Fanfic: Safari

[PTeppic]

Title - Safari

Author - P’Teppic of Reetalia
E-Mail - pteppic@isbjorn.demon.co.uk


Category - Action / Adventure, Technology

Timescale - Season 4 immediately after Small Victories

Spoilers - Nemesis, Small Victories, Children of the Gods , Fair Game, Matter of Time, Touchstone, One False Step, Serpent’s Song, Prisoners, Jolinar’s Memories, Dead Man’s Switch, The Tok’ra, Enigma / Pretense, Hundred Days (Yeah - Sort of assumes you’ve actually seen the show up till this point, though some are quite tenuous/brief.)

Rating - PG

Content Warning - Limited violence

From the video sleeve - SG-1 gate to an attractive planet, only to discover it is a Goa’uld trap. The stargate is disabled, preventing escape. What can SG-1 do to avoid capture by the arriving Goa’uld patrol and to make good their escape.

Disclaimer - Stargate SG-1, its characters, locations and history are the property of MGM/UA, etc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and not for profit. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be duplicated, copied nor distributed in text, HTML or other forms, electronically or in hard-copy without the consent of the author. All applications for filming rights will be considered eagerly!

Personal Note - This is my first fan-fic: be gentle. Write-time: 18 hours. I have not read other people's writing here before - not out of arrogance, but to avoid any claim of copying. You only have my word on this. Anything which has appeared before really is like-minds...

Apologies - just had the report back from my proof-reader. Three days too late: I was a little too eager to publish. Anyway, her comments are now included, which they should have been originally - any from you fine people will be put forward into any further scribblings.

[PTeppic]

Prologue

Under the unforgiving glare of the Embarkation Room fluorescent lighting, the inner ring of the Stargate span instantly into motion. Behind the reinforced glass of the Control Room window, a neatly uniformed Air Force technician monitored the displays. A chevron advanced inwards, locking the first glyph of the destination address into place. "Chevron one - locked", confirmed the technician.

Behind her, General Hammond, Sam and Daniel watched the generated images of the dialling computer, as it dialled the remaining glyphs which made up the address for P4X-371. It was the first gate activation of the day, and they were eager for a first glimpse of the new world. For Major Samantha Carter it was a welcome return to work. After the enforced off-world stay during their escape from the Replicators and the Beliskner, General Hammond had given Jack, Teal'c and herself a week of compulsory leave. With several salvaged pieces of Replicator lying securely in the lab, Hammond had been obliged virtually to escort her from the base to ensure her break was taken.

Now, three days after returning to work, she had completed her initial investigations. Reluctantly she had surrendered the pieces to the persistent grasp of the Air Force's research and development arm at Nellis Air Force Base, the so-called Area 51. As a result she was now ready, with the other members of SG-1, for another mission. This was the next scheduled planet for investigation, and the anticipation of off-world activity was clear in her face.

As the sixth chevron was locked into place, Jack bounded into the Control Room, Teal'c passively measuring his pace alongside. Although they had all been back on base for three days, yet Sam had barely seen the others, so engrossed was she in her research. Jack looked round.

"Finished playing with your bits of bug yet, Carter?" he asked.

Behind them, the technician continued her routine monologue, "Chevron seven locked."

Their conversation continued over the dramatic yet now mundane sight of the Stargate wormhole establishing. "Ah, yes sir. We've run a number of scans at different resonances, but the Replicator composition is resistant to our technology. The equipment here is pretty limited, so I've had to send the pieces up to Nellis. They have better facilities, so may have more luck."

"They've also promised to let us see their results this time!" The bane of Hammond's life was the lack of information returned from Nellis about the very technology his command was retrieving.

"Wormhole established," reported the technician, calmly, though this was clear to all in the room.

"Send a M.A.L.P. through," instructed Hammond. The technician, almost on auto-pilot was already initiating the action.

"Could you get anything useful from the pieces, Sam?" asked Daniel, entering the conversation.

"Not much - we know they somehow adapt the raw materials of the host environment. But how they do it, and how they incorporate the distributed intelligence and processing into each part is still beyond me."

Sam was disappointed. Despite her extensive scans at varying frequencies the pieces of Replicator was as informative as scrap metal. Even the interface between each of the pieces had so far eluded her, though she was now sure it was not a physical communication mechanism.

"M.A.L.P. is en route."

Suddenly she was drawn back to the present, as each member of SG-1 looked to their nearest monitor.

"M.A.L.P. should reached destination in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. M.A.L.P. has reached destination, sir." The technician looked round to General Hammond for further instruction. Meanwhile, Carter was reading the data panel on the monitor.

"Atmosphere is a match, sir, air, temperature, radiation all within normal tolerance."

"No signs of habitation," reported Daniel. "There's no sign of any structures or... even paths near the gate! I don't think this gate has been used in decades."

Indeed, as they looked, they could see a lush, green plain, stretching hundreds of yards away from the camera on the probe. Trees were just visible at the edge of the landscape. As Sam manipulated the controls to rotate the M.A.L.P. camera, the scene remained similar. Great plains of grass-land, with scrubby forest almost at the edge of visibility. Jack turned to her.

"Doesn't look like anyone's home. Carter?"

"The M.A.L.P.'s picking up no sign of pollution, sir, industrial emissions or radio signals. There's also a high background level of naquadah too." She turned to General Hammond. "I think we should check this one out sir. We've been looking for a reliable source of naquadah without Goa'uld interference - this may be it."

"I agree. Major, prepare a U.A.V. - this much naquadah may have attracted some other civilisation further from the Stargate. The rest of you, we'll brief in an hour."

Just over an hour later, General Hammond stood in the Briefing Room, as Carter paused the video-playback from the U.A.V.'s flight. It had confirmed initial reports from the probe, that the area for dozens of miles around the Stargate was a vast grassy plain, bordered by an encircling swathe of forest. An uncharted wilderness, and rich in the mineral they were constantly searching for. It was an easy choice - he sanctioned the mission: "Okay people, you have a go!"

In the Embarkation Room, twenty minutes later, the event horizon gurgled gently, the shimmering surface radiating light whose gentle illumination yet contrasted with the hard concrete of the silo. Jack looked round to ensure the whole team was ready, a F.R.E.D. between them, under Major Carter's control. The mission was routine, heading towards dull: standard reconnaissance, plus a mineral survey with a view to mining naquadah. He stepped forward to the Stargate, aiming his final quip at Hammond: "Have a nice day, honey, we'll be back for supper!"

Although, even now, he didn't understand the physics of the wormhole, Jack still experienced slight amazement at the impressions left by the journey, even though he knew Carter had told him he was in a billion separate pieces. With a flash as sudden as it began he was through, and his military training was automatically taking over. As the F.R.E.D. also appeared he quickly scanned the immediate vicinity, and then the middle distance as he felt, rather than saw, the other members of SG-1 re-appear. A few moments later, as he finished his sweep of the forest-line, the wormhole disengaged with a clap.

