Chapter 9 - How to Plan a Treasure Hunt

Daniel Jackson's Lab
Level 18
SGC - Cheyenne Mountain

Jackson's lab was back to its previous state of disarray now that he wasn't going anywhere out of the galaxy anytime soon. His things that were in boxes were back in their rightful places, chaotically dispersed and displayed on various shelves, work tables and corners of the floor.

"Are you sure you have this cipher right?" Jackson demanded.

"Yes, why?"

He muttered to himself as he walked around Teal'c to get to his computer. "I can't believe I missed the Daedalus for this."

"Get over it," Vala advised.

Mitchell nodded at Teal'c. "You don't have to get back to Dakara, right?"

"The council is in recess until tomorrow." The Jaffa confirmed.

"Curious?"

"Indeed."

"See, this is good, isn't it?" he asked excitedly. "Being part of a team again. Working together to unravel some cool ancient mystery? All right, so we're not…working together. But any minute now, I bet Dr Jackson discovers some key piece of information that sets us off on a great adventure."

Mitchell glance hopefully at the figure hunched over the computer, hoping the man would take the hint.

"This can't be right."

The surprised tone of the good doctor suggested that he had indeed taken the hint.

"What is it?"

"Uh, well, this is a portion of the database the Atlantis expedition brought back with them a few weeks ago," Jackson explained. "Specifically, it's a log of the names of the Ancients who left the planet when it was under siege from the Wraith and returned to Earth."

"Thousands of years ago." Teal'c reminded them.

"Yes."

"And what does this have to do with the tablet?" Vala wanted to know.

"See, the tablet talks about a treasure, but it doesn't make any specific reference at all to where it is."

"Well, it is supposed to be here," Vala said, perplexed. "That's what the person who I stole it from told me…before I stole it from him."

Mitchell rolled his eyes. This was going to be a fantastic first mission. He just knew.

"Well, I think it is here, and I think I know where it is, too," Jackson said.

Mitchell frowned. It was amazing how easily he lost the plot. "All right, time out. If the tablet doesn't say…

"It doesn't say, specifically," Jackson kept going, getting excited. "But it…It is signed by a guy named Myrddin."

"Never heard of him." Mitchell voiced what everyone was thinking.

"I-I think you have," his enthusiasm made the man stutter. "And the amazing part is, his name also appears in the database.

"The Ancient who carved this tablet is one of the Ancients who returned to Earth from Atlantis?" Mitchell asked, just to clarify.

"Yes."

"I have an Uncle Marvin," Mitchell said, hiding sarcasm behind scepticism. "I'm pretty sure I don't know any… Myrddins."

"Uh…That's because his name in English sounds a little different. It…have you heard of…Merlin?"

Now, wasn't that a twist?! Just as Mitchell was starting to think things couldn't possibly get any weirder.

"Merlin? King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? Merlin?"

"Yes."

"Was an Ancient?"

Jackson blinked, looking like he couldn't believe it either. "I think so..."

Mitchell took a moment to let that sink in. Then he turned to Teal'c, grinning from ear to ear. "See, THAT is what I'm talking about!"

"Good news?"

Sheppard chose to stick his head in with a sideways grin then, obviously having heard his triumphant declaration. He looked good in his black BDUs with the Stargate insignia patches on his sleeves.

Before Mitchell could say a word, however, Mal Doran walked around the table with a megawatt beam to greet him first.

"Hello handsome," she said, offering her hand. "Vala Mal Doran. May I just say, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance?"

He shook her hand with an amused smile. "Sheppard. Likewise."

Mitchell proceeded to make introductions by grabbing the man by the shoulders and gently manoeuvring him towards Jackson's worktable. It also served to dislodge the hand Vala was taking too damn long to let go.

"Yeah, you," Jackson said, shaking his hand. "It was you we heard on the comms when we were flying to the Outpost. You were on our flank."

"Yeah, that was me," Sheppard said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Nice to finally meet you, and thank you for what you did that day, for all of us."

Teal'c nodded gravely, saying everything Jackson was saying with that one slow incline of his head.

"Uh, it's fine," Sheppard shrugged, awkward and uncomfortable at the gratitude, just as he had been while talking to Mitchell earlier.

"We just figured that thing out," Mitchell said, jerking his head at the tablet now lying innocently on the table. "Well, he did," he corrected himself when Jackson frowned. "We are going to pitch it to the General now. And, if he approves, we're heading out first thing in the morning."

"He will," Jackson said confidently. "This is gold–"

"Ah, that's what I'm after," Vala perked up, wriggling her eyebrows.

"No, I didn't–" Jackson started to explain, and then thought better of it. "Nevermind."

"So, you wanna join us?" Mitchell clapped Sheppard on the shoulder.

"Uh, I just finished a briefing with the General," Sheppard said, a little apologetically. "He said I can go and have a look at the Defence Outpost tomorrow if I wanted. I kinda agreed."

