Sam
In May we had the go ahead to visit the address Daniel believed held a section of the device we were putting together we called the time remote that we needed. A piece that was crucial to pinpointing solar flares and making the jumps possible when going through the gate. When we sent a MALP through to scout for us there was only forest and breathable air recorded. We went through and found it was exactly that, a picturesque easily walkable forest.
Something about the smell of an evergreen always revived me. Be it a cypress back home or a redwood on another planet, they all had a smell about them that made me want to walk through a misty morning forest. Jack always smelled like a comforting mix of balsam fir and ivory soap, and I noticed the more time I spent in the woods the more I felt he belonged there. Everything about him was rooted to the outdoors, he seemed so fluid and natural walking the unfamiliar terrain. As I looked at him now leaning against a mossy boulder, staring up into the canopy of lacy green foliage I saw how at ease and yet highly alert he was in his surroundings.
"What are you staring at Carter?" His voice was low but his eyes were focused on the treetops.
"Nothing really," I looked back at the horizon and took a drink of water from my bottle. The mountains in the distance were a brilliant crimson capped in white snow, a stark contrast to the evergreen plant life we were walking along the forest in. The weather here felt like it could've been an early spring or autumn day.
"It's strange that the gate would be on a walking path." Daniel was copying symbols down from a plaque tied to a tree. "Clearly this is a map of different routes carved out, but why is the gate here unbothered? There doesn't seem to be a settlement nearby." He traced the pathway and notated more of the language into his field journal. "If there was something close we could chalk it up to trading routes through the gate, or normal travel but there is nothing here."
"There are man made nest sites." Jack pointed up at the tree line. "For large birds I imagine."
Daniel, puzzled, turned and looked back at Jack. There was a tall pole in the distance where a brown bird of some kind had flown onto the perch watching us.
"That's evidence of industrialization then, lumber mills and metallurgy to construct that." I observed. "As well as the obvious map Daniel's looking at."
"And a common acceptance culturally to preserve natural life." Daniel shrugged, "that's always a good sign for the mental state of the population. It's just odd that there is all of this, but no reason the gate is so well kept." We packed up and continued walking along a trail for another half an hour until Teal'c stopped us. He heard voices nearby and Jack had commented he smelled smoke. Carefully we continued until the path ended into a clearing and we stopped still in our tracks.
Multiple cabin structures in rows were scattered with small cooking fires and children running around outside. Women in long tunics and their hair braided high upon their heads turned to look in our direction. Men were walking in muted browns and greens thinking nothing of our arrival. Some had rudimentary fishing poles and nets, children had balls kicking them back and forth in knitted sweaters, and I noticed a plaque in the front of every identical cabin.
"Keep walking," Jack muttered and we passed all the cabins with people giving us odd looks but none seemed concerned. In the center of the buildings was a long lodge, giant antlers were perched out front and a woman with a felt cap and long skirt and blouse in the same muted browns as the men back in the cabins was waving at children coming into the building.
"Call me crazy Daniel but uh, your study notes have anything written about a campground? Because I think we're in the equivalent of a planetary Yellowstone."
"Put the guns in your pack." Daniel answered back.
"Why?" Jack argued.
"We're not walking around a campground with guns out. Especially not one with children." Daniel hissed under his breath.
Jack took a moment and sighed in agreement as we placed the P-90's in our backpacks.
"This is charming," I chuckled. "I used to go camping with my family as a kid every summer."
Daniel sniffled and dug around his pockets pulling out a dose of allergy medication before checking his watch for the time and swallowing them down.
"Well, that must be the ranger station," Jack pointed at the lodge, "shall we?" We collectively walked in, some staring at as, moving their children to the back of the building. Daniel walked up to a long desk and saw a woman standing in the same uniform as the others.
"Good day, my name is Daniel, we're visiting from out of the area, and I was wondering if I may speak with whoever is in charge currently?" He gave a courteous smile and the woman seemed confused by smiled in return.