They stepped down and away from the low earthen mound into which the Stargate was built. As Teal'c and Sam moved towards the M.A.L.P. to begin unpacking the geology survey equipment, Daniel wandered over to look at the DHD. Though it was never in any mission brief, it was usually Daniel who ensured they could find the point-of-origin glyph to allow their return journey. He looked up puzzled.

"Er, guys, you might want to look at this!"

As Jack came over he queried the find, "Isn't there usually another symbol there? Daniel?"

Daniel just looked at blank area of the DHD, then back at Jack. "Jack?!"

Sam arrived with Teal'c. "What's going o... oh! Daniel?"

Exasperated he looked back at Sam, then, enquiringly at Teal'c. "Teal'c?"

Teal'c said nothing, merely tilting his head and raising an eye-brow. Sam broke the silence.

"That's odd!" She looked puzzled. "Even on the damaged D.H.D.s we've found, they've always had all their glyphs in place. Teal'c, " she looked up at him, "have you ever seen the point-of-origin removed?"

"I have not," he replied, matter-of-fact. "This is most unusual. The Goa'uld have conquered many worlds, but always have they left the Stargates and dialling devices intact."

As he said it, Daniel was peering through the grass at a dark shadow. He parted the foliage to reveal an irregular metal object. Jack, beside him, leant down and between them they pulled the object free of the undergrowth. It was made of a dark metal, a couple of feet across. An intricate pattern had been cut out of a thin, single sheet of the material. Although he had not seen it before, Daniel felt it was familiar. It was also written in a Goa'uld dialect. Even as Jack and Sam turned to him, he read out, "Shol'va kree! Korosh-al'nai! Man-os arr'iba!"

He paused. "Er, traitors beware. You can't go away, er, escape? Planet of death? Teal'c?"

Jack too turned to Teal'c. "Recognise any of this?" he asked.

"Indeed - these symbols are familiar to me. Daniel Jackson's translation was correct."

He looked at the other members of SG-1. "This world has but one purpose - a trap set by the System Lords!"

[ TITLES ]

[PTeppic]

Reel 1

The members of SG-1 all looked in concern at Teal'c as he continued, "I have come across stories amongst the most loyal Jaffa of a place such as this. The planet is called Stan'es'tam.

"The location of this planet is known only to the highest ranked System Lords. Upon discovery of a shol'va in their midst, instead of immediate death, they may be despatched to this planet. As a demonstration of the power of the System Lords, the shol'va would then be tracked down and hunted for sport upon this world."

"Are you saying this is some sort of giant hunting ranch for Apophis and his pals?" asked Jack.

"In all my time among the Tau'ri, O'Neill, I did not determine that such a practice was in use upon your world."

Daniel interjected: "Ah, no, Jack means that we used to hunt animals this way - it's called a safari."

"Indeed?"

Sam spoke. "Well if we're the game, where are the hunters? There doesn't appear to be any sign of Goa'uld activity at the moment. Maybe there's nobody home?" She looked back at the DHD. "I don't know how much a runaway Jaffa would know about D.H.D.s, but I may be able to figure out some way to bypass the missing glyph to dial out."

Jack nodded, "Get to it."

Sam moved down to the DHD, and knelt down, removing a panel at the base of the plinth. A few moments later she was deeply engrossed in the innards of the dialling device. Daniel turned to Teal'c, "So I guess we are safe here as long as the System Lords don't know we have been trapped?"

"That is not so, Daniel Jackson. There are many ways in which the System Lords would lure the shol'va to this planet. Most often they are lower ranked Goa'ulds. A Jaffa would normally be tortured and then killed."

"Present company excepted of course," cut in Jack.

"Indeed, I have caused Apophis and the other System Lords great offence by joining with the Tau'ri," said Teal'c.

"Nice to feel wanted."

"Indeed. If a Goa'uld was attempting to undermine the System Lords, they would lay false trails describing a wealthy planet that was not yet under Goa'uld control. When the shol'va arrived, they would find themselves here. The System Lords would then arrive with only their most loyal retinue, for the hunt. It would commence only when the quarry arrived."

"So, you're saying this place detects when the hot-head snake-head arrives?" asked Jack. "Aren't we okay - we're not Goa'uld..."

"Ah, Jack - Teal'c's larval symbiote is!" Daniel reminded him.


"However, I believe no person arriving here would escape detection." He pointed into the grass about 30 yards away. The others looked, but could not see anything. The puzzlement was evident on their faces. Teal'c lowered his staff weapon, and clicked it open. Before the sizzle of energy had ended, a shot burst out and destroyed a patch of grass-land at the end of his gaze. Sam looked up from below the DHD. "What's up, Teal'c?"

"As you can see, Major Carter, our presence has not gone undetected."

The smoke settled, and on a short, slim stand was a device looking similar to a Goa'uld communications ball. It was entirely undamaged. Teal'c pointed at several otherwise indistinguishable patches of grassland in a circle around them. "There are six other devices around the Stargate. There can be no doubt that our presence has been discovered."

"Especially now you destroyed that one!" yelled Jack. "You could've just pointed!"

"On the contrary O'Neill - these devices absorb the energy from Goa'uld weapons. It has not in fact been damaged. Any Goa'uld who arrived on this planet would undoubtedly possess a ribbon device. This device must withstand such an attack."

Sam interrupted before the clearly annoyed Colonel O'Neill could speak. "Do you know which System Lord will be monitoring these sensors?"

"I do not. The location of this planet is a closely guarded secret. Only the most powerful System Lords such as Sokar, Heru'ur, Cronus and Apophis would know of its existence."

"Oh great," muttered Jack, calming down, "all our old friends!"

Daniel looked at Sam. "Why didn't the M.A.L.P. or U.A.V. pick up these things? Aren't these the sort of things it's looking for?"

"Probably for the reason we didn't see them, Daniel. If these devices operate in a passive mode, and only transmit when life signs are detected, neither the M.A.L.P. nor the U.A.V. would have found any signal worth reporting. The high levels of naquadah in the soil could also have masked their presence."

"So now we've all said that," continued Jack, "why don't we just get outta here before the bad-guys show up?"

"I do not believe that will be possible, O'Neill."

"Yeah well - we've been through places like this before! Carter - how're you doing with the DHD?"

"Could be a while, Sir - I'll have to re-configure the dialling glyphs so that one of the unused ones acts as the point of origin. It's not something we've ever considered before."

Daniel chipped in: "Sam - why don't we just use the stored charge to dial out manually - like you did on the Beliskner to escape the Replicators?"

"It wouldn't work Daniel - only the charge from the outgoing wormholes builds up like that. That's why we couldn't just dial out manually from Hadante prison."

"So get back to the DHD, Major - we've got guests coming." Jack took charge again.

"I'm on it sir." She returned to her work below the DHD, and was again quickly enveloped in the alien device.

"Teal'c - how long do we have before our visitors turn up?"

"I do not know. The Goa'uld are most likely to travel by Teltac. This will provide greater manoeuvrability during the chase."

"So that gives us what - maybe a couple of hours?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Daniel - use the gate, figure out the point of origin for Carter. Teal'c!" He pointed to the F.R.E.D.

