A/N: Here is the explanation about why and how the bolt ended up in Minos' arm. Sorry for the late update, had to go to school early...
Reviews are welcome!
Chapter 21 – The Return Home
"What were you actually doing that you ended up with that thing in your arm?" Carter asked Minos as they both walked to the room Minos was in before he got shot.
"Building a crossbow, duh." Minos said as if it were completely normal.
"Was it necessary to build a crossbow in here?" asked Carter.
"No, but I had an crazy idea that might just be crazy enough to actually work." Answered Minos. "If it worked, it would drastically decrease the loading time on a crossbow."
"And how were you going to do that?" Carter asked.
"I was going to automatize the pulling process of the crossbow. By using a small energy generator I could speed up the loading process to around one second or so."
"And what went wrong?"
"Stupid engine overloaded and the arrow shot away with a little more force than intended."
"Aha. I see. What caused the energy overload?"
"The liquid naquadah power source. It's a bit to potent for a simple engine, I guess."
"Yeah, liquid naquadah would be too powerful. But perhaps a normal battery of some kind would be better. I think I have some of them lying around."
"A battery? Like the one Volta invented?" Minos asked.
"Yes, exactly. But how did you know Volta invented the battery?" asked Carter.
"I knew him. He was a nice guy." Minos answered.
"You knew Alessandro Volta?" Carter exclaimed in amazement.
"Yep. He made great pastas too."
"OK. It's still a bit weird, to see you talking about things that happened so long ago."
"Why?"
"Well, because you still look like a kid to me, even though I know you're an ancient. It's a bit weird, so to say."
"I know. I'm used to it."
"You're used to it?"
"Yeah. Most humans see me still as a child, or a very young adult." Minos answered.
"Aha, I see. But I'll get you the batteries now." Carter said, as she searched through the storage closets around the room.
"Ah. Here they are." She said as she found the batteries.
"Let's see if they work." Minos said as he took the batteries and opened the underside of the crossbow.
He got the small vial of liquid naquadah out, and he put the battery inside the opening.
"Hmm. It's a bit too small. Do you have any copper wires?" Minos asked.
"Yes, they're over here." Carter said as she grabbed the pile of copper.
"Thanks." Minos said as Carter handed him the copper wires. Minos made a small form from the copper wires, with the battery in the middle of it. After he had twisted and moulded the copper wires so they formed a small structure around the battery, precisely big enough to fit in the opening where the liquid naquadah had been sitting.
"Wow. That went fast." Said Sam as she saw Minos bend the copper wires.
"It's a talent." Said Minos. "Let's see if it's working." He said, as he pushed the battery into place and closed the opening in his crossbow.
"Do you have anywhere to shoot?" asked Minos.
"Well, the targeting range would be ok, I guess." Carter answered.
"We'll go there. Where is it?" asked Minos.
"I'll lead the way." Carter said, as she walked out of the room into one of the many corridors of the SGC.
"Aren't you a bit young to be carrying around a crossbow here?" asked the sergeant in charge of the shooting range.
"Nope." Minos said bluntly. "Not at all. Now can I test it?"
"Uhm. Ok. As long as you fire at the targets." The sergeant said slowly, until he saw Carter coming in behind Minos.
"Ma'am" he greeted.
"It's all-right, sergeant. I'll watch him." Carter said.
"Your plan worked perfectly." Sam whispered as soon as they were out of earshot from the Sergeant. "Though I could have ordered him just as easily."
"But that wouldn't be any fun at all." Said Minos.
"But still. Now let's test the new crossbow." Said Carter.
"I have I'll try to shoot as fast as I can, to see how much this thing can handle." Minos said.
A few seconds later he got a few crossbow bolts out of his pocket, and he put one into the crossbow.
"Can you time me?" asked Minos.
"Ok, sure. I have a stopwatch here." Carter said.
"On three. One. Two. Three." Minos said.
On three he let the first bolt fly, shooting it dead centre in the target. Without hesitation he placed another bolt on the shooting mechanism of the crossbow, and shot it away. Within seconds, he had shot five bolts into the target, all dead centre.
"Wow. That was fast. Five point eight seconds. And all in the middle. Your aim is really good."
"Thanks. I should really make more of these things. They might come in handy on Avalon."
"I thought there was peace on Avalon?" Carter said.
"That is true, of course, but it can't hurt to have an more effective weapon against the jaffa, now could it."
"No, that's true. But when were you planning on going back to Avalon?" Carter asked.
"This evening, probably, unless there is an important reason for me to stay here."
"ah. Okay."
"I still can contact you, you know, now that we're allies."
"That's good." Carter said, seeming a bit brighter because of that statement.
That evening, Minos went back to Avalon. After all the goodbyes and thank-you-for-the-helps from everybody, he stepped through the gate. The sun was still shining on Avalon, and Tarin was waiting for him at the gate.
"Greeting, My lord."
"Hi, Tarin. Has anything exciting happened here?" Minos asked, as he and Tarin walked from the gate to the palace.
"It has. There were two small attacks from Anubis's Jaffa. Not the black-clad warriors, but jaffa. They were not really a challenge, but they managed to wound several of my men. They are being treated by the healers now, and luckily no one of them has died."
