Meeting of the Minds - Chapter One
Meeting of the Minds - Chapter One
by Cynthia J. Klawitter
Summary: Soon after arriving on a new planet, Daniel is kidnapped under the mistaken belief that he's the leader of his people and the rest of SG-1 is his retinue. During the search for him, Sam puts on a headset that connects her to a network that links her mind with Daniel's, and she's unable to remove it. Can SG-1 find Daniel before the unknown side effects of the devices he and Sam wear permanently meld their minds?
Category: Action/Adventure, Drama
Season: Season 4
Pairing: Daniel/Sam
Rating: 13+
Warnings: language, violence
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2005-04-29
It was a beautiful clear night on PJ6-826. At least that's what Major Samantha Carter was thinking as she gazed up at the field of sparkling stars above her after doing a perimeter check halfway through third watch. She and the rest of SG-1 had arrived on the planet twelve hours previously to check out a monolith discovered a short distance away from the Stargate by the probe scans. Her teammate Doctor Daniel Jackson had been especially excited by the discovery, as he could begin to make out an almost familiar language carved into the stone and couldn't wait to be able to get the chance to translate it.
When the blonde major's commanding officer Colonel Jack O'Neill had led them through the stone ring and across the galaxy it was all the man could do to keep Daniel from heading directly for the glossy black monument. "Daniel!" he had finally shouted as he struggled to keep a hold of the archaeologist's arm. "You do remember the whole threat assessment thing we're supposed to do when we get through the gate, don't you?"
The younger man blinked his way back to the present. "Well, yeah, but..."
Jack cut him off. "No buts! Check out the DHD while the rest of us check the area for hostiles. Then you can go play with your rock. Not before." His hard brown gaze backed up the order.
"All right, Jack. You win. But I don't think there's going to be anybody here. Like I told you before, what I could make out of the writing on the monolith was suggestive of a list of rules visitors are supposed to follow. Its proximity to the Stargate makes me think that the indigenous population wants people to know the rules of their society before making contact, so..." Daniel shrugged. "No people until after the monolith."
"You may be right about the people who planted the monolith," Sam had chimed in. "But what if there's another society here?"
"Yeah," Jack agreed quickly, jumping at the backup. "A society that doesn't give a rat's ass about these rules. Think, Daniel!"
Daniel released a long suffering sigh and rolled his bright blue eyes. "I already said you won, Jack. And you both could be right. I admit it. Now could we hurry so I can get to work on the monolith?" His lips twitched upward as he headed over to the DHD that rested near the base of the Stargate's platform.
"Daniel Jackson is correct, O'Neill. We should begin," Teal'c said from the colonel's left side. Sam was sure she'd seen a twinkle of amusement in the Jaffa's dark brown eyes, just as she was sure the large man had used the time the rest of them had spent talking to do a visual check of the open field the gate rested in.
Everything had been clear for once, and Sam had watched over Daniel while Jack and Teal'c had set up their camp not too far from the artifact. The brown-haired man had documented all four sides of the stone and the different languages on each with his camcorder before settling down before the one that faced the direction they had come from - "Because I've already translated half of it," he had justified his choice. He shared his discoveries as he came across them, his arms widely gesticulating between furious periods of copying the text, his plan to formally translate it once he had it all in his journal.
Sam had collected soil samples as she listened to her teammate's excited tangents. He speculated about the society he was sure they'd find over the next hill when they followed the path Teal'c had found during his and O'Neill's search around their campsite, about what kind of technology they might have, and about which ancient civilizations they might parallel - the address had come from the list that Jack had entered into the computer when he'd had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain instead of the Abydos cartouche so Daniel didn't think the culture would be a direct descendant of anything on Earth. The woman had learned more than she'd ever wanted to about Aramaic, the language closest to that on the side of the monolith Daniel was focused on. But she didn't mind; she rarely did. She and Daniel had shared moments like that almost since the moment they met, both of them devoted scientists who loved the thrill of discovery and sharing that joy. It had just been his turn to ramble on about his particular specialty.
