Chapter Three: Orion, part I
Series: Stargate: Alchemy
Chapter: Three
Title: Orion
Authors: bluecove and aaaaaahz
Rating: PG-13
(with thanks to martyfan for the beta)
Lt. Brodie‘s reaction was a beat after Daniel’s in turning around to face their surprise guest, his weapon instinctively aiming right at the boy.
Daniel reached out and grasped the end of the P-90, pushing it down to aim at the ground. "Don’t shoot," he ordered gruffly. "He’s just a kid." Glancing upward, Daniel realized the youth had been sitting on a tree branch above their heads all along.
He smiled, raised his free hand in a little wave and said, "Hi, I’m Daniel. What’s your name?"
"I doubt he speaks English, Doc," the lieutenant said dryly.
Daniel spared him a glance. "I agree, but we won't know what his language is until he says something."
The boy’s dark eyes were shifting between them, obviously trying to figure out what they were saying. He looked scared, his dusky complexion lightening several shades, but made no move to get up.
"It’s okay," said Daniel gently. "We won’t hurt you."
The boy started talking then, way too fast, his words all running together.
It took Daniel a moment to realize what he was saying. As soon as he recognized the language -- spoken with an odd accent, but mostly understandable -- he switched to the strange Spanish dialect and assured the boy that they were friendly. The words had the desired effect, and the boy relaxed.
Daniel introduced himself again, and Lt. Brodie as well.
The boy pointed to himself. "Pedro Santiago." He sat cross-legged, and Daniel followed suit.
["What were you doing in the tree?"] Daniel asked, pointing upward.
Pedro’s face instantly shuttered closed. ["I come to the woods sometimes to think about things,"] he said evasively. ["Are you Jaffa? Have you come for the Chosen?"]
["No, we’re not,"] Daniel told him, wondering about the secretive attitude. ["We don’t even know who the Jaffa are. We came through the Stargate -- the big ring inside the standing stones."] He pointed in the general direction of the 'gate.
The boy’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open in surprise and fear. ["Through the chappa'ai? Are you gods?"]
With a laugh, Daniel assured him they were not. ["Tell us about the Jaffa, and the Chosen, Pedro."]
["The Jaffa are the sacred warriors of the Immortals,"] Pedro explained. ["They are strong and brave, and they fight on many worlds for the glory of their god. The Chosen are those who are to become Jaffa."] He smiled and patted his chest proudly. ["I want to be Jaffa, when I grow up. My training will begin when I am fifteen."]
Daniel turned to Brodie and asked if he’d understood. The young man shook his head, so Daniel explained.
"Warriors, huh?" asked Brodie. "Who are they fighting? The colonel’s gonna want to hear about this." He pressed the button on his comm. unit and quietly requested O’Neill join them, relaying what they’d found -- or, rather, what had found them.
Daniel resumed questioning the boy. ["Tell me about the Immortals. They’re your gods?"]
Pedro nodded vigorously. ["My people serve Orion, but we hear tales of other gods from the Jaffa. Some of them have fought many battles."]
["Have there been any battles around here?"]
["No, this world belongs to Orion, greatest of the gods,"] the boy assured him, beaming with pride. ["Here, we are safe. The others would not dare attack, because his warriors are trained here. One of the camps is just outside the town."] He pointed to the east, right across the heart of the village.
["How many warriors are there?"] Daniel asked, reaching into his jacket pocket for a candy bar he had stashed away. He could see O'Neill coming up behind them, and didn’t want to spook the boy. He wanted to keep the kid there, keep him talking, act friendly so he wouldn’t get suspicious.
The boy watched him open the treat with curious eyes.
Daniel made a great show of sniffing the 5th Avenue bar, and then offered it to Pedro.
The child took it, tasted it, and began to devour it greedily. Apparently, chocolate was a delicacy appreciated by the entire human race, no matter how far across the galaxy they might be.
["There are thousands of Jaffa,"] Pedro mumbled between delighted bites. ["They come from all across Orion's domain. Many are from Sweet Water."]
["Sweet Water, is that the name of your town?"]
Pedro’s head bobbed. He gulped another bite just as O'Neill appeared through the trees, easing carefully into the boy’s view and squatting down to be less threatening. He even smiled, his face softening into an expression that was almost friendly.
Daniel was glad for that. The boy didn’t appear alarmed, just continued munching his candy and smiled back. He gave a little wave, and the colonel returned it.
