[Henry Pratt]

2200
Village of Nindar
Approaching village

Exhausted from their day of hiking between the villages of the planet Jaipi, SV-2 crested the final hill separating them from the villager of Nindar. Since early morning the team had been trekking across the farmland, greeting the various villagers of the area and getting to know them. So far the locals had proven to be warm and welcoming, offering SV-2 plenty of food, even when it was clear that they didn’t have enough to feed themselves. Upon asking for a suitable site to camp for the night, the chieftain at the last village had suggested they stop in Nindar, whose people would greet them with welcome arms.

But as SV-2 came over the hill and got their first look at the village, it was clear that something was wrong.

"This is the right place, right?" Henry asked, looking down at the darkened village. While the locals hadn’t developed electricity yet, fires for cooking, warm and light had been a common sight in the other villages. While they only lived in small tribes, the sound of talking or the smell of cooking could usually be detected long before the village was seen. However, Pratt couldn’t make out a single sign of life in Nindar.

"It’s possible they’re nomadic," he added, trying to explain the situation. "Maybe they moved north for winter, or they're looking for better farmlands?" Having said all that though, the chieftain of the last village had seemed convinced that someone should be expected in Nindar.

Not that it minded SV-2, they had to equipment to camp where ever they liked. In fact, this would have been one of the better places he’d been forced to camp by a long shot. Still, it was a little unsettling that no one was home.

< Tag Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer & Vanessa Whitmore >

[Vanessa Whitmore]

2200
Village of Nindar
Approaching village

Vanessa was not the map reading type and as they trudged over the hill she heard Pratt asking if they were in the right place. "It is always possible that someone is lying?" Well anything was possible. Vanessa had learned over the years to not trust the locals. Trusting the locals had never usual led to anything good and yet the chain of command always seemed to do it over and over and over again. It wasn't like she had any room to say anything so she simply didn't mention it to the others.

Vanessa raised a brow at Pratt. "I guess they could be nomadic people?" Vanessa as about as lost as he was in their little hiking adventure. Vanessa stretched and tried to loosen herself up from the all day walking. The woman's usual stiffness was setting in. At this point in time Vanessa was hoping for anything that would point them to these so called "nomadic people" as Pratt had dubbed them. It was better than trying to pronounce whatever their name had been. Vanessa had all but stopped paying attention to the village in front of them as she looked between their small group. While she trusted Pratt and was even closer friends with Harris, it left the one she overheard Martin calling Lt. Barbie one day. For now Vanessa would reserve judgement of the Lieutenant. In Vanessa's position she couldn't afford to make rash conclusions about anyone.

<Tag: Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, & Henry Pratt>

[Kata Harris]

2201
Village of Nindar
Approaching village

Kata looked down at the dark village, for a place that was supposed to welcome them with open arms...there was a lack of people to do such thing. Looking at the small village was like looking at an old western ghost town, except there were not any tumble weeds. If there wasn't anyone here, then why did the last chieftain send them here? It was already dusk and her team was spent, she didn't want to have everyone hike back the way they came unless they absolutely had to.

"Barbie, check the map." Kata said once Pratt and Whitmore were done talking, "The rest of you we are going to set up camp on the edge of town, I want a fire going before it gets dark." Making sure everyone heard her she started down the hill, as they got closer to the deserted village the creepier the place seemed, with the sun setting shadows seemed to stretch from everywhere. At one point she thought she saw something move but it was just her brain playing tricks.

[Billie Jean Witwer]

2200
Village of Nindar
Approaching village

Hiking?

My ass

The Navy officer grumbled silently, as she looked around. The vast horizon had held nothing but raw space. Colours of nebula could be see clearly from where she stood. She had been certain that nothing would have topped ice exam. Oh but she had been proven wrong. It wasn't very often one could say Witwer could be wrong.

Was wrong.

Wait til Az and Ken heard about it. She was sure her two friends would laugh their heads off. But it had been ages since the Academy trio meet up. She missed them. Yawning, she looked at Pratt, and heard the others as well, "Given what they said, we walked in the right direction." Before leaving Billie had used the plane to scan the landscape. Once she got back, she would analyse the data to her heart's content. Before a report was to be submitted.

