Time and Motion
Part 2
With a backward glance at Daniel softly snoring in Teal'c's arms, Jack sighed and took point, gripping the P90 even tighter in his hands as he took the first step. Leaving the confines of the relatively safe cave hadn't been an easy decision but the slight break in the turbulent weather made it necessary.
Getting Daniel to sleep had been a chore in itself. His young team-mate had been exhausted, and watching him stir, Jack wondered what kind of nightmares he would suffer. Standing by helplessly as his friend writhed on the ground in the throes of repeated seizures had left Jack feeling angry and useless. Nothing he tried soothed Daniel as pain from growing and stretching limbs wracked his body, leaving him weak and incoherent. Comforting the distraught child had made his memories of Charlie resurface. Cradling Daniel in his arms, he refused to remember another deathly still child.
Turning his attention to the path ahead, Jack let out a cleansing breath of air and whispered, "You can do this, O'Neill," and paying no attention to the far off bolts of lightning illuminating even more distant hills, he urged his tired feet forward.
"S...nine...C..ter," The hiss and static mixed with the welcoming voice of his 2IC broke Jack from his dark daydreams and he quickly reached for the radio on his vest, fumbling with the 'on' switch and dragging it up to his mouth.
"Carter?" He called, grateful that the din of the wind had quietened down to a dull roar. "Carter, this is SG1-niner, can you read, over?" Pressing the earpiece further into his ear he closed his eyes, praying to pick up her voice amongst the background noise.
Getting nothing in reply, Jack hefted his P90 back up into his arms and set off down the track again, keeping ever vigilant for the Lhavanian patrol.
Ancient trees lined the outer edge of the forest, bending and creaking in the violent storm. Shoulders to the wind, Sam and Janet pressed on, the wind and rain battering and drenching them. Ducking as debris flew through the air, they knew they were in real danger of being hit.
"I don't know how much more of this we can take!" Janet yelled, pulling her boonie down over her ears.
"We have to!" Hugging her weapon close to her chest, Sam tried not to be thankful for the lightning illuminating the night sky. Thankful the light was helping them find their way but worried what it might be doing to Daniel. Slowing down to match Janet's pace, Sam scanned the tree-line to her left and the small bluff to her right. This was the ideal place for an ambush and she hoped the Lhavanian's hated the weather even more than she did. "We can only hope the Colonel and Teal'c have Daniel somewhere safe. The last set of scans I ran showed a steep increase in the wind speed."
Feeling her energy levels begin to wane, Sam snagged Janet's jacket, motioning for her to sit. Panting, her face red and blotchy, she said, "Rest, we need to rest."
"Amen to that." Janet ran her hands wearily over her face, taking a moment to push a stray bang back under her hat, "I can't believe anyone would be out in weather like this."
Taking a sip from her canteen, Sam nodded her head in agreement, "Well, I certainly wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be but Lhavanian's are used to living this way, despite having their village inside a bio dome. This is probably a calm day for them so we can't discount the fact that they're still out here somewhere." Returning the canteen to her pack, she pulled her radio over and thumbed the press-to-talk button. "SG1-niner this is Carter, do you read me, over?" Releasing the button, she closed her eyes, concentrating of the static that was filling her ear-piece.
"SG1-niner, this is Carter. Colonel, Teal'c do you read me?"
"Cart.. this is O'N...., ..at is y..r posit..., over?"
"Colonel!" Sam sat bolt upright, her eyes locking on to Janet and a broad smile crossing her face. "We can barely hear you, sir. I have Doctor Fraiser with me. What is your location?"
Hissing and reflexively bringing her hand up to her ear, Sam winced as the spine-chilling static blasted out from the earpiece mixed with the rough tone of Jack's voice.
"Left th. ..ve, hea..ng north to th. s..rg.te. One mi.. out. What is yo.. posi...n, over?"
"I think he wants to know our position, Sam," Janet offered, her finger pressed to her ear as she listened in through her own headset.
"I got that. They're one mile from the cave heading north towards the gate." Bunching her brow in thought, she brought her finger to her lip and tapped it lightly. "We've travelled at least one and a half miles and the cave was roughly half a mile from the cave so we should only be a mile or so apart."
"They've got Daniel out in this weather?" Janet looked astonished, her eyebrows drawn high.
"I don't think they'd be out in this if they didn't have to be. The weather is localized in some areas so it might not be so rough where they are," Thumbing the radio back on, Sam spoke slowly. "Colonel, we estimate that we are approximately one and a half miles from your location. We've just come up on a forest to our left that stretches all the way to the bluff. Moving in a southerly direction to your location."
Waiting breathlessly, Sam closed a hand over her other ear, straining to hear Jack's voice over the wind and static.
"Check.. ..ery ten mi..tes, .arter. O'Nei.. out."
"Nothing about Daniel?"
Sam shook her head. "I'm sure if he was any worse the colonel would have said something." Craning her neck around the broad trunk of the tree, Sam took a good look at conditions away from the tree-line, "Talking of getting worse, the wind has really picked up now." Pulling her diagnostic tool from her vest pocket, Sam quickly scanned the area and frowned at the readout on the small screen. "Electromagnetic activity has intensified and the ground speed is approaching 110 miles per hour."
