Chapter 7: Into the woods
After breakfast, which nobody ate, SG1 prepared to start an exploration. Packing a backpack each and securing any loose items into lockable storage devices to leave behind, they were almost ready to leave when Sam remembered something important.
"Sir. General Hammond ordered me to carry only two canisters to keep the new element in, and to report to him when they were full so that SG3 could bring in two empty canisters and take those ones back to the SGC."
Jack raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"I think he was expecting a visit from the Pentagon Sir. They want to make sure that we're out here for a good reason."
"Good as in 'seeing the point in not shutting down the Stargate program' perhaps?" Jack scoffed.
"Probably Sir. They want proof that the element even exists. And they want it then and there."
Jack sighed and ordered Daniel to dial the Gate up. Half an hour later they were on their way, making for the river.
"So Daniel, figure out what the artifact said?" Sam fell in step beside the clumsy archaeologist.
"Uh, so far all I've worked out is that the artifact once belonged to a race of people known as the Elysians. Now on Earth that's an ancient Greek culture or really more of a mythological place where those people existed. The Elysians were from a place known as Elysium or the Elysian Fields. It was sort of a pre-Hellenic paradise, a land of perfect peace and happiness where the souls of the dead were said to reside."
"So you think we could encounter these 'Elysians'?"
"I can't say. I'm not even sure how old the artifact is. A carbon dating could possibly tell us that it's thousands of years old, in which case the probability of them still being here would be slim."
Sam smiled, "Or it could tell us that it's days old and the probability of them still being here is high."
Daniel grinned at the thought, "Well that's what I'm hoping for."
"Did you work out what the artifact actually is?"
"No. It could be a religious piece, but I'm not really sure."
Sam nodded and then fell silent, her interests caught up in the scenery. After what seemed like a decade, SG1 exited the thick forest to come face to face with a brilliant river, flowing silently and smoothly over sleek pebbles and bubbling over a small waterfall about 100 meters downstream. Jack turned to his team.
"It's too wide to think about crossing here. We're gonna head upstream a bit to see if we can find a place to cross. I suggest you watch your step, it looks kinda rocky up there."
With that, Jack started to walk. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c followed in single file behind him.
It took a great deal of effort to scale the steep, rocky hill. Most of the rocks were loose and slid from beneath their feet, opening up slits between the rocks that were all too easy to get their feet stuck in, which Daniel soon found out.
"Can you help me here?" He tugged at his ankle, which was stuck fast. Sam carefully turned around and made her way down to crouch beside him. She carefully pried the rocks apart with the end of her P-90 and Daniel managed to wiggle his foot free.
"Thanks." Finding his feet he followed Sam up the hill again, being extra careful. After a few meters he called out to Jack, who was way ahead.
"How much further Jack?"
The Colonel held up his hand to signal silence. Everyone stopped climbing, grabbing a hold of their respective weapons. Jack looked around. He could have sworn he heard something, but for now it was gone. Letting his guard down again he motioned for his team to continue climbing. When at last they had all reached the top, where the ground leveled out and the rocks were few, Daniel questioned Jack's earlier warning.
"Jack, what was that?"
"I heard something. In that direction no more than a few paces from here. Whatever it was it's gone for now. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled."
They walked a little further upstream, scanning the river for a place to cross. Suddenly, Teal'c spoke, his voice hushed but forceful.
"I hear something."
Hands were grasping weapons in an instant. There was no mistake now. They weren't alone. All around them a faint but unmistakenable rustling could be heard and it was almost impossible to keep their weapons trailed on the sound as it died and grew louder, over and over again. Jack ground his teeth together in frustration. He was about to call out "show yourselves" or something similar, when he heard a high pitched whistling sound that lasted for no more than a couple of seconds. Everything went quiet, for a little while anyway.
"Uh, Colonel..." Sam's voice had an unusual waver to it. Jack spun around to face the Major, in time to see her pulling something from her thigh.
"Carter, you o-" Jack didn't get time to finish what he was saying, his concern heightened when Sam buckled at the knees. He lunged forward to stop her from falling, only to feel a sting in his arm. Looking up he heard rather than saw two more projectiles whistle through the air, before his head began to spin and he blacked out.
