O'NEILL* & CARTER ENTER THE BETA SITE COMPOUND

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"Sam I didn't.. ..Carter, I didn't upset you before did I?"

"Sir? You're kidding me right?"

"Yeah right, you're right, okay. You sure?"

"Sure. Double sure."

"Okay. Okay Major Carter."

"Copy that Sir."

"Are we okay?"

"We're fine Sir."

"Shall we not bring this up again?"

"If you say so Sir. You can tell me you know."

"Tell you what?"

"Anything."

The Colonel* was quiet, if not a little subdued, but no more than he had been the whole time they'd been together. The cloud was more or less dissipated by his naturally buoyant personality. But Major Carter knew him well enough to factorise that something was seriously troubling him.

If he didn't want to, you couldn't extract it out of him, so she did the next best thing and made sure he understood that as soon as he was ready, she'd be listening.

Leaving the Minnesota type idyll was an easy and relaxing trek. Once over the rocky incline it was flat ground and variable woodlands all the way back to the inner compound.

Not withstanding that she was convinced Colonel O'Neill* was working through a fundamentally troublesome matter, Major Carter was thankful of the somewhat quality time she'd spent with her friend and colleague.

"Colonel*?"

"Major?"

"Jack I know theres something wrong, I know it."

"Its alright Carter. Okay yeah you've got me. You're right, there is something wrong.. ..oddish! But its something that I don't know how to explain to you. Nows not the time. I'll tell you about it someday okay, but just not now. Look its nothing to worry about. I'll go a few rounds in the ring with Teal'c*, that'll deal with it. Honestly Sam don't worry about it. It'll all make sense in the end, you'll see."

"Okay Sir. But I just want you to know that I know and I've got your back. I'm with you all the way on this Sir."

"I know it.. ..are we alright Carter?"

"Yes Sir we're fine."

They we're heading into the compound from a northerly direction. As they reached the woodlands about a kilometre and a half from the inner compound a Cargo ship passed overhead going in for a land.

"Hey Sir that must be SG-5, they're back sooner than I expected."

"Yep I guess they must have it all tied up. Anyway we'll get a report soon enough."

"Come on Sir lets get back."

"Yes. Lets."

Never to far from the StarGate in the East section of the inner compound, Teal'c* had been maintaining his cover as stores designator, allocating the various supply goods to the different departments of the stores warehouses.

He had been making frequent use of his field glasses searching for Daniel Jackson so that he could then trace his movements. Although when last seen, Daniel and Major Pierce and his group had been in the north noreast grounds of the outer perimeter, Teal'c* was careful to pay attention to all the compound's inbound access lanes.

Major Pierce was approaching from the north east. Well spotted. SG-15 were unaccompanied so presumably Daniel was still out in the field with SG-7. Teal'c*, for appearances sake, nonchalant, extremely cautiously made his way across the compound, passed the inner site boundary and over to Major Pierce's position. He intended to confirm Daniel Jackson's where abouts.

"Major Pierce I see you have finished for the day."

"Hi Teal'c*. Should I be addressing you as General?"

Major Pierce had a very friendly smile for Teal'c* and he was most impressed with Teal'c's* outfit.

"No that won't be necessary Major Pierce." Teal'c* enjoyed the fun.

"Finished? Err no not finished yet. Come to collect more supplies, food and stuff. We're actually going to be staying out there until pretty late tonight. Once it gets dark if we're still not finished we'll work by overhead lighting. We're on a roll Teal'c* so we've decided to go all out and complete the north east sector by days end. We've been temporarily held up. Wrong parts. They've sent us some of the wrong sensor components."

"I have seen no such components amongst the technical equipment sent through from the SGC."

"No you wouldn't have Teal'c*. Its something we didn't foresee. A written requisition needs to be submitted by hand directly to level three back at The SGC. Special stores! We're gonna to have to go back through the StarGate to collect these particular parts. In fact Daniel volunteered for the job. So as soon as he gets back we'll pick up where we left off."

"I felt certain Daniel Jackson was in the field still working with SG-7?"

"Well he was, but he should be at the StarGate by now."

"I see..! Excuse me Major Pierce. I must speak with Daniel Jackson. Most urgently..!"

"Okay Teal'c*, I'll catch you later."

"Indeed."

Teal'c* had taken on a titanium hue along with some niquadriaic properties. He was positively traumatised. Daniel Jackson at the StarGate. Indeedy do!

It had been a natural distraction. The appearance of Major Pierce and his team in the absence of Daniel Jackson, why should he have presumed Daniel was no longer in the field. Hazardous assûmptus. Mai'tac! How could he endanger his friend's safety. At all costs, he must prevent Daniel Jackson returning to The SGC.

It was not often that Teal'c* went into a high sprint. He was fast, he was very fast, much more so than a Tau'ri. He could see Daniel Jackson in the distance through his binoculars, as Major Pierce had said, at the StarGate.

Daniel was dialling the D.H.D., whilst talking to some Medics bearing a stretcher and to some other personnel, Logistics it looked like. Perhaps he was not going through to The SGC, though possibly he may.

Whooosh!

Teal'c* was a few hundred meters away, it was a distance he could easily cover within seventy seconds worth of I.D.C. grace. However, the StarGate had already initialised.

He was hurtling unimpeded across the unkempt terrain. "Daniel Jackson!! Daniel Jackson!!" He was power sprinting and yelling at the top of his voice. "Daniel Jackson I must speak with you!!"

Daniel promptly turned round and looked up at the thruster draughts of the departing Cargo ship. Teal'c's* requests went unheard, smothered by the noise of the overhead engines. Daniel turned back towards the StarGate to see the Medics pass through with the unconscious lotar. The Logistics team Captain ushered Daniel forward.

Daniel began mounting the steps to the StarGate, there was no turning back. Teal'c* was still in the formation of a ballistic projectile screaming towards the Gate, alas his attempts to fire Daniel's attention were totally in vain.

~  Л Δ Π Σ Ω χ ψ Γ Ξ ζ μ ~

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© Richard Dean Anderson all rights reserved June 2006