Chapter 2
Darkness and light flashed by her eyes as she stood on the barren landscape looking out over an alien world. She had no idea where she was, and could hear only an echoing loneliness whenever she called out, hoping someone, anyone would find her and take her home. Stinging sands and whipping water flashed past her, scouring her skin, and leaving it raw and bleeding. Sam hunched over in the sands, trying to protect herself, but someone was pulling at her arms, pulling them away from her body and her face, leaving her exposed to the elements that were stripping her flesh from her bones. Sam wrenched away, and screamed as the sands beneath her feet formed a face, one she had never seen, but instantly recognized.‘SAMANTHA!!’ Sam jerked upright in her bed. She was covered in cold sweat, and the sheets were wrapped tight around her. Suddenly very claustrophobic, she scrambled upright and stood for a moment, panting and shaking as she tried to free her mind from the overwhelming nightmare.
‘You were dreaming. Jolinar said inside her mind.
‘Yeah.’ Sam answered automatically. Then she stopped. When had this gotten so easy, this talking to the presence in her brain?
‘Am I really that frightening to you that I cause nightmares of such terror?’
‘Yes. You have to remember I did not come into this willingly, and the idea of being inhabited like this is very hard for my people.’ ‘But it is getting easier, yes?’‘Yes. As disturbing as it is, it is getting easier.’‘And it will continue to do so. In the meantime, we must go visit your young friend Cassie, then we will go offworld and find a way to contact my people. Once that is done, I can leave you as you were.’‘Cassie?’ Sam said, suddenly afraid again. ‘Why are we going to see Cassie? I don’t want her pulled into this, Jolinar. I will fight you to my dying breath if you try.’ This last statement was made with no small amount of menace as Sam’s instincts to protect her young charge reared up.
‘Your doctor friend asked you to go to her before we go offworld. I do not wish to arouse suspicion, and so we will go. Do not fear. I will allow you control while we are with her. She need not know anything is different.’‘Gee, thanks.’ Sam was still hesitatant, but she didn’t sense any deceit coming from the Tok’ra, so she decided to go with it for the time being. As if she really had a choice in the matter.
After getting dressed, Sam left the base and drove through Colorado Springs toward the Air Force Academy Hospital. Jolinar was quiet the entire time, and Sam began to relax a little—or at least as much as circumstances would allow. She thought about what the Tok’ra had said the day before—about not wishing to take an unwilling host. So Sam reasoned she wouldn’t have been taken if it weren’t for the information that Jolinar needed to get to her people. She wondered what she would have done if she had been in that position. Would she have entered the body of another host in the hope of evading the assassin and getting the intel home? Sam wrestled with the concept for a time before giving up on it, partly because it was one of those questions that just couldn’t be answered if you weren’t there to experience it, and partly because the concept of being required to inhabit another’s body to survive was just too alien for her to grasp at the moment. She felt a trickle of amusement coming from the Tok’ra, but refrained from saying any of the smart-assed comments running through her mind. She fully intended to keep control for as long as she could, and she wasn’t about to do anything that would give the parasite a reason to take over.
Sam walked into the hospital and asked after the whereabouts of Dr. Frasier. Having been told where to find her friend, Sam entered a private room in the critical care wing of the huge hospital. Frasier greeted her as she walked in the door, but didn’t turn from her clipboard.
Sam walked up beside her, her hands in her pockets, trying to look nonchalant. “Is this one of the Nassyans we saved?”
“Yeah.” Frasier answered. “He should be dead.”
Sam felt Jolinar stir within her. ‘I sense something.’
Sam was about to respond, but Frasier was speaking again, “Cassandra’s in my office. Now, we still have rounds to make, but you know where it is?”
Jolinar was starting to become agitated, which was rather distracting, but Sam managed to nod an affirmative to Frasier, and even to give her a tiny smile. What Sam really wanted to do was to grab Frasier and make her understand what was going on.
‘Don’t do it Samantha. I will not allow you to jeopardize my mission.’
Sam growled mentally in frustration, but obeyed.‘That man is the Ashrak.’ Jolinar continued.
‘The what?’ Sam thought back
‘The assassin. He is Goa’uld. We must be away from here as quickly as possible. He will not remain here for long.’ And then, sensing Sam’s hesitation, Jolinar continued, ‘His method of killing me will take your life also.’
‘Ah.’ Now properly motivated, Sam quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her.
‘You’re going to let me talk to Cassie, right? No interference? I don’t want her frightened.’
Yes, you may speak with her. I have no intention of “interfering”. Jolinar sounded a little wistful, which made Sam wonder if it was sad that she was not being more cooperative. Well, what the hell did it expect? A warm welcome to her body? Maybe she should have hung streamers from her intestines to make the damn snake feel more at home.
‘That is not necessary.’ Jolinar said, laughing.
‘Good.’ Sam had reached Frasier’s office, and knocked twice before opening the door. Cassie looked like she was finishing a finger painting, and Sam’s heart swelled with joy at seeing the little girl again. Cassie was one of the few joys in her life, and she cherished every moment she could spend with her.
“Sam!” Cassie said happily as the Sam entered the room. The child started to run to her adopted big sister to give her a hug, then realized her fingers were covered in yellow paint and turned around to clean them on a rag.
“Wow.” Sam said, looking at Cassie’s artwork. “Nice painting.”
“You really like it?” Cassie asked eagerly, still working on her hands. “My teacher at school says I have talent.”
“I love it.” Sam said, smiling for the first time in days.
Cassie turned around, beaming and ran to Sam who knelt down and caught her in a tight embrace.
“I’ve missed you.” Cassie said softly.
“I know, I’m sorry I’ve been…”
“So busy.” Cassie finished with her. They stayed that way for a moment, then Sam felt Cassie stiffen in her arms, and the girl abruptly pulled away from her.
Sam stood, concerned at the fear in the child’s eyes. “Cassandra, what is it?”
Cassie didn’t answer, just turned and ran into a corner formed by a couch and the wall, and crouched down, hiding.
‘She knows.’ Sam heard Jolinar inside her head at the same instant she felt control being wrested away from her.
‘No! Dammit, Jolinar, you leave her alone! She’s just a child!’‘Calm yourself, Samantha. I will not harm her, but she must not spoil my plans to get off this world. She must not speak of this.’‘Fine, then let me talk to her, tell her what’s going on! Come on, she’s terrified!’‘Not this time.’ Sam felt her body begin to move and caught her reflection in a nearby mirror as her eyes lit up, signaling that the symbiote had taken full control.