Rascals

Chapter One: The Storm

BOOM!

On an unnamed planet halfway across the known universe, a fierce storm was just beginning to pick up. Already it was at least ten times as strong as any storm on Earth, and it wasn’t even near its peak.

A brilliant fork of lightning stuck the soaking ground just then, illuminating the earth below just long enough to catch a glimpse of a very strange and foreign object. It was a perfect circle that seemed to magically stand on end. The center had been hollowed out to from a flawless metallic ring. Embossed around the outside of this larger-than-life artifact were strange symbols.

This awe-inspiring ring of mystery was the Stargate.

About 100 yards away from the Stargate was a precipice of heavy granite. Beneath a shallow overhang, four beings sought shelter form the heavy pelting of rain, the strike of lightning, and the howling of alien winds.

These four beings were SG-1, Earth’s best of the best. Colonel Jack O’Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal’c.

As another flash of lightning lit up the dark sky, Major Carter leaned over close her CO and practically screamed, “Sir! We have to go now! This storm is increasing in intensity!”

“Carter, I’m not leaving until we accomplish the mission! We’ll just have to wait it out!” O’Neill replied, also forced to yell in order to be heard over the rage of the winds.

Carter swore under her breath and slid along the rock over to Teal’c. “Teal’c, talk some sense into him! He won’t listen to me!”

The tall dark man, the muscles of the team, slid back down the rock, braving the fierce wind and harsh, icy rain to get to his friend and CO.

“Colonel O’Neill! O’Neill, Major Carter is correct. If we ever wish to leave this planet intact, it must be now! Humanoids such as ourselves are not adapted to such harsh environments! We will never survive!” he cried, his deep voice mingling with the sound of thunder.

O’Neill’s dark, determined eyes met with Teal’c’s, and the good friends shared an unspoken understanding. So the former nodded curtly, only once, then stood and made a great sweeping motion with his arm.

“EVERYONE TO THE STARGATE!” he shouted, even louder than he had before. He pointed to the object in question with the barrel of his firearm. “C’MON! EVERYBODY OUT!”

In between thunder claps, O’Neill could hear his linguist Daniel Jackson mutter, “Thank God!” and with that, all three of them took off toward the ‘gate.

Teal’c was the first to reach the Dial-Home Device and began punching in Chevrons. Then came Daniel, tripping and falling over the uneven, mucky ground. O’Neill was the last to arrive, his wringing wet green cap flopping over his face.

They were all about to dash through the crystal blue portal that had appeared in the center of the Stargate when the colonel glanced about quickly and shouted, “Where’s Major Carter! Guys, where’s Carter!”

Neither Teal’c nor Daniel had an answer. “I thought she was right behind us!” Daniel cried, flipping his soaking brown hair out of his glasses and squinting into the distance. “Colonel, there!” He pointed into the storm.

O’Neill whirled around and focused about fifty meters away.

There she was…her blonde head the only thing visible in the vast expanse of rock, underbrush, and mud. Her pale face was splattered with wet muck, and her hair was plastered to her forehead.

“Colonel! Colonel…!”

He heard her faint call. She may have said more, but it was swallowed up by the roar of the storm. His breath caught in his throat…

Carter…

Without a second thought, Jack turned back around the address the rest of his team. “I have to go help Carter! Your orders are to wait as long as you can. If I’m not back with her in five minutes, get the hell outta here!”

Daniel was just about to object, but Teal’c stopped him with a light touch on his arm. The both of them saw the dark, almost obsessive look of determination written all over their CO’s face. There had always been an unacknowledged “thing” between the colonel and Major Carter, and it would be highly unwise to get in the way of it now.

Teal’c nodded once, and O’Neill took off running.

He leapt over rocks and stepped high to avoid getting caught on the dripping undergrowth. But the worst was the mud. It was deep and thick, sucking on the colonel’s standard issue boots and not wanting to let go. Finally, he reached his destination.

Major Sam Carter lay on the ground, murky rainwater mixed with mud beginning to puddle around her exhausted body. Her olive-green BDUs were soaked all the way through, now acting as a slippery second skin. She was shuddering violently with cold. Her clothing, backpack, and exposed skin all sported rips and tears from getting caught on briars, the ones still stuck in her skin oozing droplets of vivid scarlet.

But the worst of them could be found on her right shin. An enormous gash could be seen through a gaping tear in the fabric of her pants. It ran the whole length of her shin, and it was deep enough to allow ivory bone to peak through. Right in the middle of the wound, her shin bent in an odd direction. A bloodied, jagged rock that jutted up from the ground a few feet away proved to be the culprit.

Her mud-splattered face wore an expression of anguish, and the moment he reached her her, tears began to spill from her bright blue eyes.

“Colonel, there isn’t enough time! Go! Leave me!” she cried, her voice cracking half-way through the last sentence.

“There’s no way in hell I’m leaving without you, Carter! Come on!” he offered her his hand, bracing himself to pull her to her feet.

“Jack, we’ll never make it!” She shook her head forcefully, more tears streaming down her soiled cheeks.

“Sam…you oughta know by now that no matter what the odds, I’m never gonna going to leave you behind! Now get on your feet, Major! That’s an order!”

Carter stared up at him for an instant. “Yes, sir!” And without another thought, she grasped his hand with both of hers. With an almighty heave, O’Neill pulled her off the ground.

“Can you walk on that leg!” he asked. She tried to put a foot down but cried out as white-hot daggers of pain shot up and down her body.

“God…dammit, Jack, not even a little!” she hissed, clenching her teeth to keep herself from crying out again. Her arm was wrapped tightly around his shoulders, desperately clutching him for support.

“Okay, then. Hold on tight!” Without so much as a warning, Sam was scooped up off the ground. Her CO’s arms were now her only support, with one around her shoulders and the other around her knees.

“But, sir, your knee!”

“Shut up, Carter!”

And he took off running, once more, back toward the Stargate. A few moments later, he felt her go limp in his arms. She was unconscious.

He could hear Teal’c a little ways off shouting, “Hurry, O’Neill! We are nearly out of time!” So he picked up the speed even though his limbs were beginning to go numb from the icy rain and the furious winds. He reached the ‘gate with mere seconds to spare.

Both Daniel and Teal’c waited until O’Neill arrived with Carter before rushing up the platform and passing through the portal.

But the instant their four bodies hit the wall, a vicious fork of purple lightning tore down from the angry storm clouds above and assailed the ‘gate head-on. The charge ran through the mighty super-conductor, and the portal itself swirled like a whirlpool.

And the four people still trapped between this alien world and home felt a highly unpleasant shock course through their molecules…

And they were transformed.

Author's Note: So...my first fic here, and my first attempt at an SG-1 thing of any kind. I've been reading 'em for a while, and I just had to try it out. Review please! I like feed-back.