A/N: Thanks for the review, Krys, it always helps to know someone's reading. I have 30 chapters already written, but I'm doling them out, one a day - just to be mean! Enjoy.

Six days earlier:

Daniel stuffed his keys in his pocket as he slammed his car door. He walked into his empty house, frustration etched on his face. How had my life become so routine? When had it become boring? God, when had interspace travel become dull?

Daniel shrugged out of his jacket, tossed it over the back of a chair and headed into the kitchen to get a beer. Chucking the top into the trash, he walked out the French doors, onto the deck in the back yard. He stood there, leaning against the rough stucco of the house, barely registering the coarse texture of the wall. Need to call the gardener. Looks like the shrubs need trimming. Borrrring! Urgo? At least that would be interesting.

Irritated with himself, Daniel removed his glasses and massaged his eyes. He turned and stepped back into the house and meandered into his study, looking for something that might catch his eye. He never had trouble finding a book to interest him. He scanned the shelves, not really wanting anything he had to think about, wishing he had a good mystery novel around. Reaching down to the bottom shelf, he pulled out a leather bound journal he didn't remember seeing before, and he knew every one of his books as well as a mother knows every one of her children.

Taking the journal and his beer, he settled down in an overstuffed chair to examine this unknown book. Nothing on the cover or spine to tell him what it was. Daniel carefully opened the book to the cover page.

Nicholas Ballard

1971

Belize

Daniel froze, bewildered. He'd never known Nick had kept a journal of that expedition. How had he missed knowing it was in his library?

Flipping quickly through the worn journal, Daniel found typical entries and sketches for a Mayan dig, until about half way through. Then he saw a sketch of a stargate with seven symbols entered next to it. Nick's notes were in Dutch and Daniel struggled a little trying to remember the Dutch his mother had taught him before he was eight.

Nick had copied the stargate from a wall carving in an antechamber next to the room where he found the crystal skull. His meticulous notes indicated that the gate address led to a planet abandoned by the Ancients. He had transcribed the writings on the walls, which were in Ancient. Nick hadn't known what they said; he didn't read Ancient, but Daniel did.

The carvings described a city that had been a major center of Ancient civilization in this galaxy. There was a university library on the planet that was the center of scientific and cultural research.

Daniel reached for the phone on his desk and dialed Sam. "Sam, drop whatever you're doing and get over to my place. I've found something incredible!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Dr. Jackson and Major Carter knocked at General Hammond's office door at 0700.

"Enter." Hammond looked at the watch on his wrist and confirmed the early hour.

"Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, what may I do for you so early this morning?" Hammond appeared to be in an excellent mood.

"General, I came across my grandfather's journal, which may have some significant information for us." Daniel's hands moved even faster than his mouth, as he explained to the general what he had found in his library.

"Major Carter, I assume you agree that this planet might be meaningful in our search for Ancient technology."

"Yes, sir. This may be the most crucial find that the SGC has ever made. It could lead us directly to Atlantis or to understanding the Ancient's science. Sir, we have to go." Sam's face was with pink with barely contained excitement and anticipation.

"Agreed. As soon as Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill arrive this morning, we'll have a meeting and make all arrangements necessary. Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, I'd like you to each choose one other scientist to bring along. If this is as big as you both seem to think it is, we could probably use more hands."

Two days later SG1 stood waiting at the bottom of the ramp for General Hammond's final OK. They also had borrowed two extra Marine sergeants for security from SG12 since their CO was out with the flu. Daniel had chosen to bring Dr. Arwen Jago and Sam was bringing Dr. Eric Benyr. Both scientists were highly qualified in their areas.

Daniel helped Dr. Jago clip her backpack onto her vest, while Jack cradled his P90, watching for Hammond to OK their departure. As soon as the general nodded to Jack, he turned on his heals, pointed to the vortex as it shrank back into the gate and ordered, "Let's go, people!"

Daniel stepped through the gate onto a desert planet, but not one like Abydos. This was a much lusher desert, with cactus, sage brush, and the occasional ground squirrel, reminiscent of the American Southwest.

Jack groaned, "Where're the frickin' trees?"

Sam grinned at her CO. "They're here, sir. They're just short. You see, in the desert, the insufficiency of precipitation leads to diminutive indigenous vegetation…"

"Oh, for crying out loud, Carter!" Jack put his sunglasses on and snuck a look at his 2IC through them. "OK, people, we have a two-day march to the nearest set of ruins. Let's move."

Sam loved it when she irritated him.