"You know, it looks like just another Egyptian artifact," Sam observed, leaning over the gleaming tablet just enough so that she could see it clearly without touching it. SG-1 may be military, but they still had to abide by the museum's rules without the proper permission. "It honestly doesn't look usable at all- but we've been fooled before, so I'd have to study it a little longer in order to be sure."

"Then study it a little longer. Actually, study it as long as your little heart desires. We've got until closing hours. Have fun!" Colonel O'Neill exclaimed with false cheer whilst finding a relatively comfortable place to sit on the hard tiled floor. It looked as if they would be here for a while. Knowing Carter, they could remain in this room for days before she was satisfied. Unfortunately, they didn't have as much time as she'd like; SG-1's absence from the base was taking a toll on the natural order of off-world missions.

Sam looked away, abashed.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, fingering her notebook, "but I'd have to study it in a lab to perform the necessary tests." When she finally turned toward the Colonel, Sam wore an expression of mixed hope and intense doubt.

"Carter, you know we can't do that," Jack, unable to find an adequate spot, sighed and stood up again, much to his dismay.

Sam's face fell and she stepped away from the artifact resignedly.

"I know, sir. But it doesn't hurt for a girl to hope, does it?" She smiled sheepishly, drumming her fingers on her thighs.

O'Neill ran a hand through his graying hair, staring hard at the tablet and thinking.

"I'll speak to General Hammond and see what I can do. In the mean time: Daniel, you wouldn't mind translating the symbol-thingies on the tablet, would you?"

The linguist rolled his eyes. "First of all, they're called hieroglyphics. And of course."

Daniel edged quickly around Teal'c, who had remained stoic throughout the entire conversation, to reach the tablet and begin translating.

It was a good five minutes of quiet muttering and note-scribbling later that Daniel finally produced some results; in the meantime, Colonel O'Neill had struck up a conversation with Sam about the disgusting nature of the Go'auld, in which Carter was reluctantly quiet throughout.

Daniel adjusted his glasses and turned toward the other three, clapping his hands together.

"Alright. From what I can tell, each of these tiles is a number, from one to nine. The tablet looks like a number pad of sorts, like one you would find on a common garage door opening-system or other password lock. But what it actually does, I haven't the faintest clue."

"Well, that was helpful," Colonel O'Neill muttered under his breath, voice dripping with sarcasm. "It took you that long to read a bunch of numbers?"

Daniel frowned. At the same time, Teal'c rose a thin eyebrow, arms folded behind his back.

"On the contrary, Colonel O'Neill, I believe Daniel Jackson's discovery was of very little use at all."

"Gee, thanks, Teal'c," Daniel covered his face with his hand, sighing. "Well, that's all I got out of it. Unless we get General Hammond's permission to examine it further, this will probably have been a huge waste of time."

"I told you, I'll see if I can get through to him. Now let's go, I'm starving," Colonel O'Neill gestured to the door, anxious to leave. The other three filed out of the room, Daniel still frowning, Sam looking disappointed, and Teal'c showing no emotion as usual.

As the group of strange passerby left the museum, a certain night guard coming up the front stairs stopped to glance at them. Bewildered, he shook off the odd feeling he had in the pit of his stomach a moment later and continued in to complete his duties for the night.

---

A/N: Another short chapter, and we still haven't met our favorite Night at the Museum characters. D:

Oh well.

Anyway, I'll probably be updating in short chapters from now on; it's just easier for me than writing something long and not being able to post it for a while.

Comments and constructive critisicm are very much appreciated!