Something was tickling his cheek. He swatted it away – or at least tried to although it didn't seem to want to stop. He continued to lie still - he was lying on something soft and quite comfortable for a change. Was he in his bed at home? No, he didn't think he was home but he wasn't quite sure yet where he was or what was happening. He remained as still as possible for a second but, when nothing happened he finally decided to open his eyes. Actually, he only managed to open one eye – the other didn't seem to want to work - and tried to look around.
Oookay, he thought, this was interesting. It appeared as if he was lying on the ground with one side of his face lying in thick, and rather comfy, moss. The – something – was tickling his cheek again and again he swatted it. This time whatever it was flew off. Ugh –it appeared as if some kind of huge, ugly bug had been dancing across his face.
That's it O'Neill, time to sit up - unless you want to become a snack for the local wildlife! With that, he pushed himself up with his arms until he was in a sitting position and took a look around. All right, I'm in some kind of jungle, but which one? He thought of the many jungles he had trekked through in his career. Was he in Central or South America? Southeast Asia? Africa? As he looked carefully around he realized that there were some very strange plants (and bugs!) that he was sure he had never seen before. Okay then, not someplace he had been.
As his senses began to return he suddenly realized one thing – and that was that he was alone.
"Oh my God! Sam! Sam – where are you", he shouted furiously. He quickly stood up and began to look around but no Sam appeared.
"Sam", he repeated, "come on, show yourself."
Still no Sam. He began to walk in an ever-widening circle, moving through the trees and vines but he saw no evidence that she had been there.
"God, now what", he groaned. At that moment he slumped again to the ground, leaned up against a tree and buried his head in his hands.
"Why are you doing this", he asked? "What have you done with Carter"?
He sat for a few more minutes, hoping for an answer and trying to get a sense of what was happening. When zilch did happen, he realized that sitting there was accomplishing nothing. He then stood up and tried to plan out his next steps.
Looking down at himself he become conscious, for the first time, that he was fully clothed, wearing what looked like regular BDU's.
"Thank God!" The thought of his more tender parts being exposed in a foreign jungle with all sorts of creepy crawlies was a little unnerving!
His next realization was that there was something in some of his pockets. As he searched he came across a knife, (an Air Force Pilots Survival knife - sweet!). He also had some twine, a miniature flashlight, a small first aid kit and some power bars. He finally noticed that strapped to his side was a canteen, which felt full.
So they, the aliens, had obviously prepared him (at least somewhat) for survival.
"I just wish you'd have given me a GPS or at least a map. It also would help if
"YOU'D TELL ME WHAT THE HELL YOU WANT ME TO DO AND WHERE YOU PUT SAM!"
He then headed off – into? out of? the jungle - he had no idea which way he was going. There were no obvious landmarks that he could see to point him in any right direction. His only plan was to see if he could find some kind of higher ground that would allow him to get the lay of the land.
As he walked, he felt more and more concerned about Carter – Sam. What had the aliens done with her? Did they think she was expendable and had they just gotten rid of her?
"If you've hurt her you can kiss my help goodbye! There's no way I'll save the universe for you or anyone else if you've done something to her!"
Whether or not he could actually turn away from helping the universe (if that was in fact what they really had in plan for him) he didn't really know, and certainly wasn't going to think about too closely. All he knew was that if something had happened to her, he wouldn't want to go on!
Jack kept walking through the odd jungle (even the colors seemed wrong – rather than the deep cool greens of any jungles he had been in, this one seemed to be … rosy? for want of a better description.
"What kind of jungle is pink – he thought. That's just plain wrong!"
After walking for nearly an hour he stopped for a moment, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Well, at least the heat and humidity feel right for a jungle." Although whether he should be happy about that or not he didn't quite know. It certainly made it rather uncomfortable for walking.
At that precise moment, Jack bent under some low hanging vines. As he straightened up, he abruptly came face to face with a man – obviously a native - who looked as startled to see him as he did to see the man.
"Crap", the words burst from Jack as he quickly leapt back. "Holy .! "
The native also jumped back, almost careening into the small group of people standing behind him.
