Author's Notes: Plot! Plot! There's more plot! Isn't this exciting? ;) Thanks for the continuing reviews: really very encouraging... I fear I've begun to crave affirmation... I check my email waaaaaay too many times a day to see if anyone new has read and reviewed the latest chapter... it's pretty sad for me. Please keep filling my lame little existence with your criticism/support.
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Daniel began pacing the small room. Every few turns, he would make an attempt to stand still, only to journey the same path seconds later. Sam sat cross-legged on the tile floor, elbows on her knees, and head in her hands: using the radio from one of the jeeps and one of SG1's communication radios, she was indeed able to rig up something that would emit the correct frequency that she and Daniel hypothesized would open whatever it was the sphere-lock opened. Her job was done; unfortunately, Daniel hadn't really had a job since Colonel O'Neill had left – his excitement had been growing steadily and exponentially until it could barely be contained. Sam half-expected that he would spontaneously combust at any moment. The archaeologist had set his ambition aside long enough to have the foresight to keep the other members of the civilian team away while SG1 was investigating, though he hadn't told Sam how he'd managed to keep them away on the verge of so great a discovery. It took great will power for Daniel to pull himself away from the temple long enough to even perform such a duty, and Sam was a little surprised that Colonel O'Neill hadn't returned yet, especially knowing how anxious Daniel would get. In some dark corner of her mind, Sam suspected that maybe this was the colonel's way of teaching Daniel the virtue of patience.
"Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" the colonel, followed by Teal'c, sauntered down the steps.
"Where've you guys been?" Daniel finally stopped his pacing to stare at them while Sam brought herself back to a standing position.
"Easy, Daniel." Jack gripped his shoulder melodramatically. "Take a deep breath." The colonel took an exaggerated breath himself, turning his free hand in circles, indicating that Daniel should join him in the breathing exercise.
Sam smiled, but Daniel wasn't finding it all that funny. He pursed his lips and nodded his head at the mockery. He raised his eyebrows: "Are you all done, or...?" he questioned.
Colonel O'Neill lost his smile and dropped his hands. "Right." He turned to Sam. "Carter, we all set?"
"Yes, sir." She replied, holding up the device she'd put together.
Jack turned back to Daniel as Teal'c began pulling zats and berettas out of a duffle bag. "No one's gonna drop in unexpectedly?"
"No." Daniel returned, his brow furrowing at being handed weapons. "Kurt's taking care of it." He looked from the zat Teal'c had just given him to his friend. "What exactly do you think we're gonna find in here, Jack?"
"Daniel, this is gould technology: if we were really gonna do this my way, I'd have a P90 and SG3 and 7 here with us." He replied before bringing the conversation back around. "What'd you tell him?"
"I told him to trust me."
Jack thought a moment and nodded. "Good enough for me." He turned to his side. "Teal'c?"
"I am ready, O'Neill." The jaffa answered, activating his zat.
"Carter." Jack smiled and pumped a fist in a 'go get 'em' kind of motion.
Sam nodded her understanding and flipped on the CB. She adjusted a knob and waited: there was silence.
"Carter?" Jack whispered.
"We won't be able to hear it, Sir." She answered. "The frequency is too high."
"Right." Jack answered. "I knew that." He turned to Teal'c: "I knew that."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow in response. Suddenly, a rumbling could be heard.
"Daniel?" Jack asked.
The archaeologist looked back, surprised. "I don't know."
"Carter?" Jack attempted.
"Not a clue, Sir." She replied.
"Teal'c?" was Jack's last resort.
"I have seen no goa'uld technology such as this, O'Neill." He answered, as two narrow doorways opened out of one wall, creating a shower of dust.
Jack let out a low whistle. "Cool." He turned to Daniel. "This thing stable?"
Daniel however, was interested in other things. He immediately stepped forward to examine what used to be a wall.
"This is incredible." He stated. "We looked all over this wall – there were no seams, no indication of anything –"
"Daniel." Jack tried again, louder this time.
The archaeologist turned and looked, half crouching as he was examining the walls to see how the doors could possibly have been so well hidden.
"Are we safe in here?" Jack asked again.
Daniel stood, nodding his head emphatically. "Yeah. Yeah. We should be fine."
"Alright. Coms on." Jack ordered. "Teal'c, you're with Daniel. Carter, with me." Jack looked at both doorways. "Teal'c, which one you want?"
"Shall we Roshambo, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Roshambo?" Daniel questioned. "I don't know what that – is that gould, or...?"
"Rock, paper, scissors." Jack answered.
Daniel thought a moment and then turned toward the door on the left. "We'll go this way." He called out as he turned on a flashlight and entered the dark passageway.
Jack held out a hand toward the other doorway. "Ladies first."
Sam turned on her own light and entered the tunnel. The two officers almost immediately came upon an alcove. It held a faint glow and was draped on either side by heavy fabric.
"Wonder what's behind curtain number one?" Jack joked as they approached.
Sam peered in first: "It's a hand device, Sir." She informed him.
Jack looked in for himself. "Damn." He muttered. "Alright. Carter, pack it up."
"Yes, Sir." She answered as he spoke into his radio.
"Teal'c. Daniel. You got anything?"
"We have found what appears to be another storeroom, O'Neill." Teal'c's deep voice echoed throughout the mostly empty room that Jack and Sam were in.
"Jack, this is incredible!" Daniel's voice joined in. "There's enough here to keep Elena, Otto, and Bernadette busy for weeks!" he enthused. "There are tablets – I think Dr. Bailey could be a great help in translating –"
"It'll keep." Jack interrupted. "Meet back at the entrance."
"Jack, what...?" Daniel questioned.
"We found a hand device." Sam supplied into her own com.
"We will arrive shortly." Teal'c answered.
It took only a matter of seconds to return to the room with the Asguard sphere, both pairs emerging at the same time.
"Daniel –" Jack immediately began.
"Wait, Jack." Daniel jumped in, guessing correctly what his friend was about to say. "There's no reason to send everyone packing yet. They could be helpful."
"Yeah. Or they could dig their way right to a gould." Jack pointed out.
"There's no indication that anything... or anyone is still in here, right Teal'c?" Daniel asked.
"I do not sense a presence, Daniel Jackson." He replied.
Daniel turned to Sam.
"Me neither." She answered honestly.
"Besides," Daniel turned his argument back to the colonel, "even if there was something at one time, it's probably long dead. Marduk wouldn't have lasted as long as he did –"
"Except for the fact that he jumped his snaky ass inside that creepy-crawly thing with the great big teeth!" Jack interrupted, holding fingers out as an emphatic indication of teeth.
Daniel lowered his voice and there was something in his eyes that Jack couldn't figure out, other than to recognize it as the same thing that he had seen in Daniel since his feelings of inadequacy had begun. "Jack, their expertise could be very valuable. Dr. Bailey alone –"
Jack rolled his eyes and sighed, giving in. "Alright." He turned to his second-in-command. "Carter, put that thing someplace safe."