Chapter One
"Journey to Avula"
The Colonel and his team watched as the gate engaged and the event horizon settled.
"OK people," he said, raising his right arm above his head. "Head 'em up, " he dropped his arm, "and move 'em out."
"O'Neill," T'eal'c said as he walked up the ramp, "I am not familiar with, "Head 'em up." This is a military term?" Jonas paused to listen to O'Neill's reply, an uncertain frown on his face as well.
"I'll tell you about it later, Teal'c. You, too, Jonas. Round the campfire." He smiled. "When the doggies retire."
Teal'c and Jonas both hesitated, definitely confused.
"Teal'c; Jonas," Sam said, standing between them and touching them both on the shoulders. "Don't sweat it." She cast a severe look toward the Colonel. "I sometimes think you try to confuse them, Sir."
O'Neill looked hurt. "I do not!"
Teal'c looked between Carter and O'Neill. "But why would this make me sweat?"
Carter giggled, and O'Neill smiled, looking down at his 2IC. "Now who is confusing whom?" His voice took on a commanding aspect. "OK people, let's forget about this for now - we'll sort it out later. Just be prepared for whatever we find on the other side. Move out."
* * *
Avula was a cool and damp sort of place, with huge trees covered in moss. The gate however, had a cobbled road - a distinctly red brick road - which stretched out far beyond the hills and horizon, beyond what the eye could see. While they had left the SGC early Earth time - it appeared to be late afternoon on Avula.
Waiting near the gate was a young man, standing near a sleek sort of wheeless car. The young man was young; and quite beautiful.
Upon their arrival the youth stepped toward them and smiled. Sam stared, enthralled. The boy was beautiful before, but then when he smiled - it was like the sun coming out. She realised that she had stopped breathing, and suddenly breathed in with a sigh.
"I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill,"
The youth held out his hand to O'Neill. He took and shook it, surprised that the boy knew the Earth custom; surprised also by his age, the strength of his grip - and his looks.
"Troll," said the youth. His face showed the experience and confidence of a much older man.
"Right," Jack winced. Ridiculous name. Looks more like an elf!
"This is Major Carter." The elf took her hand, but instead of a shake he slowly raised it to his lips and kissed it. To Sam the world seemed to move in slow motion and then stop as all the while his blue, blue eyes stared at her intently.
"A pleasure, my Lady."
Sam blushed, entranced. She couldn't take her eyes off his face, and with real difficulty forced herself to look down and away from him. Her whole body flushed, and she had a mental picture of him touching her, stroking her and kissing her - and possessing her with those eyes. Ashamed, Sam shook her head. She must be desperate - fantasising about a teenage boy. She forced herself to look at him professionally. Tall, slim and athletic. Yummy! Man, was he giving off pheromones? The men were obviously not affected. Hey, blue denim jeans - where did he get those???
"Carter?" The Colonel questioned, knowing something was up.
"Nothing, Sir," she said, avoiding his eyes.
Troll went on to Teal'c, and with his fingers together, bowed in a traditional greeting. "Honoured one. How comes it that you serve no God?"
Teal'c returned the bow. "The Goau'ld are not Gods. I serve with the Tauri to free our people."
Trolled grinned widely, and then laughed - his laughter sounding like joy, and bells and the magic of Christmas rolled into one. "Indeed! You are the first free Jaffa I have known! I sense a story here! Well done! This is unexpected!"
After meeting Jonas, and discussing his world (Troll had never been there, but hoped to visit) he turned to the group as a whole, suddenly, utterly childlike he began to talk without pause, "Do you like the red brick road? I built it after visiting an alternate Earth reality- you know, after the "Wizard of Australia" - great movie - I have it on DDD. That's where I got the blue jeans, too." He gestured to the sleek little car - "Hop in, this is a flier - you're going to love it. It is just like Luke StarWalkers - watch this!"
Colonel O'Neill looked at Carter, "Well Dorthy, you've come home!" She smiled wanly as they scrambled in (Carter careful to sit in the back and away from the proximity of her strange attraction) "Don'tlookattheelfdon'tlookattheelf". Troll engaged the engine and the car rose up. Carter and Jonas eyes lit up -
"Electromagnet!" she said
"Energy field!" Jonas shouted back from the other side of the car.
