Chapter 5: It Takes Two
As soon as Daniel reached planet side he started splitting people up. "Okay people, we need two groups. One goes east and one goes west. Um, Major Ames and Captain Bryn if you wouldn't mind taking the first specialist team and Captain Kiptle if you could come with me, Teal'c, and the second group of specialists." The three men nodded. They had all come to learn that Dr. Jackson was as keen and with-it as any career military man.
As the two groups split Daniel and Teal'c took the lead in the direction both Sam and Jack had been seen heading on their previous missions. After walking for almost 25 minutes they came upon what looked like Stonehenge, but in a smaller scale. There were eight pillars carved on the backside and the front side, each in a different language.
Daniel immediately recognized several of the languages including old Latin, Gou'ald, Tollan, Ancient, Nox and what he assumed was the Furling dialect. The last two were extremely different from the others; the most northern pillar was completely made up of zeros and ones while the most southern pillar was just blank. Daniel stopped several meters from the mini stone hedge and nodded to Teal'c.
Easing his way around the group Teal'c found Captain Kiptle. "We will begin spreading out. I will take the right and you the left." John Kiptle nodded; even as a Marine one did not question a member of SG1. They had, ten times over, earned the right to be trusted implicitly. Unless of course they were robotic, entity invaded, symbiote invaded, Neolithic, or body switched.
Daniel held up his hand and cleared his throat. "Okay, since there are only five of us with cameras I want everyone to start on the outside of the pillars, video tape everything, and them move to the inside." As the four specialists dispersed Daniel and Teal'c made their way into the center of the stone ring. As good and involved specialists it took a few moments for anyone to realize that a blue gel force field was rising in-between the posts and moving up to form a small dome over the lintels.
The only female specialist on the team was the first to see it. "Dr. Jackson!" Looking up the archeologist eyes widened. Reading the text on her panel the young woman gave Daniel the spark notes version of what was going on. "It seems that this place acts like a quantum mirror, the center of reality traveling. The writer refers to it as the Fountain of Souls." This half of SG1 just shared a knowing glance. Fountain of anything were never very good. "It looks like the AU Major Carter was right, once a year there is a window on the use."
Scanning his own pillar Daniel called back. "That must be the summary side while hopefully the directions are on this side."
From the left Captain Kiptle raised the question on everyone's mind. "Dr. Jackson how do you turn it off?"
Finishing the text Daniel began to shake his head. "It's automatic." Looking around he sighed. "I guess who ever built this place reasoned that only people who knew how to use it would enter." The captain shook his head. He had to get placed with half of SG1.
Suddenly the writing on both sides of the pillars began lighting up, starting at the bottom and slowly working its way up. Daniel sighed again as Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Here we go." He muttered. To the group he stated the obvious. "I think the process is almost done." No sooner were the words uttered then the force field went opaque, flashed, and suddenly dissolved.
Now standing in the middle of the circle was Teal'c and Daniel. Only Teal'c had an extremely bored look on his face and his staff weapon was completely at ease at his side. Daniel pose was even more disturbing. He was clothed in full fledged cameo, matching that of Captain Kiptle, fully suited up, and holding a P-90 at a relaxed 45 degree angle. Chewing gum he called amicably. "Well that was interesting." Moving to stand close to but not inside of the circle Kiptle and the female specialist stared at the two men. Daniel frowned. "Major, do I look like I'm part of the circus?" At the stern tone of professionalism in this new Daniel's voice Kiptle couldn't help but stand a bit straighter. "Is this Delta-Niner-Niner?" The poor captain just looked confused.
Daniel rolled his eyes and exchanged smirks with a Teal'c he barely recognized. "Fine, take me to your leader."