-------P3X-454 Sobk Guard Camp Perimeter, dusk-------
The gathering darkness brought with it a deepening chill that cut through layers of protective garments and numbed exposed flesh in moments. Monumental conifers, thicker here than in the planet's mountainous highlands, permitted only fitful rays of autumn colored light through their imposing boughs and littered the forest floor with soft blankets of their fragrant needles. The planet's nightlife had begun to awaken as well, and Teal'c made note of their scurrying as he continued with his report
"As you suspected, O'Neill, there were two Hem ka directly guarding the Chaapa'ai." He murmured in low tones. "Daniel Jackson and I located two others on flanking patrol nearby. They report every hour to a watch commander, and every two hours to their Prime. It will be one full day before they are relieved."
"That's a pretty light guard from what we've encountered in the past." Daniel confirmed "They either haven't found our tracks, which Teal'c thinks is unlikely, or believe we've already left. Either way, we don't seem to be much of a priority right now."
"Daniel Jackson is correct." Teal'c dipped his head in brief acknowledgement "It would be, as you say O'Neill, an easy out."
"Great," Jack sighed as he reclined back against his pack "at least some part of this mission will be. Now all we have to do is figure out how to rescue one nice old lady from five other Jaffa, and one Goa'uld without alerting them."
"Old lady?" Daniel's blue eyes sparked curiously.
"Marina is…elderly," Carter replied, barely raising her head from the pencil sized tube in her hand "but she looked perfectly capable, other than the staff blast to her shoulder. I'd say she was probably in her mid fifties if I were to guess."
"Is she a Time Lord?" Daniel asked.
O'Neill shrugged theatrically and snapped "Gee, it's kinda hard to tell Daniel. We failed to discuss racial particulars what with a few Croc Guards just outside the tent."
Jack frowned as he saw the hurt expression on Daniel's face. The young archeologist wore his heart on his sleeve, and had it trampled on more than once. Yet he never seemed to quit, or surrender. Jack wasn't entirely sure which word was more appropriate to describe his friend. He took a deep breath and let his nerves return to normal before speaking again.
"Sorry." he muttered and found another spot over Daniel's shoulder to focus his attention "Marina knew about the temple, and the Ancients. It was mentioned in passing, but she did say she was a Time Lord."
"Whatever she is," Carter added, though her concentration still lay on the cylindrical device between her fingers "she's able to withstand the pain of an open and untreated wound. The lighting in her prison tent was dim, but it looked like a third degree burn. She also said that she couldn't be used as a host."
"That is a bold proclamation." Teal'c said pensively "Those who can not serve as hosts to the Goa'uld are few. Among that number, those not subjugated or destroyed are fewer still."
"Yeah, I heard that too." Jack pursed his lips in thought "She didn't seem too concerned about the life threatening torture bit either. Of course, the old girl could've just been crazy from that untreated staff wound on her shoulder."
"Or," Daniel interjected "she could be like Aris Boch."
"Aris Boch." O'Neill uttered the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth "Now there's a name I could've gone without hearing for a while longer. Wasn't he 'employed' by Sokar?"
"With Sokar dead, Aris and his people would've been forced to get their rajna elsewhere. Somehow, I don't think it grows on trees." Daniel ran a nervous hand through his short brown hair. "Jack, what if I'm wrong? What if they do know we're here and this is all some kind of elaborate ploy to capture us? We're here because of me!"
"Hold on now," Jack grabbed the younger man's sleeve "I get to be the suspicious one, remember?" His grip on Daniel's forearm tightened and he gave the archeologist a reassuring squeeze "We're here because I thought your idea was worth pursuing. Carter's done everything to back your theories with science, so don't go second guessing yourself. Do you really think we'd still be here if I thought this was a bad idea?"
Daniel shook his head "No, you're right."
Jack sighed "Look. I know this sounds nuts, but I believe the old girl. I don't know how I know, other than to tell you I feel it in my gut." Jack stabbed a finger at his stomach for emphasis.
"It's the right thing to do," he added softly.
Silence reigned for a moment, broken only by the sound of breathing "You're right Jack. It's the right thing to do." Daniel nodded as he spoke into the tense quiet "If we don't try to help, and just turn our backs, we're no better than the Goa'uld."
"Sobk guards make formidable opponents," Teal'c rumbled. "Their training is legendary, even among other Jaffa. Do you have a plan O'Neill?"
"You mean besides not getting shot?"
Daniel smirked "So you're saying you have no idea."
O'Neill drew himself up "I wouldn't say 'no idea'. I'd just say it's currently evolving." He sighed as he considered his options. "Carter, make any headway on Marina's…thingy?"
Carter looked up once more as she blew away a stray shock of her blond hair and frowned. Despite spending a better part of the afternoon examining Marina's strange device, she felt no better about her prospects of actually turning it on. The physicist in Sam had always been a proponent of understanding, her voice of reason and temperament. As a Major in the United States Airforce fighting a covert war with an enemy of superior strength, she recognized a certain degree of haste wasn't only necessary, it was imperative. Jack, Teal'c and Daniel had always believed in her abilities as a scientist with unwavering faith, but she knew she would never forgive herself if something happened because of a button she had pressed in haste.
"Major?" Jack's prompt broke into her thoughts, and she met his curious gaze with a sheepish blush.
