Back at the SGC, Colonel Carter went over the mission at the debriefing.
"...this new city seems to be identical in shape and size to Atlantis - although it seems to be buried under half a mountain of soil." She looked to General Landry and said, "With your permission, sir, I would like to return with SG-12 and at least a naquadah generator, to try and activate some of the city's basic systems." She paused - remembering something - "Also, I would like to give this sample to Doctor Lam, and find out if the subject died of a disease or not."
"I need to go as well," butted in Daniel, "From what I saw this city could be the oldest thing we've found in this Galaxy to date."
"Always to the point, aren't you?" commented Landry wryly. "Anyone else got any good reasons to send you back there?" he sat back into his chair and looked around, positively challenging anyone else to dare.
"They've got big guns, sir," murmured Mitchell. He knew exactly which buttons to push. Admittedly, everyone died, but mostly it was left to him, as SG-1's theoretical leader. "ZPMs, maybe, all that jazz. Probably stuff even Atlantis' mob have never seen."
"Well, put like that, how can I refuse?" The General grinned at them and stood up (to the sound of Carter and Mitchell's chairs scraping as they jumped to their feet) and said, "SG-1 you have a go to return to this city of yours, and you can take SG-12. Oh, and you're in luck - I happen to have to have he planet's second -" he nodded at Carter, "best for this stuff on hand."
Carter's smile faded with a dash of pessimistic premonition.
As they geared up, Doctor Rodney McKay listed his woes. "... dragging me off my work on this end of the intergalactic gate bridge, and dumping me with people" he glared pointedly at Mitchell, "Who can't even boast about MENSA at least..."
He turned to Carter, "At least there's someone here of measurable intelligence." He smiled broadly at her.
"So, who's that fruitloop that's coming with us?" demanded Vala not so discreetly.
"That fruitloop" snarked McKay, "is the smartest man on the planet."
Vala pulled a face, "Oh, well then... My opinion of this planet's intelligence just dropped."
When they reached the gateroom and McKay and Vala still hadn't shut up, Mitchell felt obliged to tell them to, and for a while they obeyed, though they kept giving each other narked looks.
"SG-1 and 12," said Landry's voice through the speakers, "You have a go. Bring me back some guns."
Meanwhile, Doctor Lam, working with Doctor Lee, had begun running tests on the sample Colonel Carter had brought back from the city. She'd already completed the preliminary tests and the results were really quite surprising. the virus that had wiped out the Ancients left easily visible symptoms, even on a sample as old as this. But, whatever had killed this man had been far more subtle and quick acting. A new strain, perhaps?
She'd stopped working briefly for a snack, stopped to see how Lee was going (no better than her, what a surprise) before continuing with some more precise tests.
~
Once again, creatures had come through the Great Circle. But before its brothers could be awakened they had gone again. But next time, they would not have such luck. It scuttled quickly towards the gate's control room. It climbed around the inner workings of the computers, naturally not understanding what it saw. But the hive-mind did. From the information passed down from the Ancestors it understood that by destroying, or at least removing a specific crystal in a specific console that the Great Circle would not activate from this end. There would be no escape. And now, they were ready. But before it could pull the crystal it snapped a wire with its foot. The current ran through it, and before it would pull way the current fried both it, and the control crystal...