The Trickster
The Trickster
by Ravital.A
TITLE: The Trickster
AUTHOR: Ravital.A
EMAIL: ravitala@sitqad.co.il
CATEGORY: Sam and Jack, adventure
SPOILERS: Fifth Race, New Ground
SEASON / SEQUEL: Season 3
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: m/f
SUMMARY: SG-1 is faced with a new enemy
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We 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 authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I got this idea while reading some Norse mythology so i hope you like it! it's a little long but i hope its worth it. I want to thank Andrea for all the work she did and Amelie for all the help she gave me with the research (thanks!!!!!!!!)
P4x-595 was supposed to be an empty planet. When they first got there it seemed to be just like most of the other planets they visited: Trees, trees and more trees, but since the M.A.L.P showed the presence of Naquadah General Hammond figured it was worth spending two days on. The first day was pretty normal, Major Carter was busy studying the minerals in the ground, trying to make an assessment whether it was worth building a Naquadah mining facility here or not. Daniel found some interesting rocks to play with and Teal'c was standing guard as usual.
Colonel O'Neill was basically trying to find something interesting to do and in the process was annoying everyone else. He started out with Carter who after 5 minutes sent him to play with Daniel. He tried to talk to Daniel but when Daniel had some interesting rocks to study he was oblivious to the world, and annoying Teal'c just wasn't any fun. All Teal'c did was raise an eyebrow here and there. So he went back to Carter, somehow annoying her always seemed to be a perfect way to spend time. Even when she was depressed or busy she always laughed at his jokes, and that does things to a guy's self esteem. After ten minutes she gave in and even tried to explain what she was doing in layman's terms. She loved explaining things to him, okay so he did get that glazed look on his face if she went on too much, but he did try to listen, and that was more then most men do. There was nothing in that peaceful planet to suggest what was coming.
The attack came out of nowhere. In seconds they were surrounded by a group of armed men, all of them in Jaffa armor, but unlike the serpent helmets of the guards of Apophis these guards had helmets shaped in the form of a wolf's head. The last thing Sam saw was one of the guards pointing his staff weapon in her direction and she could hear Jack shouting something to her but then it all went black.
"Incoming Traveler!" the metallic sound of the technician's voice came through the speaker system. General Hammond shared a surprised glance with the doctor standing next to him in his office.
"No SG team is due back for a least 10 hours!" he remarked as they both made their way to the control room.
"It's SG-1's code, Sir!" The technician informed him as soon as they entered the room.
"Whenever they come back home early it means trouble." remarked Janet with a worried face.
"Get a medic team down there Doctor." he was hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. "Open the Iris."
The first to come through the gate was Daniel, it seemed he was thrown through it. He landed several feet away from the gate and did not show any signs of life. Janet rushed to his side and tried to find a heartbeat. The relief when she found it was evident on her face.
"He's just unconscious Sir!" she answered the general's unspoken question. "Take him to the infirmary!" she ordered the orderly that helped her.
A minute later Colonel O'Neill was thrown through, just like Daniel he landed far away from the gate and unconscious. Quickly Janet ordered him moved to the infirmary, in the hope that the remaining members of the team would be next through the gate, but five minutes after Jack was thrown through the wormhole disengaged.
"Where's the rest of them?" a young sergeant asked the question on everyone's mind, an act that got him a very angry look from Janet but no answer.
"CARTER LOOK OUT!" Jack shouted as consciousness raised its ugly head.
"Easy colonel, you got a nasty head wound there." Janet put a calming hand on his shoulder gently but persistently pushing him back to a lying down position. It took him several seconds to realize where he was, and even longer to remember what had happened.
"It's good to have you back Colonel!" General Hammond's voice cut through his thoughts, dragging him back to the world. Jack scanned the room with his eyes. He saw Daniel stretched out in the bed next to him, all sort of tubes coming out of him. He didn't see Carter or Teal'c anywhere. He could feel that something was wrong but he was hoping that they are just in another room of the infirmary.
"Where are Carter and Teal'c? How did we get here?" he looked at the worried face of the general and knew the answer before it was spoken.
"We were hoping you could tell us that, Jack."
"We were attacked. We were inspecting the minerals in the ground and they came out of nowhere." Suddenly his face distorted in pain as he remembered the last thing his eyes saw "Carter..." he whispered. "One of the man, I think it's safe to call him a Jaffa even if I didn't see the little worm in his stomach, pointed his stuff weapon in her direction. The last thing I remember, I was shouting for her to take cover, I saw her fall and then it all went black. We have to go back Sir!" he made an effort to get out of bed, which only caused him to let out a cry of pain and fall back down. Janet rushed to his side making him stay as he was.
"We tried sending a probe after you came back. The probe was destroyed the second it got to the other side. Either they have sealed the gate or they have an iris." Jack wasn't paying much attention at that point. He was too caught up in his own thoughts. Half his team, he lost half his team and the only one, other then himself, that remained looked more like a lab experiment then a human. This was not happening. It was supposed to be an empty planet, not one filled with hostiles. He kicked himself mentally for letting his guard down. This was all his fault.
"We did find something interesting in your pack colonel" Janet's voice dragged him back to reality. "This was stuck in you pack. It's a Goa'uld writing pad. We were able to decipher it with the help of Nyan." She handed him the notebook she held in her hand. The message was short, but it made it clear what their next move should be. The message read:
"Tell Thor that Loki is back."
"So who or what the hell is Loki?" Jack looked at the face of Daniel standing next to him in the lab. Daniel had woken up two hours after Jack, and what he remembered was pretty much the same, as much as he tried he couldn't shed any light on the problem. They had sent an urgent message to the Asgard and now all they could do was wait.
"According to the Norse legends Loki was the son of the giant Farbauti and the giantess Laufey. He became part of the Aesir, the principal gods, when Odin signed a blood brotherhood pack with him. He is responsible for the death of Balder, brother of Thor. On the day of the Ragnarok Loki will lead the giants in battle against the gods."
"Ragnarok?"
"End of the gods, end of the cosmos. The final battle between the forces of good and evil." Daniel explained. "I think that Loki is a Goa'uld. Since Thor is Asgard it would make sense that Balder was Asgard too, and since the Asgard are enemies are the Goa'uld...."
"Loki has to be one." Jack finished his sentence for him. "Son of a bi..." Jack was never able to complete that sentence since a light beam appeared out of nowhere and he disappeared.
"Thank god they came" Daniel said to himself and continued his research as if nothing had happened.
"...tch" Jack looked around with amazement. He would never get used to the Asgard way of traveling. He was on the Asgard ship. He could see Earth through the open windows; his heart still lost a beat when he looked at it, the beauty of it all. Traveling through the stargate is easy compared to this. Only when you look down at your planet do you realize how unique and wonderful it is.
"Greetings Jack O'Neill " he heard Thor's soft voice coming from behind him.
"Heya Thor," he moved his gaze from the window and looked at the face of the grayish alien in front of him. "I'm glad to see you guys were listening."
"The message you sent was very disturbing," confessed Thor.
"I gather you know this Loki guy."
"Loki was the first Goa'uld we met. The leader of the Asgard nation signed a peace treaty with him, and he betrayed us." As impossible as it was to see emotions in the masked face of the Asgard, Jack could hear the pain in his voice, even if Thor tried to conceal it.
"He killed Balder?"
"Yes he did," he stated mater of fact "He was imprisoned on a dead planet after the trial. If this message is true and Loki has escaped, the consequences could be deadly for all."
"He took two of my team mates."
"The Jaffa and the one who bonded with the Tok'ra."
"Yes."
"From his point of view they are the most vulnerable. The Jaffa by definition is weak because of the larvae. The other holds the hidden knowledge of the Tok'ra. Both have gone through genetic changes because of that."
"Why did he send me and Daniel back then? Wouldn't it make more sense to kill us or hold us for investigation too?"
"As arrogant as Loki is he would not dare lay a hand on you. You have been marked. And the other probably has knowledge you will need if you are to solve his riddles. " Jack took in the new information slowly, allowing himself to process the news.
"Marked? Riddles?" He was trying hard to control his voice.
"When you were implanted with the knowledge of the ancients the process left residues in your mind. Loki would have known you met us. And he knows that harming you will leave the Asgard no choice but to retaliate. Loki also has a weakness for riddles. He is different from all the Goa'uld you have met to this day. Do not underestimate him. If you are to rescue your fallen comrades you should go back to the planet where you met him."
"We tried it. He blocked the gate"
"Get your team mate ready, and prepare the coordinates. We leave in two of your hours"
The next thing he knew he was facing Daniel, back in the lab.
"So? What did they say?" Daniel looked anxiously at Jack.
"We leave in two hours." he motioned Daniel to follow him as he made his way to the general's office to give him the news.
Two hours later they were both geared up and ready to go. Jack tried to ignore the pounding pain in his head, with no success. Janet gave him a worried look, as much as she had tried to talk him out of this, make him rest, it was impossible. He glanced at Daniel standing beside him; he didn't look that well either. It has been a hard day for both of them, but resting was not an option. He got everything he thought he would need: The new Iris code, the planet's coordinates, one slightly damaged Daniel, enough fire power to take down a small army and one old olive green cap (his lucky cap. You can never have too much luck). He wasn't really sure where he should wait for Thor, so he decided they would wait in the gate room. Seeing it somehow soothed the pain a little.
