Amalgamation

by Jules8

SG-1 find themselves caught up in a planet's deadly secret.

STARGATE SG1 - AMALGAMATION


By Julia Reynolds
Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk

DISCLAIMER:
"Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/ Viacom,
MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story has
been written for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has
exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original
characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Not to
be archived without permission of the author."



PART ONE



'If we are alive, are we not entitled to freedom? What gives any being
the right to shackle another, caring little for their right to be free?
On what basis do you make these decisions? On what basis do you have
the right to call yourself a God?'



oOo

The darkness was stifling. Strange colors, strange glistening hues, lit
briefly by their flashlights, soaked the walls of the giant cavern. A
dampness. A feeling of age, of a history ingrained within the roughened
surface of the stone. A feeling of immense oppression, and of despair.

Daniel couldn't shake the feeling. He gazed around him, his eyes
drinking in the sight, the sound of gently trickling water against the
far side distracting him for a moment. He flicked his flashlight up and
walked forward, a step behind Sam Carter as she took readings and
searched the cavern with eyes more trained than his to look for signs of
danger.

"Okay, boys and girls, what've we got?" O'Neill's cheerful voice broke
the silence, sending an echo around the chamber, breaking into Daniel's
morbid thoughts, an assault on his solitude.

"It's pretty much as the MALP recorded, sir. Fresh oxygen atmosphere,
so there has to be some sort of entrance somewhere, refreshing the
supply," Sam replied, her voice authoritative, yet guarded. Daniel knew
her well enough to know that she never committed to anything unless she
was sure. Sam wasn't sure.

She started forward, continuing to look down and monitor the readings.
"No life signs in the vicinity, as we expected, but there's the writings
to consider," she added as she reached the nearest wall and allowed her
fingers to trace across the carvings hewn there. The rock felt hard,
rough. The inscriptions hadn't been worn down much over time, they
looked almost fresh, they could have been scratched out that very year,
and yet the area around the Gate looked unused, deserted.

Daniel took out his notepad and pencil and crouched into a comfortable
position next to the nearest column of letters, his flashlight flicked
into an upward position as he squinted through his glasses at the
inscriptions. This was his thing. They could fight, solve physics
problems and make strategic decisions. But when the writing was on the
wall, who did they call for? Daniel smiled to himself, a satisfied
smile, and settled down for the duration.

Sam smiled gently, knowingly, as she turned to see him drop down next to
the wall. She knew he would be in his own world now and decided it was
best to leave him to it. Based on previous missions this could be a
long process.

"Carter, scout out the north side and see if you can find anything.
Teal'c you check the south, behind the Gate. I'll keep a weather eye
out here," O'Neill ordered as he set his pack down at the DHD. There
was a feeling about the place he didn't like. He didn't usually go by
hunches, but the feeling was something he felt he'd experienced before
and it gave him the creeps just trying to remember it. Damn the
writings. Trust Carter's inquisitive, persistent eyes. He wondered if
General Hammond would have sanctioned a scouting party, if it hadn't
been for something Carter had spotted on the MALP's video playback.
Inscriptions, carvings. Signs of civilisation. He didn't like the idea
of gating into a cave but, hey, what the heck, they'd done worse.

Sam moved to the north of the Cavern, her flashlight picking out each
crevasse, each change in direction of the mostly curved rough surface.
She moved her hand slowly towards each crack, feeling for signs of air.
If the air supply was through a small crack and the cavern was sealed
then they'd take down as much of the inscriptions as they could and go
home. A part of her, the intrepid explorer part, wanted to find a way
through, and a part of her wanted to get back through the gate. She
couldn't put her finger on what was wrong with the cave. Just that it
wasn't right.

And then she found something. A twist in the contour of the chamber,
which was masked by its darkness. Hidden from sight, it was narrow but
certainly passable. Sam could feel the gentle current of air as she put
her face toward the crevasse, which now came into view. She was now out
of sight of the others and out of sight of the gate. She weighed up
going through it alone and then changed her mind.

"Colonel! I've found something," she shouted as she returned to the
chamber.

"Teal'c, stay with Daniel," O'Neill barked as he jumped to his feet and
moved towards the figure of his officer. "Okay, Carter, what's up?" he
said as he reached her.

"An entrance maybe," she said shrugging, as she led the way back to the
crevasse. "The air supply is definitely coming through here. Whether
there are more openings, I don't know. This one's passable with
difficulty but it could lead to the surface," she said hopefully.

O'Neill put his face to the cold air which was filtering through and
sighed, looking at Carter's face, her expression of 'Hey, it's your
call. Do we go or what?'

O'Neill moved back into the chamber and looked over Daniel's shoulder,
eyeing his scribbling and his intense gaze. He was lost in his own
world, his own thoughts. O'Neill shook his head and smiled. He admired
Daniel's tenacity. He just knew he wouldn't have the patience to try
and unravel what was carved there. If anyone could, it had to be
Daniel.

"Daniel, you got anything for me?" he asked resting his hand on Daniel's
shoulder to pull his attention to him.

"Uh? Oh, sure...well actually not yet." Daniel pulled his eyes from his
writing, reluctant self-sacrifice written all across his face. "Jack,
I've only just scratched the surface. It's an ancient dialect, similar
to Babylonian but there's some anomalies which don't add up," Daniel
answered and then immediately returned to his notepad, his eyes dropping
back to the page, his pencil racing.

"He's gone," O'Neill muttered. Sam smiled to herself behind him

"Teal'c, mind our friend, here. We're about to try a topside visit,
maybe. Radio silence unless there's a problem. Understand?"

Teal's understood but his eyes narrowed. He didn't like the chamber one
bit. Not one bit. But he was a Jaffa, a warrior. His Commanding
Officer was giving him an order. He wasn't about to disobey it, even
though his heart yearned to be going to the surface if he could, just to
get away from the stifling atmosphere.

"I understand, Colonel O'Neill," came the muted response.

Sam put her helmet back on and watched O'Neill do the same, then they
moved back towards the rear of the chamber, shouldering their M-16
rifles..

"Teal'c doesn't like this place anymore than we do, sir," Sam commented
as she flicked her hand flashlight on and shone it into the crevasse.

"Yeah, well the sooner we leave this place won't be soon enough for me
either, Captain," O'Neill replied, grimacing.

"Shall I?" she asked, pointing her flashlight into the passage.

"I think on this occasion, the ladies first rule is shelved, Captain,"
O'Neill joked as he grabbed her flashlight and manoeuvred past her. He
started to inch through the narrow space. He could feel every piece of
rock, every jagged edge, poking into his ribs and every other part of
his body. Carter's breath clearly echoed behind him as she inched her
way through, keeping her eye firmly on the beam of light.

The end of the crevasse opened out into another chamber, smaller than
the previous one. The space was oppressive, the roof of the chamber
low at this point.

"Some kind of ante-room?" commented Sam. O'Neill shrugged and ran his
hand along the surfaces again.

"More inscriptions," he said as his fingers felt the finely carved
lines. "Better not let Daniel in this one or we might as well make
camp," he joked as he moved around the room, shining his flashlight into
every corner. Sam turned to look behind them, to the passage and then
took a step backwards. She pointed her flashlight at the wall.

"Colonel," she said quietly and pointed the light for him to see what
she could.

"Jeez, what was this place?" he muttered as he moved in to look. Large
rings in the wall, one on one side of the entrance to the passage and
one on the other. A large bore chain hung redundant from one.

Sam swallowed. "A holding cell of some sort?" she offered unhappily.

"Sweet," was O'Neill's only comment. He swung his light upwards and
pointed.

Above the passageway, just tucked under the roof of the cavern about
seven feet up, there was an obvious tunnel running along the top of the
passageway back towards the Gate chamber.

O'Neill shrugged, looking at Carter who gave him the same look. It was
the only visible exit from the smaller chamber.

"Looks like we've got some crawling to do, Captain," he said, his heart
sinking. He didn't like this one bit.

"I think ladies first on this, Colonel. Not much choice," Sam said with
determination and positioned her rifle securely across her shoulders.

O'Neill nodded reluctantly. He knew he had to leg her up there first.
He cupped his hands and hoisted her foot upwards. She grabbed the ledge
and hauled herself into the small tunnel.

O'Neill jumped, his hands gripping the ledge and then he pulled himself
up to follow her.

The tunnel was small but smoother than the passageway, almost man-made
in its design. There was no light source, just pure inky blackness.

Sam crawled forward on all fours, her jacket flashlight her only means
of keeping from bashing into the sides. On more than one occasion she
was grateful for her helmet as her head came into contact with
protrusions from above, strange dips in an otherwise, seemingly flawless
surface.

The air came cooler now, fresher somehow.

"Whoa," she said as she rammed her shoulder hard up against the side of
the tunnel, its sudden ninety degree turn, invisible in the small amount
of light her flashlight offered.

"You okay, Carter?"

She nodded in the dark and mumbled a "Yes". Gee, she wished she hadn't
done that, she thought as she reached up to massage the bruise.

"I think we're moving away from the Gate chamber," she advised O'Neill
who moved up closer behind her.

"Any sign of life?"

Sam shook her head, flicking her recorder nearer to her face to see it
in the gloom. "Not so far. I.." and then she took in a breath.

"There's something ahead, sir, not far from here. Life readings," she
said, apprehension tingeing her voice. O'Neill could hear it and he
didn't blame her.
Having seen what he'd seen in the antechamber he wasn't sure he wanted
to meet anyone who might be responsible.

O'Neill flicked the radio to his mouth. "Teal'c, he hissed."

"Yes, O'Neill." Teal'c's steady voice gave O'Neill a sense of comfort,
knowing that his two friends were safely at the Gate should anything
happen to any of them.

"Got a feeling we're gonna be meeting some of the natives. How far's
Daniel got?" he said.

Daniel's voice echoed back through the radio into the stillness of the
tunnel.

"Jack, there's something here you've got to see," he said, and then he
paused. "Where are you guys anyhow?"

"Somewhere above you we think. What's up?"

"Colonel, we've got company," Sam interrupted, her voice quiet, her hand
resting gently on his arm.

O'Neill swung around, his eyes fixed on the face which poked around the
corner and eyed them with displeasure, the weapon it held pointed
directly at them, the hum of what it was capable of discharging,
dangerously close.

oOo


Daniel stretched his arms and massaged his neck and looked at the radio
in despair. Perhaps they'd entered some sort of dead area for
transmission. Damn it, he desperately needed to talk to his friends
again.

What he'd translated so far of the inscriptions made for heartbreaking
reading. He felt vindicated that his initial assessment of the chamber
was of oppression and despair. And yet it was so much more than that.
It was a statement on a world, the like of which he'd not encountered
before. Not even in their travels to other Goa'uld strongholds. It had
been a few minutes since Jack had stopped transmitting. In that time
he'd translated a final fragment of text, the majority of which he'd
managed to decipher. It told him one important fact. A fact he needed
his friends to know. A fact, which had made his heart sink.

He picked up the radio and switched it to transmit again. He turned to
speak to Teal'c and then noticed him scanning around the chamber, his
staff weapon readied.

"Daniel Jackson, we must conceal ourselves at once," he said and jumped
down from the steps to the Gate.

Daniel immediately gathered up his pencil and notepads and joined Teal'c
in the far shadows at the back of the chamber. He'd long since stopped
questioning Teal'c's sense of urgency. It had saved them on too many
occasions.

Daniel could feel Teal'c's tense body next to him. He could hear his
steady breathing. He glanced up and watched the Jaffa's eyes stare
intently at the far end of the cave.

Teal'c put a finger to his own lips and kept his eyes fixed forwards.

Small movements from the far side. A strange sound of scraping. Rock
on rock. Then a moment filled with silence. Suddenly, two strange
looking creatures came into view, weapons scanning the cave, and peered
in their direction. Then they moved forwards. Daniel felt sure they
couldn't be seen in the darkness. Nevertheless he instinctively
attempted to make himself smaller somehow, withdrawing into the shadows.
He put the radio slowly to his lips. If he had to, he could warn the
others.


oOo


O'Neill's finger lifted slowly from the radio to hear Daniel's voice,
urgent, warning.

"Jack, Sam! You've got to get back. This whole place is..."

The static, which ensued, filled the small space and made Sam's heart
ache. O'Neill stared at their strange visitor and swallowed.


