All Those Who Desire It (PG)
Summary: Off-world universities, solar power, and a riddle of the ages… SG-1 have a mystery to solve.
Notes: Written for the stargate_summer Reverse Big Bang, and inspired by roeskva's stunning original artwork. Thank you, Roeskva, for such a gorgeous piece!
Takes place at the end of S2, after 1969. Lots of references to The Fifth Race and a certain episode of S1. I used Stargate-level science (that is, I mostly found information on Wiki or made it up entirely), and it is a grand old tradition to write Sherlock Holmes Stargate style "homages" pastiches.
Many thanks to Aelfgyfu for her careful beta skills, helpful suggestions, and title assistance.
As this story is too long for LJ's entry size restrictions, it has been divided into two parts. You can read it as one file either on DW or AO3.
*
Whose was it?
Four who are gone.
Who shall have it?
All those who desire it.
Where were the suns?
Over ring and pilaster.
Where met the shadows?
They were deep at the source.
How was it counted?
Right and right by four, left and left by seven, right by three, left by six, and source and done.
What was offered?
All that they had.
Why did they offer it?
For the sake of the future.
*
Two heads leaned close to study the recordings on the screen, murmuring comments to one another as they sifted through the files. The UAV recordings ranged from sharply focused to vague blurs, but there was enough resolution, in most cases, to get a clear idea of a planet’s potential. Images flickered past: skies of blue or yellow or orange, flashes of trees or grass or bare rock, water and ice, the occasional glimpse of a settlement or ruin.
“No, wait, Daniel. Back up. This one. We have got to take this mission.”
Sam snatched at the mouse, momentarily wrestling with Daniel for it before he raised both hands in surrender and sat back in his chair to give her more room. His mouth quirked up as she eagerly scrolled back through the footage, zooming in to focus on first one cropped image, then another.
“Look at this… and this… Daniel, do you realize what this could mean?”
“They look like some of kind of power source,” Daniel said, patiently stating the obvious and waiting for her to elaborate. “So?”
“So, where are they drawing the energy from?”
He peered a little more closely at the somewhat blurry images that showed sparks of energy dancing across the surface of manmade pillars. “Don’t tell me you can figure out that just from the UAV footage.”
“Not entirely,” Sam admitted readily, “but I can take a good guess.” She manipulated the footage again, pausing at an image of a cloudless alien sky.
Daniel blinked. “Huh. I missed that little detail.” He leaned forward again, his shoulder brushing hers. “Multiple moons are one thing, but multiple suns?”
“Binary suns,” Sam corrected. She hitched her chair a little closer to the desk, so clearly excited that Daniel had to work to hide his grin. “And it's not the binary thing that's amazing, Daniel. A good third of the star systems in our galaxy are binary or multiple - there are theories that suggest that multiple star systems might even be in the majority, even if they're not necessarily visually obvious. No, what's beyond incredible is discovering one that can support life. Depending on the barycenter, a planet that has two orbiting suns could be experiencing wildly swinging extremes of radiation and heat. And if there's any mass transfer going on, the amounts would be incredibly variable. But that's not what we're seeing here. That means that in order for the planet to have such a temperate climate, this system has got to be relatively stable..."
Daniel had listened to enough of Sam's impromptu discourses about her specialty to follow along, but he suspected that he would be completely lost in another moment or two. No matter. He always enjoyed seeing her like this.
"…I'm sure there are hotter or colder periods, but either it's a very long elliptical orbit - long enough for life to get started, be destroyed, and then re-establish itself after conditions change, which is so long that it's beyond our capability to measure - or, which seems more likely, it's a wide binary system that allows for a more even…"
Her voice trailed off as his patient expression clearly told her that she’d inadvertently slipped into lecture mode, not to mention getting distracted by multiple theoretical tangents. Clearing her throat, she finished, “Anyway. Binary planet, which is a fantastic opportunity for studying astrophysics. Potential energy source, which will keep the bean counters at the Pentagon happy. And it’s not a Goa’uld planet, either - this one is from the colonel’s Ancient database. That means it’s probably safe.”
Daniel, still smiling slightly at her enthusiasm, rubbed at his nose. “I don't know if you can say that, Sam. Goa’uld-free doesn’t automatically equal safe. The last time we tried a planet from the Ancient database with two suns…”
“Teal’c, Castleman, Sullivan, and I nearly died, I know,” she said, licking her lips at the memory. “I'm guessing those suns were in an elliptic orbit, and we were there at the time when both suns were at their closest. But this is different.” She grabbed the mouse again and flicked back through the images. “Just look at the place, Daniel. That other planet was barren sand and rock because its orbit was too close to either one or both of its suns, with just enough atmosphere to trick us into thinking it was safe. But this planet clearly supports life.” She switched screens, scanning through numbers and symbols and complex equations that she could read as easily as Daniel could read hieroglyphics. “There were three planetary rotations in the last 68 hours. Many more daylight hours than night hours, which makes sense with the binary system, or maybe it's just summer. Temperatures ranged from 12 C to 24 C. The atmospheric pressure seems a little heavier than what we’re used to, but ultraviolet rays aren’t as strong as I would have expected.” She sat back and looked at him. “There are obvious signs of civilization here. Technology. And if I’m right and it’s solar technology, then they might have techniques and designs that we can translate to what we have, right now.”
Daniel hummed thoughtfully. “Not something that would require naquadah, you mean.”
“Exactly!” Sam’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Don’t you see, Daniel? This might be something we can really use, without trying to negotiate for technology or power systems that we don’t have the resources to manage. Imagine if we can bring back new methods, maybe greater efficiency for our own solar power cells. Do you know what kind of difference that could make for everyone on Earth? A better source of clean energy!”
“If you’re right about the energy source,” Daniel said mildly, but the curl at his mouth gave away his amusement at her enthusiasm.
She smirked right back at him. “How much do you want to bet on it?”
He shrugged. “The only way to find out is to go.”
“So you’ll help me convince the colonel?” she asked eagerly. “Because it’s not just the solar energy that’s exciting, you know. The chance to study a planet in a stable binary orbit that’s capable of supporting life - not to mention the opportunity to measure the binary mass function… I can’t miss this, Daniel!"
“Well, then, we’ll have to make sure you don’t,” he told her. “Let’s go talk to Jack and Teal’c.”
“Talk to us about what?” called a voice from the doorway, and they turned to see the rest of their team just entering the office.
“Our next mission, sir,” Sam said, jumping out of her seat. “P3X-993. Potential source of energy, moderate climate…”
“No big honking weapons in sight,” Daniel added, sprawling back more comfortably in his chair, “but that makes it less likely than anyone will be shooting at us, either.”
Teal’c, now standing behind Sam, frowned slightly and pointed at the frozen image of the planet’s skies. “There are two suns there, Captain Carter. Surely that means dangerous temperatures.”
“No, we’ve been monitoring it for three planetary days. Not every binary sun system is going to be impossibly hot.”
“That is true,” Teal’c conceded, and only Sam and Jack and Daniel had the ability to read the tiny crinkle around his eyes that meant he was still unhappy.
Sam tried to be reassuring. “There’s clear signs of habitation, Teal’c. We know there are people living there, and the temperature readings we’ve done show that we shouldn’t have any trouble.”
“I see.” Teal’c tipped his head sideways in thoughtful consideration. “Do the native population use moisture vaporators, then?”
There was a long pause as Sam and Daniel blinked at him. Jack gave a little cough and tried his best to look innocent.
“You did, didn’t you,” Daniel said wearily to Jack.
“Did what?” Jack asked, a little unconvincingly.
Sam, catching on, laughed. “No, Teal’c, this isn’t like Tatooine. I didn’t know the colonel had showed you Star Wars.”
“It was a most satisfactory series,” Teal’c announced. “An entire galaxy brought to freedom by the Rebellion.”
Jack offered a shrugged admission. “He wanted to know why we talked about a ‘galaxy far, far away’ back in 1969. The easiest way to explain was to show him.”
