Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Teal’c was the first out of the Stargate on P3-575. It wasn’t the first time he had travelled through a wormhole created by such a device but it was the first time he had done so as part of a team of Tau’ri warriors called SG1 and not as the First Prime of Apophis, the Serpent God – False God, he automatically corrected in his head. The Jaffa hefted his staff weapon grateful for the small familiarity in amongst the other changes. He was dressed in the clothes of the Tau’ri, a basic uniform of black undershirt, green pants and jacket with a protective vest fitted over the last. The warrior called O’Neill had assured him that the lumpy black item was a type of armour but it seemed flimsy and insubstantial to him. It also bothered him, if he was being honest, that he only had three of the Tau’ri by his side and not a loyal guard of Jaffa. His dark eyes scanned the woodland in front of them, watching for trouble.

The Jaffa trained from birth to be warriors; it was the purpose of their being after all. Even the youngest Jaffa were able to defend themselves adequately and were confident with weapons. Teal’c had been trained by the best, his predecessor as Apophis’s First Prime, Master Bra’tac. The thought of Bra’tac inevitably brought with it thoughts of home. He was confident Bra’tac would see to his abandoned family but Teal’c felt a fleeting sensation of homesickness, an aching worry for his wife and son. It was quickly pushed away; he could not afford the weakness. He had made his decision to finally take a stand against the Goa’uld, against his False God and he had to see it through. He had to get used to the fact he no longer had a loyal guard of Jaffa to watch his back and never would again as he was shol’var, traitor. He only had the three Tau’ri who followed him out of the Stargate and despite his belief that he was going to spend the rest of his life saving them from themselves, he couldn’t deny that they were different from the other humans he had encountered. It gave him hope; the reason why he had helped O’Neill at the palace in the first place.

O’Neill was the next one through the Stargate. His weapon immediately poised as he took the few steps down the Stargate on the opposite side to Teal’c. The Jaffa glanced across and was reassured at the calculating look in O’Neill’s brown eyes, the experienced way he looked out at the tree-line before his body relaxed imperceptibly. Teal’c had determined that O’Neill was a fellow warrior, trained differently in combat and weapons, but a warrior.

The woman was the next out of the Stargate. Teal’c pursed his lips thoughtfully at the experienced way she held her weapon and scanned the area. No Goa’uld would ever countenance having females as warriors yet it would seem the Tau’ri female was trained to be one. Teal’c wondered at that. It was clear she had beauty, diminished it was true by the uniform, but enough that it did not go unnoticed by the male Tau’ri. He had a lot to learn about their customs, he realised. The woman, Doctor Samantha Carter, certainly had spirit and he was reminded again of Drey’auc, his wife, and again ruthlessly smothered the thought.

The final Tau’ri out of the wormhole was the one that concerned Teal’c most. Doctor Daniel Jackson. The tall, rangy male was clearly not a warrior. He carried no weapon and from what Teal’c could see from his body posture, he had no training at all. Yet it wasn’t this that worried Teal’c. It was clear to him that the man had a deep emotional attachment to the woman who was host to the Goa’uld Ammonet, that she had been his mate. Teal’c felt his conscience stir. He was responsible for taking the woman from her planet of origin, stealing her away from this man and more, he was responsible for randomly choosing her for the implantation. Teal’c knew Doctor Jackson was unaware of the extent of his involvement in what had happened and he swallowed the urge to fully confess and place his life in the man’s hands as his innate sense of honour dictated. Teal’c knew that it was rare the victims of Apophis received any opportunity for justice or vengeance. He could offer Doctor Jackson that…and he would no doubt be dead soon after and unable to offer the Tau’ri the assistance they needed to fight the Goa’uld, he argued with himself. Honour battled with survival, and for the moment, Teal’c let the urge for survival win. He finished his preliminary scan of the area, turned slowly to check their rear position and came to a surprised halt.o-O-o

‘Well, it doesn’t look like anything’s here.’ Colonel Jack O’Neill said, lowering his gun. He waved at the forest in front of them. ‘All I got is trees. Captain, what have you got?’

‘Trees, sir.’ Sam replied briskly.

‘Jack.’ Daniel protested.

‘Daniel.’ Jack began.

‘O’Neill.’

Teal’c’s deep voice interrupted him and Jack looked over at the tall, dark-skinned man – no, not man, Jaffa. He noticed idly that he stood facing them staring back towards the Stargate. ‘You got something, Teal’c?’

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c gestured with his staff weapon at the sight in front of him.

They all turned to see what he was looking at and stared. A pyramid rose of the trees in front of them.

‘OK.’ Jack said breezily trying to cover his own shock. ‘That’s something.’

Daniel closed his mouth and adjusted his glasses. ‘It looks more Mayan than Egyptian.’ He murmured.

‘How can you tell?’ Sam asked.

‘Well, it has a temple on top and there’s a staircase leading to it. There’s probably another one on the other side. It kind of reminds me of El Castillo in shape although obviously it’s much bigger…’

‘Daniel.’ Jack interrupted in the lecture before the archaeologist could get going. ‘Is it worth checking out?’

Daniel stared at the Colonel in surprise. ‘Of course it’s worth checking out, Jack. I mean the cultural significance of finding this pyramid…’

‘Tactically, Daniel.’ Jack corrected. ‘Is it likely we’ll find any weapons or something we can use against the Goa’uld inside this thing?’

Daniel glared at Jack. Typical military mind-set. All he wanted was weapons. Didn’t he realise the importance of finding a Mayan pyramid rather than an Egyptian one? Did he even care? The answer was probably no to both questions, Daniel realised. He hesitated over his reply. Typically temples were for ritual sacrifice and for the priests to communicate with the Gods. He doubted that there was the possibility of finding anything of value from a military perspective. Of course, Jack didn’t know that and he was looking to Daniel for an answer. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with outright lying although there was another way. ‘Maybe.’ Daniel replied shrugging his shoulders. ‘I have no way of knowing until I see more. On Earth, the purpose of the temples was for…’

‘Ah!’ Jack held up a finger to cut off the detailed explanation he didn’t want.

Got you, Jack, Daniel thought smugly. The Colonel would only have himself to blame, after all, Daniel had been about to explain they didn’t have a military purpose back on Earth.

‘Teal’c?’ Jack checked with the Jaffa. ‘You know anything about the pyramid that might help us out here?’

Teal’c’s gaze shifted from the pyramid to the archaeologist and back to the Colonel. ‘I do not.’

‘Captain, any thoughts?’ Jack asked.

Sam’s hopeful blue eyes met his across the clearing. ‘It couldn’t hurt to check it out, sir.’

Jack considered his options and repressed the urge to sigh. ‘OK. We’ll do a standard recon on the pyramid. Teal’c and I will take point. Captain, watch our six.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam’s snappy acknowledgement of the order contrasted with the Jaffa’s raised questioning eyebrow.

