Chapter 1: Making New Acquaintances

Jack fiddled with a loose thread on his green BDU's as he stood leaned back against a tree trunk. Not too far away from him stood Daniel talking to a few of the alien planet's inhabitants. They'd told Jack and the others of SG-1 the name of this planet and their race, but Jack had forgotten both shortly after, not because he didn't care, he just didn't… well, alright, he didn't care, but that was just because this was proving to be a planet that Daniel would very much enjoy.

Already when they'd arrived through the Stargate, Jack had known Daniel would be giddy as a 12-year-old as his eyes had landed on ruins near by, and sure enough, Daniel hadn't wasted a second before moving over to them, exclaiming archeological stuff that Jack had only half-listened too.

About an hour after arriving, a few people had walked up to them, seemingly startled to see strangers on their planet, they didn't seem too well advanced and had gasped as Carter had explained how they'd gotten there in the first place.

Now, thirty minutes after the aliens' arrival, Jack was more then bored. One of the alien people had run off to bring their chief or significant other leader and they still hadn't returned.

Jack stretched a little to relieve some kinks in his back and turned to Teal'c who stood stoically by his side, ever holding his staff weapon tightly in his big hand.

"So, what do you think about them, T?"

Teal'c considered Jack's question briefly before inclining his head, "I do not believe I have known these people long enough to form an opinion of them, neither have I exchanged enough words to form one."

"A simple 'I don't know' would have been enough," Jack said and instead turned to Carter, who'd also given up talking to the aliens when Daniel had begun asking questions about the ruins.

"Carter?"

"I'm with Teal'c on this one, sir," was her reply from the small rock she was sitting on, though she at least offered him a small smile.

"Of course you are," Jack nodded, his back was beginning to ache from the position but he wasn't sure he dared move much more for fear that Daniel would notice and bring him into the conversation.

He was saved, however, by the arrival of several other aliens. Jack took in their appearances behind his black shades, they wore the same thing as the others. Simple cotton clothes in plain colors. There was one though, the leader, Jack guessed, who wore slightly different clothes. The man wore, besides simple trousers and shirt, a coat made of leather and he also had some sort of ring on his right hand. This new guy joined Daniel and the small alien gang and soon Daniel left to let them talk in privacy.

Daniel strolled across the grass, a huge smile on his lips and Jack groaned internally at what he knew was to come.

"Jack," Daniel said as he came to a halt before the colonel. "These people are incredible."

"They don't seem to special to me…"

"No, no. They're not. But this guy, Gilead, told me about these ruins. He said they'd been here long before their people arrived here, and they'd already been abandoned then. Jack, these are Ancient ruins."

Jack glanced over at the ruins, "How can you tell? I can't see any difference to other ruins…"

"Jack," Daniel said, all the sudden looking very serious. "I'm an archeologist. I'm supposed to know."

"Ah, right. Carry on then."

"Right. Gilead also mentioned that long ago, many years before he was born, there was a strange spaceship here with aliens on it who, according to the legend, had glowing eyes."

"Goa'ulds," Teal'c pointed out and Daniel nodded fervently.

"Exactly. He said that the Goa'ulds had proclaimed that they were gods and that the people should worship them."

"Woah, hold on!" Jack said, his hand coming to rest on his P-90. "Should we be worried about snakeheads popping up?"

"No, Jack, as I was just about to say… the Goa'ulds didn't manage to make these people their slaves."

"Did he say why not, Daniel?" Carter asked, standing up next to Daniel.

"Well, no," Daniel said, still with an excited grin. "He wasn't sure. But I'd like to find out how. Gilead mentioned a library filled with scrolls in their small village and said that perhaps I could search through those for some answers."

"So," Jack said and cast a glance at the aliens who seemed deep in discussion further away. "These… party people or whatever they were called, do you think they'll make good allies?"

Daniel pushed the edges of his glasses up the ridge of his nose. "Bati, Jack. Not even close."

Jack shrugged, "I tried."

"Well, I suppose. I mean, they're not technologically advanced at all, it seems, but still they managed to beat the Goa'ulds that attacked this planet many years ago. I'm really fascinated by this, I mean, it's a whole new mystery, just waiting to be solved. Maybe these people can teach us something we never knew in our quest against the Goa'uld, this could mean the advantage that we've been waiting for."

