"Yes General, I understand how much paperwork and red tape it is to get a civilian approved, but sir, I think this is very important. It could take me years to translate the language, maybe longer. According to her journal, Dr. West has encountered a similar language." Daniel explained.

"Major Carter, is this energy source important enough to bring in an outside party in attempt at retrieval?"

Sam thought about the question for a moment, glancing at Daniel's pleading face.

"Yes sir. I believe it is. No one had been anywhere near the ruins for hundreds of years and its still emitting a very high level of electrical energy. I'd like to know what's powering it. It's worth a shot sir."

At that moment, a young airman excused himself and handed Hammond a piece of paper he pulled from the fax machine. Hammond stared at the slip of paper for a second before his eyes glanced over the team around the table.

"Seems the pentagon not only agrees with you Major, but is ordering we make it a priority." He sighed. "Dr. Jackson, track down Dr. West and bring her in."

Jack and Sam stood as the General exited the room. Daniel sighed and slouched back into his chair. He wasn't sure if the mission ordered was a good thing or bad. He was very interested in discovering a new language. It had been a very long time since he was confronted with such a challenge, that wouldn't result in life or death. But he did not look forward to the reunion with Dr. Lani West. The two of them had been friends once upon a time, but he had not seen her in nearly eight years. A lot had changed, and grudges had been formed. His gut told him that she could help him solve this, yet his brain told him, she may not accept the opportunity.

"You look worried." Sam said, falling into step next to him as they walked down the corridor to the commissary.

"Is it too late to change my mind?"

"Oh come on, is she really that bad?"

"Picture someone Janet's size, with Jack's attitude and a Goa'uld temper. Now add an eight year old grudge, and years of family conflict. She is not going to be happy to see me."

"Well?" Janet came scurrying around the corner and nearly bumped into her friends. "What did he say?"

"We have a go. The pentagon ordered it be priority actually."

"That's great!Wish I could tag along. I'm going bonkers with nothing to do." Janet teased.

"Hammond had mentioned something about how non-combative personnel need more gate travel experience. This is a pretty straight forward mission. No eminent death threats. Plus, how many chances do you get when the infirmary is completely empty?" Sam commented. "Maybe you can go."

"You think so?"

"Doesn't hurt to ask."

Janet shrugged, then reached into the pocket of her lab coat, pulling out a folded piece of paper.

"I thought you might need this." she said, handing it to Daniel.

Daniel opened the paper, reading in disbelieve at the contents

"You found her?"

"Oh, let me tell you, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be." Janet confessed. "I found a contact names Milo Jacobi. He's the PR guy that runs her website, keeping things updated and current. I wrote him an email, explaining that I was a potential investor interested in meeting with Dr. West. At the mention of government contract, he spilled like a broken fishbowl. She's some exploration thing in Bolivia. He sent me the location information there. Along with the maps of the area."

"What is she doing in Bolivia?"

"I didn't ask. I guess you'll find out when you get there." Janet's face gleamed.

Their plane landed in Bolivia a total of two days and sixteen hours later. The moment they stepped out of the private plane, Jack voiced his displeasure of the humid climate, and loudly wondered why "Daniel's Doctor types" insisted on working in the most uncomfortable conditions.

"I'm sure there has to be some mysterious, lost civilization with good sense of location out there somewhere. Why can't you people discover one of those tribes?" Jack whined, as their SUV bounced roughly down the road toward the checkpoint, where they were supposed to contact Dr. West.

"I believe all of those discoveries are now called resorts." Teal'c said flatly, gaining smiles from Sam and Daniel. Jack rolled his eyes.

They pulled up to a stop in the center of a small group of broken down shacks and some standing tents. They paid their driver and pulled on their backpack, carefully scanning the scarcely populated marketplace. A couple of young boys ran happily around the center of the clearing, stirring up dust as they kicked around a worn out soccer ball. Jack noticed one of the boys stop to stare at him for a moment, before turning back to his game.

"See what you can find out Daniel. I'm gonna snoop around a bit."

The moment Jack broke away from the group, he was swarmed by dirty merchants, yelling at him in Spanish, each of them eager to sell him some piece of worthless garbage.

"No thanks." he said over and over, pushing his way past the crowd.

To his left, sitting against the side of a broken down shack, were a short stack of wooden crates. Curious, Jack slipped around the shack and eyed the large boxes. He pulled the loose lid off of the top box, finding it empty except the thick layer of packing straw. He picked the lid back up, and notice a mailing label on it. He read the label quickly before replacing the lid on the crate and rejoining his team.

Sam and Teal'c stood back, listening as Daniel was talking to a man wearing torn slacks and a dirty flannel shirt.

"We're looking for a woman." Daniel told the man.

"Ah, the American Doctor! Si Si. Very beautiful." the man said in a thick accent.

"Um, yes. Do you know where we can find her?"