‘We lead.’ Jack explained.

Teal’c nodded, adjusted his hold on the staff weapon and started toward an opening in the tree-line. Jack quickly caught up with him and briefly checked behind to see Daniel following and Carter bringing up the rear. They walked steadily for a long time in silence.

The quiet surprised Jack. He had expected Daniel at least to be talking – not that he was complaining that he wasn’t. Maybe they were all using the time to adjust to the insane reality that they were walking on another planet light years from Earth trying to find something that would help them defeat an advanced alien enemy, he considered. He couldn’t deny it was a lot to assimilate.

He looked over at Teal’c who was carefully striding forward, constantly alert and watching for danger. He’d made the right call there, Jack thought, and God bless Hammond for coming through for him and getting the Jaffa assigned to SG1. The Jaffa was a skilled warrior. It reassured Jack that he had someone else on his team he could rely on in a fight. He grimaced a little. He was sure Captain Carter would have something to say if he voiced that thought out loud. She was competent and had performed well during the missions to Abydos and Chulak but she wasn’t his choice, she was Hammond’s. He couldn’t believe given what he’d read in her file and her obvious value as a scientific asset to the programme that she was being assigned to any frontline team, let alone his. At any rate, she was trained and knew how to follow orders unlike their final team member; Daniel.

What had possessed him to ask Hammond to include Daniel in the team? Jack grumbled to himself. Carter could probably take Daniel in a fight. Sure, he owed Daniel; he had saved Jack’s life once when he hadn’t believed that he had a life worth saving but beyond that…he felt for the guy. Daniel’s wife was in enemy hands; his life shattered. Jack’s own marriage might be over but he still loved his wife enough to know how he would feel if the situations were reversed. Daniel needed purpose and going through the Stargate was giving him that. Besides, he had to admit that Daniel’s knowledge and expertise were useful. They’d just have to see about getting him some basic training when they back on base.

Jack frowned. Maybe they could combine it with some team building. He glanced from Teal’c back to Daniel before he returned his eyes forward. Daniel had assured him that having the Jaffa on the team was better than him being used as a lab rat by military intelligence but even the mild-mannered archaeologist had to have some latent hostility toward the guy who was responsible for helping Apophis steal his wife. Jack might have faith the Jaffa was on their side now, but he couldn’t pretend to be happy himself that Teal’c had contributed to what had happened to Skaara, the young kid who had befriended him on Abydos. He knew Skaara wasn’t Charlie, but the Abydonian had a lot of the same qualities and somehow letting himself care about Skaara had helped heal some of the wounds torn ragged by his son’s death. Seeing Skaara become host to a Goa’uld had ripped some of those wounds back open and losing his friend, Kawalsky, to another Goa’uld hadn’t helped either. Jack shoved the personal stuff out of his head ruthlessly as he had done many times before during military operations. Time and place, he reminded himself, focusing on the task at hand.

They marched on.

The trees suddenly gave way to what looked like the ruined remains of a city and Jack stopped them all at the tree-line and gestured for them to remain low. He pulled out the small surveillance scope and checked the distance between them and the pyramid. Most of the buildings had been destroyed; only the odd wall or column remained standing on the curiously flat vista that stretched out for another few kilometres before it hit the side of the pyramid. There was no movement.

‘Teal’c?’ He asked.

Another raised questioning eyebrow.

‘What do you think?’ Jack expanded.

‘The city appears to be long abandoned, O’Neill.’ Teal’c murmured.

Jack glanced back at Daniel who was taking advantage of the stop to take a drink from his canteen and gestured him forward. Daniel recapped his water bottle and crawled to the edge of the tree-line.

‘Wow.’ Daniel swallowed in awe. A discovery like this on Earth would mean years of exploration and study. It was incredible.

‘What do you think?’ Jack asked.

‘I think it’s incredible.’ Daniel replied.

Jack closed his eyes briefly and prayed for patience. ‘I mean, is it safe?’

Daniel viewed the ruins with the suddenly experienced eye of an archaeologist, looking for any sign of recent inhabitation. ‘This place has been abandoned for a long time, Jack.’

‘It is likely that anything of value was removed a long time ago.’ Teal’c said.

‘We don’t know that.’ Daniel argued. It was the first time he had deigned to speak with Teal’c beyond a cautious nod of acknowledgement. ‘We’ve often found items of significant interest left in abandoned pyramids and temples on Earth.’

‘The Goa’uld would not leave anything that they could use to their own advantage.’ Teal’c stated firmly.

‘Maybe this place wasn’t built by the Goa’uld. The architecture is different.’ Daniel pointed out glaring at the Jaffa. ‘It might have been built by a completely different race of aliens.’

‘Teal’c?’ Jack prompted when the Jaffa fell silent.

‘It is possible.’ Teal’c admitted. ‘There are legends told amongst the Jaffa of other races that are as formidable as the Goa’uld.’

‘Jack…’

He held up a hand. ‘OK. Take five then we’ll continue to the pyramid and see if there’s anything of value there.’

Five minutes rest soon passed and they all made their way through the ruins of the city with a mixture of trepidation and awe. Daniel was videoing everything and muttering to himself. Jack took it as a good sign but he’d been on the money with the latent hostility thing, he thought, thinking back to Daniel’s exchange with Teal’c. The only other time he’d seen that kind of anger in Daniel’s eyes was when the other man had realised the hidden mission Jack had been given that first time through the gate on Abydos.

They reached the pyramid without incident and Jack split them up to do a perimeter check. Teal’c and Carter went to the right; he and Daniel went to the left. The choice of pairs had been deliberate; Jack knew he needed to talk to the archaeologist.

‘Daniel.’ Jack pulled the younger man to a stop and Daniel lowered the video camera in surprise.

‘What?’

‘You and Teal’c.’ Jack said without preamble.

Daniel shrugged. ‘What about us?’

‘Don’t pretend to be dense, Daniel, it doesn’t suit you.’ Jack said impatiently.

Daniel glared at him. ‘What did you expect, Jack? That I was going to welcome him with open arms?’

‘Daniel, the guy gave up everything he had to help us and yes, maybe it was too late to save Sha’re and Skaara but the only way we’re going to get them back is with his help.’ Jack adjusted his cap. ‘And you know that.’

Daniel couldn’t hold Jack’s gaze and whirled away. He resolutely lifted the video camera and heard Jack sigh behind him.

‘Will you at least try, Daniel?’

Daniel took a deep breath. He knew his own position on the team was down to Jack’s personal intervention with Hammond. If he endangered Jack’s opinion by not getting along with Teal’c, he knew it was unlikely that there would be much support for him remaining with SG1 or getting a position on another team. He nodded slowly.

