<<Middle Earth>>

“What...is that?”

“I do not know,” Legolas replied to his friend, looking perplexed. “I have never seen anything like it.”

“Could it be from Mordor?”

“This far north? Unlikely,” Legolas answered carefully, “though it does look like the tremor caused a rock fall that uncovered it, so anything is possible.”

Before Strider could think of a response the huge ring-like thing they had been discussing began moving and making the strangest sound either of them had ever heard. With an alarmed glance at each other they melted back into the tree line so effectively that when the liquidly surface formed inside the ring with a burst of sound and movement it was impossible to see where they were hidden and still watching.

They watched silently as a small box like thing trundled out of the liquid surface then stopped, its ‘head’ swivelling back and forth.

“Is that thing alive?” Strider asked in a bare whisper, incredulously.

“Well...it is moving, so it has to be,” Legolas replied just as quietly, frowning.

The creature stopped moving and the liquid behind it winked out of existence.

“What now?” Strider whispered.

Legolas looked across at him and shrugged, “I have never seen anything like this before. Perhaps we should try to find Mithrandir.”

“Might be a good idea,” Strider agreed.

<<SGC, Earth>>

“No evidence of occupation near the gate, but there is evidence of a recent rock fall. That’s probably what uncovered the gate.”

“Is the area unstable?”

“No other evidence of seismic activity detected.”

“Good. SG1...”

“On it, General.”