Pethi Too Apalos (Child Of Light)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nothing unusual, sir." Sam told Jack, checking her equipment. "Everything corrolates with the findings of the
MALP."
"Good." Jack said. "Daniel?"
"Umm..." Daniel turned from surveying the landscape. "There are plenty of ruins for me to study. I could stay here
for hours!"
"Slightly less good." Jack said, while Sam smirked. "Teal'c? Getting any.... weird feelings about this place?"
"I am not." Teal'c replied solemly. "This planet is uninhabited."
"Even better. No snakes." Jack smiled, then looked around and frowned, "Trees again, though. Oh well, you can't
win 'em all." He shrugged.
"Jack, I want to take a look at the temple on the hill. The UAV showed it to have some interesting writing on it.
Probably with Greek or Cyrilic roots. Although from the images I studied it seems to read right to left in the
Arabic way, rather than..."
"Yeah, yeah, Daniel." Jack waved an impatient hand at Daniel and turned back to Sam. "So, Carter. Where to?"
"I agree with Daniel. We should check out the temple." Sam said, turning to squint through the trees up to the
summit of the small hill.
"Okay. Let's go." Jack nodded at Daniel who smiled at the prospect of more artifacts to study.
The planet P7G 523 was very small compared to Earth, and even smaller than Pluto. It would take five days
to walk around the circumference of the planet, although that wouldn't be a very good idea, as the temperature of
the planet was 35 degrees centigrade due to the four suns of the planet, which for Daniel, was impossibly hot. He
was already complaining of sunburn. The area around the gate was heavily wooded with mediterranean cyprus
trees and tall pines. The ground was red and dusty, and a heavy pine scent floated around the team's heads.
Sam was reminded of the time she went to Greece.
They began the hike up the hill. There was a path cut into the rock, but it was uneven, and it would be hard
going to get to the top.
Sam wiped her forehead with the back of her hand to prevent the sweat dripping into her eyes.
"It looks like the planet was once inhabited by people descended from Earth." She panted to the others, "The
climate is very similar to that of mediterranean Europe, specifically Greece."
"The architecture of the temple is exactly like that found on the Parthenon in Athens, with the depictions of what
I presume are gods around the roof." Daniel said excitedly.
"Teal'c. Did the stuff the UAV showed look like anything Gou'ald-ish?" Jack asked.
"The architecture of this planet is unlike anything I have previously encountered." Teal'c replied.
"Good, good." Jack smiled. "Looks like today won't be so bad after all."
Suddenly, a loud wail cut through the trees. Sam, Jack and Teal'c all grabbed their weapons and Daniel stood
and looked around.
"Spoke too soon." Jack muttered. "Where the hell did that come from? I thought you said it was uninhabited?!"
He accused Sam.
"The UAV showed no signs of life!" Sam said, scrabbling with her equipment, furiously trying to find out what had
gone wrong, "No radio-traffic in the last 48 hours." She said. "Sorry, sir. I don't know what happened."
"It came from the top of the hill." Daniel said, squinting through the trees against the glare of the sun.
Once again, a wail sounded through the air.
"Okay, let's check it out." Jack said, his face serious, "And Daniel? Don't do anything stupid."
"I never do anything stupid!" Daniel protested, "Well, maybe..."
Daniel was cut off by another wail.
"Whatever it is that's up there," Sam theorised, "They're not gonna be very dangerous if they're making a noise
like that."
"Might be a trap." Jack said shortly.
"I don't think so." Daniel said.
"What?" Jack asked.
"That sounded like a child, a young child, rather than an adult. It was like a baby crying." Daniel said.
"I agree with Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said.
"Maybe..." Jack said, "But stay alert."
Sam nodded and followed Jack silently up the path.
~~~
They reached the top of the hill and emerged cautiously into a clearing. Daniel cringed, fully expecting a load
of Goa'uld to come bursting out of the trees. None came.
"Carter, go check out the temple." Jack instructed Sam.
