They couldn't get Jaffer to go through the gate. The black lab wouldn't go anywhere near it, no matter how many times Sam tried to coax him. When Teal'c reached down to pick him up to carry him through, the big dog had actually given the Jaffa a level two warning growl that had every earmark of turning into a snarl if Teal'c tried to lift him. His teeth were certainly bared in a manner that left no doubt. He wasn't going to leave the planet without Jack, no matter who asked him to.
They gave up pretty quickly after that.
"I shall remain here with Jack and Jaffer," Teal'c told her, unfazed at having been threatened by the lab. "You go report to General Hammond and aquire assistance."
She nodded and left through the gate immediately.
................
The base was on alert. Sam's earlier message had informed them of the terrible weather and Hammond had called up some search and rescue teams and had them on standby just in case they'd end up being needed. Consequently, Carter had barely had time to finish the cup of hot coffee brought to her by one of the security personnel before the rescue teams were assembling in the embarkation room, along with several members of Janet Fraiser's medical staff who were trained in such search and rescue matters.
The teams would carry plenty of ropes and bad-weather gear, as well as huge spotlights that were incredibly light so they were very portable. Sam gave them a quick rundown of the weather and the terrain and warned them about the treacherous footing, which prompted the teams to decide to rope themselves together – except the handlers of the various dogs that were going to be brought along – they'd have to fend for themselves, since the dogs were better suited to ranging out by themselves. Too many people in an area could throw off their hearing or their noses. Not that either would be much help in the rain, but they needed what little advantage they could get.
Fraiser's sharp eyes caught sight of the redness on Sam's wrist from where Teal'c had grabbed her. Redness that would turn to bruises soon, and she frowned as she reached for Carter's hand.
"It's fine, Janet," Sam said, pulling her hand back. Now that they were gathered, she was in a hurry to get back through the gate. They still had no idea where SG-3 was, and only a slight hope that Jaffer would be able to lead them to wherever Jack and Daniel were, and night was going to make what was already poor visibility even worse.
Fraiser had noticed something else, though. Something very hard to miss when it sparkled so brilliantly, even in the poor lighting in the embarkation room. She reached for Sam's hand again, ignoring the gasp of pain when she took her wrist.
"Where did you get that?"
"Jack," Sam whispered, unable to hide her smile.
"Is it what I think it is?"
"Janet, we need to go... I'll tell you all about it later. After we have them back."
As much as she wanted to gossip now, Janet nodded and let her go, after a final look at the ring. It was beautiful. She turned and double-checked her staff, making sure they were all bundled up against the oncoming rain, and then checking to make sure all had their first aid kits and that everything was ready. Only then did she nod to Hammond to let him know they were set.
"Move out people," Hammond ordered. "Everyone maintain radio contact with the home team." These would be the men and women at the Stargate, who were responsible for coordinating the various teams in their search patterns.
The gate flared and they started filing through. Forty-seven men and women bound and determined to get their fellows home safely.
......................
"Jack!"
Daniel was kneeling in the rushing water as close to the newly formed crevasse as he dared, and was looking down into it, hoping for any sign of O'Neill.
"Jack!"
The roaring water completely drowned out his voice and Daniel knew that even if Jack was only a few feet away, chances were he wasn't going to be able to hear him. And he wouldn't be able to hear Jack. Which was assuming that O'Neill hadn't fallen much further. God only knew where the gully ended, and if Jack had even managed to survive. The only thing that gave Daniel any hope at all was the angle of the slope – well, what he could see of it, and the water that was rushing down. It wasn't straight down; it was more of an angle. Even less of an angle than the first one they'd fallen down. Hopefully it was enough to make the stop at the bottom – or wherever Jack stopped – a little less dramatic. Daniel just had to get down there to find him. And to do that, he was going to need to get help.
He got to his feet and made his way almost blindly back to the overhang. Captain Thorpe was checking the broken leg of his Sergeant, who was either asleep or unconscious, and Lopez was biting her lip in concern as she watched. All of them looked up when Daniel joined them, and his concern and agitation were easy to read, even though none of them knew him al that well.
"Where's Colonel O'Neill?" Thorpe asked, standing up and covering the broken leg once more.
"He fell," Daniel said, wiping his glasses off and trying to keep his voice steady. No sense in letting them know how scared he really was. Not for himself, but for Jack. "The ground gave way under him, and he was swept down into another gully of some kind. I can't get a response to my calls, and I can't see him."
"Do you think he's-"
"We have to find him."
"How?" Thorpe asked, looking around. It wasn't as though they had any rope, or any other means of finding O'Neill.
"We've got to try to get back to the Stargate. We need to try the hill again. And again. Until we make it up. It's the only way we're going to be able to get help to Jack."
Thorpe nodded. O'Neill would do it for him, or any other person in the SGC. If they had to try the hill again, they would. It was one thing to sit and wait when you were trapped like a rat – which they were. It was quite another to sit and wait when someone's life could be at stake. He looked at Lopez.
