From: Dee Tervo
Part One
Jack's mind was reeling. Jackson was shot, hell his whole stomach was blown away! He knew it was wrong, it was all wrong, bringing a scientist into battle. But this was more than a battle; it was survival against something believed to be a god. He felt himself being dragged off by one of the masked creatures. Why did he feel so goddamn guilty? This was war! Who the hell was Jackson trying to protect anyway? Jumping in front of that blast! He dimly heard a metal clang, and felt himself falling... falling. God! The coldness of the water shocked him into awareness.
Jumping up suddenly, and gasping for breath, Jack nearly toppled the field gear neatly piled by the tent entrance. He was shaking, disoriented. "I need a drink," he muttered, as he found his way outside into the chill of the desert night.
"You awake too? It's hard to sleep here, with so much to learn. It'll be morning soon," Daniel was sitting by the fire, studying notes hastily scribbled earlier in the day. As he looked more closely at Jack, he realized the man wasn't up for a leisurely stroll. His eyes looked vacant, haunted. Putting down the notebook, Daniel motioned for Jack to join him, "S'matter? Sand man bring you some bad dreams?"
"You don't know the half of it!" O'Neill gruffly responded, as he reluctantly joined Daniel by the fire. There was something about this place that seemed all too familiar, it looked similar to Abydos - that first mission, yet there was something else... something more. It *felt* like Abydos, no - not exactly - it felt more like Ra! "This place makes me think of when... oh, never mind."
"Sam's certainly happy to be here. She's discovered a reference to some new technology, a device that from the writings seems to be called a 'linking device' or 'bridging device' - who knows. I also found drawings that seem to represent two 'great circles'. They could mean there are two Stargates on this world. It'll be some time before we sort it all out." Daniel looked again at Jack, staring absently into the flames, "You all right? It reminds me of Abydos too, kinda gave me the chills actually. Jack?"
"Hmmm? What were you saying?" Jack snapped out of his reflection at the sound of his name.
"Hey, if you don't want to talk, I'll just..." Daniel began.
Jack spoke quietly, with extreme seriousness "Sometimes, when we're alone out here like this, I remember what it was like to come face to face with Ra. What it felt like to see you... you know, when you were..." he stopped himself, "Makes me think all over again how important it is that we're here, doing all this. At least I'll never see Ra again - except in those damnable dreams."
Daniel knew what Jack meant about the dreams. Dr. Frasier said the dreaming was a symptom of post traumatic stress, only problem is, the team kept going from one stressful situation to another. There was never any time to recover, to let down their guard. And this place, why did it seem so close to Ra? Why indeed? He began to leaf through his notes excitedly, "There's something here, Jack. The Goa'uld were working on something very important here. Somehow, there's a connection to Ra. I just can't work it out."
He was interrupted by a distant rumbling sound, beginning low and increasing in intensity. Everything around them began to shake and vibrate. "P4Xwhatever quake?" Jack asked. It ended almost as soon as it had begun.
"Maybe," Jackson replied, "or maybe someone's using the other Gate?"
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From: Suzie Bagley
Part Two
Daniel sighed, and began sorting through his notes to find the picture of the two circles. If only people would listen to him the first time he said something instead of drifting off while he was talking to them. "Like I said before, I found some notes that indicated that there might be two Stargates on the planet. And besides, that quake felt exactly like the time you and Sam tried to contact Earth through the...."
"Yeah, yeah, I remember that time," Jack cut him off, not wanting to remember the incident. He looked up as Carter emerged from her tent, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Anybody else feel that?" she asked as she joined the two men by the fire.
"That earthquake? Yup. Daniel seems to think it came from a second Stargate on the planet."
"A second Stargate? What makes you think there's another Stargate here?" she asked, inadvertently asking the question Daniel was still in the process of answering for Jack.
"I'm getting to that." He continued flipping through his notes and stopped when he found the page he was looking for. He held it up triumphantly. "Aha! Here we go! Take a look at this picture. Does that look like a Stargate to you?"
Carter took the sheet from him and leaned closer to the fire to get a better look, O'Neill glancing at it over her shoulder. On the page were two circles surrounded by various hieroglyphic shapes. A large pool of water sat directly between the two circles. To the north and the south of the pool were two buildings, neither of which was labeled. The two buildings and the two circles formed a cross like the directions on a compass.
"Hmm... a map of some kind?" Jack suggested.
"If only it were lighter out we could see if there's a lake somewhere near this Stargate," Daniel replied, motioning at the Stargate which was still in view behind their tent. "If this picture is a map and these circles do represent Stargates, then the other one is probably pretty close. Which would explain the quake."
"What do these writings say on the top of the sheet?" Sam asked.
"Nothing important. Just something like 'This is the holy place of....'"
"The holy place of who?" O'Neill asked suspiciously.
"I don't know. The rest of the writing is pretty smeared. I can't make any more out."
Carter nodded. "Ok. So, we wait until morning then take a better look around. What were you guys doing up at this hour in the first place?"
"Can't sleep," both men responded at the same moment. O'Neill rolled his eyes, his earlier nightmare and concerns about Ra forgotten for the time being.
"I found too much great information here. It looks like there's an Egyptian-type civilization here. From the writings we found in the temple, I'm guessing that they're probably of an origin similar to the Abydonians. What about that 'linking' device you found, Sam?"
"It looks amazing, but unfortunately I haven't gotten anywhere with it. It looks like it might attach to a Stargate, but I'm not sure how to do it or what it would do even do once we got it attached. But I've got some ideas. We'll just have to...."
"Wait until morning. Right," O'Neill yawned, just wanting to get back to sleep again.
Silence fell over them as Carter and Daniel stared at the map. Suddenly, Teal'c, who had been keeping watch a few yards away, hurried toward them. "O'Neill!"
"What it is, Teal'c?" he answered and sat up straighter, alarmed by the Jaffa's tone.
"There are lights in the distance. They appear to be approaching this location. We must hide at once."
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From: Dee Tervo
Part Three
'No time to pull up the tents,' thought Jack. "Daniel" he whispered through his teeth, "Douse the fire! Everyone, grab what gear you can and head for the other side of that rise. Now!"
The team scrambled to load up with whatever they could, looking regretfully back at what they were forced to leave behind. Daniel, juggling scrolls, notebooks, his pack, some important artifacts, a camcorder and other hastily grabbed items, was having a particularly hard time. "Slow down, will ya?" he called to the others as they disappeared behind a hill up ahead. "Damn! My notes and the drawings about the two circles! I must have left them next to the fire." He dumped what he was carrying on the ground and set back to retrieve the lost notes, he knew they were irreplaceable, much too important to just leave behind. Besides, Jack sure was jumpy tonight. He didn't even know if the lights Teal'c saw were from friendly inhabitants of this world.
Through the early morning twilight, he could make out forms of men searching about their campsite, looking in the tent, talking among themselves. He strained to hear what language they were speaking, but the sounds were too muffled - he needed to get a little closer, but there was little cover.
"C'mon Daniel!" Sam called back over her shoulder. Not getting any response, she looked back and couldn't see him anywhere. Alarmed, she ran ahead to catch up with the others, "Colonel? I just checked and it seems, well, it seems Daniel isn't with us, sir." She waited for some sort of explosive reaction, but surprisingly she saw a 'well just it figures doesn't it' look come over the Colonel's face.
"Daniel showed me what I think amounts to a map of this place. He thinks there might be another Stargate on the other side of that oasis down there. Possibly, that's where the lights came from, at any rate, it would be a good idea to check it out. Teal'c, you and Carter go on ahead and see what you find, wait there for Daniel and I'll go back and see what's keeping him." Jack's last words were barely audible to Sam and Teal'c as he vanished back into the predawn night in search of Daniel.
A soft click of metal behind him told Daniel he had misjudged just how close to get to the unknown group. The halting voice of a Jaffa guard, made him certain the mistake would be costly. He rose on command and lifted his arms out by his sides, "Don't shoot, I was just leaving." Daniel's attempt at humor was lost on the guard, as he was prodded toward the others at the campsite. 'Oh, somehow I think Jack's not going to be too happy about this!' Daniel said to himself. The men, some dressed in clothing unidentifiable to Daniel, began to question him asking whom he was, where he came from, and why he had come to the Place of Eternity. Daniel hesitantly responded, "Ummm, Daniel Jackson, Earth and, what did you say? Place of Eternity?" They made no more moves toward him, but instructed him to remove his sidearm and any other equipment he was carrying and hand them over.
Jack tried to calm himself down as he passed the pile of discarded gear dropped by Daniel. 'This is going to be the last, the very last time I do something like this, because I'm going to make certain this is the last time Jackson pulls a stupid stunt like...' He stopped fuming to himself when he saw Daniel in the distance, encircled by a group of men. If he caught them by surprise, he might just be able to get Daniel out and dial the Gate before anyone challenged his gun. Nervously, he noted the group began to move Daniel toward the DHD.
Sam let out a low whistle as she saw the second Stargate appear over the top of yet another sand dune. "Teal'c, Daniel was right. There is a second Gate. And look, it has one of those strange devices attached to it. Maybe it links the two Gates together, but why? What would that do?"
"Captain Carter, watch out for the wire at your feet!" Teal'c yelled in warning, but it was too late. Sam had tripped over a wire, carefully hidden in the sand. A loud siren blared into the dim light.
"A kind of burglar alarm?" Sam wondered aloud. She didn't have much time to consider, as a large group of armed men began advancing on their position. "Where'd they come from?"
"This we can talk of later" Teal'c answered. "Now, we must go through the Stargate. It is no longer possible to wait for O'Neill."
"How do we know this Gate works the same as the one we just came through?" Sam quickly asked, eyeing the alien device attached to it.
Teal'c didn't answer. He aimed his staff weapon at the advancing men and waited for Sam to dial the coordinates. The Gate responded and Sam instantly used her remote transmitter to send the signal through to SGC. "Here goes," she breathed, as they ran to the welcoming gatelight.
Jack tossed a grenade over the sand dunes, and watched as the group holding Daniel reacted, and began moving away from the DHD. Daniel sensed it was SG-1 coming to his aid, and began to dial home. As the captors turned to react to Daniel's furious dialing, Jack moved into view and waved them away with his gun. "Jack! Boy am I glad."
"Don't! Don't talk to me now!" Jack shouted as he glared at Daniel.
The Gate responded, but the surface of the event horizon seemed different somehow, less even; darker in some areas lighter in others. Daniel noticed this and was about to comment to Jack as he was sending the remote code, but thought better of it, having just been ordered not to speak. "Here goes," Daniel commented, as they stepped together into oblivion.
"Yes, I said incoming travelers, SG-1 signal, sir. Now, I'm receiving a second signal, couldn't be more than a second behind the first, also SG-1, sir!" the gate tech announced, greatly perplexed.
"What the devil could that mean?" demanded General Hammond, certain he'd seen all the quirky things the Gate was capable of doing. He watched with anticipation as two forms appeared through the shimmering light, "Captain Carter! Teal'c! Are Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson with you?"
Jack and Daniel exited the Gate to a brilliant sunlit desert. "OK, Daniel, I know you know the symbols for Earth, now where did you dial?" Jack questioned, now barely civil in his tone of voice.
Daniel needed only to take in the scene for one minute and he knew where he was. Shocked, he simply sat down and stared at the activity around him "Earth" was his only answer to Jack.
Jack wasn't comprehending, "Yah, I said you know the symbols for Earth, then I asked where we are. Recognize the language? Anything?"
Daniel wasn't sure now if he was dreaming. The people weren't speaking some derivation of ancient Egyptian, they were speaking in the ancient tongue itself, as near as he could figure - having only heard an approximation of it on Abydos. And the scene that played out before him was an alive and bustling Giza plateau, looking just like he'd imagined it would have, so long ago.
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From: Yuma
Part 4
"Daniel?" Jack's voice brought Daniel back to reality. "Are you going to figure this out or do I have to click my heels together and start chanting 'there's no place like home'?"
"Start chanting." Daniel mumbled as he stared at the impossible scene before him. Everything was rushing over him at once. The sand was warm even underneath his boots. The wind that blew over the two men was as hot as the winds were in Abydos. It caressed his face like a hovering breath from god. The people! The people were dressed in cloths rather than clothing, wrapped around their waists and below. Some of them had wraps around their heads. They were dark from the days long spent under the sun and they were still underneath the unforgiving heat as they labored to move the huge stones across the sands.
