Mishap - by Pho
part - 01
Daniel Jackson raced frantically down the hall of the SGC, dodging other staff members where possible, muttering abbreviated apologies when it wasn't. "Ooops! Sorry ... excuse me. Coming through. Hold that elevator!"
The young airman in the elevator jumped for the 'door open' button, and grinned as the archaeologist dove through the reopening doors. "Late for a briefing, Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel sighed. "What gave it away, Airman Rivers?"
"The trail of destruction you left in your wake. Nurse Clark did *not* look happy."
A look of horror swept across Daniel's face. "I..I ran into Nurse Clark?"
"Not exactly, but she *did* drop that stack of papers she was holding."
'I'm a dead man.' Daniel moaned silently as the elevator slowed to a stop. "What?"
"Level 28, Doctor."
"What?"
"Hardware, sporting goods, briefing rooms..."
Daniel forced a grin. "Oh, yeah. Thanks." He walked quickly into the hall, visions of enemas racing through his head. 'Candy, maybe she likes candy? Or flowers?' He was still thinking frantically as he pushed open the door to Briefing Room 1.
"Glad you could join us, Dr. Jackson." Jack's dry voice broke through Daniel's designs for self-preservation.
Glancing quickly around, Daniel was relieved to find that General Hammond had not yet arrived.
Noticing his friend's surreptitious visual sweep of the room, Jack shook his head. "No such luck, Daniel. The General *was* here, but left to take a phone call when you were late."
"Ooops. Sorry, Jack."
"Glad you decided to join us, Dr. Jackson." General Hammond's voice hit Daniel's ears just as he flopped heavily into his regular seat.
"Sorry, sir. I got..."
"Another time, Doctor, I'd love to hear your latest reason for being late, but right now, we've a mission to review."
Blushing in embarrassment, Daniel mumbled a subdued, "Yes, sir" and slouched heavily in his chair.
Sam chanced a quick smile at the embarrassed young man, then sobered as the General turned his glare on her.
Jack decided it was time to rescue his team, although Daniel's tardiness of late did merit some sort of reprimand. "General, is there something we should be aware of?"
"I don't understand, Colonel."
"The phone call, sir?"
"Oh, no, Colonel." Hammond cleared his throat, and glared once more at the young archaeologist. "Major Carter, if you please."
"Yes, sir. We've got the telemetry back from the U.A.V sent through to PRS905. It confirmed what the MALP survey showed. There was intelligent life on the planet within the last hundred years or so, but there is definite evidence of Goa'uld destruction. There's a partially destroyed temple north of the Stargate. That's where the U.A.V went down. It picked up nothing to the south."
"Any chance of survivors?" Daniel asked quietly.
"If their assault on other worlds is any indication, then I would suspect that the annihilation of the inhabitants was complete." Teal'c answered the question with a touch of sadness in his voice.
"Much as I hate to admit it, Teal'c's probably right. Sorry, Daniel."
The young man shrugged sadly. "Okay, we go get the U.A.V. And maybe check out the local architecture to see what it tells us about the Goa'uld?"
"That pretty much sizes it up, Daniel." O'Neill looked at the General. "Permission to leave in an hour, sir."
"Granted, Colonel." Hammond disappeared into his office.
"An hour, Jack? Can't we leave sooner?" Daniel's voice held a hint of desperation.
Jack cast a surprised look at Daniel. "What? Why?"
"Oh, uh, no reason. Really."
**********
The tidal pool of simulated liquid released its travelers - gently for a change. Teal'c came through the Stargate first, followed by Carter, O'Neill then Jackson. The hot air hit the foursome like a blast furnace, the glare from the sands simultaneously causing them to shield their eyes.
O'Neill slipped on his sun-glasses, commenting dryly. "Well, kids, I hope you remembered the sunscreen."
Teal'c cocked his head. "I believe, O'Neill, that Dr. Frasier ensured the substance you refer to was in Daniel Jackson's pack."
"It was a joke, Teal'c." Carter smiled at the Jaffa's confusion.
"Ah, I see. O'Neill is once again stating a known fact as a source of amusement."
"Uh. Yeah. Whatever." Jack glanced around. "Which way, Carter?"
"North, sir, the U.A.V. showed the temple to be approximately four kilometers north."
"Right, Teal'c, you have the point. Carter, you follow him. Daniel, you'll be... Daniel? Dammit! Where is he?"
"Over there, sir." Carter pointed to a still figure standing about twenty meters south of them.
"Jackson! Over here. Pronto." Jack glared at the young man as he slowly returned to the group. "Well, at least you didn't run very far this time. Try to stay with us, Daniel. It's gonna take some time to reach that temple to the north."
"I'd like to go south, Jack, not north." Daniel stared into the open desert.
"The U.A.V is to the north, Daniel."
"I know, Jack, but..."
"The U.A.V. reported a temple to the north, Daniel."
"But Jack, south of here..."
The disgusted colonel stared at the young scientist. "Carter, what's south of here?"
"The U.A.V. didn't find anything south, sir, except for a valley. No sign of intelligent life."
"See, Daniel. There's nothing to look at to the south."
"Jack, the shots from the U.A.V. lead me to believe that the temple to the north is relatively new. And if you look, you'll see what I believe are the remains of a riverbed. I think we'll find older, more valuable structures to the south. And before you say it, I know that we're supposed to bring home the U.A.V. but the older structures may give us an indication why the Goa'uld chose to annihilate this world and its people."
Jack O'Neill glared through his glasses at the younger man. "Let me get this straight. The U.A.V. doesn't find anything to the south, but does find a temple to the north, but *you* want to go south because the U.A.V. may have missed something. Does that about size it up?"
"Uh, yeah, Jack."
"Sweet." Glancing at Teal'c and Carter, he said, "Well, kids, don't just stand there, pack up and go get that U.A.V. Daniel and I are going south."
Daniel's face lit up like a kid's at Christmas. "Gee, thanks, Jack. I really appreciate it. You won't regret it." The younger man bounced off toward his desired goal as the colonel shook his head and mumbled something under his breath.
"I'm sorry, sir, what'd you say?" Carter asked quietly.
Jack sighed. "Just that I already regretted it, Carter."
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part - 02 ↑
"Dammit, Daniel, how long are we... Oh!" Jack's words died on his lips as he followed the young archaeologist around one more bend in the dry river bed. They'd long since passed the point of being able to see their surroundings ... the banks of the long dead river stretched a good fifty feet above their heads. Daniel had stopped dead in his tracks as he rounded a bend a good twenty paces ahead of the disgruntled, and grumbling, Colonel. Jack's eyes widened as he moved to stand beside Daniel.
The canyon ended abruptly, opening onto a valley which stretched as far as the eye could see. But it was not the low rolling hills, or the mass of green vegetation running toward a pale blue horizon that held the attention of both men. The area in front of them was positively crawling with ruins. Massive ruins. Kinda reminded him of ... what *had* Daniel called it ... oh, yeah, the Valley of the Kings back home ... somewhere. "I take it, we're there?"
Daniel's smile threatened to crack his face, and his eyes glowed so brightly that Jack could almost have suspected a Goa'uld infestation. Almost. As the Colonel watched the younger man, an unusual array of emotions sped across his face. Ecstasy, confusion, and sorrow were the ones Jack could easily name, the latter causing him the most concern. "Daniel?"
"I...I won't get to finish this, will I, Jack?" Daniel's voice was low and sad. His feet appeared glued to the ground, as if for once, he was afraid to take the first step.
Oh. So *that* was it. Jack put a hand on his young comrade's shoulder. For once there was no sarcasm in the older man's response. "Not and stay a part of SG-1, Daniel."
Daniel sighed heavily. "I know, but this..." He waved his hand around the array of ancient structures before them. "... this rivals the V..."
"...Valley of the Kings back home." Jack interjected quickly. The response caused Daniel to stare at him in amazement. "Okay. I admit it. I really *do* listen. Part time. Uh, why are we still standing here? You may not be able to finish the job, but by God, you can start it."
Grinning the younger man bolted forward, his mind already on the ancient buildings, leaving the stunned, but not quite unprepared Colonel in the proverbial dust. Jack just shook his head as Daniel raced, undeterred, toward the closest ruins. "A short rope. Next time. A short rope."
******
Sam used the binoculars to study the destroyed temple and its surroundings. "No sign of the UAV, Teal'c. Are we still getting the signal?"
"Yes, Major Carter. It is emitting its flash more frequently than before."
"What? Let me see." The binoculars dropped unnoticed to her chest as she reached for the remote. "That's odd. It's close. Close enough that we should be able to see it."
"Perhaps it is in the trees." Teal'c suggested.
"Nooo." Sam responded hesitantly. "The signal's strongest straight ahead, toward the temple, and there are no trees there. This is really strange."
"Then perhaps it is in the temple itself."
Sam frowned. "The last images show it was in the clear when it went down."
"Major Carter, could not the UAV have flown for a while after the transmission ceased at the SGC?"
"You're absolutely right, Teal'c. But something still bothers me. I just can't put a finger on it."
"Then we will be unceasingly vigilant in our search."
"Right. Let's pay our respects at the temple."
"What will we use for payment?"
"What? Oh, no. Figure of speech. It means let's head for the temple."
******
Jack O'Neill leaned idly against an over-large pillar, watching protectively as Daniel scurried from one building of the ancient complex to the next. Jack strongly suspected his young friend was trying to memorize as much of the ancient layout as possible. The archaeologist's enthusiasm for rusty relics never ceased to amaze the Colonel, whose own interest in 'ancient' artifacts was limited to the Early American desk his great-grandfather had built a hundred years before. Jack shook his head at his own stupidity. Of course Daniel loved this, this *stuff*. Hadn't that been proven time and time again, through multiple 'chase the archaeologist' jaunts on other worlds. Speaking of chases ... just where had Daniel gotten to? A familiar voice drew the Colonel's attention across a wide expanse to a distant figure. How the heck had the man gotten all the way over there?
"Jack, you gotta see this! It's...well, you just gotta take a look." Daniel's excitement floated across the courtyard, almost infecting the older man.
"Okay, Daniel. Keep your shirt on. I'm coming." Jack shouted as he pushed away from the pillar and headed directly for his friend.
******
"There it is." Sam breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of the UAV with its one crushed wing, sitting lopsided in the center of the temple. She peered for a brief moment at the large opening in the roof. "Of all the places for it to land, it manages to fall inside the only building we've seen." She started forward only to find herself restrained by the Jaffa. "What..."
"I do not believe it fell in here, Major Carter." Teal'c's voice held an odd lilt.
"Of course it did, Teal'c. How else would it have gotten here? You said yourself that the Goa'uld attack would have wiped out the local populat..." Her eyes widened. "Holy Hannah."
The Jaffa nodded. "I apologize, Major Carter. I was obviously mistaken. We are *not* alone."
A quiet "ya think", precisely imitating the SG-1 commander's tone, emerged from Sam's lips as she turned to find that she and Teal'c were completely surrounded ... by something.
******
"Come oooon, Jack!" Daniel's voice was, as usual, impatient as he urged Jack to join him.
"Daniel, that door you're standing in has been there a very long time. I don't have to have a degree in rusty relics to know *that*. It's not going anywhere in the next few minutes." Jack grinned broadly as he picked his way across the debris in the courtyard.
"Okay, but I'd have thought you'd be interested in a sarcophagus." Daniel commented nonchalantly.
Jack's features hardened as he increased his speed. "A what? Dammit, Daniel, you stay away from that th..."
From his position in the ancient doorway, Daniel watched in helpless horror as the ground opened wide to swallow his friend.
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part - 03 ↑
Sam remained firmly frozen in place, whispering quietly to her companion. "How many of *them* are there? Can you tell?"
"There are eighteen, Major Carter."
"Terrific." She took a deep breath, allowing herself time to study the beings in the temple. She relaxed slightly as she realized that the locals were indeed human, albeit dressed strangely. All wore masks, a detail which had at first led her to believe they were truly alien. The intricately detailed masks represented creatures with which she was unfamiliar. Her vision came to rest on a tall, brightly dressed figure who'd moved to stand with his hand resting on the UAV. She allowed herself a moment to study the man, and was slightly startled to find that he was obviously studying her ... them. Suddenly he removed his mask, bringing a barely restrained gasp to Sam's lips. The leader, for that's what Sam assumed he was, was without a doubt one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen. Jet black hair framed a long, slender face. Intense steel-gray eyes took on a magnetic quality as they came to rest on her own blue eyes. She found that she could not, even if she'd wanted to, look away.
