Summary: A routine mission to an pre-industrial planet that has made a deal with its "devil." Set during early fifth season, sometime after "Ascension".
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1, neither its characters nor the gate itself. No financial compensation of any kind was received for this verbal emesis. "The Lottery" was written by Shirley Jackson, copyright 1948.
Spoilers: None
A Fronte Praecipitium a tergo Lupi
Chapter I - Cere, toto, setio nos in kanaste non iam adesse
The hiss of steam and the groan of machinery powering up muted the sound of the klaxons, but did not entirely diminish them. Sluggishly, the inner ring began its movement. It picked up speed, then slowed, and paused at one mark. There was a metallic crash of parts meeting and separating, and a staccato flash from the top of the ring. One solitary chevron remained lit, as the ring reversed direction.
Sculptor.
A second clash, another flash from the top, and a second chevron glowed along with the first. The giant ring again reversed direction, and continued spinning, its progress accompanied by the hum of moving parts.
Libra.
And again, the grind of engaging parts. An eerie triad followed this pause, a sound registering just below human hearing.
Pieces Austinus.
The harmonic split four ways, as a fourth chevron lit.
Scorpio.
The sound become audible to those in the immediate vicinity. The fifth chevron shone.
Taurus.
The glow of the chevrons became brighter, casting its own sub-visual light over the room. The subtle harmonic added another note, and a faint vibration could be felt by those who had not yet learned to ignore it.
Hydra.
Those personnel still in the Gateroom unconsciously checked that they were on the appropriate side of the black and yellow caution stripes crossing the floor. A habit formed over the years-like straightening your tie or checking your gig line-but you didn't want to discover the hard way that this was the time you hadn't paid attention.
Terra.
The harmonic was superceded by roar, as if one had been tossed in the middle of Niagra Falls. The faint orange of the chevrons was replaced by a torrent of blue-white light pouring into the room, defying gravity as it twisted and danced within its funnel-like confines. It paused for a moment, then abruptly retreated back to Stargate, its undulating patterns apparently restrained by the metallic ring.
The sight was indescribable.
P6J-047 looked fairly Earth-like. Then again, few of the planets they had visited so far had been less than Earth-like. It made for an interesting paradox. If the Goa'uld had indeed planted human stock across the galaxy, it followed that those planets ought to support human life. But the Goa'uld weren't the original builders of the Gate system, at least not according to the SGC's current information. And while they weren't entirely sure who or what the Ancients were, the few planets they'd come across that were not compatible with humans were cause for a just wee bit of consternation.
It wasn't a concern of Jack O'Neill's, at least not at the moment. He was content to leave those sorts of questions for one of Carter and Daniel's all-night bull sessions. Not that either of them would ever refer to them as such. And though the subjects were certainly more esoteric than those he had sat in during college, and Daniel was more likely to baptized both onlookers and participants in cold coffee rather than cheap beer when he got going on a given point, the essential format was the same.
And last night's session had gotten pretty deep, on that particular subject, in fact. Even Teal'c had difficulty following some of the arguments, and at one point Jack wasn't sure if Carter and Daniel were even listening to themselves, let alone each other. Jack had finally broken it up (five hours before mission briefing!) by reminding them of the upcoming mission.
And here we are, he thought, with trees, trees, and more trees. Still, if he had his choice, he'd take trees over desert. He'd seen enough of that to last a lifetime. At least trees provided shade, and cooler temperatures, and cover-not necessarily in that order.
He stepped away from the Stargate, then glanced back at it. Unlike most planets they'd visited, the bottom of this one was buried to the glyph ring. Broken tendrils of planets lay about it, as though they had been torn from the Gate as it opened. All in all, it had the feel of something that hadn't been used for a long time. The thing was almost rusty-if Stargates could rust. He looked around for the rest of the team.
Carter had already found the DHD, overgrown with more of those viney-things. Muffling a yawn, she began clearing the device, then called, "Looks like it still works." She pressed one glyph experimentally, and was gratified to see a chevron light up on the Gate.
Teal'c stood a short distance away. Taciturn as always, he scanned the forest for hostiles of all types. He caught the colonel's eye, then nodded. The Jaffa's gaze continued sweeping the area, settling briefly on Daniel-yawning and scuffling through the brush in search of itty-bitty artifacts-then continued his watch.
Satisfied that retreat was possible, Jack joined Carter at the DHD. "This looks like a short mission," he commented.
"How so, sir?"
Jack gestured at the Stargate. "Does it look like anybody's used it recently?" he inquired. "Do you see any signs of civilization here?" He shifted the P-90's sling on his shoulder. "Yep. Short and sweet. Home in time for The Simpsons."
"There are paths," Carter pointed out, "They could lead to a village, or villages. Remember P9X-3971?"
Annoyance flared briefly, then Jack shrugged it off. "They look as overgrown as the 'Gate," he countered, "Nobody's used this place for awhile." He looked at Carter's unconvinced expression. "Aw, c'mon," he groused, "Just a simple little recon. Check it off in the book, and leave it for SG-10."
Daniel had wandered up during their conversation. "Looks like whatever civilizations are here, aren't near the gate," he commented.
