Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Sam watched as Jack stretched out on the rock, his gun held casually in his lap and his long legs crossed at the ankles in front of him. Yep, he was really stressing himself out. Then again, considering the alternative was to have him following her into the cave and asking 'are we done yet' every five minutes, she could deal with him catching some sun while she, Daniel and Teal'c all finished their scans.

Waving at Daniel and Teal'c, she led them to the caves. "Any preferences?" she asked. The four openings were laid out in a very rough line, some located higher up on the hill, others lower. It looked like they'd just started digging in easy places, the openings shored up by rough-hewn logs.

"Eenie, meenie, miney, mo?" Daniel suggested.

"Such methods of random selection are rarely random," Teal'c said.

Sam sighed, shaking her head. "Daniel, go left, Teal'c go right, I'll take number two," she decided.

"And number four?" Daniel asked, referring to the one extra entrance.

Sam shrugged. "We can do it together once we're done." She looked at her watch. "Just like the colonel said, don't go in too deep. These shafts might not be too stable. If you do come to a fork, always go to one side or the other."

"So we can reverse it on the way out," Daniel intuited.

"Right."

"It is unlikely that there are predators," Teal'c said. "Although smaller creatures are a possibility."

Sam nodded. "Half an hour in, half an hour out. No more than that."

"Yes, mother," Daniel quipped, rolling his eyes. They split off and each entered their tunnel. Sam reached for the flashlight on the end of her gun, struggling a bit to juggle both her weapon and her scanner.

The smell of damp earth assailed her nostrils and she frowned a bit, fighting the shiver that ran down her spine. There definitely was still naquadah in these shaft, she could feel it, the molecules of the metal suspended in her blood almost resonating.

It gave her the creeps in a way. Naquadah was naquadah, whether it be in the metal form or in the bloodstream of a Goa'uld or Jaffa. She felt her pulse increase, the involuntary response to years of training. Rationally she knew she wasn't surrounded by Jaffa, but it sure felt that way.

She paused for a second, shining her light down to the floor. It was mostly dirt, dotted here and there with rocks and a few shiny bits of naquadah. The floor was relatively smooth, no footprints or any signs of anything else being in the cave in the recent past. There were a few dry leaves scattered around the opening, but they grew fewer as she got away from the entrance.

She walked further into the tunnel, scanning the walls with her light. All the signs outside the cave indicated it had been deserted for years or decades, but she could still see the tool marks on the walls, hinting at the primitive picks or shovels the miners had to have used to dig this out.

It wasn't the most efficient way to mine, but Sam also knew that the Goa'uld didn't really care about efficiency. To them, humans were nothing more than cattle, a renewable resource to be used and abandoned with impunity.

About fifty feet from the opening, she paused, loosening her grip on her weapon to study her scanner. She made note of the readings. This was actually quite promising. The mines weren't horribly rich, at least her shaft wasn't, but there was enough naquadah here for the SGC to make a mining effort. And with their more advanced mining techniques, they would be able to retrieve more naquadah from the mines than the Goa'uld could with primitive tools and slave labor.

She contemplated going deeper into the mine. She still hadn't found any cross shafts, but that didn't surprise her. Cross shafts took planning and were dangerous. Chances were these miners didn't think too much beyond finding and retrieving the naquadah without getting killed.

Sam picked up her gun and again started to move forward. She still had a good fifteen minutes before she needed to turn around and go back and she may as well see just how deep she could get into the mine. It was very possible that the veins of naquadah were thicker the deeper she got under the hill.

The tunnel curved slightly to the right and she followed it, nearly tripping over a pile of dirt on the floor. She shined her light ahead and saw that it was just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. About fifteen feet in front of her, the tunnel ended, a pile of dirt and rocks blocking the way. A flash of white caught her eyes and Sam leaned closer, making a face as she identified the tell tale remains of a skeleton poking out from the dirt. This probably answered why the mine was deserted. "Daniel, Teal'c?" she called into her radio, not sure if the signal would penetrate the rocks surrounding them.

