The seventh symbol of the encoding sequence locks in and the SG-1 team steps from the cold secure mountain installment through the gate. Captain Carter still isn’t used sensation of being transported through space at over up to 20 times the speed of light. As the team emerges on the other side instinctively she inhales deeply. Buckling over she to chokes and gasps with the other SG-1 members, the air is hot and smoky as the forest floor burnes with intensity. Their eyes burn as they force their masks over their faces. Tea’c uses his staff to signal that they should follow him, he leads them to a cave not far from the gate.
O’Neill: "what in the hell is going on!?, Tea’c why are we in here? We should head upwind to try and get out of this smoke."
Daniel coughs and chokes as he tries to agree.
Carter: "Daniel I think your mask is leaking. Stop, here let me fix it."
As Carter adjustes Daniels mask Teal’c just stands at the entrance staring out.
Daniel: "why are you acting so *cough* strange?."
Teal’c:" I remember I was here many years ago, I came with the gou-auld. This planet is used to exile criminals guilty of the most hanous crimes. The Gou-auld were one ambushed as they crossed the stargate and weapons and technology were stolen. Since then there have been rumors that the exiles have been developing their own technology and weapons so powerful even the Gou-auld no longer come here." He turned to O’Neill, "We should leave now, if they saw us come through they will be looking for us, I do not believe it would be a god idea to stay on this planet."
Captain Carter looks around, the cave is damp and the scuffs in the dirt indicate someone had been there. "Guy’s maybe Teal’c’s right, I don’t like the feel of this place. And it looks like this cave has been used recently."
"No, I think there is a lot we could learn about how a culture reintroduces technology after everything has been taken away. I would like to observe these people to see how their society is built too, there must be some kind of government..." Daniel said while writing notes on his pad.
Carter looked round, she hated how her opinion was never valued as much as one of the guys. She was smart if not smarter than the guys, and weren’t women supposed to have better psychic abilities about things?, well she really had a bad feeling about this place and O’Neill had totally ignored her.
The colonel joined Teal’c at the entrance to the cave. "We are going to explore for a couple hours like we are supposed to but you don’t have to go if you don’t want to."
"No I will go." Teal’c said in his usual monotone voice. But it seemed that he was weary of every sound or movement in the bushes, as if he were waiting for something.
* * * *
The group walked along a thin path through the once dense charred forest, there was no longer green foliage but black and white ash among the thick stumps. Suddenly the group stopped.
"I heard something..."
"over there!"
"Get down."
Across their path perhaps forty meters in front of them crossed a group of women carrying jugs and baskets. They were singing and laughing as they strolled along in soft flowing pastel clothing, totally oblivious to the SG-1's presence. Carter and Jackson moved behind the women to follow them as Teal’c and O’Neill hid behind a blackened tree.
They were led to a clearing that opened to a large marketplace where people were busily shopping and shuffling around. Carter and Jackson crept up behind a large rock.
"This is incredible!. These people have totally reconstructed their society... there are merchants, families, bureaucrats and security." Daniel said pointing to the richly clothed men guarded by 8 or 9 tall men.
"Yeah but I really don’t like the look of them, lets go." Sam turned to leave.
"No, I really want to see how this works. I’ll talk to O’Neill and see if we can stay the night" Daniel called back as he walked past her.
She looked on with anger and disappointment.
* * * *
The team set up camp in the cave. Carter hated every minute of it, it was cold and there were bugs and strange animals. The worst part was that she was feeling extremely claustrophobic, her pack was at the back of the cave and she remembered reading The Hobbit when she was young and how when they took shelter in the cave the back had opened up and the goblins had come to get them. She felt ready for something like that to happen, so obviously was Teal’c. He was seated at the mouth of the cave with his staff listening to the wind blow or was that it?.
It was getting dark. Carter excused herself and started into the woods, as she walked she could feel the dew set. Shivers ran down her spine. She descended a steep grassy hill to the riverbed below.
Her head snapped up, she heard yelling from above. Carter turned and began running up the slippery grass. Gunfire rang out as voices called out, a single cry of pain echoed through the trees. She dug into the deep pockets of her pants looking for her weapon, her feet slid and she landed flat on her chest. She let out a cough as the blow winded her completely. Gasping and sputtering she slid downwards on the steep grade. She lay still as voices above her shouted, the last thing she heard as they moved away was an agonized cry in Daniel’s voice.
* * * *
She lay curled up in the deep grass, the early morning sun filtered through the trees and warmed her back. Dreams of death and war filled her mind all night, and each one ended with Daniel’s voice calling to her. She awoke suddenly aware she was being watched, all around her were the same women they had followed before. Carter jumped to her feet as one of the women held her hand out. She refused it.
