Spoilers:Hathor - season1 that's about it!!
Existence
"Send the MALP through." People snapped to attention as Hammond directed his commands towards the following mission
"MALP through." the short white haired guy replied "tracking it..." a constant beep showed it's progress "Visual in 3...2...1...It's there."
"Good, what are the conditions?"
"Atmosphere...breathable, DHD...grown over by weeds but operational, temperature...21 Celsius, weather seems sunny, plant life extravagant, nice lake, possible life forms, dream planet!"
"SG1, you've got your orders, I want a message back within a day if you are to stay longer. I trust everything to you Colonel. Are you ready?"
"Yes sir, C'mon gang." He turned and walked out behind his team to the gate room.
The gate was already active and it waited enticingly for it's latest traveller. The SG1 team lined up along the ramp with Hammond wishing his best through the megaphone.
"Darn, I forgot to pack my swimming costume, would be nice to have had a dip in the lake." Jack pretending to sulk, with a corny smile he stepped in the gate lastly followed by Sam.
_______________
Daniel was first out at the other side unable to see anything because of a dense, grey fog descended on the Stargate surroundings, he stood still unaware of his comrades that rushed through the gate causing him to jump and accidentally fall blindly down the gate steps.
"Ow!" Daniel shouted rubbing what he thought was his head.
"Whoa. Dense fog." Carter tried to look around accidentally knocking into a long metal pole "Teal'c?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Someone! Can I get a bit of medical attention here please?" Daniel's voice came from below
"Oh, Gosh! Daniel!" Carter pre-cautiously made her way down the steps careful not to step on him as she fumbled for her touch looking at the back of his head. "It's alright, a small cut."
"Yeah, and a throbbing headache now. And a bruise the size of Hell the next morning." He added.
"Sorry."
"Ah, it's not your fault." Carter took hold of his hand pulling him up to his feet.
"Why didn't the MALP pick up these atmospheric changes in P3C289's climate?" Teal'c looked unimpressed with the wasted mission.
"Hey, what can you expect? American workmanship!"
Through the dim lights of the team's torches they began to inspect the DHD. Jack drew out his penknife and started to hack at the roots of the plant while his team cleared it.
"Rightio people do we go home or not?" Jack asked plainly
"Well, we don't know, the fog may clear up soon." Carter shrugged
"Key word 'may'."
"Let's see, the General said our mission was so important because this planet contains the rare essential elements of plutonium but I guess we can return later."
"Okay then, Teal'c, dial home."
As Teal'c pressed the familiar chevrons he looked up waiting for the event horizon to appear. ...None came. Not put of, he tried again to his dismal the same result.
"Colonel O'Neill. I am unable to activate the Stargate."
"What!?! What do you mean by that exactly?"
"The chevrons encoded correctly, but the event horizon will not activate."
Sam ran up it and checked it for any noticeable damages, finding none. She shrugged at Jack.
"Great...Right then kids, I guess we have no choice, set-up camp."
As night approached the team settled near the campfire, the fog now drifted away.
Sam began the conversation
"Er, Colonel, how do we expect to get home? If anyone should to rescue us they'll get trapped here too."
"How the Hell should I know Captain? You're the scientist! All my job is to get the plutonium shove it in Mayboune's face keep him off our back for a while and to get home in one piece!"
"I've been thinking about that actually." Daniel said "seeing that the DHD is intact something must be wrong with the Stargate...I suggest that if we channelled Teal'c staff at the boot of the Stargate it may just give it the start it needs."
It flew over Jack's head he was too tired to bother with him now. "Tell it to me in the morning Danny boy."
With that he snuggled down to sleep. Teal'c on guard observed his friends and looked at them quizzically, he will never fully understand humans in a way he was glad.
_______________
"UH! Damn you! What is wrong with you? You should work!" Sam was taking out her frustration on the DHD, which stubbornly ignored her.
"Captain, have some breakfast, it's not going anywhere."
"Colonel!" in pure frustration "I can't get this working!"
"Doesn't matter Captain, we'll do Daniel's idea...after you had some breakfast."
