Disclaimer: Yadda, yadda, yadda...

A/N: OK, here we go. Marking an anniversary. Yes, I am crazy.

Till the end of the time

Chapter 18

Daniel looked up, squinting, the bright light burning his eyes and making the person above him seem like a silhouette, its contours dissolving in a soft shades of gray. He blinked a few times, and each time figure seemed to become clearer and recognizable. After enough time has passed (just a few seconds, but Daniel had a feeling years were passing by, and that everything was moving in a slow motion) facial features of his visitor became recognizable.

Young man gasped and scrambled to his feet. Before him, clad in a military uniform, with a small smile on his face stood...

"Martouf!" Daniel exclaimed, while in the same time unconsciously moving one step towards him. "But you are..."

"Dead?" interrupted Martouf and laughed. "Yes, I believe it is the case. It was Colonel O'Neill, was it not? I find the irony of the situation most amusing."

Daniel looked bewildered. His friends dying, losing memory, and now people coming back from the dead? What was going on?

Martouf seemed to register this, and quickly proceeded to the door, gently shutting them and turning the lock.

"I do not wish to be disturbed. We need to talk to you. We believe the matter discussed will of be of great interest to you... and in your interest is to listen to us and do not interrupt with questions, as it is human custom," voice became strange, deep and alien, not like the one he heard in Tok'ra, but he heard it never the less... somewhere... the tone was familiar... yet not too familiar, and his memory started working overtime, trying to recall where could he heard it before.

But with all the familiarity voice bore, it also bore determination and seriousness. Daniel felt the best thing he could do is sit... and let Martouf explain what the Hell was going on? Of course, he didn't miss use of pronoun 'we' instead of 'I', but since Martouf was Tok'ra, it could involve whole society, not only him... but still...

Martouf followed Daniel's example and sat down. His posture was rather strange, too stern and he looked uncomfortable, as he never sat on a chair before. As they sat in the half-darkened office, Daniel could have sworn to see faint blue glow radiating from Martouf's body, but dismissed it as a product of his own, over-strained mind.

"I am not Martouf of the Tok'ra, yet I come to you in his form. You are right, Dr. Jackson. Martouf is dead."

This unexpected confession alerted Daniel's senses and he felt his body became tense, as if in anticipation of danger. Yet, he said nothing, waiting for continuation.

"I am Dar Soon."

In one millisecond after hearing this, all clicked together in Daniel's head. This 'man' was Soldier of fate... the creatures that haunted Sam, and possibly were responsible for Jack's death. That voice... That was the voice Sam spoke with when she spoke in the alien language, after the attacks. But he thought that...

"Yes, Dr. Jackson, you are right. I am, what you call, Soldier of fate. You believed we can only take forms of living creatures?"

Well, this creature was reading his mind, that much was clear. Daniel nodded.

"You are partially right. Although we usually do that, in times of great need we can call upon forms of the deceased. Mine great need was for you to trust me, and you wouldn't trust me if I appeared in the form of someone you know and still lives."

Again, it made perfect sense. Daniel nodded, feeling like he has just been revealed the greatest secrets of Universe, but his limited mind could not make much sense of it...

"Are you convinced?"

"Yes... yes, I am. But what..."

"No questions, I repeat. I will tell you what you need to know, nothing more."

If this was the game he wanted to play, he will play it... In Daniel strangest feeling evoke. As if this didn't involve only Sam and him, but Jack as well... And Jack was dead.

"No, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel was dumbstruck again. Maybe he missed part of the alien's speech?

"I am sorry?"

"Colonel O'Neill is not dead."

"What? His body is in the infirmary... I saw it."

"His body, yes. But he is not dead. He is trapped. Together with one of the Soldiers which tried to return soul of Ractah to her rightful place."

"How? Why?"

Stern look of alien didn't feel pleasant.

"No questions, right. I am sorry," Daniel muttered, feeling trapped himself when his curiosity was trapped with an unseen wall of rules.

"Soul of Ractah escaped and reincarnated into the body of the person you know by the name of Major Samantha Carter. She must be brought back, but our attempts have failed, as she gained an ability to sense our presence. It became impossible for us to capture her. In the last attempt, Soldier who tried to return her - yes, Dr., kill her - became trapped in the parallel plane of existence, together with the soul of Colonel Jack O'Neill. It is a complicated and rare occurrence, but it happens."

Daniel felt his brain buzzing with the load of information and all possible rescue plans seemed to conjure themselves and resurface... there was so much he wanted to ask. If Jack is alive, thanks God, how do we bring him back? But the question remained unspoken.

Alien looked at him sympathetically.

"I see what you wish to know. I am afraid, Dr. Jackson, that the answer will not be pleasant. Where our Soldier and Colonel O'Neill are, is not a... It is a place of eternal torture... in Earth's mythology it is called Hell. Yes, Dr. much like the place you've once been to, much like Natu. The only way to bring them back... is for Ractah to go there. She is meant to be there. The guards await her. But they will not release Soldier and Colonel if she doesn't return."

Daniel felt the air being forced out of his lungs, by the sickness of the thought alone. Must he choose? Sam or Jack? He dearly hoped not...

"Yes, Dr. It is a choice. One of them must be there. The one that is destined... or the one that simply had what you call 'bad luck'?"

"Why me? That is not my decision. I want them both here. Is there nothing..."

"No, Dr. You are the only one who can persuade Ractah to return, now that we no longer have power of bringing her back. It is your choice, Doctor. One must suffer."

Daniel looked at alien, at Martouf... his eyes were wide with horror, and his heart rate was well over what Janet would call normal. There had to be another way out of this...

"You must choose, and choose soon. We bring to justice, we do not execute it. Whatever you decide we will know. We will wait."

Before young man could speak up, Martouf opened the door and exited. Daniel run after him, but when he came out into the corridor, there was no sign of him.

Thought, each one darker then before, started to cloud his vision. Leaning against the wall to regain control of his cold limbs, he thought of only way of action. He had to talk to Teal'c.

A/N: Well... what can I say? It seems Soldiers aren't just mythical creatures after all, huh?

Review... I ask nicely. Alright. I beg.