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.
Separation
Jack peered from under the peak of his cap and smiled contentedly. He was resting with his back against the trunk of an unusually tall and robust version of a palm tree. He held his P90 loosely across his legs and concentrated on soaking up the wonderful sunshine. His shirt had been shrugged off in an attempt to stay cool. His black tee shirt had begun to stick to warm muscle. None of this bothered him. To anyone who cared to look he was dosing peacefully under the tree. Jack however was not asleep, he was watching Sam on the beach several feet away.
From his position Jack watched Sam's curious antics. She had also abandoned her fatigue shirt. That item of clothing had been thrown over her backpack a little way down the beach. Her black tee shirt was now rolled up and tied in a knot under her bust, allowing warm air to reach her midriff. Although this was Sam's attempt to keep cool, Jack found it a wonderfully distracting sight. Unlike him, Sam was not resting, she was crawling around in the sand with an analyser digging and lifting sand by the fistful and studying it. Then she would throw it away and grab another handful. She had a ridiculous smile on her face. 'Reminds me of the cat who got the cream,' Jack thought. 'This is probably one of the best assignments we've had. No population, wonderful weather, great beach… No Goa'uld, no dangers.'
The preliminary scans said the planet was a deserted paradise. General Hammond decided his first team could use a busman's holiday. This time the planet had turned out even better than expected. Jack leaned back against the tree. His mind silently urged Sam to find as many reasons as possible to prolong their stay. A puzzled frown deepened the lines around his eyes. 'What had gotten her so excited?'
"Colonel!" Sam called excitedly. "You have got to see this." Sam ran over and threw herself down beside her CO. She lifted a handful of sand from beside him and placed it in the sampler. "I can't be certain of course," she started with a big grin on her face.
"But you are," responded Jack in an amused tone.
"Naquada, sir. It has a high Naquada content."
"What," Jack responded by sitting up, suddenly alert.
'So now I have your attention,' Sam thought but continued, "you see the silvery grey grains, sir, most of it is particles of raw naquada. This beach," she continued to bubble, "is full of the mineral we have been looking for. And there are no villages, no sign of anything but animal life as far as the UAV could determine."
"It finally looks like we've hit pay dirt," Jack crowed, catching Sam's enthusiasm. Caution reasserted itself very quickly. "We need to get hold of Teal'c and Daniel. See if they have found any sign of an indigenous population. One arrow in me will last a life time," he told Sam. He retrieved the radio earpiece and settled it back in his ear. "Daniel, Teal'c?"
"Yes, Jack. What is it?" Daniel's voice came back. He sounded sleepy or perhaps distracted, Jack couldn't decide which.
"Have you found anything interesting?"
"Well, there are some caves here, way above the tide line. Not that there seems to be a particularly large tide here," Daniel responded, waving in the direction of the caves. Teal'c watched in amusement as Daniel pointed at the caves, even though O'Neill could not see him.
"Anything of interest in there?" Jack's voice came back with a slight hiss of static. Daniel tapped his earpiece.
"Don't know yet, we were just going to take a look."
"OK, but be careful. Don't spend too long in there," Jack instructed.
Daniel climbed the slope to the entrance of the cave. He dropped his backpack beside the cave entrance, turned and waved. Still on the beach below, Teal'c picked up his backpack and reluctantly followed him. Teal'c gazed up at the cave entrance and wondered at the feeling of disquiet that filled him. The flashlight from Daniel's pack was checked and ready to use before Teal'c reached him.
He walked into the cave ahead of Teal'c, who caught up with him hurriedly. "You should not enter this place alone," Teal'c told him sternly.
"Well you're here now," Daniel responded distractedly. "Can you hear that?"
"I can hear nothing, Daniel Jackson."
"I'm sure I could hear singing. Maybe wind or the sea I guess."
Teal'c watched his friend for a moment. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Guess my ears are playing tricks. There is nothing here that I can see."
"There is nothing in this chamber, shall we look further into the cave?" Teal'c responded. "There appears to be an opening over there." Teal'c pointed to the back of the cave and the pair moved forward.
"Sure," Daniel replied and shone his flashlight towards the area. The light flickered on an object just inside the opening. Teal'c walked ahead of Daniel and put his head, arm and flashlight inside. As he peered down the length of the beam, Daniel heard a deep intake of breath from his friend.
"What is it, Teal'c?"