"Whatcha got here, Jackson?" O’Neill asked, the tone of his voice light and pleasant.
"It’s amazing!" Daniel told him, turning excited eyes on his commander. "They speak Spanish. It has a weird accent and some funky pronunciations of some of the words, but it’s mostly recognizable. There are a few unfamiliar words, but some of the meaning is coming out in context."
"So, you’ve been talking to him? What’d you find out?"
"There’s a military training facility on the far side of the village," Daniel answered, trying to make his conversation sound casual, when it was anything but. "They worship a god called Orion, and the soldiers, called Jaffa, fight against those representing other gods. Colonel, they make war on other worlds."
A flicker of surprise flared and was gone in O'Neill’s eyes. He nodded toward the Stargate. "How do they get from planet to planet?"
Daniel asked.
Pedro answered, mimicking the roar of engines from the big mother-ships, and the higher-pitched hums of the fighters, his hands zooming through the air like little planes.
O’Neill nodded, then asked his own question in reasonably fluent, mid-Western accented Spanish. ["Who runs your town, Pedro?"]
["The Council,"] he answered instantly. ["There are priests of Orion, too, and the master of Jaffa speaks for the warriors."]
["You’re very smart,"] O'Neill complimented him. ["Your parents must be proud of you. I didn’t know that much about my town when I was your age."]
That compliment seemed to make the boy puff up again with delight. ["My father is a school teacher,"] he told them. ["He hopes I will be among the Chosen, but if not, maybe I will be a teacher, too, one day."]
["That’s a noble profession,"] Daniel told him sincerely. He turned to O'Neill with a slight smile, switching back to English for private communication with his CO. "I didn’t know you spoke Spanish. Maybe you don’t need a linguist after all."
O'Neill just eyed him. "Might need an alchemist, though." His gaze dropped to the patch on Daniel’s shoulder, then back to make eye contact.
Daniel’s smile vanished. He glanced back at the boy, whose eyes were shifting back and forth between him and the colonel. The humor had vanished in Pedro’s dark eyes.
"Al-che-mist?" he repeated.
"Show him," O’Neill prompted. "Something small, not scary."
With a sigh, Daniel smoothed some of the loose, fertile black soil near his boots with his hand. He began to draw a simple earth-based pattern on the ground with his fingertip, then placed his hands over it without touching the ground, pantomiming to illustrate what an alchemist did. He waited for recognition in the boy’s face, but Pedro was still watching, waiting for something to happen. Daniel looked at O'Neill for approval and got a brief nod to continue. Daniel lifted his hands and clapped them, then placed them back over the drawing and charged it. Faint light flashed briefly in the troughs.
That was enough to get a reaction from the child.
Pedro moved fast, getting to his feet in a stumbling leap, then backing up, suddenly wide-eyed and trembling. ["You are an alchemist!"] he whispered. The boy looked terrified.
No one moved except Daniel. He dusted off his hands and gazed up at the boy, his lips pressed tightly together. In this child's eyes, he was probably a freak now.
"Well, that was a mistake," he growled, turning angry eyes on his CO.
"Maybe not," O'Neill said, still studying the youth.
Pedro was watching them. His fear seemed to wane second by passing second. He looked around them, as if wanting to be sure they were not being watched. Then, he squatted down beside the drawing, clapped as he had seen Daniel do, and laid his palms exactly where Daniel’s had been. Another brief flash appeared, followed by a little puff of smoke.
The boy sat back, eyeing Daniel with mischief in his eyes.
["Alchemists,"] he said softly, and pointed at both of them. He extended his hand, and Daniel took it in his.
["This is forbidden,"] the boy told him in a whisper. ["No one knows I can do this, Mister Alchemist. You must tell no one in the village you know this magic."]
["What would happen if people found out?"] Daniel asked.
Pedro’s eyes filled with tears, hastily blinked away. ["We would be sacrificed. It is Orion's command."]
"Okay, that’s not good," said Daniel in English with a glance at his commander.
"I guess you won’t be performing at any parties," O'Neill quipped.
Daniel rolled his eyes. "So, now what? We know they may not take kindly to strangers, unless we lie and say we’re followers of Orion, but then we might end up in their army."
O'Neill pondered, still eyeing the boy, and pointed into the trees. ["What do you know about the big ring in the woods, Pedro?"]
["Only the gods and their Jaffa are permitted to use it,"] the boy told them. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. ["You truly came through the chappa'ai? And you are not Jaffa?"]
