Stargate SG-1: Steampunk

Chapter 3 - Situation Normal, All Fouled Up

"Is this what normally happens on your away missions, Sir?" Siler asks. He sits with the rest of the SG-1 team in the airship.

Once O'Neill and the others had surrendered, the officer in command had approached SG-1-plus-one and asked them a series of questions. Though he tried, Dr. Jackson could not understand anything the officer said, other than getting his name, which was Gamril Eilen. Dr. Jackson tried using all of the Earth languages he knew, both old and new. When that didn't work he tried using the "off world" languages he knew or partially knew, including Goa'uld and what he believed the Ancients spoke. Nothing worked. Since they couldn't communicate verbally, the frustrated officer resorted to pantomime and hand gestures.

The officer waived the airship back in. Instead of a flag with blue, white, and green stripes with a red dragon in the middle, this airship's large flag has alternating red and white horizontal stripes with a large six-pointed solid blue star in the middle. The airship dropped toward the ground, lowering two pairs of rubber-encased wheels. It landed on the soft sand and rolled a few feet. A door in the side opened and some of the soldiers on the ground slid out the gangway. The SG team, minus their weapons and equipment, were escorted up and into the gondola. They were directed to ascend a spiral staircase into the ship's cavernous interior. They quickly found themselves in a wire cage surrounded by immense gas bladders. After locking the door their escorts disappeared back down into the gondola. The team sat on the benches in the cage and waited. For what they didn't know.

"Not always," Colonel O'Neill says. "though it seems to happen more often than I would like."

"Daniel, what was with the language problem?" Captain Carter asks.

"I don't know. I didn't recognize any of the languages he was using. Either they aren't from Earth, or their language is from a very ancient offshoot of Earth's language tree that must have eventually died out. They also aren't familiar with any of the off-world languages. That means there has been little interaction with other gate worlds for a very long time."

"Are you saying there is no way to communicate with them?"

He shrugs. "I'm afraid so. Or at least right now. Unless I can find some common word roots I'll have to start from scratch. That could take a long time."

"And in the meantime, we are moving further away from the gate," Siler adds.

They sit in silence for some time. Other than a visit from another officer, who also asked questions they couldn't answer, they are left alone.

For over an hour they sit in the cage. The lack of windows means they have no idea where they are going and would be unable to find their way back to the gate if they were to escape. The airship begins to make several heading changes. The noise from the propellers becomes louder as the airship increases speed. They also feel the angle of the airship increase as it gains altitude. After a few minutes they feel the airship level off and slow down. Soon several armed guards arrive, with one opening the door and motioning for them to follow.

The guards direct the SG-1 team to the circular staircase and down the steps into the gondola. The officers and enlisted men in the bridge area at the front of the gondola turn to look at them, though primarily at Captain Carter. The guards lead the SG-1 team to the back of the gondola. There they gather around what looks to be a long ramp that has yet to be lowered. As they wait the sailors place a u-shaped rope barrier around the ramp, carefully placing the stanchions into holes around the ramp and locking them in place with a twist. O'Neill knows something is going on but what he doesn't know.

Above the open end of the rope barrier O'Neill sees a winch hanging from the gondola's ceiling. A thin metal cable with a hook on its end dangles from the winch. A strange-looking metal rack hangs over the middle of the ramp. Large springs connect the four corners of the rack to the gondola's ceiling. Two small winches, with thicker cables, have also been attached via springs to the ceiling above the rack. The cables run from the winches through two holes on either side of the rack and are attached to either end of a simple beam. The SG-1 team members look at the setup and then at each other.