Time: Set after canon although time line is according to the events of the show. SJ established. Set shortly after Sam's one year stint in Atlantis. Jack is still in Washington, Daniel is now living in Atlantis, Teal'c is still on SG1, and Sam is currently staying off of active duty, acting as head of the science department, as she and Jack-now married-are attempting to get pregnant. (An Asgard transporter is set up between the Pentagon in Washington and the SGC and Jack uses it to come home to Colorado every night.)

Also, thanks to another fanfic that I found highly amusing, I'm doing a crossover with this one. Tomb Raider.

I don't normally put up stories before I've finished writing them, but I wanted to see what everybody's take was on what I've got so far before I continued. The main reason I don't like putting stories up before they are done is that I'm afraid I'll never get around to finishing them. But here's to hoping that I do.

I don't own or am not affiliated in anyway with Stargate or SG-1.

Oh, and you're forewarned, there are a few curse words.

Anyways, on to the story.

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"Theos, have you looked into these documents before?"

"No, it was deemed unimportant at the time it was found as there was a bit of a crisis going on. Haven't had time to go back to it yet."

"Mind if I have a look at them?"

Seeing the intense way that Daniel was looking at the tablets, Theos questioned, "Think you've found something?"

Still eying the Ancient documents, Daniel replied, "I'm not sure."

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Daniel strained his tired eyes on the document. The only light in the dark room was directly above the stone tablets. Daniel reached for his coffee mug and cringed as he swallowed the cold liquid. The tablets were Ancient, but it was a very obscure dialect. Daniel mildly thought, 'When are they not?' and tiredly continued to try and decipher what was in front of him.

A word caught Daniel's eye. Aron or possibly Arun. That could signify a box of some sort. Looking over the context of the word in question, Daniel translated, "The 'box' of promise" Hmm. That wasn't quite right. "The 'box' of agreement or commitment or cahhhh..." Daniel growled in frustration. It was on the tip of his tongue. "Cah, cah, cov...COVENANT!" That's the word he was looking for. "Box of covenant." Hmm. Interesting.

Taking another long sip of his cold brew, Daniel continued ahead into the night.

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"Jack, this is really big."

"Why, exactly?"

Daniel clenched his teeth and mentally counted to five. How could the man not see how this was important?

"The Ark of the Covenant, Jack."

"I know you've always wanted to be Indiana Jones, Daniel, but really. The Ark of the Covenant?"

"I don't want to be...urg. Ja-ack! I don't think Raiders of the Lost Ark had Ancient technology hidden somewhere in the subplot."

"You really think the Ancients had anything to do with any of this?"

"The tablets were pretty clear."

"What about the whole 'we're too high on our pompous glowy asses to interfere with mere mortals' thing?"

"They did say that they had been the cause of the destruction of a world before from interfering. Maybe they used to try and help humans before that happened."

"What's so important about finding this anyway?"

"Other than being quite possibly the biggest archaeological find, it could be that there is alot more to it than what's found in your average Bible. I mean, if it was made by the Ancients like this tablet suggests..."

"Daniel, I doubt it's a big honkin' space gun."

"Probably not. No. But according to the Bible, God communicated with Moses through it and anyone who touched it that was not supposed to, died. So, I'm thinking that its definitely got some kind of power behind it."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Daniel, thinking. Daniel tried not to smirk or bounce on his heels, realizing that Jack was about to cave.

"Where do you think it is again?"

Yes! Victory! "Jerusalem."

"Right. Don't you think they would have found it by now if it was there? I mean, center of Christianity and Islam and all that?"

"The tablet gave clues that have led me to believe that it's hidden somewhere in the Well of Souls on the Temple Mount. It's a natural cave in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Some sources believe that the Ark was smuggled from the temple by way of the Well of Souls and taken to Egypt, eventually ending in..."

"Daniel!" Jack shook his head slightly, eyes wide, giving Daniel his best 'I-could-give-a-rat's-ass' look.

"I think that instead they hid it somewhere in the Well."

"Fine. Feel free to go check it out."

Daniel shifted on his feet and looked at Jack with an almost guilty expression.

"What?"

"Actually," Daniel muttered, "Ineedyoutogowithme."

"What did you say?"

Daniel sighed. "I need you to go with me."

"And, why, pray tell, do you need me?"

"I have a feeling that the ark's power may need the ancient gene and well, you're you..."

"Daniel, you just came all the way from Atlantis, which last time I checked, has lots of little ancient gene people scurrying about, and you didn't think to bring one of them with you?"

