Friends
Friends
by Petri Zeeman
TITLE: Friends
AUTHOR: Petri Zeeman
EMAIL: wave1401@webmail.co.za
CATEGORY: Drama, Action/Adventure
PAIRING: Sam/Jack
SPOILERS: none
SEASON / SEQUEL: 2
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: language
SUMMARY: Think twice before you regard something as trash.
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: This is my first ever fanfic!! If you like it, mail me at wave1401@webmail.co.za and let me know. If you don't, let me know why so I can improve. If you're going to be nasty, don't bother. Thanks.
The first light shot through the sky, tearing darkness in its path. The first sun appeared above the hills to the left, followed, a moment latter, by the second to the right. Dew glistened on the leaves of the trees in the outstretched jungle.
"This job has a few perks!"Daniel Jackson said.He turned to the others and smiled.
Major Samanthaplease, everyone calls me SamCarter returned the gesture.
Colonel Jack O'Neill lifted his right eyebrow.
Teal'c the former Jaffa looked from Daniel to Jack and back again. His face remained expressionless, as always. He didn't quite get human emotions yet, but he was managing to cope, sort of."It is beautiful."He said simply.
"Et to Teal'c!"Jack said.
Teal'c raised his one eyebrow at Jack.
"You too, Teal'c!It means you too!" And with that he walked back inside the Pink-Quarts building.
Daniel shook his head and followed in to the building. The others, too, followed. Daniel walked to the DHD and dialled.
Jack let his team members pass through the 'Gate and paused a moment to reflect the meaning of their mission.What DID we do?He felt that this,and the previous four missions,was a waste of time.It could've been given to SG-6, they're the explorers!He sighed and walked to up the steps toward the 'Gate.He heard a noise behind him and he turned to see what it was. He saw a bright green flash.Goa'uld? No, it was green ... Green? Fu ... he finally felt the pain. He dropped his
MP-10 and fell forward.
Two more green flashes,Shit!A pool of blood gathered around his MP-10, and the blue pool sizzled to death.
"Where's the Colonel?"Base commander George Hammond demanded.
"He was right behind us, Sir."Sam looked at the 'Gate."Sir, permission to ... "
"Granted, tell him to get the hell back here!"General Hammond tried to hide his worry, but this IS his favourite officer. Not that he'd ever admit it though.
The towering rings started to rotate and the PA system announced: "Chevron one, encoded ... Chevron three, encoded!" And so the giant disc screamed, turning and locking chevrons with a loud 'clack.' "Chevron seven, locked!!"The stairway to heavens exploded outward and was sucked in again, and the blue passage was open.
Sam ran four steps before she managed to control herself and slowed to a light jogging pace. Daniel and Teal'c followed her through the wormhole.
Please, oh please ... Daniel prayed.
Sam crossed the event horizon first, followed closely by Teal'c and then Daniel.
Two tall, dark-green figures lifted Jack's unconscious body and carried him, blood trailing, toward the building's opening. They were well built, strong, with pointed spikes at the back of their heads.They had red eyes. When they were back outside, the 'Gate started to move again, locking chevrons and screaming in agony as the wormhole opened again.
They started to run, fast, faster and fastest, reaching top speed at 53 miles per hour. They headed toward the mountain through the thick undergrowth of the jungle.Soon they would be home.Soon they would fix this intruder, and soon, very soon, they would feast.
Sam landed on the other side.She glanced through the room, and stared a moment at the pool of blood. She closed her eyes, squeezed them tightly. She bit her lip.
Teal'c and Daniel emerged behind her and she reopened her eyes. She turned to them for a second and put her index finger to her lips.Daniel looked around the room, his head jerked with shock when he saw the big pool of blood.
Sam gave the signal to move out. She swayed her MP-10 from side to side in military fashion.Jack? Losing HIS gun? Shit!!Blood, not good ... Her thoughts flashed previous missions, how she was hurt, or caught, or infected with some plague or, or, or ... Never once!My hero (laughs) truly, my hero ...
Teal'c studied the floor of the building, noticing Jack's engraved MP-10 Jack's big buddy and walked toward the door alongside the trail of blood. Outside he paused and scanned the surroundings, swaying his staff-weapon from side to side.
He followed the trail of blood with his eyes.He pointed it out for Sam as she neared.
Daniel emerged alongside them.He saw Teal'c pointing and followed his finger.He blinked twice and said:"How far does it go?"
