"Demons after money. Whatever happened to the still-beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards any more."
--Giles, "Enemies"
***
"Good luck, SG1," General Hammond wished as the final chevron engaged and the wormhole opened. The team walked up the ramp and through the event horizon.
Seconds later they arrived on the other side to a blinding flash, knocking them all unconscious.
***
Daniel and Teal'c awoke to find themselves chained against a wall, their gear and weaponry removed, unable to move anything but their heads.
"This is *not* good," Daniel commented.
"I concur," Teal'c replied.
***
"Ah, good, you are awake," a soft voice stated as Sam and Jack opened their eyes. The first thing they realized was that their gear and weapons were missing. They then focused on the owner of the voice. It was a young woman with long, dark, braided hair. She wore a gauzy outfit reminiscent of the clothing worn by the women on the 'brothel' planet.
"Who are you?" Jack asked as calmly as he could. He didn't like surprises, and this was definitely one he could have done without.
"You may call me Aran," the young woman responded, a pleasant smile lighting up her features.
"Aran," O'Neill repeated, "would you mind telling us what happened and where we are?"
"You are at Lucerna. All that you may need is here," she answered, indicating the plush room with a sweep of her hand. There was a table filled with various types of food and some of the most comfortable-looking chairs either of them had seen. "As to what happened to you, I can not explain it. That is for the gods to know." She paused, cocking her head as if she heard something, then continued speaking. "I must go now. There is need of me elsewhere." Before either Sam or Jack could stop her, Aran was gone out a sliding door.
"This does *not* look good," Jack stated, receiving an agreeing nod from his junior officer.
***
Daniel sighed. He and Teal'c had been hanging on this wall for easily the past half hour and no one had come about them. He had been sure someone would come once they were awake, but so far he had been proven wrong.
He looked around once again as much as he could. The room, or should he call it cell, seemed almost like something out of a bad horror movie castle, skeletons and all. The walls seemed to be made of stone and their chains of strong metal. Teal'c had tried quite a few times to break his bonds, but had had no luck.
"DanielJackson, I do believe someone is approaching," Teal'c stated, bringing the archaeologist out of his thoughts. He listened carefully and seconds later a door slid open to reveal a beautiful young woman with long, dark, braided hair, her clothing gauzy, just like that of the women on the 'brothel' planet. Teal'c and Daniel both thought perhaps they had lucked out and could convince this woman to release them.
"You have awakened. I am glad of that," the young woman commented, smiling pleasantly.
"Um, my name's Daniel Jackson, and this is my friend Teal'c. What's your name?"
"You may call me Aran," she replied. She didn't say anything more, but she seemed as if she expected other questions. Daniel wasn't about to let her down.
"Aran, we need your help."
"In what manner?"
"Well, you see, we came here peacefully, we meant no harm. We would like you to unchain us."
"The gods have seen into your minds and know your ways. They have ordered this." Aran stood there, her expression the picture of trusting innocence. Daniel felt incredibly frustrated by her response. Why did people always follow others blindly? he thought.
"Well, maybe your gods were mistaken," he replied. Aran's expression became almost horrified. "I... I mean, they may have misunderstood some of our thoughts," Daniel added as Aran moved toward the door. She paused, seeming to think for a moment.
"The gods wish you to prove yourself," she said.
"In what way?" Teal'c asked, finally speaking.
"You will know when the time comes," she replied mysteriously. "I must go now. There is much to prepare." With those final words, Aran left the cell and left Daniel and Teal'c to wonder what was in store for them.
***
"I don't like this not knowing what's going on. And where are Daniel and Teal'c?" O'Neill questioned, pacing about the main room. The two soldiers had checked out the area they were in. It was the size of a bachelor apartment with three rooms: a good size bathroom, bedroom, and this main room that they had woken up in.
"Sir, I'm sure there's a good explanation..."
"There's no good explanation for knocking us out and keeping us locked up like prisoners," he seethed.
"They're treating us better than any prison I've heard about," she commented. The colonel stopped, turning to face the captain.
"Well, the devil can present itself in many forms," he stated, sounding almost paranoid. Sam began to worry that her commanding officer was finally losing it, that maybe when they had been knocked out, something had been knocked loose.
"Of course, sir," she replied carefully. Jack then seemed to go from paranoid to annoyed.
"Christ, what the hell is going on?" he asked, sitting down in one of the provided chairs, putting his head in his hands. Sam watched him, surprised at his reactions. She got up from her own seat, approaching him.