‘Good.’ Jack patted his shoulder and continued the perimeter check.

They all met up again at the bottom of the far staircase.

‘We should check out the temple.’ Daniel said gesturing at the square structure atop the pyramid. ‘If there is anything of value, it’s likely up there.’

Jack took his cap off and ran his hands through the short crop of brown hair. ‘Are you sure about that, Daniel?’

‘Yes.’ Daniel said firmly.

‘Sir,’ Sam interrupted, ‘I’ve been checking the position of the sun. It’s currently low in the sky and has been descending for the last two hours. If you assume a rate of declination similar to Earth then it’s probable…’

‘Captain.’ Jack interrupted her. ‘What’s your point?’

Her blue eyes flashed for a moment before they met his solidly. ‘Sir, I think we only have a few hours of daylight left and it will take us two hours to return to the Stargate.’

Jack glanced at the sky and realised she was right. ‘Daniel, how much time do you need?’

‘Well, I don’t know…’ He began.

‘You have thirty minutes.’ Jack said firmly. ‘You and Teal’c check out the temple. Carter and I will remain at the base and maintain a watch.’

The desire to argue was written clearly across Daniel’s face but then Jack’s own face was set in stubborn lines that gave away the older man’s determination that his decision was final. Daniel didn’t bother wasting the time; he set off up the steps dutifully, Teal’c at his heels.

Jack looked across and saw the brief look of disappointment cross the Captain’s face as she watched Daniel and Teal’c. No doubt her own scientific curiosity was roused. Geeks, thought Jack dismissively. Well, if she wanted to be part of a frontline team that meant being a soldier not a scientist. ‘Captain, take a look out position at that corner.’ He pointed in the direction he meant. ‘Checkpoint in thirty on my mark.’ He glanced at his watch and was relieved to see her do the same. ‘Mark.’

‘Sir.’ She gave a salute and jogged away to the corner.

Jack sighed and headed in the opposite direction to take up his own position.o-O-o

Daniel marched up the steps determined not to stop to catch his breath which meant that he wasted a valuable two minutes at the temple entrance simply trying to breathe in the somewhat thin air. He took a staggering step through the doorway and ran a hand down the smooth and completely square frame. It was an outstanding achievement, he mused, especially given its exact duplicate was on the opposite wall, in the exact same position. The pictographs painted on the walls inside quickly got his attention and he moved to get them recorded on the camera, only peripherally aware that Teal’c was checking out the room. Daniel opened up his pack, grabbed his notebook and began sketching. He glanced across at the Jaffa who had come to a halt in front of the wall behind the altar. He wandered up, curious to know what had captured Teal’c’s attention.

There was a very faded picture surrounded by square stones inscribed with symbols. Daniel’s blue eyes scanned over everything and settled on the picture. He raised a hand but didn’t touch the faded colours; he was too well trained an archaeologist for that.

‘Quetzalcoatl.’ He murmured.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow at his companion.

‘The picture. It’s very similar to those of the God Quetzalcoatl on Earth.’ Daniel explained. ‘He was usually depicted as a Feathered Serpent.’

‘Apophis.’ Teal’c suggested.

‘No…’ Daniel shook his head and responded almost absently. ‘The mythology suggests more of a link with Ra, as the Sun God, despite the animal allusions.’ He gestured at the symbols. ‘Can you read it?’

Teal’c frowned. ‘I am uncertain. It is written in an obscure dialect.’

‘I recognise some of these symbols.’ Daniel muttered. ‘Wait there.’ He ran back to his pack and pulled out another notebook. He jogged back over, flipping through the pages. He got to the one he wanted as he resumed his position. ‘OK. Some of these symbols were on Abydos which makes sense if this was part of Ra’s kingdom at some point.’ He sank into a cross-legged position and began to translate.

‘Doctor Jackson.’ Teal’c stated trying to get his attention. ‘If this temple belonged to Ra then it is most likely empty of anything that might help the Tau’ri in the fight against the Goa’uld. We should leave.’

Daniel looked up at the Jaffa. ‘I need to finish this translation to know that for certain.’

‘I believe the time allotted by O’Neill for our examination of the temple will soon be up.’ Teal’c said trying another tactic.

‘You go ahead and leave if you want.’ Daniel muttered. ‘I’m staying.’

Teal’c considered his options. He could forcibly drag the man out of the temple but given the precarious nature of their relationship that move was ill advised. He could return to the base alone but then Doctor Jackson would be left unprotected. Or he could try to help with the translation and hopefully both of them would be able to return to the base in a timely way. His decision made he sank to sit beside the archaeologist.

‘I believe the symbol to the top left means protection.’ He said.

Daniel met the Jaffa’s dark eyes in surprise. He was going to help him? He nodded slowly. ‘Thank you.’

Teal’c inclined his head.

‘What about the one next to it?’ Daniel asked and started scribbling.o-O-o

Sam checked her watch and glanced back up at the temple. The checkpoint had come and gone. She made it ten minutes past the time the Colonel had given for the examination of the structure. She glanced up at the sky and frowned. She reached for the radio but before she could speak it crackled to life.

‘Daniel.’ It was the Colonel trying to reach their recalcitrant member for the third time since he’d informed the archaeologist his time was up. ‘Get your butt down here now.’

‘Jack.’ Daniel’s excitement travelled back across the open channel. ‘We’ve found something.’

‘Something useful?’ Jack checked.

‘There’s mention of a hidden chamber in the pyramid where an object of great power resided.’ Daniel said. ‘The writing isn’t explicit as to what that is but…’

‘Sir,’ Sam interrupted them, ‘as much as I hate to say it I don’t think we have time.’

‘Of course we have time.’ Daniel said before Jack could reply.

‘The sun is setting much faster than I calculated, Doctor Jackson.’ Sam radioed back. ‘If we don’t leave now we may not make it back to the gate before dark.’

‘We can’t leave now.’ Daniel said furiously. ‘We have to look for the object and if you’re right and the sun is setting faster than you anticipated then can you really be sure we would make it to the gate before it got dark?’

Sam fell silent and reviewed the data in her head; the position of the sun, where she believed they were on the planet in relation to it, the speed of the planet’s rotation.

‘Captain?’ The Colonel’s voice prompted her out of her calculations.

‘He’s right, sir.’ Sam said. ‘I can’t guarantee we’d be at the gate before dark.’

There was another pause before Jack radioed his decision through. ‘Daniel, Teal’c, stay in the temple. We’ll use it as a shelter for the night and search for this mysterious object first thing in the morning. Carter, meet me at the staircase.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam checked her position again before she straightened and turned to jog back to the bottom of the staircase. She reached it at the same time as the Colonel.

‘After you, Carter.’ Jack said waving her upwards.

