A Source of Power - Chapter 5
Title: A Source of Power - Chapter 5
Author: SG_Betty
Word count: 5,553
Genre: Gen, Action/Adventure, Team
Rating/Warning: PG-13, Violence
Spoilers: spoilers up to and including early Season 7
Disclaimer: While the situations and dialogue in this story are my own, all characters are wholly owned by Gekko Productions and MGM.
Thanks: It is impossible for me to thank Lokei enough for the enormous time and effort that she put into beta reading, advice, and encouragement. There simply aren't fine enough words. All I can say is thank you, Lokei, this story simply wouldn't exist without you!
When the rings came down, they found themselves in an elaborate room. The dark blue ceiling was covered in painted stars, and supported by enormous columns. Between the columns there were traditional murals of the Egyptian gods and a depiction of the journey of the Barque of Ra. It looked a lot like the trip they had just taken. This room was well lit, unlike the other parts of Am-Heh’s domain. They found themselves squinting as their eyes adjusted to welcome, but unaccustomed light. The flashlights were stowed in their packs.
Daniel had a look of confusion on his face, but not one that Jack saw very often. Not confused about how to communicate his reasoning. Not confused about how everyone could be so obtuse. Not even confused about what to do about some staggering conclusion he had drawn from obscure information. He looked completely at a loss. That damn near terrified Jack.
He kept an eye on Daniel. Anything that had him this mixed up was going to be trouble somewhere down the road.
An open, and empty, Goa’uld sarcophagus stood upright on a raised dais at one end of the room. Before it a statue of a seated figure in front of another offering table covered with gold plates. At the other end of the room was a door of familiar Goa’uld design.
Daniel holstered his gun. Then he turned in place, looking at the ceiling and walls, looking at the statue. He stopped, removed his glasses, and closed his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose. After a long moment, Daniel opened his eyes again, mumbling to himself. He looked at the statue. “Ka”. He looked up. “Nut.” He looked at a wall. “Ba.” He rubbed his eyes with his hand and began pacing.
Jack looked at Sam and Teal’c. “Okay, who broke the archeologist? Own up, or you’re both grounded.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow then returned to watching the Daniel Jackson, who was indeed, behaving most oddly.
“Daniel?” Sam spoke carefully. “What’s going on?”
Daniel strode to the statue and swung an arm toward it, glasses still in hand “This is a Ka statue of Am-Heh! A Ka statue!” He spoke in an impassioned and frustrated tone. “See! The head of a hunting hound!” He shoved the glasses into place on his face.
“A greyhound,” Jack said to Sam knowledgably.
Daniel stomped over the mural and pointed at it fiercely. “This is a Ba figure! A bird - with the dog’s head! He swung his arm into the air to wave at the ceiling. “Those stars represent Nut protecting the deceased! The columns even have lotus capitals!”
Jack crossed the room to Daniel. “I can see how that’s upsetting, Daniel, but why don’t you explain it, so the kids in the back row get it, too.”
“All of these things relate to rebirth in the afterlife according to ancient Egyptian tradition. It all has to do with the survival of…the personality, the spirit, the power, of a person after death. It has nothing to do with the Goa’uld, just like that whole journey through the underworld! And yet, here it is, clearly prepared for Am-Heh! It’s just…” He threw up his functional arm in frustration, staggering slightly.
Jack narrowed his eyes. Daniel wasn’t looking too good. With the scalding, his color wasn’t an indicator anymore, but he had dark circles under his eyes and was sweating. They’d only broken ‘camp’ a couple of hours ago. How long could Daniel keep this up?
Jack wasn’t feeling very excellent, himself. He was hot, dizzy and was having trouble putting weight on his leg. The wound on his arm was throbbing insistently since their rowing excursion. And it was burning. Infection was probably setting in, for both of them.
“Daniel, we’ve got a more immediate problem to take care of.” Jack spoke quietly. “Neither one of us is in any condition to fight, and I think we might have to. Just a feeling.”
Daniel understood his meaning. He gave the sarcophagus a sidelong glance then looked back at Jack. “Jack, I don’t… I really don’t want to. It’s not like I’m dying...” He’d promised himself never to use a sarcophagus again, unless he had absolutely no choice. Daniel knew all too well what repeated use of the sarcophagus meant. The evil of the Goa’uld was at least partly due to its use. Shyla had gotten him addicted, but he was responsible for his actions, however induced they were. He’d let the team down and the withdrawal had been agonizing. He never wanted to risk that again.
“You came close, Daniel. Way too close.” Jack took a deep breath. “If we keep going at this pace, if we can’t get you to surgery, you still might. You can’t tell me that you feel up to this, because I know I don’t.” He looked at Daniel intently. “Can you tell me that?”
Daniel looked down and scowled. “No. I can’t.” He ran a blistered hand across his forehead, wiping away sweat that wasn’t from any heat in the cool room. He met Jack’s eyes. “How many times, Jack? How many times can we do this and not end up like Shyla’s father, or the Goa’uld?”
“I don’t know, Daniel. More, I think, but it doesn’t really matter. Not right now. Carter and Teal’c need us.”
Jack knew exactly how Daniel felt. He’d seen Daniel fall apart in withdrawal then he’d experienced it for himself. Baal had tortured him to death and brought him back, over and over again, until he’d wanted nothing as much as he wanted to die. He hadn’t, they’d rescued him, but the withdrawal had been every bit as excruciating as what he’d seen Daniel fight through. “I don’t want to do this either. I hope we never have to do this again.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed tightly together. “Excuse me if I don’t put money on that.” He closed his eyed for a moment then gave Jack an unhappy look. “Okay. I’ll go first.”
Jack nodded, silent, and followed Daniel to the sarcophagus. Since it was upright, Daniel was able to enter with a minimum of difficulty. As the lid closed, Jack saw a bleak expression in his friend’s eyes that he knew mirrored his own.
Jack returned to the other side of the room where Carter and Teal’c waited. Their faces were serious. They knew the implications of the decision and all the history behind it.
Teal’c felt great pride in his teammates. What they risked was worse than dying. It was the risk of becoming as malevolent and uncaring as the Goa’uld. A small risk, this time, but each use led them closer.
If they had not chosen this, he would gladly have died to defend them, but he would not have taken this choice away from them, even if he could. They were free in a way that few Jaffa were free. He would have made the same choice. They would continue this battle.
Carter stared at the sarcophagus, grateful that it was healing Daniel, but equally regretful. She knew just how much Daniel hated having to use it. The doors opened and Daniel pulled himself out. The scalding on his face was healed and his hands were unblistered. Most importantly, he used both arms freely. The terrible wound in his shoulder was gone. She felt immense relief mixed with a certain measure of guilt. She didn’t think he’d have used the sarcophagus if he was here alone.
“Too bad these things don’t clean you up at the same time.” Daniel spoke in a light tone that forbade further discussion of the matter.
