Disclaimer: Don't own Stargate...could probably own a Stargate if I really wanted to, seeing as how my father's an Asguard and my mother's a Tok'ra, I'm sure they could get their hands on one for me.
However, I do own the characters: Dr.Amanda Jackson, Major Jacob O'Neill, and Lif'kel. But if anybody wants to borrow them, feel free to as long as I know about it.
A/N: Some of you expressed the want to see a relationship develop between my OCsAmanda and Jacob. So I thought, maybe I'd do a little six or seven chapter sequel to have that evolve. Hope you like it.
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Major Jacob O'Neill daydreamed his way through another excruciating archeological briefing in which he understood about as much of what Dr. Amanda Jackson was saying as she did when he spoke about technological mission objectives.
Civilian Administrator (CA) Cassandra Frasier was listening intently…or so it would appear to anyone who did not know her as exceedingly well as the members of SG-1 did. The woman had learned from the best of the commander's of the SGC how to look as if you were interested and still not understand a damn thing that was being said.
Cassie had a fine tuned ear that allowed her to discern from an individual's tone what the importance level of a mission was and if it mattered at all, without actually having to know what was said.
A trait she no doubt picked up from Jacob's father, the retired General O'Neill.
However, Amanda was one of the very few geeks at the base who knew this and was able to pitch her voice just right to get what she wanted in most cases.
Which at the moment, as far as Jacob could tell, was to go on a dig to some planet.
"…So you understand the significance of the artifacts SG-12 found on YLR-357, they could further our knowledge of exactly how far along the evolutionary chain the Ancients were before they were able to ascend" Amanda turned from her breathless explanation of the photos on the projector that were displaying the site she wanted to excavate.
Lif'kel was the only one who looked back at her without a vacant gaze.
"Right, so" Cassandra began when she realized Amanda had finished talking, "You want to go dig in the dirt for more Ancient artifacts, correct?"
"These aren't just any ancient artifacts, Cassie" Amanda began fervently, thrusting her hands at the screen, "These scrolls and the stones we found with them…they could be the most prominent clue to unlocking the mysteries of the Ancients since…" she made a fist that instantly fluttered into waving fingers, as if she didn't know what to do with her hands or her mounting excitement, "Since finding Atlantis".
She whirled to fully face them again. The stares she received were slightly less vacant but no more aware of the weight of this discovery than they had been when she'd begun.
Amanda sighed and sought support.
"I believe there is much value in the items which Amanda Jackson wishes to uncover," Lif'kel offered, raising an eyebrow at their commander.
Amanda grinned, "See" she said, "You know it's important when Lif does that eyebrow thing"
Cassie thought about it for a minute, but only so it looked as if she was debating the idea, like cautious commanders are supposed to do. Except Cassie wasn't cautious.
"Okay…" she said, rubbing her hands together and standing, "Permission to go to YLR-357 and get your nails dirty, granted" with that, she went to pick out paint colors for the drab gray hallways of the base that she claimed she could no longer work in unless there was some "personality" added.
Amanda seemed satisfied and began to pick up her papers and files, "Thanks for helping me convince her, Lif'kel," she said to her friend.
"Indeed" was all the reply she received.
Jacob suddenly realized he was being ignored when the two began a conversation and started to walk ahead of him as they exited the briefing room.
The Major pouted inwardly, Amanda always ignored him when she was upset. He wondered what in the world he had done to piss her off this time.
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Amanda heard the way Jacob was shuffling his feet behind her and Lif'kel, a sure sign that he was bucking for attention, as they discussed the details of the artifacts found at the dig site. She knew he was upset because she was not acknowledging him, but what did he expect?
Even if she did not understand a lot of what he said when he was trying to convince Cassandra that going to certain planets to acquire new technology was the most vital thing in the universe, she at least tried to listen.
She even piped in with an opinion or comment once in while to show that she was alert and interested. She usually caught the gist of what he was saying when he blathered on in technobabble.
But if she started rambling about history, or archeology, he wouldn't give her the time of day.
At least Lif'kel held her in enough regard as a friend to try and participate in things she considered important.
"The scrolls appear to be among the rare documentation of the Ancients life that exists in a form suggesting it was a recording of history written by a scribe" Amanda said, "SG-12 only found two of these scrolls, along with the stones that the Ancients seemed to have been so fond in using as concerns to activating most of their technology"
"And you believe that you can uncover more of these scrolls?" Lif'kel asked.
"Yes…There is some evidence to suggest that the two scrolls SG-12 found were buried previously, probably uncovered by a sand storm, which the planet is prone to having occasionally"
"Have you translated the text on the two parchments SG-12 acquired?"
"Most of it, I was actually hoping you could help, Lif, there are some references to the Goa'uld that I need to clarify"
"I would be happy to assist you"
"Great. We can get started on it-"
"After lunch" Jacob broke in, coming up behind the pair with a grin on his face and throwing an arm around each of them.
Amanda glared at him, "The sooner I'm able to finish the translation-"
"The longer you'll wait to eat" he finished cheerily, helping to steer his friends towards the commissary.
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Lif'kel observed his two teammates during their usual lunchtime tradition.
Ever since the mission where his friends had been inevitably sent back in time to change the fate of their parents, Jacob O'Neill had been acting peculiarly, not that he wasn't already a peculiar person, but he was responding in a very strange manner to Amanda Jackson; more strange than his usual strangeness.
True to the habit of meal times that the trio had been exposed to since they were children, Amanda gathered nothing that she liked or would ever eat onto her plate, and Jacob did the same. Lif'kel enjoyed all forms of Tau'ri cuisine, therefore was not finicky about the things he chose himself.
Once the team was seated, Jacob began to routinely pick off food from Amanda's plate and she acted similarly by taking sustenance from his.
Only some of the, as Jacob would probably phrase it, zip, had gone out of this process of trade.
Jacob seemed a bit more preoccupied and absent minded, he made none of his normal quips to his female friend that he would have at any other given moment. He seemed, in fact, to be quietly observing her.
Amanda caught on to this behavior as well, and it made her consciously aware of herself when she was usually so engrossed in her own thoughts about her chosen profession that she rarely cared to considered much of her social adeptness.
This made her act strangely in turn, pushing the food on her own plate around nervously instead of snatching bites from Jacob's.
Lif'kel did not understand Jacob's change in attitude towards his other teammate. He made a note to endeavor an interrogation after it later.
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YLR –357 was impeccably dry.
The planet's sun boiled above them as they walked down the stone steps at the base of the world's gate.
There was nothing but clay colored sand in every direction of the immaculate dessert and not a breeze to speak of. The land was almost completely flat, hardly a dune protruding up from it's dehydrated surface.
"Well, this place hasn't seen a Slurpee Machine in a while" Jacob commented.
"Are Slurpees not exclusive to earth, Jacob?" Lif'kel questioned.
"Uh…yea, as far as I know…I mean, unless the Tok'ra have some sort of weird affinity for raspberry flavored liquid ice that none of us know about"
"Then there have been many planets besides this one that have not seen such a machine for some time as well, if ever"
"He's got you there" Amanda mumbled in a slightly amused tone.
"Whatever" Jack grouched, hating that his quirky humor had been derailed with incessant in depth speculations.
"There's a temple about five clicks directly ahead of us, that's where SG-12 found the scrolls" Amanda said, beginning in the direction of the establishment that was a mere speck in Jacob's vision.
"Did they happen to find shade, also?" Jacob bit out grumpily.
"They were too busy drinking Slurpees to look" she quipped back.
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