by Karen Miller
“Wait. Not yet. I want to find out what we’re dealing with first,” he said, and waited for the resistance. Sometimes he missed being her CO and just having her accept orders without question.
“Whatever this is, it technically isn’t our job to deal with it anymore. We really should call the SGC.”
He frowned. It was hard to remember that sometimes. He’d never been one to court glory, preferring the quiet satisfaction of a fight well fought, and Washington was a huge step. To turn down the opportunity would have seemed churlish though, and, all cards on the table, he was genuinely looking forward to it. But SG-1 had done a damn good job over the past eight years and he didn’t think he could be blamed for being a little territorial. “Well, I am in charge of Homeworld Command, so…”
“So…?”
“Kinda makes me the boss of who checks it out, huh?”
“Jack…”
He stood up and clapped his hands together, his decision made. “Colonel?”
With a resigned expression, Carter said, “Yes, sir?”
“Let’s move out. We’ve got some recon to do.”
“Yes, sir.” And just like that, they were back on the clock.
As it turned out, he did make the call to the SGC, but only to arrange for Daniel and Teal’c to be flown back up from Peterson. The base was on a go slow while they awaited Landry’s arrival in two weeks’ time, and he had no trouble with the interim commander of the base, a newly promoted Brigadier General who was biding his time until his next assignment. Teal’c, Jack knew, would relish the idea of an impromptu mission, if only to stop himself rusting up through sheer inactivity. The last they’d spoken, the Jaffa had said that, without SG-1, he was basically just twiddling his thumbs until it was time for him to leave for Dakara.
There was the potential, however, that Daniel could get a little pissy about being dragged back up to Minnesota just two days after he’d left, especially as he was in the middle of prepping for Atlantis. So, before he and Sam headed out, that was the next call that Jack made.
“A mountain?” The reception was poor, but Jack could still hear the sardonic edge in the flatness of Daniel’s tone.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Big one.”
“Jack, I’m not a geologist, I have a ton of packing to do. Besides, shouldn’t you be handing this one off to the SGC? It’s not our —”
“Yeah, I know it’s not our job anymore. That’s what Carter said.”
“Well, she’s right.”
“Come on, Daniel, I don’t have time to debate this. There are over five thousand people living in and around town who must be freaking out at this. Get your ass on the plane and I’ll have a car pick you up at Duluth.” There was silence on the other end of the line and Jack started to think that the line had dropped out altogether.
“Jack…”
“Daniel, it’s a big thing made outa rock. You love looking at big things made outa rock.”
“Yes, Jack, you’ve got me there. My life’s work can be summed up as looking at big things made out of rock. Besides…” Jack heard a faint laugh through the static. “I’m already in the car. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
Jack decided that the best approach was to check out the town before heading for the mountain itself and Sam had to agree. She was sure that if an alien incursion was in progress they’d have heard about it by now, but this was the kind of thing that could cause panic, and damage control was needed. Not only that, Sam knew Jack counted a lot of these people as friends, and would want to make sure they were okay. She suspected this was part of why he was reluctant to hand it off to anyone else.
“Well, this certainly looks… calm,” he said as he swung the truck into a space outside Molly’s Bakery. The main street was busy for a Monday morning, but there was no panic, no screaming and pointing at the sky. The people of the town were going about their normal business without a care for the huge mountain that had appeared from nowhere.
“Everything looks kinda normal, sir,” she said. “Do you think they haven’t seen it?”
He tilted the rear-view towards her, and there it was; big and black and clearly visible in the near distance. There was no way they couldn’t have seen it. “Something’s not right,” he murmured. “Let’s go.”
They headed into the bakery, where a few tables were occupied by people having coffee. A few of them raised a hand or nodded in greeting.
“Well, hey there, Jack. I didn’t think we were going to see you this morning.” Molly Swinton came out of the back kitchen, wiping floured hands on her apron, a broad smile on her face. “Samantha! I didn’t know you were still here.”
“Hi Molly,” said Sam, with a side-glance at Jack. “Everything… normal today?”
“Well, what sort of question is that? Sure it’s normal, hun. Unless you count missing the milk delivery this morning as out of the ordinary. And they said they can’t come back until tomorrow. I mean, I only have one pair of hands and Monday’s my day at the market. How am I supposed to be in two places at one?”
As Molly chattered away, Sam glanced out of the window. A little girl stood there watching them, pale-faced and with a straggle of fair hair. She was reminded of another girl, not so ragged, who had appeared to her when the line had blurred between what was real and what wasn’t. The girl pressed her hand to the glass.
“Yeah, that sure is a bummer,” said Jack, interrupting Molly just as the woman was gathering steam. Sam glanced out the window again and the girl was gone. “What Colonel Carter means is, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary around town?”
Molly looked curious. “Like what?”
“Oh I dunno, like the huge mountain that’s just appeared out in the forest.”
Sam fought not to roll her eyes, still thinking of the girl at the window. So much for the subtle approach.
Molly cocked her head at him. “Jack, are you getting a little confused there, honey?”