["Yes, we did, and no, we’re not,"] Daniel assured him. ["We’re from a place called Earth. We only have one moon."] He pointed up to the sky and smiled.
["What gods do you worship?"]
["Just the one, thanks,"] said O'Neill with a tight smile.
Pedro shrugged. He reached out for Daniel’s hand and tugged him to his feet. ["Come. I will take you to meet my father. He can tell you anything you want to know about our town, and our world."]
["How do the people in town feel about strangers?"] Daniel inquired, hesitating to leave the shelter of the trees. ["Will they be afraid, or will they talk to us?"]
["Do not worry, sir,"] the boy said confidently. ["Once they see you are good people, they will not be afraid."]
O'Neill seemed skeptical, but nodded anyway. "Looks like we’re goin’ into town," he said, scanning the slope down to the edge of the village. He reached for the button on his comm. unit and contacted Kowalsky to report where they were headed. "Any sign of trouble and we high-tail it back to the ‘gate."
They walked boldly through the trees now, no longer any need to be stealthy since they’d been discovered.
As they entered the outskirts, people called out to each other with morning greetings. Daniel listened intently, trying to catch as much as he could of the language. They’d need to spend time with the villagers in some sort of peaceful exchange, if they were going to discover where the address to Earth was kept.
The streets were straight and flagstone-lined. Transportation was by means of two-wheeled carts pulled by burly men and strapping boys. No mechanized vehicles were to be seen anywhere.
["That is Orion’s temple,"] said Pedro, pointing toward a massive Roman-style building on a hill overlooking the town. Cascading from a channel cut beside the temple steps was a small waterfall flowing into a walled reservoir at the base of the hill. A winding path from the village outskirts to the peak was lined with flowers and potted gardens.
The temple’s architecture was of a distinctly different style than the rest of the buildings they saw, elegant and stately, and though Daniel couldn’t be too sure from that distance, it appeared to be much older than anything else in town.
They passed through a central square covered in an enormous mosaic. The pattern was indistinct from wear and weathering, but Daniel tried to make it out from ground level. He decided it might be recognizable from a distance, maybe from the hilltop, but not from where he stood.
["The training camp is that way,"] Pedro told him, catching his hand and pointing down the long central thoroughfare.
Daniel glanced at the colonel, making sure he had gotten that bit of information. Off in the distance, rows of young men dressed in short black tunics moved as a single unit in some sort of exercise. There were several dozen of them, all appearing to be in their mid-to-late teens.
O’Neill stared down the lane for a moment before following after them.
It didn’t take long to arrive at Pedro’s modest hut, the whitewashed stucco flaking away near the rough wooden door, the curved clay tiles on the roof showing distinct need of repair. Still, it was a sturdy little building with neatly potted plants outside the door and a kitchen garden in one window. Pungent scented smoke curled up from a chimney by the front door.
The boy pulled Daniel inside excitedly. ["Papa, papa! We have visitors. Come see!"]
Pedro’s father was shorter than Daniel, and looked to be about ten years older. He seemed surprised once he got a look at them. There was a flicker of unease in his eyes.
["I am Juan Santiago,"] he said, offering a slight inclination of his head. ["I bid you welcome. We do not see many strangers here."]
["They are not enemy Jaffa,"] Pedro assured his father quickly. He grinned and sidled closer to Daniel, almost protectively. ["They are not gods, either. They are my friends, Papa. Friends."] He emphasized that word heavily.
Daniel understood immediately. They were both alchemists, and the boy had seized on that as a solid connection between them. Alchemy appeared to be a dangerous thing in this world; a secret Pedro might even be keeping from his own family. He’d have to tread carefully here.
Introducing each member of the team by name, he added, ["We're looking for some information. Do you know anything about the chappa’ai?"]
Juan shook his head. ["That is only for the gods and their Jaffa."]
["In that case, we’d like to speak with your Council, if that's possible,"] O’Neill said quietly.
["What is it that you seek?"] the elder Santiago queried. ["Perhaps I might know where to find your answers."]
["We used the chappa'ai to come here from another world -- from Earth,"] Daniel told him. ["We need the address to get back home."]
Juan smiled a little, showing uneven teeth. ["You go on a journey without knowing the way back?"] he asked incredulously, and shook his head. ["I am not certain the Council will be able to help you, but I shall take you there, so you may continue your journey in peace."] He bowed slightly. ["Orion’s blessings be upon you."]
