Chapter 3
Sam and Teal'c stepped through the stargate and surveyed the area. It had been more than a year since SG-1 had visited Katal, but things looked very much the same as Sam remembered them. They did not see anyone near the 'gate, so they started off in the direction of the village they had visited earlier.
As they approached the village, Sam noticed one of the villagers become aware of their presence and run to tell the others. She and Teal'c slowed their approach and before long they were being greeted by Elrad, just as they had been on their first visit.
"Greetings Major Carter," said Elrad as he approached with his arms out-stretched in a welcoming gesture. "It has been a long while since you last visited. Are not Dr. Jackson and Colonel O'Neill with you?"
"Hello, Elrad," Sam responded. "Teal'c and I alone have come on this visit."
"What brings you to us this time?" he asked.
"I was hoping to visit your Hall of Wisdom and council with Freyr," Sam said.
"Of, course, the Hall of Wisdom is open to all who wish to know Freyr. Come," he said as she turned and gestured for Sam and Teal'c to follow.
Sam nodded and both she and Teal'c followed Elrad through the village to the Temple which contains the entrance to the Hall of Wisdom.
"Major Carter," Teal'c said as they approached the structure, "I will remain outside."
"That's probably a good idea Teal'c," Sam replied. "I'll make this as quick as possible."
Teal'c nodded and took up a guarding stance outside the wooden building. Sam followed Elrad into the sanctuary. As they approached the Obelisk, Sam requested that she be allowed to speak to Freyr alone and Elrad nodded and returned by the way they had come. Sam reached out and touched the stone on the Obelisk just as Jack had on their first visit. Before long, she found herself in the Hall of Wisdom. It took another couple of seconds for her to remember how to shut off the automatic recording that the inhabitants of Katal knew to be Freyr. She walked to the spot she thought Jack had stood on when he spoke to Freyr and waited. She did not have to wait long.
"I am Freyr, protector of the Katal home world," said Freyr when he appeared a few seconds after Sam deactivated the recording.
"I am Major Samantha Carter of Earth," said Sam, unsure where else to begin.
"Ah, yes, Major Carter, why have you returned to this world?"
"I...I came to ask you, or Thor, a question," Sam said, struggling to put her request into words and wishing for about the thousandth time since he'd left that Daniel was standing beside her to make this request in her place.
"Commander Thor is not available at this time. Please ask your question."
"Several Earth-days ago, we encountered a Goa'uld known as Nirrti on a planet we have designated as P3X-741. She shot Colonel O'Neill with a Zat'n'ktel three times. However, I thought I saw an Asgard transportation device take Colonel O'Neill just before the third shot reached him. So, my question is, do you have any knowledge as to Colonel O'Neill's current location and physical condition?" Sam unclenched the fists she had just realized she was making and willed her heart to beat slower. She took a deep breath and hoped she was not appearing as anxious as she was feeling. She really wanted to hear Freyr's answer, but she dreaded it too. If he said no, her one and only hope would be gone. She hadn't realized until that moment, just how much stock she had put into that slim hope. She suddenly wished there was a chair or rail or some other solid object nearby on which she could lean.
"Major Carter, I am afraid I cannot answer your question at this time. I am not aware of any information regarding Colonel O'Neill. Do you have the symbol sequence that was dialed to reach the planet in question?" Freyr asked.
"Yes," said Sam as she quickly produced a piece of paper on which the symbol address for P3X-741 had been printed and displayed it for Freyr.
"That is helpful. I will relay your question to those who would have knowledge of occurrences in that sector. Please return to Earth. We will contact you when we have information for you." Before Sam could even utter a thank you, Freyr had disappeared and Sam found herself back in front of the Obelisk. She began to walk down the aisle between the pews toward the exit but stopped suddenly and took a seat in one of the pews. She felt a little numb and at the same time, quite frustrated. She had worked up the courage to ask the question and hear the answer...and now she was forced to wait again. She took another deep breath and tried once again to release a little of the tension that had built since she set foot on this world again. Then she rose quickly as her emotions threatened to get the better of her and she forced herself to go outside to see Teal'c. She really needed to see him at that moment, to draw on his strength.
"Major Carter," Teal'c greeted her as she emerged from the Temple. "Is there news of O'Neill?"
"There is not," she said as she approached him. "Freyr didn't know anything so he took a look at the symbol address I printed out and basically said he would get back to us."
"Did Freyr say when he would contact you?" Teal'c asked the question Sam had been asking since Freyr had left.
"No," Sam replied, "he cut communication before I had a chance to ask."
Just then, Elrad returned. "Major Carter...did you get the answers you were seeking?"
"Well, not exactly, Elrad," Sam said, trying to be careful about her response. "Freyr was gracious enough to speak with me. I think he will answer my question in time. I will just need a little patience," she said, trying to smile. "I thank you for allowing me the opportunity."
"You're most welcome," Elrad said. "Will you be staying to wait for your answer?"
"No," Sam replied. "Freyr has asked us to return to our world."
"Ah," Elrad said while nodding in a knowing manner. "Very good then, safe journey."
"Thank you again, Elrad," said Sam as she reached out to shake Elrad's hand and Teal'c gave a slight bow in Elrad's direction.
Teal'c and Sam started the journey back to the Katal gate.
Jack skated around the pond, dribbling the puck with his new hockey stick. He was warming up as he waited for Sam to join him. She'd told him to go ahead as she wanted to change a load of laundry before she donned her skates and winter gear.
It had been about fifteen minutes since he'd hit the ice and he was expecting to see her emerge from the Inn at any second. He slowed his latest pass on the pond and came to a stop, looking back toward the Inn to see if he could catch a glimpse of her and was startled to see someone smaller approaching from the Inn instead. The child looked up just seconds after Jack spotted him and waved. Even from that distance, Jack knew who the child was immediately and he suddenly felt nauseous and the headache returned as that nagging feeling that something was wrong grew in intensity.
"Hey, Dad!" the boy yelled as began to run toward the pond.
"Charlie?" Jack, though feeling dizzy, managed to skate to the edge of the pond closest to the Inn. "What are you doing here?" he asked as Charlie reached the edge of the pond.
"Are you feeling OK, Dad?" Charlie asked as Jack felt darkness slipping over him. He felt the over whelming urge to sit. "'Cuz you don't look so good...Dad?...Dad?"
Jack could hear Charlie's voice rise as he became slightly panicked, but Jack could not respond. He felt himself losing consciousness. As the blackness overtook him he also heard something else: a strange garbled sort of communication that seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite remember where he'd heard it before.