Chapter 9
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Sam sighed.
"Your guess is as good as mine, sir."
"Right then. We digress. What the hell happened?"
"I would surmise... maybe a transporter? Because this isn't the SGC," replied Sam, more than a little bemused and starting to take in the surroundings. Jack threw her a sideways ironic glance.
"No kidding."
"Seriously, sir. I don't know why but this place reminds me of pyramid chambers..." She shifted uncomfortably. And indeed, the small sandy room devoid of decoration did look like the inside of the Goa'uld pyramids. It had only one thin doorway, and the stone slab across it was resolutely shut. At the closer end of the room was a dusty replica of the machine that even now sat innocuously on a table at Stargate Command.
"Look familiar, sir?" she smiled faintly, indicating with a nod the device. Jack glared at it.
"Damn alien machinery. One day we're going to get our act together and leave this stuff alone... you want me to get up and check it out?"
Jack sat forward from his resting place against the wall, drew his knees up and propped his elbows on them. He blinked slowly as his head swam, but then energetically pushed himself upwards.
"Gah."
"Sir, don't you think you should wait a little longer?" said Carter anxiously, leaning forward as well.
"We're not going anywhere by just sitting here, Carter. This thing got us here, it's got to get us back," he stated, concentrating on keeping upright. Nothing he couldn't handle.
"But surely we should check the door first?"
"I guess you have a point," winced Jack as he tenderly felt his shoulder. Swinging on his heel, he walked briskly – tried to walk briskly – towards the slab lintels. As the thought of unfriendly welcome crossed his mind, his hand automatically slid to his weapon. Except it was still on the table in the equipment room.
"Damn! Got a weapon, Carter?" he said, looking back to where the Major was experimentally putting her raw hands on either side of her in an attempt to rise.
"Colonel, I don't even have a jacket," she said with disgust, partly at her own weakness, partly at their situation. Jack paused, then looked back to the door.
"Right. Yes."
"Maybe we should take inventory?" she replied diffidently, giving up on rising and trying to turn out her pockets with grazed hands. Jack shrugged and limped back over, rummaging in his own pockets.
Inventory was revealing.
"A screwdriver, a biro, two broken watches, a penknife, a squashed Granola bar and your yoyo," said Sam sardonically, unconsciously cradling her right arm and sorting through with the other.
"Hey, don't forget this rare and useful treasure," said Jack with bitter humour, tossing a small grey object on to the pile.
"A Gameboy cartridge???"
"Legends of Zelda will make a great bargaining piece," he said offhandedly, reaching down with a wince for his knife. Sam ducked her head to hide the smile.
"Why don't you take a look at that doohickey, if you can?" Jack called, making his way back towards the door to look for an opening mechanism.
"Yes, sir," she nodded compliance, tucking her screwdriver back in her pocket and dragged herself carefully a little closer to the device.
On closer examination it appeared to be almost exactly the same, only built and finished. On a low raised area beside it was the piece covered in writing (and a set of buttons) that her father and Daniel had been looking at scant minutes? Hours? Days? ago. There was no purple shield light however, and she carefully did not touch the dials. Instead she reached round for the crystal drive, a smile flickering across her face as she felt the release switch. Just as she was about to remove it, she heard a hiss from Jack.
"Ssst, Carter," he snapped quietly, making a decisive cut off motion with his hand. She stilled instantly, only moving her head to show her questioning expression. Jack was edging back round to the side of the door from where he'd been tapping it, and at her unspoken question he held up a sandpapered hand with his thumb folded in. People coming. He then gestured toward the inventory, and she leant over to start scooping pieces back into her pockets, hissing softly through her teeth as she jarred her wrist. Meanwhile Jack stepped back as quietly as possible to flatten himself beside the door, his little penknife held poised to move on anyone who entered.
They both froze again as metal clanged dully on metal outside. Footsteps measured their way up to the doorway and a lazy order was called out in an unknown tongue. Glancing over at Jack's determined face, Sam swallowed and took courage from it. As the door began to grind upwards into the ceiling, a shape was silhouetted in the piercing unaccustomed light beyond.