As Daniel began examining the Stargate, decoding the address for the return journey, Jack and Teal'c began checking the stores on the F.R.E.D. The mission had been equipped for reconnaissance and a mineral survey, though military prudence had still included sufficient armaments to set up a suitable defensive position. They un-shipped the inventory of Claymores, grenades, and spare clips for the MP5s and M9s. Whilst doing so Teal'c continued the conversation.

"Colonel O'Neill - will not General Hammond attempt to make contact if we do not report back within 12 hours?"

"Yeah - that's normal procedure. The mission brief is six hours, add six for emergencies, so about twelve hours - yeah. Why?"

"Then should we not await General Hammond's communication."

"If I only had a brain, Dorothy!" Jack exclaimed suddenly, slapping his own fore-head. "Even if Carter can't fix the DHD we can still get home with a Naquadah reactor! As soon as Hammond dials in, we ask him to send us a reactor and we can power our own way outta here! All we have to do is hang on for another..." he looked at his watch, "eleven and a half hours."

Pulling an indeterminate expression he cocked his MP5, swung round and lined up on the exposed detection device. Pulling the trigger Jack let of half a dozen rounds of automatic fire, startling Daniel and Carter. Teal'c merely looked puzzled. Jack smiled, as they realised the device was now in fragments. Yet again the more primitive ballistic weapons of the Tau'ri were superior to Goa'uld energy technology. He broke into a grin, "Superior technology, hah! Strike one to the away team!"

Daniel interrupted his reverie. "Er, Jack, Teal'c - you might wanna look at this." He was standing behind the Stargate, looking worried. As they approached he pointed at the back of the gate. There were several ragged holes in the outer casing of the gate, deep burn marks seared into the metal of the gate itself. Several sections of what could only be the gate's mechanism were clearly missing.

"Holy...! Oh Carter," called Jack, "you'd better get up here!"

"Sir?" she replied, getting back to her feet, and walking towards the others, looking excited. "I think I've got it. Whoever disabled that DHD didn't know too much about what they were doing - I should have it working again in about an hour... oh!" She stopped, shocked, reaching the others.

"Whereas whoever did this had no idea at all?" asked Jack.

"Er, no sir. I'm guessing that's the part of the mechanism for dialling out that's been damaged. The sabotage is very specific. It would have to allow the gate to function correctly for incoming wormholes, but prevent outgoing ones. The changes to the DHD only needed to be superficial. Sir, even if we had a power source, this gate cannot dial out!"

Jack looked at Teal'c. "I don't suppose there's going to be a second gate somewhere on this heap of rock?"

"That is most unlikely, O'Neill."

"Okay campers - what've we got? MP5s, zats, Claymores, grenades, and a couple of hours head start on the hunters, assuming they are coming. Ideas?"

"Er, Jack - it had better be fast." Daniel interrupted, pointing away to the distance.

As they watched, two specs grew larger in the pale crimson sky, until they were clearly visible. Death gliders.

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[PTeppic]

Reel 2

Without firing the Death Gliders flew overhead, sweeping low to assess the scene around the Stargate. With reflexes borne out of repeated honing throughout the galaxy Jack and Teal'c brought their respective weapons to bear. Although they were able to fire off a few fast rounds each, with MP5 and staff weapon, no damage was apparent. Instead, the sudden burst of offensive action from the ground drove the Jaffa pilots to revert to a retaliatory flight pattern. Several hundred yards away from the Stargate, after pulling slowly up from their low, parallel pass, the two Gliders split. Breaking to the left and right they banked tightly back towards SG-1 and began their attacking run, the left hand craft flying the lead.

As the Gliders broke into their attacking pattern, SG-1 also moved into well-rehearsed action. Whilst Jack and Teal'c checked their weapons and covered their team-mates, Sam recovered her MP5, laid aside the fruitless repair task, and even Daniel made ready.

"Here they come!" yelled Sam. In the absence of any other cover, the team took what little they could from the physical mass of the Stargate itself, as the Gliders came into firing range. Around them the ground erupted in huge bursts of smouldering soil as the Death Gliders gave fire. As the craft over-flew their position at full attack speed, SG-1 returned fire, the rapid crack of MP5 automatic fire blending with the crackling burst of staff weapon energy.

As quickly as they had come into range, the Gliders were past, pitching up through stall turns before resuming the reciprocal course, back towards the Stargate. In the break, Jack, Sam and Daniel changed magazines.

"They're coming back" shouted Daniel over the roar of the Glider engines. As the distance closed, both groups opened fire. Between the blasts of Teal'c's staff weapons, the ricochets of MP5 shells deflected off the gleaming surface of the Death Gliders. Around the Stargate, the earth became more and more churned by the fire returned by the Gliders. Again the attacking craft flew out of range, out over the grassy plain, before circling tightly to commence another run.

Sam looked, grim-faced, at the others: "What I wouldn't give for Kowalski and a S.A.M. right now!" She recalled their first mission as SG-1, on Chulak, when Kowalski had shot down a Death Glider, helping them escape from pursuing Jaffa.

Jack paused, looking thoughtfully at the incoming Goa'uld craft. Before they were back into range, he pulled a grenade from his vest and cleared the pin, casting it aside. With the lead Glider approaching at high speed he took up a baseball pitchers stance and tossed the grenade directly at the oncoming craft. With a roar it exploded directly in front of the lead Glider, the Jaffa inside reacting in panic. As he fought to regain control the wing brushed the nose of the second vehicle, which in turn flipped rapidly out of control above the Stargate. Before any of the watchers on the ground could move both gliders were crashing violently into the ground some 30 yards from their position.

Jack looked jubilantly around his team: "Home run!"

"Way to go, Jack" said Daniel, looking relieved. Although he was now familiar enough with the weaponry used by SG-1, he was still not comfortable with its use, even in self-defence.

"Good pitch, sir," chipped in Carter, her military training still evident as she cast another magazine aside and re-loaded.

After looking around the sky-line for further attack, Teal'c too looked at Jack and raised an eye-brow. "A successful outcome, Colonel O'Neill," he said. "However, I do not believe that this attack has ended."

"So there's more of 'em coming?" asked Jack.

"Indeed. The intention is to drive the shol'va towards the waiting Goa'uld hunters."

"Just like an Earth safari," confirmed Daniel. "A team of beaters drives the game towards the row of hunters, who wait in hiding for the game to come to them."

"Yeah Daniel - we get the idea," this from Jack. "So, Teal'c, was that all of them?"

"I do not believe so, O'Neill. They were scouts, ahead of the rest. Others will follow, of that I am certain."

"Okay folks - we're way too exposed out here - let's head for the trees. Pack up and move out!"

Without undue haste, but with definite purpose, the team collected all the armaments from the F.R.E.D. and stowed them about their webbing and packs. With a final check of the remaining equipment they set off for the nearest tree-line, about 600 yards distant. The grass was waist-high, but free flowing, and their progress was steady.

As they neared the trees, Jack questioned Teal'c further: "If that was the first wave, how long till the next bunch?"