Facing Harris, Billie rose an eyebrow, "Maps were checked before we departed, Ma'am," the blond spoke, "We were ambling in the right direction. Not to mention, the map was consulted over the course of the walk." As she shifted, the dust flew with the movement, "They may not be nomadic people, given the housing that is around. Population likely to be 100 people at the most."

Shining the light after sliding down the hill, she clicked her digital voice recorder that she carried, yet rarely used. Made few notes then pocketed, then with her feet she hit the dirt. Stark dry. Again odd.

"We might tighten our camps," she spoke, "it might blow the dust, sand, whatever. protect ourselves against it." She would take soil samples, test them for PH and everything she could think off. Once she finished her tour out here, she would register for classes, get her Masters, then her PH.D. Having BS which was equal of BA, didn't hold much water for her and here. Or rather they needed a Doctor in Geo-science.

She was merely a solider for the US Navy.

Tag: Kata Harris, Henry Pratt and Vanessa Whitmore>>

[Henry Pratt]

2202
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

On the Major's orders, Henry and the team began setting up camp on the outskirts of the abandoned village. Seeing how lighting a fire was a bit beyond him, Pratt elected to pitch the teams sleeping shelter, which was little more than a lightweight plastic sheet strung between a pair of old fence posts, under which the teams sleeping mats and waterproof sleeping bags would go. While it sounded like a simple enough task, doing it with only a flashlight to guide you added a degree of difficultly.

.....


Half an hour later, with their sleeping arrangements sorted, Henry dug out a set of night-vision googles from his bag. After a few clumsy moments getting them turned on and in place, he scanned the empty village through the green-hued picture offered by the goggles. Even though they magnified the available light and let him see further than before, they didn't offer any clues about the whereabouts of the villagers.

That was until the archaeologist saw something move.

It was just a flutter in the corner of his vision, and at first he thought it was a trick of the light - he still wasn't used to using the NVGs as the military members of the team were. It was when the object moved a second time that he jumped. It had been too quick to judge its shape or size, but something had definitely moved, there one minute and gone the next. Henry stood still for a moment but couldn't catch sight of the object again. It was possible that whoever, or whatever, it was had ducked behind one of the abandoned huts.

Removing the goggles, Henry walked back to where the rest of the team was, unsure of what to say. Obviously, telling the team was the right thing to do, but it he was mistaken, it would be a wild goose chase. Either way, the look for shock of his face told his team mates all they needed to know, and they asked Henry what he had found.

"I saw something move," he explained. "I mean, I think I saw something move. Whatever it was, it disappeared, I only caught a glimpse of it. But something is out there. I think."

< Tag Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer & Vanessa Whitmore >

[Vanessa Whitmore]

2232
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

When Pratt said that he thought he saw something move she just made one of those faces that meant that she was fairly sure that he was full of bull. The woman had not heard anything move since they had gotten there and set up camp. "Paranoid?" she of course was teasing. It wasn't that she wasn't willing to believe him it just was that she didn't have any sign of life in the last 30 minutes other than their own tight knit little group. "We can't all be as keen as you are Pratt" she added. She meant that as if to say that she hadn't seen anything at all. Vanessa was in one of her really strange moods today. The woman yawned shaking her head slightly. It was late and right now she only wanted sleep. It had been a long day and the campfire seemed move inviting that Pratt's idea of exploring the terrain to find something.

That was not to say that Vanessa wouldn't remain with her guard up just in case. Vanessa was not the fighting type she was the architecture and mathematically creative type. She also seemed to think that Henry was becoming a little on the creative side himself. The woman looked to the others, maybe they had seen something? She could only hope not, it would be better if it were morning before they went exploring in her opinion and the last thing she wanted to deal with was these non nomadic people who thought they were invading their property this late at night. That and Vanessa's head was beginning to pound again. Chronic headaches were getting to be a pain. She rubbed her eyes then her temples as she listened for anything Pratt could have seen as well as for the other's input since Vanessa was the first to blab her mouth off to Henry. Again.

