SG-1 Gen Fic: For Every Action 5/10
Dec. 4th, 2008 01:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
superbadgirlTitle: For Every Action
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
superbadgirl
Category: H/C with a Daniel slant, Team
Season/Spoiler: Very early S2
Rating: R
Word Count: 4,925 this chapter, 44,900 total
Summary: Sam and Teal'c play chess, Daniel and Jack commisserate. Kind of.
Before this latest development, his and Captain Carter’s situation had been unfortunate. Teal’c now understood, however, just how precarious it was. He could tell Captain Carter comprehended this as well.
“Whoa, are those what I think they are?”
“If you believe the water serves as a nesting area for these creatures, then you would be correct,” Teal’c said.
“Holy Hannah.”
Motive of the enemy was not always of much help in strategizing against them, especially when motive was deeply rooted in emotion. The protection of loved ones, of children or of the yet born, was the strongest instinct Teal’c had ever encountered. SG-1’s quest for water, no matter how benign in relation to the creatures, would be considered an unfriendly act. Without a means to communicate their intent, he and Captain Carter were trapped.
“No wonder they don’t want us anywhere near it. The shoreline is covered with eggshells. This must be where the eggs are incubated. It certainly eliminates the need for some of them to be stuck in one place for long periods of time. They can rotate shifts or whatever and…”
His companion rambled, and he found himself annoyed.
“Captain Carter, perhaps now is not the time to theorize on such matters.”
“Right,” she said with a strange smile.
Teal’c doubted she knew she had made the expression.
Captain Carter glanced from the egg-laden water to the SGC equipment. “I know you’re right, but there has to be something we can do.”
He thought perhaps they could indeed accomplish something, but that the something would ultimately be their own demise. There was no means of conquering or even outwitting an enemy such as this, namely one of which they had no knowledge and that had the ‘home field advantage.’ He and Captain Carter could vie for water; they would likely not get it here.
“I do not believe that is an accurate statement under these conditions.”
She appeared crestfallen by his edict, and for that he was regretful. He did not believe in speaking anything other than the truth as he understood it. Giving hope where there was none was a method Apophis employed, and he strove to never mimic that.
“So, what? We go back and tell the colonel we failed? We can’t do that. Daniel can’t go without water for much longer, and neither can the rest of us. It’s too hot here during the day.”
He agreed that was not an acceptable option. He was simply at a loss to provide another one. Captain Carter’s communication attempt had failed, and so far it appeared as though the creatures had much more ease in deciphering body language than they did. Teal’c wondered if it were possible for them to understand English, then reconsidered. If that were the case, they surely would not take issue with SG-1’s need for water. He realized the irony of both motives in this situation being similar in nature. They wished to protect their young. SG-1 wished to protect their friend.
“I do not know, Captain Carter,” Teal’c said. He did not enjoy admitting that. In fact, he had not enjoyed one minute of their time on this planet. “It is possible there is another water source in close proximity.”
“Tell me you sense that somehow.”
“I cannot.”
“I didn’t think so.” Captain Carter bit her lower lip once. She lifted her gaze from the guarded SGC field gear to the water, then to the creatures. “I’m going to try to make them understand again. I wish Daniel were here.”
Daniel Jackson’s expertise would indeed be of great use, but if he were here to provide it, then they likely would not have such need. It was yet another irony Teal’c found to be choking at the back of his throat. Every action, witting or unwittingly, taken since their arrival on this planet had been countered. He and Captain Carter had been playing the Tau’ri game of checkers while the creatures played chess. So late in the virtual game, he wondered if it even possible for them to attain any strategic footing.
“You will do fine, Captain Carter.”
She shook her head, but again relinquished her weapon. Teal’c took it. He preferred the sleek beauty of his staff to Tau’ri automatic weaponry, but he did understand that his was not an offensive weapon so much as one of intimidation. In the event this did not go well, he would need to provide heavy fire if he hoped to assist Captain Carter back to cover. He continued to believe the creatures were not interested in violence. As long as Captain Carter maintained the proper distance they would not become a threat.
“I realize you don’t understand a word I’m saying,” Captain Carter said, her hands outstretched.
Teal’c stayed just at the edge of the clearing, assuming his protective role with practiced ease.
“We don’t mean any harm. Our friend, he’s sick. All we need is a little water, just to tide us over until we can get out of here.”
Captain Carter moved closer to the water, stopping just before the broken eggshells became thick upon the ground. Teal’c knew she would not attempt to move beyond that point; they now better understood the game being played. He began to believe they might yet prevail. The creatures did not respond. Normally, this would be a negative in a negotiation setting. In this instance, non-reaction was indeed a good thing. Teal’c observed the creatures watching not only Captain Carter but him as well.
He reconsidered his belief that they had calculatedly targeted O’Neill and Daniel Jackson as weak links, for if they had truly gauged SG-1 they would already understand no ill will was intended. No, he decided, they had simply engaged in defensive maneuvers. Teal’c could find no fault in those actions. If anything, he now had even more hope resolution could be achieved.
“I don’t think they’re getting it, Teal’c.” Captain Carter took a small step backward, shoulders slumping minutely.
“Perhaps communication will not be accomplished through speech.”
“Oh,” she said, turning to look back at him with a quick smile. “I hadn’t thought of that. I should have, though. I know I’ve picked up on some of their physical cues, so they might be able to do the same.”
Teal’c bowed his head briefly. It would have occurred to her in time, but time was something of which they had a limited amount. Daniel would have thought of it almost immediately, as he had done so in the past. Teal’c felt a stab of guilt for making even the smallest of comparisons between his teammates. Captain Carter crouched down.
“I think perhaps written communication is also not a viable option with this particular species,” Teal’c said.
She stood again, looking at him with an odd, consternated expression. Teal’c merely bowed his head again. Not only was Captain Carter under a great deal of stress, the lack of hydration could already be affecting her. To be honest, he also found attempting to communicate with an avian species, one that had no verbal language a human could truly understand, to be disconcerting.
