Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, had to get my rhythm with my new Beta Readers. And a huge thanks to my two Beta Readers, Dimac99, and Sealrescuer, who are so very patient with me. :D And as always, thanks be to the wonderful peeps for reading and reviewing.
Author's Note2: You'll never believe how much a dork I am! I discovered, much to my dismay, a serious plot hole. O.O Silly me was sure identical twins didn't have identical DNA, and while they might not always due to mutation, they generally do. They do not, however, have identical phenotypes. (I knew there was something different! :P) So I had to make a few changes in a couple chapters to fill in this blaring plot hole. There's a minor change in chapter 10, but the real changes are in chapter 8.
If you really don't want to reread it, the short of the matter is that instead of doing a DNA test, Fraiser conducts a few other teats to compare their phenotypes, like the surface proteins on a white blood cell. These normally change from various environmental influences (like virus, etc). She finds that for our twins they're exactly the same, which, unless they were both raised in the same static clean room, really isn't possible. :P
There we go. Updated explanation in a nutshell! :D
And for any who might not know this common American phrase (or maybe it's a common Canadian phrase, I am Canadian after all, well, whatever):
'...like the dickens' - An euphemism for '...like Hell.' Generally expressed as 'hurt like the dickens.'
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Jack coughed deeply to clear his lungs, but there was so much debris in the air he felt like he was getting more dirt in than out. Raising an arm to his face and squeezing his eyes against the sting, Jack yelled out, "Hey! Anyone alive?"
Probably Mac and no one else. No Jack! Don't even think something like that! Besides, it was a little too soon for it to be that bad just yet…he hoped.
Someone coughing pulled at his muffled senses and Jack turned in that direction calling out, "Count off!"
"Jack?" Daniel's voice croaked back.
No one else responded, and in the deafening silence Jack heard Daniel let out a cry that clearly indicated that while the anthropologist might be alive, he wasn't in the best of conditions.
"Just hold on, Daniel," Jack told the man, feeling along the ground. He was covered in dirt, but he'd been close enough to the tunnel to avoid the majority of the cave in. With fingers feeling about in the dark he finally located not only his gun but the object of his desire. Clicking the flashlight on it flickered somewhat, as if it wasn't sure it planned to stay on, but after a moment the beam of light held steady and true.
At last, Jack could get his first real good look around. Most of the room was gone, nothing more than a wall of earth. It looked thick and impenetrable. Daniel was the only other person in sight, but from the looks of things his legs were half buried under the newly formed barricade.
Shifting over to the man, Jack immediately began shifting debris away. "Hey, Daniel, you okay?" He needed to know just how bad things were before he risked digging too deep.
Thankfully Daniel didn't seem to be completely out of it because he lifted his head and glared at Jack in the dim light snapping, "Does it look like I'm okay?"
Jack just grinned, and then ducked his head as a shower of dirt cascaded down from above. "Just give me a minute and I'll have you out."
Daniel didn't respond. He did cry out however as Jack shifted a fairly large rock from off Daniel's left leg. It was good he wasn't parked under the worst of it or Jack might not have been able to risk moving anything, but after several minutes of hard labor Jack had most of the area around Daniel's buried legs uncovered. All except for three heavy blocks that had Jack worried. From the position of one of them they'd be lucky to find Daniel's leg in one piece.
He paused, examining the best way to go about getting them off. Grimacing, Jack apologized in advance, "Sorry Daniel, but this is going to hurt."
The anthropologist nodded sharply. His face had already gone a pasty white and Jack could see blood trickling down the corner of Daniel's mouth where he'd bit his lip from the pain.
Jack repositioned himself to try and lift the rock completely off. Rocking it would only cause more damage; it had to come up and off, or not at all. Taking a deep breath and then exhaling, Jack lifted the heavy block. He could barely get it an inch in the air and he had to shuffle back slowly to avoid loosing his balance, but it did come off. When he finally dropped it again he couldn't feel his fingers they throbbed so much but shaking his limbs out he moved on to next one. He knew if he waited too long he wouldn't be able to do it.