Daniel was caught in a discussion with Janet, apparently she wanted him to take some painkillers and he refused. It was a stupid argument but it caught the attention of everyone in the room, one sane moment in an insane situation. A faint smile passed Jack's face when Daniel finally gave in and took the medication. It was a loosing battle to begin with. Next Janet turned her attention to him, he was going to argue but he didn't have time. When he opened his mouth to talk he was already standing in the Asgard ship with Daniel next to him. Apparently the Asgard weren't all that big on goodbyes.
"You are hurt." he heard Thor's soft voice behind him.
"Yes, we took some beating." Jack motioned to Daniel's head. The next thing he saw was a bright white light as all the pain disappeared. Looking at Daniel he saw no memory of the bruises from before. From the look on Daniel's face and the lack of pain he knew that he was healed as well.
"Thanks" he made a small gesture with his head.
"Human bodies are easy to repair," was the only answer he got. "Try to sleep, the trip will take a while." And with that Thor was gone. He took a moment to admire the view again, watching Earth disappear in a minute as the Asgard ship powered up and started moving was a once in a lifetime experience.
"I guess it's just the two of us..." Jack said as he turned to look at the now sleeping Daniel, who sat in one of the chairs the Asgard prepared for them.
"For crying out loud, that boy can sleep anywhere," he softly murmured to himself as he sat down in the other chair and let the darkness take him.
Sam slowly opened her eyes and still there was nothing. She lifted a shivering hand to her face to make sure her eyes were really open. All she could see was darkness. No shapes, no traces of light, no movement, Just soul eating darkness. She could hear the soft breathing of another person beside her, or at least she hoped it was another person, the alternative was unthinkable.
"Colonel? Daniel? Teal'c?" she whispered in to the darkness trying not to let the panic color her voice.
"I am here Major Carter." she heard the strong voice of Teal'c coming from her left. The wave of relief that hit her was overwhelming.
"Teal'c am I glad you're here! Do you have a light?" she reached out a probing hand so she could touch him, make sure he was really there and not a figment of her imagination.
"A light? This cell is well lighted" he responded with no trace of emotion in his voice.
"Then why cant I..." she finally remembered the last moments before the darkness. The young Jaffa, the shot, the pain before the release of unconsciousness. The realization hit her like a brick wall: she was blind. A warm comforting hand touched her shoulder. Teal'c was offering the only support he could, when he realized she understood. she accepted it as she leaned into his hand. For now all she could do was try to get used to her new situation.
Dressed in a black, Jack O'Neill walked silently to the church. Faceless men and woman dressed in black walked around him. From time to time a comforting hand rested on his shoulder and soothing voices whispered in his ear 'I'm sorry for your loss'. He wasn't really sure why he was there, or where he was but he kept walking with the crowd, up the stairs and into the dark church. He knew that church. It was the church he got married in, but it seemed different somehow. The only light came out of the thousands of candles held by the faceless crowd. A hand pointed the way. When he walked, the crowd parted to grant him passage. He reached the coffin at the end of the hall. The blond hair shone with a light of its own from inside it, but he couldn't see the woman's face. 'Sara' the thought ran through his mind as he reached for her. A hand reached down for his, a woman's hand. He lifted his eyes and looked right in to Sara's eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss." she echoed the voices around him. He moved his gaze back to the woman in front of him. He could make out Carter's face now, she was so peaceful. "This isn't right!" he shouted out to the crowed.
"Jack!" slowly Jack opened his eyes to look straight into Daniel's worried face. "Jack!!"
"I'm up, I'm up!" it was a dream, just a dream. But it seemed so real.
"You were dreaming."
"Ya think?" Jack gave Daniel a cynic look. He got up slowly and walked to the window. The view was now of an unfamiliar planet. Jack assumed it was p4x-595. A white light lit the room and Thor was sanding beside him.
"We have reached your destination," he said plainly.
"Great. So why don't you just beam Carter and Teal'c out and we can all go home?"
"The Asgard can not get directly involved in this, there is too much on the line. Transporting you to the planet is interference enough."
"I understand, much greater enemy and things like that huh?"
The next thing he knew he was standing on the planet surface next to Daniel.
"You think next time they could give us a little more notice?" Daniel whispered in his ear.
Ignoring him completely, Jack started scanning the area for signs of life. Looking around he was finally able to spot the stargate. It wasn't blocked but it was heavily guarded.
"That's the reason the probe was destroyed the second it got here," Daniel turned Jack's attention to the force field generator that stood next to the stargate. "It acts like a portable Iris."
"Great! Do we know how to turn it off?"
"Yes, sorta" Jack turned back to look at Daniel.
"Sorta?"
"We'll turn it off when we need to" Daniel tried to give him the most confidant smile he could, not that it was working. "The stargate it activating." Jack turned his gaze back to the stargate. A group of Jaffa guards passed through the gate. All of them dressed like the ones who attacked them, their wolf helmets on their heads and the stuff weapons in their hands. The last one through the gate bent down to the force field device and reactivated it.
"Lets go Danny" Jack motioned to Daniel as he started to follow the Jaffa unit.
"Major Carter!" the urgency in the voice dragged Sam back from her thoughts. It was hard to get used to the darkness, but the panic was gone now.
"I'm awake Teal'c, what is it?"
"Someone is approaching."
Sam tried to screen all the sounds she was hearing. It was true what they said, when you lost one sense, the others compensated for it. It wasn't that she had super hearing, but she was paying attention to things she hadn't before. Finally she was able to hear what Teal'c was referring too. A soft sound of leather shoes against a hard rock, as if someone was sliding in her direction. A few minutes later the door cracked open.
"Ahh, you are awake. Good! Master Loki will be pleased" Teal'c studied the man carefully. He seemed to be human, tall and lean. He was dressed in black velvet robes, his eyes and forehead the only thing visible from his face. He had the mark of a wolf's head tattooed on his forehead.
"Follow Me! Our lord and master is eager to meet you." he ordered them as he turned and started walking down the corridor. Sam got up slowly, using the wall as a stabilizer. How was she supposed to follow something she was unable to see?
"I will show you the way Major Carter. Do not fear. I will keep my promise" he took her hand in his and led her after the man.
"Your promise?"
"My promise." he said and they continued to follow the man in silence.
After two hours of crawling through the mud Daniel was at the end of his rope. They had followed the Jaffa unit to a fortress not far from the stargate, and they had been crawling through the mud ever since, trying to find a way in with out alerting anyone of their presence.
Unlike all the other Goa'uld ships and buildings, this one was not built in the shape of a pyramid. The building was round with no visible windows and from their position they could not see the top of it. The entire building was covered with strange writing, a weird combination of runes and hieroglyphs. The door which the unit entered through disappeared the second the last member passed through it.
Daniel was able to see the symbol the Jaffa pressed, and he assumed there would be a second back entrance, or at least he hoped there would be. They marked the direction of the main entrance and started an inspection of the building from all its sides. They were almost at the beginning again when they found the small door. It was only big for one of them to enter at a time and even then it would take some effort to enter. They could not see the bottom of the opening, or if it was leading anywhere. But after a short discussion they decided (or rather Jack decided and Daniel agreed) that it was a better alternative then the main door. Jack squeezed in first, making sure not to make a lot of noise as he disappeared into the darkness.
Daniel listened carefully to the silence coming from the small opening. The bump he heard followed by Jack mumbling some inappropriate words to himself made it clear Jack had found the ground.
"Jack! Jack! Are you ok?" Daniel whispered in to the darkness.
"Yeah I'm great! Just peachy! Now will you get you butt down here?"
"It sounded like a long fall"
"For crying out loud Daniel! Get down here now! That's an order!"
Daniel rolled his eyes, gave a little shrug, gathered every last piece of courage he had and disappeared into the darkness.
Sam tried to remember all the turns they took in their little walk, hoping to get a mental picture of the place she was in.
"2 right 1 left 2 right 1 left 1 right 3 left..." she mumbled to herself, but after the first 10 minutes she lost count. Instead she decided it was time to try making a little conversation with the man who was leading them.
"So... who is Loki anyway? I've never heard his name mentioned before,"
"Loki is our lord and master." The basic answer one would expect from a Goa'uld servant.
"We have reached our destination!" he informed them joyfully. "You will sit and wait for our lord and master here." he motioned to a red velvet couth. Teal'c carefully guided Sam to the couch then took the time to scan their surroundings. If Teal'c was a normal earth born male he would call the decor of the room cheesy. There was red velvet as far as the eye could see. The entire walls were covered in it. The furniture seemed to be old 16th century earth style, dark and heavy. After taking the time to describe it all to Sam they both came to the conclusion that who ever Loki was he was not a normal Goa'uld.
"I wish I could see it," Sam whispered for a moment, letting herself wallow in self-pity.
"You will see again Major Carter." Teal'c tried to reinforce her.
"What was your promise Teal'c?" she decided to change the subject dragging herself back to reality.
"I promised Colonel O'Neill I would protect you," he answered plainly. "It was after we rescued him from Edora. He was concerned for your health and made me promise to take better care of you in his absence if there should be a next time."
"Oh..." She replied and sank into her own thoughts, and for a moment a faint smile lit Teal'c's face and it was gone just as fast as it came.
They just sat there for a while. Sam was lost in her thoughts. Reliving the past few months, trying to tell herself it would all be ok, that her sight would return, that she would go home and see her friends again.
She remembered an old trick her father had taught her when she was little and scared of the dark. 'Think of your best friend, your favorite pet, a good memory, think of it so hard that you can actually see it in the darkness. And then it won't be dark any more. It will be what you thought of' That's what he'd said. And it worked every time. She thought it was amusing that the only face she saw in the darkness was Jack's.