"No, no, I'm not hungry." She turns back to the DHD puzzling over it
"Sam! For cryin' out loud! If your not going to get away from until it's fixed why don't you just bloody kick it!" Jack was just had had enough with Sam.
"Kick it!?! Oh fine." She gives the DHD a blunt kick, looks up at the Stargate before turning round heading towards Jack.
"Worked well." she said sarcastically to Jack
"Works with the T.V."
"Erm, guys" Daniel swallowed hard "Erm, the chevrons are glowing."
Everyone's attention turned towards the gate, sure enough Daniel was right.
"Anyone expecting visitors?" Jack slowly mumbled
No one answered as the each chevron surely locked onto its co-ordinate. As the fourth chevron locked and glowed a bright orange, Jack made a move.
"Run! Get our stuff and move...to... to those trees." He glanced around quickly before grabbing his rucksack, gun ready in his arms as his team head towards the shrubbery.
"Daniel! Get down!" Jack hissed at him
Lying on their stomachs in the mud, they waited for the arrival of their guests. The seventh chevron locked and the wormhole stabilised. They waited, what seemed like forever when the first person materialised in front of the Stargate.
Sam breathed a sigh of relief when she recognised the familiar green uniforms of SG personnel. Daniel shifted causing a small ruffle along the bush in attempt to get up, he attracted the attention of the leader of the team, and pointing their guns at the shrubbery he motioned his team with his head to close in.
"Alright! Alright!" Jack started to relieve himself from his cover "Don't shoot...don't shoot, it's us...SG1."
Getting up from their cover, the new team acknowledged them before stating themselves.
"Major Glyn, SG8 mission to rescue...you."
"Nice to know someone cares."
"We came through when we had received no word from you for over a day."
"Yeah, there's this tiny problem now... we're trapped, the wormhole won't stabilise. So now you're trapped with us."
Major Glyn half raised an eyebrow. "Captain McDonald, dial home."
"Yes sir." he walked to the gate and pressed the chevrons.
"We've tried dialling home all day, that's not the whole problem it's the Stargate that won't activate!" Daniel didn't like been taken as an idiot.
The ring moved effortlessly as the seventh chevron locked and engaged the wormhole. Major Glyn looked at SG1 with hidden laughter, as Captain McDonald came back to his side
"Did you get the plutonium?" Directing his question at O'Neill.
" Errr...No."
"General Hammond ordered us to stay and complete your mission, while you return."
"Aha, and can I see these orders please?" Trying his best to keep his patience
"We would have preferred written orders too, but General Hammond instructed us that there was no time." His face gave hint of a small smirk at SG1.
Jack looked back at his team giving them a 'can-I-punch-him-look' "Okay, we'll go home. C'mon gang." he lead them towards the Stargate and through it.
(You are lead through the Stargate epic ride, before focusing upon Hammond's anxious gaze in the control room.)
"It's SG1 sir," said the short white haired guy.
Hammond groaned with relief as the first body came through. "SG1! Where have you been?"
"Well, sir..." Sam was struggling at the fact what happened herself!
"Never mind," Hammond retorted irritably "check up with Dr. Fraiser, then report for a briefing at 1300 hours."
_______________
"So, just what the hell happened?" Hammond said sternly
"We don't know sir, the event horizon was like there, but wasn't there!" Carter explained confused
"Care to elaborate on that Colonel?"
"Erm, no, not really sir."
Hammond gives them each a look of seriousness.
"WARNING, WARNING, OFF WORLD ACTIVATION!"
"We'll deal with this some other time." Hammond said standing up and leaving.
SG1 and General Hammond run to the control room.
"Who is it sergeant?" Hammond questioned
"Their body arrangement molecules indicate it could be a women and a man. They don't carry a SG code."
"Right, seal the iris." his heart pumping he spoke into the megaphone "All security units to the embarkation room immediately."
"Iris sealed."
"SG1 I want you to accompany the security teams, if this thing's dangerous we need as possible people protecting this facility."
