Myrddin's Shield
Chapter Seven
Led by Teal'c, the group travelled into the oppressive darkness at the centre of the mountain. Their trail twisted and turned through the heart of Quietus Mons but always headed steadily downwards. Even those who were unbothered by claustrophobia began to feel the pressure of hundreds, maybe thousands of feet of solid rock bearing down on them.
Brin glanced at Saurun, noting the way his face had grown pale. He knew what his friend was thinking: given that the Water, Air and Earth challenges lay behind them, it was highly likely that the Fire challenge was coming up soon. He patted his dark-haired Bond-brother on the back reassuringly. "Hey, Saurun. Everything's going to be fine. We've made it through all the challenges so far…no problem."
Saurun raised an eyebrow at him. "No problem? What do you call Vala almost falling in that pit of spikes back there?"
Brin shrugged. "Teal'c had her held safe. She's alive and Sam was able to use that jewelled device to heal her just like Vala healed Hana. I think Myrddin must have sent all of them because he knew they would defeat his challenges. He wants us to get the Shield working again...I tell you we're invincible!"
Saurun couldn't help laughing. "I wish I had your confidence."
Brin grinned at him. "You know I'm right…When am I ever wrong?"
"Modest too!" Saurun cuffed his blond-haired counterpart and tried to let Brin's confidence flow through him but it was difficult when his heart and his feet felt like lead weights, growing heavier with every step he took towards what he knew could only be the Fire challenge.
Behind the boys, Sam and Vala walked in silence. Now that the Earth challenge was over, Vala felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her. Daniel was alive and there was no more danger to face. She also felt absurdly happy: he said he couldn't see a future without me in it! She looked at Sam who shot her a happy grin. Vala squeezed her arm silently and grinned back. She couldn't wait for the next Girls' Night Out when she could fill Sam in on everything Daniel had said and hopefully was going to say later. Later couldn't come soon enough.
Daniel followed the two women and couldn't help noticing the grins passing between them. He flushed slightly and hoped no-one noticed. He thought about what had passed between Vala and him in the cavern and found that his nervousness was mixed with delight. He still felt very insecure about the depth of Vala's feelings for him and whether they would last the test of time but knowing that she did care for him made him feel happy.
Cameron's thoughts were filled with anticipation of reaching the end of the quest and getting to take a look at Merlin's Shield. He was sure that once Sam had had a chance to look at the force-field core, she would have no trouble engineering some version of it back on Earth. She was just so brilliant, it made his head ache, but he was glad he was along for the ride.
After nearly an hour, Teal'c reached the end of the tunnel. Relief at being able to stand to his full height was quickly followed by surprise and he let out a breath as he surveyed the scene before him. A huge vault opened out ahead: glowing red as the light from a vast lake of magma reflected off the smooth surface of the hard rock faces surrounding the chamber.
Every so often, bright flares shot out from the pit, some rising high enough into the air to hit the walls either side of the cavern. It was hot: so hot it felt as if his nostrils were burning as he breathed in. The heat was unbearable and he started to strip off his arctic layers as quickly as he could.
When the others appeared by his side a moment later, there were sounds of varying degrees of shock from the group succinctly summed up by Cameron who said, "You have got to be kidding me!"
Vala glanced at Saurun. He had turned ghostly white and was shivering. She stepped up to his side, trying to reassure him with her presence and saw that Brin had done likewise. She smiled at the lad over Saurun's head.
"Heat like this can be dangerous. Let's get out of our arctic gear for starters," Cameron ordered. "Then we can try to work out how we get through this challenge."
Daniel, Sam and Cameron stood on the edge of the rock shelf, peering down into the magma pit and surveying the walls, trying to find any clue as to where the disc needed to be placed to allow the next exit to appear.
Sam pointed to the left-hand rock face and said, "I think we're going to have to climb up there. The wall looks bumpy. It looks like it's covered with hand holds and there appears to be a ledge some way up. It should be big enough for several people to stand on."
Cameron mentally assessed his group. Teal'c and Carter he knew could scale any rock face with no problem. Daniel still didn't like heights but he was strong and had completed the Air-Force climbing course successfully. He had no doubt Vala had the agility and strength to climb up, especially after her display in the Air cavern.
The young lad, Brin, was an unknown quantity but he'd seemed pretty capable so far although one concern was his size: he was smaller than everyone else and might have trouble reaching for some of the handholds cut into the rock.
Saurun was going to be the real problem – his fear of fire was going to make him unpredictable…and the added hazard of the periodic flaming eruptions wasn't going to make it easy for any of them. He rubbed his face. "Man, this is going to be hard…and getting all our gear up with us could be interesting."
Teal'c had joined them as they assessed the challenge and offered, "I will carry as much as I can but perhaps we should leave our arctic jackets here. They will be a hindrance and we have foil blankets we can use to keep warm once we get outside again."
Cameron thought about this suggestion then said, "I agree with you. Anything that'll make it easier to climb is a good idea."
