The Valley (Part Two)
The Valley (Part Two)
by squacco
Title: The Valley (Part Two)
Author: squacco
Email: squacco@onetel.com
Category: Action/Adventure, Romance
Season: Season 4
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Summary: SG-1 and Colonel Mallory travel to P9L 478 to investigate the valley.
Sequel to: The Valley (Part One)
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
The Valley Part Two
Author: squacco
Category: Adventure/Romance
Rating: G
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Summary: SG-1 and Colonel Mallory travel to P9L 478 to investigate the valley. Author's notes: Thanks for the feedback about Part One. Sorry that the formatting wasn't quite right. I hope this one will be a little easier to read. Part Three coming soon.
A week later, SG-1 and Colonel Thomas Mallory were in the control room watching a transmission from the MALP. It showed a snowy landscape and although no snow was actually falling, the sky was overcast and faintly threatening.
"The ambient temperature is minus 56 degrees Celsius," said Sam to the assembled team "and wind speed is10 kph." She looked across to Mal.
"So, very cold but the light winds mean it shouldn't be too difficult, can't say that I'm overjoyed about the look of that sky, but we have all the equipment we need." He turned to Hammond and the others "I think we'll be fine."
"Very well SG-1, Colonel Mallory - you have a go - get yourselves kitted up. Embarkation in 30 minutes"
"Yes Sir"
O'Neill led the others off to get their kit; they had specialist clothing organised by Mal to protect them from the intense cold and he'd given them all detailed instructions about what to expect and how to survive in such a hostile environment. They had decided to take two motorised sleds with the gear that they'd need, along with skis - Mal was careful to emphasise that travel would be slow, much more so than they would be used to. At such low temperatures the body slowed and a great deal of effort and energy would be required to simply keep them warm and functioning normally.
They estimated it would take them at least 2 days to reach the rock wall surrounding the valley so they had to be prepared to bivouac overnight in the icy conditions.
When all was ready Mal watched in awe as the gate was engaged. The team followed the sleds up the ramp and stepped through the event horizon. They stepped out into any icy coldness that took their breath away. Only Mal seemed at ease, it was an environment with which he was familiar, gone was the discomforting strangeness of the underground base, here was something he knew and understood. He looked across to O'Neill and grinned. Jack nodded, they were all so well covered that little of their faces could be seen and all wore protective goggles.
"OK team" came O'Neill's rather muffled command "let's move out. Teal'c you take the first sled, Daniel you the second"
Neither Teal'c nor Daniel were strong skiers so they'd been made responsible for the two sleds and their equipment. The others were on skis, the pace being set by Mal at a steady 2-3 klicks per hour, for as long as they could manage it.
All excepting Mal were astonished to find how little they could accomplish in the intense cold, and they had to stop frequently to rest and to drink - they'd been warned that dehydration could become a problem under these conditions.
At first everything went smoothly, there was no energy to spare for needless conversation so the only noise was the low roar of the sled motors from up ahead and the swish of the skis. Sam found the monotonous rhythm soothing at first, but after about 3 hours she found her concentration starting to slip, causing her to stumble and almost fall. Jack noticed immediately and skied over to her side.
"Carter, you OK?" he had to raise his voice a little and sounded concerned.
"Yes, Sir" she nodded "just getting a little weary"
"We'll give it another half hour and then take a break, OK?"
But 20 minutes later it began to snow. Mal had been watching the sky anxiously for quite a while. He feared a blizzard was coming and the wind was picking up sending flurries of snow into their faces.
"Jono" he called "Time to bivouac, I think there's a storm coming, we need to get shelter up ASAP."
Jack called a halt and they all went quickly and efficiently about their assigned tasks. Their tent resembled a large, bright yellow igloo, with a tunnel entrance to minimise heat loss. With all five of them packed into the relatively small space, their body heat would keep the ambient temperature at around a bearable freezing point. The wind had begun to increase and occasional gusts were powerful enough to rock the tent. Mal was aware that a blizzard could keep them pinned down for days and that windblown snowdrifts could harden into concrete in these conditions, but there was nothing to do except stay put. They had plentiful rations and the best equipment available. He was quick to assure the others that they were in no danger.
Once settled they removed their outer clothing and boots and were soon snuggled into down sleeping bags, sipping hot soup. The tent was surprisingly snug and warm and after finishing her soup Sam found herself trying, but failing miserably, to stifle a jaw-breaking yawn, she felt as if she'd run a marathon rather than just skied a few kilometres. Mal smiled at her "Don't worry Major, it's normal to feel drowsy, our calorific requirement under these conditions is much higher than normal. It would be sensible of us to all to get some rest and conserve our energy" he raised an enquiring eyebrow at O'Neill.
"Colonel Mallory is right, let's all get some rest - for once I don't think we'll need to set watch"
They all settled them selves down. Sam snuggled down into her bag, which was sandwiched between O'Neill's on one side and Mallory's on the other. She was asleep in moments, just the top of her hat poking out of the sleeping bag. Even Teal'c wrapped himself warmly in his bag and was soon deep in Kel nor reem. Daniel was also snoring softly and only the two Colonels were left still awake.
"Any idea how long we may be stuck here?" asked O'Neill of his friend.
"Hopefully not more than a few hours, but these storms can be very unpredictable, could be days - but don't worry we'll be fine" Mal smiled reassuringly at Jack then he let his gaze drop to the sleeping Major Carter "So, any progress?" he asked with a grin.
"Mal" warned O'Neill "this is not the place or the time."
He couldn't suppress a smile however, as his eyes rested on her huddled figure. He pulled himself down into his sleeping bag, and with a final look around to check that all was well, carefully turned his back on the sleeping Major. Mal couldn't help but sigh, his old friend had always been pig-headed over some things and he guessed that, in that at least, he hadn't changed. He too readied himself for sleep and soon the only sounds were the howling of the wind and the soft rhythmic breathing of five very tired people.
