CHAPTER 1- "SIR, YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!"
Jack O’Neill’s letter to General Hammond,
dated 23 OCT 03
"There’s not much to it, really. Everything that was done there, was done somewhere else first. Everything that happened, had happened before, but this time it meant something.
"It meant something, and I can’t leave that behind. Now, I know that you don’t understand, General Hammond, especially considering the attitude that I had at first, when I realized that the orders weren’t a late April Fool’s joke….."
25 JUN 02
Even from behind the thick glass, the Stargate was awe-inspiring. The two men in the conference room watched as a four "man" team flew helter-skelter through the event horizon, and into the Gate Room from off-world. They way that the SF’s covered the portal with their weapons, inspired a technician to trigger the iris.
The taller of the two observers tensed.
"That, Sir, is why I think that this is crazy. We’ve been chased off too many worlds to put civilians at risk." the tall observer tensed.
Major General George Hammond sighed as he turned his back on the action below him.
"Jack," the general replied to Colonel Jack O’Neill. "I don’t like this anymore than you do, but you heard the President yourself. You and the rest of SG-1, will carry out the mission. And that is final."
A loud thump echoed, as something slammed against the iris before it could return to solid matter.
"I hope that wasn’t anyone I knew." the colonel muttered sarcastically.
General Hammond glared at him in exasperation. Even at the best of times, Jack O’Neill was acerbic, but with stresses like those that he was now under, the man could be almost insubordinate. Luckily, the entrance of the exuberant Major Samantha Carter broke the mood.
Smiling, she skidded to a stop and saluted in a cockeyed manner. When she saw the general behind her direct superior, she immediately snapped to attention and saluted precisely.
"Reporting as ordered, Sirs!" the blonde major said sharply.
Jack fought to keep a straight face and failed. His smirk, unseen by Hammond, threatened to break the major’s fragile façade.
"At ease, Major," Hammond ordered in a crisp but soft tone. "Where are Doctor Jackson and Teal’c?"
As always, the two appeared in the doorway when their names were mentioned. The light-haired archaeologist was deep into expounding the intricacies of the names for different flavors of ice cream to the Jaffa, and almost ran into Major Carter.
Pausing, only to step to the side and adjust his glasses again, Daniel Jackson pulled a notepad out of his pocket and wrote, yet another reminder, to pick up his new contact lenses at the optometrists’ office before the next mission. But after seeing the general’s statement, he crossed out the note and wrote "TODAY" in big letters on the sheet of paper.
Teal’c as always, meditively observed the tense atmosphere and raised a stoic eyebrow.
"Alright, kids," Jack quipped. "Playtime is over. Everyone take a seat. Let’s not waste any more of the general’s time." Jack said, taking the seat near the general’s chair.
Only the base commander, himself, stayed on his feet.
"SG-1," Hammond began. "My orders come directly from the office of the President himself, so I want you to consider the seriousness of this matter." He took a deep breath.
"Due to certain…financial and political factors," he continued. "The Executive office has determined a plan to set a permanent supply base off-world, on a planet recently surveyed by SG-5. It was determined that in light of lack of dangerous viruses, large predators or signs of intelligent life, this world would be perfect as man’s second foothold in the stars, since Ra himself started trading slaves." The bald general concluded.
Three of the four-member team just stared at the bald man in confusion.
"Oh for cryin’ out loud," Jack exclaimed. "He means that we’re going to put a colony on P4G- something or other." He waved slightly as he spoke, before thumping the table with his hand.
"I still think that this is Mayborne’s way of getting us out of the picture," Jack fumed. "While he makes another grab for power."
"You’re out of line, Colonel O’Neill," snapped the general. "SG-1 will accompany the first wave of colonists and see to their defense until the civilians can handle things on their own." General Hammond said.
Carter sat up straighter in her chair, glancing sideways at O’Neill before stating her opinion.
"Sir, you’ve got to be kidding!" she exclaimed.
"Do I look like I’m kidding, Major," Hammond snapped at her. "Colonel O’Neill will brief you on the rest of the mission."
With that, Hammond stormed off to his office, while O’Neill briefed SG-1.
3 JUL 02
The Gate Room was in upheaval. All of the modifications that had been made over the years, had to be undone to moved, to make room for the vast amounts of material that were to be carried through the Stargate. The first trip was to be the smallest group of colonists, but a comparatively large amount of material would accompany them through the Stargate.
Doctor Daniel Jackson stared in open awe, as he passed room after room full of supplies. In each one, two or three small tractors with several trailers apiece, sat ready to be driven down the hall and onto another world. One, he noticed as he walked by, was severely overloaded as it tried to deal with the weight of a dismantled mining drill. The man trying to back the vehicle into its spot, was arguing with someone in fatigues about whether the axles would hold.
"Drill," Daniel muttered as he tried to get to the Briefing Room. "Big drill."
Jack caught up to him, and patted the light-haired archaeologist on his right shoulder.
"Hey, Daniel," Jack said. "Old Doc Fraiser’s lookin’ for ya. Said something about some shots."
Daniel nodded distractedly.
"I know," he replied. "I was on my way there, but I got turned around looking for a back way in all this mess." Daniel explained.
"What’s wrong with the straight and narrow?" Jack asked, knowing that his friend knew the way.
"That." Daniel said, pulling an ever-present handkerchief from his pocket and covered his nose and mouth with it.
Jack turned to look at the tractor rig passing behind him.
"I don’t see anything," he started to say. "That’s almost as bad as CS gas!" he exclaimed when he smelled the fumes, causing his eyes to water.
"Chemical fertilizer." Daniel said through his handkerchief, as Jack pulled his black T-shirt over his nose.
Teal’c appeared behind them, his hands clasped behind his back.
"It is a most unpleasant odor," the tall, black Jaffa asked. "Is it not, O’Neill?" Jack just looked at the stoic Jaffa with a grin.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have a problem with understatements, Teal’c," retorted the colonel sarcastically. "Let’s just get out of this area, okay?"
MEANWHILE, IN THE INFIRMARY
Samantha Carter was with Doctor Janet Fraiser, when the three men walked in and paused in the doorway to listen to the two women.
"Last one," Fraiser said, plunging the liquid into the major’s arm. "I promise."
