The Gate of Taenarus

by Ayesha Jen

What more could the team ask for. The vista from the Stargate was nothing but flat green grass to the horizon, even Teal'c was pleased that he could see for miles, no danger. All they had to do was find and retrieve the UVA. Easy...

Disclaimer
Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret productions, and Gekko productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Note: Sent through to find a missing UVA on an apparently empty green world, life gets unexpectedly exciting for SG1 real quick.

This Green and Pleasant Land

Major Samantha Carter looked down at the Colonel's back and smiled. He sat on the neat semicircle of steps in front of the Stargate. An elbow rested on one knee and his chin on his hand. The other hand held his cap and his P90 rested across his knees. Jack O'Neill scratched his head as he surveyed their latest assignment. He could not quite believe what he was looking at. It just hadn't looked this big at the briefing session back at the SGC. Sam walked down the short run of steps and sat beside him. She laid her own weapon down and fished a chocolate bar out of her pocket. As she unwrapped the treat Jack eyed his second in command. The bewildered expression the view had brought on disappeared from his eyes. "Hungry, Major?"

"Majorly hungry," Sam mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate. "Missed breakfast, Sir. What do you think?" She added, waving the half-eaten bar in the direction he had been looking.

"I'm thinking that a lawn like this must cost a fortune to maintain." They both ignored the sounds of equipment being unloaded behind them, and gazed at what lay ahead. As far as the eye could see was lush green short grass, perfectly even and flat. The horizon curved away against the short green carpet at the horizon, as the sea appears to on earth. They could see no variation in the surface, no fault in the perfection before them. "It looks like a huge pool table," Jack offered.

"I'd hate to see the size of the balls," Sam replied innocently and Jack grinned in response.

"I wouldn't be too keen to meet the players either," Daniel added, making his presence behind them felt.

"I have never seen a Stargate surrounded by an area such as this." Teal'c commented as he stepped out onto the flawless lawn. Teal'c was quite pleased with the effect, he could see for miles and there was no danger.

"Well if there is anything out there we are going to see it coming a long way off." Daniel commented echoing Teal'c's thought. "But I'm not sure what we'll achieve here, there's nothing to see." Daniel followed Teal'c away from the Stargate as he spoke. After a few steps he bent to place a hand on the grass. He stoked the soft even surface. "It's so short the wind barely moves it."

"It's just grass Daniel," Jack told him. "Plain ordinary recently cut grass. What I want to know is where are the gardeners?"

"This is one of the Ancient's addresses downloaded into your head isn't it?" Daniel asked.

"So they tell me," Jack replied.

"Maybe the Ancients are like the giants of P7X-337 and need all this space," Sam stood up as she made her observation.

Jack looked back at the Stargate and shook his head. "How would they get through the Stargate?" Jack quipped. Then after stretching one long leg to relieve a nagging ache in his knee, he stood up. "Just so long as they don't step on us," he finished as he glanced around at the unending vista behind the Stargate. With a shrug of his shoulders he dismissed it from his mind, 'grass is grass...' He pulled his cap back on and followed his team. They took a straight line towards the horizon. Jack picked up the pace knowing that if they didn't find anything different within a few hours, they would have to turn back. Still the missing UAV couldn't be that far away.

Teal'c stopped briefly to stare down at the perfect grass surface. He tilted his head slightly as he looked, and Daniel wondered what had his attention.

Daniel stopped beside him and looked down. "Something wrong Teal'c?"

"I don't believe so."

"Then why are you staring at that patch of grass?"

"It moved."

"Grass moves Teal'c," Daniel responded slightly puzzled and walked on.

"Teal'c watched his back for a moment and then followed him.

"Tell me again why the UAV couldn't tell us what's out there," Jack asked Sam after a while.

"There appears to be so much electronic interference that we lost the UAV. Control was lost as soon as it had flown a few hundred yards from the gate."

"And the interference is coming from...?" Jack drawled.

"We've no idea, Sir. That's what we're hoping to find out if we can find the missing equipment."

"Well there's no sign of it having crashed anywhere in sight." Jack rubbed the back of his neck slowing his pace slightly and frowned. "Why do I feel like a kid trying to retrieve his ball from a neighbour's garden?"

It was Daniel's turn to grin but the retort that sprung to mind was never uttered. They were only 500 yards from the Stargate and Daniel had drawn level with Jack while Sam moved a little ahead of them. The ground under Sam's feet began to sink taking her into the ground. Her boots then lower legs disappeared. "Colonel!" She called in alarm and warning. Teal'c and Daniel froze, instinct telling them to stay still. Jack dropped forward and grabbed Carter's backpack pulling her closer and sliding an arm around her waist. He hauled her towards himself and safety. As she toppled backwards her upper legs and hips sank into the ground as well. Then Carter found solid ground under her bottom and looked down. "There's nothing under my feet! It feels like I'm dangling in mid air!" Then Teal'c grabbed Sam's arm and between them they pulled her out of the ground. Teal'c checked her legs to see if she was injured. "I'm fine Teal'c, not hurt at all."

"Your clothes are not damaged or soiled," Teal'c commented and looked back at the ground they had just drawn her out of.

Daniel knelt down and poked the ground in front of them. His hand disappeared into it. When he withdrew the hand and looked at it a puzzled expression appeared. His fingers had come back clean. No sign of water or mud, it felt like nothing was present. His eyes were telling him one thing, his sense of touch another. "Jack..."

"Daniel?"

"Jack, don't move in any direction without checking it first."

"Like I'm gonna do that," Jack snapped back.

Sam sat on solid ground with her lower legs dangling into nothingness under the grass. She leaned forward and put her hand through the grass in front of her. "It's like the ground isn't there, a mirage... hologram?"

"It's exactly the same beside me," Daniel confirmed.

Jack got up and turned carefully where he stood to test the ground he'd already crossed. "It's solid here. We should retreat the way we have come and rethink this mission." Teal'c nodded and used his staff weapon to check the ground before they moved onto it.

"Not a pool table," muttered Jack as he considered their problem.

"O'Neill the solid ground has just ended."

"But this is the way we just walked Teal'c."

"Even so, it is no longer solid ground. We would appear to be trapped."

"Sounds familiar," Daniel muttered. He lowered his backpack and sank gingerly to the ground, a fervent prayer that it would remain solid ground passed through his mind. Teal'c followed his example and sat cross-legged beside him and closed his eyes.

"What are you doing Teal'c?" Jack queried.

Teal'c opened his eyes and glanced up at Jack not a flicker of emotion present on his face. "I am waiting."

"Waiting?" Jack grimaced and then he and Sam joined them on the only solid ground left to them.

"Colonel," Sam whispered softly after a couple of minutes. Jack met her eyes as she continued. "I don't want to worry you but we are moving." Jack tilted his head and stared at her for a moment not certain of what she was driving at. "The Stargate is getting further away. Either we are moving or it is." Jack glanced over his shoulder at the Stargate.

"Or maybe everything's moving," Daniel commented in a resigned tone. 'Just once' he thought, ' I'd like to set foot on a world that's just what it looks like.'

"I don't want to worry you folks either," Jack added in the same quiet tone everyone had adopted. "We aren't just moving away, we're moving down."

They all looked down to see the 'grass' had risen to their knees and appeared to be continuing upwards. They rose hastily to their feet even though there was nowhere to go. As they continued to drift downwards Jack couldn't help thinking that someone had gone to a lot of trouble to trap any visitors. 'Hopefully they want us alive.'

Descent to the Underworld

A frightening descent into darkness followed and fear of losing the remaining reality of ground beneath their feet kept them motionless. An inky blackness made it impossible to see each other. Jack felt for and pulled his flashlight. Flicking the switch on didn't help as no light appeared to cut the darkness. He tried tapping the casing in case the battery had a faulty connection, which did nothing either. "What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Are any of your flashlights working?" Jack asked. A cursory inspection showed that neither flashlights nor radios were working. In the thick darkness it felt as if they had become suspended in time.

"I wonder if this is what it's like to be dead?" Daniel murmured. The words came out far louder than intended echoing and amplified in the dark. He jumped as something brushed by and then grabbed his arm.

"It's me Daniel." The sound of Sam's calm voice was a relief in the darkness. Echoes of fear filled nights as a child faded quickly at the contact. He noticed that Sam didn't let go of his arm. 'Comforting me or seeking comfort?' he wondered. Either way it made him feel better.

Jack's voice seemed to drift up to them and Sam tried to pinpoint the sound. It was difficult without touch or sight to reinforce the direction. He had in fact carefully lowered himself to the ground again and was feeling for the edge of their shrunken world. "We're still surrounded by a drop-off." 'There has to be a bottom' he told himself. After a short space of time in which the others could hear scraping, fabric rubbing and other movement that sounded loud in the surrounding stillness, Jack continued. "There doesn't appear to be a bottom within hearing distance." Daniel wondered what Jack had thrown over the side of their little island to check.

"There is something coming towards us." Teal'c spoke for the first time since entering the darkness.

Jack attempted to stare at him straining to see something of his friend. There was a sound in his voice Jack had never heard before, 'nervousness, fear?' "What is it, Teal'c?" Then he too found and focused on the brightening spot.

A creature was running towards them through the darkness. Large paws pounding without noise. Its eyes shone golden and its teeth glistened in a roaring mouth that emitted no sound. The gold and black fur on its body seemed to glow in the light that surrounded it. "It's a tiger," Sam stated in an unnaturally calm voice.

"It's a bloody big tiger," Jack drawled as he carefully stood up and faced the apparition.

"It's not real," Sam told them shaking her head in the dark to emphasise the point to herself.

"You're sure of that, are you?" Jack asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"It looks real," Teal'c added, his tone also betraying a disinclination to believe her and instead trust what his eyes relayed.

"Then it's flying without wings," Daniel muttered taking a deep breath. "Sam's right, it can't be real," he added with a total lack of conviction.

The apparition grew closer and then suddenly took a gigantic leap directly at them. Jack closed his eyes briefly to avoid reacting. Instead he waited for the inevitable impact. Sam's reflex was also to close her eyes and trust her own judgement. Daniel stared at the beast and flinched as it reached him. He managed not to move away as the cat passed through him.

Teal'c saw the jaws coming straight for his head and took an involuntary step backward. He unbalanced and teetered on the edge of the platform but only for a moment. "O'Neill!"

Jack swung his head toward the sound as it faded away. "Teal'c," he called quietly. Then he shouted, "Teal'c!"

The three remaining friends stood in silence. They knew Teal'c was gone but they also knew there was nothing that they could do. They were trapped. Daniel sank to the ground in despair. "What are you doing Daniel?" Sam asked sharply.

"Sitting," Daniel responded in an empty voice.

On consideration Sam decided it was probably a good idea and joined him on the ground. 'Teal'c has to be OK,' she thought in distress. 'He can't just be gone.'

Jack remained on his feet, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Teal'c had gone over the edge and he had been powerless to do anything about it. As he stared into the darkness the edge of their platform became visible. It happened slowly and his eyes suddenly registered the change. Jack stared at the line appearing in the darkness and knelt down. He peered over the edge at what was below him. It was not a comforting sight. Flames where beginning to rise and the platform was dropping rapidly into them, 'which was it?' The darkness made it difficult to tell, there seemed to be no sense of movement except that which his eyes told him. They were telling him both that the flames were rising and that he was falling. He was getting dizzy just staring at it. On the edge of the platform his face began to light up and it became visible to Sam and Daniel in the growing flickering light. They shuffled across the ground to join him at the edge and looked down. "Not real, Carter?" Jack asked hopefully.

"I don't know Sir, I hope not," Sam replied, unconsciously echoing his feelings. "Holography," Sam offered as she stared at the flames. "We could be riding inside a huge hologram."

"Inside?" Jack queried looking round at her. "You mean like virtual reality?"

"Maybe… No, I think we are physically inside a hologram."

"We can't be there would be mirrors, lasers, things like that," Daniel countered. "Besides, we can't be sitting on a hologram they're not solid, just optical illusions." Daniel looked down at the flames rising quite close now. "I hope that's just an optical illusion."

"We're about to find out," Jack responded jerking backward to avoid a spurt of flame rushing up at them. They retreated to the centre of the platform and sat staring at the flames rising all around them. "If this is all optical illusion, where are we? Inside some huge cave?" Jack asked.

"Don't think so Sir. Everything was shifting, even the Stargate, as if it was all floating on something."

"But there's nothing down here," Jack complained.

"Except that fire," Daniel responded. "It's not getting hot," he commented after a couple of minutes.

"I don't feel inclined to test out the theory," Jack responded dryly.

They didn't appear to sink through the flames as they had the grass on the surface. After a while the flames just appeared to die away, leaving embers smouldering around them that gradually faded to nothing. Darkness again descended and with its return, Sam began to crawl back to the edge.

"Hold it. No-one moves out of touch with each other," Jack ordered. "We all move together, got it? " He didn't need to ask where Sam was headed, they all wanted to know what was out there.

"Sir, I can't find an edge. I think we must be at the bottom."

"OK," Jack called out. "You've got us down here, now how about some light?"

How about some Light?

Teal'c could not prevent his involuntary move backward or calling out as he fell. He knew O'Neill would not be able to reach him, would not be able to see him properly to catch hold of any part of him. His mind told him this even as he began to lose his balance. He fell into the darkness with the thought that this was a stupid way to die, tripping over his own feet. Closing his eyes against the darkness left him with the feeling of floating in a void as he had done outside Thor's ship. Teal'c wondered when he would die, 'am I already dead? How would I know?' Perhaps he would fall forever, this would be his last act and it would go on and on.

A force built up under his back, he was still falling but he could feel the increasing resistance. An inexorable force rapidly slowed his descent. 'They do not want me dead.' His next thought, 'Whoever they are if they do not want my death, then perhaps all will be well for the others.' He landed hard on a cold surface the air temporarily knocked from his lungs. The force spread numbness along his limbs and his head connected last, flipping back against the surface by the force of the landing. He lay in the dark stunned but alive. Time seemed to have no meaning where he was. 'The Tauri would call it sensory deprivation,' he thought. No sound, no sight, the only sense of anything solid was the returning feeling of a floor beneath his supine body. Suddenly, he heard a shout and recognised O'Neill's voice.

"OK. You've got us down here, now how about some light?"

Teal'c sat up and flexed the muscles in his back, stretching to force the returning blood flow. "O'Neill!"

There was a moment of silence. Teal'c could almost see the expression on his friend's face, when the realisation that he was, in fact alive hit O'Neill. A grin formed in response.

"Teal'c!"

"Yes, O'Neill?"

"You OK?"

"I am well, O'Neill."

"Where're you, Teal'c?"

"I do not know, O'Neill. Where are you?" Teal'c heard Daniel laugh, he also heard the relief in the sound.

"Keep talking and we'll find each other. Careful where you put your feet."

"A warning I no longer need," Teal'c responded.

Sam realised that she could see the faint outline of Jack's head. "Where's the light coming from?"

"Now what!" Jack asked ignoring the fact that he had just asked for light.

"I can see Teal'c," Daniel told them and he pointed towards a dark shape moving in their direction.

"We can see you Teal'c. It is you, isn't it?" Jack called uncertain of what his eyes now told him.

"I can see you also," Teal'c replied and moved towards the shapes.

Sam reached out to touch the Jaffa's arm as he rejoined them. "You sure you're OK? That must've been a long drop."

"My descent was slowed, I landed without injury," Teal'c replied.

"What's that light?" Jack asked looking around. "And is there anything on this planet that isn't flat?" As the area continued to lighten, a flat, dull grey surface was revealed that melded into the surrounding darkness.

"Are we in trouble or are we in serious trouble?" Daniel asked. This place was reminiscent of at least one trip through the Stargate. The one that sent them on a one way trip to a prison.

"We haven't had a chance to do anything wrong," Sam reassured him.

"Since when has that mattered?" Jack added cynically. "Come on let's see if we can find some sign of life, or a way out of here."

"That would be good," Daniel muttered.

Mind Games

The darkness continued to lift pushing back the fringe of darkness. A series of shapes where revealed by the increasing light and as the group walked towards them Sam's eyes began to brighten. Jack glanced at her and noticed the sparkle of interest appearing in her eyes even as they closed the distance with the first object.

"What are they, Carter?"

"Part of the machinery, I think Sir."

"The machinery?"

"For creating the holograms."

"They're rather large," Daniel commented.

"Yes. And that's only one set. If I'm right, there will be at least two sets of mirrors in different locations probably more. Machinery to split the laser or whatever source they're using to create coherent light. They must have some way of controlling the movement of the reflective surfaces. Maybe multiple sets to control the movement of holograms through the grid. I wonder how many platforms move up and down within it? How are they powered? How do they ensure that they don't interfere with the projections?"

Jack proved he had been listening to her when he interrupted the flow. "That's a good question, about the platforms I mean. It may be our way back to the surface, if that is the surface."

"Do you believe this hologram to be fully automated?" Teal'c asked Carter.

"Why do you ask?"

"The creators may no longer be here. If it is a trap there may not be a way back to the Stargate." Teal'c explained.

"Great, ever the optimists aren't we?" O'Neill responded.

As they walked on Daniel's mind drifted back to Linea again. This place reminded him so much of that mission and its continuing consequences. Which of course brought him thoughts of Ke'ra. He wondered how she was. Daniel realised he needed to concentrate on the present. He shook his head chiding himself for inattention. A bright spot of light appeared a short distance from him and resolved into a figure. As the figure came closer the bright blonde curls became visible and slowly Daniel recognised the figure as Ke'ra. After the initial shock he leapt to a conclusion about what was controlling the illusions. "It's reading our minds," the archaeologist whispered as the figure approached him.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked sharply. As he recognised the figure approaching Daniel, Jack cautiously raised his P90.

"I was thinking of Ke'ra and now she's here, almost immediately. Remember you asked for light and we got light. I think it's giving us what we want to see, it needs to be able to read our minds to do that."

"Then we should all want to see a platform that will rise to the Stargate," Jack responded as the image of the young Linea reached for Daniel and dissolved.

"It couldn't be that easy, could it?" Daniel asked hopefully. They continued to walk a short way, each one trying to visualise a platform.

"No platform." Jack noted after a few minutes or so. "So much for that idea."

"Maybe it's selective about what it creates... Maybe there's no platform close to us to activate." Daniel guessed as his idea seemed to vanish in the same way as the holograms.

"Maybe the platforms are not controlled by the same mechanisms as the holograms," Jack commented sarcastically.

Daniel looked vaguely surprised to hear that assessment from Jack rather than Sam. Meanwhile Jack was getting very tired of feeling like a fish out of water. He had not enjoyed floating around in the dark. He was enjoying walking around inside a computer even less. 'So it's not a computer, it still feels like it. This is definitely not my thing at all. It's Sam's thing, maybe. Give me something I can see. Give me something to fight or for Danny to make friends with. Anything but this.'

They found that they covered the ground between themselves and the objects quicker than expected. The first edifice was a tall five-sided column, and highly reflective. "One of your mirrors, Carter?" Jack asked. "Why does it look black under the shine?"

"I would think it's been created to reflect only certain wave lengths and absorb the rest," Sam answered.

"There are marking around the bottom," Daniel observed and lowered his back pack. He got down on his hands and knees and peered at the markings. They were faded and difficult to read. Rubbing his hand over the surface showed him it was smooth to touch. The writing appeared to be embedded inside the column. Daniel pulled his flashlight back out of his bag and retried it. Unlike the previous attempt, the flashlight now lit. As the beam illuminated the reflective surface, the writing below began to glow. Each symbol was now clearly defined and easy to see.

Jack watched the writing light up. "Does it tell us anything Daniel?"

"Sure," Daniel replied dryly. "It tells us aliens we have never come across before built this. I don't recognise the script. There's nothing familiar about it at all. Teal'c, what do you think?"

After studying the glowing markings for a moment Teal'c admitted, "I have not seen these markings before, or anything similar."

"Great," Jack growled. "There must be someway out of here. What we need is a tour guide."

Sam smiled, "Yes Sir."

"Daniel go with Teal'c and check out that column over there. See if there's something on or round it, anything that will give us a clue about how to get out of here. Carter, you're with me."

The team split up and headed for separate columns. Normally Jack would have paired Daniel off with Carter but he decided both teams needed someone who might recognise what they were looking at. Not that he actually believed they were going to find anything exciting. Sam was trying to figure out how the whole system operated based on only a couple of mirrors. 'Yeah, right. Even Sam's not that good.' Daniel was still trying to decipher the symbols, 'but even he needs some point of reference.' Jack began running options through his mind. 'How am I going to get the team out of this mess?' He looked up the height of the column and began thinking about climbing it. From the top he might get some idea of the way the area was laid out. There would have to be someway to hold onto that very smooth surface he realised. The thought that climbing the column might require that he damaged the surface gave him pause. Vandalising the locals' equipment, whoever they were, might not be a good idea. His proximity to the column appeared to trigger a response. A small platform rose from the ground beside him.

"What did you do?" Sam asked curiously, sticking one foot tentatively on the platform.

"I didn't do anything," he responded immediately. Then he thought about it, "It doesn't want to be damaged. I was thinking of climbing the column."

"Then Daniel's right, it's reading our thoughts."

"I guess." Jack spoke rapidly into his radio, calling Daniel and Teal'c to them. "Run," he told them. "I don't know how long the platform will be available to us."

"You know Sir," Sam commented while they were waiting, "There was no sign of that platform before it rose. I wonder what else is under this surface."

Jack knelt down and peered underneath. The platform continued to hover a few inches from the surface. He used his flashlight to investigate the underside, but found the surfaces of both platform and ground smooth and unbroken. "Doesn't leave a hole under it when it rises, so I guess… I guess I don't know what I guess."

"Protection Sir. It's probably protecting whatever is below."

"Maybe. You're probably right. You realise the platform could get us into worse trouble. We'll go up together, just in case it doesn't come down again or takes us somewhere else." Teal'c and a breathless Daniel arrived as he stood up. "Anyone for a ride?" Jack quipped and jumped onto the platform.

As it rose darkness began to surround them again. "Oh no you don't," Jack called out, trying to reinforce the comment with his mind. "I want to see this place." The light increased again in response to him.

"Well, it seems to like you," Daniel responded.

"It is a machine. It will not have emotions," Teal'c denied Daniel's comment.

"It's responding to Jack." Daniel retorted. "It responded to me earlier. Although, if that's the case then who was thinking of tigers up there?" No one admitted responsibility for the tiger.

The thought was quickly forgotten as the platform ceased its climb beside the top of the column. Clusters of mirror columns like the one they now floated beside, could be seen stretching for several miles in every direction. They were all fixed to the surface the team had just left. Between these columns, in what appeared to be a haphazard pattern, where other structures, squat and dark. Some appeared to have holes through them. Sam guessed that some would be for generating the lasers, and others to split the beams.

As they stared at the amazing surface area the structure covered a beam of light emanated from one of the generators. The light began to ricochet off the mirror columns. It passed through a structure and split. 'That's how we do it too,' Sam thought, 'but not on this scale.' Awe tinged her thoughts as she watched the beams crossing each other. With each crossover, the light intensified, the beam seemed to thicken. Suddenly all the light beams collided against one structure and the mass of concentrated energy shot upwards. 'That's definitely not how we do it. How do they control the picture formation?' They watched the huge beam hit and disappear into the darkness that still hung above them. The darkness on the edges of the beam seemed to boil and churn changing shape. Tiny particles within the darkness glittered briefly. It happened so quickly that Sam was uncertain of what she saw. The darkness seemed to dip towards them and then roll away flattening out again.