"You must not be frightened." the young woman again offered her hand, this time Carter took it and she was helped up the hill.
"Um my name is Samantha Carter, I have lost my three friends. Do you know where I could find them?"
"We know where they are."
"You must go now before you are seen"
"you wear such strange clothing!."
"Shhh!. Be quiet"
"do you thirst?".
On and on the women chattered in their sweet melodic voices. Leading her towards the gate.
"Wait!" Carter stopped in her tracks, "I have to find my friends!, can any of you help me?. Please help me I cant leave with out them".
The young woman introduced herself as Enigma. She led Sam to a bend in the path where she took her aside.
"You are not from near here I can tell, you don’t understand our ways. Here we do not look upon visitors kindly. Your friends were taken the holding area at the center of the Gamish’s compound to await death for trespassing. Our forefathers here were violent and extreme men the laws they made are unfair but there is nothing we can do about them. We can’t help you, we are only servants of the Gamish who is our leader. If we do not obey him we will be stoned to death like your friends. We suggest you be on your way before Gamish and his men start to look for you too."
Sam shook her head, she couldn’t leave them here even if it was to go get help from earth. From the sounds of it they were to be punished within the day. She couldn’t let that happen!.
"Wait!. if I borrowed you clothing I could sneak into Gamish’s compound and save my friends. Please let me do this!"
The women looked to one another, Enigma turned and led her to small hut in the skirts of the village. Carter donned one of Enigma’s spare dresses and waited as she wrapped the rich soft blue fabric around her short hair. She looked into the mirror and hoped her disguise would be adequate.
* * * *
The jug of water she carried was heavy as Enigma led her to the holding area. The busy going on’s in the roadway helped to hide her as they slipped in the door. The lamps on the rock walls cast the only light inside the jail. The guard inspected their jugs of water and let them pass. They opened the cells and ladled it out to the thirsty prisoners. As they turned the corner Sam put the jug down and paced up the corridor. She found the team weak and crumpled on the stone floor of their cell. She quickly opened the heavy wood door, Teal’c looked up as he nudged O’Neill out of his sleep.
He managed to see her out of his swollen eyes."Sam!, you have to get us out of here!. They are going to kill us tonight".
"Shh, be quiet. I am going to get you out I just need time to find a way... the guard is coming". She became silent and poured the water into their parched mouths. Their sorrowful eyes followed as the guard slammed the door behind her.
* * * *
"Quick!, do you have many medicinal herbs?" Sam asked Enigma as they hurried out of the compound to the hut.
"Yes but why do you need them?, are your friends sick?".
"They are indeed sick but I need them for another reason, if I can slip some to the guard that will make him lose consciousness I will be able to get to my friends."
The two women set out to make a potent powder that would cause the guard to be unconscious and stay that way for about 40 minutes. They mixed it into a canteen of Enigmas version of whisky and headed for the compound.
* * * *
The guard wasn’t the least suspicious of the whisky as he drank the whole lot down in a couple giant gulps. Now as he lay on the floor Carter had the privileged task of helping her sweaty, grimy team members out the door to the hut. Teal’c and O’Neill were so happy to get out of the jail they walked on their own but Enigma had to help Carter with Daniel. He had supposedly been the last one caught, he almost got away but the Ganish’s guards had shot him with some sort of energy blast that had knocked him unconscious for hours.
"We have to leave now, but thank you so much for your help. I couldn’t have done it without you", Carter gave Enigma a hug.
"Arghhh..." Daniel groaned from the corner, rubbing his head with his fingers.
Somewhere in the village a siren went off.
"We have to get out of here quick! they have realized they are missing!" Carter said while gesturing at the team.
Carter and Teal’c helped Daniel to his feet as O’Neill held the door open for them. Towards the gate they hurried, as the sound of Ganish’s men got louder behind them. O’Neill ran ahead to lock in the co-ordinates and signal to SGC to open the iris so they could come through. A giant sparkling wave of silver exploded from the gate, Teal’c carried Daniel through the gate. Carter and O’Neill stayed as they heard Enigma’s voice calling to them. She came running up the path with the guards close at her heels.
"C’mon!, hurry!" O’Neill bellowed as gunfire erupted around them.
She ran up the stairs as the bullets grazed their bodies. Colonel O’Neill grabbed at her arm, before she had time to catch her balance again he had pulled her through the gate. Their bodies were stretched, compressed and distorted as they traveled along the event horizon then whosshh!. They were once again at Stargate Command. Terrified, Enigma ran down the ramp to where she felt safe.
O’Neill walked up the ramp again waiting for Sam to come through, the room felt his apprehension and movement stopped as all eyes focused on the portal. A single bullet shot through the gate sending a splatter of blood over O’Neill. He looked down at his uniform.
"Oh god..."
Sam collapsed out of the gate on her knees and she looked down at her stomach. Blood was pouring out of a large wound. O’Neill picked her up and ran down the ramp through the door as Stargate Command shut the iris and the bodies of the guards were crushed against it, the slamming sound of it followed him all the way to the infirmiry.
"Get the doctor quick!", he yelled as he placed Sam on the of the gurnies.
Janet came running up, after cursing at him for whatever he did she and the other nurses wheeled her off to surgery, Teal’c and Daniel looked on while a nurse tried to examine them. Various medical staff ran in and out of the room as Janet called for this and that.
* * * *
O’Neill sat on a bench outside the operation room. Thinking. Daniel had been forced to go rest after he had collapsed in the hall, and Teal’c was busying himself pacing up and down the hall. His thoughts plagued him, if he had listened to Sam in the first place she wouldn’t be in this predicament. He had also broken protocol when he pulled Enigma through the gate, he was always supposed to be the last through the gate. Maybe if he had done what he was supposed to do he could have taken the bullet and she would be okay. He cracked his knuckles and leaned back on the wall. 6:49 am. Sam had been in the operating room for an hour and a half. General Hammond wanted a debriefing but he was gonna have to wait. God he wished Teal’c would stop pacing.
Suddenly Janet burst into the dead air of the hallway. Teal’c and O’Neill both snapped to attention.
"Well no thanks to you, Samantha is going to make it I think. We managed to stop the bleeding and repair most of the tissue but she will be needing a couple months off." snap, snap. Off came her surgical gloves.
They just stood there as the nurses slowly filed out of the room into the hallway around them, going to bed or to get some breakfast. Jack looked on through the window in the door at the weakened body on the bed. There was a ventilator pumping in the corner and tubes with strange solutions ran from her arms.
"You can go in if you need to".
But he was already inside, Teal’c followed him to her bedside. Her eyes were closed and the golden hair atop her head was disheveled. O’Neill pulled up a chair and sat beside her, he took her hand and leaned on the mattress. Teal’c remained standing stiff as the constant beep-beep of her beating heart rang out.
* * * *
"Is she awake yet?!", the doors banged as Daniel raced in the door. "I asked them to wake me as soon as anything happened but Janet let me sleep in."
Teal’c stared at Daniel with glossy eyes
Jack opened his eyes, "godamnit Jackson!, don’t do that!.", he felt like slugging the guy, he was going to make him leave until he heard a sound. Everybody swung around, Sam had been awoken by the great commotion and was groaning as the pain in her side throbbed.
From then on it was sort of a blur. Janet and the nurses running in and out of the room asking Sam how she felt and administering morphine for the pain. General Hammond paid a visit to Sam and brought her family to see her. Sam’s mother and father didn’t stay too long partially because Mrs. Carter couldn’t stand to see her little girl like that and because the morphine had made her incoherent and she was rambling on and on about top secret information General Hammond didn’t want everyone to know.
Daniel and Jack waited in the hallway until all of the commotion had ended, when the Carters were finally ushered out of the room to some spare bunks in the base they again returned to Sam’s bedside. Jack went back to the bedside seat he had held before as Daniel noisily pulled up another one. "Jackson!, what it wrong with you tonight?, are you trying to break the peace?."
"so-so-sorry Jack, I didn’t mean..."
"thank god" Sam Carters pale hand reached out to where Jacks was resting on her arm. Everyone in the infirmary went silent. "Im... sorry. I failed you..."
"Oh no... you didn’t fail us! You were the one that saved us!. We were set to be worm food by now if you hadn’t of thought so fast."
"Thank you Sam..." was all Daniel could manage to squeak out.
"But hey!, Doc. Janet says that she should have you all patched up in no time so the next mission we go on you can save our sorry butts again." Jack tried, but he was wondering where his sense of humor was. The pale blue eyes glazed over once again as she fought to fight the drugs affects. Jack felt a squeeze to his hand as Sam’s head rested on the pillow and she fell asleep. "Everything’s gonna be alright, rock-a-bye. Rock-a-bye."
* * * *
The End.
If you have any comments or ideas write me please!. I love a good idea, but please people!... constructive criticism!. You read far enough through it to see this so it couldn’t have been that terrible. Thanks. azuraine@yahoo.com
Story Notes: hello everyone, in effort to get somthing going here i am going to embarass myself. i wrote this piece of fan fic a while ago and it was my first attempt, you can tell, give me any ideas about how i can improve my writing in the future. i must admit that this story is only semi-sam/jack related but i hope you enjoy. im sending it in two parts so it isnt too long. adrianna
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 ]