Jack gave him a tight, understanding smile. “Yep, you still stink. Bet it’s nasty in there. I should have gone first.” He went to the dais, stepped up and entered the sarcophagus. As the doors shut, they shared another look, and Daniel nodded.
Jack had been right. Daniel hadn’t wanted to do it, but Jack had been right. Now that he was healed, he realized that he couldn’t have gone on much longer. He would have dragged the whole team down with him. “Sam, can you help me get this bandage off?” He shrugged off his ripped and bloody jacket and pulled his arm from the sleeve of his equally torn shirt.
As they worked on the bandage, the sarcophagus opened for a second time, and Jack emerged. He was no longer limping and was as healthy as Daniel. He joined them and removed his own bandages, which were more accessible
When they were done, Sam gathered the blood soaked bandages and put them in a plastic bag from the med kit. No sense advertising their presence. She stashed the bag in her pack. “You guys better be nice to me. I have everything I need for voodoo.”
Daniel took his pack from Teal’c and brought the straps up over his shoulders. “Actually, while voodoo has been associated with black magic, it’s really more of a spiritual -”
“Never mind, Daniel. Let Carter dream of doing us damage with pins. Let’s go see what’s behind door number two” Jack gestured toward the very normal looking Goa’uld door.
They readied their weapons then got into position. Sam pushed the door mechanism. She waited for it to open, P-90 aimed at the opening. The team moved into the next room, fanning out, and alert to any threat. Nothing moved.
Jack looked around the room and grimaced. “This is new. Creepy, but new.”
The floor of the large room was covered with the desiccated corpses of Jaffa. They were grouped around a fancifully tiled pool in the center of the room. Teal’c moved forward and examined one of the bodies. “The symbiotes have been removed from these Jaffa.”
Daniel was shocked. “Why? Why would Am-Heh do that? Would they just remove their symbiotes if he told them to?”
Teal’c looked at the Jaffa thoughtfully. “They would, Daniel Jackson. The will of a god is law to the Jaffa. Only those who know them to be false gods would dare to disobey. But these Jaffa may have removed their symbiotes as an act of rebellion.”
“I wonder why? And what happened to the symbiotes?” Sam peered into the pool and saw a symbiote rear up out of the water. “That’s what happened!” She backed away quickly.
“Okay, we’ll be blowing that up!” Jack paused. “But not now, damn it!” He glared at the water. “We’ll have to come back when sneaky isn’t an issue.”
Teal’c regretted the need for stealth. He would have preferred to destroy the Goa’uld now. “The symbiotes would not have chosen to enter the water unless no other hosts were available to them.”
“So, no people, and probably no Jaffa.” Jack raised an eyebrow. “Why does that seem too easy?”
The rest of the team looked equally dubious.
They stepped around the bodies, and made their way to the far side of the room where another door waited. Sam opened it as she had the last. They entered a long, narrow hall, which had hieroglyphs and illustrations covering the walls. At the far end was an open arch.
Daniel immediately went to the hieroglyphs and began to read, one hand outstretched “This tells the story of Am-Heh. According to this, Am-Heh was very old when Ra began his rise to power. Millennia old. He convinced the System Lords of the time, Aker, Atem, and others, to back Ra. When Ra was successful in gaining ascendance, he rewarded Am-Heh. Uh, just a second, this next bit’s a little tricky… Okay, Am-Heh joined Ra on Earth and was promised a great reward for his service. It says Sokar and Ammit, envied him.” He glanced back at the team, peering over his glasses. “We’ll take that with a grain of salt. This is all from Am-Heh’s point of view.” Daniel turned back to the wall. “Anyway, he was promised many sacrifices but many of those were stolen from him, unjustly, by Sokar and Ammit. When Ra left the Earth and commanded him to follow, he didn’t think he’d gotten what he’d been promised, so he returned, secretly, at a later time. It doesn’t actually say how much later. I think it was a while ago… ‘The Nile grew red with blood, the people quaked with fear’, and so forth” Daniel waved a hand.
Jack rolled his eyes. “Again, with the sacrifices. Amy, and his one track mind.”
“Am-Heh took a new host, Merire, from the priests of Ra’s Temple and Ra wasn’t too happy about the presumption. He still considered Earth to be his, rebellion or not. Ra banished him to this planet, where he already had this facility, forbidding him to leave. Ra gave him the Unas and the primitive Goa’uld. That was an insult and a death sentence. He was sent here without human servants and the primitive Goa’uld can’t maintain the Jaffa. Ra basically doomed them all. Maybe the Jaffa thought the dishonor was too much to live with.”
Teal’c inclined his head. “I believe you may be correct, Daniel Jackson. This would bring them great shame. There is no honor to be found on this planet, or in serving this Goa’uld.”
Sam looked puzzled. “Why didn’t he leave anyway? He was willing to ignore Ra to return to Earth.”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Daniel raised his eyebrows quizzically.
Something about this was bothering Jack. “Why didn’t Ra just kill him?”
Teal’c had an answer for this. “Ra would want him to suffer more than mere death for such a transgression. To be trapped on this planet without sacrifices or those to fear him would be a greater punishment to this Goa’uld.”
“I think you’re probably right about that, Teal’c.” Daniel looked at Jack. “Remember, Am-Heh was not exactly normal. Ra would have tailored the punishment to fit. He must have had some way of ensuring Am-Heh’s compliance.”
Jack nodded. “Let’s keep moving. Hopefully, we’ll find something more useful than insight pretty soon.”
Daniel started to object. “Jack -”
“Daniel. I know. Insight is very, very important, but we have to keep our eyes on the ball, here. Insight, good. Power source, better. We need to disable that puppy and get out of here.”
Jack led them through the arch at the far end of the room. They found themselves at a junction of three passages, all unmarked. “Carter?”
Sam scanned in each direction then indicated the right hand passage. “The readings are strongest in this direction, sir.” She led them down the passage, scanning for any changes. When they came to a second junction, she pointed to the left, and they continued. Eventually, they arrived at another door of Goa’uld design. The cryptic stone doors seemed to have been left behind in the tomb.
Sam opened this door as she had the previous ones and a loud humming filled the air. Alarm crossed Sam’s face as she scanned the opening. “Sir, the reading here are very high, and will be higher inside. Extremely high. While there is currently no proof that non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation causes harm, especially in the short term, I think it would be prudent to get in and out as quickly as possible. Levels this high have never been produced on Earth. We want to limit exposure.”
Jack grimaced. Oh, good, radiation. “Okay, that’s what we’ll do. In and out as quickly as possible. Carter, you try to find a way to disable it without blowing it up. Daniel and I will set C-4 as a backup. Teal’c, keep an eye on this entrance, check for others, and watch our six. Get yourselves ready before we go in.”
Teal’c inclined his head in agreement.
Sam continued scanning the radiation which was such an unknown quantity.
