Section 7: Moya
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Daniel helped D'argo settle the blind girl in his arms. The poor thing winced and hissed in pain when the two men jostled her fragile body. Daniel felt one of her wounds begin to bleed again through the bandage and silently cursed those that had done this to her. She seemed so young and innocent, though he did notice that she kept herself from crying out as D'argo held her.
A quick glance out the front window, told Daniel they were completely inside the other ship now. From what he'd seen as they had landed, the larger ship was on another planet in the middle of an ocean. The only question was what kind of ship, for water or for space. He'd thought they meant a space ship, but since they were in the water . . . Daniel would ask when he got the chance.
"So are you in charge of this boat too?" asked Jack after D'argo spoke the words to open the door. The alien glanced at him and said, "yes," before heading down the steps.
With a shrug to his team and another subtle look that told them to be ready for anything, Jack followed their hosts through the doors into what looked like a workroom and hangar combined. Large and airy, the golden walls curved ovoidly to the floor, a soft light emanating from behind rib-like supports that left much of the room in shadow. Two other space ships were to the right. The smaller one was too far away for Daniel to get a good look at because it was hidden by the other ship that was clearly a fighter, black and sleek.
"Would you look at that?" Sam breathed reverently. The pilot in her was clearly impressed. Even Daniel could appreciate the aerodynamic design that would fly efficiently in both space and atmosphere.
"Carter," Jack reprimanded her gently even as he gave the vessel a lingering look before ushering the team after their hosts.
The arrival of two other aliens, however, quickly diverted both theirs and Daniel's attention. The "insane" ones, Rygel had called them. Daniel watched with interest, surprised that they were of different species, both of each other and of D'argo and Rygel. The first was an old woman who looked like a human - with an extra eye in her forehead that glowed blue.
"Hello, humans," she said briskly in English before focusing on Chiana and reverting back to her native language. Clearly, she was the healer of the group; Daniel noticed her going through a cloth bag, as she hurried D'argo and his burden out of the room. She looked more competent than insane.
The second newcomer, on the other hand, was a little off. He was probably from human descent, Daniel thought. One half of his face was covered by a bronze mask. The man hung back from the others, bouncing slightly on his feet and talking to himself. As D'argo and the old woman walked by, he reached out a hand to Chiana only to snatch it back again before following them in a shuffling gait.
"So," said Jack, turning to Rygel with an expectant look. "Do we get lemonade?"
"We don't have lemons and we're out of sugar," the small alien answered briefly.
"Oh?" said Jack, surprised with the answer.
"Follow me," Rygel sighed. "I'll show you your quarters." He turned slowly in his floating chair and headed for the door.
Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, Daniel fell into step beside him as they ventured down the golden hallway. "Nice ship," he commented to break the ice. He noted that the spaces between the ribs could be used for cover. "Is it for space travel?"
"Yes. She's a Leviathan."
"So why are we in the middle of an ocean?" asked Jack with his usual directness.
"The water has minerals that are helping her and Pilot heal from being disconnected," Rygel said without looking at him.
"Disconnected?" Sam jumped into the conversation. "Your pilot has an interface with the ship?"
"Of course he does!" Rygel snapped, stopping to look at them in surprise. After a moment his look softened into resignation. "But then you're humans. You don't know anything."
Both Jack and Sam bristled, Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Daniel was about to say something about how they were not as stupid as they appeared, but Rygel went on before he got a chance.
"Moya is a biomechanoid. She and Pilot are symbiotes."
"Are you saying the ship is alive?" asked Carter. When Rygel nodded her eyes widened in wonder. Daniel felt his own surprise as he looked at the hallway around them. They really were ribs. Amazing! In all their travels, he had never seen anything like this.
"Can she feel us? See? Hear?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious. "Does she mind carrying us?"
"What about her systems? Biomechanoid, does that mean that some of the systems are biologic and some mechanical, or that it's a blend of both? Do you know how she was made?"