“Okay, so Charades it is,” Captain Carter muttered.
She restated their message, this time emphasizing it with dramatic mimicry. If the creatures understood the intent behind Captain Carter’s gesticulations, they did not demonstrate such. Teal’c now knew better than to assume a lack of response indicated a lack of understanding. Though Captain Carter’s back was to him, he could sense how much of her own need for water fed her entreaty. The desperation translated well. He hoped that, if nothing else, would influence the creatures.
“I don’t think it’s working.” Captain Carter looked back toward him, frustration lining her face. “They’re not registering at all.”
“Of that we should not be certain,” Teal’c said. “We have already underestimated them once.”
“You can say that again.”
“We have already underestimated them once.”
Captain Carter chuckled and shook her head, which was precisely the reaction he had intended. During his short time of his service to the SGC, Teal’c had learned it was indeed possible to be too serious. There was every reason on the planet to be serious. This situation was not a laughing matter. However, a mere moment of levity relaxed some of the tension from his companion’s shoulders and she appeared revitalized to continue her attempts.
As it turned out, the continuation was interrupted. The creature closest to Captain Carter suddenly hopped forward several times. It seemed the only one to pay attention to her communication attempts. Teal’c studied the creature, and determined it must be the leader among them. He noticed for the first time that the bony ridge on its forehead was in a slightly different variation than most of the other creatures. He speculated it might signify some sort of cultural or tribal importance. Daniel would be very interested. It took off flying and, judging from its direction, he believed it was headed for the Stargate’s location. Toward O’Neill and Daniel. Captain Carter looked back to him with a frown.
“Okay, I guess that didn’t go so well.”
“No,” Teal’c said.
He was displeased at their continued standoff. The choice now was whether to remain and wait for the leader to return or make haste to their defenseless friends. None of the other creatures moved, staying at their vigilant guard.
“Let’s head back to the others,” Captain Carter said.
She was exhausted and dehydrated; she would not be able to make the journey quickly, and Teal’c knew her mind was on helping O’Neill and Daniel. He knew what they should do. It was contrary to his liking.
“That would be an ineffective course of action.”
“What, so we’re supposed to just sit here?”
“It displeases me as well, Captain Carter, but it is impossible for us to reach O’Neill and Daniel Jackson in the time necessary to lend aid. We also do not know the creature’s intentions are malicious.”
“So we wait.”
“We wait.”
They did not have to wait long. Within minutes, the leader returned and took up its previous position. It began pushing at the stolen SGC equipment with its beak, separating out Teal’c’s canteen and flipping it toward them with a loud cry. He stood at the ready while Captain Carter dropped her guard slightly as she leaned down to pick it up.
“I guess they understood after all.”
“It would appear so,” Teal’c said. He was pleased, but could not let his guard down just yet. “What seems a victory may yet have minute threads of cloth attached to it, and could unravel.”
“Right, I’ll watch for any strings attached,” Captain Carter said with a smile. She removed the cap and began walking toward the water. Almost immediately, the creatures began to shriek. She stopped moving. “Okay, that was a string.”
For a moment, Teal’c did not know how to interpret the creature’s intentions. There was clear intent, some message he and Captain Carter must ascertain. He also noticed that it looked from the canteen to the water several times, with a mere flick of its yellow eyes. In turn, he transferred his gaze from the creature to Captain Carter. More specifically, he looked at her left hand and the small cap she held in it.
“Captain Carter, it would seem they wish you to throw the canteen to them.”
“Oh,” she said, and blinked twice. “Opposable thumb issue.”
“Indeed.”
This development did follow their pattern of protectiveness. Teal’c still could not fault them for it. If anything, esteem grew for them that they were willing to aid in SG-1’s cause … and then he realized it would be just as much to the creatures’ benefit to have him and Captain Carter away from the small lake.
“Well, here goes nothing.”
Captain Carter flung the opened canteen back toward the creatures. The leader caught it by the strap, and then hopped over, dipping the vessel into the water. With a near seamless motion, it threw the canteen back. It fell short of Captain Carter, some of the contents sloshing onto the dark soil. They needed every drop, but anything they did get should not be taken for granted. Captain Carter capped the canteen and moved back to his side.
“That wasn’t as hard as it could have been,” she said. “And it’s not much, but better than nothing, right?”
He tipped his head slightly and handed her the MP-5 and they began moving away from the lake. Oddly, their action caused the leader to cry out again. They froze and spun around in unison. The leader had bounded toward them. It was now within arm’s length, and it loomed. It took a great deal to intimidate him. Teal’c was intimidated. The creature tilted its head back and opened its jaws. In anticipation of an attack, Teal’c took a step back and aimed his staff.
The creature made a series of clucking noises and leaned its head back down, nudging closer to Captain Carter. Teal’c growled a warning. It looked at him briefly, as if bored, before tapping its beak against the canteen. Squawking once more, it then tipped its head back and resumed the clucking noises.
“Okay, what is this all about?”
He could not answer the question. He relaxed from his defensive posture somewhat, but not entirely. He and Captain Carter were still playing checkers, it would seem. Teal’c watched the creature pantomime the same thing again, and began to have an idea of understanding.
“I believe it is signaling to drink,” he said.
“But this is for Dan –” Captain Carter grunted as the creature butted against the canteen with more force. “I guess not.”
She twisted the cap off and took an obligatory drink. After six swallows, she stopped and looked at the creature. It, in turn, looked at Teal’c. Captain Carter handed him the canteen with a slight shrug and expression of relief on her face. Teal’c could smell how good the water was going to taste before he lifted the canteen to his lips. Once the liquid touched his tongue, he could not seem to control himself. He drained the canteen dry, belatedly realizing he should have left some water for his companions. He did not know if the creatures intended on refilling it. Staring guiltily at the canteen, he could not bring himself to look at Captain Carter.
“I think it’s going to be okay, Teal’c,” she said, taking the canteen from him. “So far, they’ve surprised us. If they were a threat on any level, we would have known that long ago. We just needed to understand each other, and I think we do now. Don’t we?”