"Aha. I think I'll make hurry in my plans to raid one of Anubis' strongholds. He is really starting to annoy me now. Do you have any idea where they came from?"
"We have two addresses from his colonies. We have not sent spies yet, for fear of discovery."
"I'll deal with him tomorrow. Let's see what I can rob him of then. But first, tell me anything that happened, exciting or not."
"There has not been any news, apart from the attacks by Anubis' jaffa, my lord. There have been no floods or storms, not even a sandstorm."
"That is good. But I fear that may all change soon. Sooner than I had hoped, initially."
"Are you speaking of the great war to come, my lord?" Tarin asked.
"Yes, I am. We must ensure that our people do not die. Can you send someone to check out the outer bunkers in the mountains? Especially the ones around the storage facilities."
"I will send someone to check them out, as soon as we are in the palace, my lord." Tarin said. "Are you planning on abandoning the city If the great enemies come?"
"I fear that I won't have much choice in that matter. The people must do that, in order to survive."
"My lord, are you not going to protect us?"
"I am afraid that I will be on other missions. I must try to defeat the great enemies, but I trust you can take command over the troops here. I will tell you everything you need to know when the time is there. That time will come soon, a bit too soon for my liking."
"I am surprised at this, my lord. I had always expected you to remain with us."
"I had hoped to do that. But I am unable to, and I need everything I have stolen from the Goa'uld in this war to come."
"Everything, My lord?"
"Everything. I will take measures to deploy everything in time, but I will need to preserve the most for the final stages of the war."
"I will send people to check out the flight tunnels and the bunkers around the storage facilities now, my lord."
"That is good, Tarin. You did well."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Daniel!" Jack O'Neill yelled. "It's the middle of the night there. You can't just go there and ask if you can study in the library. You'll wake the whole town!"
"Jack, I'm just saying that we should really make work from studying their library. It is a treasure trove of history and culture."
"Daniel, I don't care. If it were a treasure trove of Simpsons dvds and hockey games, I still wasn't going in the middle of the night!
"OK. You're probably right." Daniel conceded.
"NO! Wait. What?" Jack said.
"I said you're probably right." Daniel repeated
"Who are you and what have you done with Daniel?" Jack asked.
"I'm just saying that this time, once, you're right, Jack." Daniel said.
"wow. One in a row. That's exactly the same as my previous record."
"But I still want to go when it's daytime there."
"Can't you send an archaeology team, Daniel?"
"An archaeology team is coming with us."
"Aww, perfect. More scientists to babysit."
"We'll all sit very still and stay in the library, Jack."
"Hmpf." Jack said.
"Don't do that, Jack. You can still have fun. Just bring a game of some sorts. I'm sure Minos won't mind."
"Did Hammond gave his permission for this mission?"
"As a matter of fact, colonel, I did. When you were away with the Asgard, a request from Daniel reached my desk. And I approved it, because it would be very interesting to uncover most of the mysteries of our own past."
"Thank you, General."
"Colonel O'Neill, you will go to Avalon with the archaeology team tomorrow. The briefing is at eight hundred hours, don't be late."
"I will see to it, General."
"Dismissed." Hammond said as he walked away from doctor Jacksons lab, where he had found O'Neill in the first place.
"Hi Colonel, hi Daniel." Carter said as she walked into Daniels lab where O'Neill was busy bothering Daniel.
"Hi, Sam." Daniel said. "Can you tell Jack to stop complaining about tomorrows mission?"
"Tomorrows mission?" Carter said questioningly.
"We're going back to Avalon with the 'archaeology team' to study the library." O'Neill answered.
"And I take it that you don't like it, sir?" Carter said.
"Of course not! All old stuff in books and stuff and things and..."
"stuff." Carter finished him.
"Exactly. It's boring." O'Neill said.
"Just bring a game of some sorts. I think Minos wouldn't mind." Carter said.
"Daniel said just that. But I still have to babysit him and the history-geek team."
"Well, sir, I don't think it's that hard. I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't leave the library under threats of death, even."
"That's where the hard part begins. It wouldn't look good on my record if I let a whole archaeology team die from dehydration or something. Plus I need them to actually come back to Earth at some point."
"Yeah, ok, that part's a bit tricky, but still. It's not like we have to fight through hundreds of jaffa to protect them."
"Though I think I wouldn't mind some jaffa showing up. As long as there are not too many of them to handle, it'll be ok."
"I don't think Minos would just sit still if there were jaffa attacking his planet, sir."
"Yeah, about Minos. Janet mumbled something about him shooting himself. What was that about?"
"He accidentally shot himself with a crossbow, through his arm. Janet rushed in and brought him to the infirmary, but he healed himself there just fine. I don't think Janet likes the fact that he seems to know what is best for him, and that it is nowhere near the things she thinks are best for him."
"He accidentally shot himself with a crossbow? How the heck does he get a crossbow inside this base?"
"I don't know, sir. But he managed to speed up the loading time to one second. He shot five bolts in five seconds on the targeting range today."
"Aha. I see. Interesting."
"Really?"
"No."