Static crackled in Daniel’s ear, and he heard Kowalski report.
"Base camp is up, Colonel," he said, "and Carter figured out how to make the DHD work."
"Yeah?" asked O'Neill. "What’d she do?"
Pedro and his father eyed him as he spoke the strange language.
"Lost her footing and fell on that red bubble in the middle," the major reported with a chuckle. "She kept saying, ‘It’s the Enter key! Of course!’ I don’t know about these brainy types, sir."
"As long as it’s working, that’s all that counts. Now all we need is for Jackson to do his part, and we can go home. O’Neill, out."
Daniel didn’t miss the long, smoldering look down the colonel’s nose. It was obvious that he didn’t believe the team’s linguist could come through on his boast. Turning away to follow the Santiagos outside, Daniel felt his face grow hot with anger and embarrassment.
He’d show them all, he decided. Whatever it took, he’d find the ‘gate address home, or die trying.
They passed through a market with open-air stalls manned by hawkers calling out to them as they passed. Street vendors pushed carts along like wheelbarrows, setting them down whenever a customer appeared to do business. There were smells of animals, flowers, fresh-cut herbs and cooking food. Daniel’s stomach rumbled, but he ignored it, listening to Pedro’s enthusiastic narrative as they made their way back toward the town square.
Halfway there, a young man dressed in a short black skirt and vest came running, carrying a long, thin torch in one hand. His hair was plastered to his face, and he was sweating. ["Lord Orion has returned!"] he announced loudly, calling to everyone he passed. ["Make ready! Be quick!"]
Juan turned toward the visitors, his eyes wide, concern etched into his face. ["Perhaps, for your own safety, you should leave Sweet Water now,"] he suggested. ["Orion’s Jaffa will not be pleased to see strangers in the village at the moment of our god's return."]
O'Neill nodded in agreement. ["Good advice, sir. Thank you."] He turned to his companions, switching back to English. "Move out. Make it casual, but keep your eyes open."
Glancing at Daniel, he added, "Maybe we can come back later."
He touched the bill of his ball cap respectfully, nodding at Juan. The father and son moved away into the crowd now beginning to fill the streets, Pedro turning back long enough to wave goodbye.
on to Chapter Three, part II
back to Chapter Two
Chapter: Three
Title: Orion
Authors: bluecove and aaaaaahz
Rating: PG-13
(with thanks to martyfan for the beta)
Lt. Brodie‘s reaction was a beat after Daniel’s in turning around to face their surprise guest, his weapon instinctively aiming right at the boy.
Daniel reached out and grasped the end of the P-90, pushing it down to aim at the ground. "Don’t shoot," he ordered gruffly. "He’s just a kid." Glancing upward, Daniel realized the youth had been sitting on a tree branch above their heads all along.
He smiled, raised his free hand in a little wave and said, "Hi, I’m Daniel. What’s your name?"
"I doubt he speaks English, Doc," the lieutenant said dryly.
Daniel spared him a glance. "I agree, but we won't know what his language is until he says something."
The boy’s dark eyes were shifting between them, obviously trying to figure out what they were saying. He looked scared, his dusky complexion lightening several shades, but made no move to get up.
"It’s okay," said Daniel gently. "We won’t hurt you."
The boy started talking then, way too fast, his words all running together.
It took Daniel a moment to realize what he was saying. As soon as he recognized the language -- spoken with an odd accent, but mostly understandable -- he switched to the strange Spanish dialect and assured the boy that they were friendly. The words had the desired effect, and the boy relaxed.
Daniel introduced himself again, and Lt. Brodie as well.
The boy pointed to himself. "Pedro Santiago." He sat cross-legged, and Daniel followed suit.
["What were you doing in the tree?"] Daniel asked, pointing upward.
Pedro’s face instantly shuttered closed. ["I come to the woods sometimes to think about things,"] he said evasively. ["Are you Jaffa? Have you come for the Chosen?"]
["No, we’re not,"] Daniel told him, wondering about the secretive attitude. ["We don’t even know who the Jaffa are. We came through the Stargate -- the big ring inside the standing stones."] He pointed in the general direction of the 'gate.
The boy’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open in surprise and fear. ["Through the chappa'ai? Are you gods?"]
With a laugh, Daniel assured him they were not. ["Tell us about the Jaffa, and the Chosen, Pedro."]
