Chapter 2
P3X-105
Seven hours earlier….
Daniel sat in the temple ruins staring intently at the words carved into the walls with practiced ease. This was his last day on this archeological find of the year to date, and he was going to make the most of it. He had been biting his tongue for the past week so he would not argue with general Hammond insisting on more time, but he was lucky to be here in the first place. Besides a part of Daniel could not wait to get off this planet and move on with other things. Sure the excitement of uncovering the secrets this planet contained strengthened his desire to stay, but there was something about this planet that was just…off. It was the only way he could describe it.
"Good morning Dr. Jackson." a voice seemingly coming out of nowhere startling Daniel and breaking his concentration. He turned around to find Dr. Bruce Berman standing in the dark corridors with a bright smile, with a flashlight in one hand and breakfast in the other. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He continued after seeing Daniel's reaction. Of all the archeologists here Bruce was his favorite. It seemed that they understood each other very well. "Thought I would find you here, you know, being your last day and all." Bruce smiled even greater as he walked to where Daniel was sitting. Daniel returned the smile and brought his attention back to the wall. "I also assumed you had completely skipped breakfast to come here and have more time studying this script." He said handing the bowl over to Daniel.
"Thanks" Daniel half muttered taking the bowl and setting it off to the side out of the way. At seeing this Bruce let out a small chuckle and sat down next to his colleague. "So what have we found today?" Bruce asked with great interest. Dr. Jackson was a man that Bruce could see eye to eye with on almost everything, and they got along greatly since the first day. Dr. Berman thought the man was brilliant, and was eager to take part in his findings, and discover the great mystery of these ruins. Unfortunately they had not uncovered anything to progress their understanding of these ruins in the past week and Daniel had to return to his duties on SG1 today, in two hours to be more precise, and it broke Bruce's heart.
"Well" Daniel began as he began making notes in his journal that seemed to be attached to the man, "something of great significance." At hearing this Bruce merely raised his eyebrows in disbelief. When Daniel was not getting the reaction he thought he would receive he stopped writing and turned to face Dr. Berman. "Bruce, I think I found out what this place is." Daniel said as he gestured towards the wall containing the significant discovery hardly containing his excitement. "And what's that." Bruce asked excitedly as he too turned to study the wall. "Well, this tells of"
"Dr. Jackson!" Both men jumped at hearing the voice seemingly out of nowhere, and turned to face the interruption of the excitement.
"Come come man can't you see we are busy." Bruce exclaimed as he saw to whom the voice belonged to. "Terribly sorry," Major Benson replied, voice dripping with sarcasm, "but my orders were to come and collect Dr. Jackson so he could return to the SGC, ON TIME." Daniel turned back towards Bruce with a sheepish smile. "Just a few more minutes, major, please, I think we might have found something." Bruce replied to the major hoping that he would find it in his heart to let them continue. Truth be told, they had better chances of winning Miss America then Major Benson doing any favors for Daniel. Major Benson seemed to severely dislike Daniel with a strong passion, but it was unexplained as to why. It just became an accepted fact, and for the most part they had avoided each other.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I stressed ON TIME as well as I thought I had in my first statement. Move it Jackson, now, or I am authorized to use force." Daniel glanced back at the wall containing the secrets of the planet with longing. With a long sigh he got up from the ground, with Bruce rising along with him. "Wait a minute, I still ha"
Gunfire. The unmistakable sound of multiple gunshots rung throughout the temple walls echoing loudly in their ears. Major Benson grabbed at his side arm strapped to his right leg, and ran through the tunnels towards the wretched sound. Both Bruce and Daniel looked at each other, both just as confused as to what was going on. Daniel grabbed his berretta and ran after the major with Bruce hot on his heels.
Daniel ran through the corridors of the great temple following the sounds of the gunshots, and as he got closer he could hear yelling and screaming. He was almost through the corridors and out into the front court yard when he ran smack into Major Benson knocking them both over. Before Daniel could get up and find out what wall he had just ran into something grabbed and the back of his shirt and pulled him behind a massive pillar. "Daniel, are you ok?" It was Bruce. He had to yell in order to be heard over the bullets being exchanged. "Yeah." He replied finally gathering his wits. After checking his ammo, he peered around the pillar to see what the threat was, and what he saw made him gasp.