He smiled as he approached Sam. Reaching forward he gently touched her face, then turned his attention on Teal'c. A frown replaced the smile as he asked gravely. "Do you serve the Lord Apophis?"
Teal'c responded gravely as Sam's eyes widened with surprise at hearing the Goa'uld's name. "I do not."
"You bear his mark."
Teal'c's head ducked in agreement. "I was once in his service, but no longer."
The gray eyes narrowed in disbelief. "I have never heard of such a thing. It is taught amongst my people that once taken by the Goa'uld, a man ... or a woman ... is lost forever."
The Jaffa once again agreed with the man. "I have been most fortunate to have had the aide of good friends in escaping Apophis."
"I would be honored to meet those who have escaped the evil that is Apophis."
"We're..." Sam's words were cut off by the leader's finger being placed gently on her lips. "In a moment, little one, right now I am speaking with your man."
********
Daniel coughed heavily as the dust settled around him. Jack's startled shout of alarm still rang in his ears as he was finally able to reach the newly formed pit. Throwing himself onto his stomach, he peered into the pit, but could see nothing but dust rising from the dark depths. "*Jack!* *Jack, can you hear me?*" Silence. Daniel jumped to his feet, frantically searching for his pack. He had a flashlight, and maybe rope, in his pack. 'God, Jack, please be okay.' Where the hell was that pack? Oh, wait. He'd dropped it by ... yes, that was it, the first doorway he'd come to. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Jack was always bawling him out for forgetting his equipment. Where was that door? Daniel darted across the courtyard, giving the newly formed hole a wide berth. He slid to a halt by the pillar Jack had been leaning against. Oh, God. His pack. Jack had once again covered for him, and brought his pack, probably formulating another 'pull your own weight' lecture as he did so.
Fighting down a rush of guilt at the insensitive thought, Daniel yanked the pack open, and fumbled for the flashlight. There. The flashlight. Thank God. But no rope, dammit to hell. Where? Shit. With Teal'c. Always with Teal'c. The Jaffa's strength allowed him to carry more than twice the weight in his pack than either Sam or Daniel, and almost two-third's more weight than Jack. The extra, not often used but might come in handy, stuff was always packed with Teal'c. And he, Dr. Daniel Jackson, resident idiot, had managed to split the SG-1 team in half for this trip.
Daniel stumbled blindly back to the pit and once more flung himself down near the edge. His fingers trembled as he snapped the light on and directed the beam into the hole. For a moment, he forgot to breathe. Jack O'Neill lay, unconscious, on the rocky floor of a very old tunnel. Even from his location, Daniel could see the livid purple bruise forming near the older man's temple. And his leg. Good God. Jack's right leg was bent at an unnatural angle, and from the size of the rocks near Jack's shoulder, Daniel suspected that it might also be injured, and God only knew what else. He *really* needed to get down there, but how?
********
Samantha Carter was livid. Actually, she was ready to explode. Every attempt she'd made to speak had been curtailed by the leader of these, these *primitives*. And Teal'c had done nothing, *absolutely nothing* in her behalf. Not that she needed his help, or anyone else's for that matter. Damn the man, or Jaffa, or whatever! How dare he ... get a grip, Sam. Teal'c's right. He's playing along with the native culture until we know for certain what kind of situation we're in. She forced herself to control her breathing, and listen, really listen, to what the two men were saying.
"She is not your woman." The leader smiled benignly at the pretty blond.
Teal'c shook his head. "No, among the Tau'ri, the women are respected, and treated as equals. Major Carter is a warrior. Her skills are in no way lacking or lessened because she is not a male."
Sam felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment and hoped no one could see her blush. Okay, she really should have known better. Teal'c, ever loyal, honest, sincere Teal'c, would never treat her any other way himself. Way to go, Sam. Shit.
The leader turned to her and smiled once more, this time respectfully. "It is an honor to meet a female warrior, Major Carter. In my culture, the females are to be cherished and protected at all costs."
"Uh, yes, well, uh, thank you." Now that she was *allowed* to speak without interruption, Sam couldn't think of a thing to say. She was saved from her own discomfiture by the crackle of her radio. She immediately twisted the little mike toward her mouth, and responded. "Carter here. I..I can barely hear you. Teal'c and I have found ... Cave-in? Injured? Yes, Yes of course, we're on our way, Colonel." Disconnecting the radio, she turned to Teal'c. "They found some sort of city. And there's been a cave-in. I could barely make him out, but Daniel's been hurt. We're needed there with the rope. We need to... oops."
Teal'c and Sam suddenly found themselves staring at the business end of the local weapons.
The leader's face was grim. "Only the Goa'uld have the ability to speak as you do. You will now come with us, as our prisoners, not our guests."
"No, wait. We're not Goa'uld. We're peaceful explorers, and we really need to find our friends. Someone's hurt, maybe dying."
The man studied the true depth of feelings in her eyes. "That is of no consequence. We do not hold the life of the Goa'uld to be sacred. You will come with us." He held up a hand as Teal'c started to protest. "You will come with us, or you will die ... now."
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part - 04 ↑
Daniel stared at the little radio in dismay. The connection had been sooo bad, but he was certain ... almost certain ... that Sam had heard him. At least she seemed to have heard the word 'injured'. She'd repeated it, hadn't she? He hoped. At any rate, he hoped she'd heard him. His radio was deader than dead ... where did they get these things anyway? ... and Jack's was in the pit ... probably just as useless as his own. And a whole lot more unreachable. Daniel ran his fingers nervously through his hair. Okay, help's on the way, but Jack needs attention now. How to get down? Too far to jump. Shit, need a rope, or something.
The young archaeologist looked around frantically. Even if there was a rope or a line of some sort in these abandoned ruins, they would have rotted by now. His initial analysis had suggested that the city had been abandoned at least an Earth century ago, if not earlier. The fragility of the structures was evidenced by Jack's fall into the cellar. ... Cellar? Jesus, Daniel! A cellar meant stairs, and probably in the building where he'd seen the sarcophagus. "Hang on, Jack. I'm coming!"
******
Now *this* was a fine turn of events. Jack's voice had sounded so odd... Daniel must be in bad shape. Of course, their own situation couldn't be described in glowing terms either. She and Teal'c were being marched north, away from the rest of SG-1. At least she hoped Teal'c was still with the party. She hadn't seen him in quite some time. But she wasn't worried yet. After all, Teal'c could take care of himself. 'Keep telling yourself that, Sam.'
Sam tested the bindings on her wrists for the umpteenth time since the Euloeans had changed their status from guests to prisoners. All because of a stupid little radio, for heaven's sake. If only she'd known, she could've stepped away from the men to talk ... okay, so her psychic hot line wasn't working. Dammit to hell, she was an astrophysicist, not an anthropologist. *Daniel* would've known ... oh, God, Daniel. Cave-in? Daniel in search of ruins and relics was harder to control than a quantum particle. Holy Hannah, he could be trapped under tons of rock. Visions of gentle, articulate, energetic Daniel silenced forever under a mass of rubble brought tears to her eyes.
******
Complacent and ineffectual. His years of Jaffa training had been for naught. He, former First Prime of Apophis, had allowed himself to be deceived by images of a heavily damaged temple. Worse, he'd convinced his teammates that the world they were to visit was uninhabited. Now he and Major Carter were prisoners of a people who had been industrious enough to survive a Goa'uld assault. A people who had good reason to hate all things Goa'uld, and no reason to believe them to be other than Goa'uld themselves. And Daniel Jackson lay somewhere to the south, badly injured by Major Carter's report, and he was unable to be of assistance to the young man. Nor, with his hands securely bound behind his back, was he able to be of assistance to Major Carter. If the truth was known, she was so far ahead of his own position, he could barely make her out. All things considered, he was having an unfavorable day.
******
Daniel moved swiftly from room to room searching for the elusive stairwell to the basement where Jack lay. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It made absolutely no sense. This was the closest building to the pit. The stairwell *had* to be here, but where? Daniel stared forlornly at the gilded sarcophagus in the center of the front room. His brow furrowed with confusion as he realized, for the first time, the incongruity of the coffin's surroundings. This was no burial chamber, nor was it a temple. To the archaeologist's experienced eye, this had been the entrance hall to a large home. What on earth would a sarc... oh, no, they wouldn't. It wasn't possible, surely. Well, he'd heard of stranger things.
He wasted no time in running his hands over the sarcophagus. If he was right ... there! A hidden release mechanism. Daniel pulled the little lever toward him, praying that the mechanism had not decayed with time, and held his breathe as the lid slid slowly aside. And stopped abruptly. Leaving an opening less than six inches wide. Shining his flashlight into the hole, he was at first ecstatic that this was indeed the stairway he'd been searching for. Then reality struck home. Okay. He needed something to pry the lid with. 'Think, Daniel, think. No time to waste, Jack needs you.' The broken leg alone would be very painful, and Daniel knew there were other injuries to be tended to. Thank God, they all carried a med-kit as standard equipment. Two vials of morphine should be enough to stem the tide of pain until Sam and Teal'c got there.
******
God, it was dark, so very, very dark, and he hurt so very, very badly. How long had it been? He'd lost track of time after the third day, but Jack suspected that at least a month had passed since that ill-fated mission had resulted in his capture, and imprisonment. So far he'd managed to hold out, told them nothing, but he wasn't sure how long that would last. That last round when they'd slowly snapped his leg in two, had brought him to the brink of confessing ... to anything. But at least as bad, if not worse than the pain, was the total isolation. All his training had revolved around pain to pleasure, pleasure to pain. The latest theories in human behavior suggested this combination was the quickest way to confuse, and control a prisoner. Guess no one had bothered to let *them* in on the secret.
The long days and nights of no human contact whatsoever made him almost welcome the rounds of interminable torture. He never realized how much one missed the simple act of communicating until it was gone. A short hello to the postman, an inane conversation with the clerk at the PX, a joking moment with his peers, a quiet conversation with his ... wife. God, Sara. He could barely remember her face. And Charlie ... don't go there, Jack.
And those often unnoticed, and unappreciated, moments of touch shared between friends. Unappreciated until they were gone. A slap on the back, a handshake, some moron trying to ruffle a military haircut, an intimate moment with Sara. A toddler's tiny hand ... don't go there, Jack. All gone in the blink of an eye, or a failed mission.
His head ached unmercifully, and his stomach threatened to relieve itself of its meager contents. Food and drink were not exactly plentiful, nor pleasant. Matter of fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had *any* meal, much less a decent one. In thinking about it, he suddenly became aware that the pain in his belly probably had as much to do with the drugs ... Jack positively spat with anger at the thought ... as it did anything else. The needle shoved forcibly into his veins, imparting its poison, was something he never wanted to experience again. No, they'd catch hell before he let them near him with another needle.
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part - 05 ↑
Pry bar. He'd sell his soul for a pry ... or a table. There'd been a table here somewhere. Better than a pry bar. If it was sturdy enough to get the damn sarcophagus open, he could also use it for a splint. Perfect. Now where?
As Daniel mentally retraced his steps, his subconscious tickled the edges of his thoughts. Why had this town been abandoned? What could have happened that was so catastrophic that the inhabitants fled, yet gave them enough time to take most of their possessions? In all the buildings he'd peeked into so far, only the bulkier, heavy items remained ... and not many of those. Even the table ... Oh, my. Yes. The table that he was looking for was in the third room to the right. "I'm coming, Jack. Won't be long now!" 'I hope.'
******
They'd been traveling at a rapid pace for the better part of an hour when Sam could take it no longer. Her comrades ... friends ... needed help, and she knew that she had to do *something*.
"Listen, please." She danced around in front of the Euloean leader, causing him to halt in his tracks. "We're not Goa'uld."
"So you say, but appearances can be deceiving. And your friend is a Jaffa. Pledged in service to Apophis himself."
"Okay, yes, he is a Jaffa, but he abandoned Apophis a long time ago. And Apo..."
"A traitor to one is often a traitor to another."
'Shit!' "Not this time. Teal'c would *never* betray us."
"Really."
The quiet smug tones of the man infuriated the young Major. "*Yes, really!*"
Steel gray eyes stared unblinkingly into her own. "I am inclined to believe you."
"*Finally!*" Sam was practically bursting with relief.
"But my beliefs are of no consequence."
"W..What?"
"Word of your coming has reached the High Council. You are to be presented to them at first light."
"*First* light. You mean tomorrow morning? But our friends, one of them is badly hurt. We can't just ..."
Once again Sam found her lips covered with his forefinger. "I *am* sorry, little one, but had the Council not been alerted, your fate would have remained in my hands. Now..." He shrugged.
"Now what?"
"The High Council will interview you and your ... Jaffa."