["The Jaffa are the sacred warriors of the Immortals,"] Pedro explained. ["They are strong and brave, and they fight on many worlds for the glory of their god. The Chosen are those who are to become Jaffa."] He smiled and patted his chest proudly. ["I want to be Jaffa, when I grow up. My training will begin when I am fifteen."]
Daniel turned to Brodie and asked if he’d understood. The young man shook his head, so Daniel explained.
"Warriors, huh?" asked Brodie. "Who are they fighting? The colonel’s gonna want to hear about this." He pressed the button on his comm. unit and quietly requested O’Neill join them, relaying what they’d found -- or, rather, what had found them.
Daniel resumed questioning the boy. ["Tell me about the Immortals. They’re your gods?"]
Pedro nodded vigorously. ["My people serve Orion, but we hear tales of other gods from the Jaffa. Some of them have fought many battles."]
["Have there been any battles around here?"]
["No, this world belongs to Orion, greatest of the gods,"] the boy assured him, beaming with pride. ["Here, we are safe. The others would not dare attack, because his warriors are trained here. One of the camps is just outside the town."] He pointed to the east, right across the heart of the village.
["How many warriors are there?"] Daniel asked, reaching into his jacket pocket for a candy bar he had stashed away. He could see O'Neill coming up behind them, and didn’t want to spook the boy. He wanted to keep the kid there, keep him talking, act friendly so he wouldn’t get suspicious.
The boy watched him open the treat with curious eyes.
Daniel made a great show of sniffing the 5th Avenue bar, and then offered it to Pedro.
The child took it, tasted it, and began to devour it greedily. Apparently, chocolate was a delicacy appreciated by the entire human race, no matter how far across the galaxy they might be.
["There are thousands of Jaffa,"] Pedro mumbled between delighted bites. ["They come from all across Orion's domain. Many are from Sweet Water."]
["Sweet Water, is that the name of your town?"]
Pedro’s head bobbed. He gulped another bite just as O'Neill appeared through the trees, easing carefully into the boy’s view and squatting down to be less threatening. He even smiled, his face softening into an expression that was almost friendly.
Daniel was glad for that. The boy didn’t appear alarmed, just continued munching his candy and smiled back. He gave a little wave, and the colonel returned it.
"Whatcha got here, Jackson?" O’Neill asked, the tone of his voice light and pleasant.
"It’s amazing!" Daniel told him, turning excited eyes on his commander. "They speak Spanish. It has a weird accent and some funky pronunciations of some of the words, but it’s mostly recognizable. There are a few unfamiliar words, but some of the meaning is coming out in context."
"So, you’ve been talking to him? What’d you find out?"
"There’s a military training facility on the far side of the village," Daniel answered, trying to make his conversation sound casual, when it was anything but. "They worship a god called Orion, and the soldiers, called Jaffa, fight against those representing other gods. Colonel, they make war on other worlds."
A flicker of surprise flared and was gone in O'Neill’s eyes. He nodded toward the Stargate. "How do they get from planet to planet?"
Daniel asked.
Pedro answered, mimicking the roar of engines from the big mother-ships, and the higher-pitched hums of the fighters, his hands zooming through the air like little planes.
O’Neill nodded, then asked his own question in reasonably fluent, mid-Western accented Spanish. ["Who runs your town, Pedro?"]
["The Council,"] he answered instantly. ["There are priests of Orion, too, and the master of Jaffa speaks for the warriors."]
["You’re very smart,"] O'Neill complimented him. ["Your parents must be proud of you. I didn’t know that much about my town when I was your age."]
That compliment seemed to make the boy puff up again with delight. ["My father is a school teacher,"] he told them. ["He hopes I will be among the Chosen, but if not, maybe I will be a teacher, too, one day."]
["That’s a noble profession,"] Daniel told him sincerely. He turned to O'Neill with a slight smile, switching back to English for private communication with his CO. "I didn’t know you spoke Spanish. Maybe you don’t need a linguist after all."
O'Neill just eyed him. "Might need an alchemist, though." His gaze dropped to the patch on Daniel’s shoulder, then back to make eye contact.
Daniel’s smile vanished. He glanced back at the boy, whose eyes were shifting back and forth between him and the colonel. The humor had vanished in Pedro’s dark eyes.
"Al-che-mist?" he repeated.
"Show him," O’Neill prompted. "Something small, not scary."
