A/N – Now here is a random story. I don't know where I came up with it…probably in the dark recesses of my mind and from watching too many horror movie trailers online ;) Oh, and it is slightly inspired by the MCR song "I never told you what I do for a living". But anyway, idk if I'm at all good at writing scary stuff, but here goes….
Chapter 1: Guest
"Unauthorized off world activation!"
"Sir, we're receiving a visual/audio transmission." Walter informed General Hammond.
"Put it on screen."
The face that appeared on the television screens was that of a young man with short brown hair and a worried expression on his face. "Please…!" His voice echoed the panic in his voice. "Am I speaking with representatives of the Tau'ri?"
"I am General Hammond of the United States Air Force," Hammond said. "And yes, I am a representative of the Tau'ri."
"Please," there was an explosion and the man looked behind him before turning back. "I request sanctuary. My name is Alok, I am being pursued by several Jaffa in attack ships…I request sanctuary. I am a peaceful trader. Please!"
Jack appeared in the control room behind Hammond. "What's going on?"
"We've got a man here, says his name is Alok. He's requesting sanctuary."
Jack squinted at the screen. "He's under attack…"
"Please!" Alok's eyes were wide and frightened. More explosions were coming from him.
"All right, give me one moment," Hammond quickly called an order for troops to assemble in the gate room, as well as a medical team. Then he gave Walter the order to open the iris, and told Alok to come through.
"I am very grateful," Alok said later in the infirmary, faced with Janet, SG-1 and Hammond. "I do not know what I did to anger the Jaffa…I am a peaceful trader, my ship is not armed."
"What do you trade?" Daniel asked, tilting his head to one side.
"Spices, fabrics, valuables. I take them from planet to planet."
"Do you think the Jaffa were after something you were carrying?"
"I think it's a bit stupid to carry valuables with out any weapons…" Jack muttered.
Alok glanced at Jack, but shrugged. "I really do not know."
"Ok, everyone," Janet said, pulling curtains around Alok's bed. "I'm going to have to send you out now, he needs some rest."
"Very well," Hammond said. "SG-1, come with me I need to talk to you in the briefing room."
That evening Sam was eating dinner alone in the commissary, at SG-1's usual table. She had a book open in front of her and was surprised when she looked up to see Alok standing there, holding a tray of food.
"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked tentatively.
"No, not at all," Sam gestured to the empty seat across from her. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, much better, thank you," Alok said, sitting down. "Your Dr. Fraiser is a very skilled healer."
Sam grinned. "Yeah." There was something about Alok's soft-spoken, gentle manner that she found quite comforting, even though she barely knew the man. "I'm Major Samantha Carter, by the way." She introduced. "But, you can call me Sam."
"Sam." Alok bowed his head. "I was a little worried…I'd heard you Tau'ri are a very cautious people. I thought you might lock me up for a few days until you were sure I'd cause you no harm."
"We have our reasons for trusting you," Sam assured him. "We wouldn't just let any person walk around the base. But as to letting you leave, that I don't know."
"I am perfectly content here," Alok took a bite out of an apple. "Mmm. I haven't had fresh food in days."
"So what planet do you come from?" Sam asked, resting her elbows on the table.
Something flashed in Alok's eyes, though Sam couldn't tell if it was caution or sadness. "It was destroyed a long time ago, I'd rather not discuss it."
"Oh, I'm sorry…"
"It's all right." A gentle smile had crept over Alok's face, making Sam forget her brief moment of guilt. "So you are a warrior?"
Sam nodded. "You could say that. I'm a scientist as well. But mostly I go off world and explore."
"And the stargate is your primary mode of travel between planets?" Alok sounded curious.
"Yep. We're working on ships right now, but they're still in production mostly."
"Ah." Alok nodded and turned to his food.
"I don't know, there's something about this Alok guy that I don't like," Jack complained. He and Sam had gone to bug Daniel, who was supposed to be cataloguing a new shipment of artifacts retrieved by SG-11.
"He seems like a harmless trader to me," Daniel replied, squinting at some Goa'uld writing on a stone tablet.