<Tag: Billie Jean Witwer, Kata Harris, & Henry Pratt>

[Kata Harris]

2233
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

Kata was sitting on her heels at the edge of the fire, she had been working on building a decent one and so far her work had paid off. They would have light and something to heat up dinner on. Pratt came back closer to the circle of light, "I saw something move," Kata looked up from the fire and raised a brow in question, the village was deserted, least it appeared to be.

"I mean, I think I saw something move. Whatever it was, it disappeared, I only caught a glimpse of it. But something is out there. I think." She could tell by the look on the doctors face that he wasn't joking. "Paraniod, we can't all be as keen as you are Pratt" Whitmore teased,  Kata stood up and pulled her flashlight from where she had stashed it in her pocket. "You sure it wasn't an animal?" she asked as she clicked the light on, Harris stepped away from the fire and shined the beam of light around the campsite. The town already gave her the creeps, and with Pratt saying he had seen something only upped the weird factor. She had been to plenty of weird places before, but she had never stayed the night in one before.  "Maybe Witwer is right, maybe they are nomadic and there is a straggler hanging around." it was wishful thinking on her part, clicking off the flashlight Kata turned back to the fire, "If something pops up again, we'll take care of it, otherwise lets just get some rest." 

[Henry Pratt]

2233
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

As he had feared, his team mates did not seem to believe him that he'd seen something in the village, and if they did, they didn't seem too concerned about it. In a way it made sense. SV-2 had been on this planet all day and nothing so far had even remotely threatened them. The local villagers had been warm and welcoming, and the native fauna had keep its distance. It was as if everything on Jaipi lived in perfect harmony, and was a pleasant change from the usual 'run for your life' missions that the team was usually deployed on.

Major Harris declared that if there was something or someone in the village, the team would be more than capable of dealing with it. Sometimes the archaeologist forgot that even though he was hopeless with a weapon, the three other members of the team were skilled and seasoned warriors. They'd all been part of off-world teams for years, whereas Pratt had stepped through the Gate for the first time last year. These realisations settled him down, and he did his best to push the unexplained movement in the village from his mind.

"Probably just an animal," he said in agreement, mostly trying to convince himself rather than the others. "More scared of us than we are of it." While he hadn't convinced himself fully, and campfire and his team mates made him feel safe. They'd see out the night, and in the morning with the advantage of full light, they would explore Nindar fully.

0230
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

Through bad luck - or possibly punishment for the false alarm - Henry had pulled the graveyard watch shift. He'd been roused in the middle of the night after only a few hours sleep, and was now responsible for watching the campsite while the rest of the team slept. Watch duty itself wasn't too bad - for the most part Pratt sat by the dying fire and read. Tonight it was the latest journal articles detailing archaeologist digs coming out of India. While his interests had always been Ancient Greece and Egypt, his current job required him to be across the latest research into Hindu mythology. At the end of the day, the name of a deity could be the difference between life and death in the field.

His reading was occasionally interrupted by a brisk patrol around the edge of the campsite, ensuring that nothing was creeping up on them. While he tried not to obsess over it, Pratt did find himself staring at the empty village of Nindar for moments on end, trying to catch another glimpse of whatever he'd seen move before. Admittedly, if an enemy or ferocious beast did bound out of the village and attack him, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Returning to the campfire, he noticed that one of his team mates had begun the snore, a clear sign of how exhausted the team was from their day of hiking. A faint alarm went off and someone roused in the tent - it must have been time for a shift change. Pratt yawned as his team mate made her way over to relieve him. "Nothing to report so far," he explained as he gathered him books and began to pack them away.

< Tag Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer & Vanessa Whitmore >

[Vanessa Whitmore]

0230
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

Vanessa had somehow managed to finally get to sleep. How? She had no idea; but she was thankful for it. She had told not to be woken up until she was supposed to be woken up for guard shift. Vanessa tosseled in her sleeping bag. Vanessa was one of those who got bad feelings about things probably rather too easily, but she had one of them before she had managed to sleep. Maybe it had been the fact this place was abandoned, or maybe it was the fact that Pratt had to claim he saw something as they were finishing setting up camp. With any bit of luck she wouldn't dream of lions and tigers and bears so speak. The fact that Vanessa was asleep like a log was even more unusual. Normally every little sound would wake her. Soon she yawned in her sleep and sighed rolling onto her side.