"Daniel?"
"The... This- this isn't possible, Jack." Daniel whispered. He didn't dare speak up, irrationally fearing that his loud voice would shatter this illusion before him and set him back to his own reality. To his own time.
"Th-this is an exact replica of ancient Egypt." Daniel said in a stunned voice. "I've never seen ancient Egypt of course, way before my time or anyone's time, but the scrolls and writings of the times and recounts by the Greeks and Nephatis a-and Heraphetus had described this scene perfectly, but it's not possible, is it, Jack? This shouldn't be here because this is before but we're from now and -"
"Whoa, whoa!" Jack put his hands together to a sign of time out. "Back up a bit, Daniel."
Daniel blinked owlishly at the colonel. "To where?"
"From the word 'the'!" Jack grinned crookedly. "You're talking way too fast with way too many syllables.
Daniel had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry, Jack."
Nodding, Jack indicated the scene before him with a swoop of his hand. Mentally, he was hoping that gesture would wipe the illusion away, but it didn't. 'Well, shit.', Jack thought as he continued. "You're saying this is an exact replica of ancient Egypt? So it may not be actually ancient Egypt, right?"
Daniel numbly nodded, his eyes glued to the scene before him. Jack sighed as he continued. "Abydos was like a city out of the past, too, remember Daniel? This could be the same thing."
"B-but-"
"No buts. No jumping on some time traveling theory here." Jack frowned at Daniel. "And I want you to stay close to me. If you start running off again for some god damn scroll, writing on some dead leaf or an ancient rock, I'm chaining you to my side permanently."
Daniel, eyes still glued to the scene before him, only nodded. Suddenly, he realized someone was pointing at them from a distance. Before he could say anything to Jack, a crowd flocked over to the hill where they and the Stargate stood. With an ancient cry so loud that it made Daniel jump, the people stood there staring at them then went down on their knees and bowed. Like dominoes, the people before them and surging to all the way behind, the people went down on their knees before the two men.
"You ever get the feeling that you've been here before?" Jack muttered.
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From: Dee Tervo
Part Five
An unimagined feeling of excitement was building inside Daniel as he continued to gaze awestruck. This was it. It was really it! He wasn't dreaming, fantasizing, recreating, simulating. He was really there, it had to be. As much as he was reminded of Abydos, there were distinct differences - first of all, only one sun. The sand too seemed finer in texture, more like... Earth. Everything seemed just like Earth, and at the same time, nothing like the Earth he knew. "Jack, listen to me, carefully. If this is" and he hesitated, not believing he what he was about to say, "If this is ancient Egypt, and we've just arrived through the Stargate, we don't know who..."
Jack was also struck by how familiar things seemed, so similar to his memories of Abydos. This had to be some other god-forsaken planet taken over by the Goa'ulds. Maybe Daniel misread the symbols. They had to Gate back to Earth now, then check this place out later. "Daniel," Jack interrupted without realizing Daniel had spoken to him at all, "get to the DHD and dial home. I know this place looks fascinating, but we really should..."
"Jack!" Daniel shouted now to get the Colonel's attention. "Let me do a little reality check for you, OK?" he was speaking faster now, sensing the need to get Jack to comprehend. "I don't see a DHD anywhere, do you? Even if we find one, and dial home, it won't work. We *are* home, Jack! This *is* Earth, and I don't have a clue how we got here, back to now I mean."
The two men stared at each other not knowing what to do next. Jack was sure Daniel had really lost it this time, yet he seemed so damn certain. He found himself wishing it were nighttime, just one good look at the sky would show them they were nowhere near Earth. "All right, if I go along with this H. G. Wells idea for now, what do you suggest we do?"
"I was about to say, we don't know who is in power here, if the Goa'ulds are around, and if Ra is around... The people are calling out to us 'Naturu', that means 'gods', so I guess it's safe to assume that there's not been any sort of rebellion, and they're used to 'gods' coming through the Stargate. If I had to guess, I'd place us around the time of the Pharaoh Cheops..." his voice trailed off as he noticed a group of people beginning to approach the Gate. "Jack, no matter what, I don't think you should talk."
"Did you say I should stop talking?" Jack asked incredulously.
"Yes, I did. I hope I can speak the language well enough, but we don't want to have to start explaining what English is all about, now do we? I'll tell them you are 'Natur' who does not speak."
"Terrific," was Jack's less than enthusiastic response.
The people approached cautiously, offering them gifts. Jack wondered if Daniel was enjoying their predicament, at least for the moment. He watched the archeologist converse freely with the ghosts of the past he'd studied so well. Obediently, Jack remained silent, nodding occasionally to those who spoke to him, although he noted that no one dared to make eye contact. He reluctantly followed the group as they made their way into what seemed to be a marketplace. Daniel stopped to stare at various items of pottery, statues. Following Daniel's cue, Jack walked up a flight of stairs, entered a darkened room, and waited in frustration for Daniel to finish talking. When their escorts had finally departed, Jack anxiously asked "What did you find out?"
"More than I could ever have imagined," Daniel dreamily replied. Then, realizing the Colonel wasn't talking about ancient cultures, he cleared his throat and continued "Not too much that's really helpful I'm afraid. I've convinced them that we are new 'gods' and we'd like to go to the temple. They mentioned a temple guard, a 'Ghaffir', maybe their way of saying Jaffa, would come to escort us tomorrow. For now, they want to feed and 'pleasure' us!"
As he finished saying this, two young women, Jack guessed they couldn't be more than fourteen, carried in baskets of bread and fruit and skins filled with drink. Remembering he was 'the god who did not speak', Jack silently allowed one of them to break off pieces of bread for him and pour the strong wine into his mouth. He didn't realize just how thirsty he was, and began to drink deeply.
The girl who approached Daniel would not lift up her head, and blushed immediately as he tried to speak to her. She would not allow Daniel to feed himself, although he began to protest. She knew her place, her duty, and she trembled visibly as she thought of sharing a bed with this god tonight. Her father instructed her that she must do this, for the good of her family and her village. 'The gods do take', her father had reminded her, 'but they also give in abundance'. This god spoke gently to her, how unusual. She boldly dared to look into his eyes, sensing no threat there, and gasped at what she saw! Eyes more blue than the sky! She quickly looked down. This god was different. His way of speaking was different. What could it mean? No matter, she went back to her work of giving him food and drink, he would take his pleasure and be gone - as she had learned from her sisters.
Having served all the food and wine, the girls left the room. Jack felt a warm tingling and a buzz in his head as he realized this was his first meal of the day. "Drinking before noon, can't be good for us, huh?" He looked over to see Daniel sprawled lazily on a sleeping mat. "And you! Who can't drink more than two beers. You OK?" He was beginning to feel seriously drunk now, and could only imagine how it might be affecting his teammate.
"I don't think I can sit up right now, Jaacckk." Daniel's words were slurred and his thoughts jumbled. "Guess I'll have to get used to this kind of food."
"Not too used to it." Jack sternly ordered. "We're gonna find a way home."
"Ya, sure! Anything you say, Jack! Know what I think?" Daniel was rambling now in a half-shocked, half-drunk haze "I think we were born for this moment! Now everything... everything that's happened to us in our lives makes sense. It all has a reason."
"What the hell are you mumbling about?" Jack asked crossly.
"If you'd listen for once, you might just find out. Why were my folks arche... arc... Ancient things people? Why did they have to die? So I could sstudy my life away and learn all about this." He gestured around the room. "And you! If you weren't in the air force, if Charlie hadn't died," he wagged his finger at Jack, "no Abydos for you, no Stargate project - you wouldn't be here either. So it all comes down to here and now." He got up and staggered to Jack's side, placing an arm around him and staring directly into his face "We were destined to be here. That's all. Whatever we're supposed to do, and
I think it's impor... imp... Really big. We don't have to worry about getting back home. I don't think we ever will."
The room became deathly quiet, as the impact of those words sunk in to both men. Then, with a big sigh, Daniel lay down and passed out cold. "Daniel?" Jack asked, slapping him lightly on the cheek - no response. "C'mon Daniel, for cryin out loud, it wasn't *that* much wine!" Jack looked hesitantly at the doorway, as the two young women had returned. Without emotion, they dropped their cloaks revealing their naked bodies, and then they dropped to their knees - bowing before him.
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Time was dragging by for Sam and the rest of SGC. It had been three hours since she and Teal'c had returned from P4X357. Repeated attempts at dialing back to the planet had failed. Something had gone wrong with the Stargates there. She was determined to figure it out. Sam looked at Teal'c, whose ever-calm exterior gave no clue to whatever worries he was having over his missing comrades. "General Hammond said the SG-1 remote signal came through twice, but we only sent it once. All I can figure is that Jack and Daniel must have activated the other Gate, at roughly the same time."
"Perhaps this action would have overloaded the Stargate and sent them elsewhere. This we have seen happen before," Teal'c observed.
"But where? Our only hope of finding out is back on P4X357, let's try to dial up again." Sam moved to the doorway, hoping they could locate the rest of the team. Hoping, in fact, that the diverted wormhole did lead somewhere, and not off into an interstellar dead end. No. She wouldn't allow herself to dwell on that possibility, she determined that they were still alive and out there some place, and that she would find them.
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In this part, all text in [brackets] is meant to signify ancient egyptian. Poor Jack. Definitely not having one of his better days.
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From: Jennifer Goll
Part 6
Jack couldn't believe that this was happening. The two girls were now kneeling naked before him and a passed out Daniel. He was still buzzed from whatever drink they had given him. Remembering that he wasn't supposed to speak, he gestured for them to get up. They refused to look up, steadfastly awaiting their fate. Now, the edges of Jack's vision began to turn gray. His head was spinning. He felt like he had been on one of his weekend long benders. The girls looked at one another then one of them, the older of the two shot him a quick glance out of the corner of her eyes. Jack again gestured for them to rise, to put their clothes back on.
They were baffled. Were not the gods pleased with their appearance. Were they not desirable enough for them. Fear swept through them. If the gods took a dislike to them, what would happen to them, to their families? Maeti, the eldest of the two took a deep breath, gathered her courage and raised her head to gaze directly at the one who did not speak. He swayed where he sat, his eyes out of focus. He was very handsome, penetrating brown eyes, hair that held the briefest glint of sun. His clothes were very strange, unlike
anything she had ever seen. He gestured to her again. He did not seem displeased with her and Bekhat. Again he gestured. Then he leaned over and shook his friend. His friend did not stir.
"For crying out loud, Daniel. You are an unbelievably cheap drunk." Jack shook Daniel again. No response. He sighed, then looked back at the girls. They were now looking at him, wide-eyed. "Ah damn." Jack cursed. His hazy mind had forgotten to keep his mouth shut. Rising unsteadily to his feet, he staggered past the girls and picked up one of their robes. He held it out to them. The oldest hesitatingly took it from him, unsure of what he wanted. He gestured to her to put it on. She hesitated then slid it on. He passed the rest of the clothes to the other girl. She kept her head down, trembling slightly at his presence. As he stepped back, he gestured once more for them to stand up.
Maeti looked at Bekhat in confusion. Then she looked at the god who had just sat down again. His brief words to his friend were foreign, alien. He didn't want either of them but he also did not seem angry with them. Who was this strange god? Strangely, he did not seem a threat to her. Taking hold of Bekhat's hand she rose to her feet. He nodded in approval. Bekhat was still shivering. She moved slightly behind Maeti. Her eyes glanced quickly at the golden hair, blue eyed god who was still passed out. A god that got drunk on their ceremonial wine? Were they even gods at all, even though they had come
through the chappa-ai like all the other gods.
[My lord, do we not please you? Do you not find us desirable?] Maeti spoke to the brown eyed man. He tilted his head, a look of confusion on his face.
[My lord, tell us what you would like us to do.] She gestured to Bekhat. [My friend, Bekhat, is an excellent dancer. I am told I am an accomplished singer. We are being trained to join the Temple of the goddess. Perhaps you would like us to perform for you?]