"I believe you call it quartz, but I have never seen a formation such as this. The inside of this chamber is lined with it. I believe it to be similar to the pebble Major Carter has in her laboratory."
Teal'c slid through the narrow opening and Daniel followed, his reaction to the sight echoing Teal'c's surprise. "Wow! That's bright."
He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the light. Replacing his glasses brought the crystal-covered walls into focus. The crystal formations were larger than any similar structures he had seen on Earth. They refracted the beams of light, magnifying their intensity. "I think we only need one light in here," Daniel murmured uneasily. Somehow he did not want to disturb the stillness around them. Now he could hear that whispering sound again, it seemed almost like music.
"I agree. We should conserve the power," Teal'c responded. "There is a story…" Teal'c began, but Daniel moved on down the corridor, not seeming to hear him. Teal'c fell silent. The palm of his hand rested against the crystals, feeling a multitude of facets under his fingers. He began to feel uneasy as his gaze followed Daniel's back, but he could not explain why. "Daniel Jackson, I do not like this place."
Daniel turned to look back at him, a distracted look on his face. They both heard the quiet swoosh in the silence. Before either could move, a barrier descended between them. Daniel found himself trapped inside the back half of the long chamber. The barrier was opaque and Teal'c could still see Daniel silhouetted against it.
"Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c shouted and tried to grip and lift the barrier back out of the way. It did not move, his finger just slid over the surface.
"I'm fine, Teal'c. Go get Jack and tell him… well, tell him we may not be alone here."
"I cannot leave you."
"There is no door mechanism on this side that I can see."
"There appears to be nothing on this side," Teal'c confirmed.
"I would rather not make too much noise. Not until we know who or what put this barrier here. Go get Jack. You may have to force the barrier in some way, or maybe there is another way in."
Teal'c was reluctant to leave and only walked as far as the cave entrance. He activated his radio. "O'Neill."
"O'Neill here. What is it, Teal'c?"
"Daniel Jackson is trapped behind a barrier that appeared as we explored the cave."
"Is he hurt?" Jack asked as he and Carter began to run along the beach.
"He is unhurt, but I do not like this place, O'Neill."
"Why?" O'Neill asked as he climbed towards Teal'c and the entrance to the cave.
"It reminds me of a story my father told me; a place of crystals avoided by the Goa'uld."
"Sounds like a good place to me," Sam commented.
Jack glanced round at her and raised an eyebrow. "That's my line. Did he say why they avoided this place of crystals?"
"They die in it."
"Well, we can worry about that later. Lets get Daniel out of… whatever it is he's strolled into this time." Jack led the way into the cave.
Teal'c shone the flashlight in the direction of the chamber, the light catching on the crystals just inside the opening.
"Daniel!" Jack called but there was no reply. "Teal'c, could you talk to Daniel after he was trapped?"
"I could, O'Neill."
Teal'c led the way, squeezing through the gap once again. He shut down his flashlight as the crystals lit up and dazzled the three of them. As his eyes cleared he strode down the narrow chamber and stopped.
"The barrier is gone," Teal'c stated.
"Well, where is Daniel?" Jack responded, then tilted his head to one side. A puzzled frown appeared on his face. "What's that noise?"
"I can't hear anything, sir," Carter responded.
"Teal'c, can you hear it?" Jack asked.
"I hear nothing, O'Neill." Teal'c looked at Carter who shook her head and looked back at Jack. "But Daniel Jackson asked me the same question."
"It's coming from back there," Jack muttered and suddenly strode down the chamber, leaving them standing.
"O'Neill do not…" Teal'c began, but it was too late, the opaque barrier slid down separating them from him.
Jack spun round at the sound, but could only see the shadows of Sam and Teal'c on the other side. "Carter," he called.
"Yes, sir."
"You and Teal'c make sure you stay together. See if you can find another way in, I'm going to look for Daniel."
"Colonel, be careful. We have no idea what other traps there may be around."
"I hear you, Carter. Call in every half hour, OK?"
"Yes, sir. Come on Teal'c, we'll explore the area around this rise. There has to be an opening somewhere else."
"I do not believe that this is necessarily correct," Teal'c stated somewhat fatalistically. The Tauri's eternal optimism never failed to surprise him.
