Chapter 32 – Another Piece to the Puzzle

SG-1 emerged from the cave, coughing and trying hard to catch their breath as puffs of dust billowed out behind them. Teal'c set Sam on the ground a few meters away from the entrance and looked back to see if the entire entrance had caved in. It took a few moments for the dust to settle before they could get close enough for another look.

When it quieted down, Jack and Teal'c went back to the entrance and peered in, using a flashlight to illuminate the darkness within. "Well, the good news is, the cave hasn't been completely closed up," Jack announced when they rejoined the group. "The bad news is that we won't be going back in for a while. It looks way too unstable. Any idea how or why there's a force field in this cavern, Danny?"

"It must have been placed there by the ones who designed the Triplexus. My guess is that is was here to keep the enemy from claiming the girls who had been changed by the Triplexus. Or possibly to keep the local people out. I'm only guessing here though," he reminded Jack.

"If I could go back and get a closer look at the force field..." Sam began.

"Nothing doing Carter. No one is going into that cave again until we're sure things are stable," Jack firmly told her.

"But Sir, the only way to change me back is in there," Sam protested as she pointed to the cave. "We're not going to make any progress sitting on our butts out here!"

"Major Carter, I said we will wait until things settle down. Do I make myself clear?" Jack frowned in annoyance at her. She wasn't usually this argumentative with him on missions. Of course, there was a lot at stake here but still, he expected her to follow protocol.

"Yes, Sir," Sam mumbled. "Is it all right if Daniel and I look at the inscriptions on the outside of the cave, Sir?" she tried to keep the belligerent tone out of her voice.

"Go ahead," he waved them off. "Just don't step foot inside," he warned them. Jack turned to Teal'c and the 2 medical officers. "Let's set up camp in that clearing over there. It's going to get dark soon, so we won't be able to do much more tonight anyway."

As they moved off to set up camp, Jack turned back and watched his two scientists examining the outer walls of the cave. He frowned to himself and went to help the others. Teal'c came over Jack, noticing his frown whenever he looked at Sam and Daniel.

"Major Carter is most anxious to reverse the changes that have occurred to her O'Neill. I do not believe she means any disrespect to you," he stated in his deep voice.

"I know T. But I'm concerned nonetheless. In her eagerness to change back, I'm afraid she might take some unnecessary risks," he admitted.

"We will be vigilant with regards to Major Carter, O'Neill. I am certain she will act in a most professional manner."

"I hope you're right T. I hope you're right."

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Meanwhile, Sam and Daniel were closely examining the faded inscriptions on the side of the cave's opening. The faint impression of a Triplexus could clearly been seen in the smooth surface of the stone. Sam ran her fingers over the impression, feeling the dips where words had been chiseled into the stone.

"Daniel, look at this," she said, indicating where her hand was. "Doesn't this look the same as the back of the Triplexus?"

Daniel also ran his hand inside of the triangular impression. "Yes, it does. It's the same size and, from what I can tell, has the same words inscribed on the back."

"Do you think this might be a key of some sort?" she asked excitedly. "Maybe, if we place the back of the Triplexus in this spot, it will take down the force field and allow us to go in."

"It's possible Sam, but I don't want to try anything like that yet. Some of these inscriptions are warnings and I'm not quite sure what all of them mean."

"Can we at least take out the Triplexus and hold it up close to the engraving, just to check the size?"

Daniel looked down at her eager face, then glanced back at Jack. "Ok, but I hold it, not you. I don't want to take the chance of anything happening. Jack would have my head!"

Sam smiled gratefully as Daniel went to his pack and took the Triplexus out of its case. He returned and held the object up to the impression, his eyebrows arching in surprise when he saw that it would fit perfectly into the space that was carved out in the side of the mountain.

"It fits doesn't it? I knew it! This has to be the key to entering the Hall of Transformation Daniel. Let's go and tell the others! Maybe we can try it before it gets too dark out."

"Hold on Sam. Yes, it fits but like I said, I need to study the other inscriptions first. There's no way we're going in there without knowing everything we possibly can," Daniel reminded her. Sam lost some of the excitement she felt. He was right; they couldn't just walk in there blindly. Scientifically, she knew that they needed some good, solid evidence before doing anything. As a soldier, she knew that you didn't rush in someplace without having some good Intel. It was just so frustrating, being so close, yet still having the solution out of reach. "Hey, we'll get there Sam. You're just going to have to be patient a little longer, OK?" he squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

"I feel like I've been patient forever, Daniel." Sam sat dejectedly on the ground and haphazardly tossed rocks away from the cave.

Daniel scrunched down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't give up on me now Sam. You're one of the strongest, bravest, smartest people I know. You can hold on a little longer, right?"

"I don't think I have a choice," she replied as she looked up at him. Seeing the concern in his eyes, she gave him a small smile of reassurance. "Don't worry Daniel. I'm not about to give up. We're way too close for that to happen." She put her arms around him and hugged him. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Anytime," he grinned at her after releasing her. "Let's get back to work here before Jack comes over and tries to corral us into setting up tents. You know I'm hopeless at that particular chore!" Sam laughed at the face he made, then got to her feet as they resumed their exploration of the inscriptions.

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They returned to the campsite the others had set up when it got too dark to see anymore. After a quick meal, they sat around and discussed what they had found on the outside of the cave.

"There's an impression by the entrance that appears as if it was made for the Triplexus," Daniel stated. "From what Sam and I could tell, it's a key to enter the Hall of Transformation. Once inside the great cavern, as it is referred to, there is an inner sanctum that only the Innocents may enter. I have no idea what or where that might be, but I'm sure that's our final destination."

"There are also dire warnings against anyone who tries to enter the inner sanctum," Sam reminded him. "Which most likely means, that if we can get that far, I'll have to go it alone."

"There's no way that little scenario is going to happen," Jack stated firmly. "What type of warnings? Anything specific?"

"Oh, just certain and painful death, that's all," Daniel explained. "Specific enough for you?"

"Actually no, but I'll live with it." Jack turned to the group, "OK, at first light, we'll go to the cave and see if we can shut down that force field using the Triplexus as a key. If the cave seems stable, we'll go in and see if we can find this inner sanctum. We'll take three watches tonight – I'll take first watch, then Teal'c, then Danny," Jack informed them.

Sam glanced at Jack but didn't say a word. She knew he wouldn't give her a watch, not in her current state. It wasn't important enough for her to argue about either. She figured she would need all the rest she could get before tomorrow.

After agreeing to his plan, everyone but Jack made their way to their respective tents. Sam bunked with Lt. Jones, Daniel with Sunderson, and Teal'c would share with Jack. As her CO, he would have preferred to have Sam bunk with one of the members of his team but realized the logistics of it wouldn't be feasible. Lt. Jones might not feel comfortable bunking with another male.

Sam stopped and gazed across the darkened clearing at the cave located 50 meters away. If only she could head over there now and try to see if the Triplexus really acted as a key to enter the Hall of Transformation! She knew she would lie awake, thinking about it and the ramifications of having the entire team follow her into the cavern. She wasn't sure she could live with herself if someone got injured in there just because of her.

"Carter, come here a second," Jack called her back to the fire.

Sam made her way back to Jack and sat on a log next to him; waiting quietly for him to tell her what was on his mind. Jack kept his gaze on the fire, "I know you're more than a little frustrated at having to wait another day and take things slowly. I'm not going to have to worry that you'll try something stupid, like heading over to the cave on your own tonight, am I Carter?" He finally turned to look at her after he asked the question, wanting to be able to read her expression.

Sam raised her eyebrows in surprise, for in fact, she had been contemplating that thought just moments ago! Her face clearly showed what she had been thinking. Jack shook his head as he said, "I thought as much. You do know there's no way in hell I'd let you do that, right Carter? And if you so much as step one foot in that direction, you'll know the true meaning of the words dire consequences."

Sam looked away from his scrutinizing gaze. She felt his hand on her chin as he turned her head to look at him. "Sam?" he asked firmly

"I understand, Sir. Don't worry, I won't do anything without your approval," she sighed.

"I meant what I said to your father, Sam. I will not let anything else happen to you. I want you back to normal just as much as you do, but I'm not going to risk your life for it."

"Maybe I don't want to risk everyone else's lives either," she said quietly as she turned from him and looked at the ground. "What if those warnings are real? No one else should have to go in there but me!" Sam stated adamantly.

"Hey, we're a team and we do things together. We always have and it's not going to stop now. You let me worry about everyone else. Your job is to help Daniel figure things out, OK?"

"Yeah, OK," she mumbled.

"Now get to bed, we're starting out early and I want you bright eyed and bushy tailed, Carter," Jack said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "No thinking allowed, only sleeping."

Sam sniffed at that comment, then got up and headed to her tent. She stopped once more to look over at the cave but resumed her trek when she heard Jack clear his throat meaningfully. She didn't hear his quiet, "Good-night little Sam," as she zipped her tent closed against the cold night breeze.

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Early the next morning, the entire group was assembled in front of the cave, waiting to see if Daniel's theory was correct. They were all carrying various gear that they thought they would need; Sam had her backpack with her clothes and emergency supplies with her. All of them had flashlights to use in the dark cave, should they gain entrance to it.

Daniel took a deep breath and carefully fit the Triplexus into the impression in the wall. They all heard the unmistakable sound of a force field going down. They waited silently to check for sounds of rocks tumbling and crashing to the ground. Only a small scratching sound was heard as some type of rodent scurried for cover deeper within the cave.

"So far, so good," Daniel exclaimed. "Now comes the next part, following the passageways to the great cavern."

"It's going to get awfully dark so everybody uses flashlights here," Jack instructed. Once they were ready, he said, "OK Danny, lead the way. Follow the yellow brick road!"

At the quizzical looks from the medical officers, Jack just shrugged his shoulders and followed Daniel and Sam into the cave. They walked silently and slowly through the dark cave, following the narrow passageway as it meandered lazily through the cavern. They had walked no longer than 15 minutes when Daniel stopped and let out a soft "Whoa!" He stepped a few feet further into a large room within the cave that was lit faintly from a small hole in the top of the cave.

Everyone fanned out on either side of him to take in the sight of the large room. It was about the size of the gate room in width and length, but only about a third as tall. Stalactites and stalagmites hung in stunning arrays throughout the cave. When they walked closer to the walls, they could see inscriptions and pictures carved into its surface. Many of the pictures depicted images of children, almost as if it were a record of those who had been here before and what they had endured. Everyone walked around the room quietly; murmuring a few comments to those nearest to them.

Sam walked around the room by herself, taking in the scenes and emotions that were conveyed through the images on the wall. In one picture, she saw the image of a girl with long hair, holding what appeared to be a Triplexus in her hands. The girl stood in the middle of the room, a faint circle surrounding her. From the top of the image, Sam could see a greenish smudge that appeared to be a part of the picture in some way, but age and deterioration had taken away any clarity. Sam turned and shined her flashlight in the middle of the room. She followed its beam and stopped when she came to a faint ring that had been carved into the floor. She bit her lip in thought, then walked quietly over to Daniel.

"Daniel, let me see the Triplexus for a minute. I want to compare it to a picture I found on the wall."

"Do you think that's such a good idea Sam? Why don't I hold onto it and come over with you." Daniel responded.

"Daniel, remember what my dad said? What Selmak said? The Triplexus won't hurt me; I'm already a child as far as it can tell. Please, just trust me?" she pleaded.

He looked over to where Jack was deep in conversation with Teal'c. "OK Sam, but I am still coming with you."

"Fine," she sighed as she took the Triplexus from him. She turned it over in her hands, examining the inscriptions on the back. Then she began to walk over to the picture she had been studying before, being careful to circumnavigate the inner circle. She wanted to make sure Daniel was clear of the circle before she tested her hypothesis.

When she was a few feet beyond the circle, Sam stopped and bent over as if to tie her shoe. When Daniel stopped also, she said, "Just go straight ahead Daniel. The picture I was going to look at is right in front of you. I just need to get this rock out of my shoe." She laid the Triplexus on the ground next to her and pretended to loosen her shoe.

Daniel, eager to see what had piqued her interest, continued walking toward the wall she had pointed out to him. When he was almost there, Sam picked up the Triplexus and turned back to the middle of the room. She took a deep breath and stepped into the circle, holding the Triplexus in the palm of her hand so that its three colored corners faced the ceiling of the cave, just as the picture on the wall had shown her.

Jack looked up at the moment and saw her standing in the middle of the room, holding the Triplexus in her outstretched hand. "Carter," he said sharply, "What are you doing holding that thing? You don't know what could..."

He was interrupted as a greenish light poured out from the hole in the ceiling and surrounded Sam as she stood in the middle of the circle. Everyone froze and stared as the light changed from a light green, to a dark green, and finally to a deep blue color.

Jack, the panic evident in his voice, yelled out, "Carter! Get out of there!" as he, Daniel and Teal'c rushed forward. Before they could reach her, the light crackled and smoked, then disappeared altogether; taking Sam with it.

:) Last evil cliffhanger from yours truly...well, for this story at least!