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Aberrant: Stargate Universe - [Mission SG21]: P3X-251


Mr Fox

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The time had passed slowly for SG21 being confined to base, but it had finally passed and it was briefing time again. 08:00 in the briefing room. This morning the shade was up on the window looking down into the Gate room. The standard scene, guards were at their stations and looked alert despite the tedium of guarding a room that only have one potentially hostile entrance.

Inside the room O'Neill sat at the head of the conference table waiting on the teams arrival. Having come directly from breakfast the team filed in together and took their seats. The general acknowledge the salutes with one of his own without getting up. He wasn't big on ceremony most times so long as people were professional and maintained a certain level of military discipline.

"Good Morning. I'll get right down to it. Your last mission was quite the success and it netted us a number of new gate addresses to explore and so I've decided to give your team the honor of being the first ones through one of those new addresses." He got a crooked smile on his face as he added, "This world will not be very pleasant, but in the opposite way from your last mission. Looks like this one is wet. The gate itself sits on dry land and but it is mostly surrounded by swamp. We flew a drone out over the swamps to see if it looked worth exploring and we almost gave up on the planet as worthless, but as you can see from the photos there is some evidence of ruins both surrounding the stargate and on one particular island."

"We want you to make your way to that island and see if there is anything of value in that temple. From the state of it, we don't expect that you will run into any Jaffa. Questions?"

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Olivia leaned forward and caught the General's eye; when he acknowledged her, she asked, "Sir, I've seen pictures of temples like this from one of your early missions to Chulak. I recall that Dr. Jackson and Captain Carter found juvenile larva Goa'uld in those buildings. Given the wet nature of the land and these structures, should we prepare for the possibility unhosted Goa'uld? Perhaps even jumpers like on P3X-888?"

And by 'prepare', she meant a chain mail choker.

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"That's a good observation Doctor. We will have neck armor ready for you when you check out your gear from the armory. Given the terrain it's possible there could be snakes." Given the derision he put into the world snake there wasn't much doubt that he meant goa'uld.

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It was a good question. Not one he would have thought of himself. Hell, he hadn't gotten to P3X-888 yet, though Chalk was known to him, vaguely.

Caine leaned into Olivia,

"Is there anything you don't remember? Ever?"

It was an important question but one with profound consequences. What do you make of a living computer - a data base of ALL that the SCG.

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Olivia gave him a look that said, 'Why are you bringing this up now?' but agreeably answered, "I haven't forgotten anything yet." The way she said it made it clear that she didn't really understand where Caine was going yet. She hadn't considered what that meant, tactically, where someone to get into her head. Or what would happen were a snake to get her.

"General, did the drone pick up dangerous or noxious gases that we need to be careful of? Will we need to mask up again?" she asked, trying to not look unhappy at the idea.

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The general shook his head, "Nothing dangerous that we know of other than suspected wild life, but Earth swamps aren't exactly the safest places to be so don't take any chances with any alien crocs. Never know what you might find in an alien swamp." It was O'Neill's version of humor, but perhaps not so comforting to those about to go tromping through said swamp. "We think you will be able to keep to dry ground on your trek to the ruins."

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And it just kept getting worse.

What is the 163 listing of the star gate addresses we just gained?

What was the complete outline of the Tokra organization as the SGC was aware of?

What do you know about Ancient artifacts in the SGC and Area 51, and Ascension?

Yeah, it was looking bad. Caine tried to remained focussed on O'Neil and the questions other members had to ask. He had to talk with Olivia and soon ... and in private.

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He kept quiet, kept low in his seat, and kept his shades on as he tried hard to listen to the briefing and the questions thrown at the General by Olivia. Sergeant Perault was on his best behaviour. Nonetheless, he did straighten up then clear his throat at the mention of alien larvae.

"Sir. Can anyone here tell me what the S.O.P is when encounterin' these critters? Are they kill-on-sight or are we to capture them? Also, if there's an.. I dunno, infestation or somethin', do we burn it out?" He looked around at the others, trying to ignore his nose telling him what they'd all had for breakfast and their favorite brand of soap.

