In the briefing, Daniel relayed to the rest of the team what he had learned. He had discovered a hidden gate address within the scrolls they had brought back from PX2-349. The scrolls, buried in a protective casing for hundreds of years remained undiscovered until Teal'c came across them by accident. Years of erosion had worn away the rock in which they were hidden; only sunlight bouncing off an exposed part of the casing had led to their discovery. They were full of obscurities and it had taken him this long to translate the text. The scrolls described a place where a very powerful weapon was concealed, a weapon designed to wipe out an enemy from afar without posing any danger to the user. It also indicated of a second device that contained the neutraliser should the user become affected. Each device was concealed within different sections of the chamber. The language was Ancient but unlike any written form he had seen before.
Whether it was of Ancient design or not, it was of the up most importance that they find the weapon before Adria. General Landry authorised the mission without hesitation, they needed every advantage they could get.
They stepped through the gate weapons at the ready, when no threat was apparent they relaxed but remained vigilant.
Cam waited for Sam to finish taking readings of the atmosphere, with the planet having twin suns there was the danger of radiation. Seeing she was happy with the information provided by the instruments, he asked her, "We good to go?"
"Yep, everything looks within tolerable levels. We should be okay for a while."
Spotting signs of a structure not too far from the gate, they walked in comfortable silence each taking the time to observe their surroundings.
There was not much to see in Cameron's opinion; the planet was barren and more than likely uninhabited. The suns shone brightly in the clear sky and a cool breeze skimmed his skin, helping to ease the intensity of the heat.
Cameron glanced sideways at Sam. She looked as gorgeous as ever. Her jacket hung loosely around her hips and when she caught him looking, she grinned at him.
When they got to the structure, it was nothing but ruins. Trying to taper their initial disappointment, they scoured the ruins for any sign of the weapon and its neutraliser.
Daniel busied himself by recording images of the ruins for later study. The rest split up occupied with the task of sifting through the rubble. After a couple of hours, Cameron was about ready to call it a day.
"Over here!" Teal'c shouted them over as he lifted a heavy pillar and pushing it to one side.
"What is it Teal'c?" Cameron asked him peering over his shoulder.
"It appears to be a passageway."
The passageway was steep and narrow; every so often, they would encounter resistance as the corridors became tighter. It was getting harder to breath in the dry air. Finally, they saw what looked like a door.
The instant they stepped through it a foul odour hit them making them gag, the air was sickeningly stale. The only source of light was coming from a long distance ahead, a faint green glow.
"God, that's awful!" Sam spoke covering her mouth and nose with her free hand repulsed.
"I should've skipped lunch!" Vala's face screwed in disgust.
"It doesn't look like anyone's been here for a long time," commented Daniel trying his best not to heave.
Cam remained quiet walking ahead of the others towards the dim light. The green glow was coming from a small box displayed in the centre of the room. In the far corner lay a heap of bones, unquestionably the source of the odour. He became drawn to the skull resting on the box, he got the strange feeling it was watching him, he knew it was impossible but telling himself that did not alleviate the creeped out feeling.
Stepping closer he took a good look at the box, anything that could provide them with an upper hand against the Ori interested him. It was small and square and made from a metal composition he didn't recognize. The box itself had a transparency to it yet he could not see inside. It was the weirdest thing he had ever seen. The detail was amazing in its complexity whether there was any significance to it he did not know. There didn't seem to be any obvious signs of access to the contents, no visible buttons or lid.
"You alright?"
Startled Cameron jumped at hearing Sam's voice. Smiling he nodded and gave her hand a quick squeeze.
"Did you guys find anything?" Vala enquired as she approached them, she focused on the box and asked them dubiously, "Is that it?"
To be continued. Please review and let me know if you like it so far.