Chapter 7
As promised, here is chapter 7, thanks for the reviews and follows, I'm glad you are enjoying it. So here is what the team have found.
"So what do we have?" Jack asked an hour later when they were all gathered around a table in the small lounge area.
"Our presence here has neither been detected nor reported," Teal'c stated. "There have been no unauthorised communications. I have studied all regulation footage as well as that from your illegal cameras."
"Thanks, Teal'c," Jack responded sarcastically, giving him a look at the mention of his 'illegal' cameras. "Daniel, any information?"
"Well, yes, there is. Your explosion is being given the most news time. They're saying that a top British diplomat and an American Colonel were both killed in a terrorist attack. Obviously, given that we know much of that to be wrong, it's hard to know what's accurate. However, it's interesting to know that someone has released your information to the press." Daniel looked at Sam. "Sam, there've been reports of the man murdered and the car blown up in Australia, however there's a problem." He looked back at Jack. "Sam's name has been released as a person of interest, seen at the scene, wanted for questioning. You know the drill."
"Not possible. No one saw me," Sam said.
"Calm down, Carter. We all know you didn't do it. However, I think we can all be concerned that they have your details and are trying to find you."
"Yes," Daniel agreed, "But they've also put an alert out to airports, et cetera, so they seem to think Sam's still in Australia."
"Maybe, but it'd hard for them to say that she was beamed out somewhere, wouldn't it." Jack sighed. "So, what about your escapade?"
"Well, ours features the least, which isn't surprising given the fact that there's nothing around the Vimy site. However, our two young friends have been missed by their university colleagues and their pictures have been all over the news in an attempt to find them."
"Well, we can deal with that later. No one can find them here and if the stories get worse we can get Hammond to contact their families and put them at ease." Jack turned to Sam. "Carter, how are things at the SGC?"
"Well, Sir, you were right. Not long after we got here, General Hammond got a phone call telling him there was someone coming from the NID to discuss a security breach."
"Security breach, huh?" Jack said with his usual sarcasm. "So who turned up?"
"Well, several people, Sir. They wanted all the information about where we were and why we'd gone. It's a bit suspicious, though, especially how fast they got to the mountain. It was pretty clear they knew of our missions and there was quite a heated discussion when it seemed that the men knew more than they were letting on. In particular, Hammond was worried about you and they seemed to be suggesting you were dead."
"Are they still at the SGC?"
"Yes, Sir. They've assumed that if we're in trouble we'll immediately get in touch with the SGC. I'm afraid it's going to be hard to contact the General at the base."
"What time is it at the mountain?" Jack asked, his body clock completely thrown.
"Almost midnight. That's what I meant about how fast they turned up. I know you all think I'm paranoid but that suggests they were waiting for news about what was happening to us."
"I agree, Sam," Daniel jumped in. "And, given the fact that someone has released a whole set of information on you and Jack, it seems to show they were waiting to act."
"There does not seem to be a purpose to this," Teal'c stated.
Jack put his head down on his folded arms. "I was just thinking the same thing. Why is this happening?" he asked no one in particular.
The others looked at each other before focussing back on Jack, who still hadn't lifted his head.
"Well, Sir," Sam answered her CO when it was obvious neither Daniel nor Teal'c were going to say anything, "There are two logical options. One, we're the target and someone here on Earth wanted to get to us, so set all this up to eliminate SG-1. Or, two, whatever these people we were supposed to meet have discovered is something that needs to be kept silent. But I have no idea what discoveries in Australia, France and Scotland by such different people could have in common."
"Or maybe both…" Jack said, finally lifting his head. He stood and moved away from the table, over towards the laptop. "Carter, can you get in to my email from here?"
"Uh, yes, especially if you give me your password." Sam took the laptop from her CO and began furiously typing. "What is it, Sir?"
"Uh... well… could be… here, let me do it," Jack said as he tried to take the laptop from Sam.
"Sir, just tell me. What is it?"
"blueeyes," Jack whispered as he looked at Sam, hoping only she could hear.
Daniel laughed behind them as Jack went a lovely shade of red and turned to glare at Daniel, who quickly started coughing, while Sam tried not to notice her own pink face as she quickly typed in the password.
"I'm in, Sir. What am I looking for?"
"There was some big honkin' memo from some Russian geek, a Daniel equivalent in their Stargate programme, about a possible Goa'uld presence throughout the ages. I read some of it and thought about passing it on to Daniel, but then life at the SGC took over and we dealt with a crisis or two and I forgot all about it."
Sam searched for a few minutes, using some key words that she assumed would be in the email, even although her CO couldn't remember the name of the person, and finally said, "I've found it, Sir."
"Put it up, Carter. Let me skim through it. There was something in it about France, I'm sure of it." Jack looked at the screen over Sam's shoulder, leaning forward when he needed to scroll further down the email. "Yes, here we are... see here? This guy suggested that links he'd discovered between Egypt and other countries around the Mediterranean meant that there had to have been Goa'uld involvement. But that would also mean that Goa'ulds were still here after Daniel suggested they'd already left."
Daniel pushed closer to read the report. "He seems to have analysed several societies and is conjecturing that there were more than just Seth who remained on earth." He pushed his glasses further up his nose as he read further.
"Oh, my god!"
"What?" Jack asked.
"Well, I think it's a good job you don't delete your emails. You're right, it's all here. A theory about Neolithic France and Neolithic Orkney. You were in the north of Scotland, right, not too far from Orkney?" Daniel asked, looking at Jack. Any artefact found around Orkney could be taken to a military base there, couldn't it?"
Jack shrugged, not really sure what the British military would do with anything they found, "So you think that's what I was sent to check out, an artefact? But why destroy it?"
Daniel looked back at the screen. "Well, I'm not sure Jack, but it makes sense that it's an artefact but..." he began as he moved his finger over the mouse pad, going back up to the top of the email. "Yes, I thought so. I got an email myself a month or so ago, inviting me to contribute to the eulogy of a Russian archaeologist who'd been killed in a road accident somewhere between his house and the base where he was working... and he's the guy who wrote this report."
"So, he's dead."
"Yup. This has all been planned for a long time, Jack. I think someone saw an opportunity to get rid of us and the evidence this man had at the same time. Look, this report is over 100 pages long. Let me read it and perhaps Marko here will solve his own murder."
Jack suddenly yawned and realised that he and most of his team had probably not slept in around 24 hours given their adventures. However he also knew by the look in his 'geeks' eyes that there would be no tearing them away from this report. "Okay, Daniel, you take first watch with Carter. Teal'c, you and I are gonna get some shut eye. Wake us in four hours, or if anything comes up."
"Okay, Jack."
"Yes, Sir," Sam added as Jack and Teal'c turned and left the room.
So the mystery gets deeper and definitely bigger. Hope to have more up in a day or so but if I fail, please just assume real life has encroached again - if only I could get paid to write the stories. Oh well, off to do some actual work.
