Leftovers by Roo
SG1 emerged from the wormhole into chill drizzly weather. Since the MALP had gone through heavy rain had fallen, and the ground was sodden.
"Welcome to PX3 4242. It's raining folks." grumbled Jack, as the others ranged about behind him. He scanned the horizon. 'Trees, whoopee' he murmured. The others said nothing.
In front of the Gate was an avenue of irregular tall stones, leading to a clearing with shrubs, small stones and the DHD, trees spread thickly either side of the clearing.
"Daniel? You're on. Any of this looks familiar? Teal'c?"
"Well we've seen stones in a circle in front of the gate before which might indicate…" began Daniel automatically
"But not an avenue?" interrupted Jack
"No, but that could mean some kind of processional importance."
"Are we talking Gou'ald here? I mean we've only come to pick up a wayward UAV and have a poke about the place. Are there any markings or writings Daniel?"
"Give me a chance here Jack!" snapped Daniel, Teal'c Jack and Sam carried on scanning the area.
"Do you feel anything Teal'c, Carter?" asked Jack
"No, I do not. Do you O'Neill?" Teal'c replied
"No sir." answered Carter
'Maybe it's just me,' thought Jack. The back of his neck itched, he felt like he was being watched, something was sending him warning 'get outta here' signals big time. It was very quiet, too quiet
"Carter tell me again why we have to pick up this UAV? Can't some other SG team do it?" grumbled Jack
"Because I helped programme it and I know how to read the data. We have to get the black box at the very least. Besides it showed some interesting power readings near the Gate, could be something useful. There are also signs of habitation 10 miles away, the other side of the river," she replied knowing that he had been at the same mission briefing they all had. Was he trying to make polite conversation? They all knew why they had been given this job really, it was an easy mission, just make sure they weren't going to kill each other just yet.
"Okay then lets move out." O'Neill ordered and they all started down the avenue of stones leading to the DHD.
As they passed the first stone a high-pitched hum began. They stopped. The noise stopped. They carried on and the noise got louder and more piercing. The noise was so painful they all fell to their knees; eyes screwed shut, hands pressed tightly over their ears. They couldn't have gone back through the Stargate even if they tried. After a time they got to their feet and staggered on. As they reached the last stone hoping it meant the noise would stop, a beam from either side scanned the team. The noise abruptly stopped. All four of them dropped to the ground. Deafened by the noise and sudden silence Carter and Daniel crawled past the last stone to the DHD
Shakily Carter and Daniel got up and looked back; the beam still played over the other two, targeting Teal'cs head and pouch, and the Colonels head and chest. Then it too stopped. Teal'c and Jack lay sprawled face down on the grass.
They ran back and hesitantly touched their comrades in case the noise began or the beam, but nothing happened. Sam and Daniel dragged them both away from the stones, just in case anything else started
Daniel went to Teal'c as Sam went to Jack turning him onto his back and felt for pulse. It was there.
"I think they're ok, just knocked out from the noise," she said loudly, her ears still ringing.
"Or the beam maybe," said Daniel "I did see a beam didn't I?"
"Yes but how come we were able to get out of it and they didn't?" queried Sam
"I don't know. This isn't like the Ancients device, Jack wasn't affected by that."
Sam tried Jack again, but he was still out. That left her in charge.
"We're going back, I'll dial up," she said as she got up and went back to the DHD. She pressed the glyphs but nothing lit up on the Gate.
"Looks like we're stuck here for the moment."
"Ok Daniel we'll wait a bit if they don't come round soon we'll have to get under cover. Just in case we've alerted someone," she crouched down to present a smaller target and looked around warily while Daniel knelt and kept an eye on their fallen charges.
Minutes passed, no birds flapped across the sky, nothing moved.
"Daniel! Get Teal'c. We haven't time to be delicate; we'll have to pull them by their vests. I'll get the Colonel."
"Okay."
They both heard a rustle and movement. The tall Jaffa, sat up.
"Teal'c, are you okay?"
"I am well, although my symbiote is most unsettled at present."
"Well you've been out for a good couple of minutes," stated Daniel
"Colonel O'Neill?"
"He's still out."
Teal'c got to his knees, and then stood up slowly, absently rubbing his pouch.