He'd been noticing it more and more. All his senses were super-acute now, of course, thanks to that Artifact, but now he could sort through differing scents, not just the obvious ones either. Personal scents were starting to become more and more apparent to him, to the point he could tell who'd entered the room behind him without looking, and how long it had been since SG-22 had sat in the cafeteria. He was a little freaked out, truth be told, wondering if this was that 'Taint' crap that Omar had been talking about. Dec hadn't gone to the discussion: he'd had visions of Omar pointing a finger at him and saying "See, this is what I mean by inhuman monster. Now eat your Wheaties or you'll be Tainted like Perault."

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"If it's a threat, we burn it. We don't go hunting though. General, is there anything else, because there is no time like the present to put our gear together and apply the mosquito spray."

Caine made ready to leave. In a way, once they had their gear together everything else would work itself out once they were off-world. It was time to go.

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A short while later found the team assembling in the gate room for their second mission this time with only four members. Along with standard gear each team member was equipped with a special piece of neck armor to prevent a symbiote from gaining entry through the back of the neck as well as bug spray and fishing nets. O'Neill spoke through the mic, "Use the nets to catch symbiotes if you get the chance but that is a low priority. Your safe return is much more important. Don't put yourselves at risk and don't go into the water."

He nodded to Walter who started dialing the gate. The opening wormhole was as majestic as always. No matter how many times a person watched it, it still impressed. After a moment the team moved through and emerged into the heat and damp of the swamp. Despite the bug spray each member of the team found themselves fending off this worlds equivalent of mosquitos. The stargate was over grown with weeds and undergrowth except where the establishing wormhole had just atomized a clear swath of vegetation. Looking around the 'island' it was clear that no one had traveled to this world in many hundreds if not thousands of years. The remains of stone columns looking much like an ancient greek city with parts of the columns buried and parts simply fallen over on their sides in the tall grass.

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"Perault, take point. Jening-Izumi on me. Jones, you take the rear. Let's move out."

Well, last time the world attempted to sandblast them down to their bones and this time this world was trying to suck their blood and drown them.

He started scanning about and keeping his eyes moving. Nothing was standing out, so he risked a question.

"Specialist JI, what do you make of the columns?"

That could tell them the brand of system lord that had once lived here and maybe some insight into how they built what they built. Having a few theories about what kinds of sites that might be awaiting them couldn't hurt. Besides, taking Olivia's mind off the mini-vampires would be for the greater good.

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Showtime, Olivia thought, pausing as the soft roar of the StarGate died behind her. She closed her eyes, blocking out the buzz of the mosquitoes and any verbal patter of her teammates. She cast out her hearing, cycling through the frequencies and hertz available to her, listening for potential threats to her team. Nothing seemed threatening, and she started to follow close to Caine.

Swishes and splashes in the water caught her ear, making her swallow hard. They could be snakes. They could be snakes. There was no way to know, not with just her ears.

Click to reveal..
Active for 4 rounds (uses it for the full 12 seconds)

Perc+Alertness (+3 for H-Hearing): 5 sux

1d10=3, 1d10=3, 1d10=1, 1d10=10, 1d10=3, 1d10=5, 1d10=9, 1d10=5, 1d10=7, 1d10=8

HL: 7/7 | QP: 25/26 | WP: 7/7

When she was done listening, she came back to herself and caught up with Caine's orders. Nodding, she moved to the columns and examined them closely. "Major, they resemble Greek structures, but they're not parallel to Earth's Greece. Think similar but different. I don't think there is any earth influence in these structures." She glanced at Caine as she swatted at a biting mosquito. "I'm guessing that I'll be able to determine more at the temples."

Assuming that the snakes don't get us once we're there.