Daniel paled at the mention of radiation then tried to curb his racing thoughts. There was no comparison between the radiation caused by a Naquadriah bomb and elecromagnetic radiation, even at high levels. No comparison. This was just like… Well, he wasn’t sure what it was just like. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t the same… He couldn’t seem to stop his hand from shaking as he reached into his pack to take out his C-4.
Jack made damn sure that Daniel didn’t see him notice the shaking hand. Most people didn’t have to face the prospect of a repeat death by previous worst case scenario. He was pretty sure that if he were Daniel, he’d already be back in the room full of dead Jaffa, and still running. He put the last of his C-4 down next to Daniel. “You set the C-4, Daniel. I’ll handle the detonator cord. Just put it in place and get out. I’ll do the rest.” Jack took the cord from his pack. “Ready?”
Daniel nodded and gathered up the explosive. He focused on the task. Go in, set the C-4, and go out. Go in, set the C-4, and go out… He ran into the room, only briefly taking in the immense device in the center of the enormous, vaulted room. The humming filled his ears as he arranged two piles of C-4, four blocks each, on one side of the device. Go in, set the C-4, and go out… He ran to the other side of the device and began to set another eight blocks.
Sam and Jack followed on Daniel’s heels, with Teal’c right behind them.
Jack attached the detonator cord to the first two piles and left the cord roll of cord next to the C-4. He ran around the machine to join Daniel.
Sam saw an access panel on the side of the device. She ripped it open, expecting to see crystal that she could remove, but was taken aback to see a completely unfamiliar interior. This device was not of Ancient, Goa’uld, or Asgard design. There were dozens of blocks of metal, some of which had been depressed. She had no idea how to proceed. For all she knew, pushing them might as easily raise the radiation levels as turn off the machine. Even if the levels of radiation weren’t frighteningly high, they couldn’t spend enough time here for her to figure it out without risking capture. She felt a pang of regret as their options narrowed dramatically. If only she had more time! This technology could have been invaluable.
As Teal’c entered the room, he examined the walls for additional entrances. There were none visible, but he did not take that for granted. He watched for any incursion that would jeopardize the team. The loud humming rang in his ears and he felt the unease that he had experienced in the tomb return. There was no good to be found in this place, even if Major Carter hoped to acquire technology. He would be glad when it was destroyed. No power that furthered such evil could be a desirable thing.
Jack reached Daniel, who was just finishing with the second two piles. He quickly attached the cord to these and ran it out to the first pile of cord. Jack waved Daniel toward the door. Instead, Daniel grabbed the first roll that Jack had left and they ran both lengths of cord out of the room together, followed closely by Sam and Teal’c.
As Sam caught her breath, she filled them in on her observations. “This device isn’t like anything that we’ve run across, sir. I can’t be sure that I can disable it in a reasonable period of time.”
“Can we disable the controls without blowing the whole thing up?”
“I don’t think so, sir. We can try, but there are no crystals, no circuitry, just blocks of metal that can be pushed in various patterns. Experimentation might have unknown effects.”
By ‘unknown effects’ Jack knew she meant ‘bad’. “Okay, we blow it now. The time for sneaky is over.” He took the first cord from Daniel and ran them both another few feet down the hall. “Here we go…” They turned to face the stone and braced themselves. Jack lit the cords. The concussive blast of the massive explosion shook the building, followed by a large secondary explosion. They could hear large pieces of the device striking the walls that had been so far from the machine. More debris came crashing through the open door to the room.
Jack grinned at Sam. “Sometimes, there is too much C-4, Carter! Who’da thunk it?”
Sam suppressed an answering smile. When it came to C-4, encouraging him was a really bad idea. She scanned the entrance. There was no residual radiation and none was being produced. “It’s safe.”
Daniel let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding.
They reentered the power room, which had changed dramatically. Debris was scattered across the floor and the massive piece of machinery was nonexistent.
Sam looked at the space where something completely unknown had stood, something that was impossible in her frame of reference. She felt a dissonance between the scientist, who mourned the loss of knowledge, and the soldier who rejoiced in the success of her mission objective. She reached for the soldier’s joy. They did what they had to. It would take them home.
Teal’c felt a great relief. He didn’t know what in this device had disturbed him. Perhaps it was only that it belonged to the same being that had created the everlasting exhibit of death in the tombs above, but he could not rid himself of the feeling that everything in this place was tainted in some way that he did not understand.
“Carter?” Jack looked at his second in command for confirmation of what they all expected.
She scanned the room. “The electro-magnetic readings are back to what they were when we arrived on the planet, sir.” Once again she felt a pang of regret. If only she had been able to figure out the machine in time…
Jack nodded with satisfaction. “That’s good. Now we can get out of here.” He looked at the still intact lights, high above them. “Why are the lights still on, Carter? Can we count on that, or should we break out the flashlights again?” He couldn’t help but wonder what the heck they were made of to have survived the blast. No built in obsolescence there.
“They are regular Goa’uld technology, sir. They’ll be powered by crystals. There’s no reason to think they will stop working.”
“Good news for once. I like that. Okay, first we blow up those Goa’uld, and then we find a way out of here. Once we get to the surface, we can try the radios. We’re too far underground right now, but Hammond will be trying to reach us. Then we’ll head for the Stargate. Let’s go.” Jack waved them out of the room.
They jogged back the way they had come and found themselves back at the room containing the pool in good time. They had a new sense of urgency now that any remaining in the structure were sure to have been alerted to their presence by the massive explosion of the power device.
“Hold it!” Jack brought them to a halt at the entrance to the room. He pulled off his pack and took a grenade from one of the side pockets. He pulled the pin and hurled it into the pool. As the grenade exploded, water rushed into the air like the expanding event horizon of an incoming wormhole. The dead Jaffa were now covered with water and dismembered symbiotes.
Teal’c surveyed the scene with satisfaction. Each dead symbiote was another Goa’uld who would not take a host, who would not pose as a god, who would not enslave a populace. He smiled and crushed the corpse of an almost whole Goa’uld under his foot.
“That should take care of that. Let’s get out of here.” Jack led the way as they hurried back through the hieroglyph room to the junction of corridors that had taken them to the power source. He was feeling pretty darn pleased at the moment. They still had a long way to go, though, and he was worried about Carter and Daniel. They had been looking downright depressed since the team had left the power room. Carter probably hated blowing that thing up and Daniel… Well, he just got reminded of a whole lot of things that no one should have to remember, although that was better than the alternative, which was not being able to remember anything at all. He’d have to distract them a little.
Carter scanned the left and center passages. They already knew that the right would take them back to the room that had contained the electro-magnetic device. She grimaced. “Nothing, sir, but that doesn’t mean much. I wouldn’t pick up rings unless they were in use.”
“Okay, let’s go right. I feel lucky. Don’t you folks feel lucky?”
The silence was absolute.
