Sam and Jack arrived at the village out of breath and in a state of panic. During their mad dash they had not been able to make radio contact with Teal'c or Daniel. Surveying the village, they thought the worst. There were only two or three huts still standing, and the main larger hut had collapsed. They both breathed a small sign of relief as they could see Teal'c, moving debris from what used to be the large hut.
"Teal'c. Where's Daniel?"
"O'Neill, he was studying the device when the earthquake struck. I believe he is trapped under the rubble." Jack sprang into action joining Teal'c in removing the debris.
"Teal'c you're hurt!" exclaimed Sam.
"It is superficial Major Carter. I am not badly injured" Sam moved towards the pile of rubble and assisted the other two. Suddenly a hand appeared through the beams of wood.
"Daniel. Can you hear us."
"Yeah, get me out of here." Jack removed the last few beams and pulled Daniel out.
"You injured?"
"No. I don't think so." Daniel looked shaken, but other than a large bleeding gash on his forehead, he was fine.
"How the hell are you not! This damn thing just fell on you." Jack kicked some of the rubble to emphasise his point.
"That thing works Sam."
"What? The shield? "
"Yes."
"What happened Daniel?"
"Me and Teal'c had almost finished translating the pillar and I headed back in to check if there was a symbol on the pedestal that we couldn't translate off the pillar. I saw this thing light up. This bit here." Daniel pointed to an area which Sam had assumed to be the control panel or power source. "Then I felt the earthquake hit and before I could stand up the roof started to come down. I guess the rest came down on top of it." Daniel looked around the debris, and for the first time realised exactly what had happened to him. He'd been buried under the remains of a building. Sam saw Daniel go white and start swaying on his feet.
"Colonel.. Daniel." Jack turned to Daniel and caught him as he fell to a sitting position.
"Carter, I think we need to head back to the gate." Sam nodded her agreement. They got Daniel standing, and started walking back. Half way to the gate Daniel was walking by himself and insisting he was fine. Jack opened his mouth to retort when he saw the look on Carter's face. He could read the message clearly. Let the General decide as Daniel couldn't win the argument with him. Daniel started rambling on about the device.
"It glowed. Just before the earthquake struck. Must be an early warning system. Not much of a warning though..."
"What happened when the earthquake started?" Interrupted Sam.
"It was weird, like the orange glowing grew into a bubble. It enlarged around me and looked like it would keep going. Then the roof collapsed."
"Do you remember anything hitting you?"
"I vaguely remember this" Daniel pointed to the gauze on his forehead. " But I don't think nothing else hit me. How about Teal'c?"
"Teal'c said he was standing across from you where there was no roof. When the building came down his arm was grazed by a beam falling errantly. He didn't mention seeing any glowing."
"Sam, what if it's a shield, just like the symbol suggested? I didn't get hurt when I should've been. We need to go back and recover it." Daniel actually turned around before Sam grabbed his arm and steered him back towards the gate.
"We need to check in first. We'll see what General Hammond says. If it is a shield we should send it to the SGC so they can study it there. We have limited equipment here and I couldn't figure it out earlier."
They arrived at the gate and dialed home. Sam and Daniel explained what had happened. General Hammond voiced his concern for Daniel, and for him to return to the base and get checked out. He also became intrigued by the device and it's potential uses. He ordered Jack and Daniel to return to the SGC, and Sam and Teal'c to recover the device if possible and return with it home, the following day. Daniel slumped his shoulders and reluctantly walked through the event horizon.
"O'Neill. May I have the use of your radio as you are returning?"
"Where's yours?" Jack remembered they hadn't asked Daniel or Teal'c what had happened when he had tried to make contact with them.
"I was holding my radio when it was knocked from my hand. I did not think we had time to look for the missing radio's earlier."
"Yah, here you go T." Jack tossed him his radio. "Don't go looking for the others. If you find them great, but that's a lot of crap to move to find two radios." With that Jack sauntered through the gate.
Sam and Teal'c began the trek back to the camp. They were not going to attempt to recover the device now as there wasn't much daylight left. They would be walking in the dark if they did.
Jack stepped off the ramp and walked with Daniel to the infirmary. After receiving his own check up by a thorough Dr. Frasier, he joined Hammond in the briefing room. They discussed what had occurred and Hammond was obviously wary of keeping their team there.
"Jack. What do you think?"