One of the logs in the middle of the campfire popped loudly, startling Sam out of her thoughts. She chuckled at herself and gazed over at the tents where the men of her team were sleeping - meditating in Teal'c's case. They were quiet, thankfully. After everything the four of them had been through over the past four years and before, nightmares weren't entirely uncommon, and the blonde astrophysicist was happy her teammates, her friends, were getting a full night's rest.
A snap of a twig and dull thump from behind her made Sam begin to rethink that last hope. No one in the tents stirred at the sound and she knew it was most likely just one of the local fauna prowling around looking for a midnight snack, but something told her to get up and check it out anyway. Carefully the major crept toward the bushes at the edge of the camp, her feet making no sound and her eyes wary as they scanned the area. Her right hand tightened reflexively on the grip of her P-90, and her left hand reached out to part the foliage and reveal whatever it had been that was out here. The only thing she discovered, however, was a sudden cloud of powder in her face. It worked quickly, and Sam's last thought before succumbing to whatever agent the dust had contained was that the night had turned out not to be as beautiful as she had first thought.
* * * * * * * *
"Carter. Carter! Wake up already!"
Jack O'Neill's urgent, almost panicked voice finally penetrated the fog that had settled on her with the powder from the bushes, and Sam's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Sir?" she croaked out. "What happened?" A brief glance around found her still near the bushes where she'd fallen the night before, the sun high over head.
Jack released an explosive breath as he helped his second in command up into a sitting position. "Well, actually I was hoping you could tell us. What were you doing over here?"
"I... I heard something over here and decided to check it out. It was probably an animal of some sort. When I separated the branches of the bushes I must have kicked up some sort of spore cloud and it knocked me out. I'm sorry, sir."
"I wish it were that simple, Carter. But then again, this is us we're talking about so of course it never is."
"What do you mean?"
"It means, Major Carter, that we located this amongst the bushes we found you near," Teal'c explained from her other side, holding up a small reed tube that looked even smaller in his large hand. "There is some type of powder inside that we believe matches that which we found on your face."
Sam blinked in realization. "You mean someone did this to me on purpose? Why?" She looked from one man to the other, suddenly doing a head count. "Where's Daniel?"
Jack smiled humorlessly. "I think you just answered your own question, Major. Although why they didn't wait for him to take last watch is beyond me. They took a big chance that whatever that stuff is they dosed you with would work like it did. If you'd had any time at all you would have raised an alarm."
The blonde head nodded as she took the statement as the absolution it was meant to be, although agreeing with it was something else altogether. "So do we know what direction whoever took Daniel headed for?"
"We do indeed," Teal'c said. "I found three sets of tracks heading away from the Stargate. When they reached the trail O'Neill and I discovered yesterday it became extremely difficult to distinguish them from the others to be found there. It appears that the path is well-traveled."
"I just don't get why whoever did this only took Daniel," Jack groused, offering a balancing hand as Sam pushed herself to her feet. "With that drug they could have dragged us all off without anyone the wiser, or at the very least you, Carter. What was so special about him?"
Sam's brows creased in thought as she considered that. "Whoever it was must have been watching us for some time to have decided to only take one of us. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Daniel could read the monolith."
"Which would suggest that whatever culture put it there took him, especially since they headed for the trail that leads away from it," Jack concluded, his expression turning cold. "Well, I say we just walk on over to wherever that path leads and tell them to give us our archaeologist back!" He began storming off to do just that.
"Sir, wait!" Carter called quickly, stopping the older man in his tracks. "I think we need to check Daniel's translations of the monolith before we head off. I remember him saying that he thought it said something about the people not being tolerant of those who broke the law, and that ignorance wasn't a valid excuse. We can't help him if we've been arrested."
