No Escape

Chapter 2

just to clarify, when I refer to the fake illusion of Samantha Carter, I shall either refer to it/her as "double", or "Carter". I shall refer to the real Samantha Carter as "Sam". trying to keep it easy to understand.


Samantha Carter let out an exasperated cry of frustration as she watched Daniel talk with the image of her. She ran over to him and knelt down next to him.

"Daniel, you have to hear me. This is all a fake. We're in some type of virtual reality." She said, trying to make him hear her. "Daniel!" She yelled. But he didn't seem to hear her at all, and kept talking and pondering with the fake Sam Carter.

"What's going on?" she pondered to herself. Almost as if in answer, the machine on the wall sputtered and turned on again. A very tall, white skinned person wearing black armour and cloak appeared in front of her.

"Greetings prisoner." It said. Sam stood up.

"Why am I your prisoner; what have I done?" she asked.

"Welcome to Dracula's tower." It said, seemingly taking no notice of her question.

"Whose tower? Why did you call me prisoner and who are you?" Sam demanded.

"You likely wonder who I am." It said. "I am Lord Dracula, leader of the Vampyres, conqueror of worlds, devourer of life, and you…" he said, pointing at Samantha. "…Are my prey." He finished. Sam tilted her head slightly, stepping back.

"I'm you're… what?" she asked. "Not if I can help it… Daniel! Daniel, you have got to hear me!" she shouted, trying to get his attention. The image of Dracula smiled.

"Your friend cannot hear, nor see you. You are on different dimensional planes." He said.

"How did you know about Daniel?" Sam demanded, turning on the image.

"Observe." Dracula said, pointing towards Daniel. Sam turned, and gave a start as she realized the surroundings had changed to the forest outside of the temple by the Stargate. She watched as Daniel dialed home, while Carter stayed alert for any signs of the Unas. The Stargate activated. Sam hurried to follow Daniel and her double through the gate. They all came out, but it wasn't at the SGC.

"What happened?" Daniel asked, looking around, bewildered. Carter turned and looked at the gate as it deactivated.

"I don't know." Carter said, looking around. "Is it possible you misdialed?" she asked.

"No, he dialed correctly." Sam muttered.

"I dialed home, just like I do every time." Daniel said. He turned, and looked off in the distance.

"I don't see anything." He said. Carter touched him on the shoulder.

"Daniel, we've got a bigger problem." She said. "No DHD."

"What?" he said, turning around. Sure enough, there was no dialing device anywhere in the vicinity of the gate. Sam looked around. There was nothing but ashen sand as far as she could see. And as she turned around again, she jumped. Dracula was standing right in front of her.

"What are you doing to him?" Sam demanded. Dracula stared ahead. Sam cautiously reached out a hand and passed it right through the image. Sam turned around and watched Daniel again. He was busy trying to come up with a plan. She smiled. Just like Daniel. Then, she saw the gray sand shift and move, as if there was a small creature burrowing under it.

"Not good. Daniel, look out!" she called. Daniel didn't hear her and kept talking to Carter. "Daniel, Daniel! Something's coming!" Sam cried, trying to get his attention. He still didn't notice. The sand continued to tunnel, right up next to Daniel and Carter. A thin, scorpion like tail rose out of the sand.

"Daniel!!!" Sam practically screamed. Daniel rubbed his forehead, obviously frustrated as he dismissed another idea. Sam ran towards them, desperate to do something. The tail struck. Carter's double cried out in pain as the tail bit into her leg. Daniel jumped to his feet and pulled out his gun. He shot the ground, hearing a high-pitched wail come from the insectoid creature. He shot again. The tail pulled out of the double's leg, and the burrowed tunnel began moving in erratic patterns. Daniel fired again. The sand flew as the insect came bursting out of the ground. Daniel shot it again, and it wailed once more, then went silent and still. Daniel walked over to it cautiously, examining it. Then he looked at where it had come up. There, he could see a small section of the DHD buried in the ground.

"Sam! I found the DHD!" he said. A cry of anguish was the reply he received. He turned and ran to Carter's side, falling to his knees beside her.

