As before, it was Mitchell and Anderson that kept the others waiting, but
once again there were no complaints as the two of them walked into the
briefing room about twenty minutes later. Anderson looked a lot better than
he had the night before, and his limp was considerably lessoned. Mitchell
was eating an orange. One that most likely had been peeled by Anderson,
since he knew from experiences how hard it was to peel anything with a cast
on your arm. She sat down next to O'Neill and Anderson sat beside her.
"Sorry we're late, Sir. We stopped by to check on the others."
"How are they?" Jack asked. Hammond already knew, since his first stop that morning had been the infirmary to check on SG2, and to make sure that Frazier didn't have a problem with clearing Mitchell and Anderson for another trip through the gate.
"Wilson looks better already, Simmons was asleep. Neither are going to be joining us anytime soon."
Hammond nodded, since that was what Frazier had told him, and he cleared his throat. "Are you two sure you can find this pyramid?"
"Yes, Sir." Mitchell said, nodding. "We knew when we found it that we'd eventually want to come back and check it out, so we all made sure to keep landmarks and distances clear in our heads."
"How far from the gate is it?"
Mitchell thought for a moment, then shrugged, "It took us about a week to get from the pyramid to the gate, but we were in pretty sore shape by then, and weren't able to make very good time. I figure we could get there in a couple days. No more than three, most likely."
"And if there's an ambush waiting for you?"
"I doubt there will be, Sir." Mitchell said. "Probably the ones who set the last ambush were zapped away from the gate. If not, then they're gone, figuring we're not coming back. Why would we?"
"But if there are?"
"Then we'll be ready for them, and hope we get zapped into the same area that we did last time, and we'll be ready for it this time. More supplies, better tracking equipment."
It was obvious she'd thought it through, and Hammond looked at O'Neill to see if he had anything to add. He shook his head. Melony had summed it all up nicely.
"Sounds right to me, Sir."
Hammond nodded, "You'll take two weeks worth of supplies with you, and once you get to the pyramid you'll have a week to explore the area. If you find anything bring it back. If it's too big to transport, then remember where you found it and we'll send another team to look at it when you return. Radio in when you've cleared the Stargate so we know you haven't been transported anyplace, and if we don't hear from you in two weeks, we'll send the remaining members of SG2 along with a couple teams to come find you. Any questions?"
There was silence all around, and Hammond nodded and stood up. Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Mitchell, report to supplies and gather what your teams will need, the rest of you, you'll be departing at 1300 hours."
He left the room and the others all sat there for a moment longer before Mitchell slapped Anderson's shoulder. "You're excused to go and get something to eat, Anderson. Frazier made it quite clear that she wants you and I to stuff ourselves every chance we get."
"I don't mind, Colonel," Anderson said with a grin as he stood up, still stiffly, but without the grimace of pain that had been there the day before. "I've been hungry, and I've been full, and I much prefer full. Make sure you don't get anything with apples in it when you get our food supplies."
His commanding officer's laughter followed him out of the room as he walked off, and Mitchell stood up as well. "I'll see you guys in the gate room. Jack, I'll meet you in supply whenever you're ready."
O'Neill stood, "Let's go now, before I forget about the apple injunction. Then we can go get some breakfast."
"I've already had breakfast." Mitchell said with a smile.
"Yeah, well, you can have an early brunch or you can watch me eat. I'm hungry."
~*~
They didn't need to spend much time in supply. Both colonels were adept at requisitioning supplies by now, and they both knew what they needed. Melony didn't bother getting herself a rifle, knowing that with her broken wrist she wouldn't be able to fire one anyways. She did, however, get a spare .45, which she attached to her ankle with a holster while O'Neill pulled supplies for his team.
They made sure the packs weren't too large, but that they had everything they needed, then left them in a stack for a couple of airmen to carry to the gate room.
Lunch was almost as boisterous as breakfast had been. The marines that hadn't heard about the safe return of SG-2 the day before were finding out when they came on shift, and all of them made a point to seek out Mitchell and welcome her and her team back. She sat and watched Jack eat, occasionally stealing something off his plate, and chatted with the people who came by. Carter and Daniel came and joined them a while later, and Teal'c and Anderson eventually found themselves seated at the table as well, although Anderson had already eaten, so he was just there for the company.
"Are we ready?" O'Neill asked, looking at his watch after he finished his lunch.
There were nods all around, and they all headed for the Gate room, where they picked up their supplies. Hammond was there, watching as they prepared, and giving them last minute instructions.
"If there's no ambush, send the MALP back. If we don't hear from you, we'll assume the worst, and give you two weeks to contact us before we send SG- 2."
"Yes, Sir."
Jack looked at the other members of his team, and noticed that Mitchell was holding her Beretta in her left hand, already cocked and ready. Of course, if there were an ambush, she'd only have the one gun before she had to go to the backup she had strapped to her ankle. He pulled out his own handgun and handed it to her.
