The Archway (3/3)
For Part 1, go here.
For Part 2, go here.
Jack did not let Teal'c's cry distract him. As soon as Teal'c had moved closer to the Jaffa exchanging fire with Daniel, Jack noticed a movement amongst the darkness. He shifted his weapon, not certain whether or not the shadow was friend or foe. Carter's absence by Daniel's side concerned him. Jack tamped down on any worries at her whereabouts. Carter was a competent commander; SG-1 was an experienced unit. He needed to concentrate on the here and now, and the here and now was revealed to be a Jaffa moving to within a few feet of Daniel.
O'Neill cursed not bringing infrared goggles with him, or even having a scope on his weapon. Still, he'd kept up his marksmanship rating. Just as Teal'c cried out his warning, before Daniel could finish reloading his pistol, Jack made his move.
The shot struck home. The knife fell from the Jaffa's listless hands, never reaching its target. The Jaffa's momentum still carried him forward, and the body collapsed into Daniel's arms, dragging him down to the ground.
Teal'c had already crossed the distance and shoved the dead Jaffa off his teammate. Jack noticed Teal'c ensured the immature symbiote did not try and find a host. "Are you harmed, Daniel Jackson?"
"Um...no. I'm fine. What-how? That was gunfire."
Jack hadn't moved yet, stil searching for other threats from his position, trusting Teal'c to cover Daniel. He saw Teal'c reach into his pocket for a remote and the shrill perimeter alarm ceased. Once satisfied there was no further danger, Jack got up and headed towards his friends. He smiled at the bemused squint Daniel was tossing at him.
"Wha-Jack?"
Jack tipped his hat and smiled. "Gotta tell ya, Daniel, you and Teal'c sure know how to make a guy feel welcome."
Daniel ignored the joke. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Jack thought to himself that Daniel really needed a new line when faced with Jack's unexpected appearances. He shrugged. "Well, you know, sitting in the office is all paperwork all day. I figured a nice little stroll offworld."
"Jack," Daniel's voice held a scolding tone. And with one member of the SG-1 trio still missing, Jack admitted he wasn't too interested in continuing the banter himself.
"Where's Carter?"
"She's-she's fine. She's...oh, that's right. You wouldn't know." Daniel looked from Jack to Teal'c with a level of enthusiasm that had always made Jack wary. "After Teal'c left to patrol, I figured out what was so odd about this outcropping. The depressions and setting were unnatural. I would've realized it sooner in daylight. Teal'c mentioned we were due east and I realized some of the faded writings on the archway related to an archaic riddle that described--"
"Daniel!"
"My point is, some of the stones here aren't really stones, they're a holographically disguised entrance." Daniel walked over a few feet and waved his arm at the stone; it passed through the rock-face as if it were air.
"It leads to a tunnel, and at the end...well, you have to see!" Daniel started towards this not-a-rock-wall.
"Whoa!" Jack instinctively grabbed Daniel's arm before he went tearing off.
Daniel seemed to be making an effort not to roll his eyes. "It's perfectly safe. Sam and I each explored it all the way to the end. This is the only way in or out. Sam wanted the entrance guarded."
"And she sent you?"
Daniel looked insulted. "I know how to shoot, Jack. I've been on this team for how long?"
"I'm not saying that." Daniel had always had good aim, even if his hand-to-hand skills still left a lot to be desired. Since he seemed so insulted, Jack refrained from pointing out he was about to be Jaffa fillet. "If there's Ancient stuff there, shouldn't you have to...you know...translate it?"
"Oh." Daniel looked more mollified. "Yes, that's true. We were only able to get one console working, and there is a lot of writing. A lot of it was very technical terms I couldn't really translate anyway. Sam's better at figuring out alien gadgets. Some displays were diagrams she thought she could interpret."
"You left her alone? What if something else went wacky?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows, but calmly replied. "It was a risk. But we knew Teal'c would be back soon, and our priority was to figure out a way out of here. Sam thought it was worth it, so..." He shrugged. "She ordered me out here. By the way, Teal'c, you've been gone a lot longer than we expected..."
Jack was about to retort about Daniel's unique ways of following orders when he was in charge, but Daniel's sudden exclamation stopped him. "Teal'c, you're bleeding!"
"It is of nothing, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c's thunderous expression abruptly stopped Daniel from moving forward. Even Jack blanched at his vehemence. "I should not have left you to defend this spot alone for so long. They employed a cunning and basic tactic, drawing me away like the most foolish hassack."
"Stop beating yourself up about it, T. It didn't succeed." Jack pointed out the dead Jaffa. "Now it's four of us versus two Jaffa. I'm liking those odds."
Daniel blinked. "Two?"
"Teal'c gave me the lowdown. Six minus two minus one." He directed his flashlight between the Jaffa Daniel had shot and then pointed it at the body by their feet. "And now one more down. Two left."
"Oh. Well, that-that's good." Daniel seemed a bit surprised at the numbers, but he didn't question further.
"You're sure there's six, right Teal'c?"
Teal'c exchanged an enigmatic look with his teammate before Daniel answered. "We're sure."
Jack had been scanning the area even while they spoke, hyperalert at more enemy out there and that the current absence of SG-1's leader. "Why didn't Carter come out when she heard the gunfire?" Jack was careful not to sound too worried.
To his surprise, Daniel remained unconcerned. "She probably couldn't hear it. Things are pretty sheltered in there. Oh, and the radios don't seem to work. Sam said..." Daniel's eyebrows scrunched together, then seemed to give up on trying to translate Carter's techno-speak. "...something to do with interference and a field?"
"Well, then I guess we'd better go to her." Jack hesitated. "You said it's our best chance for getting out of here?"
"I think so. At least it's the best clue we've had as to what was being protected, and what Anubis sent those Jaffa here for in the first place."
"I will stand watch," Teal'c said. Jack didn't like how he swayed slightly on his feet. He was looking a bit rough for wear. But, there wasn't anyone else to do it. Carter was the gadget guru, Daniel needed to read the stuff, and the whole reason Jack was even here was to get these Ancient doodads to work. As much as he hated it, Teal'c would have to stand watch alone.
Teal'c stared at Jack for a moment, as if he was reading his thoughts. Teal'c bowed his head; Jack nodded back. He scanned the area. This area was still well protected, and Teal'c should have the advantage if anyone tried to approach. He turned to Daniel, who was standing by the fake wall. "Lead on."
Jack took a deep breath and followed Daniel into the apparent solid rock wall, unconsciously closing his eyes as he passed through. When he opened them, he found himself in a musty, narrow cavern. Daniel had already turned on his flashlight, and Jack soon did the same. The stone was a solid grey, and to Jack's unpracticed eye, too smooth to be completely natural. The width wasn't quite enough for he and Daniel to both walk abreast, and both men had to stoop to pass through sections of the twisted passageway.
Daniel was moving swiftly ahead and Jack had to pay attention to keep up. He noticed a slight decline. "Is it my imagination, or are we doubling back towards that fake Stargate?" Jack asked.
"Based on what I translated at the archway, that's a good guess. Wherever it is, it's definitely underground."
Jack ducked to avoid hitting his head on a stalactite. "Seems a lot of trouble for just one room."
Daniel turned around to look at Jack. To Jack's surprise, Daniel was beaming. "It's not just any room. Wait till you see it."
Remembering some of Daniel's earlier enthusiasms, Jack was a bit worried at his friend's excitement. They turned the last corner with Jack praying this would not lead to "meaning of life" stuff or, God forbid, another Ancient head sucker. Jack followed Daniel into a wide well lit area. His jaw dropped in shock. The room was the size of a large warehouse. Captain Brannon's inventory screen made so much more sense now. Much of the area was empty, but several items remained. Large items on the floor, some small ones stacked on shelves. Some were covered with dust, but others were dust free. White cloths were scattered on the floor that Jack assumed were dust covers before Daniel and Carter started exploring. He let out a low whistle as he leaned against one of the devices.
"Lights are on."
"That happened as soon as we first arrived." Daniel explained.
"Sir." Carter popped into sight from behind a console similar to what he'd seen in the other planet ruins. Jack was relieved to see she looked perfectly all right.
"Good to see you, Carter."
"You too, sir." She smiled back at him, looking surprised. "Rescue party?"
"You're looking at it." Jack shrugged. "And I don't have the magic key to get out yet either. The geeks are trying to figure out how to get you...us...back from their end, and I came to see if I can help out here."
To his chagrin, Carter looked more concerned. "But that means you're stranded with us. How..?"
"Long story. What've you got?" Jack didn't need Carter's lecture on how it might have been rash to join the team here. He was certain he'd be getting an earful from Hammond when he got back. Plus, he wanted intel on this place fast; it looked different than the devices on...wherever it was he came from.
Carter swept her bangs out of her eyes. "Well, I've gone through as much as I could figure out on the one console we could operate. They appeared to be mainly chemical experiments from the molecular constructs. I've downloaded what I could. As for the other machines, I think I can figure out some basic controls, but I can't get any of it to..." Her voice trailed off, and she stared at the table Jack was leaning on. "How did you do that?"
Jack hadn't even realized the table had powered up. He jumped off it in surprise, and it still hummed. God, was even his ass superpowered?
