A Tok'ra's Guide to the Tau'ri
by Anouk Sun Amun (anouk_sun_amun@hotmail.com)
Rating/Pairings/Season/Category/Disclaimer/Summary: See first chapter
-----------------------------------------------------
A/N: Okay, it's been a long time since I've updated this ('bout three weeks), but my life has been hectic. It's nearly the end of the school year and I've been weighed down with tonnes of work as my teachers have suddenly realised they don't have assessments on certain things. Plan to write more soon.
Also, I have taken some ideas from my last reviewer. They kinda let loose a whole hutch of plot bunnies. g
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"Sir..." Sam started, her voice catching.
"Carter," he replied, his tone harsh and cold. He had already changed into civilian clothes, and his posture screamed out that he wasn't happy. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that Sam had thought was only reserved for the Goa'uld.
Daniel's words rang through her mind: 'Jacks' jealous'
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Chapter Four: That's Supposed to Happen...
-----------------------------------------------------
Sam sighed with relief as she pushed the door open. The briefing had been tense, to say the least. The cold glare of Colonel O'Neill had been passed from her to Martouf. She hadn't been able to meet his eyes.
"Okay, where are we going first?" Daniel asked, apparently oblivious to the strain hanging thick in the air.
"It's a surprise," Jack announced. He pushed his way past the group gathering outside the briefing room. Yosef and Freya exchanged quizzical glances before following the seething colonel.
"At least they seem happy enough," Sam muttered as she made to go after them.
"Who?" Daniel questioned, walking beside her.
"Nothing, Daniel." Sam began walking faster.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"Sam."
She glanced briefly over her shoulder. Daniel saw the fleeting look. Sam sighed as he turned to see Jacob and Martouf talking quietly some distance behind them.
"Oh," was Daniel's reply. "Poor Jack." He slowed his pace and fell into line with Sam's dad and Martouf.
'Poor Jack? What about me?' Sam thought as she ran the day's earlier event over in her mind. 'How am I meant to make a choice like that?'
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"...And the monkeys! Don't make me start on the monkeys!" Jack waved both hands over his head to emphasise his point. His eyes were wide and his expression scared, but Sam could tell it was an act.
Freya, on the other hand, could not. It was starting to get painful. She had walked up beside Jack and quite innocently enquired about what they would be shown on their tour. Now it was to the point where Sam wanted to go and rescue her.
"They have huge teeth and froth at the mouth when you get near them!"
Sam was beginning to wonder what zoo they were actually going to, because she didn't know of any in Colorado Springs where the tigers had sabre-teeth and the otters had claws three inches long. Or one where the pelicans had to be kept behind steel bars, for that matter.
"When are we doing this, sir?" Sam called out, hoping Freya was smart enough to remove herself from Jack's side.
"The zoo? Tomorrow." He turned back to where Freya had been standing, only to find no-one there. With a confused expression on his face, he looked around spotted her trying to hide behind Jacob.
Sam pushed back her sleeve to reveal her watch. Only 0900. Great. "Uh, what time are we coming back to the base?"
"We're not," Daniel said flatly, not sounding at all pleased.
Sam felt her chest tighten. "We're not?" It took all her self control to not turn and run back to the General and beg him not to make her go.
"Yeah," Jack confirmed. "I thought it would show them more of our culture if we let them stay at one of our places." He continued walking.
"You think too much," Daniel said under his breath.
"Indeed, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed. "This could be most disastrous."
Daniel pressed his palm against his forehead. "This is going to cause on major headache. I can tell. Sam, maybe you can tell your dad that Jack's up to something so he can warn the others. The last thing we need is for Jack to destroy intergalactic relations for his own amusement. Knowing him..."
Sam lost the tail-end of his sentence as he stalked of after Jack, who had moved on to telling Yosef about the flesh-eating butterflies. She waited for her dad to catch up to her. While she was thinking how to word her caution Jacob was conversing in low tones with Freya.
"No, don't worry," he was telling her. "They only have two fences to keep the lions away from visitors, not three. It's the seals you should be concerned about."
"Why?" Freya asked, her tone unsure.
"Well," Jacob told her, "they've got tunnels around the edge of the tank under the water level. There's only glass separating you from the seals, and it you move too fast, they'll break it to get to you."
"And you Tau'ri keep these dangerous creatures?" Her voice was barely audible.
"Yeah, I really can't understand it," Jacob mused. A smile was threatening to break his sombre expression.
'Okay, Sam, you can panic now,' she thought. 'It's a conspiracy; it's gotta be.'