Mal was the first to wake some hours later. The wind had dropped and, attuned as he was to the conditions, the fact had registered with him even in sleep. He crawled out of his bag, being as careful as he could not to wake his still sleeping companions. He smiled wryly as he noticed that in sleep Jono and Sam had unconsciously moved closer to each other and now lay almost spooned together, Sam's head resting on Jono's back.
He crawled to the entrance tunnel and poked his head into the open. It was just getting light; they must have slept for quite a while. As he'd suspected, the storm had passed but he could see that a fair amount of new snow had fallen. The nearby sleds were just ghostly snow-shrouded humps in the pre-dawn light. He withdrew back into the relative warmth of the tent. He gently shook Jono's shoulder and spoke quietly.
"Jono, time to wake up, it's almost morning."
Mal stood back as he watched his friend wake and couldn't hold back a grin as he saw him turn over to find himself nose to nose, literally, with Major Carter, whose eyes flickered open at the same moment. They both stayed absolutely still, neither apparently breathing as they locked sleep-filled gazes and private smiles. Mal cleared his throat loudly and the pair leaped apart, Jack careering into Daniel's prone form and waking him. Mal couldn't help but laugh at the scene, Daniel's indignation, Sam's embarrassment and Jono struggling to get out of his sleeping bag.
"Morning, everyone, hope you all slept well" he said cheerily.
He grinned evilly at Sam, causing her to blush even more. She scowled at him briefly but then couldn't suppress one of her delightful smiles.
"You'll be pleased to know the storm has passed" Mal told them "but quite lot of snow has been dumped on us. It's going to take a while to dig out the sleds and the conditions today are going to be much more hazardous. I want you all to take extra care."
Soon they were all up about and eating a high-energy breakfast. They packed away their gear and ventured outside. The scene was quite breathtaking, thought Sam, the sky was a clear deep blue and fresh snow was crisp and deep beneath their feet. They cleared the snow off the tent and packed it away, digging out the sleds from their shrouds of white. Within an hour they were ready to move out. Jack estimated that they had another 10-12 klicks to travel and realised that that meant another long tiring day ahead.
"OK, campers, let's move out. I'll take point, Mal you're with me, then Daniel and Teal'c. Carter, watch our six"
"Yes Sir"
Jack skied off and the rest of the team followed. Sam took a last look back, taking note of the red flag and beacon that marked where they had left their supply pack for the return journey, essential in the case of an emergency.
They continued without incident for about 4 hours, stopping every hour or so for a brief rest and a drink. Conditions had been more difficult than the previous day and Sam reckoned they'd only covered half the distance they needed to. She couldn't believe how weary she felt, everything seemed to be such an effort. She skied on relentlessly, letting her mind wander back to the close encounter with O'Neill this morning. It was a good job that the others had been there; otherwise she would probably have done something really stupid, like kiss him. It had certainly taken a lot of effort to resist. She admitted to herself that her resolve not to give in to her feelings seemed to be weakening. There were times, she knew, that if he'd just give her the slightest encouragement, she'd be lost.
Up ahead, Jack too was lost in thought. He was tired and his bad knee ached dreadfully. He knew that he should have taken a turn on the sled and rested it, but he wasn't about to admit to the rest of the team what he himself had known for some time; he wasn't really physically fit enough for this type of ordeal. The pain was bad, like toothache, but he could take it, he just blanked it out and turned his thoughts elsewhere. He thought back to this morning, when he'd turned and found himself gazing into a pair of sleep-clouded deep blue eyes, just an inch or two from his. In fact they were lying so close that with just a tiny movement he could have captured her lips. A great longing filled him, thinking how wonderful it would be to wake each morning like that, so close to the woman he loved; to be able to hold her in his arms and make love to her. He shook his head 'don't go there Jack' he chastised himself 'it's never gonna happen'.
He skied rhythmically onwards, having pulled a little way ahead of Mal, who was about 20 metres behind him. Suddenly the snow beneath his feet gave way and he found himself falling, arms flailing, unable to help himself. He cried out as he fell into a wedge shaped crack in the ice and snow. One of his skis pulled off but the other snagged on the ice twisting his knee so badly that he couldn't help but scream with the intense pain. He landed with a thud on his left shoulder that cracked ominously sending further agonies through his body. Waves of pain washed over him as he fought to stay conscious, but he lost the battle and fell into blackness.
"Jono" yelled Mal, as he saw his friend fall.
He knew immediately that O'Neill must have stumbled into a snow-covered crevasse. He just hoped, for his friends' sake, that it wasn't too deep. He turned and waved urgently to Daniel, who was some way behind him and then pulled out his radio.
"Major Carter, this is Mallory, come in please"
"Sir, Carter here"
"Major, we're in trouble, Jono's fallen into a crevasse. Get here as quickly as you can, but take care, follow the sled tracks, they're here and safe so you should be fine."
"Yes Sir, I'll be right there - is he...?"
"I'm just going to check now"
Sam put on an n extra spurt, finding the energy from somewhere. She could see the rest of the party a couple of hundred metres ahead. When she arrived she skied immediately to Mallory's side. "How is he?" she gasped, fighting for breath.
"It could be worse, the crevasse isn't too deep, looks like he's wedged one of his skis into the ice wall. I've shouted to him but got no reply, he's probably unconscious"
Sam felt the blood drain from her face. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Very well Sir, what do we do?"
"Teal'c, you and Daniel find us rope, ice picks and crampons. One of us will have to go down there, rope him up and haul him out."
"Major, you're the smallest and lightest, d'you think you can manage?"
"Yes Sir, of course."
"Right, we'll rope you and lower you down. Use the crampons and ice axe to support yourself" he peered over the edge of the chasm "there's not a lot of room to manoeuvre."
"I'll manage Sir" Sam replied as she readied herself.
Teal'c and Daniel helped rope her up and the three men carefully lowered her over the edge. She'd strapped a flashlight to her cap and could see O'Neill's body wedged about 10 metres below her on a narrow ice shelf. She'd have to be careful not to dislodge them both and send them crashing to their deaths. Using the crampons and ice axe she 'walked' down the ice face, being supported by the rope. When she reached O'Neill she managed to squeeze herself in beside him.
