Read SG1-17 Sunrise for Free Online

excited chatter and filtered from their pews towards the doors.
    Ennis Channon and Tynan Camus approached the team.
    “And what did you make of
Sunrise
, my friends?” asked Ennis, his smile broad.
    The colonel opened his mouth to reply but, perhaps prudently, Daniel spoke first. “It certainly taught us a lot about your people, Pastor Channon.”
    “It is a wondrous thing, is it not? And we have Brother Camus to thank for that. He oversees the production of each new chapter.”
    “Wow, I’ve never met a TV producer before,” said the colonel.
    Camus bowed his head once more in that pseudo-humble gesture. “I am merely God’s tool in this realm.”
    “Yeah,” said the colonel, “
tool
is certainly the word that springs to mind.”
    Daniel cleared his throat. “I have to say, though, we’re still curious.”
    “You wish to learn more of the Ark, Dr. Jackson?” asked Tynan.
    Ennis glanced nervously between the two men. “There is very little else to learn–”
    Tynan raised his hand, cutting Ennis off. “No, Pastor. I wouldn’t want our guests to leave thinking that we have not done our utmost to satisfy their… curiosity. Why don’t you take them to the library?”
    “The library?” Ennis looked doubtful.
    “Yes!” cried Daniel, obviously sniffing a breakthrough. “I’d love to see your library.”
    “Perhaps then you will see that your pursuit of fables is futile,” Camus smiled. “And while you are there, Colonel O’Neill, might I request the pleasure of Major Carter’s company? She expressed an interest in our dome and I’d be happy to discuss the subject with her.”
    Sam fought to keep her expression neutral, trying to figure out Camus’s game. Had she asked too many questions? Was there something in the library he didn’t want her to see? Or was she collateral to ensure the colonel didn’t cause any trouble? Whatever the reason there was no mistaking the tension now humming between their little group.
    Colonel O’Neill’s gaze flicked from Sam to Tynan to the armed guards positioned discreetly by the wall. When it caught hers once more, she gave an almost imperceptible nod; she’d be fine.
    “Teal’c, with Carter,” he said. “We won’t be long.” But as he and Daniel followed Ennis from the church, Sam couldn’t help but remember the last time SG-1 had split up on an off-world mission. And how, when they met again, they’d been different people entirely.
    * * *
    The more Jack saw of the city, the creepier it got. Not in a Halloween Special kinda way—there were no monsters in the shadows or gothic towers swathed in London fog—but there was definitely something creepy in the empty plazas and the echo of his footsteps bouncing from tall, silent buildings.
    “Is it me,” he said to Daniel, “or is this all a bit
Twilight Zone
?”
    Daniel was squinting up at the bright sky. “It’s not you,” he said. Then, to Ennis, “There are no birds.”
    The Pastor was walking ahead of them, apparently pissed at being taken away from his bizarro soap-opera worshipping. But when Daniel spoke, he turned to glance over his shoulder and said, “No what?”
    “Birds?” Daniel mimed a shadow-puppet bird with his hands. “You know, animals that fly?”
    Ennis shook his head and kept on walking. “I know of no such thing.”
    Daniel lifted his eyebrows and glanced at Jack.
    “Curiouser and curiouser.”
    Away from the Chapel—or whatever it was Ennis had called it—the streets were empty. But on the walls of the buildings, and occasionally erected on large pylons in the deserted plazas, there were large television screens. And they were all on, showing more of the same crap they’d been forced to watch in the church.
    “This has to be the first culture we’ve ever met that worships a daytime soap,” Jack said, glancing up at one of the huge screens as they walked past.
    Daniel gave a sarcastic bark of laughter. “Really? Not including our own culture you