Jack looked back over his shoulder. "If you'll remember, Carter, Daniel barely managed to copy all of that gibberish before the sun glaring off the rock gave him a migraine. That's why he had last watch, so he could sleep it off. Between the drugs he took for his head and whatever they blew in his face, it's no wonder he didn't put up any kind of struggle." He clenched his jaw in frustration as he jerked his cap off his head and ran a hand through his short greying hair. "I absolutely hate this!"
Sam bit her lower lip as she remembered her orders to wake her CO up if Daniel looked like he didn't have all the pain medication out of his system at the watch change. "He was going to finish the translation this morning," she whispered.
"It is possible that we may be able to translate one of the languages ourselves," Teal'c offered. "Did you recognize any of them, Major Carter?"
"Recognize, yes," she confirmed. "Am I able to read them? Probably not. Daniel showed me two of them before he settled down to work on the side the M.A.L.P. sent back pictures of. He said something about the last side looking like some sort of Romance language, but I was in the middle of getting my soil samples so I didn't take a look."
"You mean he got all excited over some sort of intergalactic trashy romance novel?" Jack asked incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me!"
The blonde woman sighed. "No, sir, he was talking about one of the Romance languages. You know, like French or Spanish. They're all part of the same linguistic... family, I guess you call it. He didn't say which one, though."
Jack's eyebrows rose. "And you know this how?"
Sam couldn't help but smirk, however halfheartedly. "I actually listen when Daniel talks, sir. I was bound to pick up something."
"I believe we should examine the fourth side of the monolith," the Jaffa declared as Jack grumbled something about all scientists being alike. "If this is indeed a language like that of one from Earth, it is possible one of you may recognize it."
"That'll work, Teal'c. But if we don't get anything fast, we're taking off, laws be damned. If I have to bust Daniel out of wherever they're holding him, I'll do it."
With that Jack led the other two to the far side of the obsidian-like stone that had so captured their missing friend's interest. Sam ran curious fingers gently over the etched letters. "You know, I think Daniel was right. This does look familiar."
"What do you know? You're right," Jack murmured his agreement. "But what language is it?"
The two of them stared at the familiar looking letters for a long, silent moment before both pairs of eyes widened in realization. "It's French!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Well, a bastardized version, anyway," Jack added with a shrug. He grinned. "What do you know? This is one time I can actually read the scribbles on one of Daniel's rocks." He immediately sobered at the thought. "Just wish I didn't have to." The man took a deep breath and pulled himself together, pushing aside the worry for his friend that was eating at him. "Okay, let's get to work. The last thing I need is some nitpicky alien to get in the way of me getting Daniel back." He and Sam then put their heads together and tried to decipher the foreign words while Teal'c stood guard over them both.
* * * * * * * *
"You want to explain to me again why you think whoever snatched Daniel snatched him?" Jack asked irritably, barely keeping his growing rage in check as he, Sam, and Teal'c walked quickly but cautiously down the road leading away from the monolith.
"If I'm right, whoever took him thought Daniel was a leader of our people," Carter explained for the third time since she and O'Neill had translated as much as they could of the fourth side of the obsidian block. "Only the upper class is allowed to gesture like he does when they talk, at least according to the social norms we could make out. They probably thought we were just his retinue, and so, not worthy to be dragged off."
"But why?" Jack exploded. "This doesn't make any sense! We were planning on checking out whatever was at the end of the Yellow Brick Road anyway. Why take our `leader' and chance us getting hacked off and calling in the big guns?"
"We could quite possibly be facing a hostage situation, O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly. To anyone who didn't know him, the Jaffa would have appeared to be unfazed by current events. His friends realized that the big man was as close to losing it as their commanding officer. "It may be that the ruling body has no knowledge of what has transpired at the monolith. We must speak with them as soon as possible to make that determination."
The colonel sighed. "I know, I know. It's just that every second Daniel's in the hands of his kidnappers he could be..." His voice trailed off before he could finish the thought.
Sam blanched at the implied possibilities. "But, sir, wouldn't he be more valuable alive? If he is a hostage to insure the cooperation of the people they think he represents, killing him would be counter-productive." Her tone was desperate as she tried to cling to that hope.