Sam winced slightly after watching her friend put the needle under her skin.
"That’s what you said last week," Sam said. "But here I am, Janet."
Her back to the door, Janet chuckled softly.
"You’re starting to sound like Colonel O’Neill," she replied. "Have you two been….OW!" Janet rubbed her arm where Sam had pinched her.
About to object, Janet followed Sam’s gaze over her own shoulder and into the colonel’s eyes.
"Colonel," Janet said suddenly. "I hadn’t realized it was time for your appointment."
"I couldn’t wait to see you again, Doc," Jack replied sarcastically, then turned to Sam. "All packed, Carter?"
"Not yet, Sir," the blonde major said. "Just a few odds and ends left, really." For some reason, her cheeks started to turn pink.
"T-minus ninety minutes and counting," he chided. "You better hurry, Carter."
"Yes, Sir," Sam said. "Thanks, Janet." She said to her friend, then left before Jack could say anything else to her to make her blush.
"I see you brought Daniel," Janet said, turning her attention to the two men. "Good."
The two men looked at her in surprise, then looked at the two trays of needles that she was carrying towards them.
"Okay," Janet said. "Drop ‘em boys." Janet teased them and grinned.
Carter made it to the Gate Room just as the technician locked the first chevron into place. Jack cocked an eyebrow at the tardy major.
"Sorry, Sir," the major apologized. "The hall was blocked off. They’ve already started bringing the colonists down." Carter reported.
"It’s a shame really," the colonel said. "I always thought that our first colony would be on the moon."
"I guess this was cheaper," Daniel said, shrugging his shoulders. "Senator Kinsey must love that."
The last chevron locked into place, and the Stargate lit up in a brilliant splash of blue light. The SG-1 team started toward the gate before the Event Horizon had stabilized. The M.A.L.P probe passed them when they stopped at the threshold.
At Hammond’s order, and not before, they led the 150 colonists and their baggage through the gate.
__________________________________________________
CHAPTER 2- "HOUSTON, DO YOU READ?"
10 JUL 02
Tents filled the small valley, where the Stargate had stood for millennia. Erosion and a small earthquake had freed it from the alluvial fan that had entrapped it, until recently. The geologist of the camp had made hours of observations within the valley itself and between the different chores the committee had assigned him to.
Even the so-called "security consultants" had helped to make the camp habitable. Daniel and Carter proved to be quite adept at setting up the oversized tents, and even Teal’c seemed to enjoy teaching the children about Jaffa techniques for exploration. The colonel noticed that the parents certainly acted calmer when their children were in such capable hands.
Jack, perhaps from some regretful impulse, had cleared a small field for planting. He seemed to grow a little melancholy as he worked, as if some memory were bothering him.
Today, he had avoided that bare spot of ground. Instead, he had risen early and had taken Teal’c into the hills on a reconnaissance tour. The two hadn’t even made it out of camp, before the gate opened and the second wave of colonists began to arrive.
"Something about that mountain bothers me," Jack said, as they hiked southwest out of the camp. "I don’t know what it is, but it’s not good."
"Indeed," Teal’c said, agreeing with O’Neill’s observation and slowly strolled alongside his friend. "But should we not be there to welcome the colonists?"
"Nah," Jack said. "Let them sort it out. They’ll never notice that we’re gone." Jack could at least hope they didn’t notice.
At the gate, Carter watched in awe, as a good-sized truck squeezed through the Stargate.
"I don’t know how they even got it into the Gate Room," she confessed. "Amazing."
"We almost didn’t," replied a colonist. "But we figured that if they could get rocket engines in there in the sixties, then we could get a truck in if we had to. Believe me, the day will come when we’ll be glad to have it."
Daniel peeked into the cargo bed. It was packed with drums of diesel fuel, padded with bottles of oil.
"Well, it makes sense," Daniel commented to Carter. "Why make a trip back to Earth just for gas?"
"Excuse me," said a nervous looking man. "Where can I find Colonel O’Neill?"
"He’s out explor…." started Daniel.
"Patrolling," interrupted Carter. "But I’m Major Sam Carter, temporarily in command of the defense force. How can I help you?"
"I’m Bob McLowen," the colonist shrugged. "I’m supposed to be in charge of the second wave of colonists, but they all do their own thing anyway. As we were leaving, a guy named Hammond gave me this." Bob sighed and handed a laptop to Sam.
"Why didn’t he just radio us?" Daniel asked in confusion, tapping the small radio in his left field vest pocket. Sam glared at Daniel.
"So how much is left to bring through the Stargate?" Sam asked, trying to figure out how much more time they had here.
"Most of it," Bob said, looking at the material pouring through the gate. "It’s going to take a few hours."
"Hours," Daniel seemed startled. "But the wormhole can only be active for 38 minutes."
Carter stepped on his left foot, staring Daniel down with a harsh look.
"Why don’t we leave Bob to his work and report to the colonel?" Sam asked Daniel.
"What? Oh. Right." Daniel said, fidgeting and looking for somewhere to go.
"Excuse us, Bob." Sam said, grabbing Daniel’s arm. She dragged him away before he could do more than shout, ‘Hey!’ in protest. Sam led Daniel back to the tent that served as their temporary headquarters. She dug around in the supplies for the powerful camp radio with its dish antenna.
Daniel, ever curious, opened the laptop. A video player was overlaying the desktop, and the cursor was on a button labeled, "Play File?".
"Uh, Major," Daniel called. "This thing’s ready to go." Sam handed the dish to him, with a length of cable.
"Point this west and then get back here." Sam put the laptop as close to the radio as she dared, and made sure the radio handset would reach the built-in speaker beside the screen. She took her end of the antenna cable from Daniel without looking, and started to signal Jack.
"This better be important, Major," he snapped when he answered. "What is it?"
"Message from home, Sir," Sam replied. "Thought that you’d like to hear it."
"Go ahead." Jack said, adding a sigh at the end of his statement.
General Hammond and Janet appeared on the laptop screen in front of Sam and Daniel. The looks on the general and doctor’s faces didn’t reassure Carter and Jackson, who exchanged worried glances.
"SG-1, the SGC has been compromised," General Hammond began. "Doctor Fraiser will fill you in on the details."
