Chapter 8 - Combinations

"You still with me Carter?" Jack asked through the small hole where a doorknob used to be. He could just see some strands of golden hair in the beam from his flashlight and wished he could reach out and touch her; just to ensure himself that she was whole.

"Still here, Sir," Sam answered tiredly. She, too wished Jack was one this side of the door with her… she also wished she could rid herself of this incessant feeling of tiredness! Sam took another drink of water, wincing at the pain in her head. "I've got one more packet of 200 mg pain pills, Sir. Do you have anything a little…stronger with you?"

"Danny and Teal'c are on their way, Carter. I'm sure between the three of us, we'll have something with a little more kick to them." They both grinned at the expression. "Hang tight; we'll have you out of there in a jiffy, Carter."

"I never had a doubt, Sir."

Wanting to keep her talking, he sat down on the other side of the door and directed his voice upwards toward the space left by the doorknob. "So, you want to tell me how you got where you're at?" He smiled as he heard her sigh; he could just imagine the embarrassed flush that was most likely stealing across her features right about now.

"I'm not actually sure, to tell you the truth sir. One minute, I'm just lightly brushing my fingers across the symbol on the wall; the next thing I know, I'm tumbling down a ramp of some sort. Unfortunately, the ramp ended short of the floor and I fell a few feet. It was not the smoothest ride, believe me," Sam winced in remembered pain and Jack winced along with her, just imagining what she had endured.

"So, you touched something you shouldn't have, then you found yourself sliding down a ramp." He felt a familiar stab of guilt as he said the words, remembering his role in her inadvertent tumble down to the depths of the temple "So, did all you hit your head on the wall or something when you were plummeting down that ramp?" Jack questioned as he tried to visualize her falling down the ramp and how she had acquired the various injuries she had described to him.

Sam, thinking about the flashlight hitting her on the head, gave a cough of embarrassment and then gasped with the pain. "Not exactly," she wheezed out.

"Ok, enough talking for now, Carter. Take it easy." Jack was once again sitting on his haunches, his light shining through the hole. He was worried about her; this just didn't sound like the Carter he knew. He also felt a deep sense of frustration rising within him at his inability to get her out of this situation. It was with a tremendous sense of relief that he heard heavy footsteps approaching down the dim corridor.

Jack switched his light to the entrance of the room and got to his feet when he saw the large, familiar figure of Teal'c blocking the opening. "Hey guys, glad you could make it on such short notice," he quipped.

"We are happy to be of assistance O'Neill. Where is Major Carter?" the stoic Jaffa asked.

Jack jerked his thumb toward the door. "Stuck behind there. I can't find a way to open it. We think it must be something to do with the column of symbols on the side of the door," Jack explained.

"Is she hurt?" Daniel stepped around Teal'c and stood at his side, his face showing his concern.

Jack frowned as he answered. "Possible fractured rib, concussion, bumps and bruises." He paused. "She doesn't sound real great, Daniel. The sooner we get her out, the better."

Daniel, a look of resolve on his face, pushed his way past Teal'c and went up to the door, eyeing the symbols carefully. "These are the same symbols that were found at the bottom of six of the panels in the main room," Daniel offered.

"Great! You recognize them then," Jack replied happily. "Do your thing and open the door, Danny," he made a motion with his hand toward the door.

Daniel turned to him and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "It's not that easy, Jack. I've had a chance to study most of the words on the panels, but not the symbols or the numbers. Most likely, there's a certain pattern to this; I can't just push random symbols and wait to see what happens! There's no telling what could take place!"

"Well…figure it out then. I want her out of there, Daniel," Jack stated firmly, his tone broking no argument.

"We do too, Jack," Daniel replied quietly before turning back to his task. "Sam?" he called through the door. "You OK in there?"

"Hey Daniel," Came the soft reply. "I'm OK. Sorry to pull you away from your translations of the panels upstairs," she said lightly.

Daniel chuckled. "No problem. It's kind of nice to be on the other end of things for once."

"Thanks for reminding me," she winced, uncomfortable with being the one who needed rescuing…again! It hadn't been that long since the Alpha site fiasco, after all!

Daniel smiled at the note of censure in her voice. "I'm taking a look at these symbols, Sam. There are six of them and they're the ones you thought might be a numerical system of some sort. I've copied them down from upstairs; just give me a few minutes to see what I can work out, OK?"

"Sure Daniel. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Sam leaned her head back, happy to let Daniel take over. The exertion of the last few minutes was making her head swim.