The creature trilled, this sound different from the rough notes it had used previously. He looked up. Captain Carter proffered the canteen. The creature took it and returned to the lake.
“See? Just fine.”
Things were indeed beginning to ‘look up’. He continued to believe that the creatures were grand chess champions while he and Captain Carter were novices. The creature filled the canteen, glancing over to them and then lifting off into flight.
“Hey,” Captain Carter said. “Hey!”
Physically, he benefited from the sparse water in which he had partaken. Emotionally, he was exhausted by the continued fluctuation pertaining to these alien beings. He did not care for creatures he could not understand, whose intentions and actions could not be predicted well in advance. This was not a new realization; it was yet more evidence of SG-1’s relative impotence. The knowledge they did gain, however, was such that their actions were being gauged very closely.
“Perhaps it is taking the water to O’Neill and Daniel Jackson directly, Captain Carter.”
“Well, it will get there a heck of a lot faster than we could. Let’s get going. There’s no reason for us to hang around here.”
She was correct. There was not. Teal’c did wish they had been supplied with more water, and hoped it was enough to sustain them until the dial home device could be completely unearthed and repaired. Above all, he hoped the leader truly was on a delivery mission, and that O’Neill’s earlier frustration did not correlate to hostile action from the creatures toward him and Daniel. Beyond thievery, that was. He stared back toward the lake, again cursing his inability to determine the actions of their adversaries.
“At least it’ll be easier going than coming,” Captain Carter said. He looked away from the lake and to his companion. She was not truly interested in the ease of their journey. Her face spoke of distraction and worry for O’Neill and Daniel. “That’s something, I suppose.”
“Yes, it is,” Teal’c agreed.
They quickened their pace.
~~*~~
Jack was pretty sure Daniel was okay, but when his friend slipped into sleep, he felt a stab of fear in his gut. With their current streak of luck, it wouldn’t surprise him in the least for this to be a resurgence of the strange fever. This bout of Daniel’s unconsciousness, however, he would not mess up. They had firewood. They had water. They probably had hours to go before dawn, which was a mixed blessing. The cooler nighttime air was preferable to the hotness of the dual suns, but if those nasty critters came back for another attack it was more difficult to see in the dark.
Daniel seemed to believe they weren’t much of a threat. That was probably because he hadn’t been awake to see them steal a majority of their stuff, all while one of them stood menacingly over him. Jack was certain Daniel’s tune would be just a little different if he’d been awake for … no, no, that wasn’t true. Daniel had one of those things on top of him, for crying out loud, and still managed to stick up for them. Typical. Infuriating. Goddamned admirable.
His stomach growled, reminding him that man could not live on water alone. It was risk enough for them to drink untreated water; Jack didn’t want to chance ingesting anything else from this planet. He glanced up to the moon. It was still mid-sky. Apparently the only fast thing about night was the moonrise. He switched his attention to the DHD, then back up to the moon, and finally at Daniel. He should take advantage of the cool night air, moonlight and lack of company. The DHD dig site wasn’t far from the camp, so he could multi-task. Now was the perfect time to dig.
“No rest for the weary,” he muttered as he rose.
Standing brought a variety of aches and pains to the forefront. The afternoon of digging and evening of lugging Daniel around shouldn’t have produced that level of soreness. Dehydration played a big part in that. All the more reason to speed up getting off this rock, preferably before they ran out of water again. Jack looked at the canteen. God, he wanted more than the few swallows he’d taken. He leaned down and picked up his handgun, shoving it into the waistband of his BDUs. He seriously doubted it would do much good if it came to that.
“Dig first, worry about huge-ass flying bird things … at the same time.”
The talking to himself thing had to stop before it turned into a full-blown habit. He eyed the tree line. Whatever had happened with Carter and Teal’c, they had to be okay. Too bad he couldn’t, y’know, use his radio to check in with them. Jack suspected the critters had some master plan, one they were executing pretty damn well. For the life of him, though, he couldn’t figure out what it might be. Carter and Teal’c would fill him in if they returned. When they returned. Daniel made a small sleep-sound. Jack was glad to hear it. He bent down to check for a reappearance of the fever anyway.
Daniel was a little warm, but it seemed to be all surface, from the fire. Jack added another couple branches to the blaze. He nearly checked Daniel again, but pulled out of the compulsion. Overkill, Jack, he thought, overkill. He walked over to the DHD. By some stroke of luck or design, the creatures hadn’t taken the small hand shovel. It was going to take a lot of effort to dig out the base of the DHD with the trowel. He wondered how self contained it was, and if moisture would cause problems. More problems than the DHD already had. It would be so much easier to scoop sand loosened by water than this compacted stuff. When Carter got back, he’d ask. For now, he had to suck it up and hack at the solid earth.
He took it slow, both so he didn’t overtax himself any further and to keep careful watch on Daniel. He made several breaks to stir up the fire and check Daniel. Yeah, yeah, overkill. He even prodded Daniel a couple of times just to get a reaction, but never enough to rouse him completely. The hole was going slowly. Slow progress was better than no progress at all. He figured he should leave some for Teal’c to do. Wouldn’t want the big guy to feel left out. With the thought of Teal’c, Jack realized he had been checking the tree line for signs of his errant two team members just as often as he’d taken breaks for other things.
There were too many damned unknown variables about all this for his liking. The cause of Daniel’s illness and subsequent paralysis, the bird things and their intentions, where the hell Carter and Teal’c were and what had happened to them. He didn’t let himself ponder anything beyond this planet. Or tried not to. Bajiar’s freak-out replayed in his head. Daniel would quote some mumbo jumbo about different cultures, but Jack didn’t care about that. Something besides their little breach of protocol had been going on back there, he knew it. It was a niggle that niggled to the front of his thoughts, just where he didn’t want it to be. It all went back to Bajiar, somehow.