"Yes sir." He and SG1 ran down the stairs leading to the embarkation room, picking up their guns as they helped line the Stargate.
An anxious stillness overlay the embarkation room, waiting for the iris to disengage.
"What the hell...uh oh."
"Sergeant?" General Hammond demanded
"The...the...iris."
Before he could breath another word, the iris glowed a brightly white when suddenly it collapsed into nothing, disappeared before everyone's glaring eyes.
"What the hell just happened?" Jack growled to Daniel
"You mean apart from the iris just...vanishing?" he replied sarcastically
"Yeah."
"I have absol..."
Shut up by the rushing sound pool surging, he anticipated the fearful stranger.
"Shoot to kill men." Jack dismissed his order.
The first body slowly materialised into vision, closely followed by an extravagant middle-aged man.
"Hathor..." Daniel whispered with dreaded anger
Everyone in the room raised their guns at their targets; a fraction before the trigger was pulled all the guns crumbled rapidly to ashes.
"What the?" Sam glanced at her hands, sooty.
"Get out of here Hathor." Jack warned
"Or what? Shoot me?" She walked down the ramp close to his face. "Jaffa." Her lips became parted and her eyes went soft, Jack falling for her, stumbling slightly, Sam jumping to attention.
"Back off sister!" Jumping in-between Hathor and Jack, she drew out a penknife holding it close to her face.
With a smirk she backed off to the edge of the ramp where the man was just behind her. She wandered close to the stranger hypnotising him in her beauty, before whirling around to face SG1 again.
"I'd like you to meet a dear friend of mine...Ptah."
"Ptah," Daniel whispered thoughtfully "Ptah, the god of existence, supreme creation god, according to the Memphis papyrus...he's more powerful than Re or Apophis."
"Well done Daniel. But wouldn't you really like to see a demonstration?"
"Sorry, I grew out of tacky magic shows." Jack said whilst aiming his shotgun.
"Hmm. Ptah, you have a volunteer." Smiling evilly
Ptah turned his head down mumbling silent words, before looking up at his target with glowing eyes, his hands clasped tightly together as if praying, drawing them apart slowly creating a small, white, glowing ball in-between them
"O Neill." His voice descending to an alienous depth, eyes aglow
Jack started to brim with a slight whitish glow. The onlookers horrified at the sight of their commanding officer.
"Colonel?!" Sam screamed just before he disappeared into nothing.
"Where is he?" Daniel demanded
"Oh." Hathor said pretending to think. "He's exploring a different type of.... Wormhole."
"I believe she is referring to a black hole." Teal'c said turning to Carter.
"No," Carter whispered in shocked anger
"With such power, I could wipe out your whole race under a minute, and who would dare challenge me?"
"I will fight you till my last breath." Teal'c grew in rage picked up the nearest object which was a long metal pole and ran up the ramp where Hathor lifted her arm displaying her ribbon device which glowed ravishingly before it discarded Teal'c into the back wall of the Stargate room. He slumped to the floor for a second suddenly rising to his feet ready and panting.
"Jaffa. Defend yourself." Hathor glared at Teal'c. Teal'c realising he fought a losing battle, turned away from her stare.
Hathor knowing Teal'c has backed down, she turned to Ptah mystifying him with her breath. Ptah's eyes diluted, looking up at SG1 he vanished with Hathor into thin air.
"Where did she go?" Sam asked Teal'c
"Into your world."
Silence and shock overcome the SGC until Hammond broke it through the megaphone.
"SG1, debriefing room now!"
SG1 go up to the Briefing room seating in their usual seats leaving Jack's vacant.
"Colonel...hmm." Hammond held his head low in remembrance of a friend. "Teal'c" he said lifting back up his head, "What is Hathor planning to do?"
"She is most likely making goa'ulds of your people."
"Why?" Daniel questioned slowly
"She could acquire an army of Jaffa's which she would launch an attack upon Apophis, to gain control of his empire. Ptah is powerful, but they will meet a lot of resistance, she needs an army."