The Cavern
Jack looked around the barrier for someway to open it, and then gave up in disgust. How could he have been so stupid? He gazed down the remaining length of the chamber visible to him. The light from his flashlight caused the crystal structures to glisten and reflect prismatic colours from the walls. He tilted his head to one side as he listened to the strange sound, louder now and musical. He wondered why he was the only one to hear it, 'song of the sirens… but I'm no sailor,' he thought.
Jack flicked on his radio as he moved down the chamber. "Daniel… Where the hell are you!" he whispered fiercely into it. Static was the only noise to answer the query, no Daniel. The opening at the end of the chamber lay before him, beckoning invitingly and Jack grimaced. "Danny boy, you'd better be OK in there." He realised he could see light penetrating from beyond the opening. "Not just the light we're generating," he told his flashlight and turned it off. "Nope, the light's not ours." He flicked the radio back on again and called, "Carter, can you hear me?" Again static was the only response. "Guess not. Come on, Jack, your talking to yourself." He clamped his lips together and after a last glance at the barrier behind him, he stepped through the opening.
The crystal structures ended abruptly, but the musical sound increased. It added to the almost magical air in the cavern he entered. He could immediately see Daniel stood in the centre of a huge cavern, studying several long containers. However the fluted cathedral like structures captured his eyes and interest. The area was totally open in the centre. No natural structure existed on its wide, flat floor. The walls of the cavern glistened in the muted light. Small stalagmites and stalactites rose along the walls, and hung down from the ceiling in small jagged folds. The water, that was still forming the structures, dripped down to small clear streams around the edge of the cavern, to disappear into the gloom that shrouded the far wall. He realised that the structures were the colour of the Stargate metal, and pursed his lips in wonder. 'Surely that wouldn't be possible!'
He strolled across the cavern floor, watching Daniel now and ignoring the music that filled the area. The containers were also grey, and glistening in a muted light within the cavern. Daniel's' new find were obviously made of the same substance as the natural structures. Even the decoration and forms on the containers reflected the fluted cavern walls. 'Where is the light coming from?' Jack wondered.
Daniel looked up from his study of the containers and smiled briefly. "Jack. How'd you get in here?"
"Same way as you. The barrier disappeared I walked in."
Daniel looked back towards the crystal chamber. "Where are Sam and Teal'c?"
"The barrier re-appeared," Jack informed him.
"Oh, I see. We are the only ones they wanted to let in here then," Daniel commented cryptically.
"Who are they?" Jack asked uneasily.
Daniel appeared to ignore his question and waved a hand over the container nearest him. "These have been made from the same kind of structures that are growing around this cavern's wall," Daniel pointed out. "What do these containers look like to you?"
"Coffins?" Jack hazarded hopefully.
"More like sarcophagi and there are quite a few of them," Daniel responded.
"They don't look like any Goa'uld sarcophagus I've ever seen. Besides," Jack continued after a moment, "they're singing to us."
"You can hear that, too. Oh good, I thought I was the only one who could hear it." Daniel sounded relieved. "Anyway, there is no reason why the Goa'uld should be the only creatures in the universe to use them."
"Why can't they just be coffins," Jack asked, somewhat plaintively for him.
"Sarcophagus, coffin, it's the same thing. They've just come to mean something different in the SGC. These are warm though, and, well… they feel alive. Jack, I'm sure there is something alive in them."
"I don't see why there has to be." Jack realised he sounded petulant and bit his lip. "Let's find a way out of here and worry about it later."
He agreed with Daniel, something was definitely alive, but Teal'c's unease had rubbed off on him. The big Jaffa's sense of danger was hardly ever wrong, and he sensed danger here. He wanted to get his team away from this cavern. Unfortunately, as they began to move away, the container Daniel had been studying began to open. The lid slowly began to split down its length, and slide apart. Jack looked around for cover he knew wasn't there. They ducked behind the container nearest the crystal chamber and watched warily.
Jack put a hand onto the side of the container to retain his balance. He then peered over to get a better look at what was happening. The surface under his hand immediately began to warm up. A startled look appeared on his face as he whipped his hand away.
"That's what happened when I touched the other one," Daniel whispered.
"A good time to tell me, Daniel," Jack drawled and grabbed him by the shoulder to pull him away from the containers. They ran into the crystal chamber hoping to find that the barrier had again disappeared, it had not.
"It appears they don't want us to leave," Jack muttered.
"Whoever, or whatever they are," Daniel added.