"Alive doesn't mean unhurt, Major, and you know it," O'Neill replied bleakly. "And I would suggest that we don't tell them he isn't our leader. No matter how much I hate the idea, battered, bruised, and tortured beats dead hands down, and the best way to insure that is to make them believe he's valuable to them alive. Now let's move." He picked up the pace, the other two immediately behind him.
A half hour later found the trio looking at the outskirts of a large city, the architecture they could see an intriguing mix of modern and medieval. The structures filled the entire valley, end to end, a few tendril-like settlements even beginning to creep up the hillsides. They shared a determined look and continued forward.
"Looks a little crowded," Jack commented as they approached the first of the buildings, ragged hovels the three of them could guess belonged to the poorest of the city's citizens. Remembering the obelisk, they kept their distance from the few people whose curiosity overcame their fear as they poked their heads out of windows and doors. "Kinda makes you wonder why they don't move somewhere else."
"There may not be anywhere else to go," Sam commented, her eyes sharp as they looked out for any sign of their missing friend, just as the others were doing. "The UAV ran into EM field interference near the top of the first hill, so we didn't even know about this city. The same thing stopped the M.A.L.P."
"Who are we supposed to ask about meeting with the leaders of this place?" O'Neill asked with a frown. He didn't really talk with his hands too much, but the urge was almost overwhelming now that he knew he couldn't. Especially as the times he did it the most coincided with high levels of anxiety, and he was definitely anxious.
Teal'c maneuvered his staff weapon out of the reach of an adorable but dirty little girl who had stretched a hand out to touch it as he passed, a small, barely noticeable smile taking the sting out of the action. She giggled and ran away. "When we come to the merchant's section we shall be able to speak freely once we determine if we can comprehend these people's spoken language."
Carter nodded her agreement with the assessment. "I'm hoping it's similar to the language we were able to translate. Otherwise we'll have to count on them to provide a device to serve the same function."
"Did you read something on that monolith that I didn't, Carter?" Jack asked, pausing for a moment to shoot an annoyed look at her. He moved forward again at her warning gaze. "Why wouldn't they want to talk to us? They're supposed to pride themselves on peaceful relations with all those who come through the Circle of Stars."
"All those who are peaceful in return, sir," Sam retorted. "You have to admit we look more like we're ready to start a war than sign a treaty, and appearances are very important. We're going to have to be very careful."
"If they don't cough up Daniel you bet to hell we'll be starting a war before signing any sort of treaty. But that doesn't explain why you think they won't be willing to use a translation machine with us."
Sam took a deep breath before beginning her explanation. "If they look at us and see the military people that we are they may just decide to escort us back to the Stargate and tell us to be on our way. If we don't have a chance to tell them why we're here and that we're looking for Daniel, they'll only have our appearance to base a judgment call on. And considering how upset we all are over Daniel's disappearance and our military bearing, it's likely they'll see us as a threat. You read how they deal with threats."
Jack flinched. He had read that part of the list - and the consequences for breaking the laws weren't pretty. "Then we just hold out for a break. Why do you think they'll be speaking something like French again?"
"It was the language facing the city. If someone needed reminding of the laws, they wouldn't have to look all over for the right set of instructions." The only woman of the group smiled ruefully. "At least that's my best guess, sir. Daniel could probably come up with something better - and that's only assuming I'm right."
"Then let's make sure he has that chance, Major. So, Teal'c, do you think we're there yet?"
The two Tau'ri practically ran into the Jaffa's back as they turned their attention to him just in time for him to stop dead in his tracks at a large metal gate that blocked the road they traveled on. "I do, O'Neill, and I also believe we are about to discover if we will be able to comprehend the native language."
Jack shot him a dark look. "Thanks for the update. I never would have put that together on my own."