<Tag: Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Henry Pratt>

[Lucien Vinigan]

0230
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

He hadn't really spoken during the trip, not because he didn't want to but this was a lot to take in for him, things he had only imagined to be able to happen in sci-fi movies was reality, and nobody knew about it. So he had spend the walk simply taking in all the new ideas and places, the saddest was it seemed a lot like home, so far all he had gotten to know made this place seem like earth, just not America.

And now he was spending one of his first nights on this planet, he hadn't been here for long, and most people on this new team seemed very comfortable with this, he hadn't really expected this. None of the time he spend camping or training he'd expected to some day be on an alien planet.

Even though they were sleeping, he wasn't in a deep slumber he was more in a light rest. The bit of movement outside and the voice speaking made him opens his eyes with a light shrug before closing his eyes again trying to sleep, it was very restless, to many thoughts going through his head.

[Henry Pratt]

0230
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

With the watch changeover complete, Henry returned to his team to continue his much needed sleep. Finding the others asleep, Doctor Pratt did his best to keep the noise down as he striped of his jacket and boots and climbed into his military issued sleeping bag. He hadn't done much camping as a child, and thankfully, most of his archaeological digs had provided some form of decent accommodation. Having said that, he actually didn't mind camping off-world with SV-2. Naturally, it was a much more enjoyable experience when he didn't suspect there was something lurking nearby in the shadows, waiting to spring out at any moment.

Knowing that someone with a gun and military training was on watch duty did relax him somewhat, and after a few moments of staring at the roof of the tent he closed his eyes and tried to calm his busy mind. Letting his body relax into the sleeping mat, he slowed his breathing, and was soon asleep.

Noon
Desert oasis

Heat. And thirst. They were the only two things that consumed Henry's mind. And finally, after hours, he was about to get relief for both.

He'd been trekking for days - or maybe even weeks - across an endless desert. The sun had been unrelenting, and now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall the sun ever setting. That was weird. For hours he'd walked, staggering up and down towering dunes and holding his own against the blasting desert winds. But that was all behind him now. An oasis was ahead.

Was it a mirage? No. Because sadly, he knew first hand what a mirage looked like - he'd been fooled by a dozen so far. This oasis was different. It was real. He could hear the call of birds that lived by the waters edge, he could smell the trees, and could practically taste the cool, refreshing waters. He quickened his pace. He'd been waiting for this for far too long.

Arriving at the oasis, and confirming it was real, he immediately plunged his head into the still pool of water and drank like he never had before. He drank, and drank, and drank, trying to quench a thirst unlike any he'd had before. After a few moments he stopped, and sat back against a tree, enjoying the respite the shade provided from the heat.

He closed his eyes to rest.

A trig snapped nearby. Henry's eyes bolted open.

And that was when he saw them. Members of his team.

He starred at them for a moment, trying to decide it they were a figment of his imagination.

"What are you doing here?"

< Tag Kata Harris, Billie Jean Witwer, Vanessa Whitmore & Lucien Vinigan >

[Billie Jean Witwer]

0700
Colorado Spring

She jogged in rhythm at the early morning hours of the morning outside the Cheyenne Mountain complex that housed the SGC. Since fall had arrived her slim figure swept through the fog. Her breathing rhythm matched her jog. It had been a while since she had felt this light mentally, emotionally as right now there was nothing to occupy her mind then the beauty of the Colorado Spring Mountains. No missions to stress over, no reports waiting to be done. Just her and the nature.

Brandy had finally admitted that Billie had mad something of her life since entering the Stargate Academy many years ago. Her twin knew her better than anyone in the whole world – that included her best friend. Billie had made no mind when her sister had doubts about her joining the navy. But now her twin could admit defeat in it. A small smile crept o her lips at the talks the sisters had since the youngest Witwer had come home. But now it would soon be time to say bye till Vedas project send her home again.

