Later That Day…
Abydos – Pyramid
"How does it look?" Sam asked as Colonel O'Neill re-entered the pyramid.
"Windy. Sandy," he told her.
"It might last for sometime longer, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
"But do Captain Fox and Chris have that time?"
"Hopefully they found shelter," Sam said.
"Where?!"
"Somewhere safe."
"Skaara said that here's the only place!"
"I know, but I can hope…"
"Yeah, I know," Jack said sitting down and holding his head in his head and then looked back up at Sam and Teal'c. "You know…I think I'm starting to like them."
Sam smiled, "But they're scientists, Colonel."
"I know! That's what makes it SO annoying!"
"Colonel O'Neill!" came a voice and the trio turned around to see that it was Kasuf, Skaara's father and Abydos' leader.
"Kasuf."
"Skaara was telling me you asked where you two could be safe through the storm."
"Yes."
"Many many generations ago…when Ra first brought people to Abydos there were many places for worship. Some have been torn down, but others still remain…underground…and forgotten…and their entrances have been buried in sandstorms…"
"Kasuf, would these forgotten underground places be safe during the storm?"
"Yes!"
"Do you know where they are?"
Kasuf shook his head, "Only that they are beyond the city."
"Thanks, Kasuf."
"Of course, O'Neill," Kasuf said and then left.
Jack turned back to Sam and Teal'c, "So maybe they ARE alive."
"Let's hope so…I told General Kerrigan that I'd look out for them," Sam said.
"They probably found the place Kasuf was talking about…Chris probably wanted to go and explore artifacts or something…"
Abydos – Ruins
Riley had left Chrislyn to go check out the rest of the ruin. Riley had only brought her radio, a zat, the digital camera, and a flashlight. Riley entered the next chamber…it was smaller than the 'star chamber', but still a good size chamber. Riley shown her flashlight on the walls and was amazed at the pictures and hieroglyphs that she knew were probably stories. More likely about Ra than anything else.
Riley pulled out the camera and set her flashlight down so that it kept the wall she wanted to photograph lit. She turned on the camera and photographed the wall, up close and from a distance.
"Too bad Chris isn't here; she could tell me what this wall says." Riley smiled, "Hmmm it's sort of weird she was so tired…" She pushed the thought aside and went back to photographing the wall.
After about forty-five minutes later, Riley moved on to the next chamber and what seemed to be the last one. It was the smallest one, about the size of a small walk-in closet. She entered the chamber, and looked around. There was a small sarcophagus. Riley moved closer, the top was painted. It was a painting of a small child.
"I wonder who this is…" Riley decided that she'd take pictures and then get back to the 'star chamber' and tell Chrislyn about what she had saw. So with that, she took the pictures and then headed back to the 'star chamber'.
A Little Later…
Abydos – Ruins
Riley returned to find Chrislyn was asleep on the floor. Sitting down by her friend with her back against the wall, she pulled out her notebook and wrote down all the questions she had, so she could ask Chrislyn when she woke up. After she was done she put the notebook away. She looked down at Chrislyn and noticed that she looked like she was getting hot.
Riley reached over and lightly felt her forehead. She was burning up. Moving her body around, she knelt down next to Chrislyn. "Chris?" Riley asked shaking her a bit. Chrislyn's eyes opened. "Hey, I think you have a fever."
"Really?" Chrislyn asked.
"Yeah, maybe you should sit up and drink some water or something…" Riley suggested as she pull the canteen from her belt.
"Okay…"
Riley helped Chrislyn sit up and gave her her canteen. "Here take a drink." Chrislyn took a drink and then looked back at Riley. "How'ya feeling?"
"I feel fine…just tired…" Chrislyn replied wearily.
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why are you so tired? We slept last night," Riley answered.
"I don't know. I'm just…tired…"
"You sure you feel okay? Cause you don't feel like you have a normal temperature…"
"I usually don't…it's usually a bit low," Chrislyn stated.
"Well it feels higher not lower…"
"Oh…" Chrislyn said and then looked down at her watch again. 30 minutes…Damn! This sand storm needs to be over now! "Do you think the storm will be over soon?"
"Let's hope so."
"So, what did you see when you explored further?" Chrislyn asked.
"A lot more hieroglyphs…I took pictures!" Riley said pulling out the camera and handing it to Chrislyn.
"Cool," Chrislyn said accepting the camera and hooking it up to her PDA to view them.
"Oh! And I had some questions about the other chambers…"
"Okay, you ask and then show me the picture."
"Okay," Riley pulled out the notebook. "Oh! In this chamber I wanted to know what the story was on the wall," Riley pointed to the picture of the chamber and then traced along all the pictures that were from that chamber.
Chrislyn enlarged the pictures and made it into a sort of slide show.
"Okay…this looks like some great event that happened here…umm it says that Ra commanded his people to build a great tribute to him…somewhere where he could house the chap'aii…or the stargate…and so the people constructed a great pyramid to Ra…the pyramid where the SG-1 is right now…"
"That's it?"
"Basically."
"It looked like a lot more!"
"Well there is…it's just a lot of rambling about how great Ra was…"
"Oh…then never mind…" Riley interrupted.
Chrislyn smiled, "You thought it was going to be something really good huh?"
"I was hoping…"
"So, what else?"