They just sat there, each buried in their thoughts with the silence all around them. The sound of the door opening at the other side of the room made them both jump. A tall well-built man entered the room. He had long dark hair that reached his broad shoulders and hung loose apart from two long braids of hair at his temples. His eyes were crystal blue, the color of very clear water. He was dressed in black velvet robes that molded to his body. Everything about him suggested he was a man of power. The way he held himself and walked, even the way he held the wine glass in his hand.
"So sorry to have kept you waiting, how very rude of me. I am Loki." the sound of his voice made Sam jump at her seat. It was not what she was expecting. His voice was soft and inviting, nothing like the crude distorted sound of the other Goa'uld she met. His next act pushed her even more off balance. He gently took her hand in his and laid a soft kiss on it.
"You don't sound like a Goa'uld." she said as she snatched her hand from his.
"Well to tell the truth I am Boden, Loki's host."
"A Goa'uld that lets his host speak freely?" this was getting weirder by the second.
"Let's just say Loki and I reached an agreement long ago. We understand each other."
"This is most unusual." Teal'c finally entered the conversation.
"Why have you attacked us?" Sam tried to keep a steady voice, with surprising success.
"I am sorry about your eyes Samantha. It is a shame such lovely eyes now stare into darkness" The way her named rolled over his tongue made her body squirm. She knew he was avoiding the question. She could sense him moving closer to her, sitting next to her. She felt Teal'c stiffen and she moved a hand to calm him down, letting him know it was ok.
"I hope you understand. I cannot let you escape, now can I? If left to her own devices a woman with your intelligence will always find a way to escape. This was the most painless way we could think of." She didn't realize how much of her perception was based on sight until that moment. Judging the amount of danger she was in just by the sound of his voice and from his words was deceiving. He was charming, no question there.
"Why have you attacked us?" she repeated her previous question with more persistence in her voice.
"Down to business then? A shame, we could have had fun" he sighed as he moved away from her.
"You, my dear, are the bait. It is not you I want, even though I have to admit you are a nice bonus." His voice changed now. It was no longer the voice of Boden, soft and charming. Now it was the voice of the Goa'uld inside him, cold and distorted.
"For who?"
"The marked one. I cannot touch him directly, but I knew he would follow you anywhere. Your knight in shining armor, he would die for you. And I am prepared to make him do just that."
"The marked one?"
"Colonel O'Neill is in grave danger," Teal'c whispered in her ear.
"Jaffa! You are more intelligent then you appear to be. Yes my dear. Your beloved colonel O'Neill. He was marked, and I want the data that is in him. And when I'm done with him he will give it freely. I will never understand the Ancients' choice. To give such a gift to an elderly human. Such a waste"
"What gift? You're dead wrong. You've got the wrong guy." she was giving him her best-taught voice, but it didn't seem to have much affect.
"Do I sound stupid to you Samantha?" his voice crawled under her skin as he spoke. "I am talking about the data the Asgard supposedly removed from his mind when he traveled to their planet. I know Thor. He is too caught up with tradition and doing things the right way. He would not have gone against the choice of the elders. All he did was block the data for present access, but still leaving it inside O'Neill's brain. And now I'm going to get it. What's rightfully mine!"
Suddenly he went quiet, his head tilting to the side as if he was listening to something. Teal'c studied his face - this Goa'uld was dangerous. More dangerous then anything they have encountered so far. A soft smile appeared on Loki's lips.
"My new guests have arrived! We will continue this later Samantha." He reached down and grabbed her hand again, laying a soft kiss on it and then all she could hear was the soft sound of his robes rubbing against the floor as he left the room.
Jack cursed the day he had set foot on that miserable planet. Just when it seemed like they'd got a break, they were back at a dead end. The catacombs under the fortress were a maze. It took them awhile to figure it out, the first time they reached a dead end was annoying; by the 10th time it was maddening. Finally they found a door. It was old and wooden and when he tried to open it he found it was locked as well. A small golden plank hung on the door, and by the side of the door was an old keyboard with the same markings that were on the plank.
"Just great!" Jack slammed his hand into the massive door, his face distorted with pain and rage a second later.
"Well that won't get us anywhere." Daniel pushed him aside and moved to examine the plank closer. He knew the language. It was written in ancient Sumerian. It took him awhile to translate it, and Jack wasn't very helpful. He just stood over his shoulder constantly making very annoying comments about how they didn't have much time. A proud smile lit Daniel's face when he finally understood what the plank was about.
"I know this!" he shared the exiting news with Jack, who for some reason was not as excited as Daniel was.
"Well?"
"This is the riddle of the Sphinx from Oedipus! Do you realize what this means?" from the look on Jack's face he obviously didn't. He gets confused.
"The riddle of the Sphinx?" Jack's tone suggested he did not have a lot of patience left.
"What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three in the evening?" Daniel gave Jack an amused look.
"Even I know that. A man!" Jack was obviously offended by the lack of confidence Daniel showed in his intelligence.
"Right! And that is the code we need to punch in order to unlock the door!" And with that he walked to the punchboard that hang on the other side of the door and started punching the buttons in the correct order to spell out the word. The second he finished punching the letters a strange sound came from the direction of the door, a low creaking sound, and the door started to open. The noise the door made while opening was almost deafening. Jack was sure an entire Jaffa army was aware of their position by now. He gave Daniel an angry look, but all he got in return was a 'how was I supposed to know' look and a shrug from Daniel. The massive door opened into a dark corridor.
Motioning Daniel to follow him Jack made his way into the corridor, weapon in hand and ready for anything. Unlike the maze before, the corridor had no turns or forks in it. You could either go one way or the other. After 5 minutes of walking they reached another door, an identical twin of the one they just opened. The plank on the door was silver this time, and just like before on the side of the door there was a keyboard.
"You're on." Jack bowed to Daniel and moved out of his way to allow him space to work.
"Its Latin... I think looks like a 5th century dialect"
"Can you translate it or not?"
"Um... give me a second" Daniel's forehead bent as he strained to make sense of the lines before him.
"What eats rocks, Levels Mountains, rusts metal, pushes the clouds across the sky, and can make a young man old?" Daniel read the plank out loud after he succeeded in translating it.
"I have a feeling I'm really not going to like this Loki guy." Said Jack with a sigh. "At this rate we will be stuck in here forever!"
"We've got to concentrate." Daniel was politely suggesting to Jack to shut up.
They just stood there for a few minutes Daniel staring at the plank and Jack staring in to space. Daniel obviously got some idea since he suddenly jumped and started entering a code in the keyboard. With a sense of triumph he punched in the last letter and . . . nothing happened.
"I guess that wasn't it," he said with disappointment.
"What was your guess?" Jack for the first time showed any interest in the riddle.
"Water. It can eats rocks, Levels Mountains, rusts metal and it is what clouds are made of. I was sure that was the answer."
"I guess it's just me, but I haven't seen a man grow old just from drinking water." Jack pointed out the hole in Daniel's theory.
"I don't suppose you have a better idea?" Daniel snapped at him.
"Time."
Slowly Daniel punched the word in to the keyboard. The sound of the door opening made it clear it was the right answer. Looking at the smug expression on Jack's face was more punishment than any man should bare. Daniel motioned Jack to lead the way.
"This has been a very, very long day," he quietly murmured to himself and set his way to follow.
The dark corridor ended in a huge massive door, just like the one before it. But unlike the door they had unlocked before this one was open. It took some effort for Jack to push it open but after a few tries and with the help of Daniel the door slowly gave in.
Jack walked into the round hall, weapon in hand, ready for anything. The only source of light, apart from the flashlights they held in their hand, were several torches hanging from the walls. He quickly scanned the room with his eyes trying to make sure there was no immediate danger. Daniel entered the room more slowly, taking time to take in the room's ambience. The room resembled a Middle Ages banquet hall, there were several coats of armor Daniel recognized hanging from the wall, all of them in perfect condition. The only furniture in the room was a massive old oak table that stood against the wall. The second Daniel's foot cleared the opening the heavy door slammed behind him and locked.
"You get the feeling someone is expecting us?" Jack whispered in Daniel's direction.
Before Daniel could respond a strange sound cut the silence and a huge clocked figure appeared in the center of the room. He was about 10 feet tall and dressed in black robes that covered every inch of his body. The only visible thing was his blue eyes that shone like flashlights in the dark.
"Take cover!" Jack shouted in the direction of Daniel, didn't wait for a response and dragged the stunned archeologist under the oak table that stood against the wall.
"Greetings Colonel O'Neill" the soft voice of the hooded figure filled the room.
"Relax Jack. He isn't really here," Daniel pointed to the small round object that was placed in the hall at the center of the room's floor. "A Vo'cum. It must have been activated when we entered the room" Slowly they both emerged from their hiding place and faced the huge man in front of them.
"I am Loki, son of Farbauti and Laufey." He gracefully bowed as he introduced himself. "I have been looking forward to meeting you, colonel. Your name has been whispered in my ear for a while now. 'The biggest thorn in the side of the system lords' that is how you are referred to."
"Didn't know I am such a celebrity," Jack murmured to himself.
"Finally after years of boredom an enemy I can respect. The fact that you got this far is amusing to say the least."
Jack looked at Daniel with astonishment.
"Goa'uld that gets amused?" Daniel motioned him to stay quiet as he turned his attention back to Loki.