"Sir...?" she left her full question unasked as he looked up at her, an expression of pain on his face.
"I thought I was over this," he replied, but she still was uncertain as to what he was referring. "Back during the Gulf War, I was captured," he continued. "They would put on a show for the cameras, something like this, claiming they were treating me well, when in reality... they..." Jack trailed off, finding himself unable to voice those memories that still haunted him. An expression of concern came across Sam's face and she knelt before him as he looked away from her. She reached out, taking a hold of his hand in a comforting gesture.
"Colonel, I could never claim to understand what you went through, but I want you to know that I'm here to listen, at any time." Jack looked back at her, tears brimming in his eyes, a wry smile on his lips.
"That's kind of a given considering our current situation," he responded, causing Sam to close her eyes in slight exasperation. "But thanks, Sam, I appreciate it." She opened her eyes again, giving him a reassuring smile. "Now if only they'd let us know where the hell they have Daniel and Teal'c, I think I'd be more happy."
***
"How long do you think they'll leave us hanging here?" Daniel wondered, finding his muscles getting sore.
"I do not know, DanielJackson," Teal'c replied.
"Well, it would be nice to..." Daniel stopped as the cell door opened. Aran entered and walked over to Daniel, producing an instrument. Daniel cringed, ready for the pain to come. Instead, he felt his legs loosened and swing away from the wall. He looked down at Aran who was now reaching up to the bindings holding his wrists. She helped him down as the last one was undone. Daniel nearly fell as he stood on the stone floor, his legs giving way. Aran showed surprising strength by catching him and holding him up, then carefully seating him on the ground.
"Thank you," he said, smiling. His smile disappeared when Aran turned away from him and went to leave.
"Wait!" he called, but she did not turn around. Daniel attempted to move to stop her, but before he got very far he was hit in the chest by a great force and had the wind knocked out of him seconds before he hit the wall and lost consciousness.
***
Sam felt a twinge of hunger. It had been several hours since she had eaten anything, and having all this food and drink sitting around wasn't helping at all.
"Nothing," O'Neill stated, taking Sam's mind off her hunger momentarily. He slumped into a chair. He had just finished trying to find a way out once again. Each time he failed to find anything, yet he still got up, walked around and tested every area. Carter had joined him the first couple of times, but after finding nothing, she decided to sit out the following times.
She figured that she would be better to try thinking up some way to get them out, if the opportunity presented itself, while the colonel physically checked the rooms.
"Did you really think you'd find anything, sir?" she asked, beginning to sound tired.
"Have you got anything better?" he retorted. Sam sighed, knowing she didn't. She turned toward the food-laden table.
[Damn, shouldn't have done that,] she thought as her stomach rumbled. She glanced back at O'Neill who was now grinning.
"Been a while?"
"Whenever breakfast was." The two of them looked at the table. O'Neill picked up what looked something like a plum, sniffed it, then bit into it before Sam could stop him. Juice from the fruit dribbled down his chin, and Jack grinned like a kid.
As he cleaned off his mess, he said, "Pretty good. Try one." Sam looked over the table, unsure what to try.
She then decided to take the same fruit the colonel had, since that one seemed alright.
She bit into it, had the same result he had, and found herself giggling, making Jack smile widely.
***
"... ackson, are you in pain?" Daniel regained consciousness to the sound of Teal'c's voice, full of worry. The younger man attempted to move, but felt a sharp pain in his ribs and his head throbbed. Whatever had hit him packed quite a punch.
Daniel went to respond to Teal'c's question, but all he could do was groan.
"Do not attempt to move, you are badly injured."
[No kidding,] Daniel thought. Despite what Teal'c had just said, and against the protestations of his body, the archaeologist tried again to move. He managed to push himself into a sitting position, leaning against the wall. His breathing became laboured at that point, so he just stayed in place, keeping his eyes closed so as to steady his now spinning head.
"You should not have done that, DanielJackson. You may injure yourself further."
"I'll... take... my... chances..." he gasped out, finally finding his voice.
***
Sam felt more awake, like her senses had been heightened. Her whole body fairly tingled with sensations as she ran her fingers across the bedspread. It had a silky feel to it, which only seemed to add to the pleasant feelings she was currently experiencing.
"Find anything...?" Jack trailed off as he walked into the bedroom and saw what Sam was doing. A rather erotic image flashed into his mind, and he let out a long, slow breath in an attempt to regain some measure of control.