"Sam, what's…" he stopped. Where the insect had stabbed her, the skin and flesh had begun to burn away. "Oh, my… Sam, I'm gonna get you home, you're gonna be okay!" he said, panic entering his eyes. He sprinted to the buried DHD and began digging frantically.

Within a few minutes, he had uncovered enough of the DHD to dial home. He quickly dialed and activated the Stargate. He ran back to Carter's double and picked her up. Her leg was bleeding terribly. He ran through the Stargate, followed closely by the real Sam. They emerged back at the SGC.

"Help! I need help!" Daniel shouted.

"Medical team to the Stargate entry room!" Came General Hammond's voice over the intercom. Sam watched as Dr Frasier and a med team ran in, took her double and rushed her to the medical wing. Daniel followed. General Hammond met him at the door.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She was stung by a bug, sir. Please, I need to know if she's okay." Daniel pleaded. General Hammond started to object, but then stepped aside, letting Daniel rush down the hall to the medical wing. Sam followed. She walked into the medical wing, wincing as she heard herself scream in pain.

"Easy! Easy Sam! Hold her." Dr Frasier said, giving her a shot of painkiller. Sam looked over at Daniel, sitting on a stool. Tears were slowly rolling down his cheeks. Sam looked back at Carter. She lay, convulsing, tears streaming from her eyes as the med team tried to hold her still. Finally she relaxed, as the painkillers took effect. Dr Frasier stood, bent over her for several minutes. Sam stood, watching Daniel. He stood, arms crossed as he waited, his jaw tightening. Dr Frasier turned around.

"Daniel…" She started.

"Is she going to be okay?" Daniel said quietly. Dr Frasier sighed and looked down before answering.

"Daniel, whatever venom that insect injected her with, it's deteriorating her from the inside. I've given her as much painkiller as I can, but it's not going to help much… I'm sorry… There's nothing I can do." She said. Daniel stepped up to her.

"You have to do something!" he said, standing over Dr. Frasier.

"I'm sorry, it's already spread too far." Dr. Frasier said, moving out of the way and walking out of the room.

"Daniel, I'm so sorry." Sam said, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder. But her hand passed right through him. Her double began gasping again. Daniel moved to her side, and tried to calm her down.

"Sam, it's me. Please. You're gonna make it… You have to make it." He whispered. The double cried out in pain, reaching for Daniel. He moved closer, and she lay against him, crying into his shirt. Tears welled in Daniel's eyes, and he shook as he held them back. "It's okay, you're going to be fine. I promise." He said, holding her close. She cried out again, arching her back as pain shot through her again. She coughed against Daniel. He looked down and saw blood spots on his shirt.

"Doctor!" he shouted. Dr Frasier didn't come. Panic filled his face as he tried to save Carter. She cried out again, grabbing Daniel's shirt and pulling him closer to her. He bent down and held her.

"Sam, listen to me…" Daniel said. He began whispering to Carter. She gasped as tears began falling from her eyes, gasping for breath between sobs. He continued to whisper. Sam stepped closer to hear what he was saying. But before she could make out his words, her double cried out. Fresh pain racked her body, before she went limp. Daniel stared at her in shock. Sam watched as he slowly got lower and lower, tears falling from his eyes silently. A sob jerked through his body, and he broke down, burying his face against Carter's body.

"Daniel." Came Jack's voice from behind. Daniel sat up, but didn't turn around.

"Daniel, she's gone." Jack said, walking over to Daniel, and placing a hand on his shoulder. Daniel didn't look at him. He just kept staring at the double's lifeless body.

"Daniel." Jack said, still holding Daniel's shoulder. "Daniel, come on, let her go." Jack said. Daniel didn't move.

"Let her go." Jack said more firmly. Daniel still didn't move. "Daniel, let her go." Jack ordered. Daniel turned around, leading with his fist. He lay Jack flat on his back with one hit. Jack looked up at Daniel, dazed.

"Excellent." Came a voice from behind Sam. She turned and jumped, seeing Dracula behind her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "What's excellent?"

"His destiny is chosen." Came Dracula's reply.

"What?" Sam asked, looking back at Daniel hovering over Carter's body, crying. Tears began to fill her eyes. Then, all the surroundings changed.