Just then an official-looking man in immaculate brown robes exited from a door in the wall that the gate was a part of and strode to the center of the road. He stood there for a moment eying up the strangers before him and his expression turned disdainful. "I don't know why I bother asking the standard questions when there is no possible way you could understand my speech, but I will do my duty. Who are you and why do you seek entrance into the city of Gales?"
Even if Jack and Sam hadn't been able to understand the variant of French the man had been speaking they would have been aware of the insult. The flash of irritation in Teal'c's eyes proved that as he waited for his teammates' reactions. The colonel nodded to Sam to do the honors; he wasn't sure he could control himself at that moment.
"My name is Major Samantha Carter, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, and this is Teal'c. We are peaceful explorers who wish to discuss the possibility of trade and the exchange of culture with your city's leaders." She wasn't sure how she did it, but she managed to keep her tone level and polite - Daniel would have been proud. "Will we be allowed to pass?"
Jack had to fight the urge to laugh at the look on the pompous official's face when he realized they understood what had been said to them. That's what you get for underestimating us, buddy, he thought gleefully. Now get out of our way so we can find Daniel.
"You have come through the Circle of Stars?" the man asked, his composure hastily regained. At Sam's nod he started to move back toward the door he had come from. "I will relay the information and open the gate. Please wait here."
Sam filled Teal'c in on what had been said after the man had disappeared and the three of them waited for what was to come next. "I really hope we don't have to do anything drastic here," Jack muttered. "I've got a bad feeling about what's happening to Daniel."
"As do I, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed solemnly.
The gate opened a few minutes later, and the official returned with a much more deferential attitude. "On behalf of the people of Gales, I formally welcome you to our great city. If you would follow this main road, you will find that it leads to the Hall of Destiny, the seat of our government. I'm sure our leaders are eager to meet with you." With a sweeping gesture of his arm, the practically groveling man invited the waiting trio into the city proper.
"I bet," O'Neill murmured under his breath before switching to French at a normal volume. "We're just as eager to meet them. Thanks for the directions." He turned to the other two and returned to English. "Let's go, kids. Daniel's waiting." He strode confidently forward through the open gate, leading his teammates finally into the great city of Gales.
A half hour later they were still walking along the main thoroughfare, and Jack's patience was wearing thin. "When in the hell are we going to get to this Hall of Destiny? We don't have all day here," the colonel grumbled.
"I can't be sure, sir, but it would make the most sense for the center of government to be in the center of the city," Sam replied.
"Which would mean we have some distance to travel, as I believe this valley is several miles in length," Teal'c added.
"You two are just bundles of optimism, aren't you?"
Now that they were in the midst of the merchant's quarter of the large city, they were free to interact with the citizens. The people proved to be quite friendly, greeting the strangers as they passed the colorful stalls selling all kinds of merchandise. Periodic patrols of guards kept order, although the general atmosphere suggested it wasn't often necessary. All in all, things were peaceful, which made the small group of dark-robed men gathered just off the main road between two large brick buildings stand out all the more. When the shadowy figures saw the remaining members of SG-1 approaching, they tensed nervously, their gazes locked on the three newcomers.
"Okay, is it just me or are we being watched?" Jack asked as he noticed the scrutiny.
"It's not just you," Sam confirmed, watching the huddled group out of the corner of her eye. "Those men seem pretty anxious about seeing us, too."
Teal'c subtly maneuvered himself so he was between his Tau'ri friends and the possible threat. "Their behavior would suggest they are involved somehow in Daniel Jackson's disappearance."
Jack nodded. "Yeah, they definitely recognize us, that's for sure. I think we're going to have to take a raincheck on that visit with the leaders of this place and follow these guys when they take off. They're bound to lead us to Daniel."
"How can you be sure they will depart while we are present, O'Neill?" the large Jaffa asked. "Their fear has them frozen in place."
The colonel gave his friend a wicked grin. "I say we ask them a few questions. Either they'll bolt when they see us coming, or we'll get a chance to ask them what's going on. Win-win situation."
