Stargate Hastings

Chapter Nine: Nine months ago

When his daughters husband had told him he needed to go away for a time and that he wanted Hassif to stay with her, he knew that he would be headed for the Chappa'ai. So he sent his youngest son to stay with his daughter and headed for the pyramid and the stone structure that the Chappa'ai called home. It was forbidden for his people to enter, unless they were sending the mineral that they mined here, to the false god Ra. If his new son was from where he believed him to be, then the secret his uncle had passed onto him, was true. He had all the proof he needed, to know that he was not betraying his God, because a true God would have known about his new son and he and his family would be dead.

Even if Ra was a true God, he would still betray him for what they did, for what they made his sister do. He hated Ra and all of his kind, although he did say prayers to Apophis. Ra's fiercest enemy but only to ask him to kill Ra. He hid himself on a dune, that would allow him to see when his son in law arrived and waited. A long time passed before he watched him come over a dune in the distance and head towards the ramp, that lead into the stone structure but he walked down the side of the ramp, that he could not see and when he returned to head up the ramp, he was carrying something that looked heavy, in his right hand.

He waited long enough to be sure Donul would in the building with the Chappa'ai and creeped his way down to the entrance himself. He had never seen the Chappa'ai before but when he saw the light shining from up ahead, he headed in that direction. He did not put his head inside the doorway for fear he would be discovered. He listened to the strange language he had been learning from his new son.

The Stargate had activated has he made it to the Chamber and Donald had quickly sent the receiving signal to the people back on Earth. As he listened to the message come through from earth, he repeated each word as he wrote them down. He was not speaking loudly, he was not expecting company. He spent the next half hour giving his report, when they asked the question he had no answer for. 'Do you have a lead, on the symbols to return home'.

Hassif listened as his son in law, used a strange instrument that made a tapping sound. He would tap for a few seconds and then he would say a word. He did not understand everything, he did hear him talk about himself and his sons but he did not mention his daughter. Hassif was going to confront him about it, when he was finished whatever he was doing. He could tell by the serious way his son in law was doing what he was doing, that he had to concentrate and did not want to disturb him. Then he heard him say the words find and way home. He all of a sudden, knew why Donul had kept trying to make pictures in the sand.

Hassif and all of his family had warned him what would happen, that the snakes would tell Ra and they would all be punished but he knew now what he had wanted to show them and he was sure he knew where the pictures he needed were. In the secret place few of his people knew of, the place that many believed cursed. He had to tell him what he knew and quickly.

"My son, my son, I know secret place, I will show". He said as he entered the chamber. When he saw the gate with its shimmering pool of energy, his jaw hit the floor.

"What, what did you say?" Donald asked the now stunned looking man.

Hassif snapped out of it, moved closer to the Stargate and pointed to one of the constellations on the spinning ring of the device and said "You need these?".

He could not believe what Hassif was saying to him. "You know where these symbols are?" he asked.

"Yes I will show you and then you take my daughter away with you. If Ra finds her, he will take her. Beauty is a curse here, please take her with you Donul Mc Cain?". He was pleading like a man who was begging for mercy.

He did not have to, when he found the way home, his wife and child would be leaving with him. Whether she or her family wanted them to or not. He did not say that to Hassif though, to him he said "Show me and I will take my wife and child with me, this I promise you father".

He sent the last bit of news as if he was saving it until last. The gate then disengaged and they both headed off back to the home he shared with Meera. Hassif was very excitable the entire way there and when that journey lasts eleven hours, it could try a mans patience. What he was telling him was the only thing, that was stopping him from killing the man. He spoke of his uncle and a secret he had passed down to him, a secret cave that was deep within a network of other caves and had pictures telling the story of the first world, where all men were created and of the men who sacrificed their freedom, to remain on Abydos. Who had then left the symbols carved in stone, that would open the Chappa'ai and send their people home.

Donald knew that the first world could only mean Earth and Mr Hastings had assured him, that there would have been people who were on Abydos. Who would have had the skills to make a permanent record of the symbols, he would need to return through the Earth Stargate. So hearing him talk like this, should have been music to his ears but the man would not shut up.

When they stopped to prepare for a sandstorm, that Hassif assured him was headed this way but he could not see any sign of. The tent that Hassif used when caught in the storms, was big enough for them both to fit in, Donald had tried to use his own tent, to get some peace but Hassif had insisted. To stop the incessant talking coming from the man, he asked him something that he was sure would stop him in his tracks. "Why do you keep telling me that Meera's beauty is a curse and that Ra will take her... as he taken someone from you before?".

It had the desired effect but Donald felt no satisfaction from it, the look on Hassif's face went from one of exited joy, to one of sadness and then anger. After a short time of uncomfortable silence he replied "Meera".

Donald didn't understand why he had said his daughters name, so he asked "Yes Meera, why do you fear for her?".