"Windy?" Janet piped up, shrugging her pack higher on her shoulders and tugging her boonie back on.
"Think Mary Poppins."
"That bad?"
"Uh-huh."
"This is just nuts!" Jack had repeated the same mantra so many times now he'd lost track. Rushing headlong into a cyclone was not his idea of an ideal mission, but then again nothing about this particular mission was ideal. Glancing back over his shoulder, he caught sight of Teal'c's bulky form struggling his way through the thick underbrush, carrying Daniel safely in his arms. Shaking his head, Jack had no idea how Daniel could sleep through the deafening sounds of Mother Nature in her bad mood.
With his eyes on the horizon, Jack flinched, multiple lightning strikes arcing through the sky leaving a latent image on his retinas. "Damn," raising a hand to rub his eyes, he muttered, "that was bright." Checking Teal'c was still with him he set off again, shoulder into the wind and head down. "Couldn't see the enemy if he sat on me in this weather."
Following the well-worn path, Jack called for a brief stop, guiding Teal'c to a sheltered outcropping of rocks. Laying Daniel down in his sleeping bag, he ran his hand through the boy's hair and whispered, "The kid could always sleep through anything."
"He has been talking in an unknown language in his sleep."
"He does that a lot, T." Pulling the sleeping bag up higher, Jack stood up and stretched. "Grab something to eat while you can, I'll sit with Danny."
Teal'c tilted his head and nodded briefly, moving away a short distance and leaving Jack with his sleeping friend.
"Carter, come in." Jack hunched into his jacket, the wind whistling around his ears. "Come on, Major, wakey, wakey."
"I hear you, Colonel."
Sam's voice was thready and Jack could hear her tension, "Major, what's your position?"
"Heading your way, sir. Wind speed has picked up in the last hour. I estimate we are approximately one mile from your location. Strong head winds are hampering our movement."
"Teal'c and I have taken shelter in a rocky outcropping on the edge of the forest tree-line. We'll rest here for a few minutes before setting off again."
"Acknowledged, sir. Janet wants to know Daniel's condition."
Taking a quick glance down at Daniel, Jack placed a finger on the pulse point of his neck. "Tell doc he's sleeping, Carter. Pulse is a little fast but he's been coherent the last few times he's been awake. Seizures have stopped for now but we've seen a definite connection between their frequency and the changing weather conditions."
Tapping his foot impatiently at the delay in responding, Jack lifted the radio back up to his mouth. "You still there, Carter?"
"Sorry, sir, Janet was asking me a question. How does Daniel look physically?"
With a frown, Jack wondered how in hell he'd answer that, so pulling the sleeping bag down a fraction he shone his penlight slightly away from Daniel's eyes. Flinching, he saw Daniel looked about the same age as Charlie had been before his accident. "Crap," he murmured, "not now, O'Neill."
"Roughly eight years old, Carter." Eight? Was that right? Daniel was lying on his side and Jack reached down to rub the back of his neck, turning the small head gently in his direction, "No, more like ten. I don't know. I don't do the kid thing well."
"That's okay-," Suddenly the radio hissed and Jack tapped it out of habit, knowing full well it was the weather jamming the signal, not anything mechanical.
"Carter?" Jack snapped, yelling above the rising din of the storm. "Carter!"
"Sor.., Sir. Elec...cal act....y in...asing-," When the radio hissed once more, Jack knew there was trouble, "Aw crap!" Tugging the sleeping bag back up around Daniel he ventured out to the edge of the outcropping. Looking at the night sky he was bathed in a brilliant blue hue, a bolt of lightning striking the ground barely one hundred feet from their position. Staggering backwards, Jack reached out behind him, breaking his fall as he hit the ground butt first. "Holy hell," he bellowed, "Teal'c?" Shaking his stinging hands, Jack twisted his body sideways and scrambled back to where he'd left Daniel, sucking in lung-fulls of ozone-heavy oxygen along the way.
"Here, O'Neill!"
The relief on Jack's face was evident as he saw his friend stagger towards Daniel, scooping up their discarded packs as he went. Watching as Teal'c turned Daniel over, Jack flinched when the boy suddenly screamed, his legs thrashing violently inside the confines of the sleeping bag, "Hold on to him!" Jack yelled, ignoring the pain in his knees and hands as he scrambled across the rocky, broken ground.
"Noooo!" Daniel's pain-filled voice filled the air, his body twisting and contorting.
"Crap," Jack muttered, cursing every weather god he could think of as he threw himself down next to Daniel and fought to hold onto his flailing arms and legs. "Watch his head, Teal'c. Help me get him back on his side,"
Moving a seizing body was not an easy task, even when that body was only ten years old, but with the unpracticed skill of a soldier not trained to be a medic, Jack neatly placed Daniel in the recovery position. "There you go, buddy," he whispered, locking his knees into Daniel's back to stop him from turning over.
