Janet yawned and pulled her robe closer to her body. It was cold in the
house, especially at three o'clock in the morning. Janet trudged to the
kitchen and opened the fridge. Pulling out a few carrots and peppers, she
made her way to the cutting board and took out a large knife from its
holder. As she washed the vegetables, her mind began to wander off.
***"Come in," she heard the general call out. Janet took a deep breath and clenched her fist in an attempt to keep herself from crying right then and there. She opened the door and stepped into the office. General Hammond put down his pen when he saw her walk in. "Doctor," he acknowledged her presence.
"Sir, I've come to update you on SG-1's condition."
"Go ahead, Doctor."
Janet could tell by the look on his face that he was not looking forward to any more bad news. "Teal'c is doing well, sir. His side wound is almost completely healed and the deep laceration on his forehead is almost non- existent. The honor goes to his symbiote. Right now, I'm keeping him hydrated and on an IV drip."
"What about Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"
"Colonel O'Neill is extremely lucky, General. If he had waited any longer, he would not have made it. Fortunately, Dr. Warner was able to stop the internal bleeding. His head injury was not a minor one, but he should come out of it with no damage. In fact, it was a miracle that he was aware and functioning throughout their escape.
"Major Carter has numerous deep lacerations on her back, possibly caused by a whipping of some kind. She has already lost feeling in the upper two thirds of her back. Unfortunately, the nerve damage seems to be permanent but we are doing our best to reduce the scarring. We put her on an IV drip as well." Janet was interrupted by the sound of papers fluttering to the floor. It took her a moment to realize that the files in her hands were now scattered on the ground. She quickly dropped to her knees, her hands shaking as she struggled to gather the papers in her embarrassment. The general got up from his seat and bent down to help her. Threatening tears began to invade her vision. Within moments, Janet lost the battle and a painful sob escaped her lips. "They're so skinny, General. I can hardly recognize them. Even Teal'c, sir. G-d, they look like Holocaust survivors."
"Doctor."
".And what kills me the most is that Daniel is still out there somewhere in the same condition and I can't do anything to help him. He'll die of starvation, sir."
"Doctor, you know we are trying everything we can to gain information about Dr. Jackson's whereabouts." Janet simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The past twenty-four hours had been crazy. She still remembered her shock when she had been called into the Gateroom the moment the technician had received SG-1's GDO code. Her heart had nearly leapt out of her throat when three scrawny figures jumped out of the wormhole. She hadn't even had time to inquire about the missing fourth, her mind already too busy worrying about the here and now. Twenty-four hours later, she had still not slept and the only person from whom she could gather any information was in a state of Kalno'reem. It killed her to see her friends in such a state.
"Doctor, I'd like you to get some sleep. You are not any good to me or SG-1 in your current state."
"Yes, sir," Janet said, grabbing hold of the general's desk as she pulled herself to her feet.***
"Mom?" Janet jumped at the sound of her daughter's voice. She turned around to see Cassandra squinting in exhaustion. Exhaustion soon turned to alarm as her daughter lifted her finger and pointed to a spot on the floor. Janet looked down only to see red drops forming a crazy pattern all along the white tiles. "Mom, you're bleeding." Janet swore when she saw the blood cover her left hand. She quickly thrust her arm over the sink and turned on the water, allowing the blood to run down the drain. "Are you okay?" Cassandra grabbed a kitchen towel and offered it to her mother.
Janet wrapped the material around her finger and squeezed hard. "I'm fine," she said.
"I'm sorry I scared you," Cassandra told her as she pulled a seat out for her mother.
Janet sat down.
"It's okay, Cassandra."
"What are you doing up at this hour?"
"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd start cooking for Friday night."
"You're kidding, right?" When her mother didn't answer, she continued, "Mom, it's three o'clock in the morning!"
"I already told you, I couldn't sleep. Damn, I'm going to need stitches," Janet muttered to herself as she removed the cloth from her finger.
"Teal'c, why don't we continue from where we left off. I think you were telling me about your first view of the camp," Dr. Watters said as she leafed through her note pad in front of her.
Teal'c nodded. "It was night when I was taken to the barrack for the first time...
*** //Get in,// the Jaffa holding Teal'c's bicep ordered as he shoved him through the door. Teal'c immediately caught his balance but before he could turn around, the metal door shut behind him. Teal'c looked up only to be met with dozens of faces glaring at him. There were bunk beds made of metal lined up in rows. Men were lying on the beds or leaning against the posts as they continued to stare. Teal'c examined the room for a spare cot and when he spotted one, he made his way towards it. The barrack remained silent, only the echo of his feet against the metal could be heard. Teal'c passed thirty or so bunks until he finally reached the empty one. He soon heard footsteps behind him and when he turned around, he could see a dozen or more men surrounding him. All the men were large, most were Teal'c's size and some even bigger.
//This bed is taken,// one of the men said, anger burning in his eyes.
//It appears to be empty.// Teal'c's neck muscles tensed as he watched more men surround his bunk area.
//No, you see.this bed is saved for the rats. You are just going to have to find another,// a second man explained.
Teal'c, knowing better than to start a fight, walked to the next empty bunk. Once again, the same group of men followed him.
//You cannot have that bed either, Jaffa. We like to keep this place clean and your kind would just dirty it. I think *that* would be a suitable place for you to sleep.// The man pointed to a door at the end of the hall where the lavatories were located.
Teal'c gritted his teeth. He knew these men hated him, not because he was a new addition, but because he bore the symbol of a Goa'uld on his forehead.
//I no longer serve the Goa'uld. It is for this reason I am here,// Teal'c yelled so that all the men in the barrack could hear him.
//Lies.you are here because Apophis is dead and you no longer have him to serve,// one of the men yelled back. This one was older, a greying beard covered his face.
Suddenly, the metal door on the side of the barrack opened and the large guard that had brought Teal'c just minutes before entered into the quarters. Teal'c watched as all the men rushed to their beds, lining up like trained soldiers, fear apparent in their eyes.
//What is all the noise about?// the guard yelled. He took out a zatnikatel and began to walk down the row of men, stopping from time to time and pointing the weapon at random men. //I demand an answer!//
//It was him.// One of the slaves pointed in Teal'c's direction. The guard looked at Teal'c and laughed.
//Not even two minutes and you already start trouble.// The guard slowly made his way towards Teal'c. The zat gun he held was nothing like Teal'c had ever seen before. An extra metal piece protruded from the handle.
The guard raised the weapon in Teal'c's direction. //You will learn soon enough, Sholva.// Teal'c saw red electricity fire from the zat. But before he could react properly, electric tendrils encircled his body. Although Teal'c had been shot with a zat gun many times throughout his life, it had never felt anything like this. The pain was much worse, his nerves tangling with each other, making him scream in agony. His body kept convulsing, seconds turning into minutes and still his muscles twitched in pain. It didn't take much longer for Teal'c to lose the battle as unconsciousness conquered his body.***
"When I regained consciousness, I realized that I had been moved to the latrine area."
"And these were the men that you were to work with for the rest of your stay there?" Angela asked.
"Yes. These were the men in my faction."
"How many men were in the barrack with you?"
"Sixty three men."
Angela wrote down a few notes. "Teal'c, can you describe to me your first day in the camp from the moment you awoke."
"My first day was no different from every other day, Dr. Watters. The moment the sun rose, we would rise and line up outside our barrack. One of the guards would count us to be certain nobody had escaped. From there, we were sent to work."
"What kind of work did you do, Teal'c?"
"Much of the work consisted of building heavy Goa'uld machinery. My job was to transport the heavy metal to other workers in the other factions."
"So you had some contact with the other workers?"
Teal'c considered the question.
*** Teal'c looked around to be sure none of the guards were watching. He had been working here for three days. So far, there was no sign of O'Neill although he was sure he was here somewhere.
Teal'c wiped the sweat from his face. It was hot. The building in which they worked was more like a factory. Hundreds of men laboured among the fire and hot punishing steam.