Hammond stepped back and let her at the screen. Janet took a deep breath before speaking.
"I found encrypted files in our medical downloads. Someone on my staff is the contact for two, or possibly three, agents on the Stargate teams. At the moment, we’re stalling all in-base communications as to your whereabouts. Don’t come back to Earth until we send for you," Janet said hesitantly. "The Tollan and the Nox have been notified of the situation and have agreed to pass on our message when the time comes." Janet looked away from the screen and General Hammond came back.
"No one on Earth will know where you are, and as soon
as the other SG teams are back, we are closing the iris," the general paused. "And declaring SG-1 lost. If this is as bad as it looks, you may be humanity’s last chance for survival. Good luck, Jack. You’re going to need it. SGC out."
The picture went blank, and the program again prompted, "Play File?".
"That’s it, Sir," Carter said into the handset. "Over?"
Jack, who was seated near the top of the mountain, cursed before pressing the talk button on his radio. Teal’c was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Major," O’Neill started. "If we’re humanity’s last hope, humanity’s screwed." He said sarcastically.
"Sir?" Sam asked, unsure of his meaning.
"Carter," he replied. "I’m sitting on an overgrown landing pyramid, staring at a downed death glider. I’m holding a Jaffa’s skull in my hand. Does that sound like good news to you?" Jack finished.
Daniel took the microphone from Sam.
"This is Daniel," he said into the device. "Can you repeat that?"
Jack sighed. "We can expect a visit from the Goa’uld within a couple of years. At the most." He informed Daniel and Carter.
Teal’c interrupted. "That is inaccurate, O’Neill," Teal’c said, also talking into his radio. "We should anticipate the system lords investigating at anytime."
"So we can safely say that we may be dead by tomorrow?" Daniel asked sarcastically, sounding like Jack.
"Thank you, Daniel. I knew that I could count on you to cheer me up." Jack replied with equal sarcasm in his voice.
Sam glared at Daniel. She was still glaring at him, when she held out her hand for the microphone. Daniel handed it back and slumped in one of the other chairs in the tent.
"Major," O’Neill’s voice said. "How long before the colonists are done coming through the gate?" O’Neill was trying to get back on topic.
"Over an hour, Sir." Carter reported, glancing at Daniel.
"We have that long to talk the SGC into letting us go home." O’Neill replied to her.
Jack and Teal’c didn’t take long in getting back to camp. The ground-eating trot that they fell into, halved the time that it had taken them to climb the pyramid. Such was their rush, that several colonists narrowly avoided being trampled by the two warriors.
Teal’c, following Jack, nearly ran him over as the colonel stopped suddenly. Jack was crouching in the middle of a gap between two tents, lifting a small child who had been playing in the dirt. There was a gentleness on O’Neill’s face that the Jaffa hadn’t seen for some time, if at all.
"Aren’t you supposed to be with your family?" O’Neill asked the child gently. The girl shrugged, trying to wipe tears off of her small face before anyone noticed.
"Why don’t we see if we can find someone to show us where your tent is. Okay?" Jack hiked her up onto his shoulders and once more set off for the meeting with Carter and Daniel.
As O’Neill’s ground-eating stride carried her through the camp, when the small girl suddenly twisted to one side.
"DADDY!" the girl cried.
To keep from dropping the girl, or falling, O’Neill turned as well to see who the girl called out for.
Bob, the colony’s civilian coordinator, came running and accepted his daughter gratefully. Presenting his free hand, he introduced himself to the colonel.
"Robert McLowen. A pleasure to meet you," he glanced at the military officer’s grim statement. "Something wrong?"
"You got me." Jack quipped as he turned away.
Teal’c intervened. "Colonel O’Neill is preoccupied with the camp’s security."
"Maybe later then." Bob said softly.
"Perhaps." Teal’c replied stoically, then followed O’Neill.
Jack stormed into the command tent with fire in his eyes.
"Carter," he said. "We got any paper?"
"Sir?" she asked as he dug through several piles of equipment and supply boxes.
"Never mind," he lifted a large sketchpad and handed it to Teal’c. "Teal’c, you and Daniel, make me a map."
"Of…." Daniel hinted.
"Everything," Jack replied. "Stargate, mountains, camp, streams, everything." Jack turned his attention to Sam.
"Carter," he said softly, looking in her blue eyes. "How’s our reply comin’?"
"Pretty good, Sir," Sam said, handing him the note. "Daniel’s come up with some pretty unusual double and triple meaning codes, Sir."
Jack cocked an eyebrow as he scanned the note Sam had handed him.
"And you said that I had a problem with clichés," Jack said with a grin. "But what the hell. Let’s give it a shot."
After dialing the Stargate, Carter got the two-way radio link established, by keying a long code into the M.A.L.P. Within a minute, she had General Hammond on the other end.
"Houston," Jack read from the note. "Do you read?"
"We copy, Colonel." Hammond replied.
"We received your note about the rats. I take it, the cats aren’t up to the job?" Jack asked.
There was silence from the other end as the SGC puzzled over the remark.
"We’ve found evidence of snakes here, Sir," Jack read from the note again. "Perhaps if we had enough anti-venom, we could risk the colony here. As of now, no one’s been bit. We found an old nest, but it might only be abandoned temporarily." Jack finished.
"Any particular anti-venom, Colonel?" Hammond replied when he finally caught on.
"Whatever you can spare, Sir," Jack checked off that code on the list. "Also, we could use some Farmer’s stumper remover for the fields. We’ve got some rodents under MINEing our work." O’Neill said.
"Would C4 bricks and detonators work?" Hammond asked.
"If so, we’d like to have some more medical supplies in case of accidents," Jack was on the last code phrase. "Oh, and Carter forgot her set of keys to her dad’s place. Could you send those as well?" Jack asked, glancing at Sam.
"I’ll do my best." Hammond said.
"That’s all we can ask. SG-1 out." Jack said, signing off, then watching the event horizon dissipate.
Less than thirty minutes later, Bob showed up at the command tent with something in his hand.
"One of the last people through this time, brought this with her, Sir." He said, handing Jack a CD.
"You might as well hear this, too," Jack said to Bob, tossing the disk to Sam. "Let’s see what they had to say."