With a sigh, Daniel smoothed some of the loose, fertile black soil near his boots with his hand. He began to draw a simple earth-based pattern on the ground with his fingertip, then placed his hands over it without touching the ground, pantomiming to illustrate what an alchemist did. He waited for recognition in the boy’s face, but Pedro was still watching, waiting for something to happen. Daniel looked at O'Neill for approval and got a brief nod to continue. Daniel lifted his hands and clapped them, then placed them back over the drawing and charged it. Faint light flashed briefly in the troughs.
That was enough to get a reaction from the child.
Pedro moved fast, getting to his feet in a stumbling leap, then backing up, suddenly wide-eyed and trembling. ["You are an alchemist!"] he whispered. The boy looked terrified.
No one moved except Daniel. He dusted off his hands and gazed up at the boy, his lips pressed tightly together. In this child's eyes, he was probably a freak now.
"Well, that was a mistake," he growled, turning angry eyes on his CO.
"Maybe not," O'Neill said, still studying the youth.
Pedro was watching them. His fear seemed to wane second by passing second. He looked around them, as if wanting to be sure they were not being watched. Then, he squatted down beside the drawing, clapped as he had seen Daniel do, and laid his palms exactly where Daniel’s had been. Another brief flash appeared, followed by a little puff of smoke.
The boy sat back, eyeing Daniel with mischief in his eyes.
["Alchemists,"] he said softly, and pointed at both of them. He extended his hand, and Daniel took it in his.
["This is forbidden,"] the boy told him in a whisper. ["No one knows I can do this, Mister Alchemist. You must tell no one in the village you know this magic."]
["What would happen if people found out?"] Daniel asked.
Pedro’s eyes filled with tears, hastily blinked away. ["We would be sacrificed. It is Orion's command."]
"Okay, that’s not good," said Daniel in English with a glance at his commander.
"I guess you won’t be performing at any parties," O'Neill quipped.
Daniel rolled his eyes. "So, now what? We know they may not take kindly to strangers, unless we lie and say we’re followers of Orion, but then we might end up in their army."
O'Neill pondered, still eyeing the boy, and pointed into the trees. ["What do you know about the big ring in the woods, Pedro?"]
["Only the gods and their Jaffa are permitted to use it,"] the boy told them. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. ["You truly came through the chappa'ai? And you are not Jaffa?"]
["Yes, we did, and no, we’re not,"] Daniel assured him. ["We’re from a place called Earth. We only have one moon."] He pointed up to the sky and smiled.
["What gods do you worship?"]
["Just the one, thanks,"] said O'Neill with a tight smile.
Pedro shrugged. He reached out for Daniel’s hand and tugged him to his feet. ["Come. I will take you to meet my father. He can tell you anything you want to know about our town, and our world."]
["How do the people in town feel about strangers?"] Daniel inquired, hesitating to leave the shelter of the trees. ["Will they be afraid, or will they talk to us?"]
["Do not worry, sir,"] the boy said confidently. ["Once they see you are good people, they will not be afraid."]
O'Neill seemed skeptical, but nodded anyway. "Looks like we’re goin’ into town," he said, scanning the slope down to the edge of the village. He reached for the button on his comm. unit and contacted Kowalsky to report where they were headed. "Any sign of trouble and we high-tail it back to the ‘gate."
They walked boldly through the trees now, no longer any need to be stealthy since they’d been discovered.
As they entered the outskirts, people called out to each other with morning greetings. Daniel listened intently, trying to catch as much as he could of the language. They’d need to spend time with the villagers in some sort of peaceful exchange, if they were going to discover where the address to Earth was kept.
The streets were straight and flagstone-lined. Transportation was by means of two-wheeled carts pulled by burly men and strapping boys. No mechanized vehicles were to be seen anywhere.
["That is Orion’s temple,"] said Pedro, pointing toward a massive Roman-style building on a hill overlooking the town. Cascading from a channel cut beside the temple steps was a small waterfall flowing into a walled reservoir at the base of the hill. A winding path from the village outskirts to the peak was lined with flowers and potted gardens.
The temple’s architecture was of a distinctly different style than the rest of the buildings they saw, elegant and stately, and though Daniel couldn’t be too sure from that distance, it appeared to be much older than anything else in town.
They passed through a central square covered in an enormous mosaic. The pattern was indistinct from wear and weathering, but Daniel tried to make it out from ground level. He decided it might be recognizable from a distance, maybe from the hilltop, but not from where he stood.
["The training camp is that way,"] Pedro told him, catching his hand and pointing down the long central thoroughfare.
