Camp turned out to be another partial clearing about a mile and a half from the bone yard. The space was fairly open, but there were plenty of trees nearby should the need for cover arise. An offshoot of the river they'd seen throughout the day supplied them with fresh water and an abundance of dry branches to fuel their fire. Most importantly, at least as far as Jack was concerned, there were no skeletons to watch them through hollow, sunken eyes.

The colonel and Teal'c had conducted a brief perimeter sweep while Daniel and the two women pitched tents and cleared away brush for a fire pit. The group was just settling down to a late dinner when the planet's second sun dropped behind the mountains, the darkness encompassing everything except the small aura of light cast by their fire.

Janet tightened her jacket around her shoulders and scooted a little closer to the glowing flames. "It certainly got cold quick."

"The second sun must be the planet's primary source of radiant heat," Sam replied, hugging her warm MRE pouch close to her body. "At least we don't have to contend with the mountain winds."

Across the fire pit, Daniel was curled up around his camera, the light from its small screen reflecting off his glasses.

"Shouldn't you be saving that for tomorrow?" Jack asked, frowning at the concoction that claimed to be beef stew on the package. "I thought you were running low on power."

"No – I brought enough batteries to last a week," the archeologist muttered, focused on the stills and short bursts of video he'd taken at the bone yard. As grisly of a find as it was, he was fascinated by it. He noted a similarity between many of the victims he'd photographed. "These people were definitely executed."

"How you can tell?"

He passed the camera to Janet. "They all have staff weapon burns on their clothing. Plus the way they're all laying together. It looks like they were herded into the clearing and slaughtered."

Jack set aside the remainder of his stew and opened the package of crackers that came with the meal. "This sound like a Goa'uld posturing for dominance to you, T?"

The large man seemed to hesitate. "It does…"

"But…?" Jack prompted around a mouthful of cracker.

"I believe there may be more going on here than what we can currently perceive."

"How so?"

"There are not enough victims."

Sam nearly choked on her food. "Not enough victims? Teal'c, there must be a hundred skeletons back there!"

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think he's right." Daniel unconsciously ducked as if to avoid the dubious look she shot his way. "Think about it, Sam. Had this been a Goa'uld outpost, or a mining operation, or even just a place they used to raise hosts, we'd be looking at a lot more damage. When one Goa'uld attempts to overthrow another and meets resistance, they annihilate the place. Temples are ruined, cities are leveled, and thousands - not just a few hundred - die.

"And you saw the pictures from the UAV. Except for that one building, there were no signs civilization or development at all. Yes, a lot of time has passed since people where last here, but we'd still be able to see where they altered the land for irrigation and agriculture."

He paused, took a breath, and gathered his thoughts. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that whoever was here before didn't intend on staying for very long."

The group fell silent, each chewing over what the archeologist had said. Of course it made sense, but it still didn't answer the two big questions playing on their minds: What had happened and why.

Jack crumpled his cracker wrapper and stuffed it in his bag. It was time to change the subject before Daniel slipped into full lecture mode. If that happened, they'd all be in trouble. "So, what are the plans for tomorrow?"

"I want to visit that building we saw on the UVA photos. It might shed some light on the purpose of this place and the fate of the people," Daniel replied. "And if there's time, do some more filming of the bone yard."

"And I'd like to explore along the base of the mountain that's nearby. It'll be a good place to do a mineral analysis and we might even find an entrance to a cave or mine."

Jack gave an inward groan. Building inspections and rock surveys...just another fun day at Camp SG-1…all well. Even Hammond admitted this one was going to be a sleeper… "Okay, Daniel, you and Teal'c can check out your mystery building. Carter, Doc, and I will spend a fun filled day collecting rocks, stones, and pebbles. Sound good?"

Nods of approval came from everyone in the group. "Now that we have our itinerary in order, I can ask the million dollar question." He turned to address Janet, who still looked cold despite practically sitting in the fire. "Have you ever done a night watch before?"