Teal'c pushed the cart containing the heavy Naquadah towards its destination. When he stopped in front of another worker, he emptied his cart and began to speak, //I wish to inquire about my friend. Do you know of a man by the name of O'Neill?" The man stopped working for only a moment but then he continued as if Teal'c were not present. Teal'c's anger grew and so did his desperation for information about his friend. //Why do you not answer me?//
//Talk to me no more, Jaffa!// the man growled coldly.***
"Teal'c?" Dr. Watters asked with concern when he did not answer her question.
"Yes, I did attempt contact with the other workers. However, most were unwilling to communicate. I did endeavour to locate the whereabouts of Colonel O'Neill, but I was unsuccessful. At the time, I did not know that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson had been captured as well."
Dr. Watters and Teal'c continued to go over the daily routines in the camp until a knock on the door interrupted their discussion. Angela pressed 'stop' on her recorder and invited the visitor to open the door. Daniel appeared in the doorway.
"Sorry. I was told to come for noon."
Dr. Watters checked her watch. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I guess we lost track of time." She turned to Teal'c. "That will be all for today, Teal'c." Teal'c rose from his seat and bowed his head. She smiled and watched him leave.
"Take a seat, Dr. Jackson," she said as she popped open her tape recorder and changed tapes. "So, how are you today?"
"Fine. And you?" Daniel sat down and took a sip from his coffee mug.
"Oh, I'm fine. Thank you. Well, if you're ready, why don't we start?" She waited for him to nod before she continued, "Let me see.I think we were last talking about the people in your barrack." Angela pushed her glasses up with her index finger. "What was your relationship with the other men?"
It took Daniel a moment to answer. "I don't know. I mean, nobody really talked to each other. We would work all day and by the time we got back to our barrack, we were just too exhausted to do anything other than sleep. We all pretty much kept to ourselves."
"Did you ever see any of the others from your team?"
Daniel swallowed. "Actually, I only got to see Sam throughout the entire time. She was the center of everything over there.my connection to the others."
"How do you mean, Dr. Jackson?"
"I guess you didn't get there yet with Sam?" When Daniel saw Dr. Watters shake her head, he explained, "Sam's job in the camp was to serve the daily meal."
"Meal.in singular?"
"Yes. We only received supper."
"Go on."
"Well, after working the entire day, each faction was let out at a different time to eat. It was probably the third or fourth night when I saw Sam.
*** Daniel grabbed a bowl from the ones strewn on the main table next to the door. He approached the back of the line and waited. Though the line moved fairly quickly, the silence in the air offset any feelings of relief. Daniel stared down at his hands, at the stained metal bowl that was dented and rusted. His stomach ached. He was hungry. The factory had been hot that day and he was already beginning to feel dizzy and weak. 'Must be dehydration,' his mind warned. Daniel waited another few minutes. As he neared the front of the line, a sight nearly caused him to drop his bowl.
Sam.
There she was, not two feet away, serving food next to three other women. The sight of her caused his heart to jump as if a streak of electricity had just sparked it back to life.
//Keep moving!// a Jaffa yelled when Daniel failed to follow the line. Daniel took a few steps forward until he was directly in front of his teammate. Sam's head was down as she collected food from a large pot with a ladle.
"Sam," he whispered. Sam's head popped up at the sound of his voice. She gasped his name in disbelief. There was a moment of shock during which they both stared at each other, evaluating one another's physical status. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Was she alright? Had they hurt her? Had she seen Jack or Teal'c? Knowing that time was precious and that he would get into trouble if he stalled any longer, he whispered four simple words: "Nishte means 'no', Sam"
Sam's eyes, at first, seemed confused, as though they were trying to figure out why of all things to say, he had chosen those words. But then, as understanding sunk in, she nodded her head and emptied the ladle's meagre contents into his bowl. Daniel walked away, giving her one last gaze. He kept eye contact as long as possible, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time he would see his friend.***
"I'm assuming Major Carter didn't know Goa'uld at the time."
"No. Only Teal'c and I knew the language."
"So you taught her the language during your brief encounters?"
"Well.I could only get a few words out at a time so I concentrated on the basic ones that would allow her to get by."
"And you did this everyday? Taught her the language?"
"Yes. She also relayed everything I taught her to Jack in the same way."
"So you never saw Colonel O`Neill or Teal`c at all?" Dr. Watters inquired.
"No. They were probably working in the other factory."
Daniel suddenly felt a sharp tingle in his right hand. He clenched his hand tightly into a fist and waited until the tremor passed.
"Dr. Jackson."
"Sorry.it happens sometimes."
"You are still experiencing tremors?"
"Sometimes, when I." Daniel trailed off.
"When you what, Dr. Jackson?"
"It's nothing. Can we move on?" Daniel asked impatiently.
"Certainly," Dr. Watters said as she fixed her glasses. But Daniel could see from her expression that the wheels in her head had not ceased their turning.
"Farley!" Jack yelled. "Farley, where the hell are you?!?" Jack slammed the door behind him, shaking the entire fence in the process. Jack stepped into his backyard only to be met by an empty green patch of land.there was no mutt to be seen. "Farley!" Jack yelled again, this time with agitation in his voice. Jack made a full 180 degree turn until his eyes caught sight of his back porch.
Jack sighed. At first, a few months back, when he had originally felt the need to alleviate his loneliness, he had thought that getting a dog would be a good thing to do. Now, at this very moment, he was starting to doubt that. Not only did the dog scratch up his carpets and sofa, but he was also in the habit of eating his shoes, and dirtying himself in the mud.
Jack slowly got down on his knees and peered under the wooden porch. It took his eyes a few moments to get used to the darkness but when they did, they found a dirty brown dog digging earnestly in the mud. "Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack muttered. "Farley, get over here!" The dog stopped his digging only for a moment but then continued, as though it recognized that he was being called but didn't feel the cause was important enough for his continued attention. Several swear words later, Jack finally gave up and began to crawl under the porch.
*** "I'm too old for this shit!" Jack muttered as his knees made contact with a few jagged rocks. He coughed and quickly pressed his nose to his bare arm, concentrating on the slow breathing that would allow the contents in his stomach to stay where they were.
The smell was horrendous.
He looked up at the hole through which he had squeezed himself and hoped nobody had heard him. Jack's body barely had room to manoeuvre now that he was cramped underneath the large barrack. In addition, the thick darkness that surrounded him was making it impossible for him to make out anything beyond a two-feet radius.
Jack shivered harshly, his military-issue boxers provided him with nearly zero protection from the cold.
Never in a million years would he have imagined himself half naked, pressed to the muddy ground underneath a barrack with the smell of human waste invading his sensitive nostrils. The truth of the matter was, Jack had no choice. He had to escape from this hell hole, even if it meant crawling in human shit to do so.
Earlier that night, when all the men had fallen asleep, Jack had done some reconnaissance in an attempt to find a means of escape. The metal door of the barrack was jarred shut and there were no windows of which to speak. The metal floor didn't leave him with many options either. Jack had eventually wandered into the lavatory section of the barrack where several holes in the metal floor served as makeshift toilets. Jack had approached one and glanced down only to be pleasantly surprised when he could make out mud and earth about four feet below. Without a second thought, Jack had begun to take off his clothes knowing fully well that in the event his plan of escape didn't work, he wouldn't want to have to explain to the guards why he was covered head to toe in human...he didn't even want to finish that thought.
Jack began to crawl forward slowly, his hands sinking deeply into the rancid mud. He coughed again violently as he put one hand in front of the other, his gag reflex beginning to take effect. As the seconds passed, Jack could begin to see the light of the moon streaking through the sides. This was his chance, he thought as a boost of adrenaline pushed him forward. As he neared the end of the barrack, he could already see the outlines of the various buildings in his crouched position. For several minutes, he searched for any sign of Jaffa in his field of vision. When he saw none, he advanced a few feet.
A shooting pain suddenly engulfed his upper torso as his entire body was thrown back by an invisible force. Jack's head hit the solid metal surface above him. Despite the painful throbbing of his head, Jack refrained from crying out. He looked up a moment later only to see red electric energy fluctuate wildly.
Damn!
The barrack was surrounded by a damn Goa'uld force field too, making escape impossible.