Sam set a measured pace and tried to ignore the sensation that he was staring at her ass. She might have believed it of Ferretti or the ill fated Kawalsky but Colonel O’Neill seemed to be above that kind of behaviour. Still, she decided, she wasn’t going to glance back and check. The Colonel had already proven to have a surprising tendency to, well, surprise her. It was strange, she thought, he hadn’t been what she had expected, although thinking back, she wasn’t sure what she had expected. His service record made for tough reading and she doubted whether he would appreciate knowing she’d read the unvarnished version. Not that she had any intention of telling him. Hacking into a Pentagon system to get to his full record because she’d been curious at the heavily edited official one was not something she was going to readily admit to anyone; it was likely to get her nothing but a court-martial. In some ways he was exactly what she had anticipated; tough and cynical; obviously knew his military strategy inside out, a good leader, keenly intelligent despite his playing dumb. She knew he was cool under fire and she believed he could and would be a ruthless hardass when he wanted to be. But there was a humanity about him that had surprised her. Like his relationship with the Abydonians, the irreverence about military protocol, the off-beat sense of humour and how he’d spoken up for Teal’c and for Daniel.

She allowed herself to pull a face knowing he wouldn’t see it. She knew she was the only member of the team that he hadn’t chosen himself, knew she was only part of SG1 because of General Hammond. She had, as she had eloquently if unintentionally explained to Daniel a couple of days before at breakfast, been dumped on the Colonel and despite her light assurance that he would like her when he got to know her, she had a feeling she had an uphill job to convince him that she deserved her place. She smiled wryly. An uphill job when she was slogging her way up the staircase from hell was an apt description. It wasn’t going to be her scientific know-how that impressed him either, Sam considered. He’d made it clear the scientist part of her was a negative not a positive in his book. No, this was one military man who was only going to be impressed by her military performance. A bit like her father. She squashed the thought dead. Colonel O’Neill was not her father and she was so not going there. Yes, she wanted to prove herself to him but that was where the similarity ended.

Doctor Jackson seemed nice. He was obviously struggling to come to terms with what had happened with his wife and there was slightly too much of the absent-minded professor about him when they were under pressure but he had a razor sharp intellect and a compassionate heart. Take his acceptance of Teal’c in the team. Well, maybe, acceptance was not the right word but she didn’t know too many people who would have been as understanding as Daniel about his inclusion.

She really didn’t know what to make of the Jaffa. They definitely owed him their lives and she was glad that he hadn’t simply been handed over for experimentation but she wasn’t sure he belonged on an SG team. It didn’t help that she was jealous, she thought honestly. The Jaffa had quickly gained the Colonel’s respect, something she felt she was still earning. She shrugged. It might be tough to get Colonel O’Neill’s respect but she’d do it. She took the last step and her eyes widened at the perfect symmetry of the temple structure. She immediately took another step forward to examine it in detail not noticing the wry and knowing look her commanding officer shot her.

‘Looks like we made the right call, Captain.’ Jack nudged her shoulder and she turned away from her examination of the door to the darkening sky behind them.

Sam frowned and checked her watch. It had taken only an hour for the sun to set; either they were much further north than she had calculated or the planet’s rotation was much faster than that of Earth.

‘Captain?’ Jack asked seeing her face screw up in thought.

‘Just thinking, sir.’ Sam murmured checking her compass. ‘This planet’s rotation may be much quicker than Earth’s.’

‘Which means, Carter?’

‘Which means it may only be dark for a few hours, sir.’

‘Let’s hope.’ Jack quipped. It was only eleven-hundred by his watch and it was going to be difficult spending a night on a planet when they were so definitely in daylight hours on Earth time. They needed to check that out with the MALP in future, he noted absently. ‘Captain, why don’t you go and confer with Daniel. See what you can make of this whole mysterious object thing. I’ll stand guard.’

‘Sir.’ Sam shot off quickly before he could change his mind.

Daniel was sprawled behind the altar; Teal’c at his side. Both of them were poring over one of Daniel’s notebooks and glancing up occasionally at the wall.

‘Wow.’ Sam said taking in the faded picture and symbols. She shucked off her backpack and sat down beside them on the ground. ‘So what have you got?’

Daniel took her through the translation. ‘We’re just working our way through the last of the symbols now.’ He explained. ‘They just don’t make any sense.’ He thrust a hand through his floppy brown hair and stared at the wall.

Sam followed his gaze. Her eyes roamed over the structure and she got to her feet. She reached into her pack and snapped on a flashlight to compensate for the rapidly fading light. ‘Doctor Jackson, did you notice that these stones seem to be slightly raised from the wall?’

‘It could be a decorative thing.’ Daniel murmured absently.

Sam glanced down at the final line Daniel and Teal’c had been struggling with. ‘What does it say?’

‘I told you it makes no sense.’ Daniel said impatiently.

‘Try me.’

‘I agree with Doctor Jackson. The line makes no sense.’ Teal’c added.

Daniel sighed at her persistent stare. ‘Fine. Down the sun rules here the steps.’ He gestured. ‘It’s nonsense.’

‘Or a code.’ Sam suggested. ‘If you jumbled the symbols around would it make sense?’

Teal’c stared at the wall. ‘I believe you are right, Doctor Carter.’

‘Yes…yes.’ Daniel quickly scribbled an alternate sentence and showed it to her. ‘Here.’

‘I can’t read that, Doctor Jackson.’ Sam said apologetically.

‘Of course you can’t.’ Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘It says the sun is down the steps here.’

All three looked at each other. ‘What steps?’ They said in unison.

‘Perhaps it refers to the staircase outside.’ Teal’c suggested.

‘I don’t think so, Teal’c.’ Daniel said. ‘I think it means steps here.’ He pointed down at the floor of the temple.

Sam stared at the floor and suddenly crouched swiping at the dust on the floor. Her nimble fingers found a slight crack and she blew on it.

‘Right.’ Daniel got what she was doing and moved to help her.

Teal’c rose to his feet and watched in silent amazement as the two humans quickly uncovered what appeared to be a perfect rectangular stone just behind the altar.

Sam knocked the butt of her gun on the stone and bent her head to listen. ‘I think it’s hollow.’ She staggered to her feet and swiped at the dust on her pants. ‘So, how do we open it?’

Daniel and she stared at each other as they both came to the same conclusion at the same time. Their gaze shifted sharply to the wall.

‘If we depress these in the order of the correct sentence…’ Daniel began excitedly.

‘Then it should trigger the mechanism to uncover the opening.’ Sam finished. Her hand reached for the first symbol.

‘I do not believe that would be wise.’ Teal’c said firmly before she touched it.

Sam stopped and cautiously withdrew her hand. ‘You think it could be booby-trapped?’

Daniel flashed a look of annoyance at the Jaffa. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Even so, Doctor Jackson, I believe it would be wise to wait until daylight before attempting such an action.’ Teal’c said.