So fragile these Tauri- still a hunt was a hunt…
He blinked and looked around
"What? Seen something Teal'c?" asked Sam
"Did you hear that DanielJackson, MajorCarter?" Teal'c asked
"Hear what?"
"No, nothing."
"Perhaps I was mistaken," he allowed. Daniel and Carter looked at each other; Teal'c only spoke for a good reason. "I will assist you with O'Neill, if you cannot rouse him now."
Carter turned and knelt down beside her CO.
"Colonel? Come on wake up!" and she lightly slapped his face.
He groaned and slowly his eyelids fluttered open. Sam looked into his unfocused eyes
"Colonel, we know you're in there!"
"Not gonna tell you anything." he slurred and closed his eyes again
"No change there then," said Daniel caustically, watching proceedings.
Sam still knelt by Jack and checked his pulse again, abruptly his hand grabbed hers, and forced her sideways, with a twisting lunge he straddled her and pinned her arms to one side.
"I said LEAVE me alone!" he yelled at her, his dark eyes huge.
Reflexively Carter kicked her legs up and in a subtle manoeuvre she'd managed to flip the Colonel onto his back with a thud.
"Jack! Sam! What the hell are you doing?" cried Daniel in amazement.
"Carter? What's going on?" asked Jack a bit disconcerted to find his 2IC sitting on him. Nice though that was, she didn't look very pleased.
She didn't know what that was all about; if he'd really wanted to hurt her he could have easily just knocked her out.
"Carter!" she jerked back to the present, she was still sitting on the Colonel. She got up.
"Ah- sorry about that, Carter. I'm not good on surprise wake up calls."
He lay on the ground with his eyes closed for a moment longer before asking the obvious question again.
"What happened?" he asked starting to sit up, "God, headache," he said as he sat on the wet ground with his arms braced against his knees, head in his hands.
"Everybody else ok? Teal'c?"
"I am well."
"Carter?"
"Fine sir."
"Daniel?"
"Just great Jack."
"Okay, what the hell was that?" asked O'Neill peering round.
"Some kind of welcome I don't think," said Carter
"Really?" Jack muttered sarcastically.
"Well sir, the noise began as we went past the stones and got worse so we slowed, then we were scanned by a beam at the end." explained Carter
"Beam?" queried Jack
"I do not remember a beam, O'Neill," stated Teal'c
"Yes, there was a beam, we all got scanned but only Sam and I managed to get past the last stone. You two must have got the full force of it for some reason." said Daniel patiently.
"What does that mean? We get a Happy Meal and go back home or there's a message to Apophis saying 'here come and get us?" snapped Jack as he got to his feet and checked his weapon and back pack.
"I don't know exactly sir, but the beam must do or mean something, sir" said Carter
"Carter, check the DHD still works we'll inform the General of the situation. Daniel, have a quick look around the stones, see if there's any writing, but be careful." ordered Jack. "The sooner we get the UAV the sooner we get off this crappy planet. I don't like it."
"The DHD doesn't work, sir I tried it 5 minutes ago," Carter warned.
"What! That's all we need. Humour me- try it again Major, you never know," he ordered.
He turned to check where Teal'c was, and found himself being stared at by the tall Jaffa.
This one should prove to be a worthy adversary
"Okay there, buddy?" the tall man blinked and looked around
"I am fine."
"Good, then we're all fine, all happy to be here," muttered Jack
"How we doin' kids?" he called out to Daniel who was engrossed in the stone and Major Carter who was fiddling with the DHD
"Sir the DHD checks out. I don't understand why it wouldn't work earlier."
"Well that's a relief. Dial us up Carter, and turn the MALP link on when ready."
Major Carter pushed the symbols and the Gate kawhooshed open. Jack toggled his radio.
"This is Sierra Golf One Niner to SGC over."
'Hammond here, what's up Colonel?'
"Oh, nothing much, sir. Just checking the DHD works. Oh, it seems we got scanned by some beam. Shot out of one of the stones at the bottom of the Gate, sir. We got knocked out for a couple of minutes. We're okay, sir don't worry. We'll carry on with the reconnaissance and picking up the UAV."
'Understood, Colonel'
"Over and out." The Gate closed.
"Daniel?"
"Um Colonel, there's something scratched on here. I'm videoing it for later," he replied absently
"What did you just call me? You mean you don't want to spend 3 hours here deciphering it!" said Jack surprised. Daniel just looked at him.