"I wonder what's going on up there," Jack didn't expect an answer.

"Can't be another SG team. We haven't been missing long enough for them to be worried." Sam was worried though, she didn't want anyone else getting trapped with them. The glittering in the darkness had set her mind working. 'Billions of particles make up the darkness I'm sure of it. What type of particles are they? A microscopic form of technology perhaps? If that's so we've probably breathed it, wonder if we're infected?' Sam put the concern aside. There was nothing she could do about it at that moment anyway.

Then the darkness above disappeared in a silently roaring fire over their heads. The energy beams continued to rebound below them. They had split a multitude of times and began to pour upwards from several different points across the grid. It looked like Dante's Inferno above them and a computer graphic effect from the film Tron below. "What the hell!" Jack exclaimed.

"Listen!" Daniel ordered them.

"What're you hearing?" Jack asked tilting his head as he strained to hear. Echoing sounds of screaming reached them, a distant sound but getting louder very quickly. As they strained to hear what was happening objects began to fall through the inferno and past the platform. 'Not objects, bodies,' Jack told himself. As one body fell relatively close to the platform Teal'c leaned over the edge to stare down as it landed. "Jaffa. We are too high for me to determine which Goa'uld they serve."

"A very effective trap. Why didn't it react to us this way? We're carrying weapons. Teal'c carries a larval Goa'uld, we could easily be viewed as a danger," Jack wondered how easy it would be to trigger the obviously deadly program of the traps. Then he wondered where the Jaffa had come from as this planet wasn't on the Abydos cartouches. The platform began to lower itself towards the ground, then stopped several feet from it and moved horizontally with increasing speed. They all sat down quickly afraid that they would be swept from it. Sam began to slip across the smooth surface and Daniel grabbed her arm. He took a firm hold of the edge of the platform in front of him. As Sam tried to pull herself towards the leading edge of their new transport the surface under her free hand began to move. The surface rippled and rose, flowing up into her palm. Surprise filled her as the same effect made a wedge for her feet to rest against. It was clear someone or something was intent on keeping them from harm.

"I wonder where it's taking us?" Concern clear in Jack's voice.

"Out of harms way, hopefully," Daniel responded optimistically. "It hasn't harmed us so far."

"What about Teal'c's fall?" Jack asked, a trace of sarcasm creeping into his voice.

"It meant no harm. I fell and it slowed my fall so I would not be hurt," Teal'c commented and then turned to look in front of the platform. "O'Neill, we appear to be heading for a different type of structure." Teal'c pointed but that had become unnecessary.

They were rapidly gliding towards structures they could clearly define as buildings. The platform dropped towards the ground landing where the grey surface ended. "Looks like this is the end of the ride," Jack quipped and stepped off. The others followed him but Sam stopped and watched as her handhold flowed back into the smooth surface.

The edge of the grey surface was sharply defined, where it stopped a paved area began. Beyond the paved area they could see grass,but this grass had shrubs and trees dotted about. Above them the darkness gave way to a mottled green fading into a clear blue sky over the buildings. "The city, perhaps the makers of the machine?" Jack felt less threatened by the city and sky in front of him, than what was behind. His mood lightened accordingly. "Looks like we have an invitation. Wonder if they offer dinner, I'm starved."

"Food Jack? On a strange world? I thought you didn't want to try that anymore?" Daniel smiled at him and Jack looked at him in mock shock.

"Daniel, not every alien wants my body," he responded a grin surfacing.

They stopped at the edge of the paved area, all except Teal'c looking towards the distant buildings. Teal'c's main point of interest seemed to be the grass just in front of his feet. Although his face was completely expressionless, Jack had no difficulty reading his normally stoic friend. Despite their curiosity about the buildings the whole team was showing a marked reluctance to step onto the grass.

Sam chided herself although she could understand how the conditioned response had appeared so quickly. 'We're acting like Pavlov's dogs, survival instinct at work big time'. She bit her lip and looked at Jack. Where he went she would follow but she tightened her grip on the P90 and didn't move. Sam was reluctant to take that first step. Having the ground not disappear under you and still sink was distinctly disturbing.

"This doesn't look like a pool table," Jack commented reflecting everyone's thoughts about its possible reality.

"There are slopes and trees and shrubs and… it doesn't make me feel any better," Daniel cut the litany short.

Jack put one foot tentatively on the grass adding downward pressure to test it. "It's solid."

"Sure, here it's solid," Sam muttered and Jack frowned at her.

"Come on Carter, where's your sense of adventure?" Jack asked.

She responded with a faint smile. 'Damn, he makes me laugh even when I don't feel like it.' He stepped out onto the grass and walked forward. Teal'c immediately followed him with Daniel and Sam stepping off behind. They walked forward with increasing confidence as nothing untoward happened.

The buildings were a lot further away than they looked. Some clearly had more than one floor, several were quite tall and stood out among the lower buildings. The material used to construct them looked very dark from a distance. The sun reflected from the surfaces making the taller buildings flash intermittently. A towering, dark central spire rivalling Toronto's CN Tower glistened in the sun, a tall slim splinter piercing the sapphire blue sky. It was a while before they realised the extent of this city. Buildings continued to the horizon and apparently beyond. They still had yet to encounter anything living. It was beginning to get dark and Jack was wondering if anybody was home. "We'll bed down out here tonight and go in after daybreak. I've had enough surprises for one day."

They settled in a rocky outcrop just outside the city's edge. There were some trees and bushes at the bottom of the small rise. Within the rocks there was some protection if they needed it. A small fire was quickly started and they settled for the night. Jack saw the exhaustion on the faces of his team and told them to get some sleep. "I'll take first watch," he told them and strolled away from the fire to the edge of the rocky outcrop. Perched on a wind-smoothed prominence with his cup of coffee he watched his team slide into their bedrolls. As he drained the rapidly cooling drink he took the time to scan the dark city spread out in front of him. There was no sign of light or movement. He looked back at the ominous darkness many miles behind him and felt cold. It wasn't only the dropping temperature but a sense that 'it' was reaching for him. Jack stared at the darkness wondering what had killed the Jaffa. Perhaps panic, they couldn't have all tripped and fallen like Teal'c. Or was there something far more real and deadly in the darkness and SG1 had not triggered it. 'What are you?' The hair on the back of his neck began to rise as his gaze rose to where the darkness merged with the sky. As night fell he could no longer tell where the threatening darkness ended. He had taken first watch because he knew he would not sleep, did not want to. He shuddered and then glanced back at his team, they all appeared to be settled already. Daniel didn't seem to be sleeping very well, his restless movements betrayed his unease even in sleep. 'Wonder what nightmares today has triggered for you?'

The darkness had evoked memories of Iraq for Jack, of being imprisoned in a small box, no light, no room to move, and burning heat. 'Don't go there Jack,' he told himself, but his mind refused to listen tonight. The sense of confinement had been vivid and the darkness had unsettled him far more than he had thought possible after all this time. A sense of the darkness rushing towards him again grew until the stars began to appear, big, bright sparks of light in the dark sky. The twinkling lights chased the images in his head away. As he watched the small twin satellites of this world follow each other into the sky in a slow crazy dance he began to feel more relaxed. The stars were his salvation, watching the stars always eased the torment he still carried. The city remained dark though, no lights showed from the buildings or between them and Jack realised he had been right to be wary of entering it at twilight. Tomorrow they would see what the city held. Tomorrow they would find a way back to the Stargate.

Well the Emerald City it is not!

Jack opened his eyes and stared at the dying embers of their fire. Raising his arm to peer at his watch he started in mild surprise. 'Three hours sleep.' He hadn't believed he would settle, let alone sleep. Teal'c's form was visible over the dying embers, his large figure almost lost in the shadow of the tallest rock outcrop. He still watched the city that appeared devoid of life but he looked over the fire and they made eye contact. A slow nod from the Jaffa reassured Jack that all was well. He raised himself up on an elbow but was disinclined to move further. A visual check of Daniel showed the man had sunk into a peaceful sleep the restlessness now gone. Carter had crawled part way from her bag and was peacefully sleeping with her head rested on an arm. Her features were lit by a soft red glow. A red glow?' Jack slid out of his bag and sat up. Over the top of the rock formation appeared a small red sun. 'The sun wasn't red or that small yesterday,' Jack thought.

Teal'c walked to the fire and picked up two mugs. He poured the remaining coffee and handed one to Jack, then he also stared towards the rising sun. "This world appears to have two suns," Teal'c spoke softly so he would not disturb the sleepers.

"Two suns, two moons, a dead city and an active Stargate protection system," Jack responded and shrugged. "I'll make some fresh coffee. Everything's weird here, kinda off kilter. That sun doesn't look right but then I prefer my suns yellow. The city," he continued looking at it in the pink halo effect from the sun "looks well cared for, no sign of damage or deterioration. No sign of inhabitants either. I'm beginning to wonder if any of this is real." After pouring the fresh coffee, Jack shook the others awake and thrust a mug into their hands.

Carter focused and looked up suddenly awake, "Red sun?"

"Yep," Jack chirped.

"But we didn't see a red sun yesterday."

"Nope," was his response to the obvious.

"How long has it been up?"

"Three hours," Teal'c responded from beside the rebuilt fire, Jack could see the mind running behind her eyes.

"This planet's in a binary system. I need to do some observations Sir."

"I think we need to check out the city first and make sure the natives if we find any, are friendly Major."

"But Sir, a binary system with an Earth-like planet," she spouted excitedly. "We haven't found one before. In fact it's always been thought unlikely that one could form." The Major crawled from her bag and grabbed the mug of coffee eagerly. "The forces at work in a binary star system would make it difficult for any planet sized object to form, let alone an Earth-type one."

Jack hauled the reins in before she became any more excited. "Finish your coffee and pack up, we're moving in 15 minutes."

"Yes Sir." Carter threw another look at the newly risen sun and took a mouthful of her coffee. The look of resignation on her face brought a smile to Jack's.

"There are the Jaffa to consider." Teal'c stated. "We survived the darkness. Some of the Jaffa may also have survived."

"Yes, that thought had also crossed my mind," Jack answered him as they collected their belongings. "If they have all been stopped by the hologram traps, the Goa'uld will attack the planet in ships. Whichever way we have limited time to get out of here. Thing is Teal'c, this is an Ancients address not found on the Goa'uld cartouche. What are they doing here?"

A short trek brought them to the edge of the city. Daniel slowed as he tried to place the structures in his mind. Sam unconsciously followed suite her mind still on the binary suns. Jack's preoccupation was with why or how the Goa'uld had found this particular Stargate. This was a question that also exercised Teal'c's mind. They reached the city without a resolution to any of the questions filling their minds. The paved area on the approach was made up of two types of material. Dark green and black with flecks of red was one type and a rosy colour streaked with red, black and white the other. A pattern of asymmetric curves had been laid out in the two types of stone. This huge paved area adjoined the nearest buildings. These had all been constructed from the same material as the dark paving stones. The walls of the building however were highly polished and the red sun picked out the red flecks in the stone. It wasn't long before they could make out windows in most buildings and one larger than average building topped by a large dome. There was no missing the tall central spire with slit windows running up the buikding to within twenty feet of the apex.

As they stepped onto the paved area Daniel spoke. Jack had begun to wonder what was wrong as the man had barely spoken at all since waking. "Ophite," Daniel commented.

"Serpentine," Jack added with a nod. Both Sam and Daniel turned to look at him. "Old family house," Jack commented self-consciously. "The fireplace was made of it, imported from England."

"Yes, it is a type of Serpentine. There are a variety of colours dependent on the mineral composition," Sam confirmed.

"Reminds me of snake skin," Daniel added and began to follow the seemingly aimless line of the dark paving.

"Green or not, the Emerald City it isn't," Jack quipped, "Where are the Munchkins!" The Colonel watched Daniel follow the paving, weaving in and out of the pattern and concern began to gnaw at him. "Daniel?"

Daniel lifted his head and focused on him with difficulty. He could see the concern on Jack's face and it puzzled him. "Yes, Jack?"

"You OK?"

"Sure." Daniel thought about what he was doing and looked down again. "The pattern is intriguing." He continued to follow the pattern towards one of the buildings.

The gnawing feeling that something wasn't right would not leave Jack. Daniel could be unresponsive when deeply involved in something that interested him but it appeared there was more going on. Jack was sure of it and decided he would have to keep a close eye on his friend. The building Daniel headed for was the large one with the domed roof. Even the dome was made of the polished 'snake-skinned' rock. Jack had to admit it looked impressive. His gaze followed the line of the building upward. Sam moved over to Daniel putting a hand on his shoulder in warning. She drew him to one side and stopped him from entering the building. The other two members of the team entered the open doorway cautiously checking for signs of danger.

Jack stuck his head out of the doorway a few minutes later. He noticed Sam had linked arms with Daniel, a friendly gesture that nevertheless ensured he did not follow them into the building until called. What worried Sam most was that Daniel hadn't even noticed he was being restrained. When it was safe to she let him go, following him into the building. She stopped in the doorway throwing Jack a look of concern. "Daniel's not himself Sir."

"I'd noticed Carter," Jack retorted.

"I'd noticed you'd noticed, Sir," Sam snapped back.

They both glared at each other. "What's going on?" her irritated superior asked.

Sam took a deep breath before she responded. There was no reason for them to be getting irritable with each other. "I'm not sure Colonel. I think I know what the darkness is. I also think it is affecting us but I don't know if I'm right, or even if I am right if the effect is intentional."

"Well?" Jack asked impatiently.

"I was trying to work out why the lasers were directed upward into the darkness. There appeared to be nothing there that could generate the holograms."

"Something was doing it."

"I know Sir. I think it was the darkness itself." Sam rushed on before he could interrupt. "Nanites. A cloud like that could be made up of billions of nanites and we were passing through them. If I'm right I think we were breathing them and are infected or would that be infested?"

"I don't want to hear this," Jack groaned. "Damn it, aren't they just used inside people? What makes you think...?"

"That's the technology we've come across before. There is nothing to say they have to be inside people. Whatever is in the darkness has to hold energy but be small enough not to impede objects within it. Something has to be there but it was too small to see."

"Flying nanites!" Jack shouted.

Both Daniel and Teal'c turned startled by his shout. Teal'c swung his staff weapon in a circle around the hall looking for danger. Sam winced mostly from the volume close to her ear. "That's not all. I don't think they just generate holograms," She gritted her teeth as Jack stared at her. The look in his eyes told her he suspected already what she believed had happened to the Jaffa. He was daring her to voice the thought. "I think that they can be used as building blocks to make solid objects."

"You mean like Replicators?" Daniel asked suddenly.

"That's not an analogy I want to hear," was Jack's heated response and Daniel shrugged and wandered away. "Could they have been used to make whatever killed the Jaffa?" Jack asked softly. Sam nodded silently. "And us if it, they, decide we are a threat?" Sam nodded again and Jack let out a slow breath. The threat that he could feel but not pinpoint had just been given a name.

"With any number of them in our lungs and maybe absorbed elsewhere in our bodies they wouldn't even need to do that to kill us," Sam pointed out.

"Well," Jack sighed as he hung the P90 from his shoulder, "I think we know what happened to the UAV. Our weapons really don't seem much protection... Where's Daniel?" This last comment was uttered as Jack realised Daniel was no longer in sight. There was a hurried search of the rooms around the large central hall by his friends but none of them contained Daniel. They tried the radio to no avail. If Daniel could hear them he either couldn't or wouldn't respond. Jack knew he hadn't passed them at the main door but they could not find him inside the building. "The central spire, it's the biggest and most important looking of the buildings. If we're to have any chance of finding Daniel or getting out of here, I think that would be a good place to start. I just wish I knew what they wanted." Jack wasn't certain why he said they but there had to be a they.

The Siren Voices

Jack's sudden yell had startled Daniel but he could hear someone in the room beside him and that was far more interesting than Jack throwing a tantrum.

'You should tell Jack,' a voice deep inside him whispered.

'No need to do that until you've had a look,' another one countered.

It seemed like the voices had always been there arguing about what was the right thing to do. There was nothing wrong with voices in his head. They were his voices. 'Jack will be angry if you wander away.'

'He's not your father; you're perfectly capable of looking after yourself.'

Daniel ignored both voices, he would do what he wanted to do. He wanted to see who was talking. The room he entered was empty. A doorway to the street stood open but it didn't belong there. Daniel knew it hadn't been there when he looked in a few moments before. He shook his head and tried to concentrate. 'That's right, concentrate on following the voices. You have to find out who those people are.'

'Go back to Jack; he will help you find them.'

'Later, tell Jack later.' Daniel walked through the door in a dream. The wall rebuilt itself silently behind him. It was very bright outside. The building reflected the sunlight from the newly risen yellow sun down into the street. He could still see the red sun reflected high on some of the buildings, but the colour had been washed away by white light. He wondered where the people had gone and stood undecided in the middle of the street. Voices drifted towards him from beyond the next building. Daniel hurried after them unaware of being led by degrees towards the central spire.

The team headed for the spire at the centre of the city complex. There was no sign of Daniel which was now their primary concern. They had seen no sign of life within the city. Although Sam's evaluation of what they faced wasn't necessarily spot-on, Jack knew that she was usually right. He was feeling irritable and yet knew that his irritability with Sam had been irrational. 'Why does Daniel always have to go wandering off? I thought he'd know better by now.'

'He does know better by now Jack. You know he wouldn't do this intentionally.'

'I should get Sam out of here.'

'Sam wouldn't forgive you for leaving Daniel, Jack.'

"What the hell!" Jack suddenly stopped and Sam turned in concern.

"What's wrong, Sir?"

"Are you hearing voices?" Jack asked her.

"Voices?"

"There's something in my head. Like a conversation going on trying to persuade me to leave or not to leave. Like two people arguing. Yes, that's it."

Sam looked at Jack with concern. She'd heard no voices in fact it was the unearthly silence that was getting to her. No creatures of any kind, even the city came across as a totally artificial environment.

Teal'c was stood a little way behind them in silence. They both looked at him and there was clearly something very wrong. His face was strained and he was bent forward as if in pain.

"Teal'c?" Jack asked in concern.

"My symbiote has become very disturbed."

"When did it start?" Sam asked him.

"It was when we left the building to look for Daniel."

"They don't want us near that spire," Jack guessed.

"Or finding Daniel," Sam continued the thought.

"Perhaps the two are connected," Teal'c suggested trying to force himself to ignore the Goa'uld larva's movements.

He tried to walk forward but his legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees. Jack swung his P90 over his arm and leaned down to help Teal'c back to his feet. A small dark cloud drifted from Teal'c's mouth and nose. Jack rocked backwards away from it but quickly grabbed Teal'c as the Jaffa collapsed heavily with a sigh before losing consciousness. They watched as the dark cloud sank slowly to the ground and joined with it disappearing in front of them. "What just happened?" Jack asked as he gently laid his friend down.

"The nanites or whatever they were had just left Teal'c, as the symbiote finally managed to expel them. I'm just guessing, I'm really out of my depth here. If what we saw actually happened then perhaps none of this city or even the ground we're walking on is real."

"It feel's real to me," a confused Jack retorted.

"Yes, Sir, but I think that the whole city may be formed by Nanites. They maybe microscopic but still little machines and as this," Carter stamped her foot to emphasis the point, "cannot be holographically created it has to be solid. Can you imagine how many of them there would have to be to create it? Is each one of the units individually intelligent, or are we dealing with a hive mind? It's also probable that there is an external intelligence controlling them? The amount of energy it would require to keep this running is beyond belief. There are so many questions."

"I'd settle for some answers, like where is Daniel? And how do we get out of here?"

She nodded in agreement with the sentiment and knelt beside Teal'c shaking his head gently to obtain a response.

Teal'c's eyes flickered open and he found himself staring up at Sam. "Major Carter, why am I lying on the ground?"

Jack leaned forward and Teal'c turned his head to focus on him. "You just thought you could do with a rest," Jack answered him. "Can you get up?"

"I believe so," Teal'c backed up the statement by climbing to his feet.

"How's Junior?" Jack asked him as he and Carter also rose.

"My symbiote is no longer distressed."

"Then you'd better keep a close eye on both of us. We still have these nanites, or whatever, in us," Jack instructed. "If we get out of line, stop us."

"As you wish, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed.

They continued towards the central spire without interference and it dawned on Jack that whoever was behind the darkness didn't consider them a threat. It didn't actually matter whether or not Carter's guess about nanites was right, he had no control over what was happening to the team anyway. 'Either they've got what they want from us already, as in Daniel, or there's no way we could do them any harm and they don't care what we do.' That thought was extremely unsettling. They, whoever they were, were letting the team head for the spire unobstructed. 'Daniel is missing, and I have no idea how to get my people back to the Stargate anyway.'

A Controlling Intelligence

The wall around the base of the spire was the same smooth and highly polished stonework as the rest of the city. There was no doorway to enter it by. Daniel stood in a daze at the base. He couldn't exactly remember how he had reached the spire and was now wondering what had become of his friends. A slow tilt of the head brought the higher levels of the structure into view. Despite the narrowing width of the building, the sheer height made it appear to tilt towards him. He had never liked heights but this was the first time the distance upwards had brought on a case of vertigo. Daniel closed his eyes and put out a steadying hand against the wall. He immediately pulled his hand back in alarm as it sank into the stone. It felt like his hand was sliding into loose sand on a beach. The urge to try it again was irresistible. He pushed in a finger, then his whole hand moving it around and watching the stone displace and return to it original position. The coarse texture of the rock against his skin was definitely sand-like. As he experimented with the surface the ground rose up silently behind him into a solid wall. The wall cast a shadow and Daniel became aware of it as a gentle pressure was applied to his back. The wall behind him was solid and moved relentlessly forward. It forced him against the spire wall and the archaeologist slowly sank into it. The stonework clung to him creeping around his body and absorbing it into the spire. He managed to let out one terrified scream before his head was forcibly buried.

Other than their own voices it was the first real sound they'd heard since they had entered the city. The scream shattered the silence and sent them rushing the remainder of the distance to the spire. There was no doubt it was Daniel they had heard scream and the terror in the sound fed their fears for his safety. They rushed into the small area surrounding the spire but there was no sign of him. Teal'c ran around the side of the spire and Jack ran in the opposite direction with Sam at his heels. They met on the opposite side and stopped. Without a word they began to search the buildings immediately adjacent. "Where are you! Daniel!" Jack called as he searched the first building.

He could hear Teal'c's voice calling in the building on his right and Sam's in the one on his left. They worked their way around the immediate area and came up empty.

"There is no way in," Teal'c commented after another circuit of the spire.

Jack didn't even reply. He hammered a fist against the solid spire wall in frustration. "They are leading us around by the nose," he said angrily. "What do they want with Daniel?"

"It responded to you as well as Daniel inside the hologram," Sam offered. "Perhaps you should ask it to open a door, or tell us where he is." Sam slid a hand over the wall's smooth surface and wondered why she'd heard no voices, had no response of any kind from whatever was controlling their environment. 'What was different about me?' Even Teal'c had been saved from the fall it was almost as if it didn't know she existed. 'Can't read my mind? But it should've been able to feel my presence in the darkness by displacement alone. And why is it so interested in Daniel?'

It was then that she noticed Jack's hand slide into the wall he had been hammering moments before. "The wall feels like sand," Jack told her. "There's no resistance, but it's not clinging either."

Sam pushed at the wall but it stayed solid, for her it was just a wall.

"I do not think that this is wise," Teal'c intoned his unease.