"Hathor seemed to go up to Ptah quite often and put him under her spell." Carter said furrowing her eyebrows.
"Ptah may be a goa'uld, but he is physically weak, Hathor can keep him under control if she keeps feeding him with her poison."
"Hang on, hang on." Daniel paused over the possibilities. "The Memphis papyrus declares that Ptah is a peaceful god, not violent."
"You are correct Dr. Jackson, it is under Hathor's spell that he is behaving this way."
"Then, we'll have to target Ptah, get him away from Hathor." Daniel said thoughtfully
"Yeah, but they could be anywhere in the world, and even if we do find them they can easily vanish as they have done already." Said Carter, stating the pessimistic side.
"Though the only way they can get out is through the Stargate, in which time we'll be ready." Hammond said catching onto the plan.
"In the meantime, a couple of aliens are out there which can reveal the whole Stargate program to the public not to mention all the innocent people that are turned into Jaffa's!" Carter said helplessly.
The room was silent, no one could comprehend the things that the goa'uld would do.
Sighing "Ugh! Let's do it then."
The facility is being filled with every army personnel conceivable, they are set into groups and briefed by General Hammond. People get loaded up with guns and knives.
The three SG1 teams were getting ready in the changing rooms, awkward tension filled the room not because of the battle they faced but of a dear comrade they lost.
"So," Carter began "how are we going to get to Ptah, without Hathor in the way?"
"This zat gun will disable him for a length of time, hopefully long enough to break free from Hathor's spell." Teal'c replied
"Zat guns, that was Jack's for it name wasn't it?" She said with small sorrowful smile.
"Yeah. Let's do it for him." Daniel said patting Sam on the shoulder
"We should go to General Hammond now." Teal'c said breaking the train of emotions.
"Your right Teal'c, c'mon." With that Carter left followed by her team.
In the Briefing room Hammond was facing the Stargate when SG1 walked in.
"Sir." Carter saluted; the others followed suit forming a line.
"At ease SG1"
"As you know we have lost a colleague...and friend. But with an incomplete team I can't allow you to proceed any longer. To avoid this, I've signed up Lieutenant Joe Brooks, a security officer to join you in your missions."
Lieutenant Brooks enters the room, salutes at General Hammond and lines up next to Daniel.
"I also am promoting Captain Carter as the new leader of SG1."
Hammond sighs under stress rubbing his face with his hands.
"I've notified the Air Force and the Royal Marines they will join the battle against Hathor. I've contacted the president and seeing we have no method of protecting the Stargate, this world will be in grave danger if they returned. So he has ordered me to set it to autodestruct if we are unable to defeat them, well, a mini Chenobyl experience will happen. I'm trusting you to not let that happen.... Dismissed."
The newly established team left the Briefing room. There, Lieutenant Joe Brooks tries to quaint himself with his comrades.
"It's a...a honour working with you Captain Carter, I look forward to our missions together."
Sam gave him a suppressed smile, pacing quickly down the corridor.
Joining Dr. Fraiser in the lab.
"What are you doing Janet?" Carter came skimming over Janet's work.
"Erm, I'm trying to create a more powerful sedative." She said rushing to a computer reading its hypothesis. "Damn."
She then stopped to take a breather first noticing the new member, running her fingers through her hair away from her face.
"It is true then."
"Yes." Carter replied plainly
"Teal'c?" Janet asked rereading the hypothesis "That zat gun, one shot paralyses the victim, right?"
"You are correct."
"Would a zat gun shot break Hathor's spell."
"Most likely, but it will leave him in great pain."
"Would a sedative ease him?"
"It is doubtful, but he is weak, it may."
"It's worth a try anyway. What other option do we have?" Brooks said speaking up.
Sam turned to look at him along with Daniel and Janet.
"Oh, sorry, do I need permission to speak freely?" Looking at each member in turned, wryly
"No, no. It's just...nothing." Sam reassured him, whilst Brooks nodded shortly.
"Hate to interrupt, but we do have a world to protect, don't you think we should..."
"Your right Daniel, let's go."