Janet’s face lit up the screen.
"Hi, everyone," Frasier’s smile disappeared. "General Hammond showed me the only copy of your message before we destroyed it. The phone call we made to the President didn’t help either. Your orders are to stay where you are until sent for."
Janet leaned closer to the camera. "That may be a long time. General Hammond is systematically destroying all records of your location. Hopefully before the spy, or spies, get a hold of them."
She panned the camera over the examination beds and the floor between them. There was barely any room to walk between the patients. Every one of them were unconscious.
"Whoever he or she is, or they for that matter, our spy has poisoned over half of the members of any off-world team. We got lucky and traced it to poisoned MRE’s, from the batch that came in after you left."
"That’s a relief." Jack muttered. Sam glared at him.
Janet stepped back in front of the camera.
"We’re assuming, from your message, that you’ve found a possible, but uncertain, Goa’uld threat, and wanted defensive materials." Janet said. "We’re sending every weapon, bullet or explosive, that we can. It’s impressive, but not enough. We debated on a pony nuke, but it would be noticed missing, and I don’t know how you’d use it safely." Frasier looked around.
"I’ve attached an inventory list of what we’re sending and all of our information on our "rat" problem. Be careful, SG-1." Janet reached for something out of sight, and the message ended.
Bob chewed on his lip thought fully. "I just have one question. What is a Goa’uld?"
Jack looked at Bob, then faced Teal’c.
"Teal’c," Jack said. "Show him."
__________________________________________________
CHAPTER 3- "THE NIGHT THE HEAVENS CRIED"
11 JUL 02
Bob, standing on the raised platform in front of the Stargate, addressed the incredulous crowd before him. He had called together, the thirty most influential members of the colony’s committee, and told them what he had learned from SG-1.
Most of the assembly had threatened to walk out before Teal’c had Junior make an appearance. Suitably calmed, they started paying attention to what they were being told about what might happen.
Jack had an impressive demonstration planned.
Standing in the center of the Stargate, he fired Teal’c’s staff weapon into the ground beside the dais.
"That," he said. "Is what the hand held weapon does. A death glider has weapons fire two times this size, and a mother ship. Well, it’s not a good sight." Jack finished. He had their attention now.
"The worst part is," he continued. "That we can’t go home. The Earth base is under a high security lockdown, until they find a spy that had been leaking top secret information, a spy that could even be here with us." Jack said, scanning the audience with trained eyes. They were eyeing each other suspiciously.
"The good new is," Jack started again. "That few on Earth knows where we are, so there won’t be any attack from there either. We have a rather large arsenal of weapons and explosives to work with." Jack turned the floor over to Bob again.
"We have an alternative plan," the civilian announced. "But we’re going to need your help with all the details." As he began to speak, he noticed that he had a captivated audience.
21 JUL 02
"We’ve got a problem, boss," the drill man said. "That sandstone that we’ve been quarrying is almost gone. We’re going to have to start on the other side of the ravine."
The foreman shook his head. "We’ve almost got enough stone as is. What’s the progress on those tunnels?"
The drill man grinned. "Almost a hundred feet today. You know, it’s getting to be a maze down there."
The foreman grinned back. "That’s what we’re counting on," he looked high overhead at the slowly growing latticework of timber. "Believe me, I’d rather be underground than way up there."
At the top of the quarry, Daniel and Jack were both wishing that they’d had that foreman’s common sense, as they eased their way across the woody girders. Jack, despite the good advice that he kept giving Daniel, made the mistake of looking down.
"A hundred and fifty feet looks a lot smaller from up here." Jack thought out loud.
Daniel noticed Jack’s reaction to the height and had to fight the urge to look. He swallowed, and then turned aside to Bob.
"So, by next week, the entire quarry will be covered by two feet of dirt?" Daniel asked stiffly.
Bob, standing safely on the rock cliff about ten feet away, shuddered and looked away.
"Yeah, but I don’t think that I’d be very comfortable walking on it." Bob replied shakily.
"It’s incredible that we’ve done so much with that little ravine in so little time," Daniel mused. "How’s the work on the Stargate going?" Daniel inquired.
Bob shrugged, not noticing that he was edging away from the woodwork.
"Your Major Carter’s working on that. I don’t understand all of the stuff that she tries to explain." Bob told the two men.
Jack stifled a laugh, covering it with his normal stoic statement. While working his way back to solid ground, he agreed with Bob.
"That’s normal." Jack said, a grin twitching at the left corner of his lips.
Sam had to smile at Daniel’s statement, when the three men walked up and noticed where she was perched. The Stargate was lying face down over a smaller ravine, and she was crouched on its outer ring. She stood and waved at her commanding officer before striding quickly to solid ground.
"We’re almost done here, Sir," she reported jubilantly. Her normal, sloppy salute seemed almost flirtatious today. "I was about to ask permission to test the Gate, Colonel."
Jack nodded. "Well, it’s time to do or die," He clapped his hands together and rubbed them against each other. "So where’s the DHD, Carter?"
Sam pointed toward Daniel, who was sitting on a nearby crate. "It’s right over there, Sir."
Jack walked around the wooden box and almost tripped over the sunken alien technology. He knelt and ran his hands over the recently buried DHD.
"Pretty good, Carter," he commented. "I think that we’d only have to kick some dirt over it to hide it perfectly."
Sam grinned. "Daniel?" she waved at the DHD. The archaeologist tucked his hat into his thigh pocket and crouched over the DHD. With no more than a second’s hesitation, he punched in a rapid set of coordinates.
The Stargate rippled wildly as the event horizon formed. Its consistent beauty was only normal, except for the fact that the "kawoosh" effect shot downward in a surprisingly controlled flux.
"Daniel," Jack said. "Just out of curiosity, just whose door are we knocking on?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"Actually, Jack," Daniel replied. "I wasn’t expecting that combination to work. I just mixed up the symbols for home, and bingo." Daniel was writing down the symbols that he had just dialed.
"I guess that there’s a new Gate somewhere near Earth that we didn’t know about." Daniel replied.
"Are you sure that it’s not Earth?" Jack asked.
Sam held out her RDF radio. "Only one way to find out, Sir." Sam said.