When the force field finally settled, Jack peered out again to glance at a freedom he knew he couldn't have. Adding insult to injury, Jack noticed that his barrack couldn't be more than thirty feet away from the closing perimeter of the camp where a large forest spread its glorious wings, a perfect escape if the opportunity ever presented itself.
A crunch of boot on rocks penetrated his thoughts and Jack quietly retracted from his nearly exposed position. He waited until the armed soldier passed before he turned himself around and began crawling back to the point from which he had come.
Jack suddenly stopped, an idea forming within the confines of his mind.
He pushed his hand hard into the ground and it gave easily.
What if he dug himself out?
He figured it would take him a few months if he dedicated two to three hours a night. Even so, he knew it would be a great risk considering the fact that he didn't exactly have a shower to wash off the smell. The water in the barrack provided to them by the Goa'uld would have to be enough.
Satisfied for the moment with his plan, Jack continued on until he could make out the row of holes above him.
Tomorrow night, he would come back.
Jack positioned himself under one of the holes, reached out his hands to grasp the sides and lifted himself up.***
Jack jerked back when he heard a loud yelp. It took him a moment to realize that the sound had come from his dog. It took him another moment to figure out why the dog had made that noise. Jack's hand was tightly wrapped around the dog's paw, hurting the dog with his powerful grip. Jack immediately let go, unaware that he had taken the paw in the first place. The moment Farley was released, the dog took off at a run, leaving Jack alone in the dirt.
"Shit!" Jack muttered to himself. But instead of crawling out, he stayed there, crouched under his porch until his knees begged him mercy.
General Hammond leafed through yet another mission report. This was number thirty. George sighed and rubbed at his eyes, hoping to rid them of their weariness. Putting the report on top of the stack of papers to his left, George stretched his back. Feeling the urge to walk around and renew the circulation in his legs, he got out of his seat and made his way to the briefing room. The window facing the stargate seemed to call his name.
*** General Hammond stared at the stargate as he had done many times previously, revelling in its glorious size. But somehow, today, it didn't look quite as large as it once did. Knowing he still had much work to do, the general turned around just as the alarms began to blare out.
"What in G-d's name." George muttered as he spun around to face the stargate for a second time. Instead of the serene atmosphere that had greeted him not two seconds earlier, he now watched as the outer ring of the stargate spun and half a dozen soldiers burst through the blast doors.
There were no teams scheduled to return.
General Hammond jogged towards the stairs leading to the control room. The moment he got there, he was informed of the situation.
"We have no IDC coming through as of yet, sir."
General Hammond nodded as he watched the seventh chevron lock into place. "Keep the iris closed, Sergeant."
"Yes, sir."
General Hammond despised this part of his job. He hated not knowing what was out there, who was knocking on their proverbial door.
Soldiers continued to move in on the stargate, their weapons raised despite the fact that the iris was still in place. Everyone waited with bated breath as the wormhole established. Seconds went by until they heard the unmistakable noise of four consecutive impacts upon the metal iris.
Hammond lowered his eyes.
Yes, this indeed was the worst part of his job.
"General, there are still travelers on route, sir!" the technician informed.
After another twenty seconds or so, another thud echoed out. The wormhole still did not disengage, leaving the general and everyone else deeply perplexed.
"What the hell is going on?" the general asked no one in particular. He stared in silence, his heart thumping loudly against his chest.
There was another soft impact with the iris.
General Hammond grounded his teeth when. Again, the wormhole did not disengage
"Sir, there's still something coming through."
General Hammond didn't bother to hide his frustration this time. "Sergeant!" General Hammond wanted an explanation. Three more quick dull thuds filled the air until finally, the wormhole deactivated. "General!" one of the technicians called out.
"Go ahead, Sergeant."
"These energy readings clearly show that those hits were not humans, sir." Sergeant Davis pointed to an area on his computer screen. "They were small objects."
"Sergeant, could these objects be weapons of some kind?"
"I can't tell, sir." The sergeant continued to analyze the data from the computer in front of him. General Hammond stared at the stargate as if ready for it to engage again.
It didn't.
A few minutes passed until Davis' voice called out, "Sir, take a look at this. I think it's an SOS ."
"What?" Hammond stared at the screen.
"This is a sample of the recording of the impacts on the iris."
General Hammond listened as the computer played out the events.
Thud, thud, thud, thud..thud..thud.. thud, thud, thud.
"There it is, sir. It's definitely a distress signal, sir."
General Hammond could hardly believe it. Could it be one of his teams in trouble? Perhaps they had lost their GDOs? But before he could ponder on it any longer, the stargate had chosen that moment to come to life once again. The sound of the alarms going off interrupted his next words. General Hammond looked up to see the stargate activate once again.
"Sir, another incoming wormhole."
Hammond watched as the wormhole established for the second time since his arrival in the control room.
"There may be a traveller on route this time, sir. Awaiting your command!"
General Hammond clenched his sweaty palms into fists. His mind was racked with questions, the predominant one being: Was it possible that an off- world opponent knew an Earth-based distress signal? His judgement told him it couldn't be so.this was not an enemy.
"Open the iris!" the general yelled above the blaring alarms. He leaned in and grabbed the microphone, pressing down on the side button at the same time. "Stand at attention," he ordered the guards in the embarkation room. Immediately, they lined up around the stargate, pointing their weapons at the retracting iris. General Hammond moved to a side panel where he pressed another button that would alert the base of possible danger. He watched as ten more recruits ran into the embarkation room to line up with the rest.
The shimmering wormhole remained stable for a few minutes and still nothing came out. General Hammond stared steadfastly at the stargate, preparing for the worst. A trickle of sweat glided down his forehead.
"What's taking so long, Sergeant?"
"I'm not sure, sir. It may be-"General Hammond followed the sergeant's gaze as his words trailed off.
A lone figure spurted out of the stargate, falling to the ramp in a crumpled heap.
"My G-d!" he gawked. His motor function seemed to slow as it took him a few seconds to reach for the phone on the wall. He picked up the receiver with a shaking hand. When he heard the familiar female voice respond on the other line, he suddenly seemed to find his voice again. "We need a medical team to the embarkation room immediately. It's Dr. Jackson!"***
Footsteps on metal stairs invaded his thoughts. He pushed away from the window, a silent shiver moving down his torso. He hated when his mind drifted off. Maybe what he hated even more was the realization that this ordeal with SG-1 may have affected him more than he liked to admit.
Maybe it was time for retirement.
He seemed to ponder on that thought until a person emerged from the stairwell.
"Sir, I gave Dr. Watters the message. She'll see you once she has finished up her session with Colonel O'Neill."
"Thank you, Airman." General Hammond gave the stargate one last glance before he walked back to his office and resumed his work.
Jack knocked. He could feel Teal'c's presence behind him as he waited for any signs of the life on the other side of the door. Seconds later, he heard footsteps. Daniel opened the door, a look of surprise on his face.
"Jack.Teal'c-"
"Daniel," Jack said peering over his friend's shoulder to get a look at his hotel room.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Isn't it rude to let your friends wait out in the hall?" Jack asked.
Daniel stepped aside and watched as both his former teammates entered his room.
"Looks like my room," Jack commented, amused at the sight of Daniel's clothes thrown all over the floor and bed. Teal'c's eyebrow shot up when he spotted a pair of Daniel's boxers next to his feet. Daniel's face grew red as he bent down to pick it up.
"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting visitors. What are you guys doing here?"
"Teal'c wanted to see a movie and thought maybe you and Carter wanted to join us. Where is she anyway?"
"She's in the room next to mine." He pointed to the connecting door.
Jack noted the book that was open and upside down on Daniel's bed. "So what do ya say you leave all 'this' alone-" Jack motioned to the open book with his hand, "- and join Teal'c and I for a wonderful entertaining night at the movies?"
"I don't know, Jack."
"Daniel, what's a night with your two old buddies? And you can't honestly tell me that -" Jack picked up the book and turned it over to read the cover. "-'Ancient Civilizations of Africa and Near East' can get your heart pumping like a good ol' Hollywood thriller?"