Sam leads her team out of the lab heading towards the artillery room.
Daniel deep in thought caught up with Teal'c, "Teal'c, if Hathor says she could destroy our whole world under a minute, then why hasn't she?"
"I am unsure Dr. Jackson, your race is weak and insubstantial, yet easy to maintain if damaged. I believe she is making your world a place for human absorption."
"I really wish you wouldn't say human absorption. It's just sooo delicate."
In the artillery room, Teal'c was trying to choose an acceptable weapon to replace his staff. Viewing the aisles of guns and other weaponry he chose in the end he chose a rifle which he slung over his shoulder, and picked up his trusty zat gun which he held tightly in his secure hands.
Daniel arming himself with several simple revolvers examined them he began tucking them in his belt holding one in his hand for security.
Sam chose two of her regular rifles and packed a couple of seven-inch knives putting sheaths on them before she attached them to her uniform.
Joe looked temptingly at the machine guns wanting to hold it. When Carter came to him and interrupted is dreams.
"Sorry Brooks, your not qualified to use one of them."
She hands him a rifle and a shotgun, he takes it slinging the rifle on his shoulder and slipping the shotgun in his belt.
Sam gives each of her team a stressful glance.
"Ready?" she says breathing out.
She receives nods form her team apart from Teal'c, causing her to smile at his expressionless face.
"ALL READY PERSONNEL, REPORT TO THE EMBARKATION FOR ARMED COMBAT"
"That's our cue." Daniel said
Troops from the whole facility ran in loaded with guns from all the entries of the Stargate room and lined it; no one could enter or escape the Stargate room...if they were human.
SG1 ready, lined the face of the Stargate, adrenaline racing through their bodies, anxious faces.
"So, we're just going to wait for them to return?" Daniel asked
"Yep." Sam said distantly
"I hate waiting." an unfamiliar face spoke, Joe.
Silence washed over them, feeling a sense of déjá vú when Jack met his fate. Lasting an eternity they remised the times with Jack, becoming distant, staring into nothingness.
"Colonel Jack O'Neill, was more than a comrade wasn't he?" Brooks asked Sam sympathetically
"More than you'll ever know."
"I'm thrilled over my new position, but not these terms, I'm sorry."
"It's Hathor not you."
"Someone called?" An invisible voice asked
Everyone snapped to attention, triggers ready, silence...wait...Suddenly a explosion crashed through the embarkation room doors, endless rows of Jaffa's filed though carrying staff weapons.
"How the hell did they get zat weapons?" Carter shouted puzzled as she began rounds of shots, searching for Hathor or Ptah.
"Ptah, creation god?" Daniel shouted back, dodging a fire of a staff before peeping up from his cover and shooting him dead.
Hathor was in the control room with Ptah, mesmerising the short white haired guy and General Hammond.
"Activate the Stargate to Chulak." She ordered
The first chevron glided effortlessly into place.
Sam gazed horrified for a second at the Stargate, turning her head just to catch Brooks running out the door.
The second chevron was being placed. Daniel pinned down with two Jaffa's braced himself for the inevitable, mercifully being rescued by Teal'c's zat gun, the two Jaffa's fell beside him.
The third chevron started to glow on the Stargate and locked, Sam threw away her dead rifle, acquiring the second and continuously firing again at the humanoid Jaffa's.
As the fourth chevron was engaging, a loud crash came from the control room door, Brooks barged in firing aimlessly, a bullet heading towards Hathor, with a wave of Ptah's hand the bullet stopped short of penetrating Hathor's shapely body.
A smug look on Hathor's face at his hopelessness, raising her hand displaying her ribbon device, it glowed hotly before discharging itself on Brooks causing him to fly back and smack into the wall slumping down into half consciousness.
The sergeant looked up at his lover, Hathor.
"Keep dialling." she ordered
He turned back to his controls as the fifth chevron shifted into place. She started to leave the control room with Ptah shortly followed by Hammond.
