Ancient Legacy chapter 11

The next two planets they had scanned had proven to be lifeless. They were now headed for a more promising-looking planet with a small moon.

As Sam scanned, she shared her findings with Teal'c. Major Reynolds and Major McKenna had drifted in, standing behind Sam as she analyzed her monitors.

"This one has strong life signs." She tried not to get excited prematurely. A few seconds later she looked up and gave Teal'c a bright smile. "Technology and naquadah."

"You believe this is the location of Ba'al's base?"

"I think the chances are good this is it."

"Have you detected O'Neill's and Daniel Jackson's locator chips?"

Sam looked back down at her monitors, making some adjustments. "No." She looked back at her teammate. "But that doesn't mean they aren't here. Their chips could have been deactivated."

No one was going to mention the other possibility for why their locator chips wouldn't be transmitting.

"I'm sure that's it," Major Reynolds said sympathetically.

"But it will make it harder to find them once we're on the planet," Major McKenna pointed out.

"We can narrow the search area using the concentration of life signs and technology and split our teams into several groups to search more thoroughly," Sam offered.

"Have you detected any ships in the area?" Teal'c asked.

"No, which is a little odd. I still think this is worth checking out." Sam hoped they weren't wasting their time; hoped this turned out to be Ba'al's base and that it was where he had brought the general and Daniel.

"Then let us prepare," Teal'c said decisively.

~oOo~

There wasn't an inch of his body that didn't hurt. The shock Daniel had received from the vines entwined around his body had been like nothing he'd ever felt before; worse than a zat and even worse than a hand device. It had felt like every nerve was on fire and had lasted an interminable amount of time. He was glad the vines had retracted, but he could still feel where they had been. His muscles still quivered and he fought to bring his breathing back to normal. Add a headache and dizziness and he was thoroughly miserable.

Suddenly, the force holding him against the metal frame released and he pitched forward. Big hands grabbed his arms, aggravating the pain but keeping him from hitting the ground. His legs refused to work on their own and the Jaffa on either side of him dragged him forward and dropped him at the base of Ba'al's throne where he lay unwilling and unable to move.

The hands turned him onto his back and he squeezed his eyes shut against the light that was sending daggers into his head. "Don't go to sleep, Doctor Jackson, we are not done yet." Ba'al's voice sounded from inches away and Daniel opened his eyes and squinted, seeing the goa'uld standing over him. Ba'al nodded to someone and Daniel heard chains rattle. Two Jaffa dragged Jack past him and up to the metal web where they positioned him with his back against it. As they stepped away, it was obvious the artificial gravity had taken hold of Jack's body, immobilizing him.

Two of the non-Jaffa—probably scientists, Daniel decided--rolled a blank screen between Ba'al's chair and the metal frame that held Jack prisoner.

Ba'al turned back to Daniel. "Now, Doctor Jackson, let us begin again. I want to know on which planets I can find Ancient technology. Search your memories and show me their locations."

Daniel looked at Jack, knowing Ba'al would hurt him like he'd just been hurt. Jack knew what he was thinking. "Don't do it, Daniel!"

Ba'al stepped back to his throne and pressed a button. Daniel watched as the vines emerged from the web and began twining their way across Jack's body. Jack appeared calm, but Daniel knew he had to be fighting panic.

"You hesitate, Doctor Jackson. You know what will happen if you refuse. Give me a location."

Unbidden, images flashed into Daniel's mind and were broadcast on the screen. He fought to control which ones were brought to the fore. An image settled on the screen. It showed a large temple with a huge statue on top. Next, the image of a wall was displayed. Two appendages reached out and grabbed Jack's head, downloading the Ancient repository. The image switched to the team stumbling across a field with the repository exploding behind them.

"Not of much use to me, is it," Ba'al's pleasant voice now held an edge to it. He turned to the chair and pressed a button.

Jack's face creased with pain and his arm tensed then began to quiver. Daniel couldn't let him suffer. "Wait! Let me try again."

Jack's body seemed to relax and he took several gasping breaths. Daniel knew Jack was suffering his worst nightmare because of him. He had to find a way to stop this. There was only one thing he could do. He was afraid to try, worried Ba'al would be able to get what he wanted, but he had to risk it if there was any hope of getting out of this.

"Very well," Ba'al replied. "Be warned, I do not have infinite patience."

Daniel closed his eyes and took a calming breath as he began the meditation, finding it was much easier now to go through the steps and find his way. He tuned out the sounds around him and left the sensations of his physical body behind as he moved through the swirling blues towards the silver.

~oOo~

Jack shivered as the pain eased and he tried to catch his breath. The pain had been excruciating and he didn't particularly want to experience it again. He had heard Daniel call out and offer to try again and also Ba'al's warning to him. He wanted to tell Daniel not to give the snake anything, but he couldn't get enough breath to form the words.

Looking at the screen, Jack saw the earlier images fade away to be replaced with swirling clouds of blue. What was Daniel remembering?

"You are taking a great risk with your friend's life, Doctor Jackson, by not giving me what I want." Ba'al was definitely unhappy now.

Daniel didn't respond and Ba'al walked up to the prone man. "Doctor Jackson." Ba'al nudged him with his foot and still didn't receive a response. Ba'al called to his First Prime. "Dreg'nor, wake him."

Dreg'nor walked up to Daniel and extended the pain stick, touching the man's chest. Jack watched Daniel's body jerk but he remained silent and still. Ba'al turned to Jack again, furious. "I do not know what game you are playing, but I will get the information I seek, one way or another."

Ba'al returned to his chair and pressed another button. Instantly, the controls began to spark and sputter. Ba'al backed away and turned to Jack just in time to see the vines retract into the web and the gravity field disappear, releasing Jack from its hold.

~oOo~

Sam and Teal'c stood alongside SG-7 and SG-3, completing their gear-up. They had decided to split into three groups and beam into different locations in the complex that had been detected on the planet. Kornan and the other Tok'ra, Zaris, would stay with the cloaked ship, ready to beam them back.

"Colonel Carter," Kornan called from the control console, "you need to see this."

Sam moved across the room to the console, with Teal'c at her side. "What is it?"

"Our sensors are detecting one of your people's locator chips."

Sam felt a wave of relief wash over her, but then realized Kornan had said 'one'. She almost didn't want to ask whose chip it was—who had survived and who hadn't? Either way, she had lost a teammate. "Which one?"

"It is Doctor Jackson's."

She exchanged a small smile with Teal'c, even though she knew he was thinking the same thing—what had happened to the general? "Can you beam him up?"

"This is strange," Kornan replied as he looked at the monitors. "I do not detect any life signs in that location, only the chip."

Oh, God, no! Was Daniel dead? Or had his chip been removed? Either way, they needed to get him back. "Beam the teams in so that we're surrounding that location."

"Very well. Are your ready?"

"We are," Teal'c replied.

"Good luck," Kornan said before beaming them away.