"She stays in the mountains. I cannot tell you where. I do not know. Only Philippe knows."

"Philepe?"

The man nodded and pointed to the boys, who had paused their game to drink some water.

"Philippe takes supplies to the mountain for your friend. Philippe! Venga aqui!"

The boy that had been staring at Jack spun around, hearing his name being yelled. He stared again for a moment, before jogging over to the group.

"These are friends of Doctora West. They wish for you to take them to her."

"Maybe I forget where she is." The boy challenged.

Jack rolled his eyes and dug into his pocket, pulling a sweaty twenty dollar bill and handing it to the boy.

"Remember now?"

"All I remember is that the woman paid me one hundred dollars to keep a secret."

Daniel looked at Jack, who in turn looked to Sam. In silent agreement, the all dug through their pockets and packs for whatever cash they had.

"I don't suppose you take Visa." Jack asked, taking a wad of crinkled money from Daniel.

Together the group came up with one hundred twenty seven dollars, and a piece of gum, compliments of Jack, which the boy accepted with a cool smile.

"I remember now. I have to go up there anyway. You can come with me."

"Great," Jack sighed.

The team helped the boy load the stack of crates into the back of a beaten up old jeep, parked behind the shack. The boy then climbed up into the driver's seat and made a show of revving up the engine. Sam looked horrified, as Jack questioned the boy.

"What are you doing?"

"You did not think we were walking did you?" the boy laughed. "It is a long way."

"How old are you?" Sam asked as Teal'c climbed into the backseat.

"I'm thirteen." the boy said proudly.

"Thirteen. Great." she said quietly, following Daniel into the backseat and squeezing in between Teal'c and Daniel.

"You do this all the time right?"Jack asked from the passenger seat.

"Of course Senior. All the time."

Philippe laughed as he pushed the jeep into gear and lurched forward, kicking up dirt as he they went. The jeep bounced around roughly down the nonexistent road. Philippe smiling bigger every time one of his passengers cursed. Sam found herself thankful for being squished in the back seat, as it served to keep her stuck to her seat for the most part.

"Where the hell are we going?" Jack cursed after hitting a particularly hard bump twenty minutes later.

"Relax Senior. We are almost there."

"Almost where? We are in the middle of the freakin jungle!"

"It would not be a secret if it were easy to find, would it?"

Finally another vehicle came into view through the trees. The boy pulled the jeep next to it and hopped out, pulling a baseball cap from under the seat, and twisting it around backwards on his head.

"Estoy aquí fallo! Dónde está usted?" The boy yelled through cupped hands into the trees. "Where are you?!"

"Aquí Philepe." A woman's voice echoed through the trees to their left.

A few seconds later the woman broke through the treeline, reaching up above her head to pull her hair into a sloppy knot on the top of her head. Philippe walked up to her and tapped her elbow, before pointing at the team standing next to the jeep. Her head shot up, dusty sunglasses settling on them. She apparently had not seen them until now. Daniel was slightly shocked at her appearance. She had been a mere 21 years old the last time he had seen her. Barely more than a teenager. She had always been small for her age, scrawny and hyper. She had definitely grown up. Tan and extremely fit from years of climbing, crawling, and lifting artifacts. Even through her dark glasses, Daniel could tell she was surprised.

"Well I'll be damned. Dr. Daniel Jackson." she said, walking toward him.

"Hi Lani." he answered, taking her dirty hand as she extended it for a handshake.

"I thought you were dead or something." she teased. Daniel shook his head. If only she knew. "What brings you out of hiding and all the way down here?"

"We're looking for you actually."

"Whose we?" she asked, raising one eyebrow at the group.

"Jack O'Neill. U.S. Air Force. This is Major Carter, and Murray."

"Colonel. Major. Murray." she greeted, shaking each of their hands.

"I know I'm probably the last person you expected to see out here." Daniel began.

"Understatement of the decade, but go ahead."

"We kinda need your help."

"With?"

"We've discovered some ruins with a very unique form of text. Very similar to that you discovered in Bolivia. We need help translating it."

"What's the military's interest in this?" she asked suspiciously.

"We can't really say just yet. It's classified until you sign a waiver."

"Oh right then, let me jump right on that." she snorted.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I guarantee you that this is the most amazing discovery you will ever see." Daniel pleaded.

Lani's eyebrows furrowed in concentration and she chewed on her bottom lip, thinking over the preposition. The man had been merely a stranger to her for the last eight years of her life, and suddenly here he was, begging her to help him. Things had quickly gone south in their friendship after the death of her brother, and she knew it was largely her fault. A part of her wanted to laugh in his face and walk away, while the other part of her took in his pleading eyes and genuine offer. After a few moments the much stronger part of her won out. Her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I'm almost done here. I have to load the last of the crates and get the shipped off. You have impeccable timing Dr. Jackson." she said flatly, telling Daniel she was all business now. No more semi friendly conversation. He had become Dr. Jackson.