"Hmm?" she wondered, finally acknowledging his presence. Sam thought he looked a little flushed, and was about to mention it when he repeated his question.
"Find anything?"
"Nothing that can help get us out of here," she responded, continuing to caress the bedspread. Jack was slowly finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. He moved closer to her and she sat down on the bed. He could have sworn she was looking at him seductively.
"You know..." he started.
"Have you felt this?" she queried, indicating the bedspread. "I don't think I've felt anything so smooth." Jack's thoughts took a nosedive into the gutter. His eyes wandered over her features, luxuriating in her bright, blue eyes, her pink, kissable lips, earlobes that demanded to be nibbled on...
"No," he stated firmly, as much to himself as to answer her question. Sam recognized his change in demeanor.
"Is there something wrong?" Concern was evident in her tone as she reached out and placed a hand on his arm. Jack jumped back from the touch as if he had been shocked.
"No, fine." Jack could see that she wasn't entirely satisfied with his response. Sam stood up and went to bring the back of her hand to his forehead, but again he moved away.
"I told you I'm fine."
"You looked flushed. I want to be sure you're not sick," she told him.
[This has *nothing* to do with illness,] Jack thought.
"And I said I'm fine, captain."
[Why does he always pull this rank crap on me whenever I'm close to the truth?]
"And I say you're not."
"Is there some sort of cosmic law that requires you to disagree with most everything I tell you?"
"Are you saying I'm argumentative?"
"If the shoe fits."
"You're just jealous."
Jack laughed. "Of what?"
"That I'm pretty much right all of the time."
"Oh *please*!"
"Are you saying that I'm not?"
Jack didn't say anything, but his expression said it all for him.
"You *are* jealous! Face it!"
"I have no reason to be jealous," Jack said, "because you're not always right." He then turned away from her, leaving the bedroom, Sam quickly on his heels. She faced him again at the doorway.
"Okay then, Mr.-Know-It-All, give me one instance where I was wrong about something." She waited, but he said nothing. "Like always." She went to move past him, but he caught her by the arm.
"And just what do you mean by *that*?"
"Simply put: you always argue points that you can't back up. You can never produce evidence to strengthen your arguments. You constantly..." Jack turned away from her again, and this time he made sure to shut the door in her face, leaving her alone in the main room to contemplate what the hell had just happened.
***
"So, any ideas as to why she let me down and not you as well?" Daniel asked. He had regained regular movement, but he still felt twinges of pain. That'd teach him to not be more careful.
[You'd think by now I'd have learned my lesson,] he had chastised himself.
"I am not certain."
"And what had she meant by us having to prove ourselves?" Daniel sighed. "I have so many questions, but I'd be surprised if even one of them gets answered."
The door reopened, catching their attention. Aran entered with bread and water in her hands. She placed the plate and jug down beside Daniel who didn't move for fear of being hit by... *whatever* had hit him earlier. Aran looked at Daniel and gave him a small smile.
"I am sorry for your wounds, but you should not have attempted escape." The other two felt confused by her statement.
"You thought I was trying to escape?"
"Was that not the case?"
"Well... no, as a matter of fact it wasn't. I wanted you to release my friend," he answered, indicating Teal'c, "but you left without doing so. Why?"
"I do as I am told, nothing more," she replied, standing up to leave once again. "This nourishment is for you. Use it well." And with these mysterious words, Aran left.
"What do you think...?"
"DanielJackson, if I am not mistaken, I do believe that the door is not entirely closed," Teal'c interrupted. The archaeologist glanced over at the door and noticed a crack of light coming from the slightly opened door.
"Yeah, you're right," he replied, looking back at Teal'c. Daniel's expression was hopeful. "Maybe we got through to her?"
"If so, who now and not earlier? And what of these 'gods' she spoke of? Is it not possible that this is a trick?" Daniel pondered Teal'c's questions. Anything could be possible.
"I don't know what it is Teal'c, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth." At Teal'c's confused look, Daniel let out a mildly exasperated sigh, then told him, "A figure of speech. I'm going to see if there's any way I can get us out of here." Daniel began searching for something to work on Teal'c's bindings, but he stopped when Teal'c spoke.
"You should save yourself." The archaeologist turned and stared at the Jaffa, stunned.
"How can you even think that, Teal'c? I won't leave you behind."