"Bekhat?" Jack looked at the other girl. He didn't understand a single word she was saying to him. God, he wished Daniel was awake. He pointed to the younger girl. "Bekhat?" The girl nodded, a puzzled expression on her face. He moved his finger to the other girl. She just looked at him. "Bekhat" He pointed to the other girl, Bekhat, again, then at her. Her eyes widened in understanding. [Maeti] She said, gesturing to herself. "Maeti" Jack parroted. Maeti nodded. Jack pointed to himself. "O'Neill"
[O-neay] The words felt strange in Maeti's mouth. He shook his head. "O-Neill" He drew the word out, enunciating the syllables. [O-neal] Maeti tried again. Jack nodded.
A god that wanted to know their names and wanted them to know his name. Maeti was beyond confused. To know the real name of a god was to have power over him or her. Why would this god, this O-neal, tell them his real name. The other one had said he was the god that did not speak. Why would he give them this power over him. She looked at Bekhat. Bekhat only shrugged.
The gray areas of his vision were increasing and the roaring in his ears was growing louder. Jack shook his head, trying to clear it. What the hell was in that wine? A wave of dizziness hit him hard. He decided to stretch out beside the still unconscious Daniel. As his head hit the ground he blacked out.
[Perhaps they are not gods.] Maeti whispered to Bekhat, keeping a watchful eye on the now sleeping O-neal.
[Then, what are they? They came through the chappa-ai as our gods do. But they wear such strange clothes.] Bekhat replied, equally softly.
Maeti contemplated the sleeping men. Then she came to a decision.
[Summon the Mistress here. She will know what to do with them. She will speak to their slumbering minds to understand if they truly are gods or something else.]
Bekhat nodded and hurried out of the room. Maeti sat down cross-legged in a darkened corner of the room. She watched them sleep. Both so handsome in their own way. And O-neal's brief words to his friend, unlike anything she had ever heard.
[Maeti?]
Maeti quickly rose from where she was sitting.
[Mistress] She bowed from the waist to the woman standing in the doorway. Bekhat hovered behind her.
The woman was very beautiful. Olive skin, long shining black hair. Her black eyes seemed into read Maeti's soul. Her white linen dress and gold armbands and headband only emphasized her beauty. She looked at the two men still sleeping.
[So these are the two gods who have arrived through the chappa-ai.] She smiled gently at Maeti and Bekhat. Then she moved to the men's side. Standing over O-neal she extended her open palm over his forehead. A red jewel glowed from her palm, lighting up his face. She closed her eyes in concentration.
Suddenly she gasped, her eyes flying open. Stepping back from him she looked at him in renewed amazement.
[Mistress, what is it?] Bekhat asked.
She turned to look at the girls. [You did very well in telling me about these men. Now, you must swear to me that you will tell no one else that I was here. Not even the other Gods. And, you must always stay near them.]
Her eyes bore into the girls' eyes. They trembled under the strength of her gaze. To not tell even the other Gods? What, who were these men?
[Do not worry. I will protect you and your families as I have always done.] She looked beyond their heads to the men sleeping. Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. Yes, they would be very helpful to her.
As she gazed at them, her eyes glowed.
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From: Dee Tervo
Part 7
Daniel woke slowly. The air was still, silent. He lay there, on his side, thinking - not wanting to open his eyes. When he finally did look around, the room was dark, but through the doorway he could see the first hints of sunrise lightening the sky. 'Whoa, I've been asleep 16 or more hours!' He glanced about the room and noted Jack was not there. Across from him, on a sleeping mat, was one of the young women from yesterday. Then he felt something move behind him, and rolling over, saw the girl who had tended to him -laying by his side, smiling contentedly in her sleep. As he began to sit up, she awakened. A momentary fear flashed through her eyes, then she relaxed, remembering the words of her Mistress - these gods, or men - whoever they were - were important, and she was to stay by this one's side at all times.
[Good morning. I must have been more tired than I thought.] Daniel spoke to her.
A mischievous smile came over her face, 'he doesn't remember yesterday'. He was drunk from the wine. [Last night was wonderful, you were wonderful,] she offered in a shy voice.
Daniel was flustered now. What happened last night? [Oh. Ummmm. I was? Well... ummm...]
Bekhat boldly continued. [Now I am proud to be pledged to you, as your servant, for the rest of your stay here!]
Daniel rose to his feet, he had to find Jack. [Yes! Ummm... that's great! You were wonderful too!] he sputtered, patting her on the head. He noticed Jack, standing outside their room, looking out onto the market square and up at the predawn sky, and he went to join him.
"Hi. How are you doing?" Daniel asked.
"Expected to be more hung over, really I'm doing OK, considering" Jack answered. "Daniel, I was sure we weren't on Earth - then moonlight woke me up. I came out. It's our moon all right - and look - Venus - good ole morning star, right where she's supposed to be. This just doesn't make sense. Maybe we aren't back in time. Maybe it's an alternate reality thing we've got going here? An Earth where the Goa'ulds never left?"
"Yes", Daniel responded, "I've thought about that too. I need more information to figure things out. Jack? What exactly do you remember from yesterday? After we got here, I mean."
"I remember watching you pass out, then. Oh, I think I talked with the village women. They came back to, well, give us some presents or something like that."
"You talked with them?" Daniel raised his brow "I thought we agreed you shouldn't."
"Well, they thought we wanted to... you know... it was awkward, and I was more than a little drunk. Then I think I passed out too - and woke up about an hour or so ago."
Daniel's fingers were nervously drumming as he leaned against the wall, "I'm afraid we might have woken up much earlier than that, but we don't remember. I also think we may not have behaved in a... gentlemanly manor!"
"Huh? Maeti and Bekhat told you that?" Jack asked, amused but also concerned - not knowing how much he could trust the women.
Uncomfortable with the entire conversation, and somewhat surprised that Jack knew the women's names and he did not, Daniel continued "Well, yes, also they are determined to be our slaves, as long as we are here."
Jack gave him a sly look, "Guess we'll just have to play along. What do we do next?"
Not liking the ease with which Jack accepted the events of last night, but also not willing to debate things, Daniel changed the subject. "The Ghaffir, that's Jaffa I guess, will come for us in the morning. I didn't have a chance to tell you some of the things I learned yesterday. I think they're actually going to bring us to Per-Ra!" Daniel waited for an astounded reaction from Jack, but soon realized there would be none, and continued "That's the city of the sun, Heliopolis in Greek. On the plateau, I saw the Great Pyramid, and thought we were in Khufu, umm Cheops' time, but now I know it must be later, maybe 2,500 to 2,200 B.C."
"Daniel?" Jack tried to get his attention.
"Clearly the king, well, they come to be called pharaohs in later times, is proclaiming himself a god, that he's from Ra" Daniel continued, oblivious to Jack's interruption.
"Hey, Daniel, let's..." Jack sensed he was going to have to hear the rest of what Daniel was burning to let out.
"Jack, I think we've traveled to the time of Ra's golden age, when he was worshipped as the most important of all gods, and also when he was beginning to abuse the people who served him." Daniel finally finished and allowed himself to take a breath.
"Does any of this help us figure out how to get out of here?" Jack asked directly.
"I told you, that's not possible" came Daniel's matter of fact response. "Per-Ra is about 6 miles northeast of the Giza plateau. We should be there by this afternoon." Even as Daniel had said the words, he couldn't believe the reality of it. To be just hours away from something that had always been unreachable. This was beyond incredible!
Jack did not like the sense of joy and peace that flowed from Daniel. He needed to shock his team mate, archeologist or not, back into an awareness of their situation, and he grew more frustrated and angry "I REFUSE to believe there is no way back, and I am ORDERING you to change your view and get back to planning a way out!"
"Ordering me?" was Daniel's somewhat hurt response. The men became aware of the women at the doorway now, motioning for them to come back in. A breakfast was laid out for them - more bread, fruit, and this time, beer.
Jack smelled the beverage, and turned up his nose "A bit too early for me! Ask them what else they've got to drink!"
Daniel was about to remind Jack that he shouldn't be speaking, but thought better of it "I'm afraid this is it. The staple Egyptian diet. They couldn't trust the purity of the water. Guess we'll just have a bit of a buzz on until we get used to it!" He could now observe his 'servant' more closely. Had Sha're looked that young? Should he tell her last night was a mistake? Certainly he wouldn't repeat it. Best not to mention it at all. [Thank you for the meal. Will you join us?] Daniel offered.
Maeti and Bekhat sat down to eat with their god-men. If only the Mistress could open their ears to understand the wondrous words these strangers spoke. At least the golden one could make himself understood when he wished.
++++
It had been a full 24 hours now since the team had separated. Sam had succeeded in opening the Gate and sending the MALP through. It was the Gate near their campsite, and the surrounding area appeared deserted. Sam was grateful for that. She had held her breath, hoping the MALP would not send images of her teammates' bodies. Unfortunately, it did not send any indication of what might have happened to them either. A return mission with SG-3 had been authorized, but for now she had been ordered to a six-hour rest period. Rest? Impossible. Instead she lay on her bunk, pouring over her notes on the linking device. They had been there such a short time. Frustration grew as she realized there simply wasn't enough information to draw any conclusions. Where are you? Somehow you've got to get word to me, some kind of sign that you're alive - something to direct me to you.
+++
The Ghaffir arrived, looking curiously at O'Neill and Jackson. Daniel whispered "I think they can sense we're not Goa'ulds." Without speaking, they lead the men past the caravan waiting to bring them to Per-Ra and into a large stone hall. Drawings of the sun's rays and people in worship, caught Daniel's attention. He reacted to Jack's elbow in his side, as a Horus guard entered and began to speak. The Ghaffir blocked the exit to the hall, only the women had been let inside. "I think he's talking to you, Jack" Daniel again whispered, as the Horus guard motioned for Jack to approach him.
Daniel could only catch bits of the conversation. The Horus guard was asking Jack to answer one of the riddles from the Book of the Dead. Unable to comply or even comprehend, Jack stood silently. 'He's going to take Jack's silence as disobedience or lack of knowledge. Either way, he's gonna figure out quickly we aren't from the gods' Daniel worried.
Maeti was not worried. O'Neal was being sentenced for not pleasing the gods, not answering the magical questions. She knew the sentence would cause him discomfort, but there was no place this servant guard of Ra could place O'Neal that the Mistress could not go to him and sustain him. Yes! He was sentenced to hunger and thirst as punishment, most likely in the prison pit. She would tell the Mistress and all would be well.
Jack knew something was being asked of him, but he didn't have a clue what. He decided not to draw his weapon. Now wasn't the time or place to give that away. He didn't resist as the Ghaffir lead him away, and noted that Maeti was smiling reassuringly to him. How bad could this be? Daniel, however, looked very nervous. Jack hoped his impulsive friend wouldn't get himself into worse trouble when he was questioned.
Now, Jack was gone. 'To a place of eternal hunger and thirst? Damn, why hadn't they asked me first'. Daniel didn't have much time to reflect on this, as it was now his turn.
"You will answer the holy questions and if you are pleasing to Neturu, you will be spared!" the guard commanded to Daniel.
"I must see the most holy one," Daniel bravely demanded.
"You will not speak unless asked a question, fellahin!" the guard haughtily commanded.
"Fellahin? Peasant? I have come through the Chappa'ai, and I know of things only Neturu know. You must allow me..." Daniel's words were cut off by a sharp blow to the back of his head and shoulders. The Ghaffir were expert in wielding their staffs and obedient to the Horus commands. Daniel crumpled onto the ground, groaning.
Bekhat became very afraid. The golden one is asking to see Ra? That is one place he must never go! No one can help him there. If he does not enter Per- Ra as a priest or god, then he will never return - and not even the Mistress can help him!
"You just might amuse the Supreme Lord. He will want to hear you talk of all you know of the Chappa'ai. You are a strangely dressed and disrespectful fellahin. You will pay a price for speaking so boldly out of turn!" The Horus guard next issued a series of commands to the Ghaffir.
