AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hey all. Okay, I know I said I couldn't post now, but I
lied. *G* So, here's part four.
As always, to everyone who counts. You know who you are.
Chapter Four
It was dark and silent; he was cut off from the world.
His heart was heavy; he had failed. He deserved eternal imprisonment and isolation from all. He failed, and one did not fail his god.
A distant noise reached his ears.
They were coming.
They were coming for him.
He would be free!
And this time he would succeed. This time he would win his god's favour and regain his position.
His lips moved for the first time in hundreds of years, pulling into a pinched smile of satisfaction.
They were coming for him.
~o0o~
Teal'c watched Daniel Jackson out of the corner of his eyes. The archaeologist was far from well; Teal'c thought it unwise of General Hammond to allow him back to this planet.
But Daniel Jackson was stubborn.
O'Neill would say pig-headed, mulish and a host of other odd descriptions.
Teal'c thought Daniel Jackson was behaving like a Hirk'sha. Humour danced through his eyes, but it was quickly chased away as he berated himself.
O'Neill and Major Carter were still missing, no trace of them had yet been found.
Next to him Daniel Jackson stumbled and winced in pain. Teal'c stopped, knowing better than to offer help to the archaeologist. He watched silently as Daniel Jackson continued walking, limping heavily but refusing help.
"Hurry up, Teal'c. We're almost there."
Teal'c sighed to himself, but followed him nonetheless. Daniel Jackson was right: the sooner they got to the site the sooner they could participate in the search.
They broke out of the sparse forest and climbed the hill steadily, only pausing at the top to study the landscape ahead.
Teal'c could see the rock face ahead of them, and he let his eyes travel over the surrounding area, now stained red with dust from the rock fall.
Major Carter and O'Neill could be buried somewhere beneath all the rubble, and the sooner they joined the SG teams already digging, the sooner the missing members would be found.
Teal'c set forwards again, knowing Daniel Jackson would follow.
He would not allow himself to believe that the unknown Goa'uld had captured O'Neill and Major Carter.
~o0o~
The second time Jack gained consciousness he definitely wasn't hurting any less than the first time. His head still burnt from where the ribbon device had done its work, and every other part of his body seemed to ache accordingly.
He groaned, his limbs still feeling like jelly.
Carter was still lying where she'd been lying the first time he'd woken up, but she was flopped on her back now, her face still scrunched with pain.
He sat up slowly, casting a nervous glance around the room. This was very weird; there were no guards around. Unless of course they were already in a prison cell. A prison cell complete with a big 'bed' of pillows they were lying on and décor was classed as weird in Jack's mind.
Carter mumbled in her sleep, flinching as her movements caused her fresh pain.
He pulled the smooth sheet covering her away gently, sucking in his breath when he saw the extent of her injury. The flesh was blackened and charred; dried blood and mud caked around it. Her BDU's were hard to touch, most likely because of more dried blood.
But she was still alive, and he marvelled at that.
He laid a hand on her forehead, feeling for her temperature. Cold. Ice cold, almost clammy to touch.
He frowned.
Her eyelids flickered, and he held his breath.
"Carter?" he didn't know why he was whispering.
She stirred again, moaning painfully.
"Carter. Sam. come on, wake up." He wished they had their packs. Maybe he could do something about the wound then.
"What. It hurts," her eyes were glazed with pain and disorientation when they flickered open.
"I know. just lie still, okay?"
"What happened?" she demanded, her eyes slipping closed.
"I'm not sure."
"I thought. I died, Colonel." Her eyes opened again, dull with pain and confusion.
He swallowed.
She had died. He'd been holding her.
But here she was, injured yet still breathing.
"Where are we?"
"I think we're on a Goa'uld ship," he admitted, touching her forehead again. "You're cold, Carter."
"Mmm." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, a gentle hum that her felt more than heard.
"I need you to stay awake. come on, Carter."
"Tired. hurts."
"I know. Please, Carter."
"Cold."
Her breathing evened out as she fell asleep again, her head resting limply on the pillows.
