AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing my story. : In answer to a question one reviewer had, this takes place after Scorched Earth. This chapter is the end of Part I, but I'll try to get going on Part II soon. Thanks again and enjoy.

"Daniel, it's good to see you're still in one piece," Sam said standing as Jack and Daniel came down the corridor toward the stairs.

"He wouldn't be if I'd had my way with him."

Sam looked at Jack uncertainly.

"I brought something that should help us translate that legend," Daniel said handing his translation matrix to Teal'c. "And that book you told me about. I hope you don't mind."

"I do not."

"So what's goin' on here?" Jack asked Sam as Daniel and Teal'c left for the main room.

"Well, sir. We've got a problem." She sat back down by her laptop.

"Hammond mentioned that."

"At first, it was just the scanner Dr. Peterson was using. Then it spread to my laptop and the other equipment."

"It happened so fast," Dr. Peterson said. "Even if we could have figured out a way to stop it, we wouldn't have been able to in time."

"Stop what?" Jack asked looking at the laptop's screen. "I'm no computer expert, but that can't be good."

"It's not, sir. The computer is receiving way too much information to process. It can't keep up and it doesn't know how to convert the data into binary code."

"Hence all the squiggles and…lines and other….stuff."

"Right."

"Ok, you've probably already considered this, but why not unplug all the equipment?"

"We tried. And got shocked." Sam held up her right hand. Three fingers were bandaged. Peterson sported a bandage of his own.

"So, what do we do?"

"That's what we've been trying to figure out, sir."

"And you're out of ideas."

Sam shared a look with Peterson and nodded.

"Well, will the computer eventually catch up?"

"It'll overload long before it has a chance."

"Oh." Jack swallowed. "Peterson, how about you go check what Daniel and I brought back against that list you guys gave me. We left the stuff in the main room."

"Yes, sir."

"Teal'c, I'm sending Peterson to make sure we got everything from Earth. Keep an eye out for him."

"Very well," Teal'c replied over his radio. A couple seconds later, Jack saw him come a few steps out of the main room as Peterson approached.

Jack raised his hand and made the 'OK' sign. Teal'c inclined his head and stepped back to allow Peterson to enter the room.

Jack cleared his throat and looked at Sam.

"Sir? Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? No, no. Look, about before."

Sam ducked her head. "It's been a stressful day."

"Yeah, well I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. And I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"Thank you," Sam said quietly.

"No, thank you."

"Sir?"

"For not punching me."

Sam laughed. "I can't believe he did that."

"I can't believe he broke my nose."


"This is impressive," Peterson gushed as he leaned down to look over Daniel's shoulder at the translation matrix. "You did this just now? In the hour you guys were gone?"

"Yeah," Daniel said modestly. "Actually, once I found the roots I needed, it only took about fifteen minutes. Twenty tops. But I had a fully loaded computer."

"Wow."

"Done already?" Jack asked seeing the awed look on Peterson's face.

Peterson snapped upright and moved to help Sam organize the supplies.

"Hardly," Daniel answered. "This was the easy part." He held up the matrix. "It'll take forever to plug all these words in."

"In that case you can spare a few minutes."

"Huh?"

Jack indicated the doorway with his head.

Confused, Daniel handed the matrix to Teal'c and followed Jack into the hall.

"Jack?"

After a pause, Jack said, "Listen, about before. I care about what that legend says."

"You do?"

"Sure. And not just because Thor thinks it's important. I mean, I'm not as interested in all this stuff as you are. I don't think anybody is. Anyway, I was frustrated and angry."

"Yeah. Me too."

"And just so you know, I'd never try to get rid of you. Yes, you routinely piss me off. And despite your massive intellect, you can pull some pretty stupid stunts. But you're worth more than that."

Daniel was momentarily speechless. "Thanks," he said feeling lame. Gesturing to Jack's nose, he said, "I'm sorry I…"

"Well, like I said, you'll make it up to me."

"How exactly?" Daniel asked tentatively.

"You'll think of something."

"Fishing?"

"Good start."

"I bring all the food and beer?"

"And."

"And… no cell phone."

"And."

"And?"

"And." Jack flapped a hand in the air.

Daniel sighed. "And I won't bring any work."

Jack pretended to think then nodded. "Ok. A week of nothing but you, me, fish and beer."

