Disclaimer: I'm not making any money off this story, nor do I claim any character that I didn't create as one of my own. I'm just borrowing them for my own amusements – and those of the reader.
Author's note: As loathe as I am to start a new story with two already in progress, I have been assured that if I start this Campers story, it will be read. So I'm going to start it and see what happens. This one isn't the last of the Campers series, because of popular demand that I write out the mission that SG-1 was heading out on when I finished up the most recent story, but it's close to the end so I hope you all enjoy it.
That said; here we go!
OOOOOOOOOOO
Jack O'Neill – General Jack O'Neill – looked around them as the Stargate disengaged with a soft whooshing noise behind his team.
"You've got to be kidding…"
Daniel Jackson frowned as well, looking up at the sky.
"The MALP didn't register any of this."
When they'd checked the readings given by the probe that was sent to planet G-P122, Jack and the rest of SG-1 – and all the support team members at the SGC – had all paid close attention to the temperature and atmosphere readings. They'd been well within normal ranges – and pretty much balmy, really. The atmosphere was fine – they had no trouble breathing the air around them – but the temperature had dropped drastically in the half hour since they'd checked. It was cold enough that they could all see their breath frosting in the air as they breathed, and in the thin summer weather gear they were wearing, they were all shivering – except maybe Teal'c.
"It's got to be broken," Ian Brooks said from Jack's right, slapping his arms against his sides to get them warm.
"Check it out," Jack ordered.
The stupid thing was only a dozen feet from where they were, after all.
Ian stepped away from the group, followed by Jaffer, Jack O'Neill's large black lab, who was responding to a hand signal given by Jack. O'Neill didn't particularly think there was any trouble brewing, but he hadn't grown older and wiser without having picked up a few security habits, and backup was a big one. And Jaffer was all the backup anyone could ever need.
Daniel in the mean time was still looking up at the sky.
"I'm not an expert on this planet's weather patterns, but that's quite the cloud…"
Jack and Teal'c both followed his gaze, and O'Neill frowned. The sky above them was a fairly bright blue, with a sun that looked about like the one that lit up the Earth, and three moons that glowed a little brighter than their own. Further away, dominating a far darker sky behind the Stargate, was a stormy gray wall that stretched an impossible distance along the horizon.
"What the hell is that?"
"It looks like a fairly serious storm approaching, O'Neill," Teal'c said – unnecessarily.
"It might have already passed and is going somewhere else…"
Daniel cupped his hands and breathed into them.
"Do you really want to risk that?"
Which didn't even need an answer, really.
"Ian."
The young lieutenant was fiddling with the MALP, but he looked up at Jack's call.
"Yeah?"
"Forget that thing. We're out of here. Dial home."
Ian's dark gaze took in the same cloud that the others had been looking at, and he nodded, moving over to the DHD while Jack and the rest of SG-1 (including Jack the dog) went over to stand by the probe. It was an expensive piece of equipment, after all – broken or not – and they'd take it back with them when they left.
Even in the short time that it took for them to realize the cloud was there and was a possible hazard, it had grown even colder – and the cloud was now passing in front of the sun, blocking out the light and stealing what little warmth there had been. Even more dangerous was the breeze that was starting to pick up where before it had been calm. It was a biting wind and one that seemed to go through ever opening in their clothing, stinging their skin.
"Hurry up, Ian!" Jack called over the sound of the wind.
"It's not working!" Ian called back, obviously trying to dial the gate repeatedly. "The fucking thing's broken or something!"
Daniel trotted over – although he knew Ian was well aware of dialing home – followed by Jack, Teal'c and the dogs a moment later.
"What's wrong?" Daniel asked, as Ian moved out of the way to allow him access to the symbols.
"Beats the shit out of me," Ian answered, pulling out his flashlight just in case it got any darker than it already was – which he was certain it would. "It's like it's not getting any power or something…"
Daniel tapped on the first symbol to the Earth gate, and absolutely nothing happened. He tapped it again, harder, but it was still as dark as the symbols around it.
"What in the world…?"
"What's going on?" Jack asked, coming up to them.
"It's not working," Daniel replied.
Jack reached over and tapped the first symbol just as Daniel had, and nothing happened. He then tapped a couple of the other ones, figuring that he could at least try dialing another gate – one that led anyplace that wasn't as cold as this place was.
"I tried that," Ian told him, his lips turning a bit blue. "It won't work."
"O'Neill…"
They all turned to look at Teal'c, who was looking up.
"It is starting to snow."
The flakes were small, but they were definitely snow, and they were blowing with the wind, flying all around them. Only a few, now, but certainly more to come – and undoubtedly a dangerous addition to what was already a precarious situation.
"We need to find cover," Jack shouted above the wind. They didn't have time to screw with the DHD. It obviously wasn't working, and if they couldn't get home then they needed to get someplace safe where they could ride out the storm and then figure out why the damned thing wasn't working.
They didn't have a lot of options. It was getting so dark now that they were having trouble even seeing the trees that were only fifty feet or so from them, and Jack remembered seeing some rocks somewhere to the left, but he couldn't have found them right then.
"Perhaps I can help," came an answering shout, startling all of them – including the two dogs who were pressed tightly against Jack and Teal'c's legs to share their warmth.
They all turned, and saw a very fury creature standing in front of them – where a moment before there hadn't been anyone.