Chapter 9 ((Nb : Spellings and pronunciations. Ely: E-Lie Erio :Air-e-o))
"Wake up. Wake up" The soft and gentle voice cooed from above. "Its finally time"
The chocolate brown eyes opened. A hand reached up to rub the scraped skin round his neck. Finding it caused pain, his hand withdrew to his side and his eyes strained to focus.
"Hello" the tender voice purred. He looked straight into the large blue eyes and a face framed in a golden brown.
"Carter?"
"No. Tamara"
"Tamara?" Jacks voice echoed. The sleep still perceptible in his voice. "I must have really, really been pissed last night."
The blonde ringlets shook gently as the girl laughed. "Not drunk my dear, merely, out of your own control" She stated simply
"Where am I" He asked, shifting his weight onto his elbows as he sat up to analyse his surroundings.
"Erio. My Planet"
"What? Off-world?"
"If that's how you say it, then. Yes"
"Shit"
Ellyanii followed the familiar route through the precious stone palace that was her home. The only sound echoing from side to side in the massive hallways was the soft padding of her feet on the stone floor. Finally, Tamara had taken te heart what she had said, and actually quietened down. Her hand reached up and knocked on the door.
"Sister?"
No sound
came from within the room, so Ellyanii carefully opened the door and walked in, the floor creaking as she did so. Straight in front of her sat the sister that she was searching for. Her sister sat perched on the edge of a table, hands hidden behind her back and her legs swinging to and fro beneath her, looking as innocent as a young child.
"Sister?" Ellyanii repeated.
As if she was in a daze, Sam's head jolted upwards. Her now shoulder length hair falling in front of her face.
"Your presence is wanted with kali-Kasha" Ellyanii almost ordered, her cold face hardly moving. Showing a complete lack of expression.
Slowly, Sam slid from the table, walking forward. The base of the flowing azure gown, which hung from her curves accentuating all the right parts, dragged gently on the cold floor. Her footsteps were followed by Ellyanii keeping up the rear.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, both party members with still faces, they reached the large cobalt blue doors of Kali-kasha's chosen room for the day.
With a sullen face, Sam turned to Ellyanii, her hand placed on Ellyanii's before she had time to knock.
"I must talk with you. Sam's face was pleading, almost guilt ridden.
"Later. You have other duties to perform first"
"But"
"No" Ellyanii's voice firm and commanding silenced Sam.
"Kali-Kasha. She is here"
After a rustle of fabric, the doors opened, Kali-Kasha stood in the doorway, hands forward, beckoning Sam in.
"Ely, Go to Tamara, tell her its time. The plan must commence as soon as possible."
Ellyanii nodded her head and with a swish of black silk, the graceful form disappeared round a corridor.
"Come in, come in. Welcome" Kali-Kasha held out her hand, shaking it gently, as if Sam was meant to hold it. Her soft pale hand reached out and took the taller, more intimidating woman's hand.
Kali-Kasha's cold fingers wrapped round Sam's hand like a serpent type creature, luring her into its lair.
"You wanted me?"
"Yes"
"What for, if I may ask?"
"I know about your dreams"
Sam stopped moving. Her hand falling limp by her side and her eyes looking to the floor.
"Don't worry. They are perfectly normal. They were implanted into your head.
"Implanted"
"When you were taken"
"I don't understand"
"Come here and sit with me" Sam moved. "When you were taken from us, stolen from us, the people who took you, implanted false memories into your head. They made you believe you were part of their team, back on another planet"
"But why?"
"You are a valuable asset to our planets status in the galaxy. After all, without you, we would fail. Are you ready to commit to our cause?"
Sam's eyes looked to the floor. She had no reason to not believe this woman; after all, she believed that this woman was telling the truth. Sam looked up to the Kali's face, then nodded her head. "anything"
"You are truly one of us my sister!" Kali-kasha smiled then leaned into Sam, wrapping her arms round her and hugging her tight.
"Now, come"
A few hours later, Sam followed Kali-kasha into a new room. Pursuing her through the large coloured hallways and doors. Sam was taken into a new room, one that she had never been to before. The room was made from a dark black stone, with a large window like space at the top letting light flow down in torrents into the room.