The SG teams were shooting at… each other. Many men were yelling, screaming, and pleading with each other to stop them from shooting each other, but to no avail. It was almost as if they were possessed, and no amount of reasoning was going to break through to them. The few that were attacking the rest of the team didn't look right, something about them made them seem unnatural. Daniel did not know what to do. "What the hell is going on around here?" He heard from his left. Bruce had peered around the other side of the pillar to get a glimpse of the action. Daniel was at a loss, he couldn't shoot at these people, some of them were his friends, but why were they shooting at everyone else?
Suddenly from his far right on the other side of the court yard the unmistakable rapid fire of a P-90 rang throughout the dead planet. Colonel Darnic had decided it was them or him, and he laid four team members out flat. Suddenly the rest of the team opened fire on their former teammates. In a few minutes the threat was terminated but the cloud of confusion still loomed over the court yard.
With his back against the column he slid down to the ground next to Bruce who had at some point in time had found his way on the ground. They sat there together not saying a word it seemed like forever. So many questions were lingering in each mind. "Dr. Jackson," Daniel looked up into the disturbed face of Colonel Darnic. "I am sorry but it looks like we might have to delay your return to base." He said as he offered his hand to help him up from the ground. "Colonel, if you don't mind me asking; What the hell is going on around here?" Bruce asked bringing his mind back to the present matter at hand.
The colonel looked at the two archeologists and sighed deeply. He turned away and started walking towards the bodies of the fallen, "It started while you two were gone." Darnic began not breaking stride, with Daniel and Bruce nearly running to catch up. As they approached one of the bodies the colonel squatted down and turned the body over. "At breakfast nine of our team members went into seizures, one right after the other." Darnic sat there in a moment of silence then got up to head back the ruins. "When they had stopped, they became violent and tore the place apart, almost as if they were looking for something. In all my years I have never…" The colonel's voice faded off as he stopped walking.
"You think it could be a contagion?" Daniel asked hoping to keep the colonel from think too hard on what he had just down. "That is a good possibility, and until we know for sure no one goes through that gate." Turning away from the two he called out, "Major Benson!" The major had been going around checking all nine of the fallen, and at hearing his colonel call for him he ran towards him. "Major Benson you and anyone else able to gather the bodies and burn them, if there is a contagion we need to be cautious, Dr. Jackson and I will go to the gate and report to Hammond." "Sir?" asked Benson more than a little annoyed, "with all due respect, sir, Jackson," "That was an order Major, it is not debatable." Darnic retaliated with finale authority, turning back towards Daniel " Jackson you're with me."
The Colonel continued walking back towards the ruins and Daniel turned to follow him when an arm on his shoulder prevented him from going. "Be careful" Bruce said with deep sincerity seeping through his eyes. "You too." Daniel replied looking out onto the grounds where the bodies laid. Satisfied the message had gotten through Daniel turned chasing after the colonel.
When Daniel had finally caught up the colonel he was checking over his P-90. Daniel went to grab the nearest vest he could find, and checked his water canteen making sure they would have enough to make the three hour round trip. Satisfied he joined the colonel's side. The colonel, realizing Daniel was ready, began walking in the general direction of the gate. "Here," he called back then turned around to toss him a zat gun. "Keep your eyes peeled, you may need that." placing the zat in his holster he continued on contemplating the possible meaning of you may need that. It only took him a moment to fully understand the colonel's reasoning. The Colonel could begin showing signs of having the contagion and become violent. That's why he decided to have him come with him instead of Benson. Team bonds are a strong thing, and especially strong in the SGC. When the time comes, Colonel Darnic does not believe that Major Benson would be able to carry out the necessary actions. Swallowing hard at this new realization Daniel gripped his Zat at his side for a little comfort.
Daniel and Colonel Darnic made their way to the gate in silence, knowing full well that the situation was beyond control. No one knew what was really going one, no one could trust anyone for fear that they would turn on each other. Daniel glanced over at Colonel Darnic and noticed that he was not looking well at all
"Do you have a problem Dr. Jackson?" Darnic asked before Daniel realized that he was staring at the man armed with the p90. Gone was the kind caring Colonel. Daniel scanned the man standing before him Are you feeling alright?" Daniel quickly responded to the irritated officer. "Look Dr. Jackson, let's just get to the gate so that we can appraise the SGC of the situation at hand, we still got about another twenty minutes till we get to the gate, the less talking the faster we get there." Darnic replied as he continued forth.
