Note: Takes place after Ch. 18 in Language of Love.
Becky's all turned around.
She's increasingly convinced she's been walking in circles for the past several hours now. Not that much can be made out anyway with this dense fog leeching away color and substance from the world.
Moisture clings everywhere, dripping from the branches in fat, heavy drops onto her green field hat. She chafes her hands together, wondering why she didn't think to tuck a spare pair of gloves in her tac vest like Sam had suggested.
It had been bright and sunny when they arrived through the Gate earlier. Jack had glanced around the clearing, made some desultory remarks about the green state of the galaxy. Sam and Teal'c looked similarly unimpressed.
Daniel of course had been paying more attention to his notebook than their surroundings. "Okay, there should be a path leading to the temple in that direction, more or less," gesturing vaguely to his right.
Jack squinted into the dappled shadows. "If you say so, Danny. All right campers, we're not here for a picnic so let's get going."
They should've figured something was fishy when the fog started rolling in fifteen minutes later. But by that point they were more focused on watching their step than noticing the weather. They were probably a quarter of the way to the temple when it got thick enough that none of them could see more than a meter in front of their noses, which made them all uneasy.
Jack had muttered about horror movie clichés and loudly speculated that Daniel would be the first to fall victim. Ironically he disappeared right after saying that, which would've been hilarious if he hadn't been followed in quick succession by Daniel, Sam and lastly Teal'c.
One minute they're traipsing through the woods together on a dilapidated stone path and the next Becky's completely alone. Just peachy.
With a sigh she reaches for her radio. "Daniel?"
No answer.
"Sam? Jack? Teal'c? Can anyone hear me? Anyone at all?"
The silence stretches.
To make matters worse it's a lot closer to dusk than she'd thought. Even her sense of time's screwed up in this place.
Not much point walking aimlessly in the dark so she finds shelter for the night at the base of a tree. In situations like this SOP calls for returning to the Gate as soon as it gets light enough. No doubt the others will be waiting when she gets there, Jack making a show of tapping his watch.
If she can figure out in which direction the clearing is first, of course. The compass needle keeps spinning every which way.
Dinner consists of MRE mac-and-cheese (Daniel's right, it does tastes like chicken) and sips of water from her canteen. She'll save the power bar for breakfast. Hopefully she'll find them in the daytime and they can dial home.
She wraps her field jacket closer around her and burrows further into the hollow in the vain hope of conserving body heat. The chill's seeping through to her very bones.
She's never been this cold before. Or miserable.
Or so, so lost.
Becky's been on camping trips as a kid back in Oregon, and with Mac later for hikes and stargazing nights in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Sierras. But those were for fun, tents and sleeping bags and meals freeze-dried or foraged and fixings for s'mores.
She desperately wishes to be home, or anywhere other than here in the cold and dark on P3N-051. Getting lost on a mission is no fun, and neither is waiting out the night alone in an offworld forest for that matter. Cuddling under blankets with Daniel in a warm bed after a hot shower and hot food sounds perfect just about now.
Actually she misses everyone, not just her beloved raven- snarky Uncle Jack, brave and brilliant Sam, even stalwart Teal'c. Being an introvert she doesn't mind solitude but she'd hate to be stuck here alone for the rest of her life without them. Hopefully they haven't fallen victim to their own unexpected perils.
A sudden rustle makes her reach for her zat, sole means of protection. Most military personnel find her refusal to carry a gun naive but Jack lets it slide, knowing his brother's influence in her upbringing. Although she's come to accept guns with a certain grim sense of necessity, violence and cruelty of any kind can still make her stomach churn.
Yet tonight she concedes some extra firepower might be useful in case of nocturnal predators. Not that she's afraid of the dark per se, but who knows what could be lurking out there?
Becky gives herself a mental shake and relaxes her grip, disgusted by the turn of her thoughts. Nature's not intrinsically dangerous, she reminds herself. People in their ignorance assign all manner of signs, symbols and portents to territories unknown, both good and evil. While it makes forests ideal settings for fairy tales and legends, they shouldn't be taken as literal truth.
