"...Besides: never be careful. What's good enough for you is good enough for me."
He dipped his head slightly, "You know I didn't mean that."
She shrugged one shoulder and her expression was apathetic, "my decision is final."
He became stern,"no, Samantha,"
Yes, Martouf."
Lantash took over, "Samantha."
"Lantash," she replied stubbornly, setting her jaw and holding her head high.
A wild look came into his eyes which froze into a calm resolve. He raised his weapon.
She kicked it from his hand, "I'll protect myself, thanks, even from you."
He shook his head somberly and reached down for his zat. She kicked his hand again.
This time he grabbed her arms, twisted them behind her and spoke quietly in her ear, "I don't care how I have to do it, but you're leaving this planet as fast as I can throw you." His grasp loosened a little, "this is your last chance to leave in a dignified manner."
"You're the one who's going to be walking funny," she growled and stomped on his foot, shoving him against the wall. "You'd better accept it the fact that I'm seeing this through to the end, or I'll be throwing you through the gate, comprendo?"
He easily pushed off the wall, "I'm at least twice as strong as you."
She scoffed with a wicked grin, "But not nearly as smart. Its obvious to both of us you need me around to protect you from yourself."
"There's nothing more you can do here, and an infinite amount of duties you should do back home."
"This is the kitchen where it's cooking, Lantash. Need I remind you who cracked the code?" she cooed, flicking the medallion with her nail. "So now will you stop wasting time so we can find out what's inside?" she said shoving him backwards.
He glared into her eyes, "the first chance I get... you're gone."
She sneered and pulled down hard on the chain until their faces were almost touching, "Same to you."
His face lit up with amusement.
The chain snapped and she held it in her fist, high, the medallion swinging fast like a pendulum. "Now which door does this open?"
He snatched it out of her grasp, "follow me."
.
They reached the black spiral staircase and Sam started jogging up them then turned around when Martouf remained below.
Not up there, he smirked.
She opened her mouth to ask where then? but didn't. She simply rejoined him at the bottom and he led the way, deliberately slowly because he knew what she was about to see would be worth the suspense.
The halls bronzed to gold once again and though all was very dim Martouf could make out the hot desert light already up ahead.
What is that? Sam asked curiously, squinting to see.
When they entered the room, this time, the victorious hologram army was waiting in the full midday sun, the dust of the skirmish had settled, the wind now a gentle breeze. The Jackals were posed perfectly, lying on the ground in strict formation and the figure of the man removed its helmet and dipped its head. It was an exact replica of Martouf.
Sam stood still, taking it all in. Her stillness betrayed a mind working at warp speed to conquer new technology. I'm noticing a theme here... she quipped looking at the apparition of Martouf... or rather, Kaya.
Were you still hoping Kaya wasn't a narcissist?No, but I've been wondering about you since I've been here, she grinned.
Martouf offered a wry smile, and held the medallion up by its chain to the hologram. It spun slowly through its identical counterpart, the instant the two aligned it stopped frozen, suspended in place, close to indistinguishable from the illusion.
Surprised, they circled the figure. The apparition drew a ceremonial dagger. They jumped back. The apparition threw the dagger. Threw it into the stone floor. Then it spoke with Lantash's voice.
Enter now.
They didn't know how. Samantha searched for a right place to stand, or a right stone to push, Martouf stepped into his identical counterpart image but nothing happened. He couldn't remove the medallion now either. Samantha tapped the dagger with her zat and blinked. The zat had disappeared right out of her hand.
He looked just as she grasped the dagger handle and was gone.
He reached down for it immediately, hitting his head on the medallion along the way and swearing.
Next thing he knew he was standing in a Goa'uld laboratory lit with infra red. Samantha was across the room peering into a jewel case with a large creature inside.
What is that? he asked warily.
I hope that's not what it looks like...
The creature struck the inside of the glass, Samantha jumped and pointed her weapon nervously.
I don't know... Its not a normal symbiote... Its huge.
He really didn't want anything to do with this situation but as he approached his fears proved true.
It's a queen.Kaya was breeding symbiotes using this female.
She stared at him wide eyed, scandalised, she swallowed So are those your offspring?, she pointed to the swolen belly of the queen.
He looked at her strangely, Uh... no. You've got things a little mixed up.
That would be a really... really... bad... scenario, if it were possible, thought Lantash.
Except for the reddish, black liquid in the tank the room was deathly silent. He noticed rings on the floor and pulled her into them transporting to a connected room.
The walls and ceiling were completely covered in grotesque and complicated, apparently interlocked fluid forms of scaled, black metal. Each indistinct unit looked to be about an arms width across and high.
Have you been here before?I think so.What is this place?An armory.Those are the weapons, she said incredulously.
More than weapons, I'd say.Is it safe? she reached out for the center hub of one of the forms. As her hand touched it the machine buzzed, powered up and pushed outwards from the others. Its own scales became distinct from those around it. The scales covered smooth, snake-like tentacles which reached out, sending Samantha stumbling away fast from fright, zat aimed as it released from the wall, dropping agilely onto the floor. There it was clear that the machine had a body design based on some kind of a dragonfly with six tentacles to use but no wings to fly. It Lay lifeless as though dead.
That energy output came from the wall, he observed, grunting as he strained to turn the body of the thing over for closer inspection and finally succeeded. It's almost as heavy as you. he quipped.
She mumbled under her breath, how would you like to be tied to it and dropped into the sea.There must be something around here to activate this. Well there's a panel on that wall
He found what he was looking for on the controls.
Martouf, I've got a bad feeling about th- she started, but he'd already activated the processors.
Quickest way to figure all this out since we don't have any time left to speak of.
She shook her head in warning and scoped out the room continuously.
I only activated one, he reassured her as he felt a current flow into the room.
Sixteen machines pushed out; the glass floor receded from the walls towards the two of them. The machined dropped down the gap making a splash far below.
Oh, sh- she whispered. you activated one company!
Martouf frowned at her pensively and edged to the gap, peering down.
His eyes glowed, Red water.
She took a few deep breaths and readied her weapons.
From far below them began the sound of trickling water sliding off metal and scrapings up the wall stones. The scraping grew closer and louder. Shards and rock splinters rained into the pool below. Black claws wound over the glass on all sides and clamped onto it with a far stronger than iron grip.
Samantha fired on all of them as many times as she could. It had no effect.
Lantash put his hand down over her zat and shook his head, better not.You can't be serious!
He simply shook his head again, pointedly. When they looked away from each other the machines were at full height, taller than Martouf, climbing the walls, slinking over the inactive machine and around Samantha and Lantash with red orb eyes in their lifeless faces.