"How does it maintain its flux?" They babbled on together, and O'Neill rolled his eyes, smiling toward Teal'c, who also enjoyed his team mate's sense of joy. Suddenly Troll engaged the engine and speech was impossible as they flew down the, "Red Brick Road" about 2 feet from the surface.
Feeling like a boy experiencing his first time in a plane, O'Neill watched the miles rush by, before the flier suddenly stopped at the top of a hill with a huge vista in front of it. The elf stood up, while the car idled - still two feet off the ground.
"Look over there," he pointed down among the plains toward a large, sprawling city set amongst enormous trees, shining red gold in an Avulian sunset. Wide green spaces alternated with cathedral-like spires and towers, bridges and roadways. "Those are my people." He looked down as them, almost shyly beneath his long dark eyelashes. "Actually, they are no relation - but I consider that we are family. They rely on me. I don't hold with the Star Trek "non-interference" principal." He grinned. "I help them as much as possible."
He sat back n the seat and began to drive once more. "Won't be long now. We'll be at my home and you can see my collection."
"And collect some naquadah - once we sort out a suitable trade," the Colonel added, his mind on his mission.
The elf grinned. "Of course!"
The Colonel sat back and reflected. SG8 had found Troll on another world. Troll had approached them, and told them that he was a collector and trader. He somehow knew that SG8 had wanted naquadah. O'Neill frowned. It wasn't really suspicious. All the SG teams were on the lookout for the stuff. But there was something that didn't quite fit. Troll himself was quite the charmer. Even he, Jack the sarcastic and cynical was not immune to Troll's..well, charisma. He sure didn't like the way Troll looked at Carter. Or the way Carter looked at him. But how did a kid get the kind of knowledge and experience he had. Long-lived race??? Either way, Troll refused to trade with SG 8. He wanted only deal with "the best" - and that was SG1. So here they were, and so far all was well. He looked back at the others as they flew along, and grinned widely. He was having a lot more fun than he expected, or certainly had any right to expect on mission.
* * *
"Journey to Avula"
The Colonel and his team watched as the gate engaged and the event horizon settled.
"OK people," he said, raising his right arm above his head. "Head 'em up, " he dropped his arm, "and move 'em out."
"O'Neill," T'eal'c said as he walked up the ramp, "I am not familiar with, "Head 'em up." This is a military term?" Jonas paused to listen to O'Neill's reply, an uncertain frown on his face as well.
"I'll tell you about it later, Teal'c. You, too, Jonas. Round the campfire." He smiled. "When the doggies retire."
Teal'c and Jonas both hesitated, definitely confused.
"Teal'c; Jonas," Sam said, standing between them and touching them both on the shoulders. "Don't sweat it." She cast a severe look toward the Colonel. "I sometimes think you try to confuse them, Sir."
O'Neill looked hurt. "I do not!"
Teal'c looked between Carter and O'Neill. "But why would this make me sweat?"
Carter giggled, and O'Neill smiled, looking down at his 2IC. "Now who is confusing whom?" His voice took on a commanding aspect. "OK people, let's forget about this for now - we'll sort it out later. Just be prepared for whatever we find on the other side. Move out."
* * *
Avula was a cool and damp sort of place, with huge trees covered in moss. The gate however, had a cobbled road - a distinctly red brick road - which stretched out far beyond the hills and horizon, beyond what the eye could see. While they had left the SGC early Earth time - it appeared to be late afternoon on Avula.
Waiting near the gate was a young man, standing near a sleek sort of wheeless car. The young man was young; and quite beautiful.
Upon their arrival the youth stepped toward them and smiled. Sam stared, enthralled. The boy was beautiful before, but then when he smiled - it was like the sun coming out. She realised that she had stopped breathing, and suddenly breathed in with a sigh.
"I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill,"
The youth held out his hand to O'Neill. He took and shook it, surprised that the boy knew the Earth custom; surprised also by his age, the strength of his grip - and his looks.
"Troll," said the youth. His face showed the experience and confidence of a much older man.
"Right," Jack winced. Ridiculous name. Looks more like an elf!