Still smiling, Sam said, “Well, as I said, this planet is nothing like Tatooine. Here, look…” She played back more footage, showing the verdant grass, the tall trees, the signs of a small town deep in the valley below the Stargate. “And see these? That’s some kind of power source. And I’m betting that it’s solar. With a binary system providing so much sunlight, solar power would be the easiest source of energy. This is a double opportunity: we can learn more about stable binary systems, and we might be able to learn more about solar power. This really has a lot of potential.”
“Sam’s specialty is astrophysics,” Daniel reminded Jack. “This mission is tailor-made for her. Don’t you agree?”
“Ye-es,” Jack conceded, rocking back on his heels. “How about solar energy, Carter? Are you an expert on that, too?”
“Not more than the basics,” Sam admitted. She took a deep breath, her face assuming that steady, impersonal look that told Daniel she was about to challenge her superior officer. “But there is an expert in solar energy right here on base, sir. Dr. Tom Silverstone. I’ve read his work, and I think he would have a lot to contribute.”
“So you’re planning on getting a little tutoring on the side before we go?”
“No, sir.” She stood up, her back very straight. “I’m planning to put in a request that he come along with us.”
“Whoa, whoa!” Jack exclaimed. “Where did that one come from?”
“It’s the perfect opportunity,” Sam argued. “It’s from your Ancient database, sir, so there’s no risk of Goa’uld activity. It’s a moderate planet with no signs of danger -“
“No obvious signs,” Jack said, his voice dry. “And we know so very well how frequently we find the unobvious.”
“Hammond’s been talking about bringing experts through the Gate to deal with the unexpected, Jack,” Daniel pointed out, offering Sam his backup. “There’s a much better chance of getting things right when we have the knowledge we need right with us, instead of trying to channel information back through the Gate.” His tone turned a little sardonic. “That is the reason they let me be on SG-1. Unless you suddenly have a problem with civilians?”
Jack scowled. “I have a problem with letting anyone who isn’t certified for Gate travel go off-planet, civilian or military.”
“Then it’s a good thing Dr. Silverstone completed the off-world training course, sir,” Sam said brightly.
“You know, the one that you recommended two months ago, Jack,” added Daniel with a touch of acid sweetness.
Jack’s frown grew deeper. Teal’c looked deadpan in the way that meant he was snickering internally.
“They’re going to start letting consultants through the Stargate sooner or later, Jack,” Daniel said, turning persuasive. “We’re used to being the first. We might as well be first for this, too. And Sam’s right - this planet makes the perfect test run.”
“Well.” Jack shoved his hands deep into his pockets, the frown still lingering. “I’ll bring it up with Hammond, see what he says.” He pulled his right hand out of his pocket in order to aim a finger at Sam. “Write up your proposal first, Carter.”
“Yes, sir!” Sam beamed.
“Geeks can talk me into anything,” Jack muttered at Teal'c, his tone a little too fond to be genuinely annoyed.
"Indeed," Teal'c said blandly, but they could all tell that he was really laughing.
After Jack had wandered out, grumbling, with an amused Teal'c at his heels, Sam turned back to Daniel. "Thanks for sticking up for me," she said. "I know this isn't your thing."
"It is yours," Daniel shrugged. "You're entitled to a mission that suits your specialty." The slight smile deepened and twisted, becoming a little sly. "Besides, I think that allowing civilian experts through the Gate is a very good precedent."
Sam eyed him. "Exactly what are you plotting, Doctor Jackson?"
"Me?" Daniel's expression morphed into civilian, wide-eyed naiveté. "Would I be plotting something, Captain Carter?"
"Yes."
Daniel fluttered his eyelashes at her. "Can't I simply be supporting a fellow scientist?" Her expression answered his question, and he laughed, relaxing into a more comfortable slouch. "Sorry, Sam. To be honest, you're doing me a favor by setting the precedent. Let the hard sciences pave the way for civilians off-world…"
"…And you have a better chance of getting those civilians in your field approved, the ones you've been requesting for months," Sam finished. "Very clever and ambitious, Doctor Jackson."
"Just realistic," he said, sighing. "We need more linguists and archeologists out there. This might help tip the balance."
"In that case, we'd better make sure we have a successful mission," she teased.
He nodded. "I'll do my best."
*
Jack kept a wary eye and half an ear on the arguing pair as he sat quietly in a corner of Carter's office, skimming the report of Silverstone's off-world training.
Okay, so the man had passed - not with flying colors, but with decent stats. When he'd first designed the training program, Jack had deliberately set the bar a little high; Daniel's own original scores would have disqualified him from Stargate travel under the new rules. Which was the point, really. Daniel had more than proved his worth out there, but he'd also died a few too many times for Jack's comfort. He couldn't really argue against taking civilian expertise along when it was genuinely needed, but he could also demand that any civilian was trained enough to give them a higher chance of survival.
He paged through the report again. Huh. Silverstone had actually failed the first time, and then passed when he'd gone back for a second round. At least the guy had tenacity. Jack always appreciated people who knew what they wanted and actually worked to achieve it.
Keeping his eyes hooded, he glanced at Silverstone again. He was being polite enough to Carter, but he wasn't backing down from whatever they were arguing about. He'd heard enough to get the gist of it: Silverstone wasn't sure the energy pillars were actually fueled by solar power, especially as there were signs of a waterfall near the most active ones. He and Carter were stabbing fingers at the readouts from the UAV, using phrases like insufficient surface area and photovoltaic surfaces and no discernable pollution and crystalline surfaces. When he started hearing the same arguments for the third time, he slapped down the papers and raised his voice.
"Hey!"
Carter turned to him immediately, with Silverstone a few heartbeats behind. Yeah, civilian. At least this one wasn't aggressively so; his haircut wasn't regulation, but it wasn't too bad, either. And he didn't seem to think that colonel equaled ignorant barbarian, as too many of Daniel's soft science team apparently assumed.
"Have you two wrangled it out as far as you can without actually seeing those energy things up close?"
They hesitated, looking at each other.
"Yes, sir," Carter answered reluctantly. Silverstone satisfied himself with a begrudging nod.
"Then quit making my ears hurt and go pack. We're scheduled to go off-world tomorrow morning. Final briefing at 0600 hours." He narrowed his eyes at Silverstone, then turned to Carter. "Make sure you double-check his gear."
Silverstone opened his mouth to object, then wisely closed it again.
Well. Maybe civilians could learn something, after all.
*
Sam took a deep breath as she rematerialized on P3X-993, filling her lungs with the air of a different planet. She always loved this moment, when she stood on alien soil and inhaled the indefinable scent of other. The very next moment might bring staff weapon blasts or flashing eyes or random natives trying to kill her, but the first steps on a different world always brought her an inner sense of joy.
"Nice day," the colonel drawled, squinting up into the thin blue of the sky. "You sure there's no UV problem here with those two suns, Carter?"
"Not according to the UAV readings, sir," Sam replied. "There seems to be a very strong ozone layer."
"Good." Still looking wary, the colonel kept his weapon in readiness as he turned in a slow circle. There was no sign of anything stirring outside the breeze that blew softly in their faces. After a long moment, he seemed to relax a little.
"Right, people. No signs of any human activity up here for a while. Let's get this show on the road."
Sam knelt in the grass and started digging into her pack. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted that Dr. Silverstone - Tom, she corrected herself, as they'd argued themselves into a first-name basis - had wandered over to the edge of the cliff and was peering at the town nestled in the valley below, probably trying to pick out the energy pillars even from this distance. Teal'c followed Tom, keeping an eye on the civilian, while Daniel inspected the DHD and took note of the point of origin.
"O'Neill," Teal'c called. "The town is surrounded by a sturdy wall."
Colonel O'Neill joined Teal'c and Tom near the cliff edge, shading his eyes as he looked down into the valley. "Yeah. Enemies or predators?"
Teal'c frowned, tilting his head in consideration. "I am uncertain. In either case, we should be cautious."
"Walls inside the town, too," Tom pointed out.
Daniel had squatted next to Sam to help her set up her astrophysics equipment, but he looked up at that. "Class segregation?" he asked.
"Could be," the colonel said slowly. "Come take a look."