Daniel regretted having spoken out. Perhaps he had been too insistent, this wasn't going as he had planned. First, a blindfold was applied to Daniel's eyes, next he tried to spit out the cloth gag as he felt sandy rags being forced into his mouth. Ropes bound his arms tightly behind his back, and another set was placed around his ankles, giving him only a stride's length to walk. Some sort of amulet, tied to a necklace, was placed around his neck, perhaps a sign of ownership? Finally, a rope was tied to his neck and he was dragged out to the caravan. He tried to listen for any sign of Jack still being with him. Nothing. A few people were laughing, ridiculing him for pretending to be a god. He sensed that he was being tied behind the animals in the caravan, not exactly how he imagined entering Per-Ra. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was bone dry. The combination of the sun's heat and the beer for breakfast made him dizzy. He struggled to keep himself upright and walking, knowing that if he stumbled he'd be dragged by the neck. The last words of the Horus guard came back to him, giving him a chill even in the desert heat - I am going to Heliopolis, ...for the amusement of Ra!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Susannah
Part 8
In the soft glow of a dressing table lamp, an accomplished scholar was slowly transforming back into an idealistic young woman. Not merely the layers of makeup and perfume that were stripping away the years, something beneath the surface was changing too. Catherine Langford glanced at her reflection in the mirror one last time. *There. That just about does it,* she mused. *Still, something is missing,* Catherine began rummaging through her jewelry box to find something suitable to finish things off. She wanted to look perfect tonight. Earnest was taking her out for a night on the town: dinner, dancing
-- the works. Funny how she used to take all of those things for granted. Used to take Earnest for granted too for that matter. Right up until...until that terrible day. The day of the "accident".
Catherine shook herself back to the present. None of that mattered now. Somehow, through the miracle of the stargate, Earnest had been returned to her. She had know from the first moment that she had seen it, that her fate and that of that wondrous circle would be forever intertwined. Suddenly, Catherine knew exactly what was needed to complete her attire for the evening...
****
Daniel figured that he had been walking for about fifteen minutes. He could hear voices getting louder and more excited. *The caravan must be approaching the city,* he thought. The group came to a sudden stop and Daniel bounced into four or five smelly animals before managing to regain his balance. Two rough hands dragged Daniel out of the herd. He felt himself being shoved roughly through what might have been a doorway.
Assuming that he was being taken directly to the temple, Daniel was surprised to note that the voices of the crowd had faded into the distance. The guard wrenched off the blindfold and quickly undid his ropes, shoving him to the ground.
"You will remain here until Ra is...ready to be entertained," he said mockingly. Before Daniel had a chance to open his mouth, the guard had slammed the door shut.
Daniel quickly pulled the gag out of his mouth. His chafed wrists burned in protest from the sudden move, but it was worth it to be able to breathe freely again. He took a deep gulp of air and quickly suffered for his thoughtless haste. After he had managed to cough most of the coarse sand out of his mouth and throat, Daniel began to look around at his cell.
The first thing he noticed after the heavy door that the guard had slammed and the dirt floor that he had been thrown onto was the fact that he was alone. *They must not be booked too full this time of year,* he thought looking around at the large room with its many sets of chains fastened to the walls.
Daniel slid over to a wall and buried his head in his hands. *What have I done? Why did I have to open my big mouth? Jack's always telling me that I should shut up. I guess he was right this time.* Daniel's mind raced from thought to thought while his fingers played absently with the chain around his neck. When he finally ran out of frantic thoughts, he noticed what he was holding.
He couldn't believe his eyes -- it was a medallion just like the one that Catherine had found at Giza. *Won't Catherine be amazed when she sees this!* He was astonished by the similarities: same size, same shape, same carvings, same little moon-shaped dent up by the chain...
Daniel didn't have too long to contemplate his discovery. As heard the loud footsteps approaching, he tried to think of how he could use the medallion to send a message back to his friends on earth, uh, in the twentieth century. The inscription on the medallion caught his attention: "Ra lives forever." Quickly he picked up a stone and made a careful mark on the medallion. He was just in time to let go of it before the guard opened the door...
****
Catherine reached down to pull the amulet out of its familiar place hanging by her heart. It went perfectly with her dress, and it symbolized what this evening was all about -- what her life was all about. As she turned it over so the front would show, she glanced at the inscription: "Ra lives again." Not believing what she had just read, she read it once more: "Ra lives again." *No, it should be "Ra lives forever.",* she thought. She knew that inscription like she knew her own name. She had read it every night before going to sleep since she was a small child. As she took a closer look at the writing, she noticed that someone had carefully changed the last symbol. The word 'forever' had been cleverly changed to 'again'. Not that it would have been that difficult. The words shared a similar symbol. But who would have done that and why? And even more importantly, when? She hadn't taken that necklace off for even a moment after Jack had returned it to her. She thought about it for a few minutes, but couldn't come up with any possibilities. Tomorrow she would call Daniel. Maybe he would have some ideas...
****
Sam had been pacing most of the night and into the early morning. She and Teal'c had gone over the last few moments of their mission more times than she could count, but they were still coming up empty. *Think, Carter! What are you missing?* She had asked herself that same question a hundred times in the past few hours and still had come up with nothing.
"Captain Carter," said a technician at the door, "There's a phone call for you."
"Thanks." *Great,* she muttered, *Just what I need, another distraction.* "Hello."
"Hello. Sam?"
"Catherine? What are you doing calling here? I mean, what can I do for you? How have you been? "
"Actually, I was calling to talk to Daniel, but they wouldn't let me talk to him. They didn't give any explanation. What going on with him?"
"Um, he's not here."
"Do you know when he is expected back?"
"Actually, he's missing. The colonel too. They disappeared the last time we came back through the gate. They were..."
"What do you mean by missing? Do you have any idea where they are?"
"No. I was hoping for a clue or a message of some kind, but I haven't been able to find anything helpful yet."
"I think I may be able to help you there. Why don't you come over to my house, and I'll explain. Do you still remember how to get there?"
"Yeah. I'll see you in about twenty minutes."
****
After Sam heard Catherine explain what she had found the previous evening, she realized why she had asked to talk to Daniel. "Maybe we could go over to his apartment. He has lots of journals and private notes. Maybe we could find a clue in there."
"If you don't mind my asking, how do you know about his journals? I've known Daniel for quite a few years now, and he won't even share them with me."
"Um, that's a long story."
"Why don't you tell me on the way over there," Catherine asked, intrigued.
****
Catherine and Sam searched through Daniel's journals for hours. At first, Sam felt funny rooting through Daniel's private stuff. But she had been through most of it before, and, after all, they were doing it for his sake.
Around noon, Sam found what she was looking for. Or, at least, she hoped so. Buried in the middle of one of Daniel's earliest journals there was a symbol of two circles and a triangle. At first, Sam didn't think anything of it. But then she realized that the middle figure wasn't really a triangle after all -- it was a pyramid. And, it bore an uncanny resemblance to the symbol they had found with the two circles and the pool while exploring on P4X357...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Dee Tervo
Part 9
Sam knew the answers remained back on that mysterious world where the team had become separated. She also sensed a totally unreasonable explanation of the missing men's whereabouts, but wouldn't allow herself to focus on the possibility. 'Sure Carter,' she mused to herself, 'start running around insisting on time travel and looking into the past to find Daniel and the Colonel, and they'll have you under observation and off the recon team.' As they prepared to ship out, she found Teal'c her only willing confidant, "Did you mention once that the Goa'uld were experimenting with time travel?"
Teal'c seemed mildly surprised at her question, but obliged with an answer "Yes, I believe there was great interest in using the Stargate to gain control of time, but the experiments were never successful. Why do you ask this, Captain Carter?"
"I've uncovered a few clues, feelings mostly, that have me wondering if the overload on the Stargate from two wormholes converging might not alter space - time in such a way as to enable time travel. The wormholes converging... bridging... LINKING!" Sam was very excited now, having a good idea what the nature of the 'linking' device might be, "Teal'c, we need to move quickly. I think I have an idea where the others are!"
"Where?" asked Teal'c greatly intrigued.
"Earth!" was Sam's enigmatic reply. "I'll tell you more later!"
****
SG-3 lead by Captain Carter and Teal'c exited the Gate on P4X357 to a bright sunlit afternoon. They made their way, weapons drawn, to the second Gate - this time being careful not to set off any alarms. Teal'c signaled that he had spotted some activity in a building just over a set of dunes, and the team fanned out to investigate. Coming closer to the stone structure, they could hear voices. Sam took up a position under an open window and listened. The voices were Goa'uld.
"But there is no way visitors to this place could understand the technology and use it at will. They must have stumbled on it, or are experimenting with it much as we are," a calm and reasoned voice was stating.
"What if one of the System Lords has solved the mystery? They would become most powerful if they could use the Place of Eternity," another proposed.
"They were not Goa'uld. The equipment they left behind is unlike anything we've seen before," the third commented.
Peeking inside, Sam noted there were no Jaffa guards and only three men seated at a table. They appeared to be unarmed. She motioned for SG-3 to advance, and quickly the building was surrounded and the people inside held at gunpoint. The men offered no resistance, and seemed truly afraid. Sam approached the seated men warily "We won't hurt you as long as you tell us what we need to know. Members of our team are missing and we think it has something to do with your Stargates here, and that linking device. We are familiar with the Goa'uld, and have been very successful in defending ourselves, so don't try anything foolish!"
One of the men seemed to relax a bit, and then smiled "The only ones behaving foolishly here are the ones running about waving weapons. We are not soldiers, we are scientists. The ways of the System Lords both amuse and terrify us."
Teal'c quickly asked "You are Goa'uld?"
"Yes, Jaffa! We are Goa'uld, but we have set ourselves as a class apart from the warlike ones. It is because of us that the Goa'uld thrive. Ra, Apophis, the others, they would like to believe they are the ones who control the fate of the Goa'uld as well as all the other races they dominate, but we are the ones who provide them with the knowledge and understanding necessary to use the technology they appropriate from other worlds. It is because of us that the Goa'uld advanced enough to begin using the... what did you call them... Stargates? Nice word for them, actually." The man triumphantly finished, as his eyes flashed with excitement over the shocked reaction of his captors. He now addressed Carter, "You are familiar with the Goa'uld? You have not met us. Seems you have no knowledge of us, am I correct?"
Sam chose her words carefully. This would explain so much of what she had long wondered about. The Goa'uld she had encountered did not seem to understand the technology they were using. She had never seen a laboratory, any signs of advanced research or experimentation. The knowledge these scientists must possess intrigued her greatly, but she also knew her trust could not be handed to them. Their motives were clearly those of maintaining and contributing to the Goa'uld planetary domination. "What I know or don't know is not important. You should be aware that I too understand and appreciate the value of science, and I expect your full cooperation in finding my missing teammates."
"Please, sit down and join our discussion," the man offered.
Sam and her team remained standing, guns ready to fire. "No matter" the man sighed, "if you do understand science, you are foremost military in nature. Too bad." The man shook his head and continued "We were just talking about where you might have come from and what might have happened when you left as you did. This world is called the Place of Eternity, both because it seems to hold the key to time eternal and because we have spent an eternity trying to understand it. I am willing to share with you what I know, but I am confident it will do you no good in finding your friends. Whatever race built this technology did not leave enough information behind for us to be able to adjust the controls. We seem able to influence time, but in a completely random fashion. My personal theory is that the race who built the "Stargates" left for a preferred time once they perfected the fine tuning of the time device."
Another one of the men spoke up "I was there when your friends departed. Two men, correct? One seemed as anxious to fire weaponry as you all do! We did not intend to harm them. We were simply going to send them off of this world as they had no business being here."
"Apparently, in their stupidity, they activated the Chappa'Ai at precisely the same time as you activated the one that was linked. It is most likely they have traveled in time, however you will not be able to determine to what time, and there is no way to retrieve them," the scientist in charge explained.
"What you easily call 'stupidity' was lack of knowledge, and you are wrong, I think I do know where in time they have gone to, at least roughly," Sam confidently stated. "The Stargate was functioning during an ancient time on our world, then it was buried for thousands of years, activated briefly about 50 years ago and now is operating in the present time."
The scientist erupted into critical laughter, "That's 'rough' all right. Even if you knew exactly when in the past they were, and you don't, we cannot reproduce the event which caused them to be transported there. The device seems to preselect, and we cannot find a way to alter it. Then again, you have no way to know if it is not the future they have been transported to as well."
