Part 6 (2/2)
”O'Neill,” he said, by way of answer, ”there are people on this planet. I have seen them.”
”What?” Coffee forgotten, O'Neill reached for his weapon. ”Where?”
”Hunters,” Teal'c said. ”Two men armed with bows and arrows. They headed that way.” He pointed past their tent, up into the trees.
”Bows and arrows?” He understood O'Neill's disappointment; this was not a technologically advanced people and it was unlikely they would be able to a.s.sist them in opening the Stargate.
”Told you I saw someone.” Daniel Jackson's disembodied voice sounded rather pleased.
O'Neill just frowned, thinking. ”Did they see you?”
”They did not.”
He nodded. ”How much gear were they carrying?”
”Nothing but their weapons. I do not believe they were hunting far from home.”
”You can track them?”
”Yes.”
”There must be a village or something around here,” O'Neill guessed, glancing about as if he might be able to see it from where he stood. ”Maybe they know what happened to the DHD?”
”That is possible,” Teal'c conceded. ”But it is most likely that the DHD was destroyed, or buried, in the nuclear attack on the Stargate.”
”It's also possible they have it in their town square and dance around it singing songs at Christmas.” O'Neill finished his coffee in one long swallow. ”Let's not make any a.s.sumptions here.”
A shuffling movement from the tent revealed Daniel Jackson, milk-faced as he edged his way out. ”Ah, actually,” he said, ”I think we can rule out the Christmas scenario.”
”Bad example,” O'Neill said. ”The point is, these people - whoever they are - know one-hundred percent more about this planet than we do. So, pack-up your stuff. We're gonna go say h.e.l.lo.”
”Sir?” Major Carter looked uneasy. ”Is that a good idea?”
”You got a better one?”
She shrugged, shook her head. ”Sir, SERE protocol recommends holing up until -”
”Major, are you trying to lecture me on survival and evasion protocols?”
”No sir, it's just -”
”Good,” he said. ”Now get ready to move out.”
Teal'c could see the concern playing across her face. Major Carter had a great deal to learn about maintaining a soldier's impa.s.sive facade.
”I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think it's a good idea,” she said, proving that she also had much to learn about the wisdom of remaining silent. ”We don't know how far away these people live, or whether or not they'll be hostile. And if we move out of radio range we won't know if the SGC have come looking for us.”
O'Neill's face, on the other hand, remained inscrutable. Only the sharp edge to his voice betrayed impatience. ”Carter...”
”Sir, the SGC could dial the gate at any moment. We have to give them time.”
”We don't have time!” It was unusual, although not unprecedented, for O'Neill to momentarily lose control. But it was never a good sign. He scowled, jamming his cap onto his head and tugging it low over his eyes as if hiding in its shadow. Angry silence filled the s.p.a.ce between him and Major Carter, and Teal'c felt his concern about O'Neill's behavior ratchet up another notch. It felt amiss in a way he could not adequately define.
”What about Daniel, sir?” Major Carter said at last, coldly professional. ”One of us could stay here with him, to keep an eye on the Stargate, and -”
O'Neill shook his head. ”We don't split up. Besides, I need Daniel to talk to these people.”
From the mouth of the tent, Daniel said, ”Actually, I'm feeling better, Sam. The rest did me good, I think.”
”See? It'll be fine.”
Major Carter was shaking her head, but it was clear she knew the point had been lost. ”For the record, sir, I think leaving the vicinity of the Stargate is a mistake.”
O'Neill glowered, but said only, ”Duly noted, Major.” Then he gestured at the equipment - most of it Major Carter's - outside the tent. ”Get your c.r.a.p together, Carter. And that's an order.”
”Yes sir.” She clamped her mouth shut and Teal'c could see her jaw muscles twitch from the effort of saying no more.
s.n.a.t.c.hing up his empty coffee mug again, O'Neill shook out the dregs as he stalked back to the tent.
”We should at least leave a marker, sir,” Major Carter said as he walked past her. ”Like I did at the gate.”
”Knock yourself out,” O'Neill said. ”Just be ready to go in ten.”
She watched him disappear into the tent and then shook her head as her eyes met Teal'c's. ”This is a bad idea.”
Teal'c wasn't sure that their current predicament allowed for any good ones.
It wasn't that Daniel had been exaggerating when he said he felt better, it was just that 'better' was a relative term and he'd been starting from a very low point.
Walking was possible, so long as he didn't jostle the wound in his side. The pain was always there, and he could bear its base level, but if he twisted sideways or bent over or - His foot jarred on a stone and, G.o.d, just like that, agony flared. He gritted his teeth, sucked in a breath.
”Daniel?” Sam touched his arm.
He gestured that he was fine, rode the wave of pain until it started to recede, and then forced himself to start walking again. An hour into their trek through the woods and he knew he was slowing the pace. Not that anyone was complaining. Not that anyone was saying much of anything.
Teal'c had taken point, following the trail left by the two hunters. Well, trail was a loose term, but to Teal'c's skilled eye it was, apparently, very clear. Jack was stalking along at Teal'c's shoulder, silent and bristling with whatever was bugging him. He and Teal'c were so alike it was comic. For all Jack's offbeat humor, he was as guarded as any Jaffa when it came to something important.
”Hey,” Sam said. ”Doing okay?”
”I could ask you the same thing...” Daniel said, diverting the subject from himself. He was bored of his own problems and Sam had been fuming wordlessly since her confrontation with Jack - an event which, in itself, was strange. He'd never seen them openly disagree like that, and never in the field.
”We're too far from the gate to get a radio signal now,” she said and gave a bemused kind of shrug. ”For what that's worth.”
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