Riley showed Chrislyn a few more pictures and had some questions and Chrislyn answered them. Last, Riley asked about the sarcophagus. "What about this?" Riley asked pointing the picture of the small sarcophagus.
"Ummm it's a sarcophagus…it's so small…like a child's…I need to get a closer look…"
"You wanna see it?"
"Yeah…"
"Now?"
"It's either that or let me go back to sleep."
"Okay really quick and then you can go back to sleep…"
"Okay!" Chrislyn got up, but was extremely dizzy. She started towards the door, but started to fall. Luckily Riley caught her before she hit the floor.
"You okay?!" Riley asked a bit panicked.
"Yeah…" Chrislyn lied. "I just got up too quickly, that's all."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks…"
A Few Hours Later…
Abydos – Pyramid
Colonel O'Neill was getting antsy…he hated being cooped up for so long. He was sitting close to the opening of the pyramid, keeping an eye on the storm.
"Hey," came his second-in-command's voice from behind him breaking his train of thought.
"Carter! What's going on? Couldn't sleep?" O'Neill asked.
"Sir, it's only 1800 hours!"
Jack looked down at his watch, "Damn! They've been out there too long!"
"I know…" Sam said staring out at the still raging storm. "But I'm sure they're fine sir…"
"Yeah, well…it's not that I LIKE them…it's just I don't want to do the paperwork…that's all…"
"Uh huh…" Sam said smiling, "not even a little?"
"Maybe a little…but only a little bit."
"You're watching for the storm to calm down, aren't you?" Sam asked him looking out.
"Yeah. That or for them to come running through the storm…"
Abydos – Ruins
Chrislyn had insisted that Riley show her the final chamber with the sarcophagus. She had insisted that she was fine… So, Riley showed Chrislyn the final chamber.
"Oh my!" Chrislyn exclaimed.
"Isn't it great?" Riley said smiling, "I don't know what all this stuff is, but I know it HAD to be something good!"
"Yeah, you did good Riley. Ever think to give up the Air Force and become and anthropologist or archeologist?" Chrislyn asked.
"NO! I would NEVER QUIT the Air Force!" Riley exclaimed.
"I know! I know!" Chrislyn said smiling. Chrislyn started to inspect the glyphs on the wall. "This is awesome! Oh my God…this is sooo cool!"
"What? What does it say?"
Chrislyn traced the line of glyphs with her finger, "Here lies the great princess…" Chrislyn stopped and her breathing became a bit labored.
"Chris?" Riley asked concerned.
"I'm fine…I was just having trouble breathing for a sec…probably from all of the sand…"
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Chrislyn told her friend putting on a smile. "Okay Tefnut was the twin to Shu…Tefnut was the goddess of moisture…"
"Moisture?"
"They have gods and goddesses for all kinds of things…she's also the goddess of rain…"
"Oh…ok."
"It says that Ra buried his daughter here because she was killed by Sobek…"
"Sobek?"
"Satin…Sokhar…same thing as Sobek," Chrislyn explained.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why?" Riley asked.
"Because in different parts of that region or around the world have different names for the same gods or goddesses."
"Cool. So, what about Tefnut and Sobek?"
"Sobek killed Tefnut so Ra buried her here on Abydos away from Sobek's reach…"
"What else does it say?"
"The basic stuff going on about how great Ra was and Tefnut…" Chrislyn said and as she did she became dizzy. She put both of her hands on the wall for support. Not now! She looked down at her watch. It read negative…damn! I need to remember it! Chrislyn's vision began to blur. Her head was spinning and she knew there was no way to stop what was about to happen. Chrislyn collapsed. Hitting the wall and then slumping to the floor.
"Chris?!" Riley asked in shock as she saw her friend pass out. Riley rushed to Chrislyn's side and immediately felt for a pulse. Thank god! She found a pulse. It was weak, but it was there.
"Chris?" Riley called again, but there was no response. "Chris? You need to wake up! You're scaring me!" Riley shook her a bit, but she didn't respond. "Chris?!" Riley shouted and felt Chrislyn's forehead. Chrislyn's temperature was definitely high, higher than before. Riley looked down at her friend and noticed that her skin had turned a few shades paler than usual.
Riley pulled out her radio and hoped she'd be able to call for help. "This is Captain Fox, can anyone read me? Colonel O'Neill? Major Carter? Teal'c? Anyone?! This is an emergency!" Riley waited, but no one responded to her call.
"Damn!" Riley put the radio back into its pouch. She turned back to Chrislyn's unconscious form, "I have to go get help! I have to leave you! I don't know what to do!" Riley shouted, panicking slightly.
She was afraid; afraid that Chrislyn would die if she just sat around and waited for the storm to pass. "Colonel O'Neill said that the cardinal rule is NEVER leave a team member behind…but I'm not! Chris, I'm coming back for you! I promise!"
Riley quickly ran back to the 'star chamber' and retrieved Chris' things. She set the radio next to Chris and lifted her head to put her jacket underneath her head.
"Okay, I'll be back soon!" Riley said trying to calm down a bit. Picking up her pack, she put it on. Then she tore a piece off of the blanket Chrislyn had and used it to cover her nose and mouth. She put on her hat trying to make it as tight as possible so it hopefully wouldn't blow off.
Leaving Chrislyn in the final chamber, she headed out to the surface… And straight into the raging storm in the direction she hoped would take her back to the pyramid.