"Oh, I think I do know," Sam remarked mysteriously. "Now, I need to see all the information you have on the alien device, then we'll send back to my world for some computer analysis." She stopped talking as she noticed the man shaking his head, no. "What? You will not help us?"
"We certainly will help you. It is mutually interesting to work on the linking device. But you will not return to your world, nor will you communicate with it. When we became aware that you had returned through the Chappa'Ai, the dialing devices were disabled and the Chappa'Ai locked." Instinctively, SG-3 raised their weapons in a threatening response to this news. "Please, put down your weapons. You need our help, right? We will all be working together for a long time, so we might as well get along." Again the scientist smiled, relaxed and put his feet up on the table.
Sam felt she had no choice but to order her team to comply, as she joined the men at the table to ponder the most difficult scientific puzzle of her life.
++++++++++++++
From: Jennifer Goll
Part 10
She stood in the dying rays of the evening sun. Below her, tired workers drudged from the pits of stone and mud. An air of disspiritness hung over them. Faith in their gods dying under their feet. Love turning into hate. Day after day of unending labor. And for what. Temples, pyramids built for the gods but no reward for them, for their devotion and loyalty. What had happened to the benevolence and abundance the gods had given them. When had they become slaves and not a cherished people.
[Mistress!]
She turned to see Bekhat bowing to her.
[What is it, child?]
[The visitors. The Ghaffir have taken them. The golden one, Daniel, has been thrown into a prison in Per-Ra. He demanded to see the most holy one, Ra.]
[Not yet. They are not ready to see him yet.] She turned back to the scene before her. Images of Daniel Jackson flowed through her mind. Images taken from O'Neill's mind Impetuous. Absent-minded. Prone to taking off in pursuit of something that aroused his curiosity. Yes, it appeared he was all of these things. But he and his friend would serve her needs in the end. She turned back to Bekhat. [Do not fear, Bekhat. This was unexpected but not unforeseen.]
****
Daniel paced in his cell. If his sense of time was accurate, an entire day had passed since he and Jack had been separated. Where was Jack now. Was he alright? Was he even still alive? 'No, stop thinking about that, Daniel. Jack is strong. He will be alright.' "I have to get out of here." Suddenly, the cell door creaked open. Daniel whirled around to see Bekhat enter. She smiled up at him. [I have brought new clothes and food.] She gestured to the basket she was carrying.
[How did you get in here?] he demanded.
[The guards let me in. They knew I was your servant. I am to prepare you for the arrival of the High Priest.] She set the basket down. [Come and eat. He will be here soon.]
Daniel sat cross-legged on the ground as she pulled out a loaf of bread, fruit and ale. "Who is this high priest? Will he take me to see Ra?"
Bekhat looked at him in alarm. [You cannot see Ra. Only the priests and gods may approach him. To be anyone else means death. The high priest I speak of is the keeper our past. He serves the temple I was training to join.]
He studied her as he finished eating. She seemed very adamant that he not see Ra. He wondered why. And who, exactly, was this high priest. Maybe he could convince him to take him to Ra. Or at least figure out where Jack had been taken.
Bekhat turned her back as Daniel reached for the clothes in the basket. The golden one was determined to go to Ra. But her Mistress had said that she would prevent this. She sent a brief prayer that Maeti was fairing well with her stranger.
****
"Damn."
Maeti bit her lip as she helped O'neal ease his tattered shirt off. Working in the prison pit had not been kind to him. His back was a mass of red welts and cuts from the overseer's whip. Because he could not understand her language, he could not understand what the overseer wanted him to do. Taken as disobedience, his lack of understanding caused the whip to strike him frequently. The lashes grew deeper and harder the more he failed to obey. If only he understood the way the golden one did, for all his funny accent.
Jack cursed again as Maeti ran a damp cloth over his back, cleaning the wounds. His face, arms and hands were burned red by the sun, increasing his agony. She made a soothing sound as he hissed again. What he wouldn't give for Daniel to be with him now. He only hoped that Daniel was being better treated then he was. From what he had seen today, he was in some sort of prison where hard labor was the order of the day.
He looked out over the land. The sky was dark, the stars shining bright and clear. He could make several of the constellations. Familiar constellations that told him he was on Earth; thousands of years in the past. He sighed. The Stargate had taken him and the team to many places over the past years. Who would have figured that it would also take them to the past. He wondered where Sam and Teal'c were. SGC hopefully, trying to figure out how to find them and bring them home.
'My sidearm!' The thought that had been tugging at his mind for most of the day finally became clear. Where was his weapon. He had had it most of the day but it seemed to have disappeared during one of the frequent disagreements with the whip. Ignoring the pain in his body, he twisted around to look through what was left of his clothes. Nothing. It wasn't here. Dammit, where was it. If the natives had it, no telling what would happen.
[O'neal.]
He turned to look at her. She held a bundle of cloth. Pulling one corner free, she uncovered his gun. Jack took it from her. Turning it over in his hands he examined it. The safety was still on. But other than a coat of dust it appeared to be fine. He glanced at Maeti. She returned his glance calmly. For some unexplained reason, he felt that he could trust her. Hesitating a moment longer, wondering all the while why he trusted her, he gave the gun back to her. She wrapped it up again and placed it in the basket she had brought with her. Throughout the day, she had been near him, bringing him water when he needed it and a soothing touch after a punishing session with the overseer. When the prisoners had laid down their tools she had took him to this secluded spot, not too far away from the other prisoners' sleeping area.
Suddenly, a spasm gripped him. Jack cried out as pain swept over him from his injured back. Maeti laid a cool hand on his shoulder, offering him comfort as he writhed in pain. She could do no more for him. She didn't have any herbs to ease the pain. Softly, she began to sing, hoping it would help.
A deeper, feminine voice joined her. Gasping, she looked up to see her Mistress.
[So our visitor has had a hard time.] She moved to Jack's side. "Hush, O'Neill. The pain will soon be gone." As she spoke, the jewel in her hand glowed. His muscles relaxed under its glow, flesh partially healing.
Jack groaned. The pain in his back was subsiding. He rolled over to look up at the woman kneeling beside him. His mouth dropped open in shock. Her eyes were glowing. "You're a goa'uld!" He jerked away from her, forgetting that she wouldn't understand him.
She merely smiled at him. Then it hit him. She had spoken to him in English. "How can you understand me? English wasn't spoken when you guys were first here."
"I learned it from your mind." She replied. "The night you first came here. Do not worry, I have no plans to harm you. I have need of you. However..." Her voice trailed off as she studied him. "I think it is best that you remain here for now." Quickly, before he could react, she raised her palm to him. The red glow held him in place, froze his muscles. Her voice came to him from a distance. Whispering in his mind what she wanted him to do. Watch. Learn. Plan.
Maeti looked at the unconscious man then up at her Mistress. Uncertainty shone in her eyes.
With that she walked into the night, the darkness swallowing her whole.
****
[Bah. Pathetic. You are no more fellahin then I am the god Ra.]
The old man walked around Daniel, examining him from head to toe. He seemed to dislike what he saw. Daniel looked at Bekhat, who stood off to one side. She merely looked back at him. He sighed. No help there. The old man, or rather the high priest, came to stand in front of him.
[No wonder you were thrown in here. Demanding to see the most holy one. But for the Ghaffir to take you as a fellahin does the fellahin a grave insult.] He looked Daniel up and down again. Daniel tried hard not to fidget. He had not felt like a lowly undergrad student being dressed down by the top professor in Egyptology since his first year in university.
[You are a foreigner from a distant land, are you not?] Daniel started at this statement. Before he could answer, the priest was walking around him again. [It would certainly account for your sheer arrogance in assuming you would be allowed to see the most holy one.]
[I am a scholar, here to learn more about your country.] Daniel answered, grasping at the cover the priest had inadvertently given him.
[A scholar, eh. Perhaps. But you are too young, too impetuous. An apprentice is more like it.] The priest looked at him thoughtfully. [If you are really here to learn, I have need of a scribe. You do understand our written word, do you not?]
[Yes-s-s.] Daniel stuttered.
[Good. You will apprentice with me. As I am sure Bekhat has told you, I am keeper of the past. This means I maintain the records of our glorious past in our library, near the city of Ra. You will help me transcribe those records that are decaying. Do you think you can do that? ]
An ancient library containing the total past of Egypt? And he was going to work in it? Daniel was in shock. Not only was he in his favorite time period, but he was going to be able to study it up close.
Outside, in a building near the prison, she smiled. What better way to distract a scholar from the present than to lose him in the past records of the past he so dearly loved.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Dee Tervo
Part 11
Daniel spent days working in the ancient library. The High Priest treated him very well; daily he was rewarded with food and luxurious sleeping quarters. Bekhat told him Jack was being cared for, so he lost himself in studies of present time antiquity. Copying the scrolls for the priests, he used reeds and papyrus, but he had managed to salvage a few pens and used these to take detailed notes for himself on all he had read.
He had perfected his ability to speak ancient Egyptian, his accent almost gone - and with it his desire to return to the present had vanished as well. It was replaced by his quest for knowledge and the steadily increasing feeling that he could be instrumental in the rebellion against Ra. The High Priest continually praised Daniel, certain his choice for a scribe was a good one. Occasionally, messengers from the Most Holy One would inquire about the stranger, expressing Ra's curiosity to meet him and learn what he knows, but the Priest protected Daniel and sheltered him away. Life was truly good. Daniel knew he was born for this, and before he realized it, three weeks had passed.
Bekhat watched as the golden scribe, as she liked to call him, worked tirelessly. He would glance up at her once in awhile, smiling - telling her of some "new" discovery he had made. He never spoke of family, home; it was as if he came from another world entirely. He did, however, remain concerned about his friend and was once again asking her about O'neal.
"When will you take me to see my friend? I know you tell me he is well, but there are some things I need to talk with him about," Daniel asked her.
Bekhat responded reassuringly, "Do not worry so of him. My Mistress has brought him into her Temple to train. He no longer labors in the pit and it seems as if the servants of the Mighty One have forgotten about him."
Daniel asked once again, trying to remain patient "It's important that I speak with him. Could you ask your mistress for me if it would be possible to arrange a meeting?"
"If it will soothe your mind, I will ask." Bekhat felt great affection for this golden scribe, and could deny him nothing, although he rarely asked for anything, often trying to do things for her. His ways were strange indeed. She made her way down the corridors of the stone library, when she heard a commotion behind her. There was shouting and a pained cry - it sounded like her master! Running now, she returned to his room to see an assembly of Horus guard encircling the golden one, led by the High Priest himself! The Priest was angrily waving a collection of scrolls in the air, as her master was being forced to kneel at his feet, the point of a Horus guard staff holding him there. The golden one was in such pain, but she could see no injury. What had happened? Her heart pounded in fear as she slipped unnoticed to the back of the room.
The High Priest was shrieking and screaming now "What manner of writing is this? Are you a spy from a far off place? Or do you serve a god who opposes the Mighty One? Speak now or I will command the guard to break your other hand!"
Daniel knew he didn't have time to think of a believable explanation. The High Priest had found his notes, written in English - who had he written them for? The pain in his writing hand was intense - the guard had burst in grabbed him by the arm and slowly crushed his hand. "I am not a spy! What place greater than this could I have come from? And, I serve no gods of this place." He instantly knew he'd chosen his words poorly; as the Priest commanded - the guard flipped him onto his back and pressed his foot at Daniel's throat. He struggled to breathe - to stay conscious.
The High Priest was fearful now that he had brought an enemy of Ra to the Holy City; he must act quickly "You do not serve the Supreme Lord? I had dismissed the fellahin accounts of you coming through the Chappa'Ai - I knew you were not a god. Now these strange writings and this magical device" he held up a pen "tell me you come from a place of the gods. I have decided, you are now ready, it is time for you to see your Supreme Lord!"
'This is not as it should be' thought Bekhat. 'I must tell the Mistress' She continued to watch, too afraid to move, as the Horus guard yanked on Daniel's robes and pulled him - coughing and wheezing - back to a kneeling position.
The Priest spoke venomously into Daniel's face "What god do you serve? Apophis?" Daniel could only shake his head 'no'. "You are an ungrateful infidel! An enemy of the Supreme One!" the Priest shouted, striking Daniel with a hard slap across his face. "I will tell the Most Powerful One that you have been chosen as a child of the gods. It will not matter where you are from before." The Priest grinned wickedly, "You wanted so much to see Him? Now you will know Him very well."