‘You have got to be kidding me!’ Daniel exclaimed passionately.

‘He has a point.’ Sam intervened.

‘We are ill equipped to conduct such a search in the dark, Doctor Jackson.’ Teal’c added.

Daniel made a lurch for the wall. Teal’c made a grab for him as did Sam. The three of them struggled.

‘Let go of me, dammit!’ Daniel yelled furiously.

‘If we do, will you promise not to touch the wall?’ Sam managed to say as she tried to keep her footing.

‘Hey!’

The sharp word had them freezing. They all glanced back across the altar. The Colonel stood in the centre of the temple, the open doorways on either side of him filling the section with moonlight. His dark eyes glared at his team.

He raised a hand from where it rested atop his gun. ‘Anybody want to let me in on what’s going on?’

The three of them let go of each other. Teal’c managed an impassive face whilst the other two wore sheepish expressions as they turned to face him properly.

‘Anybody?’ Jack repeated when it seemed nobody was actually going to answer his question.

Teal’c and Daniel looked at Sam.

She stared back at them. Why her? Teal’c raised an eyebrow and Daniel gestured for her to say something. She cleared her throat and met the Colonel’s eyes across the shadowy room.

‘We were having a small difference of opinion on how to proceed, sir.’

‘I see that.’ Jack said sharply. ‘Proceed with what?’

‘We think we’ve found a staircase behind the altar which will be revealed by pressing the symbols in the correct order on the wall.’

He thanked God her explanation was crisp and to the point. ‘So?’

‘So, Doctor Jackson would like to proceed immediately with trying to open it whilst Teal’c and I were thinking it might be best to wait until daylight.’ Sam completed. ‘Sir.’ She hurriedly tagged onto the end.

Jack turned his attention to the archaeologist. ‘Daniel?’

Daniel sighed. He really didn’t have a good reason for proceeding and he didn’t think Jack would accept that it was because it was the opposite of what Teal’c wanted to do as a valid one. ‘Fine.’ He threw up his hands. ‘Let’s just all sit…’ he voice trailed off at the sight of a shadow stealing into the temple.

‘What?’ Jack asked whirling to see what Daniel was staring at.

A big cat launched itself at Jack who took a staggering step back, tried to bring his gun into position and realised it was going to be too late…he instinctively dropped to the floor, raised his hands over his head…

The clattering sound of a gun echoed harshly in the temple and was followed by the dull thud of the body hitting the ground.

Jack lowered his arms from his head cautiously. ‘Argh.’ He scuttled backwards at the sight of the dead cat inches from his position, its mouth still in an angry snarl. It looked like a jaguar or a panther, only bigger. He felt a hand at his elbow and he realised Teal’c was pulling him to his feet. His eyes landed on the Captain who was covering them both with her weapon.

‘Are you alright, O’Neill?’ Teal’c asked.

‘I’m good.’ Jack brushed the front of his jacket a little self-consciously and held Sam’s eyes as he gave a nod of acknowledgement. ‘Nice shooting, Captain.’

‘Sir.’

Jack signalled for Teal’c to check one opening while he checked the other. ‘I have more of them coming up the steps on this side.’

‘As do I.’ Teal’c agreed. ‘I count at least ten.’

Jack’s mind ran through their options. ‘Daniel, get that staircase open.’

‘But…’ Daniel protested.

‘Do it.’ Jack ordered. ‘It’s our only way out.’

‘The mechanism might not even work after all this time.’ Daniel warned as he hurriedly searched for the combination he had scribbled down.

‘Carter, take over from Teal’c and cover the right side of the pyramid. Teal’c, help Daniel.’

‘Sir.’ Sam moved to the doorway and her eyes widened at the sight of the cats approaching. She heard Jack let loose warning shots and did the same as the cats got close to the top of the steps.

‘Daniel.’ Jack yelled.

‘I’m almost done.’ Daniel shouted back. He indicated the final square and Teal’c pushed it forcefully down. The ground shook and suddenly the floor behind them gave way. Daniel felt his balance going before Teal’c grabbed his jacket and drew him back to the wall.

Daniel breathed in deeply and gave the Jaffa a quick smile. ‘Thanks.’

Teal’c inclined his head.

Daniel hurriedly picked up his stuff as Teal’c reached for his staff weapon. Both Jack and Sam were still holding off the cats. ‘Guys, we have the staircase open!’

‘Go! We’ll be right behind you.’ Jack ordered. ‘On my mark, Captain, three steps backwards. Mark!’

Sam took the three steps felt the reassuring bump of the colonel’s back against hers. Both of them still faced the doorways, still shot at the ground, hoping to keep the cats from coming after them.

‘Slowly does it, Captain. Turn on my mark. We’re going to retreat slowly backwards to the left side of the altar.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam said.

‘Mark.’ They turned and stepped back in unison. Two steps. A cat peeked in from the left side. Jack fired a shot and it pulled back. Three steps. Another approached from the right. Sam followed the Colonel’s example. They took another step. They were parallel with the altar. Another shot, another step.

Jack glanced back briefly, gauged the distance to the steps. ‘Carter, go!’

‘Sir.’ Sam left his side and disappeared down the stairs.

Jack fired a barrage at the doorway and threw himself down after her.

‘Now, Doctor Jackson.’ Teal’c said in the darkness below and there was a sound of rumbling as the mechanism slid shut above Jack’s head.

Jack switched the light on his gun and peered down the narrow stairs at his dusty and dirty looking team who looked back up at him. He figured he didn’t look much better. Sam had switched her light on, Daniel had a flashlight. With his own light, they had enough to navigate their way without falling. Jack pointed at the closed hole above him and looked at the archaeologist questioningly.

‘Oh, I found the release mechanism from this side.’ Daniel explained. ‘I didn’t think we’d want the cats following us down here.’

‘Good thinking.’ Jack said. He nodded at the younger man. ‘Lead the way.’

They headed down the stairs. It ended at a narrow closed doorway.

Daniel peered at it and frowned at a panel on the wall. ‘I think it’s another sentence that’s been mixed up.’

‘Can you open it?’ Jack asked taking his cap off to wipe his brow.

‘I think so.’ Daniel pressed one square then another. The door slid open and stopped half-way. Teal’c pushed it the rest of the distance.

Jack reached over Sam and pulled Daniel back. ‘Wait until we’ve done a sweep of the room.’ He said and nodded at Teal’c and Sam to proceed as he made his own way down.

Sam entered the room, gun held in position and the light sweeping from corner to corner as she had been trained.

‘This room is empty.’ Teal’c determined.

‘It’s clear, sir.’ Sam said calmly taking in the cobwebs and dust. Her heart sank. There was no sign of another doorway.