Mitchell felt his eyes widen in horror. He had heard stories, scary ones, of the people who went there and disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. He hoped it wasn't so bad now that most of the crazies were in a different galaxy. But he couldn't be sure.

"Oh man, Shep, I forgot that you have the gene. You know, they're going to want to keep you there forever."

"The General said the same thing," Sheppard said with a chuckle. "He's going to make sure I'm back on time for dinner."

"You know, your ATA gene would come in handy since we are going after treasures the Ancients left behind," Jackson added thoughtfully.

"I would love to join you guys, but until Dr Lam and Dr Goldstone clear me for field duty, a tour at the Outpost under the care and supervision of the doc there is the best Landry is going to allow," Sheppard informed them before turning to Mitchell. "Those clearances are going to take a while. So, yeah,"

"Pity." Vala pouted, leaning her head against Teal'c left shoulder.

"Alright then," Mitchell said, giving him a final squeeze on his shoulder before letting his hand drop. "See you around at dinner?"

"Sure. You kids have fun." Sheppard flashed a grin and gave a little wave before leaving the lab.

And, if Mitchell moved a little to his left, covering his exit, that was only because he didn't want to trip over Jackson's clutter. Not remotely because he wanted to block Vala's squinty gaze from following Sheppard's ass when he left.

Not at all.

Briefing Room
Level 27
SGC

"…Arthur was then carried off in a barge by Merlin, saying that he was headed for the Vale of Avalon, which according to legend, was a magical place where the dead would meet. Now at the time, some said Arthur never actually died but would in fact one day return. From what we know about the Ancients, it's possible that Avalon was actually a place where Merlin helped Arthur, a mortal, ascend."

Jackson went on with the presentation in the darkened room as the rest of them watched with varying degrees of attention. Mitchell had a headache beginning to make itself known. Vala was doodling on a notepad and Teal'c was actually listening like a schoolboy. Landry's eyes were beginning to glaze over from the high-speed info dump.

"Are not the Ancients forbidden from interfering with the existence of mortals?" Teal'c inquired.

"Ascended Ancients, yes, for the most part," Jackson hurried to explain, ignoring Landry's sigh. "But it's possible Merlin was not actually an Ascendant himself, but was in fact, just a human, far along on the evolutionary path."

"What does this have to do with where this alleged treasure was buried?" Landry demanded.

"Well, there are a number of conflicting interpretations, but certain threads point to the Knights of the Round Table gathering great treasures from the far corners of Arthur's domain and hiding them in a magical stronghold at Avalon."

Mitchell noticed Vala perking up at the magic word. "Including the Holy Grail?"

Jackson nodded. "According to some. Yes."

"So this grail," Vala piped up, almost on cue. "What's that worth?"

"In 1191, the monks at Glastonbury Abbey claimed to have found the grave of King Arthur. On the stone burial, was an inlaid lead cross with the inscription: 'Hic Iacet Sepultus Inclitus Rex Arturius in Insula Avallonis.' 'Here lies the famous King Arthur, buried on the Isle of Avalon.' Jackson went on, ignoring Vala. "Now the claim was not taken seriously until 1278 when Henry II ordered the grave to be exhumed. Now Glastonbury, a small town about 125 miles west of London has been a pilgrimage for believers since."

"Yes, yes. And the point is?" Landry finally demanded, losing his patience at Jackson's tangent.

Jackson hurriedly changed slides and stopped at an image of a green hill with a tower on top of it on the screen. "Certain Celtic legend says that Glastonbury Tor, the hill overlooking the town, is actually hollow," he said, pointing at the slide. "And that contained within it is the entrance to the underworld, Avalon."

"Has no one ever done any sort of geological survey?" Landry asked, eyeing the image with suspicion.

"There have been several scientific studies apparently disproving the myth–"

"Jackson–"

"We're talking about the Ancients, sir," Jackson spoke over Landry. "It's very possible that the underground entrance was concealed with some sort of technology."

Mitchell decided it was time for him to help the man get to the point. "Sir, we're hoping to use the Asgard sensors aboard the Prometheus to find something we haven't been able to see before."

"Thank you!" Landry gave him a sharp, relieved nod. "Two years ago, I wouldn't have believed we'd find an Ancient outpost under a mile of ice in Antarctica. I'll call the President. I'm sure he'll want to inform the British prime minister."

When Landry left the room, Mitchell approached Jackson.

"That was fantastic!" he lied with a smile. "Did you talk to Carter yet?"

"Uhh, yeah. She can't make it."

"What?" Mitchell couldn't believe she would miss an opportunity like this. "This is huge! We could be on the brink of another major discovery of Ancient technology here."

"Look, I'm sure she'll be interested in whatever we find," Jackson muttered consolingly before leaving the room.

Mitchell sighed and left the room himself, hoping Sheppard would show up for an early dinner at the mess hall.