A/N: Wow! I didn't expect to get such a response so quickly, but I wanted to think all the lovely people who have visited my story. :) I hope you are finding it entertaining! For those of you who commented about your curiosity concerning the ritual, I hope that this satisfies. I must admit that I did not originally intend for the ritual to take up most of a whole chapter. But I figured I had better use more detail than I originally intended, if people were that curious! Finally, I have a warning for anyone who might be familiar with some of the terminology that I'm using... Yes, the people of this planet are vaguely inspired by real life Earth cultures. However, I have used very heavy artistic license. I've pretty much pulled stuff from the internet that has huge gaping holes, and filled in those holes with my imagination. That seems to be what they do with the original Stargate series, anyhow. I hope that no one is disappointed, thinking I was going to actually describe a ritual that they know of.

So, without further ado, on to the next chapter!


Chapter Two

He hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife.

-Douglas Adams-

In the end, it turned out that O'Neill did not have as much cause to be nervous as he had previously thought. The ritual was fairly mundane by SG-1 standards. He had figured there would at least be some sort of animal sacrifice, but it turned out that the people of this planet were just as peaceful and vegetarian as they had presented themselves. The most violent thing that was planned was a bonfire. Something to do with the coming of the winter season. Jack wasn't really listening as Daniel explained it to him.

The next morning, when he found himself standing at one end of the village clearing, wearing the itchy, too-warm garb of the indigenous people, he began to think that maybe it would be better to listen to Daniel the next time he was trying to explain something.

"So they're going to put our names on one of the stones that will be circling the bonfire. They believe this will symbolically bring us closer to the spirit of their God, who is manifest in the fire as…"

On second thought, maybe listening to Jackson drone on wasn't such a hot idea, after all.

Instead, Jack watched the festive preparations for the day-long ceremony in which they were expected to take part, feigning an interest that he really didn't feel. When it became clear that Daniel wasn't going to stop droning on if he didn't speak up, Jack decided that this would probably be a very good time to interrupt. "So, Daniel…"

Whatever the young archeologist was going to say died on his lips as Jack spoke up. He had that lost, absent-minded professor look that Jack usually made fun of him for. "Yes, Jack?"

"Is there any part of this ceremony that I really need to know ahead of time?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows, taken aback by the question. For someone as bright as he seemed to be, he certainly could be slow. Jack sometimes suspected that the man had picked up on some of his own tricks and was being deliberately dense. "Well, define 'need'," the civilian finally requested.

"Well…Is there anything about this ceremony that would be painful, undignified, or which could be construed in any way as something I would refuse to participate in?"

"Actually…no. No, I don't think so."

The ensuing silence after Daniel's answer was something that Jack gloried in, and for one brief, shining moment he actually believed that Daniel might actually shut up for once.

"…But it really is fascinating how the purpose for the ritual has evolved since the original ritual back on Earth…"

Jack groaned out loud, but Daniel just kept talking. This had to be payback for denying Daniel the opportunity to study his precious artifacts.


That afternoon, Daniel glorified in his friendly vengeance on Jack. As far as he was concerned, Jack had it coming. After all, Daniel had won that sparring bout fair and square. If Jack was going to take something that silly and make it affect their work, Daniel had every right to exact his own revenge at the first opportunity.

Of course, not making sure that he knew what the cleansing ritual entailed was perhaps a bit cruel. Still, Daniel had thrown in a very detailed description in the middle of his boring lecture, including the part about the naked sauna. Was it his fault if Jack chose not to listen to him? Perhaps it would teach Jack a lesson.

Still, it could have been worse. Jack survived the sauna, though he shot quite a few irritated looks at Daniel. The archeologist wasn't afraid of him… He was probably the only one.

Daniel was feeling positively smug by the time they were led out of the sauna by another naked clan member. The open-minded archeologist wasn't particularly embarrassed by the ritual. After all, it was nothing compared to showers after gym class. Those guys played dirty…

Each of the male members of SG-1, along with the rest of the men filing out of the sauna, were handed a rough robe of some absorbent material. It wasn't as soft as his fluffy robe back home, but Daniel wasn't going to complain. A questioning look from Jack caused Daniel to bend a little, taking pity on the baffled colonel. "Next is the bonfire ceremony," he murmured. "Once we get back to the clearing, we must remain completely silent. We're supposed to be meditating on the divine properties of the gods…"

By the time Daniel had finished explaining, they had reached the clearing. To his credit, Jack actually seemed to be listening this time. Perhaps Daniel had taught him a lesson about ignoring the cultural expert in these situations.

