Tittle: Final Virtuality
Author: KaraMeL
Email: Kristine_sci@hotmail.com
Summary: The SG-1 team is trapped in a virtual reality that may claim two lives before the simulation ends
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This story belongs to MGM and all the other companies/cooperations that own Stargate. So, initially the characters don't belong to me. Darn.
AUTHORS NOTE: This story is one that takes MANY of the unresolved issues about Daniel's role in SG-1 quite litterally. In many discussions from Message boards and Chats there are many thoughts and voiced opinions on how Daniel never seems to fit in. I find it excellent that people voice these opinions and I have tried to integrate them into this story. Hopefully many more people will begin to make Daniel more of SG-1 then himself.
 
 

It was a windy day on P3X 4QR. The menacing clouds darkened with every gust of wind that threatened to tear the bucket hat off from where it was perched on Daniel’s head.

He looked up momentarily at the rolling thunderclouds then back at Jack who was impatiently waving his hand in front of Daniel’s face,

“Woohoo... come on! Daniel two words shel-ter.”

Daniel smiled. Even after four years at each other’s side, Jack never seemed to run out of stupid things to say. The man had changed from the first mission... but he was as stupid as any government military officer.

Or as some military officers.

Samantha Carter struggled over a hill, the vicious winds blowing her closely cropped hair in twenty different directions. She clutched her MP5 tightly to her body either shielding it from the elements or regarding Teal’c’s earlier warning about the natives of the planet.

Daniel couldn’t blame her. According to the world’s gravity and climate, the natives would be far from human. Not that they didn’t meet other aliens that were actually aliens and not humans brought from earth, but usually they were inside people’s heads.

Daniel shivered slightly. An unbidden image of his wife standing over him during her final moments. Even after eleven months the memory was as new as if it had happened yesterday.

Instead of dwelling on the thought he shook his head and followed Jack to the rock face that he had spotted caves in. This planet was a little more different from most that they had visited. Sparse grass tinged with a blue hue struggled to grow from the rocky ground, There were very few trees and the landscape was mostly flat except for the odd cliff dotting the horizon.

Almost like the Arctic.

“Daniel!”

Daniel looked up, aware of Jack who was struggling back to his position. The wind was extremely vicious now, and a fierce electrical storm began to crackle in the air…

…Not good.

Strange red lightning lit up the densely clouded sky and the ground beneath Daniel’s feet.

Blood.

With that singular thought the rain began. Red. Red blood running in rivulets down the slightly inclined slope up towards the cliff face... red blood running off the brim of his hat, soaking his arm as he held it out into the elements… as red as it was frightening.

“Daniel!”

Jack’s voice was closer, Daniel shook himself out of his morbid thoughts about the rain and looked up. Jack, slipping and sliding on the red substance He had left his hat somewhere… probably in the cave… the red rain ran streaks through his face, a look of determination mingled with fear.

Jack tugged him towards the caves, both of them loosing their footing as the red rain slicked the once dry stones.

Finally they reached the caves. Daniel leaned over, spitting out the rain that had managed to make it’s was into his mouth. He threw off his hat and backpack into a corner but kept his jacket. He knew Jack was staring at him… trying to find a rational explanation for why Daniel had stopped and put himself in danger.

Jack wouldn’t understand.

None of them would.

It was on the fine hair between military and civilian. A line they had stopped crossing when they became military. A line that separated him from them.

Sam rummaged through her pack, searching for her flashlight. Her attempt to find the flashlight echoed through the cave, and along with the rumblings of the thunder outside nearly made the cave vibrate.

It was a haunting sound that sounded like a child crying that seemed to rise over every noise. It was a long, mournful wail.

And it scared Daniel more then he cared to admit.

It came from the direction of the end of the cave.

The child must have been at least a year. From Daniel’s limited experience with children it was just plain frightening. There was no indication that there was some life on this planet.

So either it was his imagination or he was going to have an extended visit to the little white room once again.

Then Daniel noticed the silence. There was no thunder or rain… nor any sound of Sam rummaging through her pack. Jack wasn’t cursing about how his perfectly grayed hair was red. IT was silent except for the little child wailing and wailing.