Daniel rose and walked over, keeping a careful distance from the edge. Sam looked up from her work, her hands automatically making the adjustments necessary, to watch as he took the binoculars that Teal'c offered and surveyed the town below. "Definitely an upper class and a lower class," he said after a minute or two. "That building in the back is either the seat of government or a temple of some sort. Then there's the richer homes with all that space around them, walled off from the more crowded areas." He lowered the binoculars and pursed his lips. "Doesn't look too squalid."
"How can you tell?" Tom asked curiously.
"Well, I can't tell much from up here, but the buildings seem to be in good shape. No obvious signs of open piles of trash, either."
Sam turned back to her instruments, making a few final tweaks before getting them started.
"These will run on their own, sir," she said, rising to her feet and brushing off her BDUs. "Teal'c, any sign of those possible predators up here? Do I have to worry about animals damaging my equipment?"
"I think not, Captain Carter," Teal'c said after a careful scan of their surroundings. “We are on a mountaintop. There is nothing here to attract any creatures, nor any visible signs of tracks or spoor."
"Yeah, speaking of that," Daniel said, rubbing at his chin. "Jack, when was the last time we saw a Stargate set so close to the edge of a cliff?"
The colonel frowned, thinking back. "Not too often. Usually they're on level ground in the first place."
Daniel paced the cliff edge, his gaze flicking up and around, his expression oddly focused. "I don't think the Gate was so close to begin with," he said at last. "I think something broke off a large part of the mountain top - earthquake, maybe, or even a meteor strike."
Colonel O'Neill stiffened. "Are we at risk of losing our way home?" he demanded.
"There's no immediate danger, Jack. Whatever happened was a long time ago." He gestured at the grass growing right up to the edge before the sudden drop. "The ground here is long since healed."
"Surely the Ancients wouldn't have set a Stargate weighing 64,000 pounds on unstable ground," Sam said. "Any race capable of creating the Gate system would know enough about geology to site them properly."
"Unless they're put into castles that are falling into the sea," the colonel muttered, and Sam saw Daniel wince at that one.
She cleared her throat. "We're done here, sir. Our next step should be examining those energy pillars so we can determine if they're solar."
"Or hydropowered," Tom said, pointing stubbornly at the waterfall glinting in the light of the two suns.
Sam couldn't help the smile that turned up the corners of her mouth. "I got you off-world on the chance of it being solar, Doctor. Can't you at least accept the possibility?"
"I can," he said, amiably enough. "But if they're running solar power without the need for a lot more surface cells, I'm not so sure we can translate that into our technology."
"Let's not count our solar panels before they hatch," the colonel cut in, and Sam had to struggle to stop her smile from turning into a broad grin at Tom's bewildered expression. "There's still some signs of a path here, so let's follow it."
As the team descended the sharp path down the mountain, they fell into their usual pattern: military in front and back, civilians safely in the middle. Tom eyed her a little uneasily as she fell into step besides him and Daniel, her rifle cradled easily in the crook of her arm.
"Are you all really so worried about some kind of attack?" he asked.
"No," Daniel answered for her. "But a little caution doesn't hurt, does it?"
Tom nodded. "I guess it doesn't."
Daniel artfully changed the subject, speculating aloud about the visual absence of cropland or domesticated animals and wondering if there might be a thriving economy in place to trade foodstuffs with other towns. Tom, piqued despite his own ignorance on the subject, asked, "Is it likely to find that kind of trade going on off-world?"
"The town of Nagada was situated next to the Stargate specifically for Ra's benefit," Daniel said. "Water was at a premium and aside from the mastadges - a camel-type animal that provided milk, meat, and transportation - there was very little to sustain them. But the other towns and settlements on Abydos sent a regular tithe to Nagada, a sort of tribute to pay for the work done in the naquadah mines on their behalf."
"Ah…." Tom looked a little lost, and Sam took pity on him.
"Doctor Jackson spent a year on the planet Abydos, before our Stargate program really got underway," she explained. "So he's in a good position to explain things from an off-world point of view."
"You were off-world for a year? Really?"
Daniel looked amused. "It's nice to meet someone who doesn't actually follow all the SGC gossip."
"Ah, well." Tom shrugged, a little sheepish. "I've never really been the watercooler type."
"You're missing out on the best bits, then," Sam told him. "The SGC rumor mill has a life of its own."
They fell into companiable silence, then, focused more on stopping their boot heels from sliding on the steep path. Tom and Daniel easily slipped into a first-name basis, but a quiet word of caution from Sam advised them to use their titles when they addressed one another in front of the others. Respect for civilians would do better for that gentle reminder to the more military members of the team, and an increase in civilian scientists going through the Gate was something all three of them wanted.
It took over an hour to descend into the valley, but the deep, rich air that greeted them on the lower slopes served to revive them.
"Hold on," Daniel said suddenly, swerving abruptly away from the path. He made a beeline for a jumble of rocks and blocks that, at second glance, might be more than just natural formations. "Jack, look at this."
"What…" the colonel started, then gave a theatrical sigh. "Yes, okay, trust Daniel to find some ruins."
"They are, in fact, difficult to miss," Teal'c said blandly. Sam stifled a snicker.
Tom caught on quickly. "It looks almost like a pile of rubble. Do you think it's something that came down with the mountain when there was that meteor strike or earthquake or whatever?"
By now, Daniel was clambering over moss-covered rocks, peering at the broken pieces of what might have been, once upon a time, something distinct. "They're a little eroded, but there are definitely the signs of some straight edges here," he called over his shoulder. "So, yeah. This might have been next to the Stargate, once upon a time." He brushed gently at a thin layer of soil. "And Jack, this must have happened decades ago, if not longer. Definitely nothing to worry about."
"I'll decide what to worry about," Colonel O'Neill grumbled, but he stood back calmly enough as first Sam, and then Tom, joined Daniel in exploring the remnants of whatever might have once stood atop the mountain. Teal'c remained on guard, eyes flicking from his companions to the surroundings with cool control.
"I've got some marks here that might be symbols," Sam called after a minute.
Daniel's eyes lit up as he scrambled to her side. "Excellent! Let's just see what…" He concentrated, blowing the surface dust away before carefully angling his head to get just the right focus. He drew in a triumphant breath, then suddenly went very still.
"What?" demanded the colonel.
Daniel slowly looked up at them, eyes wide. "I think it's Furling," he whispered.
"Furling!"
"What's Furling?" asked Tom.
Daniel ignored him. "Do you know what this means?" he breathed. "Here's proof of the Fourth Race. Here, on a planet with advanced power sources. Do you realize…"
"We get it, Daniel," Colonel O'Neill interrupted. "And it means that this mission has something for everyone, which is very nice." He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "How sure are you that this is Furling?"
"I can't be sure," Daniel huffed. "This is so badly eroded. But you know how much I studied the video from Heliopolis. And I went back and reviewed it again, after you met the Asgard." He gestured at the remnants of what must have once been an imposing edifice of some sort. "This looks pretty close to that, don't you think?"
The colonel leaned forward, frowning. Sam peered more closely. Even Tom craned his neck for a look.
"Looks a bit Arabic," Sam mused aloud.
"Same graceful lines," Daniel agreed, not-quite-tracing the faded symbols with a gentle finger. "This could be huge, Jack."
"Okay." Colonel O'Neill sighed. "Let's get to the town and play friendly with the natives, ask them if any Furlings have visited lately…"
"And get permission to study their energy sources," Sam said firmly.
"Yeah, that too." He blew out a long breath. "Right. Let's get moving."
*
Gently prodding the two scientists away from their fascinated observations, Teal'c led the way toward the city. The setting suns were casting doubled shadows as SG-1 gathered at their designated meeting point, just outside the walls of Abeitu, to share their findings with one another.
Daniel Jackson had not seemed disappointed that so many of his initial speculations had been wrong. Abeitu was an entire settlement dedicated to higher education; the "temple" at its peak was the main lecture hall, and the more affluent buildings were additional centers of study. The smaller, more crowded buildings served as housing for the students - dormitories, Captain Carter had called them, and her twisted smile had suggested bittersweet memories of her own days of study. Teal'c noted that both Daniel Jackson and Dr. Silverstone wore similar expressions. Perhaps poor quality housing for students was a universal constant.
