Indiana Daniel
by
Layton Colt
Daniel goes on a dig in Egypt as a favor to an old friend and his team members tag along.
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Part Two: Eye of Ra
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"Uh, Teal'c, wasn't that closed?" Carter asked as she pointed to the open sarcophagus.
"Indeed it was, Captain Carter,"
At the creak of the secret door, Carter spun and shined the torch light in the direction of the noise just in time to see a woman with straight black hair and Egyptian robes disappear into the shadows.
"Oh no," Carter breathed as she raced to the closed door. She held her gun ready and pushed the lion icon to try and reopen the door.
"It's not working!" Carter yelled frustrated.
"It is likely she has locked the door from the other side," Teal'c said. "We must find another way to warn O'Neill and DanielJackson."
Carter nodded and followed Teal'c as he headed down a different hallway.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Daniel's whole being ached to stop and try to decipher the ancient writings adorning the walls surrounding him but his concern for his old friends and Jack's resolute presence drove him on.
"So what's the deal with this Mira?" Jack asked.
"What do you meant?"
"Has she always believed in your theories?"
"She's always believed in me,"
Jack nodded, "Any idea where they went?"
"Chances are Mira is going to head towards the center of the temple, she would have already searched the out corridors,"
"Are we getting close to the center?"
"Ah, yea, I think so," Daniel finally gave in and stopped to read an inscription on the wall. "It looks like there's a mass tomb at the end of this hallway," Daniel said to Jack.
"A mass tomb in an apparent Goa'uld base? Special."
"It's likely not filled with sarcophaguses, Jack. Usually a Goa'uld could only afford one…"
Jack and Daniel continued down the hall and reached another dead end, Daniel quickly located the lion glyph and the door began to slowly rise, as it moved upwards they could see James and Mira out cold on the floor.
"Mira," Daniel breathed as he rushed into the room before Jack could snag his arm.
"Dammit Daniel," Jack muttered as he followed Daniel in.
Standing behind Mira and James was a stunning woman, clad only in scant gold and silk robes a still fading glow lighting her ribbon device as she poised it outwards again. "Who are you?" she demanded.
She may not be using the echoing voice but there was no doubt she was a Goa'uld.
"Who are we? Who are you?" Jack shot back.
The woman's eyes flashed dangerously and Daniel saw the gold lion emblem on a chain around her waist, he knew all too well who she was.
Sakhmet, daughter of Ra, consort of Ptah. Known as "The Powerful One". The bringer of plague and pestilence.
"She's the Goddess Sakhmet," Daniel said.
Cold eyes turned in his direction. "You, slave are not fit to speak my name! You will kneel and beg for forgiveness!"
"Oh, I don't think so," Jack said. "We aren't afraid of you, you see we've run into your kind before…"
"Uh, Jack, I don't think--"
As Jack was on a roll, Daniel's protest was ignored. "Ra's dead, we killed him, so if you think--"
"You have *killed* your god!" Sakhmet roared. There it was, the rumbling voice trademark of the Goa'uld.
Sakhmet's eyes flashed brightly lighting the dark mausoleum for an instant with their intensity. "You will face the eye of Ra. The revered god of the sun shall be avenged!"
"What the hell is the eye of Ra?" Jack asked, seemingly less than intimidated at the less than inimitable experience of having a ribbon device aimed at him.
"Well, the 'eye of Ra' was an agent of the sun god -Ra's- wrath--" Daniel began to explain.
Jack's look said clearer than words that this was not the time for lectures on Egyptian culture.
"Well, you asked," Daniel pointed out and Jack rolled his eyes.
Sakhmet was looking at them as though they were mad, imagine, this disrespect in the presence of a god. "You will cease and kneel before your Goddess. Perhaps if you do not again displease me I will make your execution less unpleasant."
Neither Daniel nor Jack got down on their knees.
"Fools!" Sakhmet yelled. "You will suffer greatly for your insolence!"
Jack cursed as Sakhmet aimed the ribbon device at Daniel and he was thrown into the back wall. Pulling out his gun, Jack aimed it at Sakhmet.
She laughed and with a motion of her hand the gun flew from Jack's grasp, though she was several feet from him at the time.
"What the--"
"Did you really expect to defeat me with your primitive weapon? You may have killed Ra but you are too weak to kill me."
Sakhmet began to approach Jack, the ribbon device humming in anticipation. Jack swallowed and out of the corner of his eye he saw movement…
Sakhmet was right in front of him now, her raised hand inches from his forehead as the device wrapped around her hand began to glow.
A crash echoed through the crypt and Sakhmet cried out and crumpled to the floor.
