ANTARCTIC BASE

Chapter 1

"It's a blip. A shadow on the ultrasound. Too deep to tell. You know, maybe a...a dead seal. Anyway, we're, uh, we're gonna rule it out and pack up for the season. Another week or two, it'll be dark most of the time, much too cold to work outside. As far as coming back next year, well, you know it's not up to me. The Pentagon reevaluates our presence here every year. Take it up with them." Dr. Michaels said as she situated herself in front of the webcam.

On the other side of the screen was a pensive Carter. She was quiet. But an odd quiet. Her head was down, and she had zoned out.

"Major Carter, are you all right? Dr. Michaels asked, seeing her disconnect.

"Oh...yes, yes I'm fine, just tired. We've been working around the clock here, in hopes to get approvals." She said, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions.

"How are you recouping after being stuck on that planet for so long?" Dr. Michaels asked.

Sam paused. She was tired of people asking her that same question.

"I'm good. It's good to be home." She said although a part of her felt like she was lying to herself. She smiled at Dr. Michaels, and quickly changed the subject.

"But in regards to funding, maybe with my new conclusions about the DHD it will be enough to convince them that we should continue," Sam said.

"I'm sure coming from you, it'll hold more weight." Dr. Michael said while she looked over some reports.

"There has to be something else down there," Sam said.

"Well..we've been here four years running. Since we dug out those two Jaffa we've found nothing. If this latest lead turns out to be...

Suddenly Dr. Michaels is interrupted, by her husband, Dr. Osborne (her keeping her maiden name), one of the leading scientists at the base.

"Hey, the thing in the ice." He said, "It's something." Michael looked at them and then at Sam on the monitor. She smiled from ear to ear, and Sam was grinning wide as well.

Several days later at the Antarctic Base...

"Why's the plane leaving?" Jonas said. With his first time in the Antarctic, being left on a cold base was not too comforting.

"Cold's no good for the electronics. It'll be back." O'Neill said, but Jonas wasn't too convinced.

"When?" Jonas asked looking back as the plane disappeared into the cold sky.

"Good to see you again Sam" Dr. Michael stated. Sam and she had done some undergrad work while at the academy.

They all introduced themselves. Dr. Frasier had joined them on this mission as well. All having the title Dr.'s made it quite amusing for O'Neill.

"All right. That's enough." O'Neill responded." Let's get inside, it is kind of, you know...cold" he said, with his all-familiar sarcastic tone.

"I can see why you're happy to be back. Is he always soo..." Dr. Michaels said leaning into Sam.

"You have no idea" Sam replied. Thing is, it was one of the things she loved about him.

"Well, welcome to Antarctic, Colonel." Dr. Osborne said.

"Thanks. Great to be back." O'Neill said glancing at Carter. There all too familiar bought with Antarctica wasn't soon forgotten.

"Let's go inside." He said as he led them into the base.

"How long is this gonna take?" Jonas said. You could tell he did not like the cold weather.

"A few days, maybe more. Why?" Dr. Woods said, one of the other scientists there.

"Long-range forecast doesn't look good," Jonas said, His love of the weather showing in his statement.

"Bit of a weather freak," Carter said, leaning into Dr. Michaels.

"He'll love it here." She responded, and they both chuckled.

'Uh...you might want to leave your coats on. We're keeping the quarantine lab below freezing to maintain the specimen." Dr. Michael said.

"We thought you'd want to see it right away." Dr. Woods said.

"Absolutely," Carter said with excitement. Recently others things, or better said, other people, had occupied her mind. She needed this to get her mind back in the game.

"As you can see, we're quite well equipped. We have a research lab, observation room, and quarters. Woods and Osborne have bunked up with room for one more, and we have one single and one double. And in here, the quarantine lab."

They entered the quarantine lab where a large block of ice was lying on a table.

"After digging up those Jaffa the first year, we expected to find a lot more a lot faster." Dr. Wood stated.

They all stood around the table. In awe of what they were looking at.

"I named her Ayiana. Means eternal bloom." Dr. Michael stated as she came around the block of ice.

"How do you know it's a she?" Dr. Fraiser said in awe of what was before her.

"Ultrasound," Michaels stated.

"You're guessing." Dr. Woods said. Still not sure of the sex of the being they found in the ice.

"The form appears to be female, although, I admit, it's hard to tell for sure." Dr. Michael said.

"Have you, uh, have you made a guess about her age?" Dr. Fraiser said as she was making her own assessment.

"Mm...between 25 to 35?" Dr. Michael answered. They weren't sure of her age so a guesstimate is what they had to give her.

"Give or take several million years." Dr. Woods blurted out.

Carter looked up from studying the ice block, completely surprised.

"Several million?" She asked.

"That's what the preliminary analysis of the oxygen content in the ice indicates." He replied.

"Yeah, but didn't humans evolve on this planet somewhere between 8 and 9 hundred thousand years ago?" Jonas said.

"That's what we thought," Michael stated. Fraiser looked pleasantly surprised.

"Oh, this could be big," Fraiser said grinning from ear to ear.

"As you said, evidence now points to the Stargate found here predating the glacier," Michael said.

"Dr. Jackson theorized that when the Gate from Giza was buried roughly 2000 years ago that the Goa'uld managed to open up the Antarctic Gate," Jonas stated, as well versed on what Daniel had worked on.

"Well, that's because a crevasse was formed. It allowed the wormhole to connect and ultimately create a larger opening. The Jaffa were frozen after that."

"But she wasn't," Fraiser stated.

The Dr.'s continued their discussions of the possibilities of the specimen before them. O'Neill just stood there. He smiled. To see Sam so enthused, oh how he loved this woman. He had to do a mental "reel himself back in" and not let his mind wander to the past several weeks.

"Listen. Could somebody bottom-line this for me?" He asked, getting a techno-babble headache.

"Well, Sir, we could be looking at evidence that human beings evolved long before we thought they did," Michael said hoping to ease O'Neill's impatience.

"And maybe not even originally on this planet."

"Darwin would be crushed," O'Neill said, realizing he had no idea what they were talking about even when they tried to explain it.

They knew it was going to take several hours to evaluate Ayiana. So they decided to get situated.

O'Neill made his way to the lockers. Carter was already there, but she was leaning against the wall, with both hands.

"Carter, are you o.k.?" he said. She was pale as a ghost.

"Sir I didn't see you walk in," she said trying to gain her footing. He can tell she wasn't stable on her feet.

He walked over to her and grabbed her hand, and steadied her so she can sit down.

"Sorry Sir...just got a little dizzy. Been burning the wick at both ends, I just think I need some rest" she said to him.

"Why don't I go get Fraiser." He said, seeing she was still pale.

"No" she immediately responded. It alarmed Jack.

"Oooo.k..." he said back just staring at her.

"Sir..I'm just tired...I'm gonna just lay down for a bit if that's o.k., Sir," she said meeting his gaze.

"K..." he said, still staring at her. He grabbed her hand, as she stood, and squeezed it. No words needed to be spoken. She squeezed back and smiled at him. How can love be so cruel?