The crystal chamber was quite dark with the flashlights off, so they remained within it. They used its darkness as cover, and watched the two containers open from their rather poor hiding place.
A single beam of pale yellow light emanated from the first container. It reached towards the cavern roof and expanded like a searchlight causing the wet stalactites to glitter. Slowly the sound of bubbling rose from the container. Something was moving inside. A long slim hand and arm shot upward through the opening. The arm was wet and glistening, rivulets of a honey like substance running back down into the container. The hand grasped the edge of the lid and a head came into view as the occupant sat up. Long golden hair lay clamped about the body and head but they could clearly see a female form. She stood slowly as the thick clinging liquid released her and stepped out. Jack glanced at Daniel who appeared more fascinated than worried about their predicament. He shook his head in wonder at his friend.
The second container split open and another being sat up. Apart from a slight difference in hair colour, she appeared to be identical to the other female. The two aliens moved away from the containers and stood in the centre of the cavern. They began shaking and stretching themselves, as if awakened from a long sleep. The liquid evaporated quickly and they stretched languorously for the roof of the cavern, Daniel gasped in surprise and Jack's jaw dropped open silently. Thin fluorescing wings fluttered up from their backs, expanding and stiffening. "Butterflies… they're like butterflies," Daniel muttered entranced.
Jack clamped a hand over Daniel's mouth as an exasperated look appeared on his face. The women, for they could not think of them any other way, turned towards their hiding place. Jack had difficulty dragging his eyes away. Wings or no wings they were beautiful creatures. 'That doesn't mean they're not dangerous' he told himself silently. Daniel pulled Jack's hand from his face with a look of apology as the women began to glide towards them. Jack knew it was pointless trying to remain hidden, 'besides, there is no room for manoeuvre in here,' he told himself. He stepped out into the cavern swiftly followed by Daniel and they backed away from the cavern walls and the aliens. Some instinct told them they would not be as fragile as they looked and Jack raised his P90. "That's close enough."
The ethereal creatures stopped and glanced at one another. "We mean you no harm," one said quietly.
"You woke us," the other continued. "I see that you are strangers. Did you not know that you would wake us?"
"No," Daniel responded. "We were not expecting to find anyone here. Who are you?"
"We are the Lepidor. We are Nomadic. You will not always find us here. This is a good place and we come here to breed."
"To breed?" Jack asked.
"Of course. This place has the correct minerals and a water source. Here we can breed successfully. Then we move on."
"So where are your mates?" Jack really wished Daniel hadn't asked that one. He suddenly felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
The women were looking at each other again and Jack was not comfortable. "Look," Jack commented, "we're really sorry for disturbing you. If you could just show us the way out of here?"
He was surprised when they nodded and beckoned for them to follow.
No Way in
Several hours had passed since Sam had heard from Jack. Repeated attempts at communication had failed. On top of this worry the sky had become overcast. From the look of the clouds it promised a huge downpour. Sam eyed the sky as she paused to search yet another crevice in the rock. It turned out to be like all the others they had found. The hole shrank to nothing within a couple of feet.
"At least it is still warm," Teal'c commented as he followed Sam's eyes skyward with faint distaste.
"But we're still no nearer finding another way in," Sam responded a faint sound of desperation in her voice. "There's no telling what kind of trouble they are in."
"O'Neill is a resourceful man," Teal'c stated. "He will find a way out, even if we cannot find a way in."
"I think we should blow a hole in that barrier. We're not going to find another way in."
Teal'c eyed Carter thoughtfully. 'Carter had not heard the sounds that O'Neill and Daniel Jackson heard.' Those unheard sounds worried him more than the barrier. 'If they are under the influence of something in the cave system, they might not be able to get themselves out.' He glanced at Carter, 'and Carter knows this as well as I do.'
"Come on, Teal'c," Carter turned and headed back towards the only entrance they knew of. "If there is any other way in, it could take us far too long to find it. We are going to make a hole that won't close down."
Teal'c nodded and followed her back towards the cave. "The barrier may contain naquada. We could bring the whole cave system tumbling down if we are not circumspect," Teal'c reminded her.
"It's a chance we have to take if we are going to get them out of there. It's several hours since we've heard from the Colonel. We need to try something." Now the decision was made to risk a detonation, Sam hesitancy disappeared and she was herself again. 'The cave is crystalline, it will act as a barrier between any naquada deposits and the explosion. If I make it small enough' she told herself.