Daniel looked up and his eyes got wider as he saw his surroundings. He was in the meeting room of the SGC. He looked down and saw that Carter had vanished, and in his hand was a cup of very hot black coffee. He looked up and yelped as he jumped, spilling some coffee on his hand. Sitting across from him was Hathor.

"General, what is she doing here?!" he demanded. General Hammond looked at Daniel in disbelief.

"Dr. Jackson, she is here because Colonel O'Neil insisted she be allowed to come in here." General Hammond said. Jack brought her a glass of water.

"You are the one responsible for the destruction of Ra." Hathor said.

"I would be the one, yeah." Jack replied. Hathor stepped closer to him.

"For you, we will forever hold a special place here." She said, taking his hand and placing it over her heart.

"Well… That's very special, thank you." Jack said, trying to take his hand away. Hathor took his hand and raised it to her mouth. Daniel could just see a slight pink mist touch Jack's skin, before it vanished and Jack looked around at the team, a slightly confused look on his face. He went and sat back down in his chair.

"Well, what do you say General?" Jack said, smiling at Hathor. General Hammond smiled.

"I say we should make the lady comfortable, and welcome her." He replied. Carter's second double stood up, fuming.

"General, sir, I have a problem with this." She said.

"Hathor, this is Captain Carter." Jack said, introducing them. The double stood up and crossed to Hathor, standing in front of her, arms crossed.

"You are an exceedingly beautiful woman." Hathor stated, looking her up and down. Carter's double didn't back down.

"Thank you, so are you." She replied curtly. She didn't turn away from Hathor, but addressed General Hammond. "General Hammond, I believe we should keep Miss Hathor under house arrest until we can further assess…"

"Don't be impolite, Captain." Hammond reprimanded, leaning forward in his chair.

"Impolite sir? She's a Goa'uld!" Carter protested.

"She is a guest in this facility!" General Hammond replied, his face getting darker.

"Sir, this is crazy… Colonel?" the double said, turning to Jack. Hammond rose from his chair angrily.

"I am in command of this facility! Not Colonel O'Neil! Is that understood?" He shouted.

"But, sir…" she began to protest again.

"Is that understood?" Hammond asked firmly again. Daniel listened, not believing what he was witnessing.

"Now, if you'll follow me, I would be honored to give you a tour of our facility." General Hammond said. Daniel shook his head as Hathor, General Hammond and Jack all left the room. Teal'c stood up.

"With your permission Captain Carter, I would follow them and observe their actions." He said. Carter nodded. Teal'c turned and left the room after Hathor and her escort. Daniel turned to Carter.

"Sam, could I talk to you for a minute?" he asked. Carter's double turned to him and nodded, sitting down across the table from him.

"Sure. Shoot." She said. Daniel leaned toward her.

"Sam, Hathor's got all the men brainwashed." Daniel said. Sam looked at him.

"How do you know?" She asked. Daniel sighed. He knew if he told her the truth, she wouldn't believe him. He thought quickly.

"Because, she tried to brainwash me too. If we don't do something, she's going to take over the base." He explained. Sam pondered his words for a moment, and then nodded.

"It would explain why the General and Colonel O'Neil were acting so strangely." She mused.

Meanwhile, Sam stood, watching Daniel talk to the fake Carter.

"Come on, Daniel. It's not real. You have to figure it out." She said. But Daniel and Carter kept on talking about what course of action they should take. She shook her head as Carter and Daniel stood up and walked toward the door. Daniel reached down to open the door when it burst open and several armed guards stormed in and grabbed them.

"What is this?" Daniel asked, trying to pull away from the guards. Jack stepped in through the door.

"Colonel! What's happening?" Carter said, looking up at Jack. One of the guards lifted the butt of his gun and struck her on the side of the head.

"Hey! What are you…? Jack!" Daniel yelled, as Carter toppled over, unconscious. Jack looked down at Daniel, who was forced to his knees.

"You are now the prisoner of Hathor, conqueror of Earth, Controller of the Stargate, and Queen Mother of all Goa'ulds." Jack said, staring down at Daniel.

"What? Jack! Where's Teal'c? Jack!" Daniel shouted over his shoulder as the guards dragged him and Carter down the hall towards the holding cells.

Sam watched as her double and Daniel schemed and pondered different ways to excape. Meanwhile, she pondered what had changed.