A small smile appeared on the doctor's lips. She wanted to say yes, she'd done countless overnights while working in the infirmary, including several sleepless ones at his own bedside. She didn't though, deciding Daniel had antagonized him enough throughout the day. "No, sir. Not off world."

"Well this will be a good learning experience for you then. Team up with Carter and she'll show you the ropes. I don't foresee any big problems, but I want to set a normal watch rotation just in case the tree squeaks decide to come out and cause trouble."

"What's a normal rotation for SG-1?"

"We switch off every two hours," Sam explained. "The colonel takes first watch, you and I will go second, Teal'c third, and Daniel almost always gets the last one."

"Why?"

Sam glanced at the quiet alien sitting beside her and lowered her voice. "Teal'c tends to burn the morning coffee. It ruins the pot and…well, you know how cranky the guys can get without their coffee."

Janet's eyebrows rose. That she did.

Jack stood and stretched out his stiffening muscles. The cold air certainly wasn't helping his body forget the long day of rough travel. He zipped his jacket against the chill, and collected his P90 from under his pack. "I'm off to do what colonels do when they head off into the woods alone at night."

"Well, I don't see a fishing pole, so I assume you'll be napping this time around?" Daniel asked innocently.

"You know, I'm starting to think that third shift should have your name instead of Teal'c's. What do you say?"

Daniel held up his hands to signal surrender. He still had much to learn about trying to beat Jack O'Neill at his own game. "Have a nice shift, Jack."

Jack shot the younger man a wry grin and looked toward the perimeter trail he and Teal'c had made earlier.

"Be careful out there, sir."

"Always, Carter," he replied casually. "Careful is my middle name. Isn't it, doc?"

"Ah, well…" Caught off guard by the question, Janet stumbled over what to say. "I suppose…at times you've demonstrated…" She paused for a moment, wondering how to say 'yes and no' without blatantly slighting the man. "You have good and bad days, sir."

Sam snickered, Daniel suddenly became interested in his camera, and Teal'c canted an eyebrow.

Jack drummed his fingers against the butt of his gun in feigned annoyance. At least she's honest…

"Get some rest, all of you. It's been a long day and tomorrow will probably be even longer." Or at least it will seem that way to some of us... he thought dismally. "I'll see you ladies in a few hours."

He turned on his heel and left the group. About half down to the trail opening, Daniel's voice came floating up through the darkness.

"Happy Trails, Jack!"

The colonel shook his head and grinned.

Smart ass…


The night was cool, clear, and dark. Jack drew in a deep lungful of the chilled air, marveling at how clean it was without the effects of human industrialization to spoil it. All around him, unseen creatures called loudly, their combined sounds creating an eerie orchestra that was both strange and enchanting.

He walked steadily along the crude path, the beam of his flashlight bobbing several feet ahead of him. Once his muscles had warmed up and stretched out, he found himself enjoying the beautiful night. Breaks in the tree canopy offered him a glimpse of the starry sky above, making him long for the telescope he kept on his roof back home. For him, looking at the stars would never get old.

Jack tugged the zipper of his jacket down, releasing the excess heat that had built up underneath. The cool air felt good and helped sharpen his senses. Although he often complained about the cold, he actually preferred it. He supposed growing up in Minnesota had helped thicken his blood; especially with all of the hockey and skiing he'd done as a kid. He'd had a few bad encounters with the cold, the impromptu trip he and Sam had taken to the Antarctic a few years back being the worst. His near death experience aside, he would still chose to be chilly over miserably hot any day.

The trail took a sharp turn to the right. Jack played his flashlight over the ground ahead, the beam catching on something shiny in the grass. He stopped and pushed the foliage out of the way with his foot, revealing the skeletal remains of a long dead Jaffa. The body lay face down, the business end of what looked like a pickaxe buried between its shoulder blades.