"Of that I am uncertain, O'Neill. I would not anticipate such a rapid response to our presence. Our features are well known amongst the Goa'uld System Lords and their Jaffa - our identity will now be known. This will make the hunt more worthwhile for the Goa'uld. To kill the shol'va Teal'c will earn great honour amongst the System Lords. We can be sure that our deaths will be slow and painful.

"When the final attack begins they will most likely use several Death Gliders. This will provide great advantage to the Goa'uld. Many Jaffa may also come on foot. The System Lords and loyal Goa'uld will hunt by Teltac. They will wish to see the pain they are causing at close hand. Only at the end of the chase will they disembark for the kill."

Sam cut in. "How many renegades would normally be tricked into coming here, Teal'c?"

"The planet is used rarely, and only ever for a single victim. The System Lords are very severe when punishing traitors. Most die in battle, during an uprising."

She turned back to Jack, "Sir, we have the advantage here. The Goa'uld are only ever used to hunting single targets - we can split up to divide their forces."

"Okay - when we reach the trees, we'll split up; Daniel with Carter, Teal'c with me."

Teal'c also replied: "The plan has much merit. The Goa'uld will not expect such a strategy. The Goa'uld are arrogant and would never consider such a manoeuvre. It is the nature of the Goa'uld to stand and fight. They will be unprepared for it."

As they reached the trees Jack checked his watch. They had been on-planet for almost an hour - only eleven more to go! "Time to split up. We've got about eleven hours before General Hammond calls in to find out what's going on. If we can evade patrols until then we have a chance: till Hammond can send some back-up."

"But, Jack," interrupted Daniel, "we still need to find a way off the planet. The gate's useless."

"One thing at a time. Carter - you've got eleven hours - come up with something!"

"Sir?" She looked bemused and puzzled. "Like what?"

"I don't know - you always come up with something - start thinking. Now let's move out - get some distance between us and the gate. Sit-reps every 15. Move it."

Sam continued to look baffled, but nodded at the direct order, "Yes sir. Daniel - come on - this way." She pointed off into the woodland, further away from the instinctive safety of the Stargate. On this mission it was almost the bait in the trap, and provided perhaps the least safety of anywhere on the planet. As they moved on she could hear Teal'c and Jack moving away on a tangential course, also deeper into the trees. Although this was no rain-forest the trees still grew to thirty or more feet and quite densely. As they pushed further under their cover, the trees darkened the ground around them, casting deep shadows, broken with the occasional pool of sunlight as it broke through the canopy. As they wove their way between the scrubby trunks she was glad of the standard issue combat fatigues, the disruptive pattern of the material rendering them all virtually invisible from above the boughs of their cover.

Half an hour later the pair were a couple of kilometres into the woodland. They were a minute or two away from the next situation radio report to Jack, and had stopped for a brief spell in an overgrown clearing. Although the edges were all deep in shadow, a bright splash of sunlight illuminated the centre of the glade, the flowers rippling in a slight breeze through the trees. She shifted the weight of the MP5 on its strap and turned to Daniel.

"Okay Daniel - we'll take five."

"How far are we going, Sam? If Hammond sends backup we'll need to get back to the gate."

"Keep on," she replied, "for another hour or so. If they have any sort of search pattern it will start at the Stargate. The M.A.L.P. can boost the radio signals through the gate."

"What about other personnel detectors like round the gate?" he asked.

Checking her watch, she keyed the microphone on the radio handset. "Colonel? It's Carter."

"Go ahead, Major."

"All normal here. We're about 2 clicks from the edge of the wood. The terrain hasn't changed - just an endless sea of trees."

"I hope you're not complaining- they're stopping us being seen from the air!"

"I know that sir."

Daniel pressed his own radio. "Teal'c - are you there?"

"Indeed I am, Daniel Jackson."

"Are there going to be any other detection balls in amongst these woods?"

"I do not believe so. They are used to detect the presence of intruders upon this planet. The Goa'uld do not use such devices for tracking."

"What about naquadah detectors," Daniel asked, "like the one Aris Boch used?"

"That is possible Daniel Jackson. Such a device would locate the staff weapon I am carrying, and your Zatnika'tels."

"I don't think so, Teal'c," Sam interrupted. "I've been thinking about that. They work by detecting the naquadah in the Goa'uld technology."

"That is correct."

"Well, the soil in this planet," she explained, "is so rich in naquadah that our weapons should be undetectable against the background reading."

"So you're saying those naquadah sniffing what-y'm'call-its won't work on this planet?" Jack clarified.

"Exactly, sir. What's that?"

As she spoke, two bursts of sound were audible through the radio ear-piece. Three miles away, and equidistant from the Stargate, Teal'c and Jack were throwing themselves deeper under the cover provided by the trees.

"Party's started," came back Jack's voice as the volume subsided. "Two Gliders - headed your way". Before he had finished speaking, the noise was audible through the trees, and both Daniel and Sam moved against the nearest tree, checking upwards that the cover they were given was sufficient.

"Got them!" Carter radioed back, "Straight overhead - looks like we're okay for now."

"Carter - incoming" interrupted the reply from O'Neill, echoing with the roar of a second pair of craft. Moments later they were over-flying Sam and Daniel, on the same course as the first pair.

"Whoa - Daniel are you okay?" As Sam asked, Daniel was pressing himself hard against the trunk of the nearest tree, as if trying to back directly into it. He nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Hey Jack," he thumbed the radio again, "how many of those things are there? Its getting kinda noisy down here."

"Counted four so far, Daniel," came back the reply, "but Teal'c reckons there could be up to a dozen more. We're not supposed to hide apparently - so their tactics will have to change. They're trying to find us and flush us out. Just you and Carter stay together and we'll try to figure out how to get back home. Major - have you had any thoughts yet?"

"No sir," she replied, "its useless. No matter how we get the power we can't dial out. Our best bet is to wait for General Hammond and hope he can arrange some sort of rescue. The Tok'ra or the Tollan may have a ship nearby."

"Roger that. Stay out of sight of the Gliders, and keep moving away from the Stargate. Find somewhere to hole up in about an hour - that should put you well outside the initial search area."

"Aye, sir." She turned back to Daniel. "Let's move out."

Shrugging their weapons and webbing back into a comfortable marching position they set off once again through the woods. As the marched on, periodically they heard the sounds of a Death Glider, passing low over the woods around them. Generally these were distant passes, but occasionally one would be closer, and the pair would close in to the trunk of the largest tree, shielding themselves from the sky and the danger it would bring. Elsewhere in the woods, Jack and Teal'c were in the same position, advancing cautiously through the trees, ever wary of the danger from the air.

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[PTeppic]

Reel 3

It was almost nine hours later. SG-1 had spent the last eight holed-up in two separate camps, only two miles apart, though they didn't know it. During the final hour before settling down, their courses had inadvertently converged, bringing the two halves of the team ever closer together. When they halted their progress and started to set up small encampments, they were barely half an hour's march away from each other. Daniel and Sam were sheltered under the deeply overhanging branches of a huge tree, oddly squat with an enormous girth, yet stunted to little over normal height for the surrounding trees. Elsewhere, Jack and Teal'c were passing the time beneath a heavy thicket, a dense burst of undergrowth rising from the woodland floor. Beside them a small stream trickled, bubbling through a narrow channel, as the floor of the woods sloped gently away from the resting team.