"I'm down Sir," she radioed back to Mallory "just going to assess the Colonel's injuries"
"Very well Major"
Sam managed to crouch down next to the Colonel's recumbent form. His face was grey and filmed with sweat but he was breathing easily and his pulse was steady. She patted his cheek gently.
"Colonel, it's Carter, c'mon Sir"
His eyes flickered open as he came round and for the second time that day Sam found herself gazing into their dark brown depths, though this time they were fogged by pain rather than sleep.
"Carter? What.... I fell!" he whispered hoarsely.
"Yes Sir, take it easy, we're going to get you out of here - now, where does it hurt?"
"Knee, shoulder" he gasped as he tried to move.
"Stay still Sir, we're wedged rather precariously here. I'm going to try and remove your ski so that I can free your leg."
Jack nodded. "Sir it's gonna hurt"
"S'ok - do it"
She carefully manoeuvred herself so that she was supported by the ice wall, and reached up to release Jack's boot from the ski bindings. She was horrified to see the unnatural angle of the knee joint; it must be badly dislocated. She hated the thought of hurting him so much, but she knew it was necessary. Taking hold of his ankle and boot she pulled them down as gently as she could. O'Neill screamed and, mercifully, blacked out again. Quickly she lowered his leg and lifted his shoulder, 'busted collar bone' she suspected. Working as quickly as she could given the intense cold, bulky clothing and confined space, she fastened the rope securely around both O'Neill and herself. There was no way that they could simply haul him up in his present state, she just hoped that her three teammates could take the weight of both of them. She would help as much as possible by using the crampons, but she'd need her arms free to support the Colonel. Again she felt for his pulse, still strong - a good sign. In fact as she held her bare fingers to his neck O'Neill's eyes opened again. He managed a weak grin at seeing Sam's face so close once more.
"Died and gone to heaven" he croaked.
Sam couldn't help but smile. "You're not going to die Sir, not before I've had my chance" she whispered, cryptically.
She called Mallory on the radio. "Sir, this is Carter. The Colonel's got a dislocated knee and a busted collarbone, I think. I don't believe that there are any internal injuries, he's breathing fine and his pulse is strong and steady. I'll need to support him on the way up if you can haul us both together."
"Can do Major. Use the crampons to help take the weight."
"Yes Sir, we're ready when you are."
"OK, on three.... one, two and three"
The rope went taut and Sam wrapped her arms around the semi-conscious O'Neill, supporting him as much as she could. It was a slow process getting to the surface and took every last ounce of Sam's strength, she having at times to take the Colonel's not inconsiderable weight.
Eventually however, they made it, and Teal'c's strong arms were reaching down to lift O'Neill onto the snow. Daniel and Mal helped an exhausted Sam. The others had been busy whilst she'd been below, Sam noticed. The tent had been erected and one of the sleds cleared of much of its burden.
"We need to get both of you inside and into the warm as quickly as possible" Mal instructed Sam.
"Jono will be suffering from shock as well as his injuries and you too Major will need to rest. I suggest we stop here at least until we've had chance to assess the situation."
"Yes Sir" Sam managed to gasp.
Mal was right, she felt totally drained. Daniel and Teal'c had managed to get Jack into the tent and she crawled in after them, followed by Mal.
"Sam could you take his boots off and his outer pants - we'll need to splint that leg I think. Then we'll see to the shoulder."
Sam nodded "Daniel could you get me the morphine and the antibiotics from the med pack?"
When Jack's boots and outer garments hade been removed, Mal used a penknife to slit his pant leg and long thermal underwear up to above his knee. Sam gasped; the joint was already hugely swollen and blackening.
"Mm" said Mal "looks like lots of torn ligament and muscle, but I think you're right Sam, it's dislocated rather than broken. But we'll have to reset it."
'God' thought Sam it's going to hurt like hell.'
Jack, ashen faced, was slipping in and out of consciousness. Sam brushed her hand across his forehead.
"Sorry Sir" she whispered "more pain I'm afraid"
She gestured to Daniel to help her hold Jack still whilst Mal pulled gently on his foot, twisting until he felt the joint pop back into place. Jack was so far out of it that he only whimpered, which somehow made it harder for Sam to deal with. She bit her lip and concentrated on holding him steady whilst Mal, aided by Daniel and Teal'c, splinted the knee and bound the injured shoulder. Finally she administered morphine and antibiotics and, between them they bundled him into his sleeping bag. Jack was unconscious now, but Sam was pleased to see that his colour was better, the morphine should soon kick in and help with the pain.
"Sam get in your bag" Mallory ordered, "you need rest too and you can help to keep Jono warm."
Sam complied and snuggled down next to the Colonel. Daniel passed around food and a much-needed hot drink and soon she was fighting to keep her eyes open.
When Sam awoke she was alone with O'Neill in the tent, though she could hear the soft murmur of voices from outside so knew that the others were close by. She pulled herself out of the sleeping bag and quickly checked on her patient. His colour was good and he was breathing easily, his pulse strong and steady. She studied his face. He looked younger and more vulnerable than was usual.
God how she loved him.
She knew, no matter what the consequences, that she couldn't let this chance of happiness slip through her fingers. As soon as they were home she would go and see Hammond. She figured that maybe she could resign her commission but stay on as a civilian member of the team, like Daniel. She'd never before contemplated giving up her military career but she now realised that she was willing to do just that. She gently brushed Jack's hair from his forehead, dropping a featherlight kiss before crawling out of the tent to see what the latest situation was.
"Ah, Major" said Mal, helping her to her feet "feeling better?"
"Yes Sir, thank you"
"And how's our patient?"
"Still out of it but his colour's good and his pulse is strong. There doesn't seem to be any sign of fever."
"Excellent"
"Sir, what are we going to do now? You're in charge as the ranking officer."
"Mm, well Major, it seems to me that we have two options. The first, that we pack up and go straight back to the gate and abort the mission."
