"Hello, what's this then?"
Carefully brushing the grass aside, Daniel's eyes lit up.
"Yes!"
Gently nudging his discovery to ensure that it could be moved without damaging it, Daniel pulled the stone fragment out into the open. Climbing to his feet, he hurried across to where the other two fragments lay and placed it between them. He smiled as he adjusted them all slightly so that they fitted together.
"Just like a jigsaw puzzle."
Raising his voice, he said, "Found anything?!"
Jack's voice appeared from behind a nearby bush, "I got nothing."
Then Jack emerged from the foliage and sighed, "What makes you think the other pieces are even here?"
Daniel corrected him, "Other piece... and I don't know but it is. Anyway, the three so far have all been on the surface. That leads me to think that it was broken here and broken relatively recently. If they'd been laying around for any serious length of time they'd have more than a little vegetation covering them."
"And you really think this Frisbee's important?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"‘Maybe?' Let me get this straight, Daniel. You've had us searching for pieces of this thing for the last hour and you don't even know?!"
"Jack, don't ask me to explain it because, honestly, I don't know myself. I just have a very strong feeling that this thing could be important."
Jack scowled slightly but fell silent and went back to searching through the undergrowth. The engravings were in Ancients and, after the whole Jaffa death camp thing, Jack wasn't going to ignore Daniel when he got a ‘feeling' about something. Neither, apparently, was the General since Daniel's reason for coming here once he'd seen the MALP feedback had been ‘it's important' which, after much probing, had been extended to ‘I don't know why it's important... just that it is' and, on the basis of that Hammond had approved the mission.
Turning from his search, he looked to where Daniel was searching. He wondered why Daniel had wanted to come here and how he even knew about this place. Maybe Daniel had been here while he was ascended. Or had some buried knowledge of this place and the Frisbee. All Jack knew for sure was that Daniel had been acting funny since the moment they'd walked through the gate.
Jack walked down the steps from the gate and turned to Carter, "Major, which way are we headed?"
"We just need to follow the river, sir. The settlement we picked up's upstream."
"A stroll along the riverbank. Doesn't sound too bad. Come on, let's go. Teal'c. Daniel."
The Jaffa strolled over to meet them but Daniel remained fixed to the spot. It took Jack a moment to notice.
When he did, he said, "Daniel, we're heading out."
Daniel didn't reply so Jack added, "Daniel, if you're gonna drag us on a mission the least you can do is not make us drag you."
Daniel didn't reply; nor did he move. After giving him a few seconds, Jack walked over and said,
Daniel, are you hearing me?"
After a few seconds, Daniel replied, "Uh, yeah..."
"Then move."
After another long pause, Daniel pointed towards a point further down the river and said, "I think we should go there."
"Um, why?"
"I don't know exactly. I just think we maybe should."
Sam and Teal'c walked over and Sam asked, "What's going on?"
Shrugging helplessly, Jack pointed in vaguely the same direction Daniel had and replied, "Apparently, Daniel just thinks we maybe should go there."
"Why?"
"Apparently, he doesn't know exactly."
Daniel didn't seem to have heard their conversation and he began wandering off in the direction he'd been pointing in. Noticing, Jack hurried after him and grabbed his arm, "Hold it, Danny. You're not ‘just maybe' going anywhere until I get an answer out of you. Why do you want to go over there?"
Still staring over at the tree-lined river, Daniel replied, "There's a good reason."
"I'm listening."
"That's all I can tell you."
"Because it's a secret?"
"Because I have no idea what it is... all I know is that there is one."
Dropping back slightly, Jack kept one eye on Daniel as he murmured to Carter, "Carter, any sign of anything that direction?"
"Not as far as we could pick up, sir."
Teal'c had joined their little group as Jack turned slightly and murmured, "Do we really think it's a good idea to follow Daniel's ‘feelings' around?"
Teal'c said, "O'Neill, this place is as Daniel Jackson described to me when he was meditating. Clearly, he has buried knowledge of this place."
Sam added, "We saw with Bra'tak and R'yac that Daniel still has at least a partial memory of when he was ascended."
Jack went to reply when he realised he'd not been keeping an eye on Daniel. Turning, he saw his friend was wandering towards the river again. Turning quickly to Carter and Teal'c, Jack sighed, "All right, let's play ‘follow the archaeologist'."
Having found no more pieces, Jack said, "Daniel?"
