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Chapter 18: Attalon
Once the dust had settled, the landscape gave way to a desolate, grey place. It looked like something out of a black-and-white film. The SG1 team was in bad shape, if anything. Vala coughed as she tried to extricate herself from the rubble, sending debris tumbling to the side. She then helped Teal'c and Jack C to free themselves. While Jack helped Sam to her feet, supporting her, she was wounded in the leg. Mitchell and John searched for Daniel under the earth.
-'Is everyone all right?' asked Jack, holding Sam over his shoulder as he hopped to avoid leaning on his wound.
-'Yeah, it could be worse', says Vala. 'We're alive at least', taking Teal'c and Jack C's pulse, they were just stunned.
-'Daniel, are you all right?' said Mitchell as Daniel regained his composure.
-'Yeah, I don't think I've broken anything'.
-'Where's Angéla?' asked Vala, seeing that she was missing.
-'It stayed there', says Sam. 'It had to keep the energy constant to teleport us to safety'.
The dust clouds began to disperse and fade. They began to see shapes in the fog, and they were all shocked by what had just happened and by what Sam had just told them. They dusted themselves off as best they could, but to no avail. Gradually, they could see more and more clearly around them, and could now see each other. To their right, there was a forest; they were in a plain or quarry bordered by cliffs that rose far ahead. At the bottom of these cliffs, there was a crater, where they thought they could make out the half-flamed ship, like the corpse of a soldier killed in battle.
-'No,' said Sam, pulling away from Jack who'd supported her so far. For her gaze had turned to the wreckage of the ship.
From what she could see, the ship, despite its protection and hull, had sustained heavy damage, especially to the bow. Its engines were smoking with a large black cloud. In the back of her mind, she hoped that she had been mistaken in her initial observations and that the hull had protected Angela all the same. Indeed, from where they stood, they could only see the stern of the Espoir, the front was half-buried and sunk into the ground, smoke was coming out of it and the beginnings of a fire were escaping, as well as electrical sparks from broken circuits. There was nothing more she could say; she could only guess. Judging by the ship's position, Angela had managed to right the ship with her last bit of strength, skimming the ground at the same time. Sam began to hobble towards the ship, hoping that when the dust clouds had completely disappeared, the damage would seem less severe. She tried to run, but her right leg ached. But their attention was drawn elsewhere as a branch behind Vala snapped. Jack silently motioned for everyone to stand still. Something was approaching. Mitchell and Jack drew their weapons. Luckily, they'd kept a weapon with them during the accident. Vala took a stick as a weapon. While the wounded were herded by Daniel to safety. Mitchell hid behind a tree and Jack behind a rock. Vala had no time to find a hiding place other than the shrub next door. Someone was approaching in her direction, even several people, they didn't even bother to conceal their arrival and cover their approach. Vala listened attentively to pinpoint the person closest to her. Jack beckoned her to wait, still hidden. Then a man appeared. He was short and wore a brown robe down to his feet, like the monks. He walked past the shrub where Vala was hiding, without seeing her. Vala approached him silently from behind. Mitchell saw Vala raise her tree branch to stun the man. But other men appeared, brandishing long sticks. They shot a blue streak at her, who collapsed unconscious. They were surrounded. Someone shouted at them in an unknown language. Jack decided to intervene before things got out of hand.
-'We don't mean you any harm, we crashed further away', said Jack, even though he thought that after Vala's gesture, they would find it hard to believe. 'We had an accident, we were shot at', Jack continued.
The man who had spoken to him in an unfamiliar language and knocked out Vala seemed to be the leader. He looked at the man Vala had wanted to knock out. And with a nod of his head, the chief turned to Jack.
-'Drop your weapons', said the chief in English, detaching each syllable as if he had difficulty pronouncing the words.
He was the taller and stronger of the two men. He was a good six feet tall and held in his hand a long stick encrusted with a blue stone at the end. Jack saw no alternative but to leave their weapon behind, and with a nod to Mitchell, he indicated that he should put his weapon down and walk away. Mitchell did the same, believing he too had no chance.
The shorter man approached his brother,
-'Thank you, brother,' said the little one.'What would I do without you?'