Turning the corner on the last mile or so of her jog, Billie saw figure standing in the middle, as she inched closer she noted it to be the Air Force Blues. Frowning as to who would be looking for her at this time of the morning, the Navy Lieutenant picked up pace before coming to abrupt halt at the site of the man she never really want to see again. What was he doing here? Approaching him, her hands went to her hips, “Well, well,” she looked amused -a handy trick she picked up from Guards Officer- at Redding in Class A dress, “Captain, what can I do for you?”

She didn’t wanted to know.

<<Tag: Kata Harris, Henry Pratt, Vanessa Whitmore, and Lucien Vinigan>>

[Kata Harris]

0230
Village of Nindar
Outskirts

Kata took over watch from Pratt, she had slept pretty well, sleeping in weird places no longer really bothered her, she had long since gotten used to it. As she settled in to take her watch she turned her attention from the campfire and looked up to the expanse of stars that stretched out above the campsite. Being in a new galaxy she couldn't tell heads or tails of the constellations, but she still looking up. Soon enough the campsite was quiet again. 

Noon
Desert oasis

Dirt, dirt and more dirt. It was like something out of a Star Wars movie, yet there were not lightsabers or moisture farms. The latter was something she despertly wished she would come across. Kata had no idea how long she had been walking but she could keep her skin starting to blister and her mouth was as dry as the sand she walked thru.  

Then she saw it, a beautiful emerald haven appearing out of the sand. Realizing she did not have any other choice she headed towards her. As she entered the cool shade she sighed as it was a much needed change from the blazing sun overhead, as she walked further into the shade she saw a large pool of water, yet another much needed thing. 

"What are you doing here?"

Kata swore as she heard the voice, she hadn't expected anyone to even be there. Turning she saw Dr. Pratt sitting against a tree, she could tell by his wet face that he had been drinking from the pool of water, "What am I-..." she gave him a puzzled look, "Better question is, what are you doing....here." she said as she moved and knelt down next to the water. Using her hands she drank several mouthfuls till she finally got rid of that cotten feeling, The water felt amazing. "No offense Doc, but you're the last person I'd except to see here.." she said looking to the man.

[Vanessa Whitmore]

Noon
Desert Oasis

One minute she was dreaming and then next she was standing here in the desert with her team mates. The sun was enough take its toll quickly on anyone. The woman raised a brow as she approached the others. "Now what?" she grumbled in confusion. This had to be her dream because she knew dang well the sun didn't rise that quickly. However, she was also sure that she was here. As if to see she reached and out and poked her CO, to make sure. The woman was pretty sure that was the only one that wouldn't chide at her for it. Pratt, Vinigan, and Witwer she didn't know that well. At least not on the same level she knew Harris.

Vanessa was still trying to get a hold on reality as she looked to the others. Nothing could come good from ending up in some random desert? Vanessa was debating if she wanted to strip down to her tank top and risk the sunburn or be miserable and keep most of her clothing on. It was hot and the debate raged on in her head as she debated if it would elict comments from the men. Ah screw it it wasn't like she stripping completely down to her bra or anything. They would have to get over it. Vanessa tied the arms of her shirt to her waist so she didn't lose anything. Their dream couldn't take them to a nice mountain cabin or something it had to take them here in no man's land. Of course it did.

[Lucien Vinigan]

Noon
Desert Oasis

This all seemed terribly random, just mere moments ago he had been laying in a tent and now he was walking through the desert. He stopped and looked around very confused. He knelt down and felt the sand run through his fingers, it all seemed real the warmth of the sand the heat of the air, and the thirst. He closed his eyes and told himself to wake up a few times but nothing happened, he shrugged and decided to get to his feet and move on. It sounded like not that far away there were some people talking and he quickly made his way in that direction.

The confusion didn't end there, it seemed some more of his team mates were also here, was one hell of a dream. He moved over to the oasis and took of his helmet dropping it next to him before sitting down next to the water drinking some of it, it all felt so real, the water in his dry mouth and how it was actually cooling. He got back up and looked at the others considering to say something but he wasn't quite sure what to ask, and in a desert oasis the people he had only known for a short while wasn't the ones he had imagined would be there, but they were and they all seemed as confused as him.