Chapter 2

She was walking round the SGC, the lights were off but her flash light showed her the way. 'Not much further she thought'. She was headed to the command room, yet again the lights had been switched off to stop the next disaster from striking, whatever that was. Up ahead she could hear voices. Their words were jumbled as they were all talking at once. Certain words seemed to stand out though as she edged closer, "Mission" and "failure". She switched off her torch as lights from a room ahead began to fill her sight. As swiftly and calmly as she could she headed towards the room. From her knowledge of the base she had never seen this room before, nor this corridor for that matter. The more she thought of it everything did seem odd. Her vision was misty, though she could put that down to the lighting, but them why had she never been to this place before? She was sure she knew the entire SGC off by heart. The room was now only a few metres away. The door was open so the light was pouring into the corridor. Voices grew louder yet still unclear. More words stood out "Carter" they were talking about her. She put the words together "carter" "mission" "failure". They were saying she had failed the mission. But she got back ok, she was in the SGC now. What had gone wrong? She was at the door, slowly she opened it to look inside. Trying not to be seen she put her head round the door. General Hammond was there, O'Neil, Teal'c, Daniel and Pete. They were all dressed in black, black suites. At the back she saw people crowded round something. She stood up strait and edged around the door so she was inside the room. No one noticed her come in which was odd. She went over to where general Hammond and Jack were standing. They turned away Just as she reached them. Suddenly everyone was turning to face Pete standing at the front of the room holding his glass up. He looked distressed, as though he had been crying non stop for days. His hair was untamed, not looked after. Black rings surrounded his eyes and their normal warm and loving glow had faded into a dim lifeless stare. He raised his glass up to the ceiling and spoke. No sound came out, his lips moved but Sam couldn't hear anything, from anyone or anything at all. They all spoke in unison and suddenly they were all looking at her holding their glasses to her. Their eyes were unseeing, there were no pupils, they looked strait through her. Something must be behind her. Everything was moving in slow motion, she spun round, the torch was gone from her hand lying on the floor beside her. In front of her now was an open coffin. She walked towards it. When the occupant came into sight. She couldn't breath, it was her. Cold and lifeless, white as snow in her black dress. This couldn't be right, she was right there could they not see she was alive. She starred for what seemed a life time though only a few seconds. Without warning the eyes of her counter part opened and starred at her, breaking into a cruel smile. Sam Froze. No pupils. Cold blue eyes starring at her. A hand reached out and grabbed her.

Sam sat up gasping for breath. What had just happened? She needed a moment to focus to realise she was no longer in the SGC. She was right where she didn't want to be. The cold blue walls, the strange devices and the uncomfortable bed she was on. She was still off world. Still on her mission. A dream, it was all a dream, she wasn't dead, she wasn't one of them. Her heart was racing, she was shaking from the shock. It felt so real, if she hadn't woken up she could have sworn she was really there. Reality swamped her, she was now fully aware of her surroundings. Something was different. She looked down, there were no cuts or bruises, no dirt. Her skin was it's usual colour, her clothes were not ripped. She was confused, looking round franticly for someone in the room, but no one was there. She was in perfect condition apart from her heart racing. Her legs were no longer broken. What had they done to her? She needed answers, she needed to know what was going on and why she was still there. Why hadn't they killed her yet? They hadn't shown mercy to anyone before. Anger filled her head. She was angry for what was happening to her, angry at her mission and predicament. 'Where the hell is Lokal?' "Lokal!" she yelled.

Daniel was sitting in his office studying ancient texts to find some clue to who Sam was up against. There was no record of them so far, though they called themselves the J'vali. The J'vali were a deadly race, able to take a persons life just by looking at them. Daniel knew this all to well. He had watched while Jason Matters from SG: 7 was thrown into the air and shaken like a Childs doll. He screamed out in pain. His head jolting about his shoulders with a pain stricken expression. A sharp snap followed by more signified the J'val had done his job. The next moment he was lying on the floor lifeless. His eyes open starring into nothingness. That had been a hard day for everyone. They barely got back. Daniel knew this couldn't happen to Sam, he wouldn't let it. Flicking through books was all he seemed to do since she left, no off world missions. He closed it and stared blankly at the wall in front, he had done this so many times before he knew where all the chips, marks and lines of paper were even with his eyes closed. He stared for what felt like forever, he thought of Sam, her mission. No contact for 9 hours now. That wasn't like Sam. He sat bolt up right as he suddenly realised where he'd heard the name J'vali before. He ran from his chair to the door and into the corridor. Personnel starred as Daniel ran top speed towards the command room. When he arrived he found Jack and Teal'c talking in the corner. They both looked concerned, still no word from Sam then.

"Jack" He said panting from his run. Jack spun round to see where the frantic call had originated. "Jack I know who the J'vali are. I know what they do, I remember it all now".