Brenna stood before a very unhappy Administrator Caulder in his surface office. She would never tire of the view outside his windows... the domed sky and space and color, all so different from the view outside her own office. "Our only option is to open up a new mine shaft to extract the ore. Our stores are almost depleted and if we don't get more soon our machines will start to break down."

Caulder had listened to her full report of the engines and the productivity results and he knew the inevitable as much as she. He knew as well as she the reallocation of work and supplies that setting up a new mining shaft would entail and it was not a pleasant prospect.

"All right," Caulder finally relented with no small amount of reluctance. "I'll order a group put together to decide the best place to start digging a new mine shaft. I'll expect you to have teams of workers suitably selected and prepared for the task when it's been set."

"Yes, Administrator."

Caulder nodded, still scowling, then turned his eyes back to her. "Any other problems I should know about?"

By that he meant any problems with SG-1. It was his veiled way of asking if it had gone wrong again, if the former Earth team was becoming a hazard to their very way of life. He didn't trust Thera, Jonah, or Carlin any farther than one could survive walking in a straight line outside of the dome. Brenna knew he wasn't completely off-base to be concerned, but he didn't work as closely with them as Brenna did. She took offense on their behalf, but she was not foolish enough to let it show.

"No problems."

Caulder's eyes narrowed and he seemed to ruminate on that a moment before he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. He was in a particularly foul mood after being backed into a corner and forced to order a new mine shaft opened up, but that was hardly to be helped. Not if they wanted their beautiful city above-ground to survive the ice age that had claimed the rest of their planet.


Things were in a state of flux among the workers; Thera could feel it like static electricity sparking through the underground inhabitants. Four days ago Brenna had called her into her office and told Thera that the administrator had finally given in and ordered a new mining operation to hunt for the all-important fuel source that the engines desperately needed. Thera had heaved a sigh of relief. She had known for a long time that the only real solution to the problem of the failing machines, given the resources at their disposal, was the procurement of new mineral ore. Until that moment in Brenna's office, however, it had been suggested that excavating new ore was not an option and some other solution had to be found. It had been an unrelenting concern for Thera.

Finally, though, Caulder and his kind had seen reason and realized the only option to save the engines and the people was more ore. Thera was able to relax for the first time in weeks because she would no longer be expected to make a miracle happen.

Thera had been told first about the mining operation because she'd been so involved with trying to solve the fuel shortage problem; the rest of the workers weren't informed until the next day when Brenna announced she would begin making selections on the mining crew. Everyone wanted the job, if only for the break from their monotonous work day in and day out.

The energy and muted excitement brought a sense of vitality that was usually dormant in the caves and Thera was oddly made to think of a holiday. She thought there should be green. It was peculiar as hell, but with the mood in the air and the prominent red hues already present in the caves Thera just thought 'green'.

Sadly, an underground encampment on a planet overtaken by glaciers was not likely to see much green.

Lunch was a much merrier affair as everyone speculated on who would be chosen for mining duty. There hadn't been any fights among the workers since the new project was announced. Everyone was on good terms and it was a relief.

The relief would have been total were it not for Thera's concern for Jonah. At the thought of him she looked over at him against her right side. He was still having the nightmares, about his son dying. 'Our son,' Thera corrected herself and a twist of shame coiled sharply in her stomach. Only when it came to Jonah's dreams did she find herself mentally distancing and detaching herself from the baby, but even that much made her feel immensely guilty.

Jonah seemed oblivious to the spirits in the caves. His face bore a scowl, part disquiet and the rest plain exhaustion.

Thera glanced over at Carlin across from them and she caught him studying Jonah with a deeply concerned set to his features. She was fairly certain Carlin didn't know what was bothering Jonah. Though he'd asked her what was wrong with Jonah, Thera had neglected to tell Carlin about Jonah's nightmares, and Thera would be willing to bet her rations that Jonah hadn't taken it upon himself to tell Carlin. He'd barely told her.