"This is amazing!" Carter and Daniel stared at the lighted console like kids at their presents Christmas morning. It was the same look Lee and SG-5 had playing with their Ancient toys. Carter pulled off her pack and opened Daniel's from where it was sitting on the floor nearby. Before Jack knew what was happening, she had hooked up both their laptops to the devices in some sort of jigsaw puzzle of wires and crystals. Now with their heads together, they were discussing scientific techno-talk at warp speed--Daniel translating the words, and Carter working the controls.
"Hey!" He called. They both looked at him, blinking. "Do you think there's something there that can help us get back to the real Stargate?"
"It's hard to say, sir. There's a lot of material here. We don't have an answer yet."
Daniel spoke up, his voice filled with awe. "I've found a main directory. This place was a laboratory. Most of the log entries are gone, but from what I can read, we were right. It was a joint effort of the Furlings and Ancients."
"Furlings? No one mentioned the Furlings before." Jack looked at the area more warily. He'd never much cared for that alien species, even if they were buddies with Thor. After being stuck on that moon with Harry, he thought less of them. His last encounter with Furling technology had even made him happy to see the Tok'ra, for cryin' out loud.
Daniel didn't seem to notice Jack's concern. "Yeah. They were working on some experimental joint technology here. Some devices they were sharing, some others they just brought for testing and integration. I've got mainly a general log here. But there's a few items. The scope of the research is hard to pin down. So much of the files are either degraded or erased. Still, there's a lot here, even mentions of defensive technology. If Anubis had ever found this information..."
Jack let out a low whistle. "We'll have to make sure we keep it that way too. Anubis may or may not be out of the picture, but these Jaffa don't seem to friendly."
"No." Carter spoke up. "We'll try and pack up what we can. We don't know what will be useful."
Daniel nodded, his concerns obvious. "Right. And those Jaffa know we're here. Teal'c's out there alone."
Jack took off his cap and scrubbed his head. "I know."
"What about Teal'c?" Carter picked up on the unsaid emotion behind Jack and Daniel's exchange.
Daniel looked uncomfortable. "He's...relatively fine. You know Teal'c. And we're three more Jaffa down."
Carter grimaced. "I should--"
Jack knew what she was feeling; hell, he still felt what she was feeling, worry and responsibility for a people under their command. He hastened to reassure her. "He's okay for now. I was just mentioning you two shouldn't play too much with the toys here. I left a timeline for the teams waiting for us on the other side."
Carter nodded. "The laptops are already downloading as fast as possible."
Jack wandered over to the shelves of dust-covered items to start packing some of the devices. One item was a green oval disk approximately the size of the palm of his hand. He accidentally brushed it against his sleeve; his arm tingled, and a strange glow encompassed him. "What the...?"
"Jack?" Daniel was coming close to him now. Jack had let go of the device in surprise, but it remained on his sleeve.
"What is that?"
"I don't know." Jack was not sure whether or not to move his arm. Nothing hurt, in fact he felt fine.
Daniel reached out to grab the device and jumped back with a yelp, shocked. A small energy field became visible and then disappeared. A few seconds later, the stone stopped glowing and fell off his sleeve.
Daniel cautiously picked it up, examining its markings. "It's not doing anything now."
Carter ran her scanner over it and frowned. "I think it's out of power." She turned to Jack. "Perhaps, sir, you should monitor the download of the computers. Who knows what else your Ancient gene might activate."
"Um. Right. Good idea." Jack moved away from the doohickeys and back to the relative safety of the Earth based laptops. "I still don't get why the Ancients can't just put signs on these things. 'Dangerous item. Do not touch.' 'Broken Time Loop Machine,' 'This way out'."
He looked up to see Daniel staring off into space with that expression that meant he was a thousand miles away and on the verge of some kind of discovery. "That's it," he murmured.
"What's it?"
Daniel looked at them, beaming. "I've figured out how to get back."
Daniel tried to curb his excitement. It was so obvious now, he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. But then again, they may not have found this storage place with the information on the Furlings and Ancients. He explained his theory to the others as he and Sam packed all they could into their packs.
Grabbing the last dust laden device from the shelves, he turned to his friends. "...using the Ancient language is the key. So you see where I'm going with this?"
He glanced up to see Jack looking at him blankly. Over his shoulder, Daniel spotted Sam trying to puzzle it out, but not making much headway. He sighed and started again.
"The Ancients created the transporter to protect this place. Just like we have palm scanners and keypads to protect our technology, it stands to reason the Ancients would too."
Jack said, "I thought you said the Furlings made the transporter."
"The technology is similar, but the language on that archway was Ancient. And so was the false DHD." Daniel explained. "Maybe it's a collaboration with the Furlings. Maybe they developed it on their own from things they learned from the Furlings. All I know is those symbols are the key."
"Okay?" Jack looked completely lost.
"It's like Praclarush Taonas!" Sam's eyes danced in excitement, finally jumping onto his train of thought.
Daniel grinned. "Yes!"
Jack looked from one to the other of them blankly. "What?!"
"Jack, you were the one who explained it to begin with."
Jack's eyebrows rose. "I did?"
"Yes! Well, you had downloaded all the knowledge of the Ancients, so you weren't talking in English at the time, but yes. The Stargate glyphs aren't just symbols, they are also syllables in the Ancient language. That's why that ring out there isn't a full sized Stargate. It's the way out."
Sam said, "You're saying that if you punch in the right word, we'll get the exit."
"Exactly!"
Jack frowned. "I thought Teal'c said you couldn't use that DHD. It was just a hologram."
Daniel nodded, trying not to show his own doubts at this logic. He knew this had to be the answer. "That's true. But it's obvious a lot of the devices around here can only be activated by someone with the Ancient gene."
"That wouldn't be very neighborly of them for their Furling buddies."
Daniel strove to contain his irritation. "Jack, would you please get off the Furling obsession."
"I can't help it. I don't trust them. And if you'd been stuck for weeks with Furling utopia skeletons and a paranoid ex-colonel strung out on space arugula, you'd be wary about all this too!"
Daniel made a note to himself to definitely find out what happened on this old mission when this was all over, but there was no time for that now. "Okay, well even given that, this might've been an added piece of security the Ancients created. The Russians are monitored back at the SGC. Maybe the Ancients were taking similar precautions with the Furlings. Or maybe this was the only way their technology could work together. I don't know. But the point is, I know this is the way out."
Daniel watched Jack earnestly, trying to will him to agree by this point. When Jack took off his cap and ruffled his hair, Daniel knew he had won, but resisted the temptation to exchange a triumphant look with Sam. Jack huffed out a sigh. "Okay. So do you know what word I need to spell on this alphabet song DHD?"
Daniel deflated slightly. "Th-that I'm not sure about, but I'll figure it out. The syllables are already a big clue of combinations."
"That's assuming the Ancients didn't use a code." Sam pointed out.
Daniel had been so consumed with trying to convince the others and trying to remember the symbols on the device, he actually hadn't considered the puzzle could be even more difficult. Knowing his voice wasn't sounding as confident as he liked, he answered. "Well, it would seem to be a bit of overkill for them to only let an Ancient use the device and make it a codeword."
Jack was staring at him again, and Daniel was aware his doubts hadn't gone unnoticed. Gamely, he pressed while he still had a semblance of an advantage. "Look, do you have any better ideas? I know this is the key."
Jack turned around to face Carter, looking to her to answer Daniel's rhetorical question. Daniel watched from behind Jack, half-pleading for her to back him and half-curious if she knew another answer.
She only shrugged. "I don't know enough about the equipment here to know what they can do or can't do. But that device out there is definitely used for something, and its proximity to the entranceway would lend support to Daniel's theory. I say we try it."
"Okay then."
"But Jack, I...Oh-okay?" Daniel's argument stalled as he realized Jack's response.
"Sir?" Sam looked equally surprised at Jack's sudden quiescence.
Jack shrugged. "Okay. Hey, you're in charge of this mission, Carter. I'm just here to turn the lights on."
Sam and Daniel exchanged looks before grinning at each other. She unplugged the laptops and fit them into the bulging packs. She looked at the consoles. "What about this equipment? We can't let this technology fall into the Jaffa's hands."
Daniel nodded. "Can you take out the power crystals?" Skill and a fair bit of luck had kept the Jaffa from finding the ruins and this chamber. There was no telling what Ba'al or another Goa'uld would make of these remnants around him. As much as he hated the idea of destroying this font of knowledge, experience taught him the risks of leaving it. Daniel tried not to think about the possibility Anubis may have escaped Sam's frozen planet by now.
"I can with a few of them. But these two have inaccessible panels. I don't have the time or the know-how of what to pull out or where."
Jack was already reaching into his pocket and pulling out some C-4. Daniel winced at the immediate response and spoke up. "Not that I'm not all for keeping this technology out of the Jaffa's hands, but isn't there any other way?"
Jack sighed. "Like what?"
Carter blinked. "Sir, you initialized the equipment. Maybe you can be the one to turn it off too."
"But...I didn't even do anything. I just sat on the console!"
"Sir." Carter gave him the look-the one that meant she was on the edge of her patience.
Daniel joined in. "Just try, Jack. Concentrate."
"On a big off switch?"
"It's worth a try."