"You try it, Teal'c," Jack responded.

Teal'c tentatively placed his hand on the wall but it remained solid. He put his weight behind his hand but nothing moved. "Like Major Carter to me it is just a wall."

Jack contemplated pushing through the wall and looking for Daniel. On the face of it he was the only one who could do it. It seemed to be the only place Daniel could have gone. Instinct however, told him not to separate from the remaining team members especially as this world appeared to be unresponsive to them. There was no telling what changes would happen around them if he were detached from their presence. 'If you want me in there you are going to have to let all three of us in,' Jack thought at the unseen intelligence. The surface of the wall rippled and pushed outwards. They took several hurried steps back from the spire wall and a set of steps began to form. The steps led up towards a recess which sank into the wall several feet above them. "Looks like you're right Carter. I asked, it responded. Well let's go see what's inside."

"We may not be able to obtain an exit," Teal'c pointed out.

"Are we prepared to go home without Daniel?" he asked them. Jack hadn't required an answer from them. He knew they would no more leave Daniel than he would. They moved cautiously up the steps and reached the newly opened doorway at the top. The room beyond looked large and deserted but the floor looked solid. Jack glanced sideways at Sam. "You two first, I don't want it getting any ideas about letting me in and then shutting the door."

A quizzical look appeared on Sam's face. 'I think he's actually starting to enjoy the cat and mouse game this world is playing with us.'

Inside they found a spiral stairway running up through the centre of the spire. It ran around a central beam that pulsed with energy. "Well that looks solid." Jack drawled.

"I wouldn't guarantee it," Sam told him. "Then again, everything that looks solid is usually safe enough to walk on."

"Except when it's a hologram," Teal'c added unexpectedly.

"I don't think anything here is holographic. I think we left that behind with the flat grey area around the Stargate."

Jack put his hand on the inner rail, then settled his other hand against the central beam. "There's no heat. Come on, let's see what's up there."

The Kabeiroi

They could see no reason for the empty space around the stairway. The spire seemed to be hollow for the first 1,000 feet of their climb. Above them the ceiling in the narrowing tower gradually grew closer. The central beam and stairs clearly passed through the ceiling to whatever lay in the top half of the spire. 'Of course the climb is costing us time, time in which we can't look for Daniel.' The thought occurred to Jack, 'but' he was wondering, 'why just delaying tactics? Why don't they just kill or imprison us, they clearly have the capability to do either.'

Jack cautiously raised his head into the floor above and peered around. This area seemed unusually cluttered for this world. There were banks of narrow consoles against most of the walls. Slit windows let in the warm sunlight from outside. Several seats stood beside the consoles. In a circle around the room there were also seven long glass containers, symmetrically spaced. There was no one to be seen and Jack indicated that they should all enter the room. Sam immediately headed for the consoles which appeared to be active. There were slots within the surfaces of varying size. Some were dark and inactive, coloured lights lit others. The lights oscillated to some system indicating power changes she couldn't even guess at.

Teal'c and Jack went to separate glass containers. They could see the bodies inside even from the stairs and decided on a closer look. The seven were a mixture of men and women and ancient, their hair silvery white and wispy but no beards. All their eyes were closed and they seemed to be sleeping. The surface on which they lay appeared to be constantly moving in slow rhythmic undulations and the light within the containers pulsed gently in time with the central column. "These people are alive," Jack called to Sam and she moved across to stand beside him. "What is this place?"

Sam shook her head as she really had no idea of what was going on. "Their technology is way in advance of ours. If it's our help they want, I don't see what they want us to do. The controls look familiar but what switch controls what, well that's anybody's guess. I could do damage tampering with them which could endanger these people and us."

A point of light appeared beside Teal'c and he backed hurriedly out of the way. A tall slim figure appeared that Jack immediately recognised as the person lying under the glass in front of him.

"You are correct Jack O'Neill that is my true self lying in the chamber."

"Where's our friend?" Jack asked abruptly.

"You are persistent are you not? Daniel Jackson is not harmed he is very important to us, to our survival."

"Why?" Sam asked and the hologram shimmered. It seemed to be searching for something.

"Ha, there you are. I am sorry young lady the sensors did not pick you up. I have changed to… video imaging would be a close description."

"You couldn't see me?"

"No, the builders have not marked you. We can no longer see the one called Teal'c also he disappeared in the streets below."

"The builders?" Sam asked.

"You listen Jack O'Neill but you ask no questions?" The image ignored her question as it seemed to be curious about Jack. "You are the leader are you not?"

"Yes, but Carter usually knows the best question to ask."

"Interesting, a division of labour perhaps. Your team as you call it, acts like the builders. You are a hive?"

"Not really but I can see the comparison," Sam replied. "We all have different talents that we bring to the group."

"Yours would be asking the right questions," and the image smiled. It glided across the room and settled by a console. A small dark cloud formed around its hand and solidified.

"Are those the builders?" Sam asked as her mind leaped to the connection.

The image turned to her and Sam felt a pair of ice blue eyes boring into hers. Although she knew the effect was an illusion it made her uncomfortable. The man was old and yet seemed magnificent in some way, timeless. The image seemed to come to a decision and a larger dark cloud detached itself from the spire wall and became absorbed by the image.

"So now you are solid and can be touched." Sam stated rather than asked.

"Yes," it responded and when it moved back towards them it was no longer gliding.

Jack reached out and touched the man's shoulder confirming that he was now actually solid. "Impressive," Jack's drawled. Their host nodded in acknowledgement of the comment.

"My name is Kasmilos and I am one of the elders of the Kabeiroi. This is our world you have entered and to answer your questions, yes, the builders are what Jack O'Neill thinks of as nanites and I am unable to see into your mind Carter as the builders could not make a connection with you. You carry the curse of the Kabeiroi."

"That doesn't sound like a curse to me," Jack commented dryly. "I don't like my body being invaded."

"We do not mean you any harm. If you would like, most of the builders can leave your body now."

"Most of them?" Jack's voice rose slightly with the question.

"We can see and communicate with you better if a few are left. We promise to remove them before you return home."

"Oh, so we can go home," Jack sounded distinctly sarcastic.

For a moment Sam wondered how their host would react but he appeared to find Jack amusing. "If I show you your friend is unhurt will this help you to trust us a little?" Kasmilos asked.

"A little," Jack replied and then coughed as a tickle began in his throat. A cloud of nanites expelled from his nose and throat in a rush.

"There was no need to speed them on their way," Kasmilos chuckled. "They were leaving anyway." Jack scowled at him and coughed again just to be certain. "There is food being prepared for you but I suppose you wish to assure yourself that your friend is well first?"

"How will we know it is our friend?" Teal'c spoke to Kasmilos for the first time.

Kasmilos stopped, adjusted to the direction of the voice and appeared to stare at Teal'c. "You are the one who carries the Goa'uld within you?"

Teal'c nodded his head in response as Jack unconsciously tensed at the mention of his friend's larva.

"It is that being and not yourself who has the curse," Kasmilos explained.

"You know of the Goa'uld?" Jack asked cautiously.

"I know enough to accept the truth of your belief that your friend has no choice but to carry it." Teal'c nodded in acknowledgement and Jack relaxed a little.

'There's that curse again,' Sam thought. "You mean that the nanites cannot stay in the body. Why do you call it a curse?"

"I will explain later. Please come see for yourself that your friend is unharmed." Kasmilos led them towards the stairs and back down the way they had come. The stairs now led past the floor they had entered the building by and downward to ground level.

A Girl in Every Port

Daniel woke to a bright light that hurt his eyes and the air around him seemed to be sparkling. All his eyes could register where millions of brightly shining dust-particles drifting across his field of vision. He tried to sit up and found he was restrained. "Please do not try to rise. We mean you no harm and will tell you when it is safe for you to get up."

"Why am I being restrained?" Where are you?" Daniel could not see anyone and began struggling against the restraints again.

The shining particles parted like a curtain and a woman stepped close to him. "I am here. Please be still, it will only be a few minutes before you can sit up."

"Who are you?" Daniel stopped struggling now he could see the owner of the voice. She was tall, almost regal with long thick white hair. She looked young but her blue eyes held wisdom that belied youth and Daniel was sure she was very old.

"I am Axiokersa. We have been studying you. We have not harmed you in any way."

"Why?" Daniel asked. "Where are my friends?"

"Interesting you all asked the same two questions. Loyalty and curiosity seems to be your prime motivations. Your friends are fine and they are talking to one of my friends. They will be here soon so rest, we are almost finished here."

Suddenly Daniel felt the restraint lift and sat up. The sparkling particles danced around him and he lifted a hand through them and swirled them around.

"Your friends call them nanites," the woman told him. We call them builders."

"What are they for?"

"There are many different types of builders. These were helping us study your body chemistry. Kasmilos will explain. I must leave now." With that last comment the woman before him dissolved and Daniel realised he had been talking with a hologram. He was disappointed. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. As he swung his legs from the bench he'd been laying on the builders began to disperse and with the decreasing luminescence he could see the room more clearly.

A door opened to one side and a tall man with silver hair and blue eyes entered. The figures following him brought a relieved smile to Daniel's face. "Daniel," Jack yelled a grin lighting up his face, "how many times do I have to tell you not to wander off on your own!"

"In Daniel's defence I must stress that we encouraged him to come to us," Kasmilos told Jack apologetically.

"Teal'c is worried that you aren't you Daniel," Jack told him.

Teal'c straightened his shoulders and looked at Jack with one eyebrow raised. "Should we not ensure that this Daniel Jackson is indeed our Daniel Jackson?"

"Well," Daniel responded, "how do I know you're the real Teal'c?"

Kasmilos watched the friends reunite and smiled. 'The tests of Daniel Jackson were positive?'

'Yes. He is the one we need. Can we persuade him to stay with us?' The mind of Axiokersa asked.

'We should try to convince them to stay until the task is complete. It has been a long time since we have had contact with this race,' Kasmilos suggested.

'What about the old ones who tried to invade our world after they arrived?' another mind joined in the conversation.

'You saw Jack O'Neill's thoughts. He knew of these and his thoughts of them were hostile. He is an honourable man, his mind tells us this. We will ask him of them and he will tell us.'

'But the other, Teal'c, he carries one of them. Are these not the same creatures that were driven from Jack O'Neill's planet during our last visit?' Axiokersa asked anxiously.

'Yes, but the one Teal'c, O'Neill trusts and he is part of their hive.' Yet another commented.

'Team, Jack calls them his team. Hive seems to have a more extended meaning for them, also a loss of freedom.' Kasmilos's use of Jack's first name was noted by the other minds present in the conversation.

'Yes I noticed that also,' one commented on O'Neill's trust of Teal'c.

'Jack O'Neill would also be positive to the tests,' a third mind pointed out.

'Yes, but he resisted our control. In his mind I see much past suffering and his will has been made strong by it. He will find it difficult to let us in. Daniel Jackson finds our presence more acceptable. For him, the process will not be painful or damaging. We can try to teach Jack how to talk to us but he must be willing.'

'As you say Kasmilos.' 'We are agreed.'

The room had gone silent and Kasmilos realised that his guests were watching him. "I apologise for my inattention, I was speaking to the elders. You must be tired from the past few hours and I am sure some food and rest would be appreciated."

"That's good of you," Jack accepted gracefully, "as long as the food's real."

Jack's joke brought a smile to Kasmilos face. 'I like this human, this race has come a long way in two thousand years.' Kasmilos led the way from the room towards the stairs.

Jack glanced at the stairs and back at their host. "I don't want to seem ungrateful but are we going to climb all those steps again?" Although Jack's face was a picture of polite enquiry, his mind was groaning 'not the stairs again, my knee won't take much more punishment.'

Kasmilos could not suppress a smile. He thought that perhaps before Jack O'Neill left they could at least repair his knee. Then he would not have to lie about it any more to the one he called Doc. A platform formed in front of the group and Kasmilos indicated that they step on to it. The ride up was considerably easier on Jack's knee than the walk would have been.

They Say You Can't Help Who Your Parents Are

They had been left to themselves in a comfortably furnished room at the top of the tower. There were beds, curtains and a table with food which they had been assured was safe for them to eat. A pool and showers were in a room below and they had been told to use them. Sam was standing at one of the narrow windows that surrounded the room. She had been gazing out at the world below for several minutes. The buildings looked the same as when they entered the city but now Sam had difficulty in seeing them as solid objects. She was trying to calculate in her head approximately how many nanites per square foot were out there. The city stretched out below them in all directions making the numbers and even the powers impossible to run in her head. 'If I can't even guess at the number per square foot...' She quickly realised that the spire wasn't in the centre of the city. It was close to the holographic protection system and the Stargate. From the 2000-foot tower she could see a line of mountains in the distance, shrouded in a haze of heat. The sun was beginning to sink behind them casting out a reddened light without the aid of the small red sun. That had disappeared several hours previously. Sam shook her head, the whole scale of the technology was awesome. Taken with the natural forces at work within a binary system she could not imagine how this civilisation even got started. Then she heard Daniel call her name and returned to the group at the table.

"I have been thinking about the names," Daniel tried to speak with a mouthful of a delicious red fruit and began coughing.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," was the motherly advice from Sam.

"Ummm, yes," responded Daniel wiping the juice from his chin. "Seriously though I'm certain I recognise the names."

Sam threw herself down on a bed and bit into her chosen fruit. She looked up and gave Daniel her full attention. Jack had intended sitting beside her but when she looked up, he swallowed quickly and changed his mind and sat himself down on the bed opposite. Leaning back and relaxing Jack gave Daniel his attention and watched Sam at the same time. Teal'c settled himself on the floor, leaning his back against Sam's chosen bed.

Daniel paced up and down the table length as he pulled his thoughts together. "Well, our trip down to this level got me thinking about Orpheus and the Underworld."

"Orpheus?" Sam asked puzzled.

"Orpheus was supposed to have gone to the underworld to retrieve his wife from Hades. You know the story?"

"Sorta," Jack responded. Sam nodded.

"Hades is a son of Kronos," Teal'c added.

Daniel turned towards him. "Yes that's right, at least according to the Greek myths." Then he stopped. "Is there a Goa'uld called Hades?"

"Yes, the son of Kronos and Rheia," Teal'c confirmed.

"Fine Daniel, but what has this to do with where we are?" Jack jumped in to avoid the tangent Daniel was about to go off on.

"Well Kronos had a daughter called Hera."

"And this gets us?" Jack asked a little exasperated.

"A son called Hephaistas. Hera was supposed to have had him without her husband's help."

"What? A virgin birth?" Jack drawled.

"Hardly well..." Daniel stumbled and Jack hid the smile that threatened to erupt. "I don't think it accuses Hera anywhere of being a virgin, but it does say..."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Is this admittedly interesting story getting us anywhere?" Daniel ignored Jack as he worked through the genealogy in his head.

"Hephaistas fathered the Kabeiroi, well three of them at least. One was called Kasmilos." Daniel finished triumphantly following his trail to a conclusion and then stopped.

Jack was no longer smiling. "Are you telling me that these are Kronos's kin!"

"Humm, yes, but the Goa'uld used the names of the gods. That doesn't make these people kin of the Kronos we knew." Daniel prevaricated.

"That's true. I had no sense of a Goa'uld presence from the containers, although I could not get that close to them." Sam added the rider cautiously. They really had no way of being sure except that no harm had been done to them thus far.

"Alright, Daniel. What else can you remember about these Kabeiroi," Jack asked.

"Well there are some writings that say they were an Atlantean sub race of teachers. Apparently they taught some art and science and were supposed to be master of the art of working metal..."

"What they have here is a big advance on working metal," Sam put in thoughtfully.

"Perhaps they only gave us what they thought we were capable of using constructively," Daniel suggested.

Teal'c nodded his head. "That would be the same as other advanced races we have encountered."

"Well, they are the good guys in the stories, spiritual beings who took human form. Some say they were the forerunners to the angels of Christianity," Daniel commented.

"That does not sound like the Goa'uld," Teal'c stated.

"Its thirty six hours since we reported in. If we don't open the Stargate tomorrow and make a report they may send a retrieval team," Jack pointed out. "We are going to have to ask Kasmilos nicely to let us contact our people tomorrow morning."

"Well, that should sort out what our position here really is," Sam commented. "I am going for a shower and swim." She stood up and walked towards the stairs. "Anyone else want a swim?"

"I do not swim," Teal'c informed her. "I will shower later."

"I'm going to lie down. Considering I can't remember most of today, I know I'm dead tired." Daniel tested the softness of one of the beds and led down with a sigh. "I'll get undressed in a minute," he murmured closing his eyes.

Jack looked at Sam still stood at the top of the stairway. "A swim sounds good," he said following her down the stairs.

The pool took up half of the level below them. Although it was shaped like a large scallop shell it was still an Olympic sized pool length on its widest part. The water was crystal clear and the bottom appeared to be made of soft green marble. Jack eyed the area a little suspiciously. He hadn't thought about it before but what if the pool was formed the same way as everything else. 'Is the water real?' He looked up in surprise to see an amused look on Sam's face.

"Does it matter if the water's real or not?" Sam asked him as if reading his mind. "If it feels like water and acts like water then it must be water. We're only going to swim in it."

"What about the showers?" Jack asked. "Am I going to get a wet rinse or a dry scrub?"

Sam's lilting laughter echoed back at him as she walked around the pool. She pulled back the white curtains that she thought would be the shower area, 'Good guess. Very nice.' "These showers look like ornamental fountains Sir. They're pools with water spraying upwards from an arrangement at the back. They would look good against the sunny wall in my garden." She glanced back at Jack briefly. "See you in the pool." Then pulled the curtain around the area and began stripping off her fatigues. It occurred to her that she should've asked for somewhere to clean her clothes. Clean skin and grubby fatigues were not her favourite mix. Sam sighed and dipped her hand into the pool, the water was hot and she smiled in anticipation.

Jack moved to the next shower and found that it was next to a window through which he could see the darkening sky. He stripped his clothing and stepped into the pool and under the fountain. It felt like water. The spray from the fountain was just the heat he liked. Jack stood still and closed his eyes allowing the water to run down his back and legs. He began to stretch easing the knots out of his back and sighed with contentment. For a moment his mind was at complete peace. When he opened his eyes again the peace vanished. The curtain surround was a light material that had begun moving in response to the heat from the fountain. He noticed the shadow dancing on the curtains immediately. Standing like him under the fountain Sam was a dark patch on the white surface. She was turning slowly, stretching out her arms, then her legs and rubbing herself down. Jack's felt the adrenaline rush and heat the sight provoked and turned away. His imagination was now vividly alive with a full colour adaptation of what he had just seen. 'Dealing with Sam... Carter' he corrected himself forcefully, 'in uniform was hard enough at times.'

Sam arched her back and stretched out her arms. "I wish this water had a little more power behind it," she called to Jack oblivious to the effect she was having on her favourite Colonel. The water immediately built up pressure. "Hey, that's great," she responded and it steadied. "Sir you can tell the shower what you want and it gives it to you."

"Oh I don't think it will," Jack responded under his breath. A cloud of nanites began to form in front of him. A very feminine outline became quickly apparent. "No, no!" Jack called out quite a bit louder than he had intended.

"Are you all right Sir," Sam shouted in concern.

As the image began to disperse Jack swallowed and drawled. "Sure. I'm just fine." Sam shrugged a shoulder and stepped out of her shower. The shadow drifted away from the curtain much to Jack's relief.

Sam realised she had nothing to swim in. "I could do with a bathing suit," she called out self-consciously. She had begun to worry about who was watching her. From what Kasmilos had said she gathered they could not read her thoughts. If the shower was reacting to her voice someone had at least to be listening.

A light appeared outside her curtain and a woman glided through it. "I am Axiokersa. I do not understand what it is you need."

"Hello," Sam responded. "You're Daniel's friend." Axiokersa smiled and nodded.

"I need something to cover me here and here while I swim," Sam responded sweeping her hands across her chest and hips.

Axiokersa frowned, "Why?"

Sam blushed but continued. "Colonels and Majors don't swim naked together. It's bad for discipline."

Jack heard the comment from behind his curtain and let out a smothered snigger. Sam's blush brightened. Axiokersa still looked puzzled but it was apparent that she had responded to the plea. A short toga arrangement formed around Sam as she stood there.

"What colour would you like," the image asked.

"I don't mind," Sam responded and the toga turned from black to a light blue match for her eyes.

Jack heard nothing else from the safety of his shower area until a splash told him Sam had dived into the pool. A wicked wish that the swimming costume would dissolve entered his mind but he sternly dismissed it. He filled his mind with a need for a bathing suit for himself. A cloud formed around him leaving him stood in a short blue toga. "Hey!" Jack suspected Kasmilos or some one was amusing himself at his expense and grimaced. He concentrated on a pair of boxer shorts and the toga vanished to be replaced by the requested garment. It didn't occur to him that one of the Kabeiroi had just forced him to communicate with them.

"Thank you," Jack responded tersely. Taking a last deep breath to calm himself then went to join Sam in the pool.

It's All A Matter Of Chemistry

The morning light from the red sun crept through the window and slid across Jack's face highlighting the lines of exhaustion. Kasmilos was watching him and had been for the hours he was sleeping. While Jack slept he had cautiously moved through his mind never disturbing a line of thought or dream-thread. He just watched the man while he rested and noticed that the light brought Jack awake immediately and watched him peer around the still dark room. 'Checking that you team is OK,' Kasmilos thought.

Jack wondered if the red sun always came up first, 'I will have to ask Sam.' A voice in his head answered his question.

'It depends which of the suns is closer to us. The red sun dances with the yellow at a different speed to our planet. Over time, the dawns vary.'

'Thanks, its Kasmilos isn't it?' Jack was pleased that he recognised the feel of the intruder in his mind but it struck him he wasn't as angry as he expected to be at the intrusion.

'You are right."

'I need to talk to you, but I would find it easier...'

'If you could see and talk to me as you would other people.'

'Yeah,' Jack agreed and Kasmilos withdrew.

Jack got dressed quietly trying not to disturb the others and found a platform hovering by the stairway. It was waiting for him and Jack immediately stepped onto it. He glanced back feeling that he was being watched but no one was moving. As the platform descended he didn't notice Teal'c rise from his bed to follow him. The platform dropped back to the place he thought of as the control room which appeared empty, except for the containers holding the Kabeiroi. Jack walked across to one of the windows and looked out. As no one appeared to be joining him, he called out. "Where are you Kasmilos?" Kasmilos condensed into being beside his own container. He leaned over it and stared down momentarily ignoring Jack's presence. Jack moved to join him and also looked down. "It must be disturbing to look down on yourself like that. Why are your bodies all in these containers?" Jack asked him.

"It is all part of a very long story. If I tell you perhaps you will understand more the request we are going to make. You are right of course, I do find it disturbing to look at my body so still, while my mind is so active."

"If this is going to be a long story you don't mind if I make myself comfortable," Jack asked. He didn't wait for a reply but sank into one of the chairs close by. Kasmilos sat in one a little distance from him swivelling it around so he could face his guest. It was unnecessary for him to do this but realised Jack would be more comfortable with a natural action. Teal'c moved down the stairway into the room. His footsteps echoed in the silence and attracted Jack's attention.

"Sorry I woke you, Teal'c. Come and join us. Kasmilos here is going to tell us about himself and the others, I think." Jack explained and Teal'c nodded.

"I was unsure of where you intended to go," Teal'c commented as he settled beside Jack. "You do not usually creep away from us."