"Teal'c. His name is Teal'c."
"As you wish. As I was saying, they will interview you to determine if you could possibly bear any guilt for the massacre of our people one hundred years ago."
"And if they decide against us, we'll be killed."
"*No!*" He appeared truly shocked. "You will go on trial. Now, please, we must be behind walls before last light." He gently turned her around, and pushed her forward.
As she once again fell into step beside him, her thoughts were racing. 'Great. We go on trial. *Then* they kill us. Shit. ... Last light? Walls? Huh?'
******
"Whoever these people were, they ...
could ...
really ...
buil... ohhhhhhhh.
... *ouch!*" Daniel rose painfully from the floor, rubbing the seat of his pants with one hand and clutching the now-free table leg with the other. "Okay, I know it's strong enough. Ought to hold together as a pry bar. ... *Why* am I talking to myself? Because Jack's hurt, and there's no one else around. ... Great, *now* I'm answering myself. McKensey will have a field day *if* he finds out. ... So, don't tell him, Daniel. And stop dawdling, you've got a sarcophagus to break into."
******
'I do not like this. The separation of Major Carter and myself was most wise on the part of the Euloeans, however, it is most disconcerting. I was concerned for her safety as she forced this leader to stop for a moment. Apparently, there was no need for concern at this time. The Major can be most persuasive when there is need, and the need to go to the aide of our friends increases with each passing moment.
The sun falls lower in the sky as we march northward. It has only been in the last quarter hour that I have become aware of a growing anxiety among the Euloeans. Some watch the sky, anxiously noting the passing of the sun. Others watch the lands around us. But it is more than the watchful behavior of an armed guard. No, this watchfulness appears to be in anticipation of some form of attack. I do not like this.'
******
The stairwell was fortunately clear, but even so Daniel took great care taking the steps to the cellar. He'd be of no use to Jack if he slipped and knocked himself senseless in a frantic rush to reach his friend. The sole remaining obstacle between Jack and him was a very solid looking door, which fortunately was neither locked nor blocked. The ancient wood scraped badly as he forced the door open, reminding Daniel of fingernails on a blackboard. But the cold chill that raced up his spine had nothing to do with the unpleasant noise. Jack looked, well, Jack looked perfectly dreadful, but at least he was breathing, and to Daniel's infinite surprise, he was too.
Concerned blue eyes took in everything as Daniel knelt beside the older man and did a visual scan of his injuries. The broken leg was an obvious, and obviously painful, injury. Daniel knew he'd have to do something about it, and soon. The bruise near his temple caused the young man to think *concussion*, but at least Jack's rhythmic breathing was not labored, seeming to indicate that if his ribs were broken, they had not punctured a lung.
Daniel gently ran his hands down each of Jack's apparently uninjured limbs, gratefully verifying them to be intact. The young man then winced, and took a deep breath before testing Jack's ribs. To his infinite delight, nothing moved that wasn't supposed to. This was much better than he'd expected. The unconscious man flinched slightly away from the pressure as Daniel checked the suspect shoulder. It didn't *feel* broken, but he knew from painful experience that a break in the collar bone was not often obvious. He still remembered being shoved into the gym wall as a child, and spending the remainder of the school day in pain because his shoulder 'couldn't possibly be hurt.'
He finished his cursory examination, and sat back on his heals. The leg needed to be set, and the shoulder immobilized. But first things first. Morphine. Even with Jack unconscious, Daniel was not about to try straightening *that* leg without some professional strength knock-out drugs in Jack's system.
******
Someone was coming. He could hear the footsteps. Oh God! Not again, please not again. No ... more ... drugs! Be still. Let *him* think you're unconscious. It's the best way. You can take him, Jack. No problem. It took all the willpower he possessed not to tense his muscles as his shirtsleeve was pushed up his arm. Soon. Very soon. He timed his assault well. *He* was caught completely off guard. Ring his fucking neck. That's what ... Huh? Doesn't sound like ... then who? So dark. Can't *see*. And the pain is sooo bad!
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"Jaaaack!" Daniel's voice was barely above a whisper as a surprisingly strong hand tightened its hold on his throat; threatening to choke the life out of him. The quiet observer portion of Daniel's brain acknowledged confirmation of his friend's shoulder injury, evidenced by the use of only one hand, while the rational 'feet firmly planted on the ground' portion conceded that, even injured, Jack O'Neill was a dangerous man.
Jack's scream of rage as he attacked had been in Arabic. Once again, the observer side kicked in. Odd, he'd never known Jack knew any other languages, but the phrasing the injured man used was more than the conversational lingo picked up in some cheap guidebook. And in his pain and confusion, Jack had obviously mistaken one very surprised archaeologist for a former Iraqi tormentor.
The rational side of Daniel suddenly went into overdrive, effectively silencing the annoying observer. His vision was dimming. *Not* enough air. If he didn't get that hand off of his throat, and soon, he'd be dead, and Jack would be left alone with his injuries. *Not* a good thing. Jack could *die!*
Daniel jerked savagely to his right and backwards, pulling away from his friend, reasoning that Jack would be most vulnerable if he twisted quickly in the direction of Jack's injured shoulder. The strategy worked, but the subsequent cry of pain from his friend as he collapsed weakly back onto the cellar floor only served to increase Daniel's feelings of concern, and guilt.
******
"Look, at least tell me your name." Sam increased her speed to keep pace with the Euloean leader.
"Why? What purpose does it serve?" The man cast a curious glance down at the smaller woman.
'Okay, lost that battle, but the war's still on.' "Are the bindings *really* necessary?"
"Yes. They are."
"Oh for crying out loud. Talk about one track minds. We're not Goa'uld!"
"It does you no good to tell me, little one..."
"*Don't* call me that! My name is Major Samantha Carter."
"Fine. Major Samantha Carter, are your people able to run and speak simultaneously?"
A look of confusion crossed her face. "Uh, no?"
"Then you would be wise to be silent. The ground levels out just ahead, and we must pick up speed if we are to be undercover by last light."
"What happens after dark?"
His features turned grave. "The Redcaps."
"The what?"
The leader stared in surprise. "How is it you do not know of these creatures of the night? They appeared after the last Goa'uld assault. The elders teach that the Goa'uld left them as a plague on my people."
"I keep telling you. We are ..."
"...not Goa'uld. Yes, you've said that."
"Tiamon!" The leader's attention turned away from Sam, towards a small, dark man.
"What is it, Marne?"
"The sun is falling low in the sky. The men grow more fearful with each passing moment."
"I understand, Marne. We will go faster. Now!"
Sam groaned in frustration as Tiamon increased his pace, and Marne prodded her into increasing her own. 'Oh, this is gonna be fun.'
******
'It is as I suspected. Our captors are frightened, and have increased our speed in an effort to outrun their fear. Even though they have moved more than an arm's length from me, I can smell their fear. I do not know if Major Carter has reached the same conclusion, but she is an intelligent Tau'ri. I do not think their fear will have escaped her notice.
From my vantage point I can just see Major Carter's head. While this speed will cause me no difficulty, even though I am bound, I fear the same cannot be said of Major Carter. It will not go well for those guarding her if she comes to harm while in their care.'
******
The men surrounding him looked on in amazement as the increased pace of the march had no affect on the Jaffa. Teal'c showed no signs of strain ... no sweating, no gasping for air, nothing. It was *not* normal and those closest to the Jaffa moved to what they perceived to be a safe distance away from him. It was well-known among the Euloeans that one should *never* get too close to one of the Goa'uld.
******
Sam was beginning to feel the effects of the run. Under other conditions, the speed would have posed no problem, but with her hands bound she could not settle comfortably into a rhythm. Reluctantly she opened her mouth to protest, and was stopped cold by a scream in the distance. As one, the entire company froze in their tracks and a fear filled murmur rose behind her. Tiamon drew a knife from his belt, whirled Sam around, cut her bonds, and signaled to those that followed to do the same for Teal'c.
The young Major rubbed her wrists as she suspiciously eyed Tiamon. "Thanks, but why?"
"We must run for our very lives, Major Samantha Carter. You and your Jaffa may accompany us to your interview or you may take your chances with the Redcaps. The choice is yours." With that, the Euloean leader motioned his party forward, leaving a confused Sam to be joined quickly by Teal'c.
"Well, if that doesn't beat all..."
"All what, Major Carter?"
"We're free, I think. If we want to risk a meeting with the Redcaps."
"What are the Redcaps?"
"I have no idea." Another screech broke through the night. "Teal'c, I think we go with the Euloeans."
"I believe that is a wise course of action."
******
He'd lost his hold, his only chance of getting revenge for this, this *pain*. But wait, it wasn't the right one... then who? He flinched slightly as a hand came to rest on his uninjured shoulder. *Who* was talking now? The voice was familiar, as was the gentle touch. Confusion reigned supreme as Jack struggled to hear what *he* was saying.
"You had a bad fall. Let me help you, please."
Daniel? In Iraq? No, that's wrong, all wrong. Off world, somewhere, again. Some 'P' designation. Great. It *was* Danny, he'd know that voice anywhere. God, he could have killed him. The thought of Daniel dying by his hand was too much for the Colonel and he let out a low, anguished groan. "D...Daniel? What? I thought... Oh, God!"
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Daniel choked, sputtered and rubbed his bruised throat. Okay, *that* was a bad idea. He really should have known better than to approach Jack silently. This wasn't the first time the older man had reacted ... badly ... to a surprise awakening, but with his injuries Daniel had really expected him to be incapacitated. He *really* should have known better.
"Let's try this one more time." Daniel spoke softly as he eased his way back to Jack's side. "Jack? It's Daniel. You're not in Iraq. We're together on PRS905. You had a bad fall. Let me help you, please?" Slowly, he put a gentle hand on the injured man's good shoulder.
Jack's low, anguished groan pierced Daniel's heart. "D...Daniel? What? I thought... Oh, God!"
"We're on PRS905, Jack. Please, let me give you some morphine. It'll take the edge off the pain." His only response was a weak nod of the injured man's head. Daniel slowly slid his hand down Jack's arm, never eliminating the physical contact with the man as he pushed the T-shirt sleeve up again. With the other hand, he awkwardly fumbled for one of the syringes. Pulling it out of the Med-kit, he stared at the amount in the vile for a moment before reluctantly eliminating all but what he needed, half a milliliter. No sense taking chances on an accidental overdose, besides Janet had been unusually firm in her 'do not even consider using the same syringe for a second time' lecture.
He managed to aspirate the syringe, grateful that the needle was intravenous, not the larger one used for injections into the muscle. While it was probably a little safer for a novice to administer the drug into a muscle, Jack need relief *now*, and Daniel had been the 'lucky' recipient of morphine enough to know how fast that relief would come. Now for a vein. Great. He *really* wasn't good at this, but well, okay, rub the upper arm, and look for a vein. Oh. *That* was easy enough. Gulping, he forced the needle through the skin, and was relieved not to see blood immediately. Good. He was in the vein, not through it. Pushing the plunger very slowly, he watched as the precious liquid left the syringe, stopping only when he'd emptied the vial.
"It's in, Jack. You should start to feel ... better real soon." Daniel eased the needle out of the vein, and dropping the syringe to the ground, tore open a small gauze pad, and pressed it tightly to his friend's arm, releasing it only when he was certain the bleeding had stopped. Unconsciously, Daniel repositioned his free hand on Jack's good shoulder, keeping the physical contact present until he felt the injured man begin to relax.
Keeping a close eye on his friend, Daniel quickly removed his own jacket and shirt. Then practically ripped off his black T-shirt. He quickly started tearing the T-shirt into strips. Soon a pile of strips lay on the ground beside Jack. He retrieved the table legs that he'd broken off upstairs, and laid them beside Jack's good leg. He counted his blessings as the length turned out to be okay, not perfect, but acceptable. A true piece of luck since he had no way to shorten them.
Leaning back on his heels, Daniel wiped his sweaty palms on his pants leg, took a deep breath and forced himself to look at Jack's face. What he saw did not reassure him. His color was ashen, even his lips had no hue. His eyes were open, but Daniel was uncertain if they were really 'seeing' anything. Reaching out, he gently cupped his friend's chin in his palm, trying to ignore the cold, clammy feel to his skin. "Jack, I don't know if you can understand me, but I have to set your leg. It's gonna hurt, but I'm hoping the morphine will help."
A slow, pain-filled drawl responded. "Just do it, Daniel."
"Right." Gulping, Daniel closed his eyes, and focused on his previous experiences with this sort of injury. He'd done this twice before, once in Egypt almost too many years ago to count, and once on Abydos. Great. *This* kind of 'on the job training' he'd hoped never to have to use again.
