Stargate SG-1: Steampunk

Chapter 2 - Meeting New Friends

"Give us a moment, Colonel," the gate technician says. "We're doing another three-sixty with the camera to be sure nothing has changed since last night."

Colonel O'Neill and the rest of SG-1 stand at the bottom of the ramp, waiting for the go-ahead. No evidence of the dialing device had been seen on the daylight video sweeps of the area. The assumption was that the DHD was there but buried in the sand. That was why a new member of the team had been added, Sergeant Siler. The sergeant, always wanting to see what it was like to visit another world, had volunteered for this mission. He stands next to the team at the foot of the ramp, holding a standard issue mine detector in one hand. The other holds a heavy-duty shovel, perfect for a day digging on the riverbed.

Daniel Jackson asks, "think that will pick up the DHD?"

"It should, Dr. Jackson. There's enough metal in the device that the detector should pick it up. Even without the metal," he holds the detector up, "the detector should also cause the crystals inside to resonate which would then make them register. If not, then I'll use my special DHD probe."

The Sergeant nods backward to the top of his pack. Dr. Jackson sees a coil of thin wire hanging from a strap. "If the detector can't pick it up, I'll just straighten out the wire and stick it into the ground. Based upon past missions, we know where the DHD is usually located in relation to the gate. Regardless of where it might be, if it's there I'll find it."

"Then what?"

Siler raises and then lowers the shovel. "Then I dig."

Any further conversation is interrupted by a voice over the speaker. "Video sweep complete. All clear, Colonel. You're good to go."

0

"Any luck, Siler?"

"Not yet, Sir. Seventy percent of the time the DHD is in this area. Not this time. You might as well wander around or do whatever you do when you arrive planet-side. This may take a while."

While the sergeant scanned for the dialing device the SG-1 team had stood next to the stargate-created trench, discussing their next steps. Much of the water in the trench had vaporized with the subsequent gate activations. They were able to get through the gate and out of the trench before water began seeping back in. This let them avoid getting their feet wet. O'Neill looks out across the riverbed. Though the river level appears to have dropped considerably since last night O'Neill doesn't believe there is anything worth investigating in that direction. He can see tree-covered hills on the other side of the river but given the distance across the river Dr. Jackson agreed with the colonel.

"You heard the man. Let's wander." The colonel points to the bluff behind the now inactive gate.

They walk across the top of the drying sand behind the gate and toward the collapsed part of the bluff. They scramble up the soft soil and find themselves standing at the edge of a very large and relatively flat grassy meadow. The tall grass and patches of flowers wave in the slight breeze. To their left the meadow extends about twenty yards and ends at a tall hill. To their right the meadow extends what looks to be four hundred or more yards. Closely spaced trees line the edge of the meadow beginning roughly one hundred yards away and extend several hundred yards to the foot of heavily forested hills. A mile or so beyond the hills lie jagged peaks, some of which rise a thousand or more feet above the meadow.

From the top of the bluff they look back out over the riverbed. Sergeant Siler continues walking back and forth, alternately scanning the sand with the mine detector and sticking the wire into the sand. They can barely see the opposite riverbank and the hills several miles in the distance. The light haze in the air makes it difficult to see what lies on the other side of the river.