"Well Sir. Carter and Daniel seem to think that this thing causes some kind of shield to protect against earthquakes. Daniel should've been more injured but fortunately he wasn't. If we can get this thing back to Earth and somehow copy it, it could help thousands of people. I know it's not exactly the technology to save the planet from alien invasion but we could help the people of Earth by doing what ever it is that it does. I think we should extract it and bring it back here. The other device me'n Carter found isn't around anything that's going to fall on us so she can look at that and see if it's the same thing. I suggest that we go back and complete the mission." Jack looked startled as he stated that last point. He hadn't expected those words to come out of his mouth. From the look on Hammond's face neither had he.
"Ok Jack. When Dr. Jackson is cleared you can head back to the planet providing it's still light there. Inform Major Carter and Teal'c that if they are sucessful in removing the device I want them to return here. They can head back after." Hammond hesitated. "Jack have you thought about what myself and Dr. Frasier discussed with you several weeks ago?" Jack started looking everywhere except at Hammond and a scowl had returned to his face. "I'm taking that as a no. I suggest you use this time to think on it. I will need an answer soon." An airman knocked on the open door and informed them both that Dr. Jackson had been cleared and was waiting in the control room. Jack took his leave of Hammond and descended the stairs to the control room. Seeing Daniel was ready to go Jack went to gear up. 10 min later the two of them returned to Tefshu.
They wandered back to the camp shortly after dark. Carter and Teal'c had a fire going and looked to be cooking their dinner.
"Hey guys" called Daniel so as not to scare them. They had radioed that they were on their way, yet as it was dark Teal'c and Sam would not have been able to see them approach.
"Hey Daniel. What did Janet say?"
"Just a few stitches. Nothing much." Daniel took a seat as Jack dug through the MRE's for their supper. When Jack started to cook his dinner Teal'c's deep voice cut through his own thoughts.
"O'Neill, what did General Hammond have to say?"
"Huh?"
"What did General Hammond have to say regarding our current mission?"
"Ummm, he pretty much wants us to be careful. We'll return in 3 days as planned. We're to try to bring that device back to the SGC, but you guys can return after." Jack seemed distant, and ate his dinner in silence. Daniel, Sam and Teal'c made up for his silence by having an animated discussion on the shield, and how best to remove it from its base without damaging it. Sam suddenly remembered she hadn't told Daniel of their earlier find on the shore. Daniel jumped up excitedly and started pacing around the fire as he sprouted theories of what they all meant. It was late before Jack sent them all to bed and took first watch. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep just yet as his mind was working overtime. It didn't take long for Daniel to start snoring and it was only then that Jack relaxed. He needed to think things through.
He recollected the conversation he had had with Hammond just a few weeks ago. It had been him, Doc Frasier and Hammond in the office with the door closed. That in itself was a bad sign. When Doc Frasier had started talking he heard the first bit then almost shut down. Quit SG-1! That's all he heard and didn't remember much else. He didn't think he was ready, yet he wondered what his team thought. He would never ask them as they would assure him that they needed him. He knew that was a lie, they did great on their own.
What if he did quit, not just SG-1 but the entire thing? Would he have a more normal life, a dog, go fishing everyday? Could he have a normal life without the action and the excitement? Not only that, he would deeply miss his friends. If he left the SGC he wouldn't see them as much, and he liked the way things the way they were. He didn't like changes as they were usually bad. Well, there were two changes in his life he would never regret. Going through the gate the first time, then joining the SGC all those years ago.
He grinned to himself as he remembered Daniel on that first mission, Teal'c when he had his staff weapon pointed at him, and Carter at the first briefing. Who would've imagined he'd have friends like that? A geeky archaeologist who was continually stepping on his last nerve, a trustworthy alien, and a brilliant, not to mention beautiful astrophysicist! Wait, did he just call Carter beautiful? She was, but he never allowed him to think of it. He couldn't' think of it. He jumped as he heard a tent zipper. Carter crawled out of the tent with her hair tousled from sleep. He watched her gracefully walk over towards him and smile ever so slightly. Damn. He lost his concentration and all previous thoughts left his head.
"Sir? Wasn't my watch supposed to start half an hour ago?" Jack looked at his watch surprised. Where had the time gone?
"Uh yeah Carter. Just about to come get you. Guess that means your watch is shorter tonight. You owe me one..." Jack grinned and went towards his tent. He groaned inwardly as he realised Daniel was still snoring. He clambered into the tent, settled in his sleeping bag then poked Daniel until he rolled over. It wasn't long before he was out too.
Carter meanwhile added more wood to the fire. Colonel O'Neill had almost let it burn out! He must've been deep in thought to forget to wake her. She wondered what it was and whether or not it was the cause of his mood swings. She shrugged mentally and settled herself for her shorter watch.