"DanielJackson, it is impractical for you to stay if you can find a way to escape. I will be able to withstand whatever they will do to me. And it is possible that you will find help, if you wish to return for me." Despite Teal'c's words, Daniel's expression made clear his determination to stick by his friend.
"I don't care if it's impractical, I will find us *both* a way out of here," the younger man stated firmly before he returned to his search.
***
Sam opened the door quietly, poking her head through the opening. The colonel was seated on the bed, his jacket off and his head in his hands. Even more guilt than she had been feeling washed over her as she looked at him. She wished she could take back what she had said to him, but she knew it was far too late. She had to make it up to him somehow.
"Colonel?" she queried, pushing the door open further.
"What is it, captain?" he responded, not looking up. Sam took this as an invitation to enter the room. She walked over to him and stood beside him.
"Sir, I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I was out of line." Jack looked up, his expression tired.
"No, actually, you weren't." Sam looked puzzled at his statement, so he continued. "You weren't out of line because you were right. I do argue what I can't back up." Sam sat down beside him, tentatively placing her hand on his arm in a gesture of comfort that he didn't shrug off.
"Colonel, that's not true. You've come up with many good arguments." Jack let out a little laugh.
"C'mon, Sam, you and I both know that you, and even Daniel, are much better at that than I ever could be."
"I have a feeling I won't be able to convince you otherwise," Sam stated and Jack grinned.
"See, you even know when to give up." Sam made a face at him, making him laugh. He leaned toward her as if to nudge her, and she moved her hand to the back of his neck, giving it a gentle squeeze. Jack winced.
"You're awfully tense," the captain commented, gaining a tight smile from her commanding officer.
"Must be the not knowing what's going on. I don't like unknown variables." Sam made an agreeing noise, looking pensive. Jack gazed at Sam as her hand massaged his neck.
"Sam?" She glanced at him. "Is there any reason why you're..." he trailed off as he waved in the direction of her hand. She realized what she was doing, flushing in embarrassment. She stopped, but left her hand where it was.
"I'm sorry. Does it bother you?" Jack looked down, then away, a smile on his face.
"In more ways than one," he said quietly.
"Oh," Sam responded, removing her hand as she got what he was trying to say. She lay her hands on her lap, staring at them.
"It's not really a bad thing, I guess," Jack stated, glancing at his junior officer.
"I suppose," she responded carefully, wondering where he was going now.
"Because we *are* only human..."
"... and it's perfectly natural..." she continued, catching on.
"... to be attracted to each other," Jack finished. They looked at each other, soft smiles shared and understanding complete. Neither said anything for a few minutes, just letting it all sink in.
"So, what now?" Sam wondered.
"What we do best, follow the rules, put it aside, flirt from time to time, and move on."
Sam laughed quietly. "We are good at that."
"That we are." He paused. "And you're pretty damned good at massage. Where did you learn it, or are you one of those lucky people who came by it naturally?" His question sent Sam into a giggling fit. This wasn't something she was expecting from him, and she couldn't help but find it amusing.
"You really want to know?" she queried, a smile still playing on her lips. The expression on Jack's face gave her her answer. "I went out with a masseur for a while. He taught me a few things." His intrigued expression set her off again, and soon Jack was laughing with her. Sam and Jack leaned into each other as they laughed, enjoying this moment of levity between them. Slowly they stopped, but they continued leaning on each other, their heads gently touching.
Sam closed her eyes. It felt strange, in a good way, for them to be like this, talking so easily, rather relaxed...
Sam came out of her thoughts as she felt the gentle pressure of lips on her forehead. She pulled back, surprised, yet happy, at what he had done.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." Sam cut him off by placing a hand over his mouth.
"You're only human, right?" she asked, gaining a huge smile from him as her eyes twinkled mischievously. He took her hand in his, moving it away from his mouth. He absentmindedly caressed her hand with his thumb as they sat there.
"Why do I get the feeling that every day from here on in is going to be a greater test of will then I've ever had to face before?"
Sam smiled at his question and went to reply, but then she seemed to have a change of mind.
"What?" Jack wondered.
"Something you said just may have given me a clue as to what's going on here." Jack looked mildly surprised.
"Something *I* said?" he repeated.
"Yes, as hard as you find that to believe," she teased. "You mentioned a test of will," she paused briefly as he nodded, "Well, what if all this was some sort of test."
"You mean like an experiment?"
