"How about 'curiosity killed the cat'?" Jack continued.

"Is there a point you're trying to make?" Daniel replied.

The visitors were looking at them curiously as they entered. Then one of the women spoke to her companions.  "They're human," she said. "Primitive, but no doubt similar to our early ancestors."

"This is wonderful - it's like being able to study our own people in their early stages of development," the other woman said, starting to walk down the ramp. The man with them touched her arm. "Wait, Areeta. We have no idea if they are dangerous. Those do seem to be weapons they are pointing at us."

"I think we'll be safe, Solnas. Our personal shielding should protect us if we startle them and they fire upon us." She turned to the other woman. "Coming?" she asked, with a smile.

Daniel's brow wrinkled in concentration as he tried to understand their language. Jack looked over at him expectantly.

"Well, Daniel? What are they saying?"

"I have no idea, Jack. It's not anything I recognize," Daniel said, starting to ease forward as the two women came down the ramp. The marines automatically raised their weapons as the three strangers approached.

"Hey, wait a minute," Daniel said, stepping in front of them. "Do you see any weapons here?"

"Stand down but stay alert," Jack said. "Are you sure about this, Daniel?"

Daniel didn't seem to hear him. His eyes were on the two women as they came to stand at the end of the ramp.  Both of them were very petite, only five feet tall, but with a regal bearing.  Their hair was bound close to their heads in neat braids, and their plain, functional clothing reminded Daniel of the BDUs his own team wore on every mission - with one important exception.  They didn't appear to be carrying any supplies.  Or weapons, he noticed - at least visible ones. 

Jack looked up at the man standing behind them, and the look on his face was one Jack was very familiar with - he'd worn it many times himself. He gave the man a sympathetic glance and was surprised to see understanding in his eyes. Yeah, guy, I know how you feel. Looks like your team follows your orders just about like mine does, Jack thought.

Before Daniel could speak, the older of the two women smiled tentatively at him and pointed to herself. "Areeta," she said, then pointed to her companion. "Breatan."

Daniel smiled back. "Daniel," he said, pointing to himself. Then he pointed at the man on the ramp.

"Solnas," the man said, with a sigh. He followed the women down the ramp. "This is going to take forever, Areeta. Do you really think it is going to be worth the time?"

Areeta turned to him with an annoyed glance. "Solnas, we are explorers. Not every race is going to be as advanced as we are, but that does not mean  we cannot learn from them." She turned back to Daniel and motioned to the rest of SG-1, and Daniel introduced them quickly.

"So now that we're acquainted...." Jack said.

"I would love to get a look at how they opened the Stargate," Sam said, eyeing their wrist devices. "Do you think we'll be able to communicate with them?

"It's worth a try," Daniel said, then motioned to their visitors. "Let's take them to the conference room." He led the three visitors out of the gateroom and to the conference room.  

Jack turned to Teal'c and Sam.  "I hope I don't regret this," he said as they followed.

General Hammond joined them there, and was introduced as well. Areeta went to the window of the conference room and motioned toward the Stargate. "What do you call this?" she asked, then at Daniel's puzzled expression, she stopped. "Your portal?" She made a circle with her hand, and pointed at the Stargate again.

"Oh," Daniel said, going to her side. "Stargate," he said.

"Stargate," she repeated. She motioned around her. "And this place - your planet? What is it called?"

Daniel was catching on quickly now. "Earth - Taur'i," he said.

"Taur'i - could it be?" Breatan asked to Solnas.

"I do not think that is possible, Breatan," he said, walking around the room impatiently. "Many of the planets we have visited claim they are Taur'i, the home of the fathers."

"It would be fascinating to learn more of them," Breatan said, holding out her arm so that Sam could look closer at the wrist device she wore. "These are a curious and brave people."

"Sam, could you come over here?" Daniel said, motioning to where Areeta had been writing on the white board in the conference room. "This looks like a molecular model, and I was hoping..."

"It is, Daniel - it's nitrogen," she said to Areeta, who then drew another symbol. "And this is oxygen." Sam took a marker, and drew another model. "Naquadah," she said, pointing toward the model. Areeta smiled, then motioned again toward the Stargate. "Yes, the Stargate is made of naquadah," Sam agreed.

"This is going to take a while," Daniel said to General Hammond and Jack, who were standing to the side.

"We gathered that," Jack said, with a sigh. He sat down and offered a seat to Solnas. "Chair," he said wearily as he pointed to it.

Solnas smiled at Jack and sat down. "I like this one - he has a sense of humor," Solnas said to Breatan.

"We are all going to need a sense of humor to continue this exchange," Breatan said, as Areeta, Sam and Daniel continued to go through elements. "Do you think they would mind if we observed them for a short while? It will give us a chance to learn more of them, and them of us."

"Do you think that is wise - how would we make them understand what we wanted to do?" Solnas said.

"They may not entirely understand at first - but I think the eventual benefits to them will make our purpose clear," she said.

Solnas thought a moment. "I agree." He and Breatan walked over to where Areeta stood with Daniel and Sam. Reaching out, they took each other's hands, and formed a circle around Sam and Daniel, who looked at them strangely.

"We wish to teach you of our world," Breatan said, even though she knew that Daniel and Sam didn't understand her words. "And learn of yours. Solnealinnia."

"Solnealinnia..." Daniel repeated, mystified.  Sam looked over at him with a questioning glance.

They were in a chamber that looked as if no one had been there in years.  The institutional tile floor and walls were crumbling and a thick layer of dust blanketed everything.  The Stargate behind them still crackled with a residual energy charge, as did the DHD in front of it.

"More importantly, where are the others?" Daniel said, getting to his feet and giving Sam a hand up. He walked over to the DHD. "Looks like it may have short-circuited or something." He started to reach out for the control panel, but Sam held him back.

"I don't think you should touch that," she said, picking up a piece of broken tile from near the Stargate and tossing it at the DHD, where it was disintegrated by the energy.

"Good idea," Daniel said, backing away.

"The others may not have made it through - they could have been diverted to another gate when this happened."

"Or we could have been diverted - I don't think this is the kind of facility the Linmarrians probably use on a day-to-day basis," Daniel said, looking around him.

"Looks pretty deserted," Sam agreed. She pulled out her sidearm. "Let's see what else there is around here, since the gate is going to be out of commission for a while."

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