"A week? As in five days?"

"Last time I checked there were seven days in a week."

"Six," Daniel offered.

"Well…ok." Jack stuck out a hand.

Daniel shook it, and they headed back into the room.

Jack stopped just outside the doorway. "Great punch, by the way. But you ever do that again, I won't be responsible." He entered the room.

"Gotcha."


"Dinner's ready," Jack said later that night. He eased himself onto the floor.

Teal'c and Daniel had their heads together over a few scattered pages and didn't notice.

"How's is going?" he asked loudly.

"Jack!" Daniel dropped the pages he had been holding.

"Easy. Didn't mean to scare you."

"I did not hear you approach, O'Neill." Teal'c looked sheepish.

"It's alright. I've been keeping an eye on things. So?"

"Well, the water referred to was the Biblical flood."

"The one on Earth?"

"Yeah. Apparently, some of the, " Daniel shuffled through the pages on the floor, "Zirdins came to Earth or at least were in orbit around Earth. They were a benevolent people who wanted to help a less fortunate race. Kind of like wanting to help a third world country. Anyway, the people of Earth, and they actually called it Earth, were deemed too primitive."

"Shocking."

"Yeah. Basically, they went planet shopping. They observed the Ancients and determined they had potential. So they took them under their wing. You'll find it interesting to know that Earth was their third choice."

"Really?"

"Their second choice was," more paper shuffling. Teal'c realized he had the page Daniel was looking for and showed it to him. "I can't exactly translate this. It's something like Furtles or something."

"Furlings?" Jack suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. Anyway, the Zirdins wanted to mold the Ancients to be like them. Peaceful and benevolent. I think the Ancients may have originally built the Stargate to make it easier to find less fortunate races to help. Or at least that may have been one of the reasons. See the Zirdins didn't have a stargate. They traveled in ships. But they apparently kept close tabs on the Ancients because the legend mentions the 'younger race' being overly preoccupied in a planet-linking project. Now, I realize that doesn't necessarily mean stargate, but the Zirdins described the project as," more paper shuffling, "'forming stone and naquadah,' it actually says naquadah, 'into rings with runes carved on the outside of the ring'."

"Sounds like the stargate to me."

"Now the warning comes in. Apparently, the Zirdins became aware of the Goa'uld. They watched them as they noticed what the Ancients were building. The Ancients didn't seem to notice the Goa'uld. That's why they said the Ancients were too preoccupied. I think something must have happened. The Zirdins tried to warn the Ancients. I've translated the word war and that's as far as we've gotten."

"So, do you think the Asgard want us to find out what happened to these Zirwhats?"

"Zirdins. I don't know yet."

"Well, it sounds like you're at a stopping point. And dinner's ready. Afterward you can take that walk you wanted to take earlier."

"Oh, well I don't really need anything to help anymore."

"Well, you could probably use a break. SG-9 reported there's something that looks like a temple just over that hill outside this building."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're still not going by yourself though. Especially after dark."

"Yeah, I know."

"I will accompany you, Daniel Jackson."

"That works," Jack said using Teal'c's shoulder to push himself up.

"I will require his leash, O'Neill."

Jack laughed. "I'll give it to you after dinner."

Daniel rolled his eyes as the three men joined Sam and Peterson. "What happened?" he asked when he saw Sam's bandaged left arm.

"We managed to get the equipment unplugged before the computer overloaded. I've got a few big blisters, but it won't take them long to heal. They just itch."

"So, is the computer…?"

"It's fried."


"The war was between the Ancients and the primitive Goa'uld race. They were less parasitic and evil as the current race and less advanced due to less technology to steal. The Goa'uld were defeated, and the Ancients became more protective of the stargate. The Goa'uld learned about the Zirdins and battles were fought on this planet. The Zirdins developed a way to transport themselves off the planet."

"To where?" Sam asked.

"They programmed the device so that no one but the Zirdins knew where they were being transported to. And the legend stops there," Daniel answered. "Maybe they had a ship in orbit? And were able to cloak it?"
Sam nodded. "So, then they could find a new home."

"Most likely," Daniel agreed.

"So, do we know where this new home is?" Jack asked.

