Ten minutes later, his first patrol of their small area complete and his tea steeping, he sat back against a rock and looked back at the stars.

His eyes went unerringly to Charlie's baseball.

Not too far from Oz, he noticed with a small smile.

- - -

- - -

Ch 14: VANTAGE POINT

- - -

Next, they were planning 7-10 days of scouting the area around the 'Gate and their camp. Mostly they planned short 2-3 day overnight trips. Jack wanted to get a good view from at least one accessible high point. They weren't going to take any unnecessary risks... no rock climbing or such. They had a good store of medical supplies for now, but they didn't have an infirmary or any doctors, so they were going to try and consciously steer clear of avoidable hazards.

They set off towards the north first... heading for the ridgeline behind their camp. Jack took point and began blazing a trail that angled up the ridge while avoiding the densest undergrowth. Sam covered his six, watching for any signs of hostile aliens or wildlife.

They reached a small saddle by late afternoon. Walking along the rocky ridgeline just above the treeline, they continued on a slow incline until they reached the highest point on the ridge. They stopped and dropped their packs to reconnoiter the land around their new home.

The views were breathtaking. The 'Gate was clearly visible, as was their small clearing with its shelter and piles of materials. Beyond the 'Gate, the forest closed in and tree-covered mountains continued as far as the eye could see. The higher ridgelines were the only places where the trees did not completely blanket the landscape. Turning around to look at the view on the other side of the ridge, they discovered that they were standing at the head of an expansive tree-cloaked valley. Sam estimated that the valley was 15 miles across and widening as it wound down and away from them.

"Trees!" And he said it with characteristic Jack O'Neill disgust... and out of the corner of the eye, he saw his objective... because she couldn't refuse the small smile that played across her face.

She wouldn't tell him, but hearing his sarcastic tone and his oh-so-familiar laments about trees, gave her a sense of comfort. All was right with the world when Jack O'Neill was sarcastic and complaining about trees.

She also hadn't admitted to him that she was surprised that he'd chosen this planet. There were trees everywhere... blanketing every mountain and hill in sight. Trees, trees and more trees. This was not the type of planet that she would have expected Jack O'Neill to choose.

And then she realized that the presence of all of these trees made this planet even less likely to be searched soon by anyone from the SGC. Daniel and Teal'c would probably recommend searching a volcanic or ice planet before they would think to look on a planet such as this!

"What's wrong?" he interrupted her thoughts.

"What?"

"What's wrong?" he reiterated and added a quirk of his eyebrows.

"Oh, nothing... just lost in thought," she replied and gave him a small smile for reassurance while turning to her pack and digging out the small digital camera.

He eyed her curiously, wanting to know where her thoughts had gone, but she wasn't volunteering that information so there wasn't anything he could do. Short of ordering her to answer him... and he wasn't sure that ordering a subordinate to admit what they were thinking was actually a legitimate order. Besides, he'd shied away from ordering and demanding and the two of them had settled into a relatively friendly co-existence.

They each scanned the 360-degree panorama.
Comparing, cataloguing and assessing.
Looking for any signs of life... current or ancient.

No buildings or artificial structures were apparent, however.
Not even anything that looked like ruins.

Leaving her to the task of snapping pictures of the entire 360-degree terrain, he sat down and started constructing a simple line-sketch map. Noting the major ridgelines and valleys. Marking notable locations such as the 'Gate and their campsite on the valley floor below. Noting any large clearings or cliffs.

He tentatively picked names for a few of the highest peaks or more noticeable rock formations that stuck above the dense forest cover. He used the compass to mark local magnetic north on his evolving map. From the compass settings on its bezel, he also transferred the direction to this planet's rotational-axis-north. When he was finished he made a rough estimate of the scale of his new map and marked that along the bottom.

Finished taking the digital photos, Sam joined him. Critiquing his map and observations and adding some of her own. Next they discussed and negotiated his proposed names for the major peaks and other features. Sam tended to agree to most of his suggestions – unless he chose something like the name of a Goa'uld, or someone like Kinsey. For simplicity, they chose names that they had not already used for their new constellations.

After an hour and a half or so of mapping and studying the particular features with binoculars, they both agreed that they had sufficient local geographic information from this location. Not wanting to immediately relinquish the view from their aerie vantage point, however, they decided that their present location would suffice for a simple overnight bivouac.

- - - - - -

Jack's eyes traveled across the night sky. Routinely identifying their new constellations. The new groupings of stars were rapidly becoming like old friends. Reassuring in their faithful reappearance each evening.

As they were only camping here for one short night, they'd chosen to set up a spartan simple camp for the evening. Deciding to forego a campfire and the mess and fuss of cooking, they settled for cold rations for dinner. As with the previous weeks, the evening appeared had promised a clear sky, so they didn't set up a tent, but simply decided to rack-out under the stars.