-'You're welcome, little brother, you'd have done the same for me, I'm sure,' said the man a little more easily. 'And our sister would have gutted me if anything had happened to you'.
-'Where are the others?' said the shorter one, who seemed to be the smarter of the two.
-'There aren't any, there's only three of us', said Jack innocently.
-'He's...he's lying,' said the taller one, searching for words.
-'Of course he's lying, he wants to protect his own,' said the youngest. He gestured to other armed men, to whom he spoke in this unknown language, giving them orders.
-'Let's go,' said the larger, disgruntled man.
Some of the men gave Jack a little push to make him understand that he should follow them without any fuss. One man slung Vala's inert body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Mitchell laughed inwardly, but his laughter faded when the sturdier man turned back to him and remembered their situation. A few steps away...
-'What's the matter, Jack?', asked Daniel seeing him approached. 'Ah we ... have problems...'
-'Er, yes, a little', replied Jack.
The chief then gave orders. The smaller one approached Sam and looked at his leg. She tensed when he touched her leg, then turned back to his brother to talk in their language.
-'Do you know this language?' Jack asked Daniel in a low voice.
-'I don't know. I know the sound of this dialect, it rings a bell but I'm too far away to hear well. Does he speak our language?'
- 'Yes', Jack hesitated.
-'But a little', remarked Mitchell.
-'And Vala?' asked Teal'c, who had recovered from the accident when he saw Vala's inert body.
-'She'll live', says Mitchell, 'just asleep.
-'You can...,' said the chief, approaching Sam.
-'Walking? Yes, I think so,' says Sam, rising to his feet.
-'So let's go for a walk', said the younger one cheerfully.
He was enjoying the situation, while the other was more serious and tense.
Sam looked at Daniel in astonishment.
-'They seem to be learning our language...', says Sam.
-'At the same time as we're talking', Daniel finishes in a whisper. 'It's as if they're integrating the words and reusing them when we use them'.
-'So you said you'd had an accident', says the youngest.
-'Yes, we crashed our ship', Daniel explained with his hands.
-'This is what you call an accident'.
-'Yes, because it went poof', said Jack, wanting to explain.
-'Pouf?'
-'Bah all that ...stuff', Jack replied.
-'All that? That's what you define as the consequences of your accident'.
-'Er...yes', said Jack, looking at Daniel.
-'Why are you here?' asked Mitchell.
-'For that', said the younger one.
-'Okay and...', says Jack.
-'For that', repeated the youngest, who closed himself in his shell.
-'It's incredible, they seem to have the ability to learn our language instantly', Daniel whispered to Jack, who thought that language was limited to "all that".
-'It's incredible that you're still alive', continued the youngest, breaking his silence.
-'And they have excellent hearing', whispered Jack, then higher.'Incredible is not the word', ironized Jack.
-'Not the word', repeated the younger man to himself.
-'Believe him, if he says you were lucky to survive, it must be true', said the taller one, glaring at his brother like a reproach.
-'They're hiding something', said Mitchell.
-'Maybe not everyone', said Daniel, ignoring Mitchell.
-'He's talking about the third one', said the younger one. 'And I didn't make a mistake, brother. It must be...'
-'The third what?' cut in Mitchell, no longer able to follow the conversation between the two brothers with their innuendo.
-'You're talking about the third woman', Daniel insisted hopefully.
-'I wasn't talking about those...things', said the smart one.
-'Things?' said Jack, surprised.
-'Yes, there are indefinable things out there', explained the sturdier one, pointing to the ship.
-'Stuff that lives in water and swims in it', added the youngest.
-'Fish', proposed Teal'c.
-'Yes, that's it', says the youngest, turning to Teal'c and watching him intently. 'Fish, among other things'.
-' ?'
-'We don't name him. This creature doesn't have a name with us, but maybe you give it a name', says the sturdier one. 'In any case, we mustn't go near it, only its master can, brother, you understand, we're not in a myth'.
-'I don't know what he's talking about', Jack said to Daniel, who was also confused.
-'He's telling the truth, he doesn't know of her existence, or her for that matter. Let alone the true identity of their...', says Jack.
-'How is this possible', said the sturdy man angrily. 'This could have been avoided if...'
-'Did you know about this before? before all this', said the youngest in a soothing tone, pointing to his surroundings.