Sam nodded "And the second?" She asked.
"You lead Daniel and Teal'c the rest of the way to the valley. I'll stay here and look after Jono, we have plenty of supplies and shelter, we'll be fine. I don't think it can be more than 3 klicks to the rock wall. You could take both sleds so you could easily be there and back in a few hours."
Sam nodded "That way we could at least do a recon. of the valley and collect valuable information for future missions."
"So Major" asked Mal "What do you want to do?"
"Me Sir?"
"Yes Sam, I may be the ranking officer but I'm not part of the SGC, you know better than I what Hammond and O'Neill would expect of you. I'll be happy to abide by whatever decision you make."
Sam took only a moment to reach a decision.
"Then in that case Sir, Daniel Teal'c and I will go on, at least as far as the Valley wall, and see what we can see. Then the mission won't have been entirely in vain."
"Good, I agree. Now the sun's going down so let's get some food and rest and you can get on your way at first light."
The decision made, they all crawled back into the tent, Sam immediately going to check on O'Neill. She patted his cheek to bring him round. . "Colonel, Colonel wake up Sir"
He groaned, so Sam tried again, coaxing him until eventually he opened his eyes. For a moment they looked unfocussed but then they cleared and he grimaced in pain.
"Hurt, everywhere" he gasped "Water."
Teal'c supported O'Neill gently while Sam gave him a drink. Then as he came round a little more, they eased him into a sitting position. Daniel had heated soup; holding the cup and feeding Jack as much as he would take. Mal meanwhile explained the plan for Carter, Daniel and Teal'c to venture to the edge of the valley whilst they stayed at camp.
"They'll leave at first light and, taking the sleds, they should easily make it there and back within the day."
Jack nodded his approval. Sam gave him another shot of morphine for the pain and helped settle him down. He was soon asleep. The others chatted for a while, finalising their plans for the following day; then they too retired for the night.
"Major Carter, it is time to rise." Sam awoke to find Teal'c at her side.
She nodded, immediately turning to check on O'Neill. She was surprised to find him awake and watching her.
"Sir, how are you feeling?"
"Like I've been hit by a ten ton truck," he quipped "but thank you for rescuing me"
"No problem Sir. I'm just sorry that I had to hurt you so much in the process."
"So, you're heading out soon?"
She nodded. "Well take care Sam," he whispered "I don't want to lose you."
She was a little surprised at his words and placed a hand on his brow.
"No, Carter, I don't have a fever. I meant it, be careful."
She smiled at him. "Yes Sir, of course, we'll be back before you know it".
She scrambled to her feet and put on her warm outer gear. Before leaving the tent she turned and gave O'Neill a brief wave.
"Good luck" he called after her. Then she was gone.
Mal was impressed at how quickly and efficiently Major Carter had Daniel, Teal'c and the supplies organised, packed and ready to go. Jono had been right, she was a damn good officer, it wouldn't be long, he was sure before she was offered her own command. Though, Mal thought, it wouldn't surprise him if she turned it down if it meant she couldn't stay with O'Neill.
Finally they were set to go and he waved them off. Mal then checked that the supplies were securely stored in case the weather should suddenly worsen, before crawling back into the tent to check on his patient.
Using the two sleds, one carrying only essential supplies, the other with Sam as a passenger, the tree remaining members of SG-1 reached the rock wall in less than three hours. The wall, although obviously a natural phenomenon, was quite formidable. The rock was almost black and stood out starkly against the blinding white snow and deep blue sky. It also seemed to possess some curious property that enabled it to somehow remain largely free of snow; Sam was looking forward to investigating the phenomenon.
There was no pathway up the cliff, which was almost sheer in places but there were lots of fissures and cracks. The wall was not particularly high, Sam estimated about 100 metres or so, but it would be a challenging climb, particularly so for Daniel.
"Teal'c" she called "D'you fancy a climb?"
"Certainly Major Carter, though I believe that this may be beyond the skills of Daniel Jackson."
"Yeah, I'd pretty much come to the same conclusion myself, we'll leave Daniel here as our backup."
The Jaffa nodded. "I concur."
"OK, Daniel" Sam called him over.
"Teal'c and I are going up to have a look, you stay here as our backup, keep your eyes open and in constant radio contact."
Daniel grinned, seeing Sam in command mode. "Yes Sir!" he gave a mock salute.
Sam grinned back "C'mon Teal'c lets get kitted up."
Ten minutes later they were ready.
"Ok, let's go." She nodded to Teal'c.
"Daniel we'll call in when we get to a suitable position at the top."
Daniel watched admiringly as Sam began the ascent. His anxiety for his friends eased a little when it soon became apparent that she was a more than competent climber. 'How does one person get to be so good at everything?' he asked himself. Except for matters of the heart though, that was one area in which Sam Carter's life had been a pretty spectacular failure; seems she always fell for the wrong guy, poor Sam.
Sam was pleased to find that she hadn't lost any of her climbing skills. She didn't often get the chance to practice them these days. The climb, though, turned out to be easier than it had looked from below, there were plenty of hand and foot holds and the gradient was only really tricky in one or two places. She and Teal'c kept up a good pace and after about 45 minutes of steady climbing Sam had reached the top of the ridge. She roped herself securely and waited for Teal'c to join her before radioing down to Daniel.
"Daniel, this is Carter"
"Go ahead Sam"
"We've reached the top of the ridge but there is still a little way to go. We'll be out of sight from now on. I'll call again in 30 minutes from now"
"Fine Sam, take care. Over and out."
Sam motioned to Teal'c to follow her to a break in the ridge where she hoped she'd be able to get a clearer look down actually into the valley.
Even knowing what to expect didn't prepare her for the astonishing sight. There, spread below them was an apparent rural idyll, green fields and patches of woodland, bubbling streams and waterfalls and a scattering of farms and small villages. The land looked rich, well tended and totally natural. Yet here above the temperature was 50 below. How on earth was it possible?
"Major Carter, look at this" Teal'c was peering at something among the rocks.
