's own blow rang true, and the Jaffa released his hold on the staff weapon, wincing in pain.
Teal'c rose, swirling the staff between his hands in a graceful dance. Firing would bring too much attention. He arced the blunted edge down, but the other Jaffa rolled away from the strike, trying to kick Teal'c's feet out from under him. Teal'c stayed upright, but his balance was unsteady on this insecure ground. He used the staff as a crutch to keep him upright. His enemy pressed his advantage, his next kick spinning Teal'c to fall to his knees. Another blow caught Teal'c across the temple, and his eyes teared as he tried to suppress the ringing in his head. Teal'c swung the staff weapon in a wide arc, catching the Jaffa in the elbow as he tried to hit again. Teal'c let his body move with the swing, using its momentum to roll further away from the attack and regain his own footing. His enemy gave no quarter, again attacking. Again, Teal'c knocked him away with a well placed kick.
"I spoke the truth before. I speak it now. We need not fight, brother."
The Jaffa's only response was a snarl of rage and renewed attack. To Teal'c's right, the trees cleared away in an abrupt fashion. The rosy moonlight was more prominent, and the steeper slope gave Teal'c clues as to what this change in topography meant. They were on the edge of the precipice. Was his enemy also paying attention? Evidently not, considering the raging attack the Jaffa launched at Teal'c at that moment. Teal'c crouched, letting the Jaffa's tackle sail over him. The Jaffa grabbed onto his tac vest and tried to pull Teal'c down with him. Teal'c rolled, swinging the staff weapon to break the other's hold. It worked; the arm broke. The Jaffa released him and tumbled into the void of rosy moonlight. Teal'c dug the staff into the ground as much as he could to anchor himself and not echo his enemy's fate.
Teal'c lay on the edge of the precipice, blearily watching the silhouette tumble until landing on the rocks below. Teal'c stared down at the Jaffa with a twinge of regret that once again the false gods had made this one his enemy rather than his brother. At least he had died in battle, and he would no longer pose a threat to Teal'c's friends.
Teal'c could not rest. Perhaps his battle did not go undetected after all. On the ridge above, he heard more movement. Scrambling to his feet, he evened his breathing and moved towards the new threat.
This shadow was quieter, moving with much more stealth. Still readjusting to the darkness after his exposure to the moonlight, Teal'c could barely track the motion through the trees, but he got enough hints of activity to predict the course of this new Jaffa. He moved through the trees, hoping to cut the threat off. Even so, he barely reached the intersection point before the other. His only hope for surprise was to push straight forward, grabbing the throat of the other and propelling them both against another tree.
A shaft of moonlight bathed his opponent in red. Teal'c could not believe his eyes. He released his captive in shock. "O'Neill," he whispered, wondering if this strange place now created flesh and blood illusions besides ghostly DHDs. But the man certainly felt solid enough.
O'Neill coughed, shakily regaining his balance as he massaged his neck. "Nice to see you too, Teal'c," he choked out. "What's with the welcome?" Teal'c noted that while O'Neill maintained an offhand manner, his hand strayed to his P-90. Teal'c's behavior would need to be explained.
"A group of Anubis's Jaffa are here." Teal'c explained. "I had thought you were one of the remainder."
"Daniel? Carter?"
"When I left them, they both were fine."
"And you don't use your radios? I've tried calling you."
"We have not needed to communicate in that manner." He considered this and checked the feedback on his receiver. "They do not appear to work in this place."
O'Neill rolled his eyes as if this was expected. "You said Anubis's Jaffa?"
Teal'c could not completely prevent his aggravation from showing. "They have been trapped here for some time. They are unconvinced Anubis has been defeated."
Apparently his frustration was more visible than he had meant to express. O'Neill's eyes narrowed as he looked Teal'c up and down. "So why are you wandering off on your own at night?"
"The cover of darkness is best for scouting the enemy. Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson are protected in an area of Ancient ruins." He paused. "I was establishing a wide perimeter."
O'Neill took in his disheveled appearance. He reached forward and wiped something from Teal'c's face. "Yeah, I can see." Teal'c copied the movement, noting a bit of blood from where the Jaffa had struck him down. He had not realized the blow had broken skin. It was no matter. What concerned him was his friend's presence.
"And you, O'Neill?" Teal'c frowned. Despite the team's earlier conversation missing him, O'Neill's presence here was not proper. Tau'ri tradition placed O'Neill in the position of General Hammond--headquarters strategist, not field commander. As much as O'Neill chafed at his new role in the bunker, he would not blithely enter the field, even for SG-1. His new responsibilities weighed too heavily on him.
"The geeks called me in. Said you were trapped in an Ancient doohickey. Figured that I was the only one to get you out."
Teal'c paused and looked back, raising one eyebrow in question.
"SGs-5 and 12 are waiting on the other side of..." O'Neill waved his arm towards the direction of the false DHD and archway. "Lee and Altman think stuff here's only keyed into an Ancient's genes. And well, I'm the closest we've got to that at the moment." He grimaced, but Teal'c detected a brightness in his eyes that showed his pleasure at being in the field belying his words. O'Neill must've detected some amusement on Teal'c's part because he raised his eyebrows. "What, you missed check-in just because you've been playing with Jaffa?"
Teal'c turned and continued to move forward, leading O'Neill through the woods towards the rest of SG-1. "We have not yet found a way to return. The DHD here is a hologram. We encountered Jaffa. There were six. Now there are four."
O'Neill raised his eyebrows, but when Teal'c offered nothing further, he spoke. "Well, there's a bunch of gadgets over in those ruins you guys never got to that the other teams are still trying to figure out. Lee was figuring that arch was some sort of transporter. I went from daylight to nightfall as soon as I came through, so maybe he's right. I swear if we end up stuck on a moon again...It'll take Prometheus weeks to get here." Despite O'Neill's mutterings, Teal'c could tell how pleased the man was to be not only on a mission, but with a safe and healthy SG-1.
Unfortunately, that contentment was short-lived. The telltale sound of a firefight was coming from nearby, echoed by the shrill alarm Teal'c had set up on the other side of the clearing. Teal'c broke into a run, O'Neill right behind him. Teal'c cursed his foolishness. The single Jaffa was chosen as a ruse-a skilled warrior leading Teal'c away from the others and meant to defeat him while the others would attack the supposedly weaker Tau'ri. It was an elementary tactic, and Teal'c was angered by his blindness. Staff weapon blasts harmonized with the sharp staccato of Beretta fire. The pair approached careful to take a position not immediately in the crossfire. It would do their friends no good to be inadvertently shot.
The gunfire was coming from the sheltered area, but to Teal'c's surprise it was only Daniel Jackson firing. Colonel Carter was not visible. Daniel was crouched by the moss-covered stones, shooting determinedly towards a wider tree trunk from which Teal'c could see the flash of staff weapon's fire. Teal'c and O'Neill were able to take position fifty yards from their friend.
From this angle it was difficult to get a clear shot at the enemy. Teal'c gestured to O'Neill that he would move closer, but before he could cross half the distance, he saw Daniel Jackson's aim strike true. The Jaffa fell back, his last staff blast going wild and knocking down a branch in the distance behind the ruins. It was when he noted the branch that Teal'c finally noticed other movement. He cursed his folly. Behind Daniel Jackson, as if rising from the earth itself, was a Jaffa. He had lost his staff weapon at some point, because he was only armed with the standard issue knife, but he was close enough to be a deadly threat to his friend. From where Teal'c stood now, he could not fire without striking Daniel. He could only cry out a warning.
"Daniel Jackson!"
On to Part 3