Stargate Hastings
Chapter Seven: The long way round
Stargate chamber, Abydos.
Donald had told them, that exhaling before they entered the Stargates shimmering pool of energy, would make the journey far less disorientating. He explained that his first instinct upon arriving on the other side, was to take a deep breath. That breath, because his lungs were already partly full, had sent him spiralling out of the gate, arse over foot on his first transit. His trip back to Earth had been far easier, simply because he had exhaled before walking through. So when the five of them stepped out of the gate on the Abydos end, there were only a few missteps and not the jumble of bodies there could have been.
Jim looked to Donald and said "You know this place better than anyone, until were bought up to speed, this is your show".
Donald nodded then began issuing orders "Right then, we need to make this place look like we haven't been here and don't bother looking around, I've already scouted it all out already". He sent them in the direction that would lead to the desert, the endless desert. Then a few minutes later, still clearing the tracks his companions had made, he re-joined them.
Stood in the doorway, Donald said a few last words "First, keep your skin covered at all times, you'll be able to stand it for a while but you'll regret it, believe me. To get to where we need to go, we're going to have to go the long way round and when I say long, I mean two days of sand storms. They're sometimes worse than other times but they haven't been too bad lately. We could get there in hours but it's best you do not meet the locals, until you look and sound like them. To ingratiate themselves with their "God", many would sell us down the river in a heartbeat and when you see how these people live, you'll understand why".
The new radio they had developed in his absence from Earth, was a welcome change from the one he had, had to bury the first time he had stepped on to this world. This one was far smaller and a great deal lighter than the first one they had given him. He had been gone for eighteen months and Mr Hastings had more money than the bloody Queen, so it didn't really surprise him. They had told him it had better range as well but it meant nothing as far as the mission was concerned. They would only be using it to ask for them to open the shield. They had six months to complete their mission and return home. From this point on, they would get zero support from Earth.
They had taken a route that would take them five miles away from where they had started. Donald informed them that it had taken them even further away, from their actual destination. He had also told them that there was a mine not far from the pyramid and the stone structure that housed the Stargate and also a city named Nagada, that the people of this world called home. Hassif had told him about the farm lands, were the peoples food was grown. He was one of many men that used the beasts of this world, to create a chain stretching across the desert, from the farmlands to the city. Bringing the food from one outpost to another, with each of these groups of men working between two outposts. He had told Donald there were six outposts between here and the farms and his family was in charge of the final leg of the journey, for the food that was taken to the city. An important job he would often say.
They had travelled for hours before the first sandstorm had hit them. Once they had erected the tent, with its sand coloured tarpaulin, that was meant to camouflage them. In the event anyone was crazy enough to be out in this, all they would see was another mound of sand. Donald explained that this was actually a mild one and that they were lucky they hadn't arrived about a month earlier, when there had been a mini food crisis. It had only been Hassif, his two eldest sons and their cousin who had dared to travel for the food. He had told them Hassif was a crazy old man and that him and his sons, would help them.
Jim had asked Donald for his full report while nestled in the tent but he had refused and instead produced a set of dice. He had shaped them himself, from the stones he had found in the caves he had called home, since Hassif had shown them to him. He told him that he would tell them when they arrived, over a hot meal and that situations like this deserved games and the bottle of whisky he also produced from one of his pockets. They all had some of the whisky, even Tom was allowed some. With his grandfather telling him that he's on a mission now and if that doesn't make him a man, then he never would be.
He also explained that there was no actual night time on this world, only the time when only one of the three suns would be in the sky above. The Abydonians called that one sun, the eternal one in their language and actually welcomed the sand storms, as they cooled down the ground they walked upon for a short time, by blocking out the Rays from the suns above. A sandstorm in the distance could actually make it seem as if twilight had come to this world but was simply a result of how high the walls of sand could reach and the dust clouds they created.
Before they reached the point that they would change direction and start heading towards their destination, they were caught four more times by the storms. They had used those times to eat and sleep so had made some good progress, over the first twenty four hours. Jim had been impressed with young Tom since they had arrived, the boy had done everything asked of him and had kept up with the group, without any complaints. They had also used the down time to learn some of the language, they would all need to learn over the next several weeks.
Rachael and Jim were picking it up quickly but the boy and the old man would take a bit more time to learn it though. That was not a problem, they had weeks to learn and the less anyone actually said to the people here, the better. Donald already had made contact with a friendly local and had assured them that Hassif and his sons understood the importance of secrecy. It was them who had told him that Ra had many people, who were instructed to listen for rumblings of descent among the people and if any of those people knew he was here, Ra would come. Claiming that his omnipotence had told him of their treachery and execute all of the people who had helped him.
Hassif had also told him that the heads of five families his own included, knew the truth of the false gods and the world they were stolen from. The leader of their people a man named Fa'ruuk, was one of the five men and Hassif would make the introduction to him, now that his daughter was safely back on the world of their ancestors. As soon as Hassif had realised he was from another world, he had hidden them and pushed him to send his daughter away from this place. He would keep saying that her beauty was a curse and that Ra would take her. On the day earth made the connection for the second time, he had followed Donald to the pyramid and hid as he spent over half an hour, using Morse code to deliver his report back to base. Not long before he had finished, Hassif had come into the chamber proper and started telling him of a secret place he should see. He had passed on that last little bit of information to his superiors, just before the gate had shut down.
