DISCLAIMER: All characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
The Gate on Feldos was a frenzy of activity. Quiet activity. The two technicians worked feverishly just on the outside of the arch. The Goa'uld mechanism which warned their own, was so deeply attached to the inside of the arch, that the technicians took the decision to leave it alone. Disabling it might affect the actual gate itself, and none of them wanted to be stranded on the planet through their own hands.
The defence mechanisms, however, which the Goa'uld had set up as prison gates, were easier to get at.
"Geez, why hasn't someone taken these babies to pieces before," the first technician said in muted tones as he finally wrenched the first device from the gate.
The second tech laughed silently. "Probably because they would've taken twenty hours to get it off like you did, man."
"You ain't doing so cool yourself, Maldike. Where's that second one then?"
"I nearly got it, don't you fret," Maldike replied quietly.
The first chevron's movement startled them both. Maldike dropped his tool and jumped to the ground. "We got incoming," he hissed at the three SG team members who were standing watching the horizon. The holographic imager had been disabled as soon as they'd arrived. It lay closer to the DHD than the gate but they'd found it within an hour and hot wired the alarm system to stay active as far as anyone else was concerned, but deactivated the actual hologram.
Two of the three team members swirled around and pulled their weapons to their shoulders, aiming directly at the gate, the third stayed searching the landscape with his eyes. It could be an alien trick.
The two techs ducked behind the last MALP to be sent through the gate.
The liquid pool stretched its finger out from the gate and then returned. The calm surface was then broken by two figures stepping clear of the circle, together with a small transport vehicle.
The SG team stayed frozen in the defensive position. They knew too well, that what you saw come through the gate wasn't always what it seemed.
"Don't shoot, colonel," Fraiser hissed across to them as she pulled free her helmet and her hair bounced free, her one hand raised in a submissive gesture, her other hand supporting an armored figure seated on a rescue vehicle. The figure was immobile, yet human in form. The SG guard who had travelled with them, supported the other side of the figure.
"I need to get this man past the gate defences. Are they down?" she asked the SG Colonel who stepped forward.
He shook his head. "Not quite, but I think we're nearly there, doctor," he answered and turned to the techs who walked forward. "Maldike, is it a go?" he asked.
"Ten minutes, sir," Maldike replied.
"Get it done asap. This man has to get out of this suit and away from this gate fast," Fraiser warned. "How close to the edge of the boundary can I go?"
"We'll take you to the limit. As soon as the defences are deactivated you can push forward," the Colonel replied. "You want us to go with you, doc?"
"No. Orders are to stay by the gate. Plant the explosives as planned and wait. Colonel, you're to blow the gate if anything happens to us, is that understood. Orders from General Hammond himself," she added.
The Colonel nodded and then helped them to get the vehicle as close to the boundary as possible, its strange cargo intact and, to Janet's relief, seemingly unharmed. She congratulated herself secretly on deciding to go ahead and develop an armor for Teal'c, just in case. Amazing how the "just in case" often became "necessary" at SGC, she mused thoughtfully.
"Do you really expect us to believe you freaks," Jack exploded as he stared at the bowed head of Samantha Carter for a single second.
"What you believe is of no consequence to us, " the voices chimed. "Daniel is weak, as you are, Jack O'Neill. His mind succumbed, just as yours must, given time. Time is what we have, O'Neill. You unfortunately do not. We have waited millennia seeking true emotions, true feelings. We never tire of feeding. Our victims have fed us, just as you will, just as your friend Daniel Jackson has. You are no different."
"You're full of crap," he shouted, his anger building, his frustration exploding. "Daniel Jackson's quite capable of getting you freaks out of his mind, just as Carter did, just as I can. I don't know who you've tormented here in this hell-hole before but it ain't gonna be us.
"You are mistaken. Your friend's torment has already begun. He is near to the end of his time here with us. He is at the end of his time here with you. Would you like to see him? Shall we show the compassion that you humans possess and let you see your friend one last time?"
Sam raised her head, her eyes stark, darkened by an overwhelming hatred for the aliens and by fear for her friends and for their very existence. She needed to do something to save them. A piece of Jolinar pushed from her subconscious but it wasn't strong enough and she had no time for it. She pushed it back.
Then she stepped towards them, moving away from O'Neill, wanting them to come for her alone, to make it easy for her. She knew she couldn't win and yet she felt a compulsion to end the continual whispering, the continual terror which she felt. She moved towards the aliens until O'Neill was behind her in the darkness, unseen and unmoving. If they were going to kill her, she wanted them to try it now. She believed in herself. Believed she could save the others.
"You don't know the meaning of compassion," she said steadily, her eyes avoiding looking behind her at O'Neill's. She couldn't look at him even if she could see him in the dark. She couldn't bear to see the pain which she knew would be registering in his eyes, the anguish he would be feeling at being helpless. Jack O'Neill couldn't feel this helpless, it would be tearing him apart.
And yet she felt a sense of unease. Why didn't O'Neill tell her to stop? Order her to come back? She didn't look around. The voices said he had his reasons. She shook her head.
