Chapter 4. Nox

It had been two months since Jack arrived in the world of Stargate, and despite some accomplishments, such as securing the naquadah mine on Abydos and negotiating a better deal for Teal'c, his technological advances were nil, as was his patience. However, he had improved in the latter aspect, pausing to meditate and temporarily calm his mind when he felt impatience, acquiring a patience he was unfamiliar with. Of course, he hadn't progressed in perceiving the air around him, lacking the senses of a Jaffa and not believing such a thing was possible.

Teal'c was a different story. He hinted that he had already experienced mild signs of perceiving the light from a lamp on his skin. Teal'c had adapted to Earth and spent most of his free time outside the base, at home with his wife and son.

Jack hadn't left the base; he felt insecure outside of it. He only went to the video game store and quickly returned, feeling somewhat paranoid that someone would kidnap him. Returning to being mortal left him feeling weak and fearful, a sensation that increased every time he wanted to do something and felt his limitations.

Jack spent his free time playing, writing reports, and playing again. His PlayStation 1 provided him with hours of entertainment, including games he hadn't tried in years.

As for missions outside the world, Jack had already participated in ten of them. Four of them were the ones he remembered.

The first mission was on a planet with Mongolian culture, where Carter was forced to fight a barbarian chief who wanted to prove his strength, as women were not part of their fighters. They were interested in some medicinal herbs, so they agreed.

Jack remembered that someone there would want to kidnap Carter, and he wouldn't allow nonsense that jeopardized his team. Anticipating an attack on Carter at the store, he stood guard and caught the chief's son red-handed… on Captain Carter, capturing him and making his father negotiate for him. They obtained some herbs from which a medication believed to be anesthesia was extracted. Jack didn't care about that planet and was eager to leave and send someone else to negotiate.

The second planet Jack remembered was the one where a disease turned people into cavemen, in a world of light and darkness. In this mission, he was more willing to stay because the people were kind, and there wasn't much danger besides the infected. The virus was resolved by Teal'c and Carter, and he didn't say anything because, like in the other mission, there was nothing useful there.

…

The third mission was more dangerous, involving an individual who went mad and believed he was a god, although according to Carter, he was already crazy when they were dating. Jack didn't remember much about that mission, but he knew what it was about and how to convince the locals that Carter's fiancé wasn't a god. He captured some locals, asked them what Carter's fiancé offered them to accept him as a god, and promised to give it to them without them having to beg for it, demonstrating some tricks with Teal'c's staff. This way, the supposed god was brought before them and exposed when he couldn't fulfill his promises, while they, thanks to Carter's ingenuity, could.

The fourth mission was easy and strange at the same time. It was the mission where SG-1 encountered crystals that created a copy of O'Neill. Jack didn't remember how it started, but he realized where he was when he saw the broken crystals in a desert.

Once again, Jack intervened to avoid wasting time on useless nonsense, causing a small scandal by accusing a crystal of moving when Sam tried to take it. The crystal acted cleverly for a while but finally hesitated when Teal'c offered to shoot it to see if it moved. At that moment, the crystal spoke, and he, Carter, and Daniel struck up a nice friendship.

All these missions were boring and served no purpose for him, putting his life in danger. Jack was not happy with them. It was a shame he couldn't resign from them, and he could only smile like an idiot and go risk his life without any benefit. Military people were idiots.

Now, Jack was putting on his dress uniform to receive a minister who was coming to inspect the base. He assumed it would be routine because he didn't remember such a thing in the original history. It was also a nuisance, but he had to offer a smile to the guy because he didn't want the SGC to have problems or gain political enemies. At least until the galaxy wasn't a danger to Earth, to which destiny he was bound. Once he made sure Earth was safe, he would go on vacation far away from the military.

Jack calmly observed as the minister marveled at the Stargate and congratulated General Hammond on the program's financial success, especially for the Abydos naquadah, which would make the country a technological leader in no time, with extracted quantities already exceeding three tons per month. The information provided by Teal'c about the technology used by the Goa'uld was also highly appreciated, but…

The minister interrupted Jack's thoughts by asking why the Stargate project was created. Daniel said it was to explore other worlds. Jack could only give him a bewildered look.