Sam nodded and crept forward while Jack covered her. She ran to the temple door and peered inside.
The entrance hall of the temple was dark and overgrown with vines and creepers winding around the doorframe.
Sam pulled out her flash light and flipped it on and peered into the darkness. Nothing. Opposite her was another
doorway, and she walked slowly over the mosaic floor which was also covered in vines towards it. An ear splitting
wail coming from the inner chamber made Sam wince in momentary pain.
Slowly, she inched forward, preparing herself for what she might see. Actually, scrap that, she didn't know what
she might see. Carefully, she flashed the light around the second chamber, her gaze settling on what could only
be discribed as an altar.
"Holy Hannah!"
She walked forward slowly, her gun lowered now she was sure that she wasn't in any danger. She looked down
at the top of the altar. A smiling baby looked back.
Sam stood in shock as the baby gurgled happily at her. She came to her senses and stepped back.
"Colonel!" She called.
As she waited for the others to arrive, she stared down at the baby again. It was lying in a small moses type
basket on a single grubby blanket. It was a boy, and had short fluffy tufts of dark hair on his head, and wide,
almond shaped eyes which were dark brown, even darker than Jack's. Sam wondered how long he had been
there. She reached into the basket and felt the baby's temperature. He was freezing cold and his pulse was
weak, but he had stopped screaming the moment Sam had entered.
"Carter?!" Jack called from the first chamber.
"In here, sir!" She called back.
She heard Jack, Teal'c and Daniel run through the first chamber and enter behind her.
"Carter?" Jack asked.
"It's a baby, sir." She said.
"I can see that." Jack said, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's it doing here?"
Before Sam could answer, Daniel stepped forward from behind Jack and walked towards the basket. He
reached forward to touch the baby.
"Careful, Daniel." Jack warned.
"Don't worry, sir." Sam said seriously, "He doesn't bite."
Jack glared at her and she tried not to smile.
"It's strange..." Daniel muttered half to himself and half to the others.
"What is?" Jack asked.
"This is like accounts from ancient Greece of unwanted babies being left in temples. If I could find a statue to
indicate which deity this is dedicated to..." Daniel said, looking round.
"Like that one?" Jack asked, pointing the flashlight over on the back wall of the temple. A statue stared back.
"Ah." Daniel said, "Interesting..."
"Will you stop doing that?" Jack snapped.
"What?" Daniel asked.
"Being so damn cryptic. Just tell us what it means."
At the sharp tone in Jack's voice, the baby began to cry.
"Sir!" Sam scolded, bending over the baby to quieten him. As soon as Sam bent down and whispered 'sshhh',
he fell silent and grinned up at her.
"It likes you, Carter." Jack observed.
"Yeah." Sam grinned at the baby. He gurgled and blew bubbles.
"I knew it!" Daniel exclaimed, then caught the look from Sam and quietened his voice. "Sorry. This temple is
dedicated to the Goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus and Queen of the heavens - and therefore the mother goddess.
She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. It makes sense that a child would be left in her temple, to
seek protection perhaps."
"Why would someone leave a baby?" Sam asked.
"You have to understand how different it was in ancient Greece. It was commonplace for a poor family to leave
unwanted children - mostly girls, but sometimes boys - in a temple, or on a hillside where a kind family might
find them and take them in. Word usually got around and childless couples would go to find the babies."
"And what if the child wasn't found?" Sam frowned.
"The wolves would eat them, or they'd die of cold, or starvation." Daniel shrugged.
"Urgh." Sam said. "How could someone do that to their child?"
"It was different then, Sam. Life was hard."
"Maybe so, but..." Sam began.
"Look," Jack interupted, "I'd love to stay and debate the ethical issues, but don't we have more pressing
problems?" He gestured at the baby, now blissfully unaware of the conversation, and sleeping peacefully. "What
do we do with it?"
"Him." Sam corrected. "We can't leave him here, he'll die."