"It must be that Daniel didn't take to Hathor like he did originally." she mused. "So, she had to choose another, 'chosen one'. That's explains the colonel's behavior." She concluded. She turned and watched her double searching the walls of their cell, pondering different points at which they might break out. Daniel sat cross-legged on his cot, his forehead wrinkled in deep thought. Sam leaned in to hear what he was muttering. She grinned when she could make out what he was saying. He wasn't pondering how to escape, he was talking to himself about what was different, just like she had. And he came to the same conclusion.

"Sam." Daniel said, looking up.

"Yes?" both Carters replied. The real Carter frowned when she remembered that Daniel wasn't talking to her, but to her double.

"When Hathor took over the base, all the men were affected, but not the women, right?" Daniel questioned. Sam nodded. Her double looked confused.

"Sounds about right." Carter's double replied, waiting for him to continue.

"Have you heard from Dr. Frasier?" Daniel inquired.

"I think she's in the cell next door, why?" she asked, trying to follow his train of thought.

"We need to get out." Daniel said, standing up.

"We already covered that, Daniel." The double said, crossing her arms. Daniel tapped his finger against his chin thoughtfully. He headed over to the little vent that connected the cell rooms.

"Dr. Frasier?" he whispered, hoping that she would answer.

"What can I help you with?" came Dr. Frasier's sarcastic, yet patient reply.

"Listen and don't argue." Daniel instructed. When she didn't reply, he continued. "I need you and the other women in your cell to seduce the guards outside." He said. Frasier's upset refusal began to assail him almost immediately.

"Listen to what I have to say." Daniel said sternly. Frasier's and the other women's complaints died down. "After you get them in the room, you need to take them down and get their keys, then let us out." He finished. The other cell was silent for a moment, then Frasier's resigned voice came through the vent.

"See you in a minute Dr. Jackson."

Daniel smiled to himself. He sat back down on the cot and waited. Carter watched and listened with Daniel and her double as Frasier and the other women flirted with the guards. Daniel grinned boyishly at Carter's double when they heard the door to the other cell open. His grin vanished when the guard outside their cell began to unlock their door. Carter's double stood up and looked around, thinking quickly. Daniel quickly lay down and pretended to be asleep. The door opened. The guard entered and looked Carter's double up and down. The double raised her eyebrows and began flirting lightly with him. Carter, from where she stood, watched her double, then noticed Daniel's eyelids flutter slightly and a slight smile play on his lips.

"Okay, you're enjoying this too much." She said, crossing her arms.

"Will he be any trouble?" The guard asked her double, gesturing toward Daniel.

"No, but I might if you want me to." Carter's double teased. The guard set his zat gun down and grabbed the double by the arms, pulling her into a kiss. Daniel flew off the cot, leading with his fist, knocking the guard unconscious instantly. Carter jumped at the ferocity of Daniel's sudden attack. So did her double.

"Wow. That works." Carter's double said, looking from the unconscious form to Daniel and back again. Daniel held his hand, gritting his teeth.

"Hit him a little harder than I thought." He said, grabbing a scrap of cloth and tying it over his split knuckles.

"Let's go." Carter's double said, picking up the guard zat gun. They stepped over the unconscious guard and made their way to the door. Carter opened the door and gasped. Teal'c stood in the door, staff weapon raised. Time seemed to slow for Daniel as he heard rapid gunfire erupt from the cell next door, followed by the screams of Dr. Frasier and the other women. He watched Teal'c's staff weapon power up, and he ran forward, grabbing Sam's double and trying to pull her back. Too late. The energy beam struck her directly in the chest, knocking her back into Daniel's arms. Daniel fell backwards, laying her down and trying to stem the blood flow.

"She is dead, Daniel Jackson." Said Teal'c coldly. Daniel tensed and spun, charging the large Jaffa. He barreled into him, knocking Teal'c into the hallway. Teal'c raised the staff above his head and brought it down between Daniel's shoulders. Daniel cried out in pain, and collapsed. He furiously pushed himself up, grunting slightly from the pain. He looked up, a single tear escaping down his face. Teal'c's staff was inches from his face. Daniel saw a bright flash and everything went dark.