-'No, otherwise we wouldn't have intervened, you know that very well and I know you wouldn't have done it'.
-'Do what? Daniel?', Mitchell asked in a whisper, beginning to worry.
-'I don't know, they've excluded us from the conversation, they seem to be arguing', Daniel replied. 'And what about the third woman?', Daniel said to get their attention.
-'She's fine, well she's not...poof', said the youngest.
Jack paused:
-'You're right, Daniel. They learn on the job but this doesn't reassure me because pouf can have several meanings and not at all good for Angéla, I'm afraid'.
-'And Daniel's right', said the smart man, smiling as he turned to Jack.
-'I don't think we've introduced ourselves', said Jack.
-'That's right...'
-'Ouch...that's painful. What happened?' said Vala, waking up.
She tried to sit up.
-'Give him some water', said the smallest.
-'Is she all right?' asked a worried Daniel.
-'You don't have anything stronger," says Vala.
-'Yes, apparently', laughed Mitchell, but his smile disappeared when they looked at him.
-'She's fine, don't feed her or she'll get sick', said the sturdiest as a man went to give her a piece of bread. "Madame, are you all right", holding out his hand for her to stand up.
-'Mademoiselle', said Vala, taking her hand and standing up.
But his head was spinning. John helped her to her feet.
-'My name is Adred, and this is my brother Astyan', said the youngest, happy to introduce himself.
-'I am General Jack O'Neill, these are Colonels Cameron Mitchell and Samantha Carter,... Doctor Daniel Jackson,... Teal'c of the Jaffa people,... John Smith and Jack Croft...', presented Jack. 'And finally Vala...'.
-'It'll just be Vala', cut in Vala.
-'And...', said the most robust of the curious.
-'and?', said Jack, surprised, thinking he'd done the trick.
-'Angéla Calling, General Angéla Calling', added Daniel, who hadn't forgotten.
-'Angéla', whispered the sturdiest as he turned towards the ship.
-'Are those titles? You've got a way of showing them off', said the curious youngest.
-'These are our military ranks', explained Daniel.
-'So you're soldiers', said the sturdier one menacingly.
-'We prefer the word "explorers" ', said Daniel, to appease him.
-'We have ranks too', continued Adred.
-'Not now, we're coming...', Astyan cut in.
Indeed, they were approaching the smoking corpse of the ship. Black smoke was billowing from it, along with flames everywhere. Astyan's men scattered around the wreckage.
-'Stay back', said Astyan as he and three of his men approached the ship's entrance.
-'Be careful', said Adred.
-'As always'.
-'Well, you're the oldest, but...'
-'You're the wise one, not me, I know', before rushing into the ship.
The SG1 team waited for Astyan and his men to return.
After an hour, as the sun reached its zenith, one of the men emerged, followed by the others. He stepped aside at the entrance to the ship to let the others pass. Then two men came out holding a stretcher with a body on it, while Astyan walked alongside, one hand on the body. Daniel, seated, watched the stretcher more closely, for there was a familiar-looking person beneath the pure white sheet. His heart missed a beat and then began to panic. He didn't need to remove the sheet to know who it was. He staggered to his feet with the news and ran mindlessly to the stretcher.
-'No', shouted Daniel, forgetting the others' presence. 'She can't be...'.
He rushed towards the stretcher to throw himself on it. But a man stopped him in his tracks, holding him firmly by the arm.
-'She's going to...', began Adred.
- 'Then why did you cover him with that sheet!' cut in Vala sadly.
-' ?'
-'With us, it means...we actually cover a person when they're dead', explained Mitchell.
-'Oh...I'm sorry I upset you. Let him go', Adred ordered the soldier who was holding Daniel back a little too roughly. ' I'm sorry, there's been a misunderstanding. It's a protective veil against...microbes. She's wounded, she's got a lot of cuts, and she mustn't come into contact with the outside world or she'll get an infection. It's just a protection against infection," explained Adred, which immediately reassured the team, at least in part.
They didn't know what state she was in.
- 'Any cuts?' says Sam.
-'I think she'll survive', said Astyan. 'They seem superficial. The accident wasn't that bad'.
-'That's what you say. The only reason we're still alive is because Angela sacrificed herself to get us out',said Jack.
