Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.
Enjoy.
Jack awoke early the next morning after a restless night. The knowledge that Sam was somewhere on this planet left him restless and unable to sleep. He wasn't the only one either. Daniel and Teal'c were equally restless. The team talked well into the night about locating Sam and getting her out. Jack wanted to forget the diplomacy part of this mission and focus on Sam, but then Cameron pointed out Sam was in one of the laboratories and the best way to get in was with the negotiations. They finally decided the best course of action was to continue for the time being but keep an eye out.
Jack dressed quietly, intent on not disturbing the sleeping members of the team. He began exploring the manor, trying to burn off some of his nervous energy. He stopped when he neared the dining room and heard voices coming from it.
"Do we have any idea what it is?" Jack could make out the voice of their host Joris.
"No," his guest was saying. The voice sounded familiar but Jack couldn't place the owner. "Our scientists are still trying to understand the ones that came before it. All they know is it is the same language."
"It could be benign," Joris argued.
"Or it could be sabotage," a third voice rang out. "If I hadn't entered when I did and isolated the mainframe it could have been disastrous."
"And yet you allowed it to continue," Joris countered. "If it was so dangerous, why didn't you stop it as soon as you entered?"
"I saw the opportunity and I took it. With the mainframe isolated there was no better time to see what was happening."
"I also authorized this Joris," the second voice spoke again. "I could have stopped it any time after I arrived. I chose to let events happen."
"We are pushing too hard," he heard Joris argue.
"We are not pushing hard enough," the third voice countered. "There is so much more we can tap into but haven't."
"We were warned about pushing too hard," Joris reminded them. "There could be damage."
"Which we could fix," the second voice cut in again. "Perhaps now would be a good time to call…"
"No!" Joris shouted. "Please Chancellor." Suddenly Jack placed the voice as that of Chancellor Notte. Joris sounded panicked and suddenly his distrust of the Chancellor increased. "I'm sure that this will all pass. We simply need more time."
"Perhaps another visit to the Sanctuary?" the third, still unknown voice asked. Jack was surprised to hear the concern in the voice that was previously arrogant and controlling. "The last time we called them it set back our work by months."
"It's far too dangerous right now," the Chancellor replied, "especially with the strangers."
"Would it not be equally dangerous to call them in right now?" Joris argued. "They could have technology to detect their ships. They obviously know enough to repair many of the shuttles the entire Collation deemed irreparable."
"This is true," Chancellor Notte reluctantly agreed.
"Then perhaps the best option is time."
"I agree with Tenaan," Joris proclaimed. "It would be rash to do anything while the strangers remain. Let us take this time to examine what already has happened."
"Agreed," the Chancellor chimed in, "but she is never to be alone. And any more problems and I will be forced to call them. This is far too costly an investment for us to lose. I will protect it till my dying breath, even if that means setting back your science for years."
"Understood," the third voice, Tenaan Jack guessed, replied. "I shall never leave her side."
"Well then, onto our next order of business." The Chancellor took control of the meeting again. "What of the strangers?"
"As with the other worlds, it appears they are interested in a trade agreement for Naquadah." Jack silently backed away as they began discussing the possible trade agreement. He would leave that for Daniel, if it ever got that far. He made his way back to their room, not surprised to find everyone awake and almost ready to go. As they finished dressing he relayed what he heard.
"So there is something going on here," Cam said, halfway through tying his shoelace.
"So it would appear," Teal'c said from the corner of the room. He was the only one ready.
"And it looks like the Chancellor and our gracious host are right in the middle of it." Jack grabbed his pack and double checked to make sure everything was ready.
"Damn," Daniel said gathering up his journal. "My impression of Joris was someone we could trust." He thrust his journal in his pack. "Guess my instincts are a bit rusty."
"I too believed Joris to be trustworthy, Daniel Jackson." Daniel shrugged at Teal'c's reassurances.
"I have an idea," Vala piped up after getting her jacket on. "Why don't we just ask if anyone knows her? It would save us so much time then we could go back to repairing the cargo ships for a little profit. What did that Monk think her name was?"
"Kianna," Jack said softly. "But it's not a good idea to go broadcasting our search. If she's here, she is being held against her will. Captors keep pretty good tabs on their prisoners and don't really like it when outsiders start snooping around."