The following day was easier as far as the sandstorms were concerned but the heat was intense. The four newcomers to this world, soon understood why its people considered the storms a blessing. They had to stop and pitch the tent just to get out of the intense heat, when the third sun rose over the horizon. At this point in their journey, there were still twelve hours of trekking to go and the water that would have had to last them ten days, was almost half depleted. Donald had told them they didn't have to worry, there was lots of water underground and that fresh water springs were everywhere around Nagada and even in the caves that they would be calling home.
The rest of the journey was uneventful, the route they had taken avoided any chance for them to bump into anyone by mistake and most of the people believed the caves where they were headed, were cursed. Something Hassif had informed him, was done to stop them finding this place and either start an uprising and get a lot of people killed or tell Ra what they had found and also get a lot of people killed. When they arrived at the opening Donald said "Don't get your hope's up, we've still got a ways to go yet". No body really answered, a few grunts but no actual words.
He kept telling them to stay close and that the tunnels down here went on forever and the secret place he had found the way home from, was very deep in the maze of tunnels. It took over twenty minutes of travelling wide open caves, that would suddenly become so narrow they would have to turn and walk sideways, to make it through to the next open space. Most caves had an entrance that they came in through and a single exit. Others would have several different choices, luckily their guide knew where he was going. Jim was definitely impressed with what his son had achieved in his time here, he had found a secure location to operate the mission from and made contact with, if not the local resistance, at least people that had the potential to become one.
When they finally reached their destination, Hassif and his youngest son was waiting for them. Hassif had six sons all older than his only daughter, except for the one who was with him now. It was the young boy who ran up to him and asked in perfect English, "My sister, is she safe don ul Mc Cain?".
"Yes Nasseef, she is now on the world of your ancestors and she and your nephew are safe". The smile on his face as he told the boy about his sister, made it plain to see how much Donald, had come to care for these people.
Just then Nasseef spotted Tom and pointed to him "Who is this?". He asked.
Donald called Tom over and said "This is my good friend, Thomas here will need to learn your words and when he can speak your words. He will need to learn all of the secret places, you and your friends use to move around Nagada. Will you teach him for me?".
Nasseef grabbed Tom by the arm and said "Come, come I will teach". Then pulled him away, to the far side of the cave they were in.
When the children had moved away from the group of adults, Donald introduced them to Hassif. Who told them about the men he would make the introduction to, once they had learned enough of the language to communicate clearly with them. Hassif spoke very good English, he mixed up a few words but otherwise he could easily be understood. He was a big man but there was not an ounce of fat on him, Donald had already told them that food was a precious commodity here and that they would not be eating many feasts on this world.
There was one food supply that was abundant and that was a lizard creature, that's meat surprisingly tasted a lot like chicken. The people of Abydos used a method very similar to fishing to hunt the creatures, with a smaller lizard baited onto a hook attached to some rope, that they would pull slowly across the sand waiting for it to strike and when it did a second man would hit it on the head killing the creature. The creatures reproduced by laying thousands of eggs, so hunting them to extinction would be impossible, for a population the size that Abydos was home to.
Hassif paid special attention to Jim, with Donald explaining, that he was aware that Jim was his father and that Abydonian customs, meant the fathers of a married couple would become brothers, when their children would wed. The drink that Hassif kept giving him was very potent and he had to start refusing before he became too drunk. When Robert Parker asked if it was safe to raise their voices. Hassif assured him that sound only travelled in one direction through the caves and that they would be able to hear anyone heading in this direction, long before they arrived at this place.
That put all three of the new comers minds at ease a little, they were essentially cornered if an overwhelming force of men, were to come down upon them. Knowing that they would have warning of any impending attack, at least gave them a chance to set up an ambush or hide in the labyrinth like cave system, that they had just traversed. Jim decided their first job would be to map out the caves as best they could, without getting lost. That should not be a problem, they had bought some string along with them, they could use that and he was sure the Abydonian's would have more, if they needed it.
After a few hours of welcome joviality. Hassif and his son Nasseef left them to make themselves at home. Hassif had bought them enough food to last them a few days and would keep them supplied as best he could manage. Tom was now speaking a few words of the language these people spoke and had become friends with the Abydonian boy. Nasseef was younger than Tom, by at least two or three years. He had asked the boy his age but they had a different way of measuring time here, so he had not understood Tom's question.
While Donald prepared their meals, the four of them inspected the sleeping cots that had been made up for them. Each cot consisted of a rough spun fabric, that was spread over the top of something that stood about a foot and a half above the ground. When Jim kneeled down and touched it, his hand felt a soft substance underneath the cloth draped over it. When he asked Donald what it was, he had told him that it was a moss that grew around the freshwater springs and that they would have to gather and dry out fresh moss every few days, because it began to stink terribly if left to rot. They could also use it as fuel for fires and make torches from it, as once it was dry it would burn very slowly and for a long time.
There were roots that grew in some of the caves, that could be boiled up and eaten. That had a similar texture to potatoes only they tasted very sweet, almost like a juiceless fruit. When soaked for an hour or so in warm water, they also became malleable and could be shaped and then dried off to set. Once dry they would become rigid like wood and could be used to make torches, like the one Donald had used to light their way through the caves, earlier that day.
Once the food was ready and they were all sat on the floor of the cave, eating the surprisingly good food he had prepared for them. Donald sat down and began giving his report on the eighteen months, he had spent on Abydos...