As they filed toward the circle where the bonfire would be lit, the women filed in from the other end of the square. They were each clothed in white robes and veils so that it was impossible to tell them apart. One of those women would be Sam, but Daniel couldn't have pointed her out.

The men formed a loose circle around the fire, and Daniel and Jack followed suite, while the women formed a larger circle outside of the men's circle. The dead silence was eerie, even to Daniel, who fancied himself comfortable with all possible scenarios. It seemed as though even the wind and the birds had quieted down for this ceremony…

But that was ridiculous, of course. It was just a fluke. Before Daniel could put any further thought into it, the chief of the village silently walked to the center of the fire, carrying a large branch already alight with a flickering flame. Slowly, he knelt in the center of the pit, his knees getting smudged from the ashes of previous ceremonies, and to Daniel's amazement, simply buried one end of the branch in the ground, leaving the burning end sticking out of the ground like a massive candle wick.

The chief walked backward out of the circle, somehow managing to return exactly to the place he had left without so much as a glance over his shoulder. For a moment, Daniel was confused. This was the part of the ceremony that had been vague, even to him. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but from all accounts, they should be building a huge bonfire. He glanced to the side, only to find Jack looking at him, questioningly. Daniel just shrugged and shook his head a little, letting Jack know that he was just as puzzled, but that he didn't see any danger, so far.

By the time he looked back at the fire, he realized that he had missed something important. Four of the large stones demarking the edge of the fire pit were…glowing. There was no other way to describe it. It was as though they were alight with some sort of inner fire. He wasn't sure what it was, but it certainly wasn't some sort of technology created by these people.

Before he could comment, Daniel suddenly felt a tingling throughout his entire body. It was a sort of electric buzzing, and for a moment, he was reminded of firsthand accounts of what it felt like just before you were struck by lightning. Moments later, he had no room for thought as his vision were filled with a kind of iridescent golden light, and his mind was filled with warmth. It was exactly like the feeling he got standing in a warm spring breeze, with the sun on his hair and a good book in his hands. It was a comforting feeling, and a small part of him simply marveled, while another very small part wondered if this could be a sign that he had, indeed, been struck by lightning and was dying.

Before he could question it further, however, the light died, and after his dazzled eyes adjusted to the relatively dim evening, he realized that the tiny tree branch had somehow sparked a huge bonfire in the circle. He couldn't see where the tinder had come from, or even if there was any timber to feed the fire. Perhaps the very ashes had caught fire. Frankly, he was at a loss.

"Daniel…" He knew Jack was just about to ask him a bunch of questions he couldn't answer, but before he had a chance to try and come up with something to appease his superior officer, the population of the entire settlement broke into a sudden celebratory shout.

Daniel grinned apologetically at Jack, and rose his voice above the din. "This is the part where you celebrate the promise of protection from the gods for the coming winter," he explained, though he wasn't sure how much of his message got through. Jack was already being pulled into a spirited dance by a young blonde who had abandoned her veil. Daniel wasn't too keen on dancing, but before he could decline, a beautiful young lady with too much black hair for one woman grabbed him and pulled him into the dance.

He didn't even have time to question the unusual feelings he had experienced during the ceremony. By the end of the night, he decided that it must have been a trick of his mind. After all, he had always had an overactive imagination.


The only person who didn't thoroughly overindulge at the celebration, including SG-1, was Teal'c. To tell the truth, the silent Jaffa was somewhat concerned about the behavior of his team members. Colonel O'Neill had encouraged him to join in the celebration, but he seemed to be the only one who remembered that they were here on a mission.

He did not try to remind the Colonel of this, however. He was quite aware that he had no evidence of anything out of the ordinary. It just seemed suspicious that the other three members of SG-1 threw themselves so whole-heartedly into the festivities. It was out of character, so he stood back and watched the party rather than take part, with special attention for his team members.