"Guess we forgot our hall passes, Carter," was all he could think of
saying.




PART TWO



Eyes, elongated, almost oval in shape with dark centres. There was an
almost reptilian look to the man, which sent shivers down Sam's spine.
Somewhere in there a human being dominated. Certainly the limbs seemed
human enough in shape beneath the uniform. She felt hypnotised, spell
bound by its eyes as it stared unblinking at them.

They watched the man draw a hand across his mouth and then mutter
something almost unintelligible into a small transmitter at his wrist.
His other arm, slightly scaled in texture, held the weapon steady,
always towards them, always with a clear shot if he wanted to use it.

O'Neill caught Sam's eye and grimaced. She shot him a shrug and eyed
the radio meaningfully.

O'Neill nodded and brought it towards his mouth slowly. The man watched
but made no effort to stop him.

"Daniel," he hissed as he pressed the transmit button. For a minute
they listened to the static hiss which was returned. Then a faint
voice.

"Jack? Where are you? Are you still on the move?"

"Oh we're not going anywhere right, now," Jack replied, relieved to hear
his voice.
"You got company?" he asked, hoping for a negative.

"Um..yes, as a matter of fact we do," Daniel replied warily. "Same as
yours I expect?" The question was obviously rhetorical. "I think we're
on our way to wherever you are. Jack, something's not right with all
this. I found something out in the inscriptions. Needed to warn
you...."

The static resumed. Sam's heart sank and she prayed Teal'c and Daniel
were keeping their heads.

"Damn," Jack muttered as he clipped the radio back onto his jacket.

The man suddenly moved, his speed taking them by surprise. He was
between the two of them within seconds. With one hand he lifted Sam's
weapon from her and pushed her forwards roughly. With the other he held
his weapon at O'Neill's throat. O'Neill could feel the man's breath
brush his cheek as he leant forward, his eyes fixed on his. O'Neill
felt his own weapon being swiftly removed and watched as Sam moved out
of his vision and down the side tunnel, on her hands and knees. Their
visitor waved his weapon and pushed O'Neill after her.

"Hey, watch your manners," O'Neill said as he moved along the surface.

The smoothness of the surface was definitely man made he decided.
Despite its smoothness it was dusty and hadn't been used for some time.
Jack didn't know quite what to make of what he'd seen. A prison or
holding cell of some sort outside the chamber which held the gate, and
now this. Some sort of man-made tunnel leading to where? Not for the
first time that day he wished Daniel were there to chew it over with.
He could see Carter in front of him and then he saw light. Faint at
first but within seconds it lit the tunnel.

Suddenly they were clambering free of the tunnel and dropped some six
feet to the ground below them, followed in an instant by the strange
man, who was up within seconds, his weapon stuck in O'Neill's back, his
other hand clasping Carter's shoulder and hauling her to her feet.

The strange almost guttural voice began again as he walked them
forwards.

Sam looked around her in a mix of admiration and unease. The tunnel had
come out into some sort of temple. Pillars of gold marble, encircled
with elaborate carvings of what looked like scarabs, stood in pairs
leading towards a single set of steps. Standing at the top of the
steps, in a pose of solitary domination, a throne. It faced outwards
towards the entrance to the Gate. The steps up to the throne were also
carved from marble and shone, the throne itself being inlaid with more
scarabs, their bodies entwined around the arms. Despite her misgivings
about the place, Sam felt a sense of awe at the people who had built it,
and she found herself drawn to its beauty and strange sense of purpose.
It had a hypnotic quality, which she found hard to ignore. She turned
to look at the entrance to the tunnel behind them and her eyes narrowed.
The entrance was encircled by a depiction of the gate itself. On either
side were two suns, carved into the stone and inlaid with gold.

O'Neill followed her gaze and felt an overriding sense of disbelief.
The damp, primitive chamber, which held the gate, was in total contrast
to the opulence which he saw here. He shook his head.

"Carter, does something seem odd to you? I mean apart from the
obvious?" he said quietly as they moved forward.

Sam tried to shrug the man's hand from her shoulder where his somewhat
long talons were biting through her jacket and into her skin but he held
firm, her struggles only causing him to grip tighter.

"I'm not sure, sir. I mean this is pretty nice compared to where we've
just come from," she answered, wincing. "Ouch, will you cut it out," she
said and tried elbowing the man. He arched his body away from her and
glared, holding tight.


O'Neill watched the proceedings with growing anger. Almost as if the
man caught his thoughts, his weapon moved an inch further into the back
of O'Neill's jacket. A warning.

O'Neill continued, trying to ignore him. "Exactly. On plenty of worlds
we've seen, the gate room is usually pretty okay, sometimes even
guarded. On this world, we got what? The opposite. Keep the gate in
the dark, in the cellar? I don't buy it." He shook his head. He'd
have loved Daniel's take on this one. He suspected he'd have a few
things to say about it. He realised he was missing his friend again.

"Maybe they don't use the gate anymore, sir. We didn't see any evidence
of it being in regular use," Sam replied, her mind turning over what he
was saying, and knowing in her heart that what she was saying was the
vaguest stab in the dark.

O'Neill shook his head. "Doesn't make sense. That room we saw. The
one with the chains. That sure had a purpose. Didn't look as though
they chained some guard dog up down there, now did it?"

Sam nodded silently. He was right and the thought frightened her
somehow.

The huge gates at the end of the throne room were flung open suddenly.

Two men marched in, stopped abruptly and then turned, their arms
outstretched, weapons in each. They bowed towards one another. They
were both of the same strange reptilian and human mixture.

"Is this any way to treat our guests?" a voice declared from beyond the
gates.

Their captor released them both as soon as he heard the voice.

Sam swung her shoulder around in a circle, trying to free it from the
knot which was now her muscle. She turned to O'Neill and caught his
eye. He acknowledged the look and nodded towards her jacket, the hand
gun barely visible beneath. For some reason the alien hadn't thought it
necessary to check for more weapons. A fact O'Neill was strangely
perturbed by, but was nevertheless counting on. She nodded in return.
O'Neill felt the comforting bulge of his own weapon as it hung beneath
his arm.

"I can assure you that you wouldn't get the weapon into your hands
before my guards killed you," the voice continued. The owner swung into
the room, long, red robes flapping around his ankles as he walked. The
red material was threaded through with gold and silver and shone as the
light caught it. His skin was pale and drawn and his eyes a sharp
piercing blue. His hair receded to just in front of a small red cap
which sat neatly on the crown of his head. He didn't seem to possess
the vaguely reptilian features which his guards did. A fact which
escaped neither of his guests. He reached them and made a flourish with
his hand.

"I am honoured," he said and eyed O'Neill with interest. "Allow me to
introduce myself, I am Zophra. And you are?" he asked, his head on one
side. Sam thought he looked like a small bird listening for worms, so
intent was his expression.

"We didn't say." O'Neill replied and smiled condescendingly.

"Of course you didn't. And I don't blame you for feeling hostile but I
can assure you we mean you no harm," Zophra said, smiling benevolently.
Too benevolently for O'Neill's liking. No one was this nice, not when
they'd just stuck a weapon in your back.

"Our friends?" Sam asked, stepping forward.

"Your friends are fine. You may join them now, if you wish," he said as
he turned to speak to her, and then he stopped, his eyes widening. "And
you...you are female?"

Sam frowned. Okay she looked less than feminine in her combats and
helmet but hell was it that much of a surprise.

Zophra's palor blushed the palest pink as he watched the frown.

"I'm sorry, I have offended you. My sincerest apologies, my dear. Let
me relieve you of this," he reached out and swiftly lifted her gun from
her jacket before she could react, and then reached up and pulled the
helmet from her head. She moved back immediately and watched as his
eyes widened. His hand moved instinctively towards her head, his
fingers brushing lightly against her hair. He smiled and let them
entwine into a lock of her hair, his expression one of pure rapture.

Sam felt a revulsion work its way through her until she couldn't bear it
any longer and she raised her hand, gripping his wrist tightly until he
released his fingers from her hair. His eyes lit with admiration at her
daring, as he reached up again and fingered a single lock of hair.

O'Neill watched the proceedings with his hand poised. No matter what
the guy said, he'd get to his weapon fast if he had to.

Sam had had enough. No one did that to her. Not if she didn't want
them to. She took a swing and slapped him hard across the face. Within
seconds one of the guards turned, his hand coming up suddenly and
smashed his arm across her, forcing her to sprawl backwards across the
ground.

"Imbecile," Zophra shouted, fingering his cheek as he moved his other
hand from his cloak. He raised it and pointed his finger at the guard
who instantly bowed his head and sunk to his knees.

"You will pay for your stupidity," he said and beckoned with his finger
to the hapless man.

The man shuffled towards him, his head bowed. As he neared, Zophra
reached out and pressed his hand to the man's forehead. A soft glow
underneath, within his palm spread across the man's temple.

"May your friends know why you are shamed," Zophra said quietly,
removing his hand and clapping both hands together, as the man slumped
to the floor, his eyes open, his heart racing, his eyes registering
acute pain as a deep mark appeared on his forehead..

Sam's eyes widened as she pulled herself to her feet. Two guards came
into the room and immediately moved to the body.

"You did that because he pushed me?" she asked, unable to believe the
severity of the punishment.

"He broke our law. The punishment is swift, painful and permanent,"
Zophra replied and smiled, ignoring the dragging sound of the guard
being manhandled towards the doors.

"Kind of harsh, isn't it?" O'Neill said as he moved forwards, his hands
raised, as a guard reached into his jacket and relieved him of his own
gun.

"It is our law. We have few rules, but those which are in place, must
not be broken. For a composite or underclass to touch a perfect human
woman is one of them." Zophra smiled again and turned to Sam.
"Especially one with such light coloured hair," he added.

O'Neill figured that if he smiled too any times he'd have to wipe the
smile from his face. He felt less than benevolence coming from the guy
anyway and this "underclass" thing ground at his gut.

"And you have the right to touch me?" Sam persisted. O'Neill winced.
Hell, couldn't she leave it?

"I am neither composite or underclass as is obvious, my dear. I will
forgive this insult for now. Please however, remember that in future,"
Zophra replied, his eyes narrowing, his face losing its mask for an
instant, and then recovering swiftly.

Sam opened her mouth to reply and then caught O'Neill's eye. He firmly
shook his head. Hell, he had to shut her up somehow, before she ended up
somewhere he didn't want her to, and he ended up somewhere he didn't
want to either.

"You must be tired. We rarely receive visitors through our portal. It
is said that those who come through, are sent through for a purpose, by
the Great Ones who reside on the other side. We must respect their
decision to send you to us, and we must learn why you have been gifted
to us," Zophra said as he indicated the main doors from the chamber.
"There is always a reason," he added, glancing at her meaningfully, and
it sent a chill through Sam.


oOo

Daniel sat with his back against the wall of a large, rather exotically
decorated room. The large display of cushions were all that were
provided for seating and he had placed two large red ones near to the
wall and made himself as comfortable as he could. He studied the pages
of his notepad carefully. What he read frightened him. He knew that
the translations from the writings were rather sketchy. He didn't fully
understand the Babylonian inscriptions but the meanings were painfully
clear and they disturbed him.
He reached into the bowl of grape-like fruit and popped one into his
mouth. The juice was refreshingly cold and sweet. As he chewed, he
thought.

Teal'c stood impassively next to him, his staff weapon resting lightly
at this side, his fingers linked around it. So far, no one had tried to
take it.

"Teal'c, have you ever come across anything like this world?" Daniel
ventured between mouthfuls, to his large friend.

"I have seen many Goa'uld worlds, Daniel Jackson, but not as this one,"
Teal'c replied sombrely.

"Well..it could be that it's not essentially Goa'uld, only touched by
them in recent years. If it's kept its own identity, it might be that
it wouldn't be recognisable as a Goa'uld stronghold, despite what we
learned from those inscriptions," Daniel replied, his eyes narrowing,
taking in the scarabs which wound their way around the more ornate legs
of a large table against the wall.

The scraping of the door as it opened wide, distracted him from his
contemplation.

Both sets of eyes turned suddenly as the doors flung open and the
welcome sight of their two friends appeared at the doorway.

"Rest for a while. I will come for you when the time is right," Zophra
said and bowed at all four of them. "The guards will remain at the door
for your protection," he added as he turned and flourished out again.