"Wasn't creeping I just didn't want to wake anyone," Jack responded. Then he turned his attention back to their host. "Daniel has recognised your name from some of Earth's ancient mythology. Is there a connection?" Jack asked, wondering if he would give an honest answer if there were.

"Dr Jackson appears to have an extensive knowledge of your world's history. He is quite right to connect us to the Kabeiroi of your mythology."

"And Kronos?" Jack asked uneasily.

"My great grandfather was indeed called Kronos, but not the Kronos we saw in Dr Jackson's mind. We knew then that he had stolen the name. It seems he continues to use what is not his own. This Kronos carries a creature within him like the one Teal'c carries. We know something of this parasite."

"The larval Goa'uld grows within me but when it is matured it will wish to take a host."

"What will happen to you at that time, Teal'c?" Kasmilos inquired.

"If we don't find another Junior for Teal'c he'll die," Jack responded. "You don't appear to know much about the Goa'uld," he drawled. He found it difficult to believe that someone who knew of Earth's early civilisation wouldn't know a great deal about the Goa'uld.

"It is not that we do not know of this parasite. We have had no contact with them since before we were last on your planet. Even then we avoided any dealings with their kind were possible. It appears they have not evolved since our last encounter."

Jack noticed the use of the word parasite and wondered what it had taken to put the loathing he could hear into Kasmilos's voice.

Another body appeared on the stairway. A sleepy eyed Daniel swung away from the last step and wandered a little aimlessly across the room. "What's wrong can't anybody sleep?" Daniel asked as he dropped down beside Teal'c.

"It would appear not," Sam commented as she followed him in with a rather large yawn. After staring around the room for somewhere to sit she plonked herself on the floor. The floor promptly rose up and shaped itself to her contours.

"Hmmm. Neat trick," Sam murmured and lifted an arm to wait for it to catch-up. When the process stopped she settled her chin on the arm. "I could get used to this."

"It is a shame," Kasmilos commented with a smile, "that the one whose mind we have no contact with at all appears to be adapting to our world with the least difficulty."

Sam returned his smile dreamily and then dispelled the illusion. "So you don't like the Goa'uld?"

"There was one, she was not like the others. Her name was Egeria," Kasmilos told them.

"The Great Queen Egeria," Daniel interrupted. "She was the Roman goddess of fountains and childbirth and founder of the Tok'ra. This is the one Anise told us about," Daniel told Jack.

"Anise?" Kasmilos asked but Daniel suddenly went quiet. The look Jack had just given him made him realise how little they actually knew of these people. 'Here I am talking about our allies.' "Why haven't you been back to Earth again?" Daniel asked as he tried to direct his mind away from the track it had been running on.

Kasmilos noted the surprise among his people who were listening. Now that Daniel and Jack knew their minds could be read they appeared quite proficient at interfering with access to their thoughts. 'As I have said before they are loyal to their friends.'

"What is it you want from us?" Jack called him back to the conversation at hand. "You went to a lot of trouble to get Daniel here in one piece. Why?"

"Daniel and you are susceptible to the nanites. This would be of great help to us." Kasmilos told him.

"Why?" Daniel asked.

"Because the Kabeiroi are not and we want to know why you are, but we no longer are."

"Not being susceptible to the nanites is clearly considered a curse," Sam interjected.

"Yes." Kasmilos agreed. "It means that they cannot heal us, because our bodies reject them, as yours does."

"You want to see what differences there are between your people and Daniel. Why Daniel and not Jack?" Sam asked.

"Carter," Jack's drawl deepened, "do you mind not volunteering me for something before we know what it is."

"I would like to know too," Daniel shot at him. "If neither Jack nor I reject the nanites, why me?" he asked Kasmilos.

"Your leader would make a difficult subject," Kasmilos explained carefully. "He is... stubborn, strong willed and difficult to read unless he concentrates. It is possible the process could be harmful to him. He has a little of the curse about him somehow, if something like that is possible."

Sam's mind began to run away from the gathering conversation. 'What do Teal'c and I have that the others don't? Teal'c was easy enough to see, the larval Goa'uld rejected the nanites, eventually anyway. What is different about me?

"Is it because I'm female, my hormones or some other chemical difference?"

"What?" Jack asked blankly.

"The reason I reject the nanites." Sam ventured.

"That is unlikely. Your chemistry and ours is very similar. Both our sexes have this problem." Kasmilos told her.

"Why is this so important anyway," Jack was trying to gauge whether an alliance with these people was possible. 'If we actually have something they need..."

"The reason we have not returned to your Earth is that our people became gravely ill. A sickness struck at our nervous systems the last time we returned home. Complete paralysis was the result. It struck swiftly within the space of one of your months all of our people were dying.

The builders created these stasis chambers, there are many more of them. Thousands of our people survive through the builders' ministrations. They keep us alive but the builders cannot repair our bodies. This illness has caused our bodies to reject them. Because our bodies reject them we cannot find out what has changed within us."

"Sort of catch 22 situation," Jack agreed. "But I don't see how Daniel or I can help," Jack added showing an unusual grip on this conversation. "You still won't know what is different within yourselves."

"No, Sir, but maybe Janet or I can find it," Sam suddenly sat up.

"Kasmilos, we need to contact our people anyway, Asap..." Jack started.

"Asap?" Kasmilos asked puzzled.

"As soon as possible," Daniel supplied.

"Or they will send a rescue party through the Stargate to look for us and run into the hologram." Jack continued.

"Hologram is not exactly the right term for the protection system," Kasmilos explained.

"It's the closest we have at the moment," Sam told him.

"Yes of course. You need to contact your people. Several of mine want to know how we can trust you. We have made ourselves very vulnerable in trusting you four. How many more people do you wish us to trust?"

"In the first instance just one. If Dr Fraiser can help with this problem she may need others to assist her." Sam looked for a reason and realised that there was an excellent one and glanced at Jack. He stood up and stretched his legs.

"You have technology that our people would like to trade for. To be honest we have had no end of trouble with nanite technology, one way or another."

"Teach us about your nanite technology," Daniel added. "That's what you were, teachers of technology?"

Kasmilos smiled. 'They ask for a level of technology they are unlikely to understand.' Axiokersa whispered in his mind. 'They will not be able to use it.'

'We will give them what they ask and also something they can understand and use.' Kasmilos replied. 'Then we will not have cheated them. The calibre of this Major Carter leads me to think they will be able to help us. At last we will be able to climb out of the dead-end we have crawled into to survive.'

Another Goa'uld Attack

Dr Fraiser had been standing beside the Stargate for several minutes, surrounded by various pieces of equipment. Her briefing had been simple. Join Sam in helping find a solution to the illness that plagued their new allies. If not the illness itself then the reason their technology was being rejected. Although she was gratified by the General's faith in her abilities she wondered why they would be able to do any better than the Kabeiroi. If they could not heal themselves what chance was she going to have? Something no one else knew about was Janet's interest in the Greek classics. The Kabeiroi were not unknown to her. Despite the seriousness of the problem facing her, she could not wait to meet the characters from the stories her mother had told her as a child. She looked out upon the miles of grass in front of her and thought about the instructions again. "Under no circumstance," General Hammond had said, "are you to leave the immediate area of the Stargate. Colonel O'Neill will come for you." 'So, where are you Colonel?'

As if in answer to her query Jack rose out of the apparently solid ground in front of her. He grinned at the expression on her face. The last couple of days had been full of surprises for him, to see some one else looking bemused made him feel better. "Welcome to Taenarus," Jack greeted her with a sweep of his arm. "You are going to love it here." He began picking up the boxes and shifting them from the steps onto the grass.

"We go down?" Janet asked as she dropped a box beside the one deposited by Jack.

"We don't have to immediately but we will at some point." Jack explained. They picked up the last two boxes as the Stargate began to activate. Jack looked up with concern and grabbed Janet's arm and pulled her down beside him on the grass. "Time to go."

"Who is it?" Janet asked with concern.

"The Goa'uld are trying to gain a foothold here. This is their third attempt since we arrived." The platform immediately lowered. Jack put an arm around Janet's shoulders to reassure her as their heads disappeared into the ground.

"I can't see," Janet told him nervously.

"It's OK. We will have some light when we're away from the surface. The darkness hides us from whatever the Goa'uld are about to try." Above their heads they heard a loud engine roar followed quickly by another. Janet heard Jack talking to someone.

"Kasmilos. I hear Gliders. Tell Teal'c they are threading the needle." Janet was surprised to hear the reply quietly inside her head.

'Don't worry, Jack. Staying above the ground will do them no good. The nanite defences are already responding but we need to remove you from the area quickly. There are handholds in the surface. I will illuminate them slightly. Hold tight.' A couple of seconds later the platform took off horizontally fast enough to make them slide slightly. Janet felt the platform changing shape under her. It rose up and formed a low ridge around her stopping the slide. Behind them they heard a growing noise, the roar seemed to be following them and as they looked back, the darkness seemed to split in several places. This allowed the light to stream downward. The darkness appeared to speed upwards towards the Gliders like dark hands reaching towards the sky.

Billions of nanites surrounded the Gliders, targeting them. What Jack and Janet could not see were the nanites filling the cockpit and invading the engine space. The microscopic minions searched for and found the Gliders power source and weaponry, forcing a power surge to overload them. What they did see was the bright flash that erupted from inside each trapped craft. Gliders blew apart and fell from the sky. The Nanites swirled overhead and followed the wreckage downwards. Jack guessed they would ensure that no permanent damage occurred below.

'They are bound to have sent ground forces through.' Jack thought at Kasmilos.

'They have begun dialling back out. We are inclined to let them go. You know you are getting better at thinking at us.'

"Huh, huh." Jack responded out loud.

Janet had seen the vacant look appear on Jack's face.

"Is there anything wrong, Colonel?"

"No, Doc. It takes a lot of concentration to think at Kasmilos."

"Do you always talk to this Kasmilos?"

"He would appear to have been given the job of looking after us.

Comparing Chemistries

Jack left Sam and Janet to set up the medical apparatus. A place for this had appeared below the control room giving immediate access to the computers and information within the area. A floor of dark marble was now in place adorned with the same effect as on the city buildings. Tables and chairs had formed and were scattered around the room. Sam set a box on one of the tables and flipped the lid. As she began carefully removing the equipment Axiokersa appeared between her and Janet. The test tube rack in Janet's hand slid through her fingers. She grasped it tightly at an angle, and then grabbed the one tube that jumped from its place with her other hand. Janet stared wide-eyed at Sam, who grinned at her response. "Janet, this is Axiokersa."

"I am sorry I startled you Dr Fraiser," Axiokersa apologised.

"That's OK. Just don't do it when I'm holding something important," Janet responded. "I'd been warned that you pop up unexpectedly." Janet smiled and continued, "I'd also been told that you can talk to us in our minds?" The last part had been a question. Janet's briefing had led her to half expect some voice to start up in her mind.

"Your mind is like Colonel O'Neill's. We can see it, but it is an effort to control the nanites sufficiently to converse. Kasmilos has been able to show him how to push through the barrier but it is not easy for him. Daniel Jackson has no such problems, his mind is completely open to us. The nanites have had no problems adapting to his body."

"So this is unique to Daniel?" Janet asked.

"It would appear so."

"So what is different in us may tell us what you need to know. We are looking for what prevents you using the nanites to find a cure for what's killing your people. Perhaps we can even find a cure?"

"That is the assumption," Axiokersa agreed. "That is, of course, if the same thing is causing the curse in both yourselves and my people. The assumption may not be valid."

"We will also need samples from your own people. Then we can compare the chemistries and see if we can find the link."

Axiokersa did not immediately reply. The look of sadness that appeared on her face made them feel uncomfortable. "One of us will leave the stasis chambers but the risk is grave. They may not survive long enough to be returned. The solution to our continued survival was instituted very late in the progress of the disease."

"Then let us check the differences between ourselves before we take that step," Janet told her. "It will cut down on the probabilities and the time it will take us."

Axiokersa nodded her agreement that it would be a wise course. A dark cloud formed around her image and absorbed into it. Janet looked to Sam for an explanation. "She is making her image solid enough to physically help with the research."

"Well that's... impressive," Janet responded. An alarm sounded on the floor above them and the three ran up to the control room.

Arrival of the Mother Ships

The platform deposited Jack at the control room and he hurried across to Kasmilos. "What's wrong?"

"Two large ships have entered the system and are looking for our planet." A Hologram of the binary system hung in the centre of the room. Two Goa'uld mother ships were magnified by a small projection from one side of the image. Sam walked around the hologram. Slowly she tilted her head to one side, moved on and tilted it to the other side. Her eyes peered hard at the image for a short time, then she stepped back biting her lower lip. "Damn!"

"What is it, Carter?" Jack prompted her to share.

"Well, I can't see it Sir."

"What do you mean you can't see it? The ships are there," Jack responded, not understanding what was bothering her.

"Not the mother ships Sir, the planet. I can't see the planet." Kasmilos watched as they all walked around the hologram. He was waiting to see if they could work out what they were looking at. "You have some sort of cloaking devise?" Sam decided.

"It's that or there's no planet and we're floating in space," Jack agreed.

"For the whole planet?" Janet exclaimed.

Daniel took the last few stairs two at a time and rushed into the room. He came to a sliding halt as Teal'c appeared behind him. "What's happening?" Daniel asked gasping for breath. Teal'c looked at his friend with a slight raise of an eyebrow. The headlong rush had barely increased his breathing rate at all. Daniel Jackson was clearly not getting enough exercise.

"The Goa'uld are trying to invade," Janet commented amazed that Daniel had actually made it up all those stairs so quickly. She pointed to the images floating in front of her.

Daniel looked at the hologram for a moment then at Kasmilos. "OK. Where are we?"

'Kasmilos is looking smug,' Jack thought. 'He's going to show us how clever his people are.'

"Oh, I think we have a right to look a little smug." Kasmilos responded to Jack's thought. "They cannot find us except by accident. There is a shield completely surrounding this planet. It is made up of pairs of nanites, each one on the opposite side of the planet and they exchange images. Whichever angle you look towards our planet you only see what is beyond the other side and at the angle you would see it."

"But with the power it takes surely there would be a trace, some signature for them to follow?" Sam asked worriedly.

"But would they be able to recognise it against the massive forces that this system generates naturally?" Kasmilos asked her in return.

"We do have another tool to confuse them however." He said this as an image of a planet began to appear on the opposite side of the binary system. "When they find this and attack it will self-destruct. To them it will appear that they have totally destroyed the planet. There will no longer be a need to search the system or try the Stargate again. We will be safe from incursion."

"I don't suppose the explosion will take the mother ships with it?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Only if they are close enough."

"If we are safe I think we should get on with finding out what is stopping you treating yourselves," Janet commented to Axiokersa. "I have brought work-ups on all the SG1 team. If we have a look at those first and analyse the differences..." The conversation died away as Janet and Axiokersa retreated to the floor below.

Daniel looked around, and realised he was being ignored. "Well, if anyone wants me, I will be in the library."

"Library?" Sam suddenly looked interested.

"Yes, in one of the buildings next to the spire. Floors full of old manuscripts, consoles with electronic information storage. Lots of stuff and the Kabeiroi have shown me how to read them."

"Don't get too absorbed in them," Jack called to Daniel's back as he retreated.

"Sir?" Sam asked.

"Go on Carter, I shouldn't think they'd mind. You won't be able to pick up the lingo like Daniel though."

The remaining three watched the progress of the mother ships. As Jack watched the point from which the view had been expanded moved slowly through the hologram and he reached out to touch the image of the ships. His hand slid easily through it.

"What you see is a true hologram. It is in real time so what you see now is what is happening." Jack grimaced briefly. "Jack I cannot read what is bothering you," Kasmilos told him.

"I was wondering who was on the ships," Jack explained.

"Is that important to you?"

"It's intel. We like to know what they're up to and which one it is. I'm wondering why they have become interested in your planet. Is it coincidence, or have they found some way to track us to places they have no addresses for? I would hate to think we were showing them worlds that have previously been safe."

"How could they track you?"

"Well, see," Jack smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm a paranoid kind of guy at times and I don't really believe in coincidence. No coincidence would mean that we have some kind of off planet leak. It's not something I want to consider but it's happened several times recently. As far as we know the Goa'uld do not have the address for this planet, it came from the Ancient's information."

"They cannot harm us and with your help we will finally recover from this sickness. They will be even less able to do us harm then."

"I believe you but other races we contact won't be as able as you are," Jack voiced his main concern.

Kasmilos considered the problem. "If we try to invade the ships with nanites to gather information we risk discovery and suspicion." He spoke his thoughts aloud so as not to exclude Teal'c from them and make it easier for Jack. Besides, he found it simpler than trying to think 'at him'. "If the nanites are discovered it may make no difference. The Goa'uld will not suspect they travel towards a mirage. If this is important to your people we could try."

"We could take a sneak peek inside their ships?" Jack queried.

"Yes, I believe it would be easy. The ships are shielded but we can find the frequency. Others of the Kabeiroi are expressing curiosity about our foe. If we send a small probe would your people be prepared to investigate?" It was a question and an invitation that Jack could not resist. He ran down the stairs passing through Janet's room and leaving her with a surprised look on her face. She shook her head as he disappeared below her.

The surprised look reappeared five minutes later when the whole of SG1 ran back up through the room. Jack first followed closely by Sam with Daniel a short distance behind them. Daniel stopped and took in Janet's bemused look. "We're going to take a peek at who's in the mother ships," he gasped at her and then ran the last flight.

Janet looked at Axiokersa who raised an eyebrow and then smiled. "Kasmilos is just as exhilarated by the prospect. I think we have slept for too long he has become like a child again." Janet laughed in response and returned to loading the console with data. Converting the information she had brought with her to a useable format had turned out to be simple. "While this information is being analysed we could take a look at what they are doing," Axiokersa suggested.

Janet smiled as she stood up from the console. "So it's only Kasmilos who is intrigued?"

"Kasmilos is my brother, we are alike in many ways," Axiokersa answered with a gentle smile.

Sobek

"The probe penetrated without being detected. I do not know these ships where would we go first?" Kasmilos voice had an edge of excitement that Jack responded to. He couldn't help but like this alien, in so many ways they seemed to be in tune. He glanced at Sam who returned a quizzical look, she still wasn't altogether sure of these people. After all, they had only seen two of them so far. They had not been shown where the thousands of other stasis chambers where. It felt strange to be in a huge city devoid of life and then be assured there were thousands of inhabitants, all only semiconscious. A voice in Daniel's head told him to sit down and he peered around absently motioning to everyone else to sit. Kasmilos moved to the closest console and activated it and four dark clouds condensed and drifted towards their heads. "Hey!" Jack called out.

"Don't be alarmed. I am just creating individual viewers for you all. That's right Daniel," Kasmilos confirmed "like the process your people call Virtual Reality."

As the cloud condensed around Teal'c's head he resisted the temptation to try and shake it off by gripping the arms of his chair. The headset that materialised immediately activated and Teal'c found himself within the mother ship. He lifted a hand to wave in front of his eyes but could not see his hand.

"Just relax everybody," Kasmilos told them cheerfully. "They cannot see or hear you and you can not move within the environment. I can also see what you see and will guide the probe where Jack or Daniel's minds direct. Janet would you like to join your friends?"

"That's OK. I've never seen the inside of a mother ship. I would be of no help." A small screen appeared alongside her however giving her a limited view of what the others were seeing. "That's just fine for me, thanks."

They could all see the curving golden corridor and the probe moved slowly along its length. A door came into view blocking the probe's progress and Kasmilos swung the little adventurer around so they all looked down a deserted corridor. A figure suddenly appeared from directly behind them and Janet watched as they all jumped at the abruptness of it. "Damn!" Jack yelped. He felt like he had just bumped into the armour-clad figure. He pulled his shoulder away and his hands sprung involuntarily to his eyes. The probe swung around and darted through the closing door. "There's no sound with this probe?" Jack hazarded sheepishly as he let his arms drop.

"We are masters of light and form. Sorry no sound at this distance. With so few nanites to work with it's not possible," Kasmilos replied.

"Just thought I'd ask." Jack muttered.

The probe had moved on and Teal'c recognised the area. "This is the ships controlroom we should be able to see which of the System Lords has come here." Someone came into view and everyone immediately looked at the man's forehead. A Solar disc was tattooed there in yellow. Within the disc was a black and green hooded cobra poised to strike.

"I've never seen that sign before," Sam murmured. "Do you know who they are Teal'c?" Teal'c did not respond at first and the headset dissolved from his head. Kasmilos looked worried as he neutralised the other headsets.

"Teal'c," Jack asked concern showing, "are you OK?" Teal'c's face was set in stone. Jack could see he was seriously concerned by what he had seen.

"I have never met these people. The system lords defeated them a long time ago. This Goa'uld had been loyal to Ra but something happened between them. Ra tried to have him killed, he escaped."

"Who Teal'c? Who is it?" Daniel asked.

"Sobek. That was the symbol of Sobek."

"So, another Goa'uld. How bad can that be?" Jack growled. Teal'c really did seem unusually disturbed.

Daniel answered for Teal'c. "Sobek... the Crocodile God. There's nothing really nasty about him in Egyptian mythology but then that's nothing to go on. He probably isn't the real Sobek."

Daniel looked at Axiokersa when he said this but Kasmilos answered. "I would think you are probably correct. Why does this Goa'uld concern you more than the others, Teal'c?"

"He tried to supplant Ra that is not what concerns me. That he has reappeared places many planets in danger. He was originally Unas like so many of them. I believe he chose the Crocodile God because he wished to continue his old ways even after he took a human host. Those loyal to Sobek also indulged in his practices he encouraged it. It caused extreme fear among the people."

"What do you mean Teal'c?" Jack asked.

"Sobek ate his enemies, his prisoners, even his servants. Even the taking of a human host did not diminish his taste for human flesh. We must find a way to destroy Sobek... "Teal'c looked at Kasmilos with concern.

"I thought Sokar was supposed to be the worst of the Goa'uld," Janet gasped.

"Although the thought of destroying a Goa'uld usually appeals to me," Jack murmured. "I have no wish to get close enough to find out if they still eat people."

"I am sorry to disturb you Kasmilos," a stranger to the team appeared within the room. "We may have a serious problem." The stranger pointed and the hologram.

The Unpredictable Moons

Kasmilos immediately enlarged the holographic image of the area surrounding the planet. Everything looked peaceful to the observers but consoles began lighting up all around the room. The activity seemed frenetic. Daniel was the first to notice the sparks of light that appeared to be coming from one of the moons. He pointed to the image. "Is that supposed to be happening?"

The stranger looked back at the image and glanced briefly at Daniel before turning back to concentrate on the consoles. "No, it is not."

The team stood and watched the activity for several minutes until finally Jack asked with exasperation creeping into his voice. "Is someone going to tell us what's wrong?"

"We had a problem several of your Earth weeks ago." Another stranger materialised beside Jack who flinched visibly in surprise. "A small comet managed to negotiate all the hazards of this system's dead zone and impact with the smaller of our moons."

"Dead zone?" Sam queried.

"Debris from unsuccessful planet formation," he explained. "It surrounds the whole system like a globe several thousand miles in depth.

"Oh, our system has something like that," Sam responded but the newest arrival ignored her response.

"The impact was large enough to shift its orbit," he told them all as he continued to stare at the hologram. "Only by a small amount but that has affected the larger moon's orbit as well. They have not yet settled into their new positions."

"What danger are we in?" Teal'c asked. "Will one of them hit this planet?"

"No, no! They will not do that. They are still orbiting each other and have only moved into a slightly higher elliptical orbit."