The second one was lighter than the first, but when Jack lifted the third rock up Daniel actually screamed from the pain and Jack almost dropped it again.
Taking three steady breaths Jack forced himself to keep moving till it was finally done. At last he sank to the ground next to Daniel, heaving in deep breaths of relief. The Colonel could see the tears streaming down the anthropologist's face but Daniel was biting down hard to keep from crying out again. Sometimes the man was too stubborn for his own good, but Jack didn't think he was qualified to say anything. Besides, the hard part was yet to come.
Jack was almost afraid to look but he knew he had too. Carefully crouching over Daniel's legs Jack grabbed the flashlight and shone it around. More dirt was falling down to fill in the excavated area but Daniel's legs were whole. Cut, bleeding, and one that was most assuredly broken, but they were still attached and that the best news they could hope for.
"Jack?" Daniel asked hoarsely before coughing and groaning deeply.
Looking over his shoulder at him, Jack grinned, saying confidently, "You'll be fine, Daniel."
The dirt was coming down faster now but Daniel was still wearing his pack so Jack just grabbed the handle and pulled the man back into the tunnel. "Ahhh! Jack!" Much to Jack's delight he saw one of Daniel's legs move as the anthropologist instantly reacted to being pulled over rough terrain when his body would probably much rather have lain as still as possible.
Now if only Daniel's pack contained something other than books and archeology tools. They hadn't brought their field packs with them. Hell, they didn't even have their vests, which at the least would have given them a bit of morphine. They were on Earth, help was supposed to be but a phone call away.
Jack blinked. "D'oh!"
Rummaging through his pockets the Colonel pulled out the blessed cell phone, but it wouldn't turn on. As far as he could tell it wasn't damaged, it just wouldn't turn on. There was nothing, not even the annoying beep and flashing light that indicated his battery was dying. "Daniel, where's your phone?"
The anthropologist felt inside his pockets, his hands coming out empty. Then shifting to sit up as best he could he took the flashlight and looked around the devastation for himself. "In there I guess."
Of course.
*****
"Colonel?! Daniel? Can anyone hear me?" Sam called out, desperately searching the edges of the cave in. She felt very much like she was caught up in some horrible déjà vu, and just as before, no one was answering her. She limped up and down the wall of dirt, shining her flashlight before her as she tried digging in the area closest to where she remembered people standing. It was hard going and Sam was sure if she shone the flashlight on her arm she'd find it black and blue and bleeding, but she just ignored the pain and kept digging. She'd twisted her ankle diving for the entrance, and the falling rocks had given her several new bruises to consider, but for the most part she'd survived without serious injury. She just couldn't be the only one!
Suddenly, right where she was digging, the earth started moving on its own. All of a sudden a hand surfaced, pushing desperately at the mud packed dirt. Letting out a choked cry of relief Sam dug even faster, pushing as much of the debris away as she could. Soon the moving hand was followed by an arm and at last a head. It was MacGyver.
He gasped, drawing in a breath that was half dirt before coughing it out again. "Carter?" He wheezed, squinting at her in the small light.
She didn't dare say anything just yet for fear she would brake down in tears so she kept digging instead. "Carter," he said again when he could pull in more air, but it sounded labored. They needed to uncover his chest or the weight would suffocate him. "Carter, anyone…"
Shaking her head Sam dug at the dirt, but more just fell in its place and for a second MacGyver's head was covered again. He moved dirt with his one available hand as frantically as she did till once again his face came into view, but considering how deep they were there wasn't even a chance of them breaking the surface before the entire room filled up. No matter how much she pulled away, more would just fall into place.
"Boards," MacGyver choked out, waving his one free hand to the entrance.
"Of course." Sam turned and ran back up the excavated passageway. The sun was hard on her eyes, but she didn't stop to let them adjust. She needed to get MacGyver out. Seeing the stack of wood she grabbed one of the sheets of plywood and raced clumsily back down. It was pitch black before it was light again, but the passageway was fairly short so she just let herself bump against the walls until she could see the dim glow of the flashlight to guide her.