Rygel shrugged and continued down the hall, taking the left branch at the next junction. "She was born, I think," he said, ignoring the other questions.
"Born?" Jack glanced at Daniel with the same surprise the archeologist himself felt.
"Who could I talk to onboard who would know?" Sam asked, refusing to give up on this new wealth of information.
"Pilot, but he might not want to talk," Rygel answered. "Aeryn might know."
"Aeryn?" Jack jumped on the unfamiliar name. "One of your people we're rescuing?"
"She and Crichton, yes." He turned down another curved hallway, this one with lattice doors opening on either side. "Here's where you will stay," he told them. Rygel showed them how to open the doors to the three rooms on the hallway. Each one was spacious and sparse, containing only empty beds. The same soft glow filtered from the walls and ceiling. It looked cozy, if a little bare, almost like a cave.
"I suppose you'll need blankets," Ryegl eyed the rooms critically. "Pilot," he said to the air. Daniel glanced at Jack and Teal'c who had raised an eyebrow, but then an alien voice rasped from around them. Rygel rattle something off in his own language.
"Intership communications," Teal'c said softly.
"What did he say?" asked Daniel, when Rygel finished. The small being added something else to the air before answering.
"He's sending a DRD with blankets and microbes."
"DRD?" "Microbes?" asked Jack and Sam at the same time.
"Diagnostic Repair Drones," Rygel pointed to a yellow robot about the size of a cat approaching them on the floor. The little thing extended a syringe filled with a red liquid. "The translator microbes will let you understand all of us so we won't have to speak your barbaric language. Stark and Pilot don't speak English so you'll need the microbes to talk to them."
"When you say microbes . . . ?" Jack left it hanging.
"They colonize at the base of the brain and allow you to understand all other languages."
"Uh uh, no, no way," Jack said stepping back. "I'm not letting anything into my head. Understand?" For once, Daniel was inclined to agree with him. He shot a nervous glance at Sam who had paled at the thought of something else in her mind.
"Dominar, we've had some bad experiences with parasites," Daniel attempted to explain.
"Who hasn't?" Rygel returned. "But the microbes only translate, they do not take over your mind."
"Could we ever take them out?" asked Sam, eyeing the DRD with distaste.
"Why would you want to do that?" he was genuinely surprised by the question.
"Umm, it just wouldn't be a good idea," Daniel tried again. Janet would go ape-shit for one thing, not to mention the fact that they would probably be grounded by Hammond indefinitely.
"Ridiculous!" Rygel snapped. On cue, the little DRD rolled forward towards Jack who reacted in typical Jack fashion. When the smoke finally cleared, there was very little of the yellow robot left and one very angry two foot alien flying out of reach. "What the frell was that for?!" he yelled.
"Rygel! What happened?!" D'argo yelled over the communications. Daniel could hear the sound of running feet approaching from the hallway.
"Sorry," Jack offered, not sounding in the least apologetic.
"Jack." "Colonel," said Daniel and Sam reprovingly. He would never change.
"I do not believe that aided our endeavor," Teal'c added as D'argo barreled in, sword in hand. He took in the remains of the DRD, Jack's weapon and the other guilty looking members of SG-1 quickly.
"What happened?" he asked, lowering his sword.
"He didn't mean to," Daniel said hastily, darting a glance at his sheepish CO. "The thing tried to give Jack microbes and he kind of overreacted. If there's some way to make this up to you, if we hurt the ship . . ." Daniel trailed off, hoping against hope that they hadn't pissed off their hosts by destroying their property. If the ship really was alive, who knew what kind of damage Jack had inadvertently done.
"It's just that we really don't want those bug things in our heads," continued Jack. "We can communicate just fine as we have been."
"You killed a DRD over translator microbes?" asked D'argo, clearly taken aback.
"Rather be safe than sorry," Jack replied with tight smile. The person Rygel had been talking to earlier interrupted them then.
