Ok, everyone, FINALLY I am back! I'm so so so so so SO sorry it's taken so long - after several bouts of illness (mine and parents), house problems (mine and parents), work problems (just mine on that one) and a hideously bad spate of writers block, here is the continuation of "This Ain't Kansas". If there is anyone of you out there who wants to scold me, I am accepting PMs :D
Chapter 21
The members of the two flagship teams had been having a rest period for a couple of hours when the klaxons blared through the quiet, making everyone flinch.
"Dammit! What now?" O'Neill growled, wrenching himself off the bed. He grabbed his jacket, slinging it on as he strode out of his base quarters, throwing an acknowledging nod at Kawalsky as he also appeared from quarters.
"What do you reckon it is this time?" His jaw squaring even further with annoyance, the lieutenant colonel raked a hand through his hair. "Tok'ra? Bra'tac? Another attempt at bombing us?"
"I don't care what or who it is – I was trying to get some shut-eye!"
As the two men rounded the corner, Teal'c fell into step, his brow slightly furrowed.
"My kel'no'reem was interrupted." He rumbled as the three swiftly made their way to the elevator.
"And my shower."
They all glanced back as Elliot caught up, his hair dripping and the collar of his tee-shirt damp.
Kawalsky smiled grimly as his 2IC. "Never mind, lieutenant, it's probably nothing."
"Yeah?" The newest recruit looked from one seasoned warrior to the other. "Then why are we all heading for the Gate Room?"
As the two humans looked at each other and shrugged; the Jaffa quirked an eyebrow.
"That's what I thought." Elliot muttered darkly. O'Neill couldn't stop himself from cracking a smile although it soon vanished as the four men tumbled out of the lift and headed for the control room. Hammond was waiting for them.
"Colonel! You'll want to see this." He indicated the screen in front of him, images scrolling by at speed.
"What is it?" Eyeing the screen as if it were going to grow legs and spring for his throat, O'Neill took one step forwards, not realising everyone was watching him. When another voice to the one he expected answered, all gazes turned back.
"It's Goa'uld." Quinn stared at the hieroglyphs, his face set, eyes bland. "And there's a auditory attachment to it."
Carter slipped through the mass of testosterone that had suddenly flared at the announcement, her nimble fingers setting to work on the keyboard to download the sound file safely and securely.
"I think that has it, sir, if you want to hear it."
Hammond nodded sharply. Over the speakers a voice began to speak:
Greetings Tau'ri. It has been some time since you sent your assassins to my home, my ship, to murder me where I stood. I was disappointed in you – I had thought those who had vanquished Ra, Hathor and many others would prove more worthy adversaries. Instead I found three of your kind easily captured and easier to subdue.
I have a proposal to make…but I will only speak of it to the one of you who so defied me on Abydos and Chulak. I am sure you are aware of whom I speak.
You have two of your solar days to prepare yourselves. I am expecting to speak with her and, although I know you will protest at the conditions I will be proposing, I am sure you will find the merit in that which I offer.
Two days. Oh…and do remind Colonel O'Neill and Jonas Quinn that I am not finished with them. Til the next time we meet, gentlemen…
The recording went dead, cutting the gloating laughter off before it became truly odious. No one dared to move. The room was suddenly so quiet that each breath roared in the ears of whoever was taking it. Slowly, aware that he may be taking his life into his hands, Kawalsky shifted to look his oldest friend in the eye.
"Jack? What did he mean?"
O'Neill had grasped the back of Harriman's chair with both hands, his knuckles completely white. His eyes stared through the window and down upon the Stargate, although there was no sign of external focus in their velvet brown depths. His breathing had turned studiously even, as if he were deliberately timing each breath to last for two seconds. The flat expression to his face worried Kawalsky - worried him in a way he hadn't felt in many years - a sentiment that must have been apparent as Hammond stepped in.
"Colonel." His tone was a soft command, a demand that whomever he addressed return to the present and take up duty. O'Neill responded like the military man he was – his gaze snapped up to take in the expression on his commander's face, arms falling to his sides and heels almost clicking together.
"Sir."
Satisfied that his officer was back with them, Hammond looked round the rest of the original Abydos team.
"I suppose I must assume that he is referring to Dariana Jackson as the one who 'defied' him?"
"Indeed, General Hammond – Dariana Jackson attacked one of the guards during her incarceration." Teal'c draped his hands behind his back. "He was most interested in her for her strength of will – I believe had he not been satisfied with another, he would have taken her as host for his Queen."
"He's been mighty taken with her ever since, you gotta admit." Kawalsky sighed. "Always trying to talk to her, just to wind her up."
"I've got the translation programme running on the written half of the message – we should have a full translation in a few minutes." Carter kept tapping away, running some pieces of software on the audio for later analysis. "It seems a little large a data stream to be merely a visual of the audio…"
Elliot cleared his throat, barely loud enough to gain the others attention.
"Sorry to interrupt," He began. "But I don't think that the message did Jonas any good…"
The Kelownan had vanished. As the various members of the teams turned to look for him there was the sound of hurried footsteps and a scrape of fabric on stone. Turning back, his eyes briefly glancing over the finger marks left in the cushion of the chair, Hammond sighed.
"Gentlemen, Major, I believe we may have a problem. Briefing room." He ordered. "And call for Doctor Frasier."
As the group filed toward the stairs, Carter turned to Kawalsky, her eyes shivering with repressed emotion.
"Sir? Will the colonel be all right? I've never seen him look so…" She stopped, unable to put a name to the expression she had seen.
The older man sighed heavily.
"Sam, I'll be honest – I've only seen him like that once before, a long time ago. And what put him there?" He shivered. "It wasn't pretty."
He walked away, leaving her staring wide-eyed after him. Fearfully, her arms wrapping themselves around her body of their own accord, she whispered, "What did Apophis do to them?"