The sentries swooped down on him the instant he emerged from the Gate, causing him to lose his balance and fall backward.

"Why have you returned here? Fool! Much was sacrificed to free you from the Mistress. Your reappearance has made that offering meaningless!" The angry young woman glared at him as he rose from the ground and looked around.

The place was every bit as dark and dreary as he remembered, matching his mood perfectly. "Yeah, well, I didn't ask anybody to give up anything, so get over it," he snapped.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and started toward the city, ignoring her and her silent companion. Before he'd even taken two steps, the woman was again in front of him. "The Mistress demands you be brought before Her immediately should you return. You will come with me."

He could feel the Goa'uld compelling him to return to her, but it was faint enough for him to resist easily, despite his weakness. His own anger rose as the standoff continued. He crossed his arms and challenged the sentry. "And if I refuse?"

The young woman looked at him with a mixture of anger and contempt. "She has claimed you as Her own. You must have known the fate that awaited you when you decided to return here," she spat.

O'Neill remained silent. His only response was a slight tilt of his head and raised eyebrows.

His actions served only to irritate her even more. Her anger got the better of her, eradicating what little patience she still possessed. "She will come for you Herself! Her anger will be great at your disobedience, and you will suffer greatly for it!" It was clear from her tone that the young lady was pleased by the prospect of him being on the receiving end of such pain.

He smiled at her, his expression so fiercely malevolent and icy that it made her take a step back. "Good. Tell the bitch if she wants me, she'll have to come and get me."

Both sentries stared after him in wide-eyed shock as he strode past them and on toward the city. When Jack disappeared from view, the pair looked fearfully at each other. No one ever defied the Mistress. They'd learned the hard way. They all knew how horrible the consequences were.

The Mistress would not take the news of his ultimatum well. Still, one of them would have to inform Her. The duo gazed deeply into each other's dark eyes. No words were spoken, but the male reluctantly nodded and slowly flew off.

His partner remained motionless, staring for a long while at the spot where she'd last seen Her Chosen. Her sister had told her that this O'Neill had been different, but she hadn't realized just how different--not until he'd issued his challenge to the Mistress. He must be ignorant of the wrath he would suffer, or he'd have never spoken such dreadful words. To knowingly invite such horror was unthinkable. She shuddered at the thought, unable to fathom why anyone would do such a thing.

She replayed the scene in her mind, recalling the fierce hatred in his eyes as he'd ordered them to deliver his message. In that instant, she knew beyond any doubt that he'd known exactly what was in store for him. An audible gasp escaped her as a second, far more chilling revelation hit her.

The man did not care.

Samantha Carter slammed her goggles down on the table next to the technology she'd been examining. She'd been feeling tense and irritable ever since the colonel had left yesterday. Given the circumstances behind his escape, she'd been attributing her mood to his departure. Now, though? Now she knew for certain that it wasn't the sole cause at all.

She'd been working nearly round the clock, as had Daniel, in the attempt to find a way to eliminate or deactivate the nanites. No one other than the colonel had been affected as yet, but there was no guarantee the condition would not spread to the SGC members from whom he'd been forced to feed. When Janet Fraiser had arrived several hours earlier and insisted she take a break for something to eat, she had reluctantly agreed to accompany the doctor to the canteen.

She'd known something was not right the moment she'd gotten in the elevator. It had been crowded, as it was near lunchtime, and many of the lab techs had also been ready for a meal-break. As soon as the doors had closed, she'd felt like every nerve ending in her body was tingling. She had been able to smell the sweat and perfume of every single person in there. Even now, she would swear that she had heard the blood of each one rushing through their veins.

She'd been about to panic, unable to deal with all the unfamiliar sensations. When the car had stopped at the next floor to admit more passengers, she'd bolted through the doors with Janet hot on her heels. Shaking, she'd slid down the wall and pulled her knees up, resting her head on them as her friend and doctor had demanded answers. Their conversation was still fresh in her mind.

"What is it, Sam? What's wrong? And don't bother trying to tell me it's nothing! You've been far too pale for days now."

Her quaking quickly abated once away from the crowded elevator, and she calmly looked up at Fraiser. She knew her friend would see right through a lie, so she opted for a stripped down version of the truth. "I don't know. It was so crowded in there--too many people. I-I just had to get out, that's all."

