Chapter 3

Summer held her gun aloft as she, Cam, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c crept into the vast hall of the city. A gaping doorway, flanked by huge columns stood behind them. They, too, were covered in strange writings. "Oh my God," breathed Daniel, looking up at the ceiling and all around him. Light filtered down through the dust from high, stained glass windows. Dozens of columns stood in two parallel rows, leading down to a large, square stone plinth.

Summer's mouth was open, the great beauty of the place was awe-inspiring. Sand coated the floor, mixed with dust that glittered in the dim light. She beckoned to the two members of her team, and they filtered in through the doorway, with raised guns.

Sam walked slowly up to the plinth, her feet making soft scuffling sounds in the complete silence. The plinth itself was on a raised dais, and when she laid a foot on it, it lit up with a dozen swirling lights.

Daniel jumped backwards in alarm from the column he had been studying. The inscriptions suddenly glowed gold, and he could see that these were no ordinary writings. Summer leaned close to the stone. "What is it?"

"It's..." Daniel said quietly, and then stopped. "No...it can't be."

"But it is." Summer squinted at the writing, and then looked at him.

"But that's..."

"No..."

"Yes!"

"Really?"

"Would someone please tell me what it is or isn't!" said Cam angrily. Dust fell from the ceiling at the sound of his raised voice.

"It's Furling," answered Daniel.

"Really?" Cam looked at Summer, who nodded. "Carter!" He called to Sam, who was studying the plinth. "Come here!"

"Uh...I something over here!" She called back.

Summer rushed over to her, and her eyes widened. "Oh my God!" She stared at the device, and looked at Sam. She lifted her hand, and gently touched her hands into two prints that lay on either side of it. The swirling colours rose into the air like smoke, and wove their way around the columns. The place transformed before their eyes. The entire place became draped in gold, and sunlight gleamed against the mirrors that lined the walls.

"What the hell?" breathed Cam.

Summer turned to look, and as she moved her hands slightly, a bolt of electricity shot through the hall. Summer flinched as sparks flew from the device and from the ceiling.

The lightening crackled around the columns, and darkness enveloped them all. The only light was from the faint glow of the device. Summer tore her hands away. "Oops," she whispered.

Cam sighed inwardly. New guys, they were all the same.

Teal'c looked outside. "It appears to be night-time Colonel Mitchell," he informed them.

"What?" Sam ran down the hall to the doorway, and glanced outside. "The suns gone," she told them. "But...That's not possible!" She ran her hands through her hair. "Why would that happen? How could it happen?"

Summer pulled out her radio. "John, do you copy?" She had left John by the Gate. "John, do you read me?" she repeated. "Major Simmons, please respond!" She too ran her hands through her hair.

"I'm here!" a small voice replied through the radio. Summer gasped, "John? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I tried to reply, but the radio wasn't working. Are you guys ok?"

"We're fine, look, dial the Stargate, we're coming back."

"I can't."

Summer exchanged frightened looks with Maisy. "What?"

"It's gone." John sounded tense.

"Gone?"

"Yeah, it just vanished. It's so dark out here, I can't see a thing. I lit my torch, and it had gone. Listen, I..." The transmission cut off.

"Hello? John?" Summer tried into her radio.

A scream cut through the radio. Summer gasped and nearly dropped it. "Help! Help me!" John was yelling. "It's this thing, it's..." He screamed again, and there was a horrific sound of ripping, crunching and the sickening sound of John screaming over and over again. A terrible roar crackled through, a blood-curdling scream that seemed to go on forever, and then silence.

Summer was gasping for air, gulping and panting. "What was that?!" she panted.

"I don't know. But I don't want to stick around to find out." Cam patted her awkwardly.

"But how do we get back?" asked Sam. "The Gate's gone."

"Well, I don't think we should stay standing near the door." said Cam. "We need to set up a base somewhere."

Sam nodded, and put an arm around Summer. She smiled gratefully, then gulped down her tears, and followed Cam and Teal'c as they lead the way through a small doorway that was beside them. Before she left, she cast a glance at the now dark device. Whatever had happened just then, it had begun when she had touched that thing.