"This project was created to obtain technologies that can help us defend against the Goa'uld" Jack responded, recalling where in the story he heard a similar question.

"And what if a Goa'uld ship were now over our planet? What technology could we use to defend ourselves from it?" the minister asked.

Jack thought as the discussion continued. Carter assured that the naquadah they extracted from Abydos could multiply the power of a nuclear missile by ten or a hundred, but apparently, the minister wanted something more decisive. Jack still didn't remember which story this was, until Teal'c spoke, asking what kind of technology he desired and offering a place to get it.

That's when Jack grimaced. "Tree huggers," Jack thought with disdain. He didn't like military life; that wasn't a life he would choose. But it was only a life he wouldn't choose, not one he wouldn't live, as he was now experiencing life as a military man. But if there was a life he wouldn't live, that was a tree-hugger life. And in Stargate, there were two recognized species of tree-huggers, and those were the Nox and the Tollan.

…

Jack made a face when the portal disappeared behind them. "I need to meditate; I'm going to do something crazy!" Jack exclaimed in his mind.

"Sir, are you okay?" Carter asked with concern.

"The portal has disappeared" Jack said, pointing behind the team. They turned alarmed and searched in all directions. Jack stayed in his place, frowning, wondering what the hell they were doing.

Jack ignored them; he didn't remember much of this chapter. The truth was that it seemed good as a spectator, but in his current situation, he wondered if he could end this nonsense by shooting a Nox because this was a complete waste of time. The only technology they could get in this place was learning to clean tree leaves. The Nox were pacifists in every sense of the word. They wouldn't help unless it was to escape…

"Calm down," Jack scolded himself. Even help to escape was significant. In an emergency, any assistance was necessary. It could even be said that in that aspect, this mission was more important than all the others he had had so far.

…

After reprimanding himself and planning to meditate as soon as he had a place to avoid doing something stupid due to impatience and bad mood, Jack decided to get his feet muddy.

"People, you won't find the portal under those rocks, come here," ordered Jack, as a plasma shot came from a nearby place into the sky.

Jack hurried to hide along with the others. He already knew that Apophis was lurking around, and, as he recalled, this was O'Neill's first death in the original history. "No way, I'm not going to die," Jack told himself in his own mind.

…

A few minutes later, Daniel was planning to attack Apophis, while Jack wondered if it wouldn't be good to hit him on the head and drag him through the forest.

"Jack, I don't like how you're looking at me!" complained Daniel.

"Daniel, I'm sure your plan will get us all killed. Tell me, what would you do in my place?" asked Jack. He thought of hitting him on the head and dragging him, but maybe there were better ideas, so patience was needed to discuss these things.

"Well, first, you should tell me why my plan is foolish and why you're sure it will fail. You also seem to oppose us capturing Apophis and asking him about Skaara's whereabouts to bring him back, as I promised to his sister," accused Daniel.

"Daniel, forget about Share for a few minutes. If Skaara knew the kind of nonsense you're planning… Wait, that foolish kid was captured by charging head-on into a battle; he would probably agree with your plan. But since I plan to hit him on the head when I find him and release him, his opinion doesn't count here.

"Your plan is foolish because Apophis wouldn't be out there without proper protection. Daniel, when they attacked Abydos, he had a personal shield," said Jack and looked at Teal'c, who frowned.

"It is possible," said Teal'c. Daniel turned pale.

"You just said we only have to deal with his personal guard!" accused Daniel.

"Perhaps he doesn't have a shield," excused Teal'c. Jack sighed.

"No, in this case, he will have a shield. That's why your plan is foolish and will get us all killed, something I cannot allow," Jack declared and placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Daniel, that day was my mistake not to hit Skaara on the head and drag him with us, even though I was sure there would be an attack. I stupidly thought Apophis would be easily defeated and leave.

"That's why I'll retrieve Skaara, but I won't do any more foolish things while accomplishing that goal, nor will I let people die for it," said Jack, gritting his teeth as he remembered the people in Chulak. "Damn, I need to meditate," Jack thought.