They had only been first resting in the clearing a matter of moments when Jack had gone to splash water on his face. He had not reached the surface of the rippling liquid before Teal'c's hand had clamped his own, firmly, preventing any movement.

"Do not, O'Neill," he explained. "It is to be expected that the Goa'uld have poisoned this water. You will observe there are no living creatures upon this planet."

Teal'c released Jack's wrists as gently as he had grasped them. Although he hadn't realised it consciously before now, suddenly a nagging thought in Jack's brain came to the fore. It had been too quiet. Throughout the arrival, the encounters with the Gliders and the foray into the woods, something had been slightly out of sorts. Now he realised what it was. Compared to the woodlands of Minnesota this place was a vacuum. Not a bird sang, insect chirped or other animal voice announce its presence.

He clicked the radio. "Carter, come in."

"Here, sir."

"Don't drink any local water. Teal'c says it could be poisoned. And listen - what do you hear?"

"Nothing?"

"That's right."

Daniel realised first. "No birds."

"Exactly - so stick to rations. No eating or drinking anything you find - these guys are definitely starting to annoy me."

Just then, several hundred yards away, an explosion in amongst the trees. As the first echoes of the blast reached Jack and Teal'c, a Death Glider roared past the tops of the trees.

"Carter, what's your status, come in?"

"Fine sir. What's up?"

"These pilots are starting to get trigger happy. Looks like they're starting to try to nudge us into making a run for it."

"Copy that. We'll keep our heads down and stay put, Carter out."

And with that she signed off again. Eight hours later, and little of difference had occurred. With decreasing regularity the two camps were over-flown, as the increasingly frustrated Jaffa pilots fired randomly into an increasingly wider area of the vast network of interwoven branches that concealed their stubborn prey. In one camp, Sam was telling Daniel about the days that she, Teal'c and Jack had been forced to spend on P4X-234, after escaping the Beliskner and before the second Stargate could be installed at the SGC. Two miles away, whilst Teal'c looked on impassively, Jack was whittling a six inch lump of broken wood with his sheath knife.

"What is the purpose of this activity, Colonel O'Neill?"

"Oh - y' know: whittlin'."

"I do not know."

"Yeah, you do, whittling, carving, making little bits and bobs. Passing the time?"

"Jaffa do not have time for such actions."

"You don't know what you've been missing. Wanna try it?"

"I will refrain."

Another craft passed overhead, more slowly than the previous flights of the Death Gliders. Through the canopy of leaves, Teal'c and Jack could see it was a different type of craft. It was, in shape, very similar to a Teltac transport vessel, but was sheathed entirely in gold. A large emblem picked out in a slivery mineral on either side of the main cabin was familiar.

"It is the vessel of Cronus," identified Teal'c.

Jack pulled a face, "Oh goody!" He keyed his radio. "Carter, come in."

"Carter here sir."

"We have a transport vessel at," and he looked up, "about 10 o'clock and passing towards your position. It's our old buddy Cronus come to make a house-call."

"Copy that sir. We're out of sight here, but we'll be careful."

"Roger, O'Neill out."

Below their tree, Daniel and Sam looked upwards through the branches. A few minutes later the craft passed overhead at a sedate pace, clearly searching for any signs of the elusive quarry.

"I wonder how long he'll keep this up?"

"I don't know, Daniel. If he knows who we are I think we can expect this search to last for hours, or even days. He's been wanting to get his hands on us since the A.P.P. treaty went our way like that."

Before Daniel could reply, a huge booming voice sounded across the surface of planet. Although they could not see, it was being broadcast from the Teltac.

"People of the Tau'ri and the shol'va Teal'c, hear me! You are in violation of Goa'uld laws of trespass. You will be put to death. Come forward to receive your just punishment."

In their ear-pieces, Daniel and Sam could clearly hear Jack's careful, sotto voce reply: "No - I don't think so!"

"Shol'va - come forward. I give you one minute, and I promise you will die quickly. Try my patience and you will suffer greatly."

Jack came on the radio again. "Keep it tight guys - he's just bluffing 'cause he can't see us."

The seconds passed in near silence, broken only by the distant murmuring of the Teltac. As Jack had correctly surmised, Cronus in fact did not know the location of SG-1, and was simply transmitting the message audibly across a vast area of the woodland. As the promised deadline passed, the immense voice again bellowed out from the transport vessel.

"People of the Tau'ri. You have defied the Goa'uld System Lords and will be punished. Teal'c - shol'va - you have turned against your gods. Kneel in terror and feel our wrath!"

"Yada, yada, yada..." came through the ear-pieces, clearly reflecting Jack's boredom with impassioned speech. It was cut short, however, as unseen aboard his vessel Cronus moved his hand above the surface of a control device. From the base of the ship an immense blue energy beam, similar to that of a Zatnika'tel, erupted and hit the ground. Upon contact, the energy surge spread out in all directions, diminishing only slightly as it spread out in an expanding wave. In their respective camps, the three humans were knocked to the ground by the unexpected shock of the energy discharge, whilst Teal'c looked shaken but remained standing.

"What," Daniel was first to ask, looking at Carter, "was that?"

"Some sort of energy discharge - similar to a zat gun. Teal'c?" She clicked her microphone.

"I am here, Major Carter?"

"Have you seen this weapon before?"

"I have not. It appears to resemble a Zatnika'tel, but beyond this I am uncertain."

"Could be something new then?"

"So it would seem."

"Jack - I don't think this thing is intended to kill us. The energy seemed to cause a autonomic response in our muscles, but not really pain, as such. I think it's just something else to force us out of hiding. I can't quite figure out how it spread so widely."

She paused for a moment to think. "A normal zat blast builds up a sort of charge in the person it hits, that disperses with time. If you get hit twice sufficiently close together the combined charge kills. But, with sufficient elapsed time, the build up discharges itself, and the next blast acts like a first one again. If you hit a wall or something, the energy just dissipates. Here, the energy is actively being carried like ripples in a pond."

"So what does all that mean, Carter?" asked Jack, back on his feet.

"It means they can probably keep hitting us with that beam for the rest of the day and still have no lasting damage."

"Well there's something to look forward to."

"Not really," replied Daniel.

"Or it could mean the next shock will kill us, sir!" Sam spoke again, deep in thought. "It could be the dispersion caused less pain than usual for a zat, but the charge is built up. Or maybe three shots?"

"You're full of good news today, Major" said Jack, sarcastically. "Teal'c, any ideas?"

"I have not, O'Neill."

The voice of Cronus again boomed throughout the woodlands. "You will surrender to me, and then die in agony." Again, his unseen hand triggered the energy weapon. This time the members of SG-1 were more ready. Although the discomfort showed on their faces, they remained standing, as the rippling spread of energy caused twitches all across their bodies at once.