"Just in case, okay?" He told her.
She smiled and nodded, and slid it into her belt. Then looked over her shoulder at the command center behind the blast doors.
"We're ready, Sir." She called, letting Hammond know to order the gate dialed up.
"Sorry we're late, Sir. We stopped by to check on the others."
"How are they?" Jack asked. Hammond already knew, since his first stop that morning had been the infirmary to check on SG2, and to make sure that Frazier didn't have a problem with clearing Mitchell and Anderson for another trip through the gate.
"Wilson looks better already, Simmons was asleep. Neither are going to be joining us anytime soon."
Hammond nodded, since that was what Frazier had told him, and he cleared his throat. "Are you two sure you can find this pyramid?"
"Yes, Sir." Mitchell said, nodding. "We knew when we found it that we'd eventually want to come back and check it out, so we all made sure to keep landmarks and distances clear in our heads."
"How far from the gate is it?"
Mitchell thought for a moment, then shrugged, "It took us about a week to get from the pyramid to the gate, but we were in pretty sore shape by then, and weren't able to make very good time. I figure we could get there in a couple days. No more than three, most likely."
"And if there's an ambush waiting for you?"
"I doubt there will be, Sir." Mitchell said. "Probably the ones who set the last ambush were zapped away from the gate. If not, then they're gone, figuring we're not coming back. Why would we?"
"But if there are?"
"Then we'll be ready for them, and hope we get zapped into the same area that we did last time, and we'll be ready for it this time. More supplies, better tracking equipment."
It was obvious she'd thought it through, and Hammond looked at O'Neill to see if he had anything to add. He shook his head. Melony had summed it all up nicely.
"Sounds right to me, Sir."
Hammond nodded, "You'll take two weeks worth of supplies with you, and once you get to the pyramid you'll have a week to explore the area. If you find anything bring it back. If it's too big to transport, then remember where you found it and we'll send another team to look at it when you return. Radio in when you've cleared the Stargate so we know you haven't been transported anyplace, and if we don't hear from you in two weeks, we'll send the remaining members of SG2 along with a couple teams to come find you. Any questions?"
There was silence all around, and Hammond nodded and stood up. Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Mitchell, report to supplies and gather what your teams will need, the rest of you, you'll be departing at 1300 hours."
He left the room and the others all sat there for a moment longer before Mitchell slapped Anderson's shoulder. "You're excused to go and get something to eat, Anderson. Frazier made it quite clear that she wants you and I to stuff ourselves every chance we get."
"I don't mind, Colonel," Anderson said with a grin as he stood up, still stiffly, but without the grimace of pain that had been there the day before. "I've been hungry, and I've been full, and I much prefer full. Make sure you don't get anything with apples in it when you get our food supplies."
His commanding officer's laughter followed him out of the room as he walked off, and Mitchell stood up as well. "I'll see you guys in the gate room. Jack, I'll meet you in supply whenever you're ready."
O'Neill stood, "Let's go now, before I forget about the apple injunction. Then we can go get some breakfast."
"I've already had breakfast." Mitchell said with a smile.
"Yeah, well, you can have an early brunch or you can watch me eat. I'm hungry."
~*~
They didn't need to spend much time in supply. Both colonels were adept at requisitioning supplies by now, and they both knew what they needed. Melony didn't bother getting herself a rifle, knowing that with her broken wrist she wouldn't be able to fire one anyways. She did, however, get a spare .45, which she attached to her ankle with a holster while O'Neill pulled supplies for his team.
They made sure the packs weren't too large, but that they had everything they needed, then left them in a stack for a couple of airmen to carry to the gate room.
Lunch was almost as boisterous as breakfast had been. The marines that hadn't heard about the safe return of SG-2 the day before were finding out when they came on shift, and all of them made a point to seek out Mitchell and welcome her and her team back. She sat and watched Jack eat, occasionally stealing something off his plate, and chatted with the people who came by. Carter and Daniel came and joined them a while later, and Teal'c and Anderson eventually found themselves seated at the table as well, although Anderson had already eaten, so he was just there for the company.
"Are we ready?" O'Neill asked, looking at his watch after he finished his lunch.
There were nods all around, and they all headed for the Gate room, where they picked up their supplies. Hammond was there, watching as they prepared, and giving them last minute instructions.
"If there's no ambush, send the MALP back. If we don't hear from you, we'll assume the worst, and give you two weeks to contact us before we send SG- 2."
"Yes, Sir."
Jack looked at the other members of his team, and noticed that Mitchell was holding her Beretta in her left hand, already cocked and ready. Of course, if there were an ambush, she'd only have the one gun before she had to go to the backup she had strapped to her ankle. He pulled out his own handgun and handed it to her.
"Just in case, okay?" He told her.
She smiled and nodded, and slid it into her belt. Then looked over her shoulder at the command center behind the blast doors.
"We're ready, Sir." She called, letting Hammond know to order the gate dialed up.