"You are wrong, Samantha Carter. We have felt compassion in many species, though none as strong as you. We are capable of reproducing any emotion which we have tasted, but only when we choose. We do not usually choose to do so."
"Hey, freaks. How about it? Give us Jackson. Watch us fall apart, why don't you?" O'Neill's voice sounded from behind her in the darkness. "You got all the aces. You might as well deal," he added.
Sam swung around in disbelief. This wasn't like Jack O'Neill.
"What Carter? You want me to get upset at the ghouls again?" he said. "You get upset for me. I'm all out of emotion now. You take it away, girl. You've got enough for both of us," he mocked and grinned at her.
Sam felt a new terror rise in her throat. Was O'Neill losing it? She couldn't be sure.
"You may see your friend." The aliens moved further from her, leading her away.
Sam turned away from where she could hear O'Neill, and she watched in mute horror as a figure appeared from the side of the chamber. Torn uniform, bloodstained face, his head bowed in submission, eyeglasses held limply from his hand. His face was the face of defeat.
Sam's heart almost tore from her body at the sight of her friend and at the sight of his tortured soul.
"Daniel!" she shouted and began to try to reach him. If she could get to him perhaps she could stop this insanity right now.
"You cannot stop the inevitable, Samantha," the whispering droned. "This too is your fate. Accept it, welcome it. You will surely die along with your friends. Come and embrace your destiny."
Sam looked on Daniel's face. His eyes pleaded with her, begged her to stop his suffering. He reached a hand across to her. He stood so close and yet she seemed unable to reach him, her feet locked to the spot, heavy, leaden. She reached a hand towards him. He was so near and yet...
"Carter!" O'Neill's voice sounded from behind her. She seemed unable to do anything fast. In slow motion she turned and stared at her Commanding Officer, his face paled as he pointed his weapon towards Daniel and towards her.
"Colonel, what are you doing?" she demanded in terror, aware that her voice was no more than a whisper across the reaches of the chamber.
"What we should have done hours ago. Now we can end it for Daniel too, now we can stop the madness and finish it for us all," O'Neill said flatly, his eyes emotionless.
O'Neill knew, as soon as the clamped feeling hit his chest and tightened, that he was helpless. The darkness closed around him as he felt himself being dragged backwards, and then he stood, an invisible band of steel holding his arms and covering his face, and preventing him from moving.
He watched in disbelief as Carter walked forward. What was she doing? He struggled against the confines of his restraint but he could scarcely move a muscle, so tight was the field around him.
Seeing the alien image of himself taunt his Captain, goad her into risking her life, he felt all hope leave him, and then he saw the figure walking towards her, reaching a hand in supplication, for help, for relief from pain. Daniel!
His eyes filled as he watched both his friends in their final dance, both reaching for the other, both wanting something. The one seeking release, the other needing to help.
He wanted to warn them. He wanted to help them.
His terror rose as bile in his throat until it almost choked him. So Daniel had been caught after all. He lowered his eyes for a moment. His mind unable to take in what had happened in just the last few minutes. They'd had a chance, they'd had hope. Now they had nothing. For the first time since they'd arrived on the planet, he felt alone and helpless.
As his alter-ego lifted the weapon to his shoulder aiming at both Daniel and Carter, a determination came over him, so strong, so undeniable, fed by desperation and fed by pure anger. He wouldn't let them die.
The gunshot rang out as Sam screamed at O'Neill to stop. She turned and saw what she thought was Daniel, shimmer and fade from view, the light above him snuffed out.
Sam felt the last vestige of reality crawl away as she stared at the colonel and closed her eyes.
"Great joke, eh Sam? Your turn now. Oh, I forgot you wanted to help him. Sorry," O'Neill taunted.
Sam knew what was coming next and she tried to raise her weapon to her shoulder, but her arm was leaden and she couldn't, didn't have the strength to move it. She stood firm, resignation finally her friend.
"Do it," she said in a cold monotone, and braced herself, closing her eyes. How could she look into the eyes of her friend, while he destroyed what was left of her?
Nothing. She opened her eyes. Darkness. The aliens had gone. She turned around. Daniel had gone. Nothing. Silence. Complete and black. O'Neill, his weapon, gone.
She turned and turned, searching the chamber with her eyes, until she sank to the floor, to her knees.
She knelt for what seemed like an eternity. She let a slow tear trickle down her cheek and drop to the floor. Alone. Her nightmare coming true, that she would die alone. Where was O'Neill? Maybe she could reason with him. Maybe she could stop him before he tried again.
A hand rested on her shoulder. Sam leaped to her feet and swung her elbow hard, sending her attacker flying to the floor. She heard the grunt and then braced herself for another assault, her eyes staring into the gloom.
"Jeez, Carter, some welcome," O'Neill said rubbing his chin and eyeing her cautiously.
The weapon flicked up, and to his chin within seconds. Sam's eyes glinted as she watched O'Neill's face register surprise, and admiration.