Jack shook his head, trying to pull himself out of his musings. None of that mattered anyway. He looked down to check his progress and was surprised to find he had cleared a good portion of the DHD base. Navel-gazing wasn’t such an unproductive use of his time after all. He tossed the trowel down and wiped sweat from his brow. Half of the control panel was visible. He thought he was done. His muscles were tired. He was tired, and thirsty. He clambered to his feet with a groan.
“Get a lot accomplished?” Daniel said as Jack neared the campsite.
“Hey, you’re awake.” Jack sank down, reaching for the canteen. “And I actually did.”
“That’s great.”
Daniel watched him take two small swallows with such intentness that Jack felt guilty. He held the canteen in offering. Daniel should drink a bit more anyway after being feverish during the hottest hours of the day, but he shook his head.
“Yeah,” Jack said.
He put the canteen down next to Daniel, in case he changed his mind, careful to bury it firmly into the sand. Without a cap, the water would probably evaporate quickly once the suns came out. He rotated his shoulders, muscles still weak.
“I might have overdone it.”
“You okay?”
Well, I’m not paralyzed, Jack thought. He winced. Talk about being insensitive. He flicked his gaze to Daniel’s immobile legs, then away again.
“Fine, just ready to get out of here,” Jack said.
“Know that feeling,” Daniel said, and coughed.
“Daniel, you should drink.”
“I’ll wait until daylight.”
That made sense, and he could accept that as valid reasoning even if he disagreed. Jack tracked the moon. It grazed the tops of the trees already. He’d been digging for a while. If the moon set as quickly as the suns had, daylight would be upon them soon enough. Carter and Teal’c should have been back a long time ago. He frowned and stared back at the tree line.
“No sign of Sam and Teal’c, huh?”
“Not yet, but they’ll get here. They said it wasn’t far. I’m betting that was Teal’c’s estimation and we all know how he is.”
“Close is subjective.”
“Something like that.”
He was a terrible actor. He could see Daniel’s understanding of his concern plainly. Jack wished for their string of semi-decent luck to continue, and for Carter and Teal’c to come through the brush. Both of them in one piece.
“They can take care of themselves, Jack.”
“Yeah, well, usually you can too and look at your situation.”
As soon as he said it, Jack was mortified, and equally for admitting to Daniel that he was capable and for the sheer inappropriateness of the remark. Daniel gawped at him for a moment, then started chuckling. And that was as inappropriate as his words, yet also just as fitting.
“Good point,” Daniel said. He stopped laughing, and Jack was glad. It had been without humor, really. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about my situation.”
Quite a feat, considering most of Daniel’s time had been spent either unconscious or in a state of very confused consciousness. How unsurprising that he himself had glossed over the details of Daniel’s circumstances in his own thoughts. Jack could not lose a team member so soon after getting used to him and his pain in the ass ways. It wasn’t an option. He stared at Daniel’s legs, nodding.
“Yeah, that situation,” Daniel said lightly.
Jack looked up, embarrassed to find Daniel looking at him with a pained smile on his face. He nodded unhappily.
“It’s not permanent,” Jack said.
“We don’t know that.”
“Damnit, I’m trying to stay positive here.”
“Do you want to hear what I’ve been thinking about or not?”
Not. Not really. Not if Daniel thought the paralysis could be permanent. Sometimes Jack wished a person could stick his fingers in his ears and chant la-la-la-la until everything went back to normal. It really should be some universal law – an easy button to use during unpleasant times. He smiled at Daniel. His face felt like it could crack.
“Love to. Lay it on me.”
“I was thinking about the Wiutehian ghetto.”
That was it. That’s what tied everything here back to Bajiar. What a miserable connection. Jack turned his disingenuous smile upside down. The ghetto memory was bad enough without any insight from Daniel, because like it or not, Daniel’s insights were usually correct. Jack didn’t know if he was ready to hear bad news. The earnest, serious, confused expression now on Daniels face made him certain it was bad news.
“You were, huh,” Jack said. “Not a fun thing to think about.”
“No, it’s not.” Daniel chewed on his lip. He propped himself up on one elbow, twisting his torso so that the top half of his body was on the side. His legs stayed pretty much…useless. “Did it strike you that the ghetto was a near mirror opposite of the picture of perfection they presented to us?”
“Well, yea-ah.” That was stating the obvious. “What’s your point?”
“That man, he was desperate for us to leave his son alone. He was scared and angry beyond reason, given our actions were not aggressive. And Bajiar … I don’t know, I have a feeling he knew somehow that I had been touched.”
Aha, so he wasn’t the only one who’d picked up on that. Of course, it hadn’t been subtle. Even Daniel had to have been aware of the once over and distain Bajiar had treated him to. It was actually somewhat of an improvement for Daniel; usually when virtual daggers or mental undressing were happening to Daniel, the guy was totally oblivious. There was hope for him yet.
“So he knew. What does that tell us, exactly, besides the fact it was probably the straw that broke Bajiar’s back and got us a one way ticket here?”
“It’s more about the man from the ghetto. He was on crutches.”
“Daniel, if you’re going to make a point, I’d prefer you do it sooner rather than later and in a less annoying way.”
Jack already knew and even though he knew he already knew, he didn’t really want to know where Daniel was going with this. He really didn’t. At the same time, he wanted to get it out of the way, out in the open.
“Putting together the physical ailment, the conditions of the ghetto, the man’s distress,” Daniel said. He paused to clear his throat.
Jack picked up the canteen and gave it to him, frowning when it was ignored yet again.
“What if the entire Wiutehian society is parasitical in nature?”
“Like the Goa’uld?”
“Yes.” Daniel fiddled with the canteen. He didn’t lean up, apparently not going to drink.
Jack clenched his jaw.
“No, actually. No, not really.”
Jack was confused. Something about what Daniel said was off, backwards. Maybe he just wasn’t smart enough to connect the dots when they were so far apart and in Daniel’s head. The day he found someone who could connect Daniel’s dots was the day he, uh, found yet another person way smarter than he was.