Daniel began to make a detailed search of the walls as the others gathered in the centre.

‘Daniel?’ Jack inquired.

‘There’s another panel over here.’ Daniel said. He depressed the symbols in the correct order. A section of the wall slid back to reveal an empty niche.

‘This is no doubt where the object of great power was kept.’ Teal’c said.

Daniel rubbed his forehead in frustration. ‘It’s not here.’

‘I think we all see that, Daniel.’ Jack said dryly.

Daniel suddenly seemed to realise the lack of a second doorway. ‘We’re trapped, aren’t we?’

‘Looks that way.’ Jack agreed. He caught Sam and Daniel’s tired and frustrated expressions; Teal’c’s face was devoid of expression but Jack figured the Jaffa had to be feeling as frustrated as they were. He checked his watch. ‘OK. Let’s regroup and try to figure a way out of this.’

They sat in an odd circle in the centre of the room and all sipped some water. They sipped sparingly knowing that they might have to make it last a while.

‘It had to be cats,’ muttered Jack as he screwed the cap on his bottle.

‘Sir?’ Sam’s curious blue eyes met his. ‘You don’t like cats?’

‘I’m more of a dog person, Carter.’ Jack admitted. He caught the look on her face before she lowered her eyes to the floor. ‘Don’t tell me, you have a cat.’

Sam nodded. ‘He’s called Schrödinger, sir.’

‘Clever.’ Daniel remarked.

‘Why is the name of the cat clever?’ Teal’c asked.

‘On Earth, part of our quantum theory is based on the work of a man called Schrödinger.’ Sam explained. ‘He theorised that if you placed a cat in a box with a decaying radioactive material that could trigger a canister of poison gas at any time then the cat was always both alive and dead.’

‘What was the purpose of such an experiment?’ Teal’c asked bemused.

‘Oh he didn’t actually do it.’ Sam hastened to correct the impression she had given. ‘It was just a hypothetical example of how multiple realities might exist. Until someone opened the box and determined whether the cat was alive or dead then both realities were possible.’ She warmed to her subject. ‘Of course, the whole concept of alternate realities is still very much theoretical…’

‘Captain.’ Jack felt compelled to interrupt her before they entered a long and detailed discussion on quantum physics. ‘Teal’c, the cat in the box is known as Schrödinger’s cat.’

‘I see.’ Teal’c murmured politely.

Sam looked away from Teal’c, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. He obviously didn’t see at all. Her eyes skidded straight into Jack’s which were filled with the same amusement as hers. There was a shared moment of enjoyment before they both looked away in confusion.

‘Well, we’re kind of the cats in the box now, aren’t we?’ Daniel pointed out looking up suddenly from examining his boot laces.

‘In fact, Doctor Jackson, the cats are outside,’ Teal’c said, ‘and we are inside.’

Jack’s eyes were dancing with merriment as they snapped to Sam’s again and neither of them could prevent themselves from smiling before they quickly looked away for the second time.

Daniel caught the byplay between the two military officers and glanced at Teal’c to see whether he had noticed too. The Jaffa looked at him questioningly and Daniel shrugged. ‘I was speaking figuratively, Teal’c.’ He explained referring to his statement rather than the behaviour of their two team-mates. He sighed. ‘This is all my fault.’

‘How’d you figure that?’ Jack asked surprised.

‘I insisted we see the pyramid.’ Daniel said miserably. ‘If I hadn’t we wouldn’t be trapped here.’

‘I was the one who should have worked out it was going to get dark before it did.’ Sam argued. ‘It’s my fault.’

‘There’s no way you could have known.’ Daniel said.

‘Kids, I was the one who ordered us down the damn steps and trapped us in here. It’s my fault.’ Jack said.

All three humans looked over at the Jaffa expectantly.

Teal’c shifted under the weight of their combined regard. ‘I agree with Doctor Jackson. It is his fault.’

Daniel blinked. Jack refused to glance at the Captain for fear the look on her face would set him off laughing, something he didn’t think either of the other two men would appreciate.

‘Teal’c,’ Jack explained, ‘we were sympathising with Daniel not really assigning blame.’

‘I see.’ Teal’c murmured again.

Daniel took pity on him. ‘It’s a human thing, Teal’c, to make me feel better about our situation despite it being my fault.’

‘And it’s not your fault so stop beating yourself up about it.’ Jack said firmly. ‘I agreed with your assessment that it was worth taking a look.’

‘Yeah, about that assessment, Jack.’ Daniel said apologetically. ‘I knew back at the gate it was unlikely that we’d find anything here.’

Jack stared at him. ‘I distinctly remember you saying maybe and something about needing to check out the purpose of these things here.’

‘Because I knew it was the only way you’d agree to let me take a look at the pyramid.’ Daniel said.

Jack groaned. ‘Daniel.’ His voice whipped across the room in an angry snarl as his brown eyes locked on the younger man’s contrite blue gaze. ‘Everybody look away now while I beat the crap out of him.’

‘Sir,’ Sam intervened, ‘he was right in the argument he gave back at the gate.’

‘I was?’

‘He was?’

They spoke at the same time and Jack took a moment to glare at Daniel again before he turned the force of his displeasure onto his fellow Air Force officer.

‘Sir, we have no way of knowing if current academic theory back on Earth relates in any way to the actual purpose of these temples and pyramids.’ Sam continued determinedly. ‘Even now, Daniel’s own theory that the pyramids in Egypt acted as landing pads for alien ships is not given any credit and yet you found it to be true on Abydos. It’s unlikely that we’ve even begun to uncover the true purpose of these buildings.’ She gestured at the empty panel. ‘And as it turns out this was the place where something of value was kept.’

‘Not anymore.’ Jack pointed out.

‘But we had no way of knowing that until we got here, sir.’ Sam insisted. ‘Doctor Jackson’s motives in giving the argument he did might not have been valid but his argument was.’

Jack stared at her resolute face.

‘I agree with Doctor Carter.’ Teal’c said firmly.

‘You do?’ Jack said surprised.

‘I do.’ Teal’c repeated.

Jack took a deep breath and returned his gaze to Daniel. ‘Don’t ever pull that crap on me again.’

‘I won’t.’ Daniel promised.

‘You’d better not.’ Jack muttered.

‘Sir,’ Sam said softly, ‘I’ve been thinking…’

‘I’m shocked, Carter.’ Jack said dryly. ‘What now?’

‘Sir, I’ve been recalculating the rotation of the planet. If I’m right, the sun will be up in another two hours.’ Sam said hurriedly. ‘The cats are obviously nocturnal so…’

‘So we should be able to open the hatch at the top of the steps and leave here in a couple of hours.’ Daniel concluded.

Sam nodded. ‘Yes. There seems to be some kind of ventilation in the room so we should be fine until then.’