Sam asked, "Should we use the ropes to tie us together? In pairs, perhaps?"
Cameron thought about it and shook his head. "The climb's so steep that, if one of us slips, the weight on the rope would likely drag the other one down too." He saw the others agreed and added, "We can still work in groups to keep an eye on each other."
They turned and headed over to the others. Saurun was leaning against the rock face, eyes closed, trying to blot out the sight of the element that terrified him. Brin listened carefully as Sam explained what she thought they needed to do in order to get out of the chamber. When she'd finished, he said, "We're both good at climbing but…Saurun's going to find it difficult."
Opening his eyes, Saurun smiled wanly, "It's the only way out. I'll have to do it even if I don't like it."
On cue, a burst of lava erupted, spraying flaming pumice against the far wall and increasing the wall of heat pushing against them. Saurun shuddered and closed his eyes again.
Cameron glanced at Teal'c and Sam for approval as he suggested, "Teal'c. I think you and Brin should go first. He's the one with the disc and you can give him a hand if any of the holds are too far apart for him to reach…It may be that when you place the disc in position, the exit will be somewhere we can get at without the rest of us climbing. Worth waiting and seeing, I reckon."
Teal'c inclined his head in approval before turning to the young men, saying, "Brin, Saurun, give me your staffs. I will carry them along with my own."
He wrapped the three poles in a make-shift sling and then tied it to the rear of his backpack before throwing the whole thing over his shoulder so that the staffs were out of the way on his back and left his hands free for climbing.
"Ready?" he asked Brin.
Brin nodded and couldn't help grinning with excitement. Cameron clapped him on the back. "Take it steady. No heroics!"
Slowly the two of them made the long hard climb up towards the ledge. Brin proved good at climbing and Teal'c only had to drag him up once or twice when he couldn't quite reach a hold. Around the mid-way point, they found a set of slightly extended footholds that were wide enough to allow them to position their full weight and pause for a rest.
As they started to move upwards again, a fireball shot into the air behind them: illuminating them in a dark orange glow while the heat of it increased the sweat already pouring from them with the strain of the ascent. The rest of the team watched their progress and were relieved when they finally reached the ledge.
"We were right! There's a space for the disc at one end!" Brin shouted down to them. He carefully made his way along the ledge, sliding past Teal'c to place the Fire disc in the awaiting cavity. Once again there was the sound of grinding rock as a doorway slowly appeared at the other end of the ledge.
Nothing else appeared: no secret lift or staircase that Cameron had half been hoping would appear magically out of the rocks. "Well! Looks like we're all going for a climb," Cameron said. "Okay, Daniel, Vala. You're up next. Sam, Saurun and I will be right behind you."
Daniel and Vala put on their backpacks and set off side by side. They worked their way up the rock face at a steady pace. Pausing briefly, at the halfway point, Daniel made the mistake of looking down and felt a wave of dizziness hit. He clung onto the hand holds, breathing hard. "Oh boy."
Vala noted the whiteness of his face and touched his shoulder gently. "Hey, Daniel, what's wrong?"
"Shouldn't have looked down," he gasped as rekindled acrophobia made his head swim. "Big mistake!"
"Just concentrate on your hands and keep moving slowly. I'm right beside you. Just a couple of feet to go and you'll be on solid ground."
Daniel took a deep breath and somehow got his hands and feet moving again. His hands felt slick with sweat and he was sure he was going to lose his grip at any moment. He was aware of Vala by his side speaking encouraging words as she kept pace with him and urged him on. To his surprise, only a couple of minutes passed and he found himself being hauled upwards by the strong hands of Teal'c. He stepped towards the back of the ledge, glad to get away from the precipice edge, and leaned against the cool rock of the tunnel mouth.
Vala was right by his side. "Are you feeling better now, Daniel?"
Daniel bobbed his head slightly: trying to shake off the lightheaded feeling behind his eyes and the rubbery feeling in his legs. "Yes…Thanks for your help."
Vala flashed him her private smile then went to stand beside the others, watching the laborious progress of Cameron, Saurun and Sam as they disjointedly made their way up the rock face. Like Daniel, Saurun was suffering from vertigo and Cameron and Sam were forced to drag him up between them: it wasn't easy given the heavy backpacks that they were carrying, the sheer nature of the rock face and the heat that was making their hands slippery.
Eventually the three of them made it to the halfway point and stopped to rest: Vala could hear them encouraging Saurun. Daniel crept forward, kneeling on the ground to get a view of what was going on below. From his relatively safe position, he heard Cameron give the order to get moving again.
The three of them reached up, straining to find the hand holds which would help them slowly creep up one level. As they moved upwards again, it took the onlookers a moment to realise that Saurun's foot had slipped from a foothold and he was dangling in mid-air.
Cameron made a grab for Saurun's hand as the young man fell and just managed to grasp hold of it. His arm muscles protested and his fingers went into spasm as Cameron gripped tightly onto the only support available with his other hand. He struggled against gravity and the dead-weight of Saurun's body, knowing he must not let himself be pulled from his precarious hold.
