SLEEPING BEAUTY.

by LetitiaRichards

Previously:

He shooed her upwards and tried to take his mind off the swaying backside that preceded him up the steps not too far in front of his line of sight. Head down he concentrated really hard on the dizzying steps.

Chapter 3

"Jack!" Daniel's voice sounded tinny and far away over the crackly radio.

"Daniel!" Jack responded.

"Jack. Where are you?"

"We're in the tower, right in the centre of the castle."

"No you're not!" came the cryptic response with a note of bewilderment.

"Yes we are!" Jack sighed.

"No, you're not!"

"Are too!"

"You can't be!"

"Why?"

"Because Teal'c and I are right at the top and we didn't see you or pass you on the way up here."

"What? How the hell did you get up there first?"

"We walked Jack!"

"Huh?" Logic fled as he digested Daniel's statement. "Are we talking about the same tower here?"

"There is only one Jack!" Daniel grumbled. Sometimes Jack treated him like he was a kid. As if he could have missed the most important part of the whole castle.

"Yeah I know. And we're only about half way up it." Jack peered out of one of the window slits again, confirming that they were indeed high up from the ground but the steps seemed to continue for a long way yet, and the way behind them was still blocked by an invisible energy barrier. It had seemed to follow them up the steps. Jack knew it had because every now and then he would flick it with his fingers. It was almost like it was pushing them on further. "There's an force field preventing us from coming back down Daniel. I think it wants us to move onwards."

"Oh! We didn't find one of those in here, only at the door. We can't leave this building."

"Have you looked around for any clues as to how to get us out of here? Any writing on the wall, type of stuff?"

"Not yet, but I guess that means I should start looking now."

"That's be nice for a start. You go ahead and do that Danny-boy, 'cause we're not getting' outta here until you figure out what's goin' on."

"Okay, we're on it Jack."

"Yeah, well keep me posted." Jack released the button and started climbing after the Major once more.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the stairs stop at the entrance to a single room. She looked back but couldn't see her CO yet. She knew he was still climbing up behind her as the stifling air was filled with his very verbal and acerbic complaints about how his poor knees were about to give up and how they'd never be the same again. Sam smiled as she listened to him ranting to himself about being the right time to retire, and not having much of a choice after this mission was over.

She finally reached the doorway and looked about the room.

There was a bed and nothing else.

That's it? She questioned silently. All those steps to get up here and all there was, was a lousy bed?

In disbelief she entered the room, and as she did so a panel on the far side of the room lit up and slid open to reveal some technological computer or whatever it was. She needed to take a closer look.

As soon as she drew nearer a myriad of little lights started to twinkle and she could hear the low buzz of machinery in action. She was about to reach out and touch the control panel when Jack's voice halted her in her tracks, but not before she touched the console.

"CARTER! Noooo!" Jack yelled simultaneously dropping his pack to the floor when her fingers barely grazed the panel as she leapt back from it. She just had time to turn and look at him when she felt a flood of energy zip through her, filling her every thought with pain.

Using all his strength and energy, Jack sped across the room. Too late to stop her from being zapped, he was hoping to catch her before her unconscious form at least hit the floor.

What he hadn't bargain for was the force field that had sprung up at the same time and he crashed into it with all his might. It sent his body flying backwards towards the wall, where he forcefully collided with the solid structure. The contact was agonising, knocking the breath from his lungs and he slid down the stonework oblivious to all around. His last conscious thought was for Sam, and how he regretted he wasn't able to get to her.

"Jack?"

Daniel tried the radio again, but still couldn't raise his team-mates.

"Jack! Sam! Come in!"

He sighed and gave up, turning to his friend.

"It's no good Teal'c. I can't get hold of them, this static is just too much."

"Perhaps now would be a good time to try and interpret the writings Daniel Jackson."

"Right. God, I hope they're okay," Daniel said yawning. Suddenly he was tired. Too tired to stay awake. He stretched his eyes as wide as they could go and blinked a few times but his eyelids were so heavy he couldn't keep them open. He leaned against the wall and rubbed his fingers over his eyes, pushing up his glasses to reach them. Blearily, he registered Teal'c sliding down the wall as he too succumbed to the overwhelming pull of sleep. He dropped to the floor, closing his heavy eyes and dreamed of dragons, princesses and honkin' great thorns.

"Master, it is done!"

"Good. Did they suspect anything?"

"No my Master. Major Carter didn't have time to take a good look at the console and Dr. Jackson fell asleep before he could read the inscriptions."

"That is good news indeed! Well done Yarin."

The servant smiled at the unusual praise and bowed low before his master who dismissed him with a cursory wave. He backed out of the room and hurried away to his other duties.

The Master sat on his throne and gloated as he watched the monitors lined up against the wall. Each one had a been connected to a camera and was recording the four team-members as they lay asleep or unconscious.

TBC