What went down here? He thought, his gaze fixed on the tool protruding from the warrior's corroded armor. He recalled the conversation they'd had over dinner. It was Teal'c's remark about the lack of victims that bothered him the most. Then there was Daniel's theory that the planet hadn't been occupied for very long before the attack. Having seen several worlds devastated by the Goa'uld in the past, the colonel found himself agreeing with both men.

Jack sighed and continued to pick his way down the path. Trying to piece together the who's, what's, and why's of an ancient fight between pretentious parasites who masqueraded as gods gave him a headache. That was really Daniel's department anyway. Might as well let the boy earn his keep.

A rustling in the bushes up ahead made Jack freeze in his tracks. Although they hadn't found any evidence of people or large predators, it still didn't rule them out. He slowly advanced on the noise, his weapon and light trained in front of him. When the rustling abruptly stopped, Jack froze, watching, waiting, and listening. A series of shrill squeals and grunts rose up from the grass about ten feet away. He cast his light toward the vaguely familiar sounds and nearly burst out laughing at what he saw.

Huddled in the scrub were three of the largest guinea pigs he'd ever seen. Standing about as tall as a housecat, the creatures twitched and shook, their beady eyes gleaming in the bright light. Jack lowered his gun and relaxed a bit, feeling no threat from the cluster of longhaired rodents. Once the pigs realized the tall intruder wasn't going to harm them, they calmed and went back to grazing on the long grass.

Jack smiled. The furry pigs brought back fond memories of a mission he'd been part of in Colombia. The country was as beautiful as it was deadly, but back during his Special Forces days, living, sleeping, and breathing danger had been his thing. His team was on down time in a safe village when they came across a vendor peddling some sort of exotic meat on a stick called "cuy." It was determined after a broken conversation with the merchant that the meat was guinea pig, a local staple.

While most of the men on the team were sickened by the thought alone, it was Charlie Kawalsky that bet Jack fifty dollars to eat one. The fifty quickly rose to three hundred as the other men joined in; each confident the newest member of their team wouldn't do it. That was the first and last time the group ever doubted Captain Jack O'Neill. Four and a half guinea pigs later, the young officer was three hundred dollars richer and had won the acceptance of the other men.

Jack's smile slowly faded as his thoughts rapidly turned toward Kawalsky's untimely death. He could still hear himself shouting for Teal'c to hold the Goa'ulded man inside the active gate's event horizon and then calling for it to be shut down. The collapsing wormhole severed Kawalsky's head, instantaneously killing him and the snake that had taken him host. It was the act that convinced Hammond of Teal'c's loyalty to Earth. It was also the act that cost Jack one of his closest friends.

And it was my order that simultaneously saved and ended Kawalsky's life… The colonel released a shaky breath in a billowy puff of white vapor. Why do the darkest thoughts always come out when the sun goes down?

Thankfully, the largest of the three guinea pigs offered a distraction when it shuffled over and sniffed at the toe of his boot. Jack stood motionless and watched, admiring its black and brown coat. When it found nothing of interest, it squealed loudly and marched off into the bushes with its buddies close behind.

Discovering himself alone in the woods, Jack resumed his patrol. As he walked, he worked to corral the loose ghosts from his past and bury them deep within his subconscious. Off world at night wasn't the time or place for second-guessing or regretting decisions made long ago. Especially not when there was a group of people depending on him to keep them safe while they slept.

The thought of his team snapped the colonel back into the present. The past was history; he had to look out for those he cared about now. Readjusting his gun and straightening his hat, Jack stepped up his pace. He had a job to do.


Janet awoke to the most horrific screeching she'd ever heard in her life. Startled and confused, she struggled to get out of her sleeping bag and find her weapon. Her hand finally closed around the butt of her gun and she flew to the front of the tent. Throwing back the flap, she rushed out to find the others, half expecting to see them engaged in battle with some terrifying new foe.

Using the deafening metallic screeching as a guide, she hurried toward the back half of the clearing. She found the four members of SG-1 grouped together and looking up at the sky. The colonel had his binoculars out, and Daniel was shading his eyes against bright morning sun.

