"No offense, Vektar, but the Tok'ra are not always right," Eddie points out.

"They are living brains... of people. We don't really know what their level of awareness is. Without external stimulus, though, it does seem reasonable that they might all be stark raving mad by now. On the other hand, if they are in contact with each other..." He just let the words hang there because he really didn't know what else to add. The possibilities could be endless.

"Basically, what I'm saying is that destroying them could be the same as murder. Maybe it'd be a mercy killing, but we don't know enough yet to say."

"Also, we don't know what they are actually doing. While this has the appearance of some mad, diabolical experiment, we don't know that it isn't a functional, successful experiment. I mean, when we saw them take the woman, they appeared as if they were looking for a particular... I don't know... brainwave pattern?"

"Was that a replacement, or was that an add-on? Know what I'm saying?"

Eddie was more for action himself, and all this talking was not his style, but there was a time for talk and a time for action. The action was done with, for a moment anyway, so that meant it was time or talking. With the captured staff weapons, they could easily destroy all the brains. But should they?

"Oh, and Cormac, Vektar didn't say anything about a naquadah deposit. If there's a storage unit here--up top somewhere would be my guess based on the way the wires run, it's one of mental energy. And, no, I don't know what that means, either."

"Also, while I kind of agree with James about contacting the General, I don't think that's reasonable. First of all, there's no way we can convey this information to him in such a way that he's going to get the big picture... probably because we don't know what that even is yet. So, he's just going to tell us to use our best judgment. After all, we were supposed to have been chosen for our brains as well as our muscles."

"Secondly, the logistics are a bit strained. Someone would have to go back to the gate and dial home. Now that we've initiated full combat, we have no idea what the response is likely to be, so sending one person off by himself is... untenable. If we all go, who's to say what we're likely to find when we get back? For all we know, this 'storage unit'--if it even exists--could go 'boom'! Wipe out the entire town."

"My suggestion is that James and I go take care of those two Jaffa upstairs before they recover while Marcus and Cormac see what they can find out down here. We should also make sure the Goa'uld is really, really dead--don't want some Jaffa sneaking in and stuffing him into a sarcophagus and making us do this all again!"

There was something that had been nagging at him. It finally percolated into his conscious brain. He walked over to the Goa'uld and carefully studied him for any symbol. Then he examined the Jaffa for the symbol on their foreheads... if there was any.

"We're missing at least one person," he then said. "Remember when we first saw them? There were two Jaffa with staff weapons and another with some odd device. So... where' that Jaffa and where's that device?"

"Okay, first we neutralize the threat of the Goauld coming back. Then we'll see about our missing person, be careful people we've kicked a hornet's nest I don't want anyone getting stung." Randall secures things in bags that the SGC eggheads can study as he waits for the Prisoner to come around. Could the snake have jumped to her and commanded a Jaffa to run?

"There is a team holding the gate if I'm not mistaken" James says

"I'm just worried about a transport or worse." Randall looked at the prisoner.

"Let's see if we can find a gurney to exfil this patient."

I'm sure we can rig something up to get the young lady out boss. OK boys grab the staves and I'll use a tarp to bridge them we can cary her like that.Sound like a plan boyos? Cormac says in almost a chipper tone. it may be due to the fact that he now has something goa'uld to study back at the base.

Marcus looks over the 'brain network' takes pictures and notes.

"While the brain component is inhumane there might be some networking principles that could prove beneficial to existing networking structures."

There's no tarp or anything like that, but everyone's got a spare shirt in their pack. By pulling the sleeves to the inside and slipping the staves through the sleeves to reinforce the sides, a makeshift stretcher can be made.

Once they set up the stretcher on the floor, it easy enough to move the woman off the 'operating table' and onto the stretcher. It's a little dicy going back up the stairs, but the team manages it.

It's a little easier going down the outer stairs to the ground.

Now what?

"Let's exfi this patient to the 'Gate."

James help move the patient

Marcus follows the group out and to the gate for extraction.

The woman is starting to recover by the time the group returns to the location where they saw her taken. Their native friend, once he greets the woman with a hug, bows down before the team.

"Should we get going Sir?" Marc asks the team leader?

"Sir SG-5 is holding the gate so they could dial in and get in touch in with General Hammond"
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:26, Sat 05 Apr 2014.

"Let's get going. We've more than completed our objectives." Randall says happy to take his subordinate's advice.

Marcus follows the leader out wishing they had time to search for the StarGate metal that may be hidden here.

Cormac will follow Thorne's lead and head back through the gate.

The team has no problem getting back to the gate, where they find SG-5 on station. Since there is no immediate emergency, no one bothered calling ahead so that SG-5 would have already dialed the gate.

Major Castleman wants a report from Randall while his men stand on guard for expected pursuit.

"So you couldn't resist poking the bear?" he jokes. "What's the situation?"

"Well, we apparently permanently stopped a snake that was doing biotech experiments.
That's going to be a barrel of monkeys we don't have to deal with, on the positive side we started a hearts and minds campaign here." Randall said.

"So no hordes of angry Jaffa chasing you?" Castleman replies. "Then what was the rush and the threat? Why'd you need us?"

"Don't get me wrong, Thorne... any excuse for a walk on the wild side is jake with me. Beats sitting on our duffs all the time. But, it's kind of frustrating not being able to shoot something."

"Better safe than sorry, except when the bean-counters get the bill. Well, go ahead, Berten, dial home. This isn't my idea of a picnic area."

"Yes sir" James then heads and dials home using his code for the shield

"We thought that there would be more Jaffa, I actually ended up as a diversion and worried that it failed because I didn't see too many. Apparently it was a small fry snake with a few Jaffa cooking up experiments. The bean counters should be happy with us starting a hearts and minds campaign; after all a similar one helped us bring down the USSR." James said, hoping to explain to the other team leader what went on.

Once the gate is open and the team receives the confirmation Cormac will head through. This time with a bit more grace.

Randall will follow Cormac slowly.

james follows

James's effort to dial the gate didn't work at first... probably because Earth's stargate was in use by another team. It took him 3 tries before he was able to establish a connection and create the wormhole.

After that, it was routine.

Everyone makes it back through the gate without incident.

((Thank you for flying SGC gate travel. Please return the stewardess to an upright position. You can post in the Gate Room and Infirmiry now, but hold off on posting in the Briefing Room until SG-X1 is done with their debriefing.))