"My God, Teal'c, it's a generator of some kind, I knew this couldn't be a natural phenomenon."
She carefully examined what appeared to be a small control panel "There must be a force field in operation, this is amazing."
"It does not bear much resemblance to anything I have seen before" said Teal'c "I am almost certain it is not Goa'uld or at least not of recent Goa'uld origin."
Sam stood up. "Well, judging from what little we've seen so far, it would appear that these people, whatever their origins, have opted for the simple life. This force field is the only obvious indication of advanced technology. At a guess I'd say that they've probably lost or voluntarily given up everything but this barrier."
"In that regard you would be correct"
Sam and Teal'c spun around at the voice. Sam was angry with herself for letting her guard slip as two men stepped out of a cleft in the rock and stood regarding them.
"Please step away from the field generator," one of them asked.
His request was courteous and Sam could see no sign of weapons. She nodded to Teal'c and they both stood back. The first man spoke again.
"Thank you. Who are you and what do you want of us?"
"We're explorers, from a distant planet called Earth. We came here through the Stargate."
"Ah" the second man spoke, "The travelling circle?"
Sam nodded "I'm Major Sam Carter, this is Teal'c."
"It is a long way to the 'Stargate' as you call it, from here. Surely you have not travelled alone?"
Sam decided to tell these men the truth, they seemed interested rather than aggressive; she'd take the chance.
"We are five altogether, one companion is at the foot of the cliff, awaiting our call, the others are a few hours march behind."
"Why have you come here?"
"As I said we're explorers. We sent an unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle through the gate. The presence of your green valley in such inhospitable surroundings intrigued us. Our aim was to find out how it was possible."
Sam smiled at the two men who were still watching them warily.
"We have similar hostile places on our planet, with this technology perhaps they could be made habitable also."
The two men whispered urgently together, then obviously reached an agreement. The first man turned to Sam.
"I am Evin, this is Ledan" he indicated his partner "welcome to our valley. It has been many generations since our people have had visitors."
"Thank you Evin," said Sam "We are honoured."
"Do you wish to contact your companion, lest he become anxious?" Ledan asked.
"Yes, thanks, I'll do that." Sam took out her radio.
"Daniel, come in. This is Carter, over."
"Yo, Sam, is everything ok?"
"Yes. Daniel we've met two people from the valley. I could really use your diplomatic skills, d'you think you could make the climb up here?"
"You've made contact with the locals" exclaimed Daniel, the excitement plain in his voice, "that's great. I'll give it a try Sam, but I'm no rock climber!"
Ledan spoke. "Your companion does not have to climb up here. We have access tunnels through. Instruct him to wait for us, and we will lead you to him."
"Daniel, it's ok. Apparently there is a way through the barrier. Wait for us and we'll come for you."
"Ok Sam, over and out."
Evin led the way. "Come follow me."
Sam nodded and Teal'c bowed his head gravely as the followed him into a narrow cleft in the rock. Ledan brought up the rear.
It was dark at first in the narrow passage but Sam saw Evin place his hand on a carved symbolic the rock. At once the whole passageway was bathed in a suffused glow. She could see no light source at all. It was becoming obvious that these people, for all their apparent simplicity, possessed some technologies that were far in advance of those of Earth.
The narrow passage soon widened to a tunnel, which began to descend quite steeply before it joined another wider tunnel coming in from the right. This tunnel was more brightly lit; Sam assumed it was a more important throughway. They were on more level ground now and after a while the passage took a 90-degree turn and narrowed again to a cleft before opening on to the snowfields, where hopefully they'd find Daniel waiting. Evin stood back, indicating that Sam should precede him.
These people were very trusting, she thought, but then they did have the advantage of being on their own territory. As she left the shelter of the rock she could see Daniel waiting about 25 metres away, she waved and he came hurrying over.
"Sam, is everything ok?" he asked.
"Yes, Daniel" She turned, indicating the two strangers who stood behind her "Let me introduce Evin and Ledan. They've made us welcome here."
"It's an honour to meet you." Daniel said formally.
"You too are welcome to our home Daniel, but come inside the passage. The conditions out here are too hostile for comfort."
Soon the small party were gathered inside the relative cosiness of the tunnels.
"Major, you and your companions may travel into the valley with us if you desire. I know that our Elders would welcome the opportunity to speak with you."
Sam was undecided for a moment, not sure of the best plan of action. She knew that it was an important part of her mission to make contact with the people of the valley, but she was also very aware of the plight of her CO, lying injured back at camp. She was anxious about him.
"Thank you Evin, We'd be pleased to accompany you. But first I need to contact my companions back at the camp. I'm afraid one of them is injured and we may have to return home if his condition has worsened."
"I understand, of course," Evin replied "are you able to contact them with your speaking device?"
"Yes, if I go outside again. The rock walls here will block the transmission." Sam explained.
"Then let us go"
"Daniel, Teal'c, you stay here I'll be right back."
"As you wish Major Carter." Teal'c replied.
Sam and Evin went back down the passage leading to the outside. Once there she took out her radio and hailed Mallory.
"Colonel Mallory, this is Carter, come in please. Over."
There was a little static, then Mallory's voice, loud and clear.
"This is Mallory, Major. Is everything alright?"
"Yes Sir how is Colonel O'Neill?"
"He's doing fine, d'you want to speak to him?"
"Yes please Sir."
A moment later she heard Jack's voice. He sounded a little tired and strained she thought.
"Hey Carter, how you doin'?"
"Fine Sir," she grinned "Good to hear your voice. Sir, we've made contact with two people from the valley and they've invited us back with them to meet their Elders. Were still at the rock wall but there are passageways through."
"Then you should go Carter, after all that's what we came here for. Use your own judgement, it's your mission now and I have every faith that you'll make the right call."
"Thank you Sir, but it does mean that you'll have to wait another day before we can get you back home. Are you sure you'll be ok?"
"I'll be fine Carter, just make sure you report in 24 hours from now."