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Gwyn moves forward and pulls the overgrowth from the DHD until it is clear and does a visual check to make sure it looks ok to use to return home before taking up the rear position as per Major Caine's orders. Keeping a careful eye and ear out for threats, especially to the rear, he maintains a position 5 yards behind the person in front of him.

Click to reveal..

Per + Survival roll and Per + Awareness

P+S = 6 dice

(16:44:21) ChatBot: (HG_Jones) rolls 6d10 and gets 5,7,6,1,3,2.

1 sux

P+A = 7 dice

(16:45:19) ChatBot: (HG_Jones) rolls 7d10 and gets 10,7,9,9,9,6,7.

6 sux!! smile

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Caine relied on Declan to inform him if something went wrong ... as long as he didn't miss his five minute check in. His eyes roamed about alert. They were making good time (for moving through a swamp) to the site. All they had to do was avoid ... was thas that something serpentine in the water? ... the snakes and get to high ground. The Major was also sure they would capture some of these bastards for study, mission allowing.

Click to reveal..

Perception+Awareness (13:05:54) ChatBot: (Caine) rolls 9d10 and gets 9,4,1,3,6,2,9,7,6 = 4 successes

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Olivia paused a moment; to Caine, all she did was listen with her eyes shut. But to Olivia, she sent out a spike of noise that bounced around and back to her. It gave her a clear idea of the depth of the water, and a 'log' nearby stirred and splashed off into the water. Sadly, it didn't tell her what kind of snakes those were, and she trudged on after her commander.

Click to reveal.. (Activating Hyperenhanced Hearing)
Perc+Awareness (+3 dice for H-Hearing): 7 sux

1d10=8, 1d10=1, 1d10=8, 1d10=8, 1d10=10, 1d10=5, 1d10=7, 1d10=8, 1d10=9, 1d10=2

HL: 7/7 | QP: 24/26 | WP: 7/7

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It only took an hour or so trudging through the damp and sometimes muddy ground on the supposedly 'dry' path. By the time the temple came into view there wasn't a team member that didn't have mud caked onto their boots and wet feet from the occasional step into puddles that came up to mid calf. The bugs were the worst part of the mission, despite the best bug spray the US Air Force or the SC could come up with they were constantly surrounded by biting and bloodsucking insects. The temple itself, what was left standing of it was vaguely Egyptian. Unlike the rest of the swamp the temple island was eerily quiet. It took a few seconds to register, but there was not a single insect on or around them. Looking back it was apparent why. Clouds of knats and other bugs would suddenly veer away when they got too close to the island. As though they were running up against an invisible barrier.

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Olivia had heard the barrier before they got there. Still, it was nice to know what was causing that buzz. Once they crossed the barrier, Olivia found out it was sonic, and it was annoying. "Major, I'm going to have some trouble hearing due to that field. I don't know how bad, but it will have an impact, sir," she reported to Caine.

But she didn't focus on the field for long; the architecture of the pryamids drew her eyes immediately. She stepped forward a bit, her eyes widening as she took it in.

Click to reveal..

"This place is very similar to the oldest Egyptian ruins," Olivia reported. "But it's not a perfect match; there are some subtle differences. The construction-" Vinny "-is on a larger proportion - see how much bigger the doors are? Major, I think that this predates Egyptian civilization. There's just too much there that makes it apparent that this is older."

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"I got good news and bad news, class. The good news is that the bug spray is like seasoning for the local insects," he says through thin lips. "The bad news is we are in the land of the giants."

"Perault,you and I are on a perimeter sweep."

"Jones, Doc, you are to make a structural analysis this site. Get an image scan along with you analysis of the material. Watch your six."

"Even if you find a nice safe way in, wait for us to finish checking out the rest of the site before you go in. I don't know how badly this field might mess with our communications, so we'll make it quick."

"Okay, questions? No? Good. Let's find out what else makes this place special."

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Gwyn moves slowly aroud the outside of the Temple, examinig it for damage and signs of structural weakness using both his eyes and the zoom on the digital video camera that he uses to film the building.

Click to reveal..