"There's nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light," she says out loud, sage advice from Mac and Grandpa Harry.
Does nothing to lift her spirits, though.
In the morning Becky stands, groaning as she stretches arms and legs sore from sleeping overnight in a cramped position. After a quick breakfast she turns her attention to retracing her steps back to the Gate.
Protocol calls for waiting there with periodic radio checks in case the others show up. If no one does within a certain amount of time she's supposed to dial home and request a search party to be formed and sent through to find the missing team members. The SGC leaves no one behind, after all.
It's a sensible plan, except for one tiny, insignificant detail. Which is actually pretty big.
The Gate is missing. As in completely gone. DHD, stone steps and all.
And to make matters worse Jack and the others are nowhere to be seen.
Great. She's stranded on an alien planet.
At first Becky's certain she mistook the clearing for another, not surprising in a forest this size. Until she finds Jack's idle scratching in the dirt near the very rock she's currently sitting on, his own version of the infamous Kilroy drawing with the caption SG-1 was here. Hardly original, but her uncle's irreverent style without a doubt.
So okay, this is the right place. Now she just has to wait for the others to show up and they can puzzle through this mysterious planet together.
No problem. She knows how to be patient.
Fog still lingers in pockets but the forest is peaceful in the daytime, the only sounds birds chirping and trees rustling in the breeze.
"Aho!"
Instinctively she draws her zat. On second thought, maybe not so peaceful after all.
"Aho!"
She should wait for the others. She really should.
"Aho! Help!"
Okay, that's definitely more human than animal.
Out of curiosity she runs towards the voice, just like any other well-trained member of the SGC.
A small woman in wispy pink sprawls face-first on the ground, face scratched and smudged with dirt and one of her legs trapped under a log. Otherwise resembling nothing more than a dryad or forest fairy, complete with delicate elfin features and bushy, ash-blond hair adorned with leaves, twigs and strands of pink lichen. Fey and wild, straight out of legend.
And altogether real.
Becky supposes she ought to be more surprised than she is. But myth and fact tend to intersect in unpredictable ways in this universe so anything's possible.
The fey woman raises her head, pleading with wide-set dark eyes. "Help me, please."
"Of course." Becky stows the zat back in its holster and hurries to her side. Squatting, lifting the log up and away from her. "Can you sit at all? Are you in any pain?"
With her help the fey woman gingerly raises her body into a sitting position, wincing as she shifts the leg. "A little, but I can bear it for now."
"May I check for injuries? I know some first aid." At the tentative nod she does a quick examination, mimicking Janet's brisk efficiency. "Nothing appears to be broken, could be just a sprain. You probably shouldn't put any weight on it, all the same. Here, let me help you up."
She slips an arm around narrow shoulders with minimal difficulty, supporting her weight. They stagger a little but manage to stand upright. The fey woman only comes to Becky's shoulders, and she's not exactly tall herself.
"My name's Becky. What's yours?"
"I am Lya. My thanks for your assistance."
"You're welcome. Do you live nearby?"
"Yes, in that direction," indicating off to their left. They limp along in silence, further away from the Gate clearing than Becky would like but it wouldn't be right to let this strange woman fend for herself in the middle of the woods.
"You are far from your own home, not so?" Lya asks after a while.
"In a manner of speaking. My friends and I are just visiting, checking out a ruined temple. I got separated from them in yesterday's fog."
"Ah yes, the fog. I understand."
More silence. No other activity around them yet Becky keeps an eye on their surroundings regardless. Anything could be hunting them, even in broad daylight.
By the time they reach Lya's charmingly rustic village- more like a collection of rudimentary huts- her stomach is rumbling.
More fey creatures emerge as they approach, young and old, in size and appearance much like Lya with the same composed, even ageless quality. Maybe the forest is enchanted after all.