He had been glad to learn that the walls were more decorative than protective, even if he disdained such useless ornamentation; it meant that the team would not be in danger from predators or enemies as they continued their mission. There were minor skirmishes, they'd been told, between various towns, but Abeitu itself was considered wholly neutral ground.
They were escorted to meet the saru, the leader of the halls of learning. The saru was an old man by Tau'ri standards, his white curls and short beard startling against his dark skin. He was delighted to meet travelers from the Great Circle.
"Of course, now is the only time you could travel through the Circle," he said happily. "How fortunate for us that we are at the beginning of a new sheera'a!" He looked them up and down. "I am sure you have many stories to tell, and much wisdom to impart. Will you join us and teach us?"
"We were actually hoping to learn something from you," Daniel Jackson began, but O'Neill interrupted.
"Hold on a minute. Saru, can you explain what you mean by that?"
"Oh, you may call me Enusat," the man. "You need not address me by title."
"Enusat, then," O'Neill corrected himself, clearly reaching for patience. "Why do you say that this is the only time we could travel through the, ah, Circle?"
Enusat looked surprised. "Because it is the new sheera'a - or it was, a season ago. It is only now, when the suns align in the sky, that the Great Circle can be active."
Captain Carter looked interested. "Are you saying that the Great Circle won't work if the suns are in different quadrants?"
"That is correct," Enusat said, apparently pleased at her understanding. "Nutesh the Younger circles our world much more rapidly than Ligish the Elder. It is only at the start of each sheera'a, when the suns share the same part of the sky, that we can -"
"And how long is that going to last for?" O'Neill said harshly.
Enusat blinked. "Nutesh and Ligish's alignment?"
"Yes."
The saru hummed to himself, eyes turning upward as he performed mental calculations. "There are still eleven kalu left," he said at last. "I do hope you will stay that long. Anything less will not allow sufficient time for study."
"I'm sorry, Enusat," Daniel Jackson interposed himself smoothly, "but we're not that familiar with your terms. Could you clarify for us?" He glanced sidelong at O'Neill, whose face was rapidly purpling and looked moments short of an explosion.
Enusat pursed his lips. "I do know what other terms to use," he admitted.
"Let's see if we can figure it out together," Daniel Jackson suggested, and he escorted the saru several feet away, at a safe distance from O'Neill, to continue their conversation. Teal'c watched Captain Carter duck her head to hide her grin. Dr. Silverstone looked faintly bewildered, but remained silent.
After several minutes' earnest discussion, Daniel Jackson stepped away from the saru and rejoined the team.
"Okay, it's like this," he said. "The sheera'a is a great cycle, a single year of the planet's orbit around Ligish - if I understand you correctly, Sam, that's the further sun. That one orbit takes eighteen years of the closer sun, the one they call Nutesh the Younger. They count the sheera'a from the time that both suns share the same quadrant in the sky. That lasts about four or so Nutesh years. When Enusat talked about kalu, he meant seasons." He frowned for a moment, doing some calculations of his own. "About three of our years, say."
"He thinks we're going to hang around his planet for the next three years," O'Neill said flatly.
Dr. Silverstone muttered, "Hey, if you want to get a degree…" He subsided hurriedly at O'Neill's glare.
"Well, no, probably not," Daniel Jackson admitted. "It does mean we don't have to worry about losing access to Earth. In the meantime, we're welcome to wander around, look at things, ask whatever questions we like."
"That's very open of them," Captain Carter said, brightening. "I can take Tom to look at the energy pillars."
"And I can ask some questions about their history and the Furlings." Daniel Jackson bounced on his heels. "Jack, it's not just a Furling connection. It's a Furling connection with a culture of teaching! This may be the key to lead us to one of the Four Races!"
O'Neill sighed. "Right. Looks like we're splitting up." He turned to Teal'c. "T, buddy, watch Carter and Silverstone while they play with their doohickeys. I'll keep an eye on Daniel." He glanced down at his watch. "Let's meet just outside the front gate at 1830 hours."
"Do we have any idea what this is in local time?" Captain Carter asked.
"No. Who cares? That gives us six hours for research. We'll pool our information, take stock, eat something, and decide what to do next."
While the next several hours could have been tedious, Teal'c rather liked watching Captain Carter when she worked at understanding alien technology. It bothered him little that he, himself, did not understand how his staff weapon worked or the mechanics of the Tau'ri iris. But it gave him great pleasure to know that while the Goa'uld tried to impose mystery and mythology on their servants to proclaim a false divinity, the people of Earth doggedly pursued knowledge and understanding. Captain Carter's excitement at the discovery of new technology, and her determination to understand its workings, was an act of defiance against Goa'uld tyranny that Teal'c savored.
Dr. Silverstone and Captain Carter seemed to work well together. Teal'c gathered that they both rapidly agreed that the power sources were, indeed, solar, but the methodology proved unfamiliar to them. The young woman who had accompanied them showed them the inner circuitry and power systems, but they spent more time asking her questions than actually studying the device.
"Banunu, you're telling me that you know this is inefficient, but you don't see any reason to improve it?"
"Why should we?" the young woman shrugged, dark eyes honestly confused. "We have enough power for our needs."
"But only because the suns provide so much," Dr. Silverstone pressed. "Isn't that right?"
"I suppose so." Banunu seemed disinterested in the question. "Tell me of your own power sources. I wish to learn of those."
"Well, we use a photovoltaic system array with plenty of surface area to absorb as much solar power as we can…"
The discussion continued, Banunu an eager participant. She only seemed to lose interest when Captain Carter or Dr. Silverstone tried to suggest improvements to the solar energy pillars.
"We know about that," she said at one point, impatient. "But why bother, when there's no need?"
Captain Carter and Dr. Silverstone exchanged baffled looks.
After some time, Captain Carter steered the conversation to the binary suns shining brightly ahead, questioning Banunu about fluctuations in energy levels dependent on how close the second, brighter sun came to the planet. Banunu explained the two relative cycles of the suns, arms swinging in widely differing arcs.
"So, about halfway through Ligish's cycle - the sheera'a - the levels of solar energy tend to drop a little?"
"Slightly, yes," Banunu agreed. She showed Captain Carter some symbols within the control panel. "Do you see these numbers?"
"Those are numbers?"
Banunu blinked those large, dark eyes. "What else would they be?"
Dr. Silverstone started explaining the numeric system on Earth, but Captain Carter interrupted. "No, Tom, never mind. Banunu, what do those numbers say now, and what numbers are most common when the levels are lowest?"
Intrigued by the proffered notebook and ballpoint pen, Banunu scratched at the paper with the pen for a moment before drawing her people's numerical symbols on the page. She translated aloud.
"But that's a drop of nearly ten percent," Dr. Silverstone objected.
Banunu smiled at him, like a teacher praising a slow but eager pupil. "Yes, that is correct."
"How do you have enough power during those time?"
"Oh, the power levels are enough, even at their lowest."
Dr. Silverstone persisted. "But with just a little improvement, even the lowest power levels could be higher than they are now!"
Banunu's shoulders rose and fell. "But we don't need them," she said yet again.
Teal'c could see that the others were genuinely bewildered, but they wisely stopped questioning her and continued their studies.
When the time of their rendezvous neared, Teal'c courteously but firmly steered his two companions away from the cluster of energy pillars. Dr. Silverstone was openly reluctant. Captain Carter, too, was unhappy, but her military discipline allowed her an extra modicum of self-control.
"We're welcome here for years, Tom," she reminded the civilian. "Hopefully, we can come back later."
With a last, longing look at the energy pillars, Dr. Silverstone reluctantly followed the others back towards Abeitu.
As they approached the town, Banunu smiled a greeting at O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, who were just emerging from the main gate, and disappeared to some destination of her own. Teal'c observed that O'Neill was tense and Daniel Jackson seemed somewhat subdued.
"Right," O'Neill said. "Everyone safe and accounted for? Good. Let's go find a quiet place where we can talk."
"I have found a good location," Teal'c informed him. "We cannot be overheard and we will see anyone who approaches."