Jack sighed and touched the console. "Off." At his thought, the console powered down to nothing. Jack chuckled. "I could start doing the party circuit. Still..." He waved the C-4. "I think plan B is good insurance."
"Jack..."
"I agree." Carter nodded. "We can set it for a remote detonation."
Daniel wasn't happy with the idea, but he knew he'd lose this argument. There was too much at stake. Jack powered down the rest of the consoles, and they placed the explosives before heading quickly back up the tunnel. Daniel was relieved to see Teal'c looking relatively well and still standing where they had left him. They quickly filled Teal'c in on the plan as he led them back to the small ring and archway. The forest was clearer now, but the dew on the leaves were taking on a more opaque quality, glistening violet in the sun.
"Dawn." Sam whispered. "It was dawn when we first arrived on the planet."
Jack looked around. "Yeah, come to think of it, everything was pretty purple when I left the teams."
Sam was walking beside Daniel, her mouth pursed in thought. "We thought the activation of the archway may be related to the time of day."
"Which means?" Jack kept his voice low, but Daniel was curious about the answer as well.
"Which means there's another reason we should test Daniel's theory now, sir." Sam's eyes gleamed in anticipation as she cut a swath of foliage Teal'c had missed in his trail blazing.
Teal'c's path led them directly to the archway clearing, this time approaching from behind the false Stargate. They only took a few steps before it was obvious their arrival was anticipated. Jack knocked Daniel to the ground, stealing his breath. This time Daniel tried to check his coughs, but he thought to himself how being tackled was getting pretty old.
Energy bolts criss-crossed mere inches over their heads. Up ahead, Sam shouted something to Teal'c that Daniel couldn't hear over the blasts.
Teal'c's response was, "...taclu...tag...tor...."
Daniel translated the garbled word in his head. Tacluchnatagamuntorons. Those were the devices the Tok'ra had used on that planet they'd run into the bounty hunter. He remembered how sensitive to heat and movement they had been too. Probably the only reason the team hadn't been mowed down the instant they had stepped out of the woods was because Teal'c had taken them an unexpected route. Pal'kor must've suspected that the key to their escape was this area by the Stargate, and prepared accordingly. As it was, the tac blasts were mere inches above them. Even crawling forward would be dangerous.
"Daniel." Jack yelled at Daniel. He was right next to Daniel, but his voice still sounded faint from the percussions of the weapons. "Do not move!"
"Not a problem," Daniel groaned, and nodded to Jack that he understood. He continued thinking to himself. "Breathing, that's the problem."
The sharp familiar crack of the P-90 sounded just as Jack's elbow nudged him from the recoil. Another shot, this one sounding close to Daniel's ear; he tried not to flinch from the noise. Nearby, Teal'c's staff weapon was firing in rapid succession. The tac blasts were no longer so close; Daniel could lift his head slightly to take in the surroundings. The high grass still semi-blocked his view. He didn't know how Jack was able to find the devices to shoot them. But Daniel was able to make out some movement in the trees beyond.
One of the two remaining Jaffa was taking advantage of the team being pinned down to get into position and fire. Daniel glanced back at Jack, but he was facing the other direction, aiming at yet another device. At least now Daniel's movement shouldn't jostle Jack's aim or get into his line of fire. He reached down for his own sidearm, unholstering it just as he saw the tell-tale spark of a staff weapon being primed. He was out of time.
"Jack, look out!" Daniel rolled, purposefully shoving Jack's body to the side. His right arm extended, he fired half-blindly towards the Jaffa. An explosion of soil three feet to his left told him the Jaffa had shot wide. Daniel doubted he had hit the guy, but at least his firing had provided cover for them. He looked up, seeing the bushes move from time to time. The Jaffa was repositioning, and Daniel couldn't get a clear shot.
Jack had ended up almost to a right angle from Daniel now and was following the movement with his rifle. Daniel was relieved to see he still appeared fine. Enough of the tacs had been destroyed that Jack's voice was clearer this time. "What have I told you about getting in the way of staff weapon blasts?"
"I try not to make a habit of it," Daniel quipped.
"That's...debatable," Jack gritted out while shooting towards the treeline.
Further to their right, Teal'c and Sam had moved forward several feet. Daniel wondered when that had happened-probably when he was still catching his breath. Teal'c appeared to be taking out the last of the devices with his staff weapon while Sam was scanning the trees with her rifle, occasionally firing a few shots. Sam yelled to them. "Teal'c and I will provide cover fire, sir. Two by two! Move on my signal."
Jack called back. "Carter, I..."
Sam interrupted. "Move...now!"
There was no mistaking the order in Sam's voice. Daniel scrabbled forward, half-crouched to make a smaller target. Belatedly, Daniel remembered Jack's knee trouble, but O'Neill was beside him before he could even turn around. Eventually staff blasts pinned them down once again.
Daniel returned fire, pausing only to reload. He caught a glimpse of a staff weapon and turned before recognizing Teal'c coming up on his left. Jack was still firing, providing cover to the rest of the team. Sam had stayed on the right hand side, able to move up even further, knowing where they could no longer cover her advance. Their years working together made the movements instinctual, and moving forward by pairs while the others provided cover fire, they made their way to the DHD.
Daniel and Jack reached the device, while Sam and Teal'c stayed back, taking cover from the non-Stargate. Daniel wasn't sure what protection, if any, the holographic device would provide. Would the staff blasts pass right through? No matter, Daniel had to kneel upright to see the symbols. Jack copied his move, and to Daniel's shock, he noticed his friend leaning on the device.
"Jack?"
"What?" Jack was still firing his weapon at their currently unseen adversaries, only half paying attention to Daniel.
"The DHD feels solid to you?"
Jack looked down and blinked. "Yeah. I--hey can you start dialing it?"
Daniel tried to touch the glyphs, but his hand still passed through. He sighed. "Sorry. It's got to be you."
"Of course it does." Jack sounded resigned. "So, tell me how to play that tune, Daniel."
"Okay...um..." Daniel stared at the glyphs. It was like some alien game of Scrabble. Make up words amongst the phonetic symbols. "Let's try something simple. Exitus..."
Jack stared at him. "Did you just tell me to dial 'exit'?"
"Well, its Ancient equivalent, yeah."
"I know exit."
Daniel knew it was just the stress that was raising Jack's snark level to high, but he couldn't help rising to the bait. "And you know how to spell it in Ancient phonetics?"
They were distracted from their arguing by a burst of heavy fire at Sam and Teal'c, causing the pair to cringe in their small sheltered areas on either side of the 'gate. Daniel and Jack returned fire. Their guns gave enough breathing room for Sam to duck away from her shelter and lob a grenade at one of their opponents. There was a cry of pain amongst the foliage that exploded outward.
Daniel turned his attention back to the device. "Here...here." He muttered the syllables to himself, while Jack pressed the symbols he indicated.
"Ummm..." Jack pressed the center, but nothing happened outside the glyphs staying lit. More needed to be typed. Another word? Daniel racked his brains. Five syllables to match the chevrons? Exitus forus? Exit out seemed a bit repetitive, but Daniel was willing to try anything. The glyphs darkened. Wrong combination. The reversal was no good either.
Maybe return? Reditus? Revertis? combined with...no the word for home can't be spelled from these symbols. Daniel rubbed at his forehead in frustration, willing the sounds of the firefight and his worries for his friends to fade so he could concentrate.
Jack was not helping when he prompted, "We don't have time to screw around here, Daniel."
"I know!" Daniel pointed to a few glyphs for another combination. "This isn't an exact science, Jack. I'm doing the best that I can!"
A few more attempts were made. The DHD was the "key" to getting out of here. Maybe clavia combined with another word. Absently, he was aware of Sam and Teal'c concentrating their fire on one area alone. Maybe only one Jaffa was left, but if it was that first prime, Daniel still wasn't sure if four on one were enough odds. This guy was wily and...well, Daniel compared it to going up against Teal'c, and those weren't great odds either.
He snapped out of his reverie. They needed a way out, and they were depending on him to get them there. God, he hoped Sam wasn't right and this was actually a code word. It could take weeks, if not longer. And that was if he was coming up with the right words. What could be obvious to an Ancient could mean nothing to him. But it wouldn't correspond to past Ancient writings. The answer was here, in front of him.
"Daniel..." Patience was never Jack's strong suit. "How many times do you want me to dial this damn 'gate?"
"That's it." Daniel stared at Jack in sudden inspiration.
"What's it?"
"The gate...it's not a Stargate, but it's still..." He stared at the DHD, the two symbols for porta were obvious to him now. Why didn't he see it before? But what would be the other half of the answer? A modifier would make sense. He started to think through various combinations they'd tried, dismissing those that would repeat the same symbols. Maybe not a modifier...
"Daniel?" Jack prompted again. "Just give me the right 'open sesame' combination here."
"Open." Daniel looked again at the symbols. Could it really be that simple? patefacere ...no, there was no symbol for "pah" here. If they used aperire with porta--would that be grammatically correct?
He pointed out the symbols and Jack started to dial. Sam yelped in surprise, and she crossed to the other side, joining a distracted Teal'c and pushing him out of range of the device and some distance again from any backflow like the ordinary kawhoosh of the 'gate. Daniel realized with a start that there were no staff blasts anymore. Had Teal'c and Sam taken care of both Jaffa?
