Chapter Eleven:

Oka-ay, this dropping me God-knows-how-far down into the pitch black of my cell is not helping me to form a good opinion of my hosts. Hosts, ugh, bad, bad, bad choice of words O'Neill. Really. Also, this whole running commentary on anything and everything going on, better not tell anyone about it, sounds too much like having voices in your head.

So?

So, so, do you want a section 8? Because, if that's what ya really really want then I'm sure that we could do something about that, all I would have to do is open my mouth and start telling the truth to Mackenzie. Three minutes into the session he'd be calling for the orderlies and the big sharp needles. God, I hate needles.

Focus, O'Neill, you can have an internal rant once everyone's home, safe, and sane. Everyone else. That is. Right. Whatever.

Where am I? Back in my cell, my boring cell. These people really don't know how to decorate. I mean, come on, it's either monochromatic gray and stationary furniture or pitch-dark pits. I don't like the dark, and I don't like being locked up, and how long have I been in here anyways? I can't remember. They took my watch, so I don't know either. Damn, this is starting to get annoying. I think I'm going to pace.

* * *

Yup, got tired of the pacing. This means that my feet started to get sore so I figured that it would be tactically wise to stop acting like an idiot and conserve my energy and make sure that when the opportunity came I was capable of running away. Running away. That would be really nice, except I don't know where I am, or how to get home, or how to ask the freakin' 'gods' what they want, or even how to use the freaking DHD!

Yes, I am annoyed. I also want a drink. A drink would be nice; then again, it probably wouldn't do to get smashed while being held captive by would-be gods. Hammond would probably get upset about that. Hell, he got upset when everyone but Teal'c came back buzzed after a very nice meet and greet with the local population of P9C-443. Regardless of popular opinion I can actually remember the planet addresses, I don't really have a choice. Do the words 'paperwork' and 'triplicate' mean anything to you? Yeah, that's what I thought.

You don't exactly get to be a colonel in the USAF by being an idiot. Not that I'm saying that I'm particularly smart, I'm not even in the same dimension as Carter and Daniel, sheesh, but anyone who actually falls for my clueless act has got to be an idiot, there is no other explanation. I mean, come on, Hammond figured me out after ten minutes! Of course, Hammond is a General, as such he is also smarter than me.

I don't know, maybe the reason it's so easy for everyone to buy into the dummy act is that fact that I'm surrounded by geniuses. Compare and contrast and all that, but I would LOVE to see Daniel trying to figure out a tactical map in time to get everyone home safely.

WAIT, NO, SKRATCH THAT! That would be a very bad idea and I would appreciate it, God, if you didn't take it literally. I'm just going a little wonky, here in the dark, and my brain is doing things it shouldn't be doing, like thinking.

Hmm, maybe I should start singing.

* * *

"Ow!"

Okay, now that drop was more than a couple of inches, I know this because I had time to get my shoulder in the way before I hit the ground. Damn. That. Hurts.

"Are you alright?" asks a familiar voice. She doesn't sound very concerned.

"What the hell does it look like?" I ask, rolling up onto my hands and knees, then pushing myself upright. I'm back in the monochromatic room. The not- Anayai is staring at me from where she's sitting at the table.

"Please, have a seat," she says, gesturing towards the empty chair across from her.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

Her brows come together. "We still do not understand your language, but you understand ours. But you cannot speak our language," she started.

"That's because you're speaking ENGLISH!" I shout at her, plopping into the empty chair like a contrary schoolboy.

"Your species intrigues us, and you are the only one capable of understanding us. As such you are the only one capable of answering our questions."

"Where's my team?" I ask, yeah, I really do have a one-track mind. Sometimes.

"I don't understand," she says. I groan, throw my hands in the air, and then get an idea. I point to the patch on the sleeve of my jacket. Apparently she gets the message.

"Your companions are safe. Wentai has been punished for his treatment of the female."

Treatment? What treatment, what the hell have you done to Sam!?

She seems to read the homicidal thoughts on my face because she says, really fast. "No harm has come to her, we removed her from her cell before Wentai could do any harm." Then she gets a glint in her eye that I don't like. I don't like it at all. "However, if you would not cooperate then I cannot guarantee her continued safety, or the continued safety of any of your companions."

Shit, fuck, damn.

"What do you want to know?" I ask. She doesn't understand me.

"As I said I cannot understand the language which you speak. I will ask you questions, you will answer by nodding for yes and shaking your head for no."

Some gestures are universal. I wonder if 'yes' and 'no' aren't the only ones we share. Hmm, yeah, I might be tempted to, but with my luck she'd understand it and drop me on my head next time. Damn.

"You arrived on Palnedrey through the Stargate?" she asks.

Answering that couldn't hurt. I nod.

"You came to Palnedrey to take slaves or supplies?"

I shake my head, vehemently.

"You came to Palnedrey as a scouting party for a larger force?"

Again, I shake my head.

"You came to Palnedrey seeking the powers of the gods."

Uhm, well, we came seeking technology to fight the goa'uld, if that's what you mean, but you're no more a god than I'm a pink rabbit. I shake my head.

"You came to Palnedrey to take power and install yourselves as rulers."

Again, shaking the head here. Jesus, girl, you really don't think much of outlanders around here, huh? Not that I can blame you, really, what with goa'uld and all of the other nasties floating around the universe, but can't ya come up with a question that doesn't include us being nasty? Huh?

"Did you know of the Yomshallur when you came to Palnedrey?"

Yomshall-whatsit? I guess that that's just something that isn't gonna be translated. Wonder if it's their word for themselves? Hmm, she's staring at me. Well, seeing that I don't know what a Yomshallur is, I suppose that I should shake my head, but what if I do know what it is, it's just not translating. I shrug.

"That is not an answer. Did you know of the Yomshallur when you came to Palnedrey?"

Again, I shrug. She sounds a little pissed.

"Did you know of the Yomshallur when you came to Palnedrey!?" Okay, now she sounds a LOT pissed. Uh-oh, O'Neill, you've really done it this time. But, in for a penny.

I shrug.

She glares at me for maybe a minute, and then the light comes back. Only this time it's not white, it's red. And it hurts like a son of a bitch.

* * *

After a minute, or an hour, or a decade, the light goes away, and I'm left lying on the floor, staring up at this bitch.

"Did you know of the Yomshallur when you came to Palnedrey?" she asks, voice low and quiet, almost gentle. She doesn't look like she regrets what just happened though. In fact, she looks like she'd have no problem doing it again. Oh, joy.

"Fuck you, bitch," I spit in her face. She doesn't understand the words, but I'm sure that she understands the tone, because a moment later the light comes back. Red light, pain like being burned alive from the inside out. All over. Doesn't stop.

Then it changes to white, and I fall, a long ways, and then I hit the floor.

Explode to black.

A/N: yay! I finally got another installment up. Hooray. I am really sorry about leaving you guys hanging for so long but RL just had to burst onto the scene, along with my habit of starting twenty things at the same time. Urgh. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.