Episode 4

26/2/2024, 16.27 earth time - 10.13am Abydos

As the villager's look on Schultz continues her inspection of the body, more by luck than judgement she finds a catch that collapses the helmet in on itself, she then continues to strip the corpse of its armour. Gomez meantime sensing the contained violence of the watching crowd carefully lifts Achmed's body and walks towards the villagers. Respectfully she hands the body across to waiting hands. Kapek meantime eyeballs the door; it is now some 100mm set back where previously flush to the outer tower face. Gently pushing against the outer face Kapek is surprised when it slides back, splits in two and slides to either side. Quickly he moves to one side of the opening and peers cautiously in. The ground floor is stepped with the external ground fall, metal decking can be seen above accessed via a metal-framed open circular staircase. A number of tables are present littered with what looks to be medical equipment. As Kapek searches the ground level JJ urges all to "get the fuck away from this joint, that was a hell of a noise, we don't know who the fuck heard and tin boy over their was one mother-fucker to kill."

As Gomez watches on a number of the villagers approach the dead figure, it clicks with the group that this is probably the first time they've seen what's inside that metal shell, hell they probably didn't even now that there was somebody inside. After all, the villagers treated them as if they were vengeful gods, complete with the power of life and death. Now for the first time they were just flesh and blood and it was a hell of a lot to comprehend.

JJ meantime had sprinted up the stairs, noting the basic amenities present, the empty weapon rack etc, he carefully attaches two laser trigger claymores beneath the roof mounted iris valve and retreats back to ground level. By now Schultz has inspected the medical equipment and confirms it is predominantly concerned with intravenous taking of blood. As the group clears the tower, JJ mounts two more claymores above the open doorway externally. The villagers are quickly warned not to enter the building.

JJ, now getting to grips with the language differences, passes on Schultz's request for help in transporting Bo's now drugged body to the location of their bikes. Expecting refusal or at most only poles to form a stretcher, Schultz is surprised when the villagers offer rafts and oarsmen to carry the group upstream. As word of the events spread, villagers return from the fields to stare at the naked corpse of their overseer in disbelief.

Moving upriver, the two rafts make slow going, but at least somebody else is doing all the work. Talking to their aids, JJ and Schultz get the impression that the village is several hundred years old but the elders tell storeys of their forefathers being brought here by the Gods. Some two & a half hours later the rafts are dragged ashore just below where Gomez and Co had hidden the trail bikes. Kapek completes his last upload to SGC, so at least the slash squad are expecting Bo. Carrying Bo ashore, JJ, Gomez and Kapek then drag the bikes out and, not waiting for the villages to go, kick them over. As the whine of the two stroke's echo around the valley the villagers look on in horror/fascination. Grinning, the group mount up, Bo strapped behind JJ and Schultz behind Kapek, and wind their way back up the goat trail. Back at base Schultz orders camp breakdown as they await the pre-timed gate opening, fortunately Kapek remembers JJ's ploy with the fuel dump and tapes a note in plain English onto the drum as a reminder for other SGC personnel.

26/2/2024, 22.30 earth time - 3.19pm Abydos

Whilst waiting for the gate to open, Schultz, JJ and Gomez discover the operation of the energy staff, fortunately nobody gets hurt. Bang on time, the gate opens, Schultz and Co are taken aback however when six heavily armed grunts step through and take up perimeter positions, Kapek points out to the rest though that SGC are up to date with the story so far including the tin man and Bo's injury. Schultz instructs JJ and Kapek to remain off world and keep an eye out. So, leaving only the mined fuel dump, a single trail bike and the energy staff, Schultz, Gomez, Bo flanked by the grunts head back to SGC with a new shopping list. Immediately they return Bo is prepped for surgery and Schultz and Gomez are debriefed by Mahonney.

Mahonney is concerned that first contact resulted in a firefight, however once the full details are related it is clear that there had been little alternative but for SG1 to defend themselves. Mahonney simply requests that they be careful. Both Schultz and Gomez are checked over and given the all clear. Initial results on the armour show it to be distinctly alien, an unknown metal, however all are stunned by the preliminary biopsy on the blood samples recovered from the armour and Gomez's clothing. According to the pathology, both the villager and the tin man are as human as, well humans.

27/2/2024, 6.30am earth time

As hours pass the requested gear drifts into the SG chamber. Tired and impatient however Schultz orders the gate to be powered up as she wants to know what's happening off world and no updates have been received from Kapek.

26/2/2024, 22.45 earth time - 3.27pm Abydos

JJ and Kapek watch as the gate closes and settle in, darkness is closing and it's getting pretty dam cold. Low-lite and I.R indicate small heat sources in and around the village, apart from that, jack shit. Several hours later, as anticipated, a light can be seen crossing the sky and dropping towards the village. Minutes later a faint but distinctive thud echoes up the valley, followed 10 minutes or so later by a double detonation. JJ congratulates himself on the use of his claymores, but as minutes pass Gomez points out that there are energy discharges in the village, IR images suggest fires have broken out. About an hour later a light is seen rising climbing away from the village across the night sky. Realising that his anti personal measures were not as successful as first thought, JJ and Gomez sit tight and wait for the gate to open or discovery.

Some hours later as the sun rises over the great pyramid JJ and Gomez hear the gate winding up behind them, as it opens in the half light of dawn they are surprised at just how great a burst of light is produced by its opening. Watching, Shultz and Gomez return accompanied by a second escort of grunts who fan out as before. Shultz informs JJ and Kapek that they are all to return earth side and get some rest and only then decide a course of action. As they collect there gear Kapek advises of the night's performance. Passing through the SG chamber Schultz notes that all requested items stand ready with the exception of the language chips and gyro blade, see below:

Colt AMT 2000 (Schultz) plus 6 box x 50, Web cams x 3 plus leads, software etc, 2 x 750cc all terrain 4 stroke quads plus trailers (0.25T capacity), 5 x hand held commo units 35 mile radius, 2 x Militech 90G plus 8 clips of 60, 4 clips AP per rifle (Schultz/Bo), 1 case (24) frag, Ingram MAC 14(Kapek) and last but not least 1 x Scorpion 16MS 3 cases of 8 rounds.