Several breath-holding moments later the seizure was over, leaving small tremors coursing through Daniel's overtaxed body.
"Whoa." Jack leaned forward, unzipping the mostly discarded sleeping bag and ran his eyes across Daniel's body. His Lhavanian's robe was tight across his chest. Once reaching down to Daniel ankles, it now sat slightly twisted above his knees.
"I believe DanielJackson has endured another growth period," Teal'c declared, letting go of Daniel's shoulders.
"That would be an understatement." Sliding back onto his butt, Jack massaged his temples, the ghost of an impeding headache adding to his list of aches and pains. "I'm guessing a couple more years." Rubbing his tired eyes, Jack looked up at the inky black night, "Lets get him covered up and-,"
"Nngh." Daniel's voice was barely audible.
Leaning in close, Jack brushed the sweat-soaked bangs gently. "Hey, kiddo, you okay there?"
Jack watched Daniel shake his head, the fog of sleep lingering. Running his tongue across his dry lips, Daniel turned slowly onto his back. "Thirsty!"
"I know, Teal'c's got some water. Do you think you can manage some?" A glance in Teal'c's direction told him the Jaffa was already one step ahead of him, holding his canteen out ready to assist. Threading an arm behind Daniel's neck Jack helped him sit up and pressed the canteen to his lips. "Just a little, Daniel, don't want you bringing it straight back up."
Satisfied Daniel had taken enough water, he withdrew the canteen. Watching a stray dribble running down his friend's chin, he thumbed it away. "Better?"
Daniel nodded slowly, and wincing at the motion, he let out moan. "Uh huh."
Jack chuckled and grabbed a safety blanket from his pack. Wrapping it securely around Daniel's lean shoulders, he asked, "You sure? Doesn't sound like it to me."
Furrowing his brow, Daniel opened a lazy, bloodshot eye and looked at Jack, a small look of confusion flashing across his face. "Jack?"
"That's my name."
"Home?"
"No, not yet but we're getting there. Do you remember where you are?"
Daniel shook his head. "Not really." Opening up his other eye, he held up his arms and frowned. "Not a dream?"
"Not this time. You touched a device and all hell broke loose." Jack watched as Daniel started to list sideways, his eyes drooping, barely able to fend off sleep, "Wanna lay down again?" he asked, gripping Daniel firmly by the shoulders.
"No! Just tell me, what was this device supposed to be?" The chubby, boyish curves of Daniel's face had disappeared, and Jack could see the man Daniel would be. "O-okay, this might be tricky." With an apologetic shrug, Jack scowled, thinking how to explain to a kid, what he didn't understand himself. Deciding defence was the best offence, he neatly lobbed the ball back into Daniel's court. "Don't you remember?" Crouching down, Jack watched his young friend's face crinkle with confusion. "No, I don't remember anything. Well, except you! I think." Sitting up and reaching for the canteen, Daniel took another long drink and sniffed loudly. "Ah, so, what are you exactly? Military right? Not my dad? No, you don't look the scholarly type!" With a grin at Jack's grunt of outrage, Daniel laughed softly. "Sorry, you look real smart!" "Yeah, well, I get by, Doctor Smart Ass." Standing up slowly, and casually ruffling Daniel's already messy hair, Jack nodded at Teal'c. "Hey, T, can you believe this kid? We carry him miles through this crappy weather and this is the thanks we get!" Shaking his head, he complained, "I'm hurt!" Jack was a man of outstanding intuition. A sad smile crossed his face as he felt Daniel's pain and uncertainty. He knew the boy wanted to trust him, to know he was safe, but understood Daniel's trust was hard won. Seeing Daniel's eyes brim with unshed tears, his fists bunching tightly, Jack held his hand out. "Hey, come on." Dragging him to his feet, he hugged the trembling body tightly. "We'll be okay, and Carter will fix this." Swaying back and forth, Jack sighed softly. ~0~
"We'll be okay, and Carter will fix this."
Jack's nut-brown eyes met Daniel's, willing him to believe in him. With a slight nod, Daniel's head dropped to his chest, as if unwilling to let the older man see the tears in his eyes. Distracted by Daniel's misery, Jack took his eyes off the ball. A cardinal sin. With a start, he cursed under his breath as one of the Lhavanian's hissed behind his ear.
"I don't think your female companion will be fixing anything."
"What the hell?" Jack's reactions were too slow, and as he turned in the direction of the voice, he cursed as his weapon was snatched away. "Bastard!" Grim faced and dangerous, Jack made a step towards the priest. "Big mistake!"
"Oh, I don't think so." With a look Jack could only describe as feral, Zahur kicked out expertly, felling Jack cleanly.
Jack hit the ground hard, and as he twisted his head, he saw Teal'c restrained by three more priests. Wheezing, desperate to suck in air, he caught his friend's gaze and gave his head a quick shake. They were outnumbered and he had underestimated the priests' fighting abilities. They were powerful, and Jack knew instinctively they wouldn't hesitate to kill.
