Far above the mountain, a chain of seemingly harmless events was coming to
a head. The pine trees at the very edge of the tree line – some of which
had been standing for well over two hundred years – were creaking under the
weight of the heavy snowfall. This was nothing new, for it happened every
year, but eventually it would take its toll. This, too, happened every
year. The thick snow pack was reflecting the brilliant afternoon sun,
causing the snow on the branches to begin melting. Nothing that seemed too
extreme. Certainly it wasn't melting enough to cause flooding. However, it
was enough to make the snow on the already burdened branches even heavier,
and finally the weight became too much. A huge branch snapped off with a
noise that sounded like a cannon. The noise itself wasn't enough to trigger
the avalanche, but the weight of the branch hitting the very edge of the
already unstable snow pack was.
It started small. So small that if there had been a couple more of the mighty pine trees on the slope they might have been enough to stop it before it even began. There weren't, however, and the shifting snow pack began to pick up speed, gathering more snow and debris as gravity took control. A thunderous noise was all the warning that was given as the snow tumbled down the mountain, completely out of control, and oblivious to everything that was swept up in its path.
~*~
Jack didn't hear it coming. He was covered with a laughing child, and his ears were partially muffled by the warm woolen stocking hat he was wearing. He felt a slight change in the air pressure around him, and then felt a rumbling – even through the rubber inner tube – and looked up the slope curiously, wondering what was going on. All he saw was a thick wall of white hurtling towards him, Andrew and Teal'c at an impossible speed. He had just enough time to grab tightly to Andrew just as he felt Teal'c's own powerful arms coming around him, then the three of them were swept up in the tumultuous wave of snow and branches. From then, it was simply a matter of holding on, for there was no controlling where they went, or where they were going to stop.
~*~
The rattling of windows was the first warning the people in the lodge were given that something was wrong. The majority of them were sitting in the main living room, chatting comfortably as they warmed up before heading back outside for another round of sledding. Most were drinking something warm, although Daniel – who had been inside all afternoon and didn't need warming up – had switched over to a beer. He was talking to Lucille, who'd taken Darrin's place on the couch a few hours earlier, and was telling her all about himself – without even realizing he was doing it.
They all heard the noise at about the same time, and everyone looked around curiously.
"Earthquake?"
"In the mountains?"
There wasn't time for much more than just that. The next thing they all knew the lodge shuddered, rocked on its very foundations as if something powerful had just crashed into the side of the building. The lights flickered, and then went out completely, but the room was still well lit by the roaring fireplace and the late afternoon sun that was coming in through the windows, so not everyone noticed that they'd just lost power. Everyone jumped to their feet – except Daniel – and there was an exodus to the side exit as they all rushed to see what had happened, all of them talking at once, and yelling to be heard over the others.
"Everyone back!"
Shelby's voice broke through the rest of the noise, and the older woman came out of the kitchen with Shawn in tow. She'd been filling a thermos with coffee, and was still holding the lid, even though she'd dropped the pot in surprise when she'd felt the impact with the lodge.
They all stopped, almost at the exact instant. With all of them looking at her as though they expected her to know what had happened. She had a faint inkling of what it might have been and took a mental headcount even as she scurried to the door. Most of them were there. She opened up the door, and they crowded around behind her, all of them looking out, many expecting to see some kind of plane crash or something. Anything that would explain the noise and the shuddering of the ground. What they saw was nothing. Beyond the trees that lined the walkway to the ski slope, all they saw was snow. Which didn't sink in until they realized that the snow was several feet deeper now than it had been only minutes before.
"Oh my God."
~*~
The builders of the Stephens Lodge knew the mountains. They knew the possibilities and the risks that were inherent whenever you tried to live someplace that wasn't as friendly to mankind's presence. They built the lodge with those very real dangers in mind. The lodge itself was structurally reinforced with steel beams, doubly so on the walls that faced the mountain slope. These walls also had no windows, which was why none of the people in it had seen anything coming. Windows were pretty, and decorative, and in the event of a snow slide of any magnitude, windows were deadly when they broke and threw glass everywhere. Besides, windows were a flaw in structural soundness.
They had also built the lodge slightly higher than the area around it, raising the reinforced foundation slightly. Then they'd planted trees on the mountain slope right above the lodge, and had carefully nurtured them until they formed a thick shelter against all but the most severe of slides. The parking area was in the very front of the lodge, where cars and trucks and other vehicles wouldn't be picked up and tossed against the building like nothing more than ammunition against the structural safety. And a natural looking – but completely man-made gully had been formed above the trees in hopes that the snow would follow the curves of the furrow and miss the building completely.
All of these measures had taken affect in the moments during the avalanche, and had combined to keep the building standing firm, even when the mountain had fallen down around it. The ski slope was wiped out, and the towrope was either buried or carried away, but the building and the people that had been in it were still there. And were safe.