******
The band of Euloeans was already fifty yards ahead of Sam and Teal'c by the time the pair decided on their course of action. Teal'c fell easily in beside Sam, discretely shortening his stride to stay beside the smaller woman.
"Major Carter?"
"What, Teal'c?"
"I have come across the term 'Redcaps' before, but I do not believe the name here and on your home world could possibly have the same meaning."
Much to her annoyance, Sam had no breath to respond with more than "W..why?"
"I read in one of Daniel Jackson's books that redcaps are a subset of evil creatures known as 'goblins'."
"G...goblins?"
"Yes, Major Carter. Does this term have any significance for you?"
"Yes!" she gasped. "*Not* good. OH!" A series of loud shrieks close behind them startled the woman, and her headlong plunge to the ground was prevented only by Teal'c's quick reaction. "Thanks, Teal'c."
The Jaffa tilted his head in silent acknowledgment of her thanks even as he pushed her into another, even faster jog. "The creatures grow close. I fear we do not have much time."
******
Jack was trembling uncontrollably by the time Daniel had finished securing his arm to his chest. The young archaeologist then settled both his shirt and jacket over the older man, regretting that the 'retrieval only' aspect of this mission had sent the team out without camping gear. He really hoped the additional warmth would bring the chills under control. "Jack, I'll be right back. I'm gonna try to start a fire."
The lack of actual response worried Daniel greatly, but he sensed that Jack had understood him. The trek to the upper floor was taken at a much faster pace than before, a pace set by the desperation of the moment. As he worriedly broke the table into manageable pieces, his thoughts turned to his friends. There was no doubt in his mind that help was on the way, and that Sam would take the time to go through the Stargate to fetch Janet Fraiser. After all, the Stargate *was* positioned somewhere between their two destinations.
The evening shadows were teasing the edges of the cellar opening by the time Daniel managed to get the fire going. The wood of the table served as the 'logs' for his fire, and he'd been fortunate to find a large, decrepit chair whose exposure to the weather rendered it perfect for kindling. The strange silence of the night unnerved the young man, causing him to be grateful for the protection, however slight, of the building they were in ... uh, under.
As the fire crackled into life, Daniel began to grow really concerned. He'd already had to give Jack another dose of morphine. Granted, he'd done it after only four hours to hold down the pain, but he'd thought Sam and Teal'c would be here by now. He only had two more doses left, and while he could stretch them for ten, maybe twelve hours, the increased strain on Jack's already injured system worried him greatly. He settled down next to Jack's uninjured side, gently drawing the older man closer to him. Shared body heat combined with human contact might do no good, but they would certainly do no harm.
'Where *are* they?' Surely Sam and Teal'c had had enough time to find them. It had been hours since he'd first called them. What if... 'Don't be stupid, Daniel. This is Sam and Teal'c you're talking about. They can take care of themselves. And what if something *has* happened to them?'
General Hammond would order a search and rescue mission as soon as they were overdue, but the mission had been to go north. No one, except Sam and Teal'c, would know the direction he and Jack had taken. Once again, he cursed himself for forcing Jack to split the team up. His reflection was interrupted by a horrible noise in the distance. Simultaneously, Jack began to stir. The Colonel's low groan caused Daniel's attention to focus solely on his friend. "Jack?"
"D..Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"Did you hear something ... scream?"
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God, she was tired. They'd run for an eternity already, and Sam thought her lungs would burst if she didn't stop soon; she definitely knew her legs would give way. The pretty major prided herself on keeping in top physical condition, but this run had stretched her to her limits and beyond. Her peripheral vision told her that the loyal Jaffa was still slightly behind her. 'Holy Hannah, he's protecting me.' Years of independence spurred a momentary indignation in her military soul, and her resentment warred with gratitude for control of her feelings.
Her intelligence and good sense quickly snuffed out the indignation. They were a team, but all teams have their strengths and weaknesses, and Teal'c was the strength regardless of whom he was paired with. She knew without a doubt that Teal'c would have assumed that position regardless of whom he was with.
A flash of light directly in front of her caught her attention, and she realized with a combination of relief and dread that the Euloean village was now visible. At least the walls were. Approximately twelve feet high, they obscured the dwellings from view. The gate was oddly placed; off to one side butting up against one of the corners on what was obviously the sundown side of the village. The light had apparently come from one of the four watch towers extending a good ten feet above the top of the wall. A second flash pinpointed the location as the tower above the gate. 'The welcome wagon awaits.'
God, she was tired, and her legs ached almost unbearably. She hadn't hurt this much since her boot camp training. The first of the Euloeans had slipped past the barely open gate, and she forced herself to increase her stride, smiling slightly as the Jaffa increased his own pace. She knew instinctively that she and Teal'c must be ahead of the last Euloean warrior or risk being abandoned to the Redcaps. 'Why do I have an image of irate bellboys?'
The snarls and growls in the growing shadows bore no resemblance to any belligerent porter she'd ever run into. What if by chance these creatures were the same as the ones Teal'c had read about? A form of goblin. Sam searched the inner depths of her mind, hoping for a tidbit of information on the mythological creatures. All she found were fairy tales meant to entertain, and frighten, small children around the camp fire. God, she was tired.
********
"D..Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"Did you hear something ... scream?"
Now what? Lie? It was never a good idea lying to Jack O'Neill, but maybe, just this once. The idea was discarded as extremely stupid and foolish without even giving it a second thought. "Uh, yes, Jack, I did."
"Prisoners?"
"No, Jack. We're on PRS905, remember?"
"Oh, yeah. I fell?"
'Man, did you ever fall.' "Yes, Jack."
"Sweet."
Daniel had to grin at the familiar catch phrase. The rising moon was casting eerie shadows in the cellar, but he was grateful for the dim light. Between the moon and the firelight, he should be able to save the batteries in his flashlight. The bulb in Jack's had been destroyed when he landed.
He couldn't quite suppress a flinch as another unholy scream filled the night. As much as he'd bemoaned the silence of the dusk hours, they beat the hell out of the sounds that were growing more and more frequent as the moon began its climb.
"Daniel?"
"Hmmm?"
"You called Carter?"
"Yes."
"Did they find the U.A.V.?"
"I don't know."
"Didn't ask, right?"
"Had a few other things on my mind, Jack."
"Right. How'd you get down here?"
"This isn't a pit ... it's a cellar. Found the stairs. In the sarcophagus."
"Thought I told you to stay away from that thing."
Daniel grinned broadly. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that."
"It's okay ... this time."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. Got enough firewood?"
"Yes, Jack."
"Did you lay it like I've shown you?"
"Yes, Jack."
"How bad's my leg?"
"Without X-rays, I can't be sure, but I think it's a simple, clean break."
"Shoulder - dislocated or broken?"
"Not dislocated. Think it's your collarbone."
"Wonderful. That'll make using crutches hell."
"I'm sure Janet'll have a solution."
"Not back at SGC, here."
"Oh. Not to worry. I'm sure Sam will bring half of Janet's staff with her, along with a stretcher."
"Terrific." Another scream sounded in the distance. "Daniel, you got your weapon?"
"Yes. I hear the screams, too, ya know."
"I know. Get me mine. I can't seem to reach it."
"Jack, you're hurting. On morphine. I don't think..."
"Daniel..."
Sighing in resignation, Daniel put Jack's handgun within his reach.
"Thanks."
"Rifle?"
"Stays with me. I don't think you can shoot it with that shoulder."
Jack was silent for a long moment, silently acknowledging the truth of Daniel's assertion. Another scream pierced the night air, closer this time.
"Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack."
"Sam and Teal'c are overdue, aren't they?" The morphine had dulled Jack's pain, but not his commander's instincts.
Daniel hesitated briefly before responding. "Yes."
"Okay. If they're not here by dawn, we get the hell out of here."
The young archaeologist decided against asking how; he'd just have to humor the older man. "Fine with me."
"Daniel, don't humor me. We leave at dawn."
"Yes, Jack. You better get some rest." Another scream caused Daniel to glance warily around their temporary quarters.
"Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"Ya sure you got enough firewood?"
********
A sideways glance at the woman running near him caused the Jaffa to once again adjust his pace so as not to outdistance her. He well knew she would keep pace until she dropped, too exhausted to go on. If that happened, he would simply carry her. *That* was the simple issue. More difficult was the issue of her protection if their pursuers somehow overtook them.
The situation was not good. What had the reference material said about 'Redcaps'? Goblins with red hats and red eyes. That was right, and something about the caps. Oh, yes, the 'red' came from human blood. And talons. They had talons similar to one of the Tau'ri birds of prey. But which one? Eagles. Yes, that was right. But the creatures were apparently easy to ward off. Holy words sent them running into the darkness. Teal'c frowned as he mentally reviewed the information he'd gleaned from his friend's resource materials, recalling that Daniel Jackson's explanation of 'holy words' had taken the better part of an hour.
Few at the SGC realized how truly intelligent the Jaffa was. Given a standard Tau'ri education on the home world, Teal'c would have been the mental equal of any of the 'think-tank' denizens belonging to the underworld society that made up Stargate Command. As it was, he more than held his own in an environment which his early upbringing had left him ill-prepared to handle.
Teal'c's native intelligence had combined with incredible natural instincts to serve him well on more than one occasion. And while he seriously doubted the Euloean version of 'Redcaps' bore any resemblance to the ones described in the textbooks, the *sounds* they made tickled something in the back of his mind. One of Master Bratac's teachings, perhaps? He was really uncertain. That fact alone unsettled him and left him unusually sensitive to the sounds of their pursuers.
So deep was he immersed in his thoughts, that he almost missed Sam's sudden burst of speed. Startled, he followed her line of sight, and allowed himself a moment of relief as he spied the village walls. The height of the walls in comparison to the height of the residents was unusual and Teal'c switched mental gears for a moment to study the wall and its towers. An unusually loud scream nearby jolted his subconscious into action.
The Kul-Da-Poir. By the Gods. The Goa'uld had unleashed the Kul-Da-Poir on this world. Somehow, he did not believe that 'holy words' would be of any use in this place. And O'Neill and an injured Daniel Jackson were somewhere to the south. Alone, and unprotected. No, *this* was not good at all.
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part - 09 ↑
Well, they were inside the walls, but Sam wasn't sure by their reception that they were any safer inside than out. Their *escort* consisted of a half dozen men. Tall, strong, humorless - they looked more like bouncers than guards. The locals were obviously taking no chances. The building they were taken to was built solidly, with no windows and only one door, which was locked securely behind them. As she struggled to gain control of her breathing, Sam quickly took stock of their surroundings. To say it was Spartan was probably an understatement. A single low bench encircled an open hearth in the center of the room. Two mats were positioned near the bench, directly opposite the door. And wood for a fire was stacked neatly near the hearth. But there was no fire, and no visible way to start one. There was a definite chill in the air, and Sam was grateful that they'd been allowed to retain custody of their jackets, and the equipment buried within. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm them.
"Major Carter, are you well?"
She nodded as she responded, delighted to know she could now do more than just gasp. "I'm fine, just a little chilly. You?"
"I am also well." Teal'c eyed their 'quarters' with a modicum of interest, as he chose wood to lay on the hearth. "These quarters do not appear to be designed for a long residence."
"I noticed. My guess is that either we'll be upgraded to the deluxe suite or we won't need accommodations at all come morning."
"That would appear to be the case."
"That was quite a run."
"Indeed." Teal'c paused, then ventured the question. "You saw what pursued us?"
Sam nodded in dismay as she recalled her only glance of the Redcaps. It had been a near thing. They'd made it past the gates just ahead of the last Euloean in the party, and she managed to catch a brief glimpse of those ... *beasts* ... before the gates slammed shut. Two things stood out in the moonlight ... these creatures were at least nine feet tall and the hair on their heads was red. Very, very red.
"*Yes. Ugly, very ugly.*"
"And lethal. The people of this world must have angered the System Lords greatly for them to unleash the Kul-Da-Poir."
Sam shuddered. "They *looked* positively ... you *know* what they *are*?"
It was Teal'c's turn to nod. "The Kul-Da-Poir are reputed to be a myth."
"Some myth."
"Indeed."
She waited for a full minute before realizing the Jaffa was not going to elaborate on his own. Sighing in frustration at his reticence, she spoke up. "What can you tell me about them?"
"The legends say the Kul-Da-Poir point of origin is somewhere within the Goa'uld home system. That millennia ago, the Goa'uld and the Kul-Da-Poir did battle for control of that system."
"Let me guess, the Kul-Da-Poir lost."
