For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1

Chapter 2: On Being the Mouse
(Sam's POV)

As I head up the ramp I can feel Daniel's eyes on my back... again. This has been going on for several missions now and I'm not entirely sure of how to deal with it. The problem is that I'm not really sure of just what's going on, I don't know what's gotten into him and I don't know what he's thinking, not exactly, but if the way in which he's been acting lately is anything to go by then I think it's safe to assume that he is concerned about something and that's driving me crazy. He's been watching me constantly and that in turn has been making me more than a little paranoid.

I feel like I'm under a microscope and I really don't like it but there's nothing I can say or do about it short of confronting him... and somehow I don't think that's the way I want to go. I know something's bothering him, that much is obvious, but I have no idea as to what it could possibly be... or rather I hope I've got the wrong idea as to what it is. I've spent hours trying to determine what could have caused him to have this reaction and the truth is that so far the only possible explanation I've been able to come up with is one I don't even want to contemplate.

The fact is that, regardless of what's bothering him, there's very little I can do about it. I have no way of defusing this situation and I know that if I don't confront him then chances are that sooner or later he is going to confront me, which does not make for a far more pleasant scenario. He can be incredibly perceptive at times and right now that's exactly what I don't need. Yes, there are things I'm keeping from my teammates and no, they are none of their damned business... now if only I could get them --and a certain archeologist in particular-- to respect that.

I am tired, I can admit that to myself. Keeping up appearances for months has been taking its toll on me, in fact it's been a lot harder than I could possibly have anticipated... and now on top of that I have to worry about the very real possibility that Daniel may be on to me. That would be bad enough by itself but to make matters worse there's also the fact that he is not just extremely bright and curious, he is also utterly non-military and that means that some of the rules I'm used to playing by are out the window and that is most certainly bothering me.

The fact that he is not military means that there are bound to be some situations in which he doesn't know better than not to push and this may well turn out to be one of those. I know he's not trying to hurt me, I trust him in that regard, in fact I'm almost sure that he has good intentions but just by being himself he has become a threat to me. I've worked very hard to get to where I am and I don't want to be forced out of SG-1... and, if my suspicions are correct, I fear that that's exactly where Daniel's curiosity may lead me.

In other words, the problem is that I'm fairly certain that he suspects I'm hiding something... which wouldn't really be so bad if it weren't for the fact that I'm hiding something. Well, there's nothing I can do about it except to keep my guard up and my eyes open... there's nothing I can do except to make sure I don't slip, except to make sure I don't make a stupid mistake that could possibly leave me exposed, especially not as we head out for yet another mission. Does it sound too twisted that I'm actually hoping for an eventful one, one that will keep him off my back? I'm not saying I want a mission in which we get shot at, one in which we find ourselves running for our lives or anything like that... maybe just one in which he encounters enough ruins to keep him busy --and distracted-- for a couple of years. Yes, that would be good but I know better than to get my hopes up... especially because our upcoming mission is only supposed to last a few hours.

As we emerge from the gate I take my first look around. Seeing and smelling a planet often presents us with a very different picture from the one painted by the data that is sent back by the probes and the fact is that we all know that our first steps into a new world are usually the most dangerous ones. Luckily this time around there don't seem to be any unpleasant surprises waiting for us.

The first thing I notice as I get my bearings is that the gate is indoors, just as I knew it would be, and that is something I've learned is a telling sign as to what kind of society we may be dealing with. For the most part an indoors gate is a clear sign that we are dealing with a technologically advanced society... or with its remains.

The thing is that from what we've been able to see so far the vast majority of stargates were originally placed outdoors, though it is not uncommon for advanced societies --or the Goa'uld-- to have moved them indoors. It is a matter of common sense. Under normal circumstances a stargate vibrates a lot when it engages. At first glance that may not seem to be all that relevant but from an engineering perspective it definitely does present some significant challenges.

The way in which the gate vibrates means that any structure designed to encompass it must be able to withstand that vibration or that some measures must be taken to absorb the vibration at the source. In addition to that the way in which the wormhole expands outwards when it is first engaged, and the way in which that expansion basically disintegrates anything in its path, means that there must be a large open area surrounding the gate that is not directly supported by columns. Simply put, any column that is placed in the wormhole's path would be destroyed the first time the stargate engaged, and that would almost certainly cause the whole structure to collapse.

Yes, gate location can be extremely telling under certain circumstances and that seems to be the case in this particular instance. The question now is are we dealing with an advanced society or with the ruins left by one that has long since ceased to exist?