His eyebrows shot up. “Am I…? Why would I be getting confused?”
“Well, because that mountain’s been there forever. I don’t remember a time when I haven’t looked out my window and seen it.” She called over to one of the men sitting at a table. “Seth Bartlett, Jack O’Neill here is asking how long that mountain’s stood out there?”
“For damn near ever,” said Seth, without turning round. “Has he lost his mind or something?”
Sam exchanged a look with Jack. Both Molly and Seth seemed utterly convinced that they spoke the truth, so either they were wrong — or she and Jack were.
“What’s it called, Molly?”
“Huh?” An uncertain smile passed across Molly’s face.
“Well, a mountain like that,” said the Jack, “next to a small town like this. Someone must’ve given it a name at one point. What’s it called?”
“Why, it’s called…” The woman’s eyes unfocused, her expression going slack, her eyes vacant. It lasted for just a moment, and was replaced in an instant by her familiar bright smile. Still though, her eyes… “It’s called Piper’s Peak, hun. Everyone round here knows that.”
Jack nodded slowly. “Of course, Piper’s Peak, how could I forget? Alright, Carter, let’s go.”
They turned to head for the door, before Sam was struck by something that had niggled at her since they entered the store. “Molly, doesn’t Herb normally bring in the milk delivery?”
“Well, who in the world is Herb, hun?”
The distant expression had appeared on her face again and Sam knew they would get no more answers from a woman who had apparently forgotten her own husband.
“Piper’s Peak, huh?”
“So she says.”
“Huh.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
Daniel peered through Jack�
��s monocular at the mountain. He and Teal’c had arrived in town less than half an hour ago, and already the four of them were parked up on the outskirts, scoping out this strange monolith. It was an otherwise beautiful day, the Minnesotan skies clear and blue, with a sun that was warm but not harsh at this time of year. Daniel knew what this place meant to Jack, and that whatever might be going on, he had made it personal. Daniel wasn’t sure he could fault him; a corner of paradise was hard to come by, and he wondered if he would ever find something similar.
Jack had ordered Sam and Teal’c to scope out the forest’s edge up ahead, but to hold back from actually approaching the mountain itself. Though Daniel wouldn’t admit this out loud, especially after grousing to Jack about being dragged up here, this was a puzzle that definitely intrigued him. “I’d like to get a closer look. Take some pictures.”
“Oh! Way ahead of you.” Jack groped around in the deep pocket of his outdoor jacket before pulling out a camera phone that looked about four years out of date.
“You know, you’d think as a general in the US Air Force coming into contact with advanced alien technology on a regular basis, you’d be a little more at the forefront of the technology we have here on Earth.”
“There is nothing wrong with that cell phone. It has a flashlight.”
“Great. But when I said I’d like a closer look, I meant actually up close. Find out what it is.”
“I do not think that would be a good idea, Daniel Jackson.”
Daniel turned to see Teal’c and Sam returning from the forest.
“We think we’ve found a trail up there, sir,” said Sam. “Looks like it would take us up to the base of the Peak.”
“I agree with Teal’c. Not a good idea. Whatever’s going on here, it’s playing with people’s minds.”
“And yet, we appear to be immune to the effects, O’Neill.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know how long that will last.”
“I did find something else,” said Sam. She glanced down at her handheld monitor. It was just one piece of equipment from a whole bag of gadgets that Teal’c had been instructed to pick up from the SGC. “There’s an energy signature coming from the direction of the mountain and what appears to be a soundwave beyond what I’m able to measure.”
Jack tilted his head. “I can’t hear anything.”
“That’s because you’re not a dolphin,” said Sam.
“Colonel?”
“Sir, this frequency is way beyond what the human ear can detect.”
“But it is still affecting the townspeople,” said Teal’c.
“It seems to be. I’m not sure how. And I can’t be certain, but the closer we get to the Peak, the more it could affect us. If we could just get more personnel and equipment up here…”
“And we can’t because…?” Daniel said.
Sam traded a look with Jack. “Comms are down,” she said. “We tried calling the SGC again once we realized everyone in town was acting so weird, but nothing’s getting through now.”
“Nothing?”
“Radios, cell phones — even the landlines are down.” She shook her head, frustrated.
“For now, it’s just us,” said Jack. “So, we can’t go near the thing and everyone in town seems to have lost their minds. How do we find out what’s going on?”
“I have an idea,” said Daniel. He’d been looking through the grainy photos on Jack’s cell when something caught his eye. He hit the button to zoom in. “Uh, who’s that?”
Jack took the phone and looked at the screen. “It’s a kid. So what?”
“So… doesn’t she look a little young to be standing on her own by the side of the road? So why is she watching you? So isn’t it a little strange that her feet aren’t touching the ground?”
“What?” Jack held the phone closer to his face.