"Well now, that's better. That's more like it," he said and smiled, reaching a hand out for her weapon.
"Leave it, Colonel," she said coldly, keeping the weapon in contact with his skin.
"Sam, that wasn't me. It wasn't Daniel. Listen to me, I know," he said, his hands outstretched to show her he wasn't going to hurt her.
"Colonel, I don't know why you did it, but I do know you did it," Sam said. "He was our friend, your friend. How could you...?"
O'Neill smashed a hand across the gun, taking her by surprise, and sent it across the floor grabbing her hands with his own, holding them tight. Bringing her towards him he spoke slowly and calmly.
"Carter they're messing with our minds big time. We've got to stay together. They nearly made you kill me just then. We can only believe what we see, if we can feel one another, touch one another. I mean it, Carter, our lives may depend on it."
She shook her head in disbelief. "You shot him," she said. "You shot him." She shook her head and then let the tears come. The hot salty liquid coursed down her face as she stared at him, wanting him to real, wanting what she'd seen to be a lie.
"How can I tell? I don't know how to tell?" she whispered.
His heart went out to her. To her dark stained eyes, her tear stained cheeks, and her pleading look. She was hurting and he didn't blame her for doubting him.
O'Neill pulled her closer to him, until she could feel his warm breath on her face.
"I'm flesh and blood, Sam. Those projections weren't," he replied simply and put a hand up to her face to wipe away the tears, then pulled her to him so that she could release her feelings and wash away the insanity.
"Daniel's not dead. He's not even here. The goons are lying. They're lying so we'll kill each other or ourselves. We've got to be strong, Sam. We've got to be strong."
Sam pulled away and looked at him. "How long can we take this?" She asked, and for the first time O'Neill noticed that her eyes wore the haunted veil that only terror brings.
Daniel turned from the aliens and rose to his feet. His mind was racing with ideas, plausible get outs, anything he could do to get him to the gate intact. He now knew enough about the aliens to help form some sort of plan back at SGC, if he could get there in one piece. He doubted the aliens would free Jack and Sam, so it was up to him. He knew he was their only hope.
"I think it's time for me to go, guys," he shouted in the direction of the trees as he started to trudge towards the gate, his flash light the only illumination across the ground.
"Daniel Jackson. Would you leave your friends to die? Would you leave them as you left your own wife? To be used at the hands of aliens. You left her. You can't leave them. You know you can't leave anyone else. It torments you. They're your friends, Daniel. Come and take them home with you. We'll let them go if you come with us. Come."
Daniel covered his ears. He knew they were taunting him. Their whispers assaulting his ears as he walked. They were goading him. Making him believe they were telling the truth, giving him hope. He almost believed them.
His heart sank as he thought about what they'd said. He briefly let their words play in his mind. They were right about what he felt. He didn't want to lose his friends, lose them to some fate worse than death. Just as he'd left others before them. He tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He tried to push away the guilt and yet he couldn't. He knew they were right and he hated them for it. The hate rose in a single backlash and he raised his weapon towards them, firing wildly in their direction, his eyes darting everywhere and seeing nothing. His flashlight dropped to the ground below him. He reached forward to grab it and stumbled forward across a rock, anger burning at him. Anger that they were right. The darkness of the world around him enveloped him, cutting off his senses, cutting off his chances of freedom.
"You are ours Daniel Jackson. Come to your friends and you will be given light. They can gain their freedom if you come. We need to see your emotion when you see them again and feel their happiness, come."
"You're lying," he shouted, rolling onto his back. "You only want to feel the pain within me, like you want the pain in them. You're not interested in the good feelings."
"You are wrong, Daniel Jackson, so wrong. We need to feel your compassion, to taste it. It is strong within you. We cannot taste it until you are with your friends once more. Come with us."
"The compassion over a friend in trouble, is that what you want? I'm not giving you that. Our compassion is our own concern. It only belongs to races, which believe that everyone is equal under one sky. Compassion's impossible for a life form like you. You care too much for yourselves. You destroy others for your own ends. You'll never get compassion even if you feel it from us, it's impossible and that's what eats at you."
Daniel rose to his feet. He saw shapes hovering to his left, their voices silent suddenly. The whispering in his ears had stopped and he shook his head.
He steeled himself for their attack but was surprised that none came. The shapes hovered close for a few minutes and then departed swiftly.
Daniel sat on a rock and put his head into his hands, his glasses dangling from his fingers. He felt drained. He'd told the truth about what he felt. He knew he was right and yet he still felt guilt. Had he abandoned his friends simply because he couldn't bear to give the aliens a glimpse into his mind when he saw them suffering. He knew he would do anything to save either of them, including giving his life. He wondered if that was too noble a sentiment for the aliens to grasp. He also knew that he confused them and he saw his opportunity. He couldn't wait until dawn to move, he had to press on. He reached down and retrieved the flashlight and his weapon.
"I promise I'll come back," he whispered silently towards the spheres in the far distance, and then he moved forwards towards the gate and towards help.