"Forest Rover Arlin is getting ready for youngling hour. However, we encourage all new visitors to the parks to engage during this time." She grinned and pointed in the direction towards the collection of bagged chairs in various animal prints and small children ranging in all ages crowded around a middle aged man dressed in the same brown with a wide brimmed felt cap and a badge pinned in the middle that looked similarly to the red stoned mountains around the park outside.
"Forest Rover?"
"Yes, the keepers of the park. Like myself. Where did you say you were visiting from?" She asked.
"Uh, out west." He nodded and she seemed understanding.
"Ah, yes. Explains the confusion. The ancestral ring was opened to the other publics just last month. You're the first though from that area."
"Lucky guess," Jack whispered over to me and I nodded back. Daniel thanked the woman and continued to us.
"Story time anyone?" He began walking to the collection of children and stood amongst the other parents listening to the Forest Rover's story.
Jack made his way to the gift shop ignoring Daniel's lead and Teal'c stood captivated by the artwork on the wall of what appeared to be local animal tracks. I continued walking, admiring the deep umbers of the planked walls and the dioramas of local history. A few times I would look over and see Daniel patiently waiting for his turn to speak to the man that was giving a speech about preserving wildlife with a furry puppet on his hands.
Once the children all left with sheets of paper and charcoal to doodle with at a nearby craft table I walked back to Daniel who was approaching the Forest Rover.
"Hi, is there somewhere private we could speak?" Daniel glanced over at the children within earshot and smiled politely back at the man.
"Um, pertaining to?" The man responded perplexed.
"The stone gate, um ring, in the park, on the trail."
"Oh yes, one of our unique original monuments here, what about it?"
Daniel leaned closer to the man and whispered, "we came through it. Um, not sure if you get many visitors from what we call the Stargate, some call the Chappa'ai, but we'd like to speak about it privately." His voice was calm and collective and I saw the Forest Rover's eyes widen.
"Impossible," he breathed. Daniel ripped the patch on his shoulder and showed it to the man. The earth symbol against our planet staring back at him in fabric.
"I know it is hard to believe, but this is our home, this symbol on the gate, it's where we dial back to get to where we call Earth. We'd love to show you but," he motioned at the children, a few of the older ones looking back at the shocked man. "My name is Daniel, this is Sam." I waved and he nodded.
"I'm Arlin, the head Forest Rover here, let's go for a walk to your Stargate shall we?"
The four of us and Arlin walked casually back the path, from the information gathered they were comparable to many Earth countries in the late nineteenth century. No form of camera technology, but a firm conceptual grasp on electrical work. We dialed the gate with the DHD device located next to the gate after a few modifications on the broken wires. The gate opened with a flush and then a horrified look spread on his face.
"I assumed you had some wild story," he whispered. "We, just believed this was for ritualistic use, this can be opened at anytime? By anyone?"
"Well yes," Daniel continued, "but if your people decide against it, there are ways to deactivate it." Jack gave him a look and Daniel quickly added, "however, there are multiple benefits to having it open and forming a friendship with the people of Earth."
"This needs to be destroyed. I didn't believe the stories before, none of us did. Our generations prior were delusional. If this was found out, this park would be shut down. It would cause another war. We've just rebuilt, it's been a complete generation of peace now. I can't risk this getting out." He looked at Daniel, "go home. Never come back. Shut this down."
"Well you see sir," Jack stepped in, "we came looking for something very important to us."
"Take what you need and leave." He squinted at the four of us.
"What about your people? Don't they deserve..."
"Not now Daniel," Jack cut him off. He looked back at Jack frustrated, but he understood. Who were we to tell this man who knew his home better than us, what their culture could handle when we kept our gate secret as well.
"I'm looking for a cavern system, the outside may appear to be a carved grouping of symbols with this," he shuffled through his notebook and pointed to what he had written down.