"Jack, are you okay?" asked Daniel. Jack nodded as he took a deep breath.

"Carter, don't play the submissive woman to avoid problems, speak up when Daniel tries to kill us again," Jack joked to divert attention.

"Sir, I made it clear at the beginning that I thought it was a bad plan," Carter excused herself.

"Sure, Carter," reprimanded Jack. "Now let's get away from Apophis while we think about how to get back home," Jack said, pointing in the opposite direction to where Apophis was chasing an invisible animal that didn't exist. These Nox also had a touch of trolling in their blood. And their trolling had been going on for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years on the Goa'uld.

…

Twenty minutes after walking through the forest, as they prepared to stop and think of a plan to get back home, they came across a straw house and its four inhabitants with straw-like hair.

Jack grimaced. In the end, the tree-huggers had decided to introduce themselves on their own. Jack wasn't going to believe they arrived at his doorstep by pure chance; these guys were all drama.

"Relax, Jack, they might be your last lifeline, and you can send your team's hippie to deal with them," Jack thought to console himself.

"Sir?" Carter asked, seeking instructions.

"Daniel, move forward and do your thing. Remember to be very polite. We're stranded here, and they might know where the Stargate is," Jack said, nudging Daniel to move forward.

"Fine, but you'll explain what you meant earlier later," Daniel scolded.

Daniel hadn't swallowed Jack's bait to ignore his slip-up, and for the last twenty minutes, he had insisted on Jack telling him about the people he let die in the attempt to rescue Skaara. As far as they knew, no one died on the mission to Chulak. Jack was about to hit him on the head, hoping for amnesia, when the Nox appeared.

…

Daniel returned after about five minutes.

"They don't speak; I can't communicate with them in any way," complained Daniel.

"Keep trying, don't worry. We'll wait as long as necessary. No rush," Jack said, pushing Daniel back against his will.

At that moment, the Nox approached and dragged them all with them. Jack sighed and followed, signaling the team to leave their weapons aside or on their backs.

If Jack wanted to at least leave an escape route with these guys, he had to be as honest and kind as possible. His team obeyed, and a few minutes later, they were eating fruits. They weren't visually appealing, but they tasted good.

"Thanks for the food; it's delicious," Jack said, trying to force a smile.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Carter asked.

It seemed that Jack wasn't very successful in concealing his annoyance, and if Carter noticed it, the Nox probably did too.

Jack decided to be honest; these tree-huggers tolerated the Goa'uld, they wouldn't reject him for his way of thinking. Jack approached Carter more and spoke in a low voice, although it didn't mean much since they were less than two meters from the Nox, and they could probably hear him.

"Carter, I'm sure these guys are tree-huggers. Did I mention before that I don't like tree-huggers? I barely tolerate Daniel, and he's only half a hippie," Jack confessed. Carter couldn't contain her laughter and had to cover her mouth, apologizing several times afterward.

"It's not a joke; he has threatened to shoot me several times," complained Daniel. Teal'c nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Daniel, it was mostly because you tried to get me killed seconds before," Jack complained. Teal'c nodded in agreement again.

"Teal'c, whose side are you on?" Daniel asked with feigned indignation. Teal'c put on an expression of confusion, and everyone laughed a bit. The Nox watched them without saying anything.

"Jack, how do you know they are… Tree… Huggers?" Daniel asked in a discreet whisper.

"Daniel, they live in a straw house in the middle of the forest, wear plants on their heads, and it seems like they only eat fruits. Besides, they invited us to eat without even knowing us and can't stop smiling. They are the graphic description of tree-huggers," Jack explained.

"Jack!" scolded Daniel, gritting his teeth not to laugh. Those who stopped laughing, drawing everyone's attention, were the Nox.

"That's an interesting description," said the Nox who seemed middle-aged. Daniel and Carter choked on the fruit they were eating.

"I'm so sorry, we didn't mean…" Daniel began to apologize immediately, and Carter followed afterward. The Nox looked at him.

"I'm sorry, talking doesn't make them any less tree-huggers, so they still don't appeal to me," Jack said, shrugging.