Janet pursed her lips, clearly not buying the explanation. After a long pause, she had demanded more answers. "Okay, so tell my why you've been wearing all those turtlenecks lately. Ever since Colonel O'Neill first went missing, in fact, if I recall correctly."

Sam stood, feeling herself again. She was beginning to get angry at her friend's persistence. "It's been a little chilly in my lab, all right? I think something is wrong with the thermostat, but I haven't had time to do anything about it with everything else going on."

The doctor eyed her skeptically. "Okay, fine. Let me see your neck."

Carter stared back at her, eyes wide with shock. "What?"

Fraiser stood her ground. "You heard me. If there's nothing wrong, you won't mind my taking a look."

Furious that she was about to be exposed and pulled from her research, she glared at the shorter doctor, grabbing the shirt on both sides of her throat and yanking it down.

Janet blinked in surprise and stepped closer to examine her friend. Once satisfied, she moved back. "I'm sorry, Sam. I don't know what else to say. I was afraid that you were trying to cover for him. You have to admit, your symptoms are identical to the other victims'. And the timing is a pretty strange coincidence, too."

She hid her surprise with a silent shrug and used the pretence of fixing her collar to run her own fingers across her throat where only that morning had been two slightly-faded puncture wounds with a still noticeable amount of bruising around them. To her amazement, the skin was now as smooth as silk, and she knew that if she looked in a mirror, there wouldn't be even the smallest sign of a blemish anywhere.

"You know, I really don't feel up to braving the crowd in the cafeteria. And for some reason, my appetite has all but disappeared. I think I'll wait for a little while and then get Daniel to take a break with me." She forced a smile at her friend. "If that's all right with you," she clarified.

"Sure, Sam. Just don't wait too long, okay? You really do need to keep up your strength," she admonished with concern.

Carter had simply nodded and headed for the stairs, leaving her friend standing alone in the corridor.

With a heavy sigh, her thoughts returned to the present as she moved over to the small refrigerator and opened the door. She reached in with a shaking hand and pulled out one of the dark bottles she'd stashed there the day before. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, working up the nerve to open it.

She slowly unscrewed the cap, her thoughts drifting back to her doctor-friend. Sam knew she'd have to square things with Janet, but right now the more distance between them the better. She couldn't risk the medical dynamo picking up on her symptoms, not until she found a cure for this cursed condition.

The smell of the red liquid inside the bottle sent her reeling. She fought to keep from downing its sharp, tangy contents in one gulp. The urge was beyond a craving--she needed the fluid and needed it now.

She slammed the lid back on the bottle and set it down, crossing to the other side of the room as fast as she possibly could. No, it wasn't possible. It had only been a few days, not nearly enough time. Her eyes darted furtively around the room, taking in the scattered notes and pieces of technology from '332. She needed more time--a lot more time.

Sam quickly calmed herself and slowly retraced her steps back to the counter holding the dreaded bottle. She hesitantly picked it up and stared into the dark glass, finally admitting the truth she'd been denying ever since the elevator incident: she too had been transformed into a vampire, just like the colonel.

She again removed the cap, as more unwanted thoughts churned in her head. It worried her a little that her metamorphosis had happened so much more quickly than his. However, there was still so much to do that she pushed the thought from her mind, determined to keep her condition secret until they'd succeeded in finding the cure.

She resolutely lifted the bottle to her lips and began to drink.

Leanansidhe stormed back and forth in front of the cowering sentry. "You have failed me, my trusted and loyal servant. I asked such a small thing of you, yet you were not successful in your pathetic endeavors. You force me to go retrieve my prize myself; for this you will be punished!" She snapped her fingers, summoning forth the servants who'd been standing nearby as ordered. "Lock him away with the other! Allow him nothing without my command!"

The servants timidly stepped forward and took the sentry by the arm, leading him out of the room. The Goa'uld paid no heed to the pitying looks they gave their brother, having already dismissed him from her thoughts.

