Finally, he decided to take the first few weeks one day at a time, while they established their camp and explored the immediate surroundings. After that, he could look at things a week at a time – he was certain that Carter would want to try working with what was left of the DHD. And if that didn't pan out, then they could set their sights on longer-term goals. And a long-term relationship between the two of them... whether they would decide to just be good friends... or to try for something more. All of which assumed that they didn't discover that they drove each other freakin' nuts on a day-in-day-out basis!
So, first things first. Camp, surroundings, followed by the DHD.
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Ch 9: TROPICAL
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PX3-071
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A warm, tropical ocean rimmed by beautiful white sands greeted them as they stepped out of the 'Gate. Today, Daniel and Teal'c had joined SG-9 in the hunt for the two missing officers.
SG-9 was a specialized unit that consisted of Colonel Ying, Major Portrare, Captain Brunsfeld and Dr. Rider, a civilian scientist. Colonel Ying was one of those typical hard-core special-forces officers. Major Portrare, a military doctor, had spent a year with the Tokra and had expertise in alien physiology. Captain Brunsfeld had special training with K-9 units and a little training in veterinary medicine. Dr. Rider had both a doctorate in linguistics and a doctorate in zoology with a specialty in feline anatomy, physiology and behavior.
Consequently, SG-9 was a special unit that was typically sent to worlds with unusual and/or exotic wildlife. Their team was renown amongst the SGC personnel for establishing contact with a world populated by an intelligent species that looked amazingly similar to the dragons of legends on Earth. Dr. Rider had garnered such a mastery of the alien language and behavior that her military teammates had affectionately tagged her with the moniker 'Dragon'. As with most such 'handles' in the military, the nickname spread quickly throughout the rest of the SG teams and was also easily adopted by the scientific and technical staff in the secure mountain complex.
Looking around PX3-071 today, however, neither Daniel nor Teal'c saw any evidence of any life. Not human or exotic or alien.
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A few hours later and they had regrouped in front of the alien Stargate. The group was currently comparing their observations while grabbing a bite to eat. Colonel Ying was assessing and evaluating each person's comments so that he could decide whether or not they should expand their search area or conclude that the missing officers had not come to this planet.
"Did you see anything Brunsfeld?" Major Portrare asked the young Captain.
"Not a thing. Not any signs that anything human had passed by recently... not even any signs of any large animals of any sort," the young officer reported and then turned to Doctor Rider, "How about you, Dragon?"
"Nope, I didn't see anything either," the zoologist responded while watching the two members of SG-1 carefully. "Did either you or Teal'c see anything, Doctor Jackson?"
Daniel just shook his head 'No', so Teal'c spoke for them, "We did not, DoctorRider. Except for the Stargate, we did not find any other indications of human life on this planet."
"I'm sorry," Rider apologized genuinely to the two men.
"You need not apologize for that which is not your fault, DoctorRider," Teal'c responded.
"We do appreciate your concern, however, Doctor," Daniel temporized the Jaffa's words because many who were unfamiliar with the large man's stoic mannerisms often misunderstood his terse or measured tones for displeasure or censure. "We also appreciate your feedback and ideas into our search for Jack and Sam," Daniel continued and she sent him a soft smile and a nod of acknowledgement.
Near the end of their first week of searching, when Daniel and Teal'c had joined SG-9 to check Edora for signs of the missing officers, Doctor Rider had approached Daniel and Teal'c and suggested that they should rethink and expand the current selection of planets being searched. Daniel and Teal'c had initially chosen planets where SG-1 had met friendly natives where Jack might expect to be welcome. Doctor Rider, of SG-9, however, had politely pointed out that the extent and type of supplies taken from the Safe Site might indicate that Jack was thinking of somewhere more sparsely populated.
As a result, Daniel and Teal'c had made a list of less-populated planets where Jack had made favorable or appreciative comments. The list was, not surprisingly, fairly short. On their first pass through, they'd avoided planets with too many trees (or where Jack had simply made memorable disparaging remarks about the trees)... or where there was too much sand... such as the various Tokra planets....or planets where the weather was habitually wet or cold... or too hot...
They'd come up with a list of 14 planets to search next.
Planets where there were quiet lakes with fish... or warm tropical beaches...
This planet, PX3-071, had been on the top of their new list.
Warm, tropical waters alongside sparkling white sand beaches.
Sub-tropic climate... at least in the region where the 'Gate was situated.
A few local alien equivalents of palm trees.
Colorful local flowers.
Not too many bugs.
When SG-1 had come here years ago, Jack had been enamored of the setting and had stretched their 12-hour initial reconnaissance survey into a 4-day, relaxed excursion. They'd found no indigenous intelligent people in the region around the 'Gate. And, except for the 'Gate, they'd found no other signs that humans had ever visited this planet.
