Their cries were never heard. Daniel and Teal'c never heard the warning
and Carter and Jack never heard the echo.
In a split second all was silent, and dark and empty.
Jack was struggling. Against this unknown, against the thing that was holding him still. Holding even his lungs still. He felt as though he couldn't breath, couldn't possibly have room to draw in breath, yet there was no burn for oxygen in his lungs. He was light headed.
He wasn't in pain!
Automatically he tried to look down to his legs but again, he couldn't see. He knew his eyes were open, was certain they were open but all he saw was black.
In a sense, as he discovered the nothingness around him he expected it to be familiar. Like unconciousness, or some other bizarre happening that he had somehow survived. But while he, no pun intended, recognized the surroundings he didn't recognize the place, the feel, the intensity of . . . whatever it was that held him.
Familiarity would describe Daniel's perception as well. He was reminded vaguely of the living water he had encountered through the Russia 'Gate.
It had held them in this way, allowing him to breath but then keeping his limbs stationary. Seeming to steal the breath from his lungs, yet he felt no desperate need for air.
He didn't struggle, merely closed his eyes.
Carter was the same way, her eyes had been closed already. The dizzying pain, headache, the sore muscles, the bruises . . . all of it had dissappeared in a wave. A literal wave, as though the ocean had washed over her, and engulfed her completely and totally.
She let it engulf her, feeling a barely detectable sway, then a steadily growing, rocking sensation.
The Jaffa felt the same motion and found it most unsettling. He knew it as 'sea sickness' according to the Tau'ri and had encountered it on his first boat trip through the gate. He didn't like it then, and did not like it now.
Back in Jack's mind, the rocking could have stopped an hour ago. A century ago.
At first it had been comforting.
Calming, peaceful.
It made most of his doubts about the unfamiliarity of it all or the fact that he could very well be dying, go away.
But now . . . he wanted out, off the boat, out of the box, off the wagon. Whatever the hell you called it.
Daniel too suddenly felt unwell. It . . . this place was no longer somewhere he wanted to be. But though he was unsettled his attention was stalled by the appearance of a light.
Not so much a bulb, or a brilliant revelation but a tiny change in the atmosphere, bumping against his eyelids enough that he again opened his eyes. And he noticed a difference.
Carter saw it too and as she watched it grow, from a tiny glow that spread out across her vision to a ball of increasing intensity, it was as if the light that had exploded and expanded was now re-gathering itself.
Then expanding and exploding again, brighter now.
Teal'c as well watched the light gather together for a fourth and fifth time, each time exploding and spreading out brighter and bolder than before.
Then he broke the surface. He was aware that his head was wet, his limbs awake and moving to keep himself afloat, his lungs suddenly convulsing, in order to work properly. Had he been breathing underwater? Was he in water?
He struggled to open his eyes, coughing and gagging and flailing until he found air, and balance.
He saw the surface of the water, recognizing it as the lake on the planet. The one he and DanielJackson had seen before.
There was water in his ears, some in his lungs. He coughed, tried to expel the liquid.
But he heard a voice. No not a voice. A suggestion of a voice, of a sound that seemed to speak in his own language, or more . . . . the language of the Gods.
You have trespassed on this planet.
The Colonel, breaking the surface seconds later also heard the voice, speaking in English, very clipped, almost British sounding.
He blinked then started gagging.
The pain he thought had left him revisited him in a most unsavory way and suddenly the voice was the least of his concerns.
The blonde major recognized it. Female, quiet.
You have trespassed on this planet.
She coughed and blinked.
Gagged and managed to look around before the pain hit her, driving her eyes shut and the breath from her body for a few seconds.
Then she started paddling. The survival instinct kicked in and she was soon unaware of anything but the pain and then need to get to shore.
Daniel's feet hit the sandy bottom seconds after he had broken through the surface, ten feet from the shoreline. He stood slowly. His legs were shaking so badly he was amazed he could rise at all.
His body felt heavy even with half of it supported by the water. His body was soaking wet, cold seeping into his bones, and he was coughing still.
He stumbled onto the beach then turned and plopped down on the sand, his shoulders slumping. He fell back onto his back and lay still for some time, feeling and hearing the others approach, and do the same as he had.
Or at least Teal'c did. Carter and Jack came together, or so it sounded, groaning and grunting and making all sorts of noise. But none of them spoke.
There was silence around them. The voices they each heard had been silenced for a time. Daniel was gathering his strength, struggling to stay awake. He had opened his eyes long ago and discovered his glasses were missing.
The most stoic of the group was also gathering his reserves, his symbiote healing damaged lung tissue.
The leader, the commander was having his own private thoughts. Most of them hate filled and aimed towards this planet, and the water that had seemed to come alive. And swallow them whole.
What was worse was that they apparently weren't appetizing and had been spit out and told in essence to get the heck out.
"Thanks a lot." He finally croaked, weak coughs leaving him drained phsyically. His mind wasn't tired in the least though.
The Major blinked at the first sound from any of them and glanced to her superior. Her head was the only thing that moved and it took enough energy to accomplish that.
The Colonel caught the movement in the corner of his eye and faced the questioning look on his 2IC's face. He raised a brow as if to ask what the problem was.
Carter rolled her eyes, closing them in the same movement.
Soon the only sound was the water they had just escaped from, or been saved by, or something.
"So . . ." Daniel started out . . . paused for a long time . . .
"So what just happened?"
The group was silent.
The waves lapped on the beach, the wind moved in the trees. Some strange animal cried out in the distance.