"Colonel Jack O’Neill to SGC, come in SGC," Several seconds passed, but no response was heard. Jack repeated his message twice, checking the settings each time. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction. "I’m sure that someone would have responded by now. It looks like Daniel’s right. We might have found a new Stargate."
"Has anyone seen Teal’c," Sam asked. "I haven’t seen him around much."
"You should see him with the kids," Bob said, speaking up from where he had been watching. "It’s amazing how much easier it is for the teachers when he sits in on their classes."
Sam smiled, remembering how tender Teal’c had been towards his own son, Rya’c.
"I’m done here for today. What do ya say?" Sam aimed the question at Jack.
"Aw heck! Let’s go visit Teal’c." Jack replied, smiling at Sam.
The late afternoon sun stretched Teal’c’s shadow several feet beyond his height. The dark stripe engulfed four or five of the dozen children who stood with him at the shores of a lake, formed by the natural dam upstream of the colony’s camp. His hands were gently resting on the shoulders of a small boy with crutches. Teal’c had carried him to the lake with no effort or strain.
Mist was forming over the lake as the air cooled. The teacher, a frazzled young woman barely out of college, was grateful to Teal’c for suggesting that they come here to end the days class. Besides giving a beautiful way to illustrate the water cycle to the class, it was also the very place that she had imagined stealing off to with the gentle Jaffa. She desperately wished that he were not married to that distant woman on his home world, Chulak.
"I’m definitely comin’ back here soon." A woman’s voice commented behind them. Everyone turned to see the rest of SG-1 coming up from camp, Sam leading the way.
The class, fortunately, was over and the teacher pointed her students back down the hill. Teal’c set his injured charge on his shoulders.
"We will follow shortly." Teal’c replied simply.
Daniel observed her hesitation before she said good-bye.
"Someone seems infatuated." Daniel said to Sam in a low voice.
The major, who had been staring at O’Neill’s profile, started. It took a second for her to realize that she hadn’t been caught and to recover. She was thinking back to when her double had done something that she herself had wanted to do, but didn’t have the courage for.
Jack was staring at the surface of the water, a smile on his face.
"Carter." He said, the smile still on his face.
"Sir?" She wasn’t even sure what he was thinking.
"Do you ever think about the Romans?" he asked, surprising Sam and Daniel.
"Romans, Sir?" she asked, voicing her confusion and surprise.
"Jack," O’Neill said. "We’re far away enough from home that I don’t think that we’ll get in trouble. Anyways, I was thinking about the Roman baths."
Sam turned red quickly, but stayed quiet. Jack turned to the blushing major. If he saw the flushed color, he didn’t say anything.
"Aqueducts, Sam," O’Neill said. "The Roman baths were really lakes and rivers miles away."
Sam didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
"It could work, Sir." Sam said, finally catching on. Jack glared at her.
"Sorry, Jack." Sam corrected.
"It was just a thought," he mused aloud. "I’ll mention it to Bob later. We should get back to camp."
Daniel glanced at Teal’c.
"What was that all about?" the archaeologist asked. Teal’c’s face remained impassive.
As they descended the mountain, Jack strode ahead and kept pace beside Teal’c and his passenger.
"I have a question for you, my friend," O’Neill said, and then continued. "That kel-no-reem thing you taught me, would I be able to use it or is it a Jaffa thing? The reason I ask, is because I’ve noticed that I’m getting distracted lately."
Teal’c’s eyes narrowed.
"There is only one way to find out, O’Neill." The Jaffa said stoically. Jack grimaced at Teal’c referring to him as "O’Neill".
"What I said to Carter applies to you as well. Call me Jack." O’Neill told his friend. A smile appeared for a moment, before the stoic façade appeared again on Teal’c’s face.
"I see," Teal’c responded. "You have recently reached your mid point in your life span. Have you not, O’Neill?" Teal’c asked.
Jack blinked. "What has that got to do with anything, Teal’c?" Jack asked, forgetting Teal’c called him O’Neill again.
"On Chulak," Teal’c began. "When a Jaffa reaches a certain age, he leaves on a journey. A journey into the mountains of Kheb to seek balance in his life. Perhaps that time has come for you as well, O’Neill." Teal’c glanced at the man next to him.
The rest of the trip was made in silence, as the professional soldiers debated this within themselves. Because of the silence, they could hear the uproar in camp before they could see the meeting where the Stargate used to be.
Bob, his chosen friends behind him, looked relieved to see both SG-1 and the children returning.
"I yield the floor to Colonel O’Neill." Bob cried.
"We don’t need to hear from your mercenary friends or your goon squad," cried one angry man that Carter remembered as a fellow astronomer. "We just want answers!" the man cried out.
A small riot seemed certain, until Jack borrowed Teal’c’s staff weapon again. The energy discharge quieted the loud crowd.
"Now," the colonel snapped. "What the HELL is going on here!?"
It took half an hour for the picture to become clear. The general consensus was that the supposed idealistic colony had been transformed into a slave camp. Jack gestured for them to calm down.
"I know that you feel we’ve been unfair," he said. "But everything that we’ve asked you to do has a purpose. The military compound in Cheyenne Mountain that we left from, is under attack. They risked everything to get us the message that the enemy may know where we are."
"What kind of enemy? The United States isn’t at war with anyone on the face of the planet!" yelled the angry astronomer.
"That’s right," Jack replied. "We’re not at war with anyone on Earth." He gestured for Teal’c to take over the meeting.
"Our enemy are called the Goa’uld," Teal’c began. "They are parasites…." Teal’c explained, lifting his shirt to show the womb made in his body for the symbiot, the larval Goa’uld showing itself. Some people in the crowd gasped.
Trying to find a moment for peace of mind before facing the crowd again, Jack stared at the stars coming out over the horizon. A streak of light inspired him to "make a wish".
Sam overheard him and turned to look.
"Sir," she said softly. "Do shooting stars usually fly in formation?" She asked her commanding officer, her tone inflicted with concern.
Teal’c stopped his narration as the glowing lights turned and swooped.
"Goa’uld death gliders," he announced loudly. "They are searching for signs of a Stargate or a landing pyramid." The Jaffa told everyone.
The crowd’s mood changed from a hostile one, to a frightened one, as Teal’c continued to explain.