"Jack!" scolded Daniel, this time with seriousness.

"Relax, Jack, they might be your last lifeline, and you can send your team's hippie to deal with them," thought Jack to console himself.

"Sir?" Carter asked, seeking instructions.

"Daniel, move forward and do your thing. Remember to be very kind. We're stranded here, and they might know where the Stargate is," Jack said, nudging Daniel to move forward.

"Fine, but you'll explain what you meant earlier later," Daniel reprimanded.

Daniel hadn't swallowed Jack's bait to ignore his slip-up, and for the last twenty minutes, he had insisted that Jack tell him about the people he let die in the attempt to rescue Skaara because, as far as they knew, no one died on the mission to Chulak. Jack was about to hit him on the head, hoping for amnesia when the Nox appeared.

…

Daniel returned after about five minutes.

"They don't speak; I can't communicate with them in any way," complained Daniel.

"Keep trying, don't worry. We'll wait as long as necessary. No rush," said Jack, pushing Daniel back against his will.

At that moment, the Nox approached and dragged them all with them. Jack sighed and followed, indicating to the team to leave their weapons aside or on their backs.

If Jack wanted to at least leave an escape route with these guys, he had to be as honest and kind as possible. His team obeyed, and a few minutes later, they were eating fruits. They weren't visually appealing, but they tasted good.

"Thanks for the food; it's delicious," Jack said, trying to force a smile.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Carter asked.

It seemed that Jack wasn't very successful in concealing his annoyance, and if Carter noticed it, the Nox probably did too.

Jack decided to be honest; these tree-huggers tolerated the Goa'uld, they wouldn't reject him for his way of thinking. Jack approached Carter more and spoke in a low voice, although it didn't mean much since they were less than two meters from the Nox, and they could probably hear him.

"Carter, I'm sure these guys are tree-huggers. Did I mention before that I don't like tree-huggers? I barely tolerate Daniel, and he's only half a hippie," Jack confessed. Carter couldn't contain her laughter and had to cover her mouth, apologizing several times afterward.

"It's not a joke; he has threatened to shoot me several times," complained Daniel. Teal'c nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Daniel, it was mostly because you tried to get me killed seconds before," Jack complained. Teal'c nodded in agreement again.

"Teal'c, whose side are you on?" Daniel asked with feigned indignation. Teal'c put on an expression of confusion, and everyone laughed a bit. The Nox watched them without saying anything.

"Jack, how do you know they are… Tree… Huggers?" Daniel asked in a discreet whisper.

"Daniel, they live in a straw house in the middle of the forest, wear plants on their heads, and it seems like they only eat fruits. Besides, they invited us to eat without even knowing us and can't stop smiling. They are the graphic description of tree-huggers," Jack explained.

"Jack!" scolded Daniel, gritting his teeth not to laugh. Those who stopped laughing, drawing everyone's attention, were the Nox.

"That's an interesting description," said the Nox who seemed middle-aged. Daniel and Carter choked on the fruit they were eating.

"I'm so sorry, we didn't mean…" Daniel began to apologize immediately, and Carter followed afterward. The Nox looked at him.

"I'm sorry, talking doesn't make them any less tree-huggers, so they still don't appeal to me," said Jack, shrugging.

"Jack!" scolded Daniel, this time with seriousness.

"Daniel, what do you want me to do? I tried to show them a fake smile, but it didn't work. I can only be honest," said Jack sincerely.

"Well…" Daniel cleared his throat. "Please forgive Jack. He's a person with a strange sense of humor. My name is Daniel Jackson. And they are…"

"Jack O'Neill," Jack introduced himself. These guys weren't interested in his rank, and he doubted they'd find it valuable.

"Samantha Carter," Carter introduced herself, following his example.

"Teal'c," Teal'c said.

"Excuse me, how can you speak our language?" Daniel asked.

"We have learned by listening to you," said the middle-aged Nox, while the small one introduced himself to Carter as Atreyu. Jack remembered Atreyu from The NeverEnding Story.

"Your weapons are not necessary," said the Nox, looking at their weapons.

