![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusThe Walls of Jericho - 13 (from part 1 here)
by Icarus
Daniel jogged back the way he came, golden torches reflected on glossy black streets.
He now had an insight into how they'd been created, could almost see the molten lava poured like asphalt, controlled by unknown forces. He took several wrong turns, but managed to convince the wary aliens to point him in the direction of the main dining hall where he was sure to find SG-1.
As he approached the darkened hall, he winced and felt a surge of conscience. He was after all, the cultural expert for this mission, and he'd just abandoned them to fend for themselves on their first important contact. But it was only a dinner, and frankly he and Jack might have killed each other with the steak knives. Which would have made an impression, but probably not the one they wanted.
It was unnaturally quiet outside the hall, and even before Daniel poked his head around the curtain he knew everyone was gone. That was a short dinner. He thought of the Powerbars in his pack and made his way back to their quarters. The lights shone from Jack's room.
"Hey you guys, you won't believe this --" Daniel said pushing the curtain open, and stopped.
Jack was sitting on the bed, arm wrapped around his knee, his head buried in the crook of his elbow. Sam leaned against the wall, dispirited, and just beyond them Teal'c sat in a chair, elbows leaned on his lap and shoulders slightly slumped.
Teal'c and Sam looked up with heavy eyes as Daniel let the curtain drop.
Jack didn't, nor did he make a single sarcastic comment; no gee, thanks for joining us, or where've you been. Instead he rubbed his forehead with his fist as if he wanted to sink the knuckles into his brain. With a loud sigh he hung his head.
This was bad. Very bad.
"What happened?" Daniel ventured carefully, chewing his lip.
"Oh, they were polite," Jack sighed. He finally looked up with a pained expression. "They're having a few… technical difficulties with their caves."
Sam looked away. Teal'c did not. "You were most unpleasant, Colonel O'Neill."
"I did the best that I could," Jack said, sounding resigned as he hung his head again.
Sam's eyes widened and she rolled her eyes, looking everywhere in the room except at her commander; which said it all really.
Jack rubbed his face and continued with a gesture, "They say a lava flow has blocked the entrance to the lower caverns, and that it will delay any access for the next several days."
"They're lying. They have complete control of--"
"We figured that. It's just their way of saying no."
"No, you don't understand. They have complete control of the lava. They can shape it like clay or beeswax, it's simply amazing. This kid just… made this thing, right in front of me." He was met with blank looks, so he tried again. "This place didn't take centuries to build. Based on what I saw they could've done it in weeks, months, or I dunno -- but a very short amount of time."
"Are you telling me that these people are more advanced than us?" Jack squinted at him. "I thought this was a primitive civilization."
Sam perked up, interested. "Not necessarily, sir. This is a completely alien society. They may be primitive, but with a totally different form of technology. There's probably no basis for comparison."
Jack still had an expression hovering between pained and confused, so Sam took a breath. "Something that's every day and not particularly advanced for this form of technology may seem extraordinary to us."
"Oh, it's every day all right." Daniel tipped his head. "The kid was playing with lava like it was a Leggo set."
"It's similar to the way our technology is vastly different from the Asgard: even though they're way ahead of us, it's still useful to them."
"So primitive, but not primitive."
"In a manner of speaking sir."
"Meaning, we need them more than we did two hours ago."
"Yes sir, quite possibly."
Jack dropped his head to his hands, then ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up more than usual. He let out a breath. "Okay. In the morning we make nice with these oh-so-polite aliens, apologize, hop on one leg while chewing bubblegum or whatever it is they want us to do. Then we find out more about how they work this lava stuff. Daniel," Jack looked up. "I want you to handle the communications from here on out. They, uh… they don't like me very much. And I can't say I blame them."
More Jack/Daniel soon, I promise. Also, WG has requested that I finish this story today.
Part 14 is up.
by Icarus
Daniel jogged back the way he came, golden torches reflected on glossy black streets.
He now had an insight into how they'd been created, could almost see the molten lava poured like asphalt, controlled by unknown forces. He took several wrong turns, but managed to convince the wary aliens to point him in the direction of the main dining hall where he was sure to find SG-1.