"I'm sorry Pilot, but it's gone," D'argo answered, regarding the dead DRD sadly. Pilot asked something else to which the tall alien snapped, "No, it wasn't my fault! It was one of the humans!" He listened again to the tired voice. "He's not very happy with you," he told Jack.
But thankfully, D'argo didn't seem to be angry about it, or Rygel for that matter. It was rather surprising considering that most captains - COs in general, he amended, thinking of Jack - tended to be possessive of their vessels and gear.
"So you don't want microbes?" D'argo asked when the Pilot finally finished yelling at him. Another oddity that the crewman had such leeway to do so.
"No," said Jack. D'argo sighed and shrugged.
"Fine. You hungry?"
"We don't have enough to feed them!" Rygel declared indignantly, but D'argo ignored him, gesturing for SG-1 to follow him. Leaving their packs, they once again entered the maze of golden hallways.
D'argo showed them to the small dining room then left them to raid what served as a cupboard. A little surprised that they had to cook for themselves, Daniel was even more surprised that most of the food was recognizable. Cans of dehydrated vegetables, a little bit of frozen meat, and a large supply of flour and other baking goods sat on the shelves next to other foods in alien packaging.
"The cuisine suggests that they were indeed on Earth," commented Teal'c as the four of them took stock of the pantry. Daniel nodded in agreement.
"You know, I've been thinking about that," said Sam. Jack glanced at her to go on. Putting down her gun, Sam leaned against the table to give the rest of them room to cook. "We know that the stargate's language translation mechanism didn't work when we came through," she began.
"We also didn't come out where we were supposed to," Jack interjected. "Do you see a frying pan anywhere?" Teal'c handed him one and passed a pot to Daniel for the green beans. The linguist listened as Sam continued, wondering now how he was going to get the can open.
"Yes, sir. I think that's related. I think the gate we came through brought us to an alternate universe."
"Like the mirror?" Daniel forgot about finding a can opener.
"I don't know yet. But it would explain both why these aliens were on Earth without our knowing it and the language problem."
"So how do we get back?" asked Jack, needing no further convincing. Funny how it all seemed normal in an odd way, Daniel thought.
"I'll need to check out the stargate again," said Sam.
"Unfortunately we are far from the stargate," said Teal'c. "Our hosts have brought us to another planet."
"But they still need our help to get their friends out of the other place back there," said Jack. "I trust the big guy on that."
This brought Daniel's head once more out of the search for a can opener. "Oh?" he asked, surprised. "Why's that?" at Jack's look he added. "Not that I'm disagreeing because I believe him too. But you normally don't . . ."
"Follow strangers to other planets without a damn good reason?" finished Jack. "I know. It's just a feeling. Like with Teal'c. You've seen him with the girl. He just doesn't add up to being a threat."
"Yet he is clearly a warrior," Teal'c pointed out. "And he is never without his weapon."
"But he didn't ask us to check our guns at the door either," Jack indicated the guns and zats they all still carried. "We could take over this ship now if we wanted to."
"Good heavens, why would you want to do that?" Startled, the four of them looked up at the old woman who just bustled in as if she owned the place. While Daniel assured her that they really had no intention of taking over the ship, she maneuvered him out of the way over the can of beans. Grabbing a knife from the counter, she quickly mangled an opening into the top and dumped the beans into the pot.
"Good," she said brightly. "Because Moya, and Pilot for that matter, are really in no shape to do anything but heal. It wouldn't do any good to take her over. The water is in that container," she shoved the pot in Daniel's hands then pushed him towards said container none too gently. A little bewildered, Daniel did as he was told while the old woman sniffed the steaks Jack was frying, her eyes darting back and forth. "No spice," she declared grabbing a jar off the shelf above Sam. She took out some leaves, rolled them into a ball and spit on them. From another jar she took more leaves and mixed them with the first set, spitting on the whole thing again before ripping them to little pieces.