There was a long minute while she just stood holding the board, her mind unable to work through the numbness. "Sir?"
MacGyver didn't reply and Sam thought for second that the man had passed out, but then he waved his hand above his head. It took a moment before Sam could force her brain out of the shock it had settled into long enough to actually think clearly. They needed to stop the ground from caving in long enough for her to dig MacGyver out. If she could somehow shore it up or create an archway of sorts…
Sam lifted the board up and pushed the long edge into the dirt wall about half a foot above MacGyver's head. It didn't go in any further than a couple inches but MacGyver's free hand grabbed the board to hold it up while Sam dug at the dirt above it. That got the board in another couple of inches before the amount of dirt falling on it was too much for her to even try and clear off.
MacGyver's face was red by the time Carter could get herself under the board. Bracing it with her shoulders she started digging at the ground underneath it, constantly pausing to push at the board forcing it in one inch at a time.
"Need…more…" MacGyver wheezed out.
"Don't try to talk, sir," Carter automatically responded. But she knew she wouldn't be able to hold it up herself, much as she wished. If she could just get through the ground around his chest she knew he'd make it. The ground wasn't soft. It was more mud than it was dirt, which made it all that much more dangerous and difficult to move. With numbs fingers Sam leaned against the board as hard as she could. It had to be at least a foot and a half inside the wall of dirt by now. It would have to do.
With that she felt she could risk digging down again. MacGyver was already doing exactly that but he kept stopping to breathe after each handful. Sam attacked the spot he'd been working on with renewed determination. It paid off as her hand found clothing and she heard as well as felt MacGyver take a longer, deeper breath. She almost sank to the ground in relief.
"Carter," he said and she finally met his eyes. "Go…get…more…wood." He spoke slowly between careful breaths but he was smiling and she knew that had to be a good sign.
"Yes, sir." Back up the tunnel she ran, but this time with a little more thought than before. As soon as she was outside, Sam carefully looked around. Fifty feet away where the room should have been, the ground was completely sunken in, leaving about a ten foot ditch, but even from where she stood she knew it would have to fall at least another twenty before they uncovered the actual ruins.
Pulling out her cell phone Sam dialed the SGC, but instead of ringing as expected the phone beeped at her, displaying the message 'out of range' She tried another number but before it could even dial the message 'no signal' flashed across the screen.
Sam cursed. This phone was supposed to work from the moon if it had to! Barely resisting the urge to throw it at something, Sam headed back for the entrance, grabbing a couple beams of wood as she went.
Over an hour later the Major had created a sort of tunnel around MacGyver. He was free from the torso up now but he'd ended up buried at an angle and they were digging so deep into the unstable wall now that Sam was half afraid of what else she might find.
"They're alive, Sam." MacGyver suddenly stated as if reading her thoughts.
"Yes, sir," the Major mumbled but she didn't look up. Sam continued to dig. His words had brought tears to her eyes and she just couldn't afford to think about it at the moment or she'd completely break down. It'd been too long. If the others were buried, much as it looked like they were, then they were dead.
"You have to trust me, Carter."
Just keep digging. "I do, sir." She would get him out and that was the best she could do, she just had to accept that.
"You keep calling me sir," MacGyver commented, amused.
Sam stopped. She was down on her knees working practically underneath him to get his legs free so to look at him she had to back out. He was smiling again. For a man almost completely buried alive and still currently planted in the ground, so to speak, he certainly seemed calm about it.
"Just call me Mac. I'm a civilian, remember?"
It was a minute before Sam could say anything. She hadn't even realized that her mind had assumed he was the Colonel even though she knew he wasn't. All at once the shock faded away and Sam sagged in exhaustion. "I'm tired," she stated, feeling as if for the first time just how much her body hurt. Her ankle throbbed like the dickens and the pain in her arm was so bad it was reaching into her chest.