They moved cautiously through the cave back to the barrier which, as suspected was still in place. Whatever was going on inside Sam acknowledged, they were not invited. She studied the barrier which appeared to be an even layer of the same crystalline material as the cave walls. "Sticking a wad of C4 in the middle of the barrier should do it. I think we had better retreat back to the cave entrance though… just in case." Sam absently bit her lip as she set-up the explosive. Carefully clearing the area and picking up her backpack, she motioned for Teal'c to follow her out, then stopped for a moment and looked back. "Colonel! Daniel! If you can hear me get right away from the barrier, I'm going to blow it."
Then Sam and Teal'c moved back outside. They took up positions on either side of the entrance and prepared to ignite the explosives. The skies opened suddenly and heavily, they were immediately soaked. As the rain ran from her hair and down her face, a noise started in Sam's head. She raised startled eyes to look at Teal'c who suddenly leaned against the rock face.
"Teal'c! I can hear them; Jack and Daniel! That's not possible. How can I hear them?" A high pitched whine erupted from the cave, it made them both clasped their heads in agony. The detonator dropped from Sam's suddenly nerveless hands, forgotten in the overwhelming pain. Both slid to the ground as darkness claimed them. They lay unconscious as pools of rainwater formed around them and trickled away down the slope.
The Awakening
It was dark and warm Jack noticed first then became conscious of a floating sensation. He wondered briefly where he was. Then the sensation of being covered reached his brain. An attempt to breathe filled his mouth with liquid which began to choke him and he started to struggle. A light suddenly surrounded him emanating from walls he could see through the liquid. Jack realized he was confined in a liquid filled container. 'They put me in one of their coffins!' his mind screamed. Slamming his fists into the barrier above him forced his body further down into the trap and created a mass of bubbles. They surged around him, into his eyes and nose, making it difficult to see. Jack tried not to breath but could no longer hold back the need. It was then that he realised he wasn't drowning and forced himself to stop struggling for a moment.
A crack in the roof began to widen and Jack fought the panic. 'Why am I not drowning… am I dead…?' When the gap became just wide enough he pushed upward, thrusting a hand through the opening and struggling to sit up. He came out of the liquid in one surging movement. As he leaned over the side of his frightening confines Jack choked and coughed his lungs clear of liquid. Finally the panic left him and he climbed weakly out, falling to his knees beside the box.
He could feel himself drying off rapidly. 'Where is Daniel' he wondered. All the containers were closed except for the one he had just exited. Jack hauled himself upright and went to the container he knew had been open earlier. A sinking feeling filled him as he quietly called Daniel's name. He slammed a fist into the lid and was rewarded by it beginning to slide apart. Now that his mind was free of panic he realised that his jacket and shirt were missing. 'At least I still have my pants, considerate of them.'
A light came on inside the container and Jack found himself looking down at the peaceful face of Daniel Jackson. He appeared to be sleeping but was fully immersed as Jack had been. A small bubble escaping from his mouth showed that he was still breathing. Jack realised that the liquid was breathable. He knew deep-sea divers on Earth were using something similar. What he couldn't understand is why the Lepidor had put them into these things.
Jack sensed something behind him and he spun around defensively. There was nothing there and he rubbed his neck grimacing in mild confusion. It was then that he realised his back felt strange, different somehow. Under his fingers his neck muscles felt hard and ridged. The muscles from his neck and all down his back were rippling and flexing in a way he had never felt before. That sense of something behind him was forceful and he turned slowly this time, catching sight of a wing trailing away from him. He stood still then, turning only his head to look back over his shoulder. His nose came within an inch of a still damp, silvery wing. With increasing unease his eyes followed the wing downward to where it joined his shoulder. "Crap!" Jack was momentarily distracted by coughing and whipped his head back to find Daniel trying to crawl out of his confinement. A long trailing line of unexpanded wings ran the length of Daniel's back.
"Jack." Daniel called weakly and Jack reached over to help him out. Daniel leaned on the side of the container and rubbed his eyes clear of the liquid. After they had cleared he stared at Jack in stunned silence.
"Don't get too excited Daniel. You appear to have a set as well," Jack told him as the uneasy feeling disappeared. 'I have wings.' He found the thought exhilarating. They moved when he tried flexing his newly found muscles and Jack began raising them in big sweeping motions. Somewhere inside his mind a voice was telling him someone had messed with his body. That should make him mad, but he wasn't mad, he was wondering if he could actually fly.