Twisting, Jack fought to throw Zahur off balance. He needed to find Teal'c and Daniel, but Zahur was stronger than Jack gave him credit for, applying more forward pressure than Jack anticipated. Grabbing hold of Zahur's foot, he arched his back off the ground and tossed the man backwards, barely sparing him a second look as Zahur cried out in pain.
Making good his escape, Jack spotted Daniel off to the right, thrashing around under the weight of two of Zahur's priests. "Get off him!" Jack roared, running and throwing himself at Daniel's handlers headfirst. Grateful his aim was true, Jack grunted as the momentum of his body knocked the two men off balance, sending them sprawling several feet away. "Run!" He yelled, rolling to his feet.
A flying kick hit him hard. Grunting with surprise, he felt his arms yanked behind his back. Forced to his knees, Jack hissed, "Bastards," his face bleak and cold.
"You are dead, Zahur." Jack's eyes bored into the priest's. "If you harm Daniel I will make your dying breath excruciating."
"Colonel, enough, you make this harder than it needs to be."
Following Zahur's gaze, Jack suddenly felt totally useless. Daniel was lying face-down on the muddy ground, a trickle of blood oozing from a cut on his temple. "Oh for Christ sake, he's just a boy!"
Zahur released Jack's hair, and sighed again. "The boy is stunned, he is not harmed. None of this would be necessary if you'd just left him with us." Clicking his fingers, he ordered Daniel to be brought to him. "He is ours." Bringing his hand back, Zahur slapped Jack's face, "Do not throw your life and that of your companion's way, Colonel." Taking Daniel by the arm and ordering Jack and Teal'c be restrained, Zahur said softly, "This is not our way; you have forced this upon yourselves."
"Down!" Sam ordered pushing Janet behind the scrubby vegetation, the only shelter they could find outside the safety of the forest.
Cursing her heavy pack, Janet went to ground, the hard earth biting into her knees and hands. "What can you see?" She whispered, straining her eyes against the dark and silently hoping the turbulent winds wouldn't carry her away.
"I'm not sure, thought I heard something over the wind." Rummaging through her pack, Sam produced a pair of night vision goggles, "I was so sure-,"
"Noooo!"
"Sam, did you hear that?" Peering over the sprawling bush she was crouched behind, Janet listened intently, brown eyes blinking quickly. Jabbing at the air, she hissed, "Over that way."
"Okay," Sam mumbled, and slipping on the goggles she shuffled forward to scan the area. "I've got them, about five hundred feet away at a rocky outcropping."
Flopping over onto her back, Janet made to sit up but felt Sam's strong arm holding her down. "Not yet," Sam whispered, "I don't think they're alone."
Fumbling with the catches on her backpack, Janet heaved it off her back, rifling through it for her own goggles then sliding them over her eyes, she announced, "I can't see anything, Sam."
"They're there, Janet, at your two o'clock, five hundred feet. Look for a raised outcropping of rocks."
Adjusting her angle of sight, she brought the outcropping into focus and her heart sank. Sam was right. The figures were hard to see in the darkness but there were definitely more than three. Taking her goggles off, Janet rolled over to face Sam and found herself face to face with her friend's Beretta.
"You do know how to use one of these, don't you?" Sam asked, holding the weapon out grip-first.
Taking it in her hands, feeling its weight and the cold of the metal on her skin, Janet looked up at Sam and winced. "I do," she said. Staring down at the small pistol in her hands, she tried not to let distaste show on her face. "Doesn't mean I like to do so though."
Tucking spare clips for her P90 into her vest, Sam looked up at Janet and smiled thinly. "Just point and shoot, but try not to hit one of ours."
"I'll keep that in mind. What's the plan?"
Chewing on her bottom lip, Sam closed her eyes briefly before looking back at Janet. "I want you to follow the tree-line around to the left and come up from behind. Don't approach until I say so and switch your radio to channel seven. If the colonel has been compromised and his equipment taken, I don't want the enemy to know that we're here." Tapping the earpiece on the side of her head, Sam added, "Keep your headset on and don't use the radio unless it's necessary. Take only what you can carry in your vest, we'll leave our packs here."
Janet shrugged, pulled a small first aid kit from her pack and tucked it into a front pocket on her vest. Producing a small knife as well she checked its sheathing and slid it into her boot. "Okay, I think I've got it."
"I'm going to move forward as close as I can and check out the situation. Wait for my call, and Janet?" Janet looked up, meeting Sam's gaze in the pre-dawn light, "Do nothing until I tell you to,"
Janet nodded, trying her utmost to appear calm and in control of the situation, she was a doctor first and a soldier second and right now her friend needed her to be a soldier first. She could do this, she had to do this.
"Okay, Sam, I'm ready."
Sam watched Janet disappear in the remnants of the cold night, grateful that dawn hadn't quite broken over the landscape. Plotting a course through the dense undergrowth, she silently and efficiently worked her way forward towards the outcropping.