"Yes Sir, we'll be out of radio contact once we've passed into the tunnels but I'll radio in again tomorrow...Oh Sir wait just one moment." Evin was gesturing to the radio.
"May I speak Major?" Sam nodded.
"Sir, I have Evin, one of the valley people here, he'd like to speak to you."
"Oh ok, go ahead."
"Greetings, I am Evin. Your companions will be our guests. They will come to no harm; you need not worry about them. We will return them here to speak with you when Major Carter tells us."
"Thank you Evin. Carter you take care now. O'Neill over and out."
Evin studied the radio with obvious interest. Sam was surprised for he seemed to find such a technologically simple device quite intriguing.
"What do you call this device?"
"It's a radio, it enables us to keep in contact over long distances, provided there are no barriers to block the signal. But don't you have something similar?"
"In the valley such devices are not necessary - you will see - come."
Sam followed Evin back into the tunnel where the others were waiting. Ledan indicated that they should follow him as they made their way back to the main tunnel.
"So Evin" asked Daniel "how long have your people lived in the valley?"
"We are not exactly sure, it seems our early ancestors did not keep good records. The written manuscripts that we have go back 15 generations. We do not know where our people came from originally but the early histories indicate that they were brought to this place through the travelling circle." he gave Daniel a searching look and continued " I would imagine, seeing the similarities between our two races, that perhaps we had a common ancestry?"
"Yes" Daniel agreed, "on our travels throughout the gate system we have met many different people and by far the largest majority have been human. That is to say, like us. In fact we'd go further than that. It's our belief that people from our planet, Earth, populated most of the worlds we've visited,but not voluntarily. A race of powerful aliens called the Goa'uld forcibly kidnapped our early ancestors and used them to populate suitable planets, as a source of slaves."
"I am familiar with the word Goa'uld," said Evin "They are mentioned in the very earliest of the histories as a race of Gods."
"That's myth, but one that the Goa'uld are anxious to maintain. They are no more Gods than you or I Evin: but they are powerful. We are doing our best to fight them and free those people who are still under their dominion, but it's a long hard struggle."
"And there are many of these Goa'uld still?"
"I'm afraid so, yes, but we have allies now and we won't give in without a fight. Together we'll win, or die trying."
"Brave words" Evin said gravely " I hope that you will count us among your allies in the future, though I'm not sure what aid we could bring you."
"Thank you Evin we would be honoured to number you amongst our friends."
All this time the team had been making their way steadily along the tunnel. Suddenly Ledan, who was in the lead, stopped.
"Here is the barrier. You may leave all you outer clothing here for you will not need it beyond."
Daniel and Teal'c looked to Sam to give them the ok. It felt strange she thought, having then continually defer to her judgement.
"You carry weapons, obviously" Evin stated "I regret that they will not function in the valley but please feel free to carry them if it makes you more comfortable."
"Do you not carry weapons for your own defence?" asked Teal'c.
Ledan shook his head. "There are few hazards in the valley and none that cannot be beaten with a stout staff. We do carry knives and axes, though they're rarely used in anger."
Sam knew that this decision was her first real taste of the difficulties of command. O'Neill would not have readily abandoned his weapons, but her gut instinct told her that these people were trustworthy and it had never let her down yet. She decided on a compromise.
"Ok, guys" she said " leave everything except your sidearms; Teal'c, bring your Zat." Soon they had all divested themselves of their heavy outdoor gear. Sam had to admit that it was a great relief to get rid of the bulky clothing and back to something more comfortable. She pulled of her cap, running her fingers through her hair. Evin and Ledan both gasped.
"What?" she asked, seeing them look askance at her.
"Your hair is very pale, and your eyes too."
"Oh, right" Sam smiled at them "We call it blonde. It's fairly common were we come from, but judging from your expression not here I guess? Are all your people brown haired?"
"Not all. Some have almost black hair but all have brown eyes."
"I would imagine that your ancestors hailed from a part of our world called Europe" explained Daniel "Your colouring is very typical of the Celtic races."
"So your people have different colourings?"
"Yes, we have people with pale skins and very dark skins and almost every shade in between."
"This is fascinating," said Evin "I should very much like to see such a thing."
"Well" Sam said, "Perhaps you may one day."
"Sam, look at this"
Daniel called to her from where he was examining the barrier. Little could be seen but a faint shimmering in the air. Nearby in the rock was a control panel.
"There are four places where it is possible to open a 'door' through the barrier without compromising the environmental control of the whole valley" explained Evin.
"Major Carter, this control panel has some similarity to Goa'uld technology" Teal'c pointed out.
"We believe," explained Ledan "That our ancestors modified existing technology so that they could protect the valley. The early histories indicate that when our forbears arrived here the weather was much more temperate than it is now. When it became obvious that a drastic climate change was occurring, the barrier was developed."
"So the valley is your last refuge?" asked Daniel.
"That is so Daniel, our refuge and our prison."
"Prison?" asked Sam, a little alarmed.
"In a way, yes." Ledan explained, "We do not have the means to be able to cross long distances outside of our home. The conditions are too harsh. So we have had to severely limit our population growth - the valley is large, but not infinite." he shook his head sadly.
Sam began to wonder if they could help the valley people to find a new home, in return for some of their technology. They would be in stronger position to bargain if that was the case.
Evin keyed a few digits into the control panel and the faint shimmering disappeared.
"Come," he said "welcome to the valley."
They filed through and Evin closed the portal behind them. The team immediately became aware of the mildness of the air around them.
"It is not far now."
They walked for perhaps half a kilometre before leaving the tunnels behind and stepping out onto a rough track that wound its way between high hedges bordering green fields. The air was warm and sweet and full of the song of birds.
"Your home is very beautiful, Evin" said Daniel "and not unlike parts of our own world -at its best."
"The village is not far, there you will be able to rest and talk with our Elders."
They walked for about twenty minutes before they came upon a straggle of houses arranged around a central green. There were several people about, all greeting Evin and Ledan with a smile and wave. They eyed the strangers curiously but Sam felt no animosity.