"Excellent. Lead on, Teal'c."
*
continued in part 2
Notes: Written for the stargate_summer Reverse Big Bang, and inspired by roeskva's stunning original artwork. Thank you, Roeskva, for such a gorgeous piece!
Takes place at the end of S2, after 1969. Lots of references to The Fifth Race and a certain episode of S1. I used Stargate-level science (that is, I mostly found information on Wiki or made it up entirely), and it is a grand old tradition to write Sherlock Holmes Stargate style "homages" pastiches.
Many thanks to Aelfgyfu for her careful beta skills, helpful suggestions, and title assistance.
As this story is too long for LJ's entry size restrictions, it has been divided into two parts. You can read it as one file either on DW or AO3.
*
Whose was it?
Four who are gone.
Who shall have it?
All those who desire it.
Where were the suns?
Over ring and pilaster.
Where met the shadows?
They were deep at the source.
How was it counted?
Right and right by four, left and left by seven, right by three, left by six, and source and done.
What was offered?
All that they had.
Why did they offer it?
For the sake of the future.
*
Two heads leaned close to study the recordings on the screen, murmuring comments to one another as they sifted through the files. The UAV recordings ranged from sharply focused to vague blurs, but there was enough resolution, in most cases, to get a clear idea of a planet’s potential. Images flickered past: skies of blue or yellow or orange, flashes of trees or grass or bare rock, water and ice, the occasional glimpse of a settlement or ruin.
“No, wait, Daniel. Back up. This one. We have got to take this mission.”
Sam snatched at the mouse, momentarily wrestling with Daniel for it before he raised both hands in surrender and sat back in his chair to give her more room. His mouth quirked up as she eagerly scrolled back through the footage, zooming in to focus on first one cropped image, then another.
“Look at this… and this… Daniel, do you realize what this could mean?”
“They look like some of kind of power source,” Daniel said, patiently stating the obvious and waiting for her to elaborate. “So?”
“So, where are they drawing the energy from?”
He peered a little more closely at the somewhat blurry images that showed sparks of energy dancing across the surface of manmade pillars. “Don’t tell me you can figure out that just from the UAV footage.”
“Not entirely,” Sam admitted readily, “but I can take a good guess.” She manipulated the footage again, pausing at an image of a cloudless alien sky.
Daniel blinked. “Huh. I missed that little detail.” He leaned forward again, his shoulder brushing hers. “Multiple moons are one thing, but multiple suns?”
“Binary suns,” Sam corrected. She hitched her chair a little closer to the desk, so clearly excited that Daniel had to work to hide his grin. “And it's not the binary thing that's amazing, Daniel. A good third of the star systems in our galaxy are binary or multiple - there are theories that suggest that multiple star systems might even be in the majority, even if they're not necessarily visually obvious. No, what's beyond incredible is discovering one that can support life. Depending on the barycenter, a planet that has two orbiting suns could be experiencing wildly swinging extremes of radiation and heat. And if there's any mass transfer going on, the amounts would be incredibly variable. But that's not what we're seeing here. That means that in order for the planet to have such a temperate climate, this system has got to be relatively stable..."
Daniel had listened to enough of Sam's impromptu discourses about her specialty to follow along, but he suspected that he would be completely lost in another moment or two. No matter. He always enjoyed seeing her like this.
"…I'm sure there are hotter or colder periods, but either it's a very long elliptical orbit - long enough for life to get started, be destroyed, and then re-establish itself after conditions change, which is so long that it's beyond our capability to measure - or, which seems more likely, it's a wide binary system that allows for a more even…"
Her voice trailed off as his patient expression clearly told her that she’d inadvertently slipped into lecture mode, not to mention getting distracted by multiple theoretical tangents. Clearing her throat, she finished, “Anyway. Binary planet, which is a fantastic opportunity for studying astrophysics. Potential energy source, which will keep the bean counters at the Pentagon happy. And it’s not a Goa’uld planet, either - this one is from the colonel’s Ancient database. That means it’s probably safe.”
Daniel, still smiling slightly at her enthusiasm, rubbed at his nose. “I don't know if you can say that, Sam. Goa’uld-free doesn’t automatically equal safe. The last time we tried a planet from the Ancient database with two suns…”
“Teal’c, Castleman, Sullivan, and I nearly died, I know,” she said, licking her lips at the memory. “I'm guessing those suns were in an elliptic orbit, and we were there at the time when both suns were at their closest. But this is different.” She grabbed the mouse again and flicked back through the images. “Just look at the place, Daniel. That other planet was barren sand and rock because its orbit was too close to either one or both of its suns, with just enough atmosphere to trick us into thinking it was safe. But this planet clearly supports life.” She switched screens, scanning through numbers and symbols and complex equations that she could read as easily as Daniel could read hieroglyphics. “There were three planetary rotations in the last 68 hours. Many more daylight hours than night hours, which makes sense with the binary system, or maybe it's just summer. Temperatures ranged from 12 C to 24 C. The atmospheric pressure seems a little heavier than what we’re used to, but ultraviolet rays aren’t as strong as I would have expected.” She sat back and looked at him. “There are obvious signs of civilization here. Technology. And if I’m right and it’s solar technology, then they might have techniques and designs that we can translate to what we have, right now.”
Daniel hummed thoughtfully. “Not something that would require naquadah, you mean.”
“Exactly!” Sam’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Don’t you see, Daniel? This might be something we can really use, without trying to negotiate for technology or power systems that we don’t have the resources to manage. Imagine if we can bring back new methods, maybe greater efficiency for our own solar power cells. Do you know what kind of difference that could make for everyone on Earth? A better source of clean energy!”
“If you’re right about the energy source,” Daniel said mildly, but the curl at his mouth gave away his amusement at her enthusiasm.
She smirked right back at him. “How much do you want to bet on it?”
He shrugged. “The only way to find out is to go.”
“So you’ll help me convince the colonel?” she asked eagerly. “Because it’s not just the solar energy that’s exciting, you know. The chance to study a planet in a stable binary orbit that’s capable of supporting life - not to mention the opportunity to measure the binary mass function… I can’t miss this, Daniel!"
“Well, then, we’ll have to make sure you don’t,” he told her. “Let’s go talk to Jack and Teal’c.”
“Talk to us about what?” called a voice from the doorway, and they turned to see the rest of their team just entering the office.
“Our next mission, sir,” Sam said, jumping out of her seat. “P3X-993. Potential source of energy, moderate climate…”
“No big honking weapons in sight,” Daniel added, sprawling back more comfortably in his chair, “but that makes it less likely than anyone will be shooting at us, either.”
Teal’c, now standing behind Sam, frowned slightly and pointed at the frozen image of the planet’s skies. “There are two suns there, Captain Carter. Surely that means dangerous temperatures.”
“No, we’ve been monitoring it for three planetary days. Not every binary sun system is going to be impossibly hot.”
“That is true,” Teal’c conceded, and only Sam and Jack and Daniel had the ability to read the tiny crinkle around his eyes that meant he was still unhappy.
Sam tried to be reassuring. “There’s clear signs of habitation, Teal’c. We know there are people living there, and the temperature readings we’ve done show that we shouldn’t have any trouble.”
“I see.” Teal’c tipped his head sideways in thoughtful consideration. “Do the native population use moisture vaporators, then?”
There was a long pause as Sam and Daniel blinked at him. Jack gave a little cough and tried his best to look innocent.
“You did, didn’t you,” Daniel said wearily to Jack.
“Did what?” Jack asked, a little unconvincingly.
Sam, catching on, laughed. “No, Teal’c, this isn’t like Tatooine. I didn’t know the colonel had showed you Star Wars.”
“It was a most satisfactory series,” Teal’c announced. “An entire galaxy brought to freedom by the Rebellion.”
Jack offered a shrugged admission. “He wanted to know why we talked about a ‘galaxy far, far away’ back in 1969. The easiest way to explain was to show him.”