Saurun's terrified face looked up at him and his free arm flailed as he tried to grab hold of the rock face, or Sam, or anything that would stop him falling into the fiery abyss below.
"I've got you. Just keep still," Cameron shouted as Sam tried to move closer to grab Saurun from the other side. "Sam, I can't hold on much longer," he gasped and then realised with horror that Saurun's hand was slipping from his.
The next second, Sam was there, leaning out dangerously to try to grab Saurun's other hand. For one heartbeat, they both thought she had been successful. Then Cameron felt the young man's fingertips slip from his hand and watched in horror as Saurun fell towards the broiling magma below. Cameron's mind slowed, making the fall seem endless and he knew the wordless terror in Saurun's eyes was going to haunt him for a long, long time.
As Saurun's body hit the searing heat just above the surface of the molten river, he was enveloped in a white hot light then disappeared from the sight of his horrified companions. Cameron hung suspended above the deadly chasm for what seemed an eternity until he became aware of Sam's anxious voice calling his name.
He swung his hand up and grabbed onto a second hold, leaning his face against the cool rock to calm his thoughts and hoping the trembling in his arms and legs would subside shortly. Sam came up close. "Cam?"
When he turned to look at her, he could see tears and understanding in her eyes. "What the hell am I going to tell Cansalla?" he whispered. "I promised to bring him back safe."
Sam couldn't think of an answer so she just laid a hand on his shoulder in support. "Let's get away from here."
Somehow Cameron forced his limbs to work and the two of them made their way silently up to their friends, waiting anxiously to pull them to safety. Cameron's strength failed him as he reached the top and Teal'c had to drag him up the last few feet onto solid ground. He sat there surrounded by stunned silence punctuated occasionally by sniffs that were coming from Brin as the youngster struggled not to cry.
Sam got to her feet and went over to Brin, pulling him into a strong embrace: the kindness of her touch was too much for Brin and he dissolved into tears. Vala wiped stinging tears away from her eyes and looked helplessly at Daniel, who took one of her hands in his and held on to it, trying to give them both comfort.
Teal'c gripped Cameron's shoulder briefly before helping him to his feet. "We should leave this place then rest," Teal'c said.
Cameron nodded numbly: he gathered everyone up and gently compelled them to follow Teal'c into the passageway, hoping that there would be a place to rest in safety before they had to deal with any more challenges.
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It was only a few minutes' walk until the six of them came out into a chamber that was warm and filled with gentle light from the humming object that was glowing on a central dais. Cameron set the oil on fire in the two wall sconces situated on either side of the chamber. Then everyone gratefully sank down onto the steps around the dais.
The whole room appeared to be coated with a material that Cameron reckoned was not naturally occurring on this planet and as they began to take in their surroundings, he could see markings and writings surrounding them. Before Daniel could think about getting up and getting to work on translating the Ancient text, Cameron said, "Ten minute break for everybody and that's an order, Jackson."
Daniel acknowledged the order by taking out a drink and unpacking six bars of chocolate from his plentiful supply which he passed round to everyone. Too dazed to do much else, they set about unwrapping the bars and ate them silently.
Cameron swigged from his canteen then addressed what was on everyone's mind. "I know we're all thinking about Saurun, especially you, Brin," he said, catching the youngster's eye, "but we're going to have to put our grief to one side for now. We need everybody concentrating on the job at hand until we can get Merlin's Shield working and get the hell out of here."
Daniel could hear the underlying anger in Cameron's voice and knew that it was just an echo of the anger building inside him: anger at the waste of a young life from the unnecessarily overzealous protection of a technology that should be accessible to the very people it was devised to help.
Daniel knew if Solon had appeared right at that moment, he would have shouted at him until he either had a satisfactory answer as to why the challenge had been fatal or until he was hoarse from making his feelings known. Damn the Ancients and their stupid nonsensical rules!
Daniel sighed heavily and rose to his feet: unaware of Vala's understanding eyes following him as he went to look at the writings on the walls. After a moment, she got up and joined him, waiting quietly by his side to see if she could be of any help.
Cameron walked round the room, eyes searching for any indication of a doorway or for the disc shaped hole that would hopefully reveal one once Daniel placed his disc inside. He met Teal'c half way round who was doing the same. Brin followed a little way behind, feeling lost without Saurun. Cameron said quietly to Teal'c, "I don't want to worry anyone but I can't see anywhere for Jackson to put his disc. You got anything?"
"I have not," Teal'c replied. "Perhaps restoring the Shield will reveal some as yet unseen opening."
"I hope you're right," Cameron said and went to join Sam at the top of the dais. She had her laptop out and was trying to get some readings on the alien technology in front of her. The obelisk appeared to be made from the same sort of material as the chamber walls but where as they were grey green, it was a pale blue and white. Coloured lights spilled from three out of four spaces in the oval shape which rested on the top of the pillar.
