Jack and Mitchell headed towards Daniels cell to interrogate him on where he may have been before the attack on Vala. If Jack had his theory right, something in Daniels office may have affected him without him knowing. Jack knew with Woosley locked up, it gave him some time before NID stepped in. Teal'c finally caught up with Jack and Cam and all three decided to enter the cell. Daniel was lying on his bunk starring at the ceiling. He barely noticed all three of his friends walk in. Since Mitchell's interrogation, Daniel had remained passive, almost non responsive to anyone or anything. Vala was the only thing on his mind. The last time her saw her, she was terrified of him and he now believed he was responsible after speaking to Mitchell. No one had even spoken to him about how Vala was doing. He didn't know if she was dead or alive. He played the scene over and over again about how angry he was towards him and didn't know why.
"Daniel? Jackson?" Jack saw that Daniel either didn't hear him or ignoring them.
"DANIEL!
"I heard you come in Jack. What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you, but you seem to be lying down. Will you please sit up?" said Jack.
"Why? You're going to condemn me anyway. Col Klink has already showed me how dangerous I am, looking at Mitchell." Said Daniel.
"Well, it seems you haven't lost your sense of humor. I thought you might want to know about Vala." Said Jack.
Daniel sat up at hearing about Vala. Jack figured that Daniel cared more about Vala than he let on.
"Ho-how is she Jack? Did I hurt her?"
"She was conscious for a little while. She lost a lot of blood, but Dr. Lam said she will recover. What about you Daniel? Are you ok?"
"DID I HURT HER JACK?" Daniel shouted.
Mitchell and Teal'c stood there watching Daniel closely to see if Daniel was venting his anger or actually going to hit Jack. They figured he was just angry about not knowing about Vala, so they stood their ground. Daniel knew Jack was hiding something and he could see Mitchell and Teal'c stoned faced to his reaction.
"Who do you think you're talking to Danny boy? You're in enough trouble as it is and I don't take to kindly to one of our friends being attacked, especially by you." Jack was trying to control his temper, but Daniel, he knew was being a butt. "You want to really know, ok, here it is in all it's detail. You stabbed Vala to the point you pierced her heart. She had to have a heart bypass and you almost cut her in two across her stomach. She lost so much blood she almost died from your attack; so there Daniel, the answer to your question is, "YES". You did hurt her and badly."
Daniel stepped backwards in shock hearing Jack's description of Vala's injuries and fell on his bunk. Jack, Mitchell and Teal'c saw the fear and shock all over Daniel's face. Jack didn't want to sugar coat what happened, but he needed Daniel to know the seriousness of his actions almost caused the death of a friend by his own hands.
"Daniel? Daniel? Look at me." Jack said sternly.
Daniel looked up barely making eye contact.
"Daniel, I'm here to let you know that there were two other attacks have happened in the last two days. Woosley is here and he was one of the attackers along with another Airman. The fact is that each came in contact with your office. It might explain why you don't remember anything or why you attacked Vala without any memory of it. Sam found an anomaly or poltergeist resonating from your office. Now; what I need from you is where were you two days ago? I need to know if you brought something back that may have allowed this entity on base." Said Jack.
"I- I don't know. I've only been off world to XK 490. It was just a reconnaissance for artifacts. The people we came in contact with didn't seem out of the ordinary." Daniel said. "Do you think something caused me to do this along with the others?" Daniel was looking for any explanation on his behavior towards Vala.
"I hope so Daniel. I don't see any other explanation. The fact that there has been something manifesting in your office and on base, gives me some facts about the attacks. Woosley coming off like commando is suspect enough. The Airman that attacked another personnel was cleaning your office last before he attacked, also. So there's a connection somehow." Stated Jack.
Daniel perked up slightly. He knew now that Jack was only trying to help him, but the fact that he attacked Vala unmercifully still stuck in his craw. There was a knock at the door. It was Sam. She looked at Daniel trying not to be angry, but she made eye contact slightly and then motioned Jack to join her outside. Daniel could see the confusion in Sam's eyes and didn't blame her for being ashamed of him.
"How is he? Asked Sam.
"I told him what happened to Vala. He was being a butthead, and demanded to know about her. So, I told him the truth. He didn't take it too well." Said Jack.
"Hmm. Anyway." Sam was trying stay neutral even though it hurt her to ignore Daniel. "Vala became conscious again. I had a chance to question her about what happened Jack. She remembered Daniel attacking her, but she said something about smoke and red eyes. She mentioned something about a Dragon. I have no ideal what she meant; then she passed out."
"Dragon? I don't know. Maybe Daniel can clue us in. I asked him if he remembered where he was two days ago and he only remembered going on a reconnaissance for artifacts on XK 490."
"Jack; remember when Vala came in for breakfast and she mentioned something about Daniel acting cold towards some little girl about………what did she say? Pot. A tea pot." Sam was remembering what Vala said.
"I don't like the way he just took that tea pot from that family, and then was so insensitive to the little girl before he left. My Daniel would never treat someone like that with such coldness."
"Ok, let me question Daniel some more. Sam I may need you again. If that has something to do with everyone's irrational behavior then we may have to get rid of it and fast."
"I'm going back to the infirmary to see Vala. You know where to find me." Said Sam.
Jack returned to the cell. Mitchell and Teal'c were still watching Daniel as he sat on the bed still looking at his hands. He still had not washed them since the attack.
"Daniel, I want to ask you something. Did you bring back, some sort of a tea pot from XK 490?"