"But Sam, this is an ancient custom, an ancient rite. We can't disturb it." Daniel said in a quiet voice as if he
was waiting for the Gods to jump out of the shadows and burn him for saying it.
"No, Daniel. This is a baby." Sam said. "It's obvious no one wants him."
"What can we do about that?" Daniel asked.
"So what do you want us to do?" Sam asked, "Leave him here?"
"Maybe whoever left him here will come back. How would you feel if you left your baby in a temple and when
you came back he was gone?"
"But that's the point, Daniel!" Sam said, hissing to keep her voice quiet, "I wouldn't leave him here! It's obvious
no one's coming back!"
Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but Teal'c stepped forward.
"I agree with Major Carter, Daniel Jackson. It is extremely unlikely that anyone will return to claim this child. I
have seen this practice before on other worlds. This child was left so that it would die. It will not survive." Teal'c
said slowly.
"Okay, kids." Jack said. "Just exactly what are you arguing about here....?"
"Daniel thinks we should just leave the baby to die!" Sam answered.
"And your alternative to that is....?" Jack asked.
"I don't know. We take him back with us." Sam said.
"You know we're not meant to do that, Sam." Daniel interupted.
"Ah! Daniel!" Jack said, "Don't!" He turned back to Sam. "And you're sure he'll die if we leave him here?"
"Yes, sir." Sam replied. "If we leave him here - "
Sam was cut off by a loud rumbling sound. Suddenly the ground started to shake beneath them and bits of plaster
began to fell from the floor. Sam grabbed onto the altar to stop herself from falling over and the baby woke, and
began to cry again.
"Earthquake." Sam, Daniel and Jack all said at the same time.
"Okay, Carter." jack said, "Grab the kid and run!"
Sam spun round and picked the bawling child out of the basket. She held him close to her, protecting him from
the falling stonework and followed Jack and Daniel out of the room. Teal'c brought up the rear.
"Come on!" Jack yelled.
The rumbling grew louder, like a hundred Goa'uld ships landing, and the ground began the move from side to
side more violently.
They made it out of the temple and sprinted across the clearing to the edge of the trees and the path.
"Daniel!" Jack shouted, "You go first! Dial!"
Daniel nodded and jumped down onto the path which had moved lower, away from the edge of the hillside.
"Now you, Carter!" He shouted, "Go!"
Sam ran after Daniel, stumbling down the path which seemed to be rolling back and forth. Rocks rolled down
behind them, making it more difficult to place her feet. She was holding tightly onto the screaming baby and
was unable to steady herself.
Trees began to fall around them and the noise became louder. There was a series of loud crashes from behind
them.
"There goes the temple!" Jack shouted.
After what seemed like an age, they burst out from under the trees and into the clearing around the gate.
Daniel frantically pressed the coordinates for earth and Jack dialed the GDO code.
The event horizon leapt forward and settled back into the shimmering surface of faux water and Daniel ran up the
steps. At the top he turned and motioned for Sam to hurry. She ran towards him, but at the last moment, turned
and saw a huge landslide racing down the hill towards them.
"Colonel!" She yelled.
He looked up and he and Teal'c sprinted even faster towards the gate.
"Go!" He yelled.
"Go on, Sam!" Daniel told her, and pushed her through.
To Be Continued.....
______________________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer: Okay, I don't own these wonderful characters (apart from the baby, who is my own invention). I do,
however, own the plot.
author's note: Hey people! Okay, this is my new series. BTW, the title's in Greek. It's most probably not right, I'm
afraid my greek isn't very good. If someone wishes to correct me - please do!
I WILL NO LONGER BE CARRYING ON THE 'Captured' SERIES. Anyone wishing to take it off my hands is
welcome to finish it (although I'll consider you mad if you do). It just got too much for me - I have seven different
stories on the go.
The next instalment of 'There You'll Be' might be a long time coming as well, but don't worry, I will finish that
one. The same goes for 'To Have And Not To Hold'.
Well, please review!