"I am uncertain, Daniel Jackson."Teal'c said
Daniel looked at Teal'c.
"It runs into the forest."
The three followed the trail, the gap between each little stain growing farther apart as they went.Sam set a stiff pace; Teal'c didn't seem to notice, hedidn't even sweat!Daniel struggled, but he kept up, the thought of his friend driving him, forcing him to keep up, feeding his muscles.
Something bad happened ... she thought ... woman's intuition? Yea right! Please Jack, live.Tears formed in her eyes.Damned sweat!She thought.Who're you trying to convince? Them or yourself?She wiped her hand over her eyes.
The two creatures held up a little devise.It emitted a light blue glow and hummed like a sonar scope. They held it over Jack's bleeding chest, slowly moving it up and down.The humming soothed the pain while the blue light repaired damage.
Jack slowly came to.He opened his eyes and saw a blur.He turned his head and felt blood rush by his ears.The world blackened and he was again in that dark world inside his head.
"Hey ... yous awake then?"
Jack's eyes fluttered open and he looked around, dazed.
"Well I suppose if yous eyes is open yous is awake, ay?" The man chuckled to himself. "So, where you from.I'm from a planet known as Euphora. What's your planet called?I'll bet not nice as mine's name." He giggled.
Jack grunted and tried to get up.Chains around his ankles and wrists prevented him, so he sat down hard,a bit too hard!He studied the surroundings.
"Yous wasting yous time.No escapes, not one. Believe me, I seen it tried, it didn't happen.No, never. See this scar? Huh?You see it?"
"Yea, I see it."Jack was irritated. How could hehave been so stupid?
"They gave me it when I tried to run."It was a large scar, running from his shoulder down to his knuckles.
"Soon I'll be dead, then, you.They'll feast, I've seen it.Why do you doubt me? Yes, I like you. You may then have my place! It is the most comfortable place. You'll like it."
"Listen, pall, I'm not planning on staying that long.I've got to be some ... " and he patted where his right pocket was supposed to be.He felt nothing but his own skin. Jack looked down and his eyes widened. He looked around at the three others.
Damn!!Even in the low light he could see clearly that they all were naked.His little 'pick-the-lock-wire' was in his pants' lining. He swore again and hit his head back against the wall.Damn it, why couldn't he be sick today!He WAS feeling a little queasy this morning.Shit! Fuck! Damn!
"So, how long you been here?"He asked to his new 'friend.'
"Twenty five days.They ... " he pointed to the other two,"were sent to rescue, but got caught.We were eight, but they kill one, EAT one every few days.They do ritual and zap, you're digested."
"Great. Do they kill in some sort of order?"
"Yes. No. I don't know. But I'm next."
"How ... " Jack lifted his eyebrow and waved his hands to make the other man continue.
"They told me," he cut Jack off, "they're telepathic."
"What?" Jack wasn't up to speed with all these fancy terms that Sam and Daniel throw out as thought it was normal to talk that way.
"You know, they speak with their heads, yea."He nodded vigorously."Them told me, they said they gonna kill me next, and laughed. They are the Churnack.The big one, he's Calvec, the other one's Muldock"
Jack closed his eyes.He needed to think, he needed to clear his head and figure this out.
Teal'c was first to reach the cave.He looked inside.There was nothing. Sam and then Daniel caught up.
"Teal'c, take point.I'll watch our six."
Teal'c followed the blood trail about five hundred feet into the cave. The trail, it seemed, vanished into the wall of the cave.
"Major Carter, it appears as if they went into the cave wall, perhaps there is a hidden door."He said.
Sam went to where Teal'c was standing and studied the wall. There was a bloodstain about an inch up against the slightly angled wall of the cave.
Teal'c started to feel and push against the wall around the spot of blood.
A drop of sediment rich water dripped from an overhanging stalactite ten feet from the blood. Daniel watched as it fell down to the sloped cavern wall.He watched the impact, the shattering of the drop shattered like his hope to find Jack only, it didn't. It disappeared into the wall. His eyes widened and he stood a moment in amazement.
"Uh ... guys," and he pointed to another falling drop.
Sam watched as it vanished.
"Yous gonna be here long, yes you is!They'll leave to last to eat you."
"I told you, I'm not planning on staying that long.My people will be looking for me as we speak." He said without a shred of doubt.
"No," he shook his head, "they not gonna find you.Even if they find that door hidden in the cave, then they'll die. No, not find you, they'll die."
"What?" He said half worried, half annoyed.
