Jack O’Neill emerged from the trees ringing the lakeshore. Transfixed by the sight of the moonlit water, he wiped an arm across his sweaty brow. He could have sworn he felt the temperature drop a few degrees just from looking at the vision of coolness.
He breathed in the sweet smell deeply. The air even tasted cooler by the water’s edge. This midnight stroll had clearly been one of his better ideas.
He’d left his teammates back at camp, alternately sleeping peacefully or keeping vigilant watch. Jack had found it impossible to sleep in the sweltering heat. He should have been tired after the day’s explorations; instead he brimmed with restlessness. It was almost like this planet’s air was imbuing him with energy. Finally giving it up as a lost cause, he decided to take a walk to work off the excess. Some intuition had guided him to this serene lake.
He advanced closer to the water. It looked so inviting. If just standing beside it felt cooler, how would it feel to immerse himself in it? A trickle of sweat down the small of his back clinched his decision.
Jack pulled off his cap and dropped it to the ground. Ruffling his fingers through his hair, he looked around and spied a handy rock. He placed his sidearm there carefully to keep it from getting damp or sandy. Peeling his black t-shirt off over his head, he tossed it down by his discarded cap, then sat down and began unlacing his boots. Once divested of his footwear, he unbuckled his pants and stripped them off. His boxers quickly followed.
Wasting no time, he strode forward into the beckoning pool. Ahhh. The water was as cool as it appeared. Jack reveled in the sensation as it flowed over his bare toes and swirled around his ankles. He waded deeper, feeling it rise past his calves and caress his thighs. Soothing his heat-flushed body the liquid lapped at his buttocks. When it reached his hips, he plunged, arms outstretched, cleaving through the refreshing wetness now completely enfolding him. He broke the surface with a splash, arching up out of the water as he flung his head back and blinked his eyes clear. Sighting a direction, Jack swam, strong, even strokes propelling him through the placid basin. His burst of speed spent, he stopped and rolled over onto his back.
All was silent except for the dying echoes of his own splashes. Whatever wildlife inhabited this world was apparently not nocturnal. Glancing toward the shore, he reassured himself his gear was undisturbed where he’d left it. A moonbeam glinted off his dog tags where they nestled on his breast, rising and falling with his slowing breaths. Silvery water droplets glistened in his chest hairs.
He raised his gaze to the dark sky dusted with the light of strange stars in patches undimmed by the shining moon. The scene filled him with tranquility. He drifted languorously, buoyed on the lake’s watery bosom. Gently massaging his fevered muscles, the water upheld him with its fluid support. He savored it washing over his body, eddying into every nook and cranny as it drained away all traces of tension. Softly stroking his arms, he felt the water wrap around him like a lover’s tender embrace. Sweet. Jack floated, content.
He was unsure how long a time had passed when he blinked himself back to awareness. His aqueous environment was cradling him so comfortably he was almost lulled to sleep. That held a danger he preferred to avoid. Time to head back to shore.
Shaking himself all over like a wet dog, he climbed out of the water. He toweled himself dry with his t-shirt, then pulled on his shorts, pants, and boots. Taking one last, lingering look at the lake, he nodded, satisfied. Yes, this had definitely been a good idea. He felt ready to get some sleep now.
If Jack was given to fanciful thoughts, he’d almost think the planet itself had guided him here to give him the care he’d so badly needed. He shook his head at the whimsical idea. Then turning, he re-entered the woods to walk the trail back to camp.
And the planet sighed.
© June 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.