“Oh my God.” Sam was looking over Jack’s shoulder at the enlarged image of a young girl, who looked about nine years old, hollow-eyed, gaunt and pale, and dressed in clothes that were definitely not of this century. At first glance, it looked as though she was standing on the verge by the side of the road, sheltered by the trees, but when he’d looked closer it was clear that her feet didn’t quite make contact with the ground.
“I saw her,” said Sam. “I saw her in town at the bakery. I thought…” She shook her head.
“So she’s following us?” asked Jack.
Before Daniel could respond, a screech of tires was heard down the road, accompanied by the sound of a car gunning towards them. The vehicle appeared round the bend, careening wildly. It came to a stop in a spray of gravel, just feet from where they stood, and a woman burst out, frantic and sobbing. “Have you seen my son? Please, have you seen my son?” She grabbed on to Sam, who tried in vain to calm her down.
“Hey, hey.” Jack stepped forward and took hold of the woman’s arm. “It’s Janice, right? You work in the post office. Your son’s Nathan?”
The woman’s face crumpled in what looked like relief. “Oh yes! Oh thank God yes, you know him? You know Nathan?”
“Yeah I know him. He used to deliver my newspaper.” Jack glanced at Daniel over the top of Janice’s head. “You’re saying he’s gone missing?”
“Yes, I went to wake him for school this morning and he wasn’t in his bed. So I called the store to see if he’d gone in early for his route and they said… they said…” Sobs claimed her again, and she sagged against Sam.
“Okay,” said Jack, “he can’t have gone far. Let’s go see the sheriff and I’m sure he’ll have him found in no time.”
“No! No, he won’t! That’s what I’m trying to say. I’ve already been to the sheriff. I’ve already been everywhere. The sheriff just says what everyone else keeps saying. That I never had a son. That Nathan doesn’t exist!”
Jack didn’t know Sheriff Hibbert that well, but he’d seen enough of him to guess what sort of man he was; an old timer who’d stomped out his territory long ago and who didn’t much like meddlers. But crime rates in the town had never been high and the Sheriff’s Department had always been run efficiently, so it was hard to question the man’s ability to do the job. Now, though, Hibbert bore the expression of a man who was being told that up was down.
“General, I’ve lived in this town my whole life. I’ve been with the Sheriff’s Department for forty years and doing the job itself for twenty of those years. I know every family in town, their dogs’ names and their favorite grocery store. And I’m telling you, Janice Keating has never had a kid, and if that’s what’s in her mind, then by my reckoning she needs to look elsewhere for help.”
Jack took a steadying breath. They’d been going round in circles for the past ten minutes, with Hibbert refusing to complete a missing person’s report, on the basis that he didn’t know any 12-year-old kid called Nathan Keating and he had no intention of wasting his resources searching for a ghost.
Jack knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with the man, but then maybe that was for the best. If the only theory they had at their disposal was the idea that alien activity might be what’s wrong with this town, then the less local law enforcement were involved, the better. The fact that Hibbert hadn’t shown any concern at the mention of sudden appearance of Piper’s Peak left Jack certain that whatever had this town in its grip, the Sheriff was affected too.
He glanced out through the blinds to the wood-paneled waiting area outside Hibbert’s office. Carter, Teal’c and Daniel were there with the kid’s mom, who’d calmed down now that she thought there was someone who would help her. He’d asked Sam to try contacting the SGC again, or anyone outside of town, but by the looks of it she hadn’t got very far. Daniel caught his eye and raised a questioning eyebrow, to which Jack responded with a small shake of his head; this wasn’t looking good.
“Look, Sheriff, I�
��ve seen her kid. I know him. All I’m asking is that you let your units know —”
“General —”
“Call me Jack.”
“Alright, Jack. Now you’re a military man, and I have nothing but respect for that, but you have to understand what you’re asking me here. I can’t…”
Hibbert’s words tailed off, his face suddenly slack and his eyes vacant, just like Molly Swinton, only this time the effect wasn’t momentary — this time it took complete hold. The man stood and Jack stood with him, unsure if he was a danger or not.
“Sheriff?” Hibbert began to walk, a slow dragging gait, and instinctively Jack reached out to stop him. Before he could grab his arm however, a piercing wail almost brought him to his knees. He clutched his head and tried to block Hibbert’s path, but a pounding at the glass partition drew his attention. Daniel was there, also clutching his hands to his ears.
“Jack, you’ve got to see this!”
Jack pulled open the door, unable to stop the Sheriff from shambling through. He looked around the bull pen and waiting area. Some of the deputies and assistants sat slumped in their chairs, while some were following Sheriff Hibbert out of the door. Sam’s face was contorted in pain and Teal’c held her upright; only he seemed unaffected by the sound. “Where is she?” yelled Jack. “Where’s Janice?”
“She is gone, O’Neill. We were unable to stop her. The sound seems to be drawing people into the street.”
“Ah crap. Come on!” The four of them pushed their way through the crowd of bodies making their way to the door and out into the bright day. The sound was still as loud, but seemed to be less piercing, and if he listened carefully, Jack thought that he could hear something musical within. He remembered the music he’d thought he heard just after he first saw the Peak.
