The fanfic writer’s characters materialised on the page as the modem deposited them into the sg-1write list. An erie silence greeted them as they fanned out to do recognizance.
Jack sighed. "Don’tcha just hate it when folks invite you to a place and nobody shows up?"
Teal’c frowned. "I believe this site has been abandoned for some time."
"I don’t understand." Daniel said. "There’s no writing, no references, no artifacts..."
"There aren’t even any rocks here, Danny." Jack pointed out, disgusted.
The unofficial ambassador of the team looked up.
"Hello! I’m Daniel Jackson. We’re peaceful fanfic characters from Earth."
His voice rebounded off the high ceilinged site.
Jack shot him a look.
"Well it was worth a try." he shrugged.
Jack nodded decisively. "Ok, let’s go to the home page."
"............What?"
"There’s nobody home, Daniel... how long do you think we should stand around here scratching our cosmic heads?"
Sam grimaced. "This doesn’t make any sense! Who would build a site like this and not use it?"
"Carter, you sure you typed up the right address?" Jack asked his Major, already knowing what her answer would be.
"Yes, sir! It was on the cartouche at Onelist. Our preliminary scans suggested this would be a busy place."
Daniel nodded in agreement. "From the writings at Onelist, it sounded like a... a mecca of sorts for SG fanfic writers." He screwed up his face in concentration as he tried to remember the exact words of the Onelist cartouche. "A writer's forum for the writing of Stargate Sg-1 related fan fiction. This list is for the discussion of the means of writing fanfic, requests for beta readers, feedback, and other writing related topics."
"A kind of a pre-Heliopolis.com... Heliopolis?"
Daniel looked at Jack. "Yeah... something like that."
"Although I have never been to this site before, I have heard tales about it. It was my greeter who once spoke of it on the Ultimate Newbie Post." Teal’c offered.
"Well, somebody responded to the NALP (Newbie Application to the List Post)" Sam said. "but she didn’t give any indication that this site would be..."
"Abandoned?" Jack finished.
"... yes, sir. I don’t get it!" she burst out, frustration evident in her tone. "They’re writers! They’re always asking for feedback! You’d think they’d love a place like this!"
"Look, I’m really sorry guys." Daniel said, crestfallen. "This is all my fault. I wanted this site to be something... wonderful."
Barely able to hold back tears, Sam choked out, "It’s not your fault, Daniel!"
"Major," Jack asked, "there’s nothing in your Tok’Ra memories about this site?"
"I know sir, but I can’t access previous posts at will. Believe me I’ve been trying!"
Teal’c spoke up. "Perhaps the Goa’uld destroyed this site, considering them to be a threat. The Goa’uld often end up dead in these fanfics."
Daniel, looking up in alarm, blurted, "You don’t think Sekhmet!?"
"I don’t think so, Daniel!" Sam quickly reassured him. "We’ve been to her site at http://members.xoom.com/seshat/ before. It obviously was a glorious place for writers at one time, but no one’s been there for ages either."
"Okaaay." Jack said. "We’ll keep the door open for a little while, but if nothing comes up we’ll have to unsubscribe."
"Wait!"
Daniel ran up to the far wall and began furiously scratching a message on it.
"Amicissi, felati. Patris carere, liberatis recuperare!"
The writer wants to add this to her fic. Does anyone know what it says?
Sam grabed his arm. "Whoa, Daniel! Careful!" she warned.
"Well we can’t expect them to trust us if we don’t show we’re willing to trust them." he reasoned.
"Alright campers," Jack said. "Let’s go to the home page. Carter, click us out of here."
The four characters turned forlornly toward the toolbar as they prepared to leave the site. They had built up such hopes, only to be disappointed. Daniel wanted to discuss the possibility of the Goa’uld knowing the Ancients back when they were still in our galaxy. Sam had wanted to explore some unique scientific theories in the hopes that more science could be added to the fics. Jack wanted nothing more than to talk some sense into the whumpers out there. He was getting way too old for some of that stuff. He grinned ruefully. Perhaps it was for the best. He and Daniel had been banged around so badly lately, that he’d probably just shoot first and discuss plotlines later. And Teal’c wished to know why he continued to have such insignificant roles in so many fics when the writers obviously took outrageous liberties with the other characters.
As the modem hissed into activity, the writer turned and gazed at the inscription Daniel had left on the wall. Would anyone come by this site and read it? Would they be able to make sense of it? More importantly, would they be helpful allies, or flaming foes? Sighing, she turned and followed her characters through the modem’s pull, to a livelier place.
© January 7,2000 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa’uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.