The Other Loki

The Sighting

"Jack..." The wide eyed archeologist pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sniffed, pointing attentively at a screen that illuminated his face in a blue glow. "I-I think we've found the home of...Loki..."

An older military man looked casually over the geek's shoulder chewing an energy bar. "Already found it..." he mumbled.

"Not that, Loki..." the geek mumbled, eyes glued to the screen.

The commander swallowed his food. "See," he grunted. "I always thought there was only one of every person. Seems simpler that way."

"Jack," the geek explained, turning quickly to face him. "Considering that many of the aliens mimicked or or IMPERSONATED the Gods earth cultures already worshiped, isn't it likely more then one alien may have come impersonating the same God?"

Jack shrugged. "Uh..."

The geek pondered it to himself ignoring his commanders lost expression, suddenly lifting a book and a backpack. "I think it's quite likely...actually."

"Uh- pardon me," Jack said dryly  , taking hold of the nerd's arm. "WHAT are you doing?"

As though it were the most obvious thing, his friend answered. "Well, I'm going out there to check it out."

Jack glanced around at the small black and silver control center him and his companion had been sent to to monitor a day and a half ago.

"We're supposed to be monitoring."

Snow swirled with a muffled howling out the thick frosted windows surrounding them.

The geek shrugged. "You can watch without me. I'll only be a bit." He hoisted the pack onto his back when his commander held the backpack in a gloved fist. "Hey..."

The geek squinted at him through round glasses.

"...I think we should stay RIGHT here." Jack emphasized. "General Hammond said to "monitor""

"Jack, if I don't go now, I may miss the alien. The the images collected by the MALP showed a man in early Norse..."

"Fascinating," Jack grunted sounding like he meant quite the opposite. "But orders are orders. Besides if we leave we'll miss the gate opening to see what supplies we need and I want to tell them to send more roast beef."

The geek smiled to cover confusion and slight contempt. "You...would trade an opportunity to meet an anchient Norse Legend who could be key to understanding culture both in our own past and all over the universe for..." He blinked, creasing his brow, trying to understand. "Roast beef?"

Jack meditated guiltily on this for a moment then shamelessly... "Yeah."

The geek nearly rolled his eyes.

"Besides, I'm not sure it's entirely safe out there," Jack finished. "and yeah I'd rather not risk turning into a Jack-sicle for culture or history anything else short of saving lives."

The StarGate a ring of ancient metal as tall as two men marked with runes stood vertically against the wall and ignited on it's own, shooting a loud ripple of water from it which soon retracted and stabilized into a smooth puddle of what looked like water filling the metal ring and waving gently.

Jack turned towards it.

"Ah. Food time."

He clicked on his radio, and held it up to his mouth. "Yeah, we're ready to come back through sir, there's nothing much here. We'll report what we've seen when we return. And sir, I'd be honored if you could have a roast beef sandwich waiting for me, frankly I'm tired of freeze dried. Daniel will have...what do you want, Daniel?"

Turning around he saw no one there. The door leading out of the facility was swinging open to a gust of freezing snow.

Jack's face panicked and he ran to the door, sticking his head out into the blizzard holding onto the doorway sides and yelling. "Daniel! Daniel!"

Nothing but whirling snow.

"Daniel!" he cried through cupped hands. Pulling his head back in he sneezed and rubbed a cold nose on his sleeve. Muttering intense oaths, he slammed the door. "I'm gonna kill that stupid stubborn insubordinate space geek..."

His radio buzzed. "Colonel O'Neal? Are you ready to transport?"

"I am sir," the colonel grunted. "But Daniel decided to take a leisurely stroll through a murder hungry blizzard we're having this fine winter's day!"

There was a pause over the radio.

"Is it safe?"

"The storm? Maybe. The possibly power hungry alien he went after with evil God delusions, uncertain! Sir!"

"I'm sending reinforcements."

"GOOD IDEA SIR." Slamming his radio back to it's hook on his belt Jack grabbed his gun out of it's holster and quickly checked the ammo.