"Exactly!" she exclaimed, quickly warming to the subject. "What if whomever knocked us out was testing on us, experimenting to see how we would react in certain situations."
"You think it's the Goa'ulds?" Sam shook her head.
"No, this seems too subtle for them."
"What about Pelops?" he reminded her. Sam considered this.
"Possible, but this doesn't seem similar to what he did to the Argosians."
"Alright then, if it's not the Goa'uld's, then who?"
"Could be any being. The possibilities are endless."
"Okay, we can't figure out who's 'pushing the buttons', so then let's figure out what the 'test conditions' are." Sam smiled. Sometimes he surprised her when he actually seemed to be on the same wavelength as her.
"I think at first they just left us be, to see naturally what we'd do, then, if you recall, after we both ate the food provided..."
"We both got kinda frisky," O'Neill finished, nodding.
"But why then..."
"Did nothing happen? The only thing I can think of was that we started to fight, then we were in separate rooms for a while, so perhaps the negativity hampered the effects."
"So we messed with their results," he stated. She grinned.
"Yeah, I guess we did. And I think we should boycott this little test of theirs." Jack smiled in agreement.
"Just one question," he began, a thought occurring to him, "Did you come in here of your own free will?" Sam considered his question.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I just... at one point, I could have sworn I felt someone or something in my brain trying to get me to, well... behave not exactly within the military rules."
"So when you kissed me..."
"Oh, no, that was me," he responded, cutting her off, then realizing what he had said, "What I meant was..."
"It's okay, I got it," she replied, a teasing smile on her face as she nudged him gently.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm never going to live this down?" he asked, not really wanting an answer.
Once again neither of them spoke until Sam asked, "If they put us through this, what are they putting Teal'c and Daniel through?"
Before Jack could respond, Aran appeared in the main room. She turned toward them.
"You must come with me," she stated, and it was clear she would hear no arguments.
"I guess we got someone's attention," Jack commented to Sam as they got up from the bed and preceded Aran out of their 'prison' to wherever she was going to lead them.
***
In frustration, Daniel threw away the bone he tried to use as a lock pick on Teal'c's chains. Every time he tried, either the bone would break or he would get a mild shock. And even though he did try from time to time, he wasn't making any progress either with finding something to help him lever the door open. Even the bread and water that Aran left, which he had thought would be some sort of help, had done nothing for him.
The archaeologist was quickly losing any patience he may have had in 'reserve' because of his lack of luck. He was almost tempted to give up and do as Teal'c had said, to get himself out of there and leave Teal'c behind, but he fought against that feeling of giving up and continued working. He just hoped he was able to get them out before he lost his patience entirely.
"DanielJackson." Daniel sighed.
[Please let it not be another question I can't answer,] he thought to himself, his patience waning yet again.
"Yes Teal'c?"
"I do believe the door is opening once again." The younger man turned quickly to face the door and saw that it was indeed opening. Aran entered without a word, going immediately over to Teal'c and, using that same device she had used earlier to free Daniel, she undid the bindings. Teal'c almost pitched forward, his muscles out-of-whack from hanging on the wall so long, but Aran easily caught and supported the Jaffa. Daniel shook his head as he sat amazed once again at this woman's strength.
Aran supported Teal'c as she walked with him toward the door, telling Daniel to come, which he felt compelled to 'obey'. Last thing he wanted was to be left behind.
***
"So how long do we have to sit here?" Jack questioned, sounding impatient.
"Until all is ready," Aran replied as calmly as the first time he had asked, annoying the colonel. Sam reached over and touched Jack's arm before he said anything more. Her expression told him that it was pointless to get upset. Fortunately he decided to hold his tongue.
A few minutes later, the door slid open and in came Daniel, Teal'c..and Aran. Sam and Jack looked between the woman standing beside them and the woman helping Teal'c sit down. They were virtually identical.
Before either of them could ask, the two women left, the door closing firmly behind them.
"Guess we won't be getting out of here too soon," Daniel commented.
"Not if whomever brought us here to experiment on us has anything to do with it," Sam responded. Daniel and Teal'c turned toward Sam, curious, but not entirely surprised looking.
"Experiment?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah, we figured that all that was happening to us was part of some sort of test," Jack started.
"For the most part," Sam interjected, giving the colonel a quick grin, which he returned.
"So, was it rough?" Daniel queried, rapidly gaining their attention.
"What do you mean?" Jack questioned.