Daniel was sick. Was the High Priest talking of making him a host? He moved to help Bekhat as he saw the Ghaffir dragging her off. This was met with a kick to his stomach, causing him to fall on the floor, clutching his broken hand to his side. As he was also dragged off, he heard the Priest order Bekhat to be brought to the Temple of Ra where she would dance and sing for her god's pleasure. He found himself returned to his prison cell and shackled to the wall by his broken hand. The throbbing pain would not ease. His feelings of hatred toward the Goa'uld intensified there in the pained darkness.
****
Sam felt strangely comfortable in the company of these alien scholars and scientists. They had allowed her to send a few messages back to SGC, but she imagined General Hammond was none too pleased at the thought of his missing team members. She never allowed herself to forget who and what these scientists were, but their knowledge astounded her. It had been exactly 22 days and six hours since the team had been separated. Very little progress had been made toward finding them.
Now, as she stared at all the diagrams, notes, and inscriptions - a thought came to her. 'What if the process of time travel required not only two functioning gates, but two linking devices as well. That could explain why there appeared to be no way to set the time coordinates and they seemed totally random. If you attempted to travel to another world, in another time, you would gate to a time when there was a linking device present. If Katherine's necklace were a possible clue that Jack and Daniel were in ancient Egypt at the time of Ra, perhaps Ra possessed one of these devices.' She hurried to bring her ideas to the others. If this were true, it should be easy to repeat the process and return to the same period of time her teammates had traveled to. The problem remained, however, of how to return to the present. What if the second gate had not yet been constructed on Earth? So much remained to be figured out and tested. Constantly she was tormented by worry: what if it was already too late to save Daniel and the colonel? What if it was not possible to find them? And what if, in trying so desperately to rescue her team, she also gave the key for time travel to Earth's greatest enemy? Even the lives of her two closest friends could not be ransomed at that great of a price.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Jennifer Goll
Part 12
[You dare to defy me!]
The High priest cowered before her. Rage rolled from her in waves. Her dark eyes burned through him.
[Mistress. The strange tools he had. The writing on these papers. He is a spy from one of the other gods. He came through the chappa-Ai. I felt it was my duty to have the Ghaffir take him to the Most Holy one.] He couldn't meet her eyes. Never had he seen her so angry.
[Did you not think that I knew who he was. And where he came from.] She walked away from him. Anger filled her footsteps as she paced. Suddenly, she whirled back to face the priest.
[Do you not serve in my Temple? Did you not pledge to obey me and to honor me when you took the oath of High Priest? By calling in the Ghaffir of Ra you openly broke your oath to me. Through your actions you declared that it is Ra, not me, whom you obey and serve.] She moved closer to him.
[Priest. First and foremost, you serve me. Not Ra. Me. When I ordered you to take him as your apprentice I expected you to obey me. No matter what strange things he did. To call the Horus guard to imprison him is a clear violation of my orders.] She tipped his head up to meet her eyes. [You defied me. For that, you will pay dearly.] Her eyes began to glow. She placed her palm on his forehead.
[You will no longer serve in any temple. I strip you of your abilities to read, to write and to speak. You will always remember that you were once in an honored position. Even as age dims your mind. You will remember that once you could read and write and the glories and power that knowledge gave you. Further, you are to wander the streets as a beggar, silent and illiterate until a ripe old age.]
He collapsed to the ground as she moved away. Guards silently emerged from the shadows. They picked him up and carried him away. He would be left on the streets to begin his new life.
She stood in the balcony overlooking the city. Anger blinded her to everything around her. Betrayed by her own High priest. Daniel in the hands of Ra's Ghaffir. As a entertainer in Ra's court, Bekhat would be safe. She would have one of her spies in the court watch over her. As for Daniel, she could not help him right now without exposing herself and her plans. He would have to stay where he was. With any luck, he would not be killed.
As for his friend, Jack. Ah, Jack.. She smiled at the thought of him. Handsome and determined. But more important, a military man, with its cunningness and training ingrained in him. He was safe where he was in the prison pit with Maeti to watch over him. She wondered how he had reacted the morning he woke up and could fluently speak Egyptian. Laughter bubbled out of her. Shocked, undoubtedly. Confused and more than a little concerned about who had been playing in his mind. He would not remember her until she was ready for him to remember.
Gradually, the city came into focus for her. Her anger and betrayal had subsided, although not forgotten. Plans could be changed, they could always be changed. The men's arrival to this time was a gift. Had they not arrived, she would still have carried out her plan. Events had taken a unexpected turn with Daniel's imprisonment; not quite for the better. But she would have her way in the end. There could be no other outcome.
++++++++++++++++++++
From: Dee Tervo
Part 13
There was a somber air about the briefing room. General Hammond had ordered a meeting of all commanders of sg teams, topic of discussion: deciding the protocol for locking out the remote transmitter codes for sg-1 and sg-3. "We are faced with yet another unprecedented situation. It has been 23 days since contact was lost with Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson. Although Captain Carter has maintained intermittent contact between her party and SGC, it has only been through remote messages and repeated attempts on our part to send a MALP have failed. I don't think it's necessary for me to list the possible dangers if the transmitters and codes have fallen into enemy hands. I've called this meeting to determine if now is the time to lock out the transmitter codes - permanently." The General was obviously uncomfortable about even proposing such a drastic measure.
After much heated debate, it was decided that sg-1's code should be locked out immediately, as no one knew the situation of Jackson and O'Neill. Captain Carter would be given one more week, then at 30 days precisely - since the 'event' on P4X357, the remote code for sg-3 would also be locked out.
Captain Morse from sg-6 voiced what every one else did not want to consider "Sir, am I correct in my understanding that, as of now, if Col. O'Neill or Dr. Jackson do manage to free themselves and dial home - even if they enter their remote code - the iris will not open?"
Capt. Morse continued "Sir, they won't have any way of knowing this. They will enter the Stargate from where ever they are and that will be the last ride they ever take." No one responded to the Captain's remark. It just hung in the air for all to reflect upon, as the General dismissed them and they went about their duties.
The General returned to his office and sunk back in his chair when his speaker calmly announced "General, sir, sg-1 code locked out."
"God help them," Hammond breathed.
****
Daniel had not slept well, perhaps not at all. He was unable to sit on the floor as his hand was chained too high on the wall, so instead he leaned against the wall - trying to press himself into it and get a precious bit of rest. He had managed to tear off a section of his robe and bind his hand, but it was of little help - the throbbing pain continued mercilessly. He was so thirsty. Maybe they were going to let him die there. Occasionally he had slipped into a delirium, seeing images of Sam - working to find them, Jack - probably in worse shape than he was, Sha're - smiling, encouraging him to hold on, and once he saw the image of a goddess - a beautiful woman with glowing eyes, calling him to serve her. Whoa, where did that come from?
He tried to clear his head and concentrate. How long had he been imprisoned? Now it was early morning, he could hear the sounds of people moving about. Some were excitedly talking about the High Priest. Daniel strained to hear and at once couldn't believe what he translated. It seems the Priest disappeared not long after having him arrested, and a few people thought a new beggar on the streets bore an uncanny resemblance to the High Priest. In hushed tones the voices were talking about a power mightier than Ra, and that if they continue to serve Ra a terrible fate will come upon them. One woman stated what Daniel feared most - the new stranger must be a powerful enemy of Ra, come to destroy all those who believe in Him.
Daniel knew Ra would have spies in the crowd, and tried to prepare himself for what must be coming next. He would no longer be brought before Ra for entertainment - he would be presented as an enemy. His planning was interrupted by loud noises outside his door; 'This is it,' he thought and prepared himself for the worst.
Two Ghaffir entered and roughly unchained him. Knowing how they enjoyed inflicting pain, Daniel fought back the urge to cry out and allowed himself to be pulled along without a fight. Two Horus guards and more Ghaffir joined the procession. They walked a great distance, miles through the sand. Daniel was so weak now, exhausted and thirsty - his delirium returned - more images of the beautiful and powerful woman. "Yes," he weakly moaned "Yes, Mistress, I will serve you, tell me how" then he collapsed to his knees.
One of the Horus guards, helmet lowered, approached Daniel "What god do you serve? Do you speak of The Supreme Lord? This night you will see Him, but you must be made ready."
An inner strength, unknown even to Daniel, began to take hold of him. He rose to his feet and stared defiantly into the Horus guard's eyes. He was certain he saw a flicker of fear as the Horus returned his stare. "I will not be made to serve your god, and if you continue to follow him it will mean your destruction as well! I have been to places you cannot imagine. I know the future - your future - and I know of powers even Ra..." The mention of Ra's name was forbidden, and reflexively the Ghaffir attacked Daniel and knocked him unconscious.
****
Ra sat in silent contemplation. He had ordered the removal of the strange device from the Chappa'Ai, and it now sat before him. He studied it and wondered if the device had somehow brought forth the stranger. Were not there two strangers? He would send spies to find the location of the other. Things in this world were not going well. Those who served him grew restless, almost defiant. Perhaps the stranger would bring him knowledge he needed to strengthen his power. How best to gain this knowledge. The High Priest had determined the stranger should become a host. Yes, this was possible, but there were other ways, unpleasant though they were, to take knowledge from such as these. Ra was amused. The strangers were interesting puzzles indeed.
****
"Off world activation, sir! SG-1's code, but no incoming travelers, yet," the Gate technician announced. All eyes at SGC were on the closed iris of the Stargate.
****
"Colonel, sir! Something terrible is happening! We had just attached the new piece to the artifact, when the whole thing began to shake and a huge blast of some kind of liquid... no... light... no... energy-liquid-light came out of the thing, then, well sir, you won't believe what happened then!" People were running in all directions, alarms blaring.
Sam felt herself falling as she exited the Gate. She was aware there was some sort of ladder or set of steps at the base, but she didn't have time to react to them and climb down, she simply tumbled down the entire length of them. She found herself sprawled at the feet of some very confused military men. It looked like Earth, but when?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Jennifer Goll
Part 14
The sun shone merciless above him. The desert stretched out to infinity, sand shimmering under the sun's rays. In the near distance, the half completed form of a pyramid rose out of the desert.
Jack paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Four weeks had passed since he had been in this hellhole. Daily, he and the other prisoners toiled. They carved huge blocks of rock out of the land; pulling them across the sand under a hot sun. Through sweat and blood, they were building a pyramid for the gods. Had Daniel been here, he would have been awestruck by the reality of watching an actual pyramid being built. But he wasn't here and Jack was growing more worried and frustrated as the days passed. His servant, Maeti had said that Daniel was being well cared for. Jack didn't buy that for one minute. The last day or so, a worried look had clouded Maeti's face. She wouldn't tell him what was wrong. Only that her Mistress was looking after them. Some Mistress, to leave her followers in this hell.
Then there was the unexplained fact that he could now fluently speak Egyptian. When he had awoken after his first day here, he had discovered this fascinating new ability. To complicate matters, the whiplashes on his back had been partially healed. He didn't like it at all. Someone, undoubtedly this Mistress, had been messing with his head. And messing with his mind was not a very good way to endear herself to him.
A whip cracked over his head. Jack jerked around to see the head overseer behind him. The man was riding a black horse. Grinning maliciously at Jack, he snapped the whip again, just missing Jack's face. Jack gritted his teeth and turned back to his work. Ever since his first day here, the overseer had taken great pains to harass him. From overheard comments from the other prisoners, the overseer was very skilled with the whip and took every opportunity to show off. Jack made every attempt to try and avoid him. Maeti's presence also help to divert some of the flack. She was the only woman in the prison and seem to come and go as she pleased. She claimed that her Mistress protected her and would punish anyone who would harm her. Since she was Jack's servant, some of that protection seemed to encompass him as well.
****
They were closing in on him. First Daniel was imprisoned by her former High Priest. Now, Ra's Ghaffir were on the point of discovering her other gift from the future. This would not be tolerated. She sat down in front of the pool of water. Staring into the calm waters she softly spoke a name. [Maeti]
****
"Oh hell."