"I have been dreaming of this day for a long time. You, dear colonel, will help me gain back the respect of the system lords and get my revenge on the Asgard. My place as the high ruler will be secure. They will all bow to my whim."
"Now why would I do a stupid thing like that?" Jack whispered just loud enough for Daniel to hear him.
"I am sure you are asking your self why you would do that" Loki answered his question as if he was in the room himself. "I have your answer right here". He motioned to some invisible servant and another figure was pushed in to view. The image was blurred at first but Jack knew who it is. The picture flickered a couple of times until Sam's form was clear as Loki's. She still wore her green uniform that had a few bloodstains on it but she seemed to be unhurt.
For a moment all Jack could feel was relief. The fear was there, since the moment he woke up at the infirmary and remembered what happened. The fear that he would have to go on with his life without her. To go on alone. But the relief he first felt soon turned in to rage as he saw Loki put his hands on Sam's shoulders. He knew many strong emotions in his life, happiness, grief, loneliness, but none were as consuming as the rage he felt at that moment. The thought of that creature laying his hands on Sam made his blood boil.
"Say hello to your Colonel, Samantha." Loki whispered as he held Sam in place. Jack could see Sam's jaw ling tighten and she lifted her head in defiance. Now that he examined her face more closely he could see that something was wrong, he couldn't put his hand on it, but something was not right about her.
"Stubborn little thing isn't she? Amazingly beautiful too. Maybe I will keep her after all; my host will enjoy her immensely. She would be a nice consolation prize if you decide not to take me up on my offer."
"Oh there's not a chance in hell!" Jack shouted to the hooded figure.
"I don't think he can hear you Jack." Daniel stated the obvious. Jack glared at Daniel and returned his attention to the recorded message.
"Since you have come this far I am assuming you have your little archeological buddy with you. You could have never translated the planks on you own. Make sure he is unhurt, you will need him for the next part of our little game. On the other side of the hall you are now in there is a false wall that leads to the other side of the maze. Your goal is to reach the other side in time. You have 3 hours." And with that the image disappeared.
"We are in some demented game," Jack hissed after a few minutes.
"Loki was known for being found of games and tricks."
"Buy why now? Why us? Why Sam?" Jack kicked the Vo'cum that lay on the floor causing it to slam in to the wall and explode.
"I don't know." Daniel placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder. "We will get her back Jack"
"Lets find that fake wall and get this over with." Was the only answer he got as Jack started to examine the walls.
After a few minutes of examining the walls and finding nothing Jack was ready to shoot someone. They were wasting precious time on this. Time they didn't have.
"Daniel, get under the table."
"Why? What for?" Daniel looked confused.
"Just humor me will you?" shrugging Daniel slowly walked to the table and got under it.
"Ok I'm here now what?" the only answer he got was the sound of Jack loading his weapon and seconds later the sound of a M9 going off. Jack pointed the gun to the walls and fired at them, making sure there would be several hits on every wall. At first Daniel thought Jack had completely lost it, that finally his last screw has fallen, but after he watched for a while he understood the logic behind the act. The only wall that would not have gunshots marking it would be the false one. It made sense, he just wished Jack had let him in on the plan a little sooner.
"Okay let's go." Jack pointed at one of the walls on the other side of the hall that still stood intact.
Everything is going to be alright now.
That's what Sam kept telling herself as the guard showed her back to the room. It was hard to convince Teal'c to stay behind when the guard first came to take her away. He was prepared to give his life if they did not allow him to come with her, but after she promised him she would not take any unnecessary risks and that she was capable of taking care of herself did he agree to stay behind.
She was a little scared at first. Walking in the darkness lead by a man she doesn't know, was a more frightening experience then she was willing to admit. But then she heard Boden's soft voice assuring her she would be fine if she would do as she was told. The Colonel was here. Loki's little speech made that fact clear. He was here, and now everything was going to be alright. She heard a door open and she was pushed back into the room, straight into Teal'c's arms.
"Are you well Major Carter?" he asked, the concern evident in his voice.
"I'm fine Teal'c. The Colonel is here." she made no effort to disguise the relief she felt.
"How have you come by this information?"
"Loki made some sort of a ransom recording. He wanted me to say something to the colonel, but I could sense Jack wasn't in the room. It was either a communication orb or some other sort of televised communication or recording."
"I believe the time for escape has come. I studied the guard and he would be easy to subdue."
"You're right. We have to warn the Colonel of Loki's plans. We can not allow the knowledge to be taken from his mind."
Several minutes later a shout cut the corridor silence.
"I CAN SEE! TEAL'C I CAN SEE! IS'NT THIS AMAZING?"
The Jaffa guard moved slowly closer to the door, trying to make out the now hushed voices inside.
"We can escape now Teal'c. This will be a snap! I can see now! Look we can get out of here!"
The guard had heard all he needed to. Letting the two prisoners escape was not an option. The punishment would be harsh. He quickly opened the door and walked into the room in the direction of Sam, only to be hit from behind a second later by Teal'c. Teal'c lifted the unconscious man off the floor and laid him on the bed, after making sure he was tied and gagged he lifted the fallen staff weapon off the floor and took Sam's hand.
"It is Time for us to make our exit." He led her out of the room and locked the door behind him.
They hadn't walked very far before they heard the Jaffa unit arrive, the sound of their boots echoing in the empty corridors of the fortress. Teal'c quickly lead Sam to a hiding place behind one of the huge stone columns that decorated the corridor.
Sam let out a sigh as she leaned against the cold stone. This was harder then she had expected. Having to depend completely on someone else was harder then anything she had ever experienced. She knew danger was coming, and she could even sense the direction of it, but she was defenseless against it. She could feel her former resolve disappear as she leaned harder against the stone surface, taking comfort from the touch of the cold stone against her back.
At first she didn't feel the stone move, she thought it was she who was sliding closer to the floor from exhaustion. By the time she did notice it was too late. The stone she had used for support had disappeared in to the darkness and losing her balance, she fell after it letting out a small cry of surprise as she fell. It took only a second for Teal'c to understand what happened when he turned and noticed she was not there. With out a moment's thought he jumped into the darkness after her.
They were in yet another dark corridor. And Jack was losing what remained of his sanity. Daniel tried to make conversation at first but after a few angry responses from Jack he got the point and they walked in silence. The strange sound of the sliding stone made them both move into defensive positions. The soft cry of a woman was the only warning Jack received before something hit him and he was flattened to the floor.
Daniel watched with amazement as Teal'c slid down from above and landed right on top of Sam Making her and Jack squeal in pain.
"Teal'c get off!" Sam cried as she tried to push the large man off of her.
Daniel just stood there for a moment, looking at them constantly tripping over each other. He would have laughed out loud if he didn't think Jack would kill him for that. Finally he came to his senses and helped Teal'c and Sam up, giving them both a hug.
"It's so good to see you!"
It took longer for Jack to regain his sense of reality. The shock of having both Sam and Teal'c literally thrown over him took a few minutes to get over. But when he finally got up from the floor and saw Sam standing there it was all the reality he needed. Without thinking he moved and enfolded her in a tight hug, not wanting to let go. She returned the hug with just as much force as he gave, both finding comfort in the presence of the other.
"Um... so how did you get here?" Daniel looked at Teal'c trying not to stare at the hugging couple.
"Major Carter fell. And I followed her." A simple yet accurate response, all you would expect from a jaffa.
When they finally broke apart Jack took one step back to examine Sam. She looked tired, and he could feel her shaking in his arms. He studied her face carefully when he finally noticed that she was not returning his gaze. Her eyes were locked on a point in space, never moving.
"What has he done to you?" he tried to control his rage but Daniel could see his face hardening.
"I don't know. I just woke up this way. Sir, I can't see." she almost broke apart when she finally said the words out loud. It was hard to admit it to herself. It was harder to admit it to him. She has been trying to prove herself to him since the first day she met him, always one step ahead of everyone else, just so he wouldn't consider her a burden on the team. And now she was as helpless as a child. With out a word Jack moved close and hugged her again, carefully rubbing her back, letting her know it was ok. Jack glanced at Teal'c with question in his eyes.
"Loki decided it was the best way to stop her from escaping." Teal'c responded to Jack's unspoken question.
"That son of a bitch!" Jack hissed as he broke apart from Sam. "Teal'c how are you doing?"
"I am well thank you O'Neill. He did not think I would escape without Major Carter. So he found no reason to harm me." Jack looked at Sam and a wave of guilt hit him harder then any blow could. He was going to find a way to fix this, no matter what.
"Sir, we have to get out of here and fast. Loki is after the ancient's knowledge that was downloaded to your mind on P3R272." Sam was back in control again, her voice steady and clear. She would deal with her own problem later. Now it was time to get out of there.
"Doesn't he know I don't have that stuff in my head anymore? Thor took it out!"
"Not according to him. he thinks it's just stored away in that part of your brain you don't use."
Daniel muffled a laugh at Sam's words only to get a hard look from Jack.
"Okay Daniel you're on. Find us a way out of this hell hole"
"The young lovers together again. Touching isn't it Rolf?" Loki moved his gaze from the picture reflecting in the orb in front of him to stare at the robed man beside him.
"I still do not see why we can not just take the man and kill the other three, Master." Rolf was Loki's oldest Jaffa. He was as loyal and obedient as a Jaffa should be. But he had one fault. He possessed the imagination of a river toad.