"Actually-"
"That was a rhetorical question, Daniel," Jack stated as he neared the connecting door to Sam's room. Jack knocked on it. "Carter, you in there?"
Moments later, Sam opened the door, a look of confusion etched on her face. "Sir?"
"Come on, Carter. We're going to a movie tonight. Close that laptop, put on your shoes and off we go." He swept his hands to the door.
"Sir, I would love to except-"
"Oh come on, Carter. You don't want to disappoint Daniel. I mean look at his face. Can't you see how much he's dying to go?" Sam looked up at Daniel's annoyed expression. She couldn't hold back her laugh.
"You win, sir."
"That's the spirit, Carter!"
Sam looked to Daniel who was sitting next to her. She was sure that Daniel wished he hadn't broken his date with his books; the scowl he wore told her all she needed to know.
The sound of an explosion drew her attention back to the big screen in front of her. A car chase on a bridge had just ended abruptly when a collision with one of the bridge's posts effectively demolished the black BMW.
Sam snorted inwardly.
'Typical,' she thought. Purely testosterone driven. She looked over to the colonel and smiled at his amused face. Teal'c was also deeply engrossed by the high strung action of this no plot thriller. A sudden movement beside her jolted her out of her thoughts. Daniel was walking away, heading towards the exit of the theatre. Something told her that Daniel hadn't left because he desperately needed to use the washroom. His back was stiff and his strides were swift. Her gut told her something was wrong.
Daniel kept his head down as he walked towards the bathroom. His chest was hurting, as if his heart was breaking his ribs with its powerful strokes.
Daniel pushed open the door to the men's washroom. He quickly made his way to the first stall he saw and slammed the door shut, his shaking fingers locking it tightly. Daniel sat on the toilet and tried to calm himself down.
It was a panic attack. It seemed to have come out of nowhere, as though his body thought it fun to suddenly jumpstart his sympathetic system without warning him.
This had happened a few times before, however, it never lasted this long.
What the hell was happening to him?
How had this just come about?
Daniel closed his eyes and tried to still his hands. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, as if his lungs were filling up with water rather than oxygen.
*** Daniel's eyes suddenly flew open. His first instinct was to take a breath, an action he surely regretted. Instead of a mouthful of air, he got a mouthful of water...
Water.
He was underwater.
Daniel's eyes darted around.
Every muscle of his being wanted to scream at the sight that assailed him.
Bodies.
Hundreds of dead bodies all around him, some floating near his feet, others piled on the sand below.
An adrenaline boost forced his legs to kick with all their strength. A sharp pain radiated down his right leg but he ignored it. His hands desperately reached for the surface above him. His injured leg was working against him, acting like an anchor, slowing down his ascent. His heart pounded as pure panic forced his hands to claw through the water in a frantic attempt to pull his body forward. Daniel's throat was beginning to burn, the air in his lungs quickly getting more and more scarce. He kicked even harder, his hands getting caught in some sort of netting. Trying to untangle himself, he suppressed the urge to scream when he came away with human hair wrapped between his fingers. Not two feet away, the lifeless eyes of a young woman stared back at him. Daniel tore his eyes away and looked up desperately. He could see that he was close now; he could make out the sun's reflection through the water. With all his resolve, he kicked even harder until finally, his head broke the surface.
The moment he felt the cool air against his skin, Daniel tried to breathe and was unprepared for the coughing fit that followed. Water spurted out of his mouth as his throat convulsed painfully. At the same time, his stomach joined in, his abdominal muscles violently contracting. Finally, when most of the water was free of his trachea, he took a deep breath. He refused to move, treading water with considerable difficulty as his mouth starved for more air.
A piercing pain suddenly rolled into him with its ruthless force, causing him to cry out loud. He clutched his thigh with one hand, as his other hand struggled to keep him afloat. The pain was unbearable.
The cobwebs in his mind suddenly cleared. He remembered what had happened to his leg.
Knowing if he didn't do something now, he would surely drown, Daniel studied his surroundings. He tried to stifle an exclamation of delight when his eyes spotted the most unexpected sight.
A stargate.Right there in front of him, on the shore not 100 feet away!
The next logical question that entered his mind was how the hell he had gotten here.wherever "here" was. He was obviously not in the Goa'uld camp anymore but on another planet somewhere. And if that was so, then how was it that he was in an ocean while the stargate was on land?
Another stargate. There must have been another stargate somewhere.
He peered down into the depths of the ocean. Through the shimmering water, he could clearly make out the reflection of the large ring.
So there were two stargates on this planet!
Why?
Realization suddenly dawned on him. This planet was a human graveyard. The Goa'uld probably submerged another stargate purely for the purpose of discarding their dead.
If he was here, then it probably meant the Goa'uld had thought him dead. His stomach turned at the idea.
Daniel knew he would have to move soon if he wanted to keep warm. He began to swim, his face constricting with pain every time he moved his leg. He tried to ignore the pain, focusing on the stargate instead. After a few strokes, his arms began to fail him. Without the support of both his legs, his arms were taking the brunt of his weight. As he continued to struggle, he succeeded only in taking in a mouthful of water, his body being pulled under by the powerful waves. He coughed violently as a wave sucked him down below the surface.
He was weak.
He could feel his body giving up, slowly shutting down.
He kicked his legs, crying out again in pain. As another wave washed over him, he noticed it was tinged red.
He was bleeding.
Panic surged, forcing him to push on forward again. He listened to the voice in his head convincing him not to give up.
Seconds soon turned into minutes. His movements became mechanical. He continued to put one arm in front of the other, despite the pain, despite his fatigue. He knew he was swimming now not only for his freedom but for his life.
When he was still thirty yards away from shore, a cramp struck his left leg. He rolled sideways trying to reach the bunched muscle. More water poured down his throat. He tried to cough it out but went under instead, his stomach still trying to heave, his fingers reaching for the surface.
'I'm drowning,' he thought. 'I'm really drowning.'
Then, he felt the strangest sensation, as though a hand had seized his arm and had pulled him upward. It was better than an epinephrine shot. His head broke the surface and he began to swim again.
When he felt his feet touch something hard, he weakly opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them.
Daniel plunged forward, falling boneless to the sand. He felt cold, and thought this was what being dead would be like if you could feel it. He stayed like that for several minutes, giving his body a chance to recuperate. When he could feel some of his strength returning, he tried to get up but fell right back down. He clutched at his thigh, gritting his teeth as he waited for the pain to ease. He lifted up his pant leg and groaned at the sight. His leg was badly infected, green puss covering his wound. Knowing he couldn't walk, Daniel leaned forward and began to crawl.
When he reached the DHD, he grasped its base and pulled himself up until he was standing on one leg. His heart pounded as he reached out a hand, about to dial Earth's address when a sudden thought struck him.
The GDO code. How could he get through if he didn't have the GDO device?
His mind ran in circles until he thought back to his survival training he had received his first year at the SGC.
An idea suddenly formed in his mind. Daniel searched around for anything that he could throw. He thanked G-d when he spotted a few dozen rocks scattered all along the sand. He struggled to remain conscious as he collected as many as he could and then began dialling for Earth. As soon as the stargate established, Daniel crawled closer to the event horizon and weakly threw the rocks into the shimmering wormhole in a quick pattern. When he re-established the wormhole for the second time, he knew that he was taking a chance if he stepped through it. He had no idea if the general had recognized the distress signal. Daniel crawled forward anyhow, prepared to meet his fate, even if it meant death. It took him several minutes to crawl to the wormhole and when he found himself in front of it, he hardly had the energy to pull himself through.***
"Daniel.you okay?"
Daniel lifted his head at the sound of Jack's voice.
"Daniel?" He heard a knock on his bathroom stall door.
"I'm okay, Jack!" Daniel got up from his seat on the toilet and opened the stall door. Jack was standing in front of him with a worried expression.
"Carter was worried about you.asked me to check on you."
"I'm fine," Daniel responded.
"Good." But Jack knew better. He could see the thin sheet of perspiration on his friend's face. Trying to lighten up the situation, Jack continued. "You know Daniel, it shouldn't hurt that much. You should add some prunes to your diet."