Still smiling, Sam said, “Well, as I said, this planet is nothing like Tatooine. Here, look…” She played back more footage, showing the verdant grass, the tall trees, the signs of a small town deep in the valley below the Stargate. “And see these? That’s some kind of power source. And I’m betting that it’s solar. With a binary system providing so much sunlight, solar power would be the easiest source of energy. This is a double opportunity: we can learn more about stable binary systems, and we might be able to learn more about solar power. This really has a lot of potential.”
“Sam’s specialty is astrophysics,” Daniel reminded Jack. “This mission is tailor-made for her. Don’t you agree?”
“Ye-es,” Jack conceded, rocking back on his heels. “How about solar energy, Carter? Are you an expert on that, too?”
“Not more than the basics,” Sam admitted. She took a deep breath, her face assuming that steady, impersonal look that told Daniel she was about to challenge her superior officer. “But there is an expert in solar energy right here on base, sir. Dr. Tom Silverstone. I’ve read his work, and I think he would have a lot to contribute.”
“So you’re planning on getting a little tutoring on the side before we go?”
“No, sir.” She stood up, her back very straight. “I’m planning to put in a request that he come along with us.”
“Whoa, whoa!” Jack exclaimed. “Where did that one come from?”
“It’s the perfect opportunity,” Sam argued. “It’s from your Ancient database, sir, so there’s no risk of Goa’uld activity. It’s a moderate planet with no signs of danger -“
“No obvious signs,” Jack said, his voice dry. “And we know so very well how frequently we find the unobvious.”
“Hammond’s been talking about bringing experts through the Gate to deal with the unexpected, Jack,” Daniel pointed out, offering Sam his backup. “There’s a much better chance of getting things right when we have the knowledge we need right with us, instead of trying to channel information back through the Gate.” His tone turned a little sardonic. “That is the reason they let me be on SG-1. Unless you suddenly have a problem with civilians?”
Jack scowled. “I have a problem with letting anyone who isn’t certified for Gate travel go off-planet, civilian or military.”
“Then it’s a good thing Dr. Silverstone completed the off-world training course, sir,” Sam said brightly.
“You know, the one that you recommended two months ago, Jack,” added Daniel with a touch of acid sweetness.
Jack’s frown grew deeper. Teal’c looked deadpan in the way that meant he was snickering internally.
“They’re going to start letting consultants through the Stargate sooner or later, Jack,” Daniel said, turning persuasive. “We’re used to being the first. We might as well be first for this, too. And Sam’s right - this planet makes the perfect test run.”
“Well.” Jack shoved his hands deep into his pockets, the frown still lingering. “I’ll bring it up with Hammond, see what he says.” He pulled his right hand out of his pocket in order to aim a finger at Sam. “Write up your proposal first, Carter.”
“Yes, sir!” Sam beamed.
“Geeks can talk me into anything,” Jack muttered at Teal'c, his tone a little too fond to be genuinely annoyed.
"Indeed," Teal'c said blandly, but they could all tell that he was really laughing.
After Jack had wandered out, grumbling, with an amused Teal'c at his heels, Sam turned back to Daniel. "Thanks for sticking up for me," she said. "I know this isn't your thing."
"It is yours," Daniel shrugged. "You're entitled to a mission that suits your specialty." The slight smile deepened and twisted, becoming a little sly. "Besides, I think that allowing civilian experts through the Gate is a very good precedent."
Sam eyed him. "Exactly what are you plotting, Doctor Jackson?"
"Me?" Daniel's expression morphed into civilian, wide-eyed naiveté. "Would I be plotting something, Captain Carter?"
"Yes."
Daniel fluttered his eyelashes at her. "Can't I simply be supporting a fellow scientist?" Her expression answered his question, and he laughed, relaxing into a more comfortable slouch. "Sorry, Sam. To be honest, you're doing me a favor by setting the precedent. Let the hard sciences pave the way for civilians off-world…"
"…And you have a better chance of getting those civilians in your field approved, the ones you've been requesting for months," Sam finished. "Very clever and ambitious, Doctor Jackson."
"Just realistic," he said, sighing. "We need more linguists and archeologists out there. This might help tip the balance."
"In that case, we'd better make sure we have a successful mission," she teased.
He nodded. "I'll do my best."
*
Jack kept a wary eye and half an ear on the arguing pair as he sat quietly in a corner of Carter's office, skimming the report of Silverstone's off-world training.
Okay, so the man had passed - not with flying colors, but with decent stats. When he'd first designed the training program, Jack had deliberately set the bar a little high; Daniel's own original scores would have disqualified him from Stargate travel under the new rules. Which was the point, really. Daniel had more than proved his worth out there, but he'd also died a few too many times for Jack's comfort. He couldn't really argue against taking civilian expertise along when it was genuinely needed, but he could also demand that any civilian was trained enough to give them a higher chance of survival.
He paged through the report again. Huh. Silverstone had actually failed the first time, and then passed when he'd gone back for a second round. At least the guy had tenacity. Jack always appreciated people who knew what they wanted and actually worked to achieve it.
Keeping his eyes hooded, he glanced at Silverstone again. He was being polite enough to Carter, but he wasn't backing down from whatever they were arguing about. He'd heard enough to get the gist of it: Silverstone wasn't sure the energy pillars were actually fueled by solar power, especially as there were signs of a waterfall near the most active ones. He and Carter were stabbing fingers at the readouts from the UAV, using phrases like insufficient surface area and photovoltaic surfaces and no discernable pollution and crystalline surfaces. When he started hearing the same arguments for the third time, he slapped down the papers and raised his voice.
"Hey!"
Carter turned to him immediately, with Silverstone a few heartbeats behind. Yeah, civilian. At least this one wasn't aggressively so; his haircut wasn't regulation, but it wasn't too bad, either. And he didn't seem to think that colonel equaled ignorant barbarian, as too many of Daniel's soft science team apparently assumed.
"Have you two wrangled it out as far as you can without actually seeing those energy things up close?"
They hesitated, looking at each other.
"Yes, sir," Carter answered reluctantly. Silverstone satisfied himself with a begrudging nod.
"Then quit making my ears hurt and go pack. We're scheduled to go off-world tomorrow morning. Final briefing at 0600 hours." He narrowed his eyes at Silverstone, then turned to Carter. "Make sure you double-check his gear."
Silverstone opened his mouth to object, then wisely closed it again.
Well. Maybe civilians could learn something, after all.
*
Sam took a deep breath as she rematerialized on P3X-993, filling her lungs with the air of a different planet. She always loved this moment, when she stood on alien soil and inhaled the indefinable scent of other. The very next moment might bring staff weapon blasts or flashing eyes or random natives trying to kill her, but the first steps on a different world always brought her an inner sense of joy.
"Nice day," the colonel drawled, squinting up into the thin blue of the sky. "You sure there's no UV problem here with those two suns, Carter?"
"Not according to the UAV readings, sir," Sam replied. "There seems to be a very strong ozone layer."
"Good." Still looking wary, the colonel kept his weapon in readiness as he turned in a slow circle. There was no sign of anything stirring outside the breeze that blew softly in their faces. After a long moment, he seemed to relax a little.
"Right, people. No signs of any human activity up here for a while. Let's get this show on the road."
Sam knelt in the grass and started digging into her pack. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted that Dr. Silverstone - Tom, she corrected herself, as they'd argued themselves into a first-name basis - had wandered over to the edge of the cliff and was peering at the town nestled in the valley below, probably trying to pick out the energy pillars even from this distance. Teal'c followed Tom, keeping an eye on the civilian, while Daniel inspected the DHD and took note of the point of origin.
"O'Neill," Teal'c called. "The town is surrounded by a sturdy wall."
Colonel O'Neill joined Teal'c and Tom near the cliff edge, shading his eyes as he looked down into the valley. "Yeah. Enemies or predators?"
Teal'c frowned, tilting his head in consideration. "I am uncertain. In either case, we should be cautious."
"Walls inside the town, too," Tom pointed out.
Daniel had squatted next to Sam to help her set up her astrophysics equipment, but he looked up at that. "Class segregation?" he asked.
"Could be," the colonel said slowly. "Come take a look."
