They stopped right outside the tunnels, Melony turning to the others.

"We'll head for the plains just south of here, Major," she told Sheppard, assuming he'd be the one flying the Jumper. John nodded his agreement, but Jack held up his hand.

"Why don't I fly with you, Melony? That way you can show me how the controls work."

There wasn't really another seat in the dart for a passenger, but she nodded. He was right; it was the best way to see how the controls worked – short of having a simulator, which they didn't. Luckily they were all three skilled pilots, so Melony was sure they'd have no more difficulty picking up the darts than she did.

"That'll work. Major? Just follow us."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Teal'c and Sheppard headed for the Jumper and Jack and Melony headed for the dart.

"You're not going to crash us, are you?" Jack asked, hesitating at the rear entrance to the little craft.

"Of course not."

"I mean, because you do have a lousy track record when it comes to landings…" He looked pointedly over at the wreckage of the final dart, and Mitchell gave him a half smile.

"That was your fault and you know it. I would have landed it just fine if you weren't so trigger happy."

"Oh sure… blame it on me…"

She shook her head, and headed into the dart, settling in the pilot's seat as the harness came up and around her, locking her firmly in place.

"Find something to hold on to, Jack," Melony told him. "And never… ever… hit this button." She pointed at the one that they were pretty sure was the self-destruct button.

"Why? What does it do?"

"I think it'll blow the ship up," she told him as he took a firm grip on the back of her chair, standing braced against it.

"Then by all means… let's not push that button, eh?"

She smiled, and showed him the startup button and they were both quiet as they listened to the almost silent engines come to life with a vibration that rumbled through the little ship.

"It's supposed to feel like that?" Jack asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

With slightly exaggerated movements so he could see what she was doing, Mitchell lifted the dart off the ground, making sure not to do anything too abrupt since Jack wasn't buckled in and she really wasn't sure just how good the inertia dampeners were when you weren't buckled in. Obviously, Jack was thinking the same thing.

"I'd rather not end up splattered against the windshield," he told her.

She smiled, pointing at the 3-d representation.

"There is no windshield."

"Smart ass. Just be careful, okay?"

"I always am, Jack."

Uh huh.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Carson asked, coming over to stand beside Sam.

She shook her head, looking up in time to see him run his fingers through the Mok's shaggy fur – his shoulder, she noticed. Beckett was staying well clear of the two sperm sacks that were hanging down by the creature's ears.

"I just need a chance to look at this thing. Preferably without having him looming over my shoulder," she said, gesturing to the distracting animal. "Any way you can convince him to go outside and… graze… or whatever it is they do?"

"I'll take him outside, Sam," Daniel said, running his hand along the Mok's neck, and sliding his hand along the velvety hanging sacks. Easily the softest part of the creature's body – as far as he'd seen so far – Daniel almost always found himself enjoying that sensation. "He likes me."

She grinned, looking at Beckett, who wasn't in the right position to see what part of the creature Daniel was touching, and then looking back at her friend.

"If you weren't holding his testicles he might like you a little less…"

"What?"

Carson snorted, moving aside a little. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to join in on. Instead, he moved over to stand by Teyla, who was looking at the rear of the dart ship. Sam couldn't help but echo the snort, her eyes flashing with barely suppressed humor.

"You're touching its sperm sack, Daniel," she explained, grinning broadly.

Daniel jerked his hand away from the Mok, and looked at her.

"What? Are you sure? How do you-"

"McKay told me. It seems that-"

"Eeeeeewwww!"

Daniel wiped his hand on his pants, glaring at the Mok as if it had been all the creature's fault.

"Does Jack know?"

Sam nodded, and Daniel groaned, shaking his head.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this…"

Bad enough he'd been fondling the damned thing, but it was worse that O'Neill knew, because he'd never let Daniel forget – and there'd be all sorts of little comments. He just knew it. Probably the only thing that had stopped him so far was that he'd been so excited about learning how to fly the darts.

She had to agree with him, because she knew Jack as well as he did.

"He's going to have a ball with it," she said, grinning. "That's for sure."

Carson choked, telling them without words that he'd been listening in, and Daniel stared at her for a long moment, realizing that Jack wasn't going to be the only one who was going to have fun at his expense.

"That was bad, Sam…"

She snickered, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye.

"Sorry, Daniel. I couldn't resist…"

"Try harder, next time."

Silently giggling, Sam turned her attention back to the device on the table, leaving Daniel to deal with the Mok for her.