"He's very nice," Sam added. "I was talking to him at dinner the other day."
"I don't know," Jack walked over to the table, picking up stuff and examining it before setting it down again. "Call it my gut instinct." Something in Jack's tone told the other two he didn't want to talk about it further.
"So where's Teal'c this week?" Sam asked conversationally.
"Oh," Jack shrugged. "Hammond let him go to Chulak. He said something about Ray'ac and Bra'tac and some ceremony of manhood…"
Sam snorted.
"No I'm serious!"
"I believe you sir." She flashed him one of her brief grins.
Daniel looked up with a slightly annoyed expression. "Uh, guys, I kinda have a lot of work to do, do you mind?"
"Ok, we'll leave you alone, Danny-boy," Jack said, heading out into the hall. "C'mon, Carter, let's go see who else we can bother."
"Sir," Sam said as they walked towards the elevators. "I'm surprised you aren't going up to your cabin now that Hammond's finally given us a few days off."
"Ah, you know," Jack made a face. "I kinda hate leaving the base knowing there's an alien wandering around that no one else is the least bit suspicious about."
Sam punched the button for the elevator. "Don't you think for once that he's all he says he is? A peaceful trader seeking sanctuary?"
"Carter," Jack began, stepping onto the elevator. "This is the SGC. Things don't just happen, they happen."
Jack eventually gave into his boredom and called a team night out. He, Daniel, and Sam went to a local bar and grill, where they spent an enjoyable evening watching Daniel get steadily more intoxicated.
"Ok," he said, his words slurring. "So Anubis, Oma Desala, and…Ba'al…all walk into a bar…"
"That's it." Jack glowered at his watch. "It's past your bedtime, Daniel. Carter, help me get him out of here."
Sam and Jack helped Daniel back to Jack's car, and then all three piled in.
"Is he out?" Jack asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.
Sam turned around in her seat. Daniel was slumped against the door, eyes closed, glasses askew. "Yes sir." She faced forward.
"Well that was a fun evening," Jack said. "Too bad Teal'c wasn't here to enjoy it."
"I'm sure he's having fun with Ray'ac." Sam said, staring out the window. "It must be hard not being able to see your son for weeks on end."
Jack grunted incoherently.
Sam suddenly turned, a horrified look on her face. "Oh, God, I shouldn't have said that! I'm sorry, Sir, that was really insensitive of me…"
"Forget it, Carter." Jack had pulled up outside of Sam's house. "I'll make sure Daniel gets home alright."
Sam nodded, opening the car door. "Goodnight, Sir."
" 'Night, Carter."
They exchanged a brief smile, then Sam was heading up the walkway to her house.
"Is that guy still here?" Jack asked Hammond the following Saturday, upon passing Alok in the hall.
Hammond nodded. "We don't know what else to do with him. He's very nervous about going back out into the galaxy. Some Tok'ra representatives were here the other day and he sent a message along with him to some of his friends. He doesn't know if they'll be able to get him safely."
"Good. And until his friends return?"
"We wait."
"Right."
There was something far less comforting to Sam about waking up in her quarters at the SGC as opposed to waking up in her own bed. Perhaps it was the spartan room, the sounds of the airmen patrolling the hallway outside, the less than comfortable bed, or the knowledge that any minute she might have to be running off world to fight the Goa'uld…
As she awoke Monday morning, Sam felt something more than usual was wrong, but she couldn't quite place it. She got out of bed, pulling on a black tank top and dark green uniform pants before stepping out into the hall.
The lack of airmen was the first thing that tipped her off. The hallway was deserted. She noticed that even before she noticed that most of the lights were blown out, and the ones that remained were flickering. Panic rose like liquid fire inside her. Something was wrong.
Sam's first instinct was to run right back in her room and grab her handgun. That done, she went back in the hall and began slowly creeping down it.
Sam reached a certain point and was suddenly overcome with the worst smell; something like meat left out into the open too long. Coughing slightly, she jumped when something dripped onto her shoulder. She brought one hand up to wipe it away.
Looking at her hand, she could see dark blood smeared across her fingers.