O'Neill grimaced. "Who's he kidding?" he muttered and turned to smile at
the remaining members of his team. He clapped Daniel on the back.

"Danny, my boy. Good to see you. Now give me what you've got on this
place," he said and grabbing a couple of the large cushions he sat
himself down to listen.

Sam sat down on a set of steps rising from the floor. They led to the
back of the room. She rested her chin on her hands, listening to the two
men.

"Okay. Remember that I've only just started to crack what I've seen
down there, but what I did see doesn't make for good bedtime reading,"
Daniel said and took his glasses off to rub the corners of his eyes. He
felt tired.

"So what's new? Let me have it," O'Neill said and leaned back, his arms
behind his head. Damn it he might as well be comfortable if he was
going to get bad news.

Daniel put his notebook down and looked at O'Neill.

"Okay, this whole complex seems to have been a glorified segregation
center. That cavern, the one where the gate is, was used to ship out
the lower classes, or at least the people considered to be some sort of
subset of the species," Daniel said.

"And we know this because?" O'Neill said, his eyebrows raised.

"Well the writings don't give us too many facts per se, I mean it's not
like some sort of library or anything, but from what I can see, the
inscriptions were made by the people who were kept down there while they
waited to be sent away," Daniel said, flipping his notepad to find a
representative inscription.

"Care to give us an example?" O'Neill asked.

"Yes. There was one in particular which kind of summed up the whole
situation," Daniel answered and started to scan his finger down his
writing. "Here. Near to the gate I found this." He cleared his throat
and then read.

"If we are alive, are we not entitled to freedom? What gives any being
the right to shackle another, caring little for their right to be free?
On what basis do you make these decisions? On what basis do you have
the right to call yourself a God?"

"See, from what I'd found elsewhere added to this, it's obvious that
someone, actually one person, up here was choosing who to send down
there," he added thoughtfully.

Sam raised her head from her chin. "Daniel, you said, they shipped them
out. Shipped them out to where?"

"Well this is the part you're not going to like," Daniel replied.

"I don't like anything you've said so far," O'Neill muttered, his arms
lowered, his sense of apprehension growing.

Daniel ignored the retort and continued. "From the writings I've
translated, the people who waited to leave through the Stargate were
waiting to be fetched by the Goa'uld and used for slaves. The
descriptions match what we've seen ourselves."

A deep silence descended on the group.

"Who would do that? To their own people?" Sam asked, her heart sinking.

Daniel hesitated.

"Why is it I sense worse news coming?" O'Neill muttered to himself,
eyeing Daniel warily.

Daniel ignored him and caught Teal'c's eye. The Jaffa was silent. His
face betraying no emotion.

"I guess I can't think of anything worse at the moment," Daniel conceded
and then continued. "Except there appears to be a resident System Lord
somewhere in this complex."

"Oh, for crying out loud, " was all that Jack could think of saying as
he let Daniel's words sink right in.








PART THREE



"And which little beauty would this one be?" O'Neill said, almost with
resignation. Hell, System Lords kept creeping out of the woodwork.
Trust them to find themselves on a planet which was host to another one.

"Khepera," came the quiet response. Teal'c turned his head and looked
at Daniel, his eyes widening.

"Daniel Jackson. Khepera is dead. I have heard the tales from men who
watched Ra destroy him many years ago."

Daniel shrugged and reached into the bowl of grapes again. He knew what
he'd read. Sam got up off the steps and sauntered across to them.

"Well I guess they thought Hathor was dead once," she added to the
conversation.

"Yes, but there's a difference, Captain. Hathor disappeared. If
Teal'c's right, and there were actual witnesses to his death, how in
hell's name is he here?" O'Neill asked. "Daniel, suggestions?"

Daniel sighed. He hated what he'd read.
"All the inscriptions on the chamber wall tell of a continual cleansing,
a purge of the lower caste here. Anyone who didn't fit whatever warped
standard Khepera had established, got shipped out and the weak simply
disappeared. It fits with what we know of Khepera as an Egyptian God.
He was the God of self-generation and self- renewal. Ethnic cleansing
suits his MO. You see all the scarabs everywhere? Khepera was seen by
the Egyptians to have the head of a beetle. That's one more pointer for
the theory that this is his stronghold."

Sam fingered a gold scarab which wound its way up the column nearest to
her. She shuddered inwardly.

Daniel continued. "He was also known as the God of the Rising Sun and I
expect that pissed off Ra, who was also known as the God of the Sun.
Khepera was a self made God in Egypt. Ra probably saw him as a usurper
to the throne."

Teal'c interrupted. "Daniel Jackson is correct. It is doubtful that Ra
would tolerate Khepera's insolence. But those tales of his death that I
heard, were told by men who do not lie, nor fabricate to gain attention.
If they say that Ra killed him, then I believe that is what they saw."

O'Neill shook his head. "Okay, let's say this Khepera somehow rose from
the dead."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

O'Neill caught the look and raised his hand. "Stay with me on this one,
Teal'c. Say Khepera miraculously survived. What's he doing here? And
more to the point, why is he sending half the population back to Goa'uld
town? Doesn't make sense if he was on Ra's hit list. Not exactly my
idea of low profile."

"But, sir, Ra is dead. Maybe Khepera is back in favour again," Sam
offered shrugging.

O'Neill nodded. "Okay, I'll buy that. With Ra dead, Khepera might be
sneaking back into favour, but the whole set-up here still doesn't make
sense," O'Neill said.

Daniel nodded reluctantly. "I'd have liked to have got more of the
inscriptions translated."

"I'd like to get the Tokra's take on this," Sam muttered.

"Well we're on our own on this one, kids," O'Neill replied and thought
for a minute.

"If the people here are used to seeing Goa'uld foot soldiers come
through the gate and take slaves back, why aren't they afraid of you,
Teal'c?" he said.



"Because your Jaffa friend does not wear the armour of the guards," a
voice replied.

SG1 swung around in unison. Teal'c lowered his staff and pointed it.

The tall figure, which stood in the doorway laughed. "You think I would
face the Tau'ri without some sort of a personal force field?" His
laughter ran across the room, echoing off the walls.

O'Neill waved a hand at Teal'c who lowered the staff.

"Khepera, I assume?" he said, his eyes taking the Goa'uld's and locking
with them.

"How astute of you," Khepera replied and moved forwards. "The Tau'ri
have progressed well since we left your pitiful little planet. The
tales I have been hearing do you justice."

O'Neill acknowledged the barbed compliment with a nod.

"Strangely, we can't return the compliment. I mean, you're supposed to
be dead," he said.

Khepera pulled himself to his full height, his eyes glowing slightly.
"My death was widely exaggerated," he replied and flicked his eyes to
Sam.

O'Neill caught the look and stiffened.

"A Tau'ri female? How delightful," Khepera said and moved into the
room. "Zophra was very excited about you my dear. I see your beauty
was not exaggerated," he added.

Sam stepped backwards. Khepera's eyes glowed brighter and his hand came
up, the palm glowing.

"I don't think so," O'Neill said as he side stepped quickly and stood in
front of her.

"Colonel, I can..." she started.

"Not this time, Captain, not this time," he said firmly.

Khepera lowered his hand and smiled. "I can wait. There will be other
times," he said. He stood feet from O'Neill. His head moved to one
side and he digested what he saw in front of him.

"Touching. The Tau'ri's weakness is still prevalent I see. Protection
of each other at any cost. You will never win against the Goa'uld, you
are too weak, too bound up in compassion and acts of self sacrifice.
The Goa'uld are strong, they care little for such things. Your weakness
will be your downfall."

"Well we weren't so weak when we got rid of Ra, were we?" Daniel said.

Khepera rounded on him, his eyes flashing. "Ah, so this is indeed the
Tau'ri group who killed the great God, Ra, is it?"

"Not so great...." muttered Sam under her breath.

Khepera spun around again. "You dare to take Ra's name and lessen its
significance. You would dare?"

"Hey, now Ra's not your buddy. You kinda got killed by him, or so we
heard," O'Neill said, interested at his reaction.

Khepera drew himself upright and hissed. "You are fools. You believe
what you hear and not what you see with your own eyes. Ra did not kill
me. Ra was my ally. Ra faked my death and sent me through the Gate to
provide us both with an invincible army. My death was a ploy. My
destiny was to provide a secret army for us both, and then to sit by
Ra's side when he had defeated those who would challenge him. You have
destroyed our original plan. Your meddling has cost me greatly."

"So I guess going home is out of the question?" O'Neill quipped and
raised his eyebrows at the others.

Khepera smiled. "I will send you to your home planet when I have
finished with you. But your homecoming will be as painful for those who
find your bodies as for yourselves," he said.

"Revenge is sweet," muttered O'Neill.

"My revenge for Ra's death will be very sweet indeed. However, I must
acknowledge that your team has caused many problems to my enemies. For
that I may thank you in some small way. Perhaps your bodies will never
return home." Khepera turned towards the door.

"Gee, don't be a stranger now," O'Neill shouted as the door shut behind
him.

"Way to go, Daniel. Telling him how we kicked Ra's ass right into
hyperspace," O'Neill muttered.

"Well, I did think that Ra was his enemy. Goa'uld don't usually form
alliances." Daniel replied shrugging.

"Daniel's right, colonel. If Ra had been his enemy then logically
Khepera would have been grateful," Sam said.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to gang up on me," O'Neill said and sat down
heavily.
"Choices?" he said looking around at each of them.

"Get to the gate," offered Sam. As the words left her lips she knew it
would be a pointless effort even trying.

"Yeah, well Captain, somehow I don't think we're going to get very far
past those damn guards," O'Neill said and looked across at Teal'c.

"I could take out the next group who enter through the door, O'Neill,"
Teal'c said, fingering his staff intently.

"Sure, we could try that," O'Neill said thoughtfully, and a thought
started to come to mind.

"Daniel, do we know anything about the so-called underclass on this
planet?" he asked.

Daniel took off his glasses and took out a handkerchief to clean them.
He was silent for a second and then spoke. "The walls did indicate that
the underclass were "multitudinous" - the inscriptions' words, not mine.
If that's so, then possibly there are some left somewhere. You thinking
resistance?"

O'Neill nodded. "We need for two of us to get out of here and track
down anyone who can help us. The other two need to get back to the gate
and fast. If we can get some reinforcements here...." his words trailed
off as the door opened again, and he swiftly put a finger to his mouth
and then sat back against the cushions.

Six guards entered through the door, together with Zophra and a young
woman, heavily veiled but wearing a side arm. Her eyes peered out from
behind the veil, dark and cold.

"The great Khepera demands that you be taken to our preparation rooms,"
he said and bowed.

Alarm bells started ringing in O'Neill's head as the others leapt
instinctively to their feet.

"Preparation for what?" O'Neill asked, his face registering a mixture of
apprehension and anger.

"I am not permitted to inform you. However, Selphic will be carrying
out our Master's instructions. She will explain," Zophra replied, his
face impassive.

Selphic bowed and then clicked her fingers.


Two human/reptilian guards moved swiftly towards Teal'c, his staff
coming up in seconds and opening fire on them immediately. They
staggered backwards momentarily and then launched forwards. Teal'c
stared at his weapon in disbelief, the discharge had merely damaged
their clothes, their skin appeared intact. He looked at O'Neill in
surprise as his staff was removed and he was bundled through the doors.

"Perhaps you would wish the guards to become more violent with your
other friends?" Selphic said, her eyes narrowing as she stood in front
of O'Neill.

"Oh, I don't think so," he replied and swiftly reached forwards towards
her, his hand taking her veil and pulling it swiftly away from her face,
his other hand grabbing at the weapon which nestled at her waist.

One of the guards lifted his energy weapon and fired.

As O'Neill fell to the floor he noticed through the mist which became
his companion, that the woman had a strangely deformed face, her
features part reptilian, part human and part something he couldn't
comprehend. As a fog took his senses and muted the pain he wondered if
he cared.


oOo



"Jack. Come on out of it." The voice was damn persistent. The fog
felt nice. He didn't want to wake out of it. Damn it, why should he?
Then he felt the shaking and it irritated him. He pushed the
perpetrator away with his arm and slowly opened his eyes reluctantly.