"That is correct. Although superior physically to the natural state of the Goa'uld, the Goa'uld possessed the greater technological advantage."
"Their own or someone elses'?"
"The legends do not tell, Major Carter. Is it important?"
She sighed. "No, sorry, Teal'c. I'm just being petty. Go on with your story." She absently handed the Jaffa a lighter as she spoke.
"As you wish. There is not much more to relate. The war continued for many years, with the Kul-Da-Poir home world suffering much damage, but still they would not surrender. Finally, the Goa'uld unleashed a biological agent into the atmosphere of their enemy. The stories tell that within seven days two-thirds of the population had perished, and many more were ill. The Goa'uld were victorious."
"If I'm reading this scenario correctly, then the Kul--Da--Poir," Sam stumbled over the name, "were reduced intellectually to the monsters which pursued us?"
"That is correct. Once again the old tales reveal that the biological agent permanently altered their biochemistry, turning them into creatures of the night, driven only by hunger and a thirst for blood."
"So the Goa'uld unleashed them on this world. Great. But why not just annihilate the inhabitants? We've seen that before."
"Indeed. That would seem the most obvious course of action, but certain of the System Lords enjoy tormenting their victims before destroying them. Much as your Earth cats engage a mouse in hours of what the cat perceives as play, but to the mouse is slow torture, before striking the fatal blow. It is fortunate that we are behind walls."
"Holy Hannah!" Sam's eyes widened with horror. "Colonel O'Neill and Daniel are out there somewhere, and Daniel's hurt. Teal'c, do they stand a chance?"
As the fire sprang into life, Sam could plainly see that the Jaffa's expression was a mixture of contrition and concern. "Unless Colonel O'Neill can get Daniel Jackson to some safe haven, I do not believe they will survive the night."
**********
Daniel eased away from the injured colonel, moving slowly so as not to wake him. He stretched briefly to reduce his stiffness, then stoked the fire, adding a few more pieces of wood as he did so. The night air held a slight chill, and Daniel once again found himself wishing there had been something other than basic hiking supplies in their packs.
The screams which filled the night caused Daniel to rise quickly and check the door ... again. There'd been nothing he could do about the hole over their heads, but he'd barricaded the door as best he could, jamming anything solid he could find into the slight opening near the hinges. He then braced the third table leg between a heavy piece of tile on the floor, and the odd looking doorknob. Satisfied it was as secure as he could make it, Daniel returned to the fire, relishing its warmth on his bare chest.
"Daniel?" To the younger man's delight, O'Neill's voice was stronger than it had been earlier.
He turned swiftly to face his friend and found intense brown eyes glaring at him. "Uh, Jack?"
"*Where* are your shirt, and jacket?"
"Covering you."
"Dan..."
"No, Jack, you needed the extra warmth."
"You're freezing. I can see the goosebumps from here. Put them back on."
"I'm fine. You're..."
"Getting pissed."
"I can see that, but you're in no condition to do anything about it."
Jack frowned. "Much as I hate to concede the point, you're right. But Daniel, you won't do me any good if you get sick, now will you? At least put the shirt back on."
Daniel opened his mouth to protest, and sneezed ... three times. "Uh, I see your point." He quickly retrieved the much debated shirt and relished its limited protection as he slipped into the sleeves.
"Better?"
"Yes, actually it does help."
"Nice to know I'm ... *Jesus!* Daniel, look out!" Jack's cry of alarm echoed in the cellar along with the dull thud of large feet hitting the dirt. As Daniel whirled toward the sound, Jack stared in helpless horror at the creature which had joined them in their prison.
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part - 10 ↑
Daniel stumbled backwards as the creature lunged, long thin arms stretching wicked talons for the startled man's throat. He reached quickly for his sidearm, only to realize that he'd left it on the ground next to Jack. As his mind hurled derogatory epithets at his stupidity, he glanced around, looking desperately for a weapon ... any weapon.
Jack's morphine dulled senses wasted precious minutes trying to locate his handgun. Cursing loudly as he finally realized it was in his hand, he took aim, only to be blocked by Daniel. "Daniel, *move!*"
The young archaeologist threw himself to his right, hit the ground, and rolled almost gracefully to his feet again. A move which Jack would have admired, if only he'd seen it, but the injured man's attention was glued to the beast in the cellar. Even in the poor light of the fire, Jack could see the long incisors which jutted through the corners of the animal's mouth. And the red hair crowning its head like a lion's mane was far too close to blood red for Jack's liking.
The creature's animal instincts turned him toward Daniel's new location almost before the young man could rise. The rapidity of the movement caused Jack's aim to go astray, and his language to deteriorate badly. The sound of the gun echoed loudly in the cellar as the bullet impacted the far wall, momentarily distracting the beast, and allowing Daniel time to move two strides further from danger. But it also allowed the young man to accidentally place himself once more in Jack's line of fire.
"Dammit, Daniel! Move!" Jack's pain filled voice could barely be heard above the snarls and grunts coming from the animal.
"I'm moving, I'm moving!" Daniel gasped as he staggered away from his attacker. He was not fast enough to avoid the talons, and cringed inwardly as the cloth of his shirt shred from shoulder blade to waist. Twisting out of its grasp, he maneuvered his way toward the fire, leading the animal away from Jack.
A scream of rage filled the night as the nine-foot tall menace hurled itself across the space separating it from its prey. Daniel could not suppress his own scream as the heavy body took him to the ground.
**********
The knock on the door did nothing to improve the mood of the man behind the desk. "Come!"
"I am sorry to disturb you, Tiamon, but High Councilor Vraxas asks that you join him for the evening meal."
"You mean he demands that I speak to him before the remaining councilors, Marne?"
The smaller man smiled. "I believe that could very well be the case."
"Always careful with your words, aren't you, Marne?"
"Silence has served me well in the past, and could serve you as well, if you would let it."
Tiamon laughed. "Ah, my friend, I find silence does not become me. I seem to prefer to live dangerously."
"It's your neck... possibly literally. ... What will you tell him of the strangers?"
"The truth."
"The truth, or the truth as Tiamon sees it?"
"Marne, the truth is the truth. I'm not responsible for interpretation, besides, this time there is no option as to what I tell. Major Samantha Carter used a device that by the Council definition is a Goa'uld device."
"Do you believe they are of the Goa'uld?"
"No, but it does not matter what I believe."
"What will you tell them of the others?"
"What others?"
"Tiamon..."
"Seriously, Marne, if there are truly others south of the temple, do you really believe they will survive the night?"
**********
"Major Carter, you have circled these quarters one hundred and twenty-three times. After our journey from the temple, I do not understand why you feel the need to exercise."
"I'm pacing, Teal'c, not exercising."
The Jaffa merely tilted his head. "Indeed."
Sam circled the room again barely giving the seated Jaffa a glance. "You're right, Teal'c, but I'm very worried about Daniel and the Colonel. They're out there, the Kul-Da-Poir are out there. We're in here and we can't help them."
"I fail to see how becoming so exhausted that you cannot stand is going to be of assistance to them."
Sam smiled wryly as she sank into a lotus position on the other mat. "Once again, you're right. I won't be any good tomorrow if I don't get any rest."
**********
The Stargate burst into life, spewing its energy stream into the night and ridding PRS905 of three Kul-Da-Poir in the process. SG-2 stepped hastily from the simulated liquid, weapons at the ready. Major Louis Ferretti focused quickly on the cauterized limbs near the gate. "What the hell? Hancock, what do you make of those?"
Lieutenant James Hancock knelt by the remains. "Large biped, probably eight to ten feet tall judging from the size of the feet. If the claws on the hands are as long as those on the feet, then I wouldn't want to meet these things unarmed. Wonder if there're more around."
Screams in the darkness caused all four men to start violently. Ferretti tightened his grip on his M16. "Shit, I guess that answers your question. Well, SG-1 should have headed north to pick up the UAV, so that's the way we'll go. Keep a close eye out. The UAV didn't show any kind of large life forms."
As another scream rang out, Hancock looked around nervously. "You think SG-1 ran into whatever that is?"
Ferretti frowned. "I hope not, but we have to assume the worst. They're eight hours overdue, and before you ask, Airman Spenser, we weren't ordered out earlier because SG-1 has a reputation for being overdue."
The young redhead grinned broadly as the group got their bearings and headed north. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I *was* going to ask."
"I know, Spenser," Ferretti returned the grin, "I know."
**********
Vraxas smiled as he reread the report of the events leading to the capture of the two Goa'uld spies. The desecration of the abandoned temple by the flying machine had been bad enough, but then the Goa'uld had made their appearance, setting their tainted feet on hallowed ground. And he, Vraxas of Euloa, had been given the honor of leading the interview of the pair by the Grand Tribune himself. It hadn't even taken much of a bribe to the old man's chief aide to accomplish the task.
Leading the interview meant he would also lead the prosecution of the pair in their trial, if there was one, and Vraxas was certain there would be. The only real obstacle was the report by Tiamon, and of course, the man himself. The young fool had done his duty when he arrested the prisoners after identifying their devices as being of Goa'uld origin. If only he'd left it there, but Tiamon was honest as well as never being one to be afraid to speak his mind and his report made it patently clear that *he* did not believe the man and woman to be Goa'uld. Pity. Tiamon would have to be silenced, one way or another.
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part - 11 ↑
Tiamon kept his pace deliberately slow as he made his way to Councilor Vraxas' home. Every instinct he had told him that the prisoners were not Goa'uld, and he had a feeling that the sly councilor felt the same way. Unfortunately for the prisoners, this was not necessarily a good thing. Vraxas was one of the most influential members of the High Council, and was always on the lookout for ways to increase his power base. And being able to put a face on the Goa'uld invaders who had unleashed the Redcaps upon their world could only help his position. Particularly if he argued successfully for their deaths.
Not for the first time did Tiamon regret belonging to the Euloean militia. Well, not to belonging to the militia exactly, but to being a high-ranking officer in said organization. The militia was important. They alone stood between the Euloean citizens and the horror of the Redcaps. And they were always ready to provide a barrier between their people and the Goa'uld, should the creatures bother to return to finish what had begun so long ago.
Tiamon knew the stories. All Euloeans knew the stories of the invasion by the time they had reached five years of age. Knew how the Goa'uld invaders had come, bringing death and destruction. How nearly one third of their people had been taken in the night from their homes, never to be seen again. And how the remainder had managed to severely injure the Queen of Apophis thus winning the day, but at too high a price. In retaliation for the defeat of his queen, Apophis had unleashed the Kul-Da-Poir. Tiamon smiled wryly. All Euloeans knew the true name of the beasts, but as a people they refused to ever say it, preferring instead to call them Redcaps. A tribute of sorts to the blood-red mane around their over-large heads.
With a start, Tiamon realized he'd reached the gate to Vraxas' abode. Grimacing, he pulled the bell, and waited for the servants to arrive.
******
Teal'c and Sam remained seated as one of the Euloean guards entered their prison. He stared at the pair with undisguised disdain, and no small amount of fear, as he placed a covered tray on the low bench. He continued to stare for a short moment, then backed out of the room, obviously unwilling to turn his back on the prisoners. Sam frowned deeply as she watched him leave. "Well, this isn't good."
"You suspect the food may be tainted, Major Carter?"
"What? Oh, I guess it could be, but the way that man just left was pretty weird. Unless I miss my guess, we've been tried, convicted and sentenced already."
"An interesting theory." The new voice caused Sam to jump, and even Teal'c looked mildly startled.
Sam stared at the newcomer for a moment. "You're Marne. You were talking with Tiamon on the trail."
He bowed slightly. "That is correct, Major Samantha Carter. I am his second in command."
She sighed. "Please, call me Sam."
"As you wish, Sam. It is my duty to ensure your safety until your fate is determined."
"You mean it hasn't been already?"
"By Euolean law it has not. By Euolean politics, who can ever be sure?"
"Terrific. So what happens at dawn, uh, first light?"
"You will be summoned before the High Council, where you will answer their questions. They will then decide if there is sufficient evidence to place you on trial as Goa'uld."
"We aren't Goa'uld." Sam's anger was beginning to get the better of her.
Marne frowned. "Tiamon does not believe you are, and neither do I, but only the High Council..."
"...can make the ruling. Yes, I know. Look, Marne, we have friends to the south. One of them has been injured. They're waiting for us to help them. Could you at least send someone to help them?"
"No one may leave the village after dark. It is far too dangerous."
"Please help them. We'd already be there if it hadn't been for ..." She stopped as she realized she might have said too much.
"... our strict adherence to our laws." Marne finished the sentence for her. "I understand. Very well. I pledge to you that I will take troops and search for your friends, regardless of your fate."