Both Sam and Daniel had gotten bored fairly quickly. Sam fell into her military persona to hide her boredom, but Daniel had no such restraints and began asking Jack when they would be returning to the SGC. Teal'c even went so far as to voice his opinion in agreement with the archeologist's.
Jack, on the other hand, was in no hurry to leave and simply continued to plan one walk after another in different directions from the 'Gate. Ostensibly to search for Daniel's rocks (artifacts)... but they all knew that he really didn't want to find anything. He just wanted to spend a few days bumming around this beautiful planet.
They'd finally decided that PX3-071 may have been just what it looked like... a vacation spot for the Ancients, or whoever placed the Stargate there. None of them could see any other reason for it's presence on this planet.
Over the subsequent years, Jack had often made comments about returning to PX3-071... especially when SG-1 had found themselves on a planet that was too wet... or too cold... or too windy... or that had too many trees... or too much sand...
But, Jack wasn't here now, Daniel thought to himself. Jack wasn't here, nor was Sam. He hadn't brought her here.
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"Well, Ladies and Gentlemen," Colonel Ying addressed the group after the rest break. "Does anyone see any reason to continue searching for General O'Neill and Colonel Carter on this planet?"
"No sir." "No." "No sir." "Unfortunately I do not, ColonelYing." And the respectful negative responses overlapped.
Sighing, the Colonel nodded reluctantly, "Dr. Jackson, Teal'c, is there anything else that you could suggest that we look for before we leave?"
"I do not know of any such thing, ColonelYing," Teal'c replied as Daniel just shook his head in resignation.
"Dragon, Brumsfeld, Portrare, any exotic life here that we should make a note of before we leave?" he asked his team.
"No sir," chimed the two officers while Rider replied less formally, "Not that I can see, Henry."
"Allright then, folks. Let's police the area and be ready to depart in 10," the Colonel ordered. The group silently began packing up while Brunsfeld took the last few video images for the records.
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Two hours later, after the requisite infirmary check-outs, followed by showers and a quick debriefing, Daniel and Teal'c joined Doctor Rider, Captain Brunsfeld and Major Portrare for a late lunch in the commissary.
The conversation had wandered from a rehash of their observations on the planet, to a run-down of the planets that they planned to search next, to Daniel's colorful retelling of Jack's comments regarding his boredom with tree-filled planets.
"PX3-071 was such a beautiful planet... it's too bad that we didn't find them there," Doctor Rider commented and no one objected. PX3-071 was a beautiful planet. Gathering her courage, she forged ahead to ask what most of the personnel at the SGC were dying to know, "How do you think Colonel Carter reacted when she woke up..?... wherever they are... to discover that the General had kidnapped her... I mean even under alien drugs and all..?..," and there her voice trailed off as she watched the two remaining members of SG-1 uncertainly.
"I am certain that ColonelCarter behaved as the excellent military officer that she is," Teal'c replied in tones that brooked no argument.
Seeing the others trying to hide looks of disbelief, Daniel spoke up, "Sam will undoubtedly wait until she has all of the facts before she decides to react... she's a scientist as well as a military officer, and the scientist demands facts and rational behavior," he elaborated.
"Yes, but... he basically kidnapped her," the civilian zoologist countered. "Surely she'll be... just a little pissed? I mean I would!"
"Well, yeah, she might be a lot pissed," he admitted, "but she probably won't let it show right away, not unless he interrupted any of her serious calculations or experiments at the Alpha Site," Daniel sent a small smile over to the feisty zoologist.
"Well, if it had been me, after I'd made sure that he was over the effects of that Sandaran Cocktail, I think I'd kick his ass!" Her feisty words were laced with humor and Daniel couldn't help but smile at the image of Sam Carter giving Jack O'Neill the what-for! "I mean alien drugs or not, he could have at least picked PX3-071 – now that was a planet that a girl wouldn't mind waking up to!"
In spite of his worries about Jack and Sam, Daniel found himself mind wandering a bit as he wondered if Dr. Rider was currently unattached from any serious relationships. Hmmm... if she wasn't, he'd have to make a note to ask her out after they got Jack and Sam back.
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TBC
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Author's Notes: Doctor 'Dragon' Rider, Captain Brunsfeld, and SG-'9', are all in homage to fanfic author iamdragonrider and her fanfic epic 'Nine Lives' (which can be found here at Fanfiction's website).I created Major Rider so that I could incorporate iamdragonrider's review where she observed that Daniel and Teal'c were initially searching populated planets whereas the stock of supplies that Jack confiscated implied a... perhaps more desolate location...
And the last bit (about Dr. Rider's comments regarding Sam's reaction to the whole scenario) was also to incorporate reviewers' comments (such as from fallingfromelyssium) through Chapter 5. Iamdragonrider, in particular, stated: "Wow. Carter's taking it a whole lot better than I would. I would have kicked his ass, alien influence or not lol." :)
Having Daniel get amorous thoughts regarding Dr. Rider... that's just where Muse took it... :)
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