"Jeez, Daniel. Can't a guy get some rest around here?" he said as he
pushed himself up on one hand and massaged his temples ruefully with the
other.

"You've been out for four hours. I kind of thought you might like to
know what's happened to the others," Daniel said as he helped O'Neill to
a more upright position.

O'Neill grimaced. "What were those things, anyway?" he said as he shook
his head fiercely, trying to shake the ache and the fog away.

Daniel shrugged. "Some sort of stun gun," he suggested.

O'Neill nodded and then looked over to him. "You okay?" he asked.

"Sure. I'm more worried about the others. That woman or whatever she
was, Selphic, she took Carter away when you were hit. Teal'c was
already gone. It seems like they've got different plans for each of
us," he said glumly.

"Divide and conquer," O'Neill said slowly and then got to his feet with
a grunt, the exertion causing his head to pound.

Daniel nodded and looked up at him. "You might as well sit down, Jack.
I've had four hours to look over this place. There's no way of getting
out."

O'Neill looked at him sceptically. "Mind if I take a look. Nothing
personal," he said, and winced as he stretched his arms.

Daniel nodded, understanding. "Be my guest," he offered.

O'Neill walked slowly around the room, his eyes scanning the walls and
then the ceiling. Then he walked back again, this time scanning the
walls and the floor. The room was a simple square shape. The walls were
white, the ceiling was white and the floor was white. There was one
entrance, which was also the exit. A set of eight bars running
vertically down the length of the wall, each one set four or so inches
apart from the other. There was no sign of a lock. There was a small
silver convenience in the corner and a small metallic tap which
protruded from the wall. A tiny droplet of water had found its way to
the end of the tap.

Finally he dropped down next to Daniel.
"Okay, you win," he said.

"It's not a victory I want," Daniel mumbled and leant back.

O'Neill nodded in agreement. "Do we know where they took Carter and
Teal'c?" he asked, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Daniel looked at him, his eyes hollow. He knew that they were the only
chance the other two had. He knew that somehow they had to get out. He
also knew that when Jack found out where they had been taken and why,
his urge to get out would make him as desperate as he'd been while Jack
had been unconscious.

He looked down at his hands and the scratched and bleeding nails and
fingertips. He hadn't told Jack how long he'd tried to wrench the bars
apart, even though he knew it was impossible. He hadn't told him how
long he'd tried to wrench the damn tap from the wall just to get some
sort of weapon to get them out. Now he knew Jack would do the same and
he also knew how futile it would be.







PART FOUR



"Spit it out Daniel," O'Neill said, puzzled. He hadn't seen Daniel
quite so reticent in a long time.

"Teal'c's been taken to be reconditioned," Daniel said and before he
could go on, O'Neill put his hand on his arm.

"Just a minute. Reconditioned? For what?" he asked puzzled.

"To become Khepera's first Jaffa," Daniel said simply. He was trying to
make this as painless as possible. He was failing.

"More details?" O'Neill asked, his eyes boring into Daniel's, a mixture
of concern and anger reflected in his eyes.

Daniel sighed. "Okay, you want it, you got it. Khepera sees Teal'c as
ideal for building up his new army. He's Jaffa and he carries the only
other Goa'uld on this planet. By subverting Teal'c he has a powerful
warrior in his army. Khepera knows that without Ra's support he has to
build his own forces here, where no one knows he is. Then he can strike
against Heru'ur and Sokar and whoever else is out there."

O'Neill raised an eyebrow. "Teal'c won't subvert very easily," he said.

Daniel looked down.

"What?" O'Neill said, somewhat alarmed at his friend's attitude. Sure
Teal'c was in trouble but he was strong. Trying to subvert him probably
wouldn't work anyway.

"Khepera's methods of subversion are apparently unique," Daniel
muttered.

"Like?"

"Like fitting him with an implant. An organic implant. One which will
live in harmony with his larva but won't let him do anything to go
against Khepera." Daniel answered.

"And you know all this because?"

"Zophra took great delight in telling me all about it once they'd put us
in here. I guess he figured we can't do anything to stop it." Daniel
said.

"And Carter?"

Daniel shook his head. "You're not going to like this either."

"Like I really like what they're doing to Teal'c? Come on Danny, spill
it."

"Khepera's going to use her as a host in some sort of genetic
experiment." Daniel raised his eyes to look at O'Neill.

"You said that there were no other Goa'uld larva on the planet," O'Neill
said, his mind racing, his nerves on edge.

"And there aren't. Jack, Khepera's been working on genetically creating
a new species. A species he can call his own. A species to populate his
armies, and populate his world. Remember, I told you he was the God of
self-generation and self-renewal. He's probably been experimenting
genetically for hundreds of years in some form or other. You can see
from the guards that he's modified reptilian and human DNA. You saw the
guards' skin doesn't penetrate easily. But he wants more, Jack. Much
more."

"Do I want to know this?" O'Neill said, looking doubtful.

"I guess you should know what we're up against," Daniel replied and got
to his feet. He turned and stared through the bars at nothing in
particular.

"Selphic's managed to combine the reptilian/human DNA with something
else. I'm not sure what, but they're sure excited about it. They're
going to use Sam as a genetic guinea pig to see if it can survive. If
it can, then we'll be next on his list."

Jack kicked at the wall angrily.



oOo


Sam looked around her. The room was basic but spotlessly clean. She'd
been sitting for what seemed like an eternity, waiting. She was worried
about the others. Jack had been hit by that energy weapon and Daniel
looked horrified as she'd been led away after Teal'c. She didn't like
Selphic one bit. She'd been put in this room, sat on a chair and then
they'd locked the door. No word of explanation, nothing.

Then suddenly the door opened.

"We need to take some blood," Selphic announced as she walked in. She
reached forward for Sam's arm, her eyes flashing as she spoke.

Sam backed away from the chair and folded her arms. She wasn't about to
co-operate with them.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, conscious or unconscious,"
Selphic said as she snapped her fingers and two guards entered the room.

Sam contemplated their weapons and knew that she was no good to the
others if she lay unconscious for the next hour. Reluctantly she
stretched her arm forward.

"Good," Selphic muttered as she roughly gripped Sam's arm and placed a
small round instrument on the skin. She pressed a button. A slight
stinging and red liquid flushed into the container. She placed a small
pad on the wound and moved to go out of the room.

"Wait. I need to know why I'm here. I need to know where my friends
are," Sam said.

"Your friends are well. For the moment. You will be reunited soon
enough. You are here because you have been honoured by the great God,
Khepera. You are his chosen one."

"Wait...." The door closed behind Selphic. Sam folded her arm and
rubbed the pad across the skin ruefully. She felt a sense of relief
that her friends were all right, but being Khepera's chosen one sounded
a dubious honour somehow.

Sam sat back on the seat and waited.


oOo


The passageway was dark as it always was. Dark and damp. The stones
here were rough, a sure sign that the passage wasn't used much. That
was to his advantage. Forgotten routes, forgotten ways, forgotten
lives. The youngster edged towards the corner of the wall, his stealth
his best weapon.

This part of the palace outer-ring was abandoned. Khepera didn't think
he needed to defend against attack from outside. The threat was always
from within, from the ring of water in the bowels of the palace and from
beyond.

Tornak pulled the roughly made hood over his head and gripped his blade
tightly. He didn't want to use it, didn't want to kill anyone. The
guards knew no better. Crafted from something Tornak didn't understand
fully, they were pure servants to Khepera, knowing nothing of their
heritage, of the men and women who had died to give them life. Without
the building blocks of life, the composites would not exist. Tornak
knew that. Tornak had been taught that. Tornak wanted to teach others
about it, but there were few others left. Few humans, to pass his
knowledge to. It is as it must be. His teacher warned him to stay
hidden, stay away from the center of the palace. Now Tornak had strayed
too far in and yet had been rewarded by sight of them. Sight of the
newcomers. Tornak had to tell his teacher and warn him. Warn him that
the day of reckoning approached, as he had been told it would.

The large hand, which smothered his mouth suddenly and took his breath
from his throat, was familiar. Tornak relaxed into the stranglehold.

"You'll get yourself taken through the ring, boy, one of these days,"
the rough voice hissed steadily in his ear and then dragged him quietly
to the side and through a dark passage to their left.

The smell of decay greeted their nostrils as they made their way slowly
down towards the deep chamber. Down beneath the inner part of the
palace and extending towards the outer defences, the chamber lay well
behind the Gate chamber, out of sight and forgotten by all but the few
humans who remained within the palace perimeter. Humans who poked at
the defences and sometimes won. Small victories, small annoyances to
Khepera, but victories all the same.

"Morphan, you'll scare me so much one day," the boy chided insolently
and was playfully cuffed by the older man.

"Saving your sorry backside, boy, and that's all the thanks I get," the
older man said laughing as he greeted the two men who guarded the
entrance to a smaller chamber at the rear, an almost mirror image to the
Gate chamber.

The chamber was basic but comfortable. A low bed, curtained behind a
wooden bench and table. Some shelves which held books and writing
material. Morphan lit a candle and placed it on the table. He gestured
for the boy to sit.

"I have news, teacher," the boy said, sitting down on the bench, his
heart racing at the news he was about to impart, a strange cocktail of
excitement and fear.

Morphan turned to his pupil and smiled.

"And what news is so important that you risk your freedom for it, boy?"

"The ring has given up four strangers to Khepera, teacher. Three men
and a woman. A flaxen haired woman, teacher."

Morphan's eyes narrowed. "And the men? They are as we are? Not
composites?"

"No, teacher, they are not. They are as we are. All except one. One
has a strange mark here," and the boy touched the center of this
forehead swiftly. "His head bears no hair and he carries a weapon as
you have warned me the Ring bearers do."

Morphan turned and lifting a jug from the table, he poured straw colored
fluid into two mugs and passed one to the boy. Tornak gratefully sipped
at the liquid.

"It is time, isn't it teacher?" the boy said.

"It is time, my boy, it is time. Go to the perimeter and seek out Sten
and his men. Tell them to come to me."

Tornak drained his cup and wiped a grimy hand across his mouth. He
hesitated momentarily and then risked mentioning it.
"And those down below?" he asked, his eyes reflecting terror and
excitement.

"I have told you not to speak of them, Tornak. They are not to be
disturbed. Not yet. Their time will come soon enough, soon enough,"
Morphan said and smiled gently.

"Are you pleased with me, teacher?" Tornak said as he wrapped his cloak
around him and eyed his teacher warily.

"You have done well, my boy. You have done well. Now go with all
haste. Before it is too late."

As the boy turned to leave, Morphan put his hand on his shoulder and
turned him to face him.

"Tell me, Tornak. The woman? Is she with Khepera yet?"

The boy shook his head, his eyes burning. "Selphic has her. I saw them
take her to her rooms."

Morphan's spirits rose. "Then it is not too late. Go, go with speed,
my boy. Bring me Sten."

The boy nodded and fled, upward through the chamber and back through the
passage towards the palace perimeter and Sten's people.

In the small chamber, Morphan extinguished the candle and sat down to
think. He bowed his head for a minute and then raised it. His eyes
glowed bright, an illumination never seen by his pupil. His voice,
deeper, in control, called for his two guards.

They bowed in deference.

Morphan faced them and raised his hands. "Send word to the creatures
below. Tell them to prepare."

Then he uttered four words, but the words were enough.

"Tok'ra, it is time."







PART FIVE



Teal'c paced the room which he'd been given. He'd stood patiently for
well over an hour but now his nerves were on edge. Had he been split up
from the others because they were prisoners and he wasn't? His mind
raced behind the calm exterior of his face. His staff had been taken
from him before he'd entered the room. He'd tried to take it back but
four guards had overcome him.

Teal'c remembered back to that. The strangest thing was that they'd
been trying not to hurt him. They'd been rough, but even when he'd
lashed out at two of them, they'd merely restrained him and pushed him
into the room, then locked the door. Teal'c didn't understand.

The room was comfortable, an exact replica of the room they'd been in
earlier, only smaller. A bed was hidden behind exotic drapes, which
billowed gracefully in the draught from a high up open window. Food and
a pitcher of what looked like wine sat on a low table nearby. Teal'c
had no appetite.

The door swung open and Zophra moved swiftly into the room, followed by
two guards. He bowed and then smiled.