Crouching low, Sam withdrew her goggles and took in a sweeping view of the terrain around her. A small mound of earth to her immediate right had her smiling. "Perfect," she muttered softly, finding herself grateful for the distraction of the storm as it concealed her movements.
Stealthily moving up the mound, Sam found herself sliding sideways, a powerful gust of wind catching her jacket and throwing her off balance. "Not now!" she cursed, scrambling to regain her grip on the rocky mound. Finally satisfied with her location, Sam rested the P90 against her shoulder, and adjusting her grip she focused in on the other members of her team.
"Daniel!"
Jack bit back a groan. Kneeling in the soft mud was painful. His knees throbbed and the rope dug into his wrists spitefully. Cursing foully under his breath, Jack traded glares with Teal'c. "Well, big guy, you know what they say! Misery loves company."
"I have failed DanielJackson." Head bowed low, Teal'c glanced sideways at Jack. "My thoughts were occupied with recent events and I failed to hear the approach of the villagers."
"Well, we're both guilty of that, Teal'c. Don't beat yourself up over it." Jack noticed Teal'c's attention drifting to the skies overhead. In the heat of the ambush he'd paid no attention to the storm. Despite the darkness all around, light from the twin moons of this system backlit the angry-looking sky, clouds knitting together in an ever-swirling knot, dark and threatening. Fat rain drops pelted Jack and Teal'c, and shuddering they felt the wind whip around them.
"I fear the weather is once more gaining in intensity," Teal'c whispered, lowering his head again, "We need to execute an escape from this location before DanielJackson is forced to endure another change."
Testing his bonds, Jack grimaced as the rain soaked into his leather bindings, biting his wrists and cutting down the circulation in his already cold-numbed hands. "Crap," he swore, and giving up on that option shifted his position to get a better look at Daniel.
Daniel looked miserable. Shaking violently from the stinging cold, he was offered no protection from the priests surrounding him. Straining to hear, Jack could see Zahur talking to Daniel, but the blustering winds carried his voice away, making him even more anxious for his friend's welfare. "What the hell are they doing?" Furious at Daniel's mistreatment, Jack struggled harder against his bonds, the muscles on his forearms screaming in protest. "If he's so damn important to them why don't they at least cover him up?"
"I do not believe the people of this word are interested in DanielJackson's welfare," Teal'c commented, his face a mask of anger, "They are only interested in his ability to manipulate the device. Once they have learnt this secret they will have no need of him."
"Yeahsureyabetcha. Where's Carter?" Jack sighed.
"Where is the Ipotma?"
Biting his lip, Daniel felt another stinging slap. Having been struck in the same place so many times, the area was virtually numb. Feeling his head being snapped back, Daniel refused to meet the priest's eyes, preferring to focus his attention on Jack, the only person here that he was sure he could trust.
Daniel watched as Zahur looked at Jack, painfully aware he'd shown the man his weakness. Leaning in close, his hot breath warming Daniel's face, Zahur hissed, "Look at their suffering. You can stop this! Tell me the key to the puzzle and I will let your friends go." Daniel flinched as Zahur grabbed his face between his fingers and pressed hard. "Deny me and I will burn them."
"Jack!" Daniel cried, falling backward to the ground, the leather bindings cutting into his already abraded wrists. Lifted and roughly placed back on his knees, he felt Zahur's foul breath tickle his ear.
"He cannot help you child! Again, where is the Ipotma?" Biting at his abused lip, Daniel moaned. Zahur's eyes glinted with signs of madness. "I will burn them, Daniel, and you will hear them scream. Tell me! Tell me!"
Eyes wide with fright, Daniel stammered, "N-n-oo, p-please, don't hurt them! I don't know! Honest!" Sagging to his ass, Daniel's chin dropped to his chest, the day's misery and pain overwhelming him, tears rolling down his cheeks and onto the ground. "Noooo!" Body wracked with pain, Daniel succumbed and let a traitorous sob escape. Jerking his head back, his eyes locked onto Jack's, the fear and pain unmistakable in his young face.
Stepping into Daniel's line of sight, Zahur snatched one of his wrists and jerked the boy to his feet. "Your silence is your answer. The suffering of your friends will be your own doing,"
Sam closed her eyes, letting the tension flow from her body. The finger that had been running lazy rings around the guard of her P90 now rested lightly on the trigger.
Checking her target she squeezed, a sad smile crossing her face as she watched the bullet hit home through the crosshairs of her telescopic lens.
Another life extinguished and another face to haunt her dreams.
The sound of a single bullet cried out in the cold night air as the shot hit true, a solitary trail of blood trickling down Zahur's forehead, skirting his open mouth.
Rolling swiftly to his feet Jack ducked as the sound of automatic weapons fire filled the air. "That's my girl, give 'em hell!" he said, taking in Zahur's prone form sprawled over Daniel. Spotting Teal'c out of the corner of his eye, Jack grimaced as the Jaffa landed a solid kick to the stomach of the nearest priest. Crouched low, his arms still restrained, Jack spotted Daniel struggling to free himself from the weight of Zahur's body. "Damn it kid, just stay down, will you."