"But, sir, travelers are required to go directly to the Hall of Destiny before they're allowed to wander around freely," Carter protested as the three of them came to a halt. "It's one of the rules on the monolith."
"Screw the monolith," was the snapped response. "If we take the time to play by the rules we could lose our best chance at finding Daniel. Who else would recognize us and get all nervous about our being here except people involved in taking him?"
"I understand that, Colonel, but..."
"Major, I'm not letting this one go," Jack interrupted. "I can't. Daniel's life is probably at stake here. And I know you don't want to risk that any more than I do. We'll deal with the fallout later." He smiled and shrugged. "They'll probably just ask us to leave anyway. Won't hurt my feelings a bit."
Sam sighed. "Yes, sir. But we'll have to be careful not to get caught by the local authorities then, or they'll kick us out without Daniel. And we won't be able to come back later to get him."
"Understood, Carter, which is why we won't get caught. Now why don't we ask our new friends a couple of questions?"
The three of them turned and headed toward the group of dark-robed men, trying to look as non-threatening as possible - although Jack couldn't keep the wicked glint out of his eyes. The natives took one look at the approaching trio and bolted, their resolve broken. "Shit!" Jack exclaimed. "Let's move!" And the chase was on.
They managed to keep the guilty parties in sight as they wove in and out of alleys, the stakes upping a notch when the relatively laid back guards they had seen earlier realized what was going on and joined the party. "We are at a serious disadvantage, sir," Sam said breathlessly to Jack as they and Teal'c took a sharp turn to keep up with their suspects. "These men and the guards behind us know the city. We're only following where they lead. We're going to end up cut off by one or the other."
"These idiots in front of us aren't thinking of playing games, and the guards don't know where we're headed. We'll be okay for a while longer. Now save your breath."
"O'Neill, the men we are following have disappeared behind that iron grating," Teal'c announced, pointing at said iron grating at the end of a short alley they nearly passed by in their rush.
Jack nodded and adjusted his team's trajectory accordingly. When they reached the hidden door the three of them quickly searched for the latch. With only a moment to spare before the guards came upon their position, Sam tripped the lever, and they continued the chase as quietly as they could. The barely-lit trail continued to weave erratically, now heading down as well as back and forth. Fortunately the men were still panicked, their footfalls echoing through the tunnels.
When the echoes faded away, O'Neill called his team to a halt, leading them forward cautiously, all three of them listening carefully for any signs of their prey. When they'd gone another few feet they all heard the humming of machinery, the dull glow of a steady light source reveling itself when they turned the next corner. Jack gave the others silent hand gestures once they saw the cubical-like room in the center of an open cavern at the end of the tunnels, and the three of them fanned out to cover the door as best they could.
Pulling out his zat gun, the Air Force colonel crept forward and peeked into a barely visible gap in a curtain-covered window, hoping to be able to catch a glimpse of his missing friend. The only thing he saw, however, was a group of seven men surrounding a seated man who was staring at a computer screen and wearing some sort of headphones. Jack's jaw clenched as he realized his hunt was not yet over.
The brief lapse of attention was all it took for chaos to rear its ugly head. One of the standing men happened to take a paranoid glance at the window Jack was peering into and shouted an incoherent warning, pulling out a weapon that was eerily similar to the sidearms the members of SG-1 were wearing - and Jack was sure would have the same effect. The older man scrambled back just as the first man and four of his friends started shooting at him. Glass shattered, bullets flew, and electrical charges from three zats spread out along the metal framework of the room housing the center of the pandemonium.
And then it all stopped. Sam and Teal'c rushed over to their team leader and found him intact and blinking incredulously at the broken window he'd been looking into. "Sir, what about Daniel? Was he in there?"
Jack shook his head. "No, thank God, he wasn't. I just hope someone in there is still alive to tell us where they took him." He let Teal'c help him to his feet.
The three of them made their way to the still-closed door and Sam carefully pushed it open, having to put her weight behind it when she ran into resistance in the form of a bleeding body. "Oh my God," she gasped as she slipped inside. The other two joined her quickly.