"Meera, I named her for my sister. Ra came, he took my sister when she was very young, younger than my Meera is now". Tears were coming to the mans eyes but his voice stayed strong, defiant even. "I was younger than Nasseef when they took her but we were very close, she taught me all of the secret places in Nagada and I loved her very much. Then soon after she was taken, my sister returned to us and my mother and father rejoiced... until she spoke and claimed she was sAt'Ra, it means daughter of Ra. When she spoke, she told them that their daughter was strong and that she needed to destroy her spirit. I was in the secret place in my home, that we would hide from our parents in, when we would play as children. I could see and hear everything that she say" his voice grew angry then "and everything that the demon do".

He had been looking at nothing, the whole time he had recalled the painful memory but he looked Donald straight in the eyes as he continued "She killed them but first she tortured them, telling my parents that their daughter was screaming and that her strength was leaving her. Soon she would find her brother and she would do the same to him but the demon searched our home, all of it. Except for the hiding place we shared as children. My sister could not stop the demon from killing my mother and my father but she saved me, of this I am certain. So you see now, why I can not let them take my Meera, again?".

If he could take back the cruel question, he would but he could not. Instead he told Hassif who he was and where he had come from. The mans mood lifted with the revelation but Donald's did not. His wife's father had made it absolutely clear to him, that the Abydonian people were too fearful of Ra, to rise up against him and many would take up arms to defend him. He also told him that Ra has many snakes on Abydos and that people who spoke of defying their God, would be taken away or executed in front of the people.

One of the young boys who Nasseef was friends with. Hassif told him that this boys father, was one of these snakes but he assured him that Nasseef, is a smart boy and would never say things, to this boy. Hassif told him that it is not the boys fault but if he did forbid him being friends with the boy. Then Ra would come.

This would make his job more difficult. Keeping himself hidden in the desert, was a difficult enough task but keeping five people hidden would be far more so. He would have to take them on a route, that would take them far away from Nagada and her people. There was plenty of desert to travel across, he just did not feel like going the long way round. It had taken him just under half a day to go the safest, shortest way around the city. He would have to scout out a route for them but he still had nine months, to complete that task.

When they arrived back at the home he shared with Meera. Nasseef was still there and he came running up to his father, as soon as they came into view. He was speaking in his own language but Donald knew enough to understand him now "Father, father was you right? Is Donul from the world of our ancestors?"

Donald gave Hassif a look, that told Hassif that he should not have told the boy and that it could get them all killed. Hassif, reading the look his son in law had given him, said in English "He knows not to speak of this, he is a smart boy, he knows not to speak of this my son".

Hassif and his son left them alone but told Donald that he would return for him the next day and would show him the caves then. It was always daytime on this world but the suns were still used to mark the passage of time. The day began when the first of the two extra suns would rise, with midday being when the second sun would rise, the evening when the first would set again and when the eternal one was once again in solitude, that would be considered the end of the day cycle.

When he was alone with his wife, she asked him "Why did you not tell me, why did you not tell me that you are Tauri?".

He had wanted to tell her, once they had left her fathers home but until he was sure that he could get them back home, to earth. He did not want to risk telling her the truth, for all he knew he was stuck on this world and if he was, then he would make his life here and the less people who knew where he was really from, the better. "First world?" He asked her.

"Yes first world, the world our people were stolen from. Why did you not tell me?". She did not sound angry, a little hurt but not angry.

"I do not know if I will be able to return home and I did not want you to get your hopes up, my love". What he told her was the truth, from a certain point of view. He had kept the secret to keep her safe, as much as himself and to not get her hopes up of living on another world, a world with wondrous sites, she could not possibly imagine. He dreamed of taking her to Scotland in the winter time and to experience her first time seeing snow or dancing in the rain. Things that she could never experience on this ball of sand.

"Was you going to tell my family or was you going to take me away, without saying goodbye to them?".

That was exactly, what he was going to do and he was going to take her youngest brother with them as well. He had not told Hassif this part yet but he had grown fond of the boy and he was certain Hassif would approve. "Your father, he wants me to take you with me".

"My father has never asked me, never asked if I want to leave my family, now you do not ask me".

He did not want to speak of what her father had told him, about his sister but it was the only way she could understand why he feared for her so much. Hassif had told him that only Hassif Jr and Darrik, knew the truth of his sister. "What do you know of your father's sister?".

She was taken back a little by the question, she did not react in the same way as her father had though. "Just that she died, when he was a boy and that I share her name. Why do you speak of her Donul?, I do not understand". He spent the rest of that evening, recanting all that Hassif had told him. She did not speak much during or after he had finished but he had heard her crying, as he drifted off to sleep.

