Murphy's Physics
Murphy's Ninth Law: "Chaos will win over Order, because it is better organized."
It was only by the training and years of conditioning that O'Neill didn't jump clear of his skin when his radio suddenly crackled in his ear. Teal'c saluted him with a single eyebrow, making Jack feel all the more ridiculous. He shot his dark friend a dirty look, then thumbed the transmitter.
"Report, Major."
"Sir. We're nearly finished here. We just need to run system's checks and we'll be ready to light this candle. We could use Teal'c's help."
"Affirmative. I'm sending him in now. I want those shields up and that ship airborne as soon as possible. Radio me when we are ready to go. I want to be home in time for supper."
There came a click, as if Carter was about to respond, then another voice cut in over her words. "Go? Colonel O'Neill, we cannot go until we locate that which we came to find!"
"Oh, but we can. 'Why', do you ask?" added Jack, with venomous sarcasm, "Because I said so, and it says 'Colonel' on my uniform. That's why."
"But... we've come all this way! We're here now, and the beacon is mere kilometers..."
"Do I need to remind you that we were fired upon by a Goa'uld on your 'top- secret- nobody- knows- but- us- chickens' mission? Reality check, Sullen: It's not a secret anymore. I'm not risking the lives of my team any further on this fiasco. We'll get back to the SGC, report what we've seen, then return with back up and find your precious beacon. Maybe."
So'len sputtered with indignation. "With respect, Colonel, this is my mission... the work of my life! I--"
"We are not having this conversation over the radio. Keep this channel clear! Carter!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Fuming, Jack nodded to Teal'c, and they both began to make their way back to the ship. Focused on his anger at So'len's single-mindedness, he was taken by surprise when Teal'c whirled and armed his staff weapon, a fluid and deadly motion. The air all around them was suddenly full of fire.
O'Neill dove to the ground, bursts of staff-fire singing the air and striking the ground with deafening blasts. Teal'c danced around, narrowly dodging the criss-crossing lines of power. Finally, he threw himself down in the small wallow that O'Neill had found, little more than a declivity overgrown with grass.
Jack yelled into his radio. "Carter! Get those shields up and get that ship in the air! We've got company!" He twisted about, trying to bring up his P90 to return fire, but they were pinned down. The ground right before his eyes erupted, spraying him with burning pebbles.
"...Sir? We...take off and bring weapons to bear..." the broadcast broke and chittered, fouled by the deadly rain. "... Ring transporter not functioning yet! Repeat: The ring transporter is not ..."
"Take off! Get clear and don't come down 'til we take care of business!"
The ship rose with a groan, the shields shimmering as blast after blast splattered uselessly against the hull. The massive shadow fell over O'Neill and Teal'c. Jack managed to clear the dirt from his eyes in time to see the weapons riding on the underbelly of the ship emerge and swivel, launching retina-piercing stars in the direction of the weapon's fire that was holding them down. Chrysanthemums bloomed in fiery glory; the ground shook and more debris rained down, hot and smoking. The wind carried the smoke over O'Neill and Teal'c, pungent with the odor of charred metal and flesh.
The snipers firing from the trees redoubled their efforts, trying to keep the two men pinned. But Teal'c and O'Neill took advantage of the smoke and chaos to split up, rolling and crawling to new positions. Each time a blast came toward their abandoned hollow, Jack's P90 coughed and another jaffa dropped. Teal'c traded volleys with a stubborn marksman, slowly blasting away the cover that they each were hiding behind.
Movement flitted across O'Neill's vision as he lay, one cheek pillowed on his shoulder as he took aim at his next target. It drew his eyes even as he fired. The jaffa that he had missed now raised his weapon, firing at something in the air between the scout ship and O'Neill's position. He seemed to have forgotten completely about O'Neill and Teal'c. Jack squeezed off a round which insured that the jaffa never repeated that mistake.
The other jaffa were now firing toward the air as well, beating a slow retreat. The cargo ship began dropping salvos of fire to encourage their haste.
Jack turned his attention to the sky. A thin line of smoke and sparks made visible what he had not seen earlier, and he realized that his midnight visitor had returned. One of the jaffa must have gotten a lucky shot. A barely-detectable whine reached his ears, and as he watched the object spiraled toward the ground and ploughed up a furrow in the soft soil where the scout ship had once rested.
"Teal'c, Carter! Pursue and neutralize!" Jack slapped a new magazine into his P90, then ran back. He doubted that anything could have survived that crash, but he needed to see what it was.
The jaffa had retreated, but O'Neill moved with excess caution, running crouched and holding his weapon steady before him. Once he reached the trough left behind by the scout ship, he threw himself down and crawled with elbows until he reached the thing that had fallen from the sky. It was still smoking, spitting an occasional spark. It appeared to be an oval disk made of metal, about the size of a child's sled. There was a sizable hole blasted through it, and inside delicate mechanisms slowly fused in the heat. Jack prodded it with the barrel of his gun.
A groan came from further along the furrow, and Jack now saw a trail where someone appeared to have dragged themselves some distance. He approached carefully, now hearing what sounded like colourful curses being muttered in an unfamiliar language.
Not far from the wreckage he found what he was looking for. A boy or a young man, clothing torn and burned. One of his legs was twisted and bloody. He looked back at O'Neill with a daring glimmer in his eye, the device on his hand glowing and pointed straight at Jack's heart.