Sam had just finished labeling the last blood sample when the horns sang out. The reaction of the Sandiem was instantaneous. This was no greeting or call of joy. This was a warning, and Daniel did not have to wonder what it was warning about: the Sanoctem were attacking the town.

While Daniel stowed the blood samples into the small cooler in Sam's pack, Sam grabbed up her combat gear and Daniel's gun. The two of them made their way to the wall there they located Jack and Teal'c by the sounds of their voices. The Sanoctem were by no means organized in their assault on the wall. Rather than attacking as a group, they charged individually. Even in the sputtering torch light, the madness was evident in their faces, and even when mortally wounded, they did not falter in their onslaught until they were dead.

Jack gave no order to fire. Instead, the four members of SG-1 gazed down at the battle, if it could be called that, feeling slightly sick. The attackers were pale and unkempt, but they were undoubtedly human, and they were obviously very, very ill. There was an archer standing on the wall just to Teal'c's left, and Teal'c could hear the man weeping with each arrow he loosed.

It was soon over, and Zephrey came along the wall to speak to them.

"They often attack on feast nights," he said in a sick voice. "The light and noise attracts them. There were only about fifty tonight, and I think we drove most of them off. Colonel, would you and your team join us outside the wall? We must check the bodies."

"What for?" Daniel asked without thinking. He silently cursed himselfas he figured out his own answer.

"To see if it's anyone we know."

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The night dragged on and on. The stars and moon shone down, quite uncaring, on the town. There had been a dozen bodies, and only one of them had been recognized. Sam had unobtrusively collected blood samples from the cadavers and put them with the ones she'd taken earlier in the evening. More and more people began to file on to the walls, looking down over the strewn field. Esser's face was pale with exhaustion and grief, but she stood resolutely between her mother and father on the wall.

The sky in the east began to turn pink and a hush fell over the watchers. Those who were still in the field or in their houses hurried to the wall as well. The first few rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon and the dew on the on the grass began to glisten. Daniel squinted at the corpses. They were smoking. The light grew steadily brighter, and the smoke became more obvious. As the full morning sun filled the eastern sky, the bodies of the Sanoctem burst into flame. A loud gasp ran up and down the wall as the Sandiem watched with awe and terror as their brethren were incinerated.

"Inferno," Zephrey said, his voice dead. "Ash unto ash."

Jack looked sideways at his team, gauging their reactions. Teal'c's eyebrows were raised so high that his golden tattoo was almost bent. Daniel wasn't watching, having averted his eyes to stare at his feet instead. It was Sam's expression that concerned him the most though. His 2IC's eyes had that familiar 'I've just made a really important conclusion, sir.' look to them, but the rest of her face was recoiling in fear.

"Carter?"

"We have to go," she said, an odd note of horror in her voice. "Now."

"Why?"

"The sun. The sun is what causes this."

"You said it was genetic!" Daniel exclaimed.

"It is," Sam said, "but the sun triggers it and we have to go. Now, sir."

"I don't-" began Jack.

"These people share our genome," Sam said. Several townspeople were staring openly at them now. "All the adults here must be immune. But I don't know about us."

Jack was gaping at her now, painfully aware of his own freshly sunburnt face. He paused for only a few more seconds before autopilot took over and he sprang into action.

"Teal'c, Carter, go and get all of our gear. If it's too heavy, leave it, but make sure you bring the blood samples. Daniel, you go and dial. Take Zephrey with you and show him how to work the communication system on the MALP. Send a message to the base so that Fraiser knows what she is in for." His people left as soon as he ordered them, and several of the locals went along to help. "Aeronn, I am sorry, but -"

"I understand, Colonel," he said. "I am sorry. We did not know."

"That's all right," Jack cut back in. "I need you to maintain a daylight watch by the MALP and 'Gate. We'll be in touch."

Aeronn nodded as Sam and Teal'c appeared at the bottom of the wall. Jack took his gear from the townsman who had carried it for him, and they headed off briskly for the 'Gate. By the time they got there, the wormhole was active and Daniel had sent the message. Zephrey helped him into his pack.

Jack hurried his team up the steps and watched them as they passed through. Just before he stepped over the event horizon, he looked back over his shoulder. Zephrey raised one hand in farewell and Jack stepped through and disappeared.

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"Well, I don't see anything immediately wrong with you." Dr. Janet Fraiser switched off her pen light and put her stethoscope in her ears. She held it up to Daniel's chest. "I won't know for certain though until the labs come back."

"What will the lab results tell you?" General Hammond asked.

"I wish I knew, sir." Janet sighed and removed the stethoscope. "I suppose if their blood samples match the Sandiem they're fine and if they match the Sanoctem…"

"When?"

"Three hours. Unless there's something really foreign that the mass spectroscope can't identify." Janet spoke somewhat mechanically, her attention diverted by one of her patients. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

The archaeologist had removed his glasses and was rubbing his eyes as though they itched. Janet walked back to him and took his hands in hers. She stared at them for a few seconds, uncomprehending, before raising her face to look into his. Her expression changed from concern to horror. Streaming down Daniel's face were tears of blood.

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to be continued….