Use Analyse Weakness [Mega first]

(23:39:27) ChatBot: (Gwyn_Jones) rolls 6d10 and gets 1,4,1,10,4,10.

2 sux

Per+Eng to spot faults = 5+2+2[Analyse Weakness Sux] = 9 dice

(23:40:48) ChatBot: (Gwyn_Jones) rolls 9d10 and gets 9,5,2,4,1,1,5,8,9.

3 sux

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After a slow circuit of the Temple,remarking on the distinct lack of vegetation growth, Gwyn declares the outside of the building to be good condition.

"We'll have to take each room as it comes, but from the outside there doesn't appear to be any issues with it collapsing around us. I wonder if the field that stops the bugs affected the vegetation growth as well?"

He then starts getting out the radiation monitor to see what he can learn about the field and to help find the power source that must be about.

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"No," Olivia said frowning as she thought and watched him take measurements. "The field... it's designed to keep insects away, but I can't see it working like that on plants. Plants aren't that susceptible to noise, not like fauna can be."

She stumbled a bit on a loose rock and reached out, catching herself on a column. Immediately, she knew that the rock was something hard and non-porous, like granite. Surprised, she pulled her hand back. Another sense? she wondered, then shook it off. The ability to identify what kind of rock it was by touch was neat, but not vital.

"Gwyn, wouldn't the field and the care taken to the vegetation indicate something or someone is still here?" She glanced at him, worried.

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Gwyn looks over at her comment, "Hmm, can't say for certain with the field. After all the Zat had been in the room for thousands of years. With G'ould tech it could have been a zealed power source just left on for centuries. As for the vegetation..."

Gwyn bends down and starts to examine the vegetation for signs of cutting or maintenance like keeping lower in some areas than others etc.

Click to reveal..

Investigation roll? = 6 dice

(20:11:28) ChatBot: (Gwyn_Jones) rolls 6d10 and gets 3,5,8,7,4,9.

3 sux

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((OOC: there is definite evidence of cutting if not maintenance. The Perimeter sweep doesn't reveal anything. However, in placed around the island where the ground has had a chance to dry you do find footprints. Non-human footprints, the smallest of which are about size 14.))

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Declan and the Major return from their sweep to find Gwyn studying the grass.

"SITREP," he says quietly to his two Brains, enjoying the absence of insects. "We found big footprints - non-human, with sharp clawed feet. I repeat - BIG like LA Lakers big. Keep your weapons handy."

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Gwyn looks up at the major and Sergeant's return but doesn't salute, as per SOP, "Structure seems stable and in good condition from what I can see out here. The foliage has been cut back, presumably regularly which suggests someone in attendance at least occassionally."

He looks towards Olivia, "Livy might know better, but to me big clawed feet around a structure that predates ancient Eygpt suggest the presence of Unas - the original hosts of the Goa'uld."

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Olivia shook her head. "Unas aren't this civilized, not enough to be responsible for this building," she said. "The most civilized of them couldn't do this - that we know. Sir, I recommend extreme caution. Unas are very dangerous without more advanced technology or a better understanding of sonic fields."

She looked troubled as she added, "Or could be looking at another case of Unas forced into slavery. Either way, it could be bad."

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"Actually I was thinking along worse lines Livy, as in a branch of Goa'uld who were still using Unas. If there are snakes in the swamp here perhaps they don't have access to the genetic memory of the ones we are familiar with and are more primitive. Any way, none of it sounds good."

Gwyn makes a point of checking his weapons and looking around the place.

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"Okay Jones, you are on point. As soon as the surface allows, get heavy. I'm next and will cover your nine-side. Doc you come up next and capture any symbols, writing, ect. that we come across ... in case we come running out. Sergeant, you are Tail-end Charlie. Don't let anything sneek up on us."

"Let's get moving. Remember, this is not just a job, it's an adventure," he grins.

