Interruptions

Chapter Thirteen

THREE WEEKS LATER

"Well, this sucks."

Cam's eloquently said words echoed Sam's thoughts exactly. She was supposed to be with Jack! On their way to Albany, Western Australia! Instead, she was in an alien prison with Vala. Cam was on the other side of the bars.

"Thank you Cameron!" Vala said. "Those three words served to ease my mind tremendously." She was not happy.

"Look, Teal'c and Jackson are out there, now, trying to get you out of here. Give them a chance."

"And yet you're here, doing…?"

"I thought you might want some company." Cam replied.

Vala sat down. "Why are we in here anyway?" She asked.

"Well, apparently women's lib hasn't got this far yet." Cam said.

"What?"

"Women are treated as inferior. So if a women stand up to a man, acts like his equal, she is going against the law. And despite the fact we're from another planet, the guys here don't really care, so chucked you two in prison for disrespecting and shaming or whatever."

"This is crap." Vala said.

"I agree." Cam said.

They turned to Sam.

"I have plans! I should be on earth, on an aeroplane. On my way to Australia. Not stuck in some stupid alien prison." She sighed. "Just get us out of here, Cam."

"We're trying. We really are."

"Hey! You!" It was a prison guard.

"Who, me?" Cam asked.

"Yes, you. I advise you to leave these traitorous wenches by themselves. Don't let them influence or fool you. It will be the end of you."

Sam turned to Vala. "Traitorous wenches?" She mouthed.

Vala shrugged.

"I was just… telling them that they had been acting vilely and would be punished for it when we return home. Which is when?" Cam asked.

"I am not in any position to release these women." He spat the word as though it was a derisive term. "They will be punished here."

"Yeah… what exactly are you going to do to them?" Cam asked.

"What else? The mandatory punishment is to be stripped naked and publicly flogged."

"Excuse me?" Sam burst out.

"Sam!" Cam hissed under his breath.

Sam held back any further comments.

"Is that not how you punish your women?" The guard asked.

"No." Cam replied. "We… let their husband, or father, depending on if they're married or not, punish them how ever they see fit."

The guard glanced at Sam and Vala. "Are you their husband? Are these your wives?"

Polygamy too? Geez, what next? Sam wondered.

"Uh, no. They're not my wives. But both have husbands on our planet who can capably punish. So, please let us take… these… wenches back to face our punishment system." Cam asked.

The guard was silent. Then, "I'll put your request to the high councillor. He will decide."

"Thanks."

The guard left, and Cam turned to Sam and Vala. "Sorry." He said.

"For what?" Sam asked.

"Calling you wenches, lying my ass off."

Sam shrugged. "You got him to consider releasing us. That's something. Now, for your own safety, and if not, for your mental state, why don't you leave us and find Daniel and Teal'c?"

" 'kay." He said. "Bye."

"Seeya." Vala said.

Sam smiled, then turned to Vala once Cam had left. "Stripped naked and flogged, publicly?!"

Vala shrugged. "It won't get to that… I hope." She added under her breath. "So, tell me about this, 'Australia.' "