"Yeah?"
"Was this thing the good reason?"
Reading round the pieces, Daniel replied, "A part of it."
"What's the other part?"
"I don't know."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?"
Daniel looked up at him, "I'm sorry. I know this must be frustrating for you cos it damn sure is for me..."
"Daniel Jackson!"
Upon hearing Teal'c, Daniel trailed off and looked over to the other side of the river where Sam and Teal'c were searching. Apparently, they'd had some success.
Going to the river-bank, Daniel asked, "What is it?"
Sam came up to the other side, "I think we've found a piece in the mud. It's pretty dirty but I think it's from the disc. Teal'c's pulling it out now."
Teal'c emerged a couple of seconds later with a slab of mud in his hands. Crossing the river using the sturdy wooden bridge, Teal'c handed the mud to Daniel. The Jaffa didn't look very happy about the fact that his sleeves were covered with mud up to the elbows. Daniel eyed their find critically. Then, carefully kneeling down, he dipped it into the fast-flowing water. Holding it with one hand, he used the other to clean the mud from the fragment. Sure enough, the mud dissolved to reveal the same blue-black stone as the other fragments.
"This is from the disc all right. It's the final piece... right from the centre of it."
Jack looked down at his watch, "Finally. All right, Daniel, I think that's enough rock-hunting for one lifetime. Can we get on with this mission, please? The settlement's miles up the river from here and I'd preferably like to get there before tomorrow."
Placing down the centre of the disc, Daniel fingered a sizeable scar in the central piece. He murmured, "Looks like something hit it and caused it to fracture... and the symbols... something about alignment..."
"Daniel, did you even hear one word I said?"
Adjusting his glasses, Daniel replied, "I heard all the words you said, Jack."
"And?"
Vaguely gesturing downstream, Daniel replied, "I just... there's something..."
"Do you have a reason for going that way that's explainable in words?"
"No... but..."
"No ‘buts', Daniel. You've got your Frisbee to play with for now and this planet isn't going anywhere."
Sighing, Daniel replied, "Just give me a couple of minutes to pack these up, okay?"
"All right... but you're hauling your own rocks, Danny-boy."
"Fine."
Teal'c headed back across the bridge to go and get his pack. Sam also disappeared from sight as she headed back into the forest to collect hers. After wrapping up the pieces, Daniel opened his pack and pushed them inside. It was like adding several bricks to his pack but he'd just have to put up with it. Jack had pulled his pack onto his back and climbed slightly up the riverbank to Daniel's left to shout across to Teal'c and Carter who were still nowhere to be seen.
Putting one foot forward, he shouted, "Carter! Teal'c! You two stay that side. We'll cross over."
Spinning on his heel, Jack said, "Daniel..."
Daniel, who'd turned his head to look at Jack, saw the horror on Jack's face as his friend realised that the ground beneath him was giving way; his back-foot was hovering in the air; he had a heavy pack on his back and there was nothing to grab a hold of.
The splash was huge. Daniel saw Jack's silhouette moving slowly under the water. It wasn't rising.
Pulling off his jacket and equipment vest, Daniel screamed, "Teal'c! Sam! Jack's in the river!"
Kicking off his shoes, he grabbed his knife from its sheath and dived in. The current was strong but, luckily, Jack was moving slower because of the pack. Quickly catching up with the shadow of his friend, he dived under the water.
Reaching Jack, Daniel cut through the weakest point on the pack's straps and wrapped his arms around Jack. Kicking himself upwards, he surfaced again. Holding Jack's head above water with one hand, he used the other to try and make it to the river-bank. Sam and Teal'c were nowhere to be seen.
"Teal'c! Sam!"
A low-lying branch hung across the river up ahead. Knowing Sam and Teal'c needed time to catch up with the current, Daniel grabbed it.
"Jack?"
There was no reply. Hoping the branch would hold, Daniel yelled, "Sam! Teal'c!"
He strained to hear a reply. Surely they hadn't been dragged that far down the river?
He tried again, "Sam! Teal'c! SAM! TEA-ULK!"
He could feel his grip beginning to weaken on the slippery branch. Desperately, he began to search for some way he could hold on tighter without letting go of Jack. Just then, Jack began to cough and splutter.
"Jack?"
As his friend began to come to, Daniel tried shouting again, "Sam! Teal'c!"
"Daniel?"