It was a massacre. Seven bodies lay sprawled lifelessly in growing puddles of blood around the mostly open space, and the eighth was draped over what appeared to be some sort of keyboard, the monitor Jack had seen shattered by weapons' fire. It was a gruesome sight.
"We were all using zats, right?" Jack asked, subdued.
"Indeed we were, O'Neill," Teal'c answered him as Sam nodded. "I do not believe any of our shots penetrated the outer wall of this structure, however."
"Then what happened?"
The blonde major tore her gaze away from the carnage and took a closer look at the walls. "My guess is that this room is made from a bulletproof material, most likely to protect them from an assault from outside if they would have gotten caught by the authorities. Unfortunately, it was just as bulletproof on this side. When they panicked and started shooting, their ammunition ricocheted around the room and killed everyone inside. They never stood a chance."
Jack flinched at the explanation. "What a way to go."
Teal'c bowed his head briefly. "Indeed."
Sam moved over to the blood-covered console and moved the body off it to make a closer examination. "This is still active, sir," she announced as she wiped her hands off on her BDUs. "I can't be sure exactly what it does since the monitor has been shot out though."
"That guy was wearing some sort of headphones," O'Neill offered. "Maybe it's some sort of communications device. The other guys were all gathered around him and they looked pretty anxious. Could be they were trying to send a message to some more of their people, the ones that are actually holding Daniel."
"That's possible," Carter agreed, crouching down to pull off the headset from the operator. "I'll see if anyone's trying to contact these guys." She looked over the thin metal contraption for a moment before pulling out a handkerchief to clean it off and slipping it over her golden locks, standing up as she did so.
"So, anything?" the colonel asked after his 2IC hooked the earpieces around her ears.
"One minute, sir," she murmured distractedly as she ran a finger along the wide, cold piece that lay flat against the sensitive flesh just behind her right earlobe. Putting pressure on it in an attempt to initiate a connection with whoever the dead man might have been speaking with before the shoot-out, the woman stiffened, her eyes wide, as a jolt coursed through her head and images of swirling sand dominated her vision.
"What is it, Carter?" Jack asked in alarm. "Carter? Carter, snap out of it!" He shook the frozen major a couple of times, finally releasing a relieved breath when the light blue gaze sharpened and awareness flooded back into it.
Sam stood there for a moment taking deep breaths, focused on the worried brown eyes of her CO. "I'm... I'm okay, sir. Just got a little shaken up by a jolt when I pressed on the end of the earpiece."
"Perhaps you should remove the device, Major Carter," Teal'c offered, his own eyes filled with concern.
"The man's got a point. If that thing's going to zap your brain, it can't be a good thing. Take it off." Jack let go of Sam's shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yes, sir." She reached up to follow the command but stopped short as she felt the pads behind her lobes. "Um, sir?"
The older man narrowed his eyes at the physicist. "What is it, Carter? I'm not going to like it, am I?"
Sam flinched and dropped her arms. "Probably not, sir. I can't take the headset off. It seems to have attached itself to my head, and I'm afraid of the damage I could cause if I force the issue."
Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "I must have done something horrible in a past life to deserve this," he muttered. He looked over at his abashed second. "On second thought, you and Daniel must have done some horrible things in your past lives. This just keeps getting better and better!"
"Are you feeling any effects?" the Jaffa asked, his eyes narrowing slightly with concern.
The major shook her head. "I had a brief dizzy spell when the headset first attached itself, but I'm fine now." She looked at Jack. "We should double check this place, sir. Maybe they left some sort of clue as to where they took Daniel."
"Right. As long as you're sure you're okay..."
"I am, sir. And right now finding Daniel is the most important thing."
"Okay then. Carter, you check out this machine and see if you can get anything out of it. Teal'c and I will see if there's anything else around here. Let's move quickly, kids. If they were communicating with someone, they may know their people have been compromised. We don't want to be here for any retaliation." Jack made a gesture for the other male in the room to examine the right side of the space while he took the left, and the three of them got to work.
