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The Poseidon Effect
***** Chapter 11 *****
“Sam has to activate the device from below,” he said. “She’ll signal us to pull her up when she’s ready.” Teal’c nodded, and Daniel lay down at the edge of the cliff to watch for Sam. Nothing happened for several minutes, and he was about to use the radio to check on her when he felt a slight tremor in the rock beneath him. “Did you feel that?” He asked, turning to Teal’c. “I did not.” The first gentle tremor was followed almost immediately by a much bigger quake. Nearby, several boulders shook themselves free and rolled off the edge of the cliff, making a sound like thunder as they fell. Daniel leaped back from the edge of the cliff. “Sam?” He called into the radio, his voice urgent. “All hell’s breaking loose up here!” Teal’c already had Sam’s belay rope in his hands, his legs spread wide for balance against the heaving ground. “I know, Daniel.” She sounded tense, but controlled, and he relaxed slightly in the knowledge that she seemed to know what she was doing. “I think I got it,” she continued. “Tell Teal’c I’m on my way up.” Teal’c nodded that he had heard, and Daniel grabbed a handful of rope to help pull her to safety. Both were too concerned with Sam’s well-being to think much about what was happening in the gorge below until she stood safely beside them. It was only then that they noticed the new sound in the air. They turned just in time to see a wall of water burst through what had once been solid rock at the end of the canyon. With a roar of noise and frothing whitecaps, it churned through the ravine, seeking out every nook and cranny as it fought its way to freedom. In a matter of minutes, they were looking at a wide river, its waters nearly reaching the edge of the cliff where SG1 stood watching. When the worst of the flood had passed, Sam turned to Daniel with a satisfied smile. “I guess it worked.” He grinned back, and they exchanged a high five that made Teal’c shake his head indulgently at them. But even he looked pleased as he watched the precious liquid boil down the length of the canyon toward the lowlands beyond. “My people will benefit greatly from this discovery,” he said. “Thank you for your assistance.” “Anytime, Teal’c,” Sam said happily. They watched the water for a few more seconds. “Right, then,” Sam said, when it looked like the show was over. “Shall we head back?” Daniel and Teal’c nodded and moved to the boulder where the belay ropes still lay. They coiled the ropes quickly, stowing them and the rest of the gear safely in their packs to be carried back to the Stargate. All in all, Daniel was well pleased with the day’s adventure. It wasn’t until he turned to pick up his pack that he realized something was amiss. “Teal’c?” He should have expected something like this. After all, when had an SG-1 mission ever gone off without a hitch? “Where’s Sam?”
Sam had been standing by the side of the river, checking to see if they still had access to the alcove where the device was located. One of the science teams should return to study it further, but that wouldn’t make any sense if said machinery was now floating somewhere beneath several million gallons of churning water. Luckily, she could see the ledge, which meant the device was probably still accessible. She’d turned to reach for her pack when she felt the bank crumble beneath her feet, rocks and dirt sliding away too fast for her to attempt a leap to safety. Later, she wouldn’t even be sure if she had shouted. She would only remember the desperate fight for survival as the current forced her downstream in a maelstrom of froth and tumbling rocks that turned her world into a kaleidoscope of muddy water, white foam, and the occasional all too brief flash of bright blue sky. She became the river’s plaything, tossed about, dunked, and then bounced against rock after rock until she barely retained the will to fight. But fight she did. She’d survived the Goa’uld. She’d survived more than one alien invasion of body and soul. And she would survive this. The water tumbled her over and around and then over again a dozen times or more before finally spitting her over the edge of a waterfall and down into a deep pool of water that sucked her in while her lungs screamed for air, arms and legs fighting desperately against the current. Exhaustion was the enemy now, weakness its ally. She fought against her body’s urgent demand that she inhale, She so did not intend to die this way, ignominiously defeated by a heartbeat’s inattention to her surroundings. Then finally, blessedly, her feet touched solid ground, and with her last remaining ounce of strength she bent her knees and sprang upward, clawing her way to the surface. Beyond the pool, the water slowed, as though having finally tired of play, it was ready to settle down and take a look around. She dragged herself to the muddy bank, pulling herself as far up the muddy slope as she could before giving in to the exhaustion that forced her eyes closed while the toes of her waterlogged boots still lay in the gently lapping waters of the river.