Sighing, his brow creased with pain and concern, Jack turned and clambered off the pillows, his socked feet almost sliding on the polished floor. He headed over to what he assumed was the door, the only smooth expanse of grey metal breaking up the gold walls around him.
"Hey!" he yelled, banging his fists against smooth metal, feeling it quiver beneath his onslaught. "HEY!"
He stepped backwards as the door hissed open, dropping into a fighting stance despite the world spinning around him.
A slender Jaffa woman stepped through, accompanied by more Jaffa bearing staff weapons and armour.
Oh crap.
*
"Why do you make noise?" Cal'ma asked disdainfully, raising an eyebrow as the Tau'ri swayed on his feet before her.
"I. what the hell is going on?"
"You are prisoners of Nut."
"Nut?"
Cal'ma frowned at his tone, he sounded almost amused as though the name of her goddess humoured him.
"Yes, Nut. The goddess of the sky."
"Nut? What kind of a name's Nut?" he demanded as his dirty face paled alarmingly beneath the layers of dry dirt and grime.
"You are blaspheming!" Cal'ma hissed, her heart beating quickly within her breast. If Nut knew of his insolence. Cal'ma wished Nut would hear his insolence. Perhaps then she would realise the scum they were and would kill both Tau'ri.
"She's not a god," he said disdainfully. "Look. I'm gonna sit down for a while."
Cal'ma watched as he sank to the floor as though he was melting. "You will honour Nut, Tau'ri. She has saved the lives of you and your mate and most graciously spared you."
"To be what? Her prisoners?" The man laughed loudly for a second before groaning painfully and holding his head between his hands.
"It is an honour. You should be dead," Cal'ma said bluntly.
The Tau'ri shot a glance at her, his eyes calculating and thoughtful as he studied her. "So she's not going to kill us then?"
"She saved you and resurrected your mate. You owe her your lives and your honour."
A look of disgust crossed his features.
"You will repay your debt to her, Tau'ri."
Cal'ma was pleased to see worry and fear flicker across his face before a mocking look covered the emotions. "Sure, if you just let us go home I'll get my credit card and-"
"Enough," Cal'ma flicked a disdainful hand, growing confused with his prattle. "You will bathe and clean yourself; Nut is not tolerant of dirt," Cal'ma ordered.
"What about Carter?" he frowned, not looking particularly upset at the thought of being clean.
"Carter?"
"Her." He jerked his thumb back across to the woman still unconscious on the bed.
"Oh, your mate. She will be taken care of. Nut will heal her further once her strength has returned. You will bathe."
"Excuse me?"
"Which part did you not understand?"
"The bit about my mate."
Cal'ma frowned. The Tau'ri were indeed strange.
"She will be taken care of. Nut has given her protection to you, you are her prisoners."
The man snorted. "She's not my mate."
Cal'ma frowned again, confused. Then she shrugged. "She is now."
"She is?" The man was mocking her again, Cal'ma could feel it.
"Nut healed her through you, you are now bound together," Cal'ma said calmly.
He frowned, opening his mouth.
"Enough!" Cal'ma shook her head in frustration. She turned to the guards. "Take him to the baths, I have had enough of this fool."
They nodded their armoured heads, the red eyes glowing dully in the bright room.
"Hey? What did you say? What's happening?"
He put up a struggled as they raised him to his feet, almost dragging him out of the room. Cal'ma watched silently as they left, and then turned to look at the woman lying on the bed.
Beneath the red mud and the blood, Cal'ma could see her skin was as fair as that of Nut. Her hair was short and the colour of the sands on the planet Alkhar, the clear features pulled up in a grimace of pain.
Despite the Tau'ri's foolishness and ignorant manners, they were a very beautiful people.
~o0o~
He smiled to himself.
Closer. They were getting closer slowly. His time was filled with the sound of freedom approaching, the steady chipping echoing loudly through his inert body.
Soon. Soon he would be free.
He could sometimes catch a muffled murmur of a voice, the voice of those who would free him.
Perhaps he would spare them when he was free. Spare them for releasing him.
He flexed his fingers.
Then again, it had been so long since he had killed someone.
He smiled slowly.
Soon. Soon he would be free.