Breakfast the next morning was a dazed, disoriented affair. Though all previous meals had been shared among the entire community, and timed to surprising accuracy considering the lack of time-keeping devices, the aftermath of the celebration had left the entire village in recovery mode. They were politely informed that breakfast would be an "every man for himself" affair, though Teal'c was easily able to procure sustenance for himself and the rest of his team.

The team gathered in the guest house for breakfast, more out of convenience than any real plan. Daniel Jackson looked dazed and was uncharacteristically quiet as he nibbled a bit of cheese and otherwise ignored his breakfast. Colonel O'Neill was his usual stoic self, but every comment that he did make had the hard edge of annoyance that Teal'c had learned to associate with the Colonel's usual hangover behavior. Only Sam seemed to be in a good mood, but even that was slightly uncharacteristic. She was even humming to herself quietly, until Colonel O'Neill snapped at her and startled the scientist into silence.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c finally spoke. The archeologist startled slightly at the sound of his name, and the Jaffa raised one eyebrow in a gesture of concern. The young man looked up at Teal'c with a droopy-eyed, glazed look that caused the Jaffa's concern to grow exponentially. "Are you well?" he asked, getting right to the point as was his habit.

"Hm?" For a moment, it seemed as though Daniel did not understand the question, but then he jumped back into himself and shook his head slightly, with a rueful smile. "Oh…Yes, Teal'c. I'm fine. I'm just not quite used to this much…celebration." The comment had a tone of dismissal to it, so Teal'c did not question him further. As Teal'c predicted, the younger man had soon sunk back into his reverie, staring at the bread on the table with a distant gaze.

"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c tried again, turning his attention back to his commanding officer. "I am concerned that something unusual may have happened during the ceremony. Did you experience anything…out of the ordinary?"

Teal'c was slightly taken aback by the glare that the team leader leveled at him. However, he was a well-trained warrior, and the only physical sign he gave was a slight raising of his eyebrow as he waiting for an answer.

"The whole damned thing was unexpected if you ask me," O'Neill groused, with another glare for the archeologist, who seemed oblivious to it all.

Sam seemed to feel the need to speak up, though she couldn't quite wipe the smile from her face as she said, "Sir…He did try to tell you what to expect. I'm pretty sure you were tuning him out again."

In the next moment, the scientist's grin finally died as O'Neill turned on her with a snarl. "Wipe that smirk from your face, Major." Teal'c recognized the look in O'Neill's eyes. It was a rare breach of the Colonel's usual snaky front, but the uncharacteristic rage was unmistakable. The Colonel was about to snap, and Teal'c was not sure exactly how to respond, except to redirect the anger toward himself. After all, if O'Neill snapped and attacked the Jaffa, he was more capable of defending himself than the hung over scientist.

"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c interrupted, raising his voice slightly beyond the volume he was accustomed to. He noted Daniel's wince, but was unapologetic as he continued, "I believe that something may be affecting your judgment…"

"I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself, Jaffa." As Colonel O'Neill spit out the words, Teal'c was convinced that his commanding officer was no longer in his right mind. And all the while, Sam continued to watch with that undying grin, as though she found the entire situation to be hilarious.

The Jaffa opened his mouth to say so, only to be cut off by a vague groan from the team archeologist.

As a unit, three members of the team turned their heads to look at Daniel, who was holding his head and looking at them with a vague sort of panic in his eyes. The glazed look that darted from one to the other in turns struck fear into the heart of the Jaffa as no other sight could. Seeing this expression in his friend's eyes even once was one time too many. His friend and teammate was not sane.

The panicked look in the archeologists eyes turned to mania in an instant, as his lips twisted into a wry smile, which slowly progressed to wild laughter. "You people! What shall I do with you? Small-minded, ignorant apes, all of you. I shouldn't be here. I should be…"

The archeologist trailed off, his mood abruptly shifting from hysteria to a distant, puzzled expression. "How odd…something…what…what…" Slowly, Daniel rose to his feet, and while the other two team members remained staring in shock, Teal'c slowly regained his own footing. Cautiously, Teal'c moved toward the linguist, trying to crouch down and make himself appear less threatening. He slowly bared his teeth in a grin, as he had been taught to do, but Daniel was not paying any attention to the well-meaning Jaffa. Sam would have been much more suited to calming the manic man, but she was too busy stifling a laugh with the back of her hand.