"We should start at the science center," Cam put forth. "That's where we saw her before. Plus we have a legitimate reason for being there for the treaty so no suspicions will be raised." Jack nodded his agreement. "Dr. Jackson, perhaps it would be best for you to do the talking while we scout out the place."
"Right," Daniel agreed while digging through his pack. "I have extras if you want one." He emerged clutching his ever present video camera. Jack just sighed as Vala leapt forward to grab whatever Daniel was handing out.
"That's not for you to keep," Cam warned her as he too was handed a camera. Vala made a pouty face as she slipped the camera into her pocket. Jack sighed again and explained it to her.
"Record everything you can; doors, walls, people, and equipment. The more information we have the better the extraction will go."
"So this is a reconnaissance mission?" Vala asked. Jack was about to nod his head when Cam stopped him.
"No," Cam told her quietly. "It's a treasure hunt." Vala's head shot up at the mention of treasure. "Major Carter is our treasure and we need a good thief to help steal her back."
"Well then, let's go boys. We've got a treasure to find." Without further ado, she grabbed her pack, linked arms with Daniel and Teal'c, and bolted down the hallway, dragging the two others with her. Cam just smiled at her retreating back and reached for his own pack before noticing that Colonel O'Neill was still in the room and staring at him. His smile fell off with the look Jack gave him. Jack waited for Cam to get his own pack situated before handing him Daniel's bag.
"Nice play Colonel," he told him as they he grabbed Teal'c's pack and headed for the doorway and tried to catch up with the overexcited treasure hunter. He felt his tension ease as he quickly caught up with the rest of the group.
A few minutes later the team made their way into the dining room. Joris was alone again, studying some papers in front of him. When he saw the team come in, he quickly stuffed them in a folder laying on the side of the table. "Good morning. I trust you all slept well?"
"Well enough, thank you." Daniel replied, always the diplomat.
"Excellent. I have had my staff prepare a selection of fruits and breads for your first meal." He indicated the piles of food laid out on the table. The team grabbed a plate and began dishing out their meal. "Fruit and bread is a traditional Bironian breakfast, but if you would prefer something different my staff can accommodate."
"This is wonderful. Thank you," Daniel said after grabbing a small muffin. "We would like to discuss the planned activities today."
"Yes," Joris was positively beaming with excitement. "Our miners have recently uncovered a new vein of naquadah. Early tests say it's possibly the purest vein to date. I thought we would start there to give you an idea of the quality of naquadah we have to trade."
"That is very thoughtful of you, but you don't need to prove you're goods to us." Joris's face fell slightly as Daniel was talking. "We are more interested in what we can do for you."
"I don't understand," Joris frowned.
"We have a wide range of advancements we can share with your people, but first we need to know what your needs are. Do you ever suffer from droughts or famines? How about disease? We can help in these areas. Also we need to know if you have the technological ability to support our advancements, or if we need a more permanent presence to support our technology."
"I am beginning to understand. It would be foolish of us to trade for a tel'tak if no one on the planet could fly it."
"Exactly," Daniel agreed, "But perhaps you don't even care for technology, but would prefer to trade for goods. These are all things we need to know before we can start helping you."
"You have given me much to think about, and much more to discuss with the Chancellor," Joris commented. "What did you have in mind today?"
"A tour of the Science Ward. That will give us an idea of what technology you would be able to support on your own and what you would need help with."
"The Science Ward it is. It will take all morning to see everything there is to see." Daniel nodded his understanding. "Perhaps after lunch we can head to the mine and you can examine the new vein. With all that you are willing to do for us I would be amiss to not show you, however briefly, what you would be getting in return."
"Well, that was a bust." The team had spent the morning in the Science Ward but no one had seen any sign of Sam. Daniel had been his most inquisitive, spending several minutes asking questions to each person giving the rest of the team plenty of time to look around. The morning tour had ended up taking more time than Joris had thought, and he was arranging lunch to be served as they headed to the mine.
"Something isn't right here Jack," Daniel said thoughtfully. He took notes while he was talking to the scientists and was staring at them.
"What?"
"These experiments." He shuffled through several pages on his notebook. "I'm no expert, but I don't think they should be doing them, let alone have success at them."
"What do you mean Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked. "Do you believe these people should not be allowed to progress?"