Getting no answer, she turned around and started towards the opening. This did change things. If the tunnel had collapsed once, it would again. Which meant that if they chose to continue this mine, it would be a lot more difficult than originally thought.

A rumble cut through the stillness and Sam's heart lurched. Small clouds of dust rained down, followed quickly by larger clouds. Rocks and pebbles fell from the ceiling and Sam broke into a run, hoping to make it to the opening before the tunnel completely collapsed.

/\/\/\/\/\

Jack checked his watch and sighed, slowly getting to his feet to stretch his legs. The others had about fifteen minutes before he'd have to roust them out of the mineshafts. Which meant that Teal'c should be showing up any time now.

Maybe the Jaffa would take him up on a bet, whether the tardy member of the team would be Carter or Daniel. Traditionally, Daniel was the one lagging behind; however, unless he found some sort of carvings or art work in the caves, there really wasn't much in the naquadah mine to carry his attention. Which meant that Carter, despite usually being so punctual, would likely be the one distracted and late.

If Jack was lucky and Teal'c willing, he might be able to win dinner. He strolled around the mine site, his eyes casually scanning the horizon for any sign of danger. He could see why the Goa'uld had a mine here. The climate seemed temperate, if the vegetation was anything to go by. The trees were a nice mix of deciduous and conifers, along with a variety of low bushes and brush.

With the river a couple of miles away, there should be plenty of food and water to support a group of people. The UAV hadn't shown any signs of life or any sort of dwellings, but Carter had theorized that maybe this planet never developed an indigenous people, or maybe they lived further away from the Stargate.

They'd seen that once or twice during their travels. Some races remained in close proximity to the Stargate, while others totally abandoned it, moving their cities hundreds of miles away.

That was one of the weakest parts of the SGC program. They literally lacked the resources to explore more than fifty to one hundred miles away from the gate, and even that was only UAV reconnaissance. There could realistically be whole advanced civilizations on the other side of the planet, and they'd never know.

Maybe that could be something he could suggest to Hammond. If they ever managed to get their own ship or, dare he dream, ships, they could return to some of the planets the SG teams had explored and survey them further, find out what else lurked on the 99% of the planet they'd never explored.

Wondering idly what the chances were of the Tok'ra letting them have a hyper speed capable ship, Jack ambled in circles, his boots kicking up small clouds of dust as he walked.

A wisp of smoke caught his eyes and he tensed, reaching for his binoculars. He studied the smoke intently but was unable to determine its source. Whatever it was, it hadn't been there a few minutes ago, and it was between his team and the gate. Jack reached for his radio, ready to call his team out of the caves. The smoke suggested that they weren't alone here and that in itself was enough to call the mission. At the very least, the rest of his team needed to know. Just as he opened his mouth to talk, a low rumble washed over him and he tensed, at first thinking that his desired ship was making its appearance.

Loose pebbles and dirt skittered down the hillside and Jack watched in horror as an ominous cloud of dust blossomed out of one of the openings. "Crap," he cursed, hurrying forward, his hand going towards his radio. "Carter, Daniel, Teal'c!" he called, regretting that he hadn't paid attention and had no idea which tunnels they were in.

Jack stopped at the opening to the shaft, the thick dust choking his breath and obscuring his vision. "O'Neill." A strong hand grabbed his arm and steadied his balance.

"Teal'c, who-"

"Oh my god, Sam." Daniel appeared at Jack's other side.

"Carter was in there?" Jack demanded.

Daniel nodded. "We each picked one."

"Ok. Teal'c, you're with me." Jack stepped towards the opening, reaching into his pocket to pull out a large handkerchief, folding it bandit style to tie around his face.

"Jack?"

"Daniel, you stay out here. Teal'c and I will go check it out. If we don't come back out, you get to the SGC and get help."

Daniel nodded, sliding his pack off his shoulders. "Wait." He dug in the black bag and pulled out a slightly battered pair of goggles. "These might help." Jack raised his eyebrows, taking the eyewear. "Sometimes the dust bothers my eyes," Daniel explained.