"And the elliptical orbit is causing the problem," Sam added as she moved so close to the hologram, her nose almost touched the image. "One of the moons is moving beyond the global screen that hides this planet. The sparkling we can see is where it's breaking down."

"That is exactly what is happening," the stranger agreed as he turned to look properly at Sam. "If the invaders see a small satellite suddenly appear where there was none they will come to investigate."

Kasmilos moved towards them a look of frustration on his face. "We have stretched the screen as far out as we can without losing integrity. We cannot keep up with the new orbit. The smaller of the two moons is going to swing out beyond the screen and become visible."

"Will the mother ship come to investigate or will they send gliders or shuttles?" Jack asked the obvious question.

"They will send gliders to investigate such a small object," Teal'c informed them. "The mother ship will continue to its objective. What they believe to be this planet."

"So how do we deal with the gliders?" Janet asked.

"The holographic protection system will deal with them if they reach the planet surface. Hopefully we can take them out once they penetrate the outer shields but we will have to sacrifice part of the screen to do it," Kasmilos explained.

"I don't want to tell you your job but wouldn't it be better to let them into the atmosphere? Destroy them here and stay invisible?" Daniel spoke for the first time in several minutes.

"We would still need to jam the gliders communications as soon as the planet becomes visible to them," Sam added. "Can you do that without jeopardising the screen?"

"It is possible, Axiokersa answered and then turned to Janet. "Do all Tauri react like this under stress?"

"No," Janet responded, "but SG1 are not like all other Tauri."

Kasmilos was already at a console and an unfamiliar hum began to fill the room. "What's that noise?" Jack asked uneasily.

Sam moved to a console on the opposite side of the room. Her fingers began tapping over the keys with increasing speed. At first the hum began to die away, and then increase in pitch again.

"Kasmilos!" she shouted. "It's overloading!"

"Shut it off! Top right!"

Sam hit the key as directed and the hum immediately ceased. Then the console next to it blew propelling her into the centre of the room. She collided with one of the stasis containers with a yell of pain. Janet rushed to her side but Sam was awake, if a little singed.

"What's happening?" Jack questioned as he stepped to Kasmilos side.

"They are older models, solids, not builder composites. The spire and this floor are the oldest part of our city. They are BBT."

"What's BBT?" Jack asked him.

"Before Builder Technology," Kasmilos replied with a grim smile.

As Janet and Daniel helped Sam from the floor, a console began to build itself from the floor up, to replace the damaged ones. "Why the overload?" jack continued.

"We have pushed the screens to their limits to hide the planet. We have overloaded the control system. Don't worry; it is coming back on line..." Kasmilos paused for a second, "now!"

The hologram seemed to waver for a second and then sharpen. "Now we are ready for them," one of the other Kabeiroi stated triumphantly.

"He's sounds like he's spoiling for a fight," Jack whispered to Teal'c.

"Perhaps he is bored with inactivity," Teal'c replied. "Are you hurt Major Carter?"

"Just a bit scorched by the sparks, how long before we know if the mother ship took the bait?"

Jack's Out of body Experience

Out in space a group of five gliders launched from the Goa'uld mother ship and headed towards the satellite that had appear. Their instructions were specific, investigate and destroy. The mother ship headed on its course around the yellow sun. Quickly it dwindled in size to a dot that disappeared in the star's bright halo. The gliders sped across the system with destruction in mind. They reached the small moon and flew around it disappointed that it appeared to be lifeless. As they continued the circuit they breached the screen and the planet flashed into view, like a large emerald jewel. They tried to contact the mother ship to tell them they had been tricked but silence met their attempts. "They are blocking our attempts to contact the ship, Rac'or return to inform Sobek of the ruse. We will attempt to find and destroy those in control." A single glider broke off and moved away from the moon.

In the spire Jack let out a curse. "You can't let that glider go it could still ruin everything."

"What do you want to do?" Kasmilos asked him and then looked into his mind. "We could try that," he responded, "but I have never controlled such a battle."

"I will do it if you show me how quickly," Jack told him. Suddenly Jack collapsed to the floor.

"What's wrong with the Colonel?" Sam demanded.

"He has gone after the glider. He has control of a large area of nanites and is directing them."

"But he isn't breathing!" Janet demanded. "Why isn't he breathing?"

"His whole mind is concentrating on what he wants to do. If he takes too long..." Kasmilos was clearly worried then his image froze in place and they knew that Kasmilos had also gone.

At first Jack found he couldn't breath and the sensation of weightlessness made him dizzy. When he tried to see, the stars came into focus and everything around him was sharp and clear. A glider appeared some distance ahead of him and was receding quickly. Jack knew it was heading for the mother ship and hoped it had not yet attempted to call ahead. 'I must reach it now,' he thought and immediately felt the acceleration towards his goal. 'This is weird.'

The glider drew quickly closer and he heard Kasmilos's voice with him. The sound of a companion on his strange adventure steadied him. 'Jack, you don't have much time to do this. What do you want us to do?'

Jack thought out his plan carefully. 'We need enough nanites to generate a hologram of one of these...'

A picture formed in his mind of a slick arrow-like craft. It looked long and deadly it also spat energy from it nose. Kasmilos took the thought and formed it. A few of the Nanites that converged at this point in space began to generate light, a few more a small amount of narrow banded power. The requested craft appeared to form around Jack he felt as if he was in it.

The new hologram began to chase the glider and fired a beam of light. The light created the effect of a close miss by the glider pilot's canopy. 'This hologram only requires a small number of builders to create it,' Kasmilos informed Jack.

'Are there more nanites here?' Jack thought.

'Yes.' was the response.

Rac'or saw the craft bearing down on him and banked to avoid its weapons fire. He faced this new adversary. This craft was of a design he had never seen before. In fact, the shape of the craft had been drawn from a Sci-Fi magazine Jack had found Teal'c reading the previous week. The glider pilot tried to engage this new threat to assure his own safety. Jack discovered that the hologram banked and twisted in response to his need to avoid the weapons fire from the glider. He smiled grimly as he began to enjoy this new game. The smile vanished as the weapons fire from the glider interrupted his concentration and the hologram wavered from lack of direction. Kasmilos joined minds with him again immediately and reinforced the control. 'What now?' he asked Jack.

'I need enough Nanites to cause a small explosion,' was the response. As soon as Jack formed the intent he found himself propelled out of the hologram. The collision course with the glider made him cringe but he held the thought of penetrating the skin of the craft together.

The cockpit seemed crowded with himself and the pilot both in it. Jack felt that he was half hanging through the cockpit canopy into space. 'I'll never get used to this!' He forced himself to believe he was sliding down into the instrument panel and could now see the electronic components and then the engine space.

Rac'or suddenly found the glider losing power, as Jack began to visualise connection being broken and fused. As Rac'or tried to re-initiate the drive a feedback of power began. He looked up at the strange craft ahead of him and cursed. At that moment Jack reached the power core of the craft and shorted the input and output together. Rac'or could hear the power build-up beneath him and couldn't shut it down. For the first time in his barbarous life he realised that he was going to die. Kasmilos drew Jack's mind from within the craft as the core went critical. A blinding flash of light stilled Rac'or's scream as the glider blew apart. Pieces of the disintegrating machine rushed away from the point of explosion and the fire died.

The image of Kasmilos within the spire came back to life. The whole process had only taken three minutes, but it had been way too long for Jack to be absent from his body. Kasmilos looked down at the still form and at his friends frantically attempting to revive him. He sent a quiet thought to his sister and they lifted Jack's body out of the hands of his friends and glided with it towards the stairway.

"He will be fine," Axiokersa told them gently. "We can heal him easily, it is ourselves we cannot heal."

Janet laughed despite her worry for the Colonel. Sam glared at her friend and Janet looked abashed. "Sorry, I just thought of that stupid saying."

"Which one," Sam asked. She thought she had never felt less like laughing.

"Physician heal thyself. An inability to deal with injury to self appears to be a universal constant." Janet smiled sourly and followed Teal'c who had already followed the body of his friend down through the tower.

Axiokersa thought briefly at her brother. 'We could deal with his other injuries at the same time.'

'Excellent idea,' Kasmilos replied, 'but do not touch the external scars. He would have to explain the disappearances. I gather from his mind that there are those on his planet that would take him apart to find out how he was healed.'

'They are still very primitive and violent,' one of the new Kabeiroi in the room thought.

'Yes, they are, but these and many of their people are only so when pressed. They have the intelligence and understanding of themselves to control it. Because it is the builders that fight for us, doesn't make us less violent. The effects are just the same, our minds control the builders programs.' Kasmilos was annoyed that his new friends would still be mistrusted as irrational. They so clearly already owed these so called primitives a great deal.

The Demise

Daniel was very worried about Jack but like Sam, did not immediately follow Teal'c and the unmoving body. They watched their friends disappear and turned to Kasmilos. "What about the mother ship? Did the glider contact it?" Daniel demanded as he stared at the hologram. The ship still appeared to be heading towards the trap set for it.

"Can I still see inside the ship at this range or have you withdrawn the nanite probe?" Sam asked. Sam was a closed book emotionally and in thought to Kasmilos but he could see clearly Daniel's fury at Jack's injury, some of it directed towards him. Along with this was a concern for the intentions of this new foe.

Daniel's feelings and preoccupation he could understand. He knew all about him now, how the loss of his wife had affected Daniel, and of the child that should have been his own. Death had visited so many people he had been close to and the resulting pain was in his mind for all the Kabeiroi to see. He appeared the most vulnerable of the group, yet ultimately these experiences could also make him the most deadly. He realised Daniel still had not found peace, the conflicts still tore at his mind and heart. 'His primal need is for revenge and it is vying with the need to forgive, and his survivor's guilt.' What amazed Kasmilos was Daniel was aware of these conflicts on a conscious level. 'What is that thought buried deep in his mind?'

'The only way to win is to deny the battle...'

'That line is a Mantra. It would be interesting to meeting this child Shifu who has tried to save him from himself.' Kasmilos thought.

"Kasmilos?" Sam queried.

"Of course." He turned and reactivated the nanite probe to search. "The probe is still there but we cannot hear what they say."

The three Kabeiroi left in the room watched as the two remain Tauri searched the mother ship. Daniel again surprised them as he spoke up. "Sam, I think I can work out most of what is being said but I need to see the faces."

"OK. You decide where to aim the probe I can't influence it anyway," Sam retorted.

After a short while Daniel's headset disintegrated and he got up a mixture of disgust and horror reflected on his face. Sam waved a little wildly and Kasmilos obliged her by removing her headset as well.

"Animals! Oh, I wish I could reach them," she exploded.

"Well we can't," Daniel shouted at her then forced himself to calm down. "In a while it will make no difference they have no idea of anything being wrong. They are too busy... eating!" He ground the last word out and swung round to face Kasmilos. "What about the remaining gliders?"

"Our defences will deal with them as easily as the last ones that came through the Stargate. Similar defences surround this city, even though they are not as obvious as the massive Stargate system."

Daniel looked at Sam. "You OK?"

Sam looked white but turned towards the hologram. "I have to see them destroyed," she whispered. "I have to know that you have..." her voice strengthened, "neutralised this threat."

All three of the Kabeiroi had seen what they had seen and shock was reflected in the images. "Teal'c was correct about these beings. They must not be allowed to travel further," one said aloud, agreeing with Sam's wish to destroy them. A nod was the only sign of agreement Kasmilos gave, but he turned to the hologram and magnified the picture. The mother ship and the planet it appeared to be approaching filled the screen. A flight of gliders launched towards the planet. "That will do them no good," the other Kabeiroi commented. "The mother ship is already within the range of the explosion."

The approach of the gliders triggered the carefully laid trap. The phantom planet began to glisten across its surface. Although the gliders wary of a trick, began to turn away from the unknown danger, it was far too late for them. The mother ship halted its approach but the trap ballooned outwards like an exploding sun. From within the screen of nanites energy poured out tossing and shredding the gliders like so many toys. Then the blast incinerated the remains. As the explosion continued outwards the mother ship rode the shock wave unsteadily, for a moment it seemed they would be pushed clear. Then the blast hit its screens and they crumbled, holes were punched through the large ship, evacuating the air and leaving them dead in space. The push from the shock wave kept their remains moving. The trajectory quickly became obvious as it appeared that the system had decided it would not allow anything to escape its wrath. The red sun swung slowly along its path and scooped up the remains of the ship on its way. Daniel and Sam left the control room to find out how Jack had faired. They didn't bother to watch the mother ship being dragged towards its final fiery destruction. Sam had never felt so gleeful at seeing creatures destroyed. It made her feel somehow contaminated that she could feel the way she did. It would be a long time before she forgave herself for that.

Daniel came back to the Control Room a short while later. He had wanted to watch the final minutes of the ships journey to oblivion but he felt nothing at all. 'The only way to win' he told himself, 'is to deny the battle.' Kasmilos heard the mantra in his head and quietly entered his mind unnoticed. He searched the mind for a way to lessen the pain and reinforce his will for good. He could only do a little or it would be noticed. Still when he retreated he was satisfied. Daniel would sleep well now that the survivor's guilt was gone. The rest would heal with time. This experience with Daniel left Kasmilos wondering what tragedies lay behind the large black barriers in Jack's mind. He had seen a little, his thoughts of the horrific imprisonment on his own planet. When his new friend had become aware of the Kabeiroi in his head he had adapted swiftly. It was amazing how quickly he learned to shut them out, unless he wanted them to see. They could heal his physical injuries, but Jack had made it clear that he expected them to stay out of his mind unless invited. In his present condition they could see behind the barriers but that would be an invasion, and Jack was a friend.

The Hidden Enemy

Over the following few days the team noticed more images of the Kabeiroi appearing. They had begun to drift around the spire rooms. Jack noticed a few moving ghost-like among the buildings and streets of the city. The level of consciousness within the Kabeiroi appeared to have risen. These people who had been imprisoned within their own bodies for so long, sensed freedom from their long incarceration. This freedom hung on the talents of Janet and Sam, and Jack hoped they were not going to be disappointed.

Jack looked around their accommodation at everyone finally gathered together to eat and rest. They were discussing the progress made over the short period since the Goa'uld had been destroyed. He was feeling better than he had for a long time, no twinges. Whatever the Kabeiroi had done to revive him seemed to have been generally beneficial. This planet was definitely good for him. 'I'll have to recommend it as a holiday retreat.' He looked around his people realising it was probably the first time they had really been left alone. After grabbing a piece of fruit from the table he sank onto the nearest unoccupied sofa.

Silence fell over the friends as they ate in quiet companionship. Sam sank back into her sofa with a relieved sigh and tucked her feet under her. A restless Teal'c rose from his place and wandered to the window. Sunset was past and it was dark outside. His gaze was drawn to the twin moons hanging above them. Those treacherous moons had almost been the undoing of the Kabeiroi and themselves. He silently hoped that they had destroyed the remnants of the Sobek cult. As he ran these thoughts through his mind his eyes met O'Neill's. A quizzical look appeared on O'Neill's face. "I was wondering..." Teal'c began.

""If there are anymore crocodile men out there," Jack finished and Teal'c nodded his head in agreement.

Jack shrugged it was something they couldn't know. Either they would see them again or they wouldn't. He turned to Janet and Sam with a query and a change in subject. "Are you any nearer finding out what has happened to these people?"

"Axiokersa arranged for some one to come out of stasis. We were able to take samples of blood and tissue and do some tests," Janet told him.

"I thought that could be deadly for them?" Daniel interjected.

"They chose to risk the last person to fall ill. This was on the premise that they stood the greatest chance of surviving long enough for us to complete the procedures," Sam answered his question.

"And," Jack asked as he watched Teal'c rejoin them around the table.

"We did the tests and put him back into stasis," Janet explained. "He weakened rapidly during his revival but was alive when we put him back. It seemed as if bringing him out of stasis somehow accelerated the deterioration."

"You mean like freezing and unfreezing food?" Daniel asked as he polished a piece of fruit.

"Hmm. I guess the analogy would hold if we had found anything bacterial or viral," she answered.

"No bugs, huh?" Jack asked.

"Not that we've found so far. We're now looking for the differences in our physical make-up compared to theirs."

"There has to be something different to find, at least as a starting point," Sam added.

Daniel threw the fruit he had been polishing at Sam, and she caught it deftly. "What have I got that the rest of you haven't?" he asked.

"Perhaps we should be asking what the rest of us have that Daniel hasn't," Jack suggested slyly. The fruit now sailed across the room in Jack's direction and he caught it. Sam grinned at him got up and collected another one from the table.

"The Goa'uld," Teal'c interjected suddenly.

"What?" Jack muttered through a mouthful of fruit.

"I carry a larval Goa'uld which rejected the nanites. Apparently the nanites were already in difficulties before my symbiote ejected them."

"What are you getting at Teal'c?" Janet asked in a puzzled tone.

"Sam carried Jolinar," he continued as he watched to see if anyone else made the connection.

"Yes, but the Goa'uld that tried to possess Colonel O'Neill died before he took control," Sam put in as she tried to follow his logic.

"That is true, but you injected me, Doctor Frasier and O'Neill in order to save us from Machello's killing devises."

"The marker!" Janet suddenly shouted and leapt up.

"Daniel Jackson is the only one of us who has not acquired the marker. He is also the only one of us who does not interfere with the nanites in any way," Teal'c finished and confirmed that it was the marker he was referring to.

"That might explain the nanites difficulties with us but it will not help explain the illness that the Kabeiroi have or why can both Colonel O'Neill and myself still hear them." Janet said seeing another possible explanation disappear.

"They could also hear Teal'c to begin with," Daniel commented. "Don't deny it Teal'c I remember that book on wildlife you were reading the morning we started this mission." Daniel grinned as the inference sank in. "That was your tiger!"

"So, what you're all saying is," Jack began. "Teal'c, myself and Doc have the marker. Junior has overridden the marker to get rid of all Teal'c's nanites anyway. Sam has never had any nanites because she has a... huge amount of marker in her blood. And... Daniel has never had any marker in the first place." Everyone looked at Jack as he concluded his evaluation.

"So we should be looking for something like the marker," Sam finished when everything went quiet." They all looked at her for an explanation. "We've already agreed that it's not bacterial or viral, perhaps it's prions. The death of a Goa'uld leaves a protein marker," she continued sitting forward in sudden excitement. "Perhaps we're looking for a prion that attacks nerve tissue."

"One that also binds to the nanites and makes them inoperable," Janet added as she caught Sam's drift. "The nanites," Janet yelled as she caught Sam's excitement, "are they organic? Some of them, all of them?"

"We need to ask Axiokersa," Sam responded. Both women were now on their feet and running for the stairway.

As their excited voices faded to the floor below Jack looked over at Teal'c. "Now see what you've started," he said with a straight face.

Finding a Cure

"So... this is weird." Jack watched the two women beavering away at their tasks in absolute silence. The excitement of the hour before was now lost under a mass of work. To Teal'c and Jack the room looked like a full-blown laboratory. Neither of them believed for a minute that all of this apparatus had been brought through the Stargate. Jack was surprised, Sam and Janet had previously been reluctant to use equipment manufactured by the nanites. There were several Kabeiroi in the room now watching them curiously. Only one of the faces was familiar, Axiokersa stood beside Janet. For some reason this pair had made a link, much as Jack and Kasmilos had.

Sam glanced across at the women working together, but Jack could not decide about the expression on her face. To him she looked, worried or maybe curious? She looked slightly miffed, yes that was it but making no comment to either of the other two for excluding her. Jack suspected that Sam disliked being one of the people the Kabeiroi could not 'talk' to, it was a problem that did not appear to bother Teal'c.

"You've certainly started something Teal'c," he drawled at the Jaffa, as he took in a room that appeared to be diminishing in size.

Teal'c didn't seem to hear him. He appeared fascinated by the people who were gradually arriving. There were more now as each hour passed and they all seemed to be trying to find a corner of the laboratory to stand in. Even though they were only holographic images all of the new faces reflected a growing excitement. "I believe that our hosts want to help but are unsure of what needs to be done." Teal'c wandered away from the crowded room towards the stairway, "O'Neill, I have not seen Daniel Jackson for the past hour. I will go look for him."

"He's in the library again," Jack called after him. "I have no idea what's gotten him excited. He just said," then he mimicked his friend, "the marker! Of course! Then he disappeared."

Kasmilos appeared by the stairway in front of Teal'c who stopped, uncertain of how solid the man's current form would be. A glance around the room showed Kasmilos a rather large crowd of 'ghosts' flowing into the room.

"This is an extremely crowded place," he commented sternly. Most of the Kabeiroi melted away silently at the admonishment leaving Axiokersa in the room and one or two of the hardier souls.

"You don't chase me away that easily," Jack mock growled at him.

"Colonel!" Janet's voice snapped from across the room.

"But she can," Jack whispered in mock fear and made a hasty exit passing Teal'c at the top of the stairway. A laugh from Kasmilos followed him down.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and nodded briefly at Janet then made a slow majestic exit. He sped up once he was out of sight, to catch up with the retreating figure of O'Neill. They found Daniel with his nose in a screen. A strange chart glowed before his eyes and he was deep into studying it. "What've you got there?" Jack asked as he leaned over the screen to peer down at its contents.

"It's easier to see right side up," was Daniel's dry response. "These are the final diaries of the Kabeiroi that took the last trip to Earth. They're all dead you know."

"No, I don't know," Jack responded as he walked round to view the screen from the front.

Daniel poked the screen with his finger. "It's the colours. Purple denotes those still alive, yellow for those who have passed on. The yellow entries are all locked so they can't be altered."

"Neat way to stop someone else changing your history," Jack commented as he studied what must have been some kind of summary. A whole block of entries stood out in yellow.

"What does this mean?" Teal'c asked curiously pointing at the block.

"I think they brought the illness back with them. That would be why they died first I would think." Daniel replied and then looked at Jack. "Having had the longest exposure," to further explain his thought.

"But does it tell you what this has to do with the marker?" Jack enquired dryly.

"I think it does. See here," he activated a new page and pointed partway down the script. "This person is talking about the Goa'uld."

"Oh…" Jack stared at the screen, and then gave up. "What does it say Daniel?" 'How Daniel ever keeps up with all these languages...'

"Well," Daniel hesitated as Teal'c moved up behind him and Jack pulled a seat close to the screen. "They had some kind of run-in with them. Not the first one it would seem. They know a lot more about the Goa'uld than they've told us. Seems the Goa'uld wanted Thracia and the Kabeiroi weren't having any of it. They protected the people there. I think until this point in time they had pretty much ignored each other. I guess the Goa'uld pushed once too often."

"So they kicked some Goa'uld ass," Jack chirped with a smile. He liked the sound of that.

"Yeah... but it says here, two of their people where taken by the Goa'uld. Then, and I don't really understand this..." Daniel paused while he studied the writing. "Apparently their argument was with Kronos. This person here calls him 'The Usurper'. Seems he traded them to another Goa'uld... doesn't say for what. That one kept them for a while and then let them go without any kind of explanation."

"That doesn't sound very Goa'uld-like," Jack commented.

"It could be a Goa'uld strategy if their release would bring about the Kabeiroi's downfall, wouldn't it Teal'c?"

"It would, Daniel Jackson."

"So what are you saying?" Jack asked patiently.

"A designer bug, contagious and deadly," Daniel stated the obvious.

"But there is no bug, Janet said so."

"Nothing we have recognised as a bug. And it's not the protein marker itself because that is harmless to us, even though it appears to be affecting the nanites. Something made of a similar material? I don't know this is really Sam and Janet's field."

