I'm taking this special education class on students with disabilities. I seriously think I have ADD and was never diagnosed. It's shining some light on a few things! So, even though I want to write, it's taking me forever to do so! Anyway, I think we're closer to the end. This chapter might have been a little dull. I was trying to tie up a few loose ends and explain a couple things. I hope you enjoy it. Please review!

Chapter 8

After their feast and the rain was over, Freya took SG-1 for a walk around the village, showing them numerous contraptions and her way of life. By the looks of it, PX9-292 was living the equivalent of the early nineteenth century on Earth. So far, there wasn't anything that could be used to protect Earth from further threats. The people in the village seemed peaceful, but there was the question of the zombies below and the villagers' indifference.

As Freya took them to where food was harvested, Jack looked at his watch. "Ten minutes until we're late for check in."

They were in relative privacy while Freya talked to a young woman for a moment so that she could show SG-1 how they worked. "Perhaps I should go to the Stargate on my own and explain to General Hammond what is going on." Teal'c replied in a low voice.

"What is going on here?" Daniel asked.

"I do not know, Daniel Jackson, but I am sure I will come up with something."

"As much as I don't like the thought of more SG teams coming through, I don't think it's a good idea to split up right now," Jack answered.

"I'll go with him, Sir." Carter volunteered.

Jack shook his head. "I'm getting that feeling that something's not right here and if we split up, we're going to be too out numbered."

"What could they possibly do to us?" Daniel asked.

"Do you really need examples?" Jack shot back.

"Well, yeah-"

Freya returned, stopping SG-1s' conversation in their tracks. She appeared none the wiser as she smiled and welcomed them over to the woman who was introduced as Mena. SG-1 allowed themselves to be taught how to turn grains into other edible foods, all the while waiting and crossing their fingers that if Hammond opened the gate to contact them for not checking in on time, they would receive the signal to respond. They were now late.

For now, their radios remained silent.

Dusk had returned and with it more rain. Freya offered them sleeping quarters. That evening, they sat around the fire pit and drank more of the warm drink they had been given earlier. The conversation was focused on Freya's two young boys who had been out working until it was time to return home for the evening. They were bright, outgoing boys and their smiles looked just like their mothers.

Eventually, the conversation turned to SG-1; Freya and her boys were very interested in those who traveled through the blue circle. "Do you get visitors through the Stargate often?" Daniel asked curiously. They were so welcoming. If the Goa'uld had come here, it had been long ago.

Freya shook her head. "You are the first in many generations, but we have heard many stories told of our ancestors who once traveled among the stars. The stories tell of many great adventures to other lands and people."

Daniel leaned closer to Freya who sat on the opposing side of the fire pit. "Why don't your people go through the Stargate anymore?"

"Once, our ancestors brought visitors back with them whom they had met on a distant star. Those visitors had befriended my ancestors, told them great lies. When they came here, they created war and many of my people perished."

Freya stopped, looked down at the floor, her voice sad. The room was silent.

"Lord Vishnu appeared and punished us all. The visitors perished in a ring of fire that lit up the sky for weeks. Ash rained down for months, blocking out the sun. Crops died. People died of starvation and thirst. My people have been paying for the misdeeds of our ancestors ever since."

"That would explain Danh'ai's aversion to us being here," Daniel commented. He looked at Freya, "why is everyone else so at ease and happy to see us here after what happened?"

Freya shrugged. "It has been before my lifetime since anyone has traveled through the blue circle."

"And you aren't worried that...we..." Jack said, pointing to his teammates, "might pose some sort of threat?"

Freya cocked her head to the side. "Do you wish us harm?"

"No." Jack answered pointedly. "We'd like to become allies."

"Allies?" she asked.

"Friends." Daniel supplied.

"Why do you not travel through the Stargate yourself?" Teal'c asked, meaning the people of her village.

"It is forbidden!" Freya said, eyes wide. "Once one travels through the blue circle, they may never return."

