General Hammond entered Daniel's room; it was a mess the only thing not covered by books and papers was the bed which looked immaculate.
"General Hammond we weren't expecting you." Dr. Ford said quickly rising from the table.
"I just wanted to see how Daniel is doing." Hammond said looking around the room.
"Oh, he's in the bathroom he'll be out in a moment." Dr. Ford said rapidly gathering papers and books together and moving them onto the bed.
General Hammond took a seat at the rapidly clearing table.
"How is Daniel?" Hammond asked once Ford was finished clearing the table and sitting opposite him.
"Not well; he spends all his time working, even when Dr. Fraiser and I order him to rest he simply gets up and starts pacing or goes to his corner and starts praying."
Dr. Fraiser entered before Dr. Ford could elaborate and put a tall glass of white liquid on the table.
Daniel Jackson exited the the bathroom before Fraiser could say anything. He stopped in his tracks at seeing Hammond "Sir, I I'm sorry Sir, Lord Hammond. I wasn't expecting you." Daniel said jerking his arms behind his back and bowing his head.
"It's alright son. You don't need to do that." Hammond said as Daniel frantically put a jacket on and looked around the cluttered floor for his shoes.
"Uh Sir do you have news about SG1?" Daniel asked sticking his bare feet in a pair of boots.
"No, not yet, I came here to see how you're doing." Hammond said
"Oh fine Sir, fine. Do you know when we'll have word?" Daniel asked
"No, I only sent the strike force this morning; it will be at least a day before we hear anything. I am in negotiations with the priests but negotiations have stalled."
"Yes sir."
"Go on and have your lunch."
"I have work to do Sir." Daniel said going over to the bed where Ford had stashed papers, clearly uncomfortable.
"Go on and drink it."
"No thank you My Lord I'm not hungry."
"Daniel, General Hammond knows you haven't eaten anything since learning of SG1's capture and have stopped drinking and sleeping since you wrote up plans to infiltrate the Herectic's base and rescue them." Dr. Fraiser said.
Daniel froze then dropping the book fell to the floor and prostrated himself ""I'm sorry I failed to obey you masters. Please forgive my sins and have mercy on a poor dishonored sinner." Daniel shook himself and pushed himself to his knees "I, I, I'm sorry I don't know why I did that." He said embarrassed and ashamed.
"It's alright son, it's a result of brainwashing." Hammond said helping Daniel to his feet "It will stop in time. However I do need you to care of yourself and that means sleeping, drinking and eating." Hammond finished by handing Daniel the protein shake Fraiser had brought.
Daniel held it in his hand "But I sent those men to that planet I'm responsible for their capture." Daniel started beating his chest "I betrayed the Heroties, I not only told you where to find them but how to infiltrate there base."
"You did that to save SG1, SG2, and the Tokra, and the other captives. They went to that planet to help you and prevent more attacks from the Herectics." Ford said careful to avoid mentioning Glouden.
Daniel's face went ashen when the Herectic atrocities were mentioned and the shake almost fell. Fraiser caught it and taking Daniel's elbow helped him over to the bed, where Ford and Hammond quickly removed the papers and books. The two men helped Daniel sit and Hammond again took the glass.
"Son I know this hard and I wish I had more time to help you. But I need you strong, to help me and to help the other sinners when they come here." Hammond said offering Daniel the glass. Daniel looked at him and then the glass.
"So Sam how long is the food going to last?" Jack asked dealing cards to Teal'c and Jacob Carter.
"A week, two if we start rationing, however the fire wood is barely going to last us a week so there's no point in saving food." Sam asked looking up from the large wooden box and leather satchel which had been delivered that morning.
Sam picked up a bag of chips and after upending one of the empty fire wood baskets seated herself at the table. Jack dealt her in and they played a few hands of poker before anyone spoke.
"So what do you think happened to Kalith?" Sam asked
"I don't know, they didn't search the room for the weapons and gear Teal'c brought back." Jack said.
"The Herorities are a very religious society perhaps this is a holy day." Teal'c suggested
"But they gave us enough food and firewood to last us at least a week." Sam said.
"The Tokra might be making a move, they're hatred of the Herotie is so great that they would be willing to sacrifice us in order to destroy them." Jacob said.