What's weird is that Becky feels no apprehension at their presence, only a sense of relief she isn't alone.
A male steps forward to take Lya from her. "You have been injured?"
"Yes, a tree fell and my leg was trapped underneath." Their voices are calm, almost matter-of-fact. "It was fortunate this Tau'ri rescued me. Her name is Becky."
"I am Anteaus, and this is our offspring Nafrayu." The youngling smiles and gives her a little wave. "You have our thanks for assisting my mate." He hands Lya off to another, presumably a healer.
"No problem, I'm just glad I was able to help." She's aware their reputation's preceded them through the galaxy but didn't expect word to spread to the likes of whoever these beings are.
An enigmatic smile, as if reading her mind. "Yes, we know of your race," indicating the planet-peak-and-circle patch on her left shoulder. "We are of the Nox."
The Nox! Talk about a reputation. A secretive and subtle species, former members of the Four Races alliance with the Ancients.
Her stomach rumbles again. Nafrayu giggles from behind a hand.
"I see you are hungry," Anteaus notes dryly. "We are about to partake of our midday meal. You are welcome to join us and rest for a while."
Despite her thrill at encountering these elusive beings Becky hesitates. Tales flash through her mind, warning of the hidden dangers in accepting hospitality from fey creatures.
She really ought to get back to the Gate, see if Jack and the others are waiting for her. Yet at the same time she knows it would be disrespectful to refuse their offer.
Besides, according to Daniel for all their apparent simplicity and fragility the Nox possess great powers, hidden and deep. Even with their policy of nonviolence and noninterference they have the potential to become valuable allies if approached the right way.
"Thank you, I'd like that very much." Good thing she's always believed manners are important.
While Lya's leg is being tended to fruits, nuts and wooden bowls of a sticky-sweet tree sap are passed round, washed down with gourds of a clear liquid as sparkling and fresh as the purest spring water. Nafrayu and other younglings laugh and play as Anteaus engages her in conversation, adroitly saying next to nothing about his own people while drawing out her life story, as well as information about New Earth.
"We have met Tau'ri before. You dress like them yet you carry a weapon of the Goa'uld," the elder named Ohper notes, frowning in disapproval at her zat.
"For self defense," she asserts quickly. "The universe has its dangers and I use it only when I must. The idea of harming others otherwise is abhorrent to me. I am a pacifist, a scholar and diplomat. Not a soldier."
"As was one of the Tau'ri we met earlier, whom we healed after he was killed," Anteaus reminds the group.
Becky blinks at him. He means Daniel, she's read the report. Impossible given the odds but this must be the very group SG-1 first encountered, back in the program's earliest days.
"But we're nowhere near P3X-774," she blurts out. "Your homeworld's Gate was buried by your decision. And after you granted refuge to the Tollan we have respected your wishes to be left alone ever since. How is it that you're here?"
"This is another of our worlds. We have heard of your current situation through the Asgard. How you treat your new homeworld with more respect, for the environment as well as each other. How you are creating a peaceful coalition among human worlds formerly occupied by the Goa'uld. How one of the four great Ancient cities reawakened under your touch." A frisson runs down Becky's spine, realizing he's speaking of her specifically.
"Perhaps you are capable of learning a better way after all," Ohper concedes. "And so we have decided to give your race another chance."
"On behalf of my people I appreciate your reconsideration," she says. "But why have you singled me out in this fashion? Assuming you were the ones who produced the fog and made the Gate disappear, that is." A sudden horrifying thought comes to her. "Wait a minute. What happened to the rest of my friends? Are they okay?"
Anteaus' smile is serene. "They are well, have no fear in that regard. And your assumption is correct. While we know the qualities of the others who accompanied you, we wished to see for ourselves the Witness and Domina of Huy-Braesealis. We are pleased to make your acquaintance, Becky."
Her cheeks warm from the indirect compliment. Word has definitely spread around the galaxy; she doesn't know whether to be flattered or worried. "I was just at the right place at the right time, that's all. I never asked for any of it."