"Actually it was only you and Teal'c that were affected by the beam," Daniel repeated as they moved off.
"Really? I just thought we all got knocked out."
"Well, you thought wrong."
"Look, I'm fine now and so is Teal'c. You and Carterare both fine. Let's go shall we?"
Jack gave him a thoughtful stare as he passed him gesturing with his hand the way ahead
"The UAV is this way, so's the village, you do want to go to the village Daniel?"
After they had been walking for another hour or more they stopped for a water and ration break. Jack stood looking around him as Daniel and Carter put things back in their packs. Teal'c also stood silently.
"Anybody hear anything?" asked Jack. Silence.
"No... ."
"It's too damn quiet. No birds, animals. I don't like it. It's deathly quiet," he carried on.
"Why do you always have to imagine the worst?" asked Daniel
"Practice."
"Well there you go. Mr Positive."
"Look I'm just saying…"
"What do you think could possibly go wrong here Jack?"
"Well, the beam thing for starters. The DHD fritzing. I just look at the situation. What do you think I was trained to do? If nothing bad happens that's a bonus."
"That's one heck of a plan, Jack! Doesn't always work does it? We all know what you're trained to do."
"Daniel! Can we not do this now?" said Jack icily
"Why not now? There's nobody else here but us!"
"Because... oh, for cryin out loud," he muttered and moved on down the slope
"Because you think you can bury it under one more mission- ticked off accomplished. Well good for you Jack. I'm not like you!"
Jack turned back to Daniel, his face a rigid mask
"Daniel, I never said you were. Believe me- you do not want to be me. You're an important part of this team and…"
"Thank you for saying it 'Colonel' -a part of the team- sometimes I've got to wonder about that."
"I kept you out of the loop, because I was protecting you! The house was bugged, they were watching everything dammit. Don't you get it yet Daniel?"
By now O'Neill and Daniel were yelling at each other. Jack was wound up so tight it was all he could do to clench his fists and not use them.
Teal'c and Major Carter stood watching, half horrified half fascinated as their CO and team mate scratched at one of the festering wounds that smothered the team. Teal'c was ready to intervene although he did not think O'Neill would harm the archaeologist
Tauri are so passionate, don't you wish he would harm him? Then you would have to take care of O'Neill
Teal'c grimaced and looked over to Major Carter.
Daniel seemed to be doing okay. She silently cheered him. There was no way that she could argue with her CO like that, not without getting a reprimand or worse. They were hurting each other though. Shame it was degenerating into a boys pissing contest. Any moment now one of them was going to say mine's bigger than yours
Jack drew a deep breath
"Daniel I do not want to fight with you. We are on an alien planet, we've already been zapped. Who knows what else could happen. Let's just do this, get off this mud hole and get the hell back home Okay?" and began to turn away down the slope again.
"Wait a minute," said Daniel and grabbed him by the shoulder- caught off balance by the slope and the sodden ground- Jack slipped and fell with a heavy thud onto his back.
"Crap," he shouted, winded for a moment.
They all held their breath, Daniel a picture of misery, Teal'c and Sam waiting to see what Jack would do or say.
Before any of them could help him, (even if he'd let them) Jack gingerly stood upright, his vest absorbing most of the wet mud.
"I'm fine by the way, thanks," he muttered
"O'Neill did you hit your head?" asked Teal'c and he stepped forward placing a hand where he could see a small trail of red. He stared at the blood on his hand.
Tauri red blood, at last
"It's ok isn't it Teal'c?" asked Carter suddenly standing next to him
"Indeed."
"Don't fuss, it's just a scratch- always look worse than they are," said Jack irritably "I'm fine. Shall we go? Or would you rather fight it out here or turn around now, go back through the Gate and fight it out back there?" he asked challenging them
Fight here!
Silence. The words echoed round the group. Daniel shivered in the damp air.
"Fine I'll take point, then Carter, Daniel, Teal'c you watch our six."
Jack led off limping slightly, knowing they would obey even if they were pissed off at him, because he was sure as hell mad at them.
Hell he was mad at himself not least because Daniel was right as usual. They were both right and too stubborn to give way to each others point of view. He wasn't going to lose his team for anything. This was turning out to be a really bad day.