Looking around I take in the condition of the room we find ourselves in. At first glance it appears to be structurally sound and that is a major relief after our experiences rescuing Ernest. The place is massive and solid but from what I can see it's been abandoned for a while, at least that's what the mostly undisturbed layer of dust and the total absence of footprints other than our own would seem to indicate. Having confirmed the absence of any imminent threats in our immediate surroundings we move out and set out to explore the area and to determine what's our status.

From a technological perspective I think it's safe for me to say that this place definitely looks like it has potential.

The thing is that there are all kinds of devices around us and I don't have the first clue as to what any of them could possibly do. This is what I love the most about gate travel... of course, under the circumstances I'm not exactly sure whether this is what I would have wished for, especially not after Teal'c confirms that he does not recognize this particular planet. Going by the evidence around us I'd say that's not really all that surprising. Whatever happened here probably happened long before his time and that means that this planet could turn out to be a pretty important find. That's what we are here to determine.

The interesting thing is that, going by their basic design, I'd say that the devices around us are definitely not of Goa'uld origin and that means that what we have here is probably an advanced native civilization or at least its remains. In addition to that the total absence of the distinctive damage left behind by staff weapons would seem to suggest that the Goa'uld had nothing to do with its disappearance... if it is truly gone, that is. In other words, this planet seems to be everything we had hoped it would be and more... and for once I'm not so sure as to whether or not that is going to be a good thing, at least not for me.

After a couple of minutes the colonel declares that we are clear and orders us to 'get to work on those doohikies'. His order doesn't exactly come as much of a surprise and neither does the fact that both he and Teal'c leave us to go explore elsewhere, but that doesn't mean that the resulting situation is what I would describe as pleasant. This is exactly the scenario I've been dreading for these past couple of weeks... and that is a disturbing thought in itself, seeing how this is the kind of planet that would normally have me salivating at the thought.

The problem is that today the circumstances are different and I can't help but be worried about it. Today I can't see this world as anything but one of those planets in which the team is divided into two groups based on our respective specialties and in which no efforts are made to produce two balanced sub-units in terms of their combat skills. This is one of those instances in which Daniel and I have no choice but to work together. It is one of those planets in which my knowledge of applied technology has to be combined with Daniel's linguistic skills in order to be effective, just as his linguistic skills require my knowledge of technology to make sense of what's around us. For the most part we are an effective team, we've done this before and we will probably do it again but the thing is that in these cases Jack and Teal'c usually do their best to make sure they are off somewhere, trying to stay out of our way while we work.

This is not their sort of planet, not really. It is one of those planets in which Daniel and I will have plenty of things to keep us occupied for as long as we are here but in which the Colonel and Teal'c need to find a way to kill that time... preferably without getting themselves killed in the process. We are scheduled for a six hour stay to determine whether or not the technology that is to be found in this place is advanced enough to justify sending in a specialized retrieval team after us. At first glance the answer to that question would seem to be a resounding yes... but right now that is not my main concern.

Just as I had feared would be the case, a couple of minutes after the Colonel ordered us to get to work and walked away I see the determination set in on Daniel's face and I know right away that I'm in trouble... in deep trouble. If I'm reading him correctly --and I'm pretty sure that I am-- then he is going to take advantage of this opportunity to try and get me to talk.

This is it. This is the confrontation I have been dreading for a while and there's nothing I can do to weasel my way out of it. He has clearly chosen the moment carefully to ensure that I can't avoid it. Do I even have to mention that this is not what I was hoping for when I walked across the gate a few minutes ago?

I know he won't be forceful about it. I'm not worried about that, that's not really his style. Daniel doesn't do forceful if he can possibly avoid it but that does nothing to change the fact that, when he sets his mind to it, he can be the master of persistent and refusing him can be all but impossible.

As I try to prepare myself for the upcoming confrontation I realize that I have a couple of problems here, problems that are likely to turn into major issues within the next few minutes. The main one of those problems has to do with the fact that I don't know how much Daniel really knows, how much he suspects and how much of this encounter will actually be a fishing expedition mixed in with a healthy dose of bluffing and that means that containing the damage won't be easy. To make matters worse there's the fact that I have to work with him while we have our 'little chat', all without making the Colonel suspicious. I know that for as long as we are here the Colonel is likely to do his best to avoid us but still I can't afford to get careless. If he were to walk in on us while we are talking chances are it would all be over for me.