“How not –”
That was when Carter and Teal’c stumbled out of the underbrush and onto the beach. They raised a ruckus, and Jack should have heard them coming half a mile away. Both of them were ragged and rumpled and a sight for worried eyes.
to chapter six
Author:
superbadgirlCategory: H/C with a Daniel slant, Team
Season/Spoiler: Very early S2
Rating: R
Word Count: 4,925 this chapter, 44,900 total
Summary: Sam and Teal'c play chess, Daniel and Jack commisserate. Kind of.
Before this latest development, his and Captain Carter’s situation had been unfortunate. Teal’c now understood, however, just how precarious it was. He could tell Captain Carter comprehended this as well.
“Whoa, are those what I think they are?”
“If you believe the water serves as a nesting area for these creatures, then you would be correct,” Teal’c said.
“Holy Hannah.”
Motive of the enemy was not always of much help in strategizing against them, especially when motive was deeply rooted in emotion. The protection of loved ones, of children or of the yet born, was the strongest instinct Teal’c had ever encountered. SG-1’s quest for water, no matter how benign in relation to the creatures, would be considered an unfriendly act. Without a means to communicate their intent, he and Captain Carter were trapped.
“No wonder they don’t want us anywhere near it. The shoreline is covered with eggshells. This must be where the eggs are incubated. It certainly eliminates the need for some of them to be stuck in one place for long periods of time. They can rotate shifts or whatever and…”
His companion rambled, and he found himself annoyed.
“Captain Carter, perhaps now is not the time to theorize on such matters.”
“Right,” she said with a strange smile.
Teal’c doubted she knew she had made the expression.
Captain Carter glanced from the egg-laden water to the SGC equipment. “I know you’re right, but there has to be something we can do.”
He thought perhaps they could indeed accomplish something, but that the something would ultimately be their own demise. There was no means of conquering or even outwitting an enemy such as this, namely one of which they had no knowledge and that had the ‘home field advantage.’ He and Captain Carter could vie for water; they would likely not get it here.
“I do not believe that is an accurate statement under these conditions.”
She appeared crestfallen by his edict, and for that he was regretful. He did not believe in speaking anything other than the truth as he understood it. Giving hope where there was none was a method Apophis employed, and he strove to never mimic that.
“So, what? We go back and tell the colonel we failed? We can’t do that. Daniel can’t go without water for much longer, and neither can the rest of us. It’s too hot here during the day.”
He agreed that was not an acceptable option. He was simply at a loss to provide another one. Captain Carter’s communication attempt had failed, and so far it appeared as though the creatures had much more ease in deciphering body language than they did. Teal’c wondered if it were possible for them to understand English, then reconsidered. If that were the case, they surely would not take issue with SG-1’s need for water. He realized the irony of both motives in this situation being similar in nature. They wished to protect their young. SG-1 wished to protect their friend.
“I do not know, Captain Carter,” Teal’c said. He did not enjoy admitting that. In fact, he had not enjoyed one minute of their time on this planet. “It is possible there is another water source in close proximity.”
“Tell me you sense that somehow.”
“I cannot.”
“I didn’t think so.” Captain Carter bit her lower lip once. She lifted her gaze from the guarded SGC field gear to the water, then to the creatures. “I’m going to try to make them understand again. I wish Daniel were here.”
Daniel Jackson’s expertise would indeed be of great use, but if he were here to provide it, then they likely would not have such need. It was yet another irony Teal’c found to be choking at the back of his throat. Every action, witting or unwittingly, taken since their arrival on this planet had been countered. He and Captain Carter had been playing the Tau’ri game of checkers while the creatures played chess. So late in the virtual game, he wondered if it even possible for them to attain any strategic footing.
“You will do fine, Captain Carter.”
She shook her head, but again relinquished her weapon. Teal’c took it. He preferred the sleek beauty of his staff to Tau’ri automatic weaponry, but he did understand that his was not an offensive weapon so much as one of intimidation. In the event this did not go well, he would need to provide heavy fire if he hoped to assist Captain Carter back to cover. He continued to believe the creatures were not interested in violence. As long as Captain Carter maintained the proper distance they would not become a threat.
“I realize you don’t understand a word I’m saying,” Captain Carter said, her hands outstretched.
Teal’c stayed just at the edge of the clearing, assuming his protective role with practiced ease.
“We don’t mean any harm. Our friend, he’s sick. All we need is a little water, just to tide us over until we can get out of here.”
Captain Carter moved closer to the water, stopping just before the broken eggshells became thick upon the ground. Teal’c knew she would not attempt to move beyond that point; they now better understood the game being played. He began to believe they might yet prevail. The creatures did not respond. Normally, this would be a negative in a negotiation setting. In this instance, non-reaction was indeed a good thing. Teal’c observed the creatures watching not only Captain Carter but him as well.
He reconsidered his belief that they had calculatedly targeted O’Neill and Daniel Jackson as weak links, for if they had truly gauged SG-1 they would already understand no ill will was intended. No, he decided, they had simply engaged in defensive maneuvers. Teal’c could find no fault in those actions. If anything, he now had even more hope resolution could be achieved.
“I don’t think they’re getting it, Teal’c.” Captain Carter took a small step backward, shoulders slumping minutely.
“Perhaps communication will not be accomplished through speech.”
“Oh,” she said, turning to look back at him with a quick smile. “I hadn’t thought of that. I should have, though. I know I’ve picked up on some of their physical cues, so they might be able to do the same.”
Teal’c bowed his head briefly. It would have occurred to her in time, but time was something of which they had a limited amount. Daniel would have thought of it almost immediately, as he had done so in the past. Teal’c felt a stab of guilt for making even the smallest of comparisons between his teammates. Captain Carter crouched down.
“I think perhaps written communication is also not a viable option with this particular species,” Teal’c said.
She stood again, looking at him with an odd, consternated expression. Teal’c merely bowed his head again. Not only was Captain Carter under a great deal of stress, the lack of hydration could already be affecting her. To be honest, he also found attempting to communicate with an avian species, one that had no verbal language a human could truly understand, to be disconcerting.
“Okay, so Charades it is,” Captain Carter muttered.