"Uh, yeah, said Daniel. Some family wanted me to see how much it was worth. It's in my office I think."
"When you were down on the planet, Vala was with you also." Asked Mitchell.
"Yeah, she was. But I don't get the connection. What's up with the tea pot?"
"I don't know yet. Just some new evidence, that's all. I'm going to clear with Gen Landry to release you in my custody. I need you on that planet. If there was something there, then we need to know where this tea pot originated from."
Both Teal'c and Mitchell looked at Jack like he was crazy. "Jack is that wise considering that……………
"That I almost killed Vala?" Mitchell was immediately interrupted by Daniel. "Look, I want to help find out what happened to me and the others. If it was something from the planet I brought back, I want to know how to stop it and help them too. It's important Jack. I owe it to Vala."
Mitchell, Teal'c and Jack couldn't help feel sympathetic towards Daniel. They had all been through so much together and they couldn't abandon Daniel just yet.
"Ok, said Jack. Let me clear it with the General. I'm sure since Woosley is locked up, I'm sure that the Gen Landry can swing this if it meant helping this investigation."
Gen Landry agreed to Jack's request. Without Woosley's authority to stop him, he gave the go ahead to visit the planet XK 490. Sam decided to stay with Vala while Jack, Mitchell, Daniel and Teal'c visited the planet. When they arrived Daniel remembered the house where he visited two days ago and knocked on the door. There was no answer and they had asked the villagers about the inhabitants. The people they asked told them that the house was haunted and that the couple that lived there had not been seen since. Mitchell decided to enter the house first, then Teal'c, Jack and the Daniel followed behind.
The house seemed cold, like it has never been lived in. The house was furnished but there were only two chairs and a table. In the chairs were piles of dirt. Daniel could only remember that the couple had a daughter who did not want to part with the tea set. Mitchell and Teal'c checked the perimeter of the house and there were no obvious signs of anyone else living there.
"Daniel? Are you sure this is the house you picked up the tea set in?" Asked Jack.
"Yeah, it has to be. I remember when we visited the village that everyone told us to stay away from the house, that it was haunted." Said Daniel.
"Of course that was your cue to immediately pass "GO"."
"I was curious that's all. We've heard of odd phenomenons before." Said Daniel.
As all the men were standing in the room, the little girl from the family suddenly appeared. Teal'c and Mitchell immediately raised their weapons instinctively. Daniel and Jack were mildly surprised.
"You have returned, stated the little girl."
Jack answered first. "A friend of yours Daniel?"
"No, uh, she was with the family that was here. Uh, hello. Where are your parents?"
"They were not my parents. They were…….pointing to the dirt pile in the chairs. "They were only protectors of the treasure that was guarded by the tea set."
"Were, asked Jack."
"They no longer are protectors. They have met their fate by their own greed and selfishness." Stated the girl.
"What do you mean." Asked Daniel.
"The man and woman that you met were cursed to eternally protect the gold that the Dragon protected. They are dead." Stated the girl matter of factley."
"But why?" Did you do this to them?" Asked Daniel.
"No. The man and the woman were greedy. The Dragon in its form for thousand, and thousands of years protected his masters gold from people such as they were. It the gold was ever found and not shared or if the Dragon was not properly respected then those who disturbed it were doomed to its fate. The man and women after finding the gold were transported a thousand years into the future along with the gold and Dragon. Instead of sharing the gold and disrespecting the tea set they were cursed to stay in one place and guard the gold forever. They never thought to share the gold or help others or the village unselfishly with the gold. Instead they only thought to hide the gold and keep it a secret. As time passed people in the village tried to cast them out or simply leave them alone to themselves. They could never in their lifetime have a family, children, friends, and any life outside this house or die." Said the girl.
"But I don't understand something." Said Daniel. "How could they live for that long? I mean they were a young couple and you said they could not die. Yet there they are as dirt and the Dragon has affected me and others. Why are we not dust?"
"Their souls died a long time ago. They were immortal; so they needed no food or drink to sustain them. When you took the tea set, you incurred the wrath of the Dragon. Anyone who disturbed the dragon regardless of the gold would be possessed by its anger and spitefulness, not the entire curse would be attached to that person, but the results of the Dragons wrath would be fear and pain."
"Daniel that may explain why you attacked Vala and why Woosley and the Airman were so angry." Said Jack.
"So, who are you little girl? Said Jack. "What do you have to do with all this and how can we break the curse?"
"I am its counterpart the Phoenix. I am here to calm its wrath. But I cannot travel to your world for I too guard the gold. There is a way, but you must solve the riddle of the tea set."
"Riddle, Ha, that's Daniels middle name." Mitchell laughed. "So what's this riddle?"
"You must solve the riddle of the tea set." Said the girl. "I cannot help you on this. Until the riddle is solved then I'm afraid the Dragon will eventually grow in anger and release it's wrath on all your people regardless if he is disturbed or not. It has had a taste of ciaos and must be appeased or let loose."
"Daniel, we need to get back to the base. We're going to have to figure out something and stop this Dragon curse. Will you………….
The small child was gone before Jack could ask any other questions. They all returned to base and Gen Landry was informed of their problem. Daniel wanted to visit Vala, but Jack thought that Dr. Lam would not allow it until the mess with the attack was cleared up. Daniel decided that the only way to redeem himself is to figure out how to stop this curse and keep anyone else going through what Vala had endured.