Mira was swaying slightly, a piece of the destroyed vase still in her hand. She looked down at the pieces dismay. "This urn was priceless," she said vaguely.
Jack smiled slightly at the comment, yea, he supposed he could see why she and Daniel were friends.
Getting up he ran to check on Daniel and Mira went to try and rouse her brother. Daniel was just beginning to come to when Jack heard a slight scrape from behind him.
It had been a mistake to leave Sakhmet unguarded, he realized too late.
He slowly turned around and cursed loudly.
Sakhmet was gone. The wall on the far side of the room was just moving back into place.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Carter ran as fast as she could as she tried to keep up with Teal'c's quick pace.
They'd just come to a crossroads, two different hallways and hadn't been sure which to pick when the decision was made for them.
A loud crash and muffled cry told them to follow the left tunnel.
The duo soon reached a dead end but they were quick learners and Teal'c deftly sought out the lion emblem and the door lifted upwards.
As they ran into the room they saw Mira helping James to stand and Jack leaning over a still unresponsive Daniel.
"Sir," Carter said uncertainly.
O'Neill looked up, "I thought I told you to guard the sarcophagus."
"I'm sorry, sir. As soon as you left I saw it was open…"
Jack waved his hand dismissingly and focused his attention on Daniel. "Danny, come on, wake up."
Mira and James stumbled over, "I think Daniel's got his proof," James said and the comment was ignored.
"How is he?" Mira asked.
"He'll be fine in a moment," Jack said reassuringly. "Isn't that right, Daniel? Come on," Jack tapped Daniel's cheek again and the young man moaned and tried to roll away.
Jack grabbed his wrist and kept him on his back. "Daniel," he said sternly.
"Wh't," was the slurred response.
Jack smiled, "Routine dig? Huh? Perfectly capable of handling it on your own."
With effort Daniel forced his eyes open so that he could glare at Jack.
"For me, this is routine," he mumbled as he moved to sit up.
"You still got your gun?" Jack asked the younger man.
Daniel nodded and pulled it from his waistband.
Jack nodded approvingly and retrieved his own weapon. "Alright, here's the plan, Teal'c Carter and I are going to go after Lion woman, Daniel I want you to stay here and watch them," he said nodding to James and Mira.
Daniel wasn't fooled, "Jack, I can come with you… Sam would be a better choice to stand guard. I could help, read the symbols."
Jack shook his head, "You're staying here, you've just been ribbon deviced again, you'll stand guard, understood?"
Daniel nodded sulkily and Mira advanced menacingly on Jack, "Well I certainly don't understand. I just saved your ass back there and Daniel's right, we could help, this is *our* field."
"Yea, well fighting hostiles, is *our* field. You're staying," Jack said. "Daniel, if they try to follow us, shot them,"
Daniel's eyes widened. And Mira snorted. Oh yea, that was a possibility.
"O'Neill," Teal'c said, "Is it wise to leave them here alone,"
This seemed to anger the three archeologists even more than the insinuation that they couldn't go with them.
"We'll be fine," Daniel snapped irritably.
Jack nodded, "Let's go," he said to Carter and Teal'c. Jack showed the passageway Sakhmet disappeared through and Carter opened it.
Each giving Daniel an apologetic look they moved out into the darkness.
When the secret door shut, Mira turned on Daniel, "Are you just going to--"
"Let him boss you around like that?" James finished.
Daniel winced, years of knowing them and he still wasn't quite use to that. "Um, yea, well he is my boss."
"So you are working for the military?" Mira asked indignantly.
"I'm a consultant," Daniel said evasively.
Mira began to pace the room, "You know what *that* was, don't you?"
Daniel sighed, "I don't know any more than you do."
"Then that thing you said about this being routine? What was that?"
Daniel winced again, he should have been more careful, Mira never missed anything. "That was just a joke,"
"You don't make jokes," James said with a frown, then he turned his gaze the secret door and sighed impatiently. "What's taking so long?"
"They just left," Daniel said in exasperation. "It hasn't even been a minute."
"I say we go see what's happened," James said.
"Yes," Mira agreed. "Something could have happened to them."
Daniel stared at them incredulously. It had been a minute! But he supposed he could understand their impatience, part of him wanted to agree. Another, more sensible part told him this time he should listen to Jack. "No, no," Daniel said firmly. "We're staying here until Jack returns."
"Yes," said a strange, soft voice. The archeologists' spun around to see the smiling visage of Sakhmet. "I agree, you should definitely stay."
to be continued…
How's the view from that cliff? Sorry, I did it again… For someone who hates cliffhangers themselves you'd think I'd be a little nicer.
by
Layton Colt
Daniel goes on a dig in Egypt as a favor to an old friend and his team members tag along.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Part Two: Eye of Ra
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Uh, Teal'c, wasn't that closed?" Carter asked as she pointed to the open sarcophagus.
