Chapter 32
"Anything Sam?" Daniel asked as he and Teal'c watched as Sam mad a slight adjustment on her energy detector.
"Over that hill about half a click away, there's a major energy source," Sam said eyes flicking between the energy readouts and the area around her.
"How major?" Daniel asked.
"Enough to power the mountain and the Gate for 3 years."
"That would be a lot."
The three began to move quietly toward the area Sam had indicated. Daniel and Teal's watched Sam's back closely as she guided them toward the energy source. Over the next ten minutes the group moved slowly, leaving no trace they had been there. IF they were right and Jack was on the planet, surprise was their one advantage. After all only the three free members of SG-1 had come, though every member of all the teams not scheduled to search other planets had volunteered. But since they didn't know for certain that Jack was on this planet, the General had only authorized SG-1 to go.
As they neared the area they stopped again and watched as a lone Jaffa walked toward a flat plain. When he reached a certain point they watched as he appeared to press his hand flat plam out, against absolutely nothing. They saw no door or anything appear, but watched as the Jaffa stepped forward and disappeared.
"Well I guess this means we hit the jackpot," Daniel commented in a whisper.
"Provided we can open that door," Sam answered as she scanned the area for any other Jaffa.
"It will be difficult to approach the area without being spotted," Teal'c commented.
"It's an invisible building, or mothership, its not like we can sneak up under the windows or anything," Daniel pointed out.
"We may have to take the risk Teal'c. They have the advantage and really there is not a whole lot we can do about it," Sam noted.
"Goa'uld buildings tend to have many windows depending on the culture they have enslaved, and there will be guards on the roof. With others this may not be the case but Ba'al's First Prime is always cautious with security. In battle it is the opposite," Teal'c told them.
"But what is it isn't a Goa'uld building?" Daniel asked, "What if it belongs to another race and as usual the Goa'uld simply took over?"
"The energy readings are the same as the Goa'uld cloaking devices Daniel," Sam commented.
"I understand that. But something is familiar about this. I just cant remember what it is."
"Perhaps you are remembering the Nox, DanielJackson."
"No its not them. Those ruins we passed, the ones by the Gate, are Ancient. Every single thing about them screams Ancient, from the writing to the design to the outside layout. Now why would there be Ancient ruins by the Gate but not here on this plain, just over a click from the Gate? The Goa'uld are parasites, even with technology, they just take over what others created or left behind. Now why build a new building, even if new is centuries old, when there are already standing buildings on the planet?"
"So if it's actually an Ancient building hidden by a Goa'uld cloaking device that changes things," Sam smiled at him.
"There are far fewer windows on the buildings of the Ancients by the Stargate. And it might not be possible to put guards on the roof. It may be possible to approach without being discovered," Teal's theorized.
"Great! Let's go!" Daniel was ready to get Jack back.
"We must proceed with caution." With that final statement by Teal'c, the three began moving silently toward the plain.
Within minutes they arrived and quickly moved to where the Jaffa had disappeared. Sam reached out with her hands flat, palms out, as she had seen the Jaffa do.
"We should be able to feel the building. The invisibility is simply the cloaking device bending the light around the building, but its still physically here," she said as she attempted to locate the building.
At that Daniel and Teal'c began feeling for the building as well. Daniel was the first to find it when he walked right into it.
"Guess I found it," he said sheepishly.
"Well now we know where the wall is," Sam helped Daniel up and frowned at the invisible wall. "Now we just have to find the door."
As Daniel stood next to her he put out his hand and touched the wall.
They heard nothing, but suddenly an open doorway into the structure appeared.
"Well now we're in," Daniel grinned again.
The trio moved inside, with their weapons drawn and ready. They didn't know where Jack was inside and they also didn't know how many other people were inside and they also didn't know how many other people were inside.
As they moved deeper into the building they made no noise. They were focused entirely on finding their friend and leader.
SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC
Jack moved swiftly and silently through corridors. Although there were lights in the corridors they were dim and it seemed to him that the entire place was shut down with only low security lights left on. Whenever he encountered people he hid in the deep shadows the lights created. So far he had avoided being detected and from the attitudes and tones of the passing Jaffa guards, Goa'uld minions, human slaves, no one seemed to know that the prisoner had escaped. Which was excellent in his mind, because although he knew how to get from his cell to his torture chamber and from the sarcophagus to his cell, he had no clue where the door to the outside was.
As he neared a corner he heard something. Easily he made out footsteps, three pairs, moving slowly and carefully. One was heavier than the other two, but it was the quietest of all three. Quickly Jack sank into one of the many shadows against the dark gray stone walls and adjustable grip on his knife.
And then he waited.
When the first figure moved around the corner and he saw who it was Jack nearly collapsed. Instead he grinned and stepping out of the shadows remarked dryly, "What took ya so long? I ordered that anchovy pizza hours ago."
The figure in front of him did not smile, but the corners of the mouth did turn up slightly, "It is good to see you as well O'Neill. I am afraid we have no pizza for you, since it was pickup, not delivery."
Jack's grin broadened, it was Teal'c and he had answered the verbal code challenge correctly. "Good T, let's blow this popsicle stand go home."
"Jack this building was created by the Ancients we can't just blow it up!" Daniel hissed.
"Nice to see you too Daniel. I'm fine by the way."
Daniel glared at Jack, "Sorry Jack, how are you?"
"Fine, those sarcophagus's are really nice you know. Now can we get out of here? This place is infested with snakes."
"That's fine by me sir," Sam said smiling, if Jack was joking now he would probably be alright, even if the withdrawal and the mental trauma hadn't hit yet.
"Great to see ya Carter, glad you could join the party!"
"Nice to see you too sir. If we hurry we can get back to the Gate before dark," she answered with a smile.
"Yeahsureyabetcha."