***
Again, big thanks for all the feedback. Much appreciated.
As always, to everyone who counts. You know who you are.
Chapter Four
It was dark and silent; he was cut off from the world.
His heart was heavy; he had failed. He deserved eternal imprisonment and isolation from all. He failed, and one did not fail his god.
A distant noise reached his ears.
They were coming.
They were coming for him.
He would be free!
And this time he would succeed. This time he would win his god's favour and regain his position.
His lips moved for the first time in hundreds of years, pulling into a pinched smile of satisfaction.
They were coming for him.
~o0o~
Teal'c watched Daniel Jackson out of the corner of his eyes. The archaeologist was far from well; Teal'c thought it unwise of General Hammond to allow him back to this planet.
But Daniel Jackson was stubborn.
O'Neill would say pig-headed, mulish and a host of other odd descriptions.
Teal'c thought Daniel Jackson was behaving like a Hirk'sha. Humour danced through his eyes, but it was quickly chased away as he berated himself.
O'Neill and Major Carter were still missing, no trace of them had yet been found.
Next to him Daniel Jackson stumbled and winced in pain. Teal'c stopped, knowing better than to offer help to the archaeologist. He watched silently as Daniel Jackson continued walking, limping heavily but refusing help.
"Hurry up, Teal'c. We're almost there."
Teal'c sighed to himself, but followed him nonetheless. Daniel Jackson was right: the sooner they got to the site the sooner they could participate in the search.
They broke out of the sparse forest and climbed the hill steadily, only pausing at the top to study the landscape ahead.
Teal'c could see the rock face ahead of them, and he let his eyes travel over the surrounding area, now stained red with dust from the rock fall.
Major Carter and O'Neill could be buried somewhere beneath all the rubble, and the sooner they joined the SG teams already digging, the sooner the missing members would be found.
Teal'c set forwards again, knowing Daniel Jackson would follow.
He would not allow himself to believe that the unknown Goa'uld had captured O'Neill and Major Carter.
~o0o~
The second time Jack gained consciousness he definitely wasn't hurting any less than the first time. His head still burnt from where the ribbon device had done its work, and every other part of his body seemed to ache accordingly.
He groaned, his limbs still feeling like jelly.
Carter was still lying where she'd been lying the first time he'd woken up, but she was flopped on her back now, her face still scrunched with pain.
He sat up slowly, casting a nervous glance around the room. This was very weird; there were no guards around. Unless of course they were already in a prison cell. A prison cell complete with a big 'bed' of pillows they were lying on and décor was classed as weird in Jack's mind.
Carter mumbled in her sleep, flinching as her movements caused her fresh pain.
He pulled the smooth sheet covering her away gently, sucking in his breath when he saw the extent of her injury. The flesh was blackened and charred; dried blood and mud caked around it. Her BDU's were hard to touch, most likely because of more dried blood.
But she was still alive, and he marvelled at that.
He laid a hand on her forehead, feeling for her temperature. Cold. Ice cold, almost clammy to touch.
He frowned.
Her eyelids flickered, and he held his breath.
"Carter?" he didn't know why he was whispering.
She stirred again, moaning painfully.
"Carter. Sam. come on, wake up." He wished they had their packs. Maybe he could do something about the wound then.
"What. It hurts," her eyes were glazed with pain and disorientation when they flickered open.
"I know. just lie still, okay?"
"What happened?" she demanded, her eyes slipping closed.
"I'm not sure."
"I thought. I died, Colonel." Her eyes opened again, dull with pain and confusion.
He swallowed.
She had died. He'd been holding her.
But here she was, injured yet still breathing.
"Where are we?"
"I think we're on a Goa'uld ship," he admitted, touching her forehead again. "You're cold, Carter."
"Mmm." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, a gentle hum that her felt more than heard.
"I need you to stay awake. come on, Carter."
"Tired. hurts."
"I know. Please, Carter."
"Cold."
Her breathing evened out as she fell asleep again, her head resting limply on the pillows.
Sighing, his brow creased with pain and concern, Jack turned and clambered off the pillows, his socked feet almost sliding on the polished floor. He headed over to what he assumed was the door, the only smooth expanse of grey metal breaking up the gold walls around him.