"What is it?" Daniel asked, reaching for his crutches and struggling to his feet. He made his way over to the doorway, and shocked children and adults alike made room so he could get past them. He made his way to the entrance and looked out, and felt his jaw drop as his mind took in what his eyes were seeing.
"Oh, God. Who was out there?" He looked around, counting heads and comparing faces, and knew instantly who wasn't there. Shawn had already known, since he was the last one in.
"Jack, Andrew and Teal'c."
It started small. So small that if there had been a couple more of the mighty pine trees on the slope they might have been enough to stop it before it even began. There weren't, however, and the shifting snow pack began to pick up speed, gathering more snow and debris as gravity took control. A thunderous noise was all the warning that was given as the snow tumbled down the mountain, completely out of control, and oblivious to everything that was swept up in its path.
~*~
Jack didn't hear it coming. He was covered with a laughing child, and his ears were partially muffled by the warm woolen stocking hat he was wearing. He felt a slight change in the air pressure around him, and then felt a rumbling – even through the rubber inner tube – and looked up the slope curiously, wondering what was going on. All he saw was a thick wall of white hurtling towards him, Andrew and Teal'c at an impossible speed. He had just enough time to grab tightly to Andrew just as he felt Teal'c's own powerful arms coming around him, then the three of them were swept up in the tumultuous wave of snow and branches. From then, it was simply a matter of holding on, for there was no controlling where they went, or where they were going to stop.
~*~
The rattling of windows was the first warning the people in the lodge were given that something was wrong. The majority of them were sitting in the main living room, chatting comfortably as they warmed up before heading back outside for another round of sledding. Most were drinking something warm, although Daniel – who had been inside all afternoon and didn't need warming up – had switched over to a beer. He was talking to Lucille, who'd taken Darrin's place on the couch a few hours earlier, and was telling her all about himself – without even realizing he was doing it.
They all heard the noise at about the same time, and everyone looked around curiously.
"Earthquake?"
"In the mountains?"
There wasn't time for much more than just that. The next thing they all knew the lodge shuddered, rocked on its very foundations as if something powerful had just crashed into the side of the building. The lights flickered, and then went out completely, but the room was still well lit by the roaring fireplace and the late afternoon sun that was coming in through the windows, so not everyone noticed that they'd just lost power. Everyone jumped to their feet – except Daniel – and there was an exodus to the side exit as they all rushed to see what had happened, all of them talking at once, and yelling to be heard over the others.
"Everyone back!"
Shelby's voice broke through the rest of the noise, and the older woman came out of the kitchen with Shawn in tow. She'd been filling a thermos with coffee, and was still holding the lid, even though she'd dropped the pot in surprise when she'd felt the impact with the lodge.
They all stopped, almost at the exact instant. With all of them looking at her as though they expected her to know what had happened. She had a faint inkling of what it might have been and took a mental headcount even as she scurried to the door. Most of them were there. She opened up the door, and they crowded around behind her, all of them looking out, many expecting to see some kind of plane crash or something. Anything that would explain the noise and the shuddering of the ground. What they saw was nothing. Beyond the trees that lined the walkway to the ski slope, all they saw was snow. Which didn't sink in until they realized that the snow was several feet deeper now than it had been only minutes before.
"Oh my God."
~*~
The builders of the Stephens Lodge knew the mountains. They knew the possibilities and the risks that were inherent whenever you tried to live someplace that wasn't as friendly to mankind's presence. They built the lodge with those very real dangers in mind. The lodge itself was structurally reinforced with steel beams, doubly so on the walls that faced the mountain slope. These walls also had no windows, which was why none of the people in it had seen anything coming. Windows were pretty, and decorative, and in the event of a snow slide of any magnitude, windows were deadly when they broke and threw glass everywhere. Besides, windows were a flaw in structural soundness.
They had also built the lodge slightly higher than the area around it, raising the reinforced foundation slightly. Then they'd planted trees on the mountain slope right above the lodge, and had carefully nurtured them until they formed a thick shelter against all but the most severe of slides. The parking area was in the very front of the lodge, where cars and trucks and other vehicles wouldn't be picked up and tossed against the building like nothing more than ammunition against the structural safety. And a natural looking – but completely man-made gully had been formed above the trees in hopes that the snow would follow the curves of the furrow and miss the building completely.
All of these measures had taken affect in the moments during the avalanche, and had combined to keep the building standing firm, even when the mountain had fallen down around it. The ski slope was wiped out, and the towrope was either buried or carried away, but the building and the people that had been in it were still there. And were safe.
"What is it?" Daniel asked, reaching for his crutches and struggling to his feet. He made his way over to the doorway, and shocked children and adults alike made room so he could get past them. He made his way to the entrance and looked out, and felt his jaw drop as his mind took in what his eyes were seeing.
"Oh, God. Who was out there?" He looked around, counting heads and comparing faces, and knew instantly who wasn't there. Shawn had already known, since he was the last one in.
"Jack, Andrew and Teal'c."