"…A simple yes would have been enough, you know."

Daniel sighed, "I know."

"Here they come," Carter warned as the aliens made their way towards them. Daniel moved to stand beside Jack as the man in leather coat stepped forward. Jack noted that the man was only a few years older then Jack himself but still seemed to have many more wrinkles. His eyes were an icy blue that seemed almost haunting to Jack.

"Hello," Jack offered. "Who are you?"

"I am chief Daman of the Hiralgoos family. But please, Daman will be enough," the man responded, his voice deep and alluring.

"Well, I'm colonel Jonathan O'Neill, Jack will be enough," Jack said and caught the amused glance from Carter on his left. "This is major Samantha Carter, doctor Daniel Jackson and… Teal'c."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow slightly but refrained from making a comment, Jack knew it must be torture for the big guy to keep so quiet.

"Jack, Samantha, Daniel and Teal'c," Daman repeated, looking at them all one by one to try and remember their names. "I welcome you to Batan. What, might I ask, is your quest here?"

Jack turned to Daniel as the younger man responded, "Eh, well, we're explorers so naturally we're here to explore. We're also trying to find technology or other advantages against an alien race called the Goa'ulds, eh, Gilead said you'd met some in the past. Possibly their leader was a system lord."

"Yes, Gilead mentioned that you knew what he was talking about. I am afraid I have no more answers then the ones Gilead gave."

"Ah, well, Gilead mentioned something about a library…"

"Indeed," Daman said and Jack raised his eyebrow at the familiar comment, he glanced over at Teal'c who hadn't even noticed Daman's choice of word.

"Perhaps I could take a look at it, he mentioned scrolls of ancient writings that you couldn't decipher, I'm a linguist and knows many languages, perhaps I'll be able to translate some of the writings," Daniel suggested.

"You must forgive me, explorers, but I am man protective of my people," Daman said. "Your arrival here has many people upset, it seems they are afraid you will harm them in some way."

Jack noticed the way Daman glanced down at his P-90 and Jack let go of it, from the corner of his eye he saw Carter doing the same with her gun.

"We mean you no harm," Jack said and tried to hide his grimace at the cliché.

"Colonel O'Neill's right," Sam said. "Perhaps we can make a trade to assure your people they will gain something too. Perhaps if you can share the knowledge of the ancient writings we can offer you information on how to evolve technologically."

"Do you mean that?" Daman asked, his wide blue eyes searching Carter's for an answer.

"She does," Jack responded. "I'm sure it's a trade our people would agree to."

Daman stood silently, pondering this for a few seconds before nodding, "Yes, perhaps. But I believe you should first meet my people, perhaps seeing you will help ease their anxiety."

"That would be great!" Daniel exclaimed, excited to be able to study these people up close.

"We are not a wealthy people but we can offer you food and shelter for at least a day if you would let us."

Jack hesitated, he'd rather go home to Earth for the evening but could see the sun about to set over the tree tops on the horizon and nodded, "I guess we could spend the night."

"Most delighting news, Jack," Daman smiled. "Come now, we must move before the burning orb goes too low."

Arriving in their village, Jack suddenly found himself remembering Edora, a planet on which he'd spent about a hundred days a few years back. The tree houses looked almost the same and the people were similarly advanced as well, which meant, not much. There wasn't a single technologic doohickey in the village and he was sure Carter was feeling the burn of that. Though Jack did see a weather mill in the distance and what appeared to be a simple irrigation system over a few fields south of the village. The occupation, Jack estimated, was closer to two hundred then one.

Daman led them through the village and several villagers stepped out of their houses to shyly watch them from a safe distance. Jack noticed how Sam friendly tried smiling at them, but got nothing but suspiciously frightened looks in return, her shoulders slouched the tiniest at this and Jack nudged her shoulder with his own. She turned to look at him and he smiled down at her. No words passed between them, but Jack knew his message of reassurance had come across as she smiled back at him.

The sun had set behind the trees by now and the evening was dark and calm. Daman suddenly stopped, making SG-1 stop behind him as well. He walked over to the closest house and opened the door.