"Prions." Jack stated. "I distinctly heard someone say Prions."

"So it's their contact with the Goa'uld that's done for them," Jack muttered as he stood up. "Is there anything there that will help Sam and Janet?"

"I'm transferring the files up to them so we can get access from there."

"Can't we already?" Jack asked.

"The Kabeiroi don't appear to have ever seen the need for cross referencing their information. Everything in their library is compartmentalised, specified for different functions. They only feed relevant information to the areas normally requiring it. There is no overall access and anyway, this file hasn't been looked at since it was originally written." Daniel shook his head as he closed the link down. 'Why had they just accepted that the Goa'uld had let their captives go?' They all headed back up the spire 'I guess I'm getting fitter,' Daniel thought to himself, he wasn't even short of breath. 'Wonder if the nanites compensate for that too?' Daniel found Sam sat at a console quietly fuming. He leaned over her and quickly typed in a request for access to the library. "I just asked for a direct feed to the library to be set-up. The records are being inter-linked as we speak," he told her with a cheerful grin on his face. "This read my mind and then give me whatever I think is all very well but, you don't have to know how to do it, just what you want. I guess one of the Kabeiroi figures the rest out."

"Hmmm, that may be so but it still has a serious drawback. We should be able to clear out the problem by filtering their blood," Sam told him, "But the Kabeiroi cannot build the equipment we need."

"Why not?" A rather large sigh escaped from Jack and she turned and found him standing directly behind her.

"They have been making all the things necessary for their continued survival from nanites for a couple of thousand years. There isn't much here that is made of anything else."

It was Daniel's turn to look puzzled. "So?"

"We have to set-up columns of tailored RNA to filter the blood. We can't create the columns with nanites, they will break down when they come into contact with the infected blood."

"But we can get these columns from Earth?" Teal'c suggested.

Janet joined the discussion. "The idea has been suggested for the treatment of blood, yes. There's also some talk of using RNA aptamers to inhibit diseases such as vCJD, by creating molecules to use as drugs. It's still very experimental." Janet looked very solemn as she explained. "We've only just developed the technology to produce the artificial strands of RNA. Everything we are talking about here is not much beyond theory. None of it has been applied to anything more than testing samples of blood and brain tissue."

"We can show them the theories and see what they want to do. It will be their decision to take the risks we can only offer what we have." Jack could hear the tiredness in Sam's voice and he decided to bring the discussion to a close.

"You've found the problem and you think you have a solution. Now I think you need a break. They've waited all this time and a little while longer will make no difference. It's time for rest. You know, sleep. That thing we were going to do three or four hours ago. You can't think straight with a tired mind."

Jack ushered them back upstairs to rest and wandered back into the room. He noticed both Axiokersa and Kasmilos's images had disappeared. He strolled over to the stasis chambers and looked in on Kasmilos's body with a worried expression. What if they couldn't apply this new stuff to the problem? He needed sleep as well but he didn't actually feel tired.

One in Every Crowd

A silence fell over the Spire and city surrounding it. Darkness descended as both suns and moons dipped below the horizon. At the top of the Spire the team from Earth slept peacefully. The strange pattern of days and nights on Taenarus had taken their toll. It had been almost twenty hours of daylight and none of them had slept. A fine mist sprayed quietly into the room filling it with a soft sweet odour. Kasmilos watched as the group slid from sleep into unconsciousness. He was careful that the level of sedative ensured they remained unconscious without permanent harm. There were no holograms present all the Kabeiroi were safely in their stasis containers.

'Why do we do this now?' Axiokersa asked.

'They have shown us the way. We can prepare the equipment more quickly and e0fficiently than they.' A deeper thought was surfacing. This Kabeiroi had not spoken since the arrival of the SG team. He had been awake and watching everything that the humans had done.

'But they want to help us. They have done us no harm,' Kasmilos objected to this treatment of his new friends.

'We will not show them anymore of our technology than they have seen,' the Elder instructed. A murmur of agreement ran through the ranks of now conscious Kabeiroi. 'Your faith in this race has already cost us dearly.'

Kasmilos was silenced but the quiet anger and outrage in his mind was not. A ripple of unease ran through the awoken consciousness of the Kabeiroi.

Outside of the city, nanites began gathering and reforming an old mining complex. Production of ore restarted and sand from a distant source was flown into the city. Several buildings adapted to form factory structures. Within twenty-four hours full production of the filtering equipment was underway. They had taken the instruction for this equipment from Janet's mind. Conscious and unconscious memories gave them enough to understand what was required but as they worked it dawned on several residents that there was no knowledge of how to create the RNA that was needed to soak up the foreign substance in their bodies.

An angry Kasmilos continued to watch over his friends. While he watched larger and larger numbers of the Kabeiroi became curious about the visitors. Most hadn't any knowledge of what had been happening and read the records of recent events with growing dismay. To his horror, the Elder found disaffection spreading with increasing speed among his people. Once the visual and recorded messages had shown them the defeat of the Goa'uld and the attempts to help them, very few agreed with his views. That their present illness stemmed from contact with Earth was undeniable. It was clear to all however, that the Goa'uld were responsible for the invisible invaders, not the humans and most appeared to view the newcomer's achievements with admiration. He found himself isolated and Kasmilos's actions universally approved. The Kabeiroi were going to be re-born into internal conflict because of a simple act of caution.

'An act of unnecessary distrust?' a thought responded and the Elder recognised Axiokersa. The Elder was silenced again. He reverted to a silent watch not willing to trust them himself, but unwilling to defy the majorities wishes.

'What shall we tell them when they are awakened?' One asked.

'Tell them nothing, allow them to wake normally.'

'Too much time has passed. They will know they have slept longer than they normally would,' Kasmilos pointed out.

'They will feel it physically as they awake all will be unwell for a short while. They have been unconscious for two days.' Axiokersa added. 'What can we do to repair the damage to our friendship?'

'Perhaps we will be able to remove the obstruction to the Builders from their bodies with the same technique that they have shown us to remove our illness. Then they will be able to use our nanite technology.' Someone suggested.

'This is not a good idea,' another mind interjected. 'These are soldiers, explorers. This resistance may serve them on another occasion, in another place.'

'I agree with you,' Kasmilos responded. 'Besides, we cannot bribe them to forgive us that will only make matters worse. Let them sleep a while longer and awaken slowly to lessen the effect of the sedative. I will show Jack we meant no harm. As long as he trusts me the others will also.'

Down in the base of the Spire at ground level and on several sub-levels, columns of glass began to appear next to the stasis containers. Hundred and then thousands of columns until the mines began to run low on the ore for the necessary ingredients. With the number created they would only have to re-cycle the containers three or four times to ensure everyone's recovery. The pleasure at having achieved so much so quickly was tempered by one serious concern.

'How do we create this RNA that the woman Janet spoke of?'

A Case for Trust

The team slowly came to their senses. A disoriented Janet reached for an alarm clock that wasn't there. The bells were in her head. She pushed her face back into the pillow and groaned. The red light confused Sam. 'Yellow sun should be up, why is everything red?' The response from Jack as he came awake was a lot louder. Instinct told him something wasn't right. "Kasmilos!" he yelled and then grabbed his head with sudden regret at such a hasty act. "What have you done to us?"

"I'm sorry for the pain, it will pass quickly and you are all unharmed," Kasmilos explained as he appeared within the room.

"That doesn't answer the question," Jack growled back peering up at him as the pain began to die away.

"Some of our people had concerns about how much you were learning from us," Kasmilos explained carefully.

"Why? We have studied only what you have given us access to. We have not attempted to go anywhere or do anything without your permission." Daniel was seriously disgruntled, after being so careful not to upset anyone. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and leaned over holding his head. A hostility that the Kabeiroi hadn't previously felt was emanating from this normally docile mind. Suddenly his mind seemed to disappear and the listening Kabeiroi found that they were blocked out. The anger at their mistrust of him made an effective barrier. A stirring of alarm went through the gathered minds. They did not know how to complete the process to heal themselves and they had antagonised the people who would have helped them. The Elder sensed an increasing hostility towards his interference with Kasmilos handling of their guests.

"What've you been up to while we were out?" Sam asked as she shook the last of the fog from her head.

"Preparing the equipment you described," Axiokersa replied a little timidly.

"Then you have no need of us," Teal'c stated and stood up. "Perhaps we should depart O'Neill."

Jack was surprised that Teal'c was also seriously annoyed, very little ever seemed to effect his even temper.

"We have not yet fulfilled our promise of sharing technology with you." A voice none recognised filled the room but no image appeared.

Jack stood up and grabbed his cap from the table. Then Kasmilos finally managed to reach through the anger and into Jack's mind. A surprised gasp sprung to Jack's lips as he slipped back onto the bed.

"What have you done?" Janet shouted as the group ran to his bed to assist him.

Jack sat back up almost immediately. "It's OK. I'm fine, it was just... unexpected. Give me a minute," he added. "I wasn't exactly the best person to do that to Kasmilos!"

"What's he done?" Sam asked.

"Downloaded a mass of info into my head. I can't make head or tail of it." The look of confusion on his face reinforced the concern in his voice.

"This is dangerous for the Colonel," Sam stared around telling whoever was listening. "This happened before and we nearly lost him."

"Saved your butt though, didn't I?" Jack commented, suddenly alert again.

Sam looked at her CO with relie, but the worry wouldn't go away.

"You sure you're OK?" Daniel asked him.

Jack got to his feet and wandered to the window as his friends watched him with concern. "Did you mean to do that, Kasmilos?" Jack turned back and called questioningly, "Kasmilos?"

"Kasmilos is no longer in the link," Axiokersa told them. Jack turned to stare at her image. "His mind is missing."

"Where is he?" Janet asked an unwelcome suspicion already forming in her mind.

"He tried to merge with Jack to show him we meant no harm. He was sucked into Jack's mind." Axiokersa stared at Jack now puzzled and faintly alarmed by her brother's mind being absent. "Some one has merged with you before? It may have made the pathway..." she paused looking for a simple word, "Slippery."

"Slippery?" Jack spluttered. 'Kasmilos? You in here?'

'I am afraid I am, Jack.'

"Oh, shit!" Jack responded and the look on his face confirmed what Axiokersa had just told them. 'I don't believe you Kasmilos! How can you accidentally slip into my head?' Jack spoke aloud in his frustration.

'I can assure you...' Kasmilos began softly in Jack's head.

'Don't! The Tok'ra are always doing that and it's never good news! Axiokersa said you slipped in well you can just slip back to your own body. I don't take well to sharing mine!' Jack was now shouting as well as thinking at him.

'I can't. Not without the Builders to expedite matters.'

'But you got into my head!'

'Jack, the problem is I don't know how or why it happened. I was just trying to talk to your mind. I can't find the pathway I travelled down.'

'Can't find!'

'We will have to create one. For that the Builders need to enter my body.'

"How do we get him out?" Sam asked while listening to the one-sided conversation.

'Then how were we communicating before?' Jack had been pacing during the conversation but stopped when he asked this question.

'There are contacts embedded in the base of our skulls. These are connected to the external apparatus that controls the builders. My whole mind should not have been able to ride that link. And before you ask, no we can't reverse it. If we tamper with the links it would damage the controls to the stasis chambers. My body would die and I would never be able to leave your mind.'

Jack sat back on the bed a look of defeat on his face.

"We heal Kasmilos's body, and then we can link them through the Builders to recover him," Axiokersa explained. "First we must heal him," she repeated.

Sam looked at her CO with concern. "We'll get him out Sir."

"All of you," Janet corrected Axiokersa. "What part of the procedure have you not been able to prepare?"

"We cannot produce the RNA. We have no experience with this type of science. You called these aptamers?"

"Biopolymer strings. This field required a specialist. Neither Sam nor I know how to do this. Can we see what you have prepared so far?"

'Kasmilos we have a problem with the rest of the information you need," Jack told his inner partner.

"We should not separate," Teal'c suddenly spoke up suspiciously.

"We don't really have a choice," Daniel responded.

"I would like to get exclusive use of my body back Teal'c, if possible." Jack added to Daniel's comment. "Teal'c Go with Dr Fraiser and Carter. Daniel will stay with me, OK?"

Teal'c nodded and followed Sam and Janet to the stairway. Jack sat down and beckoned Daniel to do the same. 'Another human is required to come to Taenarus to help complete this task,' the Elder pointed out unexpectedly to the listening Kabeiroi. 'We gain a new technology rather than giving them anything. It is somewhat ironic.'

'Don't worry about it,' Jack responded and they suddenly realised a stranger had entered their mind-link. 'This would be a good way to exchange information. We bring some one with the knowledge you need. You give him the nanite specifications in exchange.'

One of the many Kabeiroi became aware of Daniel's exclusion from the mind-link and drew him in. Now it had been done it seemed a simple thing to accomplish. Daniel felt like he had just entered a packed stadium of people all talking at once. His assistant helped him narrow the minds down to the few of interest to him. Suddenly it went quiet enough for him to hear Kasmilos and Jack.

'What if he cannot use them, Jack?'

'Let us worry about that, Kas. You will have kept your end of the bargain.'

'Kasmilos, is that you?' Axiokersa asked.

'Yes.'

'How are you doing that?'

We are doing it.'

'This has never been done before.' Axiokersa pointed out.

'This has never been tried before,' someone else commented.

'Fascinating.'

'Look! This might be all very fascinating for you guys but it's my mind you're messing with.'

'Sorry, Jack, but we can help Sam and Janet while we are together. Or we could go and find this person to exchange the information,' Kasmilos suggested.

Jack thought about taking Kasmilos back through the Stargate in his head. Then he thought about the NID and various other organisations finding out about his passenger.

'Not a good idea Jack,' Daniel put in.

'You in here too, Daniel?'

'Yes, Jack.'

'That's so cool!' Jack thought back at him and Daniel's mind smiled!

'You do not trust your own people?' The Elder asked him.

'Not all of them. If we send Teal'c and Daniel with instructions to only tell Hammond what has happened and what we need. That will be safest, him I trust.'

'You are a unique people,' Kasmilos told him.

'Even among our own,' Jack replied immodestly and felt Kasmilos's roar of laughter in his head.

Everything's Fine General

The Embarkation Room was alive with activity. The Security Guards had moved away from the ramp to allow Medics up to the wounded man. They stood patiently waiting for General Hammond to dismiss them. A certain curiosity about the fate of the missing man also pervaded the air.

"What happened?" Hammond asked Colonel Jamieson as he stepped off the ramp.

A groan from Major Pearson on the ramp caught their attention. They watched as the wounded man was lifted on to a gurney. The movement of his bloody leg caused enough pain to penetrate his unconscious state.

"We were lucky to make it back to the Stargate at all Sir." Jamieson explained a haunted look on his face. "There was no warning. We were ambushed. Although we managed to get Pearson back to the Stargate, we lost Eddings."

"Your other people are OK?"

"Phillips and Northedge are unhurt, Sir."

"What about Eddings? Is there any chance he's still alive?" Hammond already knew the answer. Jamieson would already have requested backup to return if there had been any chance. Still, he needed to ask.

"No, Sir," Jamieson responded. "I saw him go down. He took a shot to the head. No chance, Sir."

"Who attacked you, Colonel? Was it the Goa'uld?"

"No, I'm almost certain it wasn't, must have been locals. The intel we had on the planet was wrong. There was nothing near the Stargate, no sign of habitation or civilisation of any sort. We had no warning at all," he repeated. He'd lost a team member who had been with him since before they had joined the SGC.

"Were they human?" Hammond asked as they turned to move out of the Embarkation Room.

"Couldn't tell, Sir. We never..."

Glyphs began to light up on the Stargate as its machinery whirred into action. The medics and SG4s remaining members quickly pushed the gurney off the ramp and out of the area.

"Close the iris!" Hammond hollered as he rushed to the Control Room.

The security detail took up their positions again, weapons trained on the closed Iris.

"It's SG1's ID Sir."

"Open the iris," the General ordered with an even deeper frown etching his face. 'One bad event today already and now SG1 is two days early. I hope nothing has gone wrong.' He moved back into the Embarkation Room to wait for the latest arrivals. A tense silence fell over the room and Hammond could feel the tension dissipate as Dr Jackson and Teal'c appeared through the event horizon. "Dr Jackson, Teal'c, is everything OK?"

"Everything's fine General. We're here to ask for some extra expertise," Daniel explained with a reassuring smile.

"Detail dismissed," Hammond called as the Stargate shut down. "Come up to the Briefing Room. You can attend the Infirmary later. They have their hands full at the moment." As the security detail trouped out of the room, Daniel threw the General a concerned look.

"Trouble, Sir?"

"SG4 was ambushed," Hammond told them as they followed the marines from the room. "Eddings is dead and Pearson's been injured."

"Pearson Sir?" Daniel asked concerned to hear his friend had been hurt.

"Let the doctor do his job. You can look in on him later."

"Yes, Sir." Their backpacks were dropped unceremoniously beside the doorway of the Briefing Room and Hammond motioned for them to take seats.

"What is it you need son?" Hammond asked Daniel. Instead of trying to answer that question, Daniel handed him a note from Sam. They sat patiently until the General had absorbed the contents.

"Let me get this straight," Hammond commented after a few minutes. "Colonel O'Neill wants us to send them someone who knows how to manufacture..." he looked at the note again, "RNA strings. In return the Kabeiroi are going to give us nanite technology?"

"Actually," Daniel replied a little dryly. "I don't think they believe we'll understand it, Sir. They also don't think we could harm ourselves trying so they will let us have it anyway." A grin appeared on his face. "They believe we are still very primitive, but they like our ingenuity."

"Daniel Jackson is correct they do appear to like us. They like Colonel O'Neill especially."

"That's Kasmilos," Daniel added, "who likes Jack. Anyway they have also shown Jack a defensive weapon that we could use."

"They have said it will defend the world of the Tauri from Goa'uld attack," Teal'c added.

"They believe," Daniel continued, "that this is technology we can understand and use." Hammond's head turned from one to the other as they unfolded their story. This was more conversation than he usually heard from the Jaffa, he normally stayed silent unless spoken to at these meetings.

"It's strange," Daniel told him, "but for all their technology they have very little medical knowledge. Axiokersa says they never get sick. There are accidents and eventually even the Kabeiroi die of old age but that's it. These are the only ways that their population decreases. At least until they crossed swords with the Goa'uld."

"Crossed swords?" Teal'c queried.

"It's a saying, Teal'c," both Hammond and Daniel responded. Teal'c's mobile eyebrow crept up a fraction.

"They seem to be offering us a lot in exchange for a little?" Hammond mused and he was wondering what the catch was.

"I don't think the knowledge they want from us is a little thing Sir." Daniel reasoned. "Dr Fraiser explained to them that this is a new field for us. In fact it's still in the experimental stage. They are willing to take the risk if it gives them the chance of recovery."

Hammond nodded his understanding. "I'll see what I can do, meanwhile, report to the Infirmary."

Neither Teal'c not Daniel needed a second telling of that instruction. Teal'c was as anxious as Daniel to find out what had happened to their friends. Some time later a knock on the door brought General Hammond's head up from his work. The smile that appeared for his guest was genuine. "What can I do for you Dr Jackson? I haven't heard about the specialist you've requested yet, although that is unlikely to be a problem, with all that is on offer in exchange."

"I know, Sir. Umm, I have a message for you from Jack. I need to talk to you privately." Daniel's eyes slid up to the ever-present camera in the corner of the room. Although Hammond was a little surprised by the request, he swung his chair around and stood up.

"There is no sound recording with the security cameras. You can talk freely here." Daniel nodded and sat down swinging away from the camera.

"Jack has a problem but he's reluctant to let anyone in on it... It's the reason he didn't come back himself this time." A small alarm bell began in Hammond's head, but he nodded and let Daniel explain the problem. "One of the Kabeiroi has become stuck in Jack's mind."

"I don't understand," Hammond commented uneasily.

"Kasmilos tried to 'download' some of his knowledge into Jack's mind. Something went wrong during the process and his whole mind slid into Jack's. Now they both occupy the same body, Jack's body."

Hammond looked down at his hands and asked quietly. "How did this happen?"

"They're not certain but they think that Jack has had something downloaded into his mind before. It made some kind of permanent pathway. It's probably what happened with the Ancients knowledge that created it."

"So, all the Kabeiroi has to do is come out the way he went in," Hammond responded and waited to be told why this could not be done.

"It doesn't work like that apparently. They need the nanites to facilitate the action. Going into Jack's mind was easy because he had some nanites. Into Kasmilos's mind is not because he has no nanites in him to reverse the process. So they cannot undo what has happened until..."

"Until we cure them," Hammond finished for him.

"So..." Daniel finished and looked Hammond straight in the eyes for the first time, "if the cure doesn't work, Kasmilos is stuck in Jack's mind."

"How does Jack feel about that?" Hammond asked.

"He's not thrilled by the prospect but he isn't saying much. You know Jack. As much as he seems to like Kasmilos well, Urgo... drove us nuts... He's not exactly predisposed to sharing his mind with anyone you know."

"Yes," answered Hammond. "Then this cure had better work. What is Jack afraid of?"

"The NID," Daniel replied. "Besides we have no way of knowing how much of Jack's mind Kasmilos has already accessed you know security and all. Jack didn't say anything, but I'm betting..."

"Yes, I remember when we first met," Hammond commented.

"Sir?"

"I asked him if he thought of writing a book about his career. He said, he would have to kill anyone who read it," Hammond smiled at the memory. "We'll change all codes except SG1s until your return and then issue new ones for yourselves that is probably the safest route. Don't worry about the NID this information will not leave this room." The worry about that particular organisation needed no further explanation. It had been the bane of the SGC for some time. Hammond needed to get SG1 the help they needed, quickly and without revealing what had happened to Jack. Hopefully the problem would resolve itself without the NID or anyone else becoming aware of it. Later that afternoon Teal'c knocked on Hammond's door.

He wondered why he had been summoned alone to the General's office. "You wished to see me?"

"Yes. Come in and sit down, Teal'c."

As Teal'c settled himself in the chair, Hammond fiddled with the papers on his desk. 'How to start?'

"You are concerned for O'Neill," Teal'c stated as he watched the General calmly.

Hammond nodded and explained his concern. "I am worried about the amount of control the Kabeiroi appears to have over the other members of SG1. Do you believe your symbiote has protected you from their influence?"

"I was affected when we first arrived on the planet. However, I am no longer." Teal'c told him.

"And the others?"

"Major Carter has also remained unaffected. The Builders never gained control over her body or mind."

"What about Doctor Jackson?"

"They had complete control of Daniel Jackson. I believe that if they wished it they could still take complete control of him."

"While he is within the SGC?" Hammond asked vaguely alarmed.

"I do not believe so. The Builders appeared to leave Daniel Jackson before he entered the Stargate. I do not believe that the Kabeiroi or their technologies are a threat to the members of SG1 or to the SGC. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson have been affected by their contact but they appear unchanged by it. It was O'Neill choice not to return to Earth with Kasmilos in his mind, although I believe Kasmilos would have liked to come.

They have influenced the members of SG1 and Doctor Fraiser only because they wish our help. The one called Kasmilos appears to have taken a particular interest in us and especially in O'Neill. I believe they will keep their agreement with us."

The concern faded from Hammond's face as he thought over Teal'c's comments. 'If Teal'c believes what they've told SG1, then perhaps the risk is worth it.' Hammond smiled and his eyes lit in anticipation. 'Real useable technology. We've been offered it before, maybe this time...' "Thank you, Teal'c. You can tell Doctor Jackson that the specialist will be arriving in the morning."