"They are kind of busy."

"And I sit and play with my yo-yo all day."

Daniel glanced at Jack's desk, where a red yo-yo sat in the corner.

Jack followed his gaze and frowned.

"Bad example."

Daniel just continued to stare at him.

Jack sighed. "Look, Daniel, while the idea of trampsing off on your little adventure would be loads of fun, I do, in fact, have a lot of work I have to do here."

"Trampsing? Is that a word?"

"Daniel!"

"Sam already said she'd go."

"What?! What on earth do you need Carter for?"

"Mysterious Ancient powered device of untold possibilities as to it's purpose...Sam came to mind."

"Of course she did." Jack deadpanned. "You know, she would need Hank's and my approval to go. And how is it that I didn't already know about this?"

"I just got in from Atlantis about two hours ago. Talked to Sam. She agreed. Talked to Landry. Beamed here. You should be getting a call shortly."

As if on queue, the phone rang.

"Danny, that's just creepy."

Daniel just smiled while Jack picked up the phone.

Jack frowned as he disconnected the line.

"Well, Landry seems to think it's a good idea."

"So..."

"You were standing right there, Daniel. You heard me."

"And..."

"And I said I'd think about it!"

"Come on, Jack! I figured you'd leap at the chance to get out of this office! You always say you miss going off world but now that you get a chance to do something remotely close to it, you don't want to go!"

"I wouldn't exactly call wandering around a cave looking for a box, the off world adventure I miss."

"Jack!"

"Daniel."

Daniel was beyond frustrated. "Jack, please. This could be really important."

Jack frowned and looked down at the pen he was twiddling with his fingers.

"Fine, but Teal'c's coming too."

Daniel didn't mind that at all but was a little confused by the request. "O-kaaay, I can ask him if he wants to come."

"He goes or none of us go, Daniel."

"Why, exactly?"

"Well, there's the fact that you can't go anywhere without injuring yourself. T can just throw you over his shoulder when you break your leg or something. Big guy, ya know. Then, of course, once you and Carter go into geek mode, I'll be bored out of my skull."

Daniel glared at Jack through his little spiel and then smirked when he realized the real reason Jack wanted Teal'c to come. "Wouldn't feel right without him, would it?"

Jack grinned a little. "No, it wouldn't."

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Sam absentmindedly picked up her phone. "Carter."

"Hey."

Sam smiled. "Hey."

"Watcha doin?"

"Trying to finish writing up my lecture that I'm giving on the two proposed forms of dark energy, the cosmological constant, a constant energy density filling space homogeneously, and scalar fields such as quintessense or moduli, dynamic quantities whose energy density can vary in time and space."

"Ah, I see."

Sam grinned as it was obvious by his voice that he didn't.

"So, I take it you talked to Daniel."

"Yep."

"And..."

"You really think we'll find anything?"

"I don't know. But if Daniel's right, then the possibilities of what the Ark could really do are astronomical. I've been doing some research on all that was Biblically said in reference to the Ark, and it could be some sort of communications device."

"What about the whole, killing people who touched it thing?"

"Maybe it was trying to safeguard against someone breaking the device. Maybe the Ark had another purpose that the people were completely unaware of."

"Like what?"

"We've seen devices before that emitted an EM field that protected entire cities from various outside attacks. It is possible that this device may have the same function. We really won't know until we find it."

There was a pause.

"So...what are you wearing?"

Sam rolled her eyes and smiled despite herself. "Ja-ack!"

"What?" She could practically see his smirk through the phone. "It's a perfectly reasonable question. Last time I saw you, you were delectably naked. And as you aren't currently being malled by all the men at the SGC, all of whom I'd have to kill, I assume that you are wearing some form of attire."

"Delectably naked, huh?"

"It has a nice ring to it, don't ya think?"

Sam deadpanned, "Uhhuh", amusement clearly written on her face.

"So..."

"Sorry, Jack. I've got this thing, called work, that I'm supposed to be doing..."

"Yes, yes. Saving the world and all that. Fine. Spoil my fun."

"Well, I was thinking, it would be a shame if you didn't finish all your paperwork and weren't able to go. I was planning on packing this sweet little tank top I've got for the trip."

"Sam,...do you really think I'll be able to get any work done with that image in my head?"

She giggled. "Think of it as motivation."

"You are an evil woman, Carter."

"You love me anyway."

"I do."

"I love you too. Now get to work. If you're lucky, I might even bring that little black number you like so much."

Sam smiled as she hung up the phone, hearing what sounded like a groan as the phone hit the receiver.