"It appears that they are headed in another direction, pursuing daylight." Teal’c said.
Jack took back the floor. "Okay. We have a week tops, before they find us. Here’s the plan…."
Daniel wandered away, heading back towards the command tent, while Jack explained the plan to the others.
Musing over the meaning of all that had happened, he came upon a small group of children playing between some small tents.
One looked up at the death gliders as they streaked into the last rays of sunlight.
"It looks like heaven is crying." The child remarked.
Daniel agreed, but for different reasons. It was times like this when he missed Sha’re, his dead wife, the most.
__________________________________________________
CHAPTER 4- "I’VE GOT A VISUAL."
24 JUL 02
Jack and Bob were amazed at how quickly the conversion of the quarry into a citadel was progressing. Marching on a tour of the defenses, it amazed them at how much could be done when two hundred men and women, and some two dozen children worked as a team. Though put together quickly, even the stone gate in the wall was in place. The timber and dirt roof had been done in only a day, and all that remained was the last of the walls to rise.
As they toured the mine shafts in the back walls, Jack’s radio squawked. Running out into the open, he asked Sam to repeat her message.
"Off world activation!" She replied in a panic stricken voice. Jack didn’t miss the tone.
By the time that Jack reached the Stargate, a dozen Jaffa lay broken on the floor of the ravine. Their weapons, though battered, were in good shape. A couple of men were using then to kill any Jaffa that survived the fall.
"Take those to the citadel," Jack ordered. "We’ll need ‘em there!"
Teal’c and Daniel arrived only seconds later.
"It appears that we will not have much more time, O’Neill." Teal’c said glumly.
"Really now," Jack snapped sarcastically. "Daniel, find Bob and get half of the crew assigned to food and water detail." Jack said. Daniel took off.
"I’d better go help, Sir," Sam said. "There’s nothing that I can do here."
Jack nodded. "Teal’c," Jack said as he hefted a large bag. "Come with me. We have a lake to sabotage."
With the C4 buried in the right places, Jack decided to overlook the defenses from above for a while. He sent Teal’c back to camp with orders to get Bob on the radio as soon as possible. Daniel and Sam were just as far away from camp, each on errands.
Jack smiled ruefully as a large group of women arrived with several empty containers for water. They were on the far shore, so he had to use his binoculars to see how many there were. To his surprise, Sam was with them gathering water.
The major directed the filling of the jugs, while filling her own containers. After all were full, she sent her heavy-laden squads back to camp. They were no sooner out of sight, and then she collapsed onto the beach, staring at her feet.
Jack, who was concerned, started to jog around the rim of the lake. With his stride, it didn’t take him long to reach where she had been sitting. A pile of clothing lay on the sand. Carter’s boots were covered by her shirt and her pants.
Jack blushed furiously, as he reinterpreted what he had seen. Trying to be inconspicuous, he backed up into the sparse forest.
He spotted Sam a moment later. She was rapidly approaching the middle of the lake with a sure stroke. Oblivious to her audience, she switched to a lazy backstroke and started to return to her starting point.
Jack marveled at the way that she held his attention. Even from here, he could see how the water had darkened her hair to a light shade of brown. One part of his mind pondered this, as another thought about the way that she affected him.
\ You’re her superior officer. // Jack reminded himself futily, as he watched her reach the shore. He both, supported and resented the military rule against fraternization, as she strode out of the water. The water from her hair ran down her body, glistening on the curves.
Jack’s eyes followed the droplets from her collarbone to her bust line, where they lingered, as he stared at the white mounds held tightly to her body by the black fabric of her bra.
A rivulet of water from between the cups of her bra, slid rapidly toward her navel. As Sam wrung out her hair the best she could, her abdomen rippled and drew Jack’s gaze downward. As his attention shifted to her panty line, Sam abruptly turned and picked up her clothes. Her bent position lifted her hind end for Jack’s inspection. From his vantage point, he could clearly see where the cleft of her buttocks merged with her beautiful mound.
Jack swallowed and adjusted himself to better accommodate his rising excitement. He imagined that she could hear his heart beating, as it leapt powerfully within his chest.
Sam, unaware of her watcher, began to dress. Oddly, her actions stirred up her commanding officer even more. As she strapped on the last of her equipment belt, she lifted the radio and listened.
"No, Teal’c," she said into the device. "I don’t know where he is."
Jack suddenly realized that he had shut his radio off. Stealthily, he backed away far enough that he could speak freely without revealing that he had been spying on Sam.
"O’Neill here." He snapped.
"Colonel O’Neill," Teal’c replied. "I have found Bob."
Jack heard the radio click and pop as Bob fumbled with the foreign object.
"I just need a status report on the water supply and food stores." Jack said.
"At this rate," Bob told him. "We’ll have a week’s worth by sunset tomorrow, more if we don’t eat those MRE’s."
Jack frowned. "I’d hate to pull more people away from the citadel before the walls are done, but we need a lot more water than that, just in case. I’ll have to blow the dam wall." Jack told him.
"We’re on it," Bob sighed loudly, as if he were tired. "But I was speaking of drinking water. We have a couple hundred gallons in camp to be distilled or filtered. Major Carter’s solar distilling tent is giving us about a gallon a minute, but the kids are drinking that as fast as it comes out." Bob finished.
"Has anyone found a source of meat yet?" Jack asked.
"Some," Bob replied. "It’s being tested right now. It looks as if it’d smoke well if it’s safe to eat."
Jack looked out to the east. A familiar light pattern started to form some distance away, as a mother ship forged its way into the high ionosphere.
"Is the pyramid crew done yet?" he asked.
"They came back an hour ago," Bob reported. "And so are all of the food gathering crew now, too. Those captured Zat guns have brought in a couple hundred animals that we’re keeping in a corral just outside of the fortress." Bob informed O’Neill.
"I’ve got a visual on the mother ship from above the lake," Jack said. "Those death gliders are going to be a real problem soon."
Sam cut in. "I see it, too. It looks as if they’re getting ready to do an equatorial orbit." Sam replied. Jack frowned at her, even though she couldn’t see him.
"But we’re on the equator, Carter." Jack said.
"That’s right, Sir. They’re coming down." She replied.