The faces on each SG-1 member changed for a moment at this bit of news. Though this wasn't the first time any revelation was made to not returning through the Stargate, they hadn't expected it to come from Freya.

"Perhaps your people do not know your planets address in which to return," replied Teal'c.

This time Freya's expression changed. "Lord Vishnu does not allow us to travel through the Star...gate," she uttered, using their term. "Only those who travel through to us are welcomed."

Daniel nodded his head. "I...see. But my friends and I," he indicated each of them, "must return home soon."

Freya's mouth opened slightly as if she were going to speak, but then she adverted her eyes, as did her sons, and she said nothing.

That's when the voice behind them spoke at the same time. "Traveling through the blue circle will not be possible right now. If you follow me, I will escort you to your quarters and my helper will assign you your duties." Danh'ai spoke deliberately. Then, with hands clasped behind his back, he bowed once, then turned his back and headed towards the exit, assuming SG-1 would be following his orders without question.

Each member of the team looked at each other. "Nice folks," Jack said. All but Daniel got slowly to their feet.

Daniel, perplexed, cocked his head to the side to look up at Jack. "We're not going to go along with this, are we, Jack?"

Jack shrugged. "For the moment."

Teal'c and Carter followed the Colonel out of the building to catch up with Danh'ai. Daniel took one last look at Freya, and with a sigh, he stood and followed behind Carter.

There still had been no radio contact.

Carter was given a room in one of the buildings near Freya, while the men were given separate quarters across the square. Separated for the moment, Carter sat on her makeshift cot and sighed.

What had started out as a simple reconnaissance mission had turned into one very strange mission. Something was definitely going on, Carter mused. These people appeared to be peaceful and honorable, offering clothing, meals, and opening their home to them, but something felt off.

It wasn't unusual for a planet's inhabitants to open their arms to SG-1 when they traveled through the gate. Carter could think of many examples. In fact, they had become allies with most of those people, not excluding those who had come to them first.

But there were those who appeared to be not what they were. They welcomed SG-1 only to turn against them. Carter felt that this could be one of those times. She would rather not end up in a prison cell again. Other thoughts of torture played through her mind, such as being thrown into a pit with those zombies and no way out. She shuddered.

There was also Danh'ai who emitted a peculiar air of authority. One moment he was telling them to leave and the next he was telling them they couldn't. And the women wouldn't look at him, as if the mere sight of him would cause them great pain. Carter thought she must be a sore spot in Danh'ai's side, when she didn't follow suit with these women and who was a warrior, not a homemaker.

Carter wondered if the Goa'uld had any hand in this planets way of life. It was peculiar that they didn't talk about the people who were walking around below them, obviously dead, but still walking. Their flesh slowly decaying, their bodies decomposing. Some, Carter had noticed, had been missing hands, arms, legs, and more. Yet, they had still walked, still stalked, and still tried to hurt them.

It could have been the Goa'uld who had come back with there ancestors, posing as friends and then turning on them once they saw they had no defenses?

Then she thought about Ba'al and his incredible timing on this planet. She wondered what he really knew about this planet, having scouted it out long before Stargate Command became interested. Did he know more than he had let on? She didn't know, but it wouldn't surprise her if he did. She idly wondered if he'd made it to the 'Gate yet, and if he had, where had he gone?

On the other hand, she was glad to be rid of him for the moment. He would pop back up in their lives soon enough.

More importantly right now, why were these people not worried about the potential threat to their village? Surely they traveled beyond their village in search of resources. No community this size could sustain themselves forever without foraging beyond their small piece of land.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see Jack enter. Carter stood. "Sir?"

"Teal'c is exploring the outer perimeter of the village and Daniel went in search of a library," Jack mentioned, playing with the thick tie strings on his shirt.

"And us, Sir?" Carter asked, feeling some of the fatigue disappear at the thought of doing something to move their predicament forward.

"I thought we'd go visit some of the other folks; introduce ourselves."

Carter followed Jack out of the building.

And still, no radio contact.

By now, Hammond would have sent additional SG teams through the Stargate.