"All right," Jack said, seeing his opportunity. If he stayed here, he might do something foolish. It was better to leave Daniel with these people. "People, hand over your weapons. I'll wait over there until you're done talking," Jack ordered.

"Sir?" Carter asked in a questioning tone. She was surprised he gave them that order.

"Carter?" Jack asked to indicate that this order wasn't up for discussion.

…

His team handed over the few weapons they had left, and Jack left after a farewell gesture and a meaningful look at Daniel, so he would remember his earlier words in case he didn't understand why Jack took the weapons.

…

After walking away for about five minutes, Jack left the weapons aside and sat on his knees. It was time to regain calm by overwhelming his brain with sensory overload.

Jack focused on his breathing and tried to feel the air around him. "Damn," he thought, feeling the breeze. This wasn't a closed room; it was evident that there was a breeze. Well, it's not like he ran out of options; there was still light and sounds. Jack concentrated on hearing the sounds around him. Apophis didn't worry him with a Nox ship over his head.

…

About five minutes later, a giant mosquito fluttered over his head. Jack frowned at the bug.

"Do I look like I'm playing here?" Jack asked somewhat annoyed. The bug didn't seem to understand and seemed to be wondering if giving him a shot was a good idea. Jack sighed.

"Hey, go talk to Daniel; he's a bit of a hippie; you'll probably get along well," Jack complained, and the giant mosquito vanished into the air. Then, the Nox woman appeared a few meters in front of him.

"My name is Lya; it seems you've already figured out some things," said the Nox woman.

Jack didn't remember the name of this Nox woman and was stunned to hear it. Her name is Lya? Seriously? In Spanish, it sounded almost like "líos," which means a mess or chaos.

"My name is Jack, and yes, I figured someone was playing with us when the portal disappeared. Then we found you, and I guessed it would be you," Jack explained.

"You have great insight," praised Lya. Jack made a face.

"No, I just know some things," Jack said honestly.

"Do you feel them in your meditation?" Lya asked. Jack smiled.

"No, I'm a person with very little patience, and that makes me do foolish things I shouldn't do. So I try to overwhelm my brain to keep it busy and tired. That way, if I come up with some nonsense, I'll already feel like sleeping, and I'll let it go," Jack confessed. Lya smiled.

"And what kind of nonsense were you planning to do now?" Lya asked.

"Well, we're on a not very advanced planet, and currently, due to some incidents, we're on the Goa'uld's radar, who will soon attack our world. That's why I'm somewhat desperate to get advanced technology with which we can defend ourselves or allies who protect us while we arm ourselves to defend against them.

»You won't give us that technology, and you won't defend us against the Goa'uld, so I was thinking of exposing you, demanding the portal, and leaving back to our planet to continue our search elsewhere," Jack explained. The Nox had stopped smiling a while ago.

"And why do you think that would be foolish?" Lya asked.

"Why, if I fail to obtain the technology to defend Earth, or if I can't convince some advanced species to protect us while we arm ourselves, when the Goa'uld ships arrive to bomb us back to the Stone Age, this would be a safe place to save some survivors.

»You may not be willing to protect us or give us technology, but I know that if I show up here half-dead and hungry, at least you'll give me food and save my life, which is what matters most to me. That's why it would be foolish to act impatiently…" Jack exhaled and clenched his teeth. Two months had passed, and he still couldn't get that damn mistake out of his head.

"It seems you're already seriously injured," said Lya, getting closer to him, just a step away. "Don't you want my help right now?" she asked.

"No, I'm not injured; I just feel guilty. Many others were harmed by my careless actions. They're the ones who died. Can you bring them back?" Jack asked, unable to avoid having a glimmer of hope.

"Those who have gone are gone. But you are still here…" Jack rolled his eyes. These hippie nonsense didn't do anything for him.

"Forget it; one day, I'll fix it myself," Jack said, interrupting her hippie nonsense of accepting death. He was a hundred percent sure these people didn't want to die and that they would show this woman the finger if she asked them to accept their deaths.

"You said that with certainty, as if you really believed it," she said.