For a second or two no one moved – all clearly shocked by the sudden, unexpected encounter. Soon however, both Jack and the natives gathered themselves together. Jack reached down and grasped the handle of the knife, ready to defend himself if the men proved dangerous or threatening.
The natives, on the other hand, quickly raised their weapons – primitive looking, but still quite deadly spears, and pointed them at Jack. The man in front, who had almost run into Jack stepped forward with a threatening scowl – pointing his spear right towards Jack's chest.
This might be it, he thought. If things go FUBAR there's no way I can defeat all (and here he counted) 8 natives.
With that he took a deep breath and pulled his hand slowly away from his side and the knife concealed there. Where's Daniel when I need him, he wondered? Strangely, that thought seemed to calm him down.
All right – now's the time to channel Dr. Jackson. Danny my boy – if there was ever a time I needed you it's right now – so please, wherever you are, I hope you're thinking of me and are sending those great, diplomatic vibes my way.
With that, Jack slowly raised his hands and said,
"Hello, I am a traveler from Earth and I come in peace."
"Do you think Jack and Sam are okay, Teal'c", asked Daniel as he sat watching the fields that had once held the Guardians?
"I hope so, Daniel Jackson. It would be a great loss if either of them were gone for ever."
"I don't know, somehow I have this feeling that they're still okay. I don't know why", mused Daniel, "I just think that I'd know if there was something wrong. I wish we'd hear something. We've already been here for over 24 hours and nothing!"
"Yes, I am also anxious to hear something. It is very frustrating to sit and do nothing. I am like you, however, and I too feel as if they are at present all right – although at times I have felt as if things were bad. For some reason, I am beginning to feel as if they are close to us right now."
"Yeah – I've suddenly gotten this weird feeling as well. I wonder what it ….. Oh my God Teal'c look!"
Daniel was pointing at something over Teal'c's shoulder. The former Jaffa warrior quickly turned his head and saw what had startled Daniel. There, shining where the building had been, was an image in mid-air. The strange thing was that there was no screen or anything on which the image was displayed – it simply hung there – almost as if it were real – but with no sound.
The image was of Jack facing a group of some kind of indigenous people. He had his arms raised and looked as if he was attempting to speak to the people. Of Sam, there was no sign.
"What's happening Teal'c? Can you tell what he's saying?"
"I believe he is trying to communicate with these people. It appears as if they are ready to attack him. Let us hope that he can appease them for there is no way he can win if they decide to fight."
"Yeah – Jack, if you can hear me, try not to say anything to piss them off, please! Please do what I'd do and be nice."
"Daniel!"
"Yes Teal'c"
"Speak again to O'Neill. For a moment it looked as though he was aware of someone speaking to him. Maybe he can hear us."
"Jack, if you can hear me, please listen. They look like they're similar to some of the tribes in S. America – maybe an Amazon tribe. They can be quite dangerous and warlike - and often their spear tips are coated in poison – so be very careful. Do not do anything threatening. Move very slowly and keep your hands up. Speak softly and respectfully" (oh man, this was Jack – this was going to be difficult).
Amazingly, Jack seemed to be doing exactly what Daniel was telling him to do. He had no idea whether or not Jack could hear him but at least he was doing the right thing - and, in fact, was acting very un-Jacklike.
Slowly, the natives lowered their spears. The one in front began to speak. Although Daniel couldn't hear him – from the movement of his lips it was obvious he was speaking in his own native language.
"Great – how is Jack supposed to communicate." he muttered. He was taken aback when it became clear that Jack actually was communicating. He couldn't see Jack's face well enough to know what he was saying, or in what language, but it looked like the natives understood him.
After a minute or two of watching Jack talk, Daniel was surprised – or in reality shocked – when the natives all began to laugh. The one Daniel now thought of as the chief native actually reached out and slapped Jack on the back – the universal sign of approval and comradery. The native then motioned to Jack who began to follow the group through the jungle.
"What the hell was that all about", asked Daniel, not expecting an answer
Teal'c however did answer.
"That was General O'Neill. We must never underestimate him. He is a great warrior."
"Yeah – and it appears a great diplomat. Who woulda figured!"
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Daniel, Jack thought to himself. I don't think I coulda handled that one without you!