There were Jaffa approaching them. More important, they were the Horus Guard from the looks of their headpieces and armor. Jack ducked behind one of the blocks of rock littering the base of the pyramid. Deep down, he knew they were looking for him.
He peeked around one corner. His fellow prisoners were being rounded up and taken to the guards. He had to get out of here. One look at him and they would have him. Weeks under a brutal sun had darkened his skin, but not as dark as a native Egyptian. But where could he go. Nothing but sand and thirst existed. Without water or provisions of some sort he would not survive very long.
[Oneal!]
He turned to see Maeti hurrying towards him. She carried a heavy bundle of cloth over one arm. As she said this, she pulled a hooded robe from the bundle. She donned an identical robe, leaving the hood down.
[Where exactly can we go. There is nothing but miles of desert. The guards are to heavily armed to overpower.]
[My Mistress has told me where to go.] She glanced at the guards. They were nearing the end of the prisoners and growing restless. [We have to hurry.]
Jack hesitated. Maeti, he felt he could trust. But her Mistress was another matter entirely. Especially after she had been wandering through his head.
[Stubborn O'Neill. Who do you think has kept you from Ra this long?] The voice in his head was feminine and familiar. [Follow Maeti. She knows where to go. Trust her.]
Maeti was already ahead of him. Sighing, he followed her. She was heading towards the entrance to the pyramid. Catching up to her where she was waiting impatiently, he saw the guards finishing up their inspection. One of them was talking to the head overseer.
[Hurry Oneal. They are going to search the area for you now.] She tugged at his robe.
[In there?]
She was leading them into the darkened chambers of the pyramid.
[Over there. He is the one you want.]The overseer's voice rang out.
Jack tossed a quick glance over his shoulder then entered the entrance after Maeti. Inside, torches light up the darkness. The cool air was a blessing after the sun's deadly heat. As they hurried down the long tunnel, deeper into the pyramid, Jack could hear the heavy footsteps and clanking armor of the Ghaffir behind them. The tunnel sloped downwards. Suddenly, Maeti darted left, into another, smaller tunnel. The torches were spaced less frequently, the darkness more encompassing. Even without the light, Maeti seemed to know exactly where they were going.
[Stop!]
A burst of light briefly lit up the area. Jack stumbled and fell, his side burning. His hand came away wet. Pain lanced through him. The staff weapon had caught him on his lower right side.
[Oneal!] Maeti tugged at him. Several more staff weapons fired. Rocks fell from the ceiling. A faint tremor flowed through the ground. [Please, you have to get up. Just a little further to go.] With both of them pushing and pulling, he managed to get to his feet. Blackness was beginning to cloud his vision. The pain in his side was intense.
The guards were almost on top of them. The ground shook beneath them, the intensity growing. Maeti looked ahead. So close. They were almost there. An energy burst shattered the rock in front of her. She screamed as a piece hit her in the face.
[Look out!] Jack shoved Maeti to the ground, throwing his body over hers as a large chunk of the ceiling came crashing down on them.
The pyramid shook as the earth rocked violently . Half finished pillars crashed and broke apart. The remaining Ghaffir struggled up the tunnels to the entrance. Walls crashed down upon them. Outside, from a safe distance, the overseer watched in horror as the pyramid collapsed into itself. Layer upon layer shattering under the fury of the earth.
"Jack!" Daniel woke up from his delirium. Fever shook his body. His heart was racing. He had been dreaming. Walls falling, the earth shaking, and his friend being buried under tons of rock. A dream. It was just a dream. But a sick feeling in his stomach told him differently.
A game piece toppled over on the board. Ra looked up from the game, feeling the distant tremors race through his feet. He looked out the window, seeing only the sights of the city, but feeling the release of power.
A cloud of dust hovered over the ruins of a pyramid. The air was still, almost silent.
Even the birds were quiet.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Dee Tervo
Part 15
Daniel was no longer certain he was living out something he was predestined
to do. Images of Jack under tons of collapsed stone mingled with long
suppressed visions of his own parents' crushed bodies. He absently wiped his
hands on his clothing, trying to remove the blood from knuckles rubbed raw as
he frantically tried to dig his parents out. Helpless. He felt so entirely
alone and helpless. Too disheartened to eat or even think clearly, he sat in
the corner of the large Hall, guarded at all exits, and simply waited for
whatever Ra would do to him. The curiosity, the awe, the urge to fight - had
all left him. Servant girls began to bring in large urns filled with oils and
white powder and large amounts of linens - he barely took notice.
****
Out in the streets of Per-Ra, the great city of Ra, the people were gathering in large groups. Their faith in Ra had become shaken in recent times. He was no longer the great God protector, teacher and provider of all things magical and wonderful. He had changed, and they had obeyed him out of fear of his enormous power. The collapse of the pyramid was a sign, and everyone knew it. There was a power, a presence in the city greater than Ra himself. The people were finding their voice, rediscovering their courage. Some talked of challenging Ra, while some even dared to say that Ra was a false god. These were dangerous times, and the people continued to look to the golden stranger to lead them. They began to call out for his release.
****
The leader of the Horus guard entered the Hall quietly. The Supreme Lord would not be pleased to know that he was speaking with the stranger. As he watched Daniel sitting, dejected, filled with self-pity, the Horus leader questioned his own feelings. 'It is not possible that this one could challenge Ra...and yet...' He approached Daniel and commanded [Stand and talk to me, strange one!] Daniel did not respond. [Get on your feet and speak! You have little time left!] the Horus pleaded.
The urgency of the Horus' voice pulled Daniel from his dark despairing - perhaps there was still hope for Jack - if Ra were using the sarcophagus...he must be using it. Daniel began to find his strength and his eyes brightened with a new sense of purpose as he stood to face his enemy. Boldly he addressed the guard [I saw fear in your eyes when we last spoke. I've come to reveal to the people of this place what you've known is true all along...Ra is not a god. He is flesh and blood. He is not immortal, nor is he all-powerful - he simply uses advanced technology. When the people discover the truth...]
The Horus cut him off [You speak a great sacrilege! Ra has decided that you will never speak to anyone - ever again.]
Daniel would not be silenced, [You do know Ra is not a god. He has begun to think of himself as one, but I don't think he's convinced you - entirely. I came with another...]
[Yes, another stranger was chased by the Ghaffir into the pyramid, and was about to be captured when the walls fell down upon him. As we speak, they are digging to find his body. The fellahin believe he might be a god, and Ra wants to show his dead body...the fellahin think you might be a god...] The Horus ended his statement much like a question and waited for Daniel's response.
[I have seen...in a...a vision...what is about to happen here. If you help me, I will protect you from the destruction that is about to come. You must tell Ra that I am willing to do whatever he asks, in return for one favor - that the other stranger's life be restored by Ra's sarcophagus.] Daniel studied the man's eyes and saw disbelief and confusion there.
[Then you are not a god?] the Horus asked again.
[I am no more of a god than Ra is...but there are things I know and understand...I come from a future time - a time when Ra is no more...the other stranger and myself... killed him.] Immediately Daniel wondered if he'd revealed too much, but somehow he had to shift the loyalty of this guard and the truth seemed the best way.
Time had run out, and Daniel did not know if he had convinced the guard. A large unit of Ghaffir entered the Hall joined by a group of servant girls. Now Daniel wished he had paid closer attention to the urns. The white powder - the smell of it - so familiar... natron...hydrated sodium carbonate...it was used in embalming. Now he realized what the oils and linens were for. Keeping his voice as steady as possible, fighting back the rising fear he asked, [So, you have come to kill and mummify me? That is how your lord will keep me quiet?]
Everyone in the room stiffened as a soft voice responded to Daniel's question [Kill you? No. You must die, but you will not be killed.]
All of the nightmares were coming to life. Daniel did not have to turn around to see whose voice had answered him. The Ghaffir advanced, grabbing Daniel by the arms and pulling him to Ra's feet. He was forced to kneel and not allowed to look up. His stomach turned as he felt Ra's fingers gently stroke his hair. The rest of the room, the entire city, seemed to fade away until it was only himself and Ra. Daring to do what he knew was forbidden he looked up into Ra's eyes...the expression he saw was tender, almost loving.
[I have thought long about this. You are a gift to me from beyond. I will come to know all you know and possess your powers. The High Priest was right, you will become one with me and the rebellion will stop.] Ra's hands moved slowly, deliberately down Daniel's shoulders and began stroking his back, testing the physical strength of his body. Daniel began to tremble, remembering how the Priest had threatened that he would become a host, but he never stopped looking Ra in the eyes.
[Such strength of mind and body... good,] Ra continued. His examination stopped at Daniel's injured hand. Daniel flinched as he lifted it up and motioned to a servant. It was Bekhat! She brought a jeweled bracelet and fastened it to Ra's hand - it began to glow. The feeling was pleasant, soothing as Ra placed the healing gem over Daniel's hand and soon the pain was completely gone. [Your body and mind will now be prepared using the burial wraps and ceremony. You will spend your last days in this way, until the glory of Ra takes hold of you.]
Daniel rose to his feet as Ra turned to leave, shouting out to him [I will not become a host to an alien parasite!]
Ra smiled, but did not turn around. He was not accustomed to such passion, such disobedience. It excited him to think of taking control of this host. [It is already begun,] was Ra's only response as he left the Hall.
Bekhat sank to her knees and wept silently. She had failed her Mistress and now the golden one would suffer the fate she feared most. She watched as he was dragged, struggling, to the embalming table. His robes had been removed, leaving a small wrap about his waist, and now his hands and feet were being rubbed with scented oils. Dusting with the white powder was next, and she had to turn her head as he coughed and sneezed violently. Oil soaked linen strips were wound about his hands and feet, immobilizing him on the table. She could watch no more, and left to pray to her Mistress in the temple. She did not notice the leader of the Horus guards was following her at a distance.
The true horror of being embalmed, alive, reached into Daniel's soul. His mind tried to analyze what was happening, distancing himself somehow from the event. Perhaps Ra believed he needed to prepare a host body before taking it. Maybe he did not yet possess the ribbon device, or didn't know how to use it. The natron dust burned his lungs as he struggled to breathe. The linen wraps wound ever tighter, as he felt them now being applied to his head. The servants did not respond to his pleas for them to stop and soon darkness overtook him as his eyes were covered. Openings were left for his nostrils, but the rest of him was completely encased now. He strained to hear any noises in the room, but could only hear the anxious beating of his own heart. He fought the rising feeling of claustrophobia and suffocation, but to no avail. These sensations overtook him, threatened to destroy him... delirium set in.
****
Meanwhile, on P4X357 (The Place of Eternity):
The scientists had watched Captain Carter intently as she dialed the coordinates for Earth. "Did you see? She entered a numerical code into the device on her wrist before entering the Chappa'Ai - the same code as the other one, she called Jackson, who was transported in time."
"We will confirm this code with the Jaffa. If it gains us entrance to Tau'Ri, we will gain important knowledge for the System Lords. Knowledge for which Apophis, in particular, will pay a high price."
Teal'c had developed a rapport with the other Jaffa on this world. He was curious to note they did not bear the mark of any god, instead they were pledged to serve the scientists. They told him of many new and wondrous devices. The sarcophagus, they noted, "still needed work" but when fine-tuned it would prolong the life of a Goa'uld and host as close to forever as possible. It was difficult for Teal'c to explain why he was pledged to this band of Tau'Ri, carefully avoiding the fact that he was a traitor and enemy to Apophis.
As the scientists returned to the main research building, the Jaffa snapped to attention. "We have seen your friend safely through the Chappa'Ai. She is most likely back to your command base, in our own time, however she holds the hope of entering the past time with her teammates. Now we find ourselves in need of your help, Teal'c."
"How can I help you?" Teal'c answered warily.
"We need to ask about the number code entered into this device." The scientist held up the remote transmitter he had taken from Daniel four weeks earlier. "What purpose does it serve?"
"I can not tell you of this," Teal'c firmly responded.
The scientists were shocked, as they could not comprehend any level of disobedience from a Jaffa. The other Jaffa were amazed as well. "It is not your place to deny us any request!" the leader shouted angrily. "No matter, we will test this code and return to deal with you later."
