The wooded area became a tangled mess the further they travelled making it difficult to traverse. "Where are you taking us?" Jack asked their guide. "This can't be good for Zzzig. Her cocoon is getting torn."

"Will be there sssoon," Zzzag responded.

"Where is there?" Sam Called out as she plucked twigs from down her neck and kicked at a root that nearly had her on her knees.

"We take you to the sssource," the black spider explained.

"The source?" Daniel asked as he dragged his sleeve from another thorny bush tearing it in the process.

The spider looked at the tear in the jacket. "Your shell is weak," it commented. "To the centre of mother to heal Zzzig."

"To the centre of mother," Jack repeated waving his team airily onward then looked a question at Sam. She just shrugged as she was more concerned with staying on her feet at that moment than working out what that might mean.

"To the place from which the voice emanates," Teal'c suggested to their surprise. "If they are taking Zzzig there it must be where the power is strongest."

"That would be logical sir," Sam admitted.

"If they follow a logic we understand," Jack drawled and walked on. Sam's grin reappeared as she wondered. 'How does he do that?'

The woodland around them began to darken quickly which Jack found distinctly odd as he knew it was a while before the sun was due to set. He peered ahead into the darkness wondering what was causing it and tightened his grip on his weapon nervously. Then as they continued into its depth he saw it. There was a cave entrance which was barely visible in the gloom. The insects were pouring into its mouth and took Zzzig with them. Zzzag left them behind in his haste and disappeared into the cave. From the cave entrance Jack could discern a faint pulsating glow and looked at his team visible only by the flickering light.

"Well?" He queried.

"Sir, I am getting a very strange sensation from in there." Sam shook her head as she tried to clear it. "It's like I can hear this huge crowd, but just noise, no words."

"Are you hearing the insects Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes, I think I am. Colonel I think Ralla is a hive mind. The crystal connects and amplifies it." Sam exclaimed.

"If this is a hive mind it appears to be one that is friendly to us. Let's not annoy it by being tardy." Jack commented and stepped in through the cave entrance, and then he stopped and turned. "If it is a hive mind, where is the queen? There will be a queen won't there?"

"I don't know sir. A hive as we understand it would have a queen or leader of some sort. It doesn't mean it is true in all instances, just on Earth."

They walked into the cave which was much larger than appeared on the outside and followed the trace of light flickering off the walls. Jack was leading the way with the others cautiously following when he sensed a change but he did not react fast enough. Sam suddenly ran past him and he tried to catch her but missed. "Carter!" he yelled but she ignored him. The three men began to run after her wondering what was wrong. "Carter!" Jack yelled again but she just kept running.

"Sam!" Daniel called desperately. "What's wrong with her?" he shouted at Jack.

Suddenly she stopped and they almost ran into her. Jack grabbed her arm. "Carter! What's wrong?" She didn't answer him but her arm rose slowly and she pointed. They all turned and looked in the direction she was pointing. Jack's weapon sank as he stared toward the high cavern wall opposite the light reflecting off his face. The whole wall appeared to be pulsing with a red internal light as if it was alive. "What the …" his voice died as he could not find the words. At the base of the wall a myriad of insects were frantically working to remove the cocoon from around Zzzig and manoeuvre her into an alcove. "Let's help," Jack suggested and walked directly toward Zzzig. The insects scurried out of his way and Daniel and Teal'c followed him. They bent over Zzzig and helped push her into the alcove but they did not notice that Sam had not followed them.

Teal'c stood up and looked around. "I do not see Major Carter," he told the others and Jack looked around the cavern. The pulsing light threw oscillating shadows across the walls making it difficult to see clearly.

"She is obviously being affected by the… this huge crystal thing. We had better find her. Daniel, stay with Zzzig. Teal'c and I will look for her," Jack ordered and Daniel nodded agreement and sat against the wall next to the alcove. "Err, Daniel. That thing is affecting Sam."

"Yes," Daniel responded puzzled.

"You're leaning on it," Jack pointed out and Daniel jumped and moved a few feet away.

"I'm fine. Go find Sam," he told them.

As they turned to leave a shadow moved beside Jack and he spun round to find Zzzag at his feet. "Zzzag," he sighed. "Don't creep up on me like that I could step on you."

"I no creep," it retorted. "What you do?"

"We're going to look for Carter, she is missing," Jack told him.

"Not missing, with mother," Zzzag responded.

"Where is she with mother?" Jack asked patiently for him.

"I show. The She is not harmed," Zzzag responded and Jack noticed his use of Zzzig's name for Sam.

"Can you hear Zzzig now?" Jack asked as they followed the spider.

"Yessss, sshe ssspeaksss to mother now. Zzzig tellsss about your world and your fight with the glowing eyesss. Mother is pleasssed."

"I am so glad," Jack drawled and the spider stopped and tilted his body toward Jack as if considering him.

"Thisss isss funny, yesss?"

Jack grinned, he couldn't help it. They were in a world full of insects that had intelligence and yet they seemed like children to him. 'They are very dangerous children but children none the less,' he decided. It was then that he finally realised why he was drawn to Zzzig, why they all were drawn to her. It was like having an intelligent, lively child around who was never the less able to defend herself extremely well. 'Most of the time.' 'Where is Sam?" He asked again.

"Here," the spider responded and turned and looked toward the far corner of the cavern.

It took Jack a moment to realise what he was looking at and he wondered as he hurried over how it had happened so fast. Sam was hanging from the wall attached to a large vein of the pulsing crystal. Her head was still visible but her arms and legs were hidden by the web holding her in place. "Sam," he whispered ignoring Teal'c's presence. "What have they done to you?"

"You must release Major Carter at once," Teal'c told the spider.

"I cannot. The Ssshe talksss to mother. Sssoon mother will ssspeak. The Ssshe will ssspeak for mother."

"Don't you speak for mother?" Jack asked. "And Zzzig. You don't need Carter."

"We speak for mother but now the She will do it better," Zzzag explained.

"Colonel." Sam's voice was so quiet he almost missed it.

"Carter. We'll get you down from there." Jack called as he reached up for her and then looked around for something to stand on to reach her.

"It's alright Colonel, they haven't hurt me. Well," she admitted, "my head hurts a little from the volume of information I have just been given."

"Information?" Jack asked giving her only half his attention as he continued to search for something with which to reach her.

"O'Neill," Teal'c called as he returned with a large chunk of rock. "We should build a pile of these."

"Good idea," Jack agreed and they both began piling rocks.

"That really isn't necessary sir…" Sam objected.

"We are going to get you down Carter," Jack told her.

"Yes sir, but they are letting me down now," she responded and Jack heard a resounding snap and Sam fell on top of him.

Jack found himself looking up into the face of his 2IC. "Hi Carter. You know that under other circumstances this could be called a happy accident. However…"

"Sorry Sir," Sam responded immediately and rolled away from him. Teal'c offered his hand and pulled Sam to her feet.

"You OK?" Jack asked as he got up.

"I am sir, but this planet has a serious problem. We need to find a way to get the Goa'uld off it permanently."

"Tell me something I don't know." Jack responded as he brushed himself down.

"Mother has a plan." Sam responded. "You are not going to believe what she told me."

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