-'Sacrificed, is she the one who got you out of there?' asked Adred, looking at Astyan.
-'Yes', said Jack.
-'You see, she sacrificed herself for them, I told you, she...', began Adred, approaching his brother.
-'That doesn't mean a thing', cut in Astyan.
-'What's going on?' asked Mitchell, beginning to dislike the two brothers and growing weary of being excluded from their conversation.
-'Nothing. It's just that she had to use a lot of energy to get you out', said Astyan.
But Mitchell sensed he wasn't telling him everything, from the way he looked at the sheet, at last at Angela under the sheet. He couldn't read the feeling in the two brothers' minds at that moment.
-'I'd like to see the damage done,' said Sam, who had regained his professional tone.
She wanted to keep her mind occupied so she wouldn't have to think about Angéla. She always did this when something was wrong, taking refuge in her work.
-'That won't be possible, you need to rest first',said Adred kindly and sympathetically.
-'Set up a security perimeter around the ship, smother the sparks and call the mechanics to put out its fires', Astyan shouted to his men. 'Otherwise they'll reach our forests. Let's go !'.
-'Well brother, are you sure she's up for the trip and then... maybe we can sort things out a bit before we see our sister again'.
-'Look for yourself', said Astyan, weary of her brother's behavior.
He was beginning to regret taking her with him. Even if the latter had begged him to take him along on the pretext that he was bored. Adred gingerly approached the stretcher and placed his hand on the veil.
-'I don't feel...anything, you're the specialist'.
-'And trust me I did what I could. Can we go now?'
-'Yes, but I'd like to...'
-'You can't lift the veil, you know that, I've...'
-'I know, but it's frustrating that you could touch it, feel it. You're more gifted than me and you don't even study and...', Adred grumbled.
-'You have other abilities, little brother'.
-'I know, but you don't even exploit them, everything comes easily to you'.
-'I've just done it, Adred', sighed Astyan, half-annoyed because, once again, his brother was returning to their favorite argument.
-'But you could have done so much more, you have the ability, but you're scared and you did it to...'
-'And it was a mistake', frowned Astyan. 'Let's not talk about it again, not in front of them'.
-'You're always avoiding the subject. Come on, follow me, don't worry, we'll take you to the city', said Adred reassuringly to Jack.
After walking for twenty minutes or so, they came to the edge of a cliff that seemed to stretch into infinity.
Once in front of the cliff, Adred approached the cliff, leaned his hand against the rock and shouted:
-'Ali! I know you're there; Ali open up, we're in a hurry, it's Adred'.
-'And who's to say you are what you say you are when you could be what I don't want you to be'.
-He's trying to confuse us', explained Adred, whispering to Jack.
-'It could be Cybillia who...', continued a faint, elderly voice.
-'Don't be stupid, I look like a cycillia, I don't have a petticoat'.
-'Yes, but Cycillia could camouflage very well'.
-'I can't pretend to be what I can't be', quoted Adred.
-'Hum, that seems wise, it's the doorman's rule number two'.
-'Don't be silly, we've brought you berries just the way you like them', added Adred.
-'Berries, you say? In that case...'
But they didn't hear the rest.
-'It works every time', said Adred cheerfully.
-'Why didn't you tell him before?', grumbled Astyan. 'We're in a hurry, as you pointed out.
-'Because he's got his own little habits, you can't rush him'.
-'If...'
He didn't finish his sentence, for a sound caught their attention like a growl. With a deafening noise, the cliff in front of them seemed to split open. Giving way to an old man with an axe. They advanced to meet him, passing through a dark archway. A few meters further on, they found themselves back in the blinding sunlight, giving way to other towers, an outpost.
-'I'm sorry to make you reach out, but he misses his youth, but you're welcome'.
-'It's understandable with your age', said Adred in a kindly tone.
-'I wasn't talking about me, son. But about the door, the passage, it's not as young as it used to be, do you know it was built in...', Ali said as he walked away, taking Adred aside.
-'We don't usually use this entrance because the doorman is old and paranoid, but given the circumstances, we're pressed for time', he said, looking at the stretcher.
-'Is her life in danger?" said John, who had so far remained silent, shocked.