"Thank you." Sam's voice was filled with gratitude. Teal'c added his own respectful nod to the mix.
Marne bowed. "Tiamon and I will do all we can for you when you are summoned. And should the rulings be against you, I swear that I shall take your lives myself, so that you will not suffer." With that he turned and left quickly.
Sam stared after the little man for a moment then spoke to no one in particular. "Thanks, I feel so much better now. Shit!"
******
The silence in the cellar was deafening. Once the echoes from the gun's second blast had died, and the screams had died, and the beast had died, and Daniel had.... The silence was not only deafening it was damned terrifying. Jack's groan broke the stillness as he tried, and failed to make it to his feet. Feet, hell, he'd have settled for his knees. From where he lay propped awkwardly against a wall, he couldn't see Daniel at all. The younger man's body was completely concealed by the body of the whatever-the-hell-it-was, and Jack couldn't get to him. He tried to speak but the words stuck in his throat. Swallowing convulsively, he tried again. "D..Daniel!"
There was no response. Jack's drug dulled senses were reeling, and the room swam around him. God, had he been too late? Had he allowed his young friend to die? Please God, don't let him be dead. A single tear rolled down his cheek, and he screwed his eyes shut tightly to stop the others before they started. He would not give up on Daniel so easily. He would not. A low moan caused dull brown eyes to snap open. "Danny? You okay?"
"Ouch. Ooof. SHIT! GET OFF!" With a wide variety of grunts, groans, and curses that would have done a sailor proud, Daniel struggled out from under the inert form. "GOD! What a smell!"
"Dammit, Daniel, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" Jack's worried voice couldn't conceal his returning pain.
Daniel scrambled to his side, and again placed his hand on Jack's good shoulder, this time anchoring his friend in place. "I'm fine, Jack. It just knocked the wind out of me for a minute. You didn't miss. Thank you."
Jack sighed with relief. "Should have gotten him the first time."
The slightly bruised archaeologist managed a smile. Ignoring the feel of liquid trailing slowly down his back, pooling at his waistband, he responded quickly to Jack's feelings of guilt. "We'll just chalk that up to the drugs." His smile was replaced with a frown as he took note of Jack's drawn features. "Want more morphine?"
"How..how much is left?"
"Two vials."
The colonel sighed heavily. "No, better wait. I can handle it for now, but if help doesn't come, we're gonna have to walk out. And I'll need it then."
"Jack..."
"No, Daniel. We leave at dawn. Sam and Teal'c aren't here yet. That can only mean one thing."
"They're in real trouble." Daniel cringed slightly as the not-so-distant screams continued. "And so are we."
"Ya think?"
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part - 12 ↑
"I do *not* believe this!" Ferretti was furious. His team had arrived two hours before on PRS-905, and had managed to travel the incredible distance of 100 feet from the 'gate. They had been all of forty feet past the DHD when they realized they were surrounded. "What *are* these things?"
"Damn persistent, that's what." Lt. Hancock groused as he fired another short burst into the air. "Sir, are you sure we shouldn't just shoot to kill? Maybe a body or two would scare them away permanently. They can't be intelligent, look how many got caught in the 'gate flux."
Ferretti shook his head. "Not gonna take the chance, Hancock. Killing one *might* drive them away, then again it might start a mob scene, and we just don't have the ammo for that. No, the fire and the occasional over-the-head shot will have to do."
"Sir, should we try to get back to the SGC?" Airman Mark Anderson tried to hide the fear in his voice.
"Only if we have to, Anderson. SG-1's out there, and I'm thinking it's pretty obvious they need our help."
"Yes, sir, but what if these things took them out?"
"Don't even think that, Airman!" Ferretti softened his tone as he continued. "The UAV footage didn't show any sign of these creatures, so I'm hoping they only come out at night. SG-1 arrived in daylight so that probably allowed them to find the UAV. And with Dr. Jackson's interest in the temple, well, leaving after dark is definitely in the realm of possibility."
"SHIT! Oh God!" A blast from a nine millimeter pistol combined with frightened screams to pull everyone's attention to the Airman farthest out.
"Spenser!" Ferretti took aim and fired straight into the head of the creature dragging Airman Craig Spenser away. The beast dropped dead in its tracks, and a frantic soldier scrambled backwards away from the body, even as his commander rushed forward. The major ducked quickly, grabbing Spenser's arm, and pulling him to his feet. Hancock and Anderson provided cover fire as Ferretti helped the younger man to safety. "So much for not killing one. You okay, Spenser?"
"Y..Yes, sir. But I don't want to repeat the experience. I thought I was gonna be somebody's midnight snack for a little while. I..I don't know how it got that close, sir. I never saw it."
Ferretti frowned as he listened to the sounds of night. "That's okay, son. Right now, everyone start backing toward the DHD."
Hancock looked at his commanding officer in confusion. "Sir?"
"Listen."
Hancock concentrated, twisting around to in an effort to hear what Ferretti heard. "Sorry, sir, I don't hear anything."
"Neither do I. They've either run away, which I doubt, or they're regrouping for an assault. If it's the first, all we wasted is time. But if it's the last, then I want to be between them and the 'gate before it happens."
***********
Jack's eyes finally closed into an uneasy slumber, but even in sleep, the older man's features showed lines of remembered pain. Daniel gently checked for fever, and was relieved to find none. Easing up from his friend's side, he moved closer to the fire, ostensibly to add wood, or at least that's what he would tell Jack if he should awaken. In reality he was cold. Colder than he could remember being in a long, long time. And not from the night air. That was chilly, but bearable. No, landing underneath the snarling animal, feeling it's rancid breath growing ever closer to the back of his neck, knowing that at any moment the large incisors would sever his spine, all combined to light a cold terror in his heart. He'd almost died. Again. Shuddering, he added another piece of wood to the fire, praying that no more creatures came calling.
"Daniel?" The voice was barely above a whisper. The younger man whirled to find a pair of brown eyes watching him intently. "You're bleeding." The reproach was evident in his tone. "You should have told me."
"It's just a scratch, Jack."
"Right. From your shoulder to your waist. Some scratch."
"It ..."
"Needs cleaning. Since Mohammed can't go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed. And bring the med-kit with you. I can't quite reach it."
Daniel sighed heavily, and for once, did as he was told. Sitting down next to the colonel, he handed him the med-kit, and turned his back to the man.
A low whistle caused him to twist his head around in a poor imitation of an owl as Jack examined his back. "Hold still. You could use a few stitches in your shoulder, Daniel. I'll try to butterfly it, but the first strong yank is gonna pull it loose."
"Thanks."
"Welcome. ... Dammit."
"What's wrong?"
"Can't open the band-aids with one hand."
"Then hand them to me, I'll open them. We'll make this a team effort."
"Deal." Jack slipped the Band-Aids into Daniel's outstretched palm, and used water from the canteen to wash down the injury. He ignored Daniel's wince of pain as he applied peroxide to the wound, then dabbed salve onto the line of the injury. Daniel silently handed him back the Band-Aids, and waited. Nothing.
"Jack?"
"I, uh, I can't do this one-handed either." The sheepish tone brought a smile to Daniel's lips. "Can you reach ..."
Daniel twisted slightly, and slid his hand over his shoulder to grasp the end of one of the Band-aids that Jack was holding in place. Pressing down, he held it securely while Jack pulled it across the wound forcing the skin underneath to draw tightly closed. The procedure was repeated twice more before the colonel spoke again. "That should do it."
"Thanks."
"Welcome. ... You okay?"
The young man smiled as he turned to sit beside his friend. "I should be asking that question. You should be resting. Ouch. What the... Oh."
Jack's eyes danced with suppressed laughter as Daniel pulled Jack's handgun out from under his thigh.
"Ooops."
Jack's retort was cut-off by a snarl from above. Daniel gasped, and fired as the creature jumped. Its scream of rage turned into a whimper of pain as it flopped heavily to the floor and died. "Oh, God, that was close."
"This is getting to be a bad habit."
Daniel grinned shakily as he replied. "Ya think?"
The expected response was not forthcoming. Daniel studied his friend's tired face closely. "What?"
"Put out the fire, Daniel."
"What?"
"We can't stay here."
"We can't leave!" Daniel's voice was aghast at the idea.
"Are the stairs closed in on both sides?"
"Yes, but they can't be barricaded, both doors open out, and I had to pry the upstairs one open. It may not shut entirely."
"It'll have to do. Maybe they'll ignore the doors if they can't see us. Help me up."
"Jack."
"Daniel."
Sighing the young man rose, and checked Jack's bandages. Taking him by his good arm, he braced and helped the older man to his feet. Or in this case, his foot. All the color drained from Jack's face, and Daniel held his breath, terrified that the injured man would faint at any moment. After a few minutes, a shaky voice spoke up. "Let's go."
Daniel stared at the dead bodies for a moment. "Jack, what if they hunt by smell?"
Jack responded through clenched teeth. "I can't solve everything, Daniel."
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part - 13 ↑
Major Carter is once again on the move. I have suggested repeatedly that her incessant circling of this room serves no purpose, but she is much like Daniel Jackson. Neither of them endures loss of control in a gracious manner. They are both entirely too accustomed to being able to find a solution, if only they study the problem long enough.
It is common knowledge among the personnel at the SGC that Daniel Jackson can be found in his laboratory at all hours, studying some obscure text or artifact and mindless of the time of day or of his last meal. If it were not for the vigilance of O'Neill, and others, that young man would exhaust himself completely within a week. But then there are so many items which secure his interest, and too few personnel to assist him in his duties. No, that is not an accurate statement. There are a number of linguists and archaeologists in the service of the SGC, but Daniel Jackson's instinct for translation is unique. His successful decoding of the Stargate glyphs in an amazingly short period of time is by far the finest example of his unique mind.
Major Carter also spends a large amount of time in her laboratory, but this fact is less well-known. I believe this to be due to her sex. I have noticed a tendency, odd though it may be, of the Tau'ri to count exceptional in the male what is considered commonplace in the female. Also, as O'Neill says, she has the sense to come up for air. I did not understand this until he explained that, unlike Daniel Jackson, Major Carter will not allow herself to fall prey to sleep deprivation and starvation. Unless there is a crisis. Then she devotes herself solely to the task at hand, and must often be reminded to rest and eat. When O'Neill was stranded on P5C-768, her incredible intellect worked diligently to secure his return, but at great cost to herself. All that her friends could do to assist her was to be watchful for signs of fatigue and hunger.
O'Neill says this single-mindedness is because they are scientists. I believe it to be because they both care so deeply - for both their mission and their friends. Her facial expressions speak volumes about her concern. ... Odd. Something is wrong. She has suddenly lost all color in her face.
"Major Carter..."
******
I can feel his eyes follow me around the room. He's right. This endless pacing is futile, but I can't seem to stop. To just sit and do... nothing, in the relative safety of this prison, seems almost obscene.
Dammit! Those, those creatures are roaming the countryside, Daniel's hurt, the Colonel obviously needs our help, and we're stuck here. Oh, yeah, and Teal'c and I are probably gonna be tried as Goa'ulds at first light, which is bound to be only a few hours away, at best. Holy Hannah, can it possibly get any worse?
Oh, God! Hours. It's been at least sixteen hours since we came through the 'gate. The readings from the UAV placed it about two hours, tops, from the 'gate. That means... Shit! We're way overdue. A rescue team will have come through the 'gate by now. Great! Maybe they'll find the Colonel and Daniel. No, wait. They'll go north. Our mission was to go north. Oh, damn, damn, damn. *Why* did we ever split up? They'll be out in the open, just like the Colonel and Daniel. Maybe the General decided not to send a team. Yeah, right, and the Colonel's a patient man.
"Major Carter?"
Huh? What? "Oh, yes, uh, I know, I know. I should be conserving my strength. I will in a minute."
"That was not my question, Major Carter."
"Oh. Then, what?"
"You have lost color, are you ill?"
"No. Just worried."
"Colonel O'Neill will be able to protect Daniel Jackson. He is most resourceful."
She smiled broadly. "Yes, he is. But by now General Hammond will have sent a rescue team."
"I do not understand. Will they not be expecting trouble?"
"Probably. Alien invasions, native uprisings. That sort of thing."
"They will be unprepared for the Kul-Da-Poir."
"*That's* putting it mildly."
**********
"Ah, Tiamon, so good of you to come, and at such short notice." Vraxas smiled broadly as he approached the taller man standing in the doorway. "Come, be seated. Would you care for some wine, or perhaps something stronger?"
"Wine would be fine, thank you." Tiamon walked deliberately to the chaise nearest the door, but remained standing.