"Why don't you take a break?" MacGyver gently suggested, and then with a chuckle added, "I'm not going anywhere."
Sam looked up at him confused and even a little angry. How could he possibly joke at a time like this?! But she was too tired to say anything. Then once more, to her surprise, he confidently told her, "They're alive, Sam."
"How could…" She trailed off, not really wanting to say it. From what she had seen both above and down here, nearly the entire chamber had collapsed. The Colonel had been by the tunnel, there was a chance he had survived, but to say everyone was alive? "How do you know?" Sam demanded, sheer will alone holding the tears at bay.
MacGyver didn't stop smiling. "The same way I know that once we're out of here we'll find another entrance into the ruins."
Sam didn't know how to respond to that. His confidence broke through her despair like a lifeline. But how could he possibly know? Then she remembered how he'd known she was at the door, how they'd both known. Did they have some sort of ESP? The Colonel certainly seemed to have a sense for trouble coming when out in the field.
Too tired to care she didn't push the issue, but she did take the opportunity to rest. If he said they were alive, she had to believe him, if only to hold herself together.
*****
"Are you ready?"
"No," Daniel fully admitted. Jack nodded, and then set the anthropologist's leg with a single hard jerk. Knowing it was coming hadn't helped to prepare him any. Eying the mess that supposedly was his leg, Daniel had been more than a bit surprised when Jack had told him it wasn't as bad as it looked. The rock's edge had cut down into the leg, snapping it clean across the bone, but Jack had long since managed to get the bleeding under control. Now, with it set, he was creating a splint from his jacket and the broken pieces of a handle of a shovel he'd found further back in the tunnel.
Wincing, Daniel tried to take his mind off the pain but as he looked up at the formidable wall of earth before him he found he'd much rather feel physical pains rather than deal with the emotional ones. "Do you think they made it out in time?"
Jack tied the last knot in place and looking over his shoulder at the buried chamber, stated encouragingly, "I'm sure they did."
But Jack was supposed to say things like that, it comes with being in charge, or so he figured. Then the Colonel was standing back up and brushing himself off. "Do you think you can walk?" he asked.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"No."
With some help Daniel managed to get upright. That was when he realized something. Startled, he stated, "It's the same leg."
"What?" The Colonel asked, pulling the pack onto his back and slipping under one of Daniel's arms to help him walk.
"It's the same leg I got shot in," Daniel expounded. Not that it was relevant or anything. The Colonel just grunted and together they moved down the tunnel. Ahead of them the light from the flashlight bounced around against the stone walls.
Mostly concentrating on hopping forward Daniel didn't stop to look at any of the inscriptions along the passageway until it suddenly opened up before them. At this end was a large room with the opposite side caving in. Daniel could see where the site workers had uncovered a small chamber and a small stone box, which currently lay open on the ground with an identification tag next to it for cataloging. There were a few other items as well, pottery pieces, a bowl, what could have been a pipe, all tagged and lying next to the box. But it was the inscription on the box that had caught Daniel's attention.
"Jack, this is what the key was in."
"Really? Cool," Jack said sounding completely unenthused.
Daniel didn't even bother giving the man a glare he just hopped closer, pulling Jack with him. Then he proceeded to move around the room. Every single wall was covered in writing and while it was in that same ancient goa'uld dialect, from having spent the time translating the inscription around the device from '239, Daniel found he could make out a fair bit. And what he read shocked him.
"Whoa."
"What?"
"Jack, this…" Daniel waved at the wall, excitedly pulling away from the Colonel to get a closer look.
"Daniel?" Jack drawled out, but the anthropologist didn't answer. He shuffled over to the next section wondering if he was just reading it wrong. Then the light was removed and an irritated Daniel turned to glare at the Colonel. "So?" Jack drawled out again, apparently refusing to give the light back until Daniel answered him.
"I don't know yet, but it looks like a piece of goa'uld history, early goa'uld history."