"Did the Nox have a lie detector?" Jack wondered. He didn't know; their technology was mysterious, and it wasn't clear if it was illusions, control over matter, or if they had superpowers. It was also hinted that they had telepathic abilities. Jack thought he had talked too much and shrugged.

"Thanks for the conversation," Jack said to dismiss her and return to his meditation. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing and his surroundings.

"It's a strange meditation technique. Usually, these involve withdrawing from the world, not trying to immerse oneself in it," said Lya, who, to Jack's dismay, hadn't left yet. Jack began to fear he had talked too much.

"It's because I'm not trying to withdraw from the world but to focus on it," Jack replied, annoyed.

"It's a strange path to take, but we are free to choose how we wish to live; our path is not the only one," Lya said. Jack frowned. He had heard that before.

"Hey, are you scolding me?" Jack accused, opening one eye. "If so, you're wrong about me. I don't blame you for wanting to live in peace. I don't even accuse you of ignoring others' suffering because you can say the same from your side and accuse us of wanting to live in eternal suffering by not following your example. Then, in your eyes, we would be the ones who are wrong.

»Living is a strange thing, and there can be two reasons or thousands of them, depending on people's perspectives. When I was a child, I lived in a crappy country, and people from other countries accused us of living like that because we were inept and didn't know how to choose our leaders. From our side, they accused them of being indifferent and not helping us. Then there were…" Jack shrugged. He had already made his point. To his surprise, Lya sat on her knees in front of him.

"Maybe I was scolding you a bit," she admitted. "Do you want help to make your meditation more effective? I promise I won't heal your wounds," Lya said.

"I'm not injured," Jack replied. "But yes, if you can make it more effective, it would be a great help," Jack said, thinking he would have more free time to play at night.

"Okay, close your eyes and show me what you do," Lya said. Jack closed his eyes again.

…

A while later, Jack felt the steps of Carter and Teal'c approaching, all about thirty meters away, as clear as if he could see it, even the air felt as dense as water. His mind was aware of everything, but there was a price, and that was that his own body was numb; he could barely feel his own breath. He was tired too, and he wanted to go to sleep.

"Sir?" called Carter. Jack opened his eyes. In front of him were Carter and Teal'c. Jack checked his watch. An hour had passed. Jack smiled.

"This doesn't change my opinion about the tree-huggers, but I think you guys are something special," Jack said to no one in particular.

"Sir?" Carter insisted.

"Nothing important, Carter. Where's Daniel?" Jack asked.

"He's taking a walk in the forest with Ohpen. Anteaeus says he's the oldest and wisest among them," Carter reported. "Sir, these people have no way to defend themselves, and Apophis is still out there. We think we can help them. Teal'c says Apophis's shield can…" Jack raised his hand.

"People, these beings have been here for thousands of years, and the Goa'uld have visited this place many times. Trust me, they don't need our help, nor do they want our help. So, we'll just enjoy the scenery and wait for Daniel to establish diplomatic relations," Jack explained calmly.

"Are you sure, sir?" Carter asked. Jack nodded and looked at Teal'c.

"O'Neill, you seem to have made progress in your meditation," Teal'c said, forgetting about the Nox. Jack smiled.

"Maybe I'll teach you later," Jack said with a grin.

"O'Neill, earlier you said boasting was the path to the dark side," Teal'c reminded him.

"Teal'c, you watch too many movies," Jack said, and when he looked for his weapons, he found they were no longer by his side.

It seemed that the Nox found weapons too much, but that was a good sign for them; it meant they were willing to keep talking.

…

"Jack, Ohpen says he's over four hundred years old. I think they're humanoid, but they're not human. They call themselves Nox," Daniel reported when they met again.

"Daniel, have you talked to him about our issues with the Goa'uld?" Jack asked. Daniel nodded.

"I've tried, but he doesn't listen," Daniel said with a sigh, and Jack frowned at the nonsense of his comment. "Jack, you're looking at me strangely again. I hope we discuss this before you resort to violence," Daniel hurried to say.

"Idiot, you're the one who doesn't listen! I warned you to be kind. Daniel, this is the place. Bring out your hippie side and forget about the Goa'uld for a few seconds. These people don't care, and they're not afraid of them," Jack ordered with annoyance.