"Hey!" he yelled, banging his fists against smooth metal, feeling it quiver beneath his onslaught. "HEY!"
He stepped backwards as the door hissed open, dropping into a fighting stance despite the world spinning around him.
A slender Jaffa woman stepped through, accompanied by more Jaffa bearing staff weapons and armour.
Oh crap.
*
"Why do you make noise?" Cal'ma asked disdainfully, raising an eyebrow as the Tau'ri swayed on his feet before her.
"I. what the hell is going on?"
"You are prisoners of Nut."
"Nut?"
Cal'ma frowned at his tone, he sounded almost amused as though the name of her goddess humoured him.
"Yes, Nut. The goddess of the sky."
"Nut? What kind of a name's Nut?" he demanded as his dirty face paled alarmingly beneath the layers of dry dirt and grime.
"You are blaspheming!" Cal'ma hissed, her heart beating quickly within her breast. If Nut knew of his insolence. Cal'ma wished Nut would hear his insolence. Perhaps then she would realise the scum they were and would kill both Tau'ri.
"She's not a god," he said disdainfully. "Look. I'm gonna sit down for a while."
Cal'ma watched as he sank to the floor as though he was melting. "You will honour Nut, Tau'ri. She has saved the lives of you and your mate and most graciously spared you."
"To be what? Her prisoners?" The man laughed loudly for a second before groaning painfully and holding his head between his hands.
"It is an honour. You should be dead," Cal'ma said bluntly.
The Tau'ri shot a glance at her, his eyes calculating and thoughtful as he studied her. "So she's not going to kill us then?"
"She saved you and resurrected your mate. You owe her your lives and your honour."
A look of disgust crossed his features.
"You will repay your debt to her, Tau'ri."
Cal'ma was pleased to see worry and fear flicker across his face before a mocking look covered the emotions. "Sure, if you just let us go home I'll get my credit card and-"
"Enough," Cal'ma flicked a disdainful hand, growing confused with his prattle. "You will bathe and clean yourself; Nut is not tolerant of dirt," Cal'ma ordered.
"What about Carter?" he frowned, not looking particularly upset at the thought of being clean.
"Carter?"
"Her." He jerked his thumb back across to the woman still unconscious on the bed.
"Oh, your mate. She will be taken care of. Nut will heal her further once her strength has returned. You will bathe."
"Excuse me?"
"Which part did you not understand?"
"The bit about my mate."
Cal'ma frowned. The Tau'ri were indeed strange.
"She will be taken care of. Nut has given her protection to you, you are her prisoners."
The man snorted. "She's not my mate."
Cal'ma frowned again, confused. Then she shrugged. "She is now."
"She is?" The man was mocking her again, Cal'ma could feel it.
"Nut healed her through you, you are now bound together," Cal'ma said calmly.
He frowned, opening his mouth.
"Enough!" Cal'ma shook her head in frustration. She turned to the guards. "Take him to the baths, I have had enough of this fool."
They nodded their armoured heads, the red eyes glowing dully in the bright room.
"Hey? What did you say? What's happening?"
He put up a struggled as they raised him to his feet, almost dragging him out of the room. Cal'ma watched silently as they left, and then turned to look at the woman lying on the bed.
Beneath the red mud and the blood, Cal'ma could see her skin was as fair as that of Nut. Her hair was short and the colour of the sands on the planet Alkhar, the clear features pulled up in a grimace of pain.
Despite the Tau'ri's foolishness and ignorant manners, they were a very beautiful people.
~o0o~
He smiled to himself.
Closer. They were getting closer slowly. His time was filled with the sound of freedom approaching, the steady chipping echoing loudly through his inert body.
Soon. Soon he would be free.
He could sometimes catch a muffled murmur of a voice, the voice of those who would free him.
Perhaps he would spare them when he was free. Spare them for releasing him.
He flexed his fingers.
Then again, it had been so long since he had killed someone.
He smiled slowly.
Soon. Soon he would be free.
***
Again, big thanks for all the feedback. Much appreciated.