"Okay?" Jack once more asked as if he didn't understand the importance of the possible inscription. Daniel grumbled out some of his frustration. He didn't want to just jump right to an assumption, he had to read it all first.
"Well I could tell you more if you'd shine the light back on the wall!" Daniel griped. The Colonel made a noise of disagreement pushing the flashlight on Daniel before wandering off. It was a bit awkward holding onto it with one hand while the other steadied himself with the wall, but soon enough Daniel had lost himself in the written record and completely forgot about the various pains across his body.
"It's a record of when their planet was dying," Daniel finally said, more sure of himself now that he could see it clearly.
"It looked pretty alive last time we were there," Jack's sarcastic remark floated out to him from the darkness.
"We think the Goa'uld evolved on P3X-888 but they could have left the planet early on. There wasn't a trace of naquadah on '888, it had to have come from somewhere," Daniel reasoned, even as his mind skipped through the information he'd just gleaned from the walls. "According to this, there were two main social classes. Ah…the Hereta and the Shaya…I think.
"The, ah, the Hereta were the ruling class. They controlled everything, technology, land, the Keys. Then something happened, something to their planet and the hosts. It says they were forced to take beasts for hosts."
"Wait! Are you saying that ship we blew up on '239 was full of these goulds?" Jack's voice sounded like it was coming from across the room. Daniel automatically shone the light towards it only to have the Colonel wave frantically at him to get it off his face.
"The Hereta, to be specific. The record here states that the Shaya overthrew the Hereta's power and banished them."
"A gould's a gould. Sounds like your standard System Lord bickering to me."
Daniel turned back to the writing on the walls frowning in consternation. "I don't think there were System Lords back then, Jack. At least, not as we know them. I think, this happened before Ra discovered Earth."
Following his words was the sudden noise of several heavy things falling to the stone floor. At first Daniel thought it was another cave in and he backed quickly against the wall, just in case, but after a moment there was only silence again. "Jack?"
The Colonel didn't answer. Shining the light around the room finally revealed the Colonel, or at least a part of him. His feet were sticking out of a large hole in the wall, then they, too, disappeared. "Jack?" Daniel repeated, hopping over to the spot as best he could but forced to take the long way around. "Jack?!"
Just as he approached the dark patch in the wall the Colonel's head appeared, and completely indifferent to the younger man's fear, stated impatiently, "Daniel, give me the flashlight."
"Jack, what are you doing?"
"There's a room here on the other side," Jack replied, but it was hard to make out anything else as his voice, as well as the light, quickly trailed away.
Daniel waited for the Colonel to reappear, or at the very least to say something. Perhaps it was because he was standing on one foot trapped underground in absolute blackness with only the sound of his breathing for comfort, but it didn't take long for the anthropologist to become tired of waiting. Feeling around the wall he found the edges of the newly revealed tunnel, and shifting carefully slid inside. It was big enough for a man to crawl through but since crawling was definitely out of the question right now Daniel sort of slinked his way on his back instead.
He was probably a good ten feet in before he started thinking better of the idea. How long was this tunnel anyway? After another twenty feet Daniel thought he saw a flicker of light, then all at once his head was hanging over the edge and stale musty air was trying to suffocate him.
Coughing, he turned onto his side, looking for Jack. The room here wasn't as big as the other one, but as Jack walked around it searching the walls the flickering light kept dancing off something very familiar sitting at the room's center.
"It's a sarcophagus!" Daniel coughed out surprised.
"Ya think?"
Walking over the Colonel put the light down and helped Daniel out of the tunnel. Still staring at the sarcophagus, Daniel hopped over to it.
"Whoa! Careful there Danny boy, lets not wake him up if we can avoid it!" Jack cautioned.
Daniel made a face. "I'm not stupid Jack. I'm not going to break the seal."
"Not intentionally, no." Daniel looked at the man not sure how to take Jack's words. Did he really think him such a klutz? Then Jack's shoulders seemed to drop in a sigh and grabbing the light the Colonel joined him, grumbling out, "So what does it say?"