It wasn't too much later that Sam gasped sharply after punching a few keys on the console. Jack spun to face her. "What is it? What's that thing doing to you now?"
She shook her head to refute the implication. "No, sir, I'm fine. But I've discovered what the device is for. It appears that the headset directly links me with the database. It even responds to mental commands." The blonde woman smiled. "This is absolutely incredible!"
O'Neill rolled his eyes. Only his team... "I'm sure it is, Carter, but that's not the point of this exercise. If your mind can sort through the information, find out what they did to Daniel."
"Yes, sir." Sam closed her eyes to concentrate on the data she was receiving, her high intelligence and quick mind allowing her to swiftly pick up the basics of maneuvering around in the alien technology. Bits and pieces came to her, and she started to follow the right trail. "They did bring him here, sir," she said finally, never opening her eyes. "He was still unconscious. Then they transported him somewhere."
"How did they accomplish such a task?" Teal'c queried as he paused briefly in his search. "There does not appear to be any sort of device capable of such an action in this structure."
Pale brows furrowed. "I get the impression wherever they sent him wasn't Daniel's final destination, that the technology isn't able to move him that far. The machine they built here isn't big enough for that. It's hidden behind a secret panel."
"Oh, isn't that just peachy," Jack snarled. "We get to try to play hide and seek with a machine that can't even get us where we want to go. Can you tell if they were in contact with anyone else? Someone who's with Daniel now?"
"If we find it, we will be on the right track, sir," Sam reminded him. "And I don't think they were talking to anybody. When I try to access communications, all I get are images of swirling sand."
"Well, that's one way to describe static. You getting anything on where this hidden panel might be?"
"Um..." She concentrated a little harder. "I think it's on your side of the room, Colonel. Near the corner. Pay close attention to the decorative designs they have etched into the metal."
"Got it. Hey, Teal'c, come on over and help me, would you?" The Jaffa did as requested.
While the remaining two men of SG-1 cast sharp gazes on the engravings in their search for the secret panel, Sam tried to delve a little deeper into the system she had inadvertently plugged herself into. The abbreviated diagnostic she initiated brought a second database to her attention, but she couldn't quite figure out how to access it from where she was. Her eyes sprung open and she chewed on her lower lip in frustrated consideration. There had to be a way to do this...
"Whoa!" Jack called out suddenly as a section of the wall he and Teal'c had been checking slid away toward the center of the supposed back wall of the room. "Have I told you how much I like those heightened senses of yours, big guy?"
"You have, O'Neill, many times."
"Well then, I'm saying it again. Sharpest eyes in the west!" He looked over at his second in command. "Objective one accomplished. What's next?"
Sam gave the now-excited man a small smile. "There's a control panel inside that I can use to take us to the place they sent Daniel. We should be able to follow the trail from there."
Jack nodded. "Then let's do it, Carter." He gestured into the newly-reveled room with a flourish. "After you."
"One more minute, sir. There's another database in the network that I haven't figured out how to access yet, and there could be information about Daniel's whereabouts. I just want to double check the keyboard since that's how I got in here in the first place." She let her light blue eyes rove over the slightly raised keys carefully, not wanting to miss anything. They lingered longest on the section that took the place of the normal 10-key number pad on Earth's computer keyboards, each button bearing a pictographic symbol instead of the script letters everywhere else. "I think I've got it." Sam pressed a key with a picture of two headsets linked by a wavy line.
The older man cocked his head to the side and frowned slightly. "How can you be sure that was it?"
Sam shrugged. "I'm not sure. But considering my choices, that was my best bet. I'm sensing some new information - a complete jumble, but new - so I think I'm getting somewhere."
"Then let's get a move on, Major. We have an archaeologist to save."
The blonde grinned. "Yes, sir." She then led the way inside the new room. A few moments later there was a flash of light, leaving only the dead behind to mark the trio's passing.
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