Jack took off his hat and slid the goggles over his head, aware that he could use all the help he could get. It would take hours for the dust to settle in the shaft, and he had a funny idea that Carter didn't have hours.

Teal'c moved close, his shoulder nearly touching Jack's as they slowly made their way into the cave. The air was still full of dust, and even Jack's handkerchief did little to assist his breathing. "How deep are these shafts?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"Mine was approximately one hundred yards," Teal'c said. "I saw no cross shafts, therefore Major Carter is likely on the other side of the first cave in we encounter."

"If we're lucky, it'll be a small one," Jack said, squinting in an effort to see further in the dust shrouded air.

"I am afraid, O'Neill, that luck has abandoned us," Teal'c said, his flashlight illuminating a large mound of dirt and rocks.

It looked to Jack like a whole section of the roof had caved in. It was definitely more than they could hope to clear with their bare hands. "Get Daniel, go back to the SGC and get help," he ordered.

"Daniel Jackson is most capable of returning to the Stargate alone," Teal'c said. "I can assist you in digging."

Jack shook his head. "No." He turned to face Teal'c. "I saw smoke a few minutes ago. Someone else is out there. You and Daniel go for help."

Teal'c nodded, recognizing the need for none of them to be alone until they had determined the origin of the smoke. "We shall travel with all haste."

"I know you will," Jack said. "Do me a favor; leave your packs at the entrance. If something happens, I may need them."

Teal'c agreed and hurried back down the shaft. Jack shucked his pack and took a moment to study the mound of dirt. At this precise moment in time, he regretted that they'd stopped wearing helmets. The damn things were uncomfortable as hell, but they beat digging with bare hands.

/\/\/\/\/\

Sam slowly opened her eyes and stared at the odd dim light in the corner of the cave. What the hell was going on? She tried to sit up, only to fall back with a groan. She was lying half on her side, a pile of rocks and dirt covering her legs and hips.

She took a deep breath and started to cough, the action revealing more injuries to her as her ribs and chest protested. Her vision graying around the edges, she tried to stop coughing, her hand instinctively going to her hip and the canteen that should be there. Her fingers found smooth plastic and she pulled it out, grateful that it had survived the cave in. She took a sip of the water, relieved when it calmed her coughing.

Finally able to concentrate, she craned her neck, trying to study her surroundings.
The tunnel behind her appeared to be intact, at least as much as she could see. She'd dropped the flashlight in the cave in and it lay on the floor, just out of reach. The air was full of dust and it hampered her vision, limiting the flashlight's reach to just a few feet. She was lying half-buried under a pile of debris. "So maybe it was a good thing that I didn't run faster," she muttered, solely to hear the sound of her own voice.

It echoed off the walls and that told her that the area she was in was relatively small. Which meant that oxygen could be an issue, she told herself, giving into her need to list the obvious. Then again, all she needed to do was to hang in there until the guys dug her out.

And they would, of that she had no doubt. They'd come. She just needed to lay here and wait for it. Of course, she'd never hear the end about being rescued, but it was just a little better than being buried alive, so she could deal with it.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack dug into the pile of dirt, gritting his teeth with the effort. The tiny collapsible shovel he was using pulled a small clump of dirt loose and he stepped back, letting it roll to the floor.

Breathing heavily, he paused for a second, reaching over to pick up the flashlight from where he'd propped it on the tunnel wall. He shined it over the cave in, trying to gauge both his progress and the depth of the dirt fall.

So far, it didn't look like the roof had caved in, just one wall. Which might make his task a bit easier. If it was the roof, then he could have untold tons of dirt to remove to get to Carter. Since it seemed to just be one wall, his job might be easier. He just hoped that she was on the other side of the cave in, not under it.