Jack glared accusingly from him to Carter, who shrugged innocently. Annoyance intensified, and he looked back at Daniel. "Y'think?" he said, his voice clearly implying that the two of them were in cahoots.
"Well, there are paths," Daniel said.
Either he's ignoring me, or the man was more dense than usual. He sighed. Looks like the VCR is gonna have to watch "The Simpsons" for me. "Okay," he capitulated, irritably waving one hand at the paths. "Pick one."
Daniel opened his mouth, then-belatedly recognizing Jack's attitude-closed it without comment. "Umm, that one," he said, pointing to the furthest one.
"Of course." Jack tugged at the brim of his hat, pulling it even further over his sunglasses. "Carter, you've got point," he snapped, "Teal'c, you've got our six." He scowled furiously at the scientific half of the team. "Move out."
Daniel and Sam traded bemused looks, then she stepped off. Jack followed, swatting at the brush and tossing a final glare back at Daniel.
Teal'c noted the colonel's expression. One eyebrow raised, he turned to Daniel. "O'Neill wishes us to leave the planet for others to explore?"
"Yeah," said Daniel. He debated mentioning his suspected reason.
The Jaffa's customary frown was several degrees lighter than usual. Interrupting Daniel's mental debate, he said, "The Simpsons has been pre-empted tonight," he said, gesturing for Daniel to precede him.
In spite of himself, Daniel grinned. "Don't tell Jack."
Sam's mind wandered as she lead the team away from the 'Gate. It was unusual for the colonel to put her on point. That was normally Teal'c's job, and she wondered if it wasn't subtle punishment for her earlier comments. But subtlety was not O'Neill's style. He was definitely a direct, in-your-face sort of person. Maybe that's why he hasn't made general yet. Then again, she was overdue on a promotion herself. Top Secret government projects left little time for the usual politics and mechanics required to move up in the military.
They hadn't gone but a quarter-mile from the 'Gate, when off to her left, the underbrush rustled. An odd hissing sound-punctuated by liquid tearing noises-jerked her wandering thoughts back on task She paused, scanning the area and listening, her thumb flicking the P-90 from "safety" to "semi." The sounds came from an area just forward of her, concealed in some bushes. Signaling the others to wait, Sam advanced toward the area in question.
She parted said bushes, revealing a bobcat-size creature. Its fur was a mixture of browns, tans, and creams, with an odd greenish cast overall. Crouched over the unidentifiable carcass of another creature, it raised its head, staring up at her. Large purple eyes-with pale green streaks radiating through the irises-focused on her face, unblinking. One of its hugely tufted ears swivelled to the rear, then back again. The tail continued to swish back and forth in an undulating pattern, the source of the hissing. So that's what made the noise, Sam thought, watching the tail in fascination.
The creature growled in its throat, yanking her attention back to the present. Its dappled fur rippled, as the hindquarters shifted in a cat-like manner. It dropped the haunch of its victim, and locked its eyes on Sam. The creature growled again, and its tail continued hissing. It hesitated momentarily, shifted again, then sprang at her, claws extended much further than any Earth species she knew of.
Involuntarily, she yelled, then ducked and rolled. The creature sailed over her, landing several yards beyond her position.
Her yell had drawn the attention of the others. Teal'c's staff weapon was raised, and followed his gaze as he scanned the area. Slightly closer to Sam, the colonel's P-90 did the same. And at the apex of the triangle created by their positions, Daniel's Beretta held steady.
The creature crouched, flattening itself in the grass. Its coat was an almost perfect match for the ground cover. It continued growling, as if judging which of the three men were its greatest danger. Its hindquarters twitched again, barely noticeable in its camouflage. Sam brought up her own weapon, taking careful aim at where she thought it sat. As her finger curled on the trigger, the creature sprang again. She fired, then swore as her shot missed the animal.
The staff weapon spat its charge a moment too late, blasting the ground cover where the creature had crouched. The P-90 chattered, accompanied by staccato bursts from the Beretta. Teal'c brought his weapon up again, following the blurred motion of the creature. The fire from the Earth-based weapons ceased abruptly as the creature knocked its target to the ground.
"Jack!"
The creature's snarling turned to a squawk of outrage, as the staff weapon discharged again. This time its blast barely cleared the creature's head. The animal paused, searching for the source of its discomfort. Prey sighted, it gathered itself for another attack. It launched itself at Teal'c, tail hissing. He fired again, striking the creature squarely in the chest. A scream tore from the creature, as it arced its body oddly. It collapsed-thrashing and snarling-on the ground.
When its death throes had ceased, Teal'c moved toward it. He prodded the corpse, then knelt next to the creature, inspecting it closely.
Sam hurried forward, unbuckling the pack as she moved. "How bad is it?" she asked, dropping the pack on the ground, and hunting for her first aid kit.
"Bad." Daniel gingerly peeled back shredded bits of trouser leg. Parallel gouges raked the lower leg, oozing blood. He counted two bite marks for sure, also oozing. Fumbling for his own first aid kit, Daniel exchanged worried glances with Sam.
