A/N: Well, I'm back in the North Woods this week – taking a digital electronics class. Lucky me. (The North Woods part is great, but the digital electronics? Not so much. I spent six hours today simplifying digital circuits by performing Boolean algebra. And yes, that's exactly as much fun as it sounds.) Handy piece of advice to all of you… Avoid 700-level physics courses if humanly possible.

Anyway, here's your next, eagerly anticipated chapter. I'm a little fried (okay, a LOT fried) from my class, so I hope this is coherent. Thanks for the reviews. You have no idea how happy it makes me that you hang in with the story, in spite of my evil cliffhangers.

Oh, and I know this one is all substance and no fluff, but I promise more fluff in the next chapter!

Chapter 21

Sitting behind the large, mahogany desk in his office, Hammond set the handle of his red phone down with a satisfied smile. It had taken no small amount of effort and coordination – not to mention the cashing in of a few huge favors – but he finally had a solution.

He couldn't resist giving himself a mental pat on the back. The purely joyful moments in this job were few and far between, but when they did happen, they were always noteworthy. This, he knew, would be no exception.

Just as he was about to turn his attention back to the stack of papers on his desk, his office was filled with the lights and alarm announcing an unscheduled off-world gate activation. Instantly, he began pushing his chair out when the muted beep on his intercom interrupted his actions. Pressing the button, he replied briskly. "Yes?"

"Sir, Doctors Jackson and Lee just radioed that they're returning early." Walter's unassuming voice was crisp and professional. "They'll be here any moment."

Hammond's brow lifted. "That was quick," he remarked into the intercom.

Walter accepted the other man's words calmly. "Yes, sir. They'd like to brief you on their findings immediately."

Interest piqued, he nodded. "Send them to the briefing room after they disembark. I'll be ready for them in five minutes." Pulling his hand away from the intercom, he started putting away the paperwork on top of his desk. As he shuffled papers, he once again felt a smile playing on his lips. There were a few minor details he still needed to attend to, but they could wait until–

His thoughts were once again interrupted by the unscheduled activation klaxon. Looking at the nearest speaker crossly, he wondered if there was a malfunction.

"Excuse me, sir." Walter's voice emerged quietly from the speaker on his desk again.

Hammond sighed. No doubt Sergeant Harriman would be able to supply more information. "Yes, son?"

The sergeant sounded apologetic. "This activation was Teal'c's."

The general blinked, caught off-guard by the announcement. "You mean this is not a malfunction?"

Walter replied matter-of-factly. "No sir. And Teal'c, like Dr. Jackson, radioed ahead of his return to ask for your immediate attention."

Hammond's eyebrows shot up. That was unusual. "Well, send him to the briefing room, too."

The sergeant replied professionally. "Yes, sir."

As quickly as possible, Hammond organized the remaining papers on his desk and grabbed the cup of coffee from his blotter. If Teal'c or the doctors had any breakthroughs to report, it could potentially be a long night. Cup in hand, he started to rise from his chair when the intercom sounded once again.

"Sir?" This time, Walter sounded undeniably timid.

The general exhaled sharply. "Yes?" Even though he knew the sergeant wouldn't bother him over anything trivial, there was still an annoyed snap in his voice. It was amazing anything at all got done on his base, considering the countless interruptions which seemed to plague his every move.

"I'm sorry to bother you again, but Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter just arrived from the surface. They've apparently got something important to tell you which demands your–"

Hammond interrupted, finishing the other man's statement. "—immediate attention." He sighed. "Send them up, I'm on my way."

"Yes sir."

Before Walter could turn off his intercom, Hammond spoke again, quickly. "And Sergeant?"

"Yes sir?" His reply was instant.

"Go ahead and call Dr. Frasier and Jacob Carter to the briefing room as well." Might as well get everyone up to speed at the same time.

After all, the members of SG-1 weren't the only people with news to share.

The mood in the conference room was tense. It was obvious that something was amiss with each of SG-1's four members, though no one seemed eager to break the silence. Instead, they all sat mutely, exchanging grim looks which only got grimmer as the four teammates realized they were not alone in bearing bad news.

When Hammond walked in, he was startled by the somber expressions around the table. Janet and Jacob had clearly picked up on the dark atmosphere and looked as nervous as anyone else in the room. The only person who seemed remotely unfazed by the general gloominess was Dr. Lee, who apparently hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Sinking into a chair at the head of the table, Hammond exhaled slowly. "All right, let's get this sorted out," he said matter-of-factly. "I understand that you all have important, urgent information to share." His steel-colored eyes swept over the faces before him. "Who'd like to go first?"