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Gwyn activates his flight immediately, but only raising an inch or two before kicking in the Density. That done he brings his P-90 up into a ready position and advances at a walking pace towards what appears to be the main entrance of the Temple. Loooking carefully around both for the structural integrity, any possible traps and signs of occupants Gwyn enters the first room.

Click to reveal..

Analyse Weakness for structure = 6 dice (Mega first)

(22:03:48) ChatBot: (Gwyn_Jones) rolls 6d10 and gets 4,1,10,7,7,6.

3 sux

Per + Eng to check it out on the way in = 7+3 = 10dice

(22:04:32) ChatBot: (Gwyn_Jones) rolls 10d10 and gets 6,6,2,9,3,3,10,10,5,7.

4 sux

Awareness to check for occupants/traps? 7dice

(22:05:53) ChatBot: (Gwyn_Jones) rolls 7d10 and gets 6,8,1,8,6,9,10.

4 sux

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Olivia frowned as Gwyn mentioned the possibility of hosted Unas. Of course that was a possibility; everyone here should know that. She'd been trying to suggest what wasn't obvious to everyone. Mentally shrugging it off, she cradled her P-90 to her shoulder, but kept it aimed down, as she was behind Caine at the moment. Anxiously, she watched Gwyn test the building's entrance.

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The attrium of the temple leads about 20ft in to a pair of bronze looking doors. The metal still seems intact despite the age that the temple appears to be. With a look back to the major and an answering nod Gwyn briefly examines the locking mechanism finding it fused with lack of use. After carefully [hotographing the doors and surrounding area, a minor application of force in the correct place he opens the door to the temple room, and immediately waves the others back.

"The air is pretty foul in there, it hasn't been open in cenuries I'd guess from the state of the doors lock."

Click to reveal..

Info from Fox

There is a opening in the building that leads in about 20 feet then you hit a pair of doors. I figured you guys could easily force them open.

However, from what you can tell they haven't been opened in a

very long time. The air in the temple is pretty bad.

Inside the temple looks completely abandoned. The doors are bronze or something that looks like bronze, but hasn't deteriorated. They won't open however. After examining them you don't think they are locked only that the mechanisms are so

old that they have long since ceased to function.

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It took a good hour for the temple to air out enough to enter. Specialist or not there were things in ancient tombs in Egypt that could kill after thousands of years, how much more so this place in a musty swamp? Once it seemed like the air was fresh enough the team entered the temple. There was a deep layer of dust over everything, but the place didn't looked as if it had been stripped bare, merely abandoned long ago. The carvings on the walls confirmed the speculation. Instead of gods and pharaohs and humans portrayed there, there were Unas and Goa'uld. The main chamber was much like a kings audience chamber. To one end of the room stood a dais on which sat an unas sized throne. To either side of the throne stood a large basins, no doubt where the larval Goa'uld would have been kept before being implanted in a host. To the side of the chamber on the right hand from where the group entered there was another door.

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Gwyn looked around the room but couldn't see any obvious signs that this rooms integrity should be significantly worse than the rest of the building so far.

"Major, did you want to film and photo this room before we try the door over there?"

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"Sergeant, keep an eye on our exit."

"Jones, check out the door."

"Doc, you and I will start recording this chamber. Clue me in if any of this ques up anything in your memory. We've dealt with the Unas before."

With that, Caine started working on the right side of the chamber, staying close to the door. He let his senses fade into the ultraviolet then back through the infrared, as he continued his work. He doesnt' want to hurry things, but he is impatient. He feels as if something is watching them, even if it is long dead Goa'uld god-kings.

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Examining the door Gwyn finds no signs of the fusing that the outer doors suffered from, presumably because these have not been exposed to virtually anything until now. Since there is no lock he calls back to the Major and waits if necessary for the others to be ready before opening the unlocked doors.

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Olivia busied herself with recording, both with the camera and her mind. She kept half an eye on Declan, waiting for a sign of alarm from him. But most of her attention was focused on the walls of the room. Hieroglyphs were spaced between the art regularly. Olivia read for a moment, then snorted. "The text on the wall is a constant hymn glorifying Ra, Major," she said. "It's pretty... wow. Zealous. Lots of 'bow before him' and 'all praise to Ra'."