She had known the visitor would be a handful--that much was evident from his attempts to resist her on his previous visit. It pleased her greatly that he was so full of spirit, but in this, he had gone too far. She'd been relishing the prospect of breaking him since she'd first tasted of him from her servant, but such open slander and defiance could simply not be tolerated.

She fingered the ribbon device on her hand absently as she plotted his lesson. Oh, he would rue the day he dared to defame and defy her! She would have to be careful, though. She didn't want to break that delightfully strong spirit of his too quickly. Where would be the fun in that? Still, he would have to learn immediately that it was not wise to ignore her wishes.

She lifted a bejeweled goblet to her lips and drank down the tangy red contents. She replaced the cup on its tray and swiped an ornate napkin across her ruby lips. With a satisfied sigh, she turned on her heel and headed for the surface.

It was time for his lesson to begin.

A frustrated and weary Daniel Jackson burst into Sam's lab, followed immediately by their Jaffa teammate. Not wanting them to see what she'd been researching, she quickly closed the laptop and turned to face them.

"I'm missing something, I know it! I can feel it, but I just can't see it!" Daniel complained. "And it doesn't help matters knowing that Jack is out there somewhere, probably in the clutches of some loony Goa'uld vampire!"

Sam's jaw clenched at the mental image of O'Neill in the arms of the woman from the hilltop that Teal'c had described to them. "I know, Daniel. We're all working as fast as we can. It's just going to take a little time."

Jackson looked at her incredulously. "A little time? Jack is out there in the hands of a vampire Goa'uld--we don't have a little time!"

"I'm well aware of where he is and what's probably happening to him, Daniel!" She turned her back to him, fighting to get her emotions under control.

The archaeologist was immediately contrite and moved closer to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently in support. "I'm sorry, Sam, I wasn't thinking. I guess I got a little carried away there."

When she didn't respond, he pulled his hand back and crossed his arms. He heaved a deep sigh and shook his head. "Of all the planets we've ever been to, why the hell did he have to pick that one to go back to? He could have gone to a dozen different safer planets!"

It was Teal'c who spoke first. "In fact, he could not. M7C 332 was indeed the only safe choice for O'Neill."

The other two members of SG-1 looked at him in disbelief, with Daniel quick to question him. "Safe? How can a planet ruled by a vampire Goa'uld who has already claimed ownership of him be considered a safe choice?"

The Jaffa regarded the pair sternly as Sam nodded in agreement with the archaeologist. "You do O'Neill a grave disservice. He would never consider choosing a destination where his presence would present a danger to others. Therefore, the only choice available to him would be to return to the planet where he was infected."

The former First Prime could see in their eyes the instant his teammates realized the truth in his words. This time, it was Carter who spoke for the pair. "You're right, Teal'c. We should have known the colonel wouldn't do anything that might put innocents in danger."

Jackson quickly agreed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I've just been so wrapped up in my own feelings and problems that I hadn't considered things from Jack's viewpoint."

The Jaffa arched an eyebrow. "Then perhaps you should regard your own situation from O'Neill's viewpoint," he suggested.

The two geniuses looked at each other in surprise and shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. The colonel does have a way of seeing things at their simplest and getting to the root of the problem," Sam offered.

The team linguist nodded. "Then I think I should get back to it with a fresh viewpoint. Thanks, guys."

The two men left, but she waited until she was certain they would not return before she reopened the computer. She glanced around the lab at all the charts and bits of alien technology she'd gathered from the planet and sighed. She was more certain than ever that the answers she needed were on the planet, not here on Earth.

She returned to her research with renewed determination. If the answers where back there, then she'd have to go after them. That likely meant facing down the Goa'uld, and since the Goa'uld was a vampire, she needed to be certain which methods would be effective in defeating it--or even killing it, if need be. She'd pretty much discarded most of the popular theories, including silver bullets and a wooden stake through the heart. There was one method that was low tech enough that she might be able to pull it off, even if captured. Still, she wasn't ready to pin all her hopes on it. She would continue her research and plan her own escape. She could only pray that no one got hurt in the process.

The fiery redhead glared menacingly as the Earthling's body slammed into the stone wall. "You will learn not to defy me, my pet. Now tell me the symbols for your former home-world!"

Jack rose unsteadily to his feet, glaring back at her with equal vehemence. "Go to hell, snakehead!"