Daniel glanced at the colonel, making sure he had gotten that bit of information. Off in the distance, rows of young men dressed in short black tunics moved as a single unit in some sort of exercise. There were several dozen of them, all appearing to be in their mid-to-late teens.
O’Neill stared down the lane for a moment before following after them.
It didn’t take long to arrive at Pedro’s modest hut, the whitewashed stucco flaking away near the rough wooden door, the curved clay tiles on the roof showing distinct need of repair. Still, it was a sturdy little building with neatly potted plants outside the door and a kitchen garden in one window. Pungent scented smoke curled up from a chimney by the front door.
The boy pulled Daniel inside excitedly. ["Papa, papa! We have visitors. Come see!"]
Pedro’s father was shorter than Daniel, and looked to be about ten years older. He seemed surprised once he got a look at them. There was a flicker of unease in his eyes.
["I am Juan Santiago,"] he said, offering a slight inclination of his head. ["I bid you welcome. We do not see many strangers here."]
["They are not enemy Jaffa,"] Pedro assured his father quickly. He grinned and sidled closer to Daniel, almost protectively. ["They are not gods, either. They are my friends, Papa. Friends."] He emphasized that word heavily.
Daniel understood immediately. They were both alchemists, and the boy had seized on that as a solid connection between them. Alchemy appeared to be a dangerous thing in this world; a secret Pedro might even be keeping from his own family. He’d have to tread carefully here.
Introducing each member of the team by name, he added, ["We're looking for some information. Do you know anything about the chappa’ai?"]
Juan shook his head. ["That is only for the gods and their Jaffa."]
["In that case, we’d like to speak with your Council, if that's possible,"] O’Neill said quietly.
["What is it that you seek?"] the elder Santiago queried. ["Perhaps I might know where to find your answers."]
["We used the chappa'ai to come here from another world -- from Earth,"] Daniel told him. ["We need the address to get back home."]
Juan smiled a little, showing uneven teeth. ["You go on a journey without knowing the way back?"] he asked incredulously, and shook his head. ["I am not certain the Council will be able to help you, but I shall take you there, so you may continue your journey in peace."] He bowed slightly. ["Orion’s blessings be upon you."]
Static crackled in Daniel’s ear, and he heard Kowalski report.
"Base camp is up, Colonel," he said, "and Carter figured out how to make the DHD work."
"Yeah?" asked O'Neill. "What’d she do?"
Pedro and his father eyed him as he spoke the strange language.
"Lost her footing and fell on that red bubble in the middle," the major reported with a chuckle. "She kept saying, ‘It’s the Enter key! Of course!’ I don’t know about these brainy types, sir."
"As long as it’s working, that’s all that counts. Now all we need is for Jackson to do his part, and we can go home. O’Neill, out."
Daniel didn’t miss the long, smoldering look down the colonel’s nose. It was obvious that he didn’t believe the team’s linguist could come through on his boast. Turning away to follow the Santiagos outside, Daniel felt his face grow hot with anger and embarrassment.
He’d show them all, he decided. Whatever it took, he’d find the ‘gate address home, or die trying.
They passed through a market with open-air stalls manned by hawkers calling out to them as they passed. Street vendors pushed carts along like wheelbarrows, setting them down whenever a customer appeared to do business. There were smells of animals, flowers, fresh-cut herbs and cooking food. Daniel’s stomach rumbled, but he ignored it, listening to Pedro’s enthusiastic narrative as they made their way back toward the town square.
Halfway there, a young man dressed in a short black skirt and vest came running, carrying a long, thin torch in one hand. His hair was plastered to his face, and he was sweating. ["Lord Orion has returned!"] he announced loudly, calling to everyone he passed. ["Make ready! Be quick!"]
Juan turned toward the visitors, his eyes wide, concern etched into his face. ["Perhaps, for your own safety, you should leave Sweet Water now,"] he suggested. ["Orion’s Jaffa will not be pleased to see strangers in the village at the moment of our god's return."]
O'Neill nodded in agreement. ["Good advice, sir. Thank you."] He turned to his companions, switching back to English. "Move out. Make it casual, but keep your eyes open."
Glancing at Daniel, he added, "Maybe we can come back later."
He touched the bill of his ball cap respectfully, nodding at Juan. The father and son moved away into the crowd now beginning to fill the streets, Pedro turning back long enough to wave goodbye.
on to Chapter Three, part II
back to Chapter Two