Daniel sighed and made a shooing motion. “Jack, go. Lead. Precede us. Blaze a trail…”
Jack gave him a mocking salute and they went right, down the corridor. “You must be feeling lucky, Teal’c. We blew up symbiotes! I know how much you love that!”
“It was most enjoyable, O’Neill. Perhaps we will be able to do it again soon.” There was a slight smile on the Jaffa’s face.
“I’m generally game for blowing up symbiotes, but maybe not today. I hope that was all of them.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “Indeed.”
Jack glanced at Carter and Daniel. Distraction wasn’t working. “Carter, I doubt that was the only electro-magnetic power source in the galaxy. They wouldn’t just build the one on the worst planet ever. We’ll ask around. See what the neighbors have to say. Now that we know it’s possible, we know what to look for. We’ll just have to find a way to shield the equipment next time.”
Sam pulled herself out of her reverie. The colonel was right, of course. They wouldn’t build just one, especially here. “I guess that’s true, sir.” She smiled. “I’ll start working on a way to boost the power of the electronic equipment and shield it from interference. That could provide useful results even if we don’t find another electro-magnetic generator.”
“Oh, you’ll find one, Carter. You’ll find one.”
The corridor ended in a large room with an arched ceiling. In the center of the room were numerous pedestals displaying brightly painted, ancient Egyptian statuary.
Daniel moved to each of them, almost touching them with reverent fingers, but holding back so as not to mar them with dirt and burn ointment. “These are incredible. Thousands of years old, but amazingly preserved… They’re perfect.”
Jack smiled. Distraction achieved. “Guess you found your artifacts after all, just not the ones you were expecting. Once we get out of here, we’ll be sending teams back to seal off this underworld. You might as well bring an archeological team.”
Daniel smiled at the thought and tore himself away from the statues. They could be discovered at any time, and he really, really didn’t want to get into a firefight in this room. As they moved into the passage on the far side of the room, he took one look back at the most beautiful Egyptian artifacts he had ever seen. “Teal’c, I thought you said that the Goa’uld don’t collect statues?”
“They do not collect small statues of themselves, Daniel Jackson. Those must be large and impressive. They do collect items of beauty from the worlds they plunder, especially those of great worth. The items in the last room were of great beauty and most unique.”
They went through no more rooms. The corridor intersected no passages. It continued on a broad curve until, finally, it widened into a large storage area. Amidst the dusty crates filling the room, they found what they were looking for. Finally, they had found transport rings.
“Carter? Anything less than normal about these?” Jack eyed the rings suspiciously.
“No, sir, they’re perfectly normal.”
“Daniel, any puzzles or traps?”
“Nothing, Jack.”
“Teal’c? Anything?”
“I see nothing amiss, O’Neill.”
“Okay, this is creeping me out. It’s way too easy. We go through absolute, literal hell getting here, then just stroll in, blow stuff up all over the place, and nothing happens? I don’t think so.”
“The Jaffa are dead, O’Neill. Perhaps Am-Heh is also.”
“Teal’c, call me crazy, but I don’t think those Unas spent a few hundred years on pylons eating three squares of raw Goa’uld everyday. They were pretty healthy.”
Daniel frowned. “Jack’s right. Chaka ate the Goa’uld he caught, but he was after larger game. Uh, that’s why he captured me. They have a more varied diet than the primitive Goa’uld.”
Sam looked at the Colonel. “What do you want us to do, sir?”
“We have to get back up to ground level, so we have to use these rings, hinky or not. Be prepared for anything. Let’s go.”
They found themselves in yet another hall, but this one was two stories tall and was bisected by a walkway above their heads. As they entered the room, slabs of stone rose from the floor and blocked the exits at both ends of the room, leaving them trapped.
Daniel looked at the blocked exits and the walkway. “Oh, this is bad…”
As Daniel spoke, a figure stepped out on to the walkway. He was, to all appearances, an Egyptian man of middle age. He was dark haired, dark eyed and bore a slight resemblance to Skarra, for all that he was taller and more broadly built. His expression was one of rage and disgust. “You have defiled the works of your God, who lives in me. I am Am-Heh and I am his obedient Lo’taur, Merire! And yet, you shall be the source of his eternal life and redeem yourselves in death.”
“And that’s about enough of that.” Jack raised his P-90 and sent a burst of shells toward Am-Heh. They bounced off an invisible energy barrier that surrounded the walkway, hitting with a burst of blue light then ricocheting back into the lower area. They all ducked instinctively, but it was only luck that kept them from being hit by the returning bullets. “Damn. That worked well.”
Daniel was staring at the man, the host of Am-Heh, in astonishment. “Jack, you know, when I said this was bad? It’s much more than just bad…”
“Am-Heh is the thresher of gods, who is behind the house of Ra, born from the wish of the Gods, at the prow of the barge of Ra. Am-Heh sits before him! Am-Heh is a god older than the eldest! Thousands serve him! Hundreds make offerings for him!”
Jack looked up at the figure. “Y’know, you have a little spittle, right there.” He gestured to the corner of his mouth. “It makes you look kind of nuts.”
Daniel turned away from the ranting figure and looked at the team intently. “The host is the one doing this! Merire is in control. We’re not dealing with a Goa’uld, not right now, anyway. We’re dealing with an Egyptian priest with the memories and abilities of a Goa’uld. And the same world view, if that journey in the barque means anything.”
“How is that possible, Daniel?” Carter was truly shocked.
“The Tok’ra can do it. It makes sense that the Goa’uld can too, if they want. However unlikely it seems, that’s what this is!”
“Daniel Jackson, I do not believe that a Goa’uld would share control with a host.” Teal’c stared at the figure who called himself both Am-Heh and his Lo’taur.
The host continued, almost frantically. “A god who lives on his fathers, who feeds on his mothers! Am-Heh is the bull of heaven who rages in his heart, who lives on the being of every god, who eats their entrails when they come, their bodies full of magic from the Isle of Flame! You will all die!”
“Listen to him!” Daniel threw his arm up, gesturing toward Merire. “He identifies himself as Am-Heh’s servant, as well as Am-Heh. He’s reciting the utterances, which weren’t written until after Ra left Earth. He’s speaking as an ancient Egyptian Priest, not as a Goa’uld. It explains all the afterlife imagery. Well, not the reasons behind it, exactly, but why he would think to use it. He still believes in his religion, or some warped amalgamation of Goa’uld history and Egyptian religion.”
The priest brought up his arms and two Unas appeared on the walkway. The same Unas that had been killed on the pylons.
Daniel looked at Jack with a bitter expression. “Sarcophagus.”
The man left the walkway followed by one of the Unas as the other lifted a shock grenade and tossed it below, before following them from the room.
Jack reached for the grenade, knowing it wouldn’t help, but trying anyway. He didn’t get a chance to throw it anywhere. It went off, blinding light filling the room, screaming sound rendering them incapable of movement. In his last moment of consciousness, Jack saw his team falling to the ground, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The last thing he felt was failure.