"Do you think we can fly?" Daniel whispered as he watched his own wings expand to match Jack's.
"I don't see why not," Jack murmured back. "I wonder where Sam and Teal'c are?"
An uneasy look passed across Daniel's face. "They couldn't get in here could they? Why us and not them, Jack?"
"Come on, Let's see if we can fly." Jack responded, too distracted now to respond to Daniel's concern. They walked towards the crystal chamber.
"It's blocked," Daniel reminded him.
"Bet you it isn't anymore," Jack replied.
Daniel caught up to him as they entered the crystal corridor. They suddenly wondered if there was enough room for their new wings. Jack looked back over his shoulder as he consciously dropped and folded his wings. Then he grinned at Daniel, who immediately copied him.
As Jack had suspected the barrier had been lifted and the two friends walked through the cave. Bright sunlight flooded in from the opening to the beach and the whole area began to glitter in the light. "I wonder where Teal'c and Carter are?" Jack asked, then looked down at himself. "I wonder where the rest of my clothes are?"
"You wouldn't be able to get them on over those," Daniel retorted. "This isn't real you know, this just can't happen to us."
"It feels pretty real to me." With that last comment Jack began to run down the slope to the beach. With each stride he felt lighter, more powerful. A relaxed smile lit his face, 'if this is a dream I don't want to wake'. His wings began to beat in rhythm with his stride, until his left foot missed the sand as he rose into the air. He felt the pressure of the air rushing past him. With each beat of his wings Jack rose higher lifting towards the sun. Looking along the beach showed it to be deserted. Twisting in the air to look in the opposite direction showed another stretch of empty sand. The turning motion took him in a long glide along the beach line. He swept along it for a short distance before turning and searching in the other direction. It dawned on him he was looking for Sam, and Teal'c of course, but mostly Sam. A shadow soared past him and he glanced up to find Daniel hovering above him. Daniel grinned briefly, then the smile turned to worry as he pointed towards the cave entrance. The two Lepidor women where lifting towards them.
"What do they want from us?" Jack called out.
"Well," Daniel glided close beside Jack, "They didn't want Sam or Teal'c"
"Teal'c's symbiote is usually what puts aliens off," Jack commented.
"And Sam is female," Daniel finished.
"Huh?"
"Competition Jack. They said they were here to breed, I didn't see any mates around. I think we may be it."
"It would be nice to be asked," Jack growled.
"And you would have obliged?" Daniel responded. "Can you hear them?"
"They're singing again," Jack responded, a vague look appearing on his face.
Both Daniel and Jack began to glide towards the rising Lepidor pair, neither had the will to do anything else. As the four met in the air, a pair of arms wrapped around Jack and he felt himself begin to fall. Frantically adapting the stroke of his wings to compensate he began to rise again, bringing his new burden with him.
"You are mine Jack O'Neill," a soft voice whispered in his ear.
Even as Jack felt his desire rise in response to the siren's voice, his mind began to resist. This was not what he wanted. This was not his choice. "Daniel! Daniel don't respond!"
"How?" Jack heard a faint and frantic response.
Jack grabbed the arms wrapped around him and pulled them apart. He held the creature at arm length. "No!" He yelled at her and thrust her away.
As he twisted in the air, to search for Daniel, blackness descended like a veil over his eyes. The sea came towards him but he no longer had the strength to raise himself back into the air. The last thing he felt was the water rising around him, 'drowning again' was his last thought.
The Second Awakening
This time when he awoke there was no box, no liquid. Jack realised he wasn't drowning, nor had he drowned. Sitting up quickly made his head explode and he held it tightly while the pain faded. As his eyes cleared he focused on Daniel sat a few feet away, watching him. He noted his wrists and ankle appeared to be coupled together. Daniel smiled at him in relief at his regaining consciousness.
"Hi Daniel?" Jack made the greeting a question. Was his friend OK?
"I told them you wouldn't do what they wanted."
"What did they do?"
"Uha wanted a mate, she chose you. They drugged you and set us here. I've been waiting for you to wake up," Daniel explained. What he didn't need to explain was the fear that Jack would never wake.
"Oh" Jack responded doubtfully. "What about you?"