"You are honoured indeed. Khepera will be coming to your chamber within
seconds. Your destiny is envied by all who serve him. Please accept my
allegiance to you, my Lord, when your destiny is sealed this very day.
I will be your....." Zophra's voice trailed off, a choking sound coming
from his mouth instead. Teal'c looked up sharply.

Khepera's hand rested lightly on Zophra's head. He smiled broadly at
Teal'c and then looked down at Zophra.

"You will be his what, Zophra? Your allegiance is to me. To no one
else. Without me, you would have been taken by the Ring bearers. Do
I make myself understood?"

The choking continued.

"I will take that as your oath of total loyalty," Khepera said and moved
his hand.

Zophra dropped to his knees, his eyes watering, and fingered his throat,
coughing as he did so. He nodded, his eyes taking Teal'c's and then
dropping in submission.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the proceedings. Why had Zophra tried to
place his allegiance with him? What was he saying about destiny?
Teal'c was half inclined to treat his words as the babblings of a
madman, but there was something in Zophra's eyes, a desperation, which
gave him a bad feeling in his gut.

"And now, my dear Jaffa, it is time for you to meet something.
Something which will soon become better acquainted with you," Khepera
said and snapped his fingers.

Selphic moved slowly into the room, her veil once more attached firmly
to the side of her face. She placed a small box on the table and bowed,
her head reaching towards the floor, her hands outstretched in complete
submission.

Teal'c stood impassively, his fingers flexing. His Goa'uld larva moved,
agitated inside him. Something in the box, something his larva could
sense was wrong.

Kherpera reached across and lifted the lid of the box slowly. His
dipped his hand in and pulled a small vial of clear liquid from the box.
He lifted it to his face and peered intently inside. Teal'c could see
nothing.

"Just one of these inside you, my friend, and you would be mine. Mine.
Loyal to me and me alone. Think what a dozen could do. Selphic here
told me that the human scientist who manufactured the originals was a
genius and a perfectionist. I had to kill him. No one is that perfect.
No one except for me, of course." Khepera laughed loudly at that.
"Selphic assures me she is not a genius nor is she a perfectionist. She
is close, of course. I made her. I know how close she is."

Khepera's eyes glinted and Teal'c saw the madness for an instant. The
madness of a dictator, believing himself to be a God. A dictator, who
held the destiny of every living creature on his world, in his own
hands.

Khepera closed his fingers over the vial and smiled at Teal'c.

"Nano-technology. The perfect solution to implantation. The scientist
was almost right. It was almost perfect. He forgot one thing. To
thrive inside a Jaffa, to thrive side by side with a Goa'uld, there had
to be something else, something the host couldn't reject. Something the
larva could co-exist with, side by side. Selphic here, my sweet child,
has found that something. Organic material combined with these little
beauties. Mind control which will carve out its own place within you,
my friend. Mind control which will ensure your total loyalty, your
total service to me."

Teal'c's mind raced. "I will never serve a Goa'uld," he said firmly.

"You will have no choice," Khepera said slowly, his eyes glowing for an
instant and then dying.

"I would rip it from my body before I submit to you," Teal'c said, his
jaw locked in determination.

"And how many can you rip from your body? How will you know where they
are, where they have hidden? These little beauties will become a part
of you. They will attach themselves to places even the best surgeons
would be unable to find." Khepera smiled and placed the vial back
inside the box.

"My body will reject them," Teal'c said.

"Very astute. Perhaps a normal body would reject them, yes. Perhaps a
normal body would die in the process. Your body is host to a Goa'uld
larva, your body will welcome them."

Teal'c stood silently.

"You do not ask why your body will welcome my present to you. Your mind
is confused. You will soon be the first ever Jaffa to serve Khepera.
Does that not excite you?"

"It does not," Teal'c replied.

"Then know this, the organic material which has been used contains
Goa'uld DNA. My DNA. You will be linked to me as no other First Prime
has been linked to its master. This is the start of history, my friend.
Warriors who are linked to their master, unable to act against him,
unable to betray him. Able only to do his will, at all costs. To do
otherwise would cause you so much pain....need I go on?" Khepera
clapped his hands and Selphic swept up the box and left the room.

Teal'c watched her go and noticed a haunted look in those dark eyes
behind the veil. Selphic and Zophra betrayed their emotions. Undying
loyalty was something you had to earn, not beat out of people. Teal'c
knew this well. Teal'c also knew the look of desperation. Both had
displayed it.

"If the experiment is successful in you, my friend, you will travel
secretly to other worlds and bring me other Jaffa. They too will be
implanted, and so the leaders of my army will grow. Invincible,
unstoppable and loyal."

Khepera's eyes glazed for a moment, a look of reverie on his face. Then
he snapped back to the present.
"You will be prepared for this opportunity. Selphic will call for you
when she has finished with her other duties."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow in query.

Khepera moved towards the door and turned to face Teal'c.
"You are not the only one who will be gifted today, my friend. Your
friend, the woman, is to be endowed with a wonderful gift. She is to be
first host to my new composite. I have waited for a long time for this.
This day shall be remembered in history. I will talk with you more."

As Khepera left the room, Teal'c sat down to think. He had to get out
of there, he had to.


oOo


Daniel rested his hand on the bars of the prison cell, his thoughts
turning over slowly. A Goa'uld System Lord hiding on a planet and
building an army. It made perfect sense of course. Khepera knew that
the odds of defeating the likes of Heru'ur or Sokar were infinitesimal.
Without some sort of advantage he'd never win and probably be destroyed
in the process.

"He's more dangerous than any of the others, you know," Daniel muttered
out loud.

"Huh?" Jack looked up from where he was sitting.

"Oh sorry, just thinking out loud," Daniel said and turned to his
friend. "I was just thinking. Khepera could turn out to be the most
dangerous of the System Lords, or at least of those we know about. He's
playing with genetics here. A whole army of creatures the other System
Lords might have trouble beating."

"Makes him our number one target then," Jack replied and grimaced.
"'Course, we could just let him take out the others first and then go
for him," he added wryly.

"The System Lords have been around a long time. A few years of battles
won't mean anything to them. We're the ones with time constraints,
Jack. We've got to stop him here, right now," Daniel said and sighed,
rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

"Yeah, well we got kind of problem, right now," Jack said ruefully
looking at the bars. "I'm thinking we gotta get ourselves a
distraction." he mused.

The sound of guards approaching made them both turn.
"Maybe not," O'Neill said as he leapt to his feet and readied himself.
For what, he wasn't sure.

"You will come with us," the first guard said. "Selphic has need of
you." He touched a bracelet which clung to his wrist, and the door to
the cell swung outwards.

"Just who I wanted to talk to," said O'Neill sarcastically as he went
through, followed by Daniel.

O'Neill's mind raced. They had to make their escape now. They might not
get another opportunity. He didn't have time to warn Daniel. Didn't
have time to formulate a plan. The four guards flanked them, two in
front and two to the rear. He'd have to rely on Daniel taking the rear
two. He turned and caught Daniel's eye briefly. Whether he understood
he couldn't tell.

They turned a corner in the corridor and he lunged forward, knocking the
first guard to the floor and grabbing at the second guard's shoulder.
He heard scuffling behind him and said a swift and silent prayer than
Daniel was doing his part.

The knife, which rested in the guard's belt, was easy to pull clear.
Jack thrust it purposely forward into the man's stomach and up, lifting
the guard slightly with the effort. The grunt was the last sound the
guard made. The second guard lashed out with his hand, the reptilian
skin hard and cold on Jack's jaw. Jack dropped to the ground, his head
spinning for a second and then rolled quickly to the side as the guard
pulled free his weapon and fired, the energy burst disappearing into
air. O'Neill reached across and grabbed at the dead guard's weapon and
then rolled again. The cry of dismay as the second burst of fire missed
its target was followed by one of pain. O'Neill spun around to see
Daniel lowering a weapon and watching the guard fall to the floor
unconscious. Two guards lay prone on the floor behind him, a knife and
blood nearby.

O'Neill raised an eyebrow.

Daniel shrugged and looked at the weapon now resting at his side. He
smiled an odd smile and then his face paled. As he swayed Jack knew
he'd paid a price for his success. He caught him just as he was about to
hit the floor, a spreading smudge of red just showing on his jacket
beneath his rib cage.





PART SIX


"Jeez, Daniel, I don't know how you managed this," O'Neill muttered
lightly, as he lowered him gently to the floor of the corridor, concern
mirrored in his eyes, as he watched the red smudge deepen.

"Not intentional, I can assure you," Daniel managed to joke back and
then winced, putting a hand to the wound. "Too vulnerable out here,
Jack," he said and tried to get up, failing miserably.

"Whoa..easy, Danny boy. Leave it to me," O'Neill said and placed both
his arms around his friend's chest to lift him, knowing that Daniel was
right. Staying out in the open like this was pointless. They had to
get out of the corridor.

O'Neill managed to half-drag Daniel along the corridor until he rounded
a corner, out of sight. To his relief he saw a door leading off the
corridor. He pushed on it hard but it wouldn't move.

"Damn," he said and lowered Daniel once more to the floor.

There didn't seem to be a lever. Firing on the door would bring
attention to them. Then he remembered the bracelet on the guard.
Propping Daniel up against the wall he moved swiftly and silently back
down the corridor until he reached the bodies. He grabbed another of
their weapons for good measure and then manhandled the bracelet from the
dead guard.

Daniel's eyes were closed when he got back to the door, his hand draped
across his wound. O'Neill fingered the bracelet impatiently. At first
nothing seemed to happen. Then a sudden sound and the door slid open.

"Come on, buddy, hang on a little longer," he encouraged as he bent to
lift his friend through the door and into the darker passage beyond.
Daniel groaned as O'Neill lifted him.
Once inside he considered his options briefly. He had to deal with
Daniel's stab injury and he had to get them to somewhere to hide.

He gingerly lifted Daniel's shirt and inspected the bloody wound. The
gash seemed small but deep. He had nothing to cover the wound and he
needed to put pressure on it. Jack remembered that Daniel always
carried a supply of handkerchiefs on his person, so he felt carefully
around his friend's jacket. To his relief, a small wad of four clean
white handkerchiefs were in the inside of the jacket. He pressed two to
the wound hard, eliciting a sharp wince from his friend.

They had to hide. He knew that. If someone opened the damn door they
were sitting ducks. O'Neill's mind raced as he pressed down on the pad.
How could he move Daniel and maintain the pressure?

Suddenly, A scuffling sound behind him diverted his attention
momentarily. He gripped the alien weapon and moved himself into position
next to his friend, his hand reaching across and maintaining the
pressure on the wound.

"You can put your weapon down," the voice said. It was strong and
strangely reassuring.

"And like I'm going to trust you?" O'Neill said half-heartedly in the
direction of the voice.

"You need our help. Your friends need our help. Trusting us might be
your only chance." The voice replied calmly.

"Show yourself, then I might listen," he replied, his eyes looking
around him, unable to tell where the voice was coming from.

"You are wise to trust no one. But we mean you no harm. You look like
you need our help urgently. Turn around. We are behind you."

O'Neill scrambled around and saw the wall behind him open up, its
grating sound alarmingly loud. It revealed a route into the darkness.
Two figures emerged swiftly. They pulled their hoods back.

"And you are?" O'Neill asked.

"We are your last hope and you are ours," the first man said and then he
lowered his head. When he raised it, his voice had changed. O'Neill
flinched momentarily at the change in tone.

"We are Tok'ra," came the simple sentence. O'Neill relaxed inwardly.


oOo


Sam Carter was bored. She'd sat in the room for what seemed like hours.
The door was locked. The room was empty except for a medical couch and
a chair. She kicked her heels endlessly as she sat perched on the
medical couch, her thoughts measured.
She wasn't afraid, she knew she was able to handle most things. She
was more worried about what had happened to her friends. She felt
frustrated at being unable to help them, unable to get out of the room.
The sound of the door opening was a welcome distraction.

She was almost pleased to see Selphic, an interruption to the solitude,
although the feeling swiftly faded as she watched the veil lower and the
dark eyes burn with an anger she'd not seen there before.

"My master's anger will make the palace walls tremble," Selphic declared
as she stood, her hands by her side, her face contorted with fury.

Sam looked quizzical. "Why?" Was all she could think of asking.

"You know why," the woman replied, although a doubt crossed her features
momentarily as she saw the puzzled look on Sam's face.