"Where is the fun in that? Playing the game is where my interest is Rolf. Make sure our little guests are as uncomfortable as possible. We need O'Neill to gain entrance to the information before we can get to it. and if I know my old friend Thor he would have left him some emergency button. And we are going to make sure the human finds it."
After the first hour they established some sort of a pattern in the way they explored the caverns. Jack would lead, holding Sam's hand tight in his and giving her concerned glances when he thought no one was watching. Daniel was next and Teal'c guarded their rear. They had been walking in the caverns for three hours when they finally reached another door. Just like before the door seemed massive with a grayish plank that hung on it and a keyboard at its side.
"For crying out loud not again!" Jack murmured in frustration.
"What is it Sir?" For a moment he had forgotten she couldn't see. He was going to spit out some cynical remark about how riddles were not really his thing, but when he turned and looked at her, her eyes staring in to the darkness, all he could do was sigh. He took his time, patiently describing the door and their immediate surroundings.
"It seems to be written in old English" Daniel marked after carefully examining the plank.
"Its not the first one you encountered?" Sam's voice was steady but Jack could see the inner battle she was going through. She was working as hard as she could to make sure she wasn't a burden on him, or the rest of the team. After all this time she was still trying to earn his respect, something she had had all along.
"Umm no, the first was written in ancient Sumerian. The second was in Latin, and this one is in old English." Daniel paused for a second, his forehead wrinkled with concentration when finally the idea popped in to his mind. "This is like a time line. He is moving us in a time line!"
"A time line?" Jack was trying to sound as patient as possible but as always it came out all wrong. Sam gave him a little squeeze of the hand, and a hidden smile, trying to give him some of her endless patience. She always amazed him with her ability to relax him. Even in the hardest of times, as long as she was there he knew everything would be fine.
"Yes, a time line. The first plank was in a dead language. The second was old but new compared to the first one and this one is just a step from the normal everyday English we use."
"So that tells us what exactly?"
"Umm, nothing really but it would be interesting to see where it leads too"
"Well this has been a galactic waste of time. Why don't you just read the damn thing so we can solve it and get on our way?" Daniel gave him one of his 'why do I even bother' looks and turned his attention back to the plank.
"Cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind the stars and beneath the hills. Ends life and kills laughter. What is it?" Daniel read the riddle slowly and finally moved his direction back to Jack.
"What are you looking at me for?" Jack was obviously getting a little annoyed with Daniel .
"You solved the last one."
"You solved the last riddle?" Sam moved her head to where she assumed the colonel was.
"Don't sound so surprised! I have my moments!"
"I know you do sir, it's not that. I met Loki, he does seem to be the kind who likes games but this is ridiculous even for him, he must be doing this for a reason. Maybe it's the only way for you to gain access to the knowledge in your mind."
"To get me to solve ridiculous riddles in the middle of a maze is the only way for me to gain access to the information? I don't think so, he just enjoys playing with us."
"So anyone have an answer?"
"The dark!" Jack shouted before anyone could respond. "Holy bolwinkel where did that come from?"
Teal'c and Daniel exchanged knowing looks.
"It seems Major Carter's theory is not that off the truth as you may assume O'Neill."
"Just great! I'm stuck in some demented game. I hate to say it but I miss Apophis!"
he let go of Sam's hand and walked to the keyboard that hang at the side of the door. The sense of terror and abandonment that held Sam for a second when he let go was overwhelming. She had to fight herself so she wouldn't scream. She heard him punching the word in to the keyboard and the deafening sound of the door sliding open made it clear he was right. Daniel made a move towards Sam , obviously wanting to take Jack's place and lead her for a while when the look he got from Jack made him pull back. If he didn't know any better he would call it the look of a jealous lover, or a protective husband. Studying Jack's face while Jack took Sam's hand in his made Daniel decide that he was right. Whatever relationship those two had had before, it was never going to be the same again.
Trapped. That was the word that kept echoing through Jack's mind as they searched the caverns. They went through four other doors, all of them similar to the ones they'd passed, all of them with strange riddles on them. Daniel kept giving him strange glances and he suspected that the archeologist was a little jealous of him. Jack knew that if one day Daniel suddenly woke up the perfect warrior he would be jealous too, it was understandable and it was human.
They reached a T shaped intersection just after the forth door, and they had to make a decision. Sam was exhausted, the events of the day was taking their toll on her body as well as her mind. Jack carefully led her to a massive stone that stood in the middle of the intersection, ordering her to rest as he decided what their next step should be.
"It would be wise to scout both sides of the tunnel before we make a decision O'Neill." Teal'c suggested.
"I agree, we should split up and meet back here in 15."
"Sam needs to rest." Daniel leaned over and whispered in Jack's ear.
"I know, she doesn't look good." The concerned look Jack gave her made it clear he was worried as much as Daniel was.
"I'll go right, Teal'c you take left. Daniel you stay here with Sam and watch over her. We'll be back in 15. If anything happens contact us immediately." It was clear Jack didn't want to leave Sam behind but he had to do the logical thing.
"I'll take good care of her Jack, don't worry." Daniel patted Jack on the back and moved to sit next to Sam.
"Why is it I always start to worry when ever he tells me not to worry?" Jack murmured to himself as he started walking down the hall.
They just sat there for a while in silence. Daniel constantly gave Sam concerned looks ready to jump to her aid if she only asked.
"Will you stop?" she suddenly snapped at him.
"Stop what?" for a moment he was confused, not really sure what she was talking about.
"I can feel you staring at me. I'm fine Daniel don't worry, I'll be fine." he wasn't really sure who she was trying to convince him or herself.
Ten minutes passed in silence until Daniel couldn't take it anymore.
"You love him don't you?" he blurted out suddenly.
"Love who?" she tried to sound unsure, confused, but it wasn't really working. She knew exactly who Daniel was talking about.
"Sam..."
"Yes I love him. Just like I love you and Teal'c. You're as close to me as my own family."
"That was not what I meant and you know it."
She was going to give him some answer, something that would make sure he knew the subject was closed. That this was not a problem, she could handle it when the sound of approaching footsteps cut her line of thought.
"Get your butt in gear campers. We are getting out of here. I found daylight." She was going to respond when she suddenly felt his warm hand on hers again. "Come on Sam, time to get you home." he whispered gently and she forgot what it was she was going to say.
"Teal'c should have been here by now." Daniel commented as he looked at his watch.
"And the plot thickens," Loki whispered with a smile. "Choices Choices! What will you choose O'Neill, you friend or the chance to go free? This is turning out to be more fun the I had expected."
"Loki." the soft voice came from behind him.
"I was wondering when you were going to make an appearance dear 'brother'." Loki slowly turned to face the owner of the voice.
"You are trying to take what is not yours. I will not allow this." the melodic voice continued.
"So predictable." Loki shook his head as he reached and pressed some hidden button on the table near him. A soft light lit the room and Thor fell to the floor. Slowly Loki rose from his seat and walked to the body laid on the floor.
"I warned you before not to interfere brother. Rolf!" even before the word left his lips the door flow open and the Jaffa was standing in the doorway awaiting his orders.
"Take him to the freezing chamber. Make sure he can not be detected by the Asgard sensors."
"The final riddle is just up ahead O'Neill, soon it will all be over." he whispered to himself as he moved his attention back to the orb.
"Everything is progressing according to our plans." Loki moved his gaze to the tall figure standing near the door. The man walked slowly to the center of the room, his gaze scanning it.
"Yes," he whispered back. "Everything is working wonderfully. I believe we will gain access to the information shortly." the excitement was evident in the man's voice.
Teal'c slowly woke up just to realise he was strapped to an iron table without a way to escape. For once his symbiote was not there to protect him, the symbiote itself was the weakness. He tried to recall what happened before he passed out. He remembered the tall-clocked figure that emerged from the darkness, the sweet stench that rose from its direction, the feeling of helplessness he felt as he lost touch with his symbiote, and the darkness that followed. He was relieved that he could feel the larvae again. As much as he detested the thing that invaded his body, after living with it for so long it was a part of who he was.
"Jaffa," he heard the soft whisper coming from across the dark cell.
"I am awake. Identify yourself." He desperately tried to attach a face to the familiar voice coming from a dark part of the room he was in. A tall human figure emerged from the darkness, with effort Teal'c focused his gaze only to stare into the cold eyes of colonel Maybourne.
"We shouldn't split up!" Sam's voice was reaching that dangerous tone just before screaming. They had waited for another twenty minutes after Teal'c failed to show up at the designated time, in the hope that he had only gotten lost in the maze and would find his way out soon enough. When Teal'c failed to show up Jack ordered Daniel to take Sam, get out of the catacombs and wait for him and Teal'c near the Stargate. Sam was having none of it, to say the least. The argument heated up in seconds, snappy comebacks bouncing back and forth as Daniel, who made a wise decision to stay out of it, watched from the side. Daniel did not agree with Jack's decision either but he decided to let the two officers settle this between themselves, and from Sam's reaction he was sure they were not going anywhere.
"Last time I checked I was the commanding officer around here, MAJOR!" Jack was trying hard to control the tone of his voice as he talked back to Sam. Daniel could see that vein on Jack's forehead starting to pop up (it was comforting for once to know he wasn't the reason).
"I am not leaving you behind!" Sam shouted her response and added after a moment pause "and Teal'c." and with that Daniel knew Jack had lost the argument. He saw a faint smile light Jack's face for a moment and disappear just as fast as it came. He was still mad; outraged from the major's complete lack of regard to the chain of command or the regulations, but Daniel knew exactly what Jack was thinking. If you break one rule, you will always break another.