"Yes, that is in a restricted part of the land. I can grant you access to it, but I will not help you, and I expect that you leave after you are done. Speak to no one, and I will give you a map towards your location." He pulled out a paper map and charcoal and began circling sections of the map. We agreed, and he left us. Daniel dialed the DHD to check in with home base and give notes on what we had found out.
"That went the opposite of what I had expected. But, kinda still worked out in our favor." Jack shrugged.
Teal'c gave a singular nod, "indeed."
Eleanor
"It's a park campground?" I asked Walter as I sat next to the gate tech confused looking at the detailed notes Daniel had left when he dialed to check in.
"Apparently, and it sounds as if the grounds keeper wants them out of there pronto." He shrugged, taking a bite of a soggy turkey wrap.
"I'm more confused though about the images the MALP sent back before they jumped. It was just woods, nothing significant or even close to showing it was a hiking trail to some, what did he call the gate, a monument?" I used the spare computer next to him and clicked through the MALP pictures. "Look, it's a heavily wooded area. Wouldn't they have it cleared out for people coming to see the monument?"
"I don't know, all SG-1 said was they were on their way to find the panel in the cave systems. That the area is a campground, the people are technologically equivalent to Victorians and the groundskeeper wants to seal the gate when SG-1 returns to keep others from coming back. He's worried it will spark another war. I guess he was pretty to the point about it and left." Walter took another bite and I scrolled the readings they sent back.
"Well, who am I to judge how a hiking trail is laid out?" I shrugged. "Thanks for updating me on the situation Walter," I got up and paused, "would you like me to grab anything for you? I know once you're on shift you can't really leave."
"A pop would be much appreciated, thank you." He grinned back.
I left the can at the console for him and returned to my office ready to pack up for the evening. I had anticipated that SG-1 would be gone for at least one night, possibly two so I had an evening planned of leftover pizza and a movie rental I had not gotten around to seeing yet. Daniel and I had made arrangements to go to Denver for the weekend when he returned, but I knew quite often trips could be changed when he was off-world. I heard a knock and looked up to see Lonnie leaning against the doorway.
"Hey stranger."
"Long time no see," I smiled and placed my reading book in my tote bag.
"Well that's not exactly my fault." He chided.
"I've been such a bad friend, I'm sorry. I've been preoccupied." I slung the bag over my shoulder. "I am free this evening, or probably tomorrow if you'd like to get margaritas and tacos." I wiggled my brows playfully.
"So you and Jackson?" He asked flatly in return.
"Well technically HR is aware of our relationship, so yes. Me and Jackson." I clapped my hands together and rocked on my feet anxiously. "But we make a point to not really bring it up at work." I stood in front of him, bag in hand, but he was still blocking my doorway.
"You should nip it in the bud while you can. If it ends poorly you'll be the one fired, not him." His features seemed angry, and it was confusing to me. It wasn't jealousy, but there was something lurking there.
"Thanks Lonnie, I understand you're trying to look out for my best interests." I smiled awkwardly, feeling the tension between us.
"He's SG-1, and you're an overpaid search engine who is slacking at her job."
"I get it." I winced. "That was harsh, even for you."
"You haven't been returning my request files." His head cocked to the side in question.
"I have," I took a step back from his accusing tone. "For your information, yours are always the first I tend to. I'm only sending what I'm permitted." He took another step in and towered over me. This intimidation tactic was not like him. Or wasn't, it had been a month since I had even seen him in person. "I don't understand why you're asking me for all of this anyways. I don't know gate jumping schedules, they're still keeping that on lockdown until the day of. Also, I can only give you information that's available to everyone here. The reports you're asking for are above your clearance."
"Sorry, I just," something switched across his face and he softened. It didn't have the impact though that I thought he was going for. It felt forced and made me nervous. "I really care about you, you're a good friend to me and I don't want you to get hurt."
"Thank you," I nodded playing along and he walked with me in silence to the elevator down the hall. He had to stay that night for an oncall mission and I was surprised at how relieved I was that my once friend wasn't walking with me.