The Specialist

The lab bench couldn't be seen under the mountain of disorganised paperwork. A long fringe of dark hair hid the doctor's face as he searched for his missing papers. He moved several sheets to one pile and then sifted through another. He gritted his teeth and hissed his irritation. "I'm sure there's a correlation between the results, there has to be. Where have I put the last results?" He was exasperated with himself.

As he heard the lab door open, his head shot up. The impending storm didn't break. Instead of yelling at the hapless assistant he'd expected to see, his mouth dropped open. His mouth snapped shut as he realised he was staring in disbelief at the men who had entered the room. Air force uniforms were not normal wear around the University and certainly not the laboratories. Still, standing inside the door to his work area, were two smartly uniformed men. "Yes?" A slightly bemused pair of blue eyes took in the uniforms.

"Are you Doctor Brian Trent?" The doctor nodded. "We have a letter for you," one of the men told him as he walked forward and put it in his now outstretched hand. As they had been instructed, they waited for the doctor to take in the contents of the letter. There really wasn't much in it to tell him what was going on. The instructions were from Washington and signed by the President. Not that he had ever seen his signature before but had no reason to doubt the letters authenticity.

"So I'm just supposed to drop everything I'm doing and go with you?" The airman who had handed him the letter nodded. An amused smile appeared on the doctor's face. "My country needs me, huh? Have you any idea how inconvenient it is at the moment?" Neither officer replied. They had their instructions and hoped the doctor wasn't going to be difficult. "Then I suppose you had better take me to pick up some clothes and equipment."

"We have been instructed to tell you that everything you'll need will be supplied, including clothing."

"I would rather have my own things," the doctor snapped irritably, amusement at the summons vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"There will be no room in the aircraft for anything but yourself, Sir."

Now thoroughly intrigued the doctor followed his guides from the room. After all, it wasn't everyday instructions arrived with the President's signature on them. "My father will be expecting me home."

"That's being taken care of. We won't let your family worry about you, Sir." That was how Doctor Brian Trent found himself a passenger aboard an air force jet carrying him towards Cheyenne Mountain and a completely unforeseen future.

By the time the elevator had taken him down to sub levels running into the twenties Trent was seriously regretting being so docile. He could at least have tried to object to having his life taken over by the military. He rested a nervous hand on the side of the elevator and small beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. Maybe he should have mentioned his claustrophobia before he stepped into the car. His escorts noticed the strained look on his face and exchanged glances. The elevator door opened and Trent pushed past them into the corridor. They gave him a moment to recover a little before moving him on again.

"It's this way Sir. General Hammond is waiting for you." Trent nodded and followed, he didn't trust himself to speak. The corridor didn't seem much bigger than the lift to him. 'If I could just forget how far underground I am.'

One of the soldiers entered the office first. Trent saw him lean over whispering something to the bald man seated behind the desk. As he stepped into the room the General stood up and smiled at him. "Welcome Doctor Trent. I'm sorry for all of the cloak and dagger tactics and the rush to get you here. Would you like to sit down? Perhaps we can get you a drink?"

Trent glanced at the window in one side of the room. It gave an illusion of normalcy to the office if only because he could see a large hangar sized room beyond it. He nodded his thanks and breathed a little easier. Hammond looked at him closely and recognised the signs the officer had warned him about. "Claustrophobia?" he asked him.

Trent looked at his hands and clasped the arm of the chair to steady them. "Yes. Do I have to stay here long?"

"You have three hours to prepare for the assignment and then you will be out of here," Hammond told him.

"An assignment?"

"We want you to help some people who are seriously ill, dying in fact," Hammond explained.

"I'm not that kind of a doctor," Trent replied. "Even the military must know the difference."

"We know," Hammond responded. 'Sarcasm, you and Jack are going to get on well.' "It's your knowledge of genetics particularly in relation to creating RNA structures that we're interested in."

Trent looked puzzled. "How is that going to help someone who's sick?"

"This is a field I am ill equipped to explain. Doctor Jackson will tell you what he knows. Then you will be taken to meet Doctor Fraiser and your patients. Hopefully you will be able to help."

"Doctor Jackson?" Trent asked grasping at the one phrase that made any real sense to him.

"Doctor Jackson is an archaeologist," Hammond told him with just a hint of humour creeping into his voice.

Trent decided he was wrong nothing was making sense. He did however feel a little better and his hands had stopped shaking. The slight lessening of his guest's stressed state was noted. Hammond gave instructions for him to be taken to the briefing room. He thought the larger room would be more comfortable for him. Hammond picked up the phone as Trent was led out of the room. "Doctor Jackson? The Specialist has arrived. Will you collect Teal'c and join us in the Briefing room immediately."

Hammond found Trent staring out of the window at the activity below him in the Gate Room. His footsteps disturbed the doctor's study of the activity and he turned to face the General. He looked a lot better than when Hammond had first seen him. 'So you have inner reserves,' Hammond thought, 'I think you may need them.' Nevertheless Hammond was impressed by the man's ability to control what was obviously a serious phobia.

More footsteps told Trent that others were joining them. He looked at the two people who stepped into the room. Neither looked like an Archaeologist to him. One looked quite unnerving. 'And what's with the forehead decoration. I wouldn't have thought Uncle Sam would allow that.'

"Doctor Trent," Hammond interrupted his line of thought."This is Doctor Daniel Jackson." Daniel reached to shake his hand and Trent responded automatically.

"Doctor of Archaeology?"

Daniel nodded. "Don't let the fatigues fool you, I'm not military."

"And this is Teal'c," Hammond continued.

The tattooed giant nodded to him. 'Almost regally,' Trent mused. 'Who are you?' The situation was becoming more intriguing by the minute. He wasn't used to adventures outside of a laboratory. All his exciting discoveries until now had been under a microscope.

Over the next half-hour Daniel Jackson showed more of a grasp of genetics than Trent would have expected. His explanation that he was only relaying the information under instruction, didn't lessen the impact. The one called Teal'c remained silent during this time but Trent could sense him studying his reactions. Finally he believed he had the gist of what they wanted from him.

"Filtering Prions from the blood stream is only a theory. The theory is sound given the results on ways of identify Prions diseases so far, but we're nowhere near the testing stage of building filters for curing people."

"But you have created the RNA in a laboratory so you know the theory?" Daniel responded.

"Yes, but it was not 100% accurate yet. We haven't found..."

"That is all we want from you Doctor Trent," Hammond told him. "These people believe they will be able to use that knowledge."

"There isn't anyone within the science community that has got any further than us with this. Who are these people you keep referring to?"

Daniel looked at Hammond and waited for him to drop the bombshell. A wry expression appeared on his face as he explained. "These people are not amongst your scientific community. These people are not on Earth."

Trent eyes went wide for a moment. "Is this some kind of joke? I would have thought you have more important things to do than waste my time."

"This is no joke doctor," Hammond glanced at his watch. "We will show you in a moment. Would you move to the window please? Doctor Jackson, will you stay with him?" Daniel nodded and stood up, waving Trent back to the window.

A soldier appeared at the doorway. "We're ready, Sir." Hammond nodded and followed him from the room.

"What's happening?" Trent asked nervously. He had a feeling he really didn't want to know. An increase in noise level wafted up from the Gate Room. Trent watched as fully equipped, armed soldiers arrived in the room. Several soldiers appeared to have their weapons ready and trained on the large metal circle at one end of the ramp. He heard General Hammond's voice, but missed what he'd said. Then the circle began to move, building up sound and spinning, only to stop suddenly. It was like a safe lock, rotating and then clicking into place.

"This is our Stargate," Daniel Jackson told him. "With this Gate we can go to thousands of planets all over our Galaxy."

Trent continued to stare out of the window. He decided this was all some kind of dream. Maybe he'd had a breakdown of some kind. 'That's it, I'm crazy. None of this is real.' Then the seventh chevron locked and the Stargate activated. Trent didn't even notice he'd stopped breathing. All he understood was the ring generated some kind of energy field. It blossomed from the centre of the ring, rushing outwards over the ramp. Then it appeared to be sucked back again, stabilising like a skin continually flowing within the ring.

The soldiers immediately made their way up the ramp as soon as the outflow of energy stopped. They paused briefly beside the stabilised surface. 'It looks like a swimming pool standing on its side, the water lit from underneath.' Words to describe what he could see would not come. Then the soldiers stepped into the pool of energy and disappeared.

"They are visiting a planet we go to on a regular basis, friendly natives so they're not expecting any trouble," Daniel explained to the dumbfounded scientist.

"On a regular basis," Trent repeated mesmerised by what was happening below him. "And you want me to step into that?" His voice went up an octave.

"It is safe," Teal'c told him calmly.

"Well mostly," added the incurably honest Daniel.

"You've walked into that?" Trent asked them.

"Regularly, for the past few years."

"Why does no-one know about this thing?"

"Because it is the United States most closely guarded secret," Hammond responded to the question as he came back into the room.

"These people you are trying to help," Trent asked. "Why?"

"Because they have asked for help," Daniel responded.

"Because they've offered us something in trade that we would very much like to have," Hammond added.

"I don't know if I can do that," Trent admitted as he watched the pool of energy disappear from within the Stargate.

"It's easy," Daniel assured him. "Three heart beats and you step out of a similar Stargate at your destination."

"It's a teleportation devise?" he asked.

"No, it's a Wormhole," Daniel responded.

Trent took a deep breath. "OK. I don't think I want to ask any more questions. Let's see if I can get my feet up that ramp."

"Then you will do this?" Hammond asked.

"As long as I'm not doing it on my own," he responded.

"We will remain with you," Teal'c told him.

"You're going to tell me you're not human aren't you?" Trent hazarded.

"I am a Jaffa. I have pledged my allegiance to the Tauri of this world."

Trent looked at Daniel for an explanation. "The people out there that know of us call us the Tauri."

"And Jaffa's?"

"That would take too long to explain now. Teal'c will tell you about himself while we do what needs to be done."

Trent closed his eyes briefly and opened them again. 'Nope, none of it has gone away.' He gave into belief in his senses and whatever fate awaited him. In truth he felt a mixture of fear and excitement. If he didn't live to see tomorrow, he would have had the chance to do what few others on Earth would.

And Now There Were Six

Daniel stood by the Stargate on Taenarus and inhaled deeply. He waited for a few moments and when he heard nothing cautiously thought, 'is anyone out there listening? We need a lift.'

'I can hear you Daniel. Welcome back,' Axiokersa's thought came through clearly and Daniel smiled, he had missed her. 'I have missed you also,' she responded. The sound of the Stargate shutting down turned him towards his companions. A look of sympathy appeared on his face. Trent was leaning on the DHD, white and shaking.

"The first time is always the worst. You get used to it quickly," he told him.

"I feel sick."

"It will pass quickly," Teal'c informed this rather fragile Tauri. "Do we have transportation Daniel Jackson? I do not wish to try to walk across this area."

"It's coming, Teal'c," Daniel assured him.

Trent lowered himself to the steps and looked around. All he could see was miles of grass, but his companions made no attempt to step on it. A sense of contentment filled him. The air tasted good and there wasn't a wall as far as he could see. 'This place is safe.' He stood up and walked down the steps.

"I wouldn't walk on the grass," Daniel warned. "The Kabeiroi have a very effective defensive system."

Trent stopped mid stride and set his foot carefully back on the step. Then he heard a voice inside his mind. A small, almost dreamy voice spoke to him. 'If you wish to walk on the grass, I will make it safe for you.'

"Ahhh, Daniel? Are these people telepathic?"

"You can hear someone in your head?"

"Yes, why else would I ask?" The sarcasm that now coloured his voice was obvious to Daniel.

"They have nanite technology here. You breathe in the Nanites and then you can communicate with them."

"What!"

'That's strange,' Daniel thought, 'he sounds like Jack.' Daniel sighed. One Jack was more than enough.

"It said I could walk on the grass."

"Then I expect they have made the area safe for us, now they know we're here. Our transport should appear any time now. Ah, there it is." Daniel pointed to the ground in front of the Stargate.

Trent watched as what he thought was grass rise up and hover in front of them. Teal'c stepped onto it and sat down. Trent sighed, picked up his gear and followed. 'I hope this doesn't make my feel sick as well.'

Later, as he stirred uneasily in the seat provided for him, Trent decided the transport had been marginally better than the Stargate journey. The last few hours had left him disorientated and he wondered if he would ever touch base with reality again. Half formed thoughts of insanity were still wandered through his mind. He looked at Teal'c the amazement that filled him when Daniel explained his origins was still there. 'A walking incubator' he shook his head again. This was like something out of the film Aliens. An expectation of witnessing the arrival of Sigourney Weaver made him smile at his own ridiculous imagination.

The person who now entered the room looked real, down to earth if a little forbidding. He was a tall man with grey hair and a pair of brown eyes that weighed him up in very short order. A slight smile appeared on the stranger's face it reached his eyes and his whole face changed. "So, you're the Specialist?" Jack commented by way of greeting.

"So, you're the Colonel?" Trent replied.

Jack nodded at Teal'c. "Where's, Daniel?"

"He has gone to see Dr Fraiser and Major Carter. This is Doctor Trent." Teal'c confirmed.

"Another scientist," Jack nodded acknowledgement. "Does he know?"

"He has been instructed in the requirements. Daniel Jackson has informed him of your situation as we will not be leaving until it is resolved." Teal'c added by way of explanation.

"You are actually two people?" Trent asked.

"No. I'm one person. I just happen to have an unintended guest. You'd better come up and meet the others. Although I'm sure," Jack added in a sly aside, "the Kabeiroi are already picking your brains."

'Jack,' Kasmilos murmured in reproach.

The cause of Jack's sudden amusement was lost on the other two but they followed him to the stairway nonetheless.

Teal'c noticed that a platform did not appear to lift them up through the spire. It was also quickly apparent to him that O'Neill was having no problem climbing. The un-discussed knee injury no longer appeared to bother him at all. Daniel stood to one side of the room with Axiokersa. He was showing her a book he had brought back with him. Jack couldn't see the content but it was filled with information on ancient Middle Eastern mythology. "Daniel," Jack called and was rewarded with a waved response. "Girl in every port," Jack commented quietly.

Trent heard him and couldn't help the smile that erupted. The vision of Jackson as a Casanova just didn't seem quite true somehow.

"Carter, Doc, this is Doctor Trent."

The two women in lab coats came over to say hello. Trent found himself whisked away by his latest acquaintances. The next few hours became kaleidoscopic. Disembodied voices asked questions, a few friendly faces appeared. He wondered if he was ever going to make sense of anything that was happening.

Trent found the nanite technology fascinating but the instructions they attempted to imprint on his mind made no sense. The concept was simple enough but the actual science was beyond him. It seemed that the Kabeiroi absorbed the information they needed from him very quickly. He saw the work of several years taking shape in very short order. A Realisation that his science was taking a giant leap forward as he watched took his breath away. In the back of his mind he already began to understand that all of these advances would be attributed to him back on Earth. They would call him a genius. Not being allowed to tell the truth would not sit well with his conscience, even though he could understand why these events were so secret. If the wrong people used the Stargate, there was no telling what damage they could do to Earth. Still, Trent despised people who put their names to work that was not their own.

"Kasmilos says you worry too much." Jack made the scientist jump. So absorbed had he been in his own thoughts he had not heard the Colonel move up behind him. "You are helping save the Kabeiroi and they will not... do not resent what you will do with it. As long as you don't try..."

"Creating weapons of mass destruction. I know but someone else could," Trent interrupted him. "Do you realise the potential for destruction some of this information has?"

'This information you already have,' a voice inside his head told him. 'You would use it for good or ill whether we showed you or not, eventually. The timing would be different, that is all.'

"Timing can mean a lot, can't it Trent?" Jack added to the voice in his head. "When did you last get any sleep?"

"There's so much to do," Trent almost whined in frustration.

"The Kabeiroi do not need you awake to do it. You won't miss anything." Trent reluctantly agreed with Jack's assessment and allowed himself to be persuaded to some rest. Exhausted by the speed and confusion of the previous couple of days, he closed his eyes and was asleep as his head hit the pillow. He slept for a long time.

'Trent is being given the plans to the promised weapon's system as he sleeps,' Kasmilos informed Jack. 'We would have preferred to share this knowledge with Major Carter. Her own knowledge and standing would have made this advance less surprising on your world. Because of this we are interfering a little with Doctor Trent.'

'How do you mean?' Jack asked in suspicion. Despite their good intentions Jack found the paternalism extremely annoying.

'We have planted the need for Trent to liase with Carter on this. It will give your SGC control over what happens to the knowledge.'

'Some control,' Jack acknowledged, 'but not a lot.'

'But we agreed to give this to your people not others.'

Jack sighed. 'A lot has changed since you were last on Earth. Very little remains the preserve of one group of people for very long. I guess you could say we have learned to share a lot of things.'

'You do not share your Stargate.'

'No, that's true, but secrets are difficult to keep,' Jack responded dryly. 'Will Trent realise he is being manipulated?'

'Not if you don't tell him,' Kasmilos responded mischievously. He could not keep from teasing Jack. His suspicious nature, along with that innate honesty made him so easy to tease. Kasmilos could not understand how this Tauri had made himself do all those terrible things in his past. 'Trent is already uncomfortable with the necessity of pretending this work is his own. I believe he will even share credit with Doctor Fraiser for her part in the RNA work. This way will be better for him. This is a fascinating science. We have never needed it before. It is of little use in mending broken bones, although I can see that it could be adapted for repairing broken parts.'

'What?' Jack queried, slight confusion appearing on his face.

'Jack?'

'Yes, Axiokersa?'

'We are ready for Kasmilos. We will need to heal him first and then we can remove him from your mind.'

'Great! No offence Kas old man.'

'None taken,' Kasmilos replied.

That Was An Unnecessary And Dangerous Thing To Do!

A long, straight corridor ran under the city only accessible from under the Spire. BBT Kasmilos had called the area, Before Builder Technology. It was a remnant of an older time and a much older city. Offset rooms running the length of the corridor were filled almost to capacity with stasis chambers. Row upon row of identical glass chambers lay in silent rows, protecting the ailing bodies of the population of Taenarus. No dust settled here. No sign of how long these chambers had existed protecting the sleeping population that awaited salvation. Numberless years had passed and the Nanites still remained keepers of the race that created them. The seven stasis chambers including Kasmilos's were being transferred from the Control Room. Jack entered in time to watch tall columns of glass glide into place beside them. A few steps brought Jack to the first chamber that contained his internal guest's frail body. It was being attached to the filtering systems first. Kasmilos had made the decision to trust the Tauri and he would be the one to take the initial risk. Doctors' Fraiser and Trent were making final adjustments to the equipment, as Nanite constructed tools manoeuvred everything into place. They both wore anxious expressions and were oblivious to anything other than their tasks.

'Where's Carter?' Jack wondered, causing his internal companion to stir.

Kasmilos had taken to withdrawing allowing the Colonel some sense of privacy. It had become obvious very quickly that his host's tolerance of the presence within his mind was limited. Being inside an angry and disgruntled Jack was not pleasant. 'Sam is overseeing the final assembly of the RNA columns,' Kasmilos explained. 'She does not completely trust the nanites to perform so vital a process.' Jack was sure Kasmilos found her insistence on checking everything amusing. 'You have no idea what she puts up with on Earth, scientists can be a real pain!'

'But Sam is a scientist,' Kasmilos began.

'She's a soldier, a good one,' Jack bit back.

Kasmilos chuckled. 'Daniel and Teal'c are with her. They are very anxious that nothing will go wrong.'

'Well I feel about as useful as a fridge in Alaska,' Jack moaned.

Although he did not understand the expression he felt Jack's restlessness. 'You do realise that this will take a few days before we can be sure of success. What shall we do while we wait? We could check out the wreckage of the four gliders that were destroyed over the mountains.'

Jack caught a glimpse of Kasmilos's own longing to see something of the natural world again. It couldn't hurt to indulge him and check the area out at the same time. Besides, the mountains did look inviting. Offered an opportunity to leave the city for a while, a thoroughly bored Jack grabbed some equipment and headed upstairs. Daniel felt his friend's thoughts through the Kabeiroi link and smiled.

There was still that sense of 'hunting' to Jack's thoughts, as if it was really difficult for him to find the common mind. The archaeologist found it amazing that Jack could make the connection at all. 'Doctor Fraiser had given up with everyone save Axiokersa, she found the effort too tiring and she had other things to concentrate on. Teal'c couldn't make a connection at all, Junior saw to that. And Sam...' He wondered why Sam could make no connection at all. 'Maybe Jack's suggestion was right, just too much Marker in her blood. Still Jack was managing to make a connection, marker or no marker just as Janet could if she tried. How were they doing it?' Daniel acknowledged his friend's message with a promise to tell Sam and Teal'c where Jack had snuck off. 'They...' Daniel shook his head, he would never get used to that.

A transport platform took Jack swiftly to the mountainside in search of the crash site. The platform set them down at the bottom end of debris that stretched up the mountain. The area was a mess, debris from the gliders spread a swath of destruction. Trees and shrubs were burned and ripped apart leaving a broad band of blackened mountainside. Above the destruction Jack could see that one of the gliders appeared relatively intact. Kasmilos expressed a wish to see it up close and the Colonel was happy to oblige. A few trees still clung to the mountainside at the bottom of the cliff face, but proved only a momentary delay to Jack's intentions. He immediately began to climb the short distance up a fairly easy cliff face. Kasmilos pointed out nervously that the climb was not necessary, but his temporary host had been inactive for some time and ignored the easy option of a platform ride. 'The climb is simple,' Jack pointed out, 'only fifty feet up this face.' There were plenty of crack and ridges in the vertical rock to use as handholds. The final effort to haul himself over the top edge of the face left him lying on the edge catching his breath. The unintended guest grumbled inside his mind.

'That was an unnecessary and dangerous thing to do. You could kill us both!'

'It was a simple climb,' Jack retorted.

'That's why you can't move!'

'I can, too,' Jack responded rolling over and standing up.

The familiar hiss of a staff weapon warned Jack that all was not well. Unfortunately he did not move quickly enough to save himself. He turned and threw himself to the side as a bolt of energy caught his shoulder, throwing him to the ground. Kasmilos felt a jolt and flash of pain through Jack's mind and then darkness descended.

'If Jack dies, I die too,' the panicked thought appeared. Then Kasmilos discovered that even with Jack unconscious, he could still reach the Kabeiroi mind. 'Help! Jack is injured! We're under attack!'

Jack lay unconscious with visible damage from the staff weapon on one shoulder and blood on the side of his head. One arm hung limply over the drop and the wind rising up the rock face stirred his hair. A Jaffa limped into view, staff weapon held precariously in his only good hand. He stared with hatred at the body lying on the edge of the precipice and swung the staff weapon to reverse position. He hooked the weapon under Jack's side and onto his shoulder, using it as a lever. Slowly the body of his enemy slid over the edge. The body dropped quickly and landed in a tree directly below. Branches snapped, slowing the fall, but allowing it to continue. As Jack smashed into the scrub at the bottom of the cliff face, a sickening crack could be heard in his chest. Breaking twigs and small branches lacerated the already damaged shoulder and clawed his face and chest. The vengeful Jaffa swung the staff weapon back into firing position and pointed it down at his helpless victim. A strange humming sound distracted him and he looked up. Speeding directly towards him from the direction of the city was a large black mass. Victim now forgotten he began to limp backwards rapidly to his damaged craft looking for somewhere to hide. He knew the black mass, had seen it before. The ominous cloud had damaged his craft and destroyed the others with him.