"I was wondering if they were as rough on you as they were on us."
"How exactly were they rough on you?" Sam wondered, steering the conversation away from the previous topic.
"They chained us to a wall, injured DanielJackson and made him attempt to release me."
"Whoa, I wanted to release you myself, no one had to make me do that. You were the one who was telling me to escape on my own."
"And I still believe it was impractical..."
"Oh, you've got to be..."
"Guys, guys! I think your argument is kinda moot right now. At least we're all back together and relatively okay. Let's just try to..."
"We will hear no more," a voice stated, seeming to come from directly behind the team. Everyone, including Teal'c, jumped at the sound of the voice. They all instinctively reached for their weapons, which they knew were not there. They turned as one to look behind them and were surprised to see a being that resembled an elf. It wore a similarly gauzy outfit to the two women known to SG1 as Aran. The team watched the elf as it walked around them to a seat that appeared out of nowhere. They noticed that it had small, fragile wings on its back, definitely not practical for flight.
"Are you a Nox?" Jack asked as the elf sat down.
"No, I am a Furling." Everyone's face registered surprise. "Let me guess, you thought we'd be hairier." There was a definite tone of sarcasm to what it said.
"Well, yeah," Jack responded. The Furling sighed.
"So like you humans to be presumptuous."
"Now wait a minute...!" Jack began, moving to stand, but a touch from Sam stopped him. He sat there, his entire body broadcasting his annoyance.
"You have to understand, humans tend to make associations between words and what they may see. It's not intentional," Daniel told the Furling.
"That may be, but it just goes to show that your people lack a more open mind."
"Is it me or are you not talking?" Sam queried, realizing for the first time that the Furling's mouth had not been moving.
"You are correct. Our race progressed to a level where we no longer required vocal speech. It has made us more efficient. And one day your race may achieve this as well."
"How's that?" Jack asked, his annoyance giving way to interest.
"We have been observing your race for a long while, waiting for the appropriate time to approach you."
"But, you're so much like..." Daniel started. The Furling waved a hand.
"Yes, at one time your people were more open-minded to our people, so we made ourselves known, as did the Nox. But eventually humans became fear-mongerers and even more insular, so we decided to return to being outside observers. Not long after we encountered the Asgaard, who agreed to take our place. We continued working toward firming our Great Alliance against the Goa'uld in the meantime."
"So, by observing, you mean experimenting?"
"We have had many manners of observation."
"Well I think it stinks," Jack stated, not sounding happy again. The Furling's expression was now amused and they all heard a tinkling laughter.
"What's so funny?" the colonel questioned, getting more annoyed.
"You do not like our manner of observation, yet you perform similar experiments."
"Not on..."
"Sir, yes we do." Jack turned to look at Sam, his expression questioning. "Think about all the lab experiments..."
"But that's lab experiments."
"Humans have never limited themselves to open testing, Jack."
"Daniel's right. Think of DDT testing, sir. And if Col. Maybourne ever got the chance..."
"He would not hesitate to experiment with anything or anybody who may be of value to him," Teal'c finished. The three humans gave him a sympathetic look, which he accepted greatfully.
"Okay, so we're no different, really," Jack replied begrudgingly, "but I still think it stinks." The Furling smiled kindly.
"And that is why we are beginning to make contact once again. Your race has progressed greatly over the last few centuries, but there is still a great deal for your people to overcome."
"So we've been told," Jack said sardonically.
"But, in our observations of you here, you have shown us that it is possible for you to handle extreme situations. Even your Jaffa friend pleasantly surprised us with his actions." Teal'c inclined his head respectfully toward the Furling.
"I would hope that many of my fellow Jaffa could please you so."
"And so they may. We, along with the Nox and Asgaard, have been quite gladened by this progress. Ever since the Ancient Ones left us, we have felt a great absence."
"What *did* happen to the Ancient Ones, if you don't mind my asking," Sam wondered.
"That is unknown to us. The Ancient Ones were there before we ventured out into the universe, and we believed they would always be, but over time we saw less and less of their kind."
"Maybe some sort of disease," Daniel suggested.
"Or some other aliens?" Jack added. Everyone nodded in agreement to both possibilities.
"I suppose we will never know." The Furling stood up. "It is time for you to depart."
"We have so many more questions," Daniel protested. The Furling chuckled.