"Oh, no you don't!" Jack snatched the frying pan out of her reach when she tried to scatter her saliva ridden herbs on the steak. "We like it just fine the way it is."
"Nonsense. It will be bland without a little help," she said trying unsuccessfully to spice the steaks. Jack danced out of reach, and Daniel couldn't help but smile at the two of them.
"Bland is good!" the colonel declared, raising the pan above his head and holding her off with an outstretched arm.
"I believe O'Neill is trying to say 'no, thank you,'" Teal'c moved in between the two. Suitably distracted the old woman, who sidled up to the Jaffa with eyes flickering everywhere over his body.
"But you wouldn't say 'no,' now would you?" she inched closer. "Tall, strong," she murmured. To his credit, Teal'c only lifted an eyebrow at her proposition.
"I do not believe that would be wise," he said.
"Wisdom is best left to those who do not have sex," she replied, grabbing his hand. Teal'c quickly pulled it away and stepped back before she could try again.
Daniel blinked. She really was crazy! "So, uhh," he tried to think of something to rescue his friend. "How's Chiana?"
"Chiana," the woman, Norianti he suddenly remembered her name, glanced at him, the predatory look replaced by one of concern. "She will survive. D'argo is with her now. Once Stark puts her to sleep he'll be down to discuss the plan."
"Plan?" asked Jack warily. He still kept his body between her and the steak.
"For getting John and Aeryn out," D'argo himself said from the doorway, joining them. "Why don't you finish cooking first. We'll talk while we eat."
He leant a hand getting out plates and utensils while Daniel and Jack finished the steaks and beans. They were almost done when D'argo joined them at the stove. "She didn't put anything in them, did she?" he whispered anxiously.
"No," Daniel smiled.
"She tried, but we kept it all safe," Jack whispered back. D'argo heaved a sigh of relief, an almost comical expression crossing his face.
"Good work," he clapped them both gently on the shoulder. Glancing at each other, Daniel and Jack joined the rest at the table, ready to serve.
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Daniel helped D'argo settle the blind girl in his arms. The poor thing winced and hissed in pain when the two men jostled her fragile body. Daniel felt one of her wounds begin to bleed again through the bandage and silently cursed those that had done this to her. She seemed so young and innocent, though he did notice that she kept herself from crying out as D'argo held her.
A quick glance out the front window, told Daniel they were completely inside the other ship now. From what he'd seen as they had landed, the larger ship was on another planet in the middle of an ocean. The only question was what kind of ship, for water or for space. He'd thought they meant a space ship, but since they were in the water . . . Daniel would ask when he got the chance.
"So are you in charge of this boat too?" asked Jack after D'argo spoke the words to open the door. The alien glanced at him and said, "yes," before heading down the steps.
With a shrug to his team and another subtle look that told them to be ready for anything, Jack followed their hosts through the doors into what looked like a workroom and hangar combined. Large and airy, the golden walls curved ovoidly to the floor, a soft light emanating from behind rib-like supports that left much of the room in shadow. Two other space ships were to the right. The smaller one was too far away for Daniel to get a good look at because it was hidden by the other ship that was clearly a fighter, black and sleek.
"Would you look at that?" Sam breathed reverently. The pilot in her was clearly impressed. Even Daniel could appreciate the aerodynamic design that would fly efficiently in both space and atmosphere.
"Carter," Jack reprimanded her gently even as he gave the vessel a lingering look before ushering the team after their hosts.
The arrival of two other aliens, however, quickly diverted both theirs and Daniel's attention. The "insane" ones, Rygel had called them. Daniel watched with interest, surprised that they were of different species, both of each other and of D'argo and Rygel. The first was an old woman who looked like a human - with an extra eye in her forehead that glowed blue.
"Hello, humans," she said briskly in English before focusing on Chiana and reverting back to her native language. Clearly, she was the healer of the group; Daniel noticed her going through a cloth bag, as she hurried D'argo and his burden out of the room. She looked more competent than insane.