The councilman frowned as he watched the military leader move toward the chaise. His guest's bearing was strictly military, but there was an underlying tension about the man. One which would have to be overcome if Vraxas was to win the day. The older man returned to his desk and poured two glasses of a deep purple liquid from a decanter on his side table. He kept his back carefully positioned between Tiamon and the wine as he opened a small pouch and emptied it's contents into both glasses. Returning to his guest, he offered a goblet. Tiamon smiled and took the other glass. Vraxas looked mildly surprised, and a bit concerned as he continued his monologue. "You probably wonder why I brought you here."
"Not a bit."
The older man had the grace to blush. "Indeed, perhaps you'd care to enlighten me, then?"
Tiamon took a large sip of the wine then watched for a moment as he swirled the rich liquid around his glass. "You've figured out that our guests are not Goa'uld, but plan to prosecute them as Goa'uld anyway. Do I have your attention?"
"Oh, by all means, yes."
"You plan to try them, convict them, and execute them."
"Why would I do that?"
"The people have long wished for someone to blame for the existence of the Redcaps, and the need to remain safely behind walls after darkness comes. You now have the opportunity to do so, at little risk to yourself."
"You do not believe them to be Goa'uld?" Vraxas smiled slightly as he spoke.
"No more than you." Tiamon sipped more wine.
"I see. So I cannot persuade you to side with me in the interview vote?"
"No."
"Simple, to the point. That's what I like about you, Tiamon. You're so predictable."
Tiamon nodded politely. "I will try to ensure that two innocents are not made to suffer for crimes they did not comm..." His words faded away and his eyes opened wide as he stared at the glass of wine. He staggered forward, then went to his knees, gaping in shock at the older man.
Vraxas' smile deepened. "Ah Tiamon, both glasses were doctored. I simply did not partake of mine. Sweet journey, young friend."
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part - 14 ↑
The journey of fifteen feet to the stairwell might as well have been fifteen miles. The cellar floor was rough enough for the pair to traverse, but climbing the stairs bordered on nightmare. O'Neill was shaking uncontrollably by the time Daniel got him positioned halfway up the stairs. Beads of sweat rolled down the injured man's face, and the lines of pain, already prominent in his features, stood out even more against the ghost-white skin. Daniel settled him quickly, staying by his side only long enough to ensure his friend would not lose consciousness and slide down the steps. Once satisfied that Jack was secure, the young scientist rushed recklessly down the steps, hurriedly retrieving their packs and weapons then making sure the fire was out. He shuddered as he took one last look at the dead creatures before returning to the stairwell. Dropping their supplies on the step below his friend, Daniel turned his attention to the problem of the doors.
The bottom door closed easily enough, and in an uncharacteristic bit of luck, he discovered a slide-bolt on the door itself. He breathed a delighted sigh of relief as he realized that the little bit of metal still worked. Nothing would come through the cellar door, at least not easily.
The odd entrance to the stairwell from above proved to be even easier. Whatever had been causing the unusual door to stick, appeared to have vanished. Daniel could only guess that forcing the lid aside with the pry bar had 'fixed' it, though he had no clue why or how. He easily slid it shut, then frowned, aware that he had no way to secure this door. Movement from below pulled his attention away from the door and he hurried back down the stairs.
Daniel sank down next to Jack and studied the older man closely. His color was pale, much too pale, and his breathing was slightly labored. Jack's eyes were screwed tightly shut as he shifted slightly, obviously searching for a more comfortable position. The sling on his shoulder was still tight, holding his arm motionless against his chest. Daniel turned his visual survey to Jack's injured leg. The boards strapped tightly on either side of the broken limb also appeared to have stay miraculously in place. Nodding in satisfaction, he looked up, only to find himself the recipient of scrutiny. Blushing slightly under the intense scrutiny of deep brown eyes, he spoke softly. "The cellar door's secure and the top door is closed. There's not a lot left that I can do in that department."
"Daniel..."
"I've got our supplies in here so we should ..."
"Daniel..."
"Jack?"
"When dawn comes, you have to leave."
"I know. You already said that, but I don't see how ... what do you mean *I* have to leave?"
Jack's lips bore a faint semblance of a smile. "I was kidding myself. There's no way I can get to the gate without help."
"Jack!"
The SG-1 commander held up his good hand for silence, and for once the younger man complied. "Sam and Teal'c are overdue. You know that. I know that. Our little venture just now showed me that *I* won't be going anywhere." Jack gasped in pain, all communication ceasing for a moment.
Daniel put a hand gently on his good shoulder. "Jack, please. You need to stay quiet. I've been thinking..."
"What else is new?"
"Uh, right. Well, we're long overdue at the SGC. I'm sure the general's already sent through a search and rescue team. We'll just stay here until they find us."
"Danny, they'll go north. Toward the UAV."
"Oh. North. I forgot. Damn."
"Use the radio."
Daniel shook his head. "*Yours* is smashed, and mine stopped working for some reason as I was calling Sam. I barely got the message out before it died completely."
The colonel sighed heavily. "First light, Daniel."
"Jack, I can't leave you like this."
"No choice."
"Jack..."
The older man smiled and tiredly reached out to take the hand on his shoulder in his own. Squeezing it weakly, he spoke softly. "Daniel..."
The heat in his friend's palm startled and dismayed the young archaeologist. Fever. He should have known that sooner or later, Jack would develop a fever. Infection. Oh God. Blue eyes locked on brown as the younger man silently acknowledged the truth. Jack was seriously ill, and Daniel really had no choice. If his friend was to survive this, this stupid trek to the south, he'd have to abandon him. Tears filled his eyes as he nodded a silent consent to Jack's wishes.
"Not abandoning, Danny." Jack's voice was weak but firm. "Just following orders ... for a change."
************
Vraxas watched with pleasure as Tiamon's consciousness faded. Kneeling by the still form, he checked the man's pulse. Weak and thready. Perfect. Everything was going according to plan. Rising quickly, he yanked hard on the bell pull, summoning his servants. The houseman arrived only moments later, and froze, staring in shock at the body on the floor.
"Tiamon has been taken ill. Summon the healer, and send two servants to move him to the chaise. And get me a blanket. Tiamon should not get chilled."
Wordlessly, the frightened man fled to do his employer's bidding. Vraxas knelt once more by the soldier. "Poor, predictable, honorable Tiamon. You've been a thorn in my side for much too long. I would prefer to kill you outright, but considering our past ... discussions ... that just isn't possible. But an illness. Well, there's no reason that your current condition can't be blamed on the prisoners as well. Yes, that will work well. A virus as deadly as the Redcaps themselves. Another ill to blame on the Goa'uld."
*************
Teal'c was relieved when Sam finally gave up her endless pacing, and sank wearily onto the other sleeping mat. He watched silently as her eyes lost their battle to stay open. His vigilance increased as her breathing evened out, proving she was, at last, asleep. He was deeply concerned for her safety. His tattoo convicted him of more than just a casual acquaintance with Apophis, but he was hopeful that he would be able to distance himself from her. That he could plead guilty to charges of Goa'uld allegiance and still prove her innocence, hopefully freeing her to be able to go to the aide of O'Neill, and Daniel Jackson.
**************
"Daniel?"
"What... Oh, God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"S'okay, Daniel. You needed the rest. I haven't heard anything in a while."
Daniel listened closely. While the screams of the creatures had come in random spurts, they were spaced closely together. "It must be dawn."
"Ya think?"
The younger man winced as he stood up, attracting the attention of his friend. "Daniel? What's wrong?"
Ignoring the pain emanating from the long tear on his back, Daniel grinned, and stretched. "Stiff muscles, Jack. Been sitting awhile." Before Jack could respond, Daniel moved down the stairs, and cautiously opened the door. "The sun's not quite up, Jack, but it's damn close. I..I better get moving, but first I'm giving you a shot of morphine. You're long overdue."
Jack shook his head. "I don't need it."
"Liar. With that arm, you won't be able to give yourself one later, so I'm gonna do it now."
"Daniel."
"Or I'm not going."
Brown eyes bored into blue, and found them resolute. Nodding reluctantly Jack sighed. "You're a stubborn man, Dr. Jackson."
Daniel hastily prepared the syringe. "I learned from the best, Colonel O'Neill."
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part - 15 ↑
Daniel waited long enough for the morphine to take effect before helping Jack back down to the cellar. Remembering the pattern the sun took the day before, Daniel steered his injured friend into a semi-sheltered part of the room, well away from the unintentional skylight. Jack barely suppressed a groan as he slid down the wall and slipped awkwardly to the floor. His tightly closed eyes and painfully tight grip caused Daniel to frown. "Jack?"
"Minute." Jack gasped, pain evident in his voice.
"Damn it. I knew I should have waited longer to move you. I'm so sorry."
"*Not* your fault. Damned leg."
"Jack, are you..."
"Yes."
"Oh. Well, uh, I better get a move on."
"Ah ha." Jack watched as Daniel made no move toward the stairs. "Daniel?"
"Thought I'd wait until ..."
"Daniel. You're stalling." The older man barely managed to stifle a yawn.
"Well, yes. I'll leave in a minute." Blushing under the scrutiny of Jack's drugged eyes, Daniel continued, "I just want to make sure you're gonna be okay."
"Right."
Daniel waited until Jack's eyes closed, then slid both canteens within easy reach of the dozing man. Rising quickly, he headed for the stairs, only to be stopped by a firm voice. "Daniel!"
Gulping, the young man turned to see a pair of brown eyes glaring at him. Trying his best to appear nonchalant, he responded. "Yes?"
Jack nodded toward the two canteens, his eyes never leaving Daniel's face.
"Oh. Yeah. Right." Daniel hastily retrieved his canteen, then scurried up the stairs, anxious to escape even a hint of censure in his friend's voice.
The older man smiled as he watched his friend disappear up the stairs. The smile turned to a frown as he listened to the retreating footsteps. Sam and Teal'c were obviously in trouble. He was badly injured, unable to travel, and even Daniel was not unscathed. Jack shuddered at the thought of what kind of germs had been in the claws of the thing that had attacked Daniel. But the *only* choice, the command choice, had been to send Daniel out alone. As he contemplated his theory that the creatures only came out at night, Jack could only pray it had been the right choice.
**********
The commotion outside their jail roused both Teal'c and Sam. The Jaffa rose gracefully to his feet, just as Sam sat bolt upright, both of them listening closely to the angry words coming from the street. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, and jumped up just as Marne stormed through the door. He glared at the two prisoners for a moment, visibly attempting to control his anger. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold. "What manner of illness have you given Tiamon?"
"We have done nothing to Tiamon." Teal'c responded gravely as Sam's jaw dropped.
"Exactly *what* are we supposed to have done to him?" She demanded angrily.
Marne moved slowly into the room, watching the prisoners closely for any sign of subterfuge. "He has collapsed and is at present unconscious and very, very cold to the touch. If it were not for the occasional rise and fall of his chest, I would have thought him dead. *You* know of no illnesses that would cause such a thing?"
Sam's eyes widened. "I'm not a doctor..." Noticing Marne's puzzled expression, she changed her terminology, "...healer. But there are probably lots of things that can cause those symptoms."
The small man frowned. "You did not do anything to cause this?"
"No, Marne, we didn't. We wouldn't even if we could."
"Major Carter speaks the truth." Teal'c looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are we to assume that someone is spreading this falsehood throughout your people?"
"Yes. Councilman Vraxas," Marne practically spat the name, "is telling everyone not to jump to conclusions, that the strangers may *not* have been involved in our Lord Tiamon's collapse."
Sam groaned. "Holy Hannah. I can't think of a better way to plant a thought in somebody's head."
Teal'c looked briefly at the young woman before responding seriously. "Then this Vraxas will be a dangerous foe."
Sam's response was cut off by the sound of a horn. Marne sighed heavily. "That is the first call. The councilors are summoned to the chamber. The next horn will call all interested citizens. The third and final horn will summon you. I must go." Before Sam could ask him anything else, the small man slipped quickly from the room.
"Terrific. Tiamon might have been able to help us. Now I don't know..."
Teal'c nodded gravely. "This is indeed most unfortunate, Major Carter, but I have no doubt that your argument before the council will be most effective."
Sam's eyes widened noticeably. "ME?"
Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow.
"But, but, I don't, Daniel always ... Daniel's not here. Me?"
"Yes, Major Carter. I do not believe my tattoo will lend credence to our story."
"Terrific. I'd rather calculate pi to the millionth digit."
"For what purpose?" Teal'c asked curiously.
