Transported 6

By Oonagh

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update. My computer caught a virus and was really quite ill for a while. He's up and about now, however, and things are getting back to normal.

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Commander Lambert was as good as his word and, half an hour after dawn, the search parties were sent out, each with a specific grid to search. The Commander made no secret of the fact that he believed the seach to be unnecessary, telling the search parties that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter had probably just gotten lost and holed up somewhere until sunrise.

"We'll probably run into them coming back looking embarrassed but this doesn't mean that we go about our job half-heartedly. I expect every team to thoroughly comb their quadrant and to report anything out of the ordinary to me immediately. No matter what, all teams are to be back here by nightfall. I don't want to have to send search parties out looking for the search parties. Okay, move out, everybody." Commander Lambert watched as each team left in their assigned directions and then he turned to Daniel and Teal'c.

"I didn't assign us a search quadrant, Jackson, because I thought we should retrace the route the colonel and major should have taken last night in the hope that they didn't go too far off course. I do so hope you approve of this plan." The sarcasm in Commander Lambert's voice was plain but Daniel chose to ignore it, focussing instead on the plan which, to be fair, appeared to be reasonable.

"Sounds fine, Commander. Jack and Sam are both soldiers and they know that the best way to get rescued is to stay in the place where people expect you to be."

"Daniel Jackson is correct. O'Neill and Major Carter will not have left the course unless it became necessary." With this Teal'c set off, leaving the two humans to follow.

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It did not take Carter and O'Neill long to return to the place where the landslide had come to halt the night before. O'Neill stopped where the impressions of their bodies still remained in the mud.

"You know, Carter, I could have sworn I slid down a hill last night."

"Me too, Sir."

"And yet here we have a patch of dried mud in the middle of a completely flat plain."

"Yes, Sir. I can only assume that at some point in our fall we came within the field of some sort of transportation device. But I'm puzzled by the fact that there's nothing here – no device or control console, nothing."

"Exactly what I was thinking. What use is a transportation device if it doesn't go both ways?"

"Well, Sir, maybe it does but it can only be operated from one side. Or maybe it's automated. Or maybe it wasn't originally designed as a transportation device. From here, there's really no way of knowing."

"Okay, but what about P5X-whatever? I don't remember seeing any kind of device there, let alone activating one."

"Me neither, Sir. But it was very dark and it's possible that the device was activated by the mudslide. Although it's equally possible that its activation caused the mudslide. I'm afraid at this point it's all guess work, Sir." Despite the gravity of the situation O'Neill almost smiled at Carter's obvious disappointment at not being able to explain everything.

"So, no way back then, Carter?"

"It would appear not, Sir. At least not from our end. Who knows about P5X-392."

"Well, I'm sure they're out looking for us by now and our tracks shouldn't be too difficult to follow given the number of branches I broke with my head. They'll find whatever caused this, figure it out and beam us home. Just like on Star Trek."

"Yes, Sir."

"Carter, you don't exactly sound confident."

"You make it sound so easy, Sir, but figuring out alien technology is never easy and with me here and Captain O'Hara on maternity leave the project will probably go to Felger."

"What!"

"Yes, Sir." Carter maintained her worried face for a few seconds longer while her CO's face fell and then she laughed.

"Gotcha!" At O'Neill's expression Carter started laughing harder and sat down.

"Carter, that was cruel. No, that was beyond cruel. Us old men can't take shocks like that, you know."

"Sorry, Sir." Carter gasped out between giggles. O'Neill frowned down at her.

"You sound awfully happy for someone stranded indefinitely on an unknown planet with only two bars of chocolate and half a packet of chewing gum."

"I don't think we need worry, Sir. You were right when you said they'll find us."

"So we just stay put then, Carter."

"Yes, Sir." Carter, still seated, snapped off a professional salute, a huge grin on her face. O'Neill cat down beside her. Great, I'm stuck on a planet with Carter in her funny half hour. Typical.

"So what about a game, Sir? To kill some time."

"Carter, if you're about to suggest 'I Spy' I will be forced to beat you to death with a rock."

"Well in that case, Sir, we'll just have to play 'what's the next line?'."

"Carter?"

"I start by quoting the line of a song and then you give me the next line. If you get it right, it's your turn."

"And this is fun?"

"Um, not really. But in the absence of a naquadah generator, it'll do."

"Great. So this game is less fun than tinkering about with complicated machinery? I can't wait."

"It could be worse, Sir. If Daniel were here you'd be playing 'describe that obscure historical event in no fewer than one thousand words'." O'Neill shuddered.

"Good point, Carter. Fire away."

"Okay. 'We don't need no education'."

"We don't need no thought control."

"Okay, it's your turn, Sir."

"Oh goody. 'Star Trekkin across the universe'."

"On the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk." At O'Neill's raised eyebrows Carter shrugged.

"Teal'c made me learn it. Said it was a classic."