She paused at one set. "This promises that he'll give you his young if you serve him well." Her voice was angry as she read that.

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Caine gave Gwynn the nod to open the door. They weren't locked in any way but they still didn't open easily after millenia of disuse. With the super strength endowed by the Ancient artifact it was no difficulty to force them open. Within seemed to be the remains of some kind of lab. The equipment was all still there waiting for the long dead technicians to report for duty. Unfortunately, thousands of years of disuse had not been kind to most of the equipment. Glass despite it solid seeming appearance really is a liquid and flows over time leaving unrecognizable globs where once had stood perhaps test-tubes and beakers? The technological equipment fared somewhat better having been made of metals. Like everything else in this temple they seemed to be made for larger less dexterous hands to manipulate. Against the far wall and the right hand wall were two more large stone basins which were empty like the ones in the other room. The left hand wall contained another door. Like the main room of the temple this room too needed to air out a few minutes before being safe to enter. Luckily, the door on the within the lab on the left hand wall was open and so didn't require more time to air out. That opening up stairs to another level within the complex. The team spent the usual time recording and examining everything for possible future scientific missions to come exploit what was found then moved on.

Up the stairs there was another large room. This one had yet more equipment of Goa'uld design.

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"This is going to take one huge mission to clear this site out," Caine whispers to his Team.

"Declan, stay on the base level. We'll stay in touch. Watch yourself."

"Okay, science team, give me your best analysis on what kind of facility this was. Does anything give us a timeline. Are we guessing that this site is Pre-Earth contact?"

The possibility was mind-boggling. If not the oldest, it was one of the oldest sites in SGC history concerning the Goa'uld. His team would have first crack at this, but it would fall to the science section to put all of the pieces together.

"Gwyn, Livy, tell me this makes you happy," he says with a grin.

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"Yes, Major. Sir," Olivia said, holding out her hand to a machine as if feeling heat coming off of it, "this is responsible for keeping the bugs away. I can tell from the vibrations it's giving off. And according to the labels, these appear to be the power systems." Olivia peeled her backpack off her back and pulled out some masking tape - paper and pressure-sensitive adhesive - getting a little distracted by the influx of information coming through her finger tips. Shaking her head, she found a marker - synthetic polymers - and started to translate the markings on the machine.

Her hands stroked the machines, registering the materials and make up of each. Then her fingers brushed over the familiar blue-quartz material, the same that the StarGate was made from, and she smiled. So this is what naquadah feels like... I wonder what it tastes like?

That thought jarred her out of her fugue. She glanced at Caine, to see him waiting for further information from her. Gathering herself, she said, "I'm sure Jones can verify better than I can, but this tech seems very primitive compared to what we're used to the sn- Goa'uld using." Gotta stop sponging vocabulary off of Vinny. Captain Wright. Am I still mad at him?

Oh yeah. Furious. Kinda. She sighed and tried to ignore her thoughts. After a moment, she settled her mind down with, You both made mistakes. Settle this at home.

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very pimitive?, less advanced certainly, but still ahead of Earth norm by a long way.

Gwyn finishes a brief examination of the equipment that still looks in working order, "Yeah, it's not up to the standards we'd expect from them, but that's actually a good thing. It will help us learn how the civilisations around them were developing, after all they rarely develop stuff themselves, usually they just steal it off someone else. That will help us with our own progress by showing a stage inbetween us now and the Goa'uld/Asgard/Ancient stages that we have examples of."

He looks around at the equipment, "As for this stuff that's operational upstairs, it's all building stuff and powersystems, nothing of major use in itself and the powersystems are running low as well. I suppose the sonic field for the bugs might help with the theories and practise of field generation, and indeed might be useful to duplicate for some planets we find for trade or longer term bases."

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