Daniel gave him an annoyed look.
"It was a joke, Daniel." Jack paused. "Sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine."
***"Come in," she heard the general call out. Janet took a deep breath and clenched her fist in an attempt to keep herself from crying right then and there. She opened the door and stepped into the office. General Hammond put down his pen when he saw her walk in. "Doctor," he acknowledged her presence.
"Sir, I've come to update you on SG-1's condition."
"Go ahead, Doctor."
Janet could tell by the look on his face that he was not looking forward to any more bad news. "Teal'c is doing well, sir. His side wound is almost completely healed and the deep laceration on his forehead is almost non- existent. The honor goes to his symbiote. Right now, I'm keeping him hydrated and on an IV drip."
"What about Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"
"Colonel O'Neill is extremely lucky, General. If he had waited any longer, he would not have made it. Fortunately, Dr. Warner was able to stop the internal bleeding. His head injury was not a minor one, but he should come out of it with no damage. In fact, it was a miracle that he was aware and functioning throughout their escape.
"Major Carter has numerous deep lacerations on her back, possibly caused by a whipping of some kind. She has already lost feeling in the upper two thirds of her back. Unfortunately, the nerve damage seems to be permanent but we are doing our best to reduce the scarring. We put her on an IV drip as well." Janet was interrupted by the sound of papers fluttering to the floor. It took her a moment to realize that the files in her hands were now scattered on the ground. She quickly dropped to her knees, her hands shaking as she struggled to gather the papers in her embarrassment. The general got up from his seat and bent down to help her. Threatening tears began to invade her vision. Within moments, Janet lost the battle and a painful sob escaped her lips. "They're so skinny, General. I can hardly recognize them. Even Teal'c, sir. G-d, they look like Holocaust survivors."
"Doctor."
".And what kills me the most is that Daniel is still out there somewhere in the same condition and I can't do anything to help him. He'll die of starvation, sir."
"Doctor, you know we are trying everything we can to gain information about Dr. Jackson's whereabouts." Janet simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The past twenty-four hours had been crazy. She still remembered her shock when she had been called into the Gateroom the moment the technician had received SG-1's GDO code. Her heart had nearly leapt out of her throat when three scrawny figures jumped out of the wormhole. She hadn't even had time to inquire about the missing fourth, her mind already too busy worrying about the here and now. Twenty-four hours later, she had still not slept and the only person from whom she could gather any information was in a state of Kalno'reem. It killed her to see her friends in such a state.
"Doctor, I'd like you to get some sleep. You are not any good to me or SG-1 in your current state."
"Yes, sir," Janet said, grabbing hold of the general's desk as she pulled herself to her feet.***
"Mom?" Janet jumped at the sound of her daughter's voice. She turned around to see Cassandra squinting in exhaustion. Exhaustion soon turned to alarm as her daughter lifted her finger and pointed to a spot on the floor. Janet looked down only to see red drops forming a crazy pattern all along the white tiles. "Mom, you're bleeding." Janet swore when she saw the blood cover her left hand. She quickly thrust her arm over the sink and turned on the water, allowing the blood to run down the drain. "Are you okay?" Cassandra grabbed a kitchen towel and offered it to her mother.
Janet wrapped the material around her finger and squeezed hard. "I'm fine," she said.
"I'm sorry I scared you," Cassandra told her as she pulled a seat out for her mother.
Janet sat down.
"It's okay, Cassandra."
"What are you doing up at this hour?"
"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd start cooking for Friday night."
"You're kidding, right?" When her mother didn't answer, she continued, "Mom, it's three o'clock in the morning!"
"I already told you, I couldn't sleep. Damn, I'm going to need stitches," Janet muttered to herself as she removed the cloth from her finger.
"Teal'c, why don't we continue from where we left off. I think you were telling me about your first view of the camp," Dr. Watters said as she leafed through her note pad in front of her.
Teal'c nodded. "It was night when I was taken to the barrack for the first time...
*** //Get in,// the Jaffa holding Teal'c's bicep ordered as he shoved him through the door. Teal'c immediately caught his balance but before he could turn around, the metal door shut behind him. Teal'c looked up only to be met with dozens of faces glaring at him. There were bunk beds made of metal lined up in rows. Men were lying on the beds or leaning against the posts as they continued to stare. Teal'c examined the room for a spare cot and when he spotted one, he made his way towards it. The barrack remained silent, only the echo of his feet against the metal could be heard. Teal'c passed thirty or so bunks until he finally reached the empty one. He soon heard footsteps behind him and when he turned around, he could see a dozen or more men surrounding him. All the men were large, most were Teal'c's size and some even bigger.
//This bed is taken,// one of the men said, anger burning in his eyes.
//It appears to be empty.// Teal'c's neck muscles tensed as he watched more men surround his bunk area.
//No, you see.this bed is saved for the rats. You are just going to have to find another,// a second man explained.
Teal'c, knowing better than to start a fight, walked to the next empty bunk. Once again, the same group of men followed him.
//You cannot have that bed either, Jaffa. We like to keep this place clean and your kind would just dirty it. I think *that* would be a suitable place for you to sleep.// The man pointed to a door at the end of the hall where the lavatories were located.
Teal'c gritted his teeth. He knew these men hated him, not because he was a new addition, but because he bore the symbol of a Goa'uld on his forehead.
//I no longer serve the Goa'uld. It is for this reason I am here,// Teal'c yelled so that all the men in the barrack could hear him.
//Lies.you are here because Apophis is dead and you no longer have him to serve,// one of the men yelled back. This one was older, a greying beard covered his face.
Suddenly, the metal door on the side of the barrack opened and the large guard that had brought Teal'c just minutes before entered into the quarters. Teal'c watched as all the men rushed to their beds, lining up like trained soldiers, fear apparent in their eyes.
//What is all the noise about?// the guard yelled. He took out a zatnikatel and began to walk down the row of men, stopping from time to time and pointing the weapon at random men. //I demand an answer!//
//It was him.// One of the slaves pointed in Teal'c's direction. The guard looked at Teal'c and laughed.
//Not even two minutes and you already start trouble.// The guard slowly made his way towards Teal'c. The zat gun he held was nothing like Teal'c had ever seen before. An extra metal piece protruded from the handle.
The guard raised the weapon in Teal'c's direction. //You will learn soon enough, Sholva.// Teal'c saw red electricity fire from the zat. But before he could react properly, electric tendrils encircled his body. Although Teal'c had been shot with a zat gun many times throughout his life, it had never felt anything like this. The pain was much worse, his nerves tangling with each other, making him scream in agony. His body kept convulsing, seconds turning into minutes and still his muscles twitched in pain. It didn't take much longer for Teal'c to lose the battle as unconsciousness conquered his body.***
"When I regained consciousness, I realized that I had been moved to the latrine area."
"And these were the men that you were to work with for the rest of your stay there?" Angela asked.
"Yes. These were the men in my faction."
"How many men were in the barrack with you?"
"Sixty three men."
Angela wrote down a few notes. "Teal'c, can you describe to me your first day in the camp from the moment you awoke."
"My first day was no different from every other day, Dr. Watters. The moment the sun rose, we would rise and line up outside our barrack. One of the guards would count us to be certain nobody had escaped. From there, we were sent to work."
"What kind of work did you do, Teal'c?"
"Much of the work consisted of building heavy Goa'uld machinery. My job was to transport the heavy metal to other workers in the other factions."
"So you had some contact with the other workers?"
Teal'c considered the question.
*** Teal'c looked around to be sure none of the guards were watching. He had been working here for three days. So far, there was no sign of O'Neill although he was sure he was here somewhere.
Teal'c wiped the sweat from his face. It was hot. The building in which they worked was more like a factory. Hundreds of men laboured among the fire and hot punishing steam.
Teal'c pushed the cart containing the heavy Naquadah towards its destination. When he stopped in front of another worker, he emptied his cart and began to speak, //I wish to inquire about my friend. Do you know of a man by the name of O'Neill?" The man stopped working for only a moment but then he continued as if Teal'c were not present. Teal'c's anger grew and so did his desperation for information about his friend. //Why do you not answer me?//
//Talk to me no more, Jaffa!// the man growled coldly.***
"Teal'c?" Dr. Watters asked with concern when he did not answer her question.
