Title: Just Another Day in Paradise

Author: dvshipper

Rating: G (will probably go to a PG in later chapters)

Spoilers/Warnings: none

Summary: SG-1 travels to a tropical climate planet that has everyone relaxed, except Teal'c, who knows there must be something more sinister about the team's calm attitudes.

A/N: Thanks to Lisa Michelle for being such an awesome beta on this! The next chapter will depend on all of you readers! If you like and want more, leave a comment and let me know. If you have any ideas or suggestions, don't hesitate to tell me.

Chapter 2: New Discoveries

Teal'c rushed through the bushes, dodging trees as he went. Whoever or whatever was yelling had stopped forcing him to use his memory to locate the source. Soon, he saw two figures struggling. Teal'c immediately ran to separate the two and find out what the problem was. As he approached, he saw their faces and recognized them.

"Cameron, quit it!" a feminine voice cried out while starting to laugh. She was being chased by Colonel Mitchell, who seemed intent on tickling her. The woman the team had met on the path was quickly backed up against a tree trunk and was staring at Mitchell, who had one arm around her waist and the other above her head. They gazed at each other for moment, seeming to have an entire conversation with only their eyes. Then Mitchell lowered his head, kissing her passionately. That was when Teal'c stepped out from bushes behind which he hid.

"ColonelMitchell, what are you doing?" Teal'c questioned his leader.

"Well, Teal'c, what does it look like I'm doing?" Mitchell replied, clearly annoyed.

"It is not your normal behavior to engage in such activities off-world," Teal'c stated, trying to knock some sense into him.

"It's not normal to meet such a beautiful woman off-world," he turned to Teal'c. "Why don't you go find Carter or something?"

"I will inform her that you are unfit to lead this mission in your current state, ColonelMitchell," with that, Teal'c walked back into the jungle, leaving the couple to continue what they had started.

'Something must be altering their minds,' Teal'c thought as he walked back toward the village, using his P-90 to clear vines and branches. As he made his way to the path that would guide him to the rest of the team, an unusual formation of greenery caught his eye. He maneuvered through the thick undergrowth to investigate.

Removing the thick vines that covered the item, Teal'c was surprised that it appeared to be stone underneath. He cleared more growth to reveal a carved statue about seven feet high, three feet wide, and three feet deep. The design was of an exaggerated face with a frowning mouth and a pronounced nose. Clearly, it was important. Upon further inspection of the base of the statue, Teal'c found writing that he recognized as Ancient. He couldn't read it, but he knew it meant something and that Daniel would be able to translate it. A raised engraving was featured in the middle of the language. Teal'c let his curiosity get the best of him as he pushed the engraving, feeling it give as it shrunk back into the statue.

"ColonelCarter, I believe I have found some piece of technology," he said into the radio on his shoulder.

"What makes you think so, Teal'c?" her voice came through the speaker.

"It began to glow, immediately after I pressed the button at its base," he said.

"Okay, that's a pretty good indication. Could it hold on a minute though? One of the local men is teaching me how to fish in the creek behind the village," she told him.

"Fine, ColonelCarter," Teal'c responded into the radio. It was becoming clear that the entire team, except him, was not acting in their normal way and that he would have to go talk some sense into them in person. That decision in his mind, he made his way back to the village.

"Did you get any information from the elders?" Sam asked as Daniel and Vala approached her at the freshwater creek. The two were standing close together, almost leaning on one another. Clearly their affection for one another had grown in the past hour, somehow. Vala wasn't nagging and Daniel wasn't rolling his eyes every other minute. That should have told Sam something was up immediately.

"Nope, but that's alright. The old guys were very nice," Vala responded hardly noticing Sam, keeping her eyes on Daniel.

"I'm sure we'll find something out later. But for now, they've invited us to a celebration tonight. I think we should stay in order to learn more about how they live and which, if any, gods they do worship," Daniel told the colonel.

"Okay, that sounds good. Have you seen Mitchell?" Sam replied, fishing rod still in hand as they walked up the green bank.

"Nope, haven't seen Muscles either. I'm sure they'll show up once they know we're staying for dinner," Vala replied, her hand grazing Daniel's. The three made their way to the village center, with the muscular man that Sam was with in tow.

"Whatever it is it sure smells good," Sam commented, catching a whiff of the meal the natives were preparing. She always thought that if she were to ever go on a vacation, she would go to Hawaii. This was as close as she would probably ever get before she was fifty.

"ColonelCarter!" Teal'c exclaimed as he came out of the trees, making his way towards the three of his teammates. "You must come with me to investigate this piece of technology further."

"Okay already, what's your hurry?" Sam started to follow him towards the tree line when he motioned for her to, bringing Daniel and Vala with her.

"I believe this device may be capable of altering our behavior," Teal'c stated in his usual serious voice as they walked along the path, back to where he had come from. Small animals and birds scattered when they heard his purposeful footsteps.

"Here," Teal'c pointed to the uncovered stone statue. "A blue light appeared when I pressed the carving at the base."

"That's interesting. There could be some kind of device hidden in the structure. Good find, Teal'c," Sam said as she knelt to study the base of the statue with her handheld energy scanner.

"Hey guys, what are you doing so far in the bushes?" Colonel Mitchell said as he joined them, with the native girl at his side who had a good sized grin on her face. Clearly she was happy about something, with her arm draped around Mitchell's.

"Teal'c thinks this might be some kind of alien device that alters people's behavior," Daniel stated, his arm around Vala's waist. "I was just about to try and translate the markings on it."

"Cool," Mitchell said, completely nonchalant.

Daniel bent down next to Sam and immediately recognized the writings as Ancient. As he traced his fingers over the carvings, their meaning became clear. "This is Ancient. It says 'Those who pass will be led by a guiding light on their journey. Peace and prosperity dwell here for all of time.'"

"What does that mean?" Vala questioned, curious.

"I don't know," Daniel shrugged, "but I think it has something to do with that." He looked up towards the face of the statue. The eyes were glowing blue, similar to how Teal'c had described it. All six people stared at the blue light emanating from the hollows in the face. Something was definitely happening, but it was something none of them could explain.

---So what do you think? More? Let me know!

dvshipper