"The hidden door, is only a door for the Churnacks.For all other it's certain death uh huh!"He nodded vigorously. "All others pass through the mountain, they fall, they fall onto rocks.One tried, going out the door, he, he fell eight hundred feet to his certain death."
"Great!" Jack sighed.
An hour after the last words between them, he decided that hemight as well get some useful Intel, you never know.
"Sooo ... what can you tell me about these ... Churnacks?"
"You can't kill, no them.They, no energy, the shots bounce from them.Class G3 al through G11, I've sawn it.They ... they can't die, you see, they're invincible."
"What do you mean, invincible?They breath, don't they?"
"Yes, why?"
"Ever try and strangle one?" Jack didn't know anything about his captors, he only saw them for a brief moment back at the cave, and could thus not tell.
"Yes, but they, he died.They have a bad skin. Yes, it's very bad uh huh!!" Again nodding vigorously.
"What you mean: a bad skin?"Jack struggled to keep up with the child like dialogue.
"They have slimy, and the hard, it cant be moved.They slime you, it burns.It's bad, yous bones stick out.It burns and is bad, very bad."
What a day!!What a perfect day. As if the four out time difference wasn't enough.
"What if there's an army of ... something in there?" Daniel said.He already 'lost' one good friend today; he didn't want to lose another.
"It would be best if I went."Teal'c said and took the rope from his backpack.
"O.K. Teal'c, but be careful."
Teal'c tied the rope around his stomach and handed the other end to Daniel. Daniel tied the rope to a stalagmite.
Teal'c let his eyes move from Daniel to Sam and then turned and walked quickly through the door.
The rope raced after him.He was falling. Sam grabbed hold of the rope and Daniel grabbed it a foot forward from where she was. The rope jerked as they managed to stop it from slithering into the hole.They pulled hard, gaining a foot backwards at a time.
Two minutes later Teal'c emerged back through the 'door.'
"What happened, Teal'c?"Sam asked with an ashen face.
"It seems as if the door leads to a cliff, a steep one. I fell twenty feet.I was a third of the way down.It does not seem likely that Colonel O'Neill went through here, and I did not see a body on the rocks below."Daniel sighed with relief
"O.K then lets search the rest of the cave."Sam said.Daniel heard a hint of despair in her voice, and he breathed deeply through his nose.
They spent another three hours in the cave, searching for anything that might lead them to Jack.Even if he was ... they had to know!After finding nothing in the cave, they spent five hours searching the surroundings. They kept on searching until SG-3 came and informed them of General Hammond's orders: they were to return, with or without Colonel Jack O'Neill.
Daniel saw the tears form in Sam's eyes as she told the tale to the General. He saw George Hammond, a tower of stability and calmness; he saw how the rock forming little cracks.
Daniel sniffed hard and tears rolled over his cheek. Teal'c didn't cry,did he ever, he looked strange, different though.Not the calm, emotionless Jaffa, his lip seemed to hang at a slightly downward angle.
"Major, I think it would be best if the rest of you went home, I think you need some time off.As of now Colonel O'Neill is officially ... " he took a deep breath, his voice cracking as he continued, "officially M.I.A"
Tears flowed over the broken Major's cheeks.Daniel breathed in a strange, deep, irregular way, gasping for air every three of four breaths.
"Dismissed," Hammond said.They rose and headed for the door."Hold on," he said. He stood and walked to the three, "I'm going to make certain we do everything in my power to bring him back safely. I want you to, before you leave, have yourselves checked out by doctor Frazier."
"Ye ... Yes, sir." And they headed to her part of the enormous building, their hands hanging loosely by their sides.
Jack's chains, together with the others', fell off."Come!!"He heard.
"What was that?"He asked his friend.
"We eat, must grow fat for them."So they stood and followed Calvec to a rough wooden table.
They sat down and were each handed a bowl of green slush. A day and a half had passed since Jack's last meal. He dipped a finger in and lifted it out of the bowl.The slush slowly stretched back in to the bowl.He looked at the others who seemed to enjoy it and shivered. They each had ... salt?
"EAT!!"'Shouted' Calvec.
"I'm not particularly hungry right now, I ate before I came, so if you don't mind I'll just go back ... "
"Silence!! Eat!!"
"O.K. then." He stuck his right index and middle finger in to the bowl and brought a small amount to his lips.Damn!He thought,not THAT bad, could use salt though.Must be how they get so fat so fast,he thought. He was right.