Sam shrugged and pulled herself down off the couch. She wasn't sure how
she could have pissed off Khepera yet. She wanted to and intended to,
but so far she'd done nothing except give a blood sample.
"What, he doesn't like my hair color anymore?" she half joked and then
wished she hadn't.

Selphic moved towards her so fast Sam didn't have time to react, and
slapped her fair and square across the cheek. Sam steadied herself, her
eyes burning with anger, and instinctively raised her hand in
retaliation.

"If you touch Selphic, I will kill you," the comment came from the
doorway. She saw Zophra stand, his weapon pointed at her, his eyes
burning. She saw Selphic throw him a look of thanks and then she backed
away from Sam, away towards the door.

Sam fingered her cheek ruefully. The look of caring which had passed
between Selphic and Zophra surprised her, and yet perhaps it shouldn't
have. Finding a common bond in a place filled with despair and killing
wasn't so far fetched, was it? Sam eyed them both with interest.
Something they weren't telling her, something they were afraid of
admitting.

"You have deceived us. Your looks deceived us. Your blood contained
elements which I have witnessed only once before. You are not what you
seem," Selphic said and Sam thought she caught a tear glisten in the
cold eyes of the woman before her. "He will punish me, he will destroy
me for my ignorance," she added flatly.

Sam shook her head. "I'm me. I don't know what you thought I was. I'm
sorry I'm not. Well frankly I'm not sorry but..."

"Silence. Khepera will see you now. Your fate will be determined by
him. Perhaps he will not blame Selphic. Perhaps he will see your
treachery. Your body may be of no use to him now alive. He will decide
how best to use it," Zophra said.

Zophra waved the weapon towards the door.

Sam didn't move. She stared at Selphic for a single moment. "Listen, I
can help you. I can help you to escape from here. I know that's what
you want. Just let me go," she said, looking across at Zophra.

Zophra exchanged a glance with Selphic who shook her head vehemently.
Sam had touched a nerve and she knew it. They both wanted out, that's
what they wanted. She'd laid temptation before them but they were too
afraid to take it.

"Your words are treacherous. Khepera must deal with you," Zophra said,
drawing his attention back to Sam, and he waved at her to move.

Sam left the room with a feeling of relief at being out. She hadn't
been able to persuade her two captors, but she knew she'd interested
them. Out of the room she might be able to do something. Out she might
be able to help the others. She'd caught the look of fear on the faces
of the two palace officials and her thoughts raced. So, Khepera's most
loyal subjects not only feared him, they wanted to leave him. She
decided to bide her time. Fear was a useful weapon. Nevertheless, one
SG1 officer against four guards and two palace officials didn't seem
like good odds. She was no good dead. She'd wait her opportunity.

As she left the medical chamber and headed for the main palace rooms,
interested eyes watched from the shadows.


oOo


Daniel winced and gritted his teeth as Morphan ran his hand across the
knife wound, the healing device which nestled in his palm giving a
sensation of warmth. His forehead burned and he felt dizzy, but the
sensation of warmth was comforting. He laid his head back on the pillow
and tried to relax.

"This will help the healing process but it cannot do everything. I will
give you a mixture which will also help the pain and will fight any
infection," Morphan said as he got off the bed and moved to his shelves.

O'Neill smiled reassuringly at Daniel and squeezed his shoulder gently
as he moved from the bed and sat down at the table. His relief at
Daniel's recovery had turned to curiosity about their saviours. He
looked down and started to examine the alien weapon he had in his hands.

"Do you know where our friends are being held?" he asked as he glanced
across at Morphan who was mixing a green colored liquid together in a
small wooden cup.

Morphan turned and passed the cup to O'Neill and nodded at Daniel.

"Give this to your friend, then I will tell you what we have found out,"
he said, moving across to the door and conferring with a man who had
appeared there suddenly.

O'Neill took the cup and perched next to Daniel. Putting one hand under
his shoulders and lifting him into a sitting position, he used his other
hand to put the cup to Daniel's lips, allowing the green liquid to
filter slowly into his mouth.

Daniel paused for breath and grimaced. "Yuk," he said.

"Gotta take your medicine, Danny boy," O'Neill said jokingly as he
insisted he finish it and noted mentally that he looked better already.

"Yeah, well next time I'll make sure you take some too," Daniel replied
and wiped his hand across his mouth as O'Neill lowered him back onto the
bed.

"Your friends were being held by Khepera in separate parts of the
palace. This made it hard for us to stage a rescue. We are few in
number. I was about to tell you that we had chosen the most important
one to rescue." Morphan said as he sat down at the table.

"Not going to happen," O'Neill interrupted, his face set in
determination. "We don't choose who's the most important. All my team
are."

"Admirable sentiments Colonel. Unfortunately Khepera's plans don't
allow for sentiment. Our small numbers do not allow for sentiment. We
could have rescued only one. If your friends had still been apart we
would have had to make a decision. As it is, Khepera is bringing them
together within the hour. The consolidation ceremony will bring
together the main players in Khepera's army, and his most important
supporters. Your two friends are also main players in this ceremony.
They can no longer be rescued."

O'Neill looked at Morphan with a mixture of relief and anger at the
attitude. "So, my team haven't been...well you know..?" he asked.

"Not yet. Your friends will be consolidated with their new implants at
one ceremony. If we do not stop them from becoming new implants for
Khepera, then all is lost. We have waited for this day so that we can
take out all Khepera's top people in one place. Our small force has
precluded an attack before now. His people have been too spread out.
Some exist outside the palace and its environment. We will not miss
this opportunity.
Khepera would only bring everyone together when there is something
everyone must see. Something everyone must fear. The consolidation
ceremony is it.
It is unfortunate that both your friends are involved in this. One would
have sufficed. But their participation is essential. Our forces are
too small, too scattered to mount separate attacks. One attack will be
quite sufficient."

"Hang on just a minute. 'One would have sufficed'? Sounds pretty final
to me. Weren't you going to bother asking us what we thought?" O'Neill
felt his anger rising. "You say you're going to take these people out?
How? My people are in there too."

"Casualties of a greater war, O'Neill. We in the Tok'ra have suffered
many casualties through the centuries but all to a greater good. We ask
your help to completely destroy the gathering. Join with us. Only then
can we say we have destroyed potentially the most dangerous System Lord
who lives."

"You want our help. We get Carter and Teal'c out. No casualties, just
out. Understood?" O'Neill said, his anger evident at the complete
disregard for his officers.

"Know this, O'Neill. We would do this alone. Your help is an added
bonus. Rescuing your friends before destroying the gathering will
jeopardise our plan. I cannot sanction it. Having your two friends on
center stage is a fortunate distraction, which we need. Khepera will
not hold the consolidation ceremony unless he has two perfect hosts.
Your friends are these two hosts. Taking them out from under Khepera
and then achieving a surprise attack is impossible." Morphan shook his
head sadly. "I am disappointed in the Tau'ri. Sacrificing two people
for the good of many worlds would be honourable. You do not view it
this way?"

"We kind of get attached to our friends," O'Neill replied and then
looked across at Daniel.

"Jack's right. We can't leave Sam and Teal'c in there. Surely there's
a way?" Daniel asked, propping himself up, the green liquid making his
pain ease now. He felt much better.

"There is one," the voice said from the doorway.

Two of Morphan's men flanked a small, diminutive, hooded figure, eyes
burning as the hood lowered.

"I may be able to help you," Selphic said simply as she stepped forward.

O'Neill swung around and pulled the alien weapon to his hip. Morphan
signalled for him to lower it.

"Why does Selphic bother herself to visit with us?" he said and moved
towards her.

Selphic bowed. "Morphan mocks me. Your reputation far exceeds that of
a mere lower caste," she said.

Morphan drew a breath between his teeth. "When you are in my house you
do not speak of people in such a tone, child."

Selphic lowered her head. "It is not my intention to insult anyone,"
she whispered and Daniel noticed a tear fall to the floor.

Morphan nodded to his two guards to leave and put a hand on her
shoulder.

"Too long under Khepera's influence, child. No matter. You have
offered your help to us. Come tell us what it is you would do," he
said.

Selphic eyed O'Neill warily and sat at the table opposite him.

"I found your escape and removed the evidence," she said quietly. " I
knew that you would find Morphan, or that he would find you."

"Sweet," commented O'Neill and then raised an eyebrow as Morphan shot
him a look. "And why did you do that?" he asked puzzled as to her
motive.

"Your friend offered us escape," she said quietly.

"And which friend is that," O'Neill asked, raising his eyebrows.

"The woman."

"Good for Sam," Daniel muttered and he and O'Neill exchanged glances.

"I cannot do anything for her, not now that Khepera will know what she
is," Selphic said, her eyes hollow. "Her blood sample was contaminated.
I cannot hide this from him. He will know that she has already been a
host," she added.

Morphan looked at O'Neill, his eyes narrowing. "She is the one who was
Jolinar's host?" he asked.

O'Neill nodded, curious that Morphan knew.

"I have heard of her. We will use this to our advantage," Morphan said.
"It will be a distraction."

O'Neill looked up. "Now hang on just a darn minute. Using my officer
as a distraction isn't in the game plan."

Morphan raised his hand for silence. "Khepera will lose his temper when
he finds out that your friend is no longer pure. At that moment we must
make our move, when his concentration and that of his guards is
distracted. We can help her to escape at that time. There will be no
argument."

O'Neill shrugged. He knew one thing. When Khepera found out the truth,
he'd be real pissed with Carter. O'Neill knew that he had to make sure
he was ready to take out Khepera right then. No mistakes. No messing.
Carter's life depended on it.

Selphic rose. "Khepera made me. He made me suffer. He cares little
for his creations. We are useful only when he deems that we are. I
want him to pay for that. I want his people to know. Give me this
chance and I will help you. I will help with the distraction at the
ceremony. Give Zophra, give me the chance to escape and we will help
you free your friends," she pleaded, her eyes darting from Morphan to
O'Neill.

Morphan pulled Selphic's veil back across her face and signalled for his
two guards to escort her back to the palace.

"If you are telling the truth then we will help you. If you are lying
and this is some form of treachery, then you will wish you had died
here, standing before me. Do you know of the catacombs?"

Selphic nodded, swallowing, her eyes widening at the word.

"Those who live down there would love a new companion. Do I make myself
clear?" he said flatly.

Selphic turned to leave.

As she moved, Morphan put a hand on her shoulder and turned her back
towards him.

"Those who haunt the catacombs would come for you wherever you are. If
you deceive us, I will send them for you."

Selphic nodded and shuddered as she left.

"Those who haunt the catacombs?" O'Neill repeated quizzically, looking
at Daniel, his mind turning over what he'd heard.

Morphan turned to them both. "There are more inhabitants of this world
than you would know," he said, his words full of meaning and threat.



PART SEVEN


Teal'c stood on the steps next to the throne, his hands bound in front
of him. His size was equally matched, by two large human-reptile
guards flanking him. One guard held Teal'c's staff to one side.
His SGC jacket had disappeared, along with his tee shirt. Draped across
his chest, he wore a red and gold belt, inlaid with a single scarab near
to the shoulder. He stared directly ahead, emotionless.

The chamber was full. Mainly reptilian human composites, but there were
a few notable exceptions. Older men and a few women. Pure human stock,
attractive and well-dressed. They were whispering to one another
animatedly. Some were pointing excitedly at Teal'c. A total hush fell
over the room as the door opened.

Sam walked into the room ahead of her escort, her head held defiantly.
Zophra and Selphic had disappeared some while back. The four guards
however had not. She saw Teal'c and her heart leaped. He was safe, for
the moment at least.

Teal'c's eyes flicked towards her, acknowledging her briefly. She
returned the look, puzzled. Was this a pretence, this mask of
indifference? She couldn't be sure.

"Teal'c," she called, willing to take a chance. The crowd let out a
collective gasp. The chosen should not communicate with one another.
The handle of her guard's weapon pushed her fairly and squarely in her
back, causing her to grunt with discomfort and move forward. She
guessed the rule about touching her, only stood firm when there was
anyone to notice what was happening. Seemingly the guard felt safe at
the moment.

"Silence in the chamber," the guard said for all to hear, his thick
almost guttural voice barely distinguishable as human. Sam guessed that
combining the DNA of two entirely different species had resulted in a
strange assortment of vocal chords in the recipient.

