Chapter 3
"Well, Jacob, I see you and Selmak are going to be happy with this machine," said Jack, turning away from where the two Carters and several other beige-clad Tok'ra were examining the object. Jacob looked up.
"I believe it could be something to equal the Goa'uld shielding devices, but with its own subtle twist," said Selmak, something pick-outable as excitement in his strange voice. "But without the help of Doctor Jackson, some of it is not immediately clear..."
"Well, Danny is down with the two aliens that appeared through our Stargate this morning. Did we tell you about that? Two random explorers coming through the event horizon - "
"- Out of the blue - " rumbled Teal'c in the background. Jack glanced round, then double looked at the tall Jaffa. Teal'c face was impassive, but Jack caught the slightest hint of laughter lurking there. Turning back with a grin, he continued his answer.
"– yeah, out of the blue. Daniel's down there extracting information about their civilization or something, you know how he's like. Apparently this woman and her brother are archaeologist- slash – scientist types. Always poking into things, you know?"
"His help would be greatly appreciated right now," said Sam coldly.
"Uh, I'll just go and get him, shall I?" said Jack, catching the edge in his 2IC's voice and turning on his heel.
"You do that, sir."
"Carter, Jacob, gentlemen..." said the Colonel as he waved a little before exiting. After a moment Teal'c followed him.
Sam sighed, before picking up the component in front of her. Her father leaned forward, and this time is was Jacob who spoke.
"Sam, are you all right?" he said in a low tone, glancing back at the door and then towards his daughter again.
"I'm fine, Dad. Just annoyed."
"With who? Jack?"
"At everything." Especially him. "Just put it down as one of my moods, I'll be all right in the morning. Till then, you can just leave it, okay?"
She favoured Jacob with a sudden smile, then bent back to her work.
Meanwhile down at the hospital area, Daniel was sitting cross-legged on the floor with the two aliens, who refused the chairs. The man rarely spoke, and was examining the machinery around. The woman was answering Daniel's eager questions.
"I am pleased to meet you, Daniel Jackson. My birthname is Kaylyna Njossvik, and this is my brother Robskere." She waved an arm in the direction of the latter, who nodded briefly. Daniel dipped his head.
"Great. Well, this is the planet Earth, as you might already know. I'd better ask the important questions first..." He ticked off things on his fingers. "1, why are you here, 2 who sent you, and 3 did you know this address already?" He favoured her with a rueful grin. "The Colonel would have my ass if I couldn't even tell him that."
Kaylyna laughed. "That is the grey-haired annoyed soldier? We must not annoy him more, no?"
"Wouldn't really be a good idea."
"That is alright. As for your questions... why are we here? Well, Robskere and I are explorers of a kind. The city elder council sent us out to investigate the ruins that were revealed by the earthquake, and since I know many of the old picture languages – I specialise in ancient tongues – "
Daniel grinned.
"– and my brother is expert in machinery and contraptions, we volunteered."
"Is it just the two of you exploring this Stargate? You're on your own in the ruins?" said Daniel surprised. The woman squirmed slightly and looked to the side. Robskere looked down from his scanning of the equipment.
"Kaylyna has not told the elders of the discovery of this Sider-Ost," he remarked, grinning slightly.
"Curious."
"They would ruin the chances! Now Robske and I can collect all the lanuguages and technology without being bothered... and the City would be sure to take all the military technology that we have left on other worlds..."
"Is that arm-strap weapon something you have discovered, or is it something native to your planet?"
"That is a Vanir-ta device, our own," she nodded. "The brekenn-ah can render creatures paralyzed, but do nothing else. The side gun is to kill – if we have to."
Kaylyna suddenly looked sombre. "We have drifted away from the questions you ask, Daniel Jackson."
"Call me Daniel. I don't mind, as long as you can tell me more about your planet," said the archaeologist, taking off his glasses to clean them, then replacing them. "You see, I am a studier of ancient languages myself, and explorer of offworld cultures.."
"You are?" The brown woman's eyes turned wide, and then calculating, and she went to take the pen out of her pocket. "Can I have a writing implement, and a plaque? Mine has been taken..."
"Here's a pen." Daniel proffered his biro. "But can we get back to the ruins?"
"Why should I answer your questions?" said the woman, tilting her head to the side, pausing as she fruitlessly searched her pockets. "You have told me nothing about your world yet. Is it all underground, are these caves?"
"Oh, I see. You want an information exchange," replied Daniel, not answering her question. Two could play that game.
"We are a civilised people, the Vanir-ta. We do not hold people at gunpoint for knowledge." "Neither do we. I don't see why we can't agree to a trade... I must first ask my superior though."
"Is he your priest?"
"What? Oh, no, priests do not hold positions of importance on our planet – well most of the time. I'll tell you all about it later. How about some food while I go and find out?"
"That would be fitting and kind."
Daniel nodded as he got to his feet and headed for the door.
"I'll sort something out. We would not allow our guests to go hungry."
"Thor be thanked," said Robskere wryly aside to his sister.
Daniel stopped dead in the doorway, and turned around. "Who?"
