CHAPTER THREE MIIRA-OTOKO
MARIE!! Are you all right!? Daniel screamed down the hole.
There was a cough. Yeah! I'm fine. It actually isn't too deep. Her voice seemed to be coming from less than ten feet down.
He felt foolish for yelling at the top of his lungs. Sorry I yelled so loud.
Don't worry about it, she called back. We should worry about getting me out of— Oh, wow. Daniel, you should come and see this.
This—I think it's some sort of—ritual chamber or something.
Ritual chamber?? His heart skipped a beat. An archaeological find on another planet!
Yeah. You can jump down here; the ground is sandy, so it's pretty soft.
Dr. Jackson glanced back at the other members of SG-1, then swung his legs around to sit at the edge of the hole and dropped down. He landed in deep sand and fell to his knees, but quickly regained his footing. The only light came in through the hole; he could just barely make out the shapes of Ancient Egyptian-style mummification tables and rows of stone sarcophagi.
he muttered. This is—really—
Marie finished.
He chuckled.
Hey, Danny boy! What's down there? Colonel O'Neill called.
Oh! It's, uh, some kind of ritual chamber, like Marie said, he replied. It's the kind of place where they made mummies. Although I have to admit, I don't know why it's underground and not in a temple somewhere. They generally didn't do it underground.
Marie laughed softly, and Daniel thought he detected a hint of irony in her tone. You know what? This reminds me of something. But I'm not going to say what, because I'll just jinx us. She looked at him for a moment. You know, I'm surprised you don't recognise the setup.
He shrugged. Well, sure I do. It's a mummification chamber.
She shook her head. No, no. The statue of Anubis. The chamber underground. The valley of pillars. That doesn't remind you ofany particular movie, does it?
N-no, not really he admitted. I'm afraid I don't watch many movies.
She made a huffing noise. You mean you haven't seen The Mummy? Why not? It's so your type of movie! They speak Ancient Egyptian in it and everything!
Well, maybe they speak Ancient Egyptian, he corrected. It's also possible that they just made up gibberish that they thought sounded like Ancient Egyptian. But I have heard of the movie you're talking about. I was going to go see it when it came out, but by the time I got around to it, it was out of the theatres.
And you couldn't just rent or buy a copy?
He spread his hands. I don't have a VCR.
she groaned, rolling her eyes. Daniel, you are so sheltered! But her tone seemed strangely affectionate, not frustrated. Then she suddenly wrinkled her nose and sneezed.
Daniel said, digging his pack of Kleenex from his pocket and offering her one. She gratefully accepted it and wiped her nose. But I didn't sense a pun.
You think I'm only allergic to puns? she asked, glaring at him over the top of the tissue clamped to her face.
Hey, guys, Captain Carter shouted. Do you think you could wrap up your chit-chat and tell us what's down there?
Daniel looked up through the hole. Well, you could come down here and see for yourself, Captain Carter. It's actually very interesting.
Aboveground, the captain glanced back at Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c and shrugged. Why not, she muttered. There's no other sign of civilisation around here except that pyramid, and it looks to be a long ways off. She got a length of rope from her pack, tied it around a pillar, and slid down it into the underground chamber.
Well, Iguess we're supposed to go down too, O'Neill declared, glancing at Teal'c. Teal'c merely took a deep breath and returned the glance with one of his typical looks.
——————
Once the whole team had entered the cavern, Daniel and Marie set off ahead down the sloping sand floor. There was a lot of sand mounded up underneath the entrance hole, but the actual floor of the chamber was stone, as were the walls. O'Neill looked around, slightly impressed. So how'd they do this without having the ground above cave in?
I'm not sure, Daniel admitted. The space between the ceiling and the surface isn't very great; it doesn't seem like there's enough sand there to support a tunnel. II really don't know how they did it.
Marie said.
He looked at her.
Yeah. Hermione Granger said that the Ancient Egyptians had powerful wizards among them.
Daniel blinked. Wh-who's Hermione Granger?
She gave him a look. You know, from the Harry Potter books?
no, I don't. Marie rolled her eyes. And anyway, that's fiction, isn't it?
Well, you never know. The ThunderCats exist, after all. She turned on her flashlight and shone it ahead of her. For a brief instant, it reflected off of something and lit up the chamber, but she moved the beam past it.