The three scientists, under Teal'c's watchful and worried eye, dialed the coordinates for Earth on the DHD and entered sg-1's code into the remote transmitter. They armed themselves with weapons Teal'c had never seen before, and disappeared into the Gate.
****
"Here we go again, General. Off world activation, sg-1 signal, and Sir, this time we do have incoming travelers," the Gate technician announced.
All eyes shifted from the closed iris to General Hammond, waiting for his orders, expecting the iris to be opened. He stood, unmoving. The order never came. Three loud thuds could be heard as bodies slammed against the iris, attempting to materialize. Each one brought a pained expression from the crew in the control room, but the General did not react. When it was over, he simply turned and calmly announced "I will be in my office. I need to file an official briefing on this incident. Send the report of the impact analysis to me as soon as it is complete." Slowly people regained their composure, and business went on as usual. There was no time to mourn.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Jennifer Goll
Part 16
Dust hung heavy over the collapsed ruins of the pyramid. A day had passed since the earth had shook violently. And still the dust remained in the air. Some of the prisoners assigned to the task of digging for the bodies trapped within, whispered of a power hovering over the area. Why else would dust still linger unnaturally in the air. Why, as they inched towards the resting place of the stranger, would the walls shift and collapse just as they seem to reach their goal. Walls that had been deemed stable moments before they began digging. A new power had come to Egypt. One that appeared to challenge the Most Holy One. But would this new stranger be an ally or someone worse than Ra?
Deep within the pyramid, a snake slithered over the cool ground, its tongue flickering, tasting the air. Red eyes glowed from its head. Vibrations from above were dimly felt in its coils. Behind it, several robed figures followed.
Pain lanced through him as he fought his way back to consciousness. Darkness greeted him as his eyes opened. Jack screamed as he shifted his battered body to look around. Overwhelming pain rolled through him. From the wound in his side, the broken bones throughout his body. His breath rasped out of him from a punctured lung. As the pain subsided from overwhelming to borderline tolerable, he realized that he couldn't move. Rocks and sand covered him. He couldn't even tell if Maeti was anywhere near him. As the blackness once again rose up to swallow him, he hoped Daniel was faring far better than he was.
****
She stared into the calm waters of the pool. Images flickered within its black depths. In the back of her mind his life force grew weaker.
[Hurry.] she whispered.
The images in the water distorted, changing to the linen wrapped body of Daniel Jackson. His fear washed over her. [Calm, Daniel Jackson. You will be alright. You have endured much in the past. This, you can endure as well.]
Suddenly, glowing eyes reflected up at her from the pool. She hissed and drew back from the edge.
[Who are you, child? Why do you oppose me?] Ra's voice was soft, enticing. [Your power is strong, but no match for me.] He tilted his head to study her. [No matter. You will never defeat me. None of the other system lords and their offspring has come close to conquering me.] With that he vanished from her vision.
[Curse him] She stood up to pace the room. Too much power had been expended in the past days. He was getting to close to her. So far, her temple had protected her. If she continued to use her power, it would draw him quickly to her hiding place.
[I'm sorry Jack O'Neill] Closing her eyes, she reached out and gathered her power back into herself. Without her to bar the diggers passage, Ra's Ghaffir would soon find him. He would have helped her greatly in her plans, but he was only an unexpected gift. Her plans had already been set into motion before he and his friend had stumbled through the Chappa-Ai.
****
A shout rose up from the pyramid's entrance. The Ghaffir hurried to help the diggers with their burden. The leader of the Guards smiled. The Most Holy One would be very pleased.
Around him, the court grew silent. The Ghaffir, sent to the pyramid, approached his throne. The leader knelt before him. At his nod, the guards approached and laid down their burden. The cloth was removed from the bundle. Half-opened brown eyes stared sightlessly up at him. Brown hair was covered in dust and cut in an unusual style. Although the skin was dark, it was still lighter than the average Egyptian.
Ra smiled. The other stranger. He would parade his dead body before the crowds. Now the fellahin would believe that there was no other god than him and to defy him meant death.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Dee Tervo
Part 17
"Ma'am? Ma'am, are you all right?"
Sam was vaguely aware of a somewhat confused, but pleasant, voice calling to her. A young lieutenant reached down and offered her his hand. She hesitated. What had gone wrong? This must be Earth. It certainly seemed modern, and yet... Sam glanced warily about the room and noticed the other members of her team, Sergeants Johnson and Everett, were slowly getting to their feet. Now it clicked. This was the facility she saw in the tapes Daniel had found, the place where the Stargate had been activated one time for Ernest Littlefield. She refused the young man's offer of assistance, stood up and brushed herself off, mumbling something about being just fine.
A man who carried himself with an authoritative air, approached her. Judging from his uniform, he was a general. Sam raised her hand in a salute, but he brushed past her and addressed her teammates. "Who the hell are you? I want your names, the name of your commanding officer, and I want to know how it is you've broken into this installation!"
The lieutenant spoke up, "General, sir, they didn't break in. They just appeared, like ghosts or something, out of some blue light that..."
The General cut him off "Will you stop blabbering Peters? You're telling me that hunk of metal I've been 'guarding' for a year now, actually DID something?" Turning back to the men he repeated his question "What are your names and who has issued your orders?"
Sam strode to the General's side "They are Sergeant Johnson and Sergeant Everett, and they report to me, Captain Samantha Carter." Behind her, Sam could hear chuckles and whispers from the crowd now assembling.
The General responded "Nice that you think so, honey, but I'd better get some real answers or you're all in a shit load of trouble! Hand me your gun, NOW!"
'Honey?' Sam thought, 'Oh boy, they aren't going to take too kindly to my being in command.' Reluctantly, she handed over her weapon, motioning that her teammates should as well. No need getting anyone killed here. "General, if I might explain..."
"Sweetheart, if I want you to tell me something, I'll ask you," the General snidely remarked. As he admired the advanced design of her rifle he asked "Do you speak Russian? SGC, that stand for Soviet... something ... Command?"
"What?" was Sam's stunned reply.
"Russian, Ruskie? I hear the commies put women to work in their military. Where did you get this gun?"
His stare was guarded, suspicious. What could she tell him? "I am an officer in the United States Air Force, and that gun is standard issue, at least on our missions."
The General grew increasingly frustrated and began barking orders to the lieutenant "I need answers, yesterday! Find accommodations for the 'lady' and the two soldiers here. Make them very secure accommodations. I need to find out their serial numbers - verify whether they have anything to do with our military. I'll also expect reports from the technical crew on what the hell just happened here. Dismissed."
The military machine sprung into rapid action, as all weapons and unknown gadgets were removed from the strangers and they were marched off to lock up. Sam tried to ask for Dr. Littlefield, but his name brought no reaction from the soldiers carrying out their orders. She thought about her father and realized he was probably a boy at the time. She became certain as she caught sight of a discarded newspaper. The dateline read 1947!
She was instructed to change into appropriate dress and wait for questioning. Then the heavy door to her cell swung shut and there was silence. Laid out on the bunk was a blue cotton dress 'Looks like a prison outfit' Sam remarked to herself. 'OK, what now?' It'd only be a matter of time until they brought in the psychiatrists if she told them the truth, but what else could she tell them?
****
Daniel felt calm, strangely calm, unnaturally calm. He was certain his sanity was leaving him. Perhaps this method of preparation broke down the human will so there was no fight left when the Goa'uld took over. Complete sensory deprivation. He'd read about it before, and how useful it could be in mind control. His mind, it was the last weapon he had left and he needed to fight to keep it. He could hear a woman's voice calling to him from the darkness. Bidding him to follow her, to stay strong just awhile longer. She also revealed what she wanted him to do - he was to help her destroy Ra. How comical that seemed to him now, in his condition, she was asking *him* for help.
Time was passing. It had to be passing, but he couldn't tell for certain. He had come to rely on the messages from his Mistress, his one tie to existence outside - when suddenly they stopped. No! How could she leave him now, when he needed her most. He tried to keep his mind active, remembering long forgotten texts, missions with SG-1, first memories of home and family, Sha're. When his mind would begin to slip, he'd start counting - anything to keep from sinking into catatonia. On the verge of breaking down, he felt himself being moved - rolled over onto his side. Muffled voices encircled him, but were indecipherable. He felt a slight pressure on his back and sensed that the wrappings were loosening slightly, as if they were being cut open. Certain it was time for the Goa'uld to take him over, to burrow itself into his spine - he summoned his remaining strength to fight.
It was a knife, he felt the pain as it cut a bit too deeply and punctured his skin. Instead of the expected piercing pain of the Goa'uld's entrance, he felt the knife move and begin cutting along his leg and behind his head. He was being freed from his mummification, but by whom? He began to wish he had been able to eat the food brought to him by the Horus guard. It had been far too long since he'd eaten and he became aware how weak he was.
As the wrap was removed from his head, he heard a familiar male voice. It took a minute to place it. Yes, the Horus guard. His eyes opened slowly. The world seemed hazy and dark. He was unable to speak or even react. Looking down on him were the Horus guard and Bekhat. Ra was nowhere to be seen. Bekhat offered him a sip of drink, but he couldn't swallow - it simply ran out of his mouth and down the side of his face. Concerned, Bekhat motioned to the guard to pick Daniel up and carry him out. They must move quickly, before the deceit was discovered. Daniel offered no resistance as he was gently wrapped in robes, hoisted over the guard's shoulder and carried away. He glanced back to the table where he had been laying and wondered if this were all a hallucination, for on the table he saw - himself - or at least a person wrapped in a linen casing where he had just been. The last words he remembered hearing were from Bekhat "Come Golden One, to the temple of the Mistress. She expects much of you."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Jennifer Goll
Part 18
[Mistress]
She turned to see four of her followers approach her. They were covered in dust and sand. Carefully, they laid down their burden at her feet. The cloth was drawn back. She smiled, delight lighting up her face.
****
[Oneal. Wake up.] The voice was soft and feminine.
Jack groaned and rolled over. Cool sheets whispered over his body. A giggle sounded from somewhere behind him. Suddenly he was wide awake. He jerked up right in bed. Running his hands over his body, he discovered that all of his injuries were gone. He felt wonderful. No pain, no fatigue; just the feel of life coursing through his body. Tossing back the sheet, he got out of bed. More giggling erupted. Turning, Jack saw Maeti standing at the foot of the bed. She was blushing and holding out some sort of cloth. Glancing down, Jack realized he was stark naked. He grabbed the garment from Maeti, but had trouble trying to figure out how to put it on. Still blushing, Maeti showed him how to wrap it around his hips. Stepping back, she looked him over from top to bottom.
[You look very much like an Egyptian now.]
[Ya think?]She tilted her head at his strange phrase.
[Never mind.]Suddenly, memories came pouring back. [How the hell did we get out of the pyramid. The last thing I remember, we were trapped under tons of rock. And I was hurt. And so were you.]Jack said, staring suspiciously at Maeti. Her face was unmarked, no cuts or scars marring her pretty features.
[My Mistress protected us. She dug us out and brought us back to her temple. She also healed us.]
His expression was skeptical. [And this was the same Mistress that had you lead us into the pyramid in the first place. The same Mistress that has been playing around in my head.]
Maeti couldn't understand Jack's distrust of her Mistress.[ She has protected us from the Most Holy One. What she has done is for our protection.]
[Uh-huh]
[If you had been left on your own, you would be in the hands of Ra and undoubtedly dead by now.] Jack turned to see a beautiful woman enter the room. Long black hair fell below her shoulders. Her black eyes flashed with intelligence and spirit. Her gold jewelry and white dress emphasized her olive skin. She smiled at him warmly.
[What I have done has been for your protection. Without it, you would be dead. You and your friend.]
She came closer to him, studying him intently. [I have healed your injuries, both inside and out.] Raising one hand, she ran it lightly over his arm and chest. [Maeti is right. You look very much like an Egyptian. The weeks in the prison pit have darkened your skin and honed your body even further.]
Jack stepped back. A memory of glowing red eyes flashed into his mind. [Who are you? Are you a goa'uld?] She merely continued to smile up at him. He tried again. [You said you have been protecting me the past several weeks. Why?] He narrowed his eyes at her. [And how is it protection when I was held in that hell hole of a prison pit.]
[That hell hole you refer to, is the last place Ra would have looked for you. It was also