His experienced eyes scanned the area around their camp. Watching for anything that moved. Watching for anything that had changed since his last visual patrol. And allowing his eyes to stop and study her on each round. She was one of the appointed checkpoints in his visual perambulation. Tonight she was burrowed deeply into her bag. It was colder up here on the ridge... colder than down in their tent on the valley floor.

He'd almost laughed out-loud at how cute she'd looked with all the clothes that she'd put on before pulling the bag up around her ears. He was pretty sure that she was wearing all of the clothes that she'd brought on their short two-day excursion.

Looking at the position of the stars, he knew that his watch was almost over. He checked his wristwatch for confirmation. He'd have to wake her in a few minutes. He was tempted not to, but he knew that she'd automatically wake up in bit anyway and then she'd just be pissed at him for not getting enough sleep for himself. Back in the days when they'd been Colonel and Captain (or Major), he'd have just pulled rank if she'd started to argue with him. But he couldn't do that here. He needed to let them live more as equals than as superior and junior officer.

It wasn't easy for either of them. He automatically barked orders at times, and she usually responded automatically and without complaint. At other times, he knew that she kept politely silent and kept her own counsel, as the proper military officer should... things such as whatever had gone through her mind earlier on the ridgeline.

Time, it would take time for them to relax the habits and constraints of more than eight years of military strictures and behaviors.

Time.

That was one thing that they just might have a lot of.

- - - - - -

After returning from their short overnight excursion to the top of the ridgeline, they'd spent the next two days at their valley-floor campsite. Checking the 'Gate area for any evidence of visitors... friend or foe. Checking the status of their basecamp and ensuring that no local critters had broken into or disturbed anything. They found everything just as they'd left it.

They built a sturdy campfire and prepared a warm meal for dinner. When the food was cooked, he called her over from where she was finished laying out their sleeping bags in the tent, "Come and get it!"

"What's the entree this evening, maestro?" she asked, pulling on a jacket as she sat down next to the fire.

"Honey-glazed chicken on a delicately seasoned bed of spring field rice," he returned in a haughty tone and an affected air.

"Well, I'm starving," she admitted, "I think it could be plain boiled tofu and I wouldn't complain as long as it was still hot!"

He grinned and then spooned some of the one-pot concoction into each their bowls. Accepting the offered dish, she immediately protested, "Jack, I can't eat all of that!"

"Yeah, that's one of two things we need to talk about," he broached a subject that he wasn't looking forward to and received a puzzled look from her. Taking a breath, he continued, "Look, Sam... you've always been trim and fit for duty, but we're doing a lot of physical work every day out here... and the days are longer... and you're losing weight." Not giving her a chance to protest, he immediately continued, "You're not spending time a lot of time stationary like you sometimes do when working on a project for days on end in your lab - and with the longer days here, you need to take in more calories every day here."

He paused for a moment to give her a chance to speak, and he could see her mental gears turning as she thought through her options. When she didn't respond after a few more moments, he continued, "And, if you could regain that weight, and maybe a little more, then maybe you won't be as cold...," and he was hoping that the promise of warmth might help tamp down her otherwise automatic objections to his proposal.

When she still didn't reply, he ventured, "I really don't want to lose you to some silly cold just because you're body doesn't have the reserves to fight it off."

Another few moments of silence passed before she finally answered. "You've lost weight too, Jack," and she stated it softly as a fact and not an accusation. She surprised him by not denying or brushing off his observations or fears.

"Right, so-," and he held out his bowl to show that he'd taken an equally extra large portion.

She nodded but then added, "You're also larger than me, and men also have higher metabolisms and generally require more daily calories than women."

So... she wasn't arguing that she didn't need to eat more ... but she was including him in his own objective. He studied her for a moment and then gave her a grin and a nod, "I'll agree to eat more, if you will," he offered.

She looked down at the food in her dish and sighed, "It's a good thing that I'm hungry," as she tucked into her meal with gusto. "So... what was the other thing that we need to talk about?" she asked between bites.

"Hmmm? Wha-?" he was still thinking about how easily she'd agreed to increasing what she ate.

"You said that there were two things that we needed to talk about... We covered one, so what was the other?" she prompted.

"Oh. Right!" he shook his head slightly as he refocused. "The second thing was the night watches... with the lack of hostile life and with the camp alarm and gate alarm... I don't think we need to stand watches – unless something changes. What do you think?"

"I agree," she nodded as she continued working on her dinner. "With the alarms set, we should both be able to get some decent sleep." They couldn't keep the watches up forever anyway. Not with just the two of them. Watches with just two soldiers were feasible for a few days or weeks, but not if they were going to be here for months or years.

- - - - - -

Tap, tap, tap.. tap, tap.

Clickety, clickety, click, click, click.
Muzzily his thoughts began to focus.

Click, click, click, click, click, clickety, clickety, clickety, clickety, tap, tap, tap...

Wh-a-a-? his brain tried to place the sounds into something familiar. Failing that, he reluctantly opened his eyes and blearily identified... trees!

