"Are you certain, Dr. Jackson?"

"Yes, there is nobody here! The MALP is here and some of Sam's soil samples but . . . no sign of them. I mean even Teal'c is baffled."

Daniel got a questioning look from Teal'c and shook his head. He'd explain that one later. Instead he looked back to the little camera on the MALP.

"It's too dark to see anything beyond a few feet, we'd have to wait until morning to really get somewhere."

"That's almost twenty-two hours away, Doctor."

Daniel nodded, he knew that. He didn't like it either but it was pitch black. Except for the bright lights from the MALP it was like they were at the bottom of the ocean. Absolutely no light, not even starlight was reaching them. They'd be stumbling around in the dark for a long time if they tried to find their missing team members now.

"General, did she say anything about where Jack had gone?" Daniel asked after a moments thought. His concentration divided between the General and Teal'c who was suddenly cocking his head to the side. It was the same move that usually meant 'I have discovered something curiously intriguing.' Daniel knew it well.

"No, doctor she didn't. You say they aren't responding by radio?"

Daniel shrugged.

"The radios could be broken."

"What about transponder codes?"

"Nothing seems to be working, General."

Across the airways, Daniel could hear Hammond sigh and winced. He knew he wasn't being very helpful but he wasn't the military type, and it wasn't like he had some preconceived idea as to how or where to look. He was just as clueless as the rest of the SGC. That was the thing about disappearances.

"Very well, what do you suggest then?" Hammond asked finally.

Daniel was about to answer when Teal'c put a hand up. Turning Daniel frowned, looking first at Teal'c then the surrounding area.

"What?"

Again Teal'c put a hand up, more insistent this time. Daniel listened, squinting pointlessly. He heard nothing at first. Just the trees rustling a bit, night sounds. Then he heard it. A very distant, very distinct whine. They listened to it for several minutes before the General broke the silence.

"What is it, Dr. Jackson?"

"I think we've found something?" He frowned then turned back to the MALP. "We'll . . . call you back."

"On three. One...two...gah!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sir."

"No, no. It's fine. I'm good. Try it again."

"But sir..."

"Carter..."

She took a deep breath, giving up. He refused to listen to her. She braced her shoulder under the pry and nodded. "Ready."

Jack nodded back. Ok. He could do this. He braced himself, ready to backpedal as soon as his legs were free. "Ok. One...two...three!"

Carter shoved up and out with all her might. Her boots scraping against the shifting rocks, struggling for purchase as the log barely moved. Then it began to rise, as it had before, and she could hear the increase in discomfort from the Colonel. No matter how much he tried to hide it, even if she couldn't see him, she knew.

She heard shuffling, rocks sliding. She pushed harder, her body shaking with the effort. There was quiet for a few seconds. "Colonel?" She called in desperation, her voice quivering with the effort.

More shuffling then the sound of a body collapsing. "I'm free."

With a grunt she let the log back down, sinking to her butt and sitting. Her hands were cramping in the position they had been in around the pry and she spent a moment working some feeling into them. Her arms felt like lead, her whole body aching. Her head most of all. She was so damned cold. The wind hadn't let up. Somehow it was a silent wind, but strong and cold and a damned nuisance.

"God."

The single word came out tortured and strained.

Carter looked up at and forced herself up to her knees creeping forward, feeling her way over to the Colonel. She wished badly now, that her flashlight had not been broken in the fall. The Colonel's was still intact but they were conserving batteries. A smart decision.

"Carter."

"Sir?"

She could hear the heavy breathing and winced in sympathy. She could only imagine how he felt. It was bad enough flying through the air and landing against a wall. How much worse would it have been to have a log land on top of you seconds later.

Crawling up beside him, her hand traveled to his forehead. She panicked slightly when she felt the fever. He was literally burning up.

"I have officially had enough of this."

She swallowed smiling. Re-fixing the blanket she had draped over the Colonel so that it covered the both of them. She didn't plan on staying too long. Only until she had more strength. She was certain if she just sat there she'd get rid of the dizziness creeping up on her.

"Me too, sir."

She wasn't sure why. But suddenly she was laughing. Shaking so hard even though it wasn't from the cold. Shock maybe? She didn't have time to figure much more out.

As soon as it registered in her brain that the Colonel had lost consciousness she found herself doing much the same. Her head coming to rest on Jack's chest with a soft thump.