"Just stay behind me and don't get in the way! Is that understood Major?"
"Yes sir!" Sam tried to hide the victorious smile with little success.
"For crying out loud!" Jack murmured to himself as he reached for Sam's hand and started walking down the corridor.
"You can court martial me when we get home sir." Daniel could hear Sam's futile attempt to give Jack the control she took from him.
"Yeah, yeah, Major, whatever!" Daniel smiled to himself as he watched the soft look Jack gave her that stood in direct contrast to the words.
"Dumber then advertised." he whispered to himself as he made his way to follow them.
"Colonel Maybourne" Teal'c strained to break free of the straps that held him secure to the iron table with little success. When he first saw the human the feeling of relief was comforting. Reinforcements will come, if Maybourne was here others are here as well. They were saved. And this mission will go down in the books as yet another mission in which SG-1 escaped the jaws of death by a split second. The cold smile that lit the hard face of the colonel as he moved closer to the table made it clear there would be no rescue.
"Why have you done this?" Teal'c was trying to find the reason behind the human's actions, with little success.
"I will do what ever I have to in order to protect Earth from the likes of you, Jaffa!" he spat the word out of his month with contempt.
"Even making a pact with the very thing you are trying to protect your planet from?" The logic of the human's act was incomprehensible to the warrior mind.
"I choose the best of two evils. My beta team was the one who found Loki and released him. He was imprisoned on a planet with no DHD. He has proven himself to be a valuable source of information. When he found out about O'Neill's dealings with the Asgard he convinced us that the information was still intact in the colonel's mind. Such a fountain of information is too good to pass up! We get to kill two birds with one stone: get all the information out of a useless mind and get rid of a huge thorn in my side."
"Once you get access to the information he will betray you. He will kill everyone if he has to."
"Do I look stupid Jaffa? I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. We will deal with Loki when the time comes. For now he is more valuable alive."
Slowly he moved closer to the table, with some sort of an alien device in his hand.
"Now its time for you to start obeying my orders for once, Jaffa." a tall human figure crept in the shadows behind the colonel. He moved fast and in a heart beat the colonel was on the floor unconscious.
"It is good to see you again." Teal'c voiced his gratitude as the man freed him from his chains.
"It seems I am making a habit of saving your sorry ass, Jaffa" Aris Boch responded as he motioned to Teal'c to help him tie and gag the colonel.
"It was touch and go for a while after the ship..." he paused for a minute looking for the right word "Mysteriously exploded. But after you all took care of good old Sokar things went pretty much back to normal. Apophis took over and he had no idea about my so-called death. By the way, your old pal has put an even bigger prize on your head now." Aris turned to the man standing beside him.
"I am aware of that. He would do anything in his power to make sure I was captured." Teal'c's tone of voice made it clear he was aware of the danger he was in. "How did you come by this place?"
"Greed will get them down every time." Aris replied with a smile. "That Loki guy practically broadcasted around the galaxy that he was the one to capture the elusive SG-1," he gave Teal'c a grin "and I couldn't allow that now could I? A man has to protect his investment; if he kills you guys no one will give a damn about my people. There..." He pointer to one of the doors at the end of the corridor "That's where they are keeping the little grey guy in some sort of a freezing chamber."
"Let us depart then." Teal'c was already on his way before he even finished the sentence.
"It seems to be leading up to the surface of the building," Daniel shouted after examining the hole at the end of the tunnel. "We can climb through it!" he said as he started climbing.
"Are you sure you're up to this, Sam?" Jack turned his attention to the woman standing beside him, she had been quieter then usual since their argument and he was starting to think that perhaps she was having second thoughts about not staying behind.
"I'm fine sir, just a little tired." He scanned her with his eyes, her physical state was obviously much worse then she was willing to admit. He gave her a squeeze of the hand, trying to transfer some of his strength to her.
"We will get out of here Sam, I promise." he whispered. Sam gave him only a soft smile as a response but that was more then enough to make him believe in her strength again.
"And when we do, you're buying dinner." She whispered back as she gave him a squeeze of the hand in return.
Teal'c moved silently as he made his way down the corridor. The two Jaffa guards were no match for the well-trained warrior but he did not want to give them a chance to alarm anyone else of his escape. Aris was walking behind him, weapon in hand, ready for what was to come. They took out the guards with two fast and efficient blows from behind. The only sound was the sound of their unconscious bodies reaching the ground. Carefully they opened the door trying to make as little sound as possible. They found the freezing chamber with little difficulty.
"The little guy seems to be ok." Aris commented after examining the freezing chamber.
"Have you knowledge of how to release him?"
"Yeah, you just press this little button..." Aris moved to the other side of the freezing chamber and pressed some hidden button on the other side, a strange sound filled the hall and the chamber was beginning to open. "And Voila!" He made a presenting gesture to the freezing chamber as it began to open.
Teal'c could see Thor's eyes beginning to open, slowly he was regaining conciseness, but that was the last thing he saw of Thor. The second the freezing chamber was fully opened a light beam appeared out of nowhere and Thor was gone.
"That's gratitude for ya." Aris said with contempt as he made his way to the exit.
They reached the tall doors after a few minutes of dodging the guards in the corridors of the dark castle. They knew they were above surface now; the air was cleaner, fresher. The feeling of panic that crept through Sam's mind before was starting to fade away. The blindness was easier now; she learned to trust the colonel's reactions. He was protective of her now, some would say a little over protective, but she liked it. It wasn't every day she could drown herself in that feeling so completely. Daniel, with the help of Jack, slowly slid open the doors to grant them entrance to the hall that stood beyond them.
"God what a cheesy room." were the first words out of Jack's mouth when he saw the decor.
"Cheesy? I think it's the same room Teal'c and I were in when we first met Loki. When Teal'c described it that was the first word that came to mind."
"There is another smaller door at the end of the room," Daniel pointed out the semi-covered door. It was almost invisible but Daniel spotted it despite the amount of red velvet that hung around it.
"Okay let's go." Jack's mind was on one thing now, find Teal'c and get the hell out of this hell hole.
"Shhh!" Aris was at the end of his rope. They were lost in the corridors of the castle. Every room looked the same; every candle was burnt to the same amount. It was as if they were walking in the same corridor over and over again, with out reaching its end. After a while it was starting to get depressing. That's when the cursing began, and Aris had a vocabulary of those that would not shame a tunnel rat on the forth moon of zinbar. It was at that point, that he heard the voices. They were distant but they were there.
"I hear them, I believe the voices belong to SG-1."
"Hey isn't that..." Daniel was not able to finish that sentence when Jack flew past him dragging Sam right behind him.
"Teal'c!" he shouted as he made his way towards the figures at the end of the hall.
Teal'c saw the colonel's figure running towards him, and then he was far again, running to him, getting closer and in a second far away again. He felt like he was trapped in some sort of a weird dream where you keep running as fast as you can yet the finish line was moving farther away.
"Hey genius!" Aris pulled Teal'c back making him stop his frantic run. "Doesn't this look a little strange?"
He pointed to the figure of the running O'Neill, dragging Sam behind him.
"Indeed it does." Teal'c had now completely stopped, but the figure of the Colonel running towards him was still the same, coming closer and then moving away again, like a movie stuck on the same scene.
"It's got to be some sort of a trick" Aris was nearing the end of his already limited patience.
Suddenly the Colonel stopped, apparently coming to the same conclusion as Aris did.
"Teal'c are you ok?" the distant shouting echoed in the corridor.
"I am well O'Neill." soon came the reply from the other side.
"We can't reach you!"
"Nor can I reach you! It seems we are in one of Loki's games again."
"Got any bright ideas as to how to get us the hell out of here O'Neill?"
Jack paused for a second. The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't pin it down. He frantically searched his brain for the lost information when he heard the answer coming from his side.
"Aris Boch. We have to get them out of there sir."
"Okay, Jack, describe everything just like it happened, don't leave anything out!" Sam's voice was filled with excitement. It seems that she didn't even notice that for once she called her commanding officer by his first name. But he did notice. Daniel could see his eyebrows shoot up in surprise for a second and his forehead crinkle in thought, but Jack soon got a hold of himself and started describing the situation to Sam.Aris on the other side of the corridor was starting to lose his already fading patience.
"Will you get on with it?" he shouted at Sam's direction for the tenth time.
"Will you just.... SHUT UP?" Jack responded at that point not even trying to hide the hostility in his voice.
"Okay from what I can gather this corridor has some sort of a teleportation device that keeps moving you back and forth. The only way Teal'c and Aris can get out is to find the pattern." Sam's voice was sure and confident. If Jack didn't know any better he might have thought that Sam was back to her old self, for a moment he forgot what had happened, but then the feel of her hand in his brought it all back. He gave her hand a soft squeeze and brought his thoughts back to the problem at hand.
"Teal'c!" Sam shouted to the direction she assumed Teal'c was.
"I am here Major Carter." the answer soon followed.
"Do you have a compass on you?"
"I believe I do Major."
"Which way is it pointing now?"
"You mind telling me where all of this is heading?" Aris was really starting to get on Jack's nerves.
"For crying out loud! Will you just shut up already?" Jack turned his eyes to look with surprise at Sam. That was the last thing he ever expected to come out of her mouth. She paused for a second realizing what she had said, opened her mouth to say something more but then regretted it and kept quit.
"Why don't you just do it ok?" Daniel shouted too obviously tired of the constant arguing.
"Sure, sure, whatever!" Aris was mumbling to himself loud enough for anyone in a two-mile distance to hear him.