"Yes, I did attempt contact with the other workers. However, most were unwilling to communicate. I did endeavour to locate the whereabouts of Colonel O'Neill, but I was unsuccessful. At the time, I did not know that Major Carter and Daniel Jackson had been captured as well."
Dr. Watters and Teal'c continued to go over the daily routines in the camp until a knock on the door interrupted their discussion. Angela pressed 'stop' on her recorder and invited the visitor to open the door. Daniel appeared in the doorway.
"Sorry. I was told to come for noon."
Dr. Watters checked her watch. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I guess we lost track of time." She turned to Teal'c. "That will be all for today, Teal'c." Teal'c rose from his seat and bowed his head. She smiled and watched him leave.
"Take a seat, Dr. Jackson," she said as she popped open her tape recorder and changed tapes. "So, how are you today?"
"Fine. And you?" Daniel sat down and took a sip from his coffee mug.
"Oh, I'm fine. Thank you. Well, if you're ready, why don't we start?" She waited for him to nod before she continued, "Let me see.I think we were last talking about the people in your barrack." Angela pushed her glasses up with her index finger. "What was your relationship with the other men?"
It took Daniel a moment to answer. "I don't know. I mean, nobody really talked to each other. We would work all day and by the time we got back to our barrack, we were just too exhausted to do anything other than sleep. We all pretty much kept to ourselves."
"Did you ever see any of the others from your team?"
Daniel swallowed. "Actually, I only got to see Sam throughout the entire time. She was the center of everything over there.my connection to the others."
"How do you mean, Dr. Jackson?"
"I guess you didn't get there yet with Sam?" When Daniel saw Dr. Watters shake her head, he explained, "Sam's job in the camp was to serve the daily meal."
"Meal.in singular?"
"Yes. We only received supper."
"Go on."
"Well, after working the entire day, each faction was let out at a different time to eat. It was probably the third or fourth night when I saw Sam.
*** Daniel grabbed a bowl from the ones strewn on the main table next to the door. He approached the back of the line and waited. Though the line moved fairly quickly, the silence in the air offset any feelings of relief. Daniel stared down at his hands, at the stained metal bowl that was dented and rusted. His stomach ached. He was hungry. The factory had been hot that day and he was already beginning to feel dizzy and weak. 'Must be dehydration,' his mind warned. Daniel waited another few minutes. As he neared the front of the line, a sight nearly caused him to drop his bowl.
Sam.
There she was, not two feet away, serving food next to three other women. The sight of her caused his heart to jump as if a streak of electricity had just sparked it back to life.
//Keep moving!// a Jaffa yelled when Daniel failed to follow the line. Daniel took a few steps forward until he was directly in front of his teammate. Sam's head was down as she collected food from a large pot with a ladle.
"Sam," he whispered. Sam's head popped up at the sound of his voice. She gasped his name in disbelief. There was a moment of shock during which they both stared at each other, evaluating one another's physical status. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Was she alright? Had they hurt her? Had she seen Jack or Teal'c? Knowing that time was precious and that he would get into trouble if he stalled any longer, he whispered four simple words: "Nishte means 'no', Sam"
Sam's eyes, at first, seemed confused, as though they were trying to figure out why of all things to say, he had chosen those words. But then, as understanding sunk in, she nodded her head and emptied the ladle's meagre contents into his bowl. Daniel walked away, giving her one last gaze. He kept eye contact as long as possible, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time he would see his friend.***
"I'm assuming Major Carter didn't know Goa'uld at the time."
"No. Only Teal'c and I knew the language."
"So you taught her the language during your brief encounters?"
"Well.I could only get a few words out at a time so I concentrated on the basic ones that would allow her to get by."
"And you did this everyday? Taught her the language?"
"Yes. She also relayed everything I taught her to Jack in the same way."
"So you never saw Colonel O`Neill or Teal`c at all?" Dr. Watters inquired.
"No. They were probably working in the other factory."
Daniel suddenly felt a sharp tingle in his right hand. He clenched his hand tightly into a fist and waited until the tremor passed.
"Dr. Jackson."
"Sorry.it happens sometimes."
"You are still experiencing tremors?"
"Sometimes, when I." Daniel trailed off.
"When you what, Dr. Jackson?"
"It's nothing. Can we move on?" Daniel asked impatiently.
"Certainly," Dr. Watters said as she fixed her glasses. But Daniel could see from her expression that the wheels in her head had not ceased their turning.
"Farley!" Jack yelled. "Farley, where the hell are you?!?" Jack slammed the door behind him, shaking the entire fence in the process. Jack stepped into his backyard only to be met by an empty green patch of land.there was no mutt to be seen. "Farley!" Jack yelled again, this time with agitation in his voice. Jack made a full 180 degree turn until his eyes caught sight of his back porch.
Jack sighed. At first, a few months back, when he had originally felt the need to alleviate his loneliness, he had thought that getting a dog would be a good thing to do. Now, at this very moment, he was starting to doubt that. Not only did the dog scratch up his carpets and sofa, but he was also in the habit of eating his shoes, and dirtying himself in the mud.
Jack slowly got down on his knees and peered under the wooden porch. It took his eyes a few moments to get used to the darkness but when they did, they found a dirty brown dog digging earnestly in the mud. "Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack muttered. "Farley, get over here!" The dog stopped his digging only for a moment but then continued, as though it recognized that he was being called but didn't feel the cause was important enough for his continued attention. Several swear words later, Jack finally gave up and began to crawl under the porch.
*** "I'm too old for this shit!" Jack muttered as his knees made contact with a few jagged rocks. He coughed and quickly pressed his nose to his bare arm, concentrating on the slow breathing that would allow the contents in his stomach to stay where they were.
The smell was horrendous.
He looked up at the hole through which he had squeezed himself and hoped nobody had heard him. Jack's body barely had room to manoeuvre now that he was cramped underneath the large barrack. In addition, the thick darkness that surrounded him was making it impossible for him to make out anything beyond a two-feet radius.
Jack shivered harshly, his military-issue boxers provided him with nearly zero protection from the cold.
Never in a million years would he have imagined himself half naked, pressed to the muddy ground underneath a barrack with the smell of human waste invading his sensitive nostrils. The truth of the matter was, Jack had no choice. He had to escape from this hell hole, even if it meant crawling in human shit to do so.
Earlier that night, when all the men had fallen asleep, Jack had done some reconnaissance in an attempt to find a means of escape. The metal door of the barrack was jarred shut and there were no windows of which to speak. The metal floor didn't leave him with many options either. Jack had eventually wandered into the lavatory section of the barrack where several holes in the metal floor served as makeshift toilets. Jack had approached one and glanced down only to be pleasantly surprised when he could make out mud and earth about four feet below. Without a second thought, Jack had begun to take off his clothes knowing fully well that in the event his plan of escape didn't work, he wouldn't want to have to explain to the guards why he was covered head to toe in human...he didn't even want to finish that thought.
Jack began to crawl forward slowly, his hands sinking deeply into the rancid mud. He coughed again violently as he put one hand in front of the other, his gag reflex beginning to take effect. As the seconds passed, Jack could begin to see the light of the moon streaking through the sides. This was his chance, he thought as a boost of adrenaline pushed him forward. As he neared the end of the barrack, he could already see the outlines of the various buildings in his crouched position. For several minutes, he searched for any sign of Jaffa in his field of vision. When he saw none, he advanced a few feet.
A shooting pain suddenly engulfed his upper torso as his entire body was thrown back by an invisible force. Jack's head hit the solid metal surface above him. Despite the painful throbbing of his head, Jack refrained from crying out. He looked up a moment later only to see red electric energy fluctuate wildly.
Damn!
The barrack was surrounded by a damn Goa'uld force field too, making escape impossible.
