[Daniel] Day 19: Getting Warmer, Warmer . . . Hot (open tag)

[fikgirl.livejournal.com]

Finding the source of the temporal fluctuation actually proved not to be all that difficult. It was a sensor embedded in a tree about twenty-feet in the jungle beyond the pillar. The means of deactivating it came down to entering a code into the pillar itself. Of course, it did cause them more a few more time jumps as Tara and Damon worked on locating the thing, and by the time Rodney declared that it was deactivated, night was falling. Due to the temporal fluctuations and distortions, contact with Blaise and the Doctor via radio had been impossible.

That would have worried Daniel, but Blaise was a soldier and the Doctor had seen his share of battle. The standing rule when contact was impossible was to simply continue along the predetermined path. There was nothing else to be done for it; one of their groups would have to reach the women.

Sensor deactivated, Daniel transported back to the tunnel and updated Ash and Kenzaki. Rodney insisted that he should go, but Daniel made him remain behind in the clearing, reminding the man that they might need his genius and his laptop in the near future if they came across anymore devices needing "security codes." The scientist groused a bit, but acquiesced.

They slept in shifts, keeping a guard. They all understood that although they hadn't encountered any hostiles or even seen anyone watching them, that didn't mean that they were safe or free and clear. Daniel contacted Blaise before the solar charge on the radio was lost, once the temporal field disappated completely, and though the marine wasn't surprised that they'd encountered a time trap of a sort, he did seem a bit annoyed about it.

"Just another day at the office," Daniel told him and Blaise agreed.

They ate breakfast and broke camp at dawn. Damon assured them that they were on the right track. The man said that his awareness of Ami was stronger now, and yet still tenous. "Don't ask me to explain," he said without preamble, and a bit miserably, "It doesn't make any sense to me either." Ripley seconded the direction being correct by climbing a tree and pointing out that the smoldering tree was behind them.

Daniel checked in with the Doctor and Blaise, and both groups agreed to resume their trek. The plan was for Daniel's team to march for three hours and then make temporary camp while overland team caught up with them. The only person who grumbled about that was McKay.

Three hours later, they reported their position, scoped the perimeter and sat up camp. A quick scouting around the area, and tracks were discovered where the jungle broke away into a large open clearing and plateau. Not just any tracks, but vehicular tracks.

"I think that it can safely be said that of all the things I expected to find, that was not one of them," Daniel declared.

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[George] Tracks? Tracks!? (open tag)

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

George stared at the tracks they'd discovered and realized she was furious. "Tracks?" she asked nobody in particular. "They've got vehicles on this fucking island?"

A thought occurred to her, derailing her righteous indignation. "We are still on the island, right? I mean, the rings or the obelisk didn't send us somewhere else entirely, right?"

"We're still on the island," Verlin said. "Those are standard field radios they're using," he added, pointing at the radio Daniel Jackson had with him. "Aside from the solar panels the Doctor added, at least. They don't have the range to reach anywhere else but the island."

"He's right," Daniel said. "We're still on the island."

"Oh," George said. "Okay." She looked at the tracks again. Maybe someone else could tell more about them, but all she could gather was that they were from a vehicle of some kind. She assumed a jeep or a humvee or something, but that was only a guess.

"So...why do these guys need a car?"

[Daniel] Follow the Treads (open tag)

[island-muses.livejournal.com]

The group fanned out in a small circle, ostensibly following the tire tracks and looking for more. Daniel watched the rear, listening to Rodney complain about being dragged overland when his abilities were more suited to further examination of the pillar, and kept one eye and one ear on his people.

"That's weird." Damon's voice carried back to him.

"What's that Damon?" Locke asked.

"The tracks. They just … stop. Vanish into thin air. Just like that."

"That's not possible," Verlin groused.

"Hang around a while longer," Daniel informed the ghost, turning to face in the direction of Damon's voice. He was glad to see that Locke was moving forward to join the other man, while Ripley continued to prowl the perimeter. "You'll find out that around here, everything is apparently possible."

"It's like they were cut in half," Damon frowned in annoyance at the tracks, following them forward slowly, one foot in front of the other. "Like they ran right into a wall or –"

Damon's words cut off as the young man took another step forward and simply vanished.

"Ok, now that, *that* is not good," Rodney needlessly pointed out.

[Megabyte] Through the Looking Glass (open tag)

[island-muses.livejournal.com]

Megabyte blinked as the tire tracks reappeared. "Just when I think this place can't get any weirder, we get invisible tire tracks." Shaking his head, he continued forward a good twenty or so feet before he realized that he didn't hear anyone behind him.

"So far, so good, gang. I found them again, must have been some sort of illu –"

His words froze in his throat as he turned one hundred eighty degrees. There was no one behind him. The rest of the team was precisely where he'd left them, staring in his direction. He waved his arm, "Hey! Come on. It doesn't look like they're going back into the trees."

No answer. Not even an acknowledgement of his wave or his words.

That familiar feeling of 'something just isn't right' settled over him and Megabyte jogged back to the team – and collided with a wall of nothing that shocked his body, feeling as though it was trying to fry every cell from the inside out as he recoiled and landed on his ass.

Even more oddly, the faces of his companions didn't change. In fact, no one on the opposite side of the invisible wall moved at all; it was like he was staring at statues and not living, breathing people. Only wax museums had ever been as still or as life like.

"Guys?" Megabyte waved his hand in front of Locke, the closest person and didn't even get a blink for his effort.

(Okay, now this is really fucking weird.)

Reaching forward, he attempted to touch Locke, pushing against the resistance. It felt as though hot needles plunged into his fingertips and his hand, slashing, cutting, burning; a knife of acid began to pull at the skin on his hand. Megabyte stumbled back, clutching his hand. He looked down, expecting to see burned or irritated flesh, and was surprised to see that his hand was unmarred. Still he flexed and unflexed his fist to be certain.

Throughout it all, the others on the opposite side never moved.

"What the fuck is going on?" Megabyte asked to no one in particular.

[Scott] Initial reunion (tag Ami [if possible], open)

[starborn-scribe.livejournal.com]

Scott's coming from here (http://community.livejournal.com/crossing_lostrp/92583.html?thread=3033767#t3033767).

After only a few steps Scott abruptly halted. In addition to the trees' shadows abruptly shifting and lengthening, Damon, John, and George had appeared out of thin air. He opened his mouth to ask what had happened when he realized that the shadow of Ami's mental presence had strengthened significantly.

His attention immediately shifted, wrapping around his sense of Ami. Although a gauzy barrier still separated Scott from his wife, he knew somehow that she was aware of him. Scott's emotions surged across their link. For a moment he thought he felt a trickle of joy in return, but it was gone before he could be sure.


OOC: As far as Locke, George, Verlin, and MB are concerned Scott's just standing there, staring into space with his mouth open. *snerk*