"We understand. We find your notion of a coalition intriguing. A grand alliance, such as we have with the Asgard, and formerly with the Furlings and what you call the Ancients."
"Would you happen to know what became of the Furlings? We've found traces of their civilization throughout the galaxy but have yet to encounter any living descendants."
Ohper waves a dismissive hand. "They destroyed themselves millennia ago, out of foolishness and spite. Now please, explain more about your Stargate Commonwealth."
"It's similar in spirit to your alliance of old, for trade and the open sharing of ideas. I think of it as an attempt to gather the diaspora of humanity back into one hearth, so to speak. To recognize what we have in common while at the same time respecting what makes us unique. The hope is to weave some harmony between them, which I call the Stargate Commonwealth. And yes, it's also for mutual defense against external threats if necessary. The universe is full of dangers as well as wonders, light is needed to stand against the darkness."
She's amazed by her own eloquence. Guess those lessons from Elizabeth Weir are paying off.
"An ambitious endeavor, if brash for a younger species. Your search for harmony may yet fail."
"I am aware of that. But I believe it's worthwhile to try regardless. Hopefully pleasure can be gained in the journey, as well as the destination." Smothering a sudden yawn with the back of her hand. "I beg your pardon. I didn't sleep well last night, and it's been a long day."
Her hosts share long, significant looks with one another in silent conversation. "Perhaps it is time for you to rest," Antaeus agrees. "You may use one of our dwellings until the morrow, when you will find the others who came with you."
The bed's soft, for all it's a shallow box filled with conifer branches, the smell sweet yet refreshing. Her blanket's a pink filmy thing, surprisingly warm. The room is dark and quiet, better than her surroundings last night by far.
Sleep is softer, deeper. Like sinking into a comforting, solid cloud.
"Becky?"
"Go way," she mutters. "Five more minutes." Her bed's become hard and unyielding.
A gentle hand on her shoulder, nudging her awake. "Becky, it's time to wake up."
She blinks up at four familiar faces, staring down at her with varying degrees of amusement. "Oh. You're here."
Jack grins. "Hey, sleepyhead. Have a nice nap?"
"Um yeah, I-" With Daniel's help she sits, taking stock of her surroundings.
She's back at the Gate, apparently having fallen asleep right on the stone steps. Good thing it didn't activate while she was unconscious.
For a fleeting second she has the impression she's been somewhere else. Talking with people, eating fruits and nuts and tree sap. Sleeping on branches in a hut.
The memory vanishes as soon as Daniel touches her cheek. "Becky? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, sorry. So you guys found your way through the fog after all, huh?"
Sam's brow furrows. "What fog?"
"You know, the one that rolled in yesterday, so dense we couldn't see each other and I lost you guys? Had to spend overnight alone in the hollow of a tree before I could make my way back here this morning."
The four trade puzzled glances. "Um, there was no fog," Daniel ventures at last. "And it's still the day we got here."
No. No way. Impossible. "It is? But I clearly remember you guys disappeared on the way-"
"Nope," Jack says with a shrug. "We got there, took a look around. Just your typical clichéd temple if you ask me. Danny and Carter took lots of notes and you volunteered to return here for the check-in." He smirks. "Guess what you really wanted was some beauty sleep, huh? Must've dreamed about a foggy day or something."
"Um yeah, I guess that's what happened." She gives herself a mental shake. Time to focus on the here and now. "Sorry for splitting like that. I really am."
"No worries, kiddo. We figured you just needed some peace and quiet. Being around Danny all the time can be exhausting, we know from experience." Daniel glares at him and he smirks right back.
"Okay. So are we going back to the temple, or what?"
"We have completed our mission, Becky Grahme," Teal'c informs her. "You and Daniel Jackson might return at another time for more examination if deemed necessary but there is nothing here of immediate use to our objective."