Unfortunately, it wasn't the frantic reply of Sam. Instead, it was a mumbled question from a very disoriented Jack. Still, Daniel was glad to hear it.
"Jack?"
"Where...?"
Then there was a pause in which Jack woke up fully, "What the hell?!"
He could feel his fingers slipping, so Daniel yelled, "Grab the branch, Jack!"
There was something you could say about Jack. No matter how slow on the uptake he seemed to be normally; when it came to a life-threatening situation, he could act before most people would've even got to grips with the situation they were in. His hand was clamped onto the branch before Daniel had even finished his sentence. Still not sure enough of Jack's strength to let him go, Daniel allowed his grip to weaken a little so he could get a firmer handhold for himself.
Having now had a couple of seconds to look around, Jack pulled his knife from its sheath and grabbed higher up on the branch. Now within arms-reach of the bank, Jack glanced back to ensure that Daniel was still okay before turning back to his task. The knife blade arced through the air as Jack drove it into the deep mud of the bank. After testing that it was holding, he let go of the branch and, using the knife as an anchor, began to haul himself up onto the muddy bank.
That was when Daniel felt something catch his foot. Looking down, he thought he could make out something that looked about the size and shape of Jack's pack. Oh, it had caught up with them... and now - he realised as he tried, unsuccessfully, to pull his foot out of the loop - he was caught up with it.
He yelled, "Jack!"
Jack, who had only just made it onto the bank, turned sharply and watched in horror as Daniel was dragged under.
"Daniel!"
Under the water, Daniel was bent double as he used his knife to hack his way to freedom. Successfully freeing himself, Daniel rose back to the surface.
Jack had been stumbling after Daniel's shadow with all the speed he could manage in his current state. He wasn't going to be an idiot and jump back in - that would just mean Daniel having to rescue him again because he was in no state to go swimming right now. Now, he saw Daniel appear on the surface.
He yelled, "Daniel!"
Daniel looked over at him helplessly before trying to make his way to the bank. Without so much as pausing for breath, Jack turned and grabbed one of the low-lying branches of an overhanging tree. Using his weight, he pushed down on it until it snapped off. Dashing back, he saw Daniel was already thirty metres further down the river.
Racing after him, Jack remembered his radio and, hoping it wasn't damaged beyond repair, pressed down on it, "Teal'c! Carter! Where the hell are you?!"
There was no reply but static to begin with but then Sam's voice appeared, "Sir! Are you okay? We heard Daniel shout that you'd fallen in..."
"I'm out but Daniel's still in the river!"
Jack looked at the churning river ahead. Daniel's head wasn't visible above the surface anymore. Jack couldn't make out his shadow either. No... please, no...
Daniel was flying. Well, not flying so much as just ignoring the laws of gravity. He looked down at the river far below him. Following it, he knew that he was close. To what, he had no idea but he was definitely close. The rain lashed down upon everything but such things were inconsequential when you could also ignore the laws of being cold and wet. Or, at least, he'd thought they were... but this rain seemed different. The drops ran together until he was saturated with moisture. This was stupid. Rain shouldn't even touch him...
Suddenly, the weight of the water was unbearable. He felt coldness all around him and he couldn't get enough air. There was a rushing sensation across him. And... hands... hands were clawing at him. He had to get away from them! Closing his eyes, he could feel the hands were dragging him. Weakly, he reached up to knock them away and, suddenly, he began coughing.
"Daniel?"
Spluttering, Daniel looked up blearily at the concerned face of Jack.
"Daniel, ya with me here?"
Sitting up slightly, Daniel nodded, "Yeah..."
"Are you okay?"
Nodding vaguely, Daniel asked, "Weren't we... wasn't I just...?"
The concern clear in his voice, Jack replied, "Just what?"
"Uh... never mind."
"You sure you're okay?"
Daniel nodded again.
Pressing down on his radio, Jack said, "Carter? Teal'c?"
"Sir!"
"I got Daniel out, Major. He's okay. Where are you two?"
"Sir, we've encountered a little problem."
"Carter?"
"Another river feeds into this one, sir. It's cutting us off. Which side of the river are you on, sir?"
"Same side you're on."
"Damn... sir, both rivers are too wide and deep to try and cross at this point. We're going to follow this other one to try and find a narrower point upstream."
"All right. Radio when you're this side."
"Yes, sir."
Still coughing water out of his lungs, Daniel said, "You know, Jack, when I said I wanted to go down-river; I didn't mean in the river."