She restated their message, this time emphasizing it with dramatic mimicry. If the creatures understood the intent behind Captain Carter’s gesticulations, they did not demonstrate such. Teal’c now knew better than to assume a lack of response indicated a lack of understanding. Though Captain Carter’s back was to him, he could sense how much of her own need for water fed her entreaty. The desperation translated well. He hoped that, if nothing else, would influence the creatures.
“I don’t think it’s working.” Captain Carter looked back toward him, frustration lining her face. “They’re not registering at all.”
“Of that we should not be certain,” Teal’c said. “We have already underestimated them once.”
“You can say that again.”
“We have already underestimated them once.”
Captain Carter chuckled and shook her head, which was precisely the reaction he had intended. During his short time of his service to the SGC, Teal’c had learned it was indeed possible to be too serious. There was every reason on the planet to be serious. This situation was not a laughing matter. However, a mere moment of levity relaxed some of the tension from his companion’s shoulders and she appeared revitalized to continue her attempts.
As it turned out, the continuation was interrupted. The creature closest to Captain Carter suddenly hopped forward several times. It seemed the only one to pay attention to her communication attempts. Teal’c studied the creature, and determined it must be the leader among them. He noticed for the first time that the bony ridge on its forehead was in a slightly different variation than most of the other creatures. He speculated it might signify some sort of cultural or tribal importance. Daniel would be very interested. It took off flying and, judging from its direction, he believed it was headed for the Stargate’s location. Toward O’Neill and Daniel. Captain Carter looked back to him with a frown.
“Okay, I guess that didn’t go so well.”
“No,” Teal’c said.
He was displeased at their continued standoff. The choice now was whether to remain and wait for the leader to return or make haste to their defenseless friends. None of the other creatures moved, staying at their vigilant guard.
“Let’s head back to the others,” Captain Carter said.
She was exhausted and dehydrated; she would not be able to make the journey quickly, and Teal’c knew her mind was on helping O’Neill and Daniel. He knew what they should do. It was contrary to his liking.
“That would be an ineffective course of action.”
“What, so we’re supposed to just sit here?”
“It displeases me as well, Captain Carter, but it is impossible for us to reach O’Neill and Daniel Jackson in the time necessary to lend aid. We also do not know the creature’s intentions are malicious.”
“So we wait.”
“We wait.”
They did not have to wait long. Within minutes, the leader returned and took up its previous position. It began pushing at the stolen SGC equipment with its beak, separating out Teal’c’s canteen and flipping it toward them with a loud cry. He stood at the ready while Captain Carter dropped her guard slightly as she leaned down to pick it up.
“I guess they understood after all.”
“It would appear so,” Teal’c said. He was pleased, but could not let his guard down just yet. “What seems a victory may yet have minute threads of cloth attached to it, and could unravel.”
“Right, I’ll watch for any strings attached,” Captain Carter said with a smile. She removed the cap and began walking toward the water. Almost immediately, the creatures began to shriek. She stopped moving. “Okay, that was a string.”
For a moment, Teal’c did not know how to interpret the creature’s intentions. There was clear intent, some message he and Captain Carter must ascertain. He also noticed that it looked from the canteen to the water several times, with a mere flick of its yellow eyes. In turn, he transferred his gaze from the creature to Captain Carter. More specifically, he looked at her left hand and the small cap she held in it.
“Captain Carter, it would seem they wish you to throw the canteen to them.”
“Oh,” she said, and blinked twice. “Opposable thumb issue.”
“Indeed.”
This development did follow their pattern of protectiveness. Teal’c still could not fault them for it. If anything, esteem grew for them that they were willing to aid in SG-1’s cause … and then he realized it would be just as much to the creatures’ benefit to have him and Captain Carter away from the small lake.
“Well, here goes nothing.”
Captain Carter flung the opened canteen back toward the creatures. The leader caught it by the strap, and then hopped over, dipping the vessel into the water. With a near seamless motion, it threw the canteen back. It fell short of Captain Carter, some of the contents sloshing onto the dark soil. They needed every drop, but anything they did get should not be taken for granted. Captain Carter capped the canteen and moved back to his side.
“That wasn’t as hard as it could have been,” she said. “And it’s not much, but better than nothing, right?”
He tipped his head slightly and handed her the MP-5 and they began moving away from the lake. Oddly, their action caused the leader to cry out again. They froze and spun around in unison. The leader had bounded toward them. It was now within arm’s length, and it loomed. It took a great deal to intimidate him. Teal’c was intimidated. The creature tilted its head back and opened its jaws. In anticipation of an attack, Teal’c took a step back and aimed his staff.
The creature made a series of clucking noises and leaned its head back down, nudging closer to Captain Carter. Teal’c growled a warning. It looked at him briefly, as if bored, before tapping its beak against the canteen. Squawking once more, it then tipped its head back and resumed the clucking noises.
“Okay, what is this all about?”
He could not answer the question. He relaxed from his defensive posture somewhat, but not entirely. He and Captain Carter were still playing checkers, it would seem. Teal’c watched the creature pantomime the same thing again, and began to have an idea of understanding.
“I believe it is signaling to drink,” he said.
“But this is for Dan –” Captain Carter grunted as the creature butted against the canteen with more force. “I guess not.”
She twisted the cap off and took an obligatory drink. After six swallows, she stopped and looked at the creature. It, in turn, looked at Teal’c. Captain Carter handed him the canteen with a slight shrug and expression of relief on her face. Teal’c could smell how good the water was going to taste before he lifted the canteen to his lips. Once the liquid touched his tongue, he could not seem to control himself. He drained the canteen dry, belatedly realizing he should have left some water for his companions. He did not know if the creatures intended on refilling it. Staring guiltily at the canteen, he could not bring himself to look at Captain Carter.
“I think it’s going to be okay, Teal’c,” she said, taking the canteen from him. “So far, they’ve surprised us. If they were a threat on any level, we would have known that long ago. We just needed to understand each other, and I think we do now. Don’t we?”