"Ooh," said Jack, hiding the irritation, and braving out the twinges from his muscles, "that just tickles." A subsequent grimace on his face revealed the lies in his observation.

"Sir - I think I've got it." Sam again came through their ear-pieces. "It's the naquadah in the soil. Such high levels are acting as a conductor for this energy wave. It also answers a question that was bugging me..."

"Why hadn't the Goa'uld mined the naquadah here?" ask Daniel, clicking on the radio to ensure Jack and Teal'c heard his response, despite standing next to Sam. His year spent with the people of Abydos had impressed him deeply with the suffering endured by those people before the arrival of Jack and their original team and the death of Ra. On other planets too, they knew that the mining of naquadah was also extensive, and in human lives, expensive.

"Exactly Daniel," she explained, "with this much naquadah about there should have been a huge mining facility or something. I was assuming it was too low grade, or perhaps to expensive to sift through a thin layer."

"The Goa'uld see no price attached to using human slaves, Major Carter."

"I know Teal'c. But this weapon they use here - that would be a reason for leaving the naquadah. It also answers why we've never seen it before. I'm guessing it uses the naquadah as a wave conductor - and travels across the ground because of it. Most of the other worlds we've been to don't have sufficient naquadah in them to let it work. Without the distributed effect, the weapon is pretty useless."

"So what do we do about it, Carter?"

"I don't know sir. I don't think we can do anything to stop it, except destroy the ship."

"Let's do that then!"

"I was just thinking laterally."

"Yeah, whatever. We've got about," again Jack checked his watch, "two hours till that gate opens and Hammond gets in contact. I for one don't intend to spend it being zapped by a giant bug-killer every couple of minutes till then." He looked at his RDF receiver. "Carter, you and Daniel stay put - I've got a fix: Teal'c and I will RV at your position."

"What is your intention, O'Neill?" asked Teal'c, as they shifted their gear back into marching position.

"No idea, Teal'c, but it's time to do something. Let's move."

And with that they headed back into the woodland. Every few minutes another blast of energy surged through them, though with each one the effects were less, both as their bodies became slightly more accustomed, and Cronus's ship moved further away from their position in an attempt to drive out the team.

Forty minutes later, Jack and Teal'c edged through some undergrowth and into the muzzle of Sam's MP5. She exhaled in relief. "I thought you were the Jaffa," she explained.

As she spoke, another rumble of Goa'uld engine technology came overhead. This was a pair of Teltac, in the more usual colouring, travelling in formation. They looked at Teal'c.

"They are most likely bringing the Jaffa who will hunt us on foot."

"Okay," said Jack, exasperated, "this is getting silly. Options?" He looked around the team.

Glancing at her watch, Sam summarised: "We are on a planet being hunted down by Cronus. We have limited food and water. The Stargate can't make outgoing wormholes. General Hammond is hopefully going to call in about 85 minutes. He probably won't even send reinforcements, as there's no way to get them, or us, home. There is no good news."

"I believe there is, Major Carter," added Teal'c. "I do not believe even Cronus will use his energy weapon whilst Jaffa are on the ground. I do not believe he would normally deploy such a large force for the capture of such a small party as us."

"I feel touched," added Jack. "Are you sure there's nothing we can do with this Stargate?"

"All we need," remarked Daniel, "is for someone to change the laws of physics and allow matter to travel both directions at once!"

"Well, Carter?" asked Jack, as she was capable of that.

"It's totally impossible sir - it's how the gates work. Matter only goes one way. Only high powered energy can go back through the wormhole, like radio, M.A.L.P. telemetry and gravity."

Barely visible through trees, about two hundred yards away, one of the Teltacs had stopped circling over a large clearing. A distinctive and familiar bright light suddenly illuminated the ground beneath the ship. A panel opened in the lower portion of the hull, and a series of rings sank rapidly to the ground. They were followed by a burst of energy as eight tightly packed Jaffa were transported to the surface. As the light paled, the rings rose back into the ship. The Jaffa began moving purposefully away from their position, ready to allow another party to be transported down. Around the group the staff weapons crackled with energy as they activated the mechanisms.

Sam looked astounded at the others. "Sir - it's wild, but I may have an idea."

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[PTeppic]

Reel 4

"Make it quick, Major, they're heading our way!" Jack was carefully checking the chamber of his MP5, performing the action slowly to ensure that no excessive noise would escape to the ears of the Jaffa patrol.

"Well sir," she looked excitedly around the group, yet her voice remained low. "I think we can travel back through the Stargate when General Hammond dials in!"

"But that's impossible, Sam - you said so yourself a minute ago!" Daniel, like the others continued to be baffled.

"I did, but I also said how it could be done - I just didn't realise it at the time."

This did not help the explanation. Jack was becoming impatient, as the nearest Jaffa were now only a little over one hundred yards away, yet his irritation was limited to a whisper. "Spit it out, Carter - they're almost on us!"

"Well sir, I said that only matter can travel one way through the wormhole, but energy can travel in both directions - such as our radio signals. So, theoretically, all we need to do is be in energy form before we enter the wormhole. That should allow us to travel backwards through the open gate from Earth!"

Whilst the physics was simple, relatively, the look of puzzlement had not moved from the faces of the rest of the team. Teal'c voiced their concern: "In what way does this aid us, Major Carter?"

She pointed towards the Teltac, as it transported a second wing of Jaffa to the surface. There were now well over a dozen beginning their manual ground-sweep of the planet's surface. Daniel and Jack, in an action reminiscent to the culmination of their mission on Abydos four years earlier, made the connection at the same instant, and whispered in unison:

"The transport rings!"

A breath later sanity kicked back into action for Jack, "You've got to be kidding!"

"No sir, it's perfectly feasible, theoretically. If we can commandeer that Teltac, we can use the transport rings to send ourselves backwards through the General's wormhole."

"Theoretically?" Jack's suspicion of science was coming to fore. "And what's to say we get atomised forever, like that probe you sent to Edora before you realised the gate was horizontal?"

"I don't think so sir. Everything we know about gate and ring transports supports this theory."

"But Sam," Daniel interjected, "what's going to stop the Goa'uld following us? As soon as they realise they can use the ring transports to go backwards through the gates, we make earth open season to the System Lords. We can't let them know about it." He paused. "If it works! Teal'c?"

"Daniel Jackson?" He looked quizzically at Daniel.

"Will the rings work through the Stargate?"

"To my knowledge the Goa'uld have never attempted such a manoeuvre. The risk you have raised is a valid one - the Goa'uld would indeed exploit such a technique to the maximum advantage."

Jack's brow furrowed in thought, assessing Sam's information about the transport option, as well as the implications of their success. "All we have to do is steal the Teltac, fly to the gate in about an hour, wait for the wormhole, then send ourselves through the gate using the rings?"