Teal'c remained still although he longed to acknowledge her call. He
was biding his time as she had thought. He knew just one thing. No one
was going to implant him with anything. No one. He'd die first.

The guard pushed Sam to the steps and forced her to climb them. She
stopped as she drew opposite Teal'c, the throne between them. Her
guards pulled her jacket from her shoulders and took her hands, binding
them in front of her, just as they had Teal'c.

Khepera made his appearance within minutes and acknowledged his other
guests as he passed them. Stopping to touch a woman's face or squeeze a
man's hand. His presence seemed to fill them with a reverence. Sam
marvelled at the Goa'uld skill for manipulation. Sycophantic pandering
was an emotional display Sam had seen in subjects of other System Lords
she'd encountered, although admittedly fear was the usual emotion they
displayed.

He turned to his audience, a benign expression of contrived love on his
face. They applauded softly.

Sam raised her eyes to the ceiling in frustration. She longed to tell
them who they were really dealing with. That he'd slit their throats if
they dared to defy him. She knew better though, that if she were to
stand a chance of getting herself and her friends out of there, she had
to stay as calm as Teal'c was.

Khepera drew a hand swiftly to silence them.

"My subjects, I called you here today to witness the birth of our new
empire. The birth of a new beginning for all of you. The promised days
which I foretold to you are now upon us. My armies will increase
thousand fold. The armies which I created for you to lead, will stand
before the Ring of water and take my kingdom through to the other side.
In confidence. Unbeatable. Strong. Witness what I have promised you.
Witness what these years of cleansing those who did not belong here have
made. The Great ones on the other side of the Ring have sent these
creatures to me in return for our sacrifices. We sent them our weakest.
We sent them only those in our society who would fail us. Look what we
are sent in return. As it was written. As I promised you. We will be
strong. We will move forward. Witness and wonder."

The throng applauded louder this time and then knelt as one. A union of
people who understood nothing more than this was their God, their
leader. Anything he said was true. He had always promised them more
and now he was about to deliver his promise. They cared for little
else. They were the remaining people, the chosen ones. Those who had
given up their very neighbor, in the hope of appeasing a God who both
strangely terrified them and yet gave them hope. They feared him and
loved him unconditionally.

These were the worst of their species and Khepera knew it. Devious,
self-centred and traitorous to their own kind. Survivors. So like the
Goa'uld he himself was. He looked at their faces and saw reflected
there a mirror image. It satisfied his vanity and his lust for power.
He gazed at the faces of his highest ranking composites. To have
created them himself. To have crafted them from other creatures. He
felt a warm sense of satisfaction, of being a creator in his own right.
Once today was done he would be more powerful than ever.

He turned to look at the two humans who were about to bring about his
dreams, and his feeling of power increased. Nothing was going to stop
him. Nothing.

Khepera moved past Sam and slowly drew a hand up towards her face as he
did so. She moved her head away, the guards gripping her tightly and
forcing her nearer to him. He smiled briefly and waved them back. "No
matter. She will come when I ask," he said and turned to look
admiringly at Teal'c.
"My Jaffa", he said quietly, and ran a finger down the belt which was
draped across Teal'c's shoulder . Teal'c neither flinched nor reacted
facially. He was waiting for his moment.

Khepera sat down on the seat, which was his throne and spread his robe
to the side. The crowd below him kneeling in stunned silence, awaiting
whatever it was their God was about to deliver.

Khepera clapped his hands and the doors opened. Through them six hooded
figures appeared. Two were carrying black boxes bound with gold thread.
The boxes were placed on the steps at Khepera's feet as four of the
figures withdrew and knelt. Selphic pulled her hood back and bowed.
Zophra stood beside her, his hood flicking back from his head.

"My Lord. The implant awaits its host," Selphic said, her veil
concealing her features.

Khepera beckoned to her gently. "Come my child and deliver to me the
miracle which you have made possible. Come and allow your God to bestow
on you his grateful thanks."

Selphic moved forwards and climbed the steps, the black box now in her
outstretched hands. As she neared his feet she knelt and opened the lid
of the box carefully. She heard Sam's sharp intake of breath but
ignored it, although her heart went out to the woman who witnessed what
it was she was about to receive. Her hand gently reached inside the box
and tenderly withdrew the occupant. The crowd shuddered as one.

Khepera put his hand out and took the creature which nestled in
Selphic's hand and pulled it towards him. He looked at it lovingly.
Centuries of work. Centuries of waiting. Now he was about to allow his
most treasured creation to have the life it desired. To complete its
destiny within a human host, a perfect human host. He held his hand up
and rose to his feet.

"See this woman. See that she is perfect. A woman with flaxen hair. A
woman so different from you all that her beauty shall be a beacon of
light in my palace." He smiled at Sam and then rose from his throne.

"Behold your destiny," he said and turning to Sam he beckoned her
closer. She stepped back but was pushed forward by the guard who
gripped her arms. Nearer to Khepera. Nearer to the creature.

Sam's heart sank and she felt revulsion well up in her, but she steeled
herself for what was to happen to her. She felt helpless and yet
empowered. Empowered from within to withstand whatever Khepera was
going to do.

He stretched out his other hand and grabbed her behind the neck, forcing
her to come closer. He smiled at her and then she watched his eyes
start to glow. Sam saw the creature struggle in his hand. A creature
that seemed to be made from something which shouldn't, couldn't exist.
Around four inches in length and two in width, it had a reptilian torso
and beetle-like head. Its four legs ended in minute but deadly claws
and its fanged jaws opened and shut, carrying a pitiful mewing sound as
it searched the air around it with long antenna. It looked as though
someone had thrown it together. A misfit which was trying to achieve
more, but which couldn't. Not without one essential ingredient, a host.
Sam felt her head being turned slowly to face Khepera. She took his
eyes and locked with them, defiantly, unswervingly.

Khepera's eyes glowed brighter and then faded, his hand containing the
creature moving aside, ready to bring it closer when the time was right.
Sam felt his grip on her neck tighten. His face drew nearer to her.
Then his eyes darkened, widening. She felt his breath brush her cheeks
briefly and then he pushed her hard to the floor, letting his grip go, a
single strangulated groan coming from his lips.

Sam raised her head and saw Khepera point and snap his fingers. Two
guards moved down the steps.

Selphic found herself unceremoniously being hauled up the steps and
passed to Khepera who held her at arm's length.

"You deceived me. You were my own creation, my very own. You would
deceive me? This woman, this abomination is not pure. This human
creature has been a host before. Tell me you did not know of it. Tell
me that I am wrong." Khepera was almost screaming for her to answer.
The crowd stayed in shocked silence, witnessing something they hadn't
expected.

Selphic raised her eyes to meet his, defiance mirrored in them.
"Yes, I knew of it. Her blood contained a substance which I have only
ever seen in yours. I knew that she was not the pure human which you
wanted."

A tear found its way from her eye and she wiped her hand fiercely across
her face. Then she slowly pulled her veil from her face, so that he
could see her expression of regret.

"Your God is unkind," she announced suddenly and, pulling herself from
his grip, turned to face the crowd, revealing her disfigurement. As
she pulled her hood from her head, Sam glimpsed the true extent of
Khepera's genetic experiment, and she winced inwardly for the pain, the
betrayal the woman obviously felt.

Selphic stood in front of the audience in defiance. "Your God is not
perfect," she said and then fell forward, a shriek of pain leaving her
lips as she tumbled down the steps.

Zophra rushed to her side in seconds, his eyes raised to meet his God's,
a look of hatred and fear brushing his face.

Khepera lowered his hand, the golden ribbons of the Goa'uld device
draped across his fingers and palm. As Selphic lay gasping for breath
beneath him, he reached for the first box and placed the creature within
it. He reached for the second box and lifted the two together
reverently.

He looked at Selphic and Zophra with feigned pity. "You will both die
for your treachery. You will die long and painful deaths."

Sam found herself unguarded and unwatched, her two guards intent on
Selphic and Zophra. Khepera moved towards Teal'c, his back to Sam,
fingering the second box intently, his face murderous.

Sam pulled herself quietly up the steps and towards where her friend and
his guards stood. She wasn't about to let Teal'c be the next victim.
She wasn't going to let Selphic's pain be for nothing.

The hooded figure, which suddenly took the steps two at a time, launched
itself at Khepera from behind, knocking him off balance and sending him
clattering into his own throne. Khepera let out a scream of frustration
as he turned his hand towards the attacker, a gold beam of light
cascading from the ribbon device.

O'Neill dove sideways, his hood pushed back from his head. He rolled
off the steps down to the floor and avoided the beam by inches. Daniel
moved forward and pushed his hood back from his face. He launched
himself at the first of Teal'c's guards, pushing him backwards off the
dais. Teal'c sideswiped the second guard with his bound hands and then
knocked Daniel sideways to avoid the beam that Khepera was about to aim
in his direction. Daniel winced, the nagging pain in his wound reminding
him that he wasn't a hundred percent yet.

The beam didn't materialise. There was a grunt of pain, which came from
the System Lord instead. Carter's bound arms tightened around his neck,
gripping him until his eyes bulged and his body sagged. The two fell
forwards down the steps in a flailing of arms and legs. With them the
two boxes clattered to the floor, spilling their contents.

The composite creature scuttled swiftly from the open box, its antennae
searching the air around it for life, for a possible host. Sam rolled
sideways, deftly avoiding it and then leapt to her feet. The blast of
energy raced between her and Khepera, exploding the composite into a
cloud of tiny pieces. Then Teal'c turned his staff weapon towards
Khepera, who screamed in anger at seeing his creation destroyed, and
clawed at the steps, pulling himself towards them, grabbing at the
contents of the second box in desperation. Teal'c stood calmly and aimed
his staff.

"No! Destroy me and the contents of this box will destroy you all!"
screamed Khepera as he clutched the box to him.

He held the vial which he withdrew from the box and locked his eyes on
Teal'c. Then turned to look from Sam to Daniel and then to O'Neill.

O'Neill waved for Teal'c to lower the staff.

"Tau'ri, my people will take you," Khepera said calmly and confidently.

O'Neill shook his head and grinned. "Don't think so," he replied.

Khepera pulled himself up and turned to look at his people. They stood
in submission, their hands in the air, their faces resigned, beaten.
Hooded figures stood behind them, weapons aimed directly at them.

Morphan stepped forwards.

"The Tau'ri and the Tok'ra, Khepera. Together such an alliance is
unbeatable. Your death will be but a whisper on the wind. After all,
you are dead already, don't forget," Morphan said and raised his hand, a
similar ribbon device nestling in his palm, the beam starting to
protrude from its surface.

Khepera sneered and lifted the vial towards him. "Destroy me and this
vial will be released into this room. The nano-creatures will invade
your very souls. The genetic imprint, mine, will spread throughout your
bodies and then beyond. My control will be complete. Even beyond death
I will control you." He laughed and lifted the lid from the vial.

O'Neill turned to Morphan, his eyebrows raised. "I guess this wasn't
part of the plan?"




PART EIGHT



'You have taught us that we are nothing. You have shown us to revile
life itself. We are those whom you despise, those whom you would shut
from existence. You have taught us well. You have taught us to
extinguish that which is bad. That which is rotten. So be it.'


oOo




Tornak's arm was gripped tightly as he hovered helplessly behind a
pillar in the far side of the room, his heart thumping loudly in his
chest, his stomach churning at what was happening in front of him.

"Silence, boy," the hiss of a strange voice spoke into his ear. Tornak
could feel the hot breath and blade at his throat and he flinched.

"Another movement like that and it'll cost you your vocal chords," the
voice whispered, almost inaudibly.

Tornak froze.

"Now listen carefully. Listen to the only hope you've got of ever
seeing your friends again," it continued. "There's about to be a
distraction. When it starts, get the Tau'ri and your friends through
the passageway to the Ring of water. Get them as far away from this
place as it's possible to get them. Is that understood?"

Tornak hesitated. If he nodded he could have his throat slit.

"I'll take your silence as good sense and an agreement," the voice said.
"Now turn slowly around."

Tornak felt the hand move from his throat and the stranger move slightly
away. He started to turn slowly and then felt a hand clamp over his
lips as he confronted the creature who stood before him. The scream
started to move from his throat and make its way to his mouth but the
hand held tight, preventing the sound from escaping into the room.
Tornak felt a gag move to his throat to follow but swallowed it back.