"This is what I can offer you tonight, a simple house for the four of you," Daman said. "It is late and I am sure you are tired. I will send food for you here as soon as I can. Tomorrow I will wait for you in the house across the street, come as soon as you are ready."

"Thank you, Daman," Sam said as she walked in through the open door, followed by Daniel. Teal'c and Jack exchanged a look before following too.

The inside of the house was comfy and airy, very simple with few furniture but still it was a nice house. They checked the house out once and found that it had two bedrooms, a kitchen and a small living room.

"Alright, let's team up for the night. Carter, you and Daniel take one bedroom. Teal'c, you and I take the other. After they've brought us food we try and get a few hours of sleep, in the morning we'll see what they'll have planned for us."

Jack awoke in the middle of the night, after having tossed and turned for awhile in his bed. He stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds before sitting up, against the wall on the opposite side of the room leaned Teal'c, deep in kel'no'reem. Jack heaved a sigh and climbed out of his bed, padded barefoot across the boards and opened the door. He peaked out from the room and stepped out, carefully closing the door behind him.

"Sir?" a voice whispered and Jack turned around to see a sleepy Carter standing in the doorway of her and Daniel's room.

"Carter?" Jack whispered back. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Couldn't sleep," she offered and Jack nodded in understanding.

"Me too."

"Were you planning on going anywhere?" Carter asked.

"Nah, it was either sit around out here or take a walk."

"I could go for a walk," Sam whispered with a smile.

"Alright then, a walk it is," Jack smiled back.

Both headed towards the door but stopped short as they looked out through the window, there was a heavy downpour outside.

"… I wouldn't mind staying in after all, sir."

"Me neither, Carter."

The following morning Daniel woke up, feeling relaxed and well rested. As he sat up in bed he noticed how the room was void of Sam, he frowned slightly before scratching his scalp. He yawned tiredly as he put on his glasses and stood from his bed. He accidentally slammed his foot into the nightstand and cursed lightly as he wobbled over to the door. He opened it and stepped into the living room, he stopped short at the sight in front of him. On the sofa in the middle of the room sat Jack and Sam, sleeping soundly. Sam's head was resting against Jack's shoulder, and Jack's was leaned against the top of her head.

Daniel frowned in confusion, still trying to figure out how they'd both ended up out here when suddenly Teal'c stepped out from the kitchen.

"I found them in that position when I stepped out also, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, his voice lower then normal. "I believed it best not to wake them until you woke up."

"Good," Daniel said. "Good. But, eh, I think Daman wants us to meet him as soon as we can. Perhaps we ought to wake them."

"Indeed," Teal'c said and strode over to the couch, gently placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. "O'Neill, it is most functional that you wake up."

Jack grumbled something before slowly opening his eyes.

"Teal'c?" Jack rasped tiredly. "What are you doing, buddy?"

"I am attempting to wake you and major Carter."

"Carter?" Jack asked and turned sideways, only to have his line of sight be intruded by blonde hair. So that explained the extra weight on his shoulder. "Don't worry, T. I got it from here."

Teal'c bowed his head before joining Daniel who had now moved into the kitchen to eat some of the leftovers from the previous night.

"Carter," Jack whispered and shrugged his shoulder slightly, hoping the movement would wake her up. She snuggled closer briefly, Jack knew the exact moment she woke up as she suddenly came completely still against his shoulder.

"Sir?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled against his shirt.

"Yeah?" he asked, trying to keep his voice innocently detached.

Sam pushed back from him and sat up, it took all of Jack's willpower not to reach up and flatten her wild morning hair.

"Good morning," he said instead.

Sam smiled sheepishly back, "Morning."

"Sam, Jack," Daniel called from the kitchen. "We should be getting ready, Daman is expecting us."

Sam and Jack nodded and both joined the others in the kitchen for breakfast. After their short 'intake of nutrition', as Teal'c called it, the four of them walked out of the house and across the road.

"At least it's stopped raining," Jack commented.

"Raining?" Daniel asked. "When did it rain?"

"During the night, Daniel," Sam offered as Jack jumped up the two steps to the house and knocked on the door. Jack turned back to the others as the door opened.

"Jack, Teal'c, Daniel, Samantha," Daman greeted and Jack wondered why he bothered to say all the names. "Good morrow to you."