"Yes sir," replied Sam, ignoring the sarcasm. "That's it," she exclaimed, again to puzzled looks of her colleagues. The Jaffa were now within a hundred yards, and SG-1's position was vulnerable, concealed only by a couple of closely grown trees. Sam's voice was so low it was on the verge of being sub-vocal. "Once we've gone, what will happen to transport ship?" She looked around, though her question was rhetorical. "It'll just crash at the Stargate. All we have to do is make sure that after we've gone it blows up so well that they don't know we've used the rings. And we'll have to be very close to the gate when we use them, to conceal what we are doing."

"I don't think that destruction of the ship will be a problem, Major," Jack almost mouthed wryly, "since we'll have half of Cronus's army on top of us, with air support. And we have these babies." He indicated the Claymores strapped in his pack. "So now we just need that Teltac..."

He motioned to Teal'c and they lowered their packs. Cautiously they moved off into the woods, a few yards towards the oncoming Jaffa patrol. The advantage was theirs. With only fifteen or so Jaffa in the search team in this sector of the woods, each was almost 80 yards from the next as they spread out under the trees. Despite their task, the Jaffa were clearly not expecting to find SG-1, and were not concentrating fully on the search. As the expanding perimeter of the searched area reached SG-1's position, the nearest Jaffa was surprised to find a powerful hand suddenly grasping his mouth and nose, as Teal'c appeared behind him. As Daniel and Sam watched from their position, a gentle snap was the only indication he had been silenced forever. His face purposeful yet emotionless, Teal'c allowed the inert body to sink to the ground. Carefully they checked left and right to ensure the action had not been seen by the other searchers. So far, so good. Silently they removed the gauntlet from the dead Jaffa, and returned to the waiting others.

With their position now passed, the members of SG-1 now found themselves within the "cleared" cordon of the Jaffa patrol. With each passing moment the patrol moved further and further away. Jack made the signals to stay in position for another two minutes. As they waited, the danger cleared, step by step, as the patrol moved further out, not yet missing the dead Jaffa. After two minutes, Jack motioned them to continue, and they silently and slowly made their way towards the very clearing the Jaffa had transported into. As they approached, they could see the Teltac, hovering about thirty feet from the ground, the pilot apparently waiting to retrieve the patrol on completion of a specific sweep. By good fortune, they were approaching the vessel from the rear, the cockpit pointing away, back towards the Stargate.

As they reached the edge of the clearing Jack motioned them to stop. He freed a zat from his webbing, and activated the control to open it ready for firing. "Let's go!" Stepping briskly into the clearing he nodded to Teal'c who pressed the button on the back of the Jaffa's gauntlet. Above them, the hatch in the ship's hull opened, and the intense light signalling the start of transportation shone down brightly around them. As the rings descended about them, SG-1 moved together and, unspeaking, turned to faced outwards, ready for whatever the Teltac would bring.

With a flash of light SG-1 were transported into the hold of the Teltac. As they arrived, the world blurred back into focus for each of them, and they could see at once, even as the rings descended back into the floor of the ship, that they were alone in that part of the vessel. Teal'c laid his staff weapon on the floor, and freed his own zat gun. Silently, despite his powerful presence, he moved quickly to hatch to the cockpit. A flash of actinic blue, and the distinctive sound of a zat firing signalled a successful outcome. Two further flashes followed, before Teal'c reappeared in the cargo bay. "We are alone." His face was impassive.

Jack looked up at him with amused curiosity, "Three shots?"

"His name was Jam'arc. He and I have done battle in previous encounters. He had no honour and deserved to die."

As with previous encounters of Jaffa honour and Teal'c's past, Jack was wise enough to let the matter drop. He checked his watch, looking round the team. "Sixty five minutes." He looked back at Teal'c. "How long before the patrol returns?"

"No more than one hour, O'Neill. The search will then be redirected at a fresh sector of the terrain. I believe we shall remain undiscovered if we stay here."

"Fine by me!" Jack was looking tense, but satisfied. "Carter, do you need to do anything fancy to the ring gizmos?"

"Sir?" Before he could reply, she realised what he meant. "Er, no. We just use the rings as if we were going back down to the surface, just through the gate."

"Major Carter?"

"Yes, Teal'c?"

"Will not this manoeuvre require the rings to be facing directly into the Stargate?"

"Yes, that's right Teal'c."

"Whoa! Like out of the bottom of the ship and through the gate?" Jack realised what was being said. "How do we get the bottom of the ship pointing through the gate?"

"Teal'c - can you do it?"

"I believe I can, Major Carter." His face broke into the very hint of a grin at the thought of the flying that would be required to achieve the goal.

"Actually sir, it's perfect." Sam explained the full extent of the plan. "By flying in at such a steep angle we're playing right into the Goa'uld's hands - they'll think we're badly damaged, so when the ship blows up, they won't be too surprised."

Daniel too voiced his concerns. "If the ship's coming in so steeply, won't that mean the floor is going to be almost vertical? How can we be in position for the rings."

"I can take care of that. I just need to adjust the ring doohickies," she smiled as she imitated the Colonel's technophobic simplification. "I can reset them so that they stay extended within the ship for long enough to hold us in position, before the transfer through the gate. Sir?" She pointed to an access panel, suggesting she wished to start the adjustments.

Jack looked back at her and nodded. "Go ahead."

Whilst Carter made her adaptation to the ring control mechanism, Teal'c re-familiarised himself with the controls of the Teltac and monitored the Jaffa communications device, which would intermittently squawk with updates. In the cargo hold, around Sam, Jack showed Daniel how to set and arm the Claymore mines. Then, they waited, the tension clear on the face of each. They were all aware of the flaws in the plan, and the reliance on several uncontrollable factors, not least the untried transport arrangement.

About five minutes before Hammond was likely to try to make contact, Jack looked round. "Give it a minute and then head for the gate."

Before anyone could agree, a communication sounded from the cockpit. It was the search team, who were now almost back to the ship. SG-1 had been listening to the ongoing reports for almost the last hour, whilst abroad, translated by either Teal'c or Daniel. For obvious reasons none of the other ships, and they had learned there were three other Teltacs carrying search patrols, had been able to locate their quarry. Aboard his own vessel, Cronus was furious at the lack of results so far. They had, however, heard with increasing unease the return of the patrols to this vessel. And they were now on the verge of arriving.

"Sir, we can't let them use the rings - my adjustments will get reset. We don't have time to re-align them again!"

"Okay - that's it then - Teal'c, let's go."

Teal'c leapt smartly to the cockpit, and with practised ease moved the vessel out of its lengthy hover and into straight flight. Despite the motion, they could all hear the anguished yells from the Jaffa below who had entered the clearing, only to see the Teltac vanish before them. Teal'c translated again from the cockpit.

"I believe we have been discovered O'Neill. The patrol have reported that this ship has deserted them. They have also identified one of their number is missing."

"Took them long enough," observed O'Neill, with a smirk. The others all followed Teal'c to the cockpit, to observe their progress over the vast woods they previously traversed on foot. Even as they reached the control centre of the transport vessel they could see their flight was now detected. Out of the clouds about a mile away, a pair of Death Gliders swooped low, and flew towards them. A few seconds later, another pair appeared, off to their right, also on an intercept course.