"This is Major Carter." The elf took her hand, but instead of a shake he slowly raised it to his lips and kissed it. To Sam the world seemed to move in slow motion and then stop as all the while his blue, blue eyes stared at her intently.
"A pleasure, my Lady."
Sam blushed, entranced. She couldn't take her eyes off his face, and with real difficulty forced herself to look down and away from him. Her whole body flushed, and she had a mental picture of him touching her, stroking her and kissing her - and possessing her with those eyes. Ashamed, Sam shook her head. She must be desperate - fantasising about a teenage boy. She forced herself to look at him professionally. Tall, slim and athletic. Yummy! Man, was he giving off pheromones? The men were obviously not affected. Hey, blue denim jeans - where did he get those???
"Carter?" The Colonel questioned, knowing something was up.
"Nothing, Sir," she said, avoiding his eyes.
Troll went on to Teal'c, and with his fingers together, bowed in a traditional greeting. "Honoured one. How comes it that you serve no God?"
Teal'c returned the bow. "The Goau'ld are not Gods. I serve with the Tauri to free our people."
Trolled grinned widely, and then laughed - his laughter sounding like joy, and bells and the magic of Christmas rolled into one. "Indeed! You are the first free Jaffa I have known! I sense a story here! Well done! This is unexpected!"
After meeting Jonas, and discussing his world (Troll had never been there, but hoped to visit) he turned to the group as a whole, suddenly, utterly childlike he began to talk without pause, "Do you like the red brick road? I built it after visiting an alternate Earth reality- you know, after the "Wizard of Australia" - great movie - I have it on DDD. That's where I got the blue jeans, too." He gestured to the sleek little car - "Hop in, this is a flier - you're going to love it. It is just like Luke StarWalkers - watch this!"
Colonel O'Neill looked at Carter, "Well Dorthy, you've come home!" She smiled wanly as they scrambled in (Carter careful to sit in the back and away from the proximity of her strange attraction) "Don'tlookattheelfdon'tlookattheelf". Troll engaged the engine and the car rose up. Carter and Jonas eyes lit up -
"Electromagnet!" she said
"Energy field!" Jonas shouted back from the other side of the car.
"How does it maintain its flux?" They babbled on together, and O'Neill rolled his eyes, smiling toward Teal'c, who also enjoyed his team mate's sense of joy. Suddenly Troll engaged the engine and speech was impossible as they flew down the, "Red Brick Road" about 2 feet from the surface.
Feeling like a boy experiencing his first time in a plane, O'Neill watched the miles rush by, before the flier suddenly stopped at the top of a hill with a huge vista in front of it. The elf stood up, while the car idled - still two feet off the ground.
"Look over there," he pointed down among the plains toward a large, sprawling city set amongst enormous trees, shining red gold in an Avulian sunset. Wide green spaces alternated with cathedral-like spires and towers, bridges and roadways. "Those are my people." He looked down as them, almost shyly beneath his long dark eyelashes. "Actually, they are no relation - but I consider that we are family. They rely on me. I don't hold with the Star Trek "non-interference" principal." He grinned. "I help them as much as possible."
He sat back n the seat and began to drive once more. "Won't be long now. We'll be at my home and you can see my collection."
"And collect some naquadah - once we sort out a suitable trade," the Colonel added, his mind on his mission.
The elf grinned. "Of course!"
The Colonel sat back and reflected. SG8 had found Troll on another world. Troll had approached them, and told them that he was a collector and trader. He somehow knew that SG8 had wanted naquadah. O'Neill frowned. It wasn't really suspicious. All the SG teams were on the lookout for the stuff. But there was something that didn't quite fit. Troll himself was quite the charmer. Even he, Jack the sarcastic and cynical was not immune to Troll's..well, charisma. He sure didn't like the way Troll looked at Carter. Or the way Carter looked at him. But how did a kid get the kind of knowledge and experience he had. Long-lived race??? Either way, Troll refused to trade with SG 8. He wanted only deal with "the best" - and that was SG1. So here they were, and so far all was well. He looked back at the others as they flew along, and grinned widely. He was having a lot more fun than he expected, or certainly had any right to expect on mission.
* * *