They were slated to go to P3X-479.

She was trying very hard to ignore the searing heat of Jack's eyes every time he glanced her way. That was difficult to say the least as they were sitting directly across from each other! Dr. Jackson was seated to Nikki's right and Samantha was to her left. Teal'c sat at O'Neill's left. Major Charles Kawalsky, leading SG-2, and his team were on the colonel's right.

Jack was having trouble focusing on anything but Nikki. He resolutely faced the general and forced his thoughts from her silky hair and deep green eyes, to the mission brief in his hands.

When the general asked if there was anything else to add. O'Neill had to force himself not to say something completely uncalled for!

Nothing but grief can come of a relationship with a subordinate, O'Neill! He reminded himself.

Nikki was so excited that she could hardly contain herself! My first time through the Stargate was to be in just under 90 minutes. Just think! I'll finally get to experience gate travel to another planet!

Packing her gear for the trip she was in full "olgist mode", wondered what kind of people inhabited P3X-479. What were the culture, religion, and social customs? Were they primitive or more advanced then they themselves were? So many questions and ideas were running through her mind, that she thought she'd explode!

Just you keep your mind on your work and not the colonel's cute behind or his wicked brown eyes and those lips…! Come on girl! He's your commanding officer not the boy next door! Snap out of it! Since when do you react to guys like this? Then there's Daniel Jackson! Maybe that's who you should concentrate on! He has those big sexy blue eyes and his long hair just begs fingers to run through it!

Daniel's boyishly handsome face flashed through her mind. The adorable way he absently brushes his hair out of his eyes, his tendency to lick his lips when he was nervous, or intently concentrating on something.

Shaking her head to clear all the erotic images running through her mind's eye, Nikki decided that her little voice was just too annoying!

A knock sounded at the door before Daniel and Sam entered. Nikki blushed when she met Daniel's friendly gaze, hoping that he wouldn't see the thoughts reflected on her face.

"You ready?" Sam asked.

"I think so." Picking up her pack, they all headed toward for the elevators. "I can hardly stand it! I'm excited and a bit scared all at the same time!"

"That's exactly how I felt the first time too." Daniel said remembering his trip to Abydos. Laughing brown eyes and long curling silky soft hair was brought to the forefront of Jackson's mind. A year was all he spent with his beloved wife. A sharp pain knifed its way through his heart the way it always did when he thought of her. The cruel way she was ripped from his side! He'll never be able to forgive himself that he was not there to protect her from the evil System Lord Apophis. Hatred burned like acid through his heart as he thought of how the Goa'uld uses humans as hosts. Of how Sha're was taken against her will and infested with Amonet the Gou'ald that now inhabited her.

A look of intense pain and grief crossed his handsome face and leaving a haunted look in his beautiful blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Nikki looked questioningly at her new friend.

"No, it's OK Nikki. I lost my wife, Sha're, to the Goa'uld when they invaded Abydos."

Nikki felt her heart go out to the young anthropologist. Nikki knew how he felt. She lost her parents and younger brothers in a tragic car accident when she was attending Harvard. They were returning home after visiting her on campus. A thick fog contributed to the deadly multi-car accident.

Yes, she understood. Mentally she gave herself a shake to dispel the all too painful memories that threatened to engulf her. With eyes suspiciously bright with unshed tears, Nikki whispered, "Daniel, I'm so sorry!"

"It happened a long time ago Nikki. Don't worry." Daniel answered trying to give a smile but failing miserably.

Looking into his sad eyes, she could see the remnants of a great love. How lucky he is to have known such love!

"I'll explain it all to you soon." Sam said softly. Daniel's steps slowed as he tried to regain his composure.

The painful memories began to fade the closer they came to their mission. Entering the embarkation room, Teal'c, Jack, and the members of SG-2 were already there waiting.

Jack watched the trio enter the room. He only had eyes for her. The standard desert camo uniforms they wore looked great on her slim figure. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement and her moist, rosy lips were just begging him for a kiss. She placed the baseball type hat on her braided golden brown locks.