Hey, do what the box says and review!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nothing unusual, sir." Sam told Jack, checking her equipment. "Everything corrolates with the findings of the
MALP."
"Good." Jack said. "Daniel?"
"Umm..." Daniel turned from surveying the landscape. "There are plenty of ruins for me to study. I could stay here
for hours!"
"Slightly less good." Jack said, while Sam smirked. "Teal'c? Getting any.... weird feelings about this place?"
"I am not." Teal'c replied solemly. "This planet is uninhabited."
"Even better. No snakes." Jack smiled, then looked around and frowned, "Trees again, though. Oh well, you can't
win 'em all." He shrugged.
"Jack, I want to take a look at the temple on the hill. The UAV showed it to have some interesting writing on it.
Probably with Greek or Cyrilic roots. Although from the images I studied it seems to read right to left in the
Arabic way, rather than..."
"Yeah, yeah, Daniel." Jack waved an impatient hand at Daniel and turned back to Sam. "So, Carter. Where to?"
"I agree with Daniel. We should check out the temple." Sam said, turning to squint through the trees up to the
summit of the small hill.
"Okay. Let's go." Jack nodded at Daniel who smiled at the prospect of more artifacts to study.
The planet P7G 523 was very small compared to Earth, and even smaller than Pluto. It would take five days
to walk around the circumference of the planet, although that wouldn't be a very good idea, as the temperature of
the planet was 35 degrees centigrade due to the four suns of the planet, which for Daniel, was impossibly hot. He
was already complaining of sunburn. The area around the gate was heavily wooded with mediterranean cyprus
trees and tall pines. The ground was red and dusty, and a heavy pine scent floated around the team's heads.
Sam was reminded of the time she went to Greece.
They began the hike up the hill. There was a path cut into the rock, but it was uneven, and it would be hard
going to get to the top.
Sam wiped her forehead with the back of her hand to prevent the sweat dripping into her eyes.
"It looks like the planet was once inhabited by people descended from Earth." She panted to the others, "The
climate is very similar to that of mediterranean Europe, specifically Greece."
"The architecture of the temple is exactly like that found on the Parthenon in Athens, with the depictions of what
I presume are gods around the roof." Daniel said excitedly.
"Teal'c. Did the stuff the UAV showed look like anything Gou'ald-ish?" Jack asked.
"The architecture of this planet is unlike anything I have previously encountered." Teal'c replied.
"Good, good." Jack smiled. "Looks like today won't be so bad after all."
Suddenly, a loud wail cut through the trees. Sam, Jack and Teal'c all grabbed their weapons and Daniel stood
and looked around.
"Spoke too soon." Jack muttered. "Where the hell did that come from? I thought you said it was uninhabited?!"
He accused Sam.
"The UAV showed no signs of life!" Sam said, scrabbling with her equipment, furiously trying to find out what had
gone wrong, "No radio-traffic in the last 48 hours." She said. "Sorry, sir. I don't know what happened."
"It came from the top of the hill." Daniel said, squinting through the trees against the glare of the sun.
Once again, a wail sounded through the air.
"Okay, let's check it out." Jack said, his face serious, "And Daniel? Don't do anything stupid."
"I never do anything stupid!" Daniel protested, "Well, maybe..."
Daniel was cut off by another wail.
"Whatever it is that's up there," Sam theorised, "They're not gonna be very dangerous if they're making a noise
like that."
"Might be a trap." Jack said shortly.
"I don't think so." Daniel said.
"What?" Jack asked.
"That sounded like a child, a young child, rather than an adult. It was like a baby crying." Daniel said.
"I agree with Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said.
"Maybe..." Jack said, "But stay alert."
Sam nodded and followed Jack silently up the path.
~~~
They reached the top of the hill and emerged cautiously into a clearing. Daniel cringed, fully expecting a load
of Goa'uld to come bursting out of the trees. None came.
"Carter, go check out the temple." Jack instructed Sam.