Daniel rose and walked over, keeping a careful distance from the edge. Sam looked up from her work, her hands automatically making the adjustments necessary, to watch as he took the binoculars that Teal'c offered and surveyed the town below. "Definitely an upper class and a lower class," he said after a minute or two. "That building in the back is either the seat of government or a temple of some sort. Then there's the richer homes with all that space around them, walled off from the more crowded areas." He lowered the binoculars and pursed his lips. "Doesn't look too squalid."
"How can you tell?" Tom asked curiously.
"Well, I can't tell much from up here, but the buildings seem to be in good shape. No obvious signs of open piles of trash, either."
Sam turned back to her instruments, making a few final tweaks before getting them started.
"These will run on their own, sir," she said, rising to her feet and brushing off her BDUs. "Teal'c, any sign of those possible predators up here? Do I have to worry about animals damaging my equipment?"
"I think not, Captain Carter," Teal'c said after a careful scan of their surroundings. “We are on a mountaintop. There is nothing here to attract any creatures, nor any visible signs of tracks or spoor."
"Yeah, speaking of that," Daniel said, rubbing at his chin. "Jack, when was the last time we saw a Stargate set so close to the edge of a cliff?"
The colonel frowned, thinking back. "Not too often. Usually they're on level ground in the first place."
Daniel paced the cliff edge, his gaze flicking up and around, his expression oddly focused. "I don't think the Gate was so close to begin with," he said at last. "I think something broke off a large part of the mountain top - earthquake, maybe, or even a meteor strike."
Colonel O'Neill stiffened. "Are we at risk of losing our way home?" he demanded.
"There's no immediate danger, Jack. Whatever happened was a long time ago." He gestured at the grass growing right up to the edge before the sudden drop. "The ground here is long since healed."
"Surely the Ancients wouldn't have set a Stargate weighing 64,000 pounds on unstable ground," Sam said. "Any race capable of creating the Gate system would know enough about geology to site them properly."
"Unless they're put into castles that are falling into the sea," the colonel muttered, and Sam saw Daniel wince at that one.
She cleared her throat. "We're done here, sir. Our next step should be examining those energy pillars so we can determine if they're solar."
"Or hydropowered," Tom said, pointing stubbornly at the waterfall glinting in the light of the two suns.
Sam couldn't help the smile that turned up the corners of her mouth. "I got you off-world on the chance of it being solar, Doctor. Can't you at least accept the possibility?"
"I can," he said, amiably enough. "But if they're running solar power without the need for a lot more surface cells, I'm not so sure we can translate that into our technology."
"Let's not count our solar panels before they hatch," the colonel cut in, and Sam had to struggle to stop her smile from turning into a broad grin at Tom's bewildered expression. "There's still some signs of a path here, so let's follow it."
As the team descended the sharp path down the mountain, they fell into their usual pattern: military in front and back, civilians safely in the middle. Tom eyed her a little uneasily as she fell into step besides him and Daniel, her rifle cradled easily in the crook of her arm.
"Are you all really so worried about some kind of attack?" he asked.
"No," Daniel answered for her. "But a little caution doesn't hurt, does it?"
Tom nodded. "I guess it doesn't."
Daniel artfully changed the subject, speculating aloud about the visual absence of cropland or domesticated animals and wondering if there might be a thriving economy in place to trade foodstuffs with other towns. Tom, piqued despite his own ignorance on the subject, asked, "Is it likely to find that kind of trade going on off-world?"
"The town of Nagada was situated next to the Stargate specifically for Ra's benefit," Daniel said. "Water was at a premium and aside from the mastadges - a camel-type animal that provided milk, meat, and transportation - there was very little to sustain them. But the other towns and settlements on Abydos sent a regular tithe to Nagada, a sort of tribute to pay for the work done in the naquadah mines on their behalf."
"Ah…." Tom looked a little lost, and Sam took pity on him.
"Doctor Jackson spent a year on the planet Abydos, before our Stargate program really got underway," she explained. "So he's in a good position to explain things from an off-world point of view."
"You were off-world for a year? Really?"
Daniel looked amused. "It's nice to meet someone who doesn't actually follow all the SGC gossip."
"Ah, well." Tom shrugged, a little sheepish. "I've never really been the watercooler type."
"You're missing out on the best bits, then," Sam told him. "The SGC rumor mill has a life of its own."
They fell into companiable silence, then, focused more on stopping their boot heels from sliding on the steep path. Tom and Daniel easily slipped into a first-name basis, but a quiet word of caution from Sam advised them to use their titles when they addressed one another in front of the others. Respect for civilians would do better for that gentle reminder to the more military members of the team, and an increase in civilian scientists going through the Gate was something all three of them wanted.
It took over an hour to descend into the valley, but the deep, rich air that greeted them on the lower slopes served to revive them.
"Hold on," Daniel said suddenly, swerving abruptly away from the path. He made a beeline for a jumble of rocks and blocks that, at second glance, might be more than just natural formations. "Jack, look at this."
"What…" the colonel started, then gave a theatrical sigh. "Yes, okay, trust Daniel to find some ruins."
"They are, in fact, difficult to miss," Teal'c said blandly. Sam stifled a snicker.
Tom caught on quickly. "It looks almost like a pile of rubble. Do you think it's something that came down with the mountain when there was that meteor strike or earthquake or whatever?"
By now, Daniel was clambering over moss-covered rocks, peering at the broken pieces of what might have been, once upon a time, something distinct. "They're a little eroded, but there are definitely the signs of some straight edges here," he called over his shoulder. "So, yeah. This might have been next to the Stargate, once upon a time." He brushed gently at a thin layer of soil. "And Jack, this must have happened decades ago, if not longer. Definitely nothing to worry about."
"I'll decide what to worry about," Colonel O'Neill grumbled, but he stood back calmly enough as first Sam, and then Tom, joined Daniel in exploring the remnants of whatever might have once stood atop the mountain. Teal'c remained on guard, eyes flicking from his companions to the surroundings with cool control.
"I've got some marks here that might be symbols," Sam called after a minute.
Daniel's eyes lit up as he scrambled to her side. "Excellent! Let's just see what…" He concentrated, blowing the surface dust away before carefully angling his head to get just the right focus. He drew in a triumphant breath, then suddenly went very still.
"What?" demanded the colonel.
Daniel slowly looked up at them, eyes wide. "I think it's Furling," he whispered.
"Furling!"
"What's Furling?" asked Tom.
Daniel ignored him. "Do you know what this means?" he breathed. "Here's proof of the Fourth Race. Here, on a planet with advanced power sources. Do you realize…"
"We get it, Daniel," Colonel O'Neill interrupted. "And it means that this mission has something for everyone, which is very nice." He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "How sure are you that this is Furling?"
"I can't be sure," Daniel huffed. "This is so badly eroded. But you know how much I studied the video from Heliopolis. And I went back and reviewed it again, after you met the Asgard." He gestured at the remnants of what must have once been an imposing edifice of some sort. "This looks pretty close to that, don't you think?"
The colonel leaned forward, frowning. Sam peered more closely. Even Tom craned his neck for a look.
"Looks a bit Arabic," Sam mused aloud.
"Same graceful lines," Daniel agreed, not-quite-tracing the faded symbols with a gentle finger. "This could be huge, Jack."
"Okay." Colonel O'Neill sighed. "Let's get to the town and play friendly with the natives, ask them if any Furlings have visited lately…"
"And get permission to study their energy sources," Sam said firmly.
"Yeah, that too." He blew out a long breath. "Right. Let's get moving."
*
Gently prodding the two scientists away from their fascinated observations, Teal'c led the way toward the city. The setting suns were casting doubled shadows as SG-1 gathered at their designated meeting point, just outside the walls of Abeitu, to share their findings with one another.
Daniel Jackson had not seemed disappointed that so many of his initial speculations had been wrong. Abeitu was an entire settlement dedicated to higher education; the "temple" at its peak was the main lecture hall, and the more affluent buildings were additional centers of study. The smaller, more crowded buildings served as housing for the students - dormitories, Captain Carter had called them, and her twisted smile had suggested bittersweet memories of her own days of study. Teal'c noted that both Daniel Jackson and Dr. Silverstone wore similar expressions. Perhaps poor quality housing for students was a universal constant.
