Alone in a room, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c stood over Sam.
"She looks alright." Daniel was crouched next to the bed in which she lay, "Breathing normally. Perhaps the Ultra's were telling the truth?"
"I am unsure. I have never encountered any such as these Ultra's before." Teal'c stood point in the room, his hard gaze on the door.
"They've posed no threat so far." Jack was looking around the room, stark and colourless like the rest. "Maybe they're biding their time." Daniel suggested, standing up.
"For what exactly?" Jack turned to face him, "We need to find out why Carter decided to come here in the first place. Why they've put her here."
"According to the Ultra, Major Carter is suffering from some kind of mental disturbance." Teal'c turned to face them all.
"But for how long?" Jack asked impatiently.
"Presumably until she's recovered." Daniel looked at Jack helplessly.
"Your willing to believe them?
"I don't think we have a choice Jack. To interfere with whatever's going on might endanger Sam's life. They've got no reason to lie."
"The Ultra mentioned they gather information for their planet to live." Teal'c broke in, "How do they transfer this information?"
All eyes fell on Sam, and the slow pulsating light.
"I think you'd better find out. Daniel, go with Teal'c. I'll stay here with Carter."
Both nodded, and headed out of the room.
----
Teal'c and Daniel retraced their steps back to where they first met the Ultra's. The room was now empty, and while Teal'c stood guard at the door, Daniel pulled out one of the squares sitting on the rack and inserted it into the computer. A face appeared on the screen of an old man.
"Who are you?" Daniel asked, confused.
"Specimen pee seven nine four three oh one one, humanoid vertebrate. Subcategory menial. What information do you require?" The face spoke.
"Specimen? But who are you? Where are you from?"
"My name is Relf of Probus Four."
"Wait a minute, if your thoughts, your memories are contained in this cylinder, where are you?"
"No knowledge, cannot answer."
"Are there others like you?"
"Yes." Relf's face was impassive, his voice a slow monotony.
"And where are they?"
"Some menials like me. Others absorbed in the core"
"Core?" the word was almost foreign to Daniel, "What's that?"
"No knowledge, cannot answer."
Daniel frowned, this was confusing, "They exist in the core?"
"The core lives to expand. It must expand to live."
"You mean the planet?"
"No knowledge, cannot answer."
Daniel looked up startled to hear a noise, noticing Teal'c had left the room. He quickly pulled the cylinder out, replacing it back in the case, then moved to hide, couching behind them.
Moments later the Ultra entered, seating themselves in front of the three computer screens.
"Sleep cell." The first Ultra turned on the screen, showing Sam still asleep with the pulsating light around her.
"Status?" the second asked.
"Transference is proceeding normally." The first replied, switching nobs on the console, "Complete mental profile and personality spectrum is filed in memory store."
"Physiological characteristics?"
"Transferred." The third looked on impassively, "Soon she will be wiped clean, ready for absorption."
The first Ultra let a small smile creep across his lips, "Very shortly we will be able to remove her from the sleep cell."
"And the others?"
"They will be dealt with in due course."
Suddenly the third Ultra turned in his seat, to stare directly where the archaeologist was hiding. The others turned as well, as if sensing him. As one they stood, and advanced towards him. Daniel stood up, "Keep back." He pulled out his side arm, "Keep back!."
"You cannot resist the power of the core." The first one spoke, still moving towards him, "It overcomes everything."
"Everything." The second one echoed.
"Everything."
Daniel stood in shock, arm still raised, his eyes going unfocused.
"Down!" Teal'cs shout brought Daniel out of his trance, and he threw himself to the floor. Teal'c fired at the Ultra's with his Zat, and they crumpled to the floor.
Teal'c moved to help Daniel up, "Are you alright, Daniel Jackson?"
Daniel brushed himself off, staring at the figures on the floor, stunned, "Yeah, but I think we better go warn Jack and get Sam out of that thing." He turned out of the room and started running back to the sleep cell, Teal'c on his heels.