He looked at his watch, trying to gauge how much longer it would be before reinforcements would arrive. It would take them a couple of hours to reach the gate, maybe a little less if they pushed it. Then at least an hour to scramble the rescue team, another two or three back. Five hours. Five hours minimum until he would have some help.

Hell, he could move a lot of dirt in five hours. If he kept with it and didn't flake off, he chastised himself, replacing the flashlight and retrieving the shovel.

It wasn't near big enough for the task. It was a small, folding shovel assigned to the SG teams. Sometimes they used it for geological samples, but it also served to dig out fire pits and primitive latrines. As such, it was necessarily small and light, definitely not meant to move tons of dirt.

However, it was all Jack had and his only means of getting Carter out of there. He had to get her out. He couldn't let her just lie back there, buried alive. Alive. Yeah, she had to be alive. There was just no way in hell that she'd be dead. That was one option he refused to accept.

He thrust the shovel into the dirt, hacking and picking away at it. That might be one way to get the dirt moved faster. See if he could get gravity on his side. He didn't need to clear the whole thing, there was no way he'd do that. Just a little bit. He just needed to open a large enough hole to get through.

A couple of feet. That's all he needed. Just to open it up a couple of feet. Idly counting each shovel strike, Jack slipped into autopilot, the monotony of his actions letting his mind wander.

He remembered the first time he laid eyes on Carter, all spit and polished across the briefing room table. With a chip the size of Chicago balanced precariously on those shiny captains' bars of hers.

She'd changed a lot since then. The chip was still there, although it had shrunk in size a bit. He guessed the odd commendation for saving the planet had to have helped out in that area. He knew that Daniel and Teal'c had helped in their own ways too.

They'd accepted her and the changes, sometimes better than Jack had. Jack knew that it was Daniel she turned to when she needed someone to bounce ideas off of at 0200.
Daniel was the only one who could ever get past the patented 'I'm fine' if she was hurting.
Jack knew that she'd confided in Teal'c as well. She didn't think Jack knew about the two of them, how they'd spent hours discussing the Tok'ra or sparring in the gym.

She'd probably whack Teal'c if she knew that the Jaffa saw her very much as a kid sister. Of course, she'd probably also whack him if she knew that Teal'c also came from an upbringing that allowed and encouraged courtesans. And it was an upbringing that he'd embraced more than once in his past.

Jack chuckled, imagining Carter's reaction if she ever found out. She'd glare. She did that well. She'd glare and shoot Teal'c the most evil looks. She was good at that. Intimidating with just a look. Sara'd been good at that too. Maybe it was a woman thing.

He couldn't imagine what the team would be like if he'd have managed to keep her off it. He'd tried. That was something that Carter didn't know. He'd tried to get her taken off his team. It wasn't anything personal, it was just, he remembered Abydos. Remembered what it'd been like. Knew that she was bound to have a hard time, not only on that planet, but probably on every other one as well. Women's Lib was definitely not a galactic constant, and if she got bent out of shape over a few wise ass remarks in a briefing room, she was definitely going to have issues when she encountered a whole planet of men who saw her as nothing more than chattel.

He'd have to remind her about that when he got her out of here. This whole 'check out the abandoned mine' thing was all her idea. She just had to go exploring. Just had to be the overachiever. Trying to impress everyone by finding naquadah. Why the hell couldn't she just have a fascination for crumbling buildings like Daniel did?

Of course, Daniel's ruins did have a bad habit of falling down every once in a while.

Things could be worse. He could be stuck in here trying to move hernia-inducing bricks. He stabbed the shovel into the blockage and dislodged a large rock. It rolled towards him and he scrambled back, struggling to get out of the way of another cave in.

The floor shook and the flashlight fell, the beam of light flickering as it clattered across the ground. Jack instinctively curled into a ball, his arms coming up to protect his head. The rock fall lasted only a few seconds and Jack cautiously poked his head up, one hand going to the kerchief hanging around his neck. Thick clouds of dust hung in the air and he was grateful for the goggles he had on. Without them, he knew he'd be blind.