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Sam bit her lip when Jack walked up to the panel in front of the elevator and hit one of the buttons. The grin on his face made her nervous.
"Right, Jacob knows this but for the benefit of you other three...six including the snakes, this is an elevator," he launched into an explanation. Sam saw Daniel grit his teeth.
"What is its purpose?" Garshaw asked, obviously offended by his description of her kind.
"It will take us to the surface so we can start our fascinating journey," Jack replied.
The light at the top of the control panel blinked red and the door opened. The colonel seemed pleased when Martouf jumped.
"Are you telling me that you've never been in one of these?" he asked.
"General Hammond suggested we use the stairs," Martouf told him.
"None of that now," Jack said with fake cheer, "you're here to learn about us, you will learn to use an elevator!" He walked confidently into the small chamber and held the 'open door' button. "Come on, it doesn't bite," he encouraged mockingly.
Everyone stood still for a few moments. Finally, Garshaw walked forward. Her expression was neutral, but she visibly cringed as she crossed the threshold. Reluctantly Freya followed. Jacob motioned for Sam to precede him.
Soon they all were cramped into the small lift.
"I'd like to add at this point that all elevators in this base are guaranteed to carry thirteen people safely, so we're insured with this amount in here," he said. "Unless you include the snakes, of course."
Daniel flexed his fingers and forced a smile. Jack took his hand away from the button and the doors closed, nearly catching Martouf's sleeve. The startled Tok'ra leaned back, sending Freya into the wall.
"Oops," Jack said sarcastically. "Mind the doors, Marty." He smirked as Freya attempted unsuccessfully to straighten her halter-neck top.
"Surface, here we come," Jack announced and pressed the appropriate number on the key pad.
"God help the poor people of this planet," Jacob muttered to himself.
The lift lurched into movement and Martouf, Garshaw and Freya grabbed the support rails.
"Don't worry, it's almost completely safe," Jack assured.
At that moment the elevator lurched to a halt.
Jack looked at the worried faces of the Tok'ra. "That's supposed to happen," he said, shrugging his shoulders casually.
The lights flickered momentarily before going out entirely.
"Okay," Jack admitted, "that isn't."
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A/N: Did you know there used to be a town in Egypt called Naqada? There's a useless fact for you.
Reviews, anyone?
by Anouk Sun Amun (anouk_sun_amun@hotmail.com)
Rating/Pairings/Season/Category/Disclaimer/Summary: See first chapter
-----------------------------------------------------
A/N: Okay, it's been a long time since I've updated this ('bout three weeks), but my life has been hectic. It's nearly the end of the school year and I've been weighed down with tonnes of work as my teachers have suddenly realised they don't have assessments on certain things. Plan to write more soon.
Also, I have taken some ideas from my last reviewer. They kinda let loose a whole hutch of plot bunnies. g
-----------------------------------------------------
"Sir..." Sam started, her voice catching.
"Carter," he replied, his tone harsh and cold. He had already changed into civilian clothes, and his posture screamed out that he wasn't happy. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that Sam had thought was only reserved for the Goa'uld.
Daniel's words rang through her mind: 'Jacks' jealous'
-----------------------------------------------------
Chapter Four: That's Supposed to Happen...
-----------------------------------------------------
Sam sighed with relief as she pushed the door open. The briefing had been tense, to say the least. The cold glare of Colonel O'Neill had been passed from her to Martouf. She hadn't been able to meet his eyes.
"Okay, where are we going first?" Daniel asked, apparently oblivious to the strain hanging thick in the air.
"It's a surprise," Jack announced. He pushed his way past the group gathering outside the briefing room. Yosef and Freya exchanged quizzical glances before following the seething colonel.
"At least they seem happy enough," Sam muttered as she made to go after them.
"Who?" Daniel questioned, walking beside her.
"Nothing, Daniel." Sam began walking faster.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"Sam."
She glanced briefly over her shoulder. Daniel saw the fleeting look. Sam sighed as he turned to see Jacob and Martouf talking quietly some distance behind them.
"Oh," was Daniel's reply. "Poor Jack." He slowed his pace and fell into line with Sam's dad and Martouf.
'Poor Jack? What about me?' Sam thought as she ran the day's earlier event over in her mind. 'How am I meant to make a choice like that?'
-----------------------------------------------------
"...And the monkeys! Don't make me start on the monkeys!" Jack waved both hands over his head to emphasise his point. His eyes were wide and his expression scared, but Sam could tell it was an act.
Freya, on the other hand, could not. It was starting to get painful. She had walked up beside Jack and quite innocently enquired about what they would be shown on their tour. Now it was to the point where Sam wanted to go and rescue her.