More chapters coming. I promise. Please R&R!
"She looks alright." Daniel was crouched next to the bed in which she lay, "Breathing normally. Perhaps the Ultra's were telling the truth?"
"I am unsure. I have never encountered any such as these Ultra's before." Teal'c stood point in the room, his hard gaze on the door.
"They've posed no threat so far." Jack was looking around the room, stark and colourless like the rest. "Maybe they're biding their time." Daniel suggested, standing up.
"For what exactly?" Jack turned to face him, "We need to find out why Carter decided to come here in the first place. Why they've put her here."
"According to the Ultra, Major Carter is suffering from some kind of mental disturbance." Teal'c turned to face them all.
"But for how long?" Jack asked impatiently.
"Presumably until she's recovered." Daniel looked at Jack helplessly.
"Your willing to believe them?
"I don't think we have a choice Jack. To interfere with whatever's going on might endanger Sam's life. They've got no reason to lie."
"The Ultra mentioned they gather information for their planet to live." Teal'c broke in, "How do they transfer this information?"
All eyes fell on Sam, and the slow pulsating light.
"I think you'd better find out. Daniel, go with Teal'c. I'll stay here with Carter."
Both nodded, and headed out of the room.
----
Teal'c and Daniel retraced their steps back to where they first met the Ultra's. The room was now empty, and while Teal'c stood guard at the door, Daniel pulled out one of the squares sitting on the rack and inserted it into the computer. A face appeared on the screen of an old man.
"Who are you?" Daniel asked, confused.
"Specimen pee seven nine four three oh one one, humanoid vertebrate. Subcategory menial. What information do you require?" The face spoke.
"Specimen? But who are you? Where are you from?"
"My name is Relf of Probus Four."
"Wait a minute, if your thoughts, your memories are contained in this cylinder, where are you?"
"No knowledge, cannot answer."
"Are there others like you?"
"Yes." Relf's face was impassive, his voice a slow monotony.
"And where are they?"
"Some menials like me. Others absorbed in the core"
"Core?" the word was almost foreign to Daniel, "What's that?"
"No knowledge, cannot answer."
Daniel frowned, this was confusing, "They exist in the core?"
"The core lives to expand. It must expand to live."
"You mean the planet?"
"No knowledge, cannot answer."
Daniel looked up startled to hear a noise, noticing Teal'c had left the room. He quickly pulled the cylinder out, replacing it back in the case, then moved to hide, couching behind them.
Moments later the Ultra entered, seating themselves in front of the three computer screens.
"Sleep cell." The first Ultra turned on the screen, showing Sam still asleep with the pulsating light around her.
"Status?" the second asked.
"Transference is proceeding normally." The first replied, switching nobs on the console, "Complete mental profile and personality spectrum is filed in memory store."
"Physiological characteristics?"
"Transferred." The third looked on impassively, "Soon she will be wiped clean, ready for absorption."
The first Ultra let a small smile creep across his lips, "Very shortly we will be able to remove her from the sleep cell."
"And the others?"
"They will be dealt with in due course."
Suddenly the third Ultra turned in his seat, to stare directly where the archaeologist was hiding. The others turned as well, as if sensing him. As one they stood, and advanced towards him. Daniel stood up, "Keep back." He pulled out his side arm, "Keep back!."
"You cannot resist the power of the core." The first one spoke, still moving towards him, "It overcomes everything."
"Everything." The second one echoed.
"Everything."
Daniel stood in shock, arm still raised, his eyes going unfocused.
"Down!" Teal'cs shout brought Daniel out of his trance, and he threw himself to the floor. Teal'c fired at the Ultra's with his Zat, and they crumpled to the floor.
Teal'c moved to help Daniel up, "Are you alright, Daniel Jackson?"
Daniel brushed himself off, staring at the figures on the floor, stunned, "Yeah, but I think we better go warn Jack and get Sam out of that thing." He turned out of the room and started running back to the sleep cell, Teal'c on his heels.
More chapters coming. I promise. Please R&R!