"Well, Jacob, I see you and Selmak are going to be happy with this machine," said Jack, turning away from where the two Carters and several other beige-clad Tok'ra were examining the object. Jacob looked up.
"I believe it could be something to equal the Goa'uld shielding devices, but with its own subtle twist," said Selmak, something pick-outable as excitement in his strange voice. "But without the help of Doctor Jackson, some of it is not immediately clear..."
"Well, Danny is down with the two aliens that appeared through our Stargate this morning. Did we tell you about that? Two random explorers coming through the event horizon - "
"- Out of the blue - " rumbled Teal'c in the background. Jack glanced round, then double looked at the tall Jaffa. Teal'c face was impassive, but Jack caught the slightest hint of laughter lurking there. Turning back with a grin, he continued his answer.
"– yeah, out of the blue. Daniel's down there extracting information about their civilization or something, you know how he's like. Apparently this woman and her brother are archaeologist- slash – scientist types. Always poking into things, you know?"
"His help would be greatly appreciated right now," said Sam coldly.
"Uh, I'll just go and get him, shall I?" said Jack, catching the edge in his 2IC's voice and turning on his heel.
"You do that, sir."
"Carter, Jacob, gentlemen..." said the Colonel as he waved a little before exiting. After a moment Teal'c followed him.
Sam sighed, before picking up the component in front of her. Her father leaned forward, and this time is was Jacob who spoke.
"Sam, are you all right?" he said in a low tone, glancing back at the door and then towards his daughter again.
"I'm fine, Dad. Just annoyed."
"With who? Jack?"
"At everything." Especially him. "Just put it down as one of my moods, I'll be all right in the morning. Till then, you can just leave it, okay?"
She favoured Jacob with a sudden smile, then bent back to her work.
Meanwhile down at the hospital area, Daniel was sitting cross-legged on the floor with the two aliens, who refused the chairs. The man rarely spoke, and was examining the machinery around. The woman was answering Daniel's eager questions.
"I am pleased to meet you, Daniel Jackson. My birthname is Kaylyna Njossvik, and this is my brother Robskere." She waved an arm in the direction of the latter, who nodded briefly. Daniel dipped his head.
"Great. Well, this is the planet Earth, as you might already know. I'd better ask the important questions first..." He ticked off things on his fingers. "1, why are you here, 2 who sent you, and 3 did you know this address already?" He favoured her with a rueful grin. "The Colonel would have my ass if I couldn't even tell him that."
Kaylyna laughed. "That is the grey-haired annoyed soldier? We must not annoy him more, no?"
"Wouldn't really be a good idea."
"That is alright. As for your questions... why are we here? Well, Robskere and I are explorers of a kind. The city elder council sent us out to investigate the ruins that were revealed by the earthquake, and since I know many of the old picture languages – I specialise in ancient tongues – "
Daniel grinned.
"– and my brother is expert in machinery and contraptions, we volunteered."
"Is it just the two of you exploring this Stargate? You're on your own in the ruins?" said Daniel surprised. The woman squirmed slightly and looked to the side. Robskere looked down from his scanning of the equipment.
"Kaylyna has not told the elders of the discovery of this Sider-Ost," he remarked, grinning slightly.
"Curious."
"They would ruin the chances! Now Robske and I can collect all the lanuguages and technology without being bothered... and the City would be sure to take all the military technology that we have left on other worlds..."
"Is that arm-strap weapon something you have discovered, or is it something native to your planet?"
"That is a Vanir-ta device, our own," she nodded. "The brekenn-ah can render creatures paralyzed, but do nothing else. The side gun is to kill – if we have to."
Kaylyna suddenly looked sombre. "We have drifted away from the questions you ask, Daniel Jackson."
"Call me Daniel. I don't mind, as long as you can tell me more about your planet," said the archaeologist, taking off his glasses to clean them, then replacing them. "You see, I am a studier of ancient languages myself, and explorer of offworld cultures.."
"You are?" The brown woman's eyes turned wide, and then calculating, and she went to take the pen out of her pocket. "Can I have a writing implement, and a plaque? Mine has been taken..."
"Here's a pen." Daniel proffered his biro. "But can we get back to the ruins?"
"Why should I answer your questions?" said the woman, tilting her head to the side, pausing as she fruitlessly searched her pockets. "You have told me nothing about your world yet. Is it all underground, are these caves?"
"Oh, I see. You want an information exchange," replied Daniel, not answering her question. Two could play that game.
"We are a civilised people, the Vanir-ta. We do not hold people at gunpoint for knowledge." "Neither do we. I don't see why we can't agree to a trade... I must first ask my superior though."
"Is he your priest?"
"What? Oh, no, priests do not hold positions of importance on our planet – well most of the time. I'll tell you all about it later. How about some food while I go and find out?"
"That would be fitting and kind."
Daniel nodded as he got to his feet and headed for the door.
"I'll sort something out. We would not allow our guests to go hungry."
"Thor be thanked," said Robskere wryly aside to his sister.
Daniel stopped dead in the doorway, and turned around. "Who?"