"Well, for obvious reasons the legend doesn't say. But I think the Zirdins left clues for the Ancients to follow. In fact, I think that's the whole reason they left this legend. They wanted the Ancients to eventually come to their senses and find them so they could pick up where they left off."

"They wanted to give the Ancients a second chance?" Jack asked.

"They revered the Ancients in a way," Daniel answered. "They saw them as having great potential and were devastated when the Ancients went off track."

"We need to find these people," Jack said.

"How do you know the Zirdins revered the Ancients?" Peterson asked.

"Well, almost every time the Ancients are mentioned in this legend, they're referred to as 'prodigy', 'new hope of the universe' or 'dear young friends'."

"Not to mention they left this legend behind for them," Jack added. "If the Ancients could stumble on it and figure it out, that leaves it open for somebody else to as well. That's a pretty big risk. We really need to find these people."

"What about this device?" Sam asked. "Can you figure out what it might have been?"

"I think the 'knowledge in power' symbol refers to the device. If we can figure out what that is…"

"So, it could be a weapon?" Jack asked.

"Or at least used as a weapon," Sam said.

Everyone turned to her.

"Well, anything that can transport a living creature has to utilize massive energy. Add to that a way to prevent anyone but you knowing the destination. You could transport your enemies anywhere. You'd have the upper hand."

"Of course you'd need to know the destination," Daniel said.

"And of course there's only one way to determine that."

"Yeah," Daniel said glancing at Jack then Sam.

Sam nodded.

"Wait a minute," Jack said "Did we skip a page? Or a chapter?"

"The others," Peterson exclaimed. "They didn't disappear. They were transported."

"Right," Sam and Daniel said.

"To where?" Peterson asked.

"Oh no." Jack pointed a finger at Sam and shook his head. "Find another way."

"It doesn't have to be a human, sir. We can send a probe."

"If the Zirdins were transported onto a ship, it is foolish to believe that ship is still in orbit around this planet."

"I agree," Jack said. "In which case, our people are floatin' in space."

"Assuming the range of the transporter was only long enough to reach a ship in orbit," Sam said.

"You mean they could have just transported to a new planet?" Daniel asked impressed.

"The energy that fried our equipment is pretty powerful."

"In which case our people could still be alive."

"There's only one way to find out, sir."


"If the Zirdins used this device to transport themselves off the planet why didn't they take it with them?" General Hammond asked. "And why is it still working?"

"I won't lie to you, sir," Sam said. "This is all speculation. They may have left the device behind in case the Goa'uld tried to follow them. If the destination was a ship, the Goa'uld would die in space. If the destination was a new planet, they'd be prepared for the Goa'uld. As for why it's still on, I can't tell you that, sir."

"Dr. Jackson, what about these clues you think they left?"

"Well, like Sam said, I'm just speculating. There are numerous symbols throughout the entire legend that seem to have been placed randomly. At first I thought maybe they were just 'typos' or a result of erosion but there are so many of them that it looks like they were placed in the text on purpose. I can isolate them and try to find a pattern. Teal'c, I'll probably need your help again."

"Do it. Colonel, contact the Asgard. Let them know what we've discovered. Find out if they know something we don't. In the meantime, Major, prepare a probe. If there's a chance our people are still alive, we'll try to bring them back. Dismissed."


"Any luck?" Jack asked entering Daniel's office.

"None," Teal'c replied.

Daniel sighed, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "We've been through every permutation. I know there's a pattern somewhere. The more I look at these symbols, the more I know they were put in the legend for a reason. What about you?"

"I don't see any pattern," Jack said staring at Daniel's computer screen.

Daniel sighed and slouched back. "I meant have you gotten through to the Asgard yet?"

"Oh. Thor'll be here in an hour. Too bad the Zirdins didn't have a gate. They coulda just left gate coordinates somehow."

"Oh!" Daniel put his glasses back on and sat up straighter. "The Zirdins didn't have a stargate, but the Ancients did."

"The Zirdins were watching the Ancients; therefore, they knew of the stargate."

"And probably learned about it as it was being constructed. They wanted the Ancients to follow them, so they needed a way to communicate with them. If the Ancients knew the gate coordinates, they could figure out a way to get there by ship."

"We were trying to approach this from the Zirdins point of view," Teal'c said.

"We've been going about this all wrong."