Daniel turned to view the other members of the team. Sam had stopped, Jack’s head was turned towards the end of the cave… as silhouetted by the occasional flash of lightning. And Teal’c was hidden in the shadows but listening non-the less.

The crying faded and slowly stopped.

Daniel shivered violently. Not because of the of the rain soaked jacket he still wore, but because of the echoing cries.

Sam had resumed her search for her flashlight and clicked it on. The shallow light made it’s way to each of their faces.

“Everyone ok?”

Sam’s disembodied voice rang through the cavern. They all could see that it was a lot bigger then they had originally thought. The high ceiling arched above them and the walls were smooth and nearly seamless.

“Did anyone else hear that sobbing?”

Sam’s voice yet again filled the void and Jack shifted, getting up from his water soaked perch from before.

“That was too damned freaky. Alright, everyone find their flashlight. I don’t care if the MALP said there was no life here I want to know where that came from. Carter, see what we have in terms of supplies if we do find something I want to make sure we can help it. Daniel, look for some scribbles or something. See if those aliens are here. Maybe that’s what we heard”

Daniel scowled in Jack’s direction. The hair between military and civilian was a line that was beginning to wear down.

The prospect of finding any sign of the supposed civilization that was supposed to be on this planet.

“Well, it’s defiantly man made sir,” Sam called towards Jack, eyeing the smooth walls.

Jack muttered something beneath his breath and snapped his backpack closed. Sam looked back at him but chose to stay silent. Daniel eyed the older man trying to decipher the behavior that the man exhibited.

“Alright. Leave hat you don’t need. Daniel, grab your flashlight and lets go. You can play with your rocks later. If there’s nothing here we probably won’t find it by staying around.”

Daniel set his mouth in a grim line. The good Colonel was more and more irritating. No less then any other time but the child’s wailing had scared him… just as it probably had scared Jack. This big hoopla about him being military was the only thing that prevented him from saying so.

Teal’c walked towards him, the quiet crunch of gravel beneath his feet steady and Daniel knew he was worried. They always were. He didn’t talk and of course he was the only person here who’d they worry about.

Weak links.

He stank of civilian.

The crunching stopped short of the bag he was rifling through. Daniel refused to look up and instead grabbed his flashlight, grabbing it and turning it on, neatly sidestepping the Jaffa and walking towards the tunnels at the far end of the cave.

He didn’t need to have them worry about him.

Sam followed him into the darkness, the only indication of her following him was the wild zigzag of her light as she studied the cavern’s wall.

It was extremely quiet now, the sounds of the rain and the lightening had faded, only the quietness of their breathing pierced the darkness.

“Daniel, watch out for any booby traps. Maybe I should take point…”

“I’m fine!”

Daniel seethed in anger as Jack broke the uneasy silence. He wasn’t an invalid. He was a civilian. He might as well have been one.

The deep cavern began to widen until they came to a huge room of sorts. It was very large and an expanse of stone was spread across the floor. Beneath the walkway was a large expanse of water. Daniel leaned over the walkway and shone his light into the darkened pool.

And nearly toppled in.

It was red.

Like the rain… it was blood red.

Jack noticed the reaction Daniel had had and leant over himself. The red blood water sparkled ominously as he ran his light over it. The walkway seemed to shine with the red water. Everything was covered in red. The cave walls were covered in a red coating.

So much damned red!

He forced himself to breath steadily. There was no use of hyperventilating. He stood up again, breathing calmly and studying the red walls for any signs of life. He could feel Jack nearly breathing down his neck.

Was it a disease? That everyone had to worry about him?

Sam had moved foreword to the red tinged pedestal that glowed slightly in the endless darkness of the cavern. Daniel hadn’t noticed that when he came in.

Now it seemed to dominate the entire cavern and outshine every rock and drop of water that existed in that space of time.

It was beautiful.

In the middle of the intricately carved pedestal was a picture, four aliens around a table, four tubes connected them to the surrounding walls and in the middle of the table was a symbol.

It was a circle with four triangles connected to it so it looked as if all were pointing towards the circle. The circle was tinged with faint gold and red. It was shiny and it reflected light in all directions. Small symbols circled the little emblem and Daniel leaned closer to decipher them.

Sam, mesmerized reached down to touch the beautiful symbol.