Wait—what was that? Daniel questioned. Move your flashlight back—
She did so, and paused as the beam connected with a large, polished mirror several yards away. The light bounced off that mirror and reflected onto a series of other mirrors, and the room was illuminated.
Okay, now I'm scared, Marie said.
Why? I think it's really cool, O'Neill remarked.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. Oh, never mind. Keeping her flashlight trained on the mirror, she continued down the sandy slope and walked across the floor. When she reached the mirror, she turned off her flashlight, and the room returned to darkness. But Daniel heard a creaking noise, and by squinting through the dimness, he could see that Marie was adjusting the mirror. At last, she got it to the proper angle, and the chamber was lit again. There we go.
Colonel O'Neill nodded. Neat trick.
Marie said, brushing her hands off, let's keep going, now that we can see.
They poked through the chamber, investigating the various odds and ends scattered about it. Daniel and Marie took turns explaining about the various processes of mummification and associated practises. When Daniel got to the part about how the brain was removed, O'Neill turned away and made a dismissive gesture with his hand.
That's okay, Dr. Jackson, he said. Enough details!
Teal'c, who had gone a little further ahead, reappeared. There is a sarcophagus nearby.
A-a sarcophagus? Daniel asked. You mean—a Go'uld sarcophagus?
No. I believe it is the kind the ancient people of your world placed their dead in for burial.
Oh, I've gotta see this! Teal'c, lead me to it! Daniel pressed, picking his way over to the Jaffa.
When they reached the coffin, Teal'c stopped and looked to the archaeologist. Daniel walked up to it, studying the hieroglyphics engraved in the stone. I—I can read this, he asserted. He—He That Shall Not Be Named.
Marie asked. Oh, wait. That's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Daniel murmured, glancing at her. oh, wow. Look at this thing. The normal spells and stuff aren't there. It's like they were chiseled off, or something.
Teal'c stepped behind the sarcophagus, inspecting the area. These pillars appear to be in the shape of legs. I would conjecture that they are the legs of the statue we saw aboveground.
Daniel turned it over in his mind. Buried at the feet of Anubisno protective spells on the sarcophagusJesus, this guy must have really done something bad.
Maybe he turned against Anubis, or something, O'Neill suggested.
Captain Carter nodded. That seems plausible. He went up against his god', and so was punished for blaspheming. News of his death would have been spread among the humans as a warning.
I wish there were some way toopen this thing! Daniel muttered, digging his fingernails into the crack between the lid and body of the sarcophagus and pulling, to no avail.
Please allow me to try, Daniel Jackson, Teal'c offered. The archaeologist gladly stepped aside and let his companion attempt to open the coffin, but even Teal'c could not remove the lid. He did, however, check it over carefully. He turned back to Daniel and announced, It is locked.
Well, we need a key, then! Daniel said, raising his hands.
Wait—wait a minute. Teal'c, is it Goa'uld technology? Captain Carter asked.
Teal'c sent her a cool look. If it is, it is of a style completely unfamiliar to me. I would assume that it is not.
Here, I have an idea, Colonel O'Neill said, pulling out his Zat gun. Move out of the way, people. Daniel glanced at him and leapt away from the sarcophagus, while Teal'c calmly took a few steps back. The colonel shot the stone coffin once, and when the blue zappies had disappeared, Daniel returned to the lid and attempted to pry it off again.
Still locked, he grunted.
Well, I'll shoot it again. Daniel moved aside, and O'Neill did so. There was a click, and the lid of the sarcophagus detached and fell forward. As the dust cleared, Dr. Jackson peered into the sarcophagus, and spooked as he peered into the empty eye-sockets of a shrivelled, not-completely-decomposed mummy.
Okay, now this is really weird! he exclaimed, wiping dust off his glasses. They usually dry the dead people out before they mummify him; I don't know what must have happened with this guy, but it was NOT standard operating procedure.
He was buried alive, Marie said from behind him.
He looked over his shoulder at her. How do you know?
She blinked slowly. I, uh, just know. Then she glanced down. Those are insect shells.
Daniel looked down at the mummy's feet, and saw what she was looking at. Oh, yeah. Right. He knelt and picked one up. Hmm. They look like scarab shells to me. Do you have any insight? He looked up at Marie.