Kali smiled as she pushed Sam forward. "Go. Work"
Sam looked into the room. Her eyes started at the ceiling, her pupils following the long thick chain that hung. Then, in the centre of the room hung a figure. Hanging by the arms, dressed in nothing more than a thin cloth round his waist, slung low over his hips. She walked forward, facing the figure and slowly coming into realisation. The stature in front of her was the one that had been told to her by Sister Kali-kasha, as the one that had taken her and tortured her. And she knew exactly what she had to do back.
From the large glass panel that covered the distance of the left wall, Tamara and Ellyanii observed Sam and Jack. Their laughter was punctuated by the swift entrance of Kali-Kasha.
"So, Ladies, do you think she can do it?" Kali asked, as she took a seat between her three subordinated.
"I have much faith in her ability, but whether she can actually carry out punishment and torture, I don't know" Ely smiled, as she supported her head with her hand. Her body was tilted forward as she watched with a gleam in her eyes.
"Well, I don't know how she would want to hurt him, I couldn't, but then again, I don't believe the same things a her. But, I am still at the same level of belief as Ely. I am not sure." Tamara looked from Kali, to the window, her eyes glowing just as Ely's.
"Shall we watch then?" kali turned her high majestic features back to the window.
Sam eyes went from corner to corner in the room. At her left was a large window, through this she could see into another room. An empty one, with nothing but a bed and a small table. Then on her right was a large table, the top covered with small implements. Each looking as nasty as the last.
Just looking at these weapons and instruments light something inside her. Like a small spark of some kind. It started off small, then grew and grew, till she was drawn straight to them. As her hand went towards them, her eyes were drawn to some sort of box. The outside was carved out of some sort of ivory like stone, and it rattled. As she shook it lightly, the figure in the middle of the room moved. He had heard the noise.
She walked slowly over to him. Her skirt trailed softly behind her. As she walked, the body moved, his blindfolded face turning towards the sound.
As she walked nearer and nearer, jacks body moved with his head. His feet just touched the floor, so it was a little harder for him to turn than he thought it would be.
In a matter of seconds, she was only a foot away. Her face moved closer. She could feel his ragged breathing tickling her face.
"Who's the..." He never got to finish, before Sam's face fell forward, her lips locking to his, and her mouth working in time with his. Then gently, her face left his and she stood back. He would recognise those lips anywhere.
"Carter, is that you?" He asked, licking his lips and tilting his head upwards.
At that remark, her hand flew forward, leaving a large red slap mark on his right cheek. "I am not one of you" She spat in disgust.
In a swirl of pale blue cloth, her body turned, angrily striding to the table, where she searched through the specific items till she found exactly what she was looking for.
Pulling a small knife from its scabbard she smiled, then walked back to him.
"I cant believe you fooled me. I cant believe you made me believe, that I was one of you. You put these false memories in my head. FALSE! Not real. And I refuse to be played with in that way"
Jack was stunned. He chocked on the words that he was about to say. After a second of her ranting, he forced them out.
"Sam! What exactly are you talking about? Nothing about what you used to believe is false. Nothing."
"SILENCE. Don't interrupt me. You have no idea. So don't say anything. If have even a whisper erupt from those lips, then I will cut them off, as well as 'other' things." Jack almost squirmed in his skin. He had never ever heard her talk like that. It wasn't Sam. It sounded like Sam, it smelt like Sam, hell, it even tasted like Sam. But it wasn't her.
Sam moved back towards Jack, the knife dangling carelessly between her fingers.
She was humming to herself slowly, un-nerving Jack completely. It wasn't the sweet childlike humming, it was more the sort of noise you would hear in a Psychotherapy clinic.
As she reached him, she placed the point of the knife at the base of his naked spine. Twisting the blade slowly, she smiled as Jack gasped. The blade had pierced his flesh and was slowly screwing itself into his body. With another miniscule groan, barely audible, she slid the knife up slowly, creating a small path of blood reaching all the way from the base of his spine, to the back of his hairline. She then traced the blade down from his left shoulder, down his torso that Tamara had taken so much pleasure from, then down to his bellybutton, and then back up the centre of his chest to the base of his chin.
"Am I really your carter now. Well, Am I?" She purred, as she then lifted the knife from his chin to the base of the blindfold. Where she slipped it inside and without touching the skin, split the blindfolded, exposing the top of his face.
His eyes blinked open, adjusting to the now bright streams of light that flooded the room.
For one instant, it wasn't the pain that made him voiceless; it was Sam's appearance. The rough months that they had been off base, had grown out her hair, it was now resting on her chest, in blonde waves. Who'd'a'thought Carter's hair was wavy? Then there was the dress. Wow. If they ever, ever left this god-forsaken planet, that dress was defiantly coming. The skirts hung low from her hips, reaching to the floor. It was connected to the front by a thin strip of diamantes that reached from about 4 and a half inches under her navel, all the way up to the centre of her chest, that was covered in a strip of fabric that again, didn't really leave that much to imagination. This was then connected to her neck in a sort of almost halter-neck fashion, by another strip of diamantes. It was very, well, very un-Carter.
"Impressed? You should be. As they have told me, it took them quite a while to mend my body from the horrors of what you did to it"
Jacks jaw dropped. They had changed her, as he had thought. But this, was much more serious. They had actually made her believe that he was the bad one.
"I never expected it to work this well," Laughed Kali-Kasha as she clapped her hands and watched the display unfold in front of her. "And she succumbed to us so quickly, I never thought it was possible."
"With due respect," Interrupted Ellyanii, "The speed of the change could be due to the unknown chemical that was found to be flowing through her blood stream."
Kali-Kasha smiled at the comment made by her subordinate sister. "Well spoken Sister, well spoken."
Kali-Kasha looked over to Tamara. When the knife blade had first touched jack, she could see the twinge in Tamara's face. She didn't like the fact that he was being tortured at the beginning, but now that his very blood had started to flow, collecting in puddles on the floor beneath him, she had started to enjoy the 'show' and was sitting wide eyed, with her mouth slightly opened.
Then, as Tamara looked further through the glass, she saw the very colour of his blood, and lifted her hand to her red lips.
"Oh My Goddess, He bleeds"
"Well," Smiled Ellyanii, "Aren't we the observant one?"
"No, no, no, he bleeds Red, and not pale red, crimson red, bright. I want some of it. To keep. As a reminder." Tamara turned to Kali-kasha, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Take some when Samantha is finished. Not before"
Tamara clapped her hands together in a sort of sadistic joy and turned her head back to the glass.
Ely simply watched, enjoying the sight of someone else doing the torturing instead of her.
After hours and hours of beating, slapping and punching, Jack's body was exhausted. After another small boxful of objects had been used on Jack, he knew he couldn't stand it anymore. His Major, His Carter, His Sam, was beating the crap outta him.
"How do you feel?" Sam asked, as she moved her head closer, kneeling slightly so she could talk to him at eye level.
"Just Great. Thanks for asking" He spat. Blood dripping from the end of his nose, the blood itself coming from a large blow to his head.
He was pretty sure a few of his ribs were broken, his nose wasn't, but was bleeding. His lip had split, and his legs couldn't support him anymore. But apart from these injuries, the only others, was a long and thin bleeding hollow down his torso and spine and to his chin.
He was physically and mentally tired. He had been pushing his mental limits way beyond normal boundaries. The pain wasn't much. He could handle it all. But what really hurt, what cut him to the bone, was the fact that it was Sam. He believed that he cared about her more than he should. And he was the one person left in his life that he cared about more than any others, and here she was. Almost as evil as a snakehead.
As she stood behind him, removing the final set of three-inch needles that she had imbedded in his back, each receiving a sharp intake of breath and a small murmured curse, he closed his eyes.
As the last needle was pulled out, his body sagged. All the weight was on his wrists. Sam could tell that he was exhausted, Jack could tell that she wasn't going to give up that easily. The only way he could make her stop, was to make her remember. Make her aware that everything she remembered, was true, and that they were friends, and that they didn't belong here, and that she needed to let him go.