"Well, it's been a long few days," Jack offered. "Hey what happened to those symbols you recognized?" Jack asked Teal'c as Daniel feverishly worked at his computer..

"Some of the Zirdins settled on Chulak."

"Wow, these people got around."

"Those on Chulak did not wish to help lesser races. However, the Zirdins did not wish to leave them behind."

"So, they left word for them in case they wanted to follow."

"Indeed."

"So, what happened to them?"

Teal'c reached for the book Bra'tac had given him under a pile of papers on a nearby shelf. "This book contains reference to an ancient race who disappeared."

"Just…disappeared?"

"No clues were discovered to explain their disappearance."

"They are gate coordinates," Daniel said excitedly.

"Can you translate them?" Jack asked eagerly.

"Trying."

Daniel's phone rang from somewhere on the desk, but he was too busy arranging the symbols and muttering to himself to notice.

It rang again.

Teal'c and Jack exchanged a look. Teal'c moved an open book as the phone rang a third time. "There it is," Jack said moving another book off the phone and answering it. "Already? We're on our way."


"We have been trying to translate that wall for many months now," Thor said.

"Then why did you need my help?" Daniel asked.

"Because the language of the Zirdins is more ancient than any ancient language we have ever encountered."

"But you guys know all the ancient languages. At least those on Earth."

"We thought we knew all ancient languages, including those on Earth. When we tried to translate this; however, we discovered that we did not know this language. There is also our continued conflict with the Replicators and the time that conflict consumes preventing us from pursuing other matters."

"Wait a minute," Jack said. "Did you just say that the Asgard, one of the races that keeps saying we humans aren't evolved enough yet, were wrong?"

Everyone looked at him.

"I just wanted to see if anyone else caught that." He gestured for the conversation to continue.

"And you wonder why they think we're less evolved," Daniel muttered.

"Hey, we don't claim to be right all the time."

Thor cleared his throat and continued. "Our language system has evolved to such an advanced state that we were unable to deevolve it to a form that would aid us in translating the language of the Zirdins. With your knowledge of ancient languages, Dr. Jackson, and your position of having no previous knowledge of the Zirdins to cloud your path, we were confident you would be able to do so for us."

"So, yet again you needed someone dumber than you." Everyone looked at Jack again.

"Well, not that you're dumb. Hell, these geniuses couldn't do this without you. So, that makes you smarter than them because you're not as smart as them."

"Well, thanks. I think."

"Thank youDr. Jackson for doing what we could not."

"You're welcome. Why the secrecy, though? You could have just asked."

"We didn't want you to feel any pressure working for such an advanced race."

"And such a modest race, too." Jack added.

"Well, there's still the part I can't translate, " Daniel said ignoring Jack. "I thought the symbols were gate coordinates but that didn't work out."

"We sent a probe through the room where one of our people disappeared, hoping it would lead us to something," Sam added. "It ended up in orbit around the planet. Empty orbit."

"Can you guys figure out what the symbols mean?"

"We can try when the time becomes convenient. You are welcome to keep working if your leaders authorize it. If you learn something-"

"When he learns something," Jack interjected.

"We would like you to inform us of the location of the Zirdins' new homeworld."

"Sure."

"Perhaps this part you have been unable to translate holds the key," Thor suggested.

"We know that already," Jack said.

"Yes, but we don't know how that will help," Daniel said.

"Perhaps providing assistance is all the symbols were designed to do," Thor said.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Because they're only clues," Daniel said.

"Yes," Thor answered.

"Huh?"

"We solve the clues and we'll have a gate address," Daniel said hopefully.

Thor nodded.

"If you can solve at least one of the clues and/or get at least one coordinate, the computer can do the rest," Sam said. "Of course, the more you solve, the quicker we'll be able to eliminate possible destinations."

"And right now, I have no idea how to solve any of it," Daniel said.

"Think of it like a game of Clue," Sam suggested.

"What is Clue?" Teal'c asked.

"You start out with a set of clue cards, and you use them as a basis to figure out who did it, where and with what," Sam explained. "In this case, we already know who and with what. We just need to figure out where. We'll teach you how to play sometime, Teal'c."

"Dibs on Colonel Mustard," Jack said.

End of Part I In Part II, SG-1 finds the Zirdins.