Sam spotted the frazzled doctor and waved her over. "Janet!" she called, shouting to be heard above the fray.

Janet joined the group, her racing heart slowly returning to normal. "What's going on?" She followed her friend's pointing finger to the treetops where dozens of large black birds were raising a ruckus.

"Hell of a wake up call, isn't it?" Jack asked, offering her his binoculars.

"You can say that again," she replied, taking the glasses and focusing in on the birds. They resembled ravens in shape and color except for tufts of brilliant yellow plumage atop their heads. And the noise! The grating sound was becoming so loud she could barely hear herself think. She passed the binoculars back and pressed her hands over her ears. "Ugh! What are they?"

"This planet's version of jays, I think!" Daniel hollered over the din. "They began showing up about an hour ago! They all seemed to erupt into song at once!"

Jack shot him a dubious look. "Song? Is that what this is?"

"It is most unpleasant," Teal'c agreed.

"Well if they're anything like the birds back home, they'll only carry on for a few hours before moving off to feed."

"Hours?" For Jack, this tidbit of information was like the proverbial straw. He stuffed the binoculars into his pocket and lifted his P90.

Sam's eyes grew wide. "Colonel! You're going to shoot at them?"

"Not at them." He flicked the safety off and fired a short burst of five rounds into the air. Startled by the strange noise, the flock of alien birds took to the sky in a deafening barrage of screeches and screams. The team ducked their heads and covered their ears against the deafening assault. Only when the birds were completely out of sight did they dare lower their hands, the awful cries slowly fading into the distance.

Daniel shook his head to clear his ringing ears. "Nice move, Jack."

"Hey, it beats the alternative," he snapped back, grimacing at the volume of his own voice. He softened his tone when he turned to Janet. "You all right, doc? You looked kinda edgy when you first came out."

"I'm fine, sir," she replied, her shoulders sagging a bit as the adrenaline from the scare started to leave her body. "Those birds just startled me. I thought we were under attack."

"I think we all did," Sam agreed. She and Daniel had been sitting around the fire enjoying the early morning calm when the racket began. Jack and Teal'c had come from the woods on a dead run, their weapons drawn and ready for a fight. Finding the source of the noise had been easy, the large birds swooping and diving playfully above their treetop roost. "It's not the best way to start the day."

With the excitement over, the group started back toward the campsite.

"Ouch!" A sharp pain on the bottom of her foot made Janet stop and look down at her feet. In her hast to get to her friends, she'd forgotten to put her boots on.

"That's why the colonel recommends wearing boots to bed – especially the first night off world," Sam said, speaking from experience.

"I'll keep that in mind," Janet replied, carefully choosing where to put her feet. When they arrived back at camp, she retreated to her tent to get properly dressed. Never before had she been so happy to pull on the stiff combat boots the SG teams wore off world. Slipping into her jacket, she left the tent and joined Sam at the supplies to help with breakfast.

"Feel better?" Sam asked, handing her a stack of MRE's to open.

"Much. I can't believe I did that," the doctor admitted candidly. "I heard that terrible noise and all I could think of was grabbing my weapon and going to help. Pretty stupid, huh?"

Sam activated one of the chemical heater bags and placed a pouch of reconstituted eggs inside. "Actually, no. It's how we're conditioned. And don't tell him I said anything, but the colonel was quite impressed to see you come running with your weapon drawn."

Janet felt her cheeks flush. "I did hang on to a few things they taught me in Basic Training."

The two women chatted amongst themselves while they waited for the rations to heat. It was the alluring smell of fresh coffee that led them back to the fire where the men were seated.

"I'll trade you," Daniel offered, eyeing one of the MRE pouches in Janet's possession as he held out a steaming tin cup.

"And I accept," she replied, taking the cup and inhaling the revitalizing aroma of the dark brew.