“No!”

It was too late. Sam touched the symbol and a light sprang from the symbol, lighting up the cavern, reaching every corner and crevice. It was so bright it was blinding.

“Sam! Get away from it!”

Daniel yelled vainly as he tried to reach her. Teal’c was already way ahead of him and had grabbed the struggling Major and threw her away from the light. Daniel was about to turn when he felt a hand on the ends of his jacket.

How surprising. Jack.

He violently twisted away from the insistent tug. There was no way that he’d let Jack push him around again. Civilian or not he wasn’t the weak link. And damn he’d prove it to Jack.

The light intensified and Daniel’s eyes filled with tears. The light surrounded them and Daniel knew no more.

But in the darkness the child cried.

“Mom!! Mom! Guess what! I have an ‘A’!”

Jack smiled, lounging in the beautiful Colorado sunlight. Another perfect day. It had been four months since his resignation from the Military and every day was a wonderful bliss.

No more fighting, no more Iraq. Nothing.

Just the beautiful Colorado days with his wife and son.

“Dad! You promised you’d play catch with me, Come on Dad! You said today.... if I got an ‘A’ on that project you’d play ball.”

Jack smiled and looked towards the blue heavens.

“Alright Charlie. Grab your mitt. Mine’s on my bed. I knew you’d get an ‘A’, I’m proud of you son. Remember not to touch anything but the glove okay?”

“Sure dad”

Jack grinned again and jumped as two silky hands wound themselves over his neck. He quelled the urge to throw the person over his head, like he’d do in black ops, but he was home. And he was safe.

“Look what your son did. We have a pretty smart kid.”

Jack smiled and pulled Sarah to his chest, planting a kiss on her lips. The beautiful day just seemed a tad more beautiful with her around. Everything was perfect

*BANG*

“Charlie? Oh my god Jack... your gun!”

Jack stood up, racing towards the room he kept the gun in. Every step seemed to take twice as long. It took an eternity to get to Charlie.

There, in a pool of blood lay his son, the light was quickly fading from his eyes.

Jack scooped him up, crushing the boy to his chest. It couldn’t happen... no... It was his son... they couldn’t take him away... it wasn’t his time.

The blood continued to ring around them... young blood.

“Why Dad?”

“Charlie?”

Jack looked down at his son, tracing the tears as they fell from the young boy’s face.

“Why what son?”

“Why couldn’t you leave me alone? Why couldn’t you tell me?”

Charlie’s face became distorted and Jack gasped, Instead of his beloved son Daniel’s face replaced Charlie’s.

“Why couldn’t you just trust me Jack? I was your best friend. Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you take me with you onto that ship? Jacccckkk why? Why weren’t you there to help me?”

Jack gasped, instead of a gunshot wound there was a staff burn in the middle of the little boy’s chest. It wasn’t Daniel. Daniel wasn’t here... it was Charlie.

The light faded from Daniel’s eyes and he took his last, shuddering breath.

“Why?”

Jack turned to see his wife.... No. It was Sam now... the blond hair... the piercing expression. It was all the same...

“Why did you kiss me... why did you let Daniel die? You just screw up our lives Jack. Leave us be! Let us be! Go away... We’re better off without you. Please! Leave! Don’t let him die... if you want him alive just don’t let him die!

Jack blocked his ears against the incoherent ramblings. No. It wasn’t true... it couldn’t be true. It just wasn’t possible!

The world faded again.

“You are a Zar’tac. I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. She was an air force Major. She would’ve known if she was under Goa’uld control... for god’s sake she had been one!

The words kept ringing inside her head. Ever since Anise has shown up everything in her life had turned upside down.

But the worst was finding out that Jack cared for her.

Because she cared for Jack. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t.

And now they were facing the same truth. They were going to die because they were Zar’tac.

“...Because I care for her more then I should...”

Sam gasped to awareness and watched as the fuzzy halo disappeared from the screen in front of her. She looked at her CO knowing that their lives wouldn’t be the same. They cared for each other. It was impossible. It couldn’t happen.

“Alright. My turn.”

Jack flinched at her words. Crisp and professional. The same profession that didn’t allow her to marry and have kids with a fellow officer.

“Martouf!”