Jack thought his whole team turned into a war machine when they saw the Goa'uld; even the calmest member of the group brandished their weapons and cursed like a madman. He wondered if they needed a psychiatrist.

"Jack, stop calling me a 'hippie'!" Daniel scolded and adjusted his uniform before going to act as an interpreter.

"O'Neill, what should we do?" Teal'c asked.

"Do you think they'll get mad if I take a nap?" Jack asked.

"Sir…"

"Carter, go play with the kid, but remember, he's not a pet, and you can't take him home," Jack ordered, gesturing for her to leave already.

"Teal'c, what do you think about taking a light nap?" Jack asked.

"Will I be assigned an unpleasant task if I mention that we are on active duty?" Teal'c asked cautiously. Jack nodded. Teal'c leaned against a tree and took a deep breath.

"It's a cool place," Teal'c commented. Jack lay down against another tree.

"The shade is nice," Jack commented.

"The big trees generate the coolest shadows; that's why our hut is in this place," said the elderly Nox, who had appeared there out of nowhere. He had chosen his own tree to lie down and sleep.

"That is wise," said Teal'c, opening one eye and closing it again, just like Jack.

…

"Jack!" someone grumbled in an angry whisper, giving him a kick on the foot. Jack winced as he stretched.

"Daniel, what time is it? Did you say something inappropriate, and now they're kicking us out?" Jack asked irritably.

Teal'c also woke up, but the elderly Nox kept sleeping, and Jack warned Daniel not to bother him.

"I've been working hard on your orders. The Nox are a peaceful society and are willing to teach us the virtues of their forests, as long as we don't bring weapons through the gate or present ourselves with hostile intentions. It's also them who protect the flying creatures; they call them fenrir.

"As you suspected earlier, they can hide themselves, so they're not in danger, and I suspect they are more advanced than they let on, but you already knew that," Daniel accused.

"Daniel, find a tree and lie down; you look very tense," Jack said. Daniel sighed in frustration and lay down against a tree, showing his exhaustion.

Jack didn't even want to imagine how much Daniel talked or exerted himself to get the Nox to let them visit.

"I'll recommend they give you a medal," Jack consoled. Daniel flipped him off and lay down to sleep.

…

"Sir?" called Carter, her voice sounding tired.

"Carter, find a tree and lie down; you look tired," Jack offered.

"I'm afraid it's time to guide them to the Stargate," Anteaus said, appearing in the place with Lya.

"Night will fall soon," Lya said, pointing to the growing shadows.

Jack confirmed she was right. He stood up, and Teal'c hurried to follow. Daniel was still sleeping like a log, and Jack lifted him by the collar.

"Daniel, wake up; it's time to go home," Jack said.

…

A few minutes later, they crossed the gate and returned to the SGC Command. Their entire team, weapons, and the exploration vehicle had crossed before them.

"To my office, I want to hear your report," General Hammond said.

…

"So, when the gate disappeared behind you, you knew you were facing a possible advanced civilization," General Hammond said. Jack nodded. "And you didn't tell your team," he added.

"I was afraid our hosts would get angry. Besides, that would take away any information advantage we had that our possible captors were unaware of, so I decided to wait and see what happened first. Then I saw the tree-huggers, and I figured everything would be fine. If they could tolerate Apophis and the Goa'uld, they were unlikely to bother us. At most, they would kick us off their planet, and we'd lose a small advantage," Jack explained. General Hammond looked at Daniel.

"Sir, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble if he had notified me earlier of what was happening," Daniel complained, still resentful. General Hammond then looked at Carter, who seemed to be the most tired of all.

"Sir, I have nothing more to add. Can I go to bed?" Carter asked.

"Go ahead," General Hammond said, giving her permission, and then he looked at Jack.

"Sir, Captain Carter has learned a tough lesson today. It would be better for her to rest. And since she won't be at her computer, I think I'll ask for permission to retire as well," Jack said. General Hammond frowned. "Of course, I'm retiring to write my report," Jack lied. General Hammond nodded.