"Morning to you too, Daman," Jack nodded.

"I had a short talk with the lower council last night, they believe I do not have to discuss this with them, I am free to decide myself," Daman said.

"…Oh?"

"You are welcome to use our library, Daniel," Daman said, turning to the archeologist, but then he turned to Sam. "But I would still very much like if you could give us the information you offered to give us yesterday, I would like to show my people that they've earned something from this."

"Consider it done," Jack said. "Carter and I will contact our people as soon as we can, it'll be a fair trade."

Jack took wide steps as he stepped through the knee-high grass, on his right side strolled Carter, taking almost as wide steps as him. They walked in silence as the wind blew through the grass, making it flow back and forth in an almost rhythmic dance. Jack watched it play for a second before turning his attention to his 2IC, who seemed lost deep in thought. Jack wondered if she ever did stop thinking, even for a moment.

"What you thinking about?" Jack asked finally and Sam's head whipped in his direction. Her blue eyes shone in the sunlight and her blond hair shone too beneath the warm rays.

"Nothing much, sir."

"Oh, come on, Carter."

"I'd just bore you, sir."

"Try me," he half-dared and saw her eyes twinkle.

"Alright, I was thinking about an experimenting I was planning on performing back home on the naquadah beam reactor, I was considering reversing the polarity of the core to-"

"Ah!" Jack interrupted. "You were right, I'm bored."

Her grin widened briefly before fading slightly as they reached the gate. Sam began dialing home as Jack pulled out his GDO to enter their iris code. The gate swooshed alive before settling as Jack transmitted the code.

He pushed the buttons on his radio and spoke into it, "Colonel O'Neill to the SGC, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, son," was George Hammond's reply over the radio. Sam walked over to Jack as the colonel continued,

"Yeah, sir, we've come across friendly aliens on PX9-653 that might have a weapon or other to defeat the Goa'uld, Daniel's investigating it now, sir."

"Do you have any idea how long it might take, colonel?"

Jack glanced over at Sam, who shrugged back.

"Negative, sir. But this might take awhile, probably a few days, maybe even a week."

"Understood, colonel."

"There's one more thing, sir. We agreed to a trade, we get to see all their information about whatever gave them an advantage over the Goa'ulds and we give them information about some technological stuff."

"They're not so advanced," Sam added, speaking into her own radio. "I was thinking we give them basic stuff now, in a few years they might have improved to get more advanced knowledge. We could make this a lasting alliance, sir."

"That shouldn't be any trouble, major. I'll send some simple blueprints and designs through."

The wormhole disengaged and Jack let go of his radio, now they just had to wait.

Upon returning to the village Jack felt as if he was being watched and turned around to see if anyone was close, over by a house he saw a woman a few years younger then him. Her hair was brown and frizzy with curls, in her eyes shone an unmasked desire that made Jack want to bolt out of there faster then Carter could say 'naquadah generator'. He cleared his throat and avoided the confused look Carter threw his way.

"Let's see how Teal'c and Daniel are doing," he said, almost gruffly and steered his way forward. Halfway to the library they were met by Daniel and Teal'c. Daniel once again had a gigantic grin on his lips.

"What now, Daniel?" Jack asked as he and Carter came to a halt before them.

"Incredible, Jack, just incredible."

"Yes, I believe you've already used that word once."

"Daman came to Teal'c and I earlier, Jack. He said he'd thought of something that might interest us all. Something about a cave with technology."

"What technology?" Sam asked quickly, jumping at the sound of something she found interesting.

"I don't know yet. Daman is supposed to meet us in a few minutes to take us there. He said the technology is useless to them and has been for quite awhile, they can't seem to get it to work."

"Sir, with your permission, maybe I-" Sam began.

Jack quickly interrupted with a nod, "-can make it work. I know. Let's not jump to any conclusions until we've seen this... machine-thingy though."

"I believe Daman is arriving," Teal'c said, looking over Jack's shoulder.

Jack turned around and saw Daman and a few other villagers Jack didn't recognize walk towards them.

"Samantha, Jack, glad to see you have returned. How did it go with your people?"

"They've agreed to it," Jack said and handed the papers he'd been carrying to Daman.