Before anyone could get a word in edgewise, Jack's voice sliced through the tense stillness. "The dream changed again."

Startled, nervous gazes settled on the pair from around the room. Digesting that piece of information, Hammond rubbed his forehead. "Can you be more specific?"

Jack sighed, wishing the pale cast on Sam's face was just a little less pronounced. He longed to reach over and take her hand, but didn't dare. "I think we were warned," he replied silently.

Most of the others in the room seemed to be awaiting further explanation, however, both Teal'c and Daniel had sudden, surprised – and vaguely dismayed – looks on their faces.

Hammond noted the reactions carefully, but kept his immediate attention focused on Jack. "In what way?" he asked.

At that point, Jack paused, clearly searching for the right words.

Daniel interrupted. "If I may, I think I can add some useful information at this point." Swallowing, he seemed to be avoiding Sam and Jack's eyes as he spoke. "While we were exploring the temple on P3X-739, Dr. Lee discovered a small, hidden recess under one of the marble floor tiles." This drew sharp interest from everyone in the room. Continuing, Daniel wished he had better things to report. "In it, we discovered a Goa'uld information tablet."

Hammond leaned forward. "What did it reveal?"

Daniel swallowed. "The device was not only intended to be a means of torture," he said somberly. "It was also capable of execution."

Across the table, Janet inhaled sharply. "How?"

Daniel met her gaze and sighed. He was opening his mouth to explain, when Teal'c interrupted.

"Bra'tac had much to tell about Tantalus and his untimely demise," he said quietly. As all eyes flew to him, he gazed intently at Sam and Jack, trying to soften the blow of his next words with a compassionate look. "Apparently, the Goa'uld tortured him with visions of his fondest desires – power, wealth, and domination – for a very long time. Then, when his thirst for these things was nearly unbearable, another Goa'uld came to him in secret and offered him a bargain. If Tantalus could use provided intelligence to infiltrate the inner circle of System Lords who currently dominated the galaxy, he would be in a position to easily assassinate one. If he managed to accomplish this, he would be granted control of that Lord's territories – a vast and sprawling dynasty. Furthermore, this Goa'uld promised he could lift Tantalus's curse and return him to a normal existence."

Teal'c paused, gathering his thoughts. "The identity of this Goa'uld is not known, but his plan made sense. Tantalus had nothing to lose and much to gain; he could be used as a pawn to disrupt the present power structure with no true risk. If the plot was discovered, Tantalus would take the blame. If it was successful, Tantalus would be beholden to the Goa'uld who provided him the means to break free from his tortured life."

Hammond didn't like the grim note in the Jaffa's voice. "So, what happened?"

Teal'c sighed. "Tantalus was apparently successful his bid to infiltrate the elite, inner circle of System Lords. However, legend says that as he raised the knife to complete the assassination and claim his victory, he was struck dead by an unknown force. Not even a sarcophagus could revive him."

For a moment, silence descended upon the table. Then, quietly, Janet spoke up. "I'm not sure I understand," she admitted.

Sam clarified grimly. "If a victim of the device somehow manages to achieve what they desire most, they're killed instantly."

Hammond suddenly sat back in his chair, sucking in a sharp breath. He, unlike everyone else in the room, realized that the two teammates had been perilously close to disaster today.

But, of course, they wouldn't know that.

And now, sadly, they couldn't know that.

Trying to formulate his next step, he turned to Daniel. "Dr. Jackson, did that tablet say anything about how to reverse the procedure?"

Daniel shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He sighed. "But we'd barely started looking when we found the tablet. I'm sure there's more to discover there. It's just going to take time."

Hammond nodded. "Then I guess we all need to go back to what we were doing. Doctors Jackson and Lee will return to P3X-739 and continue to search for clues about the device's operation, while Dr. Frasier and Selmak will look for answers here. Meanwhile," he said, looking at Teal'c, "it might be helpful to know the identity of the Goa'uld who offered Tantalus that bargain. He claimed to be able to reverse the device's effects." The general sighed. "I realize it's been a very long time since Tantalus was alive, and that this Goa'uld – whoever he is – may not be around anymore. Even if he is still around, he may have been lying in the first place. But it's a lead, and one of the few we have at this point, so it seems worth researching."

The Jaffa nodded agreeably, apparently pleased to have something constructive to do.

Hammond looked at the grim faces in the room and felt his heart go out to them. "Hang in there, folks," he said with as much encouragement as he could muster. "We'll figure this out."

Across the table, Sam and Jack exchanged longing glances.

For them, a solution couldn't come soon enough.