"Thanks, Daniel."
"Anytime, Jack... well, maybe not in the next couple of minutes... think I'd just have to let you drown."
Smiling slightly, Jack replied, "Fair enough, I guess."
They smiled at each other for a second before Daniel pulled off his T-shirt and attempted to ring the water out of it. Stripping off his equipment vest and jacket, Jack did the same with his T-shirt.
Daniel was watching the water drip onto the grass when he looked up suddenly and slowly got to his feet. Dripping T-shirt in hand, he turned round and began to walk slowly downstream.
Jack, who'd been ringing his top out, hadn't noticed Daniel's departure, "So we'll just hang tight here until Carter and Teal'c get here then we're heading back to the base. We'll come back to..."
He became aware of the lack of response from his friend. Looking up, he saw the Daniel-shaped hole in the scene, "Daniel?"
Climbing to his feet, Jack grabbed up his jacket, "Daniel?"
After a pause, Daniel's voice floated out from the forest, "Over here, Jack!"
Quickly following his friend's voice, Jack headed into the woods. When he was a few paces in, he saw Daniel.
Daniel muttered, "I knew I was close."
"Daniel, what are you doing?"
Eyes not moving from whatever he was focused on, Daniel distractedly replied, "Think I just found my reason, Jack."
Jack followed Daniel's gaze through the trees. Up ahead, there was an old building. It was looking pretty good for its age so it was obviously well-maintained.
Figuring Daniel knew what they were looking at, Jack asked, "So what is it?"
"I have no idea."
"Let me get this straight... your reason for coming here was to look at some building you have no idea about?"
"Not making much sense to me either, Jack, but this was the reason. Well, something here, anyway... Looks to me like some sort of temple..."
Daniel began to walk towards it but Jack grabbed his arm, "Hold it right there, Daniel... This looks like an important place and I don't think the natives are gonna take too kindly to us dripping muddy water all over their nice temple."
Daniel ignored his friend and moved up to where there was something engraved on the wall, "This is the same dialect of ancients as there was on the stone disk."
"So what's it say?"
Pausing for a second to give his brain a headstart, he said, "Just seems to keep repeating the same few words over and over..."
Passing his hand across the engravings, he said, "Commoneo... desiderium.... agnosco... et venia."
"Which means?"
"To remember, to regret, to know again and... be forgiven..."
"What's that mean?"
Taking a step back to get a better overall impression of the wall, Daniel replied, "Your guess is as good as mine... Jack, we really need to go in here."
"If I asked for a reason then I wouldn't get one, would I?"
Daniel shrugged, "Could give you a dozen. None would be the real one..."
Jack looked sidelong at his friend. In part, he hated Daniel trying to remember his time ascended because there were too many bad memories attached to that time but his real reasons for being reluctant about Daniel discovering more about his time ascended stemmed from one piece of knowledge - just because you got kicked out of the ranks of the ascended didn't mean you were banned from ascending again. He was worried... no, be honest with yourself, O'Neill... terrified that Daniel secretly still wanted to ascend and that, if he asked her forgiveness, Oma would relent and let him ascend again. If he remembered everything... then he might remember how to ascend...
...but, as he watched the frustration on his friend's face he began to understand what this must be like for Daniel. For Daniel, his friend, who, for as long as he'd known him, had been the most good, moral and interfering creature in existence. Ask him not to get involved and he'd blink at you owlishly through those lenses as if the trained linguist didn't understand what those words meant. He always had to do something. He always had to try and make a difference. He was always the one who put himself in the firing line...
And then he'd found out about R'yac and Bra'tac. How he'd stood by and watched as they were attacked and captured. He must've known that that couldn't be the only time he'd stood by and done nothing. And now, more than anything, he wanted all that time ascended to have been for something. For there to be some way for him to compensate. That something good came out of it all.
After a thoughtful pause, Jack said, "Okay... look, we'll wait for Carter and Teal'c and dry out our clothes but, then, we can go admire the artwork, okay?"
Walking through the grand archway, Sam looked forward at her three friends. She and Teal'c had ended up practically as wet as Daniel and the Colonel as they'd eventually had to wade through waist-deep water to get across the second river. Now, though, everyone was dry and clean again and, apparently as the Colonel's side of some agreement with Daniel, they were all ‘going to take in a little culture on this trip' - which translated out of O'Neill-speak to mean investigating the temple Daniel had found.