The next day Hassif arrived with a Mastadge with what looked like a fully loaded wagon attached. In truth it was for his daughter to ride upon, with their few possessions. Donald did not understand at first and was angry when he saw the Mastadge. The tracks from the thing could be followed to their safe haven and make it anything but safe. When Hassif explained that the caves were too far for Meera to walk to and that they would be their new home. A much better one, than the one they already had.

When drawing up the maps of this place, marking out all the landmarks and as best he could, the distances needed to travel between them. With no way of knowing which way was north and only the suns above to orientate himself. He had decide to use the pyramid as this worlds north pole, when creating his maps. Nagada was just over two miles south east of the pyramid. With the mine that he had found, on the day of his arrival, about a mile south of the pyramid.

The home he was leaving was on the eastern side of Nagada, Hassif's home was on the southern side and the caves they would be calling home, were on the south western side. He had learned that the mines themselves spanned at least half of the western side of Nagada and the tent he had seen the people resting and where the obsidian rock was being smashed, were one of many that the slaves worked. meaning he had a decent chance of passing as just another one of them, that had been moved to a different part of the mines. He looked just as emaciated as the rest of the people on this world now and he wanted to at least have something to give his boss, when he bought his new family home with him.

Donald walked alongside Hassif for much of the journey, until they came close to the point they would be heading across the tracks that his fellow couriers used, to bring the food to the massive city. They had timed it to coincide, with when Darrik would be heading back towards the city and with Donald now under the coverings. The only person that should see them, was family.

There was also a kind of net draped off of the back of the wagon, that did not seem to clear their tracks but did make them look completely different, to what they would have. When they got a little further away he could see sand falling down over where the tracks once were. The more he learned about this people the more he wanted to free them and even though Mr Hastings had told him that, that was the ultimate goal of what they were doing. It would be years before that would happen and starting a rebellion here like they did on Earth, would not be an option.

Ra had learned from his mistakes and had spies all over Nagada, as his new family had told him. They had given him no reason not to trust them and was the reason he had not tried his luck with the mines yet. All of the men must work the mines and all of the women who's womb, had not quickened with child yet. Even Ra could see the importance of a mother, so they were exempt from working the mines. Many of the women still worked them out of choice, to help their husbands and children with the burden. Donald suspected, that if he had approached these people directly, Ra would have already turned up by now.

Hassif and his sons, only had to work the mines one in every five days, because of the important job they do, for the people of Nagada. Hassif was very proud of his work, he hated working the mines because it was for Ra's benefit but delivering the food was for his people, something he could be proud of.

They made it to the caves in good time or at least the entrance to the cave system. Hassif helped them move their possessions, along with the coverings from the wagon. A few caves in but told them that he had to leave because he would have to go and pick up his next delivery and was already behind schedule. Meera told Donald that she had lived down here, when her father had first told everyone she had died, whilst her father and elder brothers made her secret room. She told him that they must stay together or he would get lost in the endless caves. His wife's stomach had grown but she managed to get by, as they passed through the narrower passages. It was himself, who had to turn and walk sideways through them.

They reached their destination within an hour, it was slow going with a pregnant woman. As they would stop at regular intervals, to allow her to rest. Donald had carried enough of their belongings to allow them to get through, until Hassif or one of his sons arrived. Meera did not want him going alone to pick up the rest of their things and they would bring them when they came to see them. Their new home could be reached by travelling through Nagada and was closer to her families home, than the one they had just left.

The cave they would call home had a pictures on the walls telling the story of the rebellion on earth but it was the stone, with carvings of the symbols he would need to return home, that he was looking for and there it was. "Yes, you little beauty!" he screamed far too loudly.

"What is wrong Donul, why are you shouting?". His wife asked. A little worried by her husbands outburst.

Before answering her he checked the stone slab to be sure. The six symbols that were there, were the ones that were on both Stargates. But the one that they told him to input last, was not. He hoped that it would be the one unique to this gate and had no reason to believe otherwise. So he said to her "Meera you are my wife and I want to take you with me when I leave this place". He let his words sink in, then asked her "Will you come with me?".

She did not answer straight the way, seeming to think about it first "I do not want to leave my family Donul, I will go with you but we must take Nasseef with us or I not go. I am the only mother he has ever known and I will not leave him".

Donald smiled before saying "He must not know this, until we are ready to go, ok?". She nodded her head in agreement.

It was not long before Nasseef arrived and helped him bring the rest of their belongings to the cave. He knew the way because his brothers would bring him to see his sister, when she was here. He had been young at the time but he would have still been around six earth years old. From what he could work out, the boy was at least eleven years old now.

With the way home secured, his mission objectives were now almost complete. Only one remained and that was infiltrating the mines. The other mission objectives, would be carried out when the team arrived. He could have Nasseef start doing the work of young Thomas but he did not have the training that Rachael's son had. No it would be too risky and the two of them would make a good team once tom arrived. There would be enough time, for them to complete their very important task.