Standing, she looked around. Teal'c was moving towards Sam who was struggling to stand while there was no sight of Cam in the long grass that surrounded them. As she began to move towards Teal'c she took several steps before she spotted Cam lying face first, unmoving on the ground. Frantically she signalled the others that she'd found him and checked for a pulse. No sooner had she pulled her fingers away when she heard a groan beneath her and hastened to whisper in his ear to stay down and as quiet as possible.
Sam hobbled over with the assistance of Teal'c as Cam started to come around fully. He kicked his legs a few times before rolling over despite Sam telling him not to until she had checked for any spinal injuries. He had collected another gash on his forehead, several inches long where his head had connected with one of the branches that lay criss crossed over the ground. He reached for his first aid kit but Teal'c beat him to it, dressing the wound after cleaning the debris out of it.
Looking at each of her teammates Vala cautiously placed a hand to her throbbing cheek. Just as she had suspected there was blood and taking a closer inventory of herself found that it wasn't the only place. Cam's wound was the worst that they could see and for the moment her wounds could wait. They had no idea where they were but it certainly wasn't the SGC and definitely not the planet they had just left.
"Where are we?" Cam asked while blinking several times.
"Considering how hard we were thrown from the 'gate I assume that our wormhole was redirected here."
"Great, so all we have to do is find the DHD, dial, and head home then." Vala smiled brightly at Sam relived that the solution seemed easy. She was still soaking wet from the pelting rain on their previous location, which with the running had not cooled her considerably but now sitting in dim light surrounded by trees, a light breeze whipping around them, she was beginning to get cold.
"Yeah, but can anyone see it?" Cam drawled.
At first glance the DHD was nowhere to be seen but the trees and other plant life was so thick beyond where they were that it was difficult to see anything. Vala stood slowly, finger on the trigger of her gun ready for anything or anyone. As she turned she got a good look at the gate and paused. She'd glanced at it before but at that time was looking for her teammates after being spat unusually hard out of the 'gate and didn't notice. It was far paler than their normal Stargates, a light grey colour. She turned to call to Sam but saw that she was already standing gazing at it while Cam demanded to know what had caught their attention. Teal'c offered him a hand.
"Well that's new," he said.
"Teal'c have you ever...?" Sam trailed off as Teal'c jumped in.
"I have not Colonel Carter. Other than the Tollan and Atlantis Stargates all others have been the same colour and texture."
"Ok, Tollan, very advanced. Atlantis, in another galaxy. So we're either on an extremely advanced planet or in another galaxy?" While Cam was still keeping his voice down they could all hear the agitation in his voice.
"By the surroundings I doubt we're on a technologically advanced planet. No one has been here in a very long time, long enough for all these trees to grow around the 'gate. At one point, perhaps, but I don't think so anymore. As for another galaxy, we'd need massive amounts of..."
"Power," Vala interrupted. "Lightning struck very close several times as we were dialing." She tried to quash the slight sense of panic that had emerged within her.
"Should we not locate the DHD and attempt to dial Earth?" Teal'c's statement brought everyone's thoughts back to their first task and Vala was grateful. No need to begin speculating until they had determined whether or not they could get home.
Staying low as they had no idea if this planet was inhabited or not, they began to search for the DHD starting at the 'gate and walking outwards. Teal'c spotted it first, almost buried under old dead branches and vine like plants. He made quick work of uncovering it and Vala was mildly surprised to see that it was the same colour as the 'gate. Fortunately nothing seemed broken and Teal'c began dialing Earth.
The 'gate lit up, just as it always did, and after the seventh symbol had been pressed and the large red 'connect' pressed, Vala's heart sank as the 'gate failed to connect. Cam, impatient began dialing again, trying it several times before turning his back on it clearly frustrated. Sam immediately sat and began opening the control panel checking to see that everything was in it's place and working correctly. No one wanted to say the words they were all thinking.
An hour later, Sam announced that everything should be working fine, there was nothing wrong with the DHD that she could find. Eagerly Cam began dialing again with no result, trying many different addresses of known planets that would allow them safe passage.
"So we know the 'gate works, just not for any addresses we know. What else?" Vala had had enough. She wanted to go home and redialing addresses over and over wasn't going to get them anywhere.
"Lightning struck very close to the 'gate as you were dialing. Does anyone remember when?" Sam had not been at the DHD as Vala had begun to dial home.
"I punched in the first few symbols then it stuck very close. I was knocked over and then I finished dialing. There was another strike just as I was done and as before it knocked me and Cam to the ground. We ran for the wormhole and then you and Teal'c arrived." Cam nodded at Vala as she spoke, indicating that he didn't have anything to add.
"Did the lightning strike after the wormhole formed, during, or before?" Sam looked at both Cam and Vala.
Cam shook his head as Vala attempted to answer. "I'm not sure. Uh, all I remember was a bright light, being knocked to the ground, and having bright coloured blotches dance around my vision while my ears rang."
"So it's possible that the 'gate was struck as the wormhole was connecting."
"Yeah, I guess so. Why?"
"Did anyone notice the address dialed before we headed back through?" Sam ignored Cam's question instead asking another one.
Vala and Cam shook their heads as Teal'c responded verbally. "I did not Colonel Carter."
"Sam, where's this going?"
"Is it possible that at some point an extra chevron was pushed on the DHD and when the 'gate connected the lighting struck providing the energy needed to open an 8 chevron address? It would explain the large kawoosh that caused all these trees to fall further than they would have ordinarily and given that it is possible lightning struck again as we entered the event horizon, could explain our higher velocity exit on this end."
"So you think we're in another galaxy." Cam sank back down to a sitting position staring at the DHD.
"It's possible."
"So how do we get home?" While Vala had missed going off world regularly with her team, being stranded in another galaxy with them had not been a consideration to make up for that.
"I don't know," Sam shrugged her shoulders while her fingers traced one of the designs on the DHD.
"So now what?" Vala asked. "I don't know about you all but I'm cold, wet and hungry. We have no idea how long it's going to be light enough to see or how big this forest is that we're in. I suggest we take a few hours, rest, clean our wounds, eat and warm up."
Teal'c agreed with Vala. They had come out of the 'gate the least harmed as Sam was limping slightly and Cam had been knocked out for a minute or so. However they all wore splinters of the tree that had fragmented when the lightning had blown it apart and Vala wanted to clean them out especially if there wasn't an infirmary to go to within the next few hours.
In agreement the four of them worked to clear a suitable space to set up the two small tents and a small fire, enough to boil some of their little water for a warm meal. A little was kept for cleaning out wounds and when that was complete, watches agreed upon as one by one they crawled into their sleeping bags. Vala couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and the moment she rolled over, fell asleep.