"What?" Daniel looked back at the sarcophagus. There was gold writing down the front of the goa'uld machine. That was a first. "Ah…Demon Akh, servant of the Hereta."
"Akh?" Jack asked remarking, "Sounds like someone coughing up a hairball. Why do goulds have such weird names? Yu, Ba'al, Akh!"
Smirking, Daniel was still unable to resist explaining, "Any time you have a change in culture you'll find words with dual meanings. Look how many words in the English language have multiple definitions. There are some words in Japanese that have over ten different meanings-"
"Daniel?" Jack cut him off and Daniel grinned, glad the light wasn't on him to betray the humor he was showing at Jack's predictable impatience.
Then Daniel said more seriously, "Akh might know another way out."
"Trust me, we won't need him. Not if we just-"
But Jack stopped short. A second later the harsh noise of old and rusted gears reluctantly grinding against each other reverberated through the small room. In their rush to back up Daniel almost tripped but Jack had an arm around him, the other was shining the light on the now moving sarcophagus.
The seal broke, and as the lid parted Daniel watched in nervous anticipation, not sure what to expect. A human? Or an animal like the seti-like creature from the ship? Then Jack was shoving the flashlight into Daniel's arms so he could pull out his gun. The change in light obscured things for a moment, and by the time Daniel had it righted the goa'uld was nearly out of the sarcophagus. It was a human, tall, male, Native American in appearance with nothing more than a loincloth about his mid section and a pendant hanging from his neck. He looked pissed.
"Hold it right there!" Jack barked out in order, but the goa'uld ignored him. Daniel opened his mouth to try talking in goa'uld but before he got a chance Jack had opened fire.
Unfortunately, the bullets never reached their target. The jewel at the center of the goa'uld's pendant glowed purple and the bullets struck a force field much like the ones they'd seen other goa'ulds use. But very unlike the force fields they were used to, this one seemed to actually catch the bullets rather than deflect them. Glaring at them with glowing eyes from behind the shimmering wall of energy, the goa'uld raised his hand. He wore no hand device, but the field seemed to react just the same, and with a flick of his fingers the bullets came shooting back at them.
Daniel felt the sting as one bullet grazed his cheek, but most hit the wall around him. Jack wasn't so lucky. Daniel saw the Colonel hit the ground hard as a cry of pain echoed around the room. "Jack!"
The goa'uld moved fast, shoving Daniel to the ground and grabbing the gun from Jack's hand. The flashlight went rolling and Daniel added to the echoes of the room as he landed on his injured leg.
Squeezing the tears from his eyes Daniel could make out the shadowy forms of the goa'uld and Jack by the wall. From the strangled curses Jack was biting out Daniel guessed the goa'uld had him by the throat.
Then the goa'uld spoke, in that same dialect the natives of '239 used. "Where is the traitor Ra?"
"To you, too, Buddy!" Jack growled back, equally as angry.
"He wants to know where Ra is," Daniel quickly translated.
"Ra's dead!" Jack exclaimed to the goa'uld, but then cried out in pain.
Once again the goa'uld repeated, "Where is the traitor Ra!" It was then Daniel realized the goa'uld didn't know English. Of course he wouldn't know English!
The anthropologist quickly replied, stumbling through the older dialect as he spoke, "Ra is dead! The traitor is gone!"
Daniel could see the glowing eyes turn on him, and with a thud Jack fell to the ground, trying to groan and cough at the same time. Nervously Daniel backed up as best he could. He wouldn't be able to get back up on his good foot by himself. At least it got the goa'uld's attention off of Jack.
"I am Akh. Tell me, Tau'ri, have the Hereta returned?"
"No. They ah, they're gone." Daniel answered nervously. His eyes flickered around the room. Jack was getting up off the floor. He was hunched over and clutching his side, but he was mobile. Wanting to keep the attention away from the Colonel Daniel quickly added, "The Shaya killed them."
"Impossible!" Akh exploded furious. "They wouldn't dare! Where is the key, Tau'ri?!"