"Carter?" Jack had stopped dialing and was watching them as well.
"We're fine. Keep dialing, sir!"
Daniel pointed out the last two glyphs to Jack again. This time when Jack slammed the center control, a rumble and sparks shot out. The gate came to life with a glowing white shimmer.
Sam couldn't resist smiling as the 'gate activated. They were right. Daniel figured out the translation, and the general's gene activated it. It worried her that one Jaffa was still out there. She wondered where he had gone. It was strange that the blasts had suddenly stopped. She knew she had only hit one Jaffa with her grenade. And an exchange of looks with Teal'c revealed he did not believe he had killed the last one. She toyed with whether or not she should detonate the C-4.
The general and Daniel started heading towards the device. She and Teal'c remained crouched off to the right, halfway between it and the DHD and watching for any renewed attack.
That was when Pal'kor struck. She heard the yell of "Incoming" and instinctively dove. Beside her, Teal'c rose. She glanced up to see him firing at a round device falling from the sky. She recognized it as a goa'uld shock grenade just before ducking her head again. It exploded an instant later, sending shrapnel everywhere.
Sam realized why most shock grenades were rolled to the enemy. Teal'c's blast caused a premature detonation, spreading its full impact in the air above rather than knocking them all out. As it was, the concussive force of the explosion rattled her teeth. Her eyes flared with a kaleidoscope of colors, and there was a ringing in her ears.
She blinked rapidly, trying to determine her friends' conditions. General O'Neill had been closest to the explosion. He was loudly cursing, which both troubled and relieved her. He was hurting, hence the cursing, but he was feeling well enough to curse. They needed to move to the 'gate. She shouted over his expletives, "Sir, can you move? You need to head this way!" She struggled to try to get to her feet, but she was slightly wobbly from the blast. If she was feeling this bad, how were the others?
Teal'c had knelt near her, but now stood. He apparently had no doubt of the identity of the survivor because he called out "Pal'kor! You need not stay stranded here. This battle is pointless. Come with us! You fight for a lost god. You can be free!"
"Teal'c, we have to get out of here! The general, Daniel...I don't know how long this exit is going to stay open," Sam chided.
She was surprised he was still offering freedom to Pal'kor. He had looked ready to tear the Jaffa apart limb from limb after Ack'to's death, and it took all her efforts then to get him to retreat. She fully expected him to go on his 'Jaffa revenge kick' as General O'Neill referred to it, and she wouldn't have half blamed him. But she was the first to admit there was a lot she didn't understand about Jaffa politics. Now was not the time to ask Teal'c's motives.
She soon discovered at least part of his reasoning; he was stalling for time. "Colonel Carter," Teal'c's voice was low in her ear. "You must get the others through the device."
"I'm not leaving you either, Teal'c." She tried to focus on him enough to glare.
Pal'kor's voice echoed through the clearing; Sam couldn't pinpoint from what direction. "Shol'va. I would not follow you if you claimed to know the way to Kheb. Anubis is a true god. I have seen his power."
General O'Neill interrupted. "Your master is a slimy oil slick who can't do a damn thing without using somebody else. We've kicked his ass four times across the galaxy. I wouldn't be singing his praises. And by the way, we have been to Kheb. Nice gardens."
Sam hissed a remonstrative "sir" towards him while she followed his voice to reach him. She also heard Daniel saying. "You're not helping, Jack."
Teal'c was still speaking to Pal'kor. "Your master has no army, no ships, no body. He is noone to worship. You killed Ack'to for nothing."
Pal'kor's voice had emotion now. "You led Ack'to astray. My master trusted me to find this place of power. You will not steal its riches like thieves in the night."
"It's dawn, actually." Apparently General O'Neill couldn't resist despite his hiss of pain.
By this time, she had reached them. Daniel was already bandaging the general's leg. O'Neill's sunglasses had protected his vision, because when she pulled them off his face he was looking at her with clear eyes. As for Sam, she was still seeing spots and tearing up. "Sir, can you move? That 'gate won't stay open forever."
"He got hit by some shrapnel." Daniel also looked a bit dazed from the explosion. Both had minor scratches covering them, and she didn't want to guess at her condition.
The general shook his head, waving her away. "I'll be fine. You and Daniel get moving before the 'gate shuts down. I can redial."
Daniel retorted, "You remember the right combo?"
He hissed in pain. "Not the point. Carter..."
"No, sir."
O'Neill blinked at her. "No, sir?"
Carter gave him a stern smile. "You informed me I'm still team leader of this mission, sir. And my c.o. taught me no one gets left behind." This place had brought back too many memories of the time they thought they had lost O'Neill on that Furling world. She wasn't losing the general this time; she wasn't losing any of her team. She turned to Daniel who had already put a pressure bandage on the general's leg wound.
"Done with the bandage. We're ready to roll." Daniel nodded to her, and he looked a bit sharper now. Sam wasn't sure if his condition had improved, or hers, but she liked what she saw.
Their patient was still weakly protesting. "I am a general, now, right? I have a star on my uniform and everything now."
"Of course, sir." She and Daniel lifted O'Neill to his feet, his knees buckling and almost sending all of them back to the ground.
She had tuned out most of the conversation between Teal'c and Pal'kor, now interspersed with occasional blasts. For some reason, the most recent words of Anubis's First Prime resonated now. "I have sent the signal already. My master will find me and reward me."
"Oh, crap." Carter fumbled in her tac-vest pocket for the detonation device. Anubis was trapped on that frozen world with no DHD, but they underestimated that bastardized ascended at their peril. Even if Anubis never learned of the planet, who knows who could intercept Pal'kor's signal.
It was hard to juggle reaching for the device and keep General O'Neill upright. Daniel shifted to take on more of the weight, even as he watched what she was doing with regret. "No choice, Daniel," she murmured.
"I know." He couldn't resist adding, "You downloaded everything you could though, right?"
She flashed him a brief smile and nodded.
He nodded back. She called over to Teal'c, "We have to go."
Teal'c looked torn. "Teal'c," Daniel echoed. "Jack needs help."
Sam fumbled, losing her balance slightly, but was able to reach the detonation mechanism, flipping the toggle switch. As she pressed the button, she felt Teal'c reach around and take the general's weight off her shoulder.
She hadn't really focused on the distance they had traveled in the cave until the ground shook directly beneath them. She finally spotted Pal'kor. He had taken cover by the archway. Now, the explosions of the caves had made the ground unstable. The earth beneath the archway cracked, and the stones collapsed. He fell back with a painful cry as the large rocks buried him underneath the rubble. He could not have survived. She stared in shock at the abrupt end. More cracks appeared under her feet. Half stumbling, half running, she pushed her team forward, and the four of them jumped through the 'gate.
It was only as she shook off the effects of the remnants of the explosions that she thought to doubt this device would lead them back to safety. She opened her eyes and rolled over on the soft grass to see the dual suns of P7X-485 shining down on her, and the relieved face of Major Hadden, SG-8 commander, hovering over her anxiously. She leaned up on her elbows. The Stargate had a strange shimmer in front of it, which winked out before her eyes.
A few feet past her, she could hear General O'Neill grouching. "I've told you, anything to deal with the furry things is bad news."
Twisting her head she spotted him and the rest of her team. From her radio, she could hear a frantic voice. Was that Doctor Lee?
"...overloaded and lost the signals, and..." The radio broadcast shut off as she heard Bill's voice nearby. "Oh. You're here." He and Major Altman came running towards them as Major Hadden helped her to her feet. Lee's presence among the teams trying to rescue her, and his obvious relief at their safe return oddly wiped away the last vestiges of nightmarish memories she'd been squelching ever since being stranded. She smiled back at Lee.
Altman broke out in a grin. "We've been worried. We were monitoring you, but the device was on for some time before anyone came through. And then when the archway appeared to be gone..."
Sam interrupted, "Monitoring us? How?"
"Oh, there's some type of control station set up in the ruins. Life signs, meteorology, some kind of log..." Bill pointed back to the location Daniel had wanted to visit yesterday. It seemed a lifetime ago now.
"Really?" Daniel stood and looked over to the ruins.
Sam thought aloud. "It would make sense. If this was some sort of proving ground, they would have a monitoring locale separate. Perhaps that's part of the reason they had the testing labs in another location." Sam looked at the ruins with excitement. There may still some technology to be salvaged after the explosion.
General O'Neill said, "No more toys for any of you. You should have enough in your backpacks to keep you occupied for the next decade or so." He beckoned for a hand up, and Teal'c and Daniel lifted him to his feet. When he got upright, his eyes met Sam's. "Right now, the mission is just to get back to base."
"Yes, sir." She smiled at him. "Couldn't have done it without you."
He smiled back in a wistful manner. "Maybe, but SG-1 seemed to be handling things just fine without me."
She blinked, not quite sure how to respond to that comment.
"You are welcome to join us anytime, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
"So long as we don't have to carry you back home. I think that should be a condition," Daniel shifted his balance and glanced down worriedly at the general's injured leg.
One of the marines of SG-12 started over to take Daniel's place supporting the general. Sam could've sworn she heard Teal'c growl at the sergeant. Daniel waved him away a bit more politely, but just as firmly. SG-1 would be the ones to get the general home; he'd done the same for them.