An hour after the meal, he saw his friend's already excessive midsection slowly expand a few inches.
His friend saw Jack staring at his gut and said, "Yours will grow, not yet, tomorrow. Three, four meals, then you'll start to see a bigger belly."
"Wonderful!" Jack smirked.If ... yea, IF I'm gonna survive, I better eat less."So what happens now?" He asked.
"Now we rest until playtime.Then we go out and play."
Thank You,Jack thought.He sat back and fell asleep.Calvec and Muldock watched.
"The new one, he is a threat."
"Yes, we must monitor him carefully!"
Doctor Janet Frazier gave them each a pill, "just something for the shock," she said. She knew it would only last a short while, an hour tops.Her eyes too were red.
"Thanks Janet."Daniel said.
Doctor Frazier had Sergeant Albright drive them home.They wanted to be together, so Sam had Albright drop them off at her apartment.
When they got inside she went behind her 'mini-bar' and produced a bottle of Scotch. She unscrewed the top and took three good gulps and then handed the bottle to Daniel. Surprisingly, or rather not, he gulped five times before offering the bottle to Teal'c, who just shook his head. Teal'c sat down on one of the sofas and stared into the distance.
Sam sank down beside him and held out her hand for the bottle. Daniel gave it up relentlessly.
Within an hour they Sam and Daniel had finished two bottles of scotch and were currently on their second bottle of schnapps.Sam had fetched an album, and they stared at photographs of the past. Portraits of their friend. When they reached the end of that album, she fetched another.When they reached the last photo of Jack, Sam burst into tears. She ran into the bedroom and flung herself down on the bed, like an angry teenager.
Daniel started to get up to go and comfort her, but he started to cry as well. He lied down on the sofa and breathed deeply.Teal'c went to the spare bedroom and closed the door.He pulled a chair up to the window and sat down. He stared over buildings and cars, over mountains and plains, to happy times.
Jack awoke to the sound of falling chains.
"Come!"And Jack obeyed. They ate again.
They stood up from the table and followed Calvec.He led them through several corridors before the walked through a wall. The 'playground' was a small valley surrounded by cliffs.At least it's outside. Damn!! The third day on this planet!!The three other men ran off, jumping as they went.
"Where you going?"He asked when he caught up with the extraordinarily fast chubby man.
"The junk pile, yes, toys!!"And the chubby fellow ran faster than Jack once again.Jack was amazed, and followed slowly.
The junk pile stank.Jack smelled it from a hundred feet away.There were a lot of metallic objects, things that seemed like TV's, radios and other modern day Earth-objects.
The three strangers searched through the rubble. Apparently 'playtime' was meant for playing they gathered various objects and ... well, played.
Jack decided that he SHOULD go through the pile; maybe he could find some clothes.
He didn't. Instead he found his big buddy. Jack picked it up and checked the magazine.Full! My lucky day!
"You, what are you doing!!"Calvec demanded. They did not quite understand this one's thoughts, but he was up to something.
"Nothing, just playing."Jack imitated a child.
"I know what you think, you are scared!What are you doing with that!What is it?"
Jack laughed, softly at first, then louder.He spun round and emptied half the clip into the beast's chest. Not knowing where to aim, he destroyed Calvec's chest.
Calvec recoiled in horror as it realized just what they had regarded as junk. It sank to its knees and died with a loud groan.
Muldock turned to see what was going on.He saw Calvec lying on the ground, dead.He saw Jack holding the 'primitive junk.'Muldock pulled out his ray gun and fired two shots at Jack.
Jack ducked the first and dived left to avoid the second. He heard screams.Muldock missed Jack, but he hit his friend and another man.
Jack jumped up and strived to his right, firing all the way. He shot in three round bursts and jumped behind a tree just before the green flashes cut a hole right through it.
Jack clicked a switch into place, and the gun was set on single shot.Ohhh shiii ... he thought as he jumped out behind the tree. He fired eight rounds before Muldock managed to fire once, for the last time.The green bolt of energy shot past Jack's right leg.He screamed.The heat from the bolt of energy tore through a centimetre of flesh high up on his leg. Muldock collapsed, he swore, and was dead.
Jack hopped over to his friend.He bent over his friend's body.Nausea filled his stomach."It's just a flesh wound." He said no convincingly.
"Yes, but do me a favour ... bury me ... us on your planet, all of us." And he coughed and lied back in peace, his sole restored and free.Jack didn't cry, he never did.Something got caught in his eye and a single tear dropped to the ground.