The creature trilled, this sound different from the rough notes it had used previously. He looked up. Captain Carter proffered the canteen. The creature took it and returned to the lake.
“See? Just fine.”
Things were indeed beginning to ‘look up’. He continued to believe that the creatures were grand chess champions while he and Captain Carter were novices. The creature filled the canteen, glancing over to them and then lifting off into flight.
“Hey,” Captain Carter said. “Hey!”
Physically, he benefited from the sparse water in which he had partaken. Emotionally, he was exhausted by the continued fluctuation pertaining to these alien beings. He did not care for creatures he could not understand, whose intentions and actions could not be predicted well in advance. This was not a new realization; it was yet more evidence of SG-1’s relative impotence. The knowledge they did gain, however, was such that their actions were being gauged very closely.
“Perhaps it is taking the water to O’Neill and Daniel Jackson directly, Captain Carter.”
“Well, it will get there a heck of a lot faster than we could. Let’s get going. There’s no reason for us to hang around here.”
She was correct. There was not. Teal’c did wish they had been supplied with more water, and hoped it was enough to sustain them until the dial home device could be completely unearthed and repaired. Above all, he hoped the leader truly was on a delivery mission, and that O’Neill’s earlier frustration did not correlate to hostile action from the creatures toward him and Daniel. Beyond thievery, that was. He stared back toward the lake, again cursing his inability to determine the actions of their adversaries.
“At least it’ll be easier going than coming,” Captain Carter said. He looked away from the lake and to his companion. She was not truly interested in the ease of their journey. Her face spoke of distraction and worry for O’Neill and Daniel. “That’s something, I suppose.”
“Yes, it is,” Teal’c agreed.
They quickened their pace.
~~*~~
Jack was pretty sure Daniel was okay, but when his friend slipped into sleep, he felt a stab of fear in his gut. With their current streak of luck, it wouldn’t surprise him in the least for this to be a resurgence of the strange fever. This bout of Daniel’s unconsciousness, however, he would not mess up. They had firewood. They had water. They probably had hours to go before dawn, which was a mixed blessing. The cooler nighttime air was preferable to the hotness of the dual suns, but if those nasty critters came back for another attack it was more difficult to see in the dark.
Daniel seemed to believe they weren’t much of a threat. That was probably because he hadn’t been awake to see them steal a majority of their stuff, all while one of them stood menacingly over him. Jack was certain Daniel’s tune would be just a little different if he’d been awake for … no, no, that wasn’t true. Daniel had one of those things on top of him, for crying out loud, and still managed to stick up for them. Typical. Infuriating. Goddamned admirable.
His stomach growled, reminding him that man could not live on water alone. It was risk enough for them to drink untreated water; Jack didn’t want to chance ingesting anything else from this planet. He glanced up to the moon. It was still mid-sky. Apparently the only fast thing about night was the moonrise. He switched his attention to the DHD, then back up to the moon, and finally at Daniel. He should take advantage of the cool night air, moonlight and lack of company. The DHD dig site wasn’t far from the camp, so he could multi-task. Now was the perfect time to dig.
“No rest for the weary,” he muttered as he rose.
Standing brought a variety of aches and pains to the forefront. The afternoon of digging and evening of lugging Daniel around shouldn’t have produced that level of soreness. Dehydration played a big part in that. All the more reason to speed up getting off this rock, preferably before they ran out of water again. Jack looked at the canteen. God, he wanted more than the few swallows he’d taken. He leaned down and picked up his handgun, shoving it into the waistband of his BDUs. He seriously doubted it would do much good if it came to that.
“Dig first, worry about huge-ass flying bird things … at the same time.”
The talking to himself thing had to stop before it turned into a full-blown habit. He eyed the tree line. Whatever had happened with Carter and Teal’c, they had to be okay. Too bad he couldn’t, y’know, use his radio to check in with them. Jack suspected the critters had some master plan, one they were executing pretty damn well. For the life of him, though, he couldn’t figure out what it might be. Carter and Teal’c would fill him in if they returned. When they returned. Daniel made a small sleep-sound. Jack was glad to hear it. He bent down to check for a reappearance of the fever anyway.
Daniel was a little warm, but it seemed to be all surface, from the fire. Jack added another couple branches to the blaze. He nearly checked Daniel again, but pulled out of the compulsion. Overkill, Jack, he thought, overkill. He walked over to the DHD. By some stroke of luck or design, the creatures hadn’t taken the small hand shovel. It was going to take a lot of effort to dig out the base of the DHD with the trowel. He wondered how self contained it was, and if moisture would cause problems. More problems than the DHD already had. It would be so much easier to scoop sand loosened by water than this compacted stuff. When Carter got back, he’d ask. For now, he had to suck it up and hack at the solid earth.
He took it slow, both so he didn’t overtax himself any further and to keep careful watch on Daniel. He made several breaks to stir up the fire and check Daniel. Yeah, yeah, overkill. He even prodded Daniel a couple of times just to get a reaction, but never enough to rouse him completely. The hole was going slowly. Slow progress was better than no progress at all. He figured he should leave some for Teal’c to do. Wouldn’t want the big guy to feel left out. With the thought of Teal’c, Jack realized he had been checking the tree line for signs of his errant two team members just as often as he’d taken breaks for other things.
There were too many damned unknown variables about all this for his liking. The cause of Daniel’s illness and subsequent paralysis, the bird things and their intentions, where the hell Carter and Teal’c were and what had happened to them. He didn’t let himself ponder anything beyond this planet. Or tried not to. Bajiar’s freak-out replayed in his head. Daniel would quote some mumbo jumbo about different cultures, but Jack didn’t care about that. Something besides their little breach of protocol had been going on back there, he knew it. It was a niggle that niggled to the front of his thoughts, just where he didn’t want it to be. It all went back to Bajiar, somehow.
Jack shook his head, trying to pull himself out of his musings. None of that mattered anyway. He looked down to check his progress and was surprised to find he had cleared a good portion of the DHD base. Navel-gazing wasn’t such an unproductive use of his time after all. He tossed the trowel down and wiped sweat from his brow. Half of the control panel was visible. He thought he was done. His muscles were tired. He was tired, and thirsty. He clambered to his feet with a groan.