Daman watched the papers in fascination, "What is this?"

"That is information on how to build a watermill, which you already know how to, but also how to use that knowledge to make a power source for future electric advances," Sam offered.

It was obvious that Daman was unaware of what Sam was talking about but nodded nonetheless, "For this, our people thank you. Now I wish to return the favor. Come, we have a lot of ground to cover, we must climb to the top of the mountain."

A few hours later, SG-1 and the villagers had reached the peak of the mountain, the way had been steep and they'd slipped a few times but they'd all arrived at the top unharmed. Daniel helped pull Sam up a final steep place before stepping forwards. In the mountain was a wide entrance, a gigantic hole illuminated by two torches. Jack frowned at the torches and leaned towards Teal'c to whisper, "If they can't get it to work anyway, why keep lights up here?"

"I do not know, O'Neill. But it is a fair question," Teal'c spoke back, also in a whisper.

"Let us move inside," Daman said and gestured with his hand for the others to follow him.

Daniel and Sam stepped forwards first with Jack and Teal'c following a bit reluctantly.

The pathway was only wide enough for a single line but the rocky path soon widened and they found themselves in a vast room, illuminated by several torches. In the middle of the room stood a raised platform with, what appeared to be, a pillar in the center.

The pillar glowed a bright orange color, pulsing as if it had a heartbeat. Several frosty blue spikes glowed through the orange color and Jack found the whole thing kind of... bizarre. He cocked his head sideways as he watched the pillar-like thing, next to him Daniel stepped over to a wall to read some kind of inscription.

"What does it say?" Sam asked, stepping up next to Daniel.

"It's Ancient writing, Sam," Daniel mumbled. "It says something along the lines of 'machine of change', no wait… that's not the word for change, it's, eh… what is that word? Adjusting? Modification? Something along those lines anyway."

Jack glanced at the machine again before turning to Daniel and clearing his throat, "Does it say what it can do?"

"No… not what I can tell."

"Too bad."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

"Sir, if I may?" Sam asked, pointing at the machine.

Jack nodded and Sam and Daniel moved towards the machine. Sam glanced at Daniel briefly before stepping up onto the platform, nothing happened and she stepped closer to the core. She took up an energy reader from the chest pocket of her vest, "It's emitting a lot of energy, sir. It's working."

"We know it's working, Samantha," Daman spoke up from Teal'c's right. "We just do not know how or what it does."

"Neither do I," Sam admitted.

"Jack?" Daniel spoke up suddenly, looking intently at the pillar.

Jack and Teal'c exchanged a look before both stepped forward onto the platform to stand beside Daniel and Sam.

"What is it, Daniel?"

"I don't think this is a good machine, Jack," Daniel said distantly and lifted his finger to point at the pillar. "This here is an inscription of fear, I think someone might have been trapped in it. You know what the worst part is?"

"What?"

"It's not Ancient writing," Daniel said and turned towards Daman who looked innocently back at him. "This is your people's writing."

"Indeed, it is," Daman said, his voice suddenly cold and cruel. He raised his hand and Jack moved quickly to jump off the platform but was stopped by an ice blue force field that surrounded the platform, trapping SG-1 within. Jack looked down at Daman and saw what appeared to be some kind of hand device in his palm.

"Carter?" Jack asked.

"It's not Goa'uld, sir," Sam responded. "It looks almost Ancient."

"I am not aware of these Ancients you speak of," Daman said. "But I am aware that I can control this machine. All I have to do is think of something, and it does as I ask."

"Look here, Daman, you better release us or I'll-" Jack threatened but was soon interrupted.

"You'll what?" Daman asked. "Shoot yourself? Please don't, Jonathan. I have far greater plans for you."

Daman raised his hand again and the pillar suddenly pulsed more fiercely, a giant energy wave struck out from it and knocked into the four teammates of SG-1.

Jack saw Sam falling towards the ground and tried to stop her fall before feeling darkness consume him as well, densely he was aware that Daniel and Teal'c too had been knocked out before the darkness entirely consumed him.

TBC...

I hoped you liked the beginning of this story, which I hope will keep you much entertained as it continues.
Please leave a review to tell me what you thought of this, the first chapter :).