Sam watched as the last shot killed him. He didn’t even blink as he keeled over and died. He died trying to save them. To save her. He had cared for her. It wasn’t fair.

She gathered his head into her lap tenderly. Not noticing the people staring at her. Watching her reactions.

He was gone.

And she mourned his loss.

Anise came in, her expression bewildered because she had no idea how Martouf could have slipped from her detection.

Somebody else offered condolences but Sam didn’t care.

It was too much.

“You know. It really was your fault. You knew. You just didn’t act on your instinct. It’s your fault Sam. Nothing will save you from that, All your fault. And don’t you dare deny it.”

Sam looked up, her tear stained face shocked at the words. Daniel looked on dispassionately, looking up at her with his cold clear eyes with a look he normally reserved for the Goa’uld.

Gentle Daniel?

“You knew. You just didn’t want to be a civilian”

He sneered looking downwards at the stilled body.

“Be like me... who never gets a chance to say anything worth hearing because I’m DANIEL. A CIVILIAN. I’m not worth it. Not to you, or Jack or Teal’c. Just weak ol’ Daniel. You couldn’t handle the feelings so you waited until he was dead... and then what? Weep in Jack’s arms? There’s truth in things SAM. And the truth is, is that you can’t. You’re military. You can’t HAVE Jack. Just like I couldn’t have Sha’re.”

Jack placed an arm on her shoulder.

“He’s right you know. We can’t like each other. We’re military. But girls really can’t hold their feelings in check. I think I’ll have a talk with Hammond... maybe get you a nice position far away from the Stargate project. Women just don’t belong in the military”

The arm on her shoulder was slowly squeezing her... cutting off her air. She couldn’t breath. All the while she wondered where Teal’c was.

“Danny… DANNY.”

Daniel looked up and smiled. His mother and father were setting up a beautiful exhibit for the New York Museum.

“Yes dad?”

“Now it’s important that you jot down each hieroglyph carefully. It’s vital that we can study this back home. Remember, the stronger the translation the more the past comes alive. When we get home I’ll help translate it with you.”

Daniel smiled at his father, proud that he was now old enough to handle the ancient papyrus himself. And he was out of school. That was the best thing.

Ever since Evan Smith had made good on a threat to beat him up, his parents thought it best for him to be home schooled.

It was fine with him. He really didn’t care about learning ABC’s and reciting the multiplication tables. He had learned that sort of stuff long ago. He never did care much for school, but it was the continuous ‘Geek’ and ‘dweeb’ that rang through his head as Evan was ‘escorted’ away from him.

Instead of dwelling on the past he decided to jump into his preferred past, sitting on the floor, quite content with watching his parents raise the tomb.

It was beautiful. Four sturdy columns made the bottom and a large slab was being slowly winched down to make the top. Many of the Egyptian exhibits in the museum were created by his parents when they weren’t in Egypt or studying the ancient ruins of Babylon.

And he wouldn’t trade living a block away from the museum for a million artifacts.

Daniel shook his tussled head and blinked owlishly at the hieroglyphs on the paper in front of him. Each was a beautiful picture waiting to be deciphered.

*Sreeeeaaaccchhhh*

Daniel looked up.

Where had that ominous sound come from? It was always quiet in the museum. Where on earth had that sound come from?

He looked to the top of the stone slab that the workers were meticulously lowering onto the base columns. The chain was beginning to snap.

“Mom? Dad?”

His mother and father looked towards him, they were holding a plan and were discussing where the slab should be placed. His father furrowed his brow.

“What’s the matter Danny?”

“The cover stone… it’s falling…”

“BANG*

The slab fell and the four heavy stone columns fell. He saw his parents no more.

“MOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!! DAAAAADDD!!!”

One of the workers grabbed him as one of the columns spun and flew into his direction. It slammed into a nearby case and shattered the artifact inside. His forgotten book was tossed away and the ancient papyrus floated gently to the ground.

“Mooomm! Daadddyyy!”

The room was quiet except for the heavy breathing of the worker who had saved him. He wrenched himself from the man’s grip and ran towards the broken columns. There was no sign of his parents. They were gone.

“Please… Answer me”

Daniel sobbed and vainly tugged at the heavy stone. There was no answer and he tried vainly to push them… anything to help his parents.

