Author's Notes: I originally intended this to have a few funny moments – I think you can still pick up on them, but the drama got a little heavier than I had anticipated when I re-worked the dialogue. Let me know what you think. ;)
**************************************************************************************************************************
As Daniel continued to examine the storeroom, realization came upon him. Going to a table covered in artifacts, he picked up a few of the stones and turned them over in his hands. Daniel walked back over to wall opposite the tunnel entrance and brought a hand close to an indentation. It was an aberration that he had at first thought to be inconsequential, but now, as he looked from the nick in the wall to the stones in his hand, he understood. Lifting one of the pieces to the groove, it very much reminded Daniel of a puzzle: even though he had made an incorrect match, it was enough for him to recognize that the stones went with the corresponding indentations. Excited as he was at this insight, Daniel suddenly found himself overwhelmingly tired. He leaned his forehead up against the wall, but before he could do much else, passed out in an ungracious heap on the tile floor...
***
The daughter of Heaven is one of the gods, her brothers
Daniel read in his dream, not caring this time about the repetition of it all.
With no child of her own.
Daniel's forehead crinkled in thought and he repeated the line to himself. "I know this!" he told himself urgently.
Her head is a lion's head
Her body is a donkey's body
She roars like a lion
She constantly howls like a demon-dog.
"I know this!" Daniel repeated, this time, triumphantly. "Lamashtu!" he exclaimed. "She was known as the most terrible of all female demons." He explained to no one but himself, enjoying the surge of energy that accompanied an answer that had eluded him for awhile. "She killed children – took unborn babies from a mother's womb. She brought disease and sickness; in the guise of a beautiful woman, she seduced men..." Daniel paused, looking around, before stating the last bit of information. "She disturbed sleep and caused nightmares."
***
"Daniel?" he could hear the concern in her voice as he struggled to open his heavy eyelids.
"Sam?" Daniel questioned.
"Hello." Came another voice from nearby.
"Jack." Daniel blinked his eyes slowly, trying to locate where his friend was.
"How ya doin?" he asked.
"Uh," Daniel still attempted to regain his bearings. "I don't know." The truth was, he didn't remember much of anything.
"What happened?" Sam asked, helping him to sit up.
"I don't know." Daniel repeated, leaning up against the wall.
Sam put a hand to Daniel's forehead and looked to her commanding officer. Jack looked from her to Daniel.
"Alright, Daniel. I think you've spent enough time in here today." He stated.
Daniel lifted a finger in protest; Jack blocked it with a raised hand.
"You're not fine, Daniel. Let Carter check you out, get some rest, and you can come back tomorrow morning."
"That's almost an entire day, Jack." Daniel pointed out, standing with Sam's help.
Jack came to his friend's other side, a willing support in case he needed it. "Your rocks will still be here tomorrow."
"You need rest, Daniel." Sam joined in.
"Alright." Daniel reluctantly agreed. He was partway to the passageway when he remembered his discovery; twisting deftly out of Sam's grip, he jogged back to the wall, dropping onto his knees in search of the stones he'd dropped.
Jack and Sam stared at him.
"Daniel." Jack was the first to speak.
Finding the stones he'd had earlier, Daniel looked them over, then looked to the wall, and didn't respond. Still not able to make a match, he moved to the table, where many more stones were. He turned to his teammates.
"Jack, do you have any of the stones Elena's been finding?" Daniel asked urgently.
"Tomorrow, Daniel." Jack answered slowly, emphasizing each word.
"No, please." he insisted. "This is important."
"What is it, Daniel?" Sam asked.
"Remember how we thought the stones were part of something bigger?" Daniel returned. "I think some of them are... keys."
Sam turned to the colonel. "Sir, what about the ones you've been juggling with?"
"Carter." Jack whispered, glaring at her before rummaging through the pockets of the cargo pants he was wearing, making every attempt to avoid the look Daniel was giving him. He found them and handed them over to the archaeologist, who raised his eyebrows.
"Juggling?"
"Maybe."
Daniel examined the three stones he'd been given, his eyes focusing on one in particular... he placed it up against the wall... it clicked as it locked into place.
Daniel stood back as there was more rumbling, and another doorway was revealed.
Sam took a step forward, shining a flashlight into the darkness. "There are at least fifteen tunnels here." She stated in amazement. "This system must go on for miles beneath the surface."
"Damn." Jack muttered, then turned abruptly, making his way quickly to the surface. Daniel and Sam followed close behind.
"Jack, what are you going to do?" Daniel called after him, quickening his own pace to catch up.
"No arguments, Daniel. I'm calling it in to Hammond and we're sending everyone home." Jack was already at the makeshift stairs.
"Jack, you don't have that kind of authority here." Daniel stopped as he stepped outside.
Jack also stopped and turned, walking back to face his teammate. "I'm not playing around anymore, Daniel. We don't know what the hell is down there, and I'm not waiting for one of your old friends to find out!" he was barely able to keep himself from shouting. "There's no way we can guarantee their safety, so I'm sending them home. If, if we don't find anything, they can come back. Until that time, we're doing this the right way."
"Your way, you mean." Daniel retaliated.
"Yes, Daniel. My way." The colonel turned to his second-in-command. "Carter, find Teal'c. I want a barricade – a couple of 'em. Set C4 if you need to, and until you get something set up, I want a twenty-four hour guard. No one goes in, no one comes out."
"Yes, Sir." Sam replied, heading off to find the jaffa.
Jack continued walking, followed once more. "I don't want you going in there by yourself anymore, Daniel. We'll search the network in pairs, and we'll do it when we're all well-rested." He stopped, his voice firm. "Do I have to make it an order?"
Daniel didn't pick up on the tone. "We've been here for almost two weeks!" he nearly shouted. "There's nothing down there!" he gestured wildly in an attempt to make his point.
Jack began walking again, this time faster. "See, this is what happens." He stated. "You say it's safe, you say you're gonna be fine, you say there's nothing down there... but you're gonna go in there by yourself, you're gonna see a rock or a squiggle or something, you're gonna touch it, or," Daniel was about to interrupt, "or!" Jack raised his hand to his side, where Daniel was walking, "or we're gonna get down there and the only tunnel you search is gonna happen to be the one with the great, big, flesh-eating subterranean monster that drags you away, and I'll have to go rescue your injured ass while you try to communicate with it! We go together!" The colonel ordered. Jack stopped, faced his friend, and softened his voice a little, though it still sounded rather harsh. "Look, I've gotta go talk to Hammond and then I'm gonna talk to Kurt."
"No." Daniel replied softly, crossing his arms and staring at the ground. "No." he repeated. "I'll tell them."