"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c murmured through gritted teeth. "Perhaps it would be wise to return to the Stargate, immediately."

Before any of them could act on this suggestion, Daniel looked straight at Teal'c, wide-eyed and startled. "Bloody hell…" These were the last words Daniel spoke before his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. The only thing that saved him from hitting the floor hard was Teal'c's lightning reflexes, as the Jaffa jumped forward to catch the falling archeologist.

Behind him, Sam's tinkling laughter sent a cold shiver down Teal'c's spine.


As Daniel collapsed to the ground, Jack felt his anger drain away to be replaced with the gut-wrenching fear he always experienced when he saw one of his team injured on his watch. It was as though there had been a fog clouding his mind, intensifying his emotions and clouding his judgment. The moment that Daniel collapsed, the fog cleared away, leaving Jack's mind crystal clear.

So much for his hangover. He would just have to get over it. "Daniel!" he heard himself call. Sam took a few moments to recover, her laughter dying away slowly to be replaced by a pale fear. She jumped forward to check Daniel's pulse, since she was the one with the most medical expertise. He could see a weaker reflection of his own inner anguish reflected in the scientist's pale face, but he could not and would not allow his own emotions to show.

"He's alive, sir," Sam said, her voice hardened with an edge of anxiety, in stark contrast to her earlier gaiety. Jack watched intently as she pulled out her flashlight and pulled up one of the linguist's eyelids to check for dilation, even as Teal'c was gently lowering the unconscious man to the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Jack heard himself bark.

"He's unconscious. No sign of trauma that I can see. He just…passed out."

Moments later, she could come to no better conclusion, and Jack ground his teeth with frustration. A curious crowd had gathered around the entrance of the guest house, but Teal'c had silently posted himself to block the entrance.

"Is it safe to move him?" Jack asked, still trying to keep his voice harsh and emotionless.

Sam looked up at him with obvious worry in her eyes. "No way to tell, sir. But frankly, I think our top priority should be to get him back to Janet. It could simply be fatigue, but I'd be more comfortable if Janet had a look at him."

"Right, then. Teal'c, grab Daniel. I'll grab Daniel's pack, Sam, you grab Teal'c's." Sam gave him a look of gratitude as she jumped to follow his orders. After all, Daniel always had his pack stuffed full of books. Teal'c was at least sensible enough to bring only the essentials.

"Teal'c, Sam…You two head back to the Stargate. I'm going to stop by to let the chief know what's going on. I'll catch up."

Moments later, the two were gone as Jack attempted to explain himself to Earth's newest headache. He wished he could risk offending these people by just walking out without explanation, but the resources on this planet were simply too valuable. "Look, we've got a man down. We'll be sending another team to finish the negotiations, but we can't stay."

"But you were chosen to be the vessels of the gods!" Chief Earl's eyes were wide and innocent, and Jack found it very difficult not to roll his eyes.

"Yes, of course. We're honored. And as soon as we figure out what's wrong with Danny-boy…I mean, Daniel…We'll be back to…do our duty. Whatever that is. But we've got to look out for our own."

"You don't understand. He will not recover on his own. He must submit to the will of the gods! The gods will be angered if you leave this place, and you will know only heartache and trouble."

Jack made a quick appraisal of the man before him, trying to judge if Daniel's condition could be something that was knowingly caused by the chief. In the end, his gut told him to trust the open-faced honesty that he saw, and he reached out to pat the man on the shoulder. "Look. We'll be back. I've got to catch up with my team before they reach the gate." And he turned to trot away.

He could hear Chief Earl calling after him from the village, speaking of curses and a bunch of other voodoo that Jack didn't understand. The man seemed concerned for his own religious reasons, but at least he didn't seem to be offended by their sudden departure.

Jack ignored the shouts chasing him down the trail and walked on.