The boys had all stopped short ahead. As she passed into the main chamber, she saw why.
She felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked around. All she could think to say was, "Wow."
The Colonel, as ever, came up with something a little more inventive, "Sistine chapel eat your heart out."
Sam brought her eyes momentarily down from the ceiling. The walls were covered with writings she didn't understand. It was a beautiful place, though. The ceiling of the temple was translucent and, within it, danced all the colours at the short-wave end of the visible electromagnetic spectrum (sometimes she was too much of a scientist for her own good). She suspected that actually it went as far as UV because everything that was white seemed just that bit whiter in here. And the whole room felt like it was underwater as the sunlight passed through the dancing colours and made elaborate patterns of blue and purple on the floor and walls which changed and shifted so much as to be almost hypnotic. Probably due to the filtering effect of the ceiling, which appeared to cut out long-waves like infra-red, it was also cold in here even though the sun was beating down upon the glass roof. Her breath was almost visible in the chill. It was odd. Why would someone design a building to be this cold on purpose?
The most startling thing of all though, was the fresco. Well, she'd call it a fresco because English didn't have a word for whatever this was. There whole ceiling was full of images that had an almost holographic quality to them. Men and women so real that you felt uneasy with all their eyes upon you.
After the ceiling, the next thing she noticed was the centrepiece of the room. It was a statue of a woman carved out of something like white marble and set on a base of a material that reflected the sunlight filtered through the ceiling and transformed it into an ethereal glow around the woman. Transfixed, Sam walked closer. She had a soft face with delicate features and huge angelic eyes which, to Sam, looked like they were filled with sorrow. Her hair was curled and fell in tumbling waves halfway down her back. She wore a robe which revealed only her slender neck and delicate hands and fell to the floor where it seamlessly blended with the dancing light.
She began to walk around the sculpture. About a third of the way round, she almost fell backwards in surprise, "Whoa!"
The boys, who'd all wandered in different directions, all looked round at her exclamation. Jack asked, "Carter, what is it?"
Over the initial shock now, Sam continued to walk round the sculpture. The wonder clear in her voice, she said, "Sir, you have got to see this."
From their respective positions, the boys all came over to look at the statue.
Jack said, "Nice statue. Missing the ‘whoa' factor slightly, though."
Daniel said, "I think it's a personification of compassion. Olana."
Slightly confused, Teal'c asked, "What has led you to that conclusion, Daniel Jackson?"
"The symbol on the necklace. It's Olana which means ‘compassion'."
Jack said, "What necklace? And he doesn't exactly look the compassionate type. More vengeful."
Puzzled, Daniel replied, "He doesn't exactly look like a ‘he' either."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's a girl in case you hadn't noticed."
"As a matter of fact I hadn't noticed. Must've been ‘her' beard that was distracting me."
Teal'c joined in the debate, "Whilst I concur with you, O'Neill, that the sculpture is of a male, he has no beard. Nor does he look vengeful."
Daniel said, "Look, it's a girl... doesn't the... figure sort of give that away?"
Jack said, "What in the hell are you two on about...?"
Happening to glance round at Carter, Jack realised that she was trying not to grin.
He quickly continued, "And what, pray tell, is amusing you so much?"
Gesturing as she talked, she said, "Walk around it."
After a slight pause, Daniel, Jack and Teal'c began to walk around the sculpture. Suddenly, Daniel stopped short and, after a disbelieving double-take, walked back a couple of paces. Jack and Teal'c looked similarly startled.
"How the hell does it do that?"
Sam said, "I have absolutely no idea, sir."
For, as they had all now seen, when you walked around the sculpture, it appeared to change. If you walked anti-clockwise then first you saw the woman Daniel had called Olana but then, suddenly, the light on the base became grey and where she had been standing there stood a man. He was lithe with short hair and eyes that showed little emotion. His palms were upturned and there was a symbol engraved on each. If you continued to walk anti-clockwise then, suddenly, the base-light became an angry orange-red like a crackling fire. It flickered across a second man. This one had long hair that was as untamed as a lion's mane and a short beard that was similarly unruly. He looked stronger and fiercer than the man on the right. He was clutching a dagger in one hand with symbols engraved along its blade. He wore the same robe as the others but it looked wrong on him.
Having gotten over the original shock, Daniel said, "The other two figures seem to be personifications of justice and vengeance; Olnat and Olrak."