"Keep an eye on Geller, Lieutenant. We'll be back."
With Daniel leading the way, Thorpe and Lieutenant all headed back out into the driving rain.
They gave up pretty quickly after that.
"I shall remain here with Jack and Jaffer," Teal'c told her, unfazed at having been threatened by the lab. "You go report to General Hammond and aquire assistance."
She nodded and left through the gate immediately.
................
The base was on alert. Sam's earlier message had informed them of the terrible weather and Hammond had called up some search and rescue teams and had them on standby just in case they'd end up being needed. Consequently, Carter had barely had time to finish the cup of hot coffee brought to her by one of the security personnel before the rescue teams were assembling in the embarkation room, along with several members of Janet Fraiser's medical staff who were trained in such search and rescue matters.
The teams would carry plenty of ropes and bad-weather gear, as well as huge spotlights that were incredibly light so they were very portable. Sam gave them a quick rundown of the weather and the terrain and warned them about the treacherous footing, which prompted the teams to decide to rope themselves together – except the handlers of the various dogs that were going to be brought along – they'd have to fend for themselves, since the dogs were better suited to ranging out by themselves. Too many people in an area could throw off their hearing or their noses. Not that either would be much help in the rain, but they needed what little advantage they could get.
Fraiser's sharp eyes caught sight of the redness on Sam's wrist from where Teal'c had grabbed her. Redness that would turn to bruises soon, and she frowned as she reached for Carter's hand.
"It's fine, Janet," Sam said, pulling her hand back. Now that they were gathered, she was in a hurry to get back through the gate. They still had no idea where SG-3 was, and only a slight hope that Jaffer would be able to lead them to wherever Jack and Daniel were, and night was going to make what was already poor visibility even worse.
Fraiser had noticed something else, though. Something very hard to miss when it sparkled so brilliantly, even in the poor lighting in the embarkation room. She reached for Sam's hand again, ignoring the gasp of pain when she took her wrist.
"Where did you get that?"
"Jack," Sam whispered, unable to hide her smile.
"Is it what I think it is?"
"Janet, we need to go... I'll tell you all about it later. After we have them back."
As much as she wanted to gossip now, Janet nodded and let her go, after a final look at the ring. It was beautiful. She turned and double-checked her staff, making sure they were all bundled up against the oncoming rain, and then checking to make sure all had their first aid kits and that everything was ready. Only then did she nod to Hammond to let him know they were set.
"Move out people," Hammond ordered. "Everyone maintain radio contact with the home team." These would be the men and women at the Stargate, who were responsible for coordinating the various teams in their search patterns.
The gate flared and they started filing through. Forty-seven men and women bound and determined to get their fellows home safely.
......................
"Jack!"
Daniel was kneeling in the rushing water as close to the newly formed crevasse as he dared, and was looking down into it, hoping for any sign of O'Neill.
"Jack!"
The roaring water completely drowned out his voice and Daniel knew that even if Jack was only a few feet away, chances were he wasn't going to be able to hear him. And he wouldn't be able to hear Jack. Which was assuming that O'Neill hadn't fallen much further. God only knew where the gully ended, and if Jack had even managed to survive. The only thing that gave Daniel any hope at all was the angle of the slope – well, what he could see of it, and the water that was rushing down. It wasn't straight down; it was more of an angle. Even less of an angle than the first one they'd fallen down. Hopefully it was enough to make the stop at the bottom – or wherever Jack stopped – a little less dramatic. Daniel just had to get down there to find him. And to do that, he was going to need to get help.
He got to his feet and made his way almost blindly back to the overhang. Captain Thorpe was checking the broken leg of his Sergeant, who was either asleep or unconscious, and Lopez was biting her lip in concern as she watched. All of them looked up when Daniel joined them, and his concern and agitation were easy to read, even though none of them knew him al that well.
"Where's Colonel O'Neill?" Thorpe asked, standing up and covering the broken leg once more.
"He fell," Daniel said, wiping his glasses off and trying to keep his voice steady. No sense in letting them know how scared he really was. Not for himself, but for Jack. "The ground gave way under him, and he was swept down into another gully of some kind. I can't get a response to my calls, and I can't see him."
"Do you think he's-"
"We have to find him."
"How?" Thorpe asked, looking around. It wasn't as though they had any rope, or any other means of finding O'Neill.
"We've got to try to get back to the Stargate. We need to try the hill again. And again. Until we make it up. It's the only way we're going to be able to get help to Jack."
Thorpe nodded. O'Neill would do it for him, or any other person in the SGC. If they had to try the hill again, they would. It was one thing to sit and wait when you were trapped like a rat – which they were. It was quite another to sit and wait when someone's life could be at stake. He looked at Lopez.
"Keep an eye on Geller, Lieutenant. We'll be back."
With Daniel leading the way, Thorpe and Lieutenant all headed back out into the driving rain.