He reached for the flashlight and struggled to his feet. "Carter?" he yelled, trying to see if he'd done more harm than good. He thought he heard something and cocked his head, moving towards the cave in. "Carter?"

"Colonel?" Carter's voice, punctuated with a couple of ragged coughs was music to his ears.

The dust started to clear and Jack could see a small opening at the top of the cave in. It wasn't big, but it was, apparently, enough for him to hear Carter's voice from the other side. "Carter? You in there?"

"Where else would I be?" she asked, adding a 'sir' belatedly.

"Oh, you know, I thought for sure you'd found a back door and were already on your way to the gate," Jack said, carefully climbing up onto the dirt pile. He gingerly made his way to the top and shined the flashlight into the hole. He could barely see in. The flashlight revealed Carter lying just on the other side of the cave in. It looked like she was partially buried by dirt and rocks, which explained why he hadn't heard any signs of her digging herself out. "How bad?" he asked.

"I just can't move," she reported.

"And?" he prodded, knowing that she had a bad habit of underreporting little things like injuries.

She sighed. "Nothing's broken. My ribs are sore and I think I have a concussion," she said tiredly.

"Daniel and Teal'c went back to get help," he said. "They should be back in a few hours."

"Lovely," she answered.

"How about I come and dig you out and we can catch some rays?" he suggested, gauging the size of the hole. He could get through. It might be a bit tight, but he could make it.

"I dunno. I thought I could just hang out in here for a while."

He chuckled, glad that she was in decent spirits. "Slacker," he said. "Watch out, I'm coming through."

He tossed the shovel through the hole, careful to not hit her with it, then pushed himself up onto the pile, doing his best to shimmy through without dislodging more of the dirt. He pulled his hips through the hole and slid ungracefully down the other side of the rock fall, cursing when he was rewarded for his efforts with a mouthful of dirt. Still coughing, he struggled to his feet, giving into the absurd need to brush off his pants.

"Good job, although you lose points for style," she said.

"Give me too much grief and I'll just add water and let you have a mud bath," he teased, making his way over to her. She was lying half on her side, rocks and dirt burying her legs and lower chest. In the light from the flashlight, he could see dark smudges, that were either bruises or dirt, along with a few scratches on her face and hands.

Presumably, her jacket would have protected her arms. "How ya doing?" he asked, surveying the debris covering her legs.

"My legs started going numb a little bit ago, but I think that's just because I can't move them. Until then, I could feel them," she said, a note of worry in her voice.

"That'll do it," he said, hoping to reassure her. Spinal injuries were always a possibility and the last thing he wanted to do was make something worse. He made the decision to simply concentrate on digging her out, but keep her from moving. "I'll have you out of here in no time," he promised, brandishing the shovel.

He started to dig, tempering his urgency to free his friend with his desire to not harm her further with the shovel. Fortunately, she seemed content to simply let him help her, and he wasn't sure if he found that reassuring or worrying. He didn't know if it was because she knew she couldn't really do much to help, or because she felt worse than she'd let on.
The problem was, even if her injuries were more severe than he suspected, he couldn't do much to help her beyond what he was doing right now, getting her free so that Frasier and the rescue team wouldn't have to waste time digging her out when they got here.

"So, other than this little cave in issue, is this mine worth pursuing?" he asked, grabbing the first conversation point he could think of.

"Sir?" She awkwardly turned her head to look at him.

"Is there enough naquadah here to make it worth our while?" he clarified.

She nodded her head. "Yeah. Especially if we can get some heavy equipment in here."

"What about this whole 'the roof falls in' issue?"

"It was probably just a fluke," she said. "If this mine was really that unstable, why hasn't it collapsed before now?"

Jack opened his mouth to answer her, his words dying in his throat as a dull rumble echoed through the cave. In an instant, he knew what was going to happen. He tossed the shovel aside and threw himself over her, hoping to shield her from the rocks and dirt that rained down upon them.

*****

Now that we have Sam owied, would you like Jack hurt too? Or Not?

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