‘And if you’re wrong about the cats being nocturnal, Captain?’ Jack asked.

‘I think she’s right, Jack.’ Daniel said. ‘We didn’t see the cats until after it was completely dark.’

‘I’m not sure you should get to have an opinion.’ Jack shot back. He could see the flush on the other man’s cheeks even in the semi-dark.

‘I also agree with Doctor Carter.’ Teal’c asserted. He was beginning to understand why she was part of the team.

Jack took his cap off and rubbed his hand furiously through his hair. He slapped it back on and looked at Daniel. ‘Can you reopen the hatch from this side?’

‘Yes.’ Daniel said.

‘OK, two hours.’ Jack set an alarm on his watch and waved at the floor. ‘Let’s get comfortable.’o-O-o

They had been lying in the dark for a long while when Jack heard Daniel sneeze. ‘You OK?’

‘I just need a tissue.’

Jack reached into a vest pocket and pulled out a travel pack. He would never admit that he’d packed them just for Daniel. He threw them across the floor in the direction of Daniel’s voice.

‘Thanks.’

‘You’re welcome.’ Jack said.

Daniel blew his nose. His conscience stirred again. Jack had been unbelievably good to him since he’d gotten back from Abydos and he hated to think that he might have ruined the friendship they were groping towards with his earlier behaviour. ‘I really am sorry, Jack.’

‘Yeah. I know.’ Jack sighed. ‘But I need to trust that when you tell me something’s worth looking at that you’re not sending us on a wild goose chase that might get us all killed.’

‘But just because something might not have military value doesn’t mean it’s not worth looking at, Jack.’ Daniel shifted restlessly.

‘We’re here to find technology to help us with the Goa’uld, that’s it.’ Jack replied simply. ‘And maybe we’ll get lucky and find Sha’re and Skaara somewhere along the way.’

‘There’s so much we could learn from other cultures about ourselves, our place in the universe. Meaning of life stuff.’ Daniel said passionately.

‘That meaning of life stuff isn’t going to help us when we need to defend the planet from the Goa’uld, Daniel. A big, honking space gun, on the other hand.’ Jack murmured.

‘You don’t know that and none of the technology we find is going to mean a thing if you don’t put into context.’ Daniel argued. ‘There could be a deeper cultural significance that we overlook completely.’

‘I agree with Daniel.’ Sam piped up unable to stay quiet any longer.

Jack sighed audibly. ‘Scientists.’ He muttered under his breath.

‘I just think if we find something that it’ll be a whole lot easier getting it to work if we understand what it’s supposed to be used for.’ Sam said with impeccable logic. ‘Look how long it took us to get the Stargate working.’

‘Thank you.’ Daniel said grateful for her support.

‘OK,’ Jack conceded, ‘I take your point and if there is a reason to stay and examine the culture then we’ll stay but you kids are going to have to accept that we have a mission.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam said her disappointment evident.

‘Daniel?’ Jack checked.

‘I get the message, Jack.’ Daniel said sharply.

Jack sighed. ‘We’re a team, Daniel. We need to be honest with each other or this isn’t going to work.’

‘I know.’ Daniel blew his nose again.

Teal’c considered O’Neill’s words carefully. Honesty. His honour stirred again. O’Neill was right. If the team wasn’t honest with each other, they would fail. Teal’c couldn’t contemplate that. He had abandoned his life on the slim hope that these humans were the best chance of freeing his people, of creating a world where his son would not die on the whim of a False God. He came to his decision. ‘Doctor Jackson, I was directly responsible for your wife becoming a Goa’uld.’

In the dark, Jack clapped a hand over his face. Sam held her breath waiting.

‘What do you mean?’ Daniel asked carefully holding himself very still in the tense darkness.

‘It was I who selected your wife at random from the harem and took her for presentation to Ammonet.’ Teal’c explained.

‘You selected her.’ Daniel repeated carefully. ‘And you’re telling me this because…what? You want my forgiveness? Is that it?’ His voice rose angrily with each word.

‘Daniel…’ Jack tried to interrupt.

‘I do not expect your forgiveness, Doctor Jackson.’ Teal’c said. ‘But I believe O’Neill is right if we are to fight the Goa’uld together, we must have honesty between us.’

Jack winced.

‘Well, that’s just great. I mean, it’s not bad enough that you helped Apophis steal my wife from Abydos but you actually helped to make her one of those…those…’ Daniel stuttered.

‘Daniel.’ Jack said sharply. ‘This isn’t the right time…’

‘And when will be the right time, Jack?’ A thought occurred to Daniel and he stared into the darkness in Jack’s direction in horror. ‘Did you know?’

‘No!’ The denial was swift and heartfelt. ‘Of course I didn’t know.’

‘He did not.’ Teal’c confirmed.

Daniel was quiet for a long moment, struggling to adjust to the new information, struggling to make sense of it. It really didn’t make a difference, he realised. He had already blamed Teal’c for his role in what had happened to Sha’re before the Jaffa’s confession and either way it wasn’t going to change things. ‘Why her?’ He asked despondently. ‘Why Sha’re?’ He wasn’t expecting the Jaffa to answer really and he was surprised when Teal’c spoke.

‘I believed she would end the choosing.’

Daniel’s brow creased in confusion. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Apophis had been searching for a host for his Queen for some time. Many women had been presented and been refused by Ammonet before Apophis decided to try Ra’s territory believing Ra was dead.’ Teal’c explained. ‘Your wife had caught the attention of Apophis himself. I believed she would have the best chance of being accepted and the choosing would end.’

‘Apophis only started looking in Ra’s territory once he realised Ra was gone.’ Daniel repeated. It was his fault then. If he had left the gate on Abydos buried after they had killed Ra, Apophis would not have gone to Abydos.

‘What happened to the women who were refused?’ Sam asked softly. She believed she knew the answer and the reason why Teal’c had wanted to select a candidate to end it.

‘They were killed by Apophis.’ Teal’c confirmed.

‘So, you were hoping to stop Apophis killing any more women needlessly.’ Sam continued gently.

‘Indeed I was.’ Teal’c said a little surprised she had worked out his strategy.

‘Well I guess that makes it OK then.’ Daniel said bitterly.

‘Nothing makes it OK, Daniel.’ Jack answered before Teal’c could reply. ‘But what’s done is done.’

‘I swear to you, Doctor Jackson, that I will do everything in my power to return your wife to you.’ Teal’c said.

‘Teal’c…I can’t…don’t talk to me right now.’ Daniel said his voice was choked with unshed tears.