As he approached the darkened hall, he winced and felt a surge of conscience. He was after all, the cultural expert for this mission, and he'd just abandoned them to fend for themselves on their first important contact. But it was only a dinner, and frankly he and Jack might have killed each other with the steak knives. Which would have made an impression, but probably not the one they wanted.
It was unnaturally quiet outside the hall, and even before Daniel poked his head around the curtain he knew everyone was gone. That was a short dinner. He thought of the Powerbars in his pack and made his way back to their quarters. The lights shone from Jack's room.
"Hey you guys, you won't believe this --" Daniel said pushing the curtain open, and stopped.
Jack was sitting on the bed, arm wrapped around his knee, his head buried in the crook of his elbow. Sam leaned against the wall, dispirited, and just beyond them Teal'c sat in a chair, elbows leaned on his lap and shoulders slightly slumped.
Teal'c and Sam looked up with heavy eyes as Daniel let the curtain drop.
Jack didn't, nor did he make a single sarcastic comment; no gee, thanks for joining us, or where've you been. Instead he rubbed his forehead with his fist as if he wanted to sink the knuckles into his brain. With a loud sigh he hung his head.
This was bad. Very bad.
"What happened?" Daniel ventured carefully, chewing his lip.
"Oh, they were polite," Jack sighed. He finally looked up with a pained expression. "They're having a few… technical difficulties with their caves."
Sam looked away. Teal'c did not. "You were most unpleasant, Colonel O'Neill."
"I did the best that I could," Jack said, sounding resigned as he hung his head again.
Sam's eyes widened and she rolled her eyes, looking everywhere in the room except at her commander; which said it all really.
Jack rubbed his face and continued with a gesture, "They say a lava flow has blocked the entrance to the lower caverns, and that it will delay any access for the next several days."
"They're lying. They have complete control of--"
"We figured that. It's just their way of saying no."
"No, you don't understand. They have complete control of the lava. They can shape it like clay or beeswax, it's simply amazing. This kid just… made this thing, right in front of me." He was met with blank looks, so he tried again. "This place didn't take centuries to build. Based on what I saw they could've done it in weeks, months, or I dunno -- but a very short amount of time."
"Are you telling me that these people are more advanced than us?" Jack squinted at him. "I thought this was a primitive civilization."
Sam perked up, interested. "Not necessarily, sir. This is a completely alien society. They may be primitive, but with a totally different form of technology. There's probably no basis for comparison."
Jack still had an expression hovering between pained and confused, so Sam took a breath. "Something that's every day and not particularly advanced for this form of technology may seem extraordinary to us."
"Oh, it's every day all right." Daniel tipped his head. "The kid was playing with lava like it was a Leggo set."
"It's similar to the way our technology is vastly different from the Asgard: even though they're way ahead of us, it's still useful to them."
"So primitive, but not primitive."
"In a manner of speaking sir."
"Meaning, we need them more than we did two hours ago."
"Yes sir, quite possibly."
Jack dropped his head to his hands, then ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up more than usual. He let out a breath. "Okay. In the morning we make nice with these oh-so-polite aliens, apologize, hop on one leg while chewing bubblegum or whatever it is they want us to do. Then we find out more about how they work this lava stuff. Daniel," Jack looked up. "I want you to handle the communications from here on out. They, uh… they don't like me very much. And I can't say I blame them."
More Jack/Daniel soon, I promise. Also, WG has requested that I finish this story today.
Part 14 is up.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-12-29 12:03 am (UTC)So.
I like alien worlds that are really ALIEN. And no trees, which is just a bonus :>
Finish TODAY? And you WILL? Mmmm.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-29 01:25 am (UTC)Oh. And the next part is already up. *crosses fingers that I can finish today... well, late tonight at this rate.*
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-12-29 01:38 am (UTC)Yay!
God, it's 2:37 AM where I live, so it's going to be tomorrow for me, anyway.
Oh wait, it's tomorrow already.
But... yay!
no subject
Date: 2004-12-29 03:22 am (UTC)Icarus
no subject
Date: 2005-04-14 12:25 pm (UTC)