When Jack woke up, he had three thoughts overriding everything else.
My head hurts.
My head really hurts.
Where the heck am I?
Groaning, he rolled over, and pulled himself up to a sitting position, taking a look around. The first thing he noticed, apart from the headache, is that they were no longer in the weird light room he and Teal'c had been…attacked in?
'What on earth was that thing' Jack thought, remembering his last few minutes of consciousness. He and Teal'c had been leisurely checking out the building for structural damage, inhabitation etc, and without warning, some darn glowing…thing had knocked them out. Was it too much to ask for a simple 'hello' nowadays.
To his relief he could see the rest of his teammates, they lay apparently knocked out, on the stone floor, of what appeared to be a dungeon? The walls were grey and made of huge flagstone blocks. No windows were present, and the only light came from 4 flicking torches set in casements on the walls.
"So cliché," Jack said aloud, wincing at the volume of his voice in the silent room.
"O'Neill?" Jack turned, and too his relief saw Teal'c sitting up, albeit cautiously, holding his head.
"Hey buddy, any idea what that was?" Jack asked relieved, leaning against the wall.
"I do not O'Neill." Teal'c answered, his gaze flickering over their surroundings. "Am I to assume we have been captured?"
"Stating the obvious there aren't you T'? Jack agreed, shuffling over to where Daniel lay. Rolling him over, he shook his shoulder a little, "Danny boy! Now is NOT a good time to take a nap" Jack whispered harshly, and was rewarded by a dazed stare from a blearily eyed Daniel.
"Jack?"
"Yes, now come on, we have to figure a way out of here." Leaning the bewildered archeologist against the wall, Jack moved over to his 2IC.
"Carter! No sleeping on duty Major!" He hissed in her ear, and was relieved when she opened her eyes.
"Sir? What ha-"
"Later Carter" Jack said shortly, helping his groggy subordinate sit up. "I don't suppose I need to ask how you two got captured?" he remarked, scowling, as the two scientists exchanged looks.
"Well sir, you didn't really expect us to wait did you?" Jack sighed,
"No Carter I didn't, but it would have made a nice surprise!" he groused, feeling bad tempered.
'As they should!' He thought to himself. 'We are sitting in a cell somewhere after all!'
"So," he continued, "By the lack of hieroglyphs and of a pompous jaffa ranting about his god, its not the snakeheads we're dealing with, right?"
Daniel sighed exasperatedly, "Jack I really have no idea, it could be the goa'uld, replicators, or Egyptian mummies for all I know! Based on what we've seen, I'd say no, it's not the goa'uld, but we can't rule anything out! And I doubt it matters, since whoever it is, is obviously not friendly."
Jack winced mentally under the verbal onslaught, putting on his best command voice, the one that always made Carter jump to attention, he replied as calmly as possible, "I'm well aware of that Daniel, I was just trying to assess the situation." Turning to Carter, "Did he not get his coffee this morning?"
Teal'c watched with faint amusement as Major Carter fought to prevent a grin spreading over her face, even Daniel Jackson, who attempted to remain the epitome of indignation could not help but smile. Despite the gravity of their situation, O'Neill had again demonstrated his ability to calm and reassure his teammates, in the direst of circumstances. Teal'c did not admire many of the Tauri military leaders, finding them unusually formal and stand-offish, but Colonel O'Neill commanded not only his respect, but his loyalty too. He was a true leader, who cared for those under him more than his own life, as he had demonstrated on many occasions. Teal'c would always feel a great debt of gratitude to him for that.
"Well Jack, if you hadn't gone and got yourself knocked we wouldn't have had to come after you, and I could have had my coffee!"
"Carter, next time you guys decide to come and rescue us, please bring a flask with you? And maybe a kettle?"
Teal'c observed Major Carter frown at that, "Sir, where ARE our packs?"
Teal'c saw O'Neill frown, and glance around the dim cell, "Must have taken them while we were out cold" He frowned suddenly, "You guys got the GDO?"
Teal'c looked on anxiously as Major Carter checked her wrist, pulling up her sleeve, she smiled, "Got it sir!"