-'Not yet, but we can't afford to make a long detour...we'll just have to wait for Adred to answer the questions', explained Astyan. 'Fortunately my brother is more diplomatic than I am...and we can't afford to replace him because this profession is becoming rare in peacetime and their knowledge is disappearing. But he's still useful to us. Few people are still capable of repairing the door's cogwheels'.
After a few minutes,
-'It's all right, we can go, it's a good thing I know all his riddles by heart, brother', says Adred cheerfully. 'Because you're incapable of understanding him and don't want to learn'.
-'We could have forced him to let us in', said Astyan impatiently.
-'It doesn't work like that and you know it, there are rules otherwise there'd be anarchy', says Adred, 'and why use violence when you can avoid it. Besides, he's been doing us a favor for years and he respects the established protocols, which he invented, I grant you, but in the past, these rules have protected us well, so he deserves recognition, Astyan. Patience is the first rule a novice learns, and you've already gone beyond that'.
-'You can remind our sister of this when she sees us and flays us to death for coming home late and dawdling'.
-'She's young and passionate, and she's a woman, so she often lets her emotions run wild'.
-'Sorry if I'm not patient', says Astyan apologetically.
-'Oh you will be one day'.
-'What do you know?'
-'You'll get it in due course, you'll just have to be patient, that's all I can say for now', Adred said enigmatically.
-'You saw something and...'
-'Not now, not in front of them', begged Adred.
-'You're right, save your breath for later, because you're not getting enough exercise, brother', says Astyan as he crosses the vanguard post.
Once past, they came upon the town. But this was not the southern village Vala had expected. For the city had no boundaries other than the cliffs. The cliffs provided natural ramparts to the outside world. What's more, there was vegetation everywhere. The city was immersed in a leafy forest. Only the center was devoid of plants and trees. From where they stood, they could see an immense golden dome, unless it was the reflection of the sun that gave this impression. That was all the team could see of the place.
-'I'll only ask you to stay on the path and follow us. If you can no longer follow us, just say so. A guard will then stay with you to go at your own pace to the center for the rest of the way', said Astyan, then started running, followed by his men.
His brother trotted along behind them as the stretcher too set off.
-'Oh no...I'm exhausted', says Vala.
-'Eh!' shouted Sam.
A man had taken her in his arms to run, ignoring her cries.
-'I'm sorry, but with your leg you can't keep up', explained the man. 'And I don't mind wearing you at all.
Indeed, he began to run as if she weighed nothing at all, was not bothered by the extra weight and quickly caught up with Adred.
The team wondered why they had started running. Jack put it down to Angela's state of emergency. So they set off at a steady pace. They were outrun, of course, by Adred and Astyan, as well as the stretcher and the man carrying Sam, as if they were used to running. Some of the guards were running alongside them at the same pace, but Mitchell noticed that they were making an effort to slow down their run and were casting worried glances towards the team as if one of the SG1 team was about to collapse under the strain. Adred was running alongside the stretcher and was also casting worried glances at the young woman. Daniel was starting to get scared: was Angela's condition getting worse? This idea forced him to keep up the pace imposed by the men in the lead, and gave him the strength not to stop. In fact, the SG1 team were only looking straight ahead so as not to lose sight of their guide, Astyan. That's why they couldn't see the flowery city in detail, nor the curious looks of the inhabitants.
Soon they slowed to a stop. Astyan spoke to the man closest to him in his own language as he approached a door where two motionless men were waiting. The latter stepped aside as Astyan approached, bowing slightly as the door opened. Astyan almost ignored them and went in first with the stretcher. They arrived in a bright, open hall. At its center was a fountain spouting water into its basin, surrounded by stone benches.
-'Sit down,' said Astyan, barely out of breath.
-'Astyan have you found him?' said a confident female voice.
They all turned toward the voice as if enchanted. It was a woman wearing a white silk dress. She had a very slim figure. The dress had two openings on either side, revealing her long, slender legs. Her hair was silky and blond, styled in a long braid that fell over her left shoulder. Her skin was pale, her emerald-blue eyes sparkling with intelligence. She looked like an angel, standing straight as a princess, her whole body catching the light around her. Then those blue eyes lingered for a second on each member of the team for a quick examination. Finally, her examination ended on the stretcher, her eyes clouded with sadness. She rushed to it.