"Stolen, by Heru'ur!" Daniel lied. Jack was across the room now and Daniel could see him pushing on a portion of the wall.
"I know not this Heru'ur," Akh growled out, then reaching down he grabbed Daniel's shirt pulling him a couple feet off the ground.
Biting his tongue to keep from crying out, Daniel exclaimed, "He's Ra's son!"
Daniel could no longer see what Jack was doing. His eyes were completely locked on the goa'uld mere inches from his face. "He's the traitor Ra's son," Daniel tried again.
Akh studied him with a murderous expression. After a moment the goa'uld stated, "Much time has passed since I was imprisoned here." He didn't sound as angry as before but Daniel wasn't so sure that was a good thing. His worst fears were confirmed when Akh gave him a sinister smile and stated, "I shall have to take your body as mine to learn all that has transpired."
"You don't need to do that, I can just tell you," Daniel stammered, fear washing through him.
Not dissuaded, the goa'uld lifted Daniel higher, ordering, "Submit to me!"
Daniel turned away from the glowing eyes, clenching his jaw and steeling himself for what was to come next. It wasn't what he expected.
"Ow!" Daniel hit the floor hard, once again jarring his injured leg. Blinking furiously against the pain he found Akh next to him, shaking his head dazed, with Jack leaning over them both. Jack must have hit Akh over the head, but it wouldn't keep a goa'uld down for long.
"Come on!" Jack exclaimed even as he grabbed Daniel's arm and half dragged him across the room.
What did Jack hope to do? They couldn't get back through the tunnel in time; they only had seconds, if that. Yet Jack wasn't pulling him to the tunnel. Across the room where Daniel had seen Jack pushing at the wall was another opening. He couldn't believe it, it was a small chamber, not all that big, but big enough to fit the two of them inside it. There would still be the issue of the goa'uld dragging them back out again, but the Colonel seemed determined. "Jack, how is this going to help?"
"Daniel, get in will ya?"
He didn't really have a choice as Jack practically stuffed him into the cramped space. Biting his lip again in reaction to his body's protests at being so recklessly handled, Daniel watched the inevitable happen. Ahk had gotten over the sting of Jack's assault and was rising to his feet. Clearly realizing there was really nowhere for them to go, the goa'uld made no hurry to approach them.
Jack looked at the goa'uld over his shoulder, then, giving the snake a two finger salute, Jack dove into the crowded space next to Daniel. Much to the anthropologist's surprise, as soon as Jack was in something slid shut, cutting off all light, not to mention sealing them in. That was when Daniel realized the little room they were in wasn't really a room, but a large metal box.
The researcher in him wondered what the box was for and if there had been anything in here when Jack found it, even while the rest of him demanded, "Where are we?!"
"I found it while you were talking to Achoo out there," Jack replied.
Daniel was about to correct him when a loud and very angry sounding thump hit the wall of their little sanctuary. "Ah, Jack? What's to stop Akh from finding it, too?"
Sounding amazingly calm the Colonel simply replied, "The lock won't open for him."
"Why not?"
Another boom vibrated around them, louder than the first.
Unfazed Jack said, "Because it won't."
Again, a third impact reverberated through the box and for a second Daniel thought it might have dented the metal door.
Daniel opened his mouth to repeat his question of 'why not?' but predicting Jack's response changed his tactics. "How do you know it won't open for him?"
"Because it won't open again for us, either."
Blinking hard in the blackness, Daniel felt a string of questions rise to the tip of his tongue. One above the rest. "What?!" He no longer thought of this little hideaway as a sanctuary, but rather a prison, or maybe even a tomb.
"Don't worry," Jack said cheerfully. "As long as the air runs out in less than seven hours we should be just fine."
"As long as it runs out in less than seven hours?" Daniel asked incredulous, but only silence answered him.
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Author's Post Story Note: Before ya ask, I didn't forget about our lovable jaffa. He just wasn't in those scenes. *evil grin*