"I hope they found the pyramid," Jack muttered to himself with his radio off. "I’d hate to waste that AMPHO."
Jack was referring to Ammonia Phosphate, an unstable fertilizer that can be explosive when mixed properly with diesel oil.
__________________________________________________
CHAPTER 5- "THE VICTORY’S OURS."
26 JUL 02
The mother ship hadn’t changed position in two days, seeming to blaze a trail across the sky even though it was in a geosynchronous orbit.
Jack, eyes burning from having stared at the sky until he couldn’t focus his eyes anymore, had posted a guard watch armed with radios and staff weapons, before going to bed.
It was Bob’s little girl, Anika, who discovered what the mother ship had been up to. Framing the ship between the branches of a forked tree, only she had seen that the dot of light change into an oval that grew steadily in size. Knowing that Jack was asleep, Anika found Teal’c and dragged him away from the work crew that he had been leading.
The Jaffa followed her into the little glade and gazed through the space she indicated. Teal’c’s face became grim and emotionless.
"What is it?" Anika asked, while Teal’c watched as the oval grew in size again.
"We must return to the safety of the camp," Teal’c told the child. "There is not much time." he said flatly.
Indeed, as he led his young friend back to camp, the rest of the colony was beginning to notice that something was happening. Even before orders were given, the colonists had begun to move everything through the camouflaged paths to the concealed cache points in the forest.
The schoolteacher had her young charges in tow in minutes. Bob’s daughter was the last to arrive.
"Here I come!" Anika cried, happily bounding into the chaos.
"You must go now," Teal’c advised. "Someone will guide you through the mine and out the other side of the mountain." He stood up and placed his hands on the nearest child’s’ heads.
"You must not be afraid. Your parents will protect you. Go." Teal’c told them, treating them like young Jaffa, like Rya’c.
Without a word, they filed away. Sam approached Teal’c from behind and placed a hand on his left shoulder.
"That couldn’t have been easy, Teal’c." Sam said to him comfortingly.
"No," Teal’c confessed. "But it was necessary." Teal’c looked at Sam with a tear in his eye, then walked away.
Sam’s understanding look was cut short as she glimpsed the glowing spot in the sky. As she watched, it split into two, and one began to descend.
"Teal’c…." Sam whispered softly, catching up with the Jaffa.
The sentinel’s radioed also, followed by Sam’s exclamation so closely, that even she wasn’t sure later which came first.
Jack was beside Sam and Teal’c in an instant, as he ran out of the command tent at nearly the speed of light. His eyes, rested now, easily picked out the problem.
"Teal’c, tell me what the hell’s going on." Jack said.
"The Jaffa are preceding the System Lord’s craft to make sure that the way is safe. They will fly over twice, then begin to land and search the area for miles around the pyramid. They will easily detect us, O’Neill." Teal’c reported.
Teal’c’s words proved true. The death gliders passed over camp for the first time within twenty minutes.
By that time, only enough people remained to continue placing explosives throughout the tents that remained. The second time that they flew by, six people remained, all of them volunteers. The first death glider wave landed on the outskirts of camp, the second halfway to the Stargate, and the third landed near the Stargate itself. The fourth and fifth waves circled the pyramid.
As Jack had hoped, the citadel had been invisible from above, and even the twenty Jaffa that had landed at the camp road couldn’t see it from the ground. Jack, himself, sat high upon the cliff, giving orders by radio.
The Jaffa, intent upon conquest of the camp, strode quickly upon the well-worn paths that were almost too obvious.
"Camp path, center," Jack said into the radio. "Third tier, ten seconds. Bracket in all four tiers in twelve, mark." Jack’s orders made sense to Teal’c, who stood beside him with his staff weapon ready to fire upon any glider that left the ground.
The ten seconds passed. A section of the path exploded, tossing the invaders into the air, yelling. Scarcely had they landed, before a ring of explosions around them killed the survivors. The other two Jaffa teams died as quickly, as Sam and Bob ordered the Jaffa’s deaths.
Colonists appeared from their hiding places to quickly hide the evidence of the grizzly murders. The bodies and armor were carried away, and camouflage nets were thrown over the landed death gliders. Teal’c had promised that he could quickly instruct pilots, if enough of the colony survived this assault.
An hour passed before any gliders passed over to search for their comrades. By this time, the mother ship was spiraling down through the atmosphere. Not surprisingly, the Stargate opened and a half dozen explosive devices fell through
The gliders flying over, easily spotted the explosive craters in which their comrades had died. They thoroughly strafed that path, setting off the rest of the on-path explosives. One glider, hit by shrapnel, crashed into the ground as it barrel rolled wildly, exploding on impact.
As they passed over the camp toward the next set of landed gliders, colonists began to shoot them down with captured staff weapons. The snipers fired twice apiece, then ran for cover. By the time that the Jaffa circled around, they had taken up new positions. Half their force gone, they retreated toward the Stargate.
Sam’s force shot the rest down before they became a serious threat. Jack and Teal’c were the only ones not surprised by Sam’s abilities as a leader.
"After all," Jack said to Teal’c. "She is an Air Force Major."
Four hours passed before the Jaffa foot soldiers arrived from the pyramid. By this time, the mother ship’s landing had thoroughly blanketed the area with an electrical storm that had long since knocked out communications. Fortunately, Jack had been expecting this. Ra’s ship had done the same thing.
The colonists had planned for every contingency that they could imagine. The lack of communications was actually a relief for most of them.
Teal’c descended the cliff to help salvage equipment from the fallen enemy, but Jack stayed on the roof of the citadel with his Zat gun, staff weapon and MP10 ready. Nervously, he watched the battle from above.
The Jaffa never had a chance. Earth women, Jack mused, had to be the universe’s greatest warriors. Especially the colony’s mothers. Even from where he sat, Jack could see them lead one Jaffa patrol after another to their deaths.
Ten minutes past sunset, a thunderous explosion filled the area with a brilliant light. Jack was blinded for a minute, after watching the landing pyramid explode underneath the mother ship. The entire half top of the ship was gone.
Ten minutes later, the majority of the Jaffa had surrendered. With their System Lord dead, they had no reason to fight.
__________________________________________________
CHAPTER 6- "STOP PLAYING WITH YOUR FOOD."