-'Oh she...', said the less confident woman.
-'We've got to go', said Astyan gently.
-'Yes, of course', said the young woman, without taking her eyes off the stretcher.
The two men carrying the stretcher began to leave at the young woman's command.
-'You see, she didn't even scream', Adred whispered to his brother.
-'Wait, this isn't over, don't speak too soon. Unless it's because of...', whispered Astyan as he too passed through the solid bronze door after their sister.
Adred had stayed with the SG1 team to reassure them before leaving:
-'Don't worry, settle in, we'll take care of everything, your friend will get the best care', said Adred, then trotted off to catch up with the others.
-'That's it', said Jack breathlessly. 'They're leaving us here alone.
-'Looks like it', said Mitchell.
-'There are men outside the compound, I'd say four by the looks of it, not counting those wandering around the side corridor', said John, who had been observing the hall and their situation from the moment he entered.
-'And I think there's only one way out at the moment, the way we came in', added Jack Croft.
-'Ah, what's this for?' said Vala, touching the surface of the fountain with her finger. 'We're where we want to be. This place looks like a sanctuary to me, without the trees of course'.
-She's right', Daniel admitted.
-'Yes, but people are pretty strange and...', began Jack.
But he paused when a side door opened, one that John hadn't even noticed during his observation. It was almost camouflaged by the wall and the vegetation. Two women in long pink dresses stepped out, carrying baskets of fruit. Their hair was light brown, with two braids forming a crown on their heads. They were twin sisters. They placed their loads on an unoccupied bench, indicated that they should help themselves, and then left through the same side door, bowing in silence.
-'Charming', continued Jack, resuming the conversation.
Teal'c picked up a piece of fruit and bit into it. He was starving. It must have been midday by now. The fruit was juicy and melted in his mouth.
-'What are we supposed to do?', asked Jack C'. 'Eat? Wait?', impatient.
He wasn't used to standing still.
-'What can we do?', says Daniel. 'They've taken Angela'.
-'And we can't leave without, well, we can't leave without', added John.
-'Let's eat', said Jack.
-'We need to ask about Angela's condition', Sam said decisively, rising to his feet.
She ignored the pain that ran down her leg.
-'She's in good hands', said Daniel.
-'I don't think so', said Sam.
-'She's right, these people are shady', said Vala.
-'What do you mean? Is she in Danger?' asked Mitchell.
-'Do we know who attacked us?' said Sam.
-'You're thinking of...', Mitchell surmised.
-'But you saw how advanced their technology was, they couldn't attack us, I just thought they weren't telling us everything', said Vala. 'Look at this place, we're in an archaic village'.
-'Not so archaic', said Daniel thoughtfully.
His gaze had been drawn to the pool where Vala was trying to clean up a bit. Indeed, on the edges of the basin were Atlantean letters. But he was interrupted by the arrival of Adred's sister. She had changed her outfit. She was now wearing a dark red leather outfit, the color of blood. John shivered at the sight.
-'Welcome to the city', said the young woman cheerfully, 'excuse me for the wait', continued the woman in a fluid voice. 'And not to put too fine a point on it, I'm Shola, Mother Confessor of the city of Brennadon'.
-'Mother Confessor, is this good or bad for us?', Vala whispered to Daniel.
-'Adred has informed me of your identity, I'm happy to welcome you to my home, and I'd like to know your objectives in order to help you. Jack, why are you here?', said Shola talking to Jack.
She understood that he was in charge.
-'Apart from your accident, you're exactly where you wanted to be, because this is your Attalon destination, this planet', continued the Confessor.
-'Yes, Attalon was our goal', said Jack.
-'Are you here to trade?'
-'No, but do you trade?' asked Daniel.
-'Yes, of course. Granted, our exchanges aren't numerous, but they do exist. But we're a rather suspicious people. We sometimes use the Stargate'.
-'No kidding', Vala whispered.
-'Then why are you here if not to trade?' said Shola more harshly. She had undoubtedly heard Vala's sarcasm.
-'For vital reasons, Mother Confessor', intervened Teal'c, bowing.
-'Our galaxy is in danger', explained Daniel.
-'So you have a quest and you think we might be able to help you'.