When the force field finally settled, Jack peered out again to glance at a freedom he knew he couldn't have. Adding insult to injury, Jack noticed that his barrack couldn't be more than thirty feet away from the closing perimeter of the camp where a large forest spread its glorious wings, a perfect escape if the opportunity ever presented itself.
A crunch of boot on rocks penetrated his thoughts and Jack quietly retracted from his nearly exposed position. He waited until the armed soldier passed before he turned himself around and began crawling back to the point from which he had come.
Jack suddenly stopped, an idea forming within the confines of his mind.
He pushed his hand hard into the ground and it gave easily.
What if he dug himself out?
He figured it would take him a few months if he dedicated two to three hours a night. Even so, he knew it would be a great risk considering the fact that he didn't exactly have a shower to wash off the smell. The water in the barrack provided to them by the Goa'uld would have to be enough.
Satisfied for the moment with his plan, Jack continued on until he could make out the row of holes above him.
Tomorrow night, he would come back.
Jack positioned himself under one of the holes, reached out his hands to grasp the sides and lifted himself up.***
Jack jerked back when he heard a loud yelp. It took him a moment to realize that the sound had come from his dog. It took him another moment to figure out why the dog had made that noise. Jack's hand was tightly wrapped around the dog's paw, hurting the dog with his powerful grip. Jack immediately let go, unaware that he had taken the paw in the first place. The moment Farley was released, the dog took off at a run, leaving Jack alone in the dirt.
"Shit!" Jack muttered to himself. But instead of crawling out, he stayed there, crouched under his porch until his knees begged him mercy.
General Hammond leafed through yet another mission report. This was number thirty. George sighed and rubbed at his eyes, hoping to rid them of their weariness. Putting the report on top of the stack of papers to his left, George stretched his back. Feeling the urge to walk around and renew the circulation in his legs, he got out of his seat and made his way to the briefing room. The window facing the stargate seemed to call his name.
*** General Hammond stared at the stargate as he had done many times previously, revelling in its glorious size. But somehow, today, it didn't look quite as large as it once did. Knowing he still had much work to do, the general turned around just as the alarms began to blare out.
"What in G-d's name." George muttered as he spun around to face the stargate for a second time. Instead of the serene atmosphere that had greeted him not two seconds earlier, he now watched as the outer ring of the stargate spun and half a dozen soldiers burst through the blast doors.
There were no teams scheduled to return.
General Hammond jogged towards the stairs leading to the control room. The moment he got there, he was informed of the situation.
"We have no IDC coming through as of yet, sir."
General Hammond nodded as he watched the seventh chevron lock into place. "Keep the iris closed, Sergeant."
"Yes, sir."
General Hammond despised this part of his job. He hated not knowing what was out there, who was knocking on their proverbial door.
Soldiers continued to move in on the stargate, their weapons raised despite the fact that the iris was still in place. Everyone waited with bated breath as the wormhole established. Seconds went by until they heard the unmistakable noise of four consecutive impacts upon the metal iris.
Hammond lowered his eyes.
Yes, this indeed was the worst part of his job.
"General, there are still travelers on route, sir!" the technician informed.
After another twenty seconds or so, another thud echoed out. The wormhole still did not disengage, leaving the general and everyone else deeply perplexed.
"What the hell is going on?" the general asked no one in particular. He stared in silence, his heart thumping loudly against his chest.
There was another soft impact with the iris.
General Hammond grounded his teeth when. Again, the wormhole did not disengage
"Sir, there's still something coming through."
General Hammond didn't bother to hide his frustration this time. "Sergeant!" General Hammond wanted an explanation. Three more quick dull thuds filled the air until finally, the wormhole deactivated. "General!" one of the technicians called out.
"Go ahead, Sergeant."
"These energy readings clearly show that those hits were not humans, sir." Sergeant Davis pointed to an area on his computer screen. "They were small objects."
"Sergeant, could these objects be weapons of some kind?"
"I can't tell, sir." The sergeant continued to analyze the data from the computer in front of him. General Hammond stared at the stargate as if ready for it to engage again.
It didn't.
A few minutes passed until Davis' voice called out, "Sir, take a look at this. I think it's an SOS ."
"What?" Hammond stared at the screen.
"This is a sample of the recording of the impacts on the iris."
General Hammond listened as the computer played out the events.
Thud, thud, thud, thud..thud..thud.. thud, thud, thud.
"There it is, sir. It's definitely a distress signal, sir."
General Hammond could hardly believe it. Could it be one of his teams in trouble? Perhaps they had lost their GDOs? But before he could ponder on it any longer, the stargate had chosen that moment to come to life once again. The sound of the alarms going off interrupted his next words. General Hammond looked up to see the stargate activate once again.
"Sir, another incoming wormhole."
Hammond watched as the wormhole established for the second time since his arrival in the control room.
"There may be a traveller on route this time, sir. Awaiting your command!"
General Hammond clenched his sweaty palms into fists. His mind was racked with questions, the predominant one being: Was it possible that an off- world opponent knew an Earth-based distress signal? His judgement told him it couldn't be so.this was not an enemy.
"Open the iris!" the general yelled above the blaring alarms. He leaned in and grabbed the microphone, pressing down on the side button at the same time. "Stand at attention," he ordered the guards in the embarkation room. Immediately, they lined up around the stargate, pointing their weapons at the retracting iris. General Hammond moved to a side panel where he pressed another button that would alert the base of possible danger. He watched as ten more recruits ran into the embarkation room to line up with the rest.
The shimmering wormhole remained stable for a few minutes and still nothing came out. General Hammond stared steadfastly at the stargate, preparing for the worst. A trickle of sweat glided down his forehead.
"What's taking so long, Sergeant?"
"I'm not sure, sir. It may be-"General Hammond followed the sergeant's gaze as his words trailed off.
A lone figure spurted out of the stargate, falling to the ramp in a crumpled heap.
"My G-d!" he gawked. His motor function seemed to slow as it took him a few seconds to reach for the phone on the wall. He picked up the receiver with a shaking hand. When he heard the familiar female voice respond on the other line, he suddenly seemed to find his voice again. "We need a medical team to the embarkation room immediately. It's Dr. Jackson!"***
Footsteps on metal stairs invaded his thoughts. He pushed away from the window, a silent shiver moving down his torso. He hated when his mind drifted off. Maybe what he hated even more was the realization that this ordeal with SG-1 may have affected him more than he liked to admit.
Maybe it was time for retirement.
He seemed to ponder on that thought until a person emerged from the stairwell.
"Sir, I gave Dr. Watters the message. She'll see you once she has finished up her session with Colonel O'Neill."
"Thank you, Airman." General Hammond gave the stargate one last glance before he walked back to his office and resumed his work.
Jack knocked. He could feel Teal'c's presence behind him as he waited for any signs of the life on the other side of the door. Seconds later, he heard footsteps. Daniel opened the door, a look of surprise on his face.
"Jack.Teal'c-"
"Daniel," Jack said peering over his friend's shoulder to get a look at his hotel room.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Isn't it rude to let your friends wait out in the hall?" Jack asked.
Daniel stepped aside and watched as both his former teammates entered his room.
"Looks like my room," Jack commented, amused at the sight of Daniel's clothes thrown all over the floor and bed. Teal'c's eyebrow shot up when he spotted a pair of Daniel's boxers next to his feet. Daniel's face grew red as he bent down to pick it up.
"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting visitors. What are you guys doing here?"
"Teal'c wanted to see a movie and thought maybe you and Carter wanted to join us. Where is she anyway?"
"She's in the room next to mine." He pointed to the connecting door.
Jack noted the book that was open and upside down on Daniel's bed. "So what do ya say you leave all 'this' alone-" Jack motioned to the open book with his hand, "- and join Teal'c and I for a wonderful entertaining night at the movies?"
"I don't know, Jack."
"Daniel, what's a night with your two old buddies? And you can't honestly tell me that -" Jack picked up the book and turned it over to read the cover. "-'Ancient Civilizations of Africa and Near East' can get your heart pumping like a good ol' Hollywood thriller?"
"Actually-"
"That was a rhetorical question, Daniel," Jack stated as he neared the connecting door to Sam's room. Jack knocked on it. "Carter, you in there?"
