There was something missing though. Her dog tags were gone; replaced by a wide gold necklace and a few golden bracelets. Sam couldn't help but feel slightly naked without them… and a weapon, but that would have to wait.
She had been allowed to take her bath in private, but was dressed by one of Ptah's servants, and as much as she would have liked to protest she had really craved the hot water. She didn't feel as achy anymore, which could work to her advantage, and she was slightly more awake. But her feet were bare and the temperature in the room wasn't what she would call pleasant.
Sam shivered as she walked around the room. The guards had left her alone as per their instructions from their God, but the Major knew that they had only gone as far as the door. She could hear their muffled conversation through the wall directly opposite the bath.
With nothing constructive to do, Sam sat on a small chaise lounge that rested in the centre of the room. She cast her gaze over the entire room, but wasn't interested in the decorations or any of the enormous paintings that covered the walls. She figured Daniel would love them, and hoped that he'd get a chance to see them before she blew the whole place apart.
'Oh yeah… so not leaving this place intact.'
Another shiver raced down her spine. Sam drew her knees up and rested her chin on them. Concentrating on the sound of the Jaffa outside the room, she closed her eyes. Damn she was tired. She figured that as long as she could hear the guards she'd be safe to rest a little. The moment they came though that door she had every intention to be on her feet…
Something was tugging at her hair, a funny sensation danced in her stomach that somehow reminded her of Teal'c… or her father… or… Her eyes shot open and reality came flooding back, flushing out the cobwebs of a dreamless sleep.
'Holy Hannah… please tell me I didn't fall asleep.'
Suddenly feeling that same tug at her hair, Sam sat bolt upright and whipped around. Surprise caught her and threw her off the lounge. She landed on her backside, scrambled to her feet and tensed. Ptah chuckled and glanced up at her from his position on the chaise lounge that Sam had fallen asleep on.
She cursed. So much for her intentions.
"I did not have the heart to wake you." Ptah's drain-pipe acoustics filled the small room.
"You're right. You don't." Sam spat.
The Goa'uld sighed, "At least we are looking more presentable…"
'Presentable? Like some ornament that he had just had polished?'
Sam folded her arms and glared, still angry with herself for letting her guard down. She watched as Ptah rose and studied her.
When was he just going to get to the whole point of her being there so she could shove it up his…
"Shall we return to my quarters?"
"No thanks."
"Settled." Ptah produced a lop-sided grin and closed the gap between them. He reached out and grabbed Sam's arm. She pulled free. "Still refusing me Samantha?"
"It's Major Carter, and what kind of a question was that anyway?"
Ptah made some sort of weird clucking noise and seized her arm again, digging his fingers into Sam's flesh. She hissed through clenched teeth and averted her eyes as Ptah sneered in her face.
"Do not test my patience. Either you will learn your place, or I will force it upon you."
'Yeah right.'
"Don't get your hopes up."
Ptah pushed at Sam's arm, forcing her back to face him. His free hand clasped itself over the skin at the back of her neck, the cold metal of his hand device sending ice-like spikes down her spine. Ptah used his grip on Sam to pull her against him.
"It would be so much easier for the both of us if you simply cooperated. But, since you seem to be either deaf or ignorant, I suppose you need some education."
'Education in what?' The thought struck Sam a split second before a searing pain swelled over her. Had she known it was coming she would have been able to prevent the cry of pain that escaped her. The burning continued for a few long moments before Ptah deactivated his hand device.
"I ask again,Samantha, shall I escort you to my quarters?"
Sam controlled her heavy breathing as best she could. A list of typical 'Jack O'Neill' standard responses flashed in her mind, but she chose not to say anything. She didn't fancy the hand device again when she needed her strength to fight back, whatever good it was going to do her.
Ptah didn't say another word. Pushing Sam out the door, he waved the Jaffa off and walked slowly to the room Sam had first been taken to with the ill-stricken Pandora. What had happened to her anyway? Sam hoped that the Elysian woman still had the courage to fight them off as she had in the Temple.
Without warning, Ptah decided to gloat.
"I think you will find it quite pleasant here with your God. I have been searching for someone to keep me company for such a long time. You would be surprised at the measures I have taken to finally get you here. Convincing a minor System Lord to shake some foundations for me was the easy part, figuring out a way to bring the Tau'ri to Elysium proved a little more challenging. But I prevailed."
'Shake foundations? What the hell was that supposed to mean?' Sam's mind kicked into overdrive, processing the new information. She finally realised that she didn't have a clue. Craving the information she needed to fill in the gaps, she risked asking Ptah a question, or two.
"Why my company? Why not some other interesting, iwilling/i girl?"
"We share the same interests."
"Really… such as?"
"The art of science."
"What?" Images of Sam's previous fears about being forced to work on some alien doohickie stole presence in her mind.
"I have been studying Elysium since its creation. There is much that is left unexplained, and I know that you will help me shed some light."
"You're telling me that you're a scientist?"
"Of sorts. This world is intriguing, why else would I be choosing to remain here?"
"Oh come on, we know why you're here."
Ptah stopped at the door to his massive room, "Yes, there is some truth in what you have determined." The symbols were pressed. "But there is a lot more to my Significants than you may think, Samantha."
'Oh great…'