A river of red began to spread out from a crack in the crumbled stone. It was so bright and colorful… it’s very existence contrasting the subtlety of the surrounding room.

There was silence as Daniel stooped down to touch the red river of his mother’s and fathers blood. In the midst of the pool of precious liquid lay his mothers glasses. Daniel picked them up not caring that were stained in the red substance.

And as the red river widened into a lake of blood, Daniel cried the ancient cry of the Egyptians as his parents left him.

Left him forever.

As his hot tears stained the shattered glasses, he looked at his reddened reflection in the blood.

Instead he saw Jack’s.

“Why didn’t you save them? Useless archeologists always playing with their rocks. Couldn’t put it down for one moment to save your parents. First grade commendation Daniel. Great job. And you wonder why we treat you like a piece of China? You’re useless! You are nothing in the eyes of the military. You should be sitting behind a desk and writing papers on useless CRAP.”

“Jack?”

Daniel blinked and cleared his eyes. The image of Jack faded and instead Sam shimmered into view.

“Daniel. Your parents… Geez. I’m sorry. I know the feeling but I got over it. Military people can get over things like that. Don’t worry Daniel. I’m here if you need a shoulder to cry on. Military or not people can cry. Not me. I don’t want to be weak. Don’t worry Daniel it’s only civilian of you. It just separates the boys from the men.”

Daniel’s eyes widened and he scrambled away from the spreading blood. No way. It wasn’t happening. Daniel slipped backwards, not caring about the concerned workers or the echoing words that condemned him.

He stood and ran into the darkened corridors of the museum, running from the sirens and running from himself.

Teal’c opened his caked closed eyes. They didn’t seem to want to respond but he opened them nonetheless.

He was in a small cell… no bigger then his home in the SGC, there was little in amenities, a blanket and a small jug of water. Surveying the cell he was in he tried to find any distinguishing featured that would tell him where he was.

This place stank of death.

He felt bruised and bloodied. Nothing seemed to want to move, but the curiosity outweighing the pain, he soon managed to move to the front of the cell and towards the metal bars, peeking through to the darkness beyond.

Sporadic lights dotted the long hallway and Teal’c could hear moans and groans from many different cells along the way. Screaming sounds echoed from someplace and Teal’c tried his best to block them out… to try and concentrate on a plan to get out.

His lungs flaring with pain Daniel finally stopped running. The shouts that followed him were gone. Either they stopped looking or they didn’t care.

This was happening all over. His parents… the accusations… everything.

It was frightening to say the least.

The most frightening of all being the face of Jack and Sam in the pool of blood… How they taunted and jeered his role in the SGC.

It seemed real in the aspect of his feelings over the last few days. But why his parents? Why not something else? Why this whole charade of telling him something he already knew.

What was happening to him?

For a minute he quashed the urge to laugh and he imagined being in that little white room with Mackenzie and his men in white striding towards him with their clear needles injecting sedative after sedative in his system and the groggy floating feeling that ensued soon after.

Cheering startled him out of his revelry and he looked around him.

He was in a boxing ring.

“What the he…”

Before he could finish his dumbfounded sentence a man dressed in all black, with a mask and boxing gloves began to punch him furiously. Daniel gasped as each hit found its mark.

At that moment of surprise the man took the advantage of hitting him straight in the face. For a moment, Daniel saw stars and he fell backwards onto the ring, breathing heavily as the referee counted down to one.

Tears threatened to appear.

He didn’t understand what was happening. The man in black was across the ring seething with barely contained anger.

Daniel felt a hot flare of anger rise through him. He wasn’t going to be ‘the civilian’ any longer.

Daniel jumped up and raced into the man, eliciting a started ‘oomph’ and causing the other man to stumble. The man seethed and raced straight back at him. Daniel sidestepped and stuck out his foot out, felling the man.

The white-hot rage inside Daniel grew.

He pounced on the man, punching and parrying and doing everything in his power to keep him on the ground and to keep him hurting.

“I am not him, I am not weak, I am not the civilian, I’m not Daniel.”

Daniel stopped. The mean beneath him had since stopped moving. Fear began to replace the anger that was quickly fading from his bones, leaving a weak feeling in his muscles. The only sound in the arena was his harsh breathing and Daniel looked up. There was no one.