Meanwhile, Jack had walked over to Teal'c and peered behind him into the empty corridor, shining his flashlight down its depths. "Is there something you are looking for, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Uh, I'm not sure." Jack frowned, wondering if perhaps the child he had encountered had been a figment of his imagination. No, that couldn't be. He had clearly talked to her for quite a while; had even held her small hand in his coming down the stairs. "You didn't happen to see anything…unusual…on your way down, did you T?" Jack asked, knowing that there was only one direction to go once they descended the steps…they would have crossed Grace's path had she slipped away.

"I did not. Perhaps if you explain what you are looking for, I may be of assistance."

Giving the Jaffa a sideways glance, Jack thought it over before deciding that now wasn't the time to discuss this. Their main objective was to get Carter out of the room she was stuck in. Besides, he didn't want his friends to think he was losing it. "Later, Teal'c. It's not important."

Teal'c stared at him, a look of speculation in his features. He knew that there was something else going on that O'Neill was not mentioning. But, trusting his friend and leader as he did, Teal'c let it go for now and followed Jack over to the door.

"Anything Danny?" Jack asked as he came up behind the archeologist.

Daniel stood from his squatted position on the floor and turned to Jack. "I think so. These symbols," he pointed to the six symbols on the wall, "Are associated with six of the panels in the main chamber. There were six gate symbols on a pedestal in the middle that also contained these numbers below each symbol. I think if I just press them in the order they appear on the pedestal, it should open the door."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You mean they left the combination for this out in the open upstairs? That doesn't sound exactly…secure," he stated, the doubt evident in his voice.

"I concur," Teal'c added from his position behind Jack.

"Well, that's all we've got to go on so far. The numbers on the pedestal aren't in numerical order; the order must hold some significance for the Ancients. I think it's the best option to try right now," he shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know Daniel, it just seems like it should be a little more…tricky…than that. Are you sure about this?" he prodded Daniel.

"I'm pretty sure, Jack. It makes the most sense. Unless you have a better idea?"

"Just get her out, Space Monkey," Jack growled.

Daniel, knowing Jack wouldn't have an idea to share aside from blowing the door, turned back, a slight smile on his face. "Sam?"

"Still here," she replied tiredly.

"I think I've figured this out. I'm going to press the symbols in the order that I think should open the door. I want you to move back from the door, though. Just in case," Daniel instructed her.

"Just in case what?" Jack interjected angrily. "Daniel, I thought you said you were absolutely sure about this!"

"It's just a precaution, Jack," Daniel assured the older man. "Besides, I said I was pretty sure, not absolutely sure. Those are two very different adjectives."

Jack frowned at the man, giving him a measured look, then moved closer to the door. "You hear Daniel, Carter? You need to move away from the door." He heard the unmistakable sound of a sharp intake of breath as she slowly stood up.

"Moving as ordered sir," she gasped out, slowly edging herself away from the door about 10 feet before sliding down to the ground once more. She couldn't believe how tired she was feeling all of a sudden. She had been feeling stronger as night wore on, but was now in more pain. Must be the bindings on her ribs…they had loosened during the night and Sam didn't have the energy to retie them. She also was in great need of more pain medication but didn't want to take her last remaining tablets in the hopes she would be able to get something stronger once the rest of her team made it through the door.

"Ready, Carter?" Jack asked after a few moments, sharing concerned looks with Daniel and Teal'c as they had also heard her struggles to move.

"Ready," they heard her voice faintly come through the door.

Jack nodded at Daniel to begin. Daniel put one hand to the first symbol, then looked back at the others. "Uh, you might want to step to the side, too. I'm not really sure what's going to happen here." Jack and Teal'c shared a look before taking a few steps back. Daniel turned back to the symbols and began, pressing them slowly, one at a time, in the order he had recorded them in his notebook. Taking a deep breath and offering up a prayer, he pushed the final symbol and then stepped back, waiting to see what would happen.

With the push of the last symbol, the yellow crystal above the door began to glow brighter and hum. The three men in the small room shared a smile of accomplishment and waited expectantly for the door to open.

They were sorely disappointed when, instead of a door opening before them, a beam of light almost like a laser burst forth from the crystal and landed three feet in front of the door. They all jumped back in shock as the laser hit the ground, spitting up gravel and dirt and leaving a small hole in its wake.

From the other side of the door, they heard Sam cry out in alarm and the sound of a loud implosion as something hit the door from her side.

You didn't honestly think it was going to be that easy...did you? Don't worry, I shan't leave you hanging too long! I hope you're not losing interest...reviews are going down so it has me wondering...