-'Uh yes', hesitated Jack, surprised that she'd use that trivial word.
-'What makes you think we'll be able to help you, and how did you get here?' said Shola.
-'Instructions left by our ancestors', said Daniel.
-'I don't know how we can help you, but it's not up to me. The council may be able to help you find a solution to your problems, but you'll have to tell them what you want. The next assembly will take place tomorrow morning. In the meantime, do you want anything?' said Shola, turning back to Jack.
-'I'd like to go back to our ship and diagnose the damage we've suffered', said Sam.
-'I understand, but it's getting late'.
-'Late?', says Vala, 'but the sun has just passed its zenith'.
-'It's not advisable to go out after a certain hour, as it's dangerous out at night', Shola explained and added. 'But tomorrow, after the council, I'll send you our best technicians to help you with your task'.
-'Are we your prisoners?' said Vala, ignoring Daniel's murderous stare.
-'Tell yourself above all that you're safe here behind this enclosure and that it's normal for us to be cautious,' replied Shola quietly. 'What else?'
-'Angéla', said John.
-'Yes', said Shola, turning back to the man in question.
-'We're worried...', John explained.
-'I understand', said the Confessor, her voice softened and her gaze distant, 'I'll send you word as soon as I have it. If you have nothing else to ask. I'll take you now to your quarters until tomorrow. Night falls quickly here and the assembly meets early in the morning, around three o'clock. Alli please accompany them.
Then she left them, and they were still shocked by her presence after she'd gone. Hearing her speak had lulled them to sleep, especially the men. They stayed in thought for a while, then Alli caught their attention. He led them towards the heart of the city. Jack felt increasingly trapped. They passed few people, no guards accompanying them. Jack motioned to the other Jack not to move, not to try anything stupid. Alli didn't speak during the journey; once they reached a door, he opened it and bowed to let them through. He spoke to them in his own language, but the SG1 team didn't understand him, so Daniel thanked him all the same.
They entered a boudoir filled with soft armchairs. They settled in. John reflexively moved to the window and stood in front of it. Barely five minutes later, someone knocked on the door. Teal'c went to open it.
-'Good evening, I'm Kailah, I'm here to soothe your wounds', said a young woman dressed in orange.
She headed straight for Sam, who was the most injured. She gently lifted the pants to observe the wound, then took balms from a basket and applied them to soothe the pain. Throughout her work, Sam felt no pain at all. On the contrary, she felt relieved. The young woman wanted to treat the others, but Jack C. refused her care out of mistrust. Then she left once she'd finished her task as quickly as she'd arrived. Quick, efficient and discreet. But her passage had caused a kind of lethargy in the team. Some were starting to fall asleep, others were too worried about Angéla to let go and rest, but they felt soothed all the same. Daniel took a closer look at the room. The walls were stone, the furniture solid wood. Candles were scattered around, lighting up the room, and a fire was already burning in the fireplace. Indeed, the light outside had already diminished and the temperature was dropping. Just above the fireplace, a mirror reflected Daniel's tired face.
...
On the other side of the mirror, in a grotto at the bottom of a water-filled basin, three faces were bent over, watching our travellers.
-'They're worried', said Shola.
-'It's normal', said an elderly voice. 'And so am I'.
-'They're going to disrupt our lives', said another.
-'Your quiet lives', said Shola scornfully. 'You sure are good at sitting still. But it's been too long since we've acted'.
-'Easy, Shola, we no longer share your zest for action, and we can blame it on our advanced age', replied the old voice.
-'You're right, you're wrecks, Castiel', Shola laughed. 'But your inaction leads you to make bad decisions like this one'.
I'll give you that, but you've got to understand us - not everyone on the board agrees with you. And you're too young to understand us, but you'll learn," said the second voice.
-'Uriel, she's right to be enthusiastic. It's her instinct and there's nothing we can do about it', said Castiel.
-'Castiel, you said you were worried about the girl', said Shola, turning away from the pool to face the body of Angela lying on a stone, surrounded by an aura.
-'Yes'.
Angéla stirred in her unconsciousness. Shola touched her forehead, which was burning. She had a fever.
-'Shut', said Shola gently. 'You're safe'.
-'Her fever keeps rising, but she has no physical wounds', Uriel informed us.