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Sam sighed.
"Your guess is as good as mine, sir."
"Right then. We digress. What the hell happened?"
"I would surmise... maybe a transporter? Because this isn't the SGC," replied Sam, more than a little bemused and starting to take in the surroundings. Jack threw her a sideways ironic glance.
"No kidding."
"Seriously, sir. I don't know why but this place reminds me of pyramid chambers..." She shifted uncomfortably. And indeed, the small sandy room devoid of decoration did look like the inside of the Goa'uld pyramids. It had only one thin doorway, and the stone slab across it was resolutely shut. At the closer end of the room was a dusty replica of the machine that even now sat innocuously on a table at Stargate Command.
"Look familiar, sir?" she smiled faintly, indicating with a nod the device. Jack glared at it.
"Damn alien machinery. One day we're going to get our act together and leave this stuff alone... you want me to get up and check it out?"
Jack sat forward from his resting place against the wall, drew his knees up and propped his elbows on them. He blinked slowly as his head swam, but then energetically pushed himself upwards.
"Gah."
"Sir, don't you think you should wait a little longer?" said Carter anxiously, leaning forward as well.
"We're not going anywhere by just sitting here, Carter. This thing got us here, it's got to get us back," he stated, concentrating on keeping upright. Nothing he couldn't handle.
"But surely we should check the door first?"
"I guess you have a point," winced Jack as he tenderly felt his shoulder. Swinging on his heel, he walked briskly – tried to walk briskly – towards the slab lintels. As the thought of unfriendly welcome crossed his mind, his hand automatically slid to his weapon. Except it was still on the table in the equipment room.
"Damn! Got a weapon, Carter?" he said, looking back to where the Major was experimentally putting her raw hands on either side of her in an attempt to rise.
"Colonel, I don't even have a jacket," she said with disgust, partly at her own weakness, partly at their situation. Jack paused, then looked back to the door.
"Right. Yes."
"Maybe we should take inventory?" she replied diffidently, giving up on rising and trying to turn out her pockets with grazed hands. Jack shrugged and limped back over, rummaging in his own pockets.
Inventory was revealing.
"A screwdriver, a biro, two broken watches, a penknife, a squashed Granola bar and your yoyo," said Sam sardonically, unconsciously cradling her right arm and sorting through with the other.
"Hey, don't forget this rare and useful treasure," said Jack with bitter humour, tossing a small grey object on to the pile.
"A Gameboy cartridge???"
"Legends of Zelda will make a great bargaining piece," he said offhandedly, reaching down with a wince for his knife. Sam ducked her head to hide the smile.
"Why don't you take a look at that doohickey, if you can?" Jack called, making his way back towards the door to look for an opening mechanism.
"Yes, sir," she nodded compliance, tucking her screwdriver back in her pocket and dragged herself carefully a little closer to the device.
On closer examination it appeared to be almost exactly the same, only built and finished. On a low raised area beside it was the piece covered in writing (and a set of buttons) that her father and Daniel had been looking at scant minutes? Hours? Days? ago. There was no purple shield light however, and she carefully did not touch the dials. Instead she reached round for the crystal drive, a smile flickering across her face as she felt the release switch. Just as she was about to remove it, she heard a hiss from Jack.
"Ssst, Carter," he snapped quietly, making a decisive cut off motion with his hand. She stilled instantly, only moving her head to show her questioning expression. Jack was edging back round to the side of the door from where he'd been tapping it, and at her unspoken question he held up a sandpapered hand with his thumb folded in. People coming. He then gestured toward the inventory, and she leant over to start scooping pieces back into her pockets, hissing softly through her teeth as she jarred her wrist. Meanwhile Jack stepped back as quietly as possible to flatten himself beside the door, his little penknife held poised to move on anyone who entered.
They both froze again as metal clanged dully on metal outside. Footsteps measured their way up to the doorway and a lazy order was called out in an unknown tongue. Glancing over at Jack's determined face, Sam swallowed and took courage from it. As the door began to grind upwards into the ceiling, a shape was silhouetted in the piercing unaccustomed light beyond.
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