The second newcomer, on the other hand, was a little off. He was probably from human descent, Daniel thought. One half of his face was covered by a bronze mask. The man hung back from the others, bouncing slightly on his feet and talking to himself. As D'argo and the old woman walked by, he reached out a hand to Chiana only to snatch it back again before following them in a shuffling gait.
"So," said Jack, turning to Rygel with an expectant look. "Do we get lemonade?"
"We don't have lemons and we're out of sugar," the small alien answered briefly.
"Oh?" said Jack, surprised with the answer.
"Follow me," Rygel sighed. "I'll show you your quarters." He turned slowly in his floating chair and headed for the door.
Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, Daniel fell into step beside him as they ventured down the golden hallway. "Nice ship," he commented to break the ice. He noted that the spaces between the ribs could be used for cover. "Is it for space travel?"
"Yes. She's a Leviathan."
"So why are we in the middle of an ocean?" asked Jack with his usual directness.
"The water has minerals that are helping her and Pilot heal from being disconnected," Rygel said without looking at him.
"Disconnected?" Sam jumped into the conversation. "Your pilot has an interface with the ship?"
"Of course he does!" Rygel snapped, stopping to look at them in surprise. After a moment his look softened into resignation. "But then you're humans. You don't know anything."
Both Jack and Sam bristled, Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Daniel was about to say something about how they were not as stupid as they appeared, but Rygel went on before he got a chance.
"Moya is a biomechanoid. She and Pilot are symbiotes."
"Are you saying the ship is alive?" asked Carter. When Rygel nodded her eyes widened in wonder. Daniel felt his own surprise as he looked at the hallway around them. They really were ribs. Amazing! In all their travels, he had never seen anything like this.
"Can she feel us? See? Hear?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious. "Does she mind carrying us?"
"What about her systems? Biomechanoid, does that mean that some of the systems are biologic and some mechanical, or that it's a blend of both? Do you know how she was made?"
Rygel shrugged and continued down the hall, taking the left branch at the next junction. "She was born, I think," he said, ignoring the other questions.
"Born?" Jack glanced at Daniel with the same surprise the archeologist himself felt.
"Who could I talk to onboard who would know?" Sam asked, refusing to give up on this new wealth of information.
"Pilot, but he might not want to talk," Rygel answered. "Aeryn might know."
"Aeryn?" Jack jumped on the unfamiliar name. "One of your people we're rescuing?"
"She and Crichton, yes." He turned down another curved hallway, this one with lattice doors opening on either side. "Here's where you will stay," he told them. Rygel showed them how to open the doors to the three rooms on the hallway. Each one was spacious and sparse, containing only empty beds. The same soft glow filtered from the walls and ceiling. It looked cozy, if a little bare, almost like a cave.
"I suppose you'll need blankets," Ryegl eyed the rooms critically. "Pilot," he said to the air. Daniel glanced at Jack and Teal'c who had raised an eyebrow, but then an alien voice rasped from around them. Rygel rattle something off in his own language.
"Intership communications," Teal'c said softly.
"What did he say?" asked Daniel, when Rygel finished. The small being added something else to the air before answering.
"He's sending a DRD with blankets and microbes."
"DRD?" "Microbes?" asked Jack and Sam at the same time.
"Diagnostic Repair Drones," Rygel pointed to a yellow robot about the size of a cat approaching them on the floor. The little thing extended a syringe filled with a red liquid. "The translator microbes will let you understand all of us so we won't have to speak your barbaric language. Stark and Pilot don't speak English so you'll need the microbes to talk to them."
"When you say microbes . . . ?" Jack left it hanging.
"They colonize at the base of the brain and allow you to understand all other languages."
"Uh uh, no, no way," Jack said stepping back. "I'm not letting anything into my head. Understand?" For once, Daniel was inclined to agree with him. He shot a nervous glance at Sam who had paled at the thought of something else in her mind.