'It's strange' she thought 'but they don't seem particularly surprised to see us.'
Evin led the way to a building that was significantly larger than those surrounding it; a community centre, Daniel suspected.
"Come friends, you may rest here whilst we await the arrival of the Elders."
Sam and the others followed him into the large, simply furnished building.
"Evin, you mentioned that the Elders were coming. But how do they know we're here? I haven't seen either of you speak to anyone?" She asked.
"We have informed everyone in the valley of your presence using what we call mind-speak."
"Mind-speak?" Sam exclaimed, "You mean you can read each others thoughts?" She was more than a little perturbed at the idea.
"Do not worry Major," Ledan grinned at her "We cannot read your private thoughts, they are quite safe, but here in the valley we are able to direct our thoughts with a will and communicate with one another."
Sam finally understood. "So that's why you've never developed radio communication devices, they're superfluous here."
"That is so," he said "but the mind-speak works only here in the valley."
Sam was intrigued. If the mind-speak were a side effect of being in the valley, maybe it would work for them as well.
'Daniel' she directed a thought at him 'If you can hear me, wave.'
Daniel looked up with startled expression giving Sam a cheery little wave.
'Hearing you loud and clear Sam. Isn't this amazing, do you think it's a property of the barrier itself?'
"Ledan Evin" exclaimed Sam "It's incredible, the mind-speak works for us too."
The two men smiled, evidently pleased at this further indication that these strangers from another world were indeed some sort of long-lost kin.
"The Elders approach," said Evin "We will introduce you then leave you to talk with them. We would be most honoured if you would join us for a meal later this evening."
"Thank you both very much" Daniel answered for all of them "you've been most kind,"
The door opened and four people stepped into the room, two men and two women. The bowed their heads slightly in greeting.
"Welcome to the valley, off-worlders." said one of the women "I am Seelin, the Chief Elder of our people at this time. My associates are Andar" the second woman smiled at them, "Toran and Paulin." The two men nodded. "Please be seated, we have much to discuss."
Jack O'Neill winced in pain as he tried to find a more comfortable position to lie in, he had to admit that he'd felt better but had been quick to reassure Mal that a delay of 24 hours wouldn't make much difference to his recovery.
"Jono you're due more painkillers" said Mal, crawling back into the tent.
"Yeah 'bout time."
"How's the knee feel?"
"Truth?"
"Truth"
"Bad. In fact I think that this is probably the end of active duty for me."
"Jono you're not serious!" exclaimed his friend.
Jack nodded and grinned a little wryly.
"Yeah, I think so. To be honest it's been bad for quite a while now. Oh, I've kept it pretty well hidden from the rest of the team but I'm pretty sure that Doc Frasier knows that all isn't well, and if she knows that means Hammond probably does too."
Jack sighed "It was really only a matter of time before something like this happened; this is potentially a really important mission. It'd be a good one to end on, I guess."
"What will happen to your team if you retire?"
"Actually Hammond and I already have someone in mind to take over when I've gone." Jack smiled at his friend.
Mal grinned knowingly at him. "Could this be why you're so readily handing over the reigns to Major Sam?" he asked, but Jack just smiled his lazy smile and said nothing.
"So, what will you do? Somehow I can't see you just letting go and taking up gardening or something?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'll just fish and watch the stars, play the guitar, brush up on the piano. I'll find somethin'. Anyhow let's not cross bridges. I'm hungry, what's for lunch?"
"Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Mallory, this is Major Carter. Come in please, over."
"Morning Major, this is Mallory."
"Morning Sir. Is Colonel O'Neill available?"
"Actually, Major, the Colonel had a pretty bad night - he's sleeping now and I'd rather not disturb him unless you think it's absolutely necessary."
"Is he ok Sir" Sam's voice took on a distinctly worried tone.
"He's developed a low grade fever. I've administered antibiotics but I'd like to get him back to the SGC as soon a possible to be on the safe side."
"Yes, Sir, of course. We're setting off now and should be with you by early afternoon. We're bringing someone from the valley with us if you think that's ok. His name is Evin, he spoke to Colonel O'Neill yesterday."
"Of course Major, this is your command now remember, just get here safely. See you in a few hours. Mallory over and out."
Mal sighed. He was glad that the others were on their way back. Jack's condition had suddenly deteriorated in the last eight hours and they still had a day's journey ahead of them before they could get him to the safety of the SGC. He just hoped that the good weather continued to hold.
In fact it was almost five hours before the others arrived back at the camp. The presence of Evin had meant that one of them had had to ski, which slowed them considerably.
Sam introduced Evin to Mallory before crawling into the tent to check on O'Neill. She was shocked to see how much his condition had deteriorated. He was tossing and turning in fever, his face grey and filmed with sweat. She placed her hand on his brow, thankful that though he was feverish, he wasn't burning up. Mallory had been correct, the fever was low grade but in the conditions they found themselves in, it was still a cause for concern.
She was honest enough to admit to herself how much it hurt to see him this way. She'd never forgive herself if she'd jeopardised his health for the sake of the mission, no matter how important it would turn out to be.
"Sir" she whispered "Hold on, we're going to get you home as soon as we can."
"Carter? S'that you?" he mumbled.
"Yes sir, just relax, we'll soon have you feeling better."
"Better now, you're here"
Sam grinned, "You're a little delirious Sir - get some sleep, we'll be moving out soon."
There were still several hours of daylight left and Sam and Mallory agreed that they should move out as soon as possible. They should easily be able to make the site of their first camp and from there it would be a relatively short journey the next day to reach the gate. A good deal of their baggage was left behind, carefully packed and flagged with a radio beacon.
They needed to travel light as Jack would have to occupy one of the sleds and Sam assured Mallory that further teams from the SGC would certainly be returning and could retrieve the abandoned items.
As before, Daniel and Teal'c would drive the sleds, one with their stores, and the other with Jack as passenger. The others would ski. Mallory had examined Evin's gear with interest and, while it wasn't as hi-tech or efficient as their own, it was perfectly adequate and his presence wouldn't slow them down significantly. Soon they were on their way and readily found the site of their previous camp. They set up the tent and got Jack safely settled before nightfall, they would easily make it to the gate the following day.