Early morning light...

Clickety, clickety, clickety, clickety...
Alien squirrels? An alien woodpecker in the distance?

Moving his head to look around, he instantly spied the source of the noises and smiled into his sleeping bag. She was propped up against a rock, with her sleeping bag under and behind her for a cushion and warmth. Bundled up like a military Nanook-Of-The North, she was industriously tapping on the keys of one of her laptops.

They had a total of three laptops, two of which were hers and one was his. He'd tried to decline even the one, but she'd insisted so that he could keep a journal, maintain his own notes on the stars and constellations, etc. He'd still told her that it was just a waste of resources, because he would rarely use the thing.

And then she'd given him a small smile and shown him the games that were installed with the basic operating system. Just a little solitaire, something called minesweeper and a couple of other games. But, she'd piqued his interest and he'd relented. So he had one of the laptops and she had the other two.

She'd been using one laptop to record observations and maintain a short journal. She was also compiling their star and constellation data and observations into one file. The third laptop, she was saving for when they had time to delve into the damaged DHD.

"Good morning," the clicking had stopped and she was giving him a small smile.

"You should be in bed!," he grumbled good-naturedly. With no watches to worry about, they'd stayed up late star-gazing and then been treated to a spectacular meteor shower. At one point they'd counted more than 27 shooting stars (meteors) in 10 minutes. Quite an astronomical pyrotechnic display.

Staying out as late as they had, they had each opted to simply sleep outside for the rest of the night. So... now he was waking up to... trees... and to an apparently bright-eyed Sam Carter industriously working on her laptop at the crack of dawn. Of course, he should have expected it, over their first few weeks here, she'd gotten used to waking in the middle of the night for her watch. Her internal body clock had probably refused to let her sleep through the hours just before dawn.

"I think I technically still am," and she gestured at her rearranged sleeping bag.

"Why are you working at this god-awful hour?" he asked with a teasing tone.

She arched an eyebrow at him with an amused look, "Do you really want to know?," she sent back with a light teasing tone of her own.

"Yes... uh... no... um," because a part of him really did want to know, while another part was afraid that she was a bit too awake for him right now... and she looked primed and ready to let loose with a super-charged technobabble discourse. Taking the coward's way out, he pulled the top of his bag over his head but he could still hear her gentle laughter as she snapped the laptop shut and then began collecting her disassembled bedroll before placing it all back in the tent. Sighing, he reluctantly pulled himself out of the warm sleeping bag to pack up and put away his own bedroll.

A half-hour later and they were seated around the morning campfire, re-inspecting their hand-drawn map and deciding where they should explore next. They had determined that they would take at least three more exploratory short hikes before Sam would try working with the DHD.

Their three objectives included: 1) to reach to the top of the ridgeline on the other side of their valley, 2) to head upstream for a day or two, and 3) to head downstream for a day or two's distance. On each excursion, they would be looking for any evidence of intelligent life – as well as potentially better campsites for the future.

Both officers initially ranked the hike to the opposite ridgeline as the next excursion so that they could augment and refine their area map. However, Sam debated that the hike downstream might be more fruitful. First, most humanoid cultures need water, and most towns and cities are situated near water when it is available. The confluence of several rivers, or around the fertile sediments of a river delta, is often the choice location for a town. Consequently, when lost on Earth, if you follow a river downstream, and keep following the river, until it joins with other rivers, and then keep heading downstream... you will almost always eventually find civilization.

Second, the ridgeline that they'd climbed the other day was significantly higher than the one on the other side of the valley. As a result, the view from the remaining ridgeline would not be as far-reaching as the one that they'd already achieved the other day- and might not reveal much that they didn't already know.

After some more discussion, they decided to move the downstream hike up to top of their list. Again, they packed for an overnight outing and secured all of the camp supplies that were being left behind. With one final check that the camp alarm was set, they headed off.

As before, Jack took point as they picked their way along the river's edge. The dense trees obscured their view of their ridgeline landmarks and their map and compass were put to constant use as they meandered along the river's course. Their progress was slow as they often had to circle away from the river to avoid dense brush, or swampy tracts of mud. They'd tried walking through the mud... but they sunk in to their knees and couldn't make any appreciable distance at that rate.

Sam took point after a short rest stop around lunch time. After a couple more hours of wandering downstream along the valley floor, Sam reached the top of a small rise and stopped suddenly.

Jack instantly froze and scanned their surroundings.
Searching for threats.
Listening for anything unusual.

Nothing. Just the gentle noise of the quiet forest of this planet. The trees were swaying gently and the swishing mixed with the sound of the moving water.

He looked up at where she was standing. She too was scanning the area carefully. She glanced back at him and with silent hand signals, let him know that she'd seen something. He pantomimed a query for more information, but she had to shake her head and shrug a bit. While she was carefully scanning the nearby areas again, he slowly moved up to where she was standing.

And then he saw it.

- - -

- - -

TBC

- - -