"Thera?"

Thera was pulled from her private thoughts and she, along with her two companions, looked up at the day shift foreman standing before the trio. "When you're done, Brenna wants to see you."

"Okay."

The foreman left and Carlin, his eyebrows raised, turned to her. "What do you think she wants?"

Thera shrugged and discretely sidled closer to Jonah. He stirred from his dark preoccupations to smirk knowingly and look at her. He was far from fooled by her 'oh so casual' shuffle closer to him. Thera only gave a small smile and counted it well worth the effort when Jonah freed his closest hand to drop it on to her right leg. At least he looked like he was in a better mood. She didn't know how else to reassure him as his dreams seemed to be a now-constant nuisance.


"You wanted to see me, Brenna?"

Brenna looked up at Thera's voice in her office doorway. "Yes, I do. I've compiled my selection of workers for the mining crew and I wanted to get your opinion."

Thera nodded and went over to Brenna's desk. Her assistance was almost second-nature by now, discrepancies in their social standing aside, and Brenna wondered when exactly it had happened. Thera was very intelligent and it had stemmed primarily from that. Thera had good ideas, she had a quick mind, and Brenna had used it to her advantage with the engines. Then, somehow, it had become more generalized. Brenna started doing dry runs of her ideas on Thera, seeing what the blonde woman thought of proposed policy changes or crew shift alterations. Her reasoning was that Thera was in the thick of the workers and knew them personally, but Brenna suspected it was more than that. She didn't discount it might be her only way of trying to have some semblance of a friendship with Thera. In the end it meant Thera had become her unofficial second-in-command, her consultant of sorts. Thera didn't seem to notice her newly elevated position, she merely served as she thought best.

Thera looked over the list of workers Brenna had provided, nodding to herself. Finally she looked up at Brenna. "Have you chosen foremen for the crews?"

"I wanted to ask you what you thought about making Jonah the day shift foreman and Carlin the night shift."

It had been unspoken consensus from the beginning that Jonah would be one of those selected for the mining crew. He had the memory-experience of doing it before. To have excluded him from the crew would have been questionable and there was a slim chance it could spark suspicion in the former SG-1. Carlin was added to the list because of his physical strength... that and, when Jonah was selected, Carlin came almost as an aside. It was difficult not to think of the entire ex-SG-1 when made to think of one of them. Especially when the trio, as their worker selves, banded together. Brenna still constantly thought of them as a triple set.

Thera frowned. "Well, Jonah would make a great foreman, he has that natural leader quality about him, and those who don't already respect him wouldn't think to disobey him..." Thera trailed.

"You don't think Carlin has the same ability to lead?"

"The same? No. Not to say he couldn't do it–"

"But?"

Thera sighed. "But... I just think Carlin should be kept on Jonah's team. I can't really tell you why, it's just my gut feeling."

Brenna tried not to smile. Not so much gut as suppressed knowledge about the two men in question. "You know these two best, Thera, your 'gut' is good enough for me. Whom, then, would you suggest I place in command of the night crew?"

Thera thought a moment. "Actually, I'd suggest Kaegan."

"Kaegan?"

"Yeah. I know she's not as physically imposing as a man, but she makes up for that in attitude. Most of the workers avoid angering her and she's quite competent. I think she'd be good at heading a team."

Brenna nodded. "I'll take that into consideration." And then the stutter again where Brenna felt like she wanted to ask personal questions; how was Thera feeling, how were things with her and Jonah, how did she feel about the baby on its way. When she was requisitely restrained from inquiring after Thera in a personal capacity it ruffled Brenna. She never really disliked the stamping procedure as much as she did when it came to Thera.

Thera was sitting obediently on the other side of the desk, waiting.

"That will be all, Thera, thank you."

"It is an honor to serve," Thera replied and stood and left. Brenna retrieved her list of workers and wrote in Kaegan's name.