Moments later, Sam opened the door, a look of confusion etched on her face. "Sir?"
"Come on, Carter. We're going to a movie tonight. Close that laptop, put on your shoes and off we go." He swept his hands to the door.
"Sir, I would love to except-"
"Oh come on, Carter. You don't want to disappoint Daniel. I mean look at his face. Can't you see how much he's dying to go?" Sam looked up at Daniel's annoyed expression. She couldn't hold back her laugh.
"You win, sir."
"That's the spirit, Carter!"
Sam looked to Daniel who was sitting next to her. She was sure that Daniel wished he hadn't broken his date with his books; the scowl he wore told her all she needed to know.
The sound of an explosion drew her attention back to the big screen in front of her. A car chase on a bridge had just ended abruptly when a collision with one of the bridge's posts effectively demolished the black BMW.
Sam snorted inwardly.
'Typical,' she thought. Purely testosterone driven. She looked over to the colonel and smiled at his amused face. Teal'c was also deeply engrossed by the high strung action of this no plot thriller. A sudden movement beside her jolted her out of her thoughts. Daniel was walking away, heading towards the exit of the theatre. Something told her that Daniel hadn't left because he desperately needed to use the washroom. His back was stiff and his strides were swift. Her gut told her something was wrong.
Daniel kept his head down as he walked towards the bathroom. His chest was hurting, as if his heart was breaking his ribs with its powerful strokes.
Daniel pushed open the door to the men's washroom. He quickly made his way to the first stall he saw and slammed the door shut, his shaking fingers locking it tightly. Daniel sat on the toilet and tried to calm himself down.
It was a panic attack. It seemed to have come out of nowhere, as though his body thought it fun to suddenly jumpstart his sympathetic system without warning him.
This had happened a few times before, however, it never lasted this long.
What the hell was happening to him?
How had this just come about?
Daniel closed his eyes and tried to still his hands. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, as if his lungs were filling up with water rather than oxygen.
*** Daniel's eyes suddenly flew open. His first instinct was to take a breath, an action he surely regretted. Instead of a mouthful of air, he got a mouthful of water...
Water.
He was underwater.
Daniel's eyes darted around.
Every muscle of his being wanted to scream at the sight that assailed him.
Bodies.
Hundreds of dead bodies all around him, some floating near his feet, others piled on the sand below.
An adrenaline boost forced his legs to kick with all their strength. A sharp pain radiated down his right leg but he ignored it. His hands desperately reached for the surface above him. His injured leg was working against him, acting like an anchor, slowing down his ascent. His heart pounded as pure panic forced his hands to claw through the water in a frantic attempt to pull his body forward. Daniel's throat was beginning to burn, the air in his lungs quickly getting more and more scarce. He kicked even harder, his hands getting caught in some sort of netting. Trying to untangle himself, he suppressed the urge to scream when he came away with human hair wrapped between his fingers. Not two feet away, the lifeless eyes of a young woman stared back at him. Daniel tore his eyes away and looked up desperately. He could see that he was close now; he could make out the sun's reflection through the water. With all his resolve, he kicked even harder until finally, his head broke the surface.
The moment he felt the cool air against his skin, Daniel tried to breathe and was unprepared for the coughing fit that followed. Water spurted out of his mouth as his throat convulsed painfully. At the same time, his stomach joined in, his abdominal muscles violently contracting. Finally, when most of the water was free of his trachea, he took a deep breath. He refused to move, treading water with considerable difficulty as his mouth starved for more air.
A piercing pain suddenly rolled into him with its ruthless force, causing him to cry out loud. He clutched his thigh with one hand, as his other hand struggled to keep him afloat. The pain was unbearable.
The cobwebs in his mind suddenly cleared. He remembered what had happened to his leg.
Knowing if he didn't do something now, he would surely drown, Daniel studied his surroundings. He tried to stifle an exclamation of delight when his eyes spotted the most unexpected sight.
A stargate.Right there in front of him, on the shore not 100 feet away!
The next logical question that entered his mind was how the hell he had gotten here.wherever "here" was. He was obviously not in the Goa'uld camp anymore but on another planet somewhere. And if that was so, then how was it that he was in an ocean while the stargate was on land?
Another stargate. There must have been another stargate somewhere.
He peered down into the depths of the ocean. Through the shimmering water, he could clearly make out the reflection of the large ring.
So there were two stargates on this planet!
Why?
Realization suddenly dawned on him. This planet was a human graveyard. The Goa'uld probably submerged another stargate purely for the purpose of discarding their dead.
If he was here, then it probably meant the Goa'uld had thought him dead. His stomach turned at the idea.
Daniel knew he would have to move soon if he wanted to keep warm. He began to swim, his face constricting with pain every time he moved his leg. He tried to ignore the pain, focusing on the stargate instead. After a few strokes, his arms began to fail him. Without the support of both his legs, his arms were taking the brunt of his weight. As he continued to struggle, he succeeded only in taking in a mouthful of water, his body being pulled under by the powerful waves. He coughed violently as a wave sucked him down below the surface.
He was weak.
He could feel his body giving up, slowly shutting down.
He kicked his legs, crying out again in pain. As another wave washed over him, he noticed it was tinged red.
He was bleeding.
Panic surged, forcing him to push on forward again. He listened to the voice in his head convincing him not to give up.
Seconds soon turned into minutes. His movements became mechanical. He continued to put one arm in front of the other, despite the pain, despite his fatigue. He knew he was swimming now not only for his freedom but for his life.
When he was still thirty yards away from shore, a cramp struck his left leg. He rolled sideways trying to reach the bunched muscle. More water poured down his throat. He tried to cough it out but went under instead, his stomach still trying to heave, his fingers reaching for the surface.
'I'm drowning,' he thought. 'I'm really drowning.'
Then, he felt the strangest sensation, as though a hand had seized his arm and had pulled him upward. It was better than an epinephrine shot. His head broke the surface and he began to swim again.
When he felt his feet touch something hard, he weakly opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them.
Daniel plunged forward, falling boneless to the sand. He felt cold, and thought this was what being dead would be like if you could feel it. He stayed like that for several minutes, giving his body a chance to recuperate. When he could feel some of his strength returning, he tried to get up but fell right back down. He clutched at his thigh, gritting his teeth as he waited for the pain to ease. He lifted up his pant leg and groaned at the sight. His leg was badly infected, green puss covering his wound. Knowing he couldn't walk, Daniel leaned forward and began to crawl.
When he reached the DHD, he grasped its base and pulled himself up until he was standing on one leg. His heart pounded as he reached out a hand, about to dial Earth's address when a sudden thought struck him.
The GDO code. How could he get through if he didn't have the GDO device?
His mind ran in circles until he thought back to his survival training he had received his first year at the SGC.
An idea suddenly formed in his mind. Daniel searched around for anything that he could throw. He thanked G-d when he spotted a few dozen rocks scattered all along the sand. He struggled to remain conscious as he collected as many as he could and then began dialling for Earth. As soon as the stargate established, Daniel crawled closer to the event horizon and weakly threw the rocks into the shimmering wormhole in a quick pattern. When he re-established the wormhole for the second time, he knew that he was taking a chance if he stepped through it. He had no idea if the general had recognized the distress signal. Daniel crawled forward anyhow, prepared to meet his fate, even if it meant death. It took him several minutes to crawl to the wormhole and when he found himself in front of it, he hardly had the energy to pull himself through.***
"Daniel.you okay?"
Daniel lifted his head at the sound of Jack's voice.
"Daniel?" He heard a knock on his bathroom stall door.
"I'm okay, Jack!" Daniel got up from his seat on the toilet and opened the stall door. Jack was standing in front of him with a worried expression.
"Carter was worried about you.asked me to check on you."
"I'm fine," Daniel responded.
"Good." But Jack knew better. He could see the thin sheet of perspiration on his friend's face. Trying to lighten up the situation, Jack continued. "You know Daniel, it shouldn't hurt that much. You should add some prunes to your diet."
Daniel gave him an annoyed look.
"It was a joke, Daniel." Jack paused. "Sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine."