Chapter 4
At 0850 the next morning, Carter, Jackson and Teal'c were already in the gateroom fully equipped and ready to move out. Colonel Hamilton and SG-9 filed in a moment later. Carter glanced up to the control room and was surprised to see O'Neill was not there yet. The technicians were moving back and forth like busy ants preparing for the gate's 0900 activation, but there was no sign of their commanding officer.
The doors to the main hallway swished open and Jack O'Neill strode in, wearing full camoflage gear and toting a P90 assault rifle. Tech Sergeant Walter Davis followed after him, nervously doublechecking the contents of the general's pack before handing it to him, then hurried out of the room to resume his place at the main console in the control room.
"Excuse me, sir, but what's going on?" Carter asked.
"I had a long talk with General Hammond last night and he agreed that a situation this sensitive requires a senior officer on site. That would be me," O'Neill said as he checked the settings on the assault rifle and settled the pack over his shoulders.
"Begging your pardon, sir, but who's going to handle things here while you're gone? If we get into trouble, we're going to need someone here backing us up."
"That would be me, Colonel," came a voice over the comm, the touch of Texas that edged it a welcome surprise.
Carter, Daniel and Teal'c turned in surprise to see the familiar sight of Major General George Hammond framed in the control room window. Carter, O'Neill and the members of SG-9 automatically moved to salute.
"As you were, people."
"It's an honor to have you here, sir," Carter said, a genuine smile lighting up her face.
"Indeed, it is a great pleasure to see you again, General Hammond," Teal'c added.
"It's good to see you, General," Daniel interjected.
"It's a pleasure to be back, but it's only temporary. General O'Neill told me what you're up against down on that planet, and I agree that his place is on the field with you this time. But make sure you bring him back in one piece and soon so I can get back to my regular duties."
"Yes, sir," Carter said, her smile fading slightly at the reminder of how serious, and potentially dangerous, this mission was.
"Now don't go throwing any wild parties while we're gone, General," O'Neill said. "I had a full inventory taken last night."
"We'll save the party for your safe return, General," Hammond responded warmly. "Now dial it up, airman."
"Yes, sir," Davis said, pressing the appropriate controls on his panel.
The ring containing the ancient heiroglyphics spun in its track, as Davis counted off, "Chevron 1 encoded, Chevron 2 encoded. Finally, the count ended with, "Chevron 7 locked. Wormhole established, sir."
O'Neill watched the wash of energy jet from the event horizon, then subside and form the familiar 'puddle' that made it look as though they were walking into a pool of water tipped on its side. He felt the familiar rush of adrenaline pump through him at the thought of passing through the event horizon and facing unknown dangers on its other side. "Let's move out, people. Time's a wastin'," he said with an enthusiasm he hadn't felt since he'd taken on the role of leader of the SGC.
"Be careful out there, people," Hammond said sternly.
As the others stepped into the event horizon, O'Neill turned back toward the observation window. "Just keep the lights on for us, sir," he quipped as he stared up at the General, the look on his face conveying the gratitude he couldn't express.
The General nodded at him in acknowledgment of the unspoken thanks. "Good luck, Jack, and Godspeed. Bring our people back safe."
"I intend to, sir," O'Neill said before turning and loping easily up the ramp and into the puddle.
O'Neill's arrival on the other side of the galaxy was less auspicious as he exited the wormhole in a full tumble and rolled unceremoniously down the steps. Picking himself up off the ground, he quickly surveyed the area around the stargate.
The members of SG-1 and SG-9 were all in the immediate area. Carter, Daniel and Teal'c were deeply engrossed in conversation with Aurora, while Colonel Hamilton and one of his men were examining the MALP for damage and preparing to feed it new instructions. The other two members of SG-9 were at the DHD locating and reviewing the symbols that would be needed to take them on the next leg of their journey.
O'Neill strode over to SG-1 and the alien. When he reached them, Daniel said to the shapeshifter, "Aurora, this is our leader, General O'Neill."
"It is an honor to meet you, General," the woman said, extending her hand.
O'Neill simply stared at the proffered hand and, realizing the reason for his refusal to touch her, Aurora blushed slightly, "I apologize, General. I should have realized that was inappropriate. I only wished to thank you for your generosity in assisting me. I must find a way to help my people and I fear I cannot do it alone."
"Our primary mission is to assess the situation on the planet to determine how serious a threat those people pose to the universe, and more specifically to us. If we determine there is a significant enough threat, steps will be taken to make it as difficult as possible for them to continue the ongoing experiment or to get off the planet. If you are able to come up with a viable plan to help them and we can assist you, we will, but I want it clear from the get go that this is not a purely humanitarian mission."
Aurora saw O'Neill's stern gaze pass over the team and then set in a more determined line as his gaze lingered for a moment on Daniel.
"I understand your anger at the harm that befell Daniel the first time he visited my people," Aurora said calmly. "I do not ask you to forgive those who injured him, only to understand that those you call the goa'uld have enslaved my people and poisoned them, making them into something less than they once were, than what they should be. If you are able to help me fix this situation, you will find us to be extremely grateful friends and formidable allies."
O'Neill's eyebrow raised at that. "You'd be willing to help us fight the goa'uld?"
"The kind of evil that would do what was done to my people cannot be allowed to fester in the universe. It must be wiped out before it destroys all that is good and decent in all of us."
"Hamilton, are you and your men ready?" O'Neill asked, his eyes still studying Aurora speculatively.
"Yes, sir," the Colonel responded.
"Then let's do it."
Samantha Carter stepped through the stargate and onto the transport station at P3X-846 with trepidation. The intervening two years had done nothing to dull her memory of the last time she'd set foot in this place.
As she swept the gateroom with her P90 then moved to the adjoining room containing the local transport device, she fought to ignore the technicolor memories that flashed like holograms over the silent, empty space arguing with O'Neill at the console, Dr. Benedetto interrupting, Daniel's half dead body huddled like a heap of discarded rags on the floor, his very brief wakening to tell her to disable the console, then the dead silence that had reigned over all present as they'd carried him back to the stargate and home for help, help she had feared wouldn't be in time.
Sensing Teal'c's presence behind her, Carter gave her head a quick shake to clear the memories so she could concentrate on the present, but she still felt off center and her nerve endings were tingling with expectation. She was glad that two members of SG 9 were positioned by the doorway covering their flank, but despite her trepidation, no one and nothing appeared in the room. Finally, she called out, "all clear," and moved to the control console. Pulling open a panel on the bottom of the console, she noted with satisfaction that all of the control crystals were still out of the unit, just as they had left it, and a thin layer of dust filmed the compartment.
"Teal'c, do you remember where the storage compartment is?"
"Yes, Colonel Carter," he responded, continuing to sweep the room suspiciously with both his eyes and his staff weapon.
"Could you go over there and get the crystals for me, please."
"Yes, Colonel Carter," he responded, moving to the wall where the compartment was located, but continuing to eye all four corners of the room suspiciously as he moved. It took him a few moments to remember how to trigger the opening to the panel, then he brought several crystals of varying sizes and shapes over to Carter.
"Okay," she said. I have the diagram we made before we took these out. Let's see if the General's ready to do this. Carter to O'Neill," she said into her walkie talkie.
"O'Neill here."
"The console doesn't appear to have been touched since we left two years ago. I have the crystals and am ready to put them back in on your orders, sir."
O'Neill again pondered the stupidity of this entire mission as he watched Colonel Hamilton and one of his men covering the stargate room with wary expressions, while Daniel and Aurora stood silently by the DHD. O'Neill felt another tug of concern as he noted the troubled look on Jackson's face. The fact that the archaeologist was quiet even though his nose wasn't buried in some ancient writing was a clear sign that something was bothering him.
As O'Neill watched, Aurora put a comforting hand on Daniel's arm and he gave her a half hearted smile in return. O'Neill's frown deepened, his distrust of the alien and her motives becoming more acute the closer they got to reaching their objective. "Daniel, Carter's ready whenever we are. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" O'Neill asked as he crossed the room to stand in front of them.
An apprehensive look passed over Jackson's face, but he responded with forced nonchalance, "we're ready whenever you are."
"Let's go then," O'Neill said, moving toward the doorway to the transport room as he spoke into the walkie talkie, "Go ahead, Carter, we're on our way."
When they entered the room, Daniel saw the familiar sight of Sam Carter sprawled on the floor under the console tinkering with its internal workings. He felt a sudden sense of déjà vu so strong, he found himself automatically looking toward the inscriptions he'd been studying two years before when he'd disappeared, and he had to fight the compulsion to return to that spot. Aurora put a comforting hand on his arm again to steady him, her reassuring presence pulling him back to the present. He smiled at her gratefully and reached out to give her hand a brief squeeze of thanks.
Col. Hamilton sidled over to O'Neill and whispered quietly, "I thought you told us last night that no one is supposed to touch the alien."
O'Neill frowned and responded, "She already touched him before, so it's too late to do anything about it now. Since that means she's able to take Daniel's form now, be on the lookout for anything that looks out of character for him. Tell your men they can shoot if they feel they are in danger, but only one shot with a zat. I don't want you accidentally killing the real Daniel because somebody got nervous."
"Yes, sir," Hamilton said stiffly, obviously offended that the General would think any of his men would do anything so precipitous.
"I need you and one of your men to stay here and defend the transport station, Colonel. If it looks like things are going to hell in a handcart and we're not going to make it out, your orders are to pack this place with enough C4 to blow it to hell, then head back to Earth regardless of whether we've made it back or not. It's our job to make sure that whatever's on that planet isn't able to make its way any further into our galaxy."
"Yes, sir," Hamilton responded.
"Sir," Carter called out, "all the crystals have been replaced. "We're ready to try it out."
"Go for it," O'Neill said with a resigned sigh.
"Aurora, I need your help now," Carter said.
Aurora moved over to the console and carefully studied the top of the panel. Finally, she moved her fingers tentatively over a few controls. As she continued and memories of long ago times in this place filtered through her memory, her fingers moved faster and faster over the controls. Slowly the board began to glow with flickering multicolored lights.
Daniel watched with fascination as the board came alive and then similar lights appeared on the far wall, near the symbols he had been studying on his earlier visit. He vaguely heard Carter say that hadn't happened before and Aurora respond that it was a result of the security override procedure. The winking lights seemed to call to him and, without thinking, he moved toward the far wall to look at them more closely. He was startled when an iron grip closed around his arm and pulled him back roughly.
"What are you doing, Daniel?" O'Neill snapped. "You're walking right into the path of the transport beam."
"I'm sorry, Jack," he responded, shaken by what he'd nearly done, "but there's something . . . . Aurora!" he shouted. "Wait! Can you shut down the automatic signal that's sent to the planet when someone's coming through?"
Aurora looked up at him in surprise, then frowned down at the panel. "I do not believe that is possible, Daniel. It is one of the most important safeguards built into the system. I do not think I can shut it off without a complete reconfiguration of the entire system. And I simply do not have the level of technical expertise required to accomplish such a task."
At O'Neill's questioning gaze, Carter leaned over the intricate control panel and shook her head in the negative. "I barely understand how this thing works to start with, sir. There's no way I can do anything like that in the time we have available. It would take at least two or three months to take the entire thing apart, figure out how it works and put it all back together again. And even then, I couldn't guarantee we'd get it right."
"I will enter the command that identifies us as friends and allows us to pass through the portal in safety," Aurora said. "That should be enough to prevent anyone at the other end from harming us."
"How can you be sure?" Daniel asked tensely. "Larinda knows now that Janus and Niirti weren't gods. How can you be sure she doesn't have guards ready to kill anyone that comes through. Wouldn't they assume that, at this point, anyone who knows the proper codes for safe passage would be connected to the goa'uld?"
Aurora frowned sadly. "I cannot know for sure and neither can you, Daniel. You and your people must make your own choice. There is none for me. I must return to the planet and try to help my people, with or without your help."
Daniel's heart was racing and his head was beginning to throb with tension, but he pushed his dread back. "Then let's go."
"Is there a limit to the number of people who can go down at one time Aurora?" Carter asked.
"It would be safest to send no more than four at a time."
"Okay, then Teal'c, Carter and Jansen, you're with me for the first trip," O'Neill barked as he moved toward the lighted wall. "Keep your weapons at the ready in case of attack. Daniel, Aurora and Baxter will follow."
Carter, Teal'c and Jansen joined O'Neill by the wall of glittering lights. Aurora indicated where they should stand and O'Neill directed them to form a rough circle facing out so they'd be able to cover the most area possible with their weapons when they arrived on the planet.
"Please make sure all of you move out of the transport area as soon as you arrive," Aurora advised, as she adjusted several controls. "If anyone is standing within the perimeter when the second group is sent in, they may be injured."
"Did you all hear that," O'Neill said sharply.
"Yes, sir," came a murmur of voices.
Then the spot where they had been standing was empty.
O'Neill experienced a sudden sensation of vertigo then found himself standing in what appeared to be an overgrown garden. He immediately began scanning the area around him, his P90 at the ready. He risked a quick glance at the rest of his team and saw they were intently scrutinizing their assigned areas. Confident his area was secure, his eyes moved to take in an overview of the entire place. It was approximately 50' long by 35' wide, and appeared at one time to have been a large and elaborate courtyard, but now it was surrounded on three sides by a decrepit colonnade, most of which had begun to collapse, with the rest overgrown by vines and weeds. The fourth side faced a wall graced by an old, no longer functioning fountain, topped with a statue of the four-headed version of the god Janus. The place they were standing was a 15' x 15' square paved with a faded mosaic tile that had begun to be pushed up in places by the wild grasses. There were still trees and flowers blooming beyond the tiled area, and a long overgrown footpath was barely visible winding its way through them.
"Clear the perimeter for the second team," O'Neill barked, striding quickly off the tiled area to the edge of the garden. He continued to scan the garden and its surrounding buildings from his new position, listening intently for the sounds of approaching voices or any movement in the outlying area.
Less than a minute later Daniel, Aurora and Baxter appeared without warning, prompting a startled exclamation from Jansen, who'd expected some light or sound to mark their arrival.
Daniel looked around the area and frowned. Nothing about it seemed familiar, but then the last time he'd arrived it had been unconscious from being battered almost senseless by the security protocols built into the transport device. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the sounds of the place instead of the sights, and was rewarded with the familiar sound of birds twittering and calling in the trees. He remembered the feel of the grass under his fingers, then the sound of a soft, comforting voice.
"Daniel!" O'Neill snapped.
Definitely not that voice, Daniel thought with resignation as his eyes popped back open and he looked expectantly toward O'Neill. "Yes, Jack?"
O'Neill stared at him assessingly for a moment, the sharp remark at the tip of his tongue held in check by his concern at the lines of strain visible around Jackson's eyes and mouth. "I want Aurora to show you, Carter and Jansen how to operate the transport device from this end in case we need to get out of here in a hurry, while Teal'c, Baxter and I check to see if there's a way out of here that's not blocked. And send this note back up to the transport station to let them know we arrived safely."
Daniel took the note, which read simply, We're here and okay, stand by, and looked to Aurora, who moved toward the fountain. Carter and Jansen moved over to join them, as Aurora peered intently at the fountain, the statue and the wall behind them.
"The control panel was over here, but now everything is different," she said with concern. Carefully she ran her hand over the rim of the fountain. The hand stopped suddenly and her skin began to ripple and shimmer. For a moment there was another face superimposed over her own, but then it disappeared and she returned to normal.
With a satisfied smile, Aurora reached up to the statue above the fountain and pressed simultaneously on the noses of the faces of the god pointing to the east and west. With a slight grating sound, the bowl of the fountain retracted into the wall, uncovering a control panel similar to the one on the transport station.
"Clever," Carter said with admiration. I never would have suspected anything was under there."
"Me either," Daniel said with a disgusted laugh. "What was I thinking. It wouldn't have mattered if I found this place. I never would have found the way back without help."
"You're not alone this time, Daniel," Carter said firmly, her blue eyes boring into his, willing him not to give in to the apprehension that had been evident since they started this mission.
A slight smile crossed his lips. "I know, Sam. And believe me, I'm very grateful for that." Still his hand moved unconsciously for a reassuring touch of the Beretta in its holster.
Aurora quickly took them through the sequence of controls that had to be activated to send them back to the transport station. Daniel placed the note in the center of the mosaic, then Carter repeated the sequence Aurora had showed them and was rewarded with the disappearance of the note from the tile. When they were finished, Aurora moved to the opposite side of the fountain and pressed the noses of the north and south faces of the statue. The bowl of the fountain obediently slid out of its hiding place and glided back into place over the control panel.
Carter activated her walkie-talkie, "Carter to O'Neill. We're ready to move out, sir."
"Not this way," came O'Neill's tinny voice from the walkie-talkie, "most of the structure on this side has collapsed. Teal'c, Baxter, have you had any luck?"
"Not this way, sir," Baxter responded. "It's a mess over here, like there was some kind of battle in here a long time ago."
"The entrance through the central colonnade has been cleared of debris, O'Neill," Teal'c reported in his calm, measured tones. "And it appears that someone takes pains to keep it so."
"Central colonnade it is then," O'Neill responded. "Baxter, head back to the courtyard and stay with the others. I'll be there in about two minutes. We'll all head out together from there. Teal'c you stay where you are and keep an eye out for the maintenance crew."
As they made their way through the central colonnade and into the main hall where Teal'c was waiting for them, Daniel looked closely at what was left of the structure. "This appears to have been some kind of an administrative building as opposed to a residence," he said thoughtfully. "From what I can see none of the rooms leading off this hall would have been small enough to have been used as sleep chambers. They look more like meeting rooms."
"Well, it would make sense that the transport device would be in a public building, not a private residence, wouldn't it," Carter responded, knowing that working on the puzzle would keep Daniel's mind off of other things.
"Long ago, before I was taken," Aurora interjected, "there was a different structure here that was used as a meeting place where representatives of our kind could interact with visitors who came through the transport device to get to know of them before allowing them greater access to the planet and our people. Perhaps this structure served the same purpose. But I do not know what could have happened here to cause such devastation."
"The history Larinda showed me told of infighting between Niirti and Janus before she managed to escape from the planet and strand him here," Daniel said. "The damage probably happened during the final battle when Janus' forces were trying to prevent her escape."
"It seems odd they wouldn't have repaired the place since then," Carter said. "Didn't you say that was hundreds of years ago?"
"Who knows," Daniel shrugged, "maybe they keep it this way as some kind of monument."
"Or maybe they don't want anyone getting too curious and finding the transport station," O'Neill interjected, surprising the others who hadn't realized he'd been listening to the conversation.
"O'Neill," Teal'c's firm voice broke in, "someone is approaching."
"Take cover everyone," O'Neill barked. "Try to find someplace that won't fall down on your head if they have weapons and decide to use them."
Daniel's hand instinctively went to the Beretta and it was out of the holster with the safety off before he even realized he'd reached for it. He scanned the section of the hall nearest them, then pointed to a colonnaded area between two central support columns. "That section should be the sturdiest. They can't risk shooting out those columns without bringing the entire superstructure down and cutting off their own access to the transport device."
"Let's hope they care about having access to the transport device," O'Neill said as he signaled the others to head for the cover of the columned area.
Three P90's, a staff weapon, a zat and a Beretta were aimed at the entrance when the interloper appeared. She was a young woman in her early twenties, with long brown hair cascading over her shoulders. Daniel recognized the white gown and blue robe she wore as the type worn by the order of priestesses. She looked vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't recall where he'd seen her before.
She looked around in concern as if sensing the presence of others, but was unable to locate them. "Hello?" she said tentatively in her own language. "Is anyone here?" She peered around again, clearly becoming more agitated. "I know someone's there. Please answer me. Our lord Janus sent us a message that you would be arriving. We mean you no harm. My name is Julia. I bring you greetings from the people of this world and wish only to bring you to meet our leaders. As lord Janus' honored guests you are most welcome and will be greatly honored by our people."
The memory struck Daniel with an almost physical force, and he closed his eyes and leaned against the column for support as it flooded him. Sitting in the main chamber of the temple with Larinda, discussing the history of her people. A young woman coming in with a tray of food and drink for them, reminding Larinda of the ceremony she was supposed to attend in an hour. Her surprised look when Larinda said she wouldn't be attending. Larinda had called that woman 'Julia'. Two years had not made that much difference, it was still the same face -- the face of the woman who had brought them food and drink laced with a powerful drug, a drug that had come close to killing him.
He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and instinctively knew it was Aurora. He could almost hear her saying 'Calm yourself, Daniel. Find your center. All will be well.' Or was it someone else's voice? He only knew it was familiar and comforting. He gave his head a quick shake to clear it. It didn't matter now whose voice it was, it had had the desired effect of shaking him out of the dark memory. Daniel forced himself to focus on Julia, wondering if she had known about the drugs or if she had just been another of Janus' pawns.
Clutching the Beretta at his side, he stepped tentatively from the cover of the column.
"Daniel!" O'Neill hissed at him, but he ignored the general's warning.
He moved silently further into the open until the woman's searching eyes registered his presence. She started to speak in her own language, then her eyes widened in recognition, which quickly turned to fear. She knelt down before him casting her eyes to the ground. "Is it really you, lord Daniel?" she surprised them all by asking in English. "The priestess said lord Janus had taken you with him and would return you to us one day. She will be happy that he has kept that promise so soon."
Daniel felt the anger building in him, but pushed it back. "Will she?" he asked neutrally. "I guess we'll see about that. I see she has taught you my language."
"Yes, my lord. She wanted someone else to be able to communicate with you and your people upon your return in case she was . . . ," the girl hesitated, searching for the right word and finally finished, "unavailable."
Daniel snorted derisively, "Oh, I'm sure Lysandra would have plenty to say to me."
The girl flinched guiltily at the tone of his voice, but dared to raise her eyes and say defiantly, "That one has not been here since you left us. The priestess does not allow it. If you wish it, my lord, I will take you to her now," she added.
"Why don't you take us all," Jack O'Neill's voice came from behind Daniel as he strode toward them, his face set in stone and the P90 aimed directly at Julia's chest.
The girl's eyes grew even more frightened and her hands fluttered with agitation as the rest of their group came out of hiding. Her terrified gaze returned to Daniel, "The priestess said you were sent to save us. Have you decided to destroy us instead?"
"I wish to see the priestess now," Daniel said coldly. "I will discuss such matters only with her."
"Yes, my lord," the girl replied, moving unsteadily toward the entrance, continuing to dart terrified glances at the weapons being pointed in her direction.
When they exited the building after checking carefully for waiting enemies, Daniel was surprised to see the tiers of the coliseum thrusting into the air not far in the distance. Trying to regain his bearings from his previous visit, he was dismayed when he turned and saw the main entrance to the temple less than 50 feet away. I was this close to escape the whole time and I ran in the other direction, he thought numbly. If only I'd known. If only she'd told me! The anger settled like a cold fist in his chest and he no longer wanted to fight it; instead, he was ready to unleash it on the one person who most deserved it.
Julia led them through the main doors of the temple into a massive entrance hall, which was suspiciously deserted.
"Where is everyone?" Daniel asked Julia.
"The priestess sent everyone home when the signal came that Lord Janus was sending visitors to us."
"Where is she?" he asked his grip tightening unconsciously on the gun again.
Julia cast a worried glance at him. "She awaits you in the central chamber."
"Then take us there."
"It's this way," she said. "If you should become disoriented, the lines of color in the floor act as guides, just follow this gold colored line and it will take you to the central chamber."
Another thing it would have been helpful to know on his first visit Daniel thought irritably to himself. He cast a glance over at O'Neill and saw the mischievous look on his face as he looked at the line on the floor.
Daniel winced as he realized what was coming. "Oh, no, Jack. Please don't say it."
O'Neill only flashed him an impish grin and said, "Come on kids. Let's follow the yellow brick road."
Daniel rolled his eyes, "you just had to say it, didn't you."
O'Neill simply shrugged, but was secretly glad to see that the small joke had had the desired effect of relaxing some of the tension so evident in the archaeologist's stance and expression.
Finally, they were standing in front of the double doors leading into the central chamber. Daniel felt the memories pressing against him again and reached out tentatively to touch the control panel beside the door. The memory of plunging his knife deep into that panel to short out the circuitry to lock Janus and Lysandra inside was so clear, he could almost smell the burning wiring. He felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably as the part of the memory that involved how sick he'd been at the time tried to take hold.
There was a comforting hand on his arm again, but this time it wasn't Aurora. "Daniel, are you sure you're going to be alright?" Carter asked worriedly. "You don't have to do this, you know. We can handle it."
"No," he said forcefully. "I have to do this, Sam. I have to."
"Okay, but if we're going to do it, we have to do it now. We're sitting ducks huddled together in the hallway like this."
He nodded and reached for the door control.
"Wait a moment, please, my lord," Julia interrupted, moving in front of him.
"What is it?" Daniel snapped irritably.
"You must not take weapons into the chamber. The priestess does not allow it."
"We don't much care what the priestess allows and doesn't allow," O'Neill snarled. "I've heard how your priestess treats guests and there's no way I'm going in there without a weapon."
"Then you should not go in at all," Julia said. "In fact, none of these should go, my lord. Only you."
"No!" O'Neill and Carter said in unison, then looked at each other in surprise.
"Remember me saying 'over my dead body'," O'Neill said to Daniel.
"Don't worry, Jack. I'm not that stupid. There's no way I'm going in there alone after what happened last time. But it might make sense to leave some people behind to cover us in case we need to make a fast exit."
"Jansen and Baxter, the two of you stay out here and keep this hallway clear. Make sure they don't try to cut us off from the main entrance."
"Yes, sir," the two men responded.
The others turned expectantly toward the door. Julia looked upset, but seeing the determined look on Daniel's face, she thumbed the door control and stepped through with Daniel and the others following behind.
Julia immediately moved to the left side as they entered the room, blocking his view of that side of the room. But Daniel could clearly see who he was looking for -- the woman leaning over the console with her back to them with her long blond hair swept up carelessly in a clip at the back of her neck. He frowned as he realized her stance was awkward, like an elderly person suffering from chronic pain.
"Priestess, lord Janus has kept his promise," Julia said softly. "Come see who our guests are."
The woman turned at the sound of her voice, and Daniel was struck by how haunted her eyes were. When he'd first met her, those eyes had been full of light and hope, there had been some fear and concern too, but mostly hope. Now they were dead, full of a pain and hopelessness no amount of light could reach.
When she saw him, there was a moment of shocked surprise, and a glimmer of that light flickered through her eyes. But when she saw the armed warriors flanking him, weapons at the ready, they went dark again. "Daniel. I did not expect you to return. I am pleased to see you are well."
"No thanks to you," he responded coldly.
She realized that none of the excuses flitting through her mind were worth vocalizing since he was absolutely right. "What is it you want?"
So many answers to that question pressed at him, wanting to be the one to pass through his lips -- why did you do that to me?; how could you have done it?; would you have even cared if I'd died? -- but he knew there was no answer she could give to any of them that would be sufficient or that would make the pain that reached all the way into his soul go away.
"Daniel and his friends were kind enough to escort me home," came the gentle voice of Aurora.
Larinda looked at the woman in confusion. "Home? I'm sorry, I don't recognize you. Are you of this world."
"I was once of this world before the evil one came and stole me away to give as a peace offering to one of her enemies. Daniel and his friends freed me from my prison and brought me home to help you."
Larinda laughed, a sharp, disbelieving sound. "Help us? How do you think you can help us? Unless you are fully human and are willing to be breeding stock, there is nothing you can do for us. My people are dying, some by their own hands, some by the hands of others, and it grows worse every day. The madness has become like a plague, stealing life and hope without warning and without mercy. Nothing I have done has been able to stem the tide, let alone reverse it." She turned back toward the console, her voice full of despair, "It was all for nothing," she said leaning against the console and lowering her head as her eyes closed to hold back the tears brimming in them.
"You do not understand," Aurora said softly, walking over to Larinda and touching her arm.
Larinda let out a startled gasp as the brief contact left a tingling over the skin that had been touched, as though that small patch of skin had recognized the one that had touched it. "Who are you?" she asked fearfully as she turned to Aurora.
Aurora simply smiled, then began to melt. Julia let out a shriek of shocked surprise while Larinda stood staring uncomprehendingly as Aurora's body reformed into that of a sphinx that strutted around the room for a few minutes before melting again and reforming as a python. Her point made, she finally melted back into her human form.
Larinda could only stare at her, the reality of what the woman was forcing its way through the wall of pain and fear that had been her constant companion for the last two years. "You are one of the ancestors, the first ones. We believed they had all been lost."
"Not all. And now I have come back to help you, to help our people. We can find a way together, but I need your help, your knowledge."
"I will do all that I can to assist you," Larinda said, "but . . . ."
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of a small tired voice saying, "'Ama, too 'oud."
Julia's face went white and she moved to block the owner of the voice from their view.
O'Neill grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her out of the way, then could only stand and stare, feeling as if the breath had been knocked out of him.
Daniel felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room and there was nothing left to breathe. He wasn't sure he wanted to even if he could. All of the color drained from his face as he stared at the small boy, who couldn't be more than a year and a half, who was staring sulkily at them through eyes heavy with sleep, eyes that were a clear crystaline blue, the same eyes he saw every morning when he looked in the mirror.
"Oh my god," Carter said, staring at the child, then at Daniel, then at the child again.
Teal'c saw the color drain from Daniel's face and quickly reached out and grabbed him firmly by the arm before he could stagger or fall. "Daniel Jackson," he said firmly, trying to get Daniel to focus on him instead of the child. But Daniel wasn't seeing Teal'c or the child anymore. He was lost in a memory, the memory of a kiss, a kiss that ended with a strange taste left on his lips and tongue, the realization he'd been drugged, then nothing. But then the nothingness dissolved and there was another memory beyond it, the memory of being naked under a light blanket and feeling another body press against his, of soft skin brushing against his own, and kisses - some gentle, others full of desire and passion. And he could remember participating in those kisses, touching that other body, but there had been no control, no thought behind it, just blind desire.
Daniel was like a rag doll in Teal'c's grip, so the jaffa half pulled, half carried him to one of the ornate chairs by the console and sat him in it. Carter came over and leaned over Daniel, gently patting his face to try and pull him back to reality. Slowly, his eyes began to come back into focus and his hands reached up to grab her wrists to stop her.
She stopped patting him but kept her hands cupping his face, saying, "Daniel, talk to me. I'm not letting go til you say something."
He took a deep, gasping breath and nodded his head in acknowledgment of what she'd said, but he remained silent a few more minutes, trying to steady his breathing and calm his racing heart.
Larinda stood frozen at the other side of the console, her face set in grim lines as she watched Daniel's reaction to this unexpected development. She couldn't stop the pain that radiated from her eyes, that was always there, but she did her best to keep it from showing in the rest of her countenance.
"Please don't hurt the child," Julia said desperately. "He's done nothing to you. If you must punish someone, take me."
"Are you out of your mind?" O'Neill yelled, using the hand still gripping her arm to shake her. "What kind of people do you think we are that we'd hurt a little child like that. Jesus Christ, look at his eyes. What the hell have you people done?!"
"The child is Daniel Jackson's, is it not," Teal'c said to Larinda, barely controlling the anger that vibrated through the words.
She stared at him defiantly and responded coldly, "His . . . and mine."
Carter was still kneeling beside Daniel with her hand over his as she watched the exchange between Larinda and Teal'c, so she was taken by surprise when he suddenly stood, his body taut with fury. His blue eyes were stormclouds of rage and he moved jerkily toward Larinda as if he were trying to decide whether or not to strike her.
"'ama, wat's rong," that small frightened voice cut like a knife through the shock and anger permeating the room.
Daniel stopped in his tracks, taking several deep breaths to try and purge the fury. He wanted desperately to hit something, anything to help dissipate the anger that was threatening to take him over the edge, but he didn't want to frighten the child any further. Instead, he glared at Larinda, his eyes challenging her to say something to comfort him.
"It's all right, baby," she said soothingly to the child. "Come here to mama."
The child gave one last frightened glance to each of the adults in the room, then tottered over to his mother, wrapping his small arms around her legs.
"You little scamp, you're going to make me fall," she said with genuine warmth, leaning over to pick up the child and cradle him in her arms. A flicker of light came back into her eyes and some of the tension left her face as she held him close. He laughed with delight and cuddled against her shoulder, his small arms around her neck.
Daniel felt the anger melt away leaving only a dull ache in the pit of his stomach. Anger couldn't live in the face of such sweetness, such innocence.
Larinda looked at him assessingly as she cradled the child against her. Finally, she said, "Do you want to hold him."
"Daniel . . . ," O'Neill said, the caution clear in his voice.
"Yes," he said reaching out for the child.
"Daniel," she said softly to the child. "This is your father, your papa. It's okay to go to him. He would never hurt you."
The boy looked at Daniel shyly, then looked at his mother. She smiled lovingly at him and nodded. The child's face broke into a big smile and he said, "'apa," and held out his arms.
Daniel took the child and cradled him in his arms, feeling a rush of wonder as the small arms slid around his neck and the boy cuddled against his shoulder. He saw Larinda's smile fade like a dying flower as she lowered herself heavily into one of the chairs in front of the console. So many emotions went through him as he stood holding the child, he wasn't sure how to process them all. But one cold certainty settled in his heart as he held that precious, fragile life against him and stared coldly at the woman who had done so many despicable things to create that life. There was no way he was leaving this planet without his son. No matter what the cost.