She felt Jack's heated gaze traveling slowly and deliberately over her body.

Oh, Nikki girl, he is just too good looking for his own good! Her pulse quickened and her cheeks flushed. She looked directly into his dark eyes and gave him a dazzling smile.

Can I hope that she might feel anything for me? he asked himself. Dream on O'Neill! Not after you made it clear that you don't like scientists! Besides, she is way too young for you!

"Chevron seven locked!" a voice said over the loud speaker as the gate burst to life.

"Ready to go campers?" Jack asked. His arms rested atop the automatic rifle slung across his shoulders.

"Ready Sir!" Sam and Nikki said in unison.

"Oz awaits! Let's go people." Jack led the way up the ramp.

Nikki watched as Kawalsky and the rest of SG-2 entered the shimmer of the gate without the slightest hesitation.

She slowly approached that mass of energy with Daniel beside her.

"Oh Daniel, this is amazing!" She stared in wide-eyed astonishment at the ever-changing pool. You can actually see the quantum particles dance on the event horizon!

He saw every emotion she was feeling reflected on her eager young face. Excitement, wonder, terror.

I must be completely nuts to go through with this! she said to herself. OK Nikki, take a deep breath and calm down! You have been dreaming of this moment for 5 long years! "Are you OK Nikki?" Daniel asked as she stopped in front of the gate and stood staring at it.

"I guess I'm a bit more scared than I thought!" She said honestly. Daniel glanced at Jack. "How 'bout you hang on to our hands and we'll all walk through together?" Gaining a slight nod, they took her icy hands.

"Just a walk in the park Lieutenant," grinned O'Neill.

"Thanks Daniel. Colonel," she said very grateful of that bit of reassurance.

Hand in hand, Daniel, Nikki, and Jack stepped into the silver-blue light.

An explosion of light and color swirled about and around her. She felt tossed like a toy boat caught out on the raging ocean. Streaks of color flashed all around her like millions of flash bulbs going off one after another. Thirty seconds seemed to last for an eternity as she was pushed forward through space. Tumbling out on the other side of the gate, Nikki felt as if she had been dunked in an icy cold lake during a blizzard. She was covered with frost and her joints were stiff with cold. Numbing coldness that was so incredibly intense, it was painful to move.

"Keep moving lieutenant, it wears off quickly." Jack flashed a knowing grin.

He and the others seemed totally unaffected. It is obviously something you got used to.

Recovering from the shock of gate travel, she began to gather data on the planet. It was beautiful! The ground was sandy and lush with tropical flowers and plants. The gate was located in a small clearing surrounded by palm trees.

Jack, in his element, started to issue orders.

"Kawalsky, take a few men and check out that tree line. Ferretti, take the rest of SG-2 and find the best cover to set up base camp. Sam, you and Teal'c secure the area around the gate and DHD. Daniel you and Lieutenant Stewart check out that trail."

"It looks like the gate hasn't been used in a very long time Colonel," Sam said, brushing debris off of the Dial Home Devise. "Seems to be in working order though."

Daniel and Nikki started off toward a trail that snaked through the trees.

"Oh, wow! Jack, come here and take a look at this." Daniel called from just up the trail.

"What is it Daniel…?" Jack stopped mid-sentence to stare in astonishment at the scene before him.

They were standing on the edge of a high cliff over looking a spectacular view of a sparkling ocean. A white sandy beach fell back from the waters edge. The white coral reef could be seen in the crystal clear blue-green water. The sun was warm and high in the deep blue sky and a light tropical breeze blew to keep it from being too hot. The air was fresh and clean but lacked that salty twang of the oceans on earth.

Just like paradise! Jack thought. What's wrong with this scene? Come on O'Neill, nothing is as it seems off-world! Something was wrong, he felt it swirling in the pit of his stomach. All of his military training told him to keep his eyes pealed for trouble.

"It's an ocean Daniel." Jack said stating the obvious. "Wh…."