Finally, Daniel turned to Teal’c. “I’m heading back to the SGC for a Search and Rescue team,” he said. “We’re never going to find her this way.” Teal’c nodded, his expression grave. “I too will arrange a search party.” He said. He didn’t utter any reassurances. Both men knew that they might not find her, no matter how hard they looked.
She eased herself further up the bank, and then took off her socks and shoes, watching the water sluice through the mud to the deceptively calm river beyond. She shivered again and looked around, straining to see her surroundings in the darkness. Now what? No trees meant no fire. Wet clothes meant a possibility of exposure or worse. No pack meant no food. She needed to find shelter. If she could conserve her body heat, she could probably make it through the night. Cautiously, she climbed to her feet, relieved when her original hypothesis about functioning appendages proved accurate. Leaving her boots where they lay, she picked her way along the bank, her eyes turned away from the water as she scanned the landscape for shelter. It took several minutes, but at last she found a place where a group of rocks had been pushed several feet up the bank by the first rush of water, ending up in a semi-circular arrangement that, if not exactly cozy, would at least prevent a modicum of body heat from escaping into the chilly night air. She’d rest here until daylight and then work her way back upstream and toward the Stargate. With luck, she’d meet a rescue party somewhere along the way.
“O’Neill.” “Jack. It’s Daniel.” Something about the tone of his voice made Jack freeze, the forgotten towel dangling limply in his hand. “Daniel,” he said, hoping against hope that he’d imagined that eerie note of fear. “You’re back early.” “Yeah. There’s been an accident.” Oh God. He dropped the towel and snatched his shirt from its hanger. “What happened?” “Bank gave way.” There was the briefest hesitation, and then, very quietly. “It’s Sam.” No. God no. This wasn’t happening. Fear made his heart race, but he forced the beast back, slamming the door on it. Panic wouldn’t help anything. When he spoke, his voice was tight, but controlled. “Is she hurt?” “She’s missing, Jack. She went into the river and Teal’c and I couldn’t find her. I came back for SG-6.” “Take 8 as well.” “Will do.” “Be there in twenty minutes.” “Yeah.” Jack disconnected the phone, finished dressing, and was out of the house in under three minutes. By the time he arrived at the SGC, Daniel was nearly ready to go. The gate room was filled with men and women making last minute checks of their gear. Daniel stood at the base of the ramp, talking to the CO of SG-6, and Jack made a beeline in that direction, barely noticing the people who scrambled to get out of his way. “Daniel!” Jack said, “You were out there all night. You sure you’re up to this?” He already knew the answer, knew that death itself probably couldn’t keep Daniel from looking for her, but as acting CO, he had to ask. “I’m fine, Jack.” Daniel nodded at SG-6’s team leader, who moved off to check on his team. “There’s not a chance in hell I’m staying here.” Jack snorted at that. “You think I’d try to make you?” Daniel shook his head. “No.” “I believe the phrase was, ‘not a chance in hell’.” “Yeah. Well.” “I just…” Jack stopped. Looked away. Met Daniel’s eyes again. “Bring her back, Daniel.” “I’ll do my best.” Jack nodded, wishing desperately that he could join the search. Then he forced the thought aside, knowing that indulging in if-only’s would only frustrate him further. Besides, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do for Sam that Daniel, two SG teams, and a group of battle scarred Jaffa wouldn’t be able handle just as well, if not better. He saw that the teams were ready and waved a hand at Walter in the control room. “Fire it up!” He turned back to the assembled personnel. “Bring her home, boys.” Then, to Daniel, “Bring her home safe.” Daniel nodded. “Chevron seven locked!” There was a burst of sound as the wormhole formed. Barely waiting for the event horizon to stabilize, the teams stepped through and were gone.
She needed to get up and moving. The coming of daylight meant that she’d be able to see to work her way back upstream. It also meant an eventual end to the aching cold that had kept her awake for most of the night. She stood carefully, cringing as her muscles loudly protested her decision to move. Still, she was smart enough to know that she couldn’t stay here. She needed dry clothes, and she needed food, neither of which was going to come looking for her. It took a while to drag the still wet socks over her icy feet. She considered not bothering with them, but knew that she had a lot of walking ahead of her, and the socks would protect her from blisters. Besides, they’d dry eventually. There was a faint squishing sound as she forced them into her waterlogged boots, and she grimaced in disgust. Finally ready to face the coming hike, she eyed the waterfall that had concluded her wild trip down the river the previous day. It was steep, but not dangerously so, and she was pretty sure she could make the climb without too much trouble. Determined not to wait around for somebody to come and rescue her, she took a deep breath, and set off.
He glanced around, checking on the Jaffa searchers who had fanned out above and below him. It was slow going. During ancient times, the water had carved its way deep into the mountain range, and following its path now was both difficult and dangerous. They had already worked their way several kilometers down the river, but there had been no sign of Colonel Carter. Teal’c had hoped that she had been able to find a handhold along one of the steep cliff walls, thus pulling herself to safety. But as the time passed, and there continued to be no evidence that she had escaped from the raging torrent, he became more and more concerned. There was a shout, and he turned to see Bra’tac coming toward him. “What is it, old friend?” “One of the warriors found this,” Bra’tac said, handing Teal’c Sam’s GDO. “It was wedged in the rocks some distance down river.” “Show me.” Perhaps there would be some other sign of her nearby. Perhaps they would find her soon after all. He keyed his radio. “Daniel Jackson.” Daniel’s tired voice came back almost immediately, frustration and worry sharpening its edges. “Here, Teal’c.” “A Jaffa warrior has located Colonel Carter’s wrist device.” “Really?” The device, small as it was, was nevertheless a link to Sam. “Where?” “I am told the location is some distance down river. We are proceeding in that direction with great haste.” “Thanks, Teal’c. Keep me posted.” “Indeed.” Teal’c nodded at Bra’tac, and the two friends began walking downstream. On the way, they continued to keep a sharp eye on their surroundings. It was always possible that Sam had found a way out of the river someplace upstream from where the device had been found.
Within the past hour, he’d noticed a slow leveling out of the terrain and sensed that the end of the search might be near. Once the canyon widened out into the lower plains the current would slow, and if Sam had survived the horrendous trip through the canyon itself that’s where the weight of her body would finally have brought her to a stop. He only hoped that when it had happened she’d still been alive. His concentration on the search was so intense, his exhaustion by now so complete, that when he finally saw her he didn’t immediately believe his own eyes. He stopped, rubbed the grit out of them, and stared at the slim figure moving slowly toward him through the late afternoon sun. Her shoulders were slumped, chin resting almost on her chest as she trudged along, but she was alive, and walking, and coming his way. Relief washed over him in a great wave, and he broke into a run, ignoring the startled looks of the other searchers, who still hadn’t seen her. He didn’t hear their own cheers or see them start after him. He only knew that he had to get to her, to make sure she was all right. “Sam!” He swept her into a hug, ignoring the drying mud that stiffened her uniform beneath his touch. “Thank God.” She hugged him back, wincing a little. “Hey,” she said tiredly. Then, with a weak smile, “Miss me?” He smiled back at her. “Nah. We just figured you were trying out a new extreme sport.” He stepped back, looking her over as the medical corps arrived. Her clothes were torn and muddy, and the bruise on her cheek was probably one for the record books, but she didn’t appear to have any broken bones, and in spite of her obvious fatigue she seemed to have survived her adventure remarkably unscathed. Within moments they were surrounded by medical personnel who, he knew, would poke and prod at her for several minutes. He stepped aside and keyed his radio, glad that this time he had good news to share. “Teal’c, come in?” “I am here, Daniel Jackson” “We’ve got her, Teal’c. She’s alive.” There was a second’s silence, and then Teal’c’s relieved voice. “That is good news. Is she unharmed?” “Some bumps and bruises. Nothing that won’t heal.” “I am pleased to hear it.” Daniel shook his head. Teal’c’s ability to downplay his feelings would never cease to amaze him. For his part, he wanted to jump up and down, dance a jig, throw a party, whatever it took to let the whole world know that he’d found her, and that she was miraculously unharmed. “It doesn’t make sense to hike all the way back up the canyon from here,” Daniel said. “Once the med crew is finished checking her out, we’re going to head straight back to the gate.” “Then I shall meet you there,” Teal’c said. “Please convey my regards to Colonel Carter.” “Will do. Jackson out.” Somebody had loaned Sam a dry jacket, and when he returned to her side she was buttoning it closed under her chin. “I was beginning to think I would never be warm again,” she said. He shook his head admiringly. “I don’t know how you did it, Sam.” “Did what?” “I saw that river. I watched its power. How in the hell did you manage not to get yourself killed?” She shrugged. “Karma? Fate? Luck?” He grinned. “Whatever. Just…” “What?” “Don’t do that again, okay?” “Believe me, I won’t.” The rest of the search parties had been informed that Sam had been found, and SG-6 had already left the area. The SG teams would regroup at the gate before heading home. “You okay for the walk back?” Daniel asked. “Daniel, if it meant getting out of these horrid squishy shoes I’d walk to hell and back.” He laughed. “It isn’t quite that far.”
Muscles aching, she turned to say goodbye to Teal’c, who would once again remain behind on Dakara. He gripped her shoulders, looking gravely into her eyes. “I am relieved that you are well,” he said. “I don’t think I’d go all the way to ‘well’,” Sam said. “You are strong. You will recover.” She nodded. “Hot shower, bit of a nap... I’ll be good as new in no time.” She heard the distinctive whoosh of sound as the Stargate sprang to life. “Please give my thanks to Bra’tac and the other searchers,” she said. Teal’c nodded, and she turned to Daniel who was waiting for her near the gate. The rest of the SG personnel had already left, but Daniel, good friend that he was, wasn’t going to take any chances that something else might keep her from making the trip home. When she stepped through the Stargate on the other side, Jack was waiting at the end of the ramp. His eyes, dark with worry, communicated a depth of emotion that military protocol would never condone. Left unspoken were the words that she didn’t need to hear to understand. You’re okay? She nodded slightly and saw him breathe a sigh of relief. A sudden desire to burrow into the warm security of his embrace nearly overcame her then, and she might have acted on the impulse if she hadn’t been surrounded almost immediately by the medical corps. Despite her protests, she was bundled onto a gurney. She hated gurneys. Helpless was not something she did well. “Back off, folks,” Jack said from somewhere in the crowd. “You’ll suffocate the poor girl.” The crowd of people thinned, and Jack stepped up beside her. His eyes were warm with relief and amusement. “You know Carter, we could’ve arranged a spirited bit of mud wrestling right here on Earth. All you had to do was ask.” She couldn’t quite muster the energy required to glare at him. “I’ll try to remember that, Sir.” “Yeah. Well, you do that.” He smiled, and she glimpsed a flicker of something in his expression that made her catch her breath. Abruptly, he turned back to the medics. “Off you go,” he said to them. “Do your best to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.” “Sir!” Sam protested. “Humpty Dumpty?” But he was already headed the other way. She’d remember that comment. She’d remember, and he’d pay. Grumbling about the injustice of it all, she nevertheless settled back down on the gurney. Independence aside, the thin mattress felt a hell of a lot better than the mud caked rocks of Dakara. It took two hours for the doctors to assure themselves that she really had survived her harrowing adventure miraculously unscathed. They finally gave her a double dose of Tylenol, an order to rest, and her freedom. Gratefully, she headed straight for the locker room where she indulged in a very long, very hot shower. Dressing was a battle between her force of will and her muscles’ grim determination not to cooperate. She’d managed all but her shoes, and was vehemently unleashing her entire vocabulary of Abydonian epithets on the laces when the locker room door cracked open. Jack looked in. “You decent?” She managed a grin. “It’s a little late to ask, isn’t it?” “Oh.” He looked mildly sheepish. “Right.” He watched her struggle for a second, and then came over to kneel beside her. “Here,” he said, taking over the task. “I can do it.” He ignored her protest, quickly finishing with one shoe and starting on the other. “I’ve postponed the debriefing until 1100 tomorrow,” he said, not looking up. “Go home and get some sleep.” “Sir, I’m fine.” He pulled the second bow tight and stood up. “That’s an order, Colonel.” She sighed. Technically, he was a civilian now. She could argue with him without risking a court martial. Still… Some habits die hard. Besides, the idea of a soft bed was incredibly enticing at the moment. “Yes, Sir.” “Carter…” She looked up at him. “Sir?” She couldn’t call him Jack. Not here. “I just wanted to say…” He kicked at a clump of dried mud on the floor, and then looked up at her. “I’m sorry about the other night. I was out of line.” The words came out in a rush. Unaccountably nervous, she played for time, pretending interest in the dirty uniform she was stuffing into her duffle bag. “Anyways… I’ll, um, see you tomorrow.” Jack said, turning to the door. By the time she gathered her wits, he already had his hand on the door handle. “Jack.” Okay, so maybe she could drop the title after all. “Wait. Please.” He turned back, a question in his eyes. “Yeah?” “That bit about being out of line?” “What about it?” Her smile was just a trifle shy. “Maybe not so much.” As the door clicked shut behind him, she could’ve sworn she heard him whistling. **************
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