"Dominar, we've had some bad experiences with parasites," Daniel attempted to explain.
"Who hasn't?" Rygel returned. "But the microbes only translate, they do not take over your mind."
"Could we ever take them out?" asked Sam, eyeing the DRD with distaste.
"Why would you want to do that?" he was genuinely surprised by the question.
"Umm, it just wouldn't be a good idea," Daniel tried again. Janet would go ape-shit for one thing, not to mention the fact that they would probably be grounded by Hammond indefinitely.
"Ridiculous!" Rygel snapped. On cue, the little DRD rolled forward towards Jack who reacted in typical Jack fashion. When the smoke finally cleared, there was very little of the yellow robot left and one very angry two foot alien flying out of reach. "What the frell was that for?!" he yelled.
"Rygel! What happened?!" D'argo yelled over the communications. Daniel could hear the sound of running feet approaching from the hallway.
"Sorry," Jack offered, not sounding in the least apologetic.
"Jack." "Colonel," said Daniel and Sam reprovingly. He would never change.
"I do not believe that aided our endeavor," Teal'c added as D'argo barreled in, sword in hand. He took in the remains of the DRD, Jack's weapon and the other guilty looking members of SG-1 quickly.
"What happened?" he asked, lowering his sword.
"He didn't mean to," Daniel said hastily, darting a glance at his sheepish CO. "The thing tried to give Jack microbes and he kind of overreacted. If there's some way to make this up to you, if we hurt the ship . . ." Daniel trailed off, hoping against hope that they hadn't pissed off their hosts by destroying their property. If the ship really was alive, who knew what kind of damage Jack had inadvertently done.
"It's just that we really don't want those bug things in our heads," continued Jack. "We can communicate just fine as we have been."
"You killed a DRD over translator microbes?" asked D'argo, clearly taken aback.
"Rather be safe than sorry," Jack replied with tight smile. The person Rygel had been talking to earlier interrupted them then.
"I'm sorry Pilot, but it's gone," D'argo answered, regarding the dead DRD sadly. Pilot asked something else to which the tall alien snapped, "No, it wasn't my fault! It was one of the humans!" He listened again to the tired voice. "He's not very happy with you," he told Jack.
But thankfully, D'argo didn't seem to be angry about it, or Rygel for that matter. It was rather surprising considering that most captains - COs in general, he amended, thinking of Jack - tended to be possessive of their vessels and gear.
"So you don't want microbes?" D'argo asked when the Pilot finally finished yelling at him. Another oddity that the crewman had such leeway to do so.
"No," said Jack. D'argo sighed and shrugged.
"Fine. You hungry?"
"We don't have enough to feed them!" Rygel declared indignantly, but D'argo ignored him, gesturing for SG-1 to follow him. Leaving their packs, they once again entered the maze of golden hallways.
D'argo showed them to the small dining room then left them to raid what served as a cupboard. A little surprised that they had to cook for themselves, Daniel was even more surprised that most of the food was recognizable. Cans of dehydrated vegetables, a little bit of frozen meat, and a large supply of flour and other baking goods sat on the shelves next to other foods in alien packaging.
"The cuisine suggests that they were indeed on Earth," commented Teal'c as the four of them took stock of the pantry. Daniel nodded in agreement.
"You know, I've been thinking about that," said Sam. Jack glanced at her to go on. Putting down her gun, Sam leaned against the table to give the rest of them room to cook. "We know that the stargate's language translation mechanism didn't work when we came through," she began.
"We also didn't come out where we were supposed to," Jack interjected. "Do you see a frying pan anywhere?" Teal'c handed him one and passed a pot to Daniel for the green beans. The linguist listened as Sam continued, wondering now how he was going to get the can open.
"Yes, sir. I think that's related. I think the gate we came through brought us to an alternate universe."
"Like the mirror?" Daniel forgot about finding a can opener.