Teal'c relaxed slightly, provided they could escape their captors, they could get home. The tension level in the chamber lowered significantly. O'Neill nodded, "Good Carter, keep it hidden, just in case."
Major Carter assented, and tugged her sleeve back into place. The Jaffa looked keenly at his teammates, all displayed symptoms of fatigue as well as traces of discomfort from their recent unconsciousness.
"O'Neill, should we not conserve our strength until our captors choose to reveal themselves?" Teal'c suggested, meeting the eyes of his friend, and subtly indicating their younger, and less enduring colleagues. O'Neill stared at him for a minute before nodding slowly. "Yeah, ok, two hour watches, Teal'c take first, I'll go second, then Carter, then Daniel. At the first sign of…anything, raise the alarm." To Teal'c relief, Daniel Jackson and Major Carter agreed with only a little resistance, and making themselves as comfortable as possible, they leant against the stone wall, and closed their eyes. Teal'c perceived a note of resignation in his expression, before O'Neill too surrendered to the dark comforts of sleep. Seating himself where he had a clear view of the door but could protect his friends if necessary, Teal'c sat and waited, alone in the dark.
For the second time that day, Sam Carter woke up to her CO's brusque whisper in her ear. Shaking off the remnants of sleep from her fuzzy brain, she mentally reminded herself of where they were. Easing her head off Daniel's shoulder, without waking him, she muttered softly, "Anything happen Sir?"
Her CO shook his head in the gloom, "Nothing Carter," he replied, as he leaned back against the wall.
Several minutes passed before Sam worked up the nerve to hiss, "Sir? You awake?"
A sigh, "Yes Carter, what is it?"
"What do you think they are going to do with us Sir?"
Shuffling, "I don't know Carter, " more shuffling, "But I don't think the fact I'm getting used to this is a good sign."
Sam smiled a little, "No Sir." They sat for a while in companionable silence.
"Carter."
"Yes Sir?"
"I don't suppose you have one of your customary demented, yet oh so logical ideas?"
Her lips twitching she answered, "'Fraid not Sir."
"Just thought I'd ask"
A few minutes later, Sam heard a steady snoring emanate from the colonel's position. Sitting there isolated in the blackness; silence had never felt so loud.
When Daniel was woken for his watch, he was almost disappointed nothing had happened. While it was good of course that they hadn't been executed, tortured, or otherwise harmed, the waiting game was getting old. There was always of course, that underlying fear they were simply being left to stave to death. He firmly banished such thoughts from his mind. There was no evidence of that, and in any case, what would be the point? Their captors could have easily disposed of them while they were unconscious.
'Unless they wanted you to suffer,' that nasty little voice in his brain reminded him. 'Remember the culture of-'
'No' Thought Daniel stubbornly, 'I am NOT going to think about that right now.'
The darkness was oppressive, and almost claustrophobic. Daniel surmised they weren't underground, he had been in plenty of crypts and mines to know what the air felt like down there, but they were certainly In the middle of some large building. No draught from under the large stone 'door'. No light or sound either. 'You could be locked in a tower and not know any different' the voice reminded him. Beside him, Sam twisted in her sleep, muttering something indistinct. Daniel smiled affectionately at his teammate, she might be 'one tough chick' as an irate SF or two had been known to comment, but she was a good friend. 'They all are,' Daniel thought gazing at his sleeping team. He pitied the poor soul; goa'uld or not that attempted to harm a member of SG1. The assailant's life span would be significantly shortened and the reminder probably pretty unpleasant.
A heavy clunking sound woke him speedily from his deliberation; a pale light began to seep under the doorframe.
Trying to force down the knot of fear in his throat, he grabbed Jack's shoulder, "Jack!" he cried out desperately, "Jack!"
Beside him, Sam awoke, and Teal'c was roused from his meditation, Jack opened his eyes, and the team rose together to face what awaited them as the door opened…
To be continued very soon! I promise! Reviews will really help me and honest tips on my writing style are appreciated!