Fin.
For Part 2, go here.
Jack did not let Teal'c's cry distract him. As soon as Teal'c had moved closer to the Jaffa exchanging fire with Daniel, Jack noticed a movement amongst the darkness. He shifted his weapon, not certain whether or not the shadow was friend or foe. Carter's absence by Daniel's side concerned him. Jack tamped down on any worries at her whereabouts. Carter was a competent commander; SG-1 was an experienced unit. He needed to concentrate on the here and now, and the here and now was revealed to be a Jaffa moving to within a few feet of Daniel.
O'Neill cursed not bringing infrared goggles with him, or even having a scope on his weapon. Still, he'd kept up his marksmanship rating. Just as Teal'c cried out his warning, before Daniel could finish reloading his pistol, Jack made his move.
The shot struck home. The knife fell from the Jaffa's listless hands, never reaching its target. The Jaffa's momentum still carried him forward, and the body collapsed into Daniel's arms, dragging him down to the ground.
Teal'c had already crossed the distance and shoved the dead Jaffa off his teammate. Jack noticed Teal'c ensured the immature symbiote did not try and find a host. "Are you harmed, Daniel Jackson?"
"Um...no. I'm fine. What-how? That was gunfire."
Jack hadn't moved yet, stil searching for other threats from his position, trusting Teal'c to cover Daniel. He saw Teal'c reach into his pocket for a remote and the shrill perimeter alarm ceased. Once satisfied there was no further danger, Jack got up and headed towards his friends. He smiled at the bemused squint Daniel was tossing at him.
"Wha-Jack?"
Jack tipped his hat and smiled. "Gotta tell ya, Daniel, you and Teal'c sure know how to make a guy feel welcome."
Daniel ignored the joke. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Jack thought to himself that Daniel really needed a new line when faced with Jack's unexpected appearances. He shrugged. "Well, you know, sitting in the office is all paperwork all day. I figured a nice little stroll offworld."
"Jack," Daniel's voice held a scolding tone. And with one member of the SG-1 trio still missing, Jack admitted he wasn't too interested in continuing the banter himself.
"Where's Carter?"
"She's-she's fine. She's...oh, that's right. You wouldn't know." Daniel looked from Jack to Teal'c with a level of enthusiasm that had always made Jack wary. "After Teal'c left to patrol, I figured out what was so odd about this outcropping. The depressions and setting were unnatural. I would've realized it sooner in daylight. Teal'c mentioned we were due east and I realized some of the faded writings on the archway related to an archaic riddle that described--"
"Daniel!"
"My point is, some of the stones here aren't really stones, they're a holographically disguised entrance." Daniel walked over a few feet and waved his arm at the stone; it passed through the rock-face as if it were air.
"It leads to a tunnel, and at the end...well, you have to see!" Daniel started towards this not-a-rock-wall.
"Whoa!" Jack instinctively grabbed Daniel's arm before he went tearing off.
Daniel seemed to be making an effort not to roll his eyes. "It's perfectly safe. Sam and I each explored it all the way to the end. This is the only way in or out. Sam wanted the entrance guarded."
"And she sent you?"
Daniel looked insulted. "I know how to shoot, Jack. I've been on this team for how long?"
"I'm not saying that." Daniel had always had good aim, even if his hand-to-hand skills still left a lot to be desired. Since he seemed so insulted, Jack refrained from pointing out he was about to be Jaffa fillet. "If there's Ancient stuff there, shouldn't you have to...you know...translate it?"
"Oh." Daniel looked more mollified. "Yes, that's true. We were only able to get one console working, and there is a lot of writing. A lot of it was very technical terms I couldn't really translate anyway. Sam's better at figuring out alien gadgets. Some displays were diagrams she thought she could interpret."
"You left her alone? What if something else went wacky?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows, but calmly replied. "It was a risk. But we knew Teal'c would be back soon, and our priority was to figure out a way out of here. Sam thought it was worth it, so..." He shrugged. "She ordered me out here. By the way, Teal'c, you've been gone a lot longer than we expected..."
Jack was about to retort about Daniel's unique ways of following orders when he was in charge, but Daniel's sudden exclamation stopped him. "Teal'c, you're bleeding!"
"It is of nothing, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c's thunderous expression abruptly stopped Daniel from moving forward. Even Jack blanched at his vehemence. "I should not have left you to defend this spot alone for so long. They employed a cunning and basic tactic, drawing me away like the most foolish hassack."
"Stop beating yourself up about it, T. It didn't succeed." Jack pointed out the dead Jaffa. "Now it's four of us versus two Jaffa. I'm liking those odds."
Daniel blinked. "Two?"
"Teal'c gave me the lowdown. Six minus two minus one." He directed his flashlight between the Jaffa Daniel had shot and then pointed it at the body by their feet. "And now one more down. Two left."
"Oh. Well, that-that's good." Daniel seemed a bit surprised at the numbers, but he didn't question further.
"You're sure there's six, right Teal'c?"
Teal'c exchanged an enigmatic look with his teammate before Daniel answered. "We're sure."
Jack had been scanning the area even while they spoke, hyperalert at more enemy out there and that the current absence of SG-1's leader. "Why didn't Carter come out when she heard the gunfire?" Jack was careful not to sound too worried.
To his surprise, Daniel remained unconcerned. "She probably couldn't hear it. Things are pretty sheltered in there. Oh, and the radios don't seem to work. Sam said..." Daniel's eyebrows scrunched together, then seemed to give up on trying to translate Carter's techno-speak. "...something to do with interference and a field?"
"Well, then I guess we'd better go to her." Jack hesitated. "You said it's our best chance for getting out of here?"
"I think so. At least it's the best clue we've had as to what was being protected, and what Anubis sent those Jaffa here for in the first place."
"I will stand watch," Teal'c said. Jack didn't like how he swayed slightly on his feet. He was looking a bit rough for wear. But, there wasn't anyone else to do it. Carter was the gadget guru, Daniel needed to read the stuff, and the whole reason Jack was even here was to get these Ancient doodads to work. As much as he hated it, Teal'c would have to stand watch alone.
Teal'c stared at Jack for a moment, as if he was reading his thoughts. Teal'c bowed his head; Jack nodded back. He scanned the area. This area was still well protected, and Teal'c should have the advantage if anyone tried to approach. He turned to Daniel, who was standing by the fake wall. "Lead on."
Jack took a deep breath and followed Daniel into the apparent solid rock wall, unconsciously closing his eyes as he passed through. When he opened them, he found himself in a musty, narrow cavern. Daniel had already turned on his flashlight, and Jack soon did the same. The stone was a solid grey, and to Jack's unpracticed eye, too smooth to be completely natural. The width wasn't quite enough for he and Daniel to both walk abreast, and both men had to stoop to pass through sections of the twisted passageway.
Daniel was moving swiftly ahead and Jack had to pay attention to keep up. He noticed a slight decline. "Is it my imagination, or are we doubling back towards that fake Stargate?" Jack asked.
"Based on what I translated at the archway, that's a good guess. Wherever it is, it's definitely underground."
Jack ducked to avoid hitting his head on a stalactite. "Seems a lot of trouble for just one room."
Daniel turned around to look at Jack. To Jack's surprise, Daniel was beaming. "It's not just any room. Wait till you see it."
Remembering some of Daniel's earlier enthusiasms, Jack was a bit worried at his friend's excitement. They turned the last corner with Jack praying this would not lead to "meaning of life" stuff or, God forbid, another Ancient head sucker. Jack followed Daniel into a wide well lit area. His jaw dropped in shock. The room was the size of a large warehouse. Captain Brannon's inventory screen made so much more sense now. Much of the area was empty, but several items remained. Large items on the floor, some small ones stacked on shelves. Some were covered with dust, but others were dust free. White cloths were scattered on the floor that Jack assumed were dust covers before Daniel and Carter started exploring. He let out a low whistle as he leaned against one of the devices.
"Lights are on."
"That happened as soon as we first arrived." Daniel explained.
"Sir." Carter popped into sight from behind a console similar to what he'd seen in the other planet ruins. Jack was relieved to see she looked perfectly all right.
"Good to see you, Carter."
"You too, sir." She smiled back at him, looking surprised. "Rescue party?"
"You're looking at it." Jack shrugged. "And I don't have the magic key to get out yet either. The geeks are trying to figure out how to get you...us...back from their end, and I came to see if I can help out here."
To his chagrin, Carter looked more concerned. "But that means you're stranded with us. How..?"
"Long story. What've you got?" Jack didn't need Carter's lecture on how it might have been rash to join the team here. He was certain he'd be getting an earful from Hammond when he got back. Plus, he wanted intel on this place fast; it looked different than the devices on...wherever it was he came from.
Carter swept her bangs out of her eyes. "Well, I've gone through as much as I could figure out on the one console we could operate. They appeared to be mainly chemical experiments from the molecular constructs. I've downloaded what I could. As for the other machines, I think I can figure out some basic controls, but I can't get any of it to..." Her voice trailed off, and she stared at the table Jack was leaning on. "How did you do that?"
Jack hadn't even realized the table had powered up. He jumped off it in surprise, and it still hummed. God, was even his ass superpowered?