After breakfast, which nobody ate, SG1 prepared to start an exploration. Packing a backpack each and securing any loose items into lockable storage devices to leave behind, they were almost ready to leave when Sam remembered something important.
"Sir. General Hammond ordered me to carry only two canisters to keep the new element in, and to report to him when they were full so that SG3 could bring in two empty canisters and take those ones back to the SGC."
Jack raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"I think he was expecting a visit from the Pentagon Sir. They want to make sure that we're out here for a good reason."
"Good as in 'seeing the point in not shutting down the Stargate program' perhaps?" Jack scoffed.
"Probably Sir. They want proof that the element even exists. And they want it then and there."
Jack sighed and ordered Daniel to dial the Gate up. Half an hour later they were on their way, making for the river.
"So Daniel, figure out what the artifact said?" Sam fell in step beside the clumsy archaeologist.
"Uh, so far all I've worked out is that the artifact once belonged to a race of people known as the Elysians. Now on Earth that's an ancient Greek culture or really more of a mythological place where those people existed. The Elysians were from a place known as Elysium or the Elysian Fields. It was sort of a pre-Hellenic paradise, a land of perfect peace and happiness where the souls of the dead were said to reside."
"So you think we could encounter these 'Elysians'?"
"I can't say. I'm not even sure how old the artifact is. A carbon dating could possibly tell us that it's thousands of years old, in which case the probability of them still being here would be slim."
Sam smiled, "Or it could tell us that it's days old and the probability of them still being here is high."
Daniel grinned at the thought, "Well that's what I'm hoping for."
"Did you work out what the artifact actually is?"
"No. It could be a religious piece, but I'm not really sure."
Sam nodded and then fell silent, her interests caught up in the scenery. After what seemed like a decade, SG1 exited the thick forest to come face to face with a brilliant river, flowing silently and smoothly over sleek pebbles and bubbling over a small waterfall about 100 meters downstream. Jack turned to his team.
"It's too wide to think about crossing here. We're gonna head upstream a bit to see if we can find a place to cross. I suggest you watch your step, it looks kinda rocky up there."
With that, Jack started to walk. Sam, Daniel and Teal'c followed in single file behind him.
It took a great deal of effort to scale the steep, rocky hill. Most of the rocks were loose and slid from beneath their feet, opening up slits between the rocks that were all too easy to get their feet stuck in, which Daniel soon found out.
"Can you help me here?" He tugged at his ankle, which was stuck fast. Sam carefully turned around and made her way down to crouch beside him. She carefully pried the rocks apart with the end of her P-90 and Daniel managed to wiggle his foot free.
"Thanks." Finding his feet he followed Sam up the hill again, being extra careful. After a few meters he called out to Jack, who was way ahead.
"How much further Jack?"
The Colonel held up his hand to signal silence. Everyone stopped climbing, grabbing a hold of their respective weapons. Jack looked around. He could have sworn he heard something, but for now it was gone. Letting his guard down again he motioned for his team to continue climbing. When at last they had all reached the top, where the ground leveled out and the rocks were few, Daniel questioned Jack's earlier warning.
"Jack, what was that?"
"I heard something. In that direction no more than a few paces from here. Whatever it was it's gone for now. Just keep your eyes and ears peeled."
They walked a little further upstream, scanning the river for a place to cross. Suddenly, Teal'c spoke, his voice hushed but forceful.
"I hear something."
Hands were grasping weapons in an instant. There was no mistake now. They weren't alone. All around them a faint but unmistakenable rustling could be heard and it was almost impossible to keep their weapons trailed on the sound as it died and grew louder, over and over again. Jack ground his teeth together in frustration. He was about to call out "show yourselves" or something similar, when he heard a high pitched whistling sound that lasted for no more than a couple of seconds. Everything went quiet, for a little while anyway.
"Uh, Colonel..." Sam's voice had an unusual waver to it. Jack spun around to face the Major, in time to see her pulling something from her thigh.
"Carter, you o-" Jack didn't get time to finish what he was saying, his concern heightened when Sam buckled at the knees. He lunged forward to stop her from falling, only to feel a sting in his arm. Looking up he heard rather than saw two more projectiles whistle through the air, before his head began to spin and he blacked out.