Jack spun around, fingers gripping into his shoulder, to find himself chest to face with Janet Fraiser. Rolling his eyes, he muttered, "Any closer and we'd be married, Doc."
"Think I can help you with that, sir." With a quick motion, Janet sliced through his restraints and handed him the gun. "This is more your thing, sir, I'll stick with the healing."
Not bothering to respond, Jack set off across the outcropping at a sprint, as Carter's P90 kept the remaining priests confused and cowering for cover.
"Daniel!" Jack said as he rolled Zahur's body off his friend, "Come on, buddy. Talk to me!" Ignoring pain from his throbbing wrists, Jack pulled Daniel onto his lap, cradling his head against his shoulder. "Shit, you're freezing. You with me, Danny?"
"Cold," Daniel mumbled, dragging his knees up to his chest.
"I know." Hugging him closer to his chest, Jack watched as Teal'c quickly subdued the remaining priests, herding them into a corner.
"Sir?" Janet knelt in front of him, her hand gripping Daniel's wrist, eyes wide with concern. "How about I take him now?"
"He's cold." Pointing to their packs, tossed to one side, Jack murmured, "Get me an emergency blanket."
Janet nodded and left to fetch the blanket as Sam stepped into the outcropping, her P90 firmly pointed at the priests, eyes alert for threats.
"Sir, you okay?" Concern etched on her face, Sam nodded at his shrug, all business again.
"Nicely done, Major," Jack praised, hugging Daniel closer, "I don't think he would have lasted much longer."
"Only sorry we couldn't get to you sooner." Crouching down, Sam brushed away the hair from Daniel's bruised face. "What could they possibly want to make them do this to a child?"
Shaking his head, Jack had no real answer. "Zahur didn't see him as a child, just a means to an end. That damned puzzle, Major, that's what they wanted. The answer to the puzzle."
"And you think this," Jack pointed his finger at Daniel, his friend wrapped in his sleeping bag and safe in Janet's care, "this is acceptable? Have you lost so much of yourselves that you think it's right to treat people this way?"
Fist clenching and unclenching, Jack paced, his nerves taut. The priests hovered miserably together, casting nervous glances at the unpredictable soldier stalking back and forth.
"Za-Zahur," Maltrof stammered his uneasiness evident in his voice, "he was desperate. The Ipotma was the last technological remnant from our past. We revered it; it was all we had left. Zahur was sure it was important to our people but we had no history to guide us. All we knew for sure was that the writing on the orb held the secret to its use." Raising his face to meet Jack's, Maltrof swallowed, struggling to say what he meant. "Zahur became excited when Doctor Jackson activated the device. Many have tried for so long. With centuries of failure, what was once an enigma became a yearly game to be played. Zahur couldn't believe someone had solved the writings, so he became enraged at your attempt to leave with the boy."
Dangerously quiet, Jack hissed, "What's that?" Stabbing a finger in the air, he snapped, "We offered to help you! Daniel wanted to help!"
Flinching, eyes fixed on Jack, Maltrof pleaded, "Zahur would never accept your help, and it was below him to do so. The proud history of our race-"
"Oh, spare me the history lesson; we've heard it all before!" Thrumming the top of his P90 with his fingers, Jack huffed, "The only difference between you and others we've come across in similar situations is that they welcome our help. They don't trap people in their little games in the hope they might be their salvation. That man, boy, you've just mistreated, would be the first to welcome you with open arms, heck, he would have chewed off his own leg if it meant you got the help you needed. You people are so caught up in your own lies you're leading what's left of your civilization into extinction!"
Maltrof suddenly sat up, a pained expression crossing his face, "You misunderstand, Colonel. Zahur was a maniac!" Eyes darting between Jack and the other priests, Maltrof pleaded, "He was the oldest of our clan, and we had no choice but to follow his lead. Many of us do not condone his actions and would gladly accept your help."
"Well, you can't be too bad off, what about the dome?"
"The dome is old, and by the time we noticed it had failed, we had lost the technology to maintain it. Our people panicked and began to leave. Too few births, we were in danger of becoming extinct."
Feeling his headache return and selling his soul for a Tylenol, Jack whispered, "Yeah, well, they're a bit busy at the moment," silently hoping Maltrof hadn't heard his last comment.
Carter raised her head, the priest's story filling in the gaps. She didn't understand how a people could be technologically deficient when living in the dome. Nodding, she finally understood. "Sir, this makes sense. These people are as much victims as we are. I think we should help them." Seeing Jack's face flicker with irritation, she quickly pressed on. "Sir, think about it, Zahur just wanted to save his world, something we know a lot about."
"We wouldn't stoop to this level of abuse to get what we wanted, Carter."
"Begging your pardon, sir, but you don't know that." Tilting her head towards the Lhavanian priests, their faces solemn and drawn, she added, "Who knows what we would do in a similar situation. Zahur must have seen Daniel's activation of the device as blessing. I think he knew more about what was going on than he led the others to believe."