"This is amazing!" Carter and Daniel stared at the lighted console like kids at their presents Christmas morning. It was the same look Lee and SG-5 had playing with their Ancient toys. Carter pulled off her pack and opened Daniel's from where it was sitting on the floor nearby. Before Jack knew what was happening, she had hooked up both their laptops to the devices in some sort of jigsaw puzzle of wires and crystals. Now with their heads together, they were discussing scientific techno-talk at warp speed--Daniel translating the words, and Carter working the controls.
"Hey!" He called. They both looked at him, blinking. "Do you think there's something there that can help us get back to the real Stargate?"
"It's hard to say, sir. There's a lot of material here. We don't have an answer yet."
Daniel spoke up, his voice filled with awe. "I've found a main directory. This place was a laboratory. Most of the log entries are gone, but from what I can read, we were right. It was a joint effort of the Furlings and Ancients."
"Furlings? No one mentioned the Furlings before." Jack looked at the area more warily. He'd never much cared for that alien species, even if they were buddies with Thor. After being stuck on that moon with Harry, he thought less of them. His last encounter with Furling technology had even made him happy to see the Tok'ra, for cryin' out loud.
Daniel didn't seem to notice Jack's concern. "Yeah. They were working on some experimental joint technology here. Some devices they were sharing, some others they just brought for testing and integration. I've got mainly a general log here. But there's a few items. The scope of the research is hard to pin down. So much of the files are either degraded or erased. Still, there's a lot here, even mentions of defensive technology. If Anubis had ever found this information..."
Jack let out a low whistle. "We'll have to make sure we keep it that way too. Anubis may or may not be out of the picture, but these Jaffa don't seem to friendly."
"No." Carter spoke up. "We'll try and pack up what we can. We don't know what will be useful."
Daniel nodded, his concerns obvious. "Right. And those Jaffa know we're here. Teal'c's out there alone."
Jack took off his cap and scrubbed his head. "I know."
"What about Teal'c?" Carter picked up on the unsaid emotion behind Jack and Daniel's exchange.
Daniel looked uncomfortable. "He's...relatively fine. You know Teal'c. And we're three more Jaffa down."
Carter grimaced. "I should--"
Jack knew what she was feeling; hell, he still felt what she was feeling, worry and responsibility for a people under their command. He hastened to reassure her. "He's okay for now. I was just mentioning you two shouldn't play too much with the toys here. I left a timeline for the teams waiting for us on the other side."
Carter nodded. "The laptops are already downloading as fast as possible."
Jack wandered over to the shelves of dust-covered items to start packing some of the devices. One item was a green oval disk approximately the size of the palm of his hand. He accidentally brushed it against his sleeve; his arm tingled, and a strange glow encompassed him. "What the...?"
"Jack?" Daniel was coming close to him now. Jack had let go of the device in surprise, but it remained on his sleeve.
"What is that?"
"I don't know." Jack was not sure whether or not to move his arm. Nothing hurt, in fact he felt fine.
Daniel reached out to grab the device and jumped back with a yelp, shocked. A small energy field became visible and then disappeared. A few seconds later, the stone stopped glowing and fell off his sleeve.
Daniel cautiously picked it up, examining its markings. "It's not doing anything now."
Carter ran her scanner over it and frowned. "I think it's out of power." She turned to Jack. "Perhaps, sir, you should monitor the download of the computers. Who knows what else your Ancient gene might activate."
"Um. Right. Good idea." Jack moved away from the doohickeys and back to the relative safety of the Earth based laptops. "I still don't get why the Ancients can't just put signs on these things. 'Dangerous item. Do not touch.' 'Broken Time Loop Machine,' 'This way out'."
He looked up to see Daniel staring off into space with that expression that meant he was a thousand miles away and on the verge of some kind of discovery. "That's it," he murmured.
"What's it?"
Daniel looked at them, beaming. "I've figured out how to get back."
Daniel tried to curb his excitement. It was so obvious now, he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. But then again, they may not have found this storage place with the information on the Furlings and Ancients. He explained his theory to the others as he and Sam packed all they could into their packs.
Grabbing the last dust laden device from the shelves, he turned to his friends. "...using the Ancient language is the key. So you see where I'm going with this?"
He glanced up to see Jack looking at him blankly. Over his shoulder, Daniel spotted Sam trying to puzzle it out, but not making much headway. He sighed and started again.
"The Ancients created the transporter to protect this place. Just like we have palm scanners and keypads to protect our technology, it stands to reason the Ancients would too."
Jack said, "I thought you said the Furlings made the transporter."
"The technology is similar, but the language on that archway was Ancient. And so was the false DHD." Daniel explained. "Maybe it's a collaboration with the Furlings. Maybe they developed it on their own from things they learned from the Furlings. All I know is those symbols are the key."
"Okay?" Jack looked completely lost.
"It's like Praclarush Taonas!" Sam's eyes danced in excitement, finally jumping onto his train of thought.
Daniel grinned. "Yes!"
Jack looked from one to the other of them blankly. "What?!"
"Jack, you were the one who explained it to begin with."
Jack's eyebrows rose. "I did?"
"Yes! Well, you had downloaded all the knowledge of the Ancients, so you weren't talking in English at the time, but yes. The Stargate glyphs aren't just symbols, they are also syllables in the Ancient language. That's why that ring out there isn't a full sized Stargate. It's the way out."
Sam said, "You're saying that if you punch in the right word, we'll get the exit."
"Exactly!"
Jack frowned. "I thought Teal'c said you couldn't use that DHD. It was just a hologram."
Daniel nodded, trying not to show his own doubts at this logic. He knew this had to be the answer. "That's true. But it's obvious a lot of the devices around here can only be activated by someone with the Ancient gene."
"That wouldn't be very neighborly of them for their Furling buddies."
Daniel strove to contain his irritation. "Jack, would you please get off the Furling obsession."
"I can't help it. I don't trust them. And if you'd been stuck for weeks with Furling utopia skeletons and a paranoid ex-colonel strung out on space arugula, you'd be wary about all this too!"
Daniel made a note to himself to definitely find out what happened on this old mission when this was all over, but there was no time for that now. "Okay, well even given that, this might've been an added piece of security the Ancients created. The Russians are monitored back at the SGC. Maybe the Ancients were taking similar precautions with the Furlings. Or maybe this was the only way their technology could work together. I don't know. But the point is, I know this is the way out."
Daniel watched Jack earnestly, trying to will him to agree by this point. When Jack took off his cap and ruffled his hair, Daniel knew he had won, but resisted the temptation to exchange a triumphant look with Sam. Jack huffed out a sigh. "Okay. So do you know what word I need to spell on this alphabet song DHD?"
Daniel deflated slightly. "Th-that I'm not sure about, but I'll figure it out. The syllables are already a big clue of combinations."
"That's assuming the Ancients didn't use a code." Sam pointed out.
Daniel had been so consumed with trying to convince the others and trying to remember the symbols on the device, he actually hadn't considered the puzzle could be even more difficult. Knowing his voice wasn't sounding as confident as he liked, he answered. "Well, it would seem to be a bit of overkill for them to only let an Ancient use the device and make it a codeword."
Jack was staring at him again, and Daniel was aware his doubts hadn't gone unnoticed. Gamely, he pressed while he still had a semblance of an advantage. "Look, do you have any better ideas? I know this is the key."
Jack turned around to face Carter, looking to her to answer Daniel's rhetorical question. Daniel watched from behind Jack, half-pleading for her to back him and half-curious if she knew another answer.
She only shrugged. "I don't know enough about the equipment here to know what they can do or can't do. But that device out there is definitely used for something, and its proximity to the entranceway would lend support to Daniel's theory. I say we try it."
"Okay then."
"But Jack, I...Oh-okay?" Daniel's argument stalled as he realized Jack's response.
"Sir?" Sam looked equally surprised at Jack's sudden quiescence.
Jack shrugged. "Okay. Hey, you're in charge of this mission, Carter. I'm just here to turn the lights on."
Sam and Daniel exchanged looks before grinning at each other. She unplugged the laptops and fit them into the bulging packs. She looked at the consoles. "What about this equipment? We can't let this technology fall into the Jaffa's hands."
Daniel nodded. "Can you take out the power crystals?" Skill and a fair bit of luck had kept the Jaffa from finding the ruins and this chamber. There was no telling what Ba'al or another Goa'uld would make of these remnants around him. As much as he hated the idea of destroying this font of knowledge, experience taught him the risks of leaving it. Daniel tried not to think about the possibility Anubis may have escaped Sam's frozen planet by now.
"I can with a few of them. But these two have inaccessible panels. I don't have the time or the know-how of what to pull out or where."
Jack was already reaching into his pocket and pulling out some C-4. Daniel winced at the immediate response and spoke up. "Not that I'm not all for keeping this technology out of the Jaffa's hands, but isn't there any other way?"
Jack sighed. "Like what?"
Carter blinked. "Sir, you initialized the equipment. Maybe you can be the one to turn it off too."
"But...I didn't even do anything. I just sat on the console!"
"Sir." Carter gave him the look-the one that meant she was on the edge of her patience.
Daniel joined in. "Just try, Jack. Concentrate."
"On a big off switch?"
"It's worth a try."