Carried on the wings of the avenging nanites came the fury invading Daniel's mind. They attacked the exposed Jaffa like a swarm of small vicious bees. Each small energy source produced the sting of a minute laser. All of the narrowly focused beams of heat ate away a little at a time at his armour and his flesh. Screams from above penetrated Jack's mind and drew him back to consciousness. He tried to grasp what was happening. Pain filled his head spreading down into his shoulder, arm and chest, it was painful to breathe. It was his turn to let out a howl of pain as he tried to move. As consciousness came back fully he gritted his teeth and tried to feel for his head. The arm did not respond having also broken in the fall, but he could roll out of the thorny scrub he'd landed on, thankful to get the broken twigs out of his face. A voice inside his head tried to reassure him.

'Help's coming. They will be here soon.'

'What? Who?' Jack was confused. 'Who's coming?' "Get out of my head!" Jack hollered and then rolled over groaning at the pain he had just aggravated. 'I have to get away from here.'

'No Jack... Wait... We will help you,' but the injured man wasn't listening any more. With a tremendous effort he began to crawl. With his survival instincts in full control he was a wounded animal looking for somewhere to hide.

Kasmilos began to panic Jack would no longer listen to him. Whether from the concussion or confusion Jack didn't recognise him as a friend. An additional problem became quickly apparent, whatever it was Jack was doing to block him was also stopping him from reaching his own people. He frantically searched for a way to push back the barrier that had risen around his mind. Finally, he connected with Jack's eyes. No longer being blind was a relief, but although he could see where Jack was crawling, he could do nothing to prevent him from moving. The slow and painful crawl through the undergrowth seemed to be taking Jack an eternity. The undergrowth tore at his clothes and skin, leaving him gasping with pain. The screaming from above had since stopped but the entreating voice in his head did not. The pain made it difficult to think and he needed to rest. Finally he rolled under a bush beside the cliff face and closed his eyes. Jack fought to retain his senses but gradually lost the battle. Eyes and mind closed to Kasmilos with a frightening finality. The descent into unconsciousness released the block in Jack's mind and Kasmilos could finally talk to the collective mind again.

Consciousness returned briefly as the Colonel felt he was being lifted by an enclosing presence. As he tried to struggle free, the annoying voice in his head spoke to him once more. 'Be still! Sleep, you are safe.' In his state of mind, the words only made him struggle more. No one was allowed in his head, ever. Suddenly, a familiar presence appeared alongside the voice.

'Jack, it's OK. They're bringing you to us.'

'Daniel? Where are you?'

'I'm with you, Jack. Stop struggling. You're hurting yourself more.'

'Daniel?' he questioned again. Before he received his answer the darkness reclaimed him once more.

A string of lights began to flash by overhead, penetrating his eyelids and bringing him back to awareness. He opened his eyes to a confusing kaleidoscope of faces, all leaning over him. He sensed the presence in his head, but Kasmilos, wisely remained silent. A familiar face looked down on him. "Doc?" Jack whispered.

"He's awake," she commented to someone out of sight.

"Sure am," Jack whispered. "Who's sitting on my chest and using my head for a punch bag?"

"He's back." A familiar voice crept through the pain in his head. Daniel leaned over him and was promptly pulled away by Sam, concerned that he would unbalance the platform transporting their friend. The elongated panel glided into a room filled with glass towers. To Jack's unfocused eyes they glistened like fairy lights. It settled beside Kasmilos's stasis chamber. Jack lost consciousness again as Trent and Janet fussed around him. Electrodes began to form around his head, as Nanites went about their task of creating a mind channel to remove his unintended guest.

"Aren't you going to fix up his face and shoulder?" Sam asked after watching for a few moments.

"The Nanites can repair the injuries better than we can, especially if we don't interfere," Trent snapped and Sam's eyes widened in surprise.

"But..."

"Just stay out of the way," Trent continued irritably. "What on earth was he doing out there on his own?"

"He was not on Earth and he was not on his own," Teal'c pointed out reasonably and the irritated doctor glared at him.

It was Daniel's eyes that widened in surprise next. "What is that?" he gasped, pointing at Jack's face. The raw area of the blast wound had begun to seethe and weep. Something seemed to be crawling in the wounds and the Colonel began to moan, as if in pain. "You're hurting him!" Daniel called out anxiously.

Axiokersa appeared beside him resting a hand reassuringly on his arm. "It is the Builders. They are repairing the wound but they must remove the damaged tissue. Isn't that correct Janet?"

"That's what we would have to do," Janet confirmed looking up from her task and giving a quick but confident smile to her friends.

"The process has not finished for Kasmilos but it has progressed enough to allow some nanites..." She looked at Axiokersa, "builders to form rudimentary links within his mind. Axiokersa, do you think it would be possible for Kasmilos to try returning to his own body?"

"How do you know this?" Teal'c inquired and Janet pointed to a monitor on the stasis chamber.

"This shows the level of nanite activity within the chamber now that Kasmilos is no longer in stasis. It has been rising steadily for the last two hours. It may require several days of filtration to be sure the bodies are clear of 'Prions', but the level has dropped dramatically already."

Kasmilos will try to leave now he is anxious to leave as his presence is upsetting your friend," Axiokersa told them.

Kasmilos tried to sense a pathway within the darkness of Jack's mind. To onlookers their injured friend's restlessness began to increase. Although still only partially conscious, arms and legs began to move. He reached for his head with his only good arm and began to claw at his face. Kasmilos began to panic as barrier after barrier seemed to shut down every point he tried to follow. Trent grabbed Jack's hand and pulled it away from his face. The Colonel's mumbling became pain filled gasps and Janet's confident expression changed to uncertainty.

She stared at Axiokersa. "What's happening?"

"It's the injuries," the Kabeiroi responded.

"O'Neill is in pain. Your brother must desist in his attempt to leave," Teal'c insisted.

"Teal'c right. Now is not the time," Sam agreed.

"You don't understand," Axiokersa pleaded, "if we don't get him out soon his mind will cease to exist!"

"What do you mean?" Sam demanded.

"This was never meant to be the long term effect may be catastrophic. The two minds will blend. There will be no more Kasmilos, no more Jack O'Neill. One mind will remain with parts of each personality and much lost in the adjustment. My brother knows this and knows their time runs short a few more hours only."

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Daniel demanded.

"If we had thought it would make you work any harder or faster we would have," she snapped back. "It was pointless to worry you, besides this would not be happening now if your friend was still strong. His head injuries have made him more vulnerable to the blending."

Everyone's attention turned to the now violently thrashing man. Trent and Janet were trying to hold him still.

"We could do with a little help here," Trent called out. "Even in his injured state he is not a weak man and he is damaging himself."

Teal'c grabbed O'Neill's legs and held them against the platform. Daniel took Jack's good arm, leaving Trent free to handle the injured shoulder and chest. As the Colonel arched his back in response to the pain coursing through his body, Janet grabbed a hypo and gave him another pain killing injection. After a moment he quietened down sufficiently for them to lessen their grips.

"Where's your brother?" Janet demanded to know.

"I cannot hear him anymore. I believe O'Neill's attempt to fight the healing is blocking his way back."

Sam caught the injured head carefully between her hands and leaned close to Jack's ear.

"Colonel... You have to relax; you have to let Kasmilos get out of your mind. Colonel, can you hear me?"

The movement of the nanites through the wound under her fingers made her shudder with revulsion, but she did not let go.

"Jack, Jack can you hear me." Sam called loudly using his name in an attempt to grab his attention.

Axiokersa watched, a puzzled look appearing on her face as O'Neill began to respond to his Second in Command's voice. 'What a strange relationship they have. How can they care so much for each other and still be impersonal?'

'Because they have no choice,' Daniel spoke quietly into her mind. 'Their work is more important to them and it does not permit any other kind of relationship.'

'And you?' Axiokersa left the question hanging in the air before changing the subject. 'See, he hears her.'

Kasmilos's despair vanished as his mind began to drift towards a faint glow. It seemed distant, but it was reachable.

A sigh escaped from Jack and he relaxed and slowly opened his eyes. He stared directly into a pair of blue eyes close to his face and a puzzled look appeared. Then he grimaced. "Are you majoring in torture?"

"Sir?" Sam asked in surprise.

"You're hurting my head." Sam let go guiltily. "Where's Kasmilos? I can't hear him anymore."

"I'm over here," a hoarse unfamiliar voice called weakly.

Lying in the open stasis chamber next to Jack, Kasmilos rolled his head to one side showing a pair of ice blue eyes as startling as those of his image.

"Way to go Kas old fella," Jack responded with a weak grin. "Sorry, but I never did take to uninvited house guests." A cough erupted and he could not suppress the groan of pain it forced from him. He lifted his arm across his chest in an attempt to support the pain filled area.

Kasmilos responded with a mixture of concern and relief. He closed his eyes, being awake was exhausting. Janet began to shoo everyone away. "Now perhaps you will let me get on with the job in hand. There's a lot of work to do. I'll see to Colonel O'Neill, Sam can you give Trent a hand with the filtration towers?"

An End or A Beginning?

"Three weeks. It's taken three weeks," Jack grumbled as he stared out of the Spire window onto the now busy street below.

Daniel smiled at his impatient friend. The grumbles had increased over the last week as the now completely healed Jack chaffed at his inactivity. Daniel, on the other hand, was quite happy to stay until everything was completed. He had spent a lot of time with Axiokersa since she had followed her brother through the procedures. The smile turned inward. The last ten days had been interesting. The translations of the ancient texts were much clearer with her help. Besides, she had been a pleasant companion with an interesting attitude to life. The smile widened and he sighed. He was going to miss this place. "Well, Jack, at least you are totally you and only you again."

"And I am me," Kasmilos added with a grin as he crossed the room to join them. A short, thick and glossy layer of white hair had replaced the wispy strands. It appeared that one of the side effects of the toxins in their bodies had been hair loss. Although their hair was still white, regardless of their ages, the lack of hair was not a natural state for them. At the moment, everyone still came out of the treatment bald, although it took only days for their hair to show new growth. Doctor Fraiser had likened it to the treatment for cancer on Earth, 'Chemotherapy,' Jack remembered, but their hair growth seemed a little faster than his own.

"Where is Major Carter?" Jack asked. His impatience to be gone showing.

Kasmilos's grin broadened. "With Doctor Trent, they appear inseparable." He watched the frown deepen on Jack's face and relented a little. "He will not be happy until he has explained the new defence grid to her fully. She has a remarkable mind. It is a shame we cannot communicate directly with her but her curse is also her asset. She senses a Goa'uld presence, a gift I would think you would cherish."

"Yes, we do," Jack responded forcefully. "We're all perfectly happy as we are." Jack moved away from the group leaving Daniel and Kasmilos exchanging pleasantries. Just to take a last look out at the busy streets below their living quarters in the Spire. It had been home for some time now but he didn't think he'd miss it. "Everyone is out and about."

"Yes," Kasmilos replied. "I think it will be a while before anyone wants to sleep again.

"Hmmm," Jack responded and moved away from the window. "It is time for us to leave."

"You are always welcome here," Kasmilos told them.

"We'll be back," Jack responded with a wry smile. "Our people are eager to be friends."

"Yes, we'll be back," Daniel responded, "often." This caused Kasmilos to roar with laughter much to Daniel's discomfort. His sister had obviously been weaving her magic again.

Epilogue

The room looked gloomy, darkness threatened to crawl in from all corners. There was only one door to the small area. This stood open allowing light in from the corridor. A single angle poise lamp illuminated the area of the desk, on which sat a computer keyboard and a VDU. On one side of the desk rested a much-scribbled on pad and pen. Toward the back of the desk a pot stood, filled with pencils and pens. Beside the pot incongruously, sat a colourful yo-yo. Bookshelves and cabinets lined the walls, filled with academic books and artefacts collected over years of travel. Where the wall could be seen, it was an uninteresting beige paint. A security camera winked quietly down from a corner of the ceiling, the uninterested observer of the man at work. He sat at the desk peering through his latest replacement glasses. Another pair had been mutilated on his last trip. Something on the screen had his complete attention. He seemed so engrossed that nothing could disturb him.

A shadow passed across the desk as someone entered the room. Deep in study he did not react or seem to notice the intruder in his lair. His visitor crept quietly up behind the chair. A minute went past as he waited to be noticed, then the visitor slowly reached both hands towards his victim.

"What do you want, Jack?" The voice came out loud in the silence and Daniel looked round at his friend. A sigh escaped as he realised Jack was bored. "Haven't you got a report to write?"

"Finished it ages ago, Daniel. You've been in here for hours."

"I'm busy, Jack."

Jack bent over to peer at the VDU screen. Then he leaned on the desk. "That looks like Goa'uld symbols."

Daniel sighed again he knew Jack wasn't going to go away. "Yes, Jack, from the Needle we found. Definitely Goa'uld but they are very old. I'm waiting for Teal'c to help me with some of the unknown ones. It may save me some time."

The yo-yo lifted from the desk and Jack began playing with it. Daniel eyed his friend with bewilderment and then had an idea. "If you really want me to go trekking with you, I really have to finish this translation."

"So you're coming?"

"Yes, Jack. For two night's, right?"

"OK then. I'll see you in a while," Jack responded and wandered back out of the room. A smile appeared on Jack's face as he walked down the corridor. 'Works every time.' An unfinished report sat on his desk, beckoning. Jack groaned and headed towards his office. Now that Daniel had agreed to come, he needed to finish the report. If Hammond didn't get it soon, Jack would find himself with extra duties. This time he had been warned in no uncertain terms. A familiar figure turned into the corridor heading for the elevator. There was definitely something to be said for a smart dress uniform Jack decided. 'Dress uniform?' "Where're you off to?" Jack called as the elevator doors opened. Carter stopped and waited for her CO. A grinned blossomed and Jack could see the impish delight in her eyes, even from this distance.

"Headed for NASA, Sir."

"NASA? Aren't you coming…?"

"Sorry, Sir. I've left a note on your desk. They are testing one of the defence systems the Kabeiroi gave us."

"Oh yeah. Which one?"

"The defence grids automated seek and kill. Not that it's much in advance of our stuff but it's enough to make a difference."

"Well, they were worried about giving us the nanite technology. Afraid we wouldn't keep it under control. Actually they didn't think we'd even understand it," Jack commented.

"Yes, Sir. They probably had a point." Sam looked uncomfortable clearly wanting to be on her way.

Jack looked disappointed but he knew it would do no good. Technology was calling his Second in Command and he came a bad second to her passion for her work. "Where are you testing it?" He asked as she turned to enter the elevator.

Sam turned back and smiled. "They've already launched a target last week. It's out beyond the moon's orbit. They're lining it up with Mars to mask the effect. It won't even be noticed unless you're looking for it."

"Why Mars?"

"Cause its red," she replied and grinned at him again.

The answer was meant to be cryptic, but Jack had actually read the report. It was an attempt to keep up with her but in this case it actually helped. "To hide it when you light it up like a neon sign, hmm?"

Sam's eyes glittered slightly. As pleasant as it was to spar with the Colonel even on such a trivial level, she had some place to be. "I have to go, Sir. I have transport waiting," she told him as the elevator doors opened again. Then the doors closed and a little light went out of the Colonel's eyes. A glance around showed him no one was watching him acting like a sap. Jack strolled back to his office. The report was calling louder than ever.

Later lying under the stars Jack was filled him with a sense of peace. He could hear the low breathing of his friends around him as they slept. The sky hung over him like a blanket of black velvet. The stars, like diamonds scattered over its surface. Even the discomfort from the unevenness of the ground could not distract him from the beauty above. These times of peace seemed few now. The increasing level of off-world activity by the SGC had brought so much more danger with it. He couldn't help thinking that this world had enough dangers of its own.

This night they slept under the stars of Earth, not some strange world reached through the Stargate. Teal'c could not understand why so few of the Tauri even noticed how beautiful their world was. The moon would be up in another two hours he realised. Its reflective light would diminish the brightness of the stars even as it gave more light to the world. A gentle breeze rustled the trees around the camp. Teal'c smiled quietly, tonight the sound did not concern him. There were no dangers in this forest that he could not deal with. He unzipped his sleeping bag and sat up, folding his legs in a meditative position. Sleep was eluding him and he decided to meditate in the peace of his present environment.

Teal'c thought about his son. He had grown tall and strong in the Land of Light and Teal'c was proud of him. But he found no comfort in this tonight, he knew the Larval Goa'uld within Ray'ac was growing too and maturing rapidly. 'We are still your servants, even as we fight you,' he told the creature nestled inside him, 'but you can do us no harm. Your life will be short compared with ours. I will find another to replace my son's and in time to replace you. My son's children will be free of you, even if we are not.'

Even as he told himself this, Teal'c knew it was not that simple. To replace the Larval Goa'uld they required mature ones to breed. Future generations might be freed from their dependence but unless the Tauri found a way to rebuild their immune system, he and all others already taken in service would never be truly free. Of course there was the Tok'ra who could help them. They should need Jaffa for their young. The problem with that course of action Teal'c knew was that they had no queen. If there were no queens, there were no Tok'ra young. 'Would there ever be another Tok'ra queen?'

He settled back and relaxed, allowing his body to sink into a state of Kel'no'reem. As the Larval Goa'uld within him worked to repair and maintain its 'nest', Teal'c allowed his mind to empty and concentrate on one point. His normal candlelight was not available within this wilderness, but there was a bright red star above him. The star seemed to demand his concentration and he found it easy to slip into his meditative state. It was difficult for him to tell at which point his awareness changed. The bright red star seemed to grow even brighter. This he knew to be impossible. O'Neill had already told him that this was a planet, not a star. This was Mars, the planet the Tauri had named after a war god. It could not be getting closer, so it should not be getting brighter.

Indecision filled him, but only for a moment. "O'Neill! O'Neill, wake-up. There is something in the sky I do not understand."

"Aw, come on, Teal'c, it's the middle of the night," Jack groaned. He rolled over on his side to stare at his friend. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I was not tired," Teal'c replied. Then he pointed in the direction of Mars. "There is something different happening to that planet."

Jack gave up on trying to sleep and sat up. He focused on the object of Teal'c's interest and a mischievous gleam appeared in his eyes, but the firelight hid it from Teal'c. "That can't be Mars, Teal'c, it's far too bright," Jack told him. "It must be an aeroplane or something. Teal'c, we're on Earth, we're on holiday, why are you standing guard?"

"I am not standing guard, I am sitting," Teal'c replied. "It makes no difference which position I am in. That is the position you pointed out earlier this evening. It is Mars and it is much brighter than it was."

Jack looked at the sky, it looked perfectly clear. 'Teal'c is right though, that looks far too bright for Mars.' He leaned over and shook the bundle nearest him. If he had to be up, so did everyone else. "Daniel! Wake up."

"What!" Daniel came out of his sleeping bag like a startled rabbit.

Jack eyed him for a moment and then shook his head. "You two really needed this break." It was a comment on how wound up they both were. "Teal'c is sitting up all night, he says Mars is too bright," Jack told him.

"You woke me up because Teal'c thinks Mars is too bright!" Daniel mumbled, bewildered. He felt around for his glasses and put them on, before peering into the sky. Now there was a definite red glow around the object of their attention. "Can't be Mars," Daniel said.

"That's what I thought, but it's in the right place."

Daniel looked at the dying campfire and then back at Jack. "And there wouldn't be something in the sky in front of Mars and getting closer to us?"

All three looked back at the sky and Jack smiled silently to himself. "I'm awake now, I'll make some coffee," he told them.

Teal'c was still staring at the sky, and he still was not satisfied. "But what is it? It has been getting brighter and it has been there a long time."

"Who knows? Maybe it's a UFO," Daniel muttering unhappily, he really just wanted to go back to sleep. This camping trip was not his idea of fun. 'Now if we were on a dig…' but this was not a dig and it wasn't a whole lot of fun when nobody wanted to sleep. 'Still, Teal'c does have a point, it couldn't be a plane.' Daniel also began to watch the small bright light.

Jack looked up from brewing the coffee to find both his friends staring at the sky. He sighed. 'They really have to learn when to work and when to play.' Jack wondered if he should tell them about the test. He knew a large target had been constructed up there in stationary orbit. The new detectors would target it. If he remembered correctly, Sam had said a bright red light would appear, pinpointing the detected craft for the missiles to home in on. 'This was one piece of technology that finally gives us something to protect ourselves with. That is if we can create a missile that will penetrate Goa'uld shields.'

Jack was surprised the other two had not been regaled with the details of the test. Sam had been full of it when he last saw her. Of course, that was on her way out of the mountain, heading for NASA. So it looked like she had escaped before telling either of them the good news. Jack grinned to himself, then the smile disappeared as he walked over and handed his two worried friends their coffees. 'The light should get a lot brighter in the next ten minutes; I wonder how much we will see of the explosion? I think I better tell them what it is… Well, maybe later… much later.'

A red haze seemed to expand around the object, now appearing to hover a little way above the horizon. Jack watched it with little concern, the conversation with Sam having explained the phenomena to his satisfaction. He wondered if the explosion would be really noticeable, or if the light in the sky would just wink out. He crawled back into his sleeping bag to finish his night's sleep.

Daniel watched him settling down again uneasily. He did not seem at all concerned by this strange object, even though it appeared to be getting closer. Then it struck him forcibly that Jack was not the least bit concerned or curious. "What is it, Jack? You know what we're looking at don't you?" he asked, a little petulantly. After all, Jack had woken him up and Daniel had a strange feeling it was for no good reason.

Jack smiled into his sleeping bag, where he had tucked his head. "Maybe," was the muffled response.

"O'Neill? Do you know what this object is?" Teal'c asked.

"Don't either of you ever check on what Carter's up to?" Jack asked and they heard a muffled laugh.

Daniel attacked the sleeping bag, trying to find a hold. Jack squirmed away. As the bag moved in a caterpillar-like fashion across the ground, Daniel tripped over and lost his grip. A roll brought him into a seated position and a grin appeared as he watched Teal'c move around the fire. A large pair of hands grabbed the material of the bag and held it to the ground. Daniel righted himself and resumed his attack. Laughter inside the bag showed that they had managed to find the Colonel's weak spot.

"What is Sam up to? Come on, Jack, tell us!"

A wide grin spread across Teal'c's face. Although O'Neill's sense of humour sometimes arose in the most surprising of places, it was rare to see Daniel behave in this fashion. A sudden flash in the sky diverted their attention and they both looked up to see the red light had disappeared. The sound of a zip drew their attention back to their victim, who had slid part way out of his sleeping bag. They attacked him with renewed vigour but now Jack had his hands free.

He grabbed Daniel around the waist and hauled him backwards, pulling the younger man between Teal'c and himself. Then he grabbed the bag and tried pushing it over Daniel's head. Teal'c caught hold of the end of the bag and a tug of war ensued. The light in the sky was forgotten as the three friends let off steam in a general melee. The chaotic free for all only came to an end when Teal'c, with an enthusiastic swing, knocked the remaining coffee into the fire. As the fire fizzled out, so did the wrestling match.

As they settled down for the remainder of the night Jack explained it was one of the defences the Kabeiroi had given them. This one appeared to work just how they needed it to. "The NID should be happy. We actually brought home the bacon this time," Jack commented.

"Just so long as we don't fry ourselves," Daniel responded.

The natural noises of the mountain area around returned, as silence once again descended on the group around the rebuilt fire.