Chapter Seven:


Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain

Daniel tiredly rubbed his eyes, turning his attention back at the machine in front of him. It had been days since Sam and Jack and vanished in the labs, and throughout the entire time, Daniel had been trying to figure out how to get the machine working again.

Several people with the ancient gene had been brought in, all tried to activate the machine to no success. It was futile. Teal'c had spent most of the days, going from place to the next, finding out possible people with Ancient genes, and Daniel had been trying to figure out, with a number of engineers and scientists, if the machine had broken in some way when it transported Jack and Sam.

Looking again at the machine, Daniel decided to give something a try. Picking up a report written by Jack a few days before, Daniel focused on the smudged fingerprint. Pressing it against the button, he jumped when the machine lighted up briefly before shutting down again. Daniel grinned. This was progress.

Turning away from the machine Daniel picked up the telephone and dialed the mobile number he had come to learn so well.

"Hello?"

"Teal'c? It's Daniel." Daniel picked up his pen and began tapping it against the tabletop.

"Greetings Daniel Jackson, how is the research into the function of the transportation device going?"

"Going good Teal'c. I think I have a lead." He glanced at the machine again.

"That is good to hear Doctor Jackson."

"Yeah. I think we need to find a person who has a strong link with the ancients. Powerful, like Jack was."

"So there is nothing wrong with the machine?"

"Nothing a reactor acting as its battery can't fix." Daniel stretched. What times is it now?

"That is indeed good news."

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"Standing outside you door, Doctor."

Daniel frowned. Keeping the phone to his ear, he opened the lab door. True to his word, there stood Teal'c, talking on his mobile.

"Ah. Hi Teal'c." He said, realizing the phone was still to his ear and quickly placing it down the receiver. Teal'c nodded and did the same.

"Find anyone of use?" Daniel asked sitting back down at his desk. Teal'c shook his head.

"Indeed Daniel Jackson," Daniel frowned again, "but he is not with me currently. He is in the area…I believe you call it…Nevada…"

Daniel raised his eyebrow and nodded.

"Well," He said, grabbing his coat, "Lets go!"


The house was ramshackle. It was the first thing Daniel noticed as they walked up the steps toward the front door. It was a one story wooden cottage, the planks falling off the walls revealing the pipes and inner workings. The garden was barren, large weeds sprouting up, entangling a rusty old lawn mower and bucket.

The cement path was chipped and cracked, and several windows in the house were smashed or left with holes. Knocking on the door, Daniel straightened his tie, and glanced back at Teal'c, his usual black bowler hat covering his marking.

Daniel knocked again, taking off his sunglasses and flattening his hair.

He knocked again.

And again.

But all that answered him was silence.

He frowned back at Teal'c. Sighing, he took a step and looked through the window. All he saw was a hall, the furniture smashed and the floor dirty. Opening the unlocked door gently, Daniel peered inside.

"Hello?" He called out, "Anyone home?"

As he opened the door further, his sense of foreboding increased. As Teal'c gripped the pistol in his pocket, Daniel looked around the house, returning with a small folded up piece of paper.

"What is that Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked, looking as Daniel unfolded it. As Daniel read the message he gulped, passing it on to Teal'c.

You're too late.

A bloody fingerprint smeared the bottom of the page.

"Who would do this?" Asked Teal'c looking once more around.

"NID by the looks of it," Daniel thought aloud, "This place has been abandoned for a few days. There's still breakfast on the table."

Teal'c nodded.

"It is becoming clear someone does not wish us to succeed in bringing Colonel Carter and General O'Neill back."

Daniel's phone began to ring as he pulled it out of his pocket and to his ear.

Teal'c watched on.

"Uh huh. Oh. Yeah. No, no luck, someone beat us to him. Yeah. What? How? We're on out way back!" Hanging up the phone, Daniel looked at Teal'c.

"Someone stole the machine! They beamed it right out of the SGC!"

Teal'c face became pinched.

"This is unfortunate."

Daniel looked at the ground.

Things were going from bad, to worse.

Ttfn!