Jack sighed and touched the console. "Off." At his thought, the console powered down to nothing. Jack chuckled. "I could start doing the party circuit. Still..." He waved the C-4. "I think plan B is good insurance."
"Jack..."
"I agree." Carter nodded. "We can set it for a remote detonation."
Daniel wasn't happy with the idea, but he knew he'd lose this argument. There was too much at stake. Jack powered down the rest of the consoles, and they placed the explosives before heading quickly back up the tunnel. Daniel was relieved to see Teal'c looking relatively well and still standing where they had left him. They quickly filled Teal'c in on the plan as he led them back to the small ring and archway. The forest was clearer now, but the dew on the leaves were taking on a more opaque quality, glistening violet in the sun.
"Dawn." Sam whispered. "It was dawn when we first arrived on the planet."
Jack looked around. "Yeah, come to think of it, everything was pretty purple when I left the teams."
Sam was walking beside Daniel, her mouth pursed in thought. "We thought the activation of the archway may be related to the time of day."
"Which means?" Jack kept his voice low, but Daniel was curious about the answer as well.
"Which means there's another reason we should test Daniel's theory now, sir." Sam's eyes gleamed in anticipation as she cut a swath of foliage Teal'c had missed in his trail blazing.
Teal'c's path led them directly to the archway clearing, this time approaching from behind the false Stargate. They only took a few steps before it was obvious their arrival was anticipated. Jack knocked Daniel to the ground, stealing his breath. This time Daniel tried to check his coughs, but he thought to himself how being tackled was getting pretty old.
Energy bolts criss-crossed mere inches over their heads. Up ahead, Sam shouted something to Teal'c that Daniel couldn't hear over the blasts.
Teal'c's response was, "...taclu...tag...tor...."
Daniel translated the garbled word in his head. Tacluchnatagamuntorons. Those were the devices the Tok'ra had used on that planet they'd run into the bounty hunter. He remembered how sensitive to heat and movement they had been too. Probably the only reason the team hadn't been mowed down the instant they had stepped out of the woods was because Teal'c had taken them an unexpected route. Pal'kor must've suspected that the key to their escape was this area by the Stargate, and prepared accordingly. As it was, the tac blasts were mere inches above them. Even crawling forward would be dangerous.
"Daniel." Jack yelled at Daniel. He was right next to Daniel, but his voice still sounded faint from the percussions of the weapons. "Do not move!"
"Not a problem," Daniel groaned, and nodded to Jack that he understood. He continued thinking to himself. "Breathing, that's the problem."
The sharp familiar crack of the P-90 sounded just as Jack's elbow nudged him from the recoil. Another shot, this one sounding close to Daniel's ear; he tried not to flinch from the noise. Nearby, Teal'c's staff weapon was firing in rapid succession. The tac blasts were no longer so close; Daniel could lift his head slightly to take in the surroundings. The high grass still semi-blocked his view. He didn't know how Jack was able to find the devices to shoot them. But Daniel was able to make out some movement in the trees beyond.
One of the two remaining Jaffa was taking advantage of the team being pinned down to get into position and fire. Daniel glanced back at Jack, but he was facing the other direction, aiming at yet another device. At least now Daniel's movement shouldn't jostle Jack's aim or get into his line of fire. He reached down for his own sidearm, unholstering it just as he saw the tell-tale spark of a staff weapon being primed. He was out of time.
"Jack, look out!" Daniel rolled, purposefully shoving Jack's body to the side. His right arm extended, he fired half-blindly towards the Jaffa. An explosion of soil three feet to his left told him the Jaffa had shot wide. Daniel doubted he had hit the guy, but at least his firing had provided cover for them. He looked up, seeing the bushes move from time to time. The Jaffa was repositioning, and Daniel couldn't get a clear shot.
Jack had ended up almost to a right angle from Daniel now and was following the movement with his rifle. Daniel was relieved to see he still appeared fine. Enough of the tacs had been destroyed that Jack's voice was clearer this time. "What have I told you about getting in the way of staff weapon blasts?"
"I try not to make a habit of it," Daniel quipped.
"That's...debatable," Jack gritted out while shooting towards the treeline.
Further to their right, Teal'c and Sam had moved forward several feet. Daniel wondered when that had happened-probably when he was still catching his breath. Teal'c appeared to be taking out the last of the devices with his staff weapon while Sam was scanning the trees with her rifle, occasionally firing a few shots. Sam yelled to them. "Teal'c and I will provide cover fire, sir. Two by two! Move on my signal."
Jack called back. "Carter, I..."
Sam interrupted. "Move...now!"
There was no mistaking the order in Sam's voice. Daniel scrabbled forward, half-crouched to make a smaller target. Belatedly, Daniel remembered Jack's knee trouble, but O'Neill was beside him before he could even turn around. Eventually staff blasts pinned them down once again.
Daniel returned fire, pausing only to reload. He caught a glimpse of a staff weapon and turned before recognizing Teal'c coming up on his left. Jack was still firing, providing cover to the rest of the team. Sam had stayed on the right hand side, able to move up even further, knowing where they could no longer cover her advance. Their years working together made the movements instinctual, and moving forward by pairs while the others provided cover fire, they made their way to the DHD.
Daniel and Jack reached the device, while Sam and Teal'c stayed back, taking cover from the non-Stargate. Daniel wasn't sure what protection, if any, the holographic device would provide. Would the staff blasts pass right through? No matter, Daniel had to kneel upright to see the symbols. Jack copied his move, and to Daniel's shock, he noticed his friend leaning on the device.
"Jack?"
"What?" Jack was still firing his weapon at their currently unseen adversaries, only half paying attention to Daniel.
"The DHD feels solid to you?"
Jack looked down and blinked. "Yeah. I--hey can you start dialing it?"
Daniel tried to touch the glyphs, but his hand still passed through. He sighed. "Sorry. It's got to be you."
"Of course it does." Jack sounded resigned. "So, tell me how to play that tune, Daniel."
"Okay...um..." Daniel stared at the glyphs. It was like some alien game of Scrabble. Make up words amongst the phonetic symbols. "Let's try something simple. Exitus..."
Jack stared at him. "Did you just tell me to dial 'exit'?"
"Well, its Ancient equivalent, yeah."
"I know exit."
Daniel knew it was just the stress that was raising Jack's snark level to high, but he couldn't help rising to the bait. "And you know how to spell it in Ancient phonetics?"
They were distracted from their arguing by a burst of heavy fire at Sam and Teal'c, causing the pair to cringe in their small sheltered areas on either side of the 'gate. Daniel and Jack returned fire. Their guns gave enough breathing room for Sam to duck away from her shelter and lob a grenade at one of their opponents. There was a cry of pain amongst the foliage that exploded outward.
Daniel turned his attention back to the device. "Here...here." He muttered the syllables to himself, while Jack pressed the symbols he indicated.
"Ummm..." Jack pressed the center, but nothing happened outside the glyphs staying lit. More needed to be typed. Another word? Daniel racked his brains. Five syllables to match the chevrons? Exitus forus? Exit out seemed a bit repetitive, but Daniel was willing to try anything. The glyphs darkened. Wrong combination. The reversal was no good either.
Maybe return? Reditus? Revertis? combined with...no the word for home can't be spelled from these symbols. Daniel rubbed at his forehead in frustration, willing the sounds of the firefight and his worries for his friends to fade so he could concentrate.
Jack was not helping when he prompted, "We don't have time to screw around here, Daniel."
"I know!" Daniel pointed to a few glyphs for another combination. "This isn't an exact science, Jack. I'm doing the best that I can!"
A few more attempts were made. The DHD was the "key" to getting out of here. Maybe clavia combined with another word. Absently, he was aware of Sam and Teal'c concentrating their fire on one area alone. Maybe only one Jaffa was left, but if it was that first prime, Daniel still wasn't sure if four on one were enough odds. This guy was wily and...well, Daniel compared it to going up against Teal'c, and those weren't great odds either.
He snapped out of his reverie. They needed a way out, and they were depending on him to get them there. God, he hoped Sam wasn't right and this was actually a code word. It could take weeks, if not longer. And that was if he was coming up with the right words. What could be obvious to an Ancient could mean nothing to him. But it wouldn't correspond to past Ancient writings. The answer was here, in front of him.
"Daniel..." Patience was never Jack's strong suit. "How many times do you want me to dial this damn 'gate?"
"That's it." Daniel stared at Jack in sudden inspiration.
"What's it?"
"The gate...it's not a Stargate, but it's still..." He stared at the DHD, the two symbols for porta were obvious to him now. Why didn't he see it before? But what would be the other half of the answer? A modifier would make sense. He started to think through various combinations they'd tried, dismissing those that would repeat the same symbols. Maybe not a modifier...
"Daniel?" Jack prompted again. "Just give me the right 'open sesame' combination here."
"Open." Daniel looked again at the symbols. Could it really be that simple? patefacere ...no, there was no symbol for "pah" here. If they used aperire with porta--would that be grammatically correct?
He pointed out the symbols and Jack started to dial. Sam yelped in surprise, and she crossed to the other side, joining a distracted Teal'c and pushing him out of range of the device and some distance again from any backflow like the ordinary kawhoosh of the 'gate. Daniel realized with a start that there were no staff blasts anymore. Had Teal'c and Sam taken care of both Jaffa?