"Carter, any idea what we're looking at here?"
Having now had time to retrieve some of her instruments from her bag, Sam said, "I'm picking up a lot of strange energy reading in here. I think it's a very advanced optical illusion, sir. Couldn't even begin to guess how it works, though."
Jack tentatively moved his hand towards the sculpture. It passed right through it.
Teal'c said, "It would seem we are dealing with a very advanced people. They would appear to worship these deities."
At the mention of ‘worship', Jack's thoughts raced down a familiar street, "Daniel, think we're dealing with Goa'ulds here?"
"Well, this is written in Ancients so I'd say they were more likely to have been Ancients than Goa'uld..."
Looking at the robes, Daniel's gaze became thoughtful as he quietly continued, "... and, from the looks of it, they were ascended."
Remembering something Daniel had said whilst ascended, he snidely remarked, "Didn't think they went in for the whole ‘playing god' thing."
Still looking at the sculpture, Daniel distractedly replied, "What makes you say that?"
Deciding not to reveal the true source of his comment, Jack quickly replied, "Never heard of any of them."
Daniel was distracted enough to accept the answer and simply replied, "Well, I think we have now."
However, Sam and Teal'c had been alert enough to notice the snideness of the remark and the hurriedness of the bogus explanation and were now both looking at him strangely. Jack countered their look with his own which clearly said ‘drop it'. Obediently, both of them looked away. Now their eyes were off of him, Jack berated himself for coming out with that comment. Daniel remembered almost nothing from being ascended and still was constantly beating himself up about the little he did remember.
Daniel, meanwhile, had turned his attention to the ceiling. After a moment, he said, "Olana's up there... so are the other two. And there again..."
Stopping short, Daniel walked back over to the sculpture and, hesitantly, reached for Olrak's knife. Instead of his hand passing through it, however, his fingers curled around the blade. Twisting his wrist sharply, the blade shifted.
Jack said, "Daniel, what're you doing?"
Moving round to Olnat, Daniel grasped at the hands and pressed them together, "Beats me."
Sam said, "How are you even doing that? It's a hologram."
Shifting to Olana, Daniel reached towards the necklace and pressed his fingers against the pendant, "Not, it's just not exactly here. And don't ask me what that means."
He stepped back and, suddenly, the sculpture vanished and, in its place there was a higher pedestal upon which there sat a tear-shaped crystal bigger than someone's head.
Jack said, "Whoa."
Daniel said, "Whoa."
Carter said, "Whoa."
Jack had recovered from his initial surprise enough to say, "Hey people, my line. Teal'c please come up with something more original.
Teal'c raised his eyebrow, "Most unusual."
"Thank-you, T. Can always count on you."
Daniel, meanwhile, was reading the engravings on the pedestal, "It's the same line that's repeated over and over on the outer walls. "Commoneo, desiderium, agnosco et venia. Oh, wait, this bit's different... Fletus Absolnat... yeah, this is something called the ‘tear of Olnat'.
Bending close down to look at the crystal, Sam said, "So you think this ‘tear' is something belonging to the Ancients?"
Moving his focus to the ‘tear' itself, Daniel didn't reply. He was too busy watching as the colours danced within the centre of the tear. Dancing colours that begged for him to lose himself within them. To follow their dance deeper. He couldn't look away if he wanted to... and he didn't even want to. And the dance moved deeper still...
Sam, believing she had now given Daniel adequate time to consider her question, asked again, "Daniel, d'you think this belonged to the Ancients?"
But Sam's voice came from a million miles away because Daniel was still following the colours as they danced and weaved across his vision. He knew she wanted him to reply but couldn't remember her question and, besides, he was too involved in the dance.
Jack, who had been trying to make out what exactly was happening in the image above them, looked down when a slightly impatient, "Daniel?" from Carter failed to elicit a response from the archaeologist. Similarly engaged, Teal'c, too, looked down to see what was going on. Both began to move back towards Carter and Daniel's position.
The impatience in her tone quickly converting to concern, Sam tried again, "Daniel?"
Sam was worried now. Daniel could hear it in her voice. He wanted to reassure her but he couldn't tear himself away from the dance. The dance was in him now. He could sense the dance continuing within him. His skin tingled as the dance drew him further and further in. Further and further within him. And it was wonderful. Sam was no longer a concern. She was too far away anyway. He allowed himself to fall further into the dance...
