Head Trip - Chapter 11

They emerged from the wormhole under a canopy of bright blue sky which provided a brilliant backdrop for the vivid green of what appeared to be tall prairie grass.

"Well, it's not Minnesota, but Kansas isn't bad for a second choice."

Before Teal'c could raise an eyebrow to his statement, Jack adjusted his sunglasses and motioned for the team to move quickly from the ramp into a large clearing about 100 meters ahead.

They gazed up at towering gray statues which seemed to be representations of a group of elders – mostly women – sages in long flowing robes, each holding a different artifact: a globe, a book, a torch, a basket of what appeared to be fruit, a telescope of some kind, and a child. These six stone statues surrounded a large sandy area in which sat six empty chairs with a seventh chair in the middle.

"This is a sacred place" Teal'c intoned. "Colonel Carter would have met the leaders of this planet here. It seems to be a circle of wisdom."

As if to validate his words, a sudden glint of metal on the ground caught Jack's eye, and he stooped to pick up Sam's weapon which had been partially hidden by the sand. It seemed to have been tossed aside near the seventh chair. It was hard to tell just what had occurred as there were many footprints and scrambled markings in the sand. At least, there were no telltale signs of blood.

Oddly, there were no inscriptions or writings of any kind on the objects. Daniel seemed disappointed, but still ventured an opinion.

"These statues seem to portray a peaceful, agrarian society. The book and torch show that they value wisdom; the globe and telescope lead me to believe that they are open to explorers and to going off world themselves; the child and basket of fruit point to fertility and abundance. These people must have been the planet's original inhabitants since this sacred space remains intact and honored. It looks like they revered the Gate as well, having built some type of ceremonial ramp above the grassy ground, in direct proximity to their circle."

Teal'c spoke what the other two men were thinking.

"It is most unfortunate that a people so wise have fallen victim to the Replicators. It appears that their trusting nature allowed them to welcome travelers through the portal, and this seems to be their undoing."

Jack completed the sweep around the sandy perimeter finding nothing else to link with Carter. Kicking the sand in disgust, he ended with his own interpretation: "Damn bugs – give 'em an inch, and they take a mile. Give 'em a mile, and they take the whole freakin' planet!"

Taking a calculated risk, he leaped up onto the seventh chair and did a quick survey of the surrounding terrain with his binoculars. The planet seemed to consist of rolling fields of grass which stretched to the horizon. Trees were few and far between. Their destination was about 40 kilometers away. The one building, which seemed to mirror the sun's rays, was fairly large, but low and level, probably three stories at the most. Jack would gather more details once they got closer for better reconnaissance.

The temperature was mild and a slight breeze was blowing. It seemed too idyllic a setting for those metal mind benders. Jack couldn't help but think of the contrast to Halla – that bleak and barren planet which had been the Replicators' former homeworld. Somehow, the sterility of that planet seemed to fit much better.

"We've got some ground to cover, folks. This may be Kansas, but there's no yellow brick road! Let's move out!"

At that, the three soldiers moved beyond the sandy terrain of the clearing, across a wide arc of trampled grass (some type of mass exodus?), and, finally, into the more dense and shoulder-high blades of grass. Their dark-green combat uniforms would allow them perfect cover.

It was decided that they would fan out about one klick apart and sweep south to southwest, further examining the ground for any additional signs of recent activity. Jack would take point, with Daniel on his left flank and Teal'c on his right. O'Neill was yet unsure of how long this planet's day would last, and wanted to cover as much ground as possible before bedding down for the night. If all went well, they should arrive at their target by high noon tomorrow.

The men had been moving stealthily for about an hour, and no sign of life had yet been found. Suddenly, Daniel's voice crackled from the radio.

"Jack, think I've found something."

"Stay put and stay covered. We're on our way."

Once Teal'c and Jack had converged with Daniel, they looked off to his left, about another 50 meters. There was a wide gravel road, curving up from the southwest, and leading in the direction of the citadel. As they approached the edge of the grassline, they saw that there was a deep trench on the side of the road, about a three-meter (ten-foot) drop from the road itself. It seemed that this was a planetary highway of sorts; certainly, if there were any signs of life, they would be found here. It would be a good idea to stick close to the highway, hug the trench, and see what could be found. Jack was mildly surprised by their discovery. So, there was a "yellow brick road" after all!

Before moving out to the less protected, but, more rapid, method of reaching their destination, O'Neill signaled for Daniel and Teal'c to undo their backpacks, and take a moment's rest.

Teal'c motioned for an exchange of the heaviest part of their load: the Replicator wave disrupter, the prototype weapon that Jack had actually built while under the influence of the Ancients' knowledge. It was a cumbersome and bulky piece of equipment but the only sure-fire solution to neutralizing the enemy. Somehow, the weapon was able to render each Replicator cell inert and totally break down the building blocks. It carried one serious liability, though: it could not be used without warning human-form Replicators of what was happening to their brethren. Jack and his team knew that it was imperative that they refrained from any encounters with the Replicators until Carter was safely extracted. This whole search and rescue must maintain the element of surprise. So far, they had been lucky. Still no signs of human or mechanical life. Unless …

Suddenly, O'Neill glanced down at the ground. Teal'c already knew what he was looking for, and provided the answer by scooping the rich soil up into his hand and letting it crumble and fall from his fingers.

"It appears that we are not standing on Replicator blocks."

"Excuse me?"

Daniel was not on the mission to Halla and had to bebriefed. After Teal'c told him of their past experience, he was just as relieved as his teammates to know that this planet seemed to be more "user friendly".

God, stepping on Replicators seemed like stepping on someone's grave – your own!

Disclaimer: The Replicator wave disrupter has been referenced from S8, "New Order Part 2". It, and all main characters, the Stargate, and the planet Halla (S6), are the intellectual property of MGM/Gekko Productions.