The silence did not seem to make the trip go fast to Daniel, and he shivered at how eerie the silence made the planet feel. A glance at the sky reminded him why. This planet was completely dead; they had found no life forms of any kind, nothing.
"I'm fine" Darnic called back to Daniel. This place was something else, and it could really mess with someone's mind. For the moment Daniel decided to accept his answer, what else could he do but watch him very closely for any signs of him turning.
Just when he thought the silence couldn't be more unbearable, finally he began to see the gate. So close and so far away Daniel said to himself as he glanced at the colonel, hoping for the hundredth time in twenty minutes their luck would hold out and the colonel would keep it together. Only this time something was different, something was not right with the colonel.
He had stopped walking and he was staring wide eyed at the ground. Then suddenly he dropped hard to the ground and went into a seizure. Daniel was at his side the moment he hit the ground and tried to hold him as his entire body shook. He wanted to help the man, but reason told him that the man was consumed by the contagion, and would soon turn violent. He had to do what he was brought here to do. He grabbed his zat from his holster and aimed it at the shaking man on the ground.
But before he could perform the necessary action, the colonel broke out of the seizure, and leapt up at Daniel knocking him to the ground.
He hit the ground hard, his head smacking the ground only to hear a thud, and then black spots flooded his vision. He lied on the ground momentarily stunned. He opened his eyes facing the Stargate and saw the colonel dialing earth as his vision began to refocus.
He had to get up, he had to stop him from getting to earth, apparently this thing that was affecting everyone on the planet was extremely contagious, and he couldn't let it get back to earth.
Daniel knew what he had to do. He pulled his arms underneath himself and began to slowly get up. And he ran at the colonel.
The colonel had completed the earth address, and the Stargate swooshed to life. He walked up and faced the event horizon and slowly uncovered his arm that contained the GDO. He inspected the thing very carefully, and ran his fingers over the numbers that would allow him passage to earth. He pressed the numbers and waited just a second staring at the shimmering blue puddle, and he glanced back at the barren world.
Daniel was so close when he saw the colonel turn around. he had no choice but to leap at him and take him down. He ignored the pounding in his head, as well as his mind screaming out something about this situation wasn't right, and leapt, tackling Darnic.
The colonel screamed out in fear and in anger as Daniel made contact with him, completely knocking him off of the gate platform, and knocking his gun far out of reach. They both hit the ground with a loud thud as the breath left the colonel. Daniel landed on top of the thing and quickly tried to pin him down.
But the Colonel seemed to have super natural strength as it merely flung Daniel away as if he were weightless. His body flopped hard on the ground landing him back with his zat. The colonel got up, now on a furious violent rampage. He strode towards Daniel with vengeance. Daniel tried to get up when he began to cough up blood. Wiping the blood on his pant leg, he attempted to stand up again. He caught a glimpse of the colonel striding towards him, but he couldn't tell which one was the real one. That last smack on the head was making him see double.
The colonel reached Daniel and struck him to the ground again unleashing a new rush of pain through his body. Daniel gasped to catch his breath as he swung his feet around to catch the legs of the Darnic dragging him down to the ground. Then he saw it; the zat gun. He scrambled to reach it before the colonel finished him off.
But Daniel was not quick enough crawling across the rough sand. He was within reach of the weapon when the colonel grabbed a fist full of his hair and pulled is head back, a struck him hard across the jaw. The punch was so powerful; Daniel flew with the momentum of the punch and struck the ground yet again.
Black and white spots flooded his doubled vision. He laid there trying to compose himself, but it wasn't working. He was still facing the zat gun lying carelessly on the ground. Fighting his way through the fuzzy double haze that was his vision, he crawled ever so slowly it seemed towards the zat. Finally after what seemed a life time he reached the zat. Daniel pushed himself up to his knees and found the colonel standing on the gate platform. Trying to aim through his cloud of pain he shot multiple shots where both colonels in his vision were standing hoping one of the colonels was the real one.
The colonel had gone down in the electrical furry discharged by the zat. But that wasn't the only thing that was hit. The Stargate was covered in the electrical discharge of the zat, and then the gate disintegrated before his eyes. One minute it was there and then the next there stood an empty space of where the Stargate once stood. Daniel collapsed back to the ground his body pushed beyond its limits. "No" he gasped out trying to focus on the spot where the Stargate had once stood, but slowly the pain consumed him and all went black.