"Wait are you saying that a Tokra ship is on it's way right now to bomb this mountain into the stone age?"Jack said.
"Yes, although they don't have that kind of weaponry to do it from space." Jacob said
"Is it not more likely that General Hammond has dispatched a strike force to infiltrate the mountain with the assistance of DanielJackson?" Teal'c said.
"Well in any case we're stuck here for the foreseeable future unless we want to use the zats to disintegrate the door and make a break for it." Jack said.
"That would be ill advised O'Neill without Tanith's guidance I would have unable to find my way back to the cells. We could easily get lost in the tunnels possibly forever." Teal'c said.
The table looked grim at their current situation and returned to the game. Night fell and no one came. They ate dinner, then the Carter's and Jack curled up in the bed huddled under blankets, while Teal'c Kel No Reamed before the fire. The sun had barely started to rise before the door opened and the young blonde guard came in.
"Wake up, quickly I need to speak to you." He said shutting the door.
"What is your purpose here?" Teal'c demanded walking over to him, while the others untangled themselves from the blankets.
"My name is Elric I believe your men have infiltrated the tunnels and preparing an attack. Is this true?"
"Why should we trust you?" Jack said
"You think Cleon is more trustworthy because he acts friendly and feigns compassion? That is an act to lure out those not fully devoted to the faith. Many have fallen for his deception and paid dearly."
"Say you're telling the truth, why would you know of this and not the priests?" Sam asked
"The tunnels we believe they are using are partially flooded. We train down there and the guards those not so devoted to the cause gather there to talk and unwind."
"So the tunnels remain empty when you're not training for another helpless town to destroy it that it?" Jack demanded.
"Yes, there used to be gold mines here before the gold ran out. Only a few small veins remain. I can lead you down there but you have to be quick." Elric offered
"What do you think Teal'c? Jacob?" Jack asked.
"If he is offering a way out I think we should take it. We will be armed and it would not be the interest of the Herotie to hurt us." Teal'c said.
"I agree with Teal'c." Jacob said.
Teal'c started pulling out SGI's gear, while Sam, Jacob, and Jack pulled on their clothes and boots. Jack came over to help Teal'c but grabbed his arm when he started pulling out the Zats. "No, you saw what Daniel did to Selmac." Jack whispered
"But we promised Daniel to protect the other prisoners."
"He'll understand, let's get moving."
Sam and Jacob were dressed and after donning there packs including some provisions from the box they holstered their weapons and went out into the tunnels. Elrich led them down further into the mountain guided by a single torch; the paths twisted and turned, steep stone stair cases and two narrow bridges before Jack called a halt.
"How much farther?" Jack asked.
"Not much farther, the tunnel you were housed in is the furthest away from the tunnels and the main parts of the fortress." Elric replied.
Sam had turned away from them and was staring down the tunnel.
"Sam?" Jacob asked training his gun down the tunnel.
"I thought I saw a light flicker." Sam said.
"Alright kids, let's keep going." Jack said.
"No, what is down there." Sam asked
Elrich paled "The infirmary at least that's what the priests call it. We tend to our own injuries no one wishes to go there."
"Is that where Daniel was taken?"
"Yes, he was fiery, confident, with a gentle warmth that helped even the most devoted of sinners regain some measure of sanity. When he was taken to the infirmary that fire was gone, it was as he had died and come back a hollow shell." Elric said.
"Sir, we need the information about the machine to help Daniel. I need to go there." Sam said
Jack sighed and looked around the tunnel. "Elric once you take us to our people can you come back and retrieve Sam and Jacob?"
"Yes, I can send a man to guide them out." Elric said
"Alright Sam, Jacob you have a go."
The two nodded and followed the light, while Elric led the Teal'c and Jack down yet another flight of steep stairs. They stepped out into a shallow stream. The water grew deeper rising to their ankles as they went on. Suddenly Elric raised his hand signaling a halt. "What is it?"Jack asked raising his gun.
In a flash Elric passed the torch to Teal'c and pulled a man into the torchlight. Then a knife flashed and a flow of blood cascaded to the tunnel floor.
A/N Please Please Review I am learning the art of writing and your comments greatly help me. Or just encourage me to continue by Following/Favoriting.