Go to Chapter 6
Back to Chapter 4
Author: SG_Betty
Word count: 5,553
Genre: Gen, Action/Adventure, Team
Rating/Warning: PG-13, Violence
Spoilers: spoilers up to and including early Season 7
Disclaimer: While the situations and dialogue in this story are my own, all characters are wholly owned by Gekko Productions and MGM.
Thanks: It is impossible for me to thank Lokei enough for the enormous time and effort that she put into beta reading, advice, and encouragement. There simply aren't fine enough words. All I can say is thank you, Lokei, this story simply wouldn't exist without you!
When the rings came down, they found themselves in an elaborate room. The dark blue ceiling was covered in painted stars, and supported by enormous columns. Between the columns there were traditional murals of the Egyptian gods and a depiction of the journey of the Barque of Ra. It looked a lot like the trip they had just taken. This room was well lit, unlike the other parts of Am-Heh’s domain. They found themselves squinting as their eyes adjusted to welcome, but unaccustomed light. The flashlights were stowed in their packs.
Daniel had a look of confusion on his face, but not one that Jack saw very often. Not confused about how to communicate his reasoning. Not confused about how everyone could be so obtuse. Not even confused about what to do about some staggering conclusion he had drawn from obscure information. He looked completely at a loss. That damn near terrified Jack.
He kept an eye on Daniel. Anything that had him this mixed up was going to be trouble somewhere down the road.
An open, and empty, Goa’uld sarcophagus stood upright on a raised dais at one end of the room. Before it a statue of a seated figure in front of another offering table covered with gold plates. At the other end of the room was a door of familiar Goa’uld design.
Daniel holstered his gun. Then he turned in place, looking at the ceiling and walls, looking at the statue. He stopped, removed his glasses, and closed his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose. After a long moment, Daniel opened his eyes again, mumbling to himself. He looked at the statue. “Ka”. He looked up. “Nut.” He looked at a wall. “Ba.” He rubbed his eyes with his hand and began pacing.
Jack looked at Sam and Teal’c. “Okay, who broke the archeologist? Own up, or you’re both grounded.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow then returned to watching the Daniel Jackson, who was indeed, behaving most oddly.
“Daniel?” Sam spoke carefully. “What’s going on?”
Daniel strode to the statue and swung an arm toward it, glasses still in hand “This is a Ka statue of Am-Heh! A Ka statue!” He spoke in an impassioned and frustrated tone. “See! The head of a hunting hound!” He shoved the glasses into place on his face.
“A greyhound,” Jack said to Sam knowledgably.
Daniel stomped over the mural and pointed at it fiercely. “This is a Ba figure! A bird - with the dog’s head! He swung his arm into the air to wave at the ceiling. “Those stars represent Nut protecting the deceased! The columns even have lotus capitals!”
Jack crossed the room to Daniel. “I can see how that’s upsetting, Daniel, but why don’t you explain it, so the kids in the back row get it, too.”
“All of these things relate to rebirth in the afterlife according to ancient Egyptian tradition. It all has to do with the survival of…the personality, the spirit, the power, of a person after death. It has nothing to do with the Goa’uld, just like that whole journey through the underworld! And yet, here it is, clearly prepared for Am-Heh! It’s just…” He threw up his functional arm in frustration, staggering slightly.
Jack narrowed his eyes. Daniel wasn’t looking too good. With the scalding, his color wasn’t an indicator anymore, but he had dark circles under his eyes and was sweating. They’d only broken ‘camp’ a couple of hours ago. How long could Daniel keep this up?
Jack wasn’t feeling very excellent, himself. He was hot, dizzy and was having trouble putting weight on his leg. The wound on his arm was throbbing insistently since their rowing excursion. And it was burning. Infection was probably setting in, for both of them.
“Daniel, we’ve got a more immediate problem to take care of.” Jack spoke quietly. “Neither one of us is in any condition to fight, and I think we might have to. Just a feeling.”
Daniel understood his meaning. He gave the sarcophagus a sidelong glance then looked back at Jack. “Jack, I don’t… I really don’t want to. It’s not like I’m dying...” He’d promised himself never to use a sarcophagus again, unless he had absolutely no choice. Daniel knew all too well what repeated use of the sarcophagus meant. The evil of the Goa’uld was at least partly due to its use. Shyla had gotten him addicted, but he was responsible for his actions, however induced they were. He’d let the team down and the withdrawal had been agonizing. He never wanted to risk that again.
“You came close, Daniel. Way too close.” Jack took a deep breath. “If we keep going at this pace, if we can’t get you to surgery, you still might. You can’t tell me that you feel up to this, because I know I don’t.” He looked at Daniel intently. “Can you tell me that?”
Daniel looked down and scowled. “No. I can’t.” He ran a blistered hand across his forehead, wiping away sweat that wasn’t from any heat in the cool room. He met Jack’s eyes. “How many times, Jack? How many times can we do this and not end up like Shyla’s father, or the Goa’uld?”
“I don’t know, Daniel. More, I think, but it doesn’t really matter. Not right now. Carter and Teal’c need us.”
Jack knew exactly how Daniel felt. He’d seen Daniel fall apart in withdrawal then he’d experienced it for himself. Baal had tortured him to death and brought him back, over and over again, until he’d wanted nothing as much as he wanted to die. He hadn’t, they’d rescued him, but the withdrawal had been every bit as excruciating as what he’d seen Daniel fight through. “I don’t want to do this either. I hope we never have to do this again.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow, his lips pressed tightly together. “Excuse me if I don’t put money on that.” He closed his eyed for a moment then gave Jack an unhappy look. “Okay. I’ll go first.”
Jack nodded, silent, and followed Daniel to the sarcophagus. Since it was upright, Daniel was able to enter with a minimum of difficulty. As the lid closed, Jack saw a bleak expression in his friend’s eyes that he knew mirrored his own.
Jack returned to the other side of the room where Carter and Teal’c waited. Their faces were serious. They knew the implications of the decision and all the history behind it.
Teal’c felt great pride in his teammates. What they risked was worse than dying. It was the risk of becoming as malevolent and uncaring as the Goa’uld. A small risk, this time, but each use led them closer.
If they had not chosen this, he would gladly have died to defend them, but he would not have taken this choice away from them, even if he could. They were free in a way that few Jaffa were free. He would have made the same choice. They would continue this battle.
Carter stared at the sarcophagus, grateful that it was healing Daniel, but equally regretful. She knew just how much Daniel hated having to use it. The doors opened and Daniel pulled himself out. The scalding on his face was healed and his hands were unblistered. Most importantly, he used both arms freely. The terrible wound in his shoulder was gone. She felt immense relief mixed with a certain measure of guilt. She didn’t think he’d have used the sarcophagus if he was here alone.
“Too bad these things don’t clean you up at the same time.” Daniel spoke in a light tone that forbade further discussion of the matter.
