Chapter 53

The first thing Jack noticed is it was cold and dark but lacked any fresh snow. Ice covered the area. Jack turned around and shined his flashlight on the Gate that they just emerged from. It was covered in ice as well. He flashed the light about and realized they were inside some sort of ice covered room.

"This is a cave?" he wondered.

Daniel found a column of stone that was half encased in ice. He replied, "I think we are in a room." He gingerly walked closer to study the markings, "This seems to be another dialect of Ancient. It's more like Greek than Latin."

Sam noted, "I don't see any dial home device." She looked about with the light trying to peer into the darkness.

Jack took a few more careful steps for the floor was covered with ice. He feared slipping and falling for his ice straps were not on his boots. He looked over at Teal'c who was also walking most gingerly. He kidded his friend, "We could set up a hockey ring in here."

Teal'c agreed, "Indeed." He then lost his footing on black ice and slipped falling right on his behind.

Jack asked, "You okay?" He was worried for his friend but he had to admit seeing a Jaffa fall straight on his behind was a bit funny.

"I am fine," the Jaffa replied. He then attempted to get back up only to slip once more on the ice. Moving was most difficult in the environment.

Jack called, "Hold on, T! I'll help ya." He then found himself shuffling his feet across the ice covered floor to Teal'c. He held out a hand to help steady Teal'c to help him up. In the process Jack lost his footing and fell on top of Teal'c.

Daniel peered over from the stone column. He cocked an eyebrow at the sight of Jack and Teal'c struggling to get back up. "Problem Jack?" he smirked.

"It's black ice, Daniel." he warned.

Daniel rolled his eyes, "Hold on." He started to walk over and found his boots were slipping. He started to do the ice walk shuffle as well. He got to Jack and helped him back up. Then they tried to help up Teal'c. They nearly got the Jaffa to his feet when all three went back down on the ice in glorious fashion.

Sam stood trying not to laugh as she watched them slip and slid trying to get back up.

Jack sat on his behind and huffed, "What's so funny, Carter?"

"Nothing," she chirped. "You did pack ice straps for your boots right?"

He pointed to Daniel's pack, "In Daniel's bag."

"Why are they in Daniel's bag?" she asked.

"Because I didn't have room," he told her. He noticed her doing the ice walk shuffle was well, "Where are yours Carter?"

"In my pack," she admitted as she went for Daniel's bag. She figured if she took it slow and easy she could get the straps to the men. As she neared with Daniel's bag in hand she slipped and landed on the ice covered floor on top of Jack knocking him back down.

She found herself face-to-face with him, "Thanks for breaking my fall."

Jack winced, "Don't mention it."

She slid the bag to Daniel, "Here."

He retrieved the bag and started to dig out the ice straps. As Daniel placed the straps on his boots he looked over as Sam tried to get back up and slipped once more landing on Jack again.

"Carter," Jack made a face. "You just kneed me in the nuts."

"It's slippery," she rebutted.

"No kidding," he huffed.

Daniel slid a pair of straps to Teal'c, "Here!"

The Jaffa retrieved the straps eager to get his footing back.

Daniel looked on as Jack and Sam struggled to stand back up. He then looked at Teal'c, "Jack and ice really don't mix well."

Teal'c agreed, "I see."

Sam regained her footing and nodded in agreement, "Like that time we were stuck in the snow and cold and Jack couldn't get the stove working and poked me with his side arm."

Jack huffed, "You poked yourself with my side arm and my hands were too cold, Miss MacGyver." He got his boot straps and placed them on.

Sam smirked, "Just for the record! In the second timeline they had disclosure and that actor was cast to play you in a television series and he nailed ya."

Jack asked, "Who was cast to play you?"

"She was a British actress," she smiled brightly.

Jack shined the light on Daniel, "And him!"

"James Spader played him in the movie. Another guy played him in the series," she noted. "He was good too."

"James Spader? The teenage movie actor from the eighties! They might as well have gotten the kid from 16 Candles to play him." he huffed.

Sam grinned, "The handsome boy the girl had the crush on."

Jack shook his head, "The geek! He was only interesting character in that movie."

Daniel cocked an eyebrow, "You watched old 80's teen movies, Jack?"

"No," he shook his head. "Jackie does! She has this thing for the 80's. She thinks the decade was cool!"

Sam nodded, "She kind of has that for life. Charlie has thing for Dukes of Hazard and never out grew that one either. Though in another twenty years the 80's kind of becomes iconic when all those celebrities start dying off."

Daniel admitted, "I never got into that kind of thing so…It never bothered me. I was always amazed how the fans reacted when a celebrity died. They would start crying over someone they never met like they just lost their best friend."

Sam countered, "Some celebrities were very interesting people. When the Golden Girls started dying off Jackie started going through all their old movies and life stories. It was interesting."

Daniel conceded, "But that show did have some talent on it and Betty White is adorable…" he noticed the look on Jack's face. "What?"

"Is that the show you watch, Daniel?" Jack asked him suspiciously. He was certain Daniel has a favorite television show but seemed to keep it hidden.

"I like that show," he admitted. "Sophia is the best…"

Jack held the light on him, "Isn't that the show with four little old ladies living in Florida?"

Daniel was busted. He let his deepest secret out of the bag. There was one show he actually enjoyed it was based of four old ladies sharing a house in Florida. He blushed, "Your daughter likes it too."

Sam defended, "I love that show!" She looked at Teal'c, "You watched it! You liked it too, didn't ya?"

Teal'c smiled, "Indeed."

Jack stood shaking his head, "The Golden Girls!" He started further into the ruins and called back, "Come on ya ole bats!"

Daniel sighed and muttered, "Far better show than cartoons, Jack."

They walked further into the ruins. As they got deeper the ice started to thin. They could see to the walls beneath. Daniel spotted more writings along the way. Soon they came to an area that was slightly above freezing. Water pooled at their feet.

Daniel sighed, "Great! Now we are gonna have wet feet."

Sam found an access panel to a computer, "Bingo!" She cheered. "I got access!" She opened the panel and started to attach the leads from her computer.

Jack's boots were starting to fill with cold water. He tried to tighten the laces and got his glove wet. "Great!" he grumbled. He removed the glove and leaned against the nearby wall to try to adjust the leaking boot when he activated the lights. Suddenly the room lit up and the air temperature started to rise.

Sam told him, "You just activated something."

A pump came on and the water started to retreat from the floor as the ice began to melt throughout the area.

Daniel gasped upon finding a name on the stone wall, "Oh' my god."

Jack asked, "What is it?"

"This is Athens! This is the city from Plato's account. Old Athens." he noted.

Sam called out, "Sir!"

Jack turned swiftly for the tone of her voice told him she found something. "What?" he asked.

"There are people here in stasis pods," she reported. "There are survivors here."

Jack looked about, "Where?"

"A few floors beneath us," she told him. "According to the computer we are three miles deep in ice. The planet is in a thirty thousand year ice age. Those who chose to stay placed themselves in stasis. The survivors have been in there for fifteen thousand years."

Daniel asked, "How can they still be alive? They would have to be so old."

Sam told him, "This is a different type of stasis. They are not just asleep, it's more like cryogenics. They are semi frozen and are beginning thaw process. We woke them up too soon."

Jack asked, "Can we just put them back to sleep?"

"No," she shook her head.

"For crying out loud," he muttered figuring they made a big mistake.