"Indeed it was, Captain Carter,"
At the creak of the secret door, Carter spun and shined the torch light in the direction of the noise just in time to see a woman with straight black hair and Egyptian robes disappear into the shadows.
"Oh no," Carter breathed as she raced to the closed door. She held her gun ready and pushed the lion icon to try and reopen the door.
"It's not working!" Carter yelled frustrated.
"It is likely she has locked the door from the other side," Teal'c said. "We must find another way to warn O'Neill and DanielJackson."
Carter nodded and followed Teal'c as he headed down a different hallway.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Daniel's whole being ached to stop and try to decipher the ancient writings adorning the walls surrounding him but his concern for his old friends and Jack's resolute presence drove him on.
"So what's the deal with this Mira?" Jack asked.
"What do you meant?"
"Has she always believed in your theories?"
"She's always believed in me,"
Jack nodded, "Any idea where they went?"
"Chances are Mira is going to head towards the center of the temple, she would have already searched the out corridors,"
"Are we getting close to the center?"
"Ah, yea, I think so," Daniel finally gave in and stopped to read an inscription on the wall. "It looks like there's a mass tomb at the end of this hallway," Daniel said to Jack.
"A mass tomb in an apparent Goa'uld base? Special."
"It's likely not filled with sarcophaguses, Jack. Usually a Goa'uld could only afford one…"
Jack and Daniel continued down the hall and reached another dead end, Daniel quickly located the lion glyph and the door began to slowly rise, as it moved upwards they could see James and Mira out cold on the floor.
"Mira," Daniel breathed as he rushed into the room before Jack could snag his arm.
"Dammit Daniel," Jack muttered as he followed Daniel in.
Standing behind Mira and James was a stunning woman, clad only in scant gold and silk robes a still fading glow lighting her ribbon device as she poised it outwards again. "Who are you?" she demanded.
She may not be using the echoing voice but there was no doubt she was a Goa'uld.
"Who are we? Who are you?" Jack shot back.
The woman's eyes flashed dangerously and Daniel saw the gold lion emblem on a chain around her waist, he knew all too well who she was.
Sakhmet, daughter of Ra, consort of Ptah. Known as "The Powerful One". The bringer of plague and pestilence.
"She's the Goddess Sakhmet," Daniel said.
Cold eyes turned in his direction. "You, slave are not fit to speak my name! You will kneel and beg for forgiveness!"
"Oh, I don't think so," Jack said. "We aren't afraid of you, you see we've run into your kind before…"
"Uh, Jack, I don't think--"
As Jack was on a roll, Daniel's protest was ignored. "Ra's dead, we killed him, so if you think--"
"You have *killed* your god!" Sakhmet roared. There it was, the rumbling voice trademark of the Goa'uld.
Sakhmet's eyes flashed brightly lighting the dark mausoleum for an instant with their intensity. "You will face the eye of Ra. The revered god of the sun shall be avenged!"
"What the hell is the eye of Ra?" Jack asked, seemingly less than intimidated at the less than inimitable experience of having a ribbon device aimed at him.
"Well, the 'eye of Ra' was an agent of the sun god -Ra's- wrath--" Daniel began to explain.
Jack's look said clearer than words that this was not the time for lectures on Egyptian culture.
"Well, you asked," Daniel pointed out and Jack rolled his eyes.
Sakhmet was looking at them as though they were mad, imagine, this disrespect in the presence of a god. "You will cease and kneel before your Goddess. Perhaps if you do not again displease me I will make your execution less unpleasant."
Neither Daniel nor Jack got down on their knees.
"Fools!" Sakhmet yelled. "You will suffer greatly for your insolence!"
Jack cursed as Sakhmet aimed the ribbon device at Daniel and he was thrown into the back wall. Pulling out his gun, Jack aimed it at Sakhmet.
She laughed and with a motion of her hand the gun flew from Jack's grasp, though she was several feet from him at the time.
"What the--"
"Did you really expect to defeat me with your primitive weapon? You may have killed Ra but you are too weak to kill me."
Sakhmet began to approach Jack, the ribbon device humming in anticipation. Jack swallowed and out of the corner of his eye he saw movement…
Sakhmet was right in front of him now, her raised hand inches from his forehead as the device wrapped around her hand began to glow.
A crash echoed through the crypt and Sakhmet cried out and crumpled to the floor.