"Fine!" Shaking his head and wanting no more discussions, Jack crooked a finger towards the priests, calling them over. "Carter here may be able to help you after all." Scowling, he added, "Up to me, I'd nail your asses to the wall."
All the time Jack had been arguing with Sam and the priests, Daniel had been carefully edging away from Janet. "Please," he complained as she dabbed antiseptic on his lip, "you're making it sting!" Seeing Jack lope towards him, Daniel made his escape. "Jack! Save me!"
Grinning at Daniel's pout, Jack couldn't help laughing, "Hey! Don't be such a baby! Well, not for at least ten minutes." Peering at the twelve year old face carefully, Jack asked, "So, you okay? Don't feel sick?"
Shaking his head, not sure what Jack meant, Daniel looked up at the sky and blinked. "The orb," he whispered, "I need to activate the orb!" Turning and running to Sam, he felt his collar snagged.
"Whoa, no, you don't! You aren't touching that damn ball until our eggheads have checked it out." Wagging his finger, Jack growled, "I mean it, Daniel, those seizures almost killed you."
Wriggling from under Jack's restraining hold, Daniel waved his hands in the air, desperate for Jack to understand how important this was.
Grim-faced, Jack seemed to ignore the boy's complaints, "Nope, not gonna happen."
Memories of ancient texts and warnings ran though his mind. The orb was the key to the puzzle. Suddenly, the answer became clear to him. He needed to activate the orb, and when he did, the nightmare would be over.
"Please, I need to do this! It's the answer to everything."
"What answer is that?"
"To this," Holding his arms wide, Daniel turned in a circle, eyes heavenward, "All of this. Jack, the Ipotma was what these people used to use control the weather!"
"Riiight! And you know this how?"
There was no way Daniel could ignore the sarcasm in Jack's voice, and he knew his friend was right to doubt him. Still he pressed on.
"The writings," Closing his eyes, Daniel let the memory of the ancient text flow into his mind, so similar to Minoan but so much easier to understand. The words spoke to him, tickling his senses and filling him with an understanding he couldn't quite put into words.
A code! It was so simple! Individually the symbols meant nothing, but pressed in name group combinations they told a story. He remembered!
"I-I need to, to activate-," Daniel stumbled, reaching out to steady himself, aware of small tremors coursing through his body. "Now!" he pleaded, reaching out to Jack, seeing the other man wide-eyed with fear.
"Daniel!" Jack reached out, pulling Daniel to his chest and guiding his small body slowly to the floor. "Come on buddy, I got you!" Turning him onto his side, Jack was grateful for the emergency blanket Janet thrust at him,
"Carter!" he bellowed over his shoulder, nerves frayed as the fear of another seizure crept into his mind. Looking up at his 2IC, a shocked expression on her face, he snapped his fingers, "Carter, get me that damn device!"
Blinking in confusion, Sam stuttered. "S-sir?"
"You heard me, Major. Get it now!" Reaching down to lay a hand on Daniel's cool cheek, Jack murmured, "God help me if you're wrong about this, Danny."
"Here, sir."
Taking the small silver orb from Sam's outstretched hand, Jack ran his fingers over the surface attempting to get the same feeling for the object that Daniel had. "Sure hope you know what you're doing."
Placing the orb in Daniel's palm, Jack shook his shoulders, grimacing as his friend blinked slowly, his body already shaking from the building seizure. "You gonna be able to do this?"
Licking his lips, Daniel smiled weakly and brought his other hand out from under the blanket to rest on the top of the orb. Jack straightened up and stepped back, frowning at the effort it took his friend just to move.
"S'no problem." Daniel smiled weakly at Jack, his voice rough and slurred. "Piece o' cake, J'ck."
Watching Daniel tap the sequence on the orb, Jack lifted his hand to his ears as the air was filled with a high-pitched squeal. Staggering backwards against Teal'c, he caught Daniel's pained expression, fear and realization both etched on his young face.
Falling to the ground, hands clawing at his head, Jack was sure he could hear his own scream adding to the deafening sounds around him. Next to him, Sam was curled in a ball, her P90 lying discarded by her side, eyes scrunched tightly. The priests had fared no better, their crumpled and miserable forms huddled off to one side, many of them rocking back and forth, heads in their hands.
The sound intensified, and Jack turned back to Daniel, his friend's outstretched hand dropping the tiny orb as seizures wracked his already weakened body. Struggling to his knees, Jack lowered his hand and tried to crawl to Daniel, falling once again as the orb opened up, its dull outer shell peeling back to reveal the gem nestled at its center.
The outcropping was suddenly bathed in a brilliant orange hue as a beam shot from the center of the orb, enveloping Daniel, and shooting high up into the sky. Tendrils of orange mist wrapped themselves around the heavy storm clouds, creating a dusk-light effect in the morning sky.
Sweating profusely and arms stinging, Jack put a finger to his ear and groaned when it came away covered in blood. "Hope that's just blood and nothing I actually need." Wiping the blood on his BDU shirt, Jack pulled himself forward, the orange haze that filled the air slowly dissipating as he sought out Daniel.