No one at all.

Daniel looked at the man beneath him, looking at the blood and the closed eyes.

“Oh god.”

Daniel backed away from the man and looked fearfully around him. He just hurt a man out of anger. He felt disgusting.

Daniel approached the man slowly, reaching for the black mask, his curiosity overshadowing his revulsion towards himself. Daniel took a deep breath and pulled to reveal the man beneath the mask.

Jack.

It was Jack.

Daniel closed his eyes. And threw the mask away. He wasn’t a civilian, or weak now. He was a murderer.

“Ohhhh…. Goddd.”

Jack blinked against the harsh light. His head hurt… he hurt. Every muscle, bone and fiber ached and it felt as if each individual ache centered on him like the planets around the sun.

In short, he hurt.

A lot.

The last thing he remembered was going against this guy… boxing. The guy started to taunt him saying things about Sam and Daniel… and oh god Daniel. The man was Daniel. Jack pushed himself up, wearily looking around himself.

It was dank and musty, like the back streets of Chicago… where he used to roam when he was a teen. Dark places… dank, smelled like shit.

Lots of people here weren’t very good on hospitality.

Jack nearly laughed.

There was no way this was real. Everything was coming up fake… unreal un-something.

It was a friggin dream that’s what it was! It seemed real but wasn’t. No way this was real. It was like that planet… the one with the crazy dude that yelled a lot and spoke in a high voice like his underwear was too tight. Jack snorted in laughter and he lay back on the concrete, remembering the fantasies of trying without chance. Seeing over and over and over the way his friends died.

“So… it’s a game! Pit my friends against me… pit everyone against me. Yeah! I’m on to your plan. I don’t know about Daniel or Carter I know what your doing and I’m not going to do a damned thing! Yeah! How do you like that?”

Jack rolled his head side to side as the bright overhead light intensified. Not like any streetlight he knew of.

“Jack? Colonel?”

Jack blinked. He wasn’t on that Chicago Street. He was in the infirmary.

“What the hell?”

Jack threw the covers off of himself and got up, he looked around the sterile infirmary, spinning around until he focused on Daniel and Sam’s faces. They looked worried and concerned. Jack backed away from them. They weren’t real. They were all in his head.

“Jack. Don’t worry. We’re here. You had a pretty nice lump on your head from PED 4AO. Don’t worry… you just need a little rest and relaxation. Maybe we’ll do a little fishing when you get better.”

Jack began to laugh, taking in the startled nurses and orderlies and the faked concern on his friends faces. It was just beautiful. Everything. It was all just beautiful.

“Oh fishing… wow… GREAT cover-up whoever the hell you are… Daniel… the REAL Daniel would never want to go fishing. Never, Not in my lifetime not in anyone’s lifetime. Excellent. The Cherry on the top. Oh yeah Carter… you know what I mean. Cherry. On the TOP.”

Sam looked at him strangely, walking towards him with her palms outstretched.

“It’s ok sir. We’ll get this sorted out, I’ll just go get Janet and we’ll give you something to help you relax. Nothing more. It’s alright.”

Jack laughed again, the harsh barking sound that indicated the fragility of his mind and his senses. He backed out of the infirmary and took off falling into the rabbit’s hole once again.

“Wait sir!”

Sam chased the errant Colonel down the hallway trying to find which corridor he had disappeared into. No such luck, the Colonel was gone. Missing. Disappeared.

“What on earth was he talking about?”

Daniel walked up behind Sam, a calm, cold look on his face.

“Maybe he couldn’t take the fact that we were stronger. That we were more successful in finding happiness and love together. Maybe he wanted to run away from his problems. Maybe he just doesn’t want to be with you.”

Daniel leaned closer to whisper the harsh words into her ear and Sam shivered. The Colonel was right. There was something terribly wrong. She elbowed Daniel in the stomach and pulled out her gun, training it onto the fake Daniel. She flicked her view from side to side, looking for anybody else that might want to delude her.

“Who or what are you?”

‘Daniel’ stepped closer. She stepped back, hitting the wall behind her. He smiled and reached for the gun. She fired.

