The days went by too slowly. Danielle had been offered a position as a temporary scientist on an off-world team. If all went well she might be offered a permanent position. She had awaited the day anxiously. Only in her wildest dreams had she ever gone through the gate. Even then, it was just a dream that she forgot once she woke up.

It was a small planet with welcoming natives. The team that previously visited had discovered some strange energy readings coming from an alter a small ways from the town. They couldn't decipher the writing on the alter so Anita got to come to try and decipher it. Genna was currently off-world pulling a rescue mission. Too bad they all couldn't go together.

It was about an hour into the mission before they came to a problem. Danielle couldn't figure the alter out. She had to go back to the gate and ask for Rodney to come and help her. She suspected that it held a Z-PM within it; she just couldn't get it out or learn what it was there for. He arrived looking more than slightly annoyed. As they walked up to the alter she explained her theory.

He sat down his equipment and did some tests. Danielle smiled inwardly at the perplexed look that finally came over his face. Not even the great Rodney could figure this one out. He repeated the tests again. He came to the same conclusions: nothing. It seemed that everyone jumped when Anita suddenly yelled "AHA!"

"What it so important that you had to give me heart attack to announce it?" Rodney snapped.

"Well, if I'm translating this right, it does have a Z-PM."

"How do we get it out?"

"We don't."

"Why not?" he practically yelled.

"Because, it powers their irrigation systems. We can't take it. It'll topple their world upside down."

"Damn." he muttered and started to pick up his equipment.

"There's something else."

"Yes?"

"This land doesn't belong to the natives we met. It belongs to the tribe that they are at war with."

"We better move then." Ben, one of the airmen that was on the mission, announced. It seemed that these were magic words, for at that moment an arrow came from the woods and hit Anita in the shoulder. "RUN!"

"ANITA!" Danielle ran over to her. "Let's get out of here!"

"Don't forget my notes!" Danielle couldn't help but roll her eyes. Here Anita was bleeding and she was worried abut her notes. Danielle scooped them up and helped Anita run. The men that had shot her were following behind them. They were gaining on them. The team had to dive into a grove of trees off of the path until the men went by. This seemed to take forever

Once they had finally passed, the team decided to take a breather. Rodney was trying to examine Anita's wound. She complained because he was getting blood on her notes.

"You're so stupid."

"What?"

"You are S-T-U-P-S-T-E-D!"

"I'm stupsted?" She laughed.

"You know what I meant. I'm just worried. I mean, you're shot!"

"I hate to interrupt this lovely spat, but we best be getting Dr. McKlaskey back to the Gate."