Jack gave him a tight, understanding smile. “Yep, you still stink. Bet it’s nasty in there. I should have gone first.” He went to the dais, stepped up and entered the sarcophagus. As the doors shut, they shared another look, and Daniel nodded.
Jack had been right. Daniel hadn’t wanted to do it, but Jack had been right. Now that he was healed, he realized that he couldn’t have gone on much longer. He would have dragged the whole team down with him. “Sam, can you help me get this bandage off?” He shrugged off his ripped and bloody jacket and pulled his arm from the sleeve of his equally torn shirt.
As they worked on the bandage, the sarcophagus opened for a second time, and Jack emerged. He was no longer limping and was as healthy as Daniel. He joined them and removed his own bandages, which were more accessible
When they were done, Sam gathered the blood soaked bandages and put them in a plastic bag from the med kit. No sense advertising their presence. She stashed the bag in her pack. “You guys better be nice to me. I have everything I need for voodoo.”
Daniel took his pack from Teal’c and brought the straps up over his shoulders. “Actually, while voodoo has been associated with black magic, it’s really more of a spiritual -”
“Never mind, Daniel. Let Carter dream of doing us damage with pins. Let’s go see what’s behind door number two” Jack gestured toward the very normal looking Goa’uld door.
They readied their weapons then got into position. Sam pushed the door mechanism. She waited for it to open, P-90 aimed at the opening. The team moved into the next room, fanning out, and alert to any threat. Nothing moved.
Jack looked around the room and grimaced. “This is new. Creepy, but new.”
The floor of the large room was covered with the desiccated corpses of Jaffa. They were grouped around a fancifully tiled pool in the center of the room. Teal’c moved forward and examined one of the bodies. “The symbiotes have been removed from these Jaffa.”
Daniel was shocked. “Why? Why would Am-Heh do that? Would they just remove their symbiotes if he told them to?”
Teal’c looked at the Jaffa thoughtfully. “They would, Daniel Jackson. The will of a god is law to the Jaffa. Only those who know them to be false gods would dare to disobey. But these Jaffa may have removed their symbiotes as an act of rebellion.”
“I wonder why? And what happened to the symbiotes?” Sam peered into the pool and saw a symbiote rear up out of the water. “That’s what happened!” She backed away quickly.
“Okay, we’ll be blowing that up!” Jack paused. “But not now, damn it!” He glared at the water. “We’ll have to come back when sneaky isn’t an issue.”
Teal’c regretted the need for stealth. He would have preferred to destroy the Goa’uld now. “The symbiotes would not have chosen to enter the water unless no other hosts were available to them.”
“So, no people, and probably no Jaffa.” Jack raised an eyebrow. “Why does that seem too easy?”
The rest of the team looked equally dubious.
They stepped around the bodies, and made their way to the far side of the room where another door waited. Sam opened it as she had the last. They entered a long, narrow hall, which had hieroglyphs and illustrations covering the walls. At the far end was an open arch.
Daniel immediately went to the hieroglyphs and began to read, one hand outstretched “This tells the story of Am-Heh. According to this, Am-Heh was very old when Ra began his rise to power. Millennia old. He convinced the System Lords of the time, Aker, Atem, and others, to back Ra. When Ra was successful in gaining ascendance, he rewarded Am-Heh. Uh, just a second, this next bit’s a little tricky… Okay, Am-Heh joined Ra on Earth and was promised a great reward for his service. It says Sokar and Ammit, envied him.” He glanced back at the team, peering over his glasses. “We’ll take that with a grain of salt. This is all from Am-Heh’s point of view.” Daniel turned back to the wall. “Anyway, he was promised many sacrifices but many of those were stolen from him, unjustly, by Sokar and Ammit. When Ra left the Earth and commanded him to follow, he didn’t think he’d gotten what he’d been promised, so he returned, secretly, at a later time. It doesn’t actually say how much later. I think it was a while ago… ‘The Nile grew red with blood, the people quaked with fear’, and so forth” Daniel waved a hand.
Jack rolled his eyes. “Again, with the sacrifices. Amy, and his one track mind.”
“Am-Heh took a new host, Merire, from the priests of Ra’s Temple and Ra wasn’t too happy about the presumption. He still considered Earth to be his, rebellion or not. Ra banished him to this planet, where he already had this facility, forbidding him to leave. Ra gave him the Unas and the primitive Goa’uld. That was an insult and a death sentence. He was sent here without human servants and the primitive Goa’uld can’t maintain the Jaffa. Ra basically doomed them all. Maybe the Jaffa thought the dishonor was too much to live with.”
Teal’c inclined his head. “I believe you may be correct, Daniel Jackson. This would bring them great shame. There is no honor to be found on this planet, or in serving this Goa’uld.”
Sam looked puzzled. “Why didn’t he leave anyway? He was willing to ignore Ra to return to Earth.”
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Daniel raised his eyebrows quizzically.
Something about this was bothering Jack. “Why didn’t Ra just kill him?”
Teal’c had an answer for this. “Ra would want him to suffer more than mere death for such a transgression. To be trapped on this planet without sacrifices or those to fear him would be a greater punishment to this Goa’uld.”
“I think you’re probably right about that, Teal’c.” Daniel looked at Jack. “Remember, Am-Heh was not exactly normal. Ra would have tailored the punishment to fit. He must have had some way of ensuring Am-Heh’s compliance.”
Jack nodded. “Let’s keep moving. Hopefully, we’ll find something more useful than insight pretty soon.”
Daniel started to object. “Jack -”
“Daniel. I know. Insight is very, very important, but we have to keep our eyes on the ball, here. Insight, good. Power source, better. We need to disable that puppy and get out of here.”
Jack led them through the arch at the far end of the room. They found themselves at a junction of three passages, all unmarked. “Carter?”
Sam scanned in each direction then indicated the right hand passage. “The readings are strongest in this direction, sir.” She led them down the passage, scanning for any changes. When they came to a second junction, she pointed to the left, and they continued. Eventually, they arrived at another door of Goa’uld design. The cryptic stone doors seemed to have been left behind in the tomb.
Sam opened this door as she had the previous ones and a loud humming filled the air. Alarm crossed Sam’s face as she scanned the opening. “Sir, the reading here are very high, and will be higher inside. Extremely high. While there is currently no proof that non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation causes harm, especially in the short term, I think it would be prudent to get in and out as quickly as possible. Levels this high have never been produced on Earth. We want to limit exposure.”
Jack grimaced. Oh, good, radiation. “Okay, that’s what we’ll do. In and out as quickly as possible. Carter, you try to find a way to disable it without blowing it up. Daniel and I will set C-4 as a backup. Teal’c, keep an eye on this entrance, check for others, and watch our six. Get yourselves ready before we go in.”
Teal’c inclined his head in agreement.
Sam continued scanning the radiation which was such an unknown quantity.