Suddenly, Daniel found himself blinking in the artificial light. Huh? Where was he?
Turning, he saw Jack was sitting across from him in an odd brown outfit. This was some sort of cell... no, some sort of pit. What were they doing here?
Jack seemed to already be speaking to him but he couldn't make out the words.
He asked, "Jack, where are we?"
Jack's words rang clearly for a second, "... bust me out of here."
This all felt wrong. Everything felt too... bright and blurry... Jack's voice was too echoey. He couldn't concentrate. And Jack was angry now... he didn't know why... but it was his fault... all of it. Why? Why couldn't he concentrate? Jack looked in pain.
"You could make it the last time."
Daniel didn't know what that meant but he somehow knew that the meaning wasn't good. He had to help Jack. Stop the pain. He had to find a way...
"I'd do it for you and you know it."
And, even though he didn't know what ‘it' was, Daniel knew that Jack was right.
"If Daniel Jackson was really here..."
That phrase stabbed even deeper than the others. Why? He didn't even know what it meant but... somewhere... somewhere he knew what all this meant. Instinctively, he knew none of it was good. And it was all his fault. He had to find a way. He had to help somehow. Couldn't betray him like this...
Crouching quickly by Daniel's side, Sam looked into his eyes. They were transfixed upon the ‘tear'.
Tapping him gently, she said, "Daniel?"
She glanced round at the crystal. It was a beautifully-cut crystal but she couldn't see anything about it that could have captured Daniel's attention so completely. There were symbols engraved on it but Daniel didn't look like he was translating anything. When he was translating, his eyes scanned wildly and his lips tended to move but, now, his lips were still and his blue eyes barely flickered from the centre of the crystal. Worried now, Sam waved her hand between Daniel and the crystal.
Blinking rapidly, Daniel's clouded eyes looked into hers.
"Daniel, y'okay?"
Looking slightly lost, Daniel nodded vaguely, "Yeah... I think so... uh... what just happened?"
"I don't know. You just zoned out completely there."
Jack, who was next to them now, asked, "Daniel?"
Looking more focused now, Daniel pulled himself to his feet, "I'm okay, Jack."
"What happened?"
He didn't really feel like sharing the vision with the others. Not yet, anyway.
Shrugging slightly, Daniel replied, "I don't know."
Still watching Daniel carefully, Jack asked, "So, you think this thing was what you were looking for?"
Daniel hadn't even considered it until this moment but, as soon as the idea filtered into his mind, he knew the answer, "I'm sure of it."
"So what is it?"
"I have absolutely no idea."
"Carter?"
Focusing on the crystal, Sam said, "Some kind of Ancient device, maybe?"
"That does what?"
"Energy source, maybe? Or maybe it was projecting the image. To be honest, I have no idea, sir. I'm just guessing about the device part."
"So, for all you know, we could be looking at a paperweight?"
Sam shrugged slightly as she looked around the ‘tear' so Jack replied, "Well, we're just finding all sorts of Ancients goodies on this trip. First a Frisbee and now a paperweight."
Slightly too quickly, Daniel said, "It's not. Not a paperweight, I mean."
"All right, so what is it?"
"I already told you that I don't know."
"Well, you seem to know what it's not."
Daniel paused for a second to think before replying, "I know this doesn't make sense to you, Jack, but it's not making that much sense to me either. All I know is that this is what I was looking for..."
"But not what it is, what is does or why you were looking for it?"
Daniel shrugged in a helpless manner.
"Okay, so we find it and then we...?"
Daniel couldn't think of anything to say so he tried shrugging again.
Jack sighed, "Carter, see if you can get us further than ‘not a paperweight'..."
"Yes, sir."
"...Teal'c, you and I'll go look around..."
Teal'c nodded in assent.
"...and Daniel?"
Daniel shook himself from his contemplation, "Yeah?"
Concerned, Jack asked, "You sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Okay, see what you can make of..."
Sweeping his hand around the wall, he said, "...all this."
Daniel nodded amiably and headed over to the wall. He couldn't get those jumbled images out of his head. Jack had been so... angry... so desperate... and the feelings had been so strong that they'd almost overwhelmed him. Equal measures of guilt and desperation. Had that been real? Was it like with R'yac and Bra'tac? Another memory from when he was ascended? Trying to push the images firmly to the back of his mind, Daniel began translating the wall.