When the food and coffee were distributed, the team settled down to eat. Janet watched curiously as Jack pulled a small glass bottle from his pocket and tipped several drops of red liquid onto his eggs before passing it to Teal'c.

Jack looked up from stirring his meal when he sensed her gaze. "Hot sauce. It makes this stuff almost edible. You want some?"

Janet shook her head. "No thank you, sir. I'm not big on the spicy stuff."

The colonel shrugged. "Suit yourself."

They ate in silence for a while, enjoying the feel of fire against the early morning chill. The first sun had risen an hour before, but it was doing little to warm the air. The quiet buzz of insects and gentle chirping of birds provided a peaceful soundtrack to their beautiful surroundings.

"I assume everyone's watches went well?" Jack asked, breaking the silence at last.

"Ours went fine, sir," Sam said. "We saw a few different species of rodents and a small group of what looked like deer, but nothing that appeared threatening."

"My watch also went without incident," Teal'c replied. He'd finished his eggs and moved onto a stick of leathery jerky.

"The first half of mine went fine, and you guys saw what happened during the second half," Daniel said. "I did see another pile of Jaffa remains while walking the perimeter."

Jack looked dismally at the remainder of his eggs and tossed them into the bushes. "Yeah, I did too." He picked up his coffee and fished a blade of grass out with his finger before taking a drink. "And a couple of really big guinea pigs."

The conversation shifted to the day ahead. Janet sat back with her coffee and just watched, enjoying the opportunity to observe the team's intimate interactions. She knew all the SG teams were close; they had to be. Fighting for survival millions of light years from home against a tyrannical enemy tended to necessitate and forge bonds that were close. But SG-1 had always had something special. With its blend of distinct personalities and undeniable support toward one another, the group often functioned more as a family than a team. An atypical family when you considered one of the members was an alien, but a family nonetheless.

With the day's plans in place, the doctor finished her coffee and excused herself from the group. She visited the designated bush – which the colonel had personally chosen the night before - and then went back to her tent to check on her equipment. She dragged the heavy pack over to an open patch of ground and pulled the electronics case free from its strapping. Inside, the new portable vitals monitor nested in its bed of protective foam. It was smaller and lighter then the ones her rescue team currently used, and if the sales claims were true, it would be easier, faster, and more accurate too.

Janet flipped on the power switch and the machine chimed to life. The small black screen lit up with a variety of numbers and the buttons on the control panel began to glow. She took out the various attachments, plugged them in one at a time, and then all at once. Everything looked good so far – the potentially chip-scrambling trip through the gate obviously hadn't affected the electronics. It was when she keyed up the battery information that her hopes for the small machine began to sink.

"Aw, crap…" she uttered under her breath.

"Isn't that usually my line?"

Janet gasped and wheeled around to find Jack standing behind her. It never failed to amaze her how quiet the man could be.

"Colonel," she said, clambering to get to her feet. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't hear you…"

Never one for formalities, he motioned her back down and nodded at the machine she was holding. "Your computer down?"

"Oh, it's not really a computer. Well, I suppose it is a computer, but it's not a computer computer…"

"Ah-ah!" Jack waved his hands at her to stop. "You've been hanging around Carter too much again, haven't you?"

"Sorry, sir. It's one of the items I brought to field test. It's a state-of-the-art vital signs monitor. The salesman I spoke with assured me his technology was doing amazing things for the medical world."

"But it's not?"

"It seems to be working all right, but it seems the batteries are intolerant to the cold."

"Who isn't?"

The doctor smiled. "It was either the extreme cold of the wormhole or the prolonged chill last night that drained the battery life by over half. I have a few spares, but those will probably be low now too." She sighed, disappointment plain on her face. "I had a lot of hopes for this little machine."

"So have one of the geeks down in engineering make you an insulated case."

Janet's eyes widened at his suggestion. "Sir, that's brilliant!"

"Now I wouldn't go quite that far."

"No, sir, really. It is," she insisted. "It never even crossed my mind. It's a great idea. Thank you."