“Get a lot accomplished?” Daniel said as Jack neared the campsite.
“Hey, you’re awake.” Jack sank down, reaching for the canteen. “And I actually did.”
“That’s great.”
Daniel watched him take two small swallows with such intentness that Jack felt guilty. He held the canteen in offering. Daniel should drink a bit more anyway after being feverish during the hottest hours of the day, but he shook his head.
“Yeah,” Jack said.
He put the canteen down next to Daniel, in case he changed his mind, careful to bury it firmly into the sand. Without a cap, the water would probably evaporate quickly once the suns came out. He rotated his shoulders, muscles still weak.
“I might have overdone it.”
“You okay?”
Well, I’m not paralyzed, Jack thought. He winced. Talk about being insensitive. He flicked his gaze to Daniel’s immobile legs, then away again.
“Fine, just ready to get out of here,” Jack said.
“Know that feeling,” Daniel said, and coughed.
“Daniel, you should drink.”
“I’ll wait until daylight.”
That made sense, and he could accept that as valid reasoning even if he disagreed. Jack tracked the moon. It grazed the tops of the trees already. He’d been digging for a while. If the moon set as quickly as the suns had, daylight would be upon them soon enough. Carter and Teal’c should have been back a long time ago. He frowned and stared back at the tree line.
“No sign of Sam and Teal’c, huh?”
“Not yet, but they’ll get here. They said it wasn’t far. I’m betting that was Teal’c’s estimation and we all know how he is.”
“Close is subjective.”
“Something like that.”
He was a terrible actor. He could see Daniel’s understanding of his concern plainly. Jack wished for their string of semi-decent luck to continue, and for Carter and Teal’c to come through the brush. Both of them in one piece.
“They can take care of themselves, Jack.”
“Yeah, well, usually you can too and look at your situation.”
As soon as he said it, Jack was mortified, and equally for admitting to Daniel that he was capable and for the sheer inappropriateness of the remark. Daniel gawped at him for a moment, then started chuckling. And that was as inappropriate as his words, yet also just as fitting.
“Good point,” Daniel said. He stopped laughing, and Jack was glad. It had been without humor, really. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about my situation.”
Quite a feat, considering most of Daniel’s time had been spent either unconscious or in a state of very confused consciousness. How unsurprising that he himself had glossed over the details of Daniel’s circumstances in his own thoughts. Jack could not lose a team member so soon after getting used to him and his pain in the ass ways. It wasn’t an option. He stared at Daniel’s legs, nodding.
“Yeah, that situation,” Daniel said lightly.
Jack looked up, embarrassed to find Daniel looking at him with a pained smile on his face. He nodded unhappily.
“It’s not permanent,” Jack said.
“We don’t know that.”
“Damnit, I’m trying to stay positive here.”
“Do you want to hear what I’ve been thinking about or not?”
Not. Not really. Not if Daniel thought the paralysis could be permanent. Sometimes Jack wished a person could stick his fingers in his ears and chant la-la-la-la until everything went back to normal. It really should be some universal law – an easy button to use during unpleasant times. He smiled at Daniel. His face felt like it could crack.
“Love to. Lay it on me.”
“I was thinking about the Wiutehian ghetto.”
That was it. That’s what tied everything here back to Bajiar. What a miserable connection. Jack turned his disingenuous smile upside down. The ghetto memory was bad enough without any insight from Daniel, because like it or not, Daniel’s insights were usually correct. Jack didn’t know if he was ready to hear bad news. The earnest, serious, confused expression now on Daniels face made him certain it was bad news.
“You were, huh,” Jack said. “Not a fun thing to think about.”
“No, it’s not.” Daniel chewed on his lip. He propped himself up on one elbow, twisting his torso so that the top half of his body was on the side. His legs stayed pretty much…useless. “Did it strike you that the ghetto was a near mirror opposite of the picture of perfection they presented to us?”
“Well, yea-ah.” That was stating the obvious. “What’s your point?”
“That man, he was desperate for us to leave his son alone. He was scared and angry beyond reason, given our actions were not aggressive. And Bajiar … I don’t know, I have a feeling he knew somehow that I had been touched.”
Aha, so he wasn’t the only one who’d picked up on that. Of course, it hadn’t been subtle. Even Daniel had to have been aware of the once over and distain Bajiar had treated him to. It was actually somewhat of an improvement for Daniel; usually when virtual daggers or mental undressing were happening to Daniel, the guy was totally oblivious. There was hope for him yet.
“So he knew. What does that tell us, exactly, besides the fact it was probably the straw that broke Bajiar’s back and got us a one way ticket here?”
“It’s more about the man from the ghetto. He was on crutches.”
“Daniel, if you’re going to make a point, I’d prefer you do it sooner rather than later and in a less annoying way.”
Jack already knew and even though he knew he already knew, he didn’t really want to know where Daniel was going with this. He really didn’t. At the same time, he wanted to get it out of the way, out in the open.
“Putting together the physical ailment, the conditions of the ghetto, the man’s distress,” Daniel said. He paused to clear his throat.
Jack picked up the canteen and gave it to him, frowning when it was ignored yet again.
“What if the entire Wiutehian society is parasitical in nature?”
“Like the Goa’uld?”
“Yes.” Daniel fiddled with the canteen. He didn’t lean up, apparently not going to drink.
Jack clenched his jaw.
“No, actually. No, not really.”
Jack was confused. Something about what Daniel said was off, backwards. Maybe he just wasn’t smart enough to connect the dots when they were so far apart and in Daniel’s head. The day he found someone who could connect Daniel’s dots was the day he, uh, found yet another person way smarter than he was.
“How not –”
That was when Carter and Teal’c stumbled out of the underbrush and onto the beach. They raised a ruckus, and Jack should have heard them coming half a mile away. Both of them were ragged and rumpled and a sight for worried eyes.
to chapter six
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