"They have huge teeth and froth at the mouth when you get near them!"
Sam was beginning to wonder what zoo they were actually going to, because she didn't know of any in Colorado Springs where the tigers had sabre-teeth and the otters had claws three inches long. Or one where the pelicans had to be kept behind steel bars, for that matter.
"When are we doing this, sir?" Sam called out, hoping Freya was smart enough to remove herself from Jack's side.
"The zoo? Tomorrow." He turned back to where Freya had been standing, only to find no-one there. With a confused expression on his face, he looked around spotted her trying to hide behind Jacob.
Sam pushed back her sleeve to reveal her watch. Only 0900. Great. "Uh, what time are we coming back to the base?"
"We're not," Daniel said flatly, not sounding at all pleased.
Sam felt her chest tighten. "We're not?" It took all her self control to not turn and run back to the General and beg him not to make her go.
"Yeah," Jack confirmed. "I thought it would show them more of our culture if we let them stay at one of our places." He continued walking.
"You think too much," Daniel said under his breath.
"Indeed, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed. "This could be most disastrous."
Daniel pressed his palm against his forehead. "This is going to cause on major headache. I can tell. Sam, maybe you can tell your dad that Jack's up to something so he can warn the others. The last thing we need is for Jack to destroy intergalactic relations for his own amusement. Knowing him..."
Sam lost the tail-end of his sentence as he stalked of after Jack, who had moved on to telling Yosef about the flesh-eating butterflies. She waited for her dad to catch up to her. While she was thinking how to word her caution Jacob was conversing in low tones with Freya.
"No, don't worry," he was telling her. "They only have two fences to keep the lions away from visitors, not three. It's the seals you should be concerned about."
"Why?" Freya asked, her tone unsure.
"Well," Jacob told her, "they've got tunnels around the edge of the tank under the water level. There's only glass separating you from the seals, and it you move too fast, they'll break it to get to you."
"And you Tau'ri keep these dangerous creatures?" Her voice was barely audible.
"Yeah, I really can't understand it," Jacob mused. A smile was threatening to break his sombre expression.
'Okay, Sam, you can panic now,' she thought. 'It's a conspiracy; it's gotta be.'
-----------------------------------------------------
Sam bit her lip when Jack walked up to the panel in front of the elevator and hit one of the buttons. The grin on his face made her nervous.
"Right, Jacob knows this but for the benefit of you other three...six including the snakes, this is an elevator," he launched into an explanation. Sam saw Daniel grit his teeth.
"What is its purpose?" Garshaw asked, obviously offended by his description of her kind.
"It will take us to the surface so we can start our fascinating journey," Jack replied.
The light at the top of the control panel blinked red and the door opened. The colonel seemed pleased when Martouf jumped.
"Are you telling me that you've never been in one of these?" he asked.
"General Hammond suggested we use the stairs," Martouf told him.
"None of that now," Jack said with fake cheer, "you're here to learn about us, you will learn to use an elevator!" He walked confidently into the small chamber and held the 'open door' button. "Come on, it doesn't bite," he encouraged mockingly.
Everyone stood still for a few moments. Finally, Garshaw walked forward. Her expression was neutral, but she visibly cringed as she crossed the threshold. Reluctantly Freya followed. Jacob motioned for Sam to precede him.
Soon they all were cramped into the small lift.
"I'd like to add at this point that all elevators in this base are guaranteed to carry thirteen people safely, so we're insured with this amount in here," he said. "Unless you include the snakes, of course."
Daniel flexed his fingers and forced a smile. Jack took his hand away from the button and the doors closed, nearly catching Martouf's sleeve. The startled Tok'ra leaned back, sending Freya into the wall.
"Oops," Jack said sarcastically. "Mind the doors, Marty." He smirked as Freya attempted unsuccessfully to straighten her halter-neck top.
"Surface, here we come," Jack announced and pressed the appropriate number on the key pad.
"God help the poor people of this planet," Jacob muttered to himself.
The lift lurched into movement and Martouf, Garshaw and Freya grabbed the support rails.
"Don't worry, it's almost completely safe," Jack assured.
At that moment the elevator lurched to a halt.
Jack looked at the worried faces of the Tok'ra. "That's supposed to happen," he said, shrugging his shoulders casually.
The lights flickered momentarily before going out entirely.
"Okay," Jack admitted, "that isn't."
-----------------------------------------------------
A/N: Did you know there used to be a town in Egypt called Naqada? There's a useless fact for you.
Reviews, anyone?