"What? Oh, no, nothing. Forget... Oh, never mind, Teal'c"
**********
Major Louis Ferretti couldn't remember ever being more frustrated. They'd been on this blasted planet for hours, and hadn't made it anywhere. Correction. They had made it back to the DHD, for all the good that did them. It didn't appear to work. Airman Hancock suspected at least one of the crystals was fake, but couldn't tell which one or ones. But it was obvious the Damned Hopeless Device was dead. As were their radios. They'd encountered only static during the night as they tried to contact SG-1, but by dawn the little units were deader than a doornail.
Airman Hancock kept muttering about electromagnetic fields, but Ferretti didn't really care. SG-1 was out there, somewhere, and hopefully had survived the night. The major shuddered as he thought about the beasts. It had *not* been a fun night. Rather than one on guard, and three sleeping, it had boiled down to just the reverse ... three on guard while one slept. Little sleep, bad coffee, worse food. *Not* an auspicious beginning for the day.
The bodies of the creatures they'd been forced to kill lay scattered around the gate. Ferretti frowned as he saw them in the light of day. There were only six. He'd thought for sure that at least ten had been killed. Could the others have only been wounded and crawled away to safety? Or had they been far enough away from the SG-2 team to be helped to safety by their comrades? *That* thought did nothing to comfort him.
Rousing himself from his thoughts, he glared at his group, all of which were, understandably, moving slowly. "Get in gear, people. SG-1's out there somewhere. Let's find them, preferably *before* dark."
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Odd. He really didn't remember the trek from the gate being quite this long, and they'd been walking. Daniel stopped his steady jog for a short moment, and took a drink from his canteen, grateful that Jack had refused to let him leave without it. It hadn't seemed this warm the day before either, but, he mused, he hadn't been traveling quite as fast then. While he was stopped he looked at the dry river bed, hoping to see signs of Teal'c and Sam. But the ground was strangely devoid of tracks, even their own. Taking one more gulp of water, he sealed the canteen, hooked it to his pack, and resumed his pace.
The canyon he'd been following began to fade away, and Daniel could feel his excitement rise. He was close, very close to the Stargate. Keying his radio, he tried again to contact his friends, but the radio was strangely silent. Not even the static he'd picked up yesterday. Just dead air. He rounded a bend, and there it was in all its alien glory ... the Stargate. At this distance, to the naked eye, it was less than spectacular. But up close it became a thing of mystery and intrigue, a gateway to a million uncharted worlds. Daniel took a moment to use his binoculars, hoping to see some sign of his friends. Instead his jaw went slack with shock. At least six of the creatures he and Jack had faced in the cellar lay dead near the gate. The young archaeologist broke into a disjointed run, heedless of his teammates' instructions to always keep his pace smooth and steady. All he knew was what he saw, and worse, what he didn't.
**********
Well, they'd finally reached the temple, but neither Ferretti nor his team were feeling any better. To their surprise, the UAV was in the center of the structure, directly under the large opening in the ceiling. The team took nothing for granted as they spread out, searching the perimeter for any sign of ... anything. It seemed an eternity before Ferretti felt comfortable calling an all clear. Hancock strode quickly to the UAV. After a cursory exam, he called back to his teammates. "Sir, everything's intact. But there's something wrong."
"Spell it out for me, Lieutenant." Ferretti moved toward his second as he spoke.
"Well, sir, there's no way the UAV crashed like this. There's virtually no damage to the nose. If I had to guess, I'd say that the UAV was placed here."
"Why?" Airman Spenser looked worried.
"A trap, airman. To draw in the ones who sent the thing." Ferretti practically growled. "Real question is, who set the trap?"
Anderson looked nervously around. "You don't suppose those things at the 'gate..."
The major shook his head. "No, Airman, unless those things do a Jeckle-Hyde number, there's no way they brought the UAV here. Spread out, gentlemen, I know we didn't see any signs of SG-1 when we got here, but I want a wall to wall search. Anderson, you and Spenser will take the perimeter. Hancock and I will search in here. And keep an eye out for whoever or whatever set this trap."
***********
"How long has it been, Teal'c?"
The Jaffa concealed a smile as he responded for the seventh time in under two hours. "It has not yet been three hours since Marne left us, Major Carter."
"What the heck is taking so long? I thought they said first light."
"Perhaps there is a ritual that must be performed at first light before the interview can begin." Teal'c paused, face suddenly troubled, or rather, what passed for troubled for Teal'c.
Sam stopped in her tracks and looked at the Jaffa closely. "What?"
Reluctantly, Teal'c responded. "The second horn was sounded barely thirty minutes after the first. Perhaps it is taking time to get the spectators settled."
"Oh wouldn't *that* be just peachy. Lotsa people watching. I just can't wait." As if on cue, the third horn sounded, causing Sam to jump slightly.
Teal'c cocked his head to one side. "Then it is fortunate indeed that the wait is over."
***********
Daniel Jackson stared in horror at the carnage surrounding the 'gate. From the plethora of tracks as he approached the 'gate, he knew that he and Jack had been incredibly lucky the night before. Lucky to have been bothered by only two of the beasts. From the evidence it appeared that the main activity of the creatures had been centered around the Stargate. The only redeeming feature seemed to be that it had not been Sam and Teal'c at the 'gate. That was a good thing. At least, he hoped it was.
Near the gate he found the remains of a fire, four sets of booted footprints, and many, many spent shell casings, but nothing to indicate which SG team had spent the night here. Not that it really mattered.
He frowned suddenly as he traced their steps past the DHD. Within a few yards of the device, were the remains of another fire... this one abandoned rather than carefully put out. In this new location, the human prints blended with the creatures', making his limited tracking skills totally useless. Teal'c, and possibly Jack might have been able to distinguish the marks, but he could not. Why had they gone back to the 'gate? Why hadn't they returned home for reinforcements? That would have been the logical course of action. Why stay the night at the 'gate? Unless ... oh, no, no, no. Dammit to hell, no.
Daniel raced for the DHD and frantically tried to dial home. 'You're an idiot, Daniel. Should have done this first.' He punched in the first chevron, frustration, and fear, causing the impact to be a little harder than normal. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He tried another chevron at random. Again nothing.
"NO, Dammit, NO!" His outburst of anger combined with his already labored breathing from his run to send him momentarily to his knees, blind and deaf to his surroundings. As his rage subsided, his vision cleared, leaving only a headache and the throbbing pain in his back in its wake.
His fit of temper over for good, Daniel rose to his feet, took his bearings, and started north. As Jack had said, the rescue team was heading in the direction of the temple. Therefore, he would also go north, and pray that he found help before he'd have to return to the abandoned city. There was no way he would leave Jack alone to face another night. Absolutely, no way.
***********
"Sir?"
"Find something, Anderson?"
"Uh, actually, sir, something, I mean, someone's found us."
Ferretti and Hancock raced outside the temple. Spenser had joined Anderson, and together the four men of SG-2 watched warily as the natives approached.
The major spoke softly to his lieutenant. "I thought the survey showed no intelligent life."
Hancock shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time the UAV missing something important, like people."
"True, so true. Well, men, looks like we get to play diplomat. Let's hope these people know where SG-1 is."
"I'd say they just might." Hancock's voice was now worried.
"Why?" Ferretti turned to look at the man.
Hancock nodded toward the crowd. "Big guy, at the back. Isn't that a staff weapon? Like maybe Teal'c's?"
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part - 17 ↑
"Sir?"
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Where do you suppose Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson are?"
Ferretti frowned. "I wish I knew, but it's obvious that only Major Carter and Teal'c have been seen by these people. And from what that little bald guy said, they're in a lot of trouble. I'm also not sure about that runner. There's no telling *what* story he's been sent home with."
"But what about..."
"Lieutenant, Colonel O'Neill is perfectly capable of taking care of both himself, and Dr. Jackson, even with one hand tied behind his back. You heard what's his name ..."
"Glamring?"
"Yeah, that sounds right. There's nothing but ruins to the south, desert to the east, and mountains to the west. If O'Neill and Jackson went anywhere, it was probably south of the gate. Jackson's got a nose for really old stuff and is probably having the time of his life playing in the ruins. Carter and Teal'c are being accused of being Goa'uld and are quite probably being tried at this very moment. No, we go after the prisoners first."
"What if we can't convince these folks that the major and Teal'c aren't Goa'uld?"
Ferretti patted his M16. "Well, we'll just have to talk some sense into them. Damn! I wish we could go faster without insulting our, uh, *hosts*."
Lieutenant Hancock grew silent, wondering if he should voice his concern that the natives hadn't considered SG-2 to be potential Goa'uld. It made no sense. After all, it was Carter and Teal'c that his team was looking for. And that pair were being detained as possible Goa'uld.
Ferretti grew silent, wondering what the hell kind of mess Daniel was in this time; the major couldn't think of anything else that would've kept the colonel from searching for Carter and Teal'c. But he breathed a sigh of relief that none of his men seemed to think it odd that SG-2 hadn't been singled out as Goa'uld, just like Carter and Teal'c.
*********
"Hey, Anderson." Spenser's voice was barely below a stage whisper.
"What?"
"What do ya think *they're* talking about?" Spenser motioned toward the two officers.
"Keep your voice down." Anderson studied his CO's back for a moment. "Well, I'm only guessing, but I'm betting they're wondering why Colonel O'Neill isn't already looking for the major and the Jaffa."
Spenser looked surprised. "Didn't think of that. Do ya suppose they're wondering why these guys don't think we're Goa'uld?"
Anderson snorted a laugh. "I keep forgetting you're kinda new to the SGC. The major's been doing this a long time. As long as O'Neill, from what I'm told. Supposed to have been on the original mission to that Abydim,dum,dos, whatever, place. Although no one ever talks about that." The airman shot another quick look at the officers. "Yeah, the major's thought of it, and I'm betting the lieutenant's not far behind."
*********
From the length of time it took the Euloeans to bring them to the interview, Sam should've suspected that there would be crowds. Teal'c had even warned her of the possibility. But the sheer numbers sent shivers down her spine. And the way the noise stopped as they were led onto the field. Unnerving, to say the least.
If she had to guess, she'd say everyone in the town was present, including the children. Terrific. Years spent traveling to other planets for exploration in search of allies against the Goa'uld, only to become the featured stars of a bizarre little drama. And the courtroom, well, it appeared to be a stadium of some sort, with the stadium seating being about fifteen feet off the floor. A dirt floor.
As they were escorted across the arena, it suddenly became obvious who the interviewers were. A line of seven high-backed, almost plush chairs sat side by side behind a long table. Seated in the chairs were seven citizens. Three men, four women. Was that an advantage? Sam could only hope. But unless they gave her something to stand on, she was gonna have to defend herself and Teal'c while looking up. She'd end up with a major crick in the neck. These people were *really* starting to get on her nerves. A surprisingly deep voice startled her out of her thoughts.
"The male bears the mark of Apophis. He may not speak. Female!"
The contemptuous tone infuriated the young officer. Sam glared at the arrogant figure high above her. "The *male* is called Teal'c. I am Major Samantha Carter. *You* may address me as 'major'."
*********
If he was reading the path of the sun correctly, and Jack knew that he was, it was well-past mid-morning. By now, Daniel should be at the Stargate. If he... Don't go there, Jack. Absently he ran his uninjured hand across his forehead. He stared at the sweat on the back of his hand, then reached once more for the canteen. God, he was so hot. Surely it wasn't this hot yesterday, was it just yesterday they arrived in this, this place? God, he was so hot. And thirsty. Fever? That had to be it. He was running a fever. Terrific. Way to go, Einstein. Two broken bones, a possible concussion ... of course he'd be running a fever. Shit!
He shifted his position trying to ease the pressure on his tailbone, and screamed as his broken bones protested the movement. His vision darkened, and for a moment he was afraid he would lose consciousness. If he did that, he might never wake up. Fighting back tears of pain, he forced himself to look at the dead forms on the other side of the cellar. Daniel had dragged the hulking remains as far from him as possible. Jack smiled slightly at the memory of Daniel's slender frame struggling with the creatures' bulk. His smile faded as he realized exactly how, uh, ripe, they would eventually become. Particularly if the day stayed this hot. No, wait. It wasn't really hot. It was just fever. Right. That was it ... just fever.
He found himself staring at the sky again. Not much later than it was the last time he'd looked up. Damn. He was beginning to think like a small child. 'Are we there yet?' He could almost hear the whine in his thoughts. Shouldn't Daniel be back? No, he hadn't been gone long enough. Or had he been gone too long? Daniel'd winced in pain when he got up, and tried to pretend it was cramped muscles. But he knew better. The gash on his young friend's back was probably inflamed, maybe even infected b