At herself…

She hit herself in the chest with the bullet and slowly, the mirror image of herself dropped and slowly draped herself onto the ground. And slowly melted before her eyes.

This wasn’t real.

The puddle Samantha made one last weak effort to grab her… to do anything.

Sam sidestepped its efforts and ran down the hallway, the red emergency lights flaring off and on, making every step difficult both in sight and equilibrium. She turned to see if anybody had decided to follow her…

… And promptly fell into a hole.

The ground rumbled beneath his feet as Teal’c grabbed onto the bars. There was nothing that he possibly did that released him from the stone prison that he was held in.

All the muscle in the known galaxy could not help him find a way to get out and rescue his friends.

There had been practically no sign of any life at all. Besides the muted whimpering in the cells close to him there was nothing. Teal’c had no knowledge of where his friends were and where he was at the present day moment.

Nothing.

The strange lupine aliens were oblivious to his calls. And if they did hear him they gave him no sign what-so-ever. Their stoic features and brimmed foreheads gave them the appearance of a can of soup.

Teal’c grunted softly under his breath and strode around the cell, releasing his anger towards the helplessness of the situation. He was rarely in the position that he could not seize power. This situation though was ridiculous. Teal’c sat down on the smoothed floor staring at the aliens as they moved through the halls purposely.

Suddenly one veered from its course and touched a panel just a couple inches from the cell door and gracefully inputted a code.

With a slow, age grinding creak the age weathered door opened and the alien, now accompanied with four others stood.

Waiting.

Teal’c stood slowly and approached the door, studying the alien’s impassive features.

They blinked, turning their tapered heads and cooing very comforting sounds, To Teal’c they almost sounded like the age old rhythms his people used to play before their enslavement by the Goa’uld.

Or as they were fondly referred to on Earth: lullabies.

Their comforting sounds ceased and he was prodded gently down the hallway. The comforting touch on the small of his back guided him through the halls, past prisoners and rooms until they came to the mouth of a gigantic cavern.

Four waterfalls from the surface fell downwards, the same red water flowing through small openings and spitting into a pool filled with the substance. Rows of lights, their specific source unknown lit the walls, creating watery reflections of each occupant. There was a small island in the middle of the pool of water and it was connected to the rest of the cavern by a sturdy rope bridge that was stretched across the great expanse.

Again, the Aliens cooed and urged him foreword across the bridge. Teal’c shifted his gaze between the aliens and the oddly lit cavern.

As they reached the end of the bridge, Teal’c realized why he had been brought there.

There, in the middle of the island was a table with three occupants.

It was the remainder of his team.

Teal’c narrowed his eyes and approached them. They were pale, their blanched faces almost white with small rivulets of red-water running down their faces. Thick blankets swathed them tightly but did nothing in terms of warming their obviously chilled bodies.

For a moment Teal’c wished that Daniel Jackson were awake so that he might be able to decipher the language of these strange creatures.

Teal’c stared back at the five assembled aliens who were cooing between themselves.

“Do you know what’s wrong with them?”

The lead alien tilted his head slightly, he pushed its hand to Teal’c back, taking him from his friends. Teal’c turned behind him, trying to stop the aliens prodding.

“What is wrong with my friends?”

the alien clicked a negative and more forcefully pushed Teal’c to a dais that was nearly invisible against the Red rock. A sequence of pictographs and scratched carvings covered the bottom of the dais. Leaning closer Teal’c began to view the history of a people long ago…

//When facing great destruction a race of aliens approached the gods of the sky asking for a way to help save themselves. The people of the sky told them to fashion a tunnel system into the ground and to wait until the blood rain ceased. As soon as the tunnels had been dug the rain began and torrential winds and weather plagued the underground people. Soon the underground rivers became red with the color of blood, the blood of the many they had killed during their lifetimes as bloodthirsty pirates of the galaxy. As above, the world was rendered unlivable; the people who lived below were forced to live in isolation and peace.
Until the arrival of a little boy from the heavens.
The little boy had the knowledge of the gods, of technology and how to quell the want to fight again. The little boy built a fantastic machine of glittering silver and promptly attached himself to it. The little boy then invited the entire race to test the machine and as he controlled it simulations played to pit each against another.
After one particular day the little boy cause the death of three warriors. The boy had been corrupted by his own machine and was using it’s power to pit each alien against each other. The race saw the corruption and ceased to use the machine. The little boy, seeing that he would be terminated transferred his mind into the machine and left the promise that if any weary traveler would use the machine, they would pay…
…With their lives.\\

Teal’c scraped the last bit of red stone off the last pictograph and nearly recoiled at the image of three bodies on the floor, their features indistinguishable, but the intention was clear.

