Of Gods, Men and Monsters
Winners and Losers

Teal'c stepped forward, lowering and opening his staff in one smooth movement. 'We have no interest in games.' he told the floating head. Un-phased at his show of defiance it simply chuckled down at them.

'Interest or not the invitation was accepted.'

'Invitation?' Daniel Jackson and O'Neill asked at the same time. After a glance O'Neill added 'Couldn't you have just phoned like everyone else?'

Rassilon frowned 'That is not what I had in mind. Although in the interest of fair play I think I should out line the rules.'

Teal'c kept his staff ready, still his time with the Tau'ri had shown him not to shoot first, only last. 'You must return here by any means you so wish.' Rassilon continued. 'Crossing the Death Zone and besting any challenges that stand in your way.'

O'Neill looked around casually. Teal'c could tell he was looking for an exit, there was one to the left and an archway to the right. The archway was out of place, looking technological opposed to the ancient stonework the rest of the grand room was made of. After a moment O'Neill smirked up at the disembodied head.; 'Challenges in a place called the Death Zone. Gee I wonder what they could be. No, no, no wait. I have a pretty good idea already.' He said with bitter sarcasm. 'And the game is to see how long it takes us to die. Can't bad guys think of anything new.' Behind his back he gestured to Major Carter. A quick flick of his wrist, teal'c believed he was pointing out the technology.

'You are mistaken.' Rassilon said. 'The game is not to see how long it takes you to die, it is to see how you stay alive.'

'Hang on, game is the wrong word. This is a test, like rats in a maze.' Major Carter pointed out.

'We're not rats Carter.'

'No Jack, but she's right. The Anti-booby trap proves it. Or invitation.' Daniel Jackson said before turning to the head. 'Look I understand you want to know about us. We're peaceful explorers from the planet Earth, all we want is contact with people like yourselves. There's no need to test us.'

Rassilon watched him as if calculating. 'Fascinating, although an alliance between us is all but impossible. We may not interfere in your people.'

'But tricking us into these games of yours isn't interference?' O'Neill pressed. Teal'c agreed, this was interference of the highest order.

'You are but four from a world of billions.' The head said as if stating a fact. 'Your participation will not affect your worlds.'

Out of the corner of his eye Teal'c could see O'Neill's plan. With the three of them bombarding their captor with questions Major Carter was inspecting the arch. He couldn't tell if operated what projected the head or if it was the method of their arrival here.

'But it will be noticed.' O'Neill pressed on. 'We don't leave anyone behind, you can't just make us disappear without a trace. There will be something, someone who could find us.'

'Perhaps.' The head agreed and seemed to think about it for a moment. 'It is, however, very unlikely.'

It turned on Major Carter, not quickly but with an air of curiosity. 'As your companion will no doubt be able to attest, my technology is more advanced than anything you have encountered before.'

O'Neill muttered a curse and winced at the same time. 'Any luck Carter?'

She shook her head. 'It's like a transporter, I can tell you that much sir. More like a ring platform than Asguard beams, but other than that I can't make heads or tails of the circuitry.' The head just beamed a smile down at them.

Teal'c decided that without a better plan he might as well go with what he knew and fired his staff. The amber blast leapt from the split staff tip and lanced towards the head. Before it hit anything the energy bolt just stopped, much like a recording paused at just the right point.

The sound of their jaws dropping was almost audible.

The head still smirked. 'A desperate ploy.' and then it blew at the blast. Like extinguishing a candle the blast simply dissipated. 'Now that the conditions are met and it appears you have nothing more to say it is well past time we began.' It was as if the head had straightened up it's non-existent body. The rubies in it's crown caught some hidden light. 'Step before me, all of you and cast down your weapons. They will only hinder you.'

Teal'c wasn't about to do anything this Rassilon told him but he watched in horror as his arm obeyed. Dropping the staff with a solid finality, it was quickly joined by Tau'ri weapons. P90's and pistols. 'You may keep your knives, they are useful tools when employed correctly. Unlike your other weapons.

'Now turn and leave through the transport archway.' Like robots the four of them did as they were instructed, striding through the now faintly glowing arch and vanishing.

As soon as he had stepped through and into nothing Jack fell forward, tripping over his own feet and landed flat on Carter. That wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for Teal'c being just behind him.

Fighting his way back to his feet Jack was very glad he had control over his body again. 'What the hell just happened?'

Daniel, who had been at the bottom of the pile up, got up with some help from the heavy Jaffa. He was covered in mud except for two patches where his glasses had been. 'I think it was something to do with his coronet. I could have sworn it was glowing right before we lost control.'

'I don't like being a puppet.' He said needlessly. 'And I really don't like the idea of running the puppet masters maze.'

Carter had taken a better stock of the situation. 'Sir look over there.' She pointed at a great big citadel on the horizon built next to a rocky out cropping. 'If I had to guess that's where we were.'

'...And we're going to have to get there.' Jack looked around himself. It wasn't what he expected. When he was in black ops there was a joint training mission with a bunch of scary SAS he was drafted to. They'd done the training in one of the most unpleasant places Jack had ever found in his life. Yorkshire moors.

It was constantly damp, with a low fog that meant you couldn't see more than ten feet in front of you. When it wasn't foggy it was raining, soaking through everything and shrivelling his feet up like raisins. Mud, jutting rocks and blind holes that were there just to trip you up. You practically had to swim thought some parts and solid ground would give way without warning. Out there, before him, was a horrible reminder of that god-forsaken week.

Just when he thought it couldn't be much worse there was a close rumble of thunder above them. 'Oh for crying out loud.' From the dark grey, overcast, sky came a bolt of purple lightning. Warned only by the prickling on the back of his neck Jack hopped to one side just in time for the bolt to flash boil a mud pond.

'What were the chances that was just bad luck?' Jack asked his team as another bolt detonated on a rock next to Carter. For a split second they looked at each other. When you work as a team you can anticipate your friends reactions, what they're thinking. However sometimes you didn't need that sort of bond. This was one of those times as they all ran like hell.

Driving them to the building the purple bolts relentlessly dogged their every step. Hitting rocks and setting fire to grass all too close. 'Split up!' Jack shouted and Teal'c took Daniel to the left while he and Carter went right. If some one was aiming these things at them. it would have to split it's focus.

Then it happened. Carter's leg vanished in a mud pit. With a muffled scream she fell. 'Carter!' He shouted, feet slipping in the mud.

'It's my ankle, keep going.' Rolling to one side she dodged one more bolt. Clawing at lose earth and grass Carter tried to find her feet when the last bolt struck her spine with pinpoint accuracy.

She screamed for a moment before a flash of light blinded Jack. Blinking spots from his eyes all the strength in his legs was lost.

Back bent in a way it never could in life the Major's body was charred black. Caked in mud and grass her face was twisted in pain, mid-scream. Empty eyes pleading for help.

End Winners and Losers.

Authors note:-
How are they going to get out of this one? We'll find out later, first a little interlude featuring UNIT and General Hammond.