He had been glad to learn that the walls were more decorative than protective, even if he disdained such useless ornamentation; it meant that the team would not be in danger from predators or enemies as they continued their mission. There were minor skirmishes, they'd been told, between various towns, but Abeitu itself was considered wholly neutral ground.
They were escorted to meet the saru, the leader of the halls of learning. The saru was an old man by Tau'ri standards, his white curls and short beard startling against his dark skin. He was delighted to meet travelers from the Great Circle.
"Of course, now is the only time you could travel through the Circle," he said happily. "How fortunate for us that we are at the beginning of a new sheera'a!" He looked them up and down. "I am sure you have many stories to tell, and much wisdom to impart. Will you join us and teach us?"
"We were actually hoping to learn something from you," Daniel Jackson began, but O'Neill interrupted.
"Hold on a minute. Saru, can you explain what you mean by that?"
"Oh, you may call me Enusat," the man. "You need not address me by title."
"Enusat, then," O'Neill corrected himself, clearly reaching for patience. "Why do you say that this is the only time we could travel through the, ah, Circle?"
Enusat looked surprised. "Because it is the new sheera'a - or it was, a season ago. It is only now, when the suns align in the sky, that the Great Circle can be active."
Captain Carter looked interested. "Are you saying that the Great Circle won't work if the suns are in different quadrants?"
"That is correct," Enusat said, apparently pleased at her understanding. "Nutesh the Younger circles our world much more rapidly than Ligish the Elder. It is only at the start of each sheera'a, when the suns share the same part of the sky, that we can -"
"And how long is that going to last for?" O'Neill said harshly.
Enusat blinked. "Nutesh and Ligish's alignment?"
"Yes."
The saru hummed to himself, eyes turning upward as he performed mental calculations. "There are still eleven kalu left," he said at last. "I do hope you will stay that long. Anything less will not allow sufficient time for study."
"I'm sorry, Enusat," Daniel Jackson interposed himself smoothly, "but we're not that familiar with your terms. Could you clarify for us?" He glanced sidelong at O'Neill, whose face was rapidly purpling and looked moments short of an explosion.
Enusat pursed his lips. "I do know what other terms to use," he admitted.
"Let's see if we can figure it out together," Daniel Jackson suggested, and he escorted the saru several feet away, at a safe distance from O'Neill, to continue their conversation. Teal'c watched Captain Carter duck her head to hide her grin. Dr. Silverstone looked faintly bewildered, but remained silent.
After several minutes' earnest discussion, Daniel Jackson stepped away from the saru and rejoined the team.
"Okay, it's like this," he said. "The sheera'a is a great cycle, a single year of the planet's orbit around Ligish - if I understand you correctly, Sam, that's the further sun. That one orbit takes eighteen years of the closer sun, the one they call Nutesh the Younger. They count the sheera'a from the time that both suns share the same quadrant in the sky. That lasts about four or so Nutesh years. When Enusat talked about kalu, he meant seasons." He frowned for a moment, doing some calculations of his own. "About three of our years, say."
"He thinks we're going to hang around his planet for the next three years," O'Neill said flatly.
Dr. Silverstone muttered, "Hey, if you want to get a degree…" He subsided hurriedly at O'Neill's glare.
"Well, no, probably not," Daniel Jackson admitted. "It does mean we don't have to worry about losing access to Earth. In the meantime, we're welcome to wander around, look at things, ask whatever questions we like."
"That's very open of them," Captain Carter said, brightening. "I can take Tom to look at the energy pillars."
"And I can ask some questions about their history and the Furlings." Daniel Jackson bounced on his heels. "Jack, it's not just a Furling connection. It's a Furling connection with a culture of teaching! This may be the key to lead us to one of the Four Races!"
O'Neill sighed. "Right. Looks like we're splitting up." He turned to Teal'c. "T, buddy, watch Carter and Silverstone while they play with their doohickeys. I'll keep an eye on Daniel." He glanced down at his watch. "Let's meet just outside the front gate at 1830 hours."
"Do we have any idea what this is in local time?" Captain Carter asked.
"No. Who cares? That gives us six hours for research. We'll pool our information, take stock, eat something, and decide what to do next."
While the next several hours could have been tedious, Teal'c rather liked watching Captain Carter when she worked at understanding alien technology. It bothered him little that he, himself, did not understand how his staff weapon worked or the mechanics of the Tau'ri iris. But it gave him great pleasure to know that while the Goa'uld tried to impose mystery and mythology on their servants to proclaim a false divinity, the people of Earth doggedly pursued knowledge and understanding. Captain Carter's excitement at the discovery of new technology, and her determination to understand its workings, was an act of defiance against Goa'uld tyranny that Teal'c savored.
Dr. Silverstone and Captain Carter seemed to work well together. Teal'c gathered that they both rapidly agreed that the power sources were, indeed, solar, but the methodology proved unfamiliar to them. The young woman who had accompanied them showed them the inner circuitry and power systems, but they spent more time asking her questions than actually studying the device.
"Banunu, you're telling me that you know this is inefficient, but you don't see any reason to improve it?"
"Why should we?" the young woman shrugged, dark eyes honestly confused. "We have enough power for our needs."
"But only because the suns provide so much," Dr. Silverstone pressed. "Isn't that right?"
"I suppose so." Banunu seemed disinterested in the question. "Tell me of your own power sources. I wish to learn of those."
"Well, we use a photovoltaic system array with plenty of surface area to absorb as much solar power as we can…"
The discussion continued, Banunu an eager participant. She only seemed to lose interest when Captain Carter or Dr. Silverstone tried to suggest improvements to the solar energy pillars.
"We know about that," she said at one point, impatient. "But why bother, when there's no need?"
Captain Carter and Dr. Silverstone exchanged baffled looks.
After some time, Captain Carter steered the conversation to the binary suns shining brightly ahead, questioning Banunu about fluctuations in energy levels dependent on how close the second, brighter sun came to the planet. Banunu explained the two relative cycles of the suns, arms swinging in widely differing arcs.
"So, about halfway through Ligish's cycle - the sheera'a - the levels of solar energy tend to drop a little?"
"Slightly, yes," Banunu agreed. She showed Captain Carter some symbols within the control panel. "Do you see these numbers?"
"Those are numbers?"
Banunu blinked those large, dark eyes. "What else would they be?"
Dr. Silverstone started explaining the numeric system on Earth, but Captain Carter interrupted. "No, Tom, never mind. Banunu, what do those numbers say now, and what numbers are most common when the levels are lowest?"
Intrigued by the proffered notebook and ballpoint pen, Banunu scratched at the paper with the pen for a moment before drawing her people's numerical symbols on the page. She translated aloud.
"But that's a drop of nearly ten percent," Dr. Silverstone objected.
Banunu smiled at him, like a teacher praising a slow but eager pupil. "Yes, that is correct."
"How do you have enough power during those time?"
"Oh, the power levels are enough, even at their lowest."
Dr. Silverstone persisted. "But with just a little improvement, even the lowest power levels could be higher than they are now!"
Banunu's shoulders rose and fell. "But we don't need them," she said yet again.
Teal'c could see that the others were genuinely bewildered, but they wisely stopped questioning her and continued their studies.
When the time of their rendezvous neared, Teal'c courteously but firmly steered his two companions away from the cluster of energy pillars. Dr. Silverstone was openly reluctant. Captain Carter, too, was unhappy, but her military discipline allowed her an extra modicum of self-control.
"We're welcome here for years, Tom," she reminded the civilian. "Hopefully, we can come back later."
With a last, longing look at the energy pillars, Dr. Silverstone reluctantly followed the others back towards Abeitu.
As they approached the town, Banunu smiled a greeting at O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, who were just emerging from the main gate, and disappeared to some destination of her own. Teal'c observed that O'Neill was tense and Daniel Jackson seemed somewhat subdued.
"Right," O'Neill said. "Everyone safe and accounted for? Good. Let's go find a quiet place where we can talk."
"I have found a good location," Teal'c informed him. "We cannot be overheard and we will see anyone who approaches."
"Excellent. Lead on, Teal'c."
*
continued in part 2