Sam nodded and crept forward while Jack covered her. She ran to the temple door and peered inside.
The entrance hall of the temple was dark and overgrown with vines and creepers winding around the doorframe.
Sam pulled out her flash light and flipped it on and peered into the darkness. Nothing. Opposite her was another
doorway, and she walked slowly over the mosaic floor which was also covered in vines towards it. An ear splitting
wail coming from the inner chamber made Sam wince in momentary pain.
Slowly, she inched forward, preparing herself for what she might see. Actually, scrap that, she didn't know what
she might see. Carefully, she flashed the light around the second chamber, her gaze settling on what could only
be discribed as an altar.
"Holy Hannah!"
She walked forward slowly, her gun lowered now she was sure that she wasn't in any danger. She looked down
at the top of the altar. A smiling baby looked back.
Sam stood in shock as the baby gurgled happily at her. She came to her senses and stepped back.
"Colonel!" She called.
As she waited for the others to arrive, she stared down at the baby again. It was lying in a small moses type
basket on a single grubby blanket. It was a boy, and had short fluffy tufts of dark hair on his head, and wide,
almond shaped eyes which were dark brown, even darker than Jack's. Sam wondered how long he had been
there. She reached into the basket and felt the baby's temperature. He was freezing cold and his pulse was
weak, but he had stopped screaming the moment Sam had entered.
"Carter?!" Jack called from the first chamber.
"In here, sir!" She called back.
She heard Jack, Teal'c and Daniel run through the first chamber and enter behind her.
"Carter?" Jack asked.
"It's a baby, sir." She said.
"I can see that." Jack said, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's it doing here?"
Before Sam could answer, Daniel stepped forward from behind Jack and walked towards the basket. He
reached forward to touch the baby.
"Careful, Daniel." Jack warned.
"Don't worry, sir." Sam said seriously, "He doesn't bite."
Jack glared at her and she tried not to smile.
"It's strange..." Daniel muttered half to himself and half to the others.
"What is?" Jack asked.
"This is like accounts from ancient Greece of unwanted babies being left in temples. If I could find a statue to
indicate which deity this is dedicated to..." Daniel said, looking round.
"Like that one?" Jack asked, pointing the flashlight over on the back wall of the temple. A statue stared back.
"Ah." Daniel said, "Interesting..."
"Will you stop doing that?" Jack snapped.
"What?" Daniel asked.
"Being so damn cryptic. Just tell us what it means."
At the sharp tone in Jack's voice, the baby began to cry.
"Sir!" Sam scolded, bending over the baby to quieten him. As soon as Sam bent down and whispered 'sshhh',
he fell silent and grinned up at her.
"It likes you, Carter." Jack observed.
"Yeah." Sam grinned at the baby. He gurgled and blew bubbles.
"I knew it!" Daniel exclaimed, then caught the look from Sam and quietened his voice. "Sorry. This temple is
dedicated to the Goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus and Queen of the heavens - and therefore the mother goddess.
She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. It makes sense that a child would be left in her temple, to
seek protection perhaps."
"Why would someone leave a baby?" Sam asked.
"You have to understand how different it was in ancient Greece. It was commonplace for a poor family to leave
unwanted children - mostly girls, but sometimes boys - in a temple, or on a hillside where a kind family might
find them and take them in. Word usually got around and childless couples would go to find the babies."
"And what if the child wasn't found?" Sam frowned.
"The wolves would eat them, or they'd die of cold, or starvation." Daniel shrugged.
"Urgh." Sam said. "How could someone do that to their child?"
"It was different then, Sam. Life was hard."
"Maybe so, but..." Sam began.
"Look," Jack interupted, "I'd love to stay and debate the ethical issues, but don't we have more pressing
problems?" He gestured at the baby, now blissfully unaware of the conversation, and sleeping peacefully. "What
do we do with it?"
"Him." Sam corrected. "We can't leave him here, he'll die."
