Author's Notes: This chapter, and the next, check back in with Daniel and Teal'c to determine the status of the search for our two missing heros.
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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.
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Ch 15: SYSTEMATIC
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Back at the SGC
"Teal'c, I think we must be going about this all wrong," Daniel sighed as he looked over the list of crossed-off planets on the chalkboard in his office.
"I must agree, DanielJackson," the Jaffa intoned somberly.
They and the search teams SG-4, 7 and 9 had not found any sign of the missing officers on any of the planets on their first or second generation search-lists. For weeks both Daniel and Teal'c had been searching their memories for any references to planets that might indicate where Jack had gone.
Daniel was frustrated. Teal'c probably was too... he just didn't let it show.... Taking it from the most basic, Daniel tried to think it through: First, Jack had to have gone to a planet of which Jack knew the address... and Second, Jack had to have gone to a planet that was fairly safe because Daniel couldn't believe that Jack would take an unconscious Sam into a hostile situation. Therefore..., he reasoned, they should be able to figure out where their two teammates had gone.
"Perhaps O'Neill remembered a gate address from the Ancient information that was once in his mind," and with that, the Jaffa put Daniel's worst fears into words.
"I sure hope not, Teal'c," Daniel answered his stoic comrade. "Because if Jack took them to a planet that we don't have any experience with... or even a gate address for... then we aren't going to find them. The only way that they will come home is on their own."
The Jaffa slowly nodded his agreement.
A few moments of silence passed and Daniel decided to get back on track. Creating List #3. The Powers That Be were still allowing them to search for their missing teammates. Apparently the President and Joint Chiefs of Staff considered the recovery of General Jack O'Neill and Colonel Sam Carter worth the cost of the continued search.
"Perhaps we are just going to have to be more scientific, Teal'c...," Daniel mused.
The Jaffa quirked an eyebrow quizzically at the archeologist.
"What?" Daniel asked.
"If SamanthaCarter had been the one who had chosen the planet that we are searching for, then I would agree that a scientific approach would be most appropriate," the Jaffa explained. "However, as we are searching for a planet chosen by O'Neill...," and he let his statement taper off as he quirked his head a bit and let a small smile just barely touch the edges of his lips.
"Yeah, I agree, Teal'c," Daniel replied. "But I don't know what else to do. We tried to put ourselves into Jack's head, and it didn't work. He obviously went somewhere that we aren't expecting him to choose."
"Yes, O'Neill has behaved most peculiarly," Teal'c responded.
"Right. So, scientific it has to be. I'll work with Sergeant Davis and we'll start by using the computer database to generate a list of every planet that Jack has visited. With or without SG-1. Next, we'll add the list of gate addresses that Jack entered into the SGC computers when he had the first download of the Ancients. After that, we'll take out any planets with known hostile inhabitants or dangerous conditions such as viruses or contagions. With what's left, maybe we shouldn't even try to rank them anymore based on what we think Jack would pick. He obviously chose something that we wouldn't expect him to choose. So maybe we just need to be scientific and systematic with the habitable planets left on the list. Maybe he picked a desert planet... or some sweltering jungle planet... or maybe he just picked a planet full of trees!"
The Jaffa nodded again, "I concur DanielJackson. We must apply objectivity. We no longer have the luxury of assuming that O'Neill chose a planet that meets the criteria that he generally espouses. The Vandi undoubtedly influenced his choices."
Daniel sighed again, "Yeah," he agreed reluctantly, because Scientific Systematic Objectivity meant that there were no shortcuts to figuring out where their two missing teammates were.
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Late the next afternoon, the Asgard checked in with the SGC. Thor 'called' every three days to ascertain the status in the Tauri search for O'Neill and Carter. All Asgard ships had been notified to keep an eye out for the missing Tauri and Thor regularly informed the SGC of which planets had been recently visited by any Asgard.
Daniel studied the present list. The list was long. It would take months to search all of the planets listed now that only SG-4 and SG-7 were still tasked to continue the search. SG-9 was currently on a mission to some jungle-type planet which had both an intelligent indigenous people as well as a large diversity of alien wildlife.
"Jack...Sam...," the archeologist muttered to the emptiness in his office, "Where the hell are you two?"
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TBC
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