She smiled cruelly as she circled his battered body. "I can compel you to tell me, you know. Why put yourself through all this when you know I will get what I want one way or another," she purred. He really didn't care what she thought she was punishing him for. It was enough that he knew that he deserved to suffer for what he'd put the innocent men and women of the SGC through before he was able to escape. There was no way in hell he'd ever willingly give up Earth's address--even if its Gate was protected by the iris.

His body was weakening more with each passing moment. He felt the urge to feed so strongly that it caused a physical pain in his stomach. Then again, maybe the pain was from the many times she'd sent him crashing into the stone walls with her ribbon device. He wasn't recovering very quickly anymore either, which most likely meant that the nanobots were losing the ability to function without the red blood cells they needed.

Exasperated by his continued refusal to cooperate, the impatient Goa'uld gave up and moved in front of him, staring directly into his eyes. "You will tell me the symbols now," she demanded.

He fought her, tried to keep the words from forming, but she was too strong. Once he'd given her the last symbol, she brought one of her jeweled goblets to his lips and allowed him the nourishment his body was so badly craving. He drank greedily, unable to deny his system the fluid it now needed in such a totally different way.

Once the cup was empty, she let him drop to the hard floor while she replaced the container on the matching tray. "See, my pet? Good behavior is always rewarded," she admonished. Her lip curled in a gruesome smile. "Now your body may replenish itself before we continue."

He ignored her threats and curled into a ball, but his eyes followed her with a hatred that burned into her back. "The address won't do you any good, you know," he taunted. "They have a shield that won't allow you to pass through."

She laughed heartily. "Do not attempt to deceive me, my pet. Soon we will journey through your Chaapa'ai and feast on your former world's inhabitants. It will be a glorious day for us all!"

He snorted at her overconfidence. "Hey, you go right ahead, lady. Just don't say I didn't warn you," he told her smugly.

Leanansidhe's mirth quickly turned into a frown as she studied him. She quickly decided it was better to be safe than sorry. "What is this shield and how does it work," she demanded.

He smirked, much to her irritation, but did answer her. "We call it an iris. It closes whenever someone dials in. Won't open unless the right code is transmitted. Anyone who tries to go through without the code goes splat when they hit the iris."

She glared at him again, her eyes glittering like diamonds with rage--and looking every bit as cold and icy. "You will tell me how to send this code so that we may pass," she commanded.

Her anger deepened when he laughed in response. "Even if I could, I wouldn't."

She stalked over and grabbed him by the chin, staring deeply into his eyes once more to compel him to tell her what she wanted to know. He didn't attempt to fight her this time, knowing that he wouldn't be able to tell her anything useful anyway. "The codes are transmitted using something called a GDO, and I don't have one here. All my security codes were locked out as soon as I stepped through the wormhole since I was not authorized to leave. I can't help you get in."

She screamed, venting her rage as she backhanded him across the face. He flew backwards, blood flowing from his nose and a cut on his lip. Once he regained his senses a bit, he sneered at her as he further taunted her. "Told you it wouldn't do you any good," he chided.

Her rage was nearly out of control, and she knew she had to take a break to calm down before she inflicted more permanent damage to him than she wanted at this point. She snapped her fingers at the servants standing by, her eyes never leaving her prisoner. "Chain him!" she ordered.

As her slaves did her bidding, she turned and stalked out of the room without another word.

As he hung there with nothing to do but wait, his thoughts turned to those back at the SCG--and specifically three individuals. Daniel and Teal'c would move on with no problems, probably pretty quickly. It was Carter that worried him. She was the one he deserved every bit of pain the snakehead could dish out for hurting. He mentally replayed the moments before he entered the wormhole, her suffering stabbing into his heart like a knife. Yeah, he deserved everything the slimy snake could throw at him, all right.

As if she sensed his mental insults, his tormentor suddenly stormed back into the room, her eyes burning with rage. "If we cannot travel to your world, you will tell me of the other worlds you have visited. You will tell me of the System Lords, so that we may be certain to avoid the likes of Ra and his cronies," she demanded.

He mentally sighed. Oh yeah, it was definitely going to be a long day.