They would not survive if the little boy exacted his revenge.

Jack landed with an audible thump, jumping up as quickly as he had landed.

As he searched his new surroundings he noticed that this was a little stranger then his previous drop ins. In fact it would be a little too complex for him to imagine.

Machines covered three quarters of the circular room, buttons and colorful lights lit everything up. Jack reached over to touch a tantalizingly bright green button.

“I wouldn’t do that If I were you.”

Jack inhaled sharply and turned to the source of the noise. In a comfortable looking chair, sat a little boy, no more then five years of age who had a quite sour looking expression writ on his face. Jack smiled at the little boy and approached him.

The boys golden eyes blinked petulantly at him, the dour expression extremely disturbing on such a young face.

“Well, since you’re here I suppose that I should bring the rest of your friends.”

If on cue Sam and Daniel dropped into the room from black holes from the ceiling, Sam rubbed her behind crossly as she stared at the archeologist beside her. Daniel in turn sent a withering look right back at her.

“You aren’t the demonstration I was looking for but you will do.”

Jack rolled his eyes. Aliens always cut to the chase without giving any details.

“Alright. Demonstration? What do you mean demonstration? We are PEACEFUL explorers from the planet earth and we’re just here to explorer… hence the expression ‘explorer’. So, it’d be nice if you’d give us a leeway and explain the situation a little further.”

The little boy shook his golden hair and leaned back in his seat, an irritated expression filtering through the anger filled one.

“You have no idea.”

It wasn’t a real question but Jack shook a negative any ways. Why were they always the ones to get involved in these problems.

“No we don’t. We would really appreciate if you could tell us and I would really appreciate it if you told us what on earth is going on. I’ve been to three different places in the space of… I don’t know… an hour and quite frankly I’m really tired of it.”

Jack stared at Daniel, attempting to put a restraining hand on his shoulder. Daniel shrugged it off easily and narrowed his eyes at the little boy.

“I’m the creator of the program. I hold the power of whether you live or die. This program is based to keep the war like race of the outside world peaceful in life but ferocious here. It’s meant to hone their skills and keep them fighting until the blood rain stops. You must have slipped into the program. I originally had an organic body like yours but I became trapped in my own program in order to escape their wrath.”

“And why would you deliberately trap yourself in a program?”

“Because. I killed two of their own.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes and for the first time, Jack realized he was still dressed in the boxing clothes that the two had first met in. Daniel kept his narrow field of vision focused on the young boy, not bothering to look at Jack or Sam.

“And now I will kill you if you do not heed my wishes.”

Jack exhaled deeply. This boy was obviously crazy; the look in those golden eyes didn’t deter his assumption.

“How long have you been in here?”

The little boy briefly closed his eyes and reopened them.

“Roughly forty-three of your earth years. I have waited for many, many years for someone to enter the program. Although my body is not gone with the rigors of time I still am able to control any occupant in the program.”

Daniel frowned.

“What if we don’t want to ‘cooperate’ with the program?”

“Then you will suffer.”

The little boy pressed a button on his board and Daniel flickered and disappeared. Jack waved his hand frantically where Daniel had been before. Sam ran towards Jack and stared at the machinery.

“What did you do with him?”

The little boy tapped a few keys and an image popped up on the large view screen in front of them. The little boy turned his chair and smiled a cruel smile, out of place on the childish face.

“The fail-safe program. The last couple programs have been tests, nothing really dangerous. The fail-safe was one I was experimenting with when the two aliens were killed. It’s the ultimate extreme. Kill or be killed.”

Jack frowned and looked up at the screen. Beside him, Carter took a deep intake of breath.

No safety, no life.

Daniel landed with a thump in a wooded area, his eyes watered from the sudden thickness in the air. It was much like the rainforests of Brazil, the thