Understand this, there was once an alliance of four great races in the galaxy; the Asgard, the Nox, the Furlings and the Ancients, the builders of the Stargates. The alliance was built over many millennia. Your race has much to prove before we may interact on that level.

Asgard to Colonel Jack O'Neill, The Fifth Race

Streams of sunlight touch the mossy ground on the narrow path in front of me, pale light filtering through the fan-shaped leaves of the dark trees. Each step I take is accompanied by a soft squelch breaking the eery silence, but I'm not slowing down. Once I reach the open plains the ground will hopefully be dry again. As of now, I'm cold, my feet are damp, and there's only one guy to blame for all this.

The great and brilliant Sammy decided he'd rather take a walk in the park than stay with our team and survey the progress we have made with the latest cloaking device developed with the help of the Nox. The Nox may be able to render a whole city invisible, but we're still a long way from that. Thankfully, the thing worked. Which is why we could all be back at the camp now, if Sammy hadn't hopped off sometime ago. The problem is, no one saw him leave and although I have a guess as to where he's heading I may be entirely wrong. What's more, I can't shake the feeling he's doing this just to annoy me. Again.

At last the trees give way to the big wide open, lush green grass stretching out towards the great ring looming upright over the plains. The Doorway to the Stars is silent today, strange metal glistening wet from the last of the showers typical for this time of year. Timeless, awe-inspiring. A gift of the Ancients to the peoples of the universe, and it's still here when they no longer tread the surface of any of the planets they have connected. Millennia later our pathetic little race put its own monument beside it, the large engraved monolith a greeting to new arrivals. Once white, its weather-beaten surface bears cracks, and lichen obscures parts of the writing. We have to get it cleaned up, Sammy has insisted repeatedly. But we don't really need it any longer. We're not so pathetic any more. These days, our visitors usually contact us before they step through the doorway.

And Sammy's not here. That boy is going to be the death of me one of these day. He likes this place, which is why I thought I might find him here, that maybe he had taken the chance and made a little detour since we were in the neighborhood. Turns out I'm wrong. And now I have to make my way back to where we have set up camp, through that damp and dismal forest, when Sammy's probably warming up beside a nice little fire and sipping his favorite tea right now.

I take one parting look at the ancient monument, when suddenly the ring begins to vibrate. The metallic circle starts to move, the grinding sound of the old mechanism coming to life loud over the wide plains. That's strange. As far as I know, no one is scheduled to come through the doorway today. One triangle locks into place, then the second, then the third. You'd think our people would have contacted us if something was up, what with the camp being barely a three hour stroll away. Fourth triangle locked, fifth. Of course there's always the chance that whoever steps through has hostile intentions, but that's why the High Council always keeps an eye on what's going on here, and we have our ways of evading folks we don't want to meet. Sixth triangle locked. But I'd better make it back to the undergrowth. I'm not taking any chances. The seventh triangle locks.

A ball of blue light erupts from the circle, and then the liquid blue horizon stabilizes, sunlight reflecting on the shimmering form. Four humanoids step through. Not a threat in itself, but they are all armed.

"Oh, ain't this peachy! Another planet with goddamn trees."

The male who has spoken up is the one who has stepped through the doorway first. He is glancing around himself cautiously, as if he expects to be attacked any minute. Probably the leader of the little group, which consists of three males and one female if I'm not mistaken, all wearing the same green uniform of some sort and carrying primitive weapons.

The leader relaxes slightly. He adjusts his cap which is the same color as the uniform. A stubble of dark hair streaked with grey becomes visible when he lifts it before placing it firmly over his head once more.

"Carter?" He is addressing the female whose blond hair is tucked neatly beneath a similar cap. She is looking intently at a rectangular device in her right hand.

"Everything fine, sir. Atmosphere breathable, oxygen levels high, low levels of radiation, temperature sixty-three degrees Fahrenheit. Just like the MALP indicated yesterday."

"Looks like we're lucky, Teal'c." The leader has turned to the only male bearing a somewhat sophisticated weapon. "No signs of Goa'uld so far."

"Indeed," the male addressed as Teal'c agrees. He bears the mark of a Jaffa on his forehead. Somehow that doesn't make sense. If these humans are enemies of the Goa'uld what is a Jaffa warrior doing among them?

"Sir, there shouldn't be any." The female, Carter, looks up sharply. "The coordinates of this planet were not on the Abydos cartouches. This is one of the addresses you put into the gate computer when the knowledge of the Ancients was downloaded into your brain."

The leader winces slightly. "Doesn't mean they couldn't have found it by now," he points out.

The fourth member of the group is also male, younger than the other two, his short blond hair of a darker shade than the woman's. He is wearing glasses, the aid for poor sight another indication that their civilization is not very advanced if they are not able to fix these shortcomings on the individual himself. The young man has wandered off from the others, and has stepped up to the solemn grey monolith bearing our greetings. The expression of rapture on his face is somehow familiar, and suddenly I know who he reminds me of. Sammy. I've seen the same look of childlike wonder on Sammy's face when he has found something new and exciting. It's probably a scientist thing.

"Don't touch it, Daniel!" the grey-haired man calls out.

"Jaack!" the young man wails. "Just let me do my work. There are inscriptions on this stone." He is squinting at the letters half hidden beneath lichen and moss.

The leader's eyes sweep over the plain, then settle on the woman in front of him. "Carter, you alright with those tests?"

"Yes, sir." The woman has already set down her backpack and proceeds to take samples of soil, stones, plants. Well, that looks familiar.

They work efficiently, each individual proceeding with their own task. Obviously they form some sort of unit, and they are not doing this for the first time. Satisfied with the progress they are making, the leader steps up to the Jaffa. "Teal'c, you keep an eye on things."

The Jaffa's gaze never wavers. "I will, O'Neill." O'Neill, that name should ring a bell, but somehow it doesn't.

The leader strolls over the soft grass to the young scientist, who is still puzzling over the inscription. He doesn't seem to be familiar with our language. A gust of wind suddenly plays with the young man's hair, and I look up at the sky. Clouds are forming again, obscuring the sun. It's going to start raining again soon. The grey-haired man has noticed it too. But his attention returns to the scientist and the object of said scientist's curiosity.

"So what's it say?"

The young man glances up, frowning. "I don't know. The symbols look like some of the inscriptions I saw at Heliopolis, but as you know, I didn't get the chance to study them. So." He shrugs, blue eyes blinking at the other man.

The man called O'Neill sighs. "Daniel, if I hadn't dragged you off that godforsaken planet you wouldn't be here now."

Daniel's face is set in a stubborn gaze. "Yeah, still, that Rossetta stone would have unravelled more than one riddle of the universe."

The older man affectionately ruffles his hair. "Quit whining and start doing your job."

He takes a step away from the scientist, hands resting carelessly on the weapon slung over his shoulder, his chin jutting out. "So, Dr. Jackson, what's your take on the civilization of this planet?"

The younger man flashes him a smile. "Well, Colonel, I could be mistaken, but I think this civilization might belong to the Furlings."

That kid is brighter than I figured. Primitive weapons or no, never underestimate a quick mind.

"Ah." The other man, the 'Colonel', stares at Daniel.

"The Furlings. The fourth race," Daniel explains excitedly. "The ones the Asgard told you about on their homeworld."

"I know that. Been there, remember?" The Colonel is eyeing the younger man warily. "What makes you think so?"

Daniel is gesturing towards the inscription again. "I'm pretty sure this is the same script like the one in Heliopolis I had pegged down as the fourth race's. I can't read it, and I don't understand it, but I'm going to tape this and compare it to what little I have about Heliopolis."

His eyes narrow in thought. "Has Thor ever told you anything about the Furlings?"

The Colonel crosses his arms in front of his chest. "Nope. Last time we met we talked about fishing. Well, I talked, Thor listened."

An unmistakeable snicker is coming from the woman's, Carter's, direction. The Colonel's eyebrows shoot upwards. "What?" he asks indignantly. Daniel rolls his eyes.

And suddenly I know who they are. The Colonel has to be the human the Asgard have taken to, Thor's protégé, one Jack O'Neill. Well, Thor has always been a funny one. But everything is starting to fall into place around here. Both the Asgard and the Nox have mentioned that the humans of Earth have recently joined the players on the intergalactic battlefields. And from what I've heard so far, they've managed to make quite an impression on some people. Notably one team of four humans called SG-1. A curious mix of warriors, scientists, and even a Jaffa who has joined them in their fight against one of the minor evil forces in the universe, the Goa'uld. But apparently they have also assisted the Asgard in their fight against the replicators, and according to Thor, they are a promising race, technologically inferior or not.

Suddenly there's movement at the edge of my vision. Oh no, this can't be — but it is.

What the hell are you doing here, Sammy? In plain sight of off-world visitors? You don't know if they're friendly or not! And you're not supposed to make contact with inferior races without consulting the High Council first. We have this strict non-interference policy, remember?

Dammit, that kid will never listen. He's standing there, head slightly tilted, looking at the four humans, studying their every move. I don't understand why it never occurs to him that not every race wants to be studied by anthropologists. Or will even recognize him as an anthropologist.

Sammy, it's no use to ignore me. I know you can hear me. Just quit what you're doing and get the hell over here! One of them is going to turn around any minute now, and then they'll see you. They might shoot you for all I know!

Too late now. The one called Daniel has turned around, and he has noticed Sammy. I can see it in the way his body stiffens. He blinks, then tilts his head too, mirroring Sammy's pose. I know what Sammy's trying to do. Even though he's shielding his thoughts from me. He's trying to communicate with the human. Forget it, Sammy. That's never going to work. They are not advanced enough.

Daniel slowly moves towards Sammy. And the stupid son of a bitch just stands there waiting for him. I can't believe it. Guess I'll have to hop over there now, and get the kid the hell out of dodge. Again. But just as I step out of the undergrowth Daniel's face lights in a smile.

"Um, hello. I'm Daniel Jackson from Earth. We're peaceful explorers." He extends a hand towards Sammy, and Sammy is about to take it. So okay, this Daniel doesn't exactly look threatening and he's obviously surprisingly bright, but there are still the others to consider, and that non-interference policy.

And then the other guy, Thor's protégé, turns round. And I can see it when his eyes widen that he can't believe what he's witnessing. Well, neither can I, but I guess we have slightly different reasons here.

"Daniel? You're talking to a rabbit for cryin' out loud!"

Daniel turns his head, but he's still steering towards Sammy. And then everything happens so fast that I'm not sure what exactly has gone wrong. Suddenly Daniel stumbles, and falls to the ground clutching his ankle. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

The Jack O'Neill guy is at his side instantly, and so am I. For a short moment our eyes meet and we look at each other, stunned. Then we move again, the momentary confusion giving me the perfect opportunity to drag Sammy off towards the safety of the forest.

What have you done to him? I hiss at Sammy. I haven't done anything, Bugs, Sammy hisses back. The human has stepped into one of the holes the kids made last time we had to wait an eternity for the Nox ambassador to arrive.

"Jesus Christ, Daniel! You've stepped into a rabbithole!" That's that Colonel O'Neill guy again. "What the hell were you thinking about!"

"That rabbit was trying to talk to me, Jack." The young human scientist sounds crushed. Yes, he was, and no, they won't believe you. "Ow! Be careful. That hurts!"

We're back in the undergrowth and I turn around to look at the humans again. The young scientist is sitting in the grass, uniform soaking wet from falling down onto a particularly damp spot of grass. Told you that moss is treacherous. His hair is ruffled, glasses dangling precariously from one ear and he's holding onto his right ankle, face distorted in a grimace of pain. The Colonel is squatting beside him, trying to remove Daniel's boot without hurting him too much.

"I have no idea why I put up with this!" he grumbles, but I see the glance they exchange when the Colonel looks up. He leans forward and puts Daniel's glasses back in place, one hand lingering on Daniel's cheek before he gets up to make room for Carter. The woman carefully wraps bandages around Daniel's distorted ankle.

Sammy is entranced by the humans' behaviour. What the hell were you thinking about? I ask him furiously. Do you know you're the most annoying anthropologist I have ever worked with?

But Sammy ignores me. He's never been this close to humans before. Well, obviously we've just met some extraordinary specimen of the human race, but that doesn't mean Sammy will get away this easily. Sammy has turned pleading eyes towards me. Okay, okay. Maybe they have potential and maybe Sammy has been able to communicate with the human scientist, and maybe, maybe I can be convinced to suggest to the High Council that we may benefit from extending an invitation to SG-1 and the humans of Earth. But, Sammy will have to stop this vanishing into thin air act. Sammy rolls his eyes.

Meanwhile Carter has finished her work on Daniel's ankle. The Colonel beckons to the Jaffa who is trying not to look too amused, if I interpret Jaffa facial expressions correctly, which has never been my strong point. "Give me a hand here, T. Let's get Daniel back to the infirmary."

The two men proceed to pick up the young scientist and put his arms across their shoulders. Together they stagger towards to massive ring.

"Dial it up, Carter." The Colonel stops, steadying Daniel against his body. "Teal'c, can you pick up Daniel's backpack?"

The Jaffa removes Daniel's arm from his shoulder and retraces his steps to the monolith. Daniel turns his head. "Teal'c, can you tape it for me?" He's dying to find out what the inscription says, I can see that.

So can the Colonel, who is shaking his head now. "Daniel, we can come back for this. Let's just get you home first. Will you just for once do what I'm saying?"

The young scientist reluctantly draws his gaze back to the man at his side. "Sorry," he mutters.

The woman, Carter, is now punching in the symbols for their homeworld on the DHD. Teal'c steps up beside her, Daniel's backpack slung over one shoulder. They look at each other, smiling, and the woman casts a significant glance in the direction of the two other men before meeting the Jaffa's gaze again. Her smile deepens. I see, so humans can communicate without words too, at least to a certain extent.

But their teammates are too absorbed in each other to notice the silent exchange. The Colonel has never released his hold on Daniel, steadying him and pulling him close. He is cupping the young scientist's cheek with one hand, staring into his eyes. Then he leans in and brings his lips to the other man's mouth. They stay locked in the embrace, while the wind is picking up around them, racing over the plains, tugging at a loose strap on Carter's backpack. It's going to rain soon.

Now that's interesting, Sammy mutters beside me. Another form of communication without words. I have to agree.

The wormhole engages. The two men separate with the young scientist smiling shyly. "Ready, Carter?" The Colonel's voice is husky, his eyes never leaving Daniel's face.

"Yes, sir." The woman activates a device strapped onto her left wrist. She looks up, and her features spread into a wide grin when she meets her teammates' gaze, her eyes sparkling with mischief at the sight of a scowling Colonel and a blushing scientist.

She opens her mouth to say something, but her leader's voice cuts her short. "Whatever it is, Carter, I don't want to hear it." He fixes her with a determined stare. "You go first, Teal'c and I follow with Daniel. Teal'c, will you give me a hand?"

Then she is gone, and the two men support Daniel towards the event horizon. But the young scientist stops them once more, looking over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the line of trees, scanning the undergrowth Sammy and I have taken refuge in.

"I'll be back, Sammy!" he calls out, smiling.

"Sammy?" The Colonel casts him an incredulous glance.

"The rabbit," Daniel elaborates. The Jaffa raises an eyebrow, but remains silent.

The Colonel is shaking his head now, exasperated. "Okay, Daniel. Fraiser will get to do a complete checkup on you, including a scan on alien viruses. I'm not taking any chances."

"I swear it was talking to me, Jack."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. First stop is home." The older man affectionately pats Daniel's ass.

"Hey!"

"Just taking advantage of the situation. Won't be able to do this once we're back at the SGC. Come on, kids. Time to go home."

They step through the blue shimmering liquid and are gone. Barely a second later the wormhole disengages.

See? Sammy is bubbling with excitement. They're not stupid. They're just a little underdeveloped. And I like the one with the glasses.

I snort. I could see that. But Sammy is looking at me again with those pleading eyes.

Come on, Bugs. Can we meet them again? I won't tell him this, but I'm mush when he looks at me like that.

Maybe, I grumble.

And then the gates of heaven open, and at long last, the rain is falling. We'll be drenched once we're back at the camp, but they'll have a nice fire going there and I have retraced my missing anthropologist; and something tells me this isn't the last we'll have seen of the four funny humans. Sammy hops off towards the forest, humming, and I follow him. Who knows when I will have to haul him out of something next.

finis

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, the Sci Fi Channel, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions, and probably a whole bunch of other people. I do not own the characters and indeed am only playing with them for a little while. I am not making any money from this and I'm still paying for everything I own so there's very little point in suing me. No copyright infringement whatsoever is intended. The story is for entertainment purposes only. At least I hope it's entertaining. The original characters, situations and story are mine. Please check with me first if you want to archive or link to this story.

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