There was another unnatural silence as they all assimilated the impact of Teal’c’s confession. Jack’s heart sank. He couldn’t see how they moved past it as a team. Despite Daniel’s earlier misstep, Jack believed the younger man deserved his place and despite Teal’c’s confession he knew he was their best shot at finding Sha’re and Skaara but given what had just happened he didn’t know how he could expect the Jaffa and archaeologist to work together, if it was even fair to expect that. He frowned heavily. It was ironic that the only member of the team he hadn’t chosen seemed to be causing him the least trouble. In fact, Carter was the reason they had a solution to get out of the pyramid and her shooting had saved his life up in the temple. He wondered briefly if he’d lost his leadership skills somewhere in the tedium of retirement.

Daniel sneezed violently breaking the quiet. A low hiss sounded in the darkness. The archaeologist froze automatically. Years of being trained to watch his step on remote digs brought instant recognition. There was a snake somewhere in the room with them. ‘Did anyone else hear that?’ He asked apprehensively.

‘Yeah.’ Jack moved cautiously and flipped the light switch on his gun, thankful he still had it lying across his chest.

Sam followed his example and Daniel quickly switched his own flashlight on. A sweep of their immediate area brought relief to their faces.

‘I’m going to take a look around. Everyone else stay where you are.’ Jack said rising to his feet.

‘I guess it makes sense that there would be snakes down here.’ Sam said nervously.

‘Just because the Goa’uld assumed a serpent-like image as the God he was pretending to be doesn’t mean that there would be snakes.’ Daniel mused.

‘No, I didn’t mean that.’ Sam contradicted him. ‘I just meant because it was cool and dark. Natural snake territory.’

‘Oh.’ Daniel eyes followed Jack briefly.

‘What’s the matter, Carter?’ Jack asked. ‘You don’t like snakes?’

‘Neither does Indiana Jones, sir.’ Sam pointed out.

Daniel glanced back at Teal’c who was silent and the hair stood up on his neck. There was a swaying shadow just behind the Jaffa. A serpentine hooded shadow of a cobra about to strike. ‘Teal’c, don’t move.’ He said quickly.

Teal’c raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

‘There is a snake just behind you about to strike.’ Daniel explained as he inched forward.

‘Daniel, what are you doing?’ Sam asked as the archaeologist got closer and closer to the serpent. Teal’c was obscuring the Colonel’s ability to shoot; Daniel was obscuring hers.

‘Distracting the snake.’ Daniel said.

‘I do not believe that is wise.’ Teal’c said carefully as he stayed motionless.

‘Maybe not.’ Daniel admitted.

‘If you get out of the way I can shoot it.’ Sam said.

‘Daniel, do as she says.’ Jack ordered.

‘If she misses it’ll enrage it and it’ll bite Teal’c anyway.’ Daniel replied using a patently false conversational, calm tone as he neared the snake.

‘I’m a crack shot, Daniel. I won’t miss.’ Sam reassured him.

‘Too late.’ Daniel murmured seeing the cobra’s head snap in his direction. He started to take a slow step back, felt his foot slipping and promptly fell on his ass.

The snake shot forward.

Teal’c reacted before Jack or Sam could aim their weapons; he launched himself forward and grabbed the snake before it could get to Daniel.

Daniel stared in astonishment; the snake’s head was a mere inch from his leg and the only thing stopping it reaching its target was Teal’c’s strong grip. He watched in stunned disbelief as Teal’c strangled the snake and threw its corpse in a far corner of the room. He took a shaky breath. ‘Thank you.’

‘It is I who should thank you.’ Teal’c said inclining his head. He held out his hand and Daniel allowed the Jaffa to pull him back to his feet. He winced as he put weight on the foot that had slipped.

‘Everybody OK?’ Jack checked.

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam replied.

Daniel nodded. ‘I think I twisted my ankle slightly but I’m OK.’

‘As am I.’ Teal’c said.

Jack looked at the rest of his team; at Sam’s confident nod, at the way Daniel was leaning on Teal’c who was resolutely supporting the weight of the other man without complaint. They really were OK, he realised, and one day they were all going to be more than OK. ‘Carter, as much as I love our current accommodation…’

‘Another five minutes, sir.’ Sam replied.

‘OK. Everyone to the staircase. Let’s get ready to move out.’ Jack said.

Their exit was a flawlessly executed operation. The shaft of sunlight that appeared in the stairwell was a welcome relief but Jack approached the entrance cautiously, his weapon poised. The cats had disappeared including the dead one. All that remained of it was a dull stain on the temple floor. They didn’t linger and headed back to the Stargate.

Jack and Sam took point as Teal’c continued to help Daniel who limped along painfully on his ankle without complaint despite the brisk pace. They didn’t want to waste time. Sam was estimating the planet only had four hours of daylight and none of them were eager to get trapped out in the open with a pack of wild cats.

Jack ordered Daniel to rest and for Teal’c to watch him as Sam sorted out dialling the gate and sending the IDC as he provided his team with cover. He smiled in satisfaction at the blue puddle.

‘OK, campers. Let’s go.’ Jack took a position at the top of the steps as Sam sent the MALP back before following herself.

Teal’c helped Daniel back to his feet from where he’d been resting on the ground.

‘Teal’c…’ Daniel began hesitantly.

‘Yes, Doctor Jackson?’

‘I can’t forgive you for what you did to Sha’re.’ Daniel said his sober blue eyes meeting the Jaffa’s.

Teal’c stiffened. ‘I understand.’

‘No, you don’t.’ Daniel said firmly. ‘I can’t forgive you today, right now, but…’ he sighed, ‘maybe one day…’ Maybe when he forgave himself, he thought.

‘Then I shall look forward to that day, Doctor Jackson.’

‘Me too.’ Daniel said as he limped up the final step and they entered the wormhole.

Jack smiled as he followed them. He positively bounced down the metal ramp of the SGC and ignored the sliding metal of the iris slamming shut behind him. His team waited for him at the bottom of the ramp as did the slightly portly figure of General Hammond.

‘Colonel.’ Hammond greeted him with a pleased nod, relieved to see the SG1 team back in one piece. ‘Anything to report?’

‘Nothing, sir other than some really ferocious wildlife.’

Hammond’s eyebrows rose slightly. ‘Sounds like it will be an interesting debriefing, Colonel.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Jack said grinning.

‘Sirs, with your permission, I think we should get Daniel to the infirmary and get his ankle examined.’ Sam said looking worriedly at the way Daniel was leaning on Teal’c.

‘Permission granted, Captain.’ Hammond said, his Texan accent rolling through the words. He briefly stopped the Colonel as he made to follow his team out of the gate room. ‘So you found nothing of value on P3-575?’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that, sir.’ Jack said as he glanced over at his departing team-mates. Teal’c was supporting Daniel on one side, Sam on the other; he could hear her fussing at the others as they disappeared into the corridor and smiled as she glanced back over her shoulder, searching for him. He nodded absently at the General and went to join his team. Finding the SG1 team spirit definitely counted as something of value in his book.

fin.