"Sorry, sir." Sam murmured "I was just trying to find its power source."
"See!" Jack shot Daniel a triumphant smirk "Now THAT'S a plan." He turned his attention back to Carter with a conspiratorial wink "So what've you learned so far. Didn't Marina call it some sort of screwdriver?"
Sam frowned "I think so. It was all kind of harried, but I think I heard her call it a sonic screwdriver."
"Sonic screwdriver?" Daniel asked, obviously trying to curb his natural curiosity "Sounds pretty advanced."
"It is." Sam agreed "As near as I can tell, its outer case is made out of a metallic composite, almost like dental fillings but more durable. It's lighter than any screwdriver I've ever used, that's for sure. I'm not entirely certain, but I think it may operate on some kind of sophisticated ultrasonic principal. There's a small emitter on the tip that could act as some kind of focal point but…." She trailed off.
"But what?"
Carter sighed in frustration. "I can't even begin to tell you how it works, or even if it works at all. Everything I know about ultrasonic acoustics tells me this metal tube can't possibly function."
"I'm not following you Carter." Jack tilted his head quizzically.
"Well Sir, ultrasonic waves are basically sound that's generated at frequencies greater than the upper limit of human hearing, approximately 20 kilohertz. At its highest levels, ultrasonic sound can produce sympathetic vibrations called cavitations. In theory, this device could possibly harness those cavitations and use them to literally displace objects by sound. The only draw back is that any such device would have to be well insulated, or it would literally shake its self apart. Quite frankly, I don't see how anything this small could contain enough working components to generate an ultrasonic pulse, let alone sound proof insulation."
"The Goa'uld utilize sonic grenades that are no larger than one of your tennis balls." Teal'c reminded the group "They prove to be small, but formidable tools for subduing large gatherings of multiple targets. Perhaps this device is similar in impact, if not in function."
"You watch tennis?" Jack blinked in surprise.
"Teal'c has a point," Daniel interrupted "tennis ball or no tennis ball. This sonic screwdriver might have been designed as a practical tool, but maybe it could be used as some kind of a…a…weapon."
Jack said nothing, only looking at Carter with his deep, questioning gaze. He could tell she was spooked about turning Marina's screwdriver on, and he knew her well enough to know why. It was barely a week ago that a naqada enhanced warhead designed by Sam had nearly wiped out the base. Everyone knew it wasn't her fault, yet that moment had left an indelible mark, a scar, on her conscience. Jack mentally added yet another score to settle with the NID to his ever growing list.
"It's possible." Sam confessed heavily. "As we've seen with Goa'uld technology, a strong enough ultra sonic burst can overwhelm most humanoid nervous systems and cause temporary paralysis, but Sir, I don't know if this machine is even capable of that."
"There's only one way to find out." O'Neill gently wrested the instrument from Carter's grip and gave it a brief once over before turning it against a nearby tree.
"Sir, wait!" Carter choked out, her soft blue eyes wide with terror.
Jack motioned for the others to stand behind him as he touched what he hoped was an activation switch. For a moment, low humming filled the air then quickly rose in both pitch and tone. He winced as the sound grew fairly high pitched, wondering if Carter had been right and he had just made a pretty big mistake. As quickly as it had started, the sound spiked achingly, then suddenly disappeared. Only a slight disturbance of the air, like heat rising off the afternoon pavement, indicated Marina's screwdriver was even working.
"Ooookaaaaay." Jack cleared his throat "I think it's on, so what in Christ's name is it supposed to do?"
"Maybe," Daniel ventured "you should've had something for it to screw."
A distinct rustling sound abruptly silenced Jack's response, and he turned to his exposed side without thinking. Marina's device suddenly hummed quietly, and there was the sound of snapping twigs followed by something large hitting the ground nearby. Jack winced as he pressed the other button which he hoped would be an off switch.
O'Neill's finger instantly went to his lips in a gesture that turned out to be utterly useless since everyone had fallen quiet. He motioned first for Teal'c, then Carter to form up, then placed himself at point. Everything moved with the experience of a well choreographed dance, and SG-1 soon mustered into a wedge formation with Daniel at its center. O'Neill had seen the young archeologist handle himself pretty well around firearms, Daniel had to qualify to maintain his place in a field team after all, but he was still classified as a civilian and their weakest shot. Jack knew it wounded his pride, but would rather sooth his friend's nerves one hundred times over, than bury him in an unmarked grave. Carefully, they side-stepped forward as a group, communicating only in rapid hand signals and over exaggerated lip movements, until they reached the same vague area where the noise had first occurred. With a gesture, Teal'c dropped to his knees and speared his massive body through the foliage. Carter held her breath, then released it as Teal'c reemerged unharmed though his eyebrows were raised in bemused surprise.
"Our intruder is an animal, unconscious but otherwise unharmed. It appears to be arboreal and fallen from the tree you were aiming at O'Neill. I would say your chance has," he remained quiet for a moment as he searched for the correct phrase "paid off."
"It looks like a six-legged squirrel." Daniel mused as he looked over Teal'c's broad shoulder curiously.
"Well, at least we know it works." Carter replied icily as she firmly, but respectfully, took Marina's screwdriver back.
"Take it easy Major," Jack ordered firmly "I may have just figured out how to get into and out of Sobe's camp without firing a single shot."