Sam was pleased to see that O'Neill, though still obviously in a lot of pain and at times distinctly feverish, didn't appear to be worsening. She'd attempted to check on his knee but he'd refused to let her, insisting, with some vehemence, that it was 'just fine.'
That night they all squeezed into the tent. Sam could see that Evin was very impressed with their equipment and it was her fervent hope that they could trade technologies; the valley's force field and its amazing properties, for the expertise and equipment needed to travel in relative safety and comfort in the conditions that prevailed elsewhere on the planet.
Evin and Mal spent the evening engaged in a long conversation about the similarities between the planet and Antarctica. Daniel was studying a copy of one of the early histories that had been loaned to him by one of the Elders, Andar, she thought. Teal'c was already deep in Kel no reem.
Sam sat close to O'Neill. He was feverish again and every so often would toss and cry out in his sleep. She placed a cool compress on his forehead to help reduce the fever; it seemed to calm him. She reached out and squeezed his hand, the others too busy to notice her indiscretion. For a moment Jack's eyes opened, but his gaze was unfocussed and she didn't think he'd really been aware of her. She sighed; they needed to get him back under Janet's care as soon as they could.
They awoke early the next morning. Fortunately the good weather held although the temperature, if anything, had dropped still further. Mal asked Sam to make it her special responsibility to ensure Jack remained well covered during their journey to the gate. If he began to toss about he would be in danger of exposing skin to the cold air and that meant a high risk of frostbite.
Mal sensed, that since he'd been injured, the Major's behaviour when she was around Jack, had subtly changed. She was more relaxed, he thought. He wondered if she had come to some decision about their possible future together, but if so, she was giving very little away. Mal wasn't by any means sure which way the Major would jump - her career or her personal life.
It took them the better part of the day, but as the afternoon began to wane there was a shout from Teal'c, who was in the lead, that the gate was in sight. An hour later Daniel was dialling them home.
"Off world activation" came the announcement over the tannoy, accompanied by the familiar klaxons.
"It's SG-1 Sir"
"Very well Sergeant," said General Hammond "Open the iris."
Moments later the team began to arrive through the gate. Sam had decided, with Mallory's agreement, to leave the sleds behind for the time being. She knew that when the General heard her report he'd soon be sending further teams back to the planet. Teal'c gently lifted O'Neill and carried him through to the SGC.
"Med team to the gate room, stat." announced the tech. on duty as Hammond quickly made his way down from the control room.
"Good to have you back SG-1, Colonel Mallory." he looked a little askance at Evin.
"Major?"
"Sir, this is Evin. He's from the valley. Sir we have some really important things to discuss."
"Certainly Major, all in good time. What happened to Colonel O'Neill?"
"He fell down a crevasse, Sir, busted his collarbone and dislocated his knee. He also has a bit of a fever."
At that moment Janet and her team came bustling in to the gate room and Jack was quickly whisked away to the infirmary.
"Ok, team" said Hammond "go get yourselves checked out, debriefing in one hour."
"Yes Sir."
It was a long meeting. Evin had the permission of the Elders to agree terms in which valley technology would be traded for expertise and equipment to enable the people of the valley start a new colony. Evin explained.
"You see, General Hammond, our ancestors developed the force field technology to protect the valley when the climate began to deteriorate. Despite our stringent controls our population has grown and now threatens to destroy the simple way of life that we hold dear. We hope, that with your help, we can find a new suitable site to expand into."
Hammond nodded "Go on."
"You have the expertise and technology to allow us to survey the planet for suitable sites for future colonisation. Once found, we can set up generators to gradually change the climate."
"But won't that take an enormously long time?"
"Yes. We estimate that it could take ten to fifteen years before the new sites would become suitable. We are a patient people, it will be worth the wait."
"Sir" put in Sam "The generators were modified by Evin's ancestors from those originally left by their Goa'uld captors. They have a number of very interesting properties of which the climate control is only one. I'm sure we could put the technology to very good use."
"I agree Major, I'll arrange a meeting with the Technology Evaluation Team ASAP. Evin, we'd be pleased to have you as our guest for a while though I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to remain on base, at least for the time being. You may, however, take a trip to the surface if you wish as long as you're escorted by Major Carter or another officer."
"Thank you for your kindness, General."
"Very well, you're dismissed."
The team filed out of the Briefing Room and, as one, made their way to the infirmary to check on O'Neill's condition. Janet greeted them as they entered.
"How is he?" Sam asked immediately, the concern in her voice apparent to all.
"Well his shoulder's mending nicely and we'll quickly bring his fever under control - so that's the good news."
"There's bad?" asked Daniel.
"Yes, I'm afraid the Colonel's knee has been badly damaged. He'll need some specialist surgery so I've arranged for him to go to the Academy hospital."
"When?" asked Sam.
"They're on their way now to collect him, so they'll operate tomorrow. Don't worry Sam, he'll be fine."
Janet had noticed that Sam was showing more than her usual level of concern for her CO considering that his injuries weren't at all life threatening.
Sam nodded. "Can we see him?"
"Of course - he's pretty groggy though." They crossed to the bed where O'Neill was lying.
"Hey Colonel, feeling better?"
"Hey Carter" he whispered.
"We hear you're going to the Academy Hospital, Jono," said Mal "we'll come and see you there as soon as we can."
"Sure Mal. Thanks." Jack closed his eyes; he was almost asleep.
"Ok people, let the Colonel rest now. I'll let you know as soon as he's up to having visitors."
As they made their way out of the infirmary Sam suddenly turned about and retraced her steps to Jack's bedside. Reaching out she took his hand and gave it a brief squeeze, before returning to the others, ignoring the puzzled looks she was getting from Janet. As Sam left the room, Frasier turned to Daniel, lifting an eyebrow in mute enquiry, but he just shrugged, obviously as intrigued as she was.
END OF PART TWO
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