"No, not that. It's just technologically speaking, unless they have their technology well hidden, they shouldn't be able to do some of these experiments." He flipped to a page and held it open for the others to see. "For example this project. It looks like they are trying to develop some sort of advanced computing language, but I haven't seen any evidence of computer technology."
"Maybe it's work for another planet?" Cam thought. "Maybe this is the think tank for the entire Coalition?"
"Possibly," Daniel conceded, "but I got the impression the planets didn't like to share with each other. We should check with the other teams, find out what their planets are like." Jack nodded as Joris came back into the room.
"We are ready to depart," he announced as he led them outside to several horse drawn wagons.
"Wagons?" Jack asked. "What happened to the cars?"
"The transports work well inside the city walls," Joris explained, "but the mines are several miles away. Wagons are the most comfortable way to travel outside the city, but if you prefer I can arrange horses for you." Jack shook his head and Joris smiled. "Wonderful. Three to a wagon please. There is also food in the back of each wagon in case you get hungry. It is not as spectacular as the lunch I had in mind, but they will sustain you until dinner." The team nodded and headed for the wagons. Daniel joined Joris in the first wagon, asking his never ending questions. Vala joined him, leaning seductively over him as she reached for something. They heard Daniel sigh as he handed her a plate of food and continued his conversation. Jack, Cameron, and Teal'c quickly loaded themselves into the second wagon. They caught a brief glimpse of Vala sullenly munching on something before the wagons jerked to life.
"Jackson better watch out," Cam commented.
"Why?" Jack asked. Cam smirked.
"Vala has her sights set on him." Jack laughed.
"Daniel's a big boy. He can take care of himself."
"I hope so," Cam said. "She can be a handful."
"So can Daniel," Jack added. The two men laughed. "Let's see what grub we got." They spent the next few minutes looking through their meal, which consisted primarily of dried meat and fruits.
"Looks like trail food," Cam commented. He grabbed a strip of meat and took a cautious bite. "Pretty good." Jack and Teal'c cautiously took their own bites. As the sweet taste exploded on their tongues they began to eat ravenously. Ahead they could occasionally here Daniel's voice as he and Joris continued their conversation. They watched the city slowly fade into the background and the countryside pass them by.
The stopping of the wagon abruptly woke Jack. He cursed his lapse as he watched Teal'c and Cameron stand and stretch their kinks out. The sleepless night had taken more of a toll than he could remember and the swaying wagon had lulled him to sleep. Maybe he was getting to soft for this. Cameron was already joining the other group, but Teal'c stood at the end of their wagon waiting for him. "What?" he asked harshly, glaring at the Jaffa.
"Colonel Mitchell also decided to refresh himself during the journey," he stated calmly, waiting until his friend stood and jumped down from the wagon. Jack let his gaze soften; realizing Teal'c wasn't berating him for falling asleep.
"Daniel does not here about this," he said as he stretched his arms over his head.
"Indeed." Teal'c turned and Jack had no choice but to sprint after him as he joined the rest of the group near the first wagon. Joris was looking past the wagons to several horses in a makeshift paddock.
"Oh good. She's still here."
"Who?" Daniel asked.
"My daughter," Joris explained. "You were unable to meet her last night. I was worried we might miss her at the mine as the Science Ward took up so much of our morning. She should be gone by now."
"We look forward to meeting her," Daniel said diplomatically as they followed Joris into the mine. He led them through several twists and turns until the sounds of rock breaking could be heard. They rounded a corner and saw an amazing sight. Several hundred workers were swinging pickaxes against the rock, chipping at the stubborn ore one rock at a time. Other workers were gathering up the rocks and piling them into carts, while others still were pushing the full carts away. "It's all done by hand," Daniel said amazed.
"Yes," Joris admitted. "Very little of our modern technology can work outside of the city. It is one of the problems our scientists are attempting to overcome. We hope several improvements will be implemented by the time we are ready to mine the new vein. It is this way. Come." He led them past the active mining, through more tunnels, and into a large natural cavern. It looked like the same material as the rest of the tunnels. The only difference were these were crowded with people. "This is the central mining station. Every support the mine needs can be found here. Blacksmiths to repair tools, carpenters to shore up weak sections of tunnels, rudimentary processing for the ore, even meals for the workers."