Sam summarised their feelings, "This is going to be close." And so the chase began. As the seconds ticked by, SG-1 flew closer to the relative safety of the Stargate, but also closer to the very force that could stop them. As the Gliders approached the transport craft, the Stargate came into view on the line of horizon. It was idle.

"Come on, George," muttered Jack as the first pass of the Gliders caused the whole vessel to shudder as it was struck by weapons fire. As the gap to the gate closed, suddenly they could see the first chevron light up and engage.
"The first chevron," confirmed Daniel, in a way voicing their relief.

"Better get ready," explained Sam. "Teal'c get her as soon as you can - timing is going to be critical."

"I understand Major Carter."

With that, the three returned to the hold. Even as several more weapons strikes from the passing Jaffa craft caused the Teltac to shake violently, Sam opened the access hatch near the floor and activated the controls. Silently the top few transport rings half-rose out of the floor to about waist height. As they did so, their ear-pieces crackled into life.

"Sierra Golf One, this is Sierra Golf Charlie. Come in, over."

"General, SG-1 are under fire." She keyed the iris code into her GDO. "Be advised we are coming through the wormhole - I repeat, we are coming through the wormhole. Stand clear."

Back in the SGC, Hammond looked bewildered at the Technician, who simply confirmed "Sir, we are receiving SG-1's IDC."

"Open the.." started Hammond, before stopping. As usual, the iris was in fact open for an out-going wormhole. "Keep the wormhole engaged!"

Back through the gate, the Teltac approached it at a terrifying rate, as if to fly straight through the incoming wormhole. As they did so, the golden vessel carrying Cronus appeared over the tree-tops, perhaps half a mile away. He could only watch as the earth was picked up in multiple bursts on either side of the escaping ship, as weapons fire from now eight Death Gliders seemed to miss more than it hit the speeding craft. Just before crashing into the Stargate and its pedestal, Teal'c flared power viciously to the attitude control thrusters, sending the vehicle violently into a nose up position as it hit the ground. Behind him, there were yells of anguish as the same action tipped the other members of SG-1 hard against the security of the semi-raised transport rings. As one movement Teal'c threw himself out of the seat, and towards the hold, his pace almost impervious to the steep angle of the decking. Above them, the lead four Death Gliders pulled away wide, and circled back for a long, final run, directly towards the gate.

"Now Teal'c, now!" cried Carter, her hand over Jaffa gauntlet control which would activate the transport rings fully. In his turn, Teal'c reached the rings, and pulled himself in, head first! Carter slammed her hand down on the control.

Beside her, Daniel's eyes opened widely in terrible realisation. Even as the ring extended to their full height, he expressed the cause of his fear. "Sam - what about the rings? They're not energy; they can't go backwards through the wormhole. We'll just disintegrate..."

But before she could reply, they had been enveloped in the encompassing brilliance of the energy beam that formed the core of the transport ring technology. At the same moment, a grenade that O'Neill had been holding on a piece of webbing was released, as the hand holding it was transported away. It fell to the deck, landing on a small pile of USAF property, clearly marked "This side to enemy." Although at that point the incoming flight of Gliders also delivered a final and devastating volley of weapon fire into the crashed transport ship, it was too late, arriving as the vessel was already beginning a rippling explosion which tore it apart.

Two hundred yards away, there was satisfaction on the face of the System Lord Cronus. He nodded at his First Prime, beside him. "Send word to Apophis. The shol'va Teal'c is dead. I, Cronus, claim the bounty on his head!" Beside him, on a monitor, a recording of the approach and crash was replayed, clearly showing Teal'c in the cockpit before the massive explosion.

Meanwhile, the members of SG-1 were experiencing an effect never before encountered by any living creature, as they travelled by transport rings through the Stargate. The net result was a combination of both effects, rolled into one. Back at the SGC, Hammond had been joined by Doctor Fraiser in the Embarkation Room, and was watching as the wormhole began to destabilise, affected by the Teltac's explosion.

Before their eyes the inner ring of the Stargate glowed brightly, to a similar colour used during ring transport. As one, the bodies of all four members of SG-1 emerged from the event horizon. Unfortunately, the wormhole was true to form, and they reappeared in the same orientation as they entered: head, or feet, first! There were gasps and groans as they fell the couple of feet to the steel decking which formed the ramp up to the gate.

Daniel, as ever, expressed the relief of the team first. "It worked!" he cried.

"I was fairly sure it would," added Carter.

Although they all turned to her, it was Daniel, remembering his previous realisation, who spoke first. "What about the rings - didn't we need a set of rings here to sort of turn us back?"

"That was the tricky bit." They looked askance. "I realised that the transport rings probably worked on the same principle as the Stargates, but without the wormhole. If that was true, the gate itself would reassemble us from the energy stream, as if we had travelled normally."

"Probably? Probably!" gasped Jack, realising how much of a gamble the entire exercise had been.

"Major - what is going on?" As usual, General Hammond recognised that any technical explanation would best come from Carter. "And how did you travel through an outgoing wormhole?

"This is going to be a long de-briefing. Let's say one hour?"

[ CREDITS ]

Original Material (c) P'Teppic of Reetalia 2002
The rights of "P'Teppic of Reetalia" to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.

[skydiver]

that's a very interesting story, and quite good for a newcomer. i look forward to reading any more of yours

[Rowan]

Some strong showing here for your first fic. Do you want feedback via e-mail {writer's shorthand for: can I post you with comments on the good spots and what I see that might be worked on a bit differently - all done in a nice way. no flames}?

Rowan

[shazstar]

Nice work! Especially with the technology aspect....it fit in really well.

[PTeppic]

Full comments - YES PLEASE.

Since I have outlines for about five more, might be better to improve BEFORE writing them... hopefully.


Technology - that is (probably) my stronger aspect. Its the people, characterisation, locations, descriptions and dialogue that I'm not sure about!

[Rowan]

No problem. We each have our own areas we're comfortable with.

Rowan

[2muchtvs]

great story. really interesting concept, well developed plot and moved along at a great clip. i have never seen a fic like it with stargate, so i think your idea is original.



looking forward to more.

[imported_Sandman]

You must have given that a lot of thought. You came up with some very logical techniwhatzits and hows. Cool story.

[Jessa]

cool story teppic! keep writing!

[Hatshepsut]

What a refreshing change to 'watch' an episode of 'Stargate S.G.-1' that actually involves S.G.-1 going *through* the Stargate to investigate an *unknown* world, getting into trouble and then being back in time for tea Back to basics, yeah!

My eyes lit up as I read about the M.A.L.P. transmissions, because I get a real buzz about the idea of going to other worlds that couldn't be accessed in any other way - and all in a matter of seconds.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - if T.P.T.B. are running out of ideas about what to do with the Stargate, they should come and take a look at the fan fiction sites. Pteppic, your story would fit into the original ethos of the programme perfectly - a few computer graphics at the end - no problem!

Erm, did you say you'd got a few more like that still to come? Goodee!

Best wishes,
Hatshepsut :wave:
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