A Silken Thread
Ch. One
By Mara-DragonMaster
SG1 sat at the briefing table, filling the general in on their findings. Other than the discovery of the gate address leading to the people of Aihura, Sam had found another substance on the planet that was, it seemed, as common as dirt. It had some properties similar to naquada, but other than that she didn't know what it was or what it could be used for, although it did appear that the Aihurian's had mined it. When the briefing ended there was a long silence.
General Hammond leaned back in his seat. "I suppose I don't have to tell you what an important find this is."
"No sir." Jack announced.
"Do we have any idea how long it's been since these people left?"
Daniel shook his head, biting his lower lip. "No. The temple is in ruins, but it looks like that was caused by a rockslide."
General Hammond nodded. "What about the mummies?"
"The process used to preserve them makes it impossible to test them, sir." Sam answered.
"I tried asking them, but…" Jack shrugged. Sam hid a smile.
"What about this famine?" General Hammond asked.
"The land surrounding the mountain on which the temple resides is similar to a jungle." Teal'c said. "It is green and fertile."
General Hammond nodded, then looked around the table. "Very well. I want you all ready to leave tomorrow at thirteen hundred hours. Understood?"
"Yes sir!" Jack announced. Everyone stood up and gathered their papers– except Jack and Teal'c, who had none– and filed out. Jack followed Daniel. "So."
"Jack, this is incredible! How many times do you get to not only study an ancient culture but actually get to meet them?"
"Um?" Jack tilted his head, thinking thoughtfully. "None."
"Exactly!" Daniel continued down the hall, shaking his papers excitedly. "We'll get to see how they do things, we'll get to speak their language…"
"You can speak their language." Jack corrected.
"…see up close and personal how they use some of their tools…"
Jack followed him into his office, half-listening as Daniel continued talking. While the archaeologist buzzed around his office, rambling on excitedly, Jack sat down in Daniel's chair and casually crossed his feet on the desk. He opened the right hand drawer, and was soon contentedly munching on chocolate walnut cookies.
The next day Jack entered the gate room to find Daniel still rambling on excitedly to a mildly amused Teal'c, who watched him with a stoic expression and one raised eyebrow. Sam stood beside him, turning as the colonel approached. Her grin of amusement sparkled all the way to her eyes.
"Colonel."
"Afternoon everyone." Jack stopped next to the group and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Daniel, breathe."
"SG1, you are good to go."
Jack raised his thumb, and adjusted his baseball cap. Stepping onto the ramp he made his way up, watching as Sam and Teal'c disappeared into the blue before them.
Daniel paused in front of the sparkling blue of the event horizon, staring. Jack glanced at him. "What?"
"It's just– we're actually going to meet them."
Jack smiled. "Yeah." He said quietly.
Daniel took a deep breath, and together they stepped into the blue.
Jack's sensations were almost overwhelmed when they came through. The pungent, spicy aroma of cooking food hit his nostrils, and the sound of animals and music and the voices of people filled his ears. He saw before him not just a green oasis in a dry, desert landscape, but also an encampment of people that stretched as far as he could see. All movement and all sound stopped as the blue wave disappeared behind him. All eyes stared, unblinking, at SG1.
Awe and wonder filled Daniel's face, but he quickly snapped out of his daze and started speaking in the Aihurian's language. There were murmurs in the crowd. A moment later it quickly parted, and three figures approached them. A tall, dark man with a beard and a brilliant blue head wrapping led, and was followed by a younger, clean-shaven man in red, and a woman in a dress of black and gold cloth. Her face was covered with a veil, silver ornamenting her head and hands.
They stopped before the stone steps of the Gate, and tipped their heads in greeting. Then the first man spread his hands, and spoke to Daniel. For a minute they talked, both growing increasingly excited.
"They speak English!" Daniel suddenly said, turning to his team. His eyes were wide behind his glasses.
"They do?" Jack asked.
"Yes." The man spoke clearly, his voice heavy with accent. "We used to trade much with other peoples." He ascended the steps.
"We are SG1." Daniel said. "We're from Earth. I am Daniel, and this is Colonel Jack O'Neil, Major Samantha Carter, and Teal'c." He held out his hand.
The man took Daniel's hand in a firm grip and placed his other hand over his heart. "I am Ashad, third king of the Fourth Reign, King of the Three Tribes and leader of the First Tribe. This is my brother, Reias, leader of the Third Tribe, and our sister, Shahnam Saqi, leader of the Second Tribe. Peace be to you."