"General!" Carter exclaimed. Yet as she began to scream a word of warning a zat gun charged electricity through his limp form, toppling over, grappling in excruciating agony. His murderer about to shoot again got struck down by Teal'c again, again, he disintegrated.
The sixth chevron moved and locked Carter getting ever worried of the chances trying to capture Ptah.
Numerous attackers were struggling to hold down their positions; Hathor protected by her Jaffa minions. Carter firing rapidly at Ptah, her efforts useless as the bullets disintegrated into nothing. Laughing at her vain efforts melancholy.
The seventh chevron started to move into the home symbol. The Stargate locked and engaged, the auto destruct set with 30 seconds on the clock.
"COUNTDOWN ACTIVATED IN 30 SECONDS."
Carter still firing at Ptah, distracting him from the danger of Teal'c weapon, snuck up behind him and shot him straight on the back of the neck, collapsing.
Hathor unable to reach Ptah, slipped quietly away with her remaining warriors.
"No!" Carter screamed in frustrated anger.
"COUNTDOWN IN 15 SECONDS."
Brooks suffering in the control room picked himself up, limping to the controls he saw the screen flashing auto destruct, knowing what to do he recalled the deactivation code, typing it in shaking...
The computer caught in the suspense released it's answer...auto-destruct deactivated. Sighing he slumped in a chair waking up the sergeant.
Again the Stargate began to move, locking on to each co-ordinate, the wormhole established, guns a-ready, SG8 came through with a sealed box full of plutonium.
"W-hoa! Nice welcome home!" Major Glyn said looking around; his team ran down the ramp helping the injured to their feet.
Carter relieved, jumped up remembering Ptah.
"Teal'c! Get Ptah to the infirmary!"
Running down the hall, Teal'c barged through the infirmary doors with Ptah on his shoulders, Dr. Fraiser hectic checking Ptah's vital signs as Teal'c put him on a bed.
"He's in great pain," Fraiser said tapping a sedative "this should ease him a bit."
She was about to inject him, when the needle vanished from her hand.
"Wha-?"
"He... he dosn't want it?" Daniel intensely staring at him
"Is he dying?" Carter asked Teal'c
"No, I shot him only once."
Under the glare of their eyes, Ptah's lips parted, making minute movements, he breathed his last.
"He's dead." Janet said checking his pulse before covering his head with the covers
"But how?" Carter asked confused
"He...made himself non-existent. He knew he was dangerous, so he killed himself." Daniel held high respect in him.
Silence captivated them as they thought of the sacrifice he made, starting to turn away, the bed sheets started to glow a brilliant white, a body shifted under the covers.
"Ptah?" Daniel whispered hopefully
Janet lifted the covers and gasped to the sight of Jack sleeping peacefully in a distant slumber she smiled and left him attending her other patients.
_______________
A day later, the team was discussing Ptah.
"I wonder if we'll ever see him again? He's the goa'uld I wouldn't mind seeing again!" Carter laughed
"Possibly, after all he can just make himself exist again can't he!?!" Daniel replied
"Yeah well, if you don't mind I think I'll miss that happy visit, I didn't have much fun exploring that black hole."
"You were dead." Carter hit him jokingly
"Exactly."
Walking along the corridor a man bumped into Sam. He looked up stunned.
"Captain Carter! I beg your pardon"
"Lieutenant Brooks!"
"Captain now, I've been promoted to join SG4. Because of, and I quote 'quick thinking in difficult situations!' unquote."
"Yes, how did you stop that auto destruct?"
Smiling "Being a security officer, no-one regards you important, so I hear and see things that well, I shouldn't!" With a beaming smile on his face he walked off.
"Who was that?"
"No-one special." hesitating knowing how Jack would really react.
"Tell me who he was, that's an order, Captain." he stressed the word Captain,
But still she remained silent
"I'll have you in for mutiny." Trying to threaten her
"Your replacement." Carter said simply
"My what? You didn't waste your time did you." He said pretending to be hurt
Not saying a word she smiled and shrugged helplessly.
"Well, c'mon gang, we've still got that P3C289's Debriefing to do!" Jack said striding ahead.