"This is amazing. Is this a natural formation?" Daniel asked, looking around the large cavern.
"We believe so," Joris told them, "but none know for sure. In the old mine it was said the caverns were our God's gift to us, to thank us for the ore. It's possible the Goa'uld created them to expedite the mining of the naquadah, but the Goa'uld often demand tribute without caring how many people had to die to create it." They reached a desk and he pulled out a crude map of several hundred miles of tunnels. "We are here," he pointed to the largest cavern on the map, although there were other caverns throughout the tunnel system as well. "We have barely begun to explore this tunnel system." He pointed to the few colored tunnels on the map. Most were dark.
"This mine is new?" Daniel asked.
"As is the city built to support it." Joris added.
"Can we go to the old city and see it?" Daniel asked, his eyes wide with excitement.
"Daniel," Jack warned. "We are not here to look for real estate."
"Right," Daniel said despondently. Joris simply chuckled.
"I'm afraid there is not much to see. Shortly after we left the desert began to reclaimed it. Perhaps if we do become allies we will be able to travel there someday." He put the map back on the desk then turned as if looking for something. "The newly discovered vein is there." He pointed to another tunnel. Like the other one, this one had much activity going on around it, but unlike the first Jack could tell these people weren't miners. Carpenters were shoring up an obviously unstable tunnel, while scientists were running different tests on the rocks. One of them saw Joris and quickly walked over to him.
"Minister," he nodded politely.
"Tenaan," Joris greeted. "Where is my daughter?"
"Playing in the dirt with the others," he gestured toward the tunnel. Jack studied the young man intently. He was sure he had heard his voice before. "She heard you would be delayed and thought of some tests to run to pass the time."
"Of course she did," he mumbled warmly. He led them through the crowd toward the tunnel and a group of people collecting samples of the ore. As they neared she looked up and locked eyes on the team. The team froze. Joris, sensing they were no longer behind him, looked between them and his daughter confusedly. He was about to say something when she whispered a single name.
"Jack." It was so soft it was almost a whisper, but Jack heard it clear as day. The next second Jack found himself rushing towards her just as one of the machines started sparking fiercely. Her gaze darted between him, the machine, and the people still inside the tunnel, and he knew what she was going to do, but wouldn't be fast enough to stop her. Just as the spark started to ignite the dust floating around the tunnel, she grabbed a nearby pickaxe and swung at the nearest ceiling support with all her might. For a few seconds the tunnel was ablaze, but the force of the explosion combined with the loss of the support structure caused a massive rockslide that quickly blocked the fiery tunnel.
"Sam!" he cried out as the combined forces pushed him back and to the ground. It seemed like an eternity, but he knew no more than a few seconds could have passed. A low buzzing filled his head as he quickly got to his feet. He realized other people were there, helping everyone who was close enough to be knocked down by the blast, but he just shrugged off the helping hands. Other hands attempted to move him away from the rockslide. Those ones he fought until a voice finally made it through the buzzing.
"O'Neill." The Jaffa grabbed him and roughly pulled him away from the tunnel.
"Teal'c. She's here." He struggled to get loose of the hands holding him. "Dammit, let me go Teal'c."
"I cannot." He didn't stop until they rejoined the rest of the team. Jack didn't stop struggling.
"Jack," Daniel said, trying to get through him, "they've already started rescue operations. This is their area of expertise. We'll just get in the way."
"But I saw her," he protested feebly. He could now hear the rescue crews already starting operations.
"I know." Daniel grabbed his arms as Teal'c released him. He tried to return to the tunnel, but a quick tug stopped him. "Let them help her. They know their mines best." Jack finally acknowledged the logic behind that and stopped struggling, content to simply watch as the rescue operation commenced. That is until a small group of men came their way.
"We have orders from the Minister to escort you back to the manor." Jack was about to argue when Cameron put his hand stiffly on the Colonel's shoulders.
"Time and place Colonel," he warned seriously. Jack knew the veiled warning there. He would take command if Jack didn't pull it together.
"Right. Let's go back to the house and let them get this cleaned up." The men nodded and quickly led them back out through the tunnel system. "I need a word with Minister Joris when they are finished."
"Of course." The men motioned to the wagons. "I'll leave word with the Minister." Jack nodded his thanks and the team grudgingly climbed aboard the wagons.