"Not a problem, doc. I aim to please," he said with a sly grin. "Speaking of which, the kids are starting to get restless. Think you'll be ready to move out in say, 20 minutes?"

"I can be."

"Good. That should give Carter enough time to finish calibrating the gizmo she won't let me touch. Not that I blame her after what I did to the last one…" He gave her a sheepish look, then sobered and cleared his throat. "So you'll be ready?"

"Yes, sir. I just need to repack my gear."

"Um, about that. You weren't planning on bringing everything with you today, were you?" he asked, waggling his finger at her fully loaded equipment bag.

"Are you volunteering to carry it for me, colonel?"

"Ah, that would be a no…"

Janet couldn't hold her face straight for long. "I'm just messing with you, sir. I intended to leave it here and give my shoulders a break before I have to lug it home tomorrow."

"Good idea. I was actually going to insist on it. It'll make things easier. We'll be covering a lot of ground, especially with Carter and her Naquadah sniffing gadget in the lead."

"Sounds like fun."

"Oh, it is, believe me," he said, his tone a mixture of boredom and dread. He turned to leave. "Anyway, we'll see you in a few."

"I'll be there."

Once alone, she took a moment to retrieve the two spare batteries from the equipment case and plug them into the monitor. Both read at half capacity, the cold having affected them too.

At least we didn't figure this out during a real emergency… She'd seen equipment fail in a crisis before, and while something like this wouldn't be catastrophic, it would surely add unnecessary stress to a dire situation. And the Goa'uld have certainly given us a few of those over the years…

She sighed and looked up at the alien sky. She was grateful this mission wasn't one of "those" times. The opportunity to try her hand at something new was refreshing, and she was happy to be among her friends.

Smiling, Janet began to collect her gear, eager to embark on a day of exploration and discovery.


The biting chill of dawn gradually faded as 952's second sun slowly rose into the sky. By mid-morning the air was quite comfortable and reminiscent of a fall day back home. As planned, the group had divided off into two teams and gone their separate ways, each with high hopes of discovery.

Jack stopped and fiddled with the straps of the heavy rucksack he was carrying. His shoulders were getting sore, the coarse straps lacking the extra padding of his usual bag. He was still unsure how he'd gone from colonel to pack mule, but he suspected the two women had planned it out the night before. He'd found the assignment to be agreeable at first, but that was before Sam's steadily growing rock collection had shifted and gored him in the kidneys.

Following SG-1's protocol, Teal'c had radioed in about a half hour ago for a progress report. He and Daniel were making their way toward the mystery building, stopping to catalog the skeletons they found along the way. They were finding a mixture of Jaffa and human remains, the body count rising steadily as they ventured deeper into the woods.

It'd been the opposite for Jack's group. They'd seen some piles of armor and bones poking up through the bushes, but they were few and far between. Apparently the fighting hadn't made it as far as the mountain basin they were in.

"A mushroom!" Janet exclaimed, disappearing behind what looked like a monstrous oak.

Jack craned his head back and gazed up at the gigantic tree. I'd hate the see the size of this thing's acorns… he thought, imaging the normally quarter-sized seed to be about as big as his head. He walked around the trunk to find the doctor placing her find into a small glass bottle.

"I've never see one like this before," she said, holding the indigo colored mushroom up for him to see.

"I have. It was either '67 or '68." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Good times."

Janet just shook her head and tucked the bottle into one of the rucksack's outer pockets.

"Colonel! I've got something over here." Sam's voice came through the trees.

"Oh boy, more rocks for me to carry," he muttered under his breath. They'd only been on the move for a few hours, but the two majors had already amassed over thirty pounds of survey material. He was beginning to wonder if they really needed it all, or if they were just seeing how much they could load on before the whining started.

He found her standing by a solid wall of rock, aiming her flashlight into an opening partially covered with scrub.

"Whatcha got, Carter?"

"I think it's the opening to a mine – a shallow one anyway. You can see the support beams bracing up the sides and ceiling."

