Title: Out of Control
Chapter: 1
A/N: Set months before Anubis's Antarctic attack…
"Daniel, get out of there!"
He didn't have time to respond to Jack's call before the ceiling started to buckle and crack. Sand poured in through the newly-formed openings. His eyes screamed danger and the adrenaline kicked in. His legs switched to automatic, transporting him to the entrance.
A dark-skinned hand grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him forcefully through the doorway. Behind him, the ceiling collapsed completely, bringing down a mess of rock, sand, and dirt. Daniel looked up at Teal'c in shocked thanks. His Jaffa teammate nodded in welcome.
The dirt-laden ground beneath them shook violently. Jack yelled, "Go, go, go!"
The three of them sprinted down an old hallway. Sam was already waiting for them at an intersection. She motioned for them to move quickly. The Major could see the destruction chasing them from behind. A few more twists and turns, and SG-1 was able to exit the underground dwellings safely. The entrance to the cave was quickly blocked by falling debris.
Daniel doubled over, the adrenalin wearing off and leaving him weak. With his hands on his knees and face tilted toward the ground, he didn't notice the strangers waiting for them outside of the cave. His three companions, however, gripped their weapons tighter as they looked intently at the new group.
"Well, isn't this strange," a female voice with a strange accent commented.
The archeologist looked up to see what was already bothering his teammates. A woman with dark hair and pale skin stared him down. Surrounding her were five muscle-bound men clad with weapons. One of the men stepped forward, an expression of disbelief on his face.
"Toto, we are definitely not in Kansas, anymore," he said with a familiar southern twang. Daniel didn't recognize the man or any of his companions. He stood up straight and tall, adrenaline returning. The woman eyed him curiously. The man who spoke took another step forward.
Jack, Teal'c, and Sam raised their weapons. "Not another step," Jack warned. "Who are you?"
"You don't recognize us?" The man asked.
"Nope." The group of strangers looked to each other in confusion. They shifted in place, tan leather clothing creaking with the movement. Teal'c noted how they stood with weapons hanging loosely at their sides, as if his team presented no danger to them. But he was not one to underestimate an enemy and remained in his stance with gun raised purposefully.
"Sir, it's me…" The woman stepped forward to place a hand on the man's shoulder. Out of all of the strangers, she was the only one wearing black. Her companion looked back to see her shake her head. He stepped toward her and began to whisper. From the looks of it, they were having an argument just out of earshot.
Daniel glanced briefly at Jack. The Colonel eyed the pair, never lowering his weapon. Sam and Teal'c copied his stance.
The woman must have won the argument. She directed her attention to SG-1. "We have no quarrel with you. We'll be on our way." At her words, the entire group began to move off.
But Jack wasn't satisfied. "Wait a minute!" The group paused and turned. "I'm not much of a believer in coincidences. How is it that we just barely escape from a cave-in to find you waiting at the door?" Daniel ground his teeth together. They didn't look like a good bunch to have a firefight with. Why couldn't Jack just leave well enough alone?
The woman and the man who spoke glanced at each other. A ghost of a smile graced the woman's elegant features. "Perhaps, today, you might start to believe in coincidences," she said smoothly with a slight lilt to her voice. She nodded to her group and they continued moving further into the forest that surrounded the rockface. Daniel kept his eyes on her retreating frame for as long as she was visible.
Sam brought his attention back to his teammates. "Sir, it's almost time for check in."
Jack, too, had kept his eyes on the strange party. "Let's head back to the gate."
As they walked briskly through the forest, Jack muttered to Teal'c, "Any idea what that was about back there?"
"No. I have never seen people like them before."
"I couldn't help but wonder – one of them acted like he was from Earth!" Sam commented.
Jack rubbed his chin. "He mentioned Toto and Kansas. Carter, any chance aliens could have picked up a broadcast of The Wizard of Oz?"
"If they flew by close enough, I'm sure they could have, sir."
"I wonder if they even know what Kansas really is," Daniel said.
Jack looked at him. He watched as Daniel pushed his oversized glasses up his nose. He had always told him to get contacts, but the man was as stubborn as a mule. He noted how his recently-cut hair looked unruly, but suited him. His old hairstyle had made him look younger, more fresh-faced. Now if he could only get him to ditch his glasses.
After a minute of silence, Jack asked, "Did you see anything in that old cave that might have been of interest to those strangers?"
Daniel blinked. "You mean like a weapon or something?" Jack nodded. Teal'c glanced briefly from his position in the front of the line. "Well, ah, no. All I saw were markings on the wall. I didn't even have time to determine what language was written there; the place collapsed so fast."
After a few minutes, the gate was within sight. Teal'c picked up the pace, intending to be the one to dial Earth. He stopped short of the tree line before Daniel knew it, causing the archaeologist to bump into his back. Teal'c held up his fist and lowered his arm, signaling for the team to be silent and take cover.
Soon hurried footsteps could be heard approaching the gate. As they spied through the gaps in the foliage, SG-1 could see a man running in some sort of grey uniform. He held a strange-looking weapon in his hand. He paused at the treeline, looking cautiously, before making his way toward the DHD. He pressed one button, then all hell broke loose.
Stun blasts bombarded him from several hidden locations among the trees. The clearing was littered with sparks of blue and white light racing across its small opening. He immediately ducked, sending out blasts from his own weapon. The DHD was his only refuge from the onslaught of fire.
"O'Neill," Teal'c started.
Jack narrowed his eyes, calculating.
"Sir, should we assist?" Carter asked urgently. As Jack decided, Daniel tried to see past the foliage at who was shooting. He could barely see anything past the rising cloud of smoke and light.
"T, you ever seen a uniform like that before?"
"No."
Daniel spoke up. "A uniform suggests civilization, one capable of organizing itself."
The commanding officer considered those words. If this man being attacked was a member of a more advanced society, said society could be a potential ally in the fight against the Goa'uld. Maybe, just maybe, if they helped him, they'd have a new friend on their side. Jack made quick motions to his team to start spraying bullets. Daniel pulled out his Beretta and directed his fire toward the tree line. Teal'c and Jack moved off and did the same with their P-90s. Sam stayed in position to support Daniel's efforts.
Soon the other blasts ceased. The man in uniform punched in the remaining components of the address and escaped while SG-1 continued to lay down cover fire. Jack yelled for the cover fire to continue as he made a break for the DHD. He quickly memorized the address before turning off the active wormhole and dialing a neutral planet. As he began to shoot at the tree line, his team raced towards the new wormhole, with Jack hot on their trail.
The four of them emerged onto a colder and dustier planet. The lack of vegetation surrounding the immediate area was in stark contrast to the lush planet they had just escaped from. The wormhole remained active as the team headed toward the DHD. Teal'c's Jaffa instincts told him to turn and watch that no one else followed them through the gate. His instincts were correct, but also too late.
Stun blasts struck them all with precision. The last thing Teal'c saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was flowing black hair.
A/N: Thanks for joining me on this one. As the story goes on, there may be a few very minor discrepancies like Carter's correct rank and things of that nature. Sometimes I just can't remember all the little details from the middle seasons. I apologize if this bothers you. Feel free to drop a quick note on what you think so far!