Thanks for the reviews! Am currently working on chapters 4 & 7, not quite worked out chapter 5 but 6 is done! One day it will suddenly click I'm hoping...

I don't own SG1, the Stargate or any of the characters, I've just borrowed them & promise I'll put them back when I've finished with them.

Rated M for later chapters, contains adult situations & noncon/dubcon later, please avoid if this is likely to trigger! x

Chapter 2

Teal'c and O'Neill were the first through the gate, both instantly on their guard, scanning the area for any signs of danger. The Stargate stood on a raised stone platform, within a dusty clearing about 20m across. The earthy ground then gave way to an area of predominately grasses and small bushes, with patches of dense undergrowth. Beyond that, the trees stretched up the steep hillsides that surrounded them, disappearing into the low clouds that hung overhead. There was a fine mist in the air, but visibility at ground level was quite clear. Whilst they continued their sweep, Carter and Daniel exited the gate behind them - the Major immediately joining in the survey of the clearing and the treeline beyond, whilst the non-military member of the team stood and gazed excitedly at the stone monuments standing at the edge of the grassy area. He quickly counted - 12, as he'd expected.

"Daniel?" prompted Colonel O'Neill sounding slightly exasperated as he noticed the archaeologist's casual stance. He gestured upwards with the end of his weapon and Daniel quickly fumbled with his, looking like a naughty schoolboy who'd just been caught not paying attention. "One of these days, you are going to get yourself killed... or worse." O'Neill muttered.

"What's worse than that?" Daniel wondered aloud.

"You get me killed," replied O'Neill bluntly. He relaxed his posture slightly, his initial scan complete; there was nothing of immediate concern. Catching Teal'c's eye, he nodded slightly and the Jaffa began striding down the stone steps from the gate to begin his perimeter scan, Carter close behind him. The moment his left foot touched the earth beyond the bottom step, there was a high pitched whine and the top foot or so of alternate stone pillars swiveled, revealing what looked like gun barrels all pointing in their direction.

"Well, that doesn't look good..." said O'Neill quietly, as Teal'c gingerly returned his foot to the step and he and Carter began to backup to the platform. "Carter...?" the colonel queried, leaving his question hanging.

"Not sure, Sir," she replied, "Hard to tell from this distance, but I think they are..."

The whining suddenly increased in intensity and volume, so the rest of her sentence was lost to the team. The noise had quickly reached painful levels, and they all found themselves reaching up to cover their ears - trying desperately to keep their weapons available should they be needed. As the pitch continued to rise, there was a sudden flash as strobe-like lights shone out from each of the pillars towards the dais. Each of the lights was spread out like a horizontal fan, and all six were pointed at the gate. SG1 were exactly where the beams intersected so the lights were coming at them from all sides. They were caught in the centre of a hexagonal trap. The excruciating noise continued as the lights began to slowly move up and down, from their boots to their caps and back down again. Over and over the cycle repeated as they all clutched at their heads.

Sam felt as though the noise was inside her skull, like something was inspecting her from the inside out and she felt a shiver run down her spine. It felt like something had invaded her body, judging and inspecting her. Then, as unexpectedly as it had started, the noise and the lights ceased, leaving the four of them staggering, blinking and shaking their heads against the ringing silence. "Everyone ok?" asked O'Neill as he straightened up and peered around at his team. Although it sounded like he was talking to them from a distance through treacle, they all nodded affirmative. He shook his head again and turned to Carter with a quizical look upon his face. "Thoughts?" he said expectantly.

"Erm..." she began still feeling uneasy, "I'd say we were just very thoroughly scanned, although what exactly it was scanning for, I'm not sure."

"Goa'uld perhaps?" asked Teal'c, "We have seen that sort of device before."

"Certainly could be, although this time, it seems a little more sophisticated if it can distinguish between your symbiote and a Goa'uld."

"Who's to say it did?" enquired O'Neill looking around carefully.

"Good point. I would assume there would be some sort of action if we didn't pass the scan? Although," she paused to consider for a moment, "I suppose it wouldn't have to be immediate,"

"Excellent, so we should look forward to being smitted when we least expect it then?" O'Neill looked resigned to the prospect of uncertain punishment. Daniel had remained silent throughout the whole exchange, although Sam had noticed that he too had shivered several times since the scan. He now adjusted his glasses and, still looking slightly dazed, started moving down the steps. "Daniel, for the love of God!" shouted O'Neill as the younger man was about to step off the bottom step.

"What, Jack?" he asked, "We can't stay on here forever!"

"I wasn't planning on it! I just wasn't planning on stepping straight off without a plan!"

"I have a plan," said Daniel, his foot still hovering in midair, "We know it must be living things that set off the lights, else the MALP would have done it..." as he said this, Daniel gestured to the tracks in the dirt where the MALP had indeed crossed the clearing to check the DHD and take close ups of the carvings before they arrived. "We'd have see the light show from the control room," he explained. "We can't stand here forever and we can't return home without making it to the DHD. Teal'c and Sam have Naquidah in their blood so most likely to set it off, and you're the commanding officer, urgo I should be the guinea pig."

O'Neill considered this for a moment, clearly building an argument, "You seem to be forgetting however, that the only reason we are here, and probably our best chance of finding out what the hell just happened, is for you to translate these damn rocks!" As he finished his sentence, O'Neill leapt from the top step down onto the soil and landed with a thud, cringing slightly. He was not letting Daniel sacrifice himself, again. They all braced themselves, waiting for the worst. Nothing happened. "Well... that was an anti-climax," he declared after a few tense seconds, "Grab your gear, let's take a closer look."

Daniel follow Jack happily down the steps and towards the pillar dead ahead. Teal'c and Carter were a little more circumspect and shared a look before they stepped carefully off the stone platform. As Daniel had just so cheerfully reminded them, if anyone was due a smitting, they were first in line. Again, nothing happened. Sam shrugged, took a deep breath and set off for the next pillar along from Daniel's - one of the ones that had so recently been scanning them all. The whole thing made her feel uneasy, she was pretty sure they hadn't got away as easily as it seemed.