"Presumably, that dead crystal is the reason that the village shield isn't working," Sam said. She turned to Daniel. "Any clues as to how we're supposed to go about fixing this thing?"
Daniel and Vala were working their way slowly round the chamber. "There's something on the first wall which I think means essentially 'press here to activate or deactivate Myrddin's Shield' and then this section here says…Hmmm." He pressed one hand against the wall and without warning a dark green artefact erupted from the wall.
The object was shaped in the partly circular, partly wavy ridged and lined shape that the members of SG-1 knew so well. Daniel and Vala jumped back before the thing could grab one of their heads and download who knew what into the recipient's brain.
"Oh yes, that's just what we need!" Cameron said. "Remember, nobody is to go near that thing."
Daniel gave the repository a wide birth as he studied the writing near it and said, "If I'm reading the text right, I think this just contains information on how the Shield works. It doesn't appear to be a complete database like the others we've come across."
"I don't care if it's just gives a weather report, no-one goes near it!" Cameron practically snarled.
"Okay, okay." Daniel held up his hands to placate Cameron. "Well, I think there's something over here about using new crystals to replace those which have spent their energy."
"You found a list of spare parts?" Cameron asked.
"Yeah, something like that. I'll try it and see." Daniel walked back to the wall in question, pulling a camera out of his bag as he went. "Vala, could you record this so I can leave a record for Sau-Madrianna when we get back." She nodded and took the camera from him.
When Vala was ready, Daniel pressed a series of raised letters in a sequence dictated by the writings. A panel underneath began to glow and then a small door in the wall swung open revealing a number of different coloured crystals and what looked a little like some sort of computer interface.
Sam came over to look and tried hooking up her laptop. "Well, I'm getting some readings from this thing…Not entirely sure what it means but it's a start." She left her laptop recording alien data and peered at the store of crystals. After a moment, she said, "Well, let's take a look at the damaged crystal and see if we can work out which of these is its replacement. Daniel, where did you say we had to press to turn the power off?"
Daniel found the section of text on the wall and pressed the relevant symbol. After a moment, the light from the pillar gradually diminished and then went out. Sam took a look at the readings on her screen then went to investigate the pillar further. Vala joined her.
The small obelisk was of similar design to some technology that the Goa'uld had purloined and utilised and Vala was pretty sure she knew where the switch was located that would make the crystals rise out of their sockets.
"Here," Vala said, showing Sam a small raised square on the base of the obelisk. She pressed it and as she expected the crystals were elevated until they were above the surface of the pillar and could be clearly seen. Each one was a different colour. When Sam extracted the burned out one, it was so badly damaged it was impossible to tell what colour it had been originally.
Sam and Vala went to look at the options. "If all the crystals are supposed to be different colours then the missing one's got to be one of these green ones," Sam said.
Vala nodded. "Yes, that makes sense."
Sam pulled an emerald crystal from the wall space and handed it to Vala. "Try that one and then we'll turn it back on and see if it's working."
Vala carried the crystal over to the pillar and slipped it into place. Then she bent down and depressed the button and watched as the crystals descended back into place.
"Here goes!" Sam called and pressed the on/off symbol on the wall. The crystals began to glow, dully at first and then gradually brighter. Sam grinned at Cameron who gave her a 'thumbs up'. She turned to look back at the pillar just as the crystals returned to full power and there was a blinding flash of light.
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When Vala became aware of her surroundings again, she found herself surrounded by darkness and a silence only broken by the gentle humming of something at work. Presumably the obelisk?
Ever so slowly, she sat up, trying to assess whether or not she had been badly injured. The energy pulse, or whatever it was, had made her momentarily lose her balance. Whether it had also knocked her out or whether that had been caused by her subsequent fall down the steps leading from the dais, she wasn't certain.
Vala ran her fingers along one arm, then the other, and over her legs assessing herself for injuries. She winced as her fingers moved over bruises on her legs, where weapons and other items in her pockets had dug into her, and found a nasty bruise where one elbow had hit the unyielding stone steps. Another source of discomfort seemed to be a bruise on the side of her head…and of course not being able to see anything. Although, was it her imagination or, did it seem less dark now.
She felt around her. Her fingers found her torch lying by her side. She tried turning it off and on a few times but nothing happened. What kind of energy would affect all our torches as well as knocking us off our feet? Anxiety gripped her. She heard a few groans as she called out, "Daniel? Sam? Are you okay?...Teal'c, Mitchell, Brin?"
More groans answered her query as the others stirred and sat up. Cameron said, "Man! My head hurts worse than the time Mac and I drank two bottles of neat whiskey and…never mind. How's everyone else doing?"
Sam replied first, "I'm okay, I think…my head's pounding but I'll live."
"I am unharmed," Teal'c stated as he got to his feet and went to retrieve his staff weapon and torch.
Brin stood up slowly and leaned on his staff. "I'm not hurt."
Daniel stood up carefully and said, "My brain feels like it's been shaken loose but otherwise I'm all right."