"What T means is we're outta here," Jack says. "Care to do the honors and dial us home? I'm looking forward to a nice big piece of cake for lunch."
"Sure," gratefully heading for the DHD.
Though what Jack says makes sense she can't shake the feeling she experienced something really important. Damned if she can remember what, though.
Oh, well. Maybe it'll come back to her later. No doubt when she least expects it.
-Two years later-
Becky's working alone in the lab when her radio chirps. "Dr. Grahme? Your presence is urgently required in the Gateroom."
She leans back from the computer screen, taking off her glasses to rub at her eyes before responding. "Can't it wait, Sergeant? I'm almost finished here."
"No, ma'am," Walter replies. "General O'Neill's orders. He says to get here on the double."
She sighs. Maybe she ought to take a break anyway. "On my way."
When she arrives everyone in the Gateroom's frozen in place, gaping at the three figures standing directly in front of the empty circle of the Gate, two male and one female. Short in stature, delicate features, wispy pink clothes and bushy ash-blond hair sporting twigs and lichen. Fey and wild creatures with an ageless quality to them.
Jack's eyebrows are residing close to his hairline and Daniel's jaw is dropping to the floor. Even normally unflappable Teal'c looks more than a little nonplussed at their presence.
"What's going on?" she demands of the room at large.
Jack recovers his composure. "You tell me, kiddo. They didn't wanna talk unless they saw you specifically." She stares at him and he shrugs. "Don't blame me, that's what they said."
The female smiles at her. "Greetings, Becky. I am pleased to see you again."
"Um, thanks?" She has the strangest feeling they've met before, but damned if she can remember when or where. She lifts her eyebrows at Daniel in silent inquiry.
"They call themselves the Nox," he supplies. "Lya, Anteaus and Ohper. But we haven't heard from them for a long time, since before the Big Quake." He looks askance at her, brow furrowed. "How do they know you?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Ohper steps forward. "Greetings, Tau'ri. Our elders have conferred and we have decided to open an alliance with your people. We request the participation of Dr. Rebecca Grahme as your lead negotiator," nodding in her direction.
She blinks at him. "Who, me?"
"Yes." Lya smiles. "It is time to remember, Becky."
"Wait, how do you know-" Memories swirl around, slowly coming into focus. "I remember now. A fog and a forest and a feast, on P3N-051."
Everyone's eyes are on her, now. Why did she forget? And where had Jack and the others gotten to, during those twenty-eight-hours that apparently never even happened?
"Sorry, but I don't understand," Daniel says. "You declined further contact with us after assisting with the Tollans. Why are you suddenly willing to negotiate with us now?"
"Because Dr. Grahme convinced us you are willing to try another way," Anteaus says. "So we decided you are worthy of being given a second chance. We will contact you when we are ready to speak further."
"You passed our test, Becky," Lya says. "I am looking forward to seeing you again. Perhaps you can tell us more about your lost homeworld, as well as your Stargate Commonwealth."
She can only nod in reply, as thoroughly confused as anyone else.
"Until next time, then. Peace be with you." Ohper nods to Lya, who slowly raises her hands. The wormhole shimmers to life in her wake and the four Nox step backwards through the event horizon, which winks out as soon as they're gone.
Stunned silence reigns in the Gateroom until a tool clatters to the floor and normal activity resumes.
Jack rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Huh. I love those guys but I never thought I'd see them on our doorstep again. And here they want an alliance with us after all. How'd you do it, Beck?"
She shakes her head in wonder. "Tell you the truth, I'm not really sure. Honestly it was like being lost in a fog."
Notes: References to, of course, S01 E08 "The Nox" and E17, "Enigma". Because I always thought the Nox thing should be resolved somehow in my 'verse.
The Stargate Commonwealth is inspired in part by the Ekumen in Ursula K. LeGuin's excellent Hainish Cycle series. I didn't realize the inspiration until just recently, almost two full years into writing my modest AU. Strange how that can happen.