"The Asgaard were correct, your people are still so very curious." The Furling approached Daniel, stopping in front of him. "We will meet again, and perhaps then we can discuss your questions." Daniel nodded reluctantly, resigning himself. Soon after, the Furling disappeared and the two Arans entered, indicating that SG1 should leave. Sam and Jack stood easily, Daniel with a bit of stiffness, and Teal'c with greater difficulty. The two officers offered to help Teal'c, but he declined.
"I am getting stronger," he informed them.
The group made their way out of the building they were in, surprised at its outer simplicity of what looked like a peat moss roof and stone walls. They would have never equated something like this with aliens such as the Furlings.
Seconds after the last of them had exited the building, it shimmered and disappeared, just as the Furling had. Daniel reached out in curiosity, but all that was there was the air. They all looked at each other, knowing that the Furlings would only make themselves known when they felt the need.
As they walked to the Stargate, Daniel felt he had to satisfy his, and he was certain the others', curiosity about the women they called Aran.
"Excuse me," he said, gently touching one of them on the arm. She looked at him. "May I ask you something?"
"You may ask, but it is not certain I will have the answer."
"Fair enough. Are you two," he pointed at the two women, "twins?" The Arans looked at each other. The one he had spoken to then looked back at him.
"In the sense I believe you to mean, no, we are not. We came from the same matter, but we are not 'twins'."
"Clones?" Sam piped up. The other Aran turned to look at Sam.
"No, not that either. It is too difficult for your kind to understand. Maybe some day the gods will explain it."
"These 'gods' of yours, have you actually seen them?"
"No, we have not. We only are here to serve them. In exchange we receive a great many benefits," the first Aran responded to Sam's question.
"We have arrived," the second Aran stated. The team saw that their gear and weapons were waiting for them, so they picked it all up as they thanked the two women. The Arans humbly accepted their thanks. O'Neill turned to Daniel.
"Daniel, dial us home please." Daniel nodded in agreement and moved toward the DHD. Jack turned back to the Arans to say goodbye, but they were gone.
"Okay, is it just me, or did those two disappear into thin air?" the colonel asked.
"They were there just a second ago," Sam stated.
"I did not see them leave," Teal'c added.
"I guess the Nox passed on some technology to the Furlings," Daniel suggested as he input the last symbol. The rest of the team joined him as the event horizon formed.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Jack agreed.
"So, what exactly did the Furlings do to you?" Daniel queried, looking between Jack and Sam. The soldiers looked at each other before either answered.
"We were..." Jack started.
"... experimented on, just like you guys," Sam finished, quickly looking toward the 'gate as she input the iris code.
"Yeah, just like you guys," Jack confirmed. "Let's go home." He walked away from the other men toward the 'gate platform, Sam not far behind. Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other curiously, but decided to let it go, for now.
THE END
"Demons after money. Whatever happened to the still-beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards any more."
--Giles, "Enemies"
Story Notes: Parts: 4
Author: Siobhan Gormley (aq806@ncf.ca)
Rating: PG
Warning: a little violence
Classification: possible S&J romance,
Summary: SG1 goes to a new planet and is put to the test
Required reading: none
Spoilers: "Brief Candle"
Distribution: The S&J fic archive, Heliopolis, and my site (http://members.tripod.com/~Web7thLevel/TVLAND/pfa.html)
Feedback: Love it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story. I intend no infringement in the use of the characters, who incidentally belong to Gekko, Double Secret, and MGM, and I make no money off of writing this story. It is simply for my, and hopefully the reader's, enjoyment.
Author's note: This one hints a bit at my previous fic "A Challenge", but you won't be confused if you haven't read it. The Danny-whumping in this fic is dedicated to Yum@. =)
Author: Siobhan Gormley (aq806@ncf.ca)
Rating: PG
Warning: a little violence
Classification: possible S&J romance,
Summary: SG1 goes to a new planet and is put to the test
Required reading: none
Spoilers: "Brief Candle"
Distribution: The S&J fic archive, Heliopolis, and my site (http://members.tripod.com/~Web7thLevel/TVLAND/pfa.html)
Feedback: Love it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story. I intend no infringement in the use of the characters, who incidentally belong to Gekko, Double Secret, and MGM, and I make no money off of writing this story. It is simply for my, and hopefully the reader's, enjoyment.
Author's note: This one hints a bit at my previous fic "A Challenge", but you won't be confused if you haven't read it. The Danny-whumping in this fic is dedicated to Yum@. =)
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]