He'd truly believed, for a couple of seconds back there, that he was toast! Yup, that had looked like the natives were going to have one Jack O'Neill shish ka bob! At the last minutes, however, it had felt like Daniel was right there beside him telling him how to handle the situation. For once (okay it was more than once although he wouldn't freely admit it) he'd actually listened to Daniel – or at least to his 'inner Daniel' - and had been conciliatory and respectful and it had worked!
He had even made the natives laugh, he thought! Hey, now that's the O'Neill way! And, they were going to help him and lead him through the jungle. He thought they might know something else, there was something they weren't yet saying – but at least he was on the right track. The day was looking a bit better, although he was still worried as hell about Sam.
He continued to follow the natives, occasionally chatting to them about their homeland. He didn't recognize any of the names and was coming to believe that he wasn't on earth, but on some other planet. He figured Daniel would tell him that the natives had most likely come originally from earth (probably from the Amazon jungle tribes or something) and had been resettled here 100's or 1000's of years ago by some snakehead or other.
He must have walked for at least 20 or 30 minutes before he realized something. The natives didn't speak English – in fact they spoke a language he didn't even recognize. What stopped him in his tracks was the fact that he understood everything they said. Even more astounding was the fact that for the entire time he had been speaking to them it was in their language – a language he didn't know!
"Either the aliens are messing with me again – or somehow I've developed the ability to speak other languages", he whispered to himself. "Ha, if that's the case, isn't Daniel going to be jealous!"
With that pleasant thought he continued to follow the natives until finally, they reached a village. He immediately noticed the children who were running around – and who began to come up to him and examine him. They clearly didn't get many strangers to their village as the children, and the women and old ones all were clearly very interested in his presence.
He'd quickly discovered that the party he had met in the jungle was a hunting party – out looking for something that sounded like a wild pig. Well, instead of a pig they'd found themselves a wild Tauri, he chuckled to himself!
As they entered the village, Jack was taken to a hut outside of which was sitting a very elderly man. It quickly became apparent that this man was an important person in the village – a shaman or religious leader.
The 'shaman' looked Jack over carefully for a whole minute, finally staring intently into the eyes of this visitor. What he saw must have pleased him, as he finally appeared satisfied and gestured for Jack to sit on the ground beside him. He then spoke to the woman waiting at his side and directed her to get Jack a drink and something to eat. She returned with a plate of some kind of fruit and what appeared to be a loaf of some kind. She also handed him a crudely made cup full of water.
Jack carefully lifted the cup to his lips, extremely parched from the day's activities. He was nervous, however, and lowered the cup without taking a drink. The old man reached across and took the cup – he then put it to his lips and drank about a third of the cup, then handed it back. Jack gave a small toast and then took a long – and incredibly refreshing – drink.
Jack thanked the old man for the food and water– and told him how grateful he was to have been offered the hospitality of the village. He then asked if anyone had seen Sam.
The elder continued to look at him intently as if seeking an answer to an as yet unasked question.
Finally, deliberately, he spoke.
"My people have always known that one day a man would come – a man chosen for great things. We also know that that man will save us from the evil that has plagued us for many years. I believe you are that man."
Crap and double crap. What was going on? Why is everyone determined to make me into some special chosen guy or something? He looked at the old man and said,
"I don't think I'm anything special. I'm just trying to find the woman who was with me. She's a friend and I have to find her."
"You shall find her – but along the way you will also defend us against the evil. We will help you – it has been ordained."
"Of course it has. Everything seems to be ordained! So much for spontaneity! Okay, can you tell me where my friend is? And what is this about 'evil'?"
"Your friend, the woman has been captured by the evil one. He and his servants have been here for many generations and come back often to steal our young ones. We cannot defend ourselves against them as they have weapons of great power. We cannot kill them – for they rise again. The evil one himself has eyes that glow – his servants were clothing that shines in the sun – their faces covered by great masks."
Well, thought Jack, sounds like snakeheads. And here I thought we were pretty well rid of them!
"Does this evil one have a name?"
"Yes – he goes by the name 'Hadad'."
"So, not someone I know", Jack relaxed a little. Maybe that means he doesn't know about SG1 or who Sam is.
The old man looked at him strangely for a moment until he spoke again.
"He is also referred to by the name 'Baal'"
"