"I don't know yet. But it would explain both why these aliens were on Earth without our knowing it and the language problem."
"So how do we get back?" asked Jack, needing no further convincing. Funny how it all seemed normal in an odd way, Daniel thought.
"I'll need to check out the stargate again," said Sam.
"Unfortunately we are far from the stargate," said Teal'c. "Our hosts have brought us to another planet."
"But they still need our help to get their friends out of the other place back there," said Jack. "I trust the big guy on that."
This brought Daniel's head once more out of the search for a can opener. "Oh?" he asked, surprised. "Why's that?" at Jack's look he added. "Not that I'm disagreeing because I believe him too. But you normally don't . . ."
"Follow strangers to other planets without a damn good reason?" finished Jack. "I know. It's just a feeling. Like with Teal'c. You've seen him with the girl. He just doesn't add up to being a threat."
"Yet he is clearly a warrior," Teal'c pointed out. "And he is never without his weapon."
"But he didn't ask us to check our guns at the door either," Jack indicated the guns and zats they all still carried. "We could take over this ship now if we wanted to."
"Good heavens, why would you want to do that?" Startled, the four of them looked up at the old woman who just bustled in as if she owned the place. While Daniel assured her that they really had no intention of taking over the ship, she maneuvered him out of the way over the can of beans. Grabbing a knife from the counter, she quickly mangled an opening into the top and dumped the beans into the pot.
"Good," she said brightly. "Because Moya, and Pilot for that matter, are really in no shape to do anything but heal. It wouldn't do any good to take her over. The water is in that container," she shoved the pot in Daniel's hands then pushed him towards said container none too gently. A little bewildered, Daniel did as he was told while the old woman sniffed the steaks Jack was frying, her eyes darting back and forth. "No spice," she declared grabbing a jar off the shelf above Sam. She took out some leaves, rolled them into a ball and spit on them. From another jar she took more leaves and mixed them with the first set, spitting on the whole thing again before ripping them to little pieces.
"Oh, no you don't!" Jack snatched the frying pan out of her reach when she tried to scatter her saliva ridden herbs on the steak. "We like it just fine the way it is."
"Nonsense. It will be bland without a little help," she said trying unsuccessfully to spice the steaks. Jack danced out of reach, and Daniel couldn't help but smile at the two of them.
"Bland is good!" the colonel declared, raising the pan above his head and holding her off with an outstretched arm.
"I believe O'Neill is trying to say 'no, thank you,'" Teal'c moved in between the two. Suitably distracted the old woman, who sidled up to the Jaffa with eyes flickering everywhere over his body.
"But you wouldn't say 'no,' now would you?" she inched closer. "Tall, strong," she murmured. To his credit, Teal'c only lifted an eyebrow at her proposition.
"I do not believe that would be wise," he said.
"Wisdom is best left to those who do not have sex," she replied, grabbing his hand. Teal'c quickly pulled it away and stepped back before she could try again.
Daniel blinked. She really was crazy! "So, uhh," he tried to think of something to rescue his friend. "How's Chiana?"
"Chiana," the woman, Norianti he suddenly remembered her name, glanced at him, the predatory look replaced by one of concern. "She will survive. D'argo is with her now. Once Stark puts her to sleep he'll be down to discuss the plan."
"Plan?" asked Jack warily. He still kept his body between her and the steak.
"For getting John and Aeryn out," D'argo himself said from the doorway, joining them. "Why don't you finish cooking first. We'll talk while we eat."
He leant a hand getting out plates and utensils while Daniel and Jack finished the steaks and beans. They were almost done when D'argo joined them at the stove. "She didn't put anything in them, did she?" he whispered anxiously.
"No," Daniel smiled.
"She tried, but we kept it all safe," Jack whispered back. D'argo heaved a sigh of relief, an almost comical expression crossing his face.
"Good work," he clapped them both gently on the shoulder. Glancing at each other, Daniel and Jack joined the rest at the table, ready to serve.
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