They mummified him alive, then poured flesh-eating scarabs into his sarcophagus, she explained somberly. He was eaten alive. A horrible way to go.
Flesh-eating scarabs? Captain Carter repeated incredulously. I thought scarabs ate dung.
Colonel O'Neill commented. Carter glanced at him and rolled her eyes.
Marie sighed and tightened her ponytail. Well, it's very interesting down here, but there could be settlements nearby, maybe hidden by dunes and not visible from where we were on the surface. Why don't we go back topside and check it out?
In a bit, Daniel replied. I want to look around here some more.
Marie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Are you sure? Every minute we spend down here is a minute of travelling time lost.
Well, we brought tents. We can set up camp in the desert and continue on in the morning, if it comes to that.
Ms. Onosaka— Captain Carter put a hand on the young woman's shoulder. Dr. Jackson's in one of his moods. He won't do anything else until he's satisfied his curiosity. Trust me, I know.
That's the problem! We need to get him away from here, Marie whispered back.
With a sigh, Captain Carter raised her hands and then dropped them to her sides in an extended shrug. I don't know what to tell you.
Well, I'm going back up, Marie said, walking to the rope dangling from the entrance. And remember, Daniel, we can come back.
he said, not really paying attention.
——————
Captain Carter and Colonel O'Neill followed Marie out of the underground chamber, leaving Teal'c to make sure Daniel didn't wander off or hurt himself.
If I may ask, Marie, Carter began, why are you so eager to get Dr. Jackson away from there?
The librarian ran a hand over her hair and glanced at the captain. He's going to find the Book of the Dead and bring Imhotep back to life. I just know it.
Carter sighed, suppressing a smile. Ms. Onosaka, I don't think we have to worry about that. I have to admit, this place is eerily similar to the setting of The Mummy, but my disbelief has been suspended far enough today. I'm sure that no mummy-raising is going to occur.
I wish I could cast Augury, or Divination, or something Marie muttered.
What are those? Magic spells? Captain Carter queried.
Yeah. They're cleric spells from Dungeons & Dragons, O'Neill answered.
Both the women looked at him, surprised. You play D Marie asked.
The colonel shrugged. I used to, a little.
Captain Carter looked around. Well, this area seems as good a place as any to set up camp. Let's pitch our tents, then look around a little more.
When their tents had been set up, Colonel O'Neill pointed roughly east. I think there's a spring in that direction. Let's check it out.
He was right. A small natural spring bubbled up from the sandy ground, surrounded by various kinds of green plants. A lizard and a scorpion were engaging in a what looked oddly like a reproductive act near the edge. Captain Carter knelt next to them, confused. They appeared to be actually mating, but how they were doing it she couldn't guess. Colonel O'Neill slung his gun over his shoulder and leaned near the water.
That water looks good, he said. Anybody else feel thirsty?
Sir, we have water in our canteens, Captain Carter reminded him.
Yeah, but this water—
Marie noticed what Captain Carter was looking at, and Carter heard her gasp. Oh God. I have a bad feeling about this.
You have a bad feeling about everything, O'Neill remarked, crouching next to the spring and dipping his finger in. Hey, it's really cool.
Sir, if you're going to drink that water, we should filter it fir—— But she was cut off as O'Neill's foot slipped and he slid into the pool.
he spluttered, shaking his head. Drops of water splashed Carter's face, and she felt a strange sensation spread through her body. Marie squeaked and scrambled back. Well, that was kind of embarrassing, O'Neill said, climbing out of the spring and shaking himself off. Water dribbled off his clothing and boots, and he looked up at Carter with an expression on his face. But it slowly changed to surprise, then a very odd expression of discomfort.
Carter said. I—I think we should— She stopped herself mid-sentence, finding herself looking at him in a way she never had before. There was something about him. She had to have him, and she had to have him now. Carter closed her eyes and shook her head. What was she thinking? It was against regulations!
Marie's gaze nervously flicked back and forth between the colonel and captain. She saw O'Neill look Carter up and down, open and close his mouth a few times, and clench his fists to his sides. Then, abruptly, he turned and ran away.
Carter was sorely tempted to follow him, but forced herself not to. She glanced over at Marie, whose face was frozen in a visage of resigned horror. What is it, Ms. Onosaka?
I was right, she moaned. It was a love spring.
A what?!