-'Your brother did a good job', said Castiel proudly.
-'Really? He's never...', said Shola in astonishment.
-'Yes, I know, and it's good news',said Uriel.
-'But what's the problem?' asked Shola.
-'She locked herself away in her subconscious to keep herself safe'.
-'Is she stuck in a coma?'
-'Yes, I'm afraid of it, but she can get out if she overcomes her fears', told Uriel.
-'Then help her, Castiel, that's your specialty'.
-'I've tried, but these barriers are too strong, I can't get past them', replied the man concerned, looking annoyed and worried.
-'So identify yourself, she'll recognize you as a friend, as a close friend, as family', said Shola.
-'That wouldn't be reasonable', said Uriel.
-'That's not the point, Uriel. If I can save her, I will have', sighed Castiel.
Shola placed a hand on Angéla's heart. Then she closed her eyes as if trying to hear her heartbeat.
-'What do you mean by that?' asked Shola.
-'Touch his forehead, Shola',said Castiel.
-'Yes, I know she has a fever'.
-'Look again', insisted Uriel.
-'Ella has two signatures...', Shola realized, looking at Castiel in amazement.
-'Yes, that's right, they're not very sharp, but on closer inspection they're quite distinct', said Castiel.
-'How can this be?' said Shola breathlessly.
-'I don't know. Something must have happened, the process wasn't complete. And I don't know what the mental barrier was', said Castiel.
-'You can't do anything, then', concludes Shola.
-'No', says Castiel helplessly, 'even if I identify myself, she won't recognize me, she won't accept me and she's already rejected me. Her defences, however rudimentary, are very strong'.
-'But Adred saw him', said Shola in a frightened whisper.
-'He may have made a mistake', told Uriel soothingly.
-'you say she's not what we thought then', said Shola, confident again.
-'Not quite', hesitated Uriel.
-'Yet Adred saw it', Shola repeated, more to herself.
-'Yes, probably, but that's not the case at the moment', said Castiel with a rueful look.
-'We still have to treat her', said Shola determinedly.
-'Naturally', said Castiel. 'I'll do the best I can'.
-'Maybe we'll see that these barriers are specific to him...', Shola pondered aloud.
The two men looked at each other, she no longer expected an answer from them, and they stood around Angela's body again, while Shola moved away from the stone in shock.
-'What should I tell them?' said Shola, glancing at the pond.
-'The truth', said Castiel wisely.
-'Ask them', said Uriel.
-'They don't know, but my brothers think they do', said Shola.
-'Ask them about the reason for her condition, it might help us with her recovery', Castiel said gravely, looking at his patient. He was worried.
-'And Astyan?'
-' ?'
-'He might be able to help because he's already touched her since you said he'd healed her wounds'.
-'He always refused', said Uriel dryly.
-'You're too demanding of him, Uriel. And you've turned your back on him, a little too quickly for my taste. But maybe it's because you're afraid he'll become more gifted than you and stronger than you', Shola snapped. 'But he still performed first aid in an emergency and with skill, apparently, whereas you're not capable of doing the rest'.
-'You're being unfair, Shola', said Castiel. 'We're not incompetent. We told you we were persevering in trying to cure her'.
-'I know', Shola apologized. 'Maybe I got carried away too quickly'.
-'Talk to him, if he wants to help us, he's always welcome', Castiel finished. He had ended the conversation.
He turned his attention back to Angela's body. He sighed and placed a hand on the young woman's forehead and stomach, while Uriel had placed his hand on the left shoulder next to Castiel. Shola fell back into her reflections and approached the pool, shaking the calm surface of the water in concentric circles from smaller to larger. The image shook, then stabilized. The pool again reflected what was happening on the other side of the mirror. The team had gradually fallen asleep, some still fighting sleep, but they too would soon drift off into a dreamless slumber. The healer had done her job well. She watched them attentively, one by one. She tried to guess the fears and thoughts of each one. But she wasn't as precise as her brother. Then her gaze wandered off into the distance, and she smiled. She finally knew what was wrong. She knew the young woman was going to be okay, her time hadn't come yet, but she couldn't intervene, alas. But everything was going to be all right. The hardest part would be tomorrow.
End of chapter