"Good question."
In a split second all was silent, and dark and empty.
Jack was struggling. Against this unknown, against the thing that was holding him still. Holding even his lungs still. He felt as though he couldn't breath, couldn't possibly have room to draw in breath, yet there was no burn for oxygen in his lungs. He was light headed.
He wasn't in pain!
Automatically he tried to look down to his legs but again, he couldn't see. He knew his eyes were open, was certain they were open but all he saw was black.
In a sense, as he discovered the nothingness around him he expected it to be familiar. Like unconciousness, or some other bizarre happening that he had somehow survived. But while he, no pun intended, recognized the surroundings he didn't recognize the place, the feel, the intensity of . . . whatever it was that held him.
Familiarity would describe Daniel's perception as well. He was reminded vaguely of the living water he had encountered through the Russia 'Gate.
It had held them in this way, allowing him to breath but then keeping his limbs stationary. Seeming to steal the breath from his lungs, yet he felt no desperate need for air.
He didn't struggle, merely closed his eyes.
Carter was the same way, her eyes had been closed already. The dizzying pain, headache, the sore muscles, the bruises . . . all of it had dissappeared in a wave. A literal wave, as though the ocean had washed over her, and engulfed her completely and totally.
She let it engulf her, feeling a barely detectable sway, then a steadily growing, rocking sensation.
The Jaffa felt the same motion and found it most unsettling. He knew it as 'sea sickness' according to the Tau'ri and had encountered it on his first boat trip through the gate. He didn't like it then, and did not like it now.
Back in Jack's mind, the rocking could have stopped an hour ago. A century ago.
At first it had been comforting.
Calming, peaceful.
It made most of his doubts about the unfamiliarity of it all or the fact that he could very well be dying, go away.
But now . . . he wanted out, off the boat, out of the box, off the wagon. Whatever the hell you called it.
Daniel too suddenly felt unwell. It . . . this place was no longer somewhere he wanted to be. But though he was unsettled his attention was stalled by the appearance of a light.
Not so much a bulb, or a brilliant revelation but a tiny change in the atmosphere, bumping against his eyelids enough that he again opened his eyes. And he noticed a difference.
Carter saw it too and as she watched it grow, from a tiny glow that spread out across her vision to a ball of increasing intensity, it was as if the light that had exploded and expanded was now re-gathering itself.
Then expanding and exploding again, brighter now.
Teal'c as well watched the light gather together for a fourth and fifth time, each time exploding and spreading out brighter and bolder than before.
Then he broke the surface. He was aware that his head was wet, his limbs awake and moving to keep himself afloat, his lungs suddenly convulsing, in order to work properly. Had he been breathing underwater? Was he in water?
He struggled to open his eyes, coughing and gagging and flailing until he found air, and balance.
He saw the surface of the water, recognizing it as the lake on the planet. The one he and DanielJackson had seen before.
There was water in his ears, some in his lungs. He coughed, tried to expel the liquid.
But he heard a voice. No not a voice. A suggestion of a voice, of a sound that seemed to speak in his own language, or more . . . . the language of the Gods.
You have trespassed on this planet.
The Colonel, breaking the surface seconds later also heard the voice, speaking in English, very clipped, almost British sounding.
He blinked then started gagging.
The pain he thought had left him revisited him in a most unsavory way and suddenly the voice was the least of his concerns.
The blonde major recognized it. Female, quiet.
You have trespassed on this planet.
She coughed and blinked.
Gagged and managed to look around before the pain hit her, driving her eyes shut and the breath from her body for a few seconds.
Then she started paddling. The survival instinct kicked in and she was soon unaware of anything but the pain and then need to get to shore.
Daniel's feet hit the sandy bottom seconds after he had broken through the surface, ten feet from the shoreline. He stood slowly. His legs were shaking so badly he was amazed he could rise at all.
His body felt heavy even with half of it supported by the water. His body was soaking wet, cold seeping into his bones, and he was coughing still.
He stumbled onto the beach then turned and plopped down on the sand, his shoulders slumping. He fell back onto his back and lay still for some time, feeling and hearing the others approach, and do the same as he had.
Or at least Teal'c did. Carter and Jack came together, or so it sounded, groaning and grunting and making all sorts of noise. But none of them spoke.
There was silence around them. The voices they each heard had been silenced for a time. Daniel was gathering his strength, struggling to stay awake. He had opened his eyes long ago and discovered his glasses were missing.
The most stoic of the group was also gathering his reserves, his symbiote healing damaged lung tissue.
The leader, the commander was having his own private thoughts. Most of them hate filled and aimed towards this planet, and the water that had seemed to come alive. And swallow them whole.
What was worse was that they apparently weren't appetizing and had been spit out and told in essence to get the heck out.
"Thanks a lot." He finally croaked, weak coughs leaving him drained phsyically. His mind wasn't tired in the least though.
The Major blinked at the first sound from any of them and glanced to her superior. Her head was the only thing that moved and it took enough energy to accomplish that.
The Colonel caught the movement in the corner of his eye and faced the questioning look on his 2IC's face. He raised a brow as if to ask what the problem was.
Carter rolled her eyes, closing them in the same movement.
Soon the only sound was the water they had just escaped from, or been saved by, or something.
"So . . ." Daniel started out . . . paused for a long time . . .
"So what just happened?"
The group was silent.
The waves lapped on the beach, the wind moved in the trees. Some strange animal cried out in the distance.
"Good question."