Daniel paled at the mention of radiation then tried to curb his racing thoughts. There was no comparison between the radiation caused by a Naquadriah bomb and elecromagnetic radiation, even at high levels. No comparison. This was just like… Well, he wasn’t sure what it was just like. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t the same… He couldn’t seem to stop his hand from shaking as he reached into his pack to take out his C-4.
Jack made damn sure that Daniel didn’t see him notice the shaking hand. Most people didn’t have to face the prospect of a repeat death by previous worst case scenario. He was pretty sure that if he were Daniel, he’d already be back in the room full of dead Jaffa, and still running. He put the last of his C-4 down next to Daniel. “You set the C-4, Daniel. I’ll handle the detonator cord. Just put it in place and get out. I’ll do the rest.” Jack took the cord from his pack. “Ready?”
Daniel nodded and gathered up the explosive. He focused on the task. Go in, set the C-4, and go out. Go in, set the C-4, and go out… He ran into the room, only briefly taking in the immense device in the center of the enormous, vaulted room. The humming filled his ears as he arranged two piles of C-4, four blocks each, on one side of the device. Go in, set the C-4, and go out… He ran to the other side of the device and began to set another eight blocks.
Sam and Jack followed on Daniel’s heels, with Teal’c right behind them.
Jack attached the detonator cord to the first two piles and left the cord roll of cord next to the C-4. He ran around the machine to join Daniel.
Sam saw an access panel on the side of the device. She ripped it open, expecting to see crystal that she could remove, but was taken aback to see a completely unfamiliar interior. This device was not of Ancient, Goa’uld, or Asgard design. There were dozens of blocks of metal, some of which had been depressed. She had no idea how to proceed. For all she knew, pushing them might as easily raise the radiation levels as turn off the machine. Even if the levels of radiation weren’t frighteningly high, they couldn’t spend enough time here for her to figure it out without risking capture. She felt a pang of regret as their options narrowed dramatically. If only she had more time! This technology could have been invaluable.
As Teal’c entered the room, he examined the walls for additional entrances. There were none visible, but he did not take that for granted. He watched for any incursion that would jeopardize the team. The loud humming rang in his ears and he felt the unease that he had experienced in the tomb return. There was no good to be found in this place, even if Major Carter hoped to acquire technology. He would be glad when it was destroyed. No power that furthered such evil could be a desirable thing.
Jack reached Daniel, who was just finishing with the second two piles. He quickly attached the cord to these and ran it out to the first pile of cord. Jack waved Daniel toward the door. Instead, Daniel grabbed the first roll that Jack had left and they ran both lengths of cord out of the room together, followed closely by Sam and Teal’c.
As Sam caught her breath, she filled them in on her observations. “This device isn’t like anything that we’ve run across, sir. I can’t be sure that I can disable it in a reasonable period of time.”
“Can we disable the controls without blowing the whole thing up?”
“I don’t think so, sir. We can try, but there are no crystals, no circuitry, just blocks of metal that can be pushed in various patterns. Experimentation might have unknown effects.”
By ‘unknown effects’ Jack knew she meant ‘bad’. “Okay, we blow it now. The time for sneaky is over.” He took the first cord from Daniel and ran them both another few feet down the hall. “Here we go…” They turned to face the stone and braced themselves. Jack lit the cords. The concussive blast of the massive explosion shook the building, followed by a large secondary explosion. They could hear large pieces of the device striking the walls that had been so far from the machine. More debris came crashing through the open door to the room.
Jack grinned at Sam. “Sometimes, there is too much C-4, Carter! Who’da thunk it?”
Sam suppressed an answering smile. When it came to C-4, encouraging him was a really bad idea. She scanned the entrance. There was no residual radiation and none was being produced. “It’s safe.”
Daniel let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding.
They reentered the power room, which had changed dramatically. Debris was scattered across the floor and the massive piece of machinery was nonexistent.
Sam looked at the space where something completely unknown had stood, something that was impossible in her frame of reference. She felt a dissonance between the scientist, who mourned the loss of knowledge, and the soldier who rejoiced in the success of her mission objective. She reached for the soldier’s joy. They did what they had to. It would take them home.
Teal’c felt a great relief. He didn’t know what in this device had disturbed him. Perhaps it was only that it belonged to the same being that had created the everlasting exhibit of death in the tombs above, but he could not rid himself of the feeling that everything in this place was tainted in some way that he did not understand.
“Carter?” Jack looked at his second in command for confirmation of what they all expected.
She scanned the room. “The electro-magnetic readings are back to what they were when we arrived on the planet, sir.” Once again she felt a pang of regret. If only she had been able to figure out the machine in time…
Jack nodded with satisfaction. “That’s good. Now we can get out of here.” He looked at the still intact lights, high above them. “Why are the lights still on, Carter? Can we count on that, or should we break out the flashlights again?” He couldn’t help but wonder what the heck they were made of to have survived the blast. No built in obsolescence there.
“They are regular Goa’uld technology, sir. They’ll be powered by crystals. There’s no reason to think they will stop working.”
“Good news for once. I like that. Okay, first we blow up those Goa’uld, and then we find a way out of here. Once we get to the surface, we can try the radios. We’re too far underground right now, but Hammond will be trying to reach us. Then we’ll head for the Stargate. Let’s go.” Jack waved them out of the room.
They jogged back the way they had come and found themselves back at the room containing the pool in good time. They had a new sense of urgency now that any remaining in the structure were sure to have been alerted to their presence by the massive explosion of the power device.
“Hold it!” Jack brought them to a halt at the entrance to the room. He pulled off his pack and took a grenade from one of the side pockets. He pulled the pin and hurled it into the pool. As the grenade exploded, water rushed into the air like the expanding event horizon of an incoming wormhole. The dead Jaffa were now covered with water and dismembered symbiotes.
Teal’c surveyed the scene with satisfaction. Each dead symbiote was another Goa’uld who would not take a host, who would not pose as a god, who would not enslave a populace. He smiled and crushed the corpse of an almost whole Goa’uld under his foot.
“That should take care of that. Let’s get out of here.” Jack led the way as they hurried back through the hieroglyph room to the junction of corridors that had taken them to the power source. He was feeling pretty darn pleased at the moment. They still had a long way to go, though, and he was worried about Carter and Daniel. They had been looking downright depressed since the team had left the power room. Carter probably hated blowing that thing up and Daniel… Well, he just got reminded of a whole lot of things that no one should have to remember, although that was better than the alternative, which was not being able to remember anything at all. He’d have to distract them a little.
Carter scanned the left and center passages. They already knew that the right would take them back to the room that had contained the electro-magnetic device. She grimaced. “Nothing, sir, but that doesn’t mean much. I wouldn’t pick up rings unless they were in use.”
“Okay, let’s go right. I feel lucky. Don’t you folks feel lucky?”
The silence was absolute.