"It seems we are headed to the north now Major Carter" Teal'c finally shouted after a short pause.
"What direction are we in now sir? Are we facing them?" Jack took out his compass and stood directly in front of the corridor.
"We're facing east, that makes no sense at all. They're right in front of me! If they are facing north we should be facing south!"
"Just what I thought, there must be some sort of a shielding device activated here. Teal'c! Turn to your west and start walking!"
"That girl has gone bananas!" Aris shouted back "there is no way I'm walking into a wall! I don't care how smart she think she is!"
"She doesn't think she is smart, she just is smart!" Jack shouted in return "Now just shut up and do as she says!"
Sam tried to conceal the content smile on her face, but both Jack and Daniel saw it.
"It will be done as you have asked Major Carter" Teal'c grabed Aris by the collar of his shirt and dragged him right into the west wall. They disappeared from sight in a second.
"Teal'c," Jack shouted in the direction of the dark corridor. "Are you ok?"
"I am well O'Neill, thanks to Major Carter." Teal'c stepped through the wall dragging Aris behind him.
"Great! Now we're all here, can we please get the hell out of here?" Daniel, who for some strange reason was quieter then usual since everything started, finally spoke up.
"That's fine with me Nerd boy, got any ideas how exactly we're gonna do that?" Aris gave him a cynical grin as he pointed to the massive doors that stood at the end of the corridor they were in.
They all stood and stared at the two gigantic doors in front of them. Both doors were made of some kind of metal, Jack wasn't really sure what kind, they were polished to perfection and shining in the darkness. A plank hung on each of the doors, just like before. But this time there was only one keyboard at the side of the doors, and the planks were in English.
They watched the doors for awhile, despair written on their faces, all except Sam. She had that determined look on her face, the look she always got just before she solved a problem. Jack knew that face better then he knew his own. He studied it, memorizing every curve, every line. Every time he handed her a problem no one else could solve, every time they were facing certain death at the hands of yet another System Lord he saw that look. And every time he saw that look he knew that everything would be ok.
"Let's get this over with..." he mumbled to himself as he pointed to the planks with his free hand. "Daniel, you want to do the honors?" Daniel moved slowly to examine the doors.
"Okay we've got two doors and one keyboard. My guess is that we need to choose a door to open. We punch in the answer to the riddle just like before and the door opens. Simple."
"Famous last words..."Aris mumbled under his lip.
"You think you can come up with something better, thought guy?" Jack looked at Daniel with surprise blended with curiosity. It wasn't very often that you saw Daniel Jackson display pure hostility towards another person, usually that was his job.
"No, I wouldn't dream of it. This is all your show nerd boy." Aris waved his hand in contempt pointing towards the doors.
"Would you stop calling me that?!" Jack recognized the tone; it was that dangerous tone Daniel rarely used. It was time to step in.
"Okay ladies, neutral corners please. Aris, Shut up! Daniel, read the planks." he paused for a second and then added "Please". Daniel slowly moved to the left door holding his flashlight he read the writings on the plank out loud.
"They try to beat me, they try in vain. And when I win, I end the pain."
Teal'c moved closer to the door, with a look on his face that could be described as familiarity.
"You know this?" jack motioned to the plank Daniel was reading from.
"Yes. It comes from an old Jaffa legend. All Jaffa know it. The answer is death."
"Okay scratch that. Danny what's behind door number two?"
"My first is foremost legally, my second circles outwardly. My third leads all in victory my fourth twice ends a nominee. My whole is this gate's only key."
"Lo..." Jack started to answer only to be cut by Sam speaking at the same time.
"Love" She felt the blood rush to her face as she said the answer.
"Yeah that's it... Love." Jack soon added trying to mask his uneasiness.
"Okay I think we have a winner." Aris said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.
"Daniel will you do the honors?" Jack pointed to the keyboard obviously agreeing with what Aris has said.
"You let him escape?" Loki's shout echoed through out the room as he turned to face Colonel Maybourne.The black wolf that stood next to him, its eyes never leaving Maybourne, revealed his teeth when sensing his master's anger.
"Someone helped him! I was attacked from behind!" Maybourne's answer soon followed.
"I should have known that no good can come with aligning ourselves with a moron like you!" It was now Boden who was doing the shouting.
"Who do you think is in control of this situation mister? You are my prisoner! Not the other way around!" Maybourne gestured to the men hidden in the shadows. The men quickly moved to surround Loki, weapons in hand and ready.
"I just got tired of you Colonel. You have outlived your usefulness." And with one wave of his hand the Colonel and his men were gone. He moved his attention to the wolf standing next to him, gently patting him on the head and whispering calming words in its ear. The door leading to Loki's chamber slowly opened.
"Come in Rolf" Loki spoke to the figure standing in the doorway without averting his head from the wolf in front of him.
"I told you before I will not allow you to steal the knowledge of the ancients." Surprised Loki moved his gaze from the wolf to Thor's black eyes.
"So we meet again dear brother..." Loki turned completely around to stare at Thor, his hand never leaving the wolf's head.
"This ends here Loki." Thor's voice was tense.
"You really don't know me all that well do you, brother dear?" Loki raised his left hand only to reveal the ribbon device strapped on his right hand that was hidden under the black cloth of his robes.
"I know you better then you think brother." Thor said calmly as he raised his right hand to reveal the device that he was holding - an Asgard hand weapon.
"I'll be happy if I don't see another dark corridor for as long as I live." Jack murmured as the massive door opened to reveal yet another corridor.
"You and me both," Sam whispered back. She paused for a second and then added "Well I could do without that horrible smell anyway, its not like I've actually seen any dark corridors since I got here."
"Don't worry Sam, we are going to get you better and when we do you and me are going to see a hockey game together!"
"Okay that's dinner and a game you owe me now sir!"
"Will you two quit with the flirting already? God I am gonna puke any second now." Aris shoved Jack aside and started walking down the corridor.
"Flirting?" Jack said astonished.
"Us?" Sam finished.
"No, not you, never you," Daniel smirked as he walked by, followed by Teal'c who only raised an eyebrow but that was enough to make it clear he felt just like Daniel did.
"They have no idea what they're talking about." Sam said, obviously embarrassed. She snatched her hand from Jack's and started walking slowly and very hesitantly in the direction she assumed the others had gone.
"Yeah, no idea at all." Jack said softly. He walked to Sam, retaking her hand in his and started leading her towards the others.
"It seems we are at a stand still," Loki said calmly never loosing contact with Thor's black eyes. He slowly moved to sit behind the massive oak table that stood in the center of the room.
"It seems so." Thor responded, following Loki's example and moving to sit at the opposite side of the table his hand never lowering.
"This brings back memories," Loki continued, "Balder was a lot like you. He thought he could stop me the last time. The protector of men, the good god of virtue, and he failed. All of his words did him little good when I hit him with the poisonous dart. He died anyway."
If there was any emotional response to the words it did not register on Thor's face. His eyes never left Loki's, his star intense. They sank into a silence both not wanting to flinch; it was a test of wills.
"Rolf!" the shout cut through the silence of the room. The door opened almost instantly and the tall robed man entered and gave a curtsey bow to his master.
"Bring some refreshments for our guest!"
"We're lost!" Aris shouted at the stunned archeologist that stood before him.
"No we're not!" Daniel's shout echoed through the corridor.
"Yes we are!"
"No we're are!"
"Yes we are!"
"No we aren't!"
"Will you just shut up? Both of you!" Jack had had just about enough of those two. The constant arguing could drive even the calmest man insane and you could call Jack O'Neill many things, but calm was not one of them.
"Who died and made you god?" Aris's expected response soon followed. Jack took one threatening step forward, his eyes darkened, his muscles tensed, he lifted one finger and...
"I don't like you!" that was what he had said. He was sure about it. But Daniel and Aris both stared at him with the weirdest looks on their faces.
"What the hell does 'non amo' means?" Aris looked confused.
"Huh?" now it was Jack's turn to be confused.
"He doesn't like you." Daniel pitched in gladly throwing Aris a dirty look. "It's happening again," he finished.
"Would ANYONE mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Jack was really starting to get annoyed by then.
"You talked in Latin. That must mean that whatever Loki did - it worked." Sam said quietly.
"Sweet." was Jack's only response.
Rolf placed the food and drinks on the table and slowly made his way out of the room never turning his back to Loki and Thor.
"Please help yourself." Loki motioned to the food that was neatly spread in front of him on the table.
"You don't really expect me to touch anything you offer do you?"
"No, but not to offer would have been rude."
"Someone is coming out of that room! Take cover!" Jack quickly dragged Sam behind one of the columns that stood on the far side of the corridor. Teal'c and Daniel took cover behind another one while Aris crept behind the corner and waited in a dark spot. A tall man dressed in black robes came out of the room and as he walked down the corridor he mumbled to himself:
"Rolf do this! Rolf do that! That's all I ever hear from him! Orders! For over 500 years I have been his faithful servant and I never hear one word of gratitude. A Jaffa has feelings too!"
He kept walking down the corridor softly mumbling to himself. When he was finally out of hearing distance Jack pulled Sam up and out from behind the column.
"What the hell was that?" Jack looked at the direction the man disappeared to.
"A Jaffa has feelings too." the response came from an unexpected side. Teal'c gave him a strange look as he walked past him.
"Let's go!" Jack walked to the door the Jaffa came out of. He tried hearing if there was someone inside but he couldn't hear anything.