"Find me offensive? So do I. It is of no consequence. Take these
words to your friends and to the Tau'ri. Tell them that Khepera will be
no more. Khepera dies in his own world. A world of his own making. A
death of his own making. We will ensure that the Ring ceases once you
have passed through it. We will ensure that no more are taken from this
place and enslaved. That no other creature suffers as we have. Tell
them that."

Tornak nodded and then tentatively held out his hand. The creature
gazed at him for a moment, hesitating and then slowly held out his hand
to grasp the boy's.

"You're the Miscreants?" Tornak whispered as he took in the sight of
something, which for him, was a folktale come into being.

"Not our word," came the simple, quiet reply. "We are those of whom you
speak, yes," he added.

"From the catacombs?"

"Yes, that is where we have lived out our miserable lives. What have we
been doing for all these years? We have survived. Beneath the palace,
far down beneath. We roam deeper than you have ventured. We are...a
community," he said softly, with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"Why now?" Tornak whispered.

"Because we have been waiting. We know it is our time because Morphan
has called for us."

"I....." Tornak wanted to know so much more but felt a finger placed on
his lips and the creature shook his head slowly.

"There is no more time. Ask Morphan. When you have left this place he
will tell you about us. Let your lips speak our names with pride and
not with revulsion."

Tornak nodded, and saw that through the deformed features of the
creature who stood in front of him, there was a face filled with pain,
filled with regret. A creature which had steeled itself for what was to
come.


oOo


Khepera stood triumphantly, his fingers caressing the vial, his ultimate
salvation. They wouldn't dare kill him, wouldn't dare to risk
endangering themselves. He held the final solution in his grasp.

O'Neill looked to Morphan for some sort of clue that he knew this would
happen, that this was all a part of the plan, but the Tok'ra's face was
unreadable, implacable, staring at Khepera, daring him to make the first
move.

Daniel stepped forward. O'Neill moved to grab his arm. Sam felt a
strangulated warning die on her lips and Teal'c fingered his staff more
carefully.

"Actually I don't think you'd be able to infect the whole room with one
vial," he said, feigning seriousness, feigning a carefree attitude when
deep down he was scared as hell, knowing that in reality one false move
and the vial would infect the surroundings just as easily as a super
virus.

"Ah, Dr Jackson. You are as clever as you are foolish. Do you not
think I know exactly what this vial will do? This is all my creation,
borne through Selphic, and she is mine too. No one who is borne of my
creation can leave my service, no one."

"Your arrogance is your downfall."

A collective gasp from the room, and the sound of small, strangulated
sobs of horror from several women in the audience.

SG1 turned in unison to gaze on the speaker.

If miscreant was the word used to describe the group of people who stood
before them, it was inaccurate. If monster had been used it might have
been more accurate, and yet these were no real monsters. As deranged
scientists in fiction had created their sad pathetic creatures, so
Khepera had created these. That however was where the similarity ended.
There was no pride in his creations, no sense of awe in making something
which lived and breathed. These people, these misshapen experiments,
these creatures, had been left to die, left to fend for themselves.
Discarded, thrown away, as a bad apple is thrown when it is shown to be
rotten.

These were Khepera's forgotten children.

Khepera paled visibly, stepping backwards, moving up the steps towards
his throne, his fingers clutching the vial tighter, as though somehow it
could protect him from seeing what was in front of him.
"I will use this," he threatened, his eyes glowing as his anger and fear
increased and became more than two emotions, they became one.

The first creature moved towards him, the others closing in behind.

"You cannot do anything to hurt us," the creature said. "You have done
all that you can do to us already," he added.
As they neared the steps, the creature turned and nodded at Tornak who
stepped from behind the pillar.

"Do it," the creature said and then turned back to face Khepera, who was
clambering upwards, fingering at his throne, grabbing at the symbol of
his power as if in some way it could protect him.

Tornak raced forwards and touched Morphan on the arm who swung around.

"Tornak, it must be time," he said and smiled benignly at the boy, who
whispered briefly in his ear. Morphan nodded and smiled and then
gathered his people with a sweep of his arm. He looked at O'Neill.

"We leave," he said simply and watched as Tornak moved towards the
narrow tunnel, encircled by the symbol of the Gate.

Morphan's people ushered Khepera's entire audience swiftly up into the
tunnel one by one. Tornak beckoned to SG1 to follow.

"We're leaving?" O'Neill asked as he glanced at Khepera and then raised
his eyebrows at Morphan.

"Our side of this is done," Morphan replied. "Khepera's children will
do the rest," he added and then ushered them speedily through the
tunnel, hastening Selphic and Zophra with him.

"Guess this was all part of the plan," Daniel said to Teal'c as they
moved at speed towards the tunnel.

As Sam pulled herself up into the tunnel she allowed herself a single
glance backwards. Khepera's children were encircling the steps leading
to the throne, their eyes intent on their prey.


oOo


The chamber leading to the Gate, despite its gloom, looked welcoming
compared to where they'd just come from.

One of Morphan's men leapt onto the platform and dialled up a planet of
their choosing.

"O'Neill, I ask this of you. We of the Tok'ra will take Khepera's
generals and his supporters to a place where we can decide what to do
with them. We ask that you wait until all of us have passed through
before activating the device to your own world." Morphan said as he
faced O'Neill by the Gate. "We ask that you protect the Gate for us
until we have gone."

"You're going to kill them, aren't you?" said Sam as she moved up behind
O'Neill.

Morphan's eyes narrowed and he looked at her silently, studying her
face.

"The Tok'ra high council will take that decision," he replied and then
added "You are the one who was host to Jolinar?"

Sam nodded.

"Then I am honoured," he said and bowed slightly.

Sam looked bemused but nodded her head in brief response.

"If the memories of Jolinar are as strong in her as I believe them to
be, then you must keep her safe," he said turning to O'Neill. "She may
yet prove to be your greatest asset in the fight which you are going to
face."

Sam looked down, embarrassed.

O'Neill glanced at her and reached out and shook Morphan's hand. "We
will," he said simply.

"Um..could I ask something..before you go?" Daniel said as he moved
forwards.

Morphan nodded and turned to face him.

"Where were those creatures living? You mentioned catacombs earlier,
but I haven't seen anything which refers to them. I mean there's
nothing mentioned of them in any inscriptions and Khepera sure looked
surprised to see them," Daniel ventured.

"They lived in Tok'ra tunnels beneath this place. They were believed by
Khepera to be dead and indeed many were, but when the Tok'ra came to
this place in secret many years ago, we created the tunnels and saved
those who Khepera abandoned. Abandoned because they were deformed, not
to his liking. Now they will have their revenge. That is all they have
ever wanted. We owed them that. Life owed them that." Morphan looked
down and then his voice changed into a deeper tone as his head rose.

"Tau'ri. Those creatures believe that they can destroy this Gate.
Khepera is stronger than they think. I fear for us all if Khepera
manages to live. Go to your world and send a device of destruction back
through. Destroy this complex and all that surrounds it. Ensure that
what has been started is finished. Send word to us that this deed has
been done."

"But we'll destroy those creatures along with Khepera," Daniel protested
and looked at O'Neill. "Jack, you can't do that."

O'Neill locked eyes with Morphan and a silent understanding passed
between them.

The creatures knew all along that they would be susceptible to the vial.
They'd bluffed so that everyone else could escape. Once Khepera
released it they would become his servants, under his control. For all
O'Neill knew it might be too late already. The creatures were relying
on them, on the Tok'ra, to ensure that their agony would end this day.

Morphan bowed, his eyes acknowledging the trust which they'd
established, and then turned to follow Tornak up the steps and through
the Gate. As soon as the field had dispersed Sam started dialling home.

Teal'c turned suddenly, his staff pointing towards the ante-chamber.

O'Neill's eyes narrowed and he pulled his rifle from his back. "Carter,
speed it up," he barked as he heard the footsteps, the shuffling sound.

Sam pressed the last symbol and breathed a sigh of relief as the final
chevron locked into place, the Gate activated. She moved from the DHD,
her rifle swung around and in her hands in seconds.

"Let's get out of here, campers," O'Neill shouted and moved towards the
Gate.

The strange murmurings, the gutteral sounds came from three of the
creatures who sloped into view from the ante-chamber. Their eyes
burned, not only with pain but with hatred. A hatred only Khepera could
have instilled there.

"Warn Hammond what we've gotta do," O'Neill shouted as Teal'c reached
the Gate first and turned briefly to fire his staff into the middle of
the creatures.

Teal'c leapt through swiftly followed by Daniel, who glanced behind to
see the three creatures moving towards O'Neill. His look of dismay and
warning shout, frozen on his lips as he disappeared.

Sam raised her weapon and fired a round into their midst. Their shouts
of dismay as one of their number fell forward with a grunt was followed
by a murderous screech.

A blade raced across the chamber closing the gap between the creatures
and Sam within seconds. She dropped, clutching her leg as it imbedded
in her thigh.

O'Neill raced towards Sam and grabbed her under the arm. Half dragging
her, he pulled her through the Gate, turning to fire another round into
the small group of creatures who were hovering at the edge of the gate
hesitating, looking in awe at this mammoth ring.

"Close the Iris," O'Neill shouted as he dragged Sam down the ramp and
deposited her at the bottom. "Can we get a medic here?" he added as he
bent down to pull her swiftly out of the way of a vehicle which was
being positioned at the bottom of the ramp, its deadly payload being
placed on top.

The sound of sickening thuds as the first of the creatures hit the iris,
made Sam's stomach churn. She lifted haunted eyes to O'Neill who nodded
sympathetically, and bent to look at the knife and its wound.

Daniel stood, his hand covering his mouth, as he stared at the Iris and
mentally cursed what they were about to do.

When the thudding had stopped, the room went silent. A knife-cutting
solid silence.

O'Neill looked up and locked eyes with General Hammond. Hammond nodded.

"Send it through," he said into a microphone and the chevrons started to
engage again.

Janet Fraiser appeared in seconds and assessed Sam's condition. She had
her patient swiftly put on a gurney and was about to take her to the
infirmary.

"I have to see this," Sam said, pleadingly, gritting her teeth, her hand
gripping Janet's arm. The pain could wait.

Janet nodded at the two soldiers and escorted Sam up to the main command
room where a view from the vehicle's on board camera could be seen.

"We don't even know if Khepera's still there or gone," said Daniel to no
one in particular.

"We know squat, Daniel. We still gotta do this," O'Neill added.

The vehicle's camera sprang into action as soon as it reached the other
side of the gate.

The view was one of devastation. Bodies strewn across the chamber floor
in front of the gate. Not a single movement. The camera panned across
the chamber. The creatures appeared to have attacked one another, a
madness taking them. Or was it a realisation of what they'd become? In
their final agonies had they realised that the only way to defeat
Khepera was to destroy themselves, before it was too late? O'Neill put
his hand to his mouth and watched the picture in front of him with a
sense of great loss.

"Do we detonate?" the technician asked as he looked intently at Hammond.

Hammond turned to O'Neill.
"Your call, Colonel," he said.

O'Neill put a hand up for silence and moved closer to the screen, his
eyes narrowing.

"Can you direct the camera to focus in on one of the bodies?" he asked
the technician.

"Yes, sir. Which one?" the young technician asked.

"That one," O'Neill said and moved to the screen and tapped one of the
bodies lying nearest to the Gate.

As the camera focussed in, movement was caught. Slight, subtle, but
movement nevertheless.

Khepera's eyes flicked open and he raised his head, aware of the camera
suddenly. His face darkened and he raised himself up on one arm, his
other hand lifting to activate the ribbon device and destroy the camera
lens.

"Let's do it," O'Neill said as he stared Khepera in the eyes. The look
of haunted resignation, of defeat, which had come both painful and
unexpected, lay across his face and reflected in the dark eyes.

As the screen flashed and went white, O'Neill turned and caught Daniel's
eye. A look of solidarity, and of understanding passed between them.
No recriminations at what they'd done. Daniel had seen the devastation
only Khepera could have caused, and the justification for what they'd
done was no longer needed. The creatures were at peace. Finally,
irrevocably at peace.
Daniel understood that.


THE END


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