Mira was swaying slightly, a piece of the destroyed vase still in her hand. She looked down at the pieces dismay. "This urn was priceless," she said vaguely.
Jack smiled slightly at the comment, yea, he supposed he could see why she and Daniel were friends.
Getting up he ran to check on Daniel and Mira went to try and rouse her brother. Daniel was just beginning to come to when Jack heard a slight scrape from behind him.
It had been a mistake to leave Sakhmet unguarded, he realized too late.
He slowly turned around and cursed loudly.
Sakhmet was gone. The wall on the far side of the room was just moving back into place.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Carter ran as fast as she could as she tried to keep up with Teal'c's quick pace.
They'd just come to a crossroads, two different hallways and hadn't been sure which to pick when the decision was made for them.
A loud crash and muffled cry told them to follow the left tunnel.
The duo soon reached a dead end but they were quick learners and Teal'c deftly sought out the lion emblem and the door lifted upwards.
As they ran into the room they saw Mira helping James to stand and Jack leaning over a still unresponsive Daniel.
"Sir," Carter said uncertainly.
O'Neill looked up, "I thought I told you to guard the sarcophagus."
"I'm sorry, sir. As soon as you left I saw it was open…"
Jack waved his hand dismissingly and focused his attention on Daniel. "Danny, come on, wake up."
Mira and James stumbled over, "I think Daniel's got his proof," James said and the comment was ignored.
"How is he?" Mira asked.
"He'll be fine in a moment," Jack said reassuringly. "Isn't that right, Daniel? Come on," Jack tapped Daniel's cheek again and the young man moaned and tried to roll away.
Jack grabbed his wrist and kept him on his back. "Daniel," he said sternly.
"Wh't," was the slurred response.
Jack smiled, "Routine dig? Huh? Perfectly capable of handling it on your own."
With effort Daniel forced his eyes open so that he could glare at Jack.
"For me, this is routine," he mumbled as he moved to sit up.
"You still got your gun?" Jack asked the younger man.
Daniel nodded and pulled it from his waistband.
Jack nodded approvingly and retrieved his own weapon. "Alright, here's the plan, Teal'c Carter and I are going to go after Lion woman, Daniel I want you to stay here and watch them," he said nodding to James and Mira.
Daniel wasn't fooled, "Jack, I can come with you… Sam would be a better choice to stand guard. I could help, read the symbols."
Jack shook his head, "You're staying here, you've just been ribbon deviced again, you'll stand guard, understood?"
Daniel nodded sulkily and Mira advanced menacingly on Jack, "Well I certainly don't understand. I just saved your ass back there and Daniel's right, we could help, this is *our* field."
"Yea, well fighting hostiles, is *our* field. You're staying," Jack said. "Daniel, if they try to follow us, shot them,"
Daniel's eyes widened. And Mira snorted. Oh yea, that was a possibility.
"O'Neill," Teal'c said, "Is it wise to leave them here alone,"
This seemed to anger the three archeologists even more than the insinuation that they couldn't go with them.
"We'll be fine," Daniel snapped irritably.
Jack nodded, "Let's go," he said to Carter and Teal'c. Jack showed the passageway Sakhmet disappeared through and Carter opened it.
Each giving Daniel an apologetic look they moved out into the darkness.
When the secret door shut, Mira turned on Daniel, "Are you just going to--"
"Let him boss you around like that?" James finished.
Daniel winced, years of knowing them and he still wasn't quite use to that. "Um, yea, well he is my boss."
"So you are working for the military?" Mira asked indignantly.
"I'm a consultant," Daniel said evasively.
Mira began to pace the room, "You know what *that* was, don't you?"
Daniel sighed, "I don't know any more than you do."
"Then that thing you said about this being routine? What was that?"
Daniel winced again, he should have been more careful, Mira never missed anything. "That was just a joke,"
"You don't make jokes," James said with a frown, then he turned his gaze the secret door and sighed impatiently. "What's taking so long?"
"They just left," Daniel said in exasperation. "It hasn't even been a minute."
"I say we go see what's happened," James said.
"Yes," Mira agreed. "Something could have happened to them."
Daniel stared at them incredulously. It had been a minute! But he supposed he could understand their impatience, part of him wanted to agree. Another, more sensible part told him this time he should listen to Jack. "No, no," Daniel said firmly. "We're staying here until Jack returns."
"Yes," said a strange, soft voice. The archeologists' spun around to see the smiling visage of Sakhmet. "I agree, you should definitely stay."
to be continued…
How's the view from that cliff? Sorry, I did it again… For someone who hates cliffhangers themselves you'd think I'd be a little nicer.