Daniel sighed and made a shooing motion. “Jack, go. Lead. Precede us. Blaze a trail…”
Jack gave him a mocking salute and they went right, down the corridor. “You must be feeling lucky, Teal’c. We blew up symbiotes! I know how much you love that!”
“It was most enjoyable, O’Neill. Perhaps we will be able to do it again soon.” There was a slight smile on the Jaffa’s face.
“I’m generally game for blowing up symbiotes, but maybe not today. I hope that was all of them.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “Indeed.”
Jack glanced at Carter and Daniel. Distraction wasn’t working. “Carter, I doubt that was the only electro-magnetic power source in the galaxy. They wouldn’t just build the one on the worst planet ever. We’ll ask around. See what the neighbors have to say. Now that we know it’s possible, we know what to look for. We’ll just have to find a way to shield the equipment next time.”
Sam pulled herself out of her reverie. The colonel was right, of course. They wouldn’t build just one, especially here. “I guess that’s true, sir.” She smiled. “I’ll start working on a way to boost the power of the electronic equipment and shield it from interference. That could provide useful results even if we don’t find another electro-magnetic generator.”
“Oh, you’ll find one, Carter. You’ll find one.”
The corridor ended in a large room with an arched ceiling. In the center of the room were numerous pedestals displaying brightly painted, ancient Egyptian statuary.
Daniel moved to each of them, almost touching them with reverent fingers, but holding back so as not to mar them with dirt and burn ointment. “These are incredible. Thousands of years old, but amazingly preserved… They’re perfect.”
Jack smiled. Distraction achieved. “Guess you found your artifacts after all, just not the ones you were expecting. Once we get out of here, we’ll be sending teams back to seal off this underworld. You might as well bring an archeological team.”
Daniel smiled at the thought and tore himself away from the statues. They could be discovered at any time, and he really, really didn’t want to get into a firefight in this room. As they moved into the passage on the far side of the room, he took one look back at the most beautiful Egyptian artifacts he had ever seen. “Teal’c, I thought you said that the Goa’uld don’t collect statues?”
“They do not collect small statues of themselves, Daniel Jackson. Those must be large and impressive. They do collect items of beauty from the worlds they plunder, especially those of great worth. The items in the last room were of great beauty and most unique.”
They went through no more rooms. The corridor intersected no passages. It continued on a broad curve until, finally, it widened into a large storage area. Amidst the dusty crates filling the room, they found what they were looking for. Finally, they had found transport rings.
“Carter? Anything less than normal about these?” Jack eyed the rings suspiciously.
“No, sir, they’re perfectly normal.”
“Daniel, any puzzles or traps?”
“Nothing, Jack.”
“Teal’c? Anything?”
“I see nothing amiss, O’Neill.”
“Okay, this is creeping me out. It’s way too easy. We go through absolute, literal hell getting here, then just stroll in, blow stuff up all over the place, and nothing happens? I don’t think so.”
“The Jaffa are dead, O’Neill. Perhaps Am-Heh is also.”
“Teal’c, call me crazy, but I don’t think those Unas spent a few hundred years on pylons eating three squares of raw Goa’uld everyday. They were pretty healthy.”
Daniel frowned. “Jack’s right. Chaka ate the Goa’uld he caught, but he was after larger game. Uh, that’s why he captured me. They have a more varied diet than the primitive Goa’uld.”
Sam looked at the Colonel. “What do you want us to do, sir?”
“We have to get back up to ground level, so we have to use these rings, hinky or not. Be prepared for anything. Let’s go.”
They found themselves in yet another hall, but this one was two stories tall and was bisected by a walkway above their heads. As they entered the room, slabs of stone rose from the floor and blocked the exits at both ends of the room, leaving them trapped.
Daniel looked at the blocked exits and the walkway. “Oh, this is bad…”
As Daniel spoke, a figure stepped out on to the walkway. He was, to all appearances, an Egyptian man of middle age. He was dark haired, dark eyed and bore a slight resemblance to Skarra, for all that he was taller and more broadly built. His expression was one of rage and disgust. “You have defiled the works of your God, who lives in me. I am Am-Heh and I am his obedient Lo’taur, Merire! And yet, you shall be the source of his eternal life and redeem yourselves in death.”
“And that’s about enough of that.” Jack raised his P-90 and sent a burst of shells toward Am-Heh. They bounced off an invisible energy barrier that surrounded the walkway, hitting with a burst of blue light then ricocheting back into the lower area. They all ducked instinctively, but it was only luck that kept them from being hit by the returning bullets. “Damn. That worked well.”
Daniel was staring at the man, the host of Am-Heh, in astonishment. “Jack, you know, when I said this was bad? It’s much more than just bad…”
“Am-Heh is the thresher of gods, who is behind the house of Ra, born from the wish of the Gods, at the prow of the barge of Ra. Am-Heh sits before him! Am-Heh is a god older than the eldest! Thousands serve him! Hundreds make offerings for him!”
Jack looked up at the figure. “Y’know, you have a little spittle, right there.” He gestured to the corner of his mouth. “It makes you look kind of nuts.”
Daniel turned away from the ranting figure and looked at the team intently. “The host is the one doing this! Merire is in control. We’re not dealing with a Goa’uld, not right now, anyway. We’re dealing with an Egyptian priest with the memories and abilities of a Goa’uld. And the same world view, if that journey in the barque means anything.”
“How is that possible, Daniel?” Carter was truly shocked.
“The Tok’ra can do it. It makes sense that the Goa’uld can too, if they want. However unlikely it seems, that’s what this is!”
“Daniel Jackson, I do not believe that a Goa’uld would share control with a host.” Teal’c stared at the figure who called himself both Am-Heh and his Lo’taur.
The host continued, almost frantically. “A god who lives on his fathers, who feeds on his mothers! Am-Heh is the bull of heaven who rages in his heart, who lives on the being of every god, who eats their entrails when they come, their bodies full of magic from the Isle of Flame! You will all die!”
“Listen to him!” Daniel threw his arm up, gesturing toward Merire. “He identifies himself as Am-Heh’s servant, as well as Am-Heh. He’s reciting the utterances, which weren’t written until after Ra left Earth. He’s speaking as an ancient Egyptian Priest, not as a Goa’uld. It explains all the afterlife imagery. Well, not the reasons behind it, exactly, but why he would think to use it. He still believes in his religion, or some warped amalgamation of Goa’uld history and Egyptian religion.”
The priest brought up his arms and two Unas appeared on the walkway. The same Unas that had been killed on the pylons.
Daniel looked at Jack with a bitter expression. “Sarcophagus.”
The man left the walkway followed by one of the Unas as the other lifted a shock grenade and tossed it below, before following them from the room.
Jack reached for the grenade, knowing it wouldn’t help, but trying anyway. He didn’t get a chance to throw it anywhere. It went off, blinding light filling the room, screaming sound rendering them incapable of movement. In his last moment of consciousness, Jack saw his team falling to the ground, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The last thing he felt was failure.
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