As she walked to the other end of the room, back to the table, he turned his body round to face her.
"Why don't you remember? How can you not remember anything. Anything at all. They have brainwashed you"
"No, for the first time they have made me see clearly. Do you see me following orders? Do you see yourself in charge here?" Sam called as she found the same knife she had before.
Jack had to change his tactics. She obviously associated him with all her problems. "Do you not remember Cassie, or Janet. What about Hammond. Jesus Sam. How about coffee, chocolate. Anything from home. How about your Father. You remember him? Jacob. Selmak. Thor?" He was stabbing in the dark. He didn't know if she would ever remember anything.
As she listened to him, She sighed. The pictures that were racing through her head. Different people, places, memories. Hardly any bad faces, only happy ones. There were some serious faces, but again, hardly any angry ones.
She picked up the knife with a small bottle of Erio's alcohol substitute and walked over to jack. Taking a large swig from the bottle she screamed loudly.
"So many faces, so many, memories. But they are fake. My sisters have told me what is real, and I know that I can trust them. You are lying."
"No. I'm not. They are lying to you Sam. I, well, I" His voice was nothing more than a deep and husky drawl. "I care for you. Very much. Just, come back"
She felt like screaming again. But instead, she lashed out. The knife once more tasting Jack's blood. But she had split his palm open. His blood flowing strongly, running down his arms, then down his back in small tributaries.
Jack winced. But this was not enough to make him give up.
"Sam. I care about you. More than you will ever know" He repeated. His voice barely able to be heard.
She lashed out again, this time getting another palm, the same happening as the last. With another wince, he closed his eye. His fists balled, trying to slow the blood flow. As he winced, she took the cork from the small bottle. After another sip she poured the bottle slowly over his hands, then down his head. Everywhere that he had a small cut, graze or wound became alive. Burning with fire that seemed unquenchable.
Jack could have groaned, but he would not let it leave his mouth. Through clenched teeth, he lifted his head to talk to her. "Use your commonsense Sam. You know as well as I do, that if I had ever hurt you, then, then I would lay down my life in you hands. You can do whatever you want. But this is not right. Considering the facts."
Sam had large tears flowing from her eyes down her blood stained cheeks. Washing small clean paths through his red. Once more, for the last time, she swung her arm out, the knife glinting in the thick light.
Jacks body fell to the floor. His hands apart. Her swinging the knife had cut through the rope that bound his hands, and had cut through the rope that connected him to the hanging chain.
He put his hands forward, to steady himself as he tried to stand. Now that his arms were loose at his sides, he rolled onto his back. Sam stood with her back to him. The bottle had fallen to the floor, and smashed. The thick blue liquid running in all directions, mixing with Jacks blood to form a thick purple shimmery stain on the floor.
"Sam" He whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself. Still, the front half of her was invisible to him. Using all the strength he could gather, he silently pushed himself up onto his feet. His body slowly swaying as he stepped closer and closed the gap between them.
As he stood only behind her, he could hear her crying. He could hear her gentle sobs as she tried to remember. He knew she was trying, maybe not for him, but for herself.
He then slowly, placed his hands on her shoulders.
At that moment, Sam's body spun, round. Hitting him with such a force that he really didn't know what hit him. Her body toppled over, straight onto him.
At that specific second, three things happened. The first being that their lips connected, both embracing each other. The second being, that as they fell, the knife that had been in Sam's hand, had once again, for its last time tasted blood and connected with flesh. And the third, being that Sam, or Major Carter as she now knew herself, remembered. She remembered everything. It was the same similar effect as being hit on the head during amnesia.
They both felt pain. Both in two different reasons.
They both felt the wetness and the warmness of the blood that flowed between them, neither at that specific moment, knowing exactly who it belonged to.
The person who avoided the blade knew not of it stabbing deeply into the other person, and the person who had felt the blades cold steel, felt no need to mention it.
They just enjoyed the moment that was shared between them. There was no need for words. Just closeness.
As the two people lay on the floor, they knew, that they were loosing each other.