Jack fell down on his back and stared at the high sun.He didn't think, he didn't dare.He lied there for an hour before he sat up in pain. He looked around, dazed by the loss of blood.
What luck,he thought as he saw a 'Y' shaped pipe. He used it as a crutch to support the wounded leg. He climbed the little path up to the hole in the mountain.He went back into the den.He looked for their glowie thingie, and found it.For ten minutes he struggled to make it work, but gave up hope. He didn't go through the door,one tried, he fell to his certain death.
He looked around at the steep walls of the valley.He chose one that looked ... well, less steep. It was a long and painful journey. He slipped and fell.He rolled down, fortunately on the other side of the mountain, and landed on a ledge.Ten minutes later he got up and struggled along a path to the Stargate with three broken ribs and a throbbing headache.
It was three hours after dark when he finished his three-mile-trek-on-one-leg. His knees were bruised badly and he had scratches along his legs and back.His chest seemed relatively unharmed, with only a few bruisesmust've been the blue glowie thingie.
He climbed up the steps, but fell.He didn't have enough energy to get back up, so he crawled. He had to drag himself the last few feet to the DHD.
Sam was in her quarters at the base for a gift.Jack gave her a teddy bear for her last birthday. It was a joke in the end, he gave her a bottle of expensive perfume as well.She looked at it a short while, it had meant more to her than the perfume it smelled like Jack. She threw herself from her bead and headed for home.General Hammond forced them to take a little 'paid vacation.'She had to have that bear, that's why she came.
Alarms started to ring and red lights flashed:"Off world activation, incoming traveller!"Echoed the PA system.
Sam ran for the gate room.She ran at her top speed, almost knocking Janet over as she passed."Sam ... ?" She shouted.Janet wondered what the trouble was and followed.
In the control room General Hammond asked, "We don't have anyone ... ?"Jack?
"No transponder signal, sir!"
"Open the Iris!!" Sam shouted as she came down the last corridor. "Open the Iris!!Open the damned iris!!"
"Major? I thought I told you to take a while!"
"Sir, it's Jack, sir, I know it is!" She pleaded.
"Major, there was no transponder signal ... "
"He lost his, sir, I know it!!"
"No, major, you're going to have to let it go!"
Sam flung round and knocked Patterson out of the way. She let her fingers fly over the keyboard and the Iris opened.
"Major, I'll have you ... " Sam was already in the 'Gate room.
Jack's naked body was thrown out of the Stargate sideways. He collided with the ramp and rolled down to the floor.
"Jack!!" Sam shouted with joy and horror to see his bloodied body.
At that moment Janet arrived and saw Jack."I need a med team to here stat!!"She shouted at the control room as she ran towards Jack. Moments later it was announced over the PA system.
Sam was bent over Jack's body, taking in all there was to see of his face. She bent further and kissed his forehead and then drew back to her chair by his side his side, like a puppy refusing to leave the master's side.
Jack moved his head a little.He opened and closed his mouth a few times; he had a bad taste in his mouth. His eyes opened and he blinked a few times as they became accustomed to the light.From the awkward feel of the bed he could tell that he was in sickbay, or a hospital.He looked to his left. Only rows of beds and medical equipment.To his right. He saw Sam, and smiled.
Sam smiled back at him and said, "Morning, sleepy.Have a good few nights?"
"How long ... " he swallowed, "how long was I out?"
"Three days since you hit the ramp, sir."
"Damn. I still have a headache."
"Doc Frazier wanted me to tell her when you come to, she figured out how to use the devise you had when you came through.She said it wont even leave a scar."And she rose and headed to Janet's office.
"Major ... " Sam stopped and turned to face him.She wanted to smile, she knew what he wanted to know.
"When I came through the 'Gate ... uh, what was I wearing?"
Sam coughed three times to hide her laugh."Excuse me, sir?"
"Well, I don't remember much of what happened after I 'escaped,' but I do remember being naked.Did I come through the 'Gate naked?Was it a dream, or did it really happen?"
"Don't know, sir, I wasn't there." And she walked out the door to call Janet, giggling all the way.
Jack heard her.He smiled.Not a totally meaning less then.
SG-6 was dispatched that same day to fetch the bodies of Jack's lost comrades. He kept his promise.
They were buried with a six-gun salute, Jack in his wheelchair behind the sixth gun.
Three tombstones stood side-by-side.On all three were engraved imaginary details, except on one. It said:'Friends.'
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Petri Zeeman
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