As she heard the others get to their feet and move around, Vala realised that the chamber wasn't pitch black but rather the horrifying truth was that she couldn't see anything. "Daniel," she said quietly as she wrapped her arms around her knees and tried to quell the panic rising inside.
"Are you all right, Vala?" Daniel started walking towards her. She shook her head and he quickly went to her side. "Where are you hurt?"
She tried to sound unworried: "A few bruises here and there...but I don't seem to be able to see anything." Tears started to roll down her face although she wasn't really aware of it.
Daniel was dismayed by her admission. He sat down next to her, putting a comforting arm around her, and called for Sam to come over. Cameron joined them and he and Sam both looked horrified when Daniel said, "Vala says she can't see anything."
Sam bent down and said gently, "Hey Vala. Let me take a look."
Vala wiped away the tears dropping off her nose and sniffed. She blinked her eyes rapidly. "Sorry to be so silly. It's just been a rubbish few days…I actually think my sight might be coming back. Everything's grey now rather than black. I'll pull myself together in a minute."
Sam said, "God, Vala. Don't apologise! I'm really sorry I turned the machine on with you right next to it. That was stupid of me! If I hadn't…" She gently examined Vala's face. There were no wounds or signs of damage around her eyes. "I can't see any obvious injuries. Hopefully it's just a temporary shock to your optic nerves. Wish Dr Lam was here to take a look at you though."
Vala took a deep breath: "Help me up, Daniel."
He gently pulled her on to her feet then placed an arm under one of hers. She gripped his arm tightly and said, "Don't let go, will you?"
Daniel swallowed down emotion. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be glued to your side for as long as you need me."
Vala smiled in the direction of his voice and said, "Thanks. Can we please go home now? I've really had enough of this place."
Cameron jerked a thumb in the direction of the obelisk then asked Sam the obvious questions: "So do we think we did something wrong or was that light just part of normal functions? Everything's glowing now and it's humming away like a bee round a Tennessee passion-flower. Do you think we've got it working right?"
Sam patted Vala's arm before going to retrieve her laptop. She looked over the data that had been recorded so far. "Before we turned the Shield core off, there were three distinct energy readings. They're still there but now there's a fourth." She shrugged. "Hopefully that means it's working right."
Cameron looked all around the chamber. "Well, I still don't see a door so we must be missing something here, folks."
Daniel was scanning the text on the walls for any clues as to how they were to get out of the chamber. "I think there was something written about the elements on the far wall. Vala, are you okay if we go for a little walk." Vala nodded and let Daniel lead her away from the dais and over to the inscriptions he wanted to check.
As they walked, she felt vulnerable in a way she had never felt before: completely dependent on Daniel to help her move to the right place and unable to contribute in any way to solving this problem. Was this what life was going to be like from now on? She swallowed, trying to fight back the sense of hopelessness that was in danger of engulfing her. Your sight's going to come back, Vala. Pull yourself together.
She listened to Daniel thinking out loud, taking comfort in his closeness and the reassuring sound of his voice as his mind worked on the problem. "All right. We've got writing here about the elements: fire, water, air, earth and heavenly realms. This says the elements must be conquered…this part says ask and Merlin will reveal…I wonder…"
Daniel cleared his throat and then started speaking Latin in a loud clear voice, "Vicimus ignis, fluvius, anima, terra et caelum. Myrddin, te oro tuam veritam, lumen et potentiam recludere."
"What did you say?" Cameron asked.
"I said that we'd conquered the elements and asked Merlin to reveal his truth, light and power."
"Well, something's happening," Cameron said as the by-now-familiar grinding sound began. This time however it wasn't a doorway that appeared but a stone cuboid pillar rose up out of the floor next to where they were standing, forcing all of them to take a step backwards.
When it had finished rising, everyone could see that the stone monolith had a circular space at the top of it where the Starlight disc should fit and that there was some writing below the cavity. Daniel quickly explained to Vala what had been revealed in answer to her anxious question.
Cameron approached the pillar, glaring at it. "What's that say?" he asked Daniel.
"Here lies the path to Merlin's Hall," Daniel replied and added, "The design looks a bit like Thor's hammer. I guess when I insert my disc we'll all get transported back to Merlin's Hall in the village."
"Whoa! Wait a minute. How do we know we'll be transported to the village of our choice and not some other village miles away," Cameron asked.
Daniel looked surprised. "There is only one Merlin's Hall. Madrianna speaks to him there on behalf of all the people from all the villages." Seeing the look on Cameron's face, Daniel said, "Perhaps I forget to mention that?"
Cameron grimaced. "Yes, Jackson, you did but I guess we only needed to know about it now so never mind. Okay, everyone make sure you've got all your gear before we try this thing out."
Sam retrieved her laptop and packed it safely away in her rucksack. As she walked past the repository, she paused and couldn't help saying wistfully, "I wish we could find a way to either interface with that thing safely or get it out of the wall and take it back home to study."
"Don't make me drag you over here!" Cameron said, taking a step towards her.
"All right, all right, I'm coming," Sam laughed.
The six of them positioned themselves in a semi-circle around the obelisk. "Ready?" Daniel asked.
"As we'll ever be," Cameron muttered while everyone else nodded.
Still holding Vala's arm, Daniel leaned forwards and slipped the disc snugly into the hollowed out cavity. A bright light streamed from the obelisk and enveloped them all.
Less than a thought later, they arrived in Merlin's Hall. They all stumbled slightly as if they had been dropped from above for the last few feet of their journey. Vala nearly fell, suddenly finding herself unsupported and that her legs seemed to have lost the ability to balance properly. Cameron grabbed her at the same time as he realised that Daniel hadn't come through with the rest of them.
"Where's Daniel?" Vala asked, slight panic edging her voice.
"I don't know," Cameron answered. "We're all here apart from him."
"Do not fear. He is but a moment behind you," Madrianna's voice said. "Myrddin wishes to speak to him."
Cameron muttered, "I swear if Daniel looks into that head-shrinking thing, I'll fry his brain myself!"
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"Ok-aay…so why am I the only one still here?" Daniel asked out loud. He was only a little surprised when a glowing form appeared from the ceiling and moved down into the chamber, coalescing once again into the human form of Solon.
Daniel bit back the angry words threatening to come out of his mouth and waited for Solon to explain why he'd been left behind.
"Your people did not use the interface to understand Myrddin's Shield," the Ascended being sought clarification of their apparent rejection of their prize.
"No. We can't use it safely," Daniel explained and added somewhat sarcastically, "guess our brains still aren't evolved enough." He frowned as something occurred to him. "Actually, why can't you give us the information in a form we can use?"
Solon looked slightly confused. "The repository devices have always been the method by which the Four Races both protected their knowledge from the Goa'uld and allowed access only to those races which had advanced enough to use them."
"Well, I don't think that the criterion of 'advancement' applies any more. We've proved that we're advanced enough for the Asgard to consider us to be the Fifth Race. We got through the challenges left by the Lanteans to guard the treasure house at Avalon and those set by Ganos Lal to protect the Sangraal…and I might add we managed to use it to get rid of your mortal enemies, the Ori. I think it's time you cut us a little slack!"
Solon looked perplexed. "This method has been considered best for thousands of years," he said. "It was made for your own protection and for the protection of less advanced races."
Daniel fancied he heard a trace of doubt in Solon's voice and wondered whether he could finally be getting through to the Ancients. He knew several of them were probably listening even now: hovering unseen, refusing to take any action that might interfere with the natural progress of the human species and so damn sure that they were right about what was best for the 'lowers'.
Somewhat wearily, he said, "Why don't you go and talk to the others about it? Maybe after a few thousand years of discussion, you'll actually make a decision and change at least one rule that's ridiculously out of date!" To his amazement, Solon nodded and disappeared the way he had come, leaving Daniel alone.
For a few seconds, Daniel stood where he was, expecting to be transported to Merlin's Hall to join the others but nothing happened. Frustrated, he tried to remove the disc from the obelisk, assuming if he reinserted it, the transport system would be reactivated but it was firmly in place and he couldn't budge it. He tried to find any symbols on the obelisk that might help or any raised inscriptions that he could press to make something happen. Nothing.
"Oh this is just great," he muttered. What am I supposed to do now? Stay trapped in this cavern with a device I can't use because a) my brain will probably be rewritten and then disintegrate and b) if I survive, let's face it, Cameron will kill me! Or try to find another way out of here?
Daniel knew that the only other way out would be to work his way back through the caverns. Even though he was making an assumption that the challenges would remain deactivated, he didn't fancy his chances of climbing back down the rock face above the lava pit on his own. Daniel felt dejected, angry and very, very alone.
What had it all been for? Yes, they'd hopefully fixed the Shield so that Maltus or others like him couldn't attack the village in the future but what would happen the next time the thing broke down? They couldn't download the information on how it worked in any form they could use and, although Daniel could leave instructions on how to get through the challenges and on how to find and replace the crystals, the person who was supposed to have been given that information was dead. Saurun was dead.
Replacing the crystals wasn't that easy a task either. What if the next person who tried it was alone and found himself blinded like Vala? Vala. Were she and the others safely back in the village, wondering what had happened to him? Who was going to look after Vala if he didn't make it out of this place?
A voice came from behind him, making him jump: "The eye sees but the mind can be misled. Not everything is as it appears."
Daniel whirled around and felt some of his anger and hopelessness draining away as he realised Shifu was standing behind him. He smiled at the boy who looked largely unchanged from the last time he had seen him. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Even divergent paths may cross in unexpected places," Shifu replied. "It is good to see you again husband of my mother."
"It's good to see you too…Why are you here?" Daniel asked.
"The music plays and the dancer follows the sound though he knows not where it will lead."
Daniel breathed through his teeth: "I really don't have the energy for one of these conversations!"
"The impatient man hears only the ticking clock," Shifu replied.
Daniel sighed and tried to relax. "Okay. You want me to listen. I'll try."
Shifu smiled his gentle smile at Daniel and said, "You have chosen a new path since last we met, husband of my mother. It is a choice that honours all who have gone before you."
Moved by the unexpected praise, Daniel whispered, "Thank you."
"You have new choices to make," the young boy declared. "The path ahead winds in many directions and crosses many others. You may travel far along this path alone and achieve much…but a journey shared has a greater reward waiting at its end."
"A journey shared," Daniel echoed then blinked as realisation dawned. "Are you talking about me and Vala? You think I should allow her to walk with me on my journey."
"No-one can walk entirely alone and a trusted companion makes the way joyful."
"Why's everyone trying to organise my life for me!" Daniel protested.
"When a fork in the road appears, the wise man chooses the right path: the foolish man is taken where he should not go." Shifu answered. "Once the journey is started, he cannot go back for the way is no longer there."
"So you're saying I've got to make the decision now or end up missing the chance?" Daniel asked but Shifu just looked at him serenely. Daniel sighed. "These past few days, I've been thinking a lot about my future…I think I want Vala to be part of it but I've still got some doubts. What if our differences mean we don't fit together? What if it doesn't work out?"
"Though he drowns the fearful man does not grasp the rope."
Daniel said slowly, "I do want to grasp the chance to be with her…I'm just afraid I'm not what she really wants, that she'll leave me."
Shifu just smiled his gentle smile again and Daniel felt some of his doubts leaving him. "You think I should take a chance?"
Shifu nodded. "The truth brings forth wisdom and sight. I wish you well, Daniel. I hope someday our paths may cross again."
Daniel felt the familiar sense of loss as Shifu began to melt away. "Goodbye, Shifu. I hope we will see each other again."
He stood for a moment, uncertain what he should do next. He was thinking about having another go at finding a symbol or switch on the obelisk that might tell him how to leave the chamber when he realised that something was glowing brightly behind him. As he turned, Solon reappeared, carrying a small transparent square.
"Take this, Daniel. It is your reward. It will reveal the design and applications of Merlin's Shield to you. Use it wisely."
Daniel was staggered with the implication that he had changed the mind of an Ancient, possibly more than one mind. Perhaps he really had made a difference with the life he'd chosen. "Thank you."
"Madrianna's people have shown themselves to be worthy. Her apprentice may come here whenever he needs to without undertaking the challenges. He must wear this ring: when he passes it over the amber crystal in Myrddin's Hall, he will be transported directly to this chamber."
Daniel tasted bitterness in his mouth at the thought that Saurun had proved his worthiness but wouldn't get the opportunity to protect his people in the future but somehow he managed to say "Thank you" again.
"Place your palm on the disc of Starlight. You will be taken where you wish to go," Solon said and started to glide away, losing shape and eventually disappearing from view.
Daniel shook his head as if waking from a dream then stared at the see-through square in his hand that meant it hadn't all been his imagination. He hurried over to the obelisk and placed the palm of his hand on the blue, green and silver coloured disc. There was a flash of light again and he found himself landing on the wooden floor of Merlin's Hall.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Sitting on the chair Cameron had placed under her aching limbs, Vala had never felt so helpless in her life. In the past she had thrived on her independence: her ability to talk, fight or seduce her way out of any given situation. Staying one step ahead of those who sought to own her, hurt her or imprison her had been easy but now as she waited for Daniel to return, she began to have desperate thoughts about her future.
What if her blindness couldn't be cured? She'd have to leave the SGC. Yet she had no other place she could call home, no other friends to help her, no skills she could offer that didn't require her to be fully sighted. What good was an ex-smuggler that couldn't see?
Her head hurt and her elbow throbbed with an unrelenting, annoying pain: she thought about asking Sam for a painkiller but didn't. Now she could feel strange sensations in her arms and hands: if Teal'c hadn't offered to take her gun, she'd have dropped it. Why was she the only one feeling like this? Everyone else seemed to have recovered quickly from the effects of the energy pulse.
Tears came unbidden to her eyes: not tears of distress though, more like cleansing tears. She blinked furiously a few times and the world around her seemed to get a little lighter.
"How are you feeling, Vala?" It was Sam's voice. Her friend crouched down beside her. "You need anything?"
"I think my eyes are a bit better, Sam: it's definitely getting brighter. My elbow's killing me though…and I think my ribs are still sore from earlier: you got any painkillers on you?"
Sam extracted some aspirin from her backpack and handed them to her friend along with and an opened bottle of water. "There you are. That'll help until we get you patched up properly."
"Thanks." Vala swallowed the pills and lifted her face in Sam's direction. "I think I can make out your outline. You're still very blurry but I can tell it's you."
"Thank heaven for that!" Sam said with relief. She called to the others: "Looks like Vala's getting her sight back."
"That's great!" Cameron said. Suddenly a faint humming sound came from the obelisk. It got louder by the second and was joined by a whirring noise. "Something's happening at last. One of the stones in the pillar is flashing," he informed Vala. "Hopefully it's our boy coming back."
The amber stone in the obelisk pulsed and then a flash of light filled the Hall, making the assembled group close their eyes briefly. There was a gasp and then Brin was flying across the room, yelling, "Saurun" at the top of his voice. Before Saurun had even had time to realise where he was, Brin had enveloped him in a bear hug, nearly crying with relief at seeing his Bond brother alive and well.
Everyone crowded around him demanding explanations, except Vala who didn't trust her legs for the moment. A broad grin covered Cameron's face as he felt a huge weight lift from him: he had been dreading seeing Cansalla again but now everything was all right.
Saurun seemed a little confused about where he'd been. "I remember falling and then there was bright light and I don't remember anything else until I arrived back here." He looked around the group and grinned. "You made it through the rest of the challenges then?...Did you fix the Shield?" He realised someone was missing. "Where's Daniel?"
Sam answered, "He's talking to Myrddin and yes Madrianna says that the Shield is working again." She patted his back. "We'd thought we'd lost you: it's so good to see you."
Saurun looked around the smiling faces and then sought out Madrianna who was waiting patiently to one side. He walked over to her and presented himself to her. She smiled at him and gently reached to touch his face. "You've done well, Saurun. I'm glad you have been returned to us safely."
She turned towards rest of the group and said, "Brin, I think you should find your parents and sister and let them know that you are safely home. Tonight we will celebrate your success."
Brin grinned as he grabbed Saurun by the arm and said, "Come on. Let's tell everyone we're home!"
As the door shut behind them, the whirring noise came again and the amber stone began to pulse for the third time that day. Everyone looked expectantly at the dais as the light flashed and smiled with relief when Daniel thudded onto its surface.
Cameron took the steps in two leaps. He searched Daniel's face and demanded. "What happened? Tell me you didn't look into the repository!"
Daniel's eyes shone as he held out the square data crystal Solon had given him. "Didn't have to…Solon gave us this."
"What is it?" Cameron asked, taking it and holding it in his hand. He held it up to the light then passed it to Sam as she came up the steps to join them.
"It's supposed to hold all the instructions on how to use and repair the Shield. Hopefully Sam can work out a way to get the information downloaded from it…Is the Shield working? Has anyone tested it?"
Teal'c answered: "The Shield is functioning as it should, Daniel Jackson, and Saurun has been returned to us."
Daniel was astounded. "What? Where is he?"
Sam said, "He's gone with Brin to tell their family that they've returned safe and well. He didn't have a scratch on him and he didn't seem to know where he'd been the last couple of hours."
"Solon must have stepped in," Daniel said, wondering how many more surprises the Ancients had in store for him. He looked round searching for Vala and spotted her sitting to one side of the Hall: every inch of her looked tired. He jogged down the steps to her side and pulled her gently to her feet and into an embrace. "Hey, you," he whispered. "How are you doing?"
"I've been better but I can now see…more or less. Still a bit blurry but getting there," Vala replied. "What happened to you? I was worried."
Daniel said, "Solon and I had a chat about a few things."
Vala smiled. "You mean you lost your temper with him."
Daniel grinned. "Pretty much…but this time it seemed to make a difference. He went away and came back with a data crystal for us."
"That's great." Vala shivered a little and wondered when the aspirin was going to kick in. "Can we go somewhere warmer now? I'm frozen without my jacket."
Cameron looked at his watch. "Yes, we'd better get a move on. Time's ticking away and we need to get organised for Maltus's visit: get our make-up on, practise our fake coughs and so on." He turned to the seer. "Madrianna, are your people ready to play their parts."
Madrianna nodded. "All has been arranged, Colonel Mitchell. We shall go to the Meeting Hall. Cansalla and the Elders will show you what has been prepared and then I will arrange for you to be given some cloaks to wear so that you will not be recognised and also they will keep you warm."
With an arm still round Vala, Daniel spoke to stop Madrianna leaving the hall. "Wait. Madrianna. Myrddin gave me this ring for Saurun to use."
"Show me."
Daniel was reluctant to leave Vala's side, but she nodded to let him know it was fine. He walked over to the elderly woman's side and gently placed the ring in her outstretched hand. He told her what Solon had said, "When he passes it over the amber stone here in Myrddin's Hall, he will be taken to the heart of the Shield anytime he needs to go there. We'll make sure that you and Saurun have the translation of the writing before we leave so that you can fix the Shield again if you need to."
"Thank you, Daniel. Thank you, all of you, for conquering the elements. Our people will forever be grateful," Madrianna replied then headed out through the wooden doors. A blast of cold wind rushed into the hall, making Vala shiver even more.
Cameron said, "Okay folks, let's get to it." With a bounce in his step, he led his team out of Merlin's Hall and followed Madrianna. The seer found her way easily across the village even without a guide. She led them to the shelter and warmth of the communal building. Time to put on the performance of our lives; Cameron thought to himself as he followed her inside.