"Carter?" Jack had stopped dialing and was watching them as well.
"We're fine. Keep dialing, sir!"
Daniel pointed out the last two glyphs to Jack again. This time when Jack slammed the center control, a rumble and sparks shot out. The gate came to life with a glowing white shimmer.
Sam couldn't resist smiling as the 'gate activated. They were right. Daniel figured out the translation, and the general's gene activated it. It worried her that one Jaffa was still out there. She wondered where he had gone. It was strange that the blasts had suddenly stopped. She knew she had only hit one Jaffa with her grenade. And an exchange of looks with Teal'c revealed he did not believe he had killed the last one. She toyed with whether or not she should detonate the C-4.
The general and Daniel started heading towards the device. She and Teal'c remained crouched off to the right, halfway between it and the DHD and watching for any renewed attack.
That was when Pal'kor struck. She heard the yell of "Incoming" and instinctively dove. Beside her, Teal'c rose. She glanced up to see him firing at a round device falling from the sky. She recognized it as a goa'uld shock grenade just before ducking her head again. It exploded an instant later, sending shrapnel everywhere.
Sam realized why most shock grenades were rolled to the enemy. Teal'c's blast caused a premature detonation, spreading its full impact in the air above rather than knocking them all out. As it was, the concussive force of the explosion rattled her teeth. Her eyes flared with a kaleidoscope of colors, and there was a ringing in her ears.
She blinked rapidly, trying to determine her friends' conditions. General O'Neill had been closest to the explosion. He was loudly cursing, which both troubled and relieved her. He was hurting, hence the cursing, but he was feeling well enough to curse. They needed to move to the 'gate. She shouted over his expletives, "Sir, can you move? You need to head this way!" She struggled to try to get to her feet, but she was slightly wobbly from the blast. If she was feeling this bad, how were the others?
Teal'c had knelt near her, but now stood. He apparently had no doubt of the identity of the survivor because he called out "Pal'kor! You need not stay stranded here. This battle is pointless. Come with us! You fight for a lost god. You can be free!"
"Teal'c, we have to get out of here! The general, Daniel...I don't know how long this exit is going to stay open," Sam chided.
She was surprised he was still offering freedom to Pal'kor. He had looked ready to tear the Jaffa apart limb from limb after Ack'to's death, and it took all her efforts then to get him to retreat. She fully expected him to go on his 'Jaffa revenge kick' as General O'Neill referred to it, and she wouldn't have half blamed him. But she was the first to admit there was a lot she didn't understand about Jaffa politics. Now was not the time to ask Teal'c's motives.
She soon discovered at least part of his reasoning; he was stalling for time. "Colonel Carter," Teal'c's voice was low in her ear. "You must get the others through the device."
"I'm not leaving you either, Teal'c." She tried to focus on him enough to glare.
Pal'kor's voice echoed through the clearing; Sam couldn't pinpoint from what direction. "Shol'va. I would not follow you if you claimed to know the way to Kheb. Anubis is a true god. I have seen his power."
General O'Neill interrupted. "Your master is a slimy oil slick who can't do a damn thing without using somebody else. We've kicked his ass four times across the galaxy. I wouldn't be singing his praises. And by the way, we have been to Kheb. Nice gardens."
Sam hissed a remonstrative "sir" towards him while she followed his voice to reach him. She also heard Daniel saying. "You're not helping, Jack."
Teal'c was still speaking to Pal'kor. "Your master has no army, no ships, no body. He is noone to worship. You killed Ack'to for nothing."
Pal'kor's voice had emotion now. "You led Ack'to astray. My master trusted me to find this place of power. You will not steal its riches like thieves in the night."
"It's dawn, actually." Apparently General O'Neill couldn't resist despite his hiss of pain.
By this time, she had reached them. Daniel was already bandaging the general's leg. O'Neill's sunglasses had protected his vision, because when she pulled them off his face he was looking at her with clear eyes. As for Sam, she was still seeing spots and tearing up. "Sir, can you move? That 'gate won't stay open forever."
"He got hit by some shrapnel." Daniel also looked a bit dazed from the explosion. Both had minor scratches covering them, and she didn't want to guess at her condition.
The general shook his head, waving her away. "I'll be fine. You and Daniel get moving before the 'gate shuts down. I can redial."
Daniel retorted, "You remember the right combo?"
He hissed in pain. "Not the point. Carter..."
"No, sir."
O'Neill blinked at her. "No, sir?"
Carter gave him a stern smile. "You informed me I'm still team leader of this mission, sir. And my c.o. taught me no one gets left behind." This place had brought back too many memories of the time they thought they had lost O'Neill on that Furling world. She wasn't losing the general this time; she wasn't losing any of her team. She turned to Daniel who had already put a pressure bandage on the general's leg wound.
"Done with the bandage. We're ready to roll." Daniel nodded to her, and he looked a bit sharper now. Sam wasn't sure if his condition had improved, or hers, but she liked what she saw.
Their patient was still weakly protesting. "I am a general, now, right? I have a star on my uniform and everything now."
"Of course, sir." She and Daniel lifted O'Neill to his feet, his knees buckling and almost sending all of them back to the ground.
She had tuned out most of the conversation between Teal'c and Pal'kor, now interspersed with occasional blasts. For some reason, the most recent words of Anubis's First Prime resonated now. "I have sent the signal already. My master will find me and reward me."
"Oh, crap." Carter fumbled in her tac-vest pocket for the detonation device. Anubis was trapped on that frozen world with no DHD, but they underestimated that bastardized ascended at their peril. Even if Anubis never learned of the planet, who knows who could intercept Pal'kor's signal.
It was hard to juggle reaching for the device and keep General O'Neill upright. Daniel shifted to take on more of the weight, even as he watched what she was doing with regret. "No choice, Daniel," she murmured.
"I know." He couldn't resist adding, "You downloaded everything you could though, right?"
She flashed him a brief smile and nodded.
He nodded back. She called over to Teal'c, "We have to go."
Teal'c looked torn. "Teal'c," Daniel echoed. "Jack needs help."
Sam fumbled, losing her balance slightly, but was able to reach the detonation mechanism, flipping the toggle switch. As she pressed the button, she felt Teal'c reach around and take the general's weight off her shoulder.
She hadn't really focused on the distance they had traveled in the cave until the ground shook directly beneath them. She finally spotted Pal'kor. He had taken cover by the archway. Now, the explosions of the caves had made the ground unstable. The earth beneath the archway cracked, and the stones collapsed. He fell back with a painful cry as the large rocks buried him underneath the rubble. He could not have survived. She stared in shock at the abrupt end. More cracks appeared under her feet. Half stumbling, half running, she pushed her team forward, and the four of them jumped through the 'gate.
It was only as she shook off the effects of the remnants of the explosions that she thought to doubt this device would lead them back to safety. She opened her eyes and rolled over on the soft grass to see the dual suns of P7X-485 shining down on her, and the relieved face of Major Hadden, SG-8 commander, hovering over her anxiously. She leaned up on her elbows. The Stargate had a strange shimmer in front of it, which winked out before her eyes.
A few feet past her, she could hear General O'Neill grouching. "I've told you, anything to deal with the furry things is bad news."
Twisting her head she spotted him and the rest of her team. From her radio, she could hear a frantic voice. Was that Doctor Lee?
"...overloaded and lost the signals, and..." The radio broadcast shut off as she heard Bill's voice nearby. "Oh. You're here." He and Major Altman came running towards them as Major Hadden helped her to her feet. Lee's presence among the teams trying to rescue her, and his obvious relief at their safe return oddly wiped away the last vestiges of nightmarish memories she'd been squelching ever since being stranded. She smiled back at Lee.
Altman broke out in a grin. "We've been worried. We were monitoring you, but the device was on for some time before anyone came through. And then when the archway appeared to be gone..."
Sam interrupted, "Monitoring us? How?"
"Oh, there's some type of control station set up in the ruins. Life signs, meteorology, some kind of log..." Bill pointed back to the location Daniel had wanted to visit yesterday. It seemed a lifetime ago now.
"Really?" Daniel stood and looked over to the ruins.
Sam thought aloud. "It would make sense. If this was some sort of proving ground, they would have a monitoring locale separate. Perhaps that's part of the reason they had the testing labs in another location." Sam looked at the ruins with excitement. There may still some technology to be salvaged after the explosion.
General O'Neill said, "No more toys for any of you. You should have enough in your backpacks to keep you occupied for the next decade or so." He beckoned for a hand up, and Teal'c and Daniel lifted him to his feet. When he got upright, his eyes met Sam's. "Right now, the mission is just to get back to base."
"Yes, sir." She smiled at him. "Couldn't have done it without you."
He smiled back in a wistful manner. "Maybe, but SG-1 seemed to be handling things just fine without me."
She blinked, not quite sure how to respond to that comment.
"You are welcome to join us anytime, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
"So long as we don't have to carry you back home. I think that should be a condition," Daniel shifted his balance and glanced down worriedly at the general's injured leg.
One of the marines of SG-12 started over to take Daniel's place supporting the general. Sam could've sworn she heard Teal'c growl at the sergeant. Daniel waved him away a bit more politely, but just as firmly. SG-1 would be the ones to get the general home; he'd done the same for them.
Fin.