The bite marks were-for lack of a better word-behaving strangely. The edges of the bleeding began to bubble slightly, as if someone had poured hydrogen peroxide on it. But these bubbles had a faint greenish tinge to them. The colour slowly crept toward the wound itself.
"Oh, my," said Sam.
"Will you two doctors," Jack interrupted sarcastically, "just wrap me up and let's get out of here?" His attempt to glare at both simultaneously failed, and he settled for switching his scowl from one to the other.
More rustling sounds, then a shadow fell over them as they worked. Concerned, Sam looked up, and was relieved to see only Teal'c.
He looked even more grave than usual. "Major Carter." He paused, observing the wounds, then frowned. "There could be a problem."
"Go," said Daniel, "I've got it."
Sam looked at him dubiously, and he made a shooing motion. She stood, and followed Teal'c to where the dead creature lay. Lying still in the ground cover, it seemed innocuous enough, though its mouth was still parted in a snarl. But the ground around the mouth bore a faint greenish tinge, fading to a sickly yellow, then a dead brown as it moved further away from the creature.
Her gaze snapped up, meeting Teal'c's in concern. "Poison?" she asked.
"It would appear so," said Teal'c.
"Bad kitty," Sam muttered under her breath. She prodded it with her foot, ignoring Teal'c's raised eyebrow. The creature rolled, exposing an arrow embedded in its spine.
The movement had startled them, causing an instinctive retreat. Sam leaned forward, inspecting the arrow. "Company," she said guardedly.
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. He scanned the area, searching for the source of the weapon.
"Sam! Teal'c!" Daniel's yell startled them both, and they hurried back to where the colonel lay.
The combined first aid kits were not enough to cover the injuries inflicted by the creature; one of the bite areas had not been covered. The greenish tinge had worked its way to the exposed wound itself, despite Daniel's cleaning attempts. Teal'c released and dropped his backpack, removing from it his first aid kit. He handed it to Daniel.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Jack. His eyes widened. Seizing the nearest solid object he could find, his fingers clamped down on it as if to steady himself. "Stop the world," he muttered, "I want to get off."
Daniel winced, for it was his arm Jack had grabbed "Jack?" he asked, securing the last of the bandages one-handed.
"Dizzy," Jack said slowly and distinctly, breaking the word in two, "Really light-headed." He closed his eyes, willing the world to settle.
"Jack?" Daniel then looked up at Sam.
"The, ah . . . creature might have been poisonous," Sam said reluctantly.
"Venomous," Teal'c corrected.
"Venomous," Sam amended.
"Venomous?" echoed Daniel.
"Knock it off," Jack said faintly. His eyes remained closed, but the irritation in his voice was clear. "I don't need an Abbott and Costello routine." His eyes opened abruptly. "Daniel," he said, accenting the name in a way which was usually followed by What-the-hell-are-you-doing? His hand fell away, and his eyes rolled back in his head.
"Right," said Sam, ostensibly ignoring the comment, "Let's get him back to the Stargate." She brought up her P-90, and headed back toward the Gate.
The colonel was semi-conscious, enough to move to commands. The P-90 dangled dangerously from his shoulder, as Daniel and Teal'c lifted him, slinging his arms across their shoulders. Pausing only long enough to verify that the safety was on, they followed Sam back toward the Stargate.
Sam lengthened her distance from the trio, leaving behind the susurrant sound of Daniel's voice urging Jack on. She concentrated on scanning the area for more of those creatures, but her mind stubbornly insisted on directing its focus on the colonel's injuries. It's acting like rattlesnake poison, only faster. Chalk up a minus-one for P6J-047.
She was almost to the DHD, when the chevrons began to glow. Holding up a fist and hoping the others saw the signal, Sam then dropped her hand and raised her weapon. She retreated to the concealment of the surrounding woods.
The event horizon had barely settled before a squad's worth of Jaffa stepped through it, their foreheads marked with yet another Goa'uld symbol. The group paused, as one of them-obviously a First Prime-barked instructions. Four of the Jaffa took positions around the Gate, while the rest formed up and marched away from the Stargate.
"Jaffa," said Daniel softly. They had paused just inside the treeline, watching the situation. He and Teal'c lowered O'Neill to the ground. Teal'c stood again, scanning the area, watching both the Jaffa, and Sam's retreat. Daniel remained crouched by Jack.
Sam rejoined then in shelter of the woods. "We're not getting through that," she said, kneeling next to the colonel.
"So, now what?" Daniel asked, "We can't just-"
"I don't know," Sam interrupted in exasperation. She shot a quick glance at the colonel. Pale and still on the ground, a faint sheen of perspiration on visible skin, he muttered something inaudible. Was it her imagination, or was that a greenish cast to his skin?
"Jack?" Daniel leaned forward, trying to catch the words. He absently laid one hand on Jack, then frowned. He looked back up at her, worriedly. "Sam, he's burning."
"The venom works quickly." Teal'c knelt beside Daniel, his expression impassive but for a crease between his eyebrows. For him, that was a sign of grave concern. He looked to Sam.
She opened her mouth, not sure what she would say. Whatever half-formed thoughts she had were banished by a frightened squeal behind them.
TBC