"This could be our way out!" Aris said as he pushed him aside and opened the door.
"How nice of you to join us." Loki slowly averted his eyes from Thor's to stare into the dark eyes of Colonel O'Neill.
The wolf, sensing the danger the new comers brought with them to the room stood up and placed itself between Loki and the humans. His manner aggressive and suggesting to Jack to stand back and not take another step closer.
"The time for Ragnarok has come. The prophecy will be fulfilled! You remember my son Jormungand." A young man stepped out of the darkness he too was wearing dark robes but unlike his father he possessed no charm or beauty. His face was hard and distorted; scars went deep in his skin and his hand clenched tightly around a device he was holding. It took a few seconds for the words to sink in to Daniel's mind and a few seconds more for him to realize what Loki was going to do.
"Jack! He is going to kill Thor!"
The next few minutes were a blur. Jormungand lifted the device he held in his hand and pointed it towards Thor. Jack acted with out thinking; he let go of Sam's hand and jumped in the line of fire. A soft light lit the room and a heart-tearing scream filled the room. Sam tried to keep her cool and figure out what was going on from the commotion in the room. She knew she was in danger. She knew they all were, and she felt helpless as ever. A strong hand suddenly replaced Jack's hand in hers. Teal'c was there to protect her. He had given his promise. And nothing except his own death will stop him from carrying it out. Sam heard the sounds of 2 bodies hitting the floor. It was over in seconds, the deafening noise replaced by an even more deafening Silence. And the only sound that cut thought the silence was the howling of the wolf.
"Jack! JACK!" a soft sigh and then the sound of another body hitting the floor was her only response. Teal'c quickly guided her to the colonel. He was covered with blood and a single dart was sticking out of his chest. Sam laid down and started feeling for a heart beat. She feared the worst when she couldn't find it, the possibility that she may never talk to him again made her heart lose a beat. She felt Daniel's warm hand cover hers and the panic she felt was under control again.
"He is alive Sam," he said softly. "He's just unconscious."
"What happened?"
"Another Goa'uld. He used some sort of a dart weapon, probably poisonous. Loki is dead. His chest has a hole in it the size of a small watermelon. Probably something Thor used. He's ok I think, Jack saved his life."
"O'Neill will be transported to the Belistnar for medical treatment." She heard Thor's soft melodic voice coming from her side.
"I want to go with him" she heard herself say even before she had time to think of it.
"You are in need of medical treatment yourself. Take his hand and you will both beam up"
She took his hand in hers once more and a second later there was only an empty floor where they once stood.
Thor turned his attention to Daniel who still lay on the floor next to where Jack has been.
"The guards that were here were taken care of. You can leave thought the Stargate. It is now unprotected. We will bring O'Neill and Carter back to earth. They will need several days for healing."
Thor stepped to the table and pressed some hidden button. A strange sound was heard and an opening leading directly to the stargate was opened. A soft white light filled the room and with that he was gone.
"Let's go home." Daniel sighed as he started making his way out and to the stargate.
The three men walked to the Stargate in silence. After Thor disappeared Daniel had found Aris hiding under the table, he refused to explain what he was doing there and Daniel was in to mood to pursue the subject. Aris dialed out first, to some unknown planet. Daniel was more then happy to let the man go without a word of goodbye but what Aris said next caught him completely by surprise.
"You are not as bad as I thought you were Nerd-Boy." he grinned, offering his hand for Daniel to shake.
"You're not so bad either." Daniel allowed himself to smile for the first time.
Aris and Teal'c exchanged knowing looks, both acknowledging each other and he turned and walked up the stairs to the event horizon. Just before he disappeared into the shimmering pool Aris turned and looked one last time at the human and Jaffa before him.
"Remind Carter that her debt it bigger now, I expect her to free my people." and with that he was gone.
"Teal'c dial it up!" Daniel said with a shimmering smile. "God, I always wanted to say that!"
Standing in the forest Rolf watched the humans say their goodbyes. When the last of them disappeared and the gate closed he turned to his companion.
"Boden was a fine host, master. It will be hard to find a host that will measure to his ability but the planet Croden has a variety of fine specimens. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for there."
He walked silently to the gate and dialed up the address. As the gate opened the black wolf emerged from his hiding place and walked up the stairs towards the newly established wormhole. Just before it passed through it turned its head back to take in one last glimpse of its former home, and its eyes glowed.
The pain in his head was a very good indication that he wasn't dead. Pain is life - his old drill sergeant once told him - and if that was true he felt more alive now then he had ever felt in his life. He made up his mind to open his eyes, and was actually able to do it five minutes after. He couldn't feel a thing. He couldn't move his hands or legs. The panic was immediate. For a second he hoped that he was dead, but that thought passed as soon as it came when he moved his gaze to the woman sleeping on the chair next to him.
Her hand was holding his, he could see it but not feel her touch. Her head was comfortably resting on his chest. He tried moving his hand to touch her, give her some clue that he was awake but that was not necessary. A second after that he saw her eyes flicker and she slowly lifted her head. Her blue eyes connected with his brown eyes almost instantly when she sensed he was awake. Jack realized almost instantly that she had gotten her sight back. That vitality he had missed so much was back in her eyes. That hint of something else he longed for. It was all back. She gave him one of her brilliant smiles that faded as fast as it came when she saw the terror in his eyes.
"It's temporary," She comforted him "Thor said it will pass. The poison they used was deadly to Asgard not humans. All you need to do is give it time to pass through your system and you'll be fine." The relief he felt when hearing her words registered on his face brought back her smile almost instantly. "We will both be okay, Sir! And I expect a game and a dinner from you. A promise is a promise."
Jack fought to keep his eyes opened. He wanted to savor that smile that now reached her eyes. But his body demanded its rest and all he could do was surrender.
Sam stood near the transparent force field and gazed down at earth. She had a lot of time to think in the last few days since they left the planet and started making their way back home. Thor insisted on holding Jack on board the Belistnar until he was fully recovered and she was not willing to beam down to the SGC without him. She loved looking down at the earth from space. The hectic planet looked so peaceful. A warm hand on her shoulder dragged her back from her thoughts.
"A Naquada reactor for your thoughts," Jack made a poor attempt at a joke but was rewarded by a warm smile anyway. He took her hand in his and stood there watching the planet with her.
"It gets more beautiful every time I see it." she whispered.
"Yes. Some things tend to do that." he moved his gaze from the planet to the woman next to him.
"You remember the first time we were out here?" She asked softly
"After we barbequed Apophis and his gang," he responded almost immediately. He paused looking for the right words to say.
"I have so much to tell you," they both said simultaneously. The warm smile Sam gave him was the only invitation he needed. He leaned down and took her lips in his, hesitant at first but more boldly when he felt her lean towards him. His hand crept up her back while the other tightened its grip on her hand. They slowly explored each other her hand sliding up his nape to fiddle with his hair and for a moment there was nothing else in existence except them. She completely lost her self in him as he did in her. All the past worries and pains were lost in each other.
A soft cough brought them both back to reality.
"I see you are well again O'Neill," Thor said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "It is time to send you back to your home. The Asgard will be forever grateful for your actions."
"No problem. Anytime" Jack said with a grin. Thor turned his attention to the computer before him and started pressing the symbols that would activate the transportation beams.
"I didn't think it was possible for anyone to have worse timing then Daniel," Jack whispered in Sam's ear as he gave her a warm smile, the last thing he heard before the light was her soft giggling.
Epilogue
One week later - SGC briefing room.
"SG-7 found colonel Maybourne and his men locked at one of the castle rooms, they were nearly dehydrated and several of them were injured but they will all be well enough to stand trial." General Hammond was obviously pleased with his report.
"What about the knowledge of the ancients?" Daniel turned to look at Jack who was sitting on the opposite side of the table.
"Thor promised he took it all out this time, for good."
"Very well SG-1 you are all on stand down for the next 72 hours"
"Sam! You ready to go already?" Jack asked for the tenth time. If she didn't like him so much he would have been dead by now. Jack was waiting for her in the other room of her lab, messing around with one of the gizmos he found on her table.
"Ready!" When Jack saw her his heart lost a beat. She was definitely the most beautiful woman in the world, and dressed in a dark blue dress that complimented her eyes she looked even better. Jack was ready to challenge anyone who said differently.
"Wow!" was the only word he could get out of his mouth as she walked towards him. Sam walked to a huge blackboard that stood at the side of the room. She gave it one last angry look as she taped a small note to the frame of it.
"What's that?"
"Just some formula I can not solve. I taped a note asking Dr.Phritz to keep working on it while I'm on vacation. Come on! Lets go! We don't want to miss the game!" she took her hand in his and dragged him out the door. When they got to the elevator leading to the surface she realized she forgot her purse.
"Hold on. I'll get it" Jack ran back to her lab and grabbed the purse that was sitting near the blackboard. He stood there for a moment carefully studying the formula. Suddenly he picked up a piece of chalk and started writing on the board.
"Jack? Everything ok?" Sam's voice caught up with him a few minutes later when he failed to show up.
"Yeah I'll be right there!" He put the chalk down and studied his work, his face lit up with satisfaction as he made his way out the door.
Dr.Phritz studied the formula written on the board carefully. Major Carter left him specific instructions about it. She was hoping he could solve it, or at least give her some new point of view. He'd spent the past three hours trying to figure out what she'd done with the formula.
"Amazing!" he finally let out a cry that made several of the lab technicians stare at him with surprise.
"That woman is a genius! "
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Ravital A.
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