Jack took out his own light and peered inside. "Yeah, you're right." He played his light off the back wall. "It doesn't go back very far. Guess they didn't find anything."

"Or they were interrupted. There are traces of Naquadah here. They just stopped digging for some reason." Sam stepped back and studied the nearly vertical stonewall the mine entrance was carved into. "I think this rock face is manmade too. It's too flat, too perfect."

The colonel pressed a calloused hand against cool stone surface, feeling the innate strength of the giant mountain that loomed overhead.

"There's been some weathering, but I'm pretty sure this was blasted."

"Colonel! Sam!"

Both turned to see Janet crashing through the bushes.

"What's wrong?" Sam demanded, her friend's haste concerning her.

"I think…I think I…" the doctor panted, out of breath from her sprint. "I think…I found…a Goa'uld."

"You what?" Jack hissed, his posture going rigid as he slipped into battle mode.

"The remains of a Goa'uld," she corrected. "Bones. Like the Jaffa."

"Where?"

"I'll show you." Janet led her teammates back the way she'd came, retracing her hurried path through the brush. Her trail ended where the mountain bulged out to form a rocky alcove of sorts, surrounding them on two sides with solid stone. "It's back here. I would have missed it completely if it wasn't for the clothing."

The moment she mentioned it, Jack spotted something dark red fluttering in the grass against the far wall of the cove. As he drew near, he saw it was some sort of fabric tangled amongst a cluster of old bones. He picked up a stick from the ground and used it to flip the material away from the skeleton's neck. Intertwined with the spine was the snake-like body of a Goa'uld symbiote.

Jack cringed. "God, I hate those things," he uttered, disgusted by them even when they'd been reduced to mere bones.

Sam knelt down for a closer look. Even caked in dirt and mold, she could tell the clothing was quite ornate. The faded red fabric was soft with fine hand stitching at the seams. Small jewels studded the robe at random intervals, and a silky gold belt encircled the waist. "I wonder who he was…"

"Check his wallet. Maybe he's got ID."

She gave her CO a bemused look.

"I saw a few Jaffa laying around here too," Janet said, poking through the bushes. "Do you think his own people might have killed him?"

"You mean like a revolt?" Sam asked, still examining the skeleton for clues. "I suppose, but I didn't think the idea of Goa'ulds as false gods came about until fairly recently."

"Oh it's always been there, Carter," Jack replied. He'd retreated to the safety of the rock wall, not wanting a front row seat as she casually pawed through the snaky remains. "It just took time to get wide-spread appeal."

"Well whatever happened, the survivors didn't stick around for very long." Janet parted the grass and frowned, a pile of armor and bones sitting at her feet. "If there were any survivors."

Sam was preparing to turn the body over when something shiny by its hand caught her eye. She reached into the grass and picked up a round, red stone. Flat on one side and domed on the other, its smooth surface fit perfectly into her palm.

"Colonel, take a look at this."

He walked over, looking curiously at the object in her hand. "What it is?"

"It looks like a gemstone of some kind. I found it by…"

Jack saw the confusion register on her face. "What?"

"It just got really warm all of a sudden," she replied, the sensation of heat continuing to increase. "Now it's getting hot."

"Maybe you should put it down."

"But I don't understand. It's just a rock. How can it…?"

"Carter!" Jack barked. "Just put the damn thing down!"

She opened her hand to comply, but the stone was stuck to her skin.

"Major?"

"I'm trying, sir, but it's stuck." She shook her hand to no avail. The stone held fast.

"Let me try."

As Sam raised her hand for him to see, the translucent stone began to glow. She gasped, the heat it was generating starting to burn.

"What the hell?" he muttered. "Doc, you wanna come take a…"

Jack's words were cut off mid-sentence when a burst of energy shot from the center of the stone. There was no time to raise a warning or react. Quick and powerful, the band of energy swept all three teammates from their feet and sent them careening into oblivion.