"No Jack." Daniel cut off the sharp retort. "There!" Pointing out a large black obelisk just off to their left.

"Can you make anything out from here?" Jack inquired.

Daniel looked through his binoculars. "Not at this distance. I think we should take a look at it."

"What have you found O'Neill?" Teal'c asked coming up from behind them.

Jack pointed in the direction of the obelisk.

Sam, walking with Teal'c, paused as she too caught sight of the object in the distance.

Teal'c borrowed Jackson's binoculars to study the object glittering in the afternoon sun.

"It is not of Goa'uld origin." The big Jaffa informed the gathering.

"Well, let's take a closer look at it." Jack started back down the hill. "This way kids!"

Upon reaching the beach, they all noticed the gently lapping water. There were no big crashing waves like on earth or any seabirds flying over head.

"Does anyone think its odd that the ocean is so quiet?" Sam inquired.

"I was just going to ask the same thing." Nikki answered.

"What have you found DanielJackson?" Teal'c inquired. Daniel stood looking up at the two-meter tall obelisk made out of black jade. Two steps led up to a marble platform. At the base of the obelisk was a stone plaque with a large, highly decorated stone set into a platinum bezel. The plaque's smooth surface was polished to a high sheen. The face of the black object had engraved hieroglyphics with pure gold poured into the channels.

"Any idea of what it says?" Jack asked the curious archeologist.

Glancing toward Jack and then back at the obelisk, Daniel shrugged his shoulders.

"Umm…I'm not sure yet. Give me a few minutes." Absently pushing his glasses up, he knelt before the stone at the base running his fingers lightly around the outer rim.

Daniel continued to study the obelisk for a long time. Finally he stood and said a bit impatiently, "This really doesn't make any sense!"

"What do you mean Daniel?" Nikki asked.

"Well, these glyphs look like they are part Greek and part Egyptian. Only they don't have any kind of structure! I just don't understand!"

Nikki stood beside him and studied the symbols. The longer she looked at them, the more she recognized that they weren't words at all.

"Daniel! I think that these might be musical symbols." Nikki said excitedly.

Looking again at the glyphs, he realized that she might be right. "Look here, these 7 symbols are like the ones found on the DHD." Nikki said pointing to the face of the obelisk.

"Yes, I see what you mean!"

"Daniel?" O'Neill questioned.

"Well, as far as we can tell these aren't words at all. They are Greek mixed with ancient Egyptian but as you can see, the…"

"Daniel, can you just cut to the chase? Please." Jack sounded weary.

"Colonel, I think that these are musical notes." Nikki jumped in to the conversation.

"Why would you think that Lieutenant?"

"Well because for on thing, Daniel couldn't make out any kind of sentence structure that made sense, even though it is obviously Greek in origin. Then as I got to study it more closely, I realized they could be musical symbols as there are only 7 symbols that repeat. In the Greek language, we have found that musical symbols were written in this way."

Daniel was amazed! This is the first time that he could remember Jack actually listening to any of their theories. Glancing at his friend, he could tell that most of what Nikki said went in one ear and out the other, but he also saw a softening around the colonel's eyes that rarely happens. Realization dawned on Daniel that Jack just might be falling in love with Nikki! Smiling broadly, he watched the sparks fly between the two. Neither was aware of it! He felt certain that Nikki felt something for her C.O. He had seen the way she looked at Jack when she thought no one was watching.

Knowing Jack the way he did, Daniel figured it would take a land mine going off in the colonel's face before he owned up to his feelings. I wonder how I might be able to help them out?

Returning his attention to the obelisk, he touched one of the symbols. It lit up and made the same sound as the glyphs did on the DHD.

Gaining the attention of Nikki and Jack, he pressed another glyph. Nikki moved closer to Daniel to watch in fascination as the anthropologist pressed a third button.

Suddenly, the platform they were standing on fell away and Daniel and Nikki fell into a dark hole.

Feedback to Nikki