Feeling his way across the rocky ground, Jack tensed as his hand made contact with a warm body, a soft moan making its way to his ears, "Danny?" he called, blinking furiously to clear his blurred vision. "Come on, give me a sign here."
Clawing his way up the body, he knew something was wrong. Either someone else was lying under the emergency blanket or Daniel had changed again. Pulling the blanket aside, Jack reeled back in shock. Gone was the lean body of a twelve year old boy and in its place was the Daniel they had started this godforsaken mission with. Still lividly bruised from his mistreatment but very much back to his six foot self.
Searching for a pulse, Jack was relieved to find it strong but fast, his friend's skin hot and sweaty. Cupping a hand to his friend's cheek, he whispered close to his ear, "You amaze me, Doctor Jackson."
Scowling, confusion making her frown, Sam arched an eyebrow, "So, this, what? Ipop-Ipotma?" Maltrof, the newly elected head priest of the Lhavanians nodded and Sam continued, "Had Daniel activated it outside of the dome, none of this would have happened."
Holding out her diagnostic tool to Maltrof, Sam scrolled the small screen down, pointed out various pieces of information. "Here are the initial scans we took with our remote probe, and here," moving her finger down she tapped the screen, "this is the scan that I took when the orb was activated. You can see how very close the two results are. Almost identical!"
Maltrof nodded, but Sam knew the man didn't truly understand. It was enough for her to be presenting the evidence as a sign of their goodwill and trust.
"So, you feel the Ipotma was once used to maintain the weather on our planet?"
"Yes, I won't pretend that I understand the technology behind its purpose and design, but it does seem it was meant to be used once a year to regulate the planet's atmospheric conditions." Noting Maltrof's wide-eyed look of confusion, Sam added, "It was used to keep your weather stable."
"Ah" Maltrof said, looking down at the orb nestled comfortably in his hand, "and how will we when know when to use the Ipotma?"
"Well, I'm guessing that whoever designed the orb meant it to be used on an annual basis, hence the oral history that has been handed down over the centuries. At some point in your past, your ancestors must have known when it was to be used and how to activate it. That information might be lost now, but the game that you 'played' yearly shows that at least some of your history has survived. History isn't my area of specialty, that's Daniel's and I don't think he's in any shape to talk about that right now."
Reaching out and tapping the orb lightly, she frowned and chewed on her bottom lip. "I would suggest that the weather will build up again to intolerable levels and this will be your time to use the device again. Once Daniel is fit enough we can return and he'll show you how to use it."
"We have your word on this?" Maltrof looked sceptical.
"You have our word. We don't help people and then just abandon them. If Daniel was in any condition to show this now he would." Looking across at her sleeping team-mate, Sam shook her head and smiled thinly, "He'll be fine once we get him home,"
"The SGC will be sending through food and medical supplies, along with water and removable shelters in the next few days. You should be able to start planting new crops over the course of the next few weeks." Jack listened with half an ear as Sam briefed the Lhavanian priests on the SGC's relief effort. Keeping a discreet distance, Jack grabbed his sunglasses and huffed on them gently, sliding them back on his face. Adjusting them slowly, he looked at the sky. "Who would have thought?"
The sky was crystal clear, the threatening clouds rolled away. Twin moons twinkled in their low orbits, watching over the planet like guardians. The Lhavanians had stood in awe in the aftermath of the orb's activation, their fear-flooded faces morphing into a look of wonder as the orange hue wove its way through the atmosphere, taming the harsh winds and dissipating the clouds.
The priests' procrastinating had tested the colonel's resolve. Bored and biting back smart-ass retorts, his only concern was hauling their asses back home. Daniel was withdrawn after the orb had let loose its beam and shut down. Safely cocooned in his sleeping bag and under Janet Fraiser's ministrations, he'd seemed unconcerned at the events taking place in the overhead sky. Jack couldn't imagine what his team mate was thinking or feeling.
Glancing at the sky briefly, Jack dragged his attention back to Daniel, who was leaning against Teal'c for support. Daniel was pale and drawn, the circles under his eyes bruised and dark. Blood crusted on his eyebrow and his lip was bloodied and swollen. Jack refused to think what other injuries his young friend had suffered.
Sam walked up to Jack, humor showing in her eyes "Well, sir, the Lhavanians have expressed their deep and undying regret of their treatment of Daniel." Grinning, she added, "They look forward to establishing diplomatic relations with us in the future."
"They have a government that we'd like to have relations with?" Jack taunted sarcastically.
"Sir?"
"Nothing, Major, how 'bout dialing up the gate so we can go home. I think we've all had just about enough of this planet."
Nodding her agreement, Sam approached the DHD and began the dial-up sequence, her GDO resting on the surface, waiting for her to input the iris code. Reaching into his pocket, Jack withdrew Daniel's glasses, having rescued them when the orb first activated.
Helping Teal'c guide Daniel up the dais to the gate, Jack stopped, and facing him, slid the glasses back on his face, "Here ya go, Doctor Jackson, so you can see what not to touch next time."
The End