28 JUL 02
"Teal’c really knows what he’s doing," Jack commented to Daniel. "Who’d have thought that so many of the Jaffa would want to become part of the colony?"
"I’m just sorry that he’s going be staying here instead of going back to Earth with us." Daniel said. Daniel still made the hike to the Stargate everyday to wait for word from Earth.
"Yeah," Jack said, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking from heel to toe. He suddenly lost interest in watching the Jaffa try to adapt to a civilian lifestyle. "Look, I’m gonna hike up to the lake and check out the waterway. Wanna come?"
"No," Daniel replied. "But I think Sam might." He turned his head to look over Jack’s shoulder. The colonel turned to see her only a few feet away. Jack grinned.
"How ‘bout it, Sam? Care to join me on a hike? I hear the lake’s beautiful this time of year." Jack asked her, his grin still on his face.
Sam grinned. "I turned you down last time you asked me to go fishing, and look where that got us," she told him, reminding him about the replicators. "I’d better go just to make sure that you don’t get kidnapped by Thor or any other kinds of aliens."
"Actually," Jack said in a soft voice. "I was thinking of making it more like a date."
"Sir!?" Sam squeaked, obviously surprised.
"Sam," Jack said, pausing to think. "We’re thousands of light years from Earth. And unless things change, we may never go home. Can’t we just forget rank, at least for now?" Jack asked, sounding serious.
Sam’s eyes twinkled. "Is that an order, Sir?"
Jack sighed and threw his arms up in the air.
"What do ya want me to do, put it in writing?" Jack asked sarcastically.
Sam grinned again. "Now that’s the Jack O’Neill I know." She said, hooking her arm through his, and they started off toward the lake. Jack’s shocked statement faded and he looked away to watch the path.
\ Why did I almost say ‘the Jack O’Neill that I know and love’? // Sam thought silently.
Jack described his plans for the aqueduct as they climbed the hill. Sam laughed at his boundless enthusiasm at first, but she slowly sobered.
"It sounds as if you’ve planned to stay a while, Sir….Jack." Sam replied sadly, as Jack stared out over the lake.
"I’ve already written up my resignation, Sam," Jack said seriously, his tone held a touch of sadness. "Only one thing could drag me away from here now."
Sam leaned her head on his shoulder, like she did once before on P3R 118.
"Would it be worth giving all this up?" Sam asked softly.
"Yes," Jack replied honestly, turning to pull Sam close. "You are."
For a second, he thought that he had said something horribly wrong. Sam went rigid and backed away. A panicked look was in her eyes as she scanned his face.
"Sir, I…." Sam stammered. "I mean, Jack. Do…." Sam gave up and snapped to attention, then to parade rest.
"Sir, are you trying to say you love me?" She asked, shock evident in her voice. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and pulled at it.
"And doing a lousy job of it," he said. Sam just looked at him. He shrugged expansively, throwing his hands out at shoulder level. "It’s been a long time since the last time I said that to anyone."
Sam was in his arms before he even saw her move. For once, she didn’t question her gut reaction to the situation.
"I love you too, Jack. I have for the longest time." Sam finally admitted, and she felt good about it.
"Sam," he said to get her to look up. When their eyes met, he lowered his lips to hers. She practically melted in his arms, flowing up against him in a way that he couldn’t have imagined if he had tried. Hesitantly, he put his hands on the small of her back, as she laced her fingers in his graying hair.
"Jack," Sam whispered huskily, pulling her face away a little. "I’m not a dream. It’s okay to touch me." She grabbed his hands and slid them down to another set of curves, before teasing his mouth with her tongue. When his tongue met hers, she shuddered and pressed herself even closer to him, grinding against him gently. This emotion was awakening something in her that she had buried a long time ago.
"How long have you felt like this?" she asked, pulling away just enough to let them calm down a bit.
"Too long, Sam," he replied breathlessly. "But the other day I realized just how much I need you to be here for me. The whole battle long, I fought for you. I didn’t care what could have happened to me, but I wanted to protect you." He caressed her back and rear softly, while he explained further.
"But I realized how intense my feelings were before that." He admitted, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.
"Oh," Sam breathed in his ear. "When?"
"When you took that long swim." He whispered back, his lips wandering over the side of her neck.
"Did you see anything you like?" She asked seductively.
Jack squeezed something feminine with a gentle touch, making Sam’s eyes close.
"This." He said.
"Hmmm." Sam purred. Jack’s hands wandered under a layer of cloth, making Sam jump.
"And this." He replied.
"Oh!" She exclaimed softly.
"And this…." He continued.
"Jack," Sam whispered, as his hand slid into the front of her fatigue pants and cupped her through her underwear. "Stop playing with your food." Sam said, as she pulled her shirt off and started to tug at his clothing.
"Yes ma’am." He replied mockingly.
From Jack O’Neill’s letter to General Hammond
23 OCT 03
"The priest was really surprised by our request, but we were married that same day. The whole colony was there.
"We named our little boy after you, Sir. Little George Hammond O’Neill. He weighed in at eight pounds, eight ounces. He still fusses a lot, but Sam and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
"Our house is almost done, and we’ve gotten used to living without electricity, running water and flushing toilets, but not light bulbs.
"Now that the Stargate to Earth is open again, you’ll have to come and visit occasionally.
"That’s all from Mongoose Valley, USA.
Sam and Jack O’Neill"
THE END
Story Notes: NOTES: // represents thought. For the notes on AMPHO and Mongoose, see the title page for the PG-13 version.
ARCHIVING: SJRA ONLY!! ALL OTHERS ASK FIRST!!
DEDICATIONS: Thanks to our friends for keeping us straight on all the details and other SG-1 related stuff. ANY errors are Tiffany's fault. This story is hereby dedicated to AQ, queen of NC17!!!!
Copyright 2000 TIFFANY FLOWERS & DEAN LIEBY
ARCHIVING: SJRA ONLY!! ALL OTHERS ASK FIRST!!
DEDICATIONS: Thanks to our friends for keeping us straight on all the details and other SG-1 related stuff. ANY errors are Tiffany's fault. This story is hereby dedicated to AQ, queen of NC17!!!!
Copyright 2000 TIFFANY FLOWERS & DEAN LIEBY
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]