"But Sam, this is an ancient custom, an ancient rite. We can't disturb it." Daniel said in a quiet voice as if he
was waiting for the Gods to jump out of the shadows and burn him for saying it.
"No, Daniel. This is a baby." Sam said. "It's obvious no one wants him."
"What can we do about that?" Daniel asked.
"So what do you want us to do?" Sam asked, "Leave him here?"
"Maybe whoever left him here will come back. How would you feel if you left your baby in a temple and when
you came back he was gone?"
"But that's the point, Daniel!" Sam said, hissing to keep her voice quiet, "I wouldn't leave him here! It's obvious
no one's coming back!"
Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but Teal'c stepped forward.
"I agree with Major Carter, Daniel Jackson. It is extremely unlikely that anyone will return to claim this child. I
have seen this practice before on other worlds. This child was left so that it would die. It will not survive." Teal'c
said slowly.
"Okay, kids." Jack said. "Just exactly what are you arguing about here....?"
"Daniel thinks we should just leave the baby to die!" Sam answered.
"And your alternative to that is....?" Jack asked.
"I don't know. We take him back with us." Sam said.
"You know we're not meant to do that, Sam." Daniel interupted.
"Ah! Daniel!" Jack said, "Don't!" He turned back to Sam. "And you're sure he'll die if we leave him here?"
"Yes, sir." Sam replied. "If we leave him here - "
Sam was cut off by a loud rumbling sound. Suddenly the ground started to shake beneath them and bits of plaster
began to fell from the floor. Sam grabbed onto the altar to stop herself from falling over and the baby woke, and
began to cry again.
"Earthquake." Sam, Daniel and Jack all said at the same time.
"Okay, Carter." jack said, "Grab the kid and run!"
Sam spun round and picked the bawling child out of the basket. She held him close to her, protecting him from
the falling stonework and followed Jack and Daniel out of the room. Teal'c brought up the rear.
"Come on!" Jack yelled.
The rumbling grew louder, like a hundred Goa'uld ships landing, and the ground began the move from side to
side more violently.
They made it out of the temple and sprinted across the clearing to the edge of the trees and the path.
"Daniel!" Jack shouted, "You go first! Dial!"
Daniel nodded and jumped down onto the path which had moved lower, away from the edge of the hillside.
"Now you, Carter!" He shouted, "Go!"
Sam ran after Daniel, stumbling down the path which seemed to be rolling back and forth. Rocks rolled down
behind them, making it more difficult to place her feet. She was holding tightly onto the screaming baby and
was unable to steady herself.
Trees began to fall around them and the noise became louder. There was a series of loud crashes from behind
them.
"There goes the temple!" Jack shouted.
After what seemed like an age, they burst out from under the trees and into the clearing around the gate.
Daniel frantically pressed the coordinates for earth and Jack dialed the GDO code.
The event horizon leapt forward and settled back into the shimmering surface of faux water and Daniel ran up the
steps. At the top he turned and motioned for Sam to hurry. She ran towards him, but at the last moment, turned
and saw a huge landslide racing down the hill towards them.
"Colonel!" She yelled.
He looked up and he and Teal'c sprinted even faster towards the gate.
"Go!" He yelled.
"Go on, Sam!" Daniel told her, and pushed her through.
To Be Continued.....
______________________________________________________________________________________
disclaimer: Okay, I don't own these wonderful characters (apart from the baby, who is my own invention). I do,
however, own the plot.
author's note: Hey people! Okay, this is my new series. BTW, the title's in Greek. It's most probably not right, I'm
afraid my greek isn't very good. If someone wishes to correct me - please do!
I WILL NO LONGER BE CARRYING ON THE 'Captured' SERIES. Anyone wishing to take it off my hands is
welcome to finish it (although I'll consider you mad if you do). It just got too much for me - I have seven different
stories on the go.
The next instalment of 'There You'll Be' might be a long time coming as well, but don't worry, I will finish that
one. The same goes for 'To Have And Not To Hold'.
Well, please review!
Hey, do what the box says and review!