"Apparently I was not suitable," Daniel responded and Jack was certain he sounded annoyed.
"So… I never flew," Jack commented.
"Flew? No. They left me with you the whole time. But it is apparently possible for those containers to change one species to another. They have no more males and need mates or their race will die."
"Daniel is correct. We must find suitable mates," Uha confirmed as she glided forward. "But you will not be of help to us."
"I like being human," Jack responded. A sense of loss filled him and sadness touched his eyes.
Uha seemed to sense his feelings. "You would like to fly, but it is not enough of a temptation for you to give up being what you are?" It was a question but it needed no reply.
"Our friends will be worried about us. Are you going to stop us from leaving now?"
"No, but you must not return to this place."
"There is a mineral here that we need. It will help our people with both energy and weapons to protect ourselves," Daniel explained as both he and Jack stood up.
Uha looked at them for a short while before replying. "If you can find people who would be willing to help us, we will not interfere with you taking some of the mineral. You must not, however, touch this cavern or anything connected to it. This is the only place we can reproduce. If you damage it you will destroy the remainder of our race."
"What would your other people have to say about that?" Jack asked.
"They already agree," she responded.
"Telepathy?" Daniel hazarded a guess.
"Yes," Uha confirmed. "Will you ask others of your kind to help us?"
Daniel looked at Jack waiting for him to respond, unsure of what he would say.
"There's not much some of our people wouldn't do to acquire a steady supply of naquada. There are bound to be some among our people who would want to… help you. We will ask."
"Your people are outside the cave. They could not be allowed in here."
"Why?" Daniel asked.
"The Jaffa carries our enemy. They would destroy us if they could."
"What about Sam, the woman. She has no Goa'uld?" Jack asked.
Uha didn't answer the question directly. "We are telepaths Colonel O'Neill. Your Major would have been a problem if we had let her in." Then she smiled at him; "your Major was a distraction anyway, even though she was not present. You humans are a complicated race, so much remains hidden, even between yourselves," she added cryptically.
The two men walked across the cavern towards the crystal chamber. They had no doubt that it would now be clear for them to leave.
"Huh, Daniel."
"Yes Jack," Daniel responded. An enquiring gleam entering his eyes at the strange tone he could now hear in Jack's voice.
"The debriefing is going to be… Huh… a little difficult. He lit his torch from a downward position to stop it from blinding them as it lit up the crystals and noted the barrier had disappeared.
"Explaining what they want in exchange for free access to the naquada might be a little awkward," Daniel conceded.
"You know if that's what it feels like to fly…" Jack's voice trailed off. The thought was forgotten as he saw Teal'c lying in the entrance to the cave.
"Teal'c!" he called as he and Daniel broke into a run.
Teal'c opened his eyes to find himself looking up at the concerned face of his friend.
"Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.
"I'm OK Teal'c," Carter assured him as she sat up. "I am however soaking wet," she continued. She grabbed the front of her jacket and tried lifting it away from herself. "Yuk!"
"As am I," responded Teal'c from his prone position.
Jack held out an arm to help him to his feet while glancing anxiously at Sam. Daniel picked up the detonator from the ground beside her.
"What were you doing?" Daniel asked her.
"We were going to blow a hole in the barrier."
"But the barrier is gone."
"So it would appear," Teal'c responded, " You are here, not inside."
Jack grinned cheekily and slapped Sam on the back. It wasn't a good idea. The grin disappeared as he shook the water from her clothing off his hand.
"We have permission to mine for the naquada from the present inhabitants. There're some conditions attached to the permission."
"What kind of conditions sir?"
Jack glanced at Daniel who shrugged and refused to help him explain. He was enjoying Jack's discomfort, but also wondered what had caused it. He doubted that his friend would be particularly squeamish about the request. Several people came immediately to mind who would probably jump at the chance to sprout wings. The thought brought a smile to his face. 'Just what were you dreaming about in that cavern?' Daniel wondered again.
"That must have been some dream Jack," Daniel commented slyly.
Sam looked suddenly intent at Daniel's expression and then back at Jack.
"Tell you later… Maybe. Lets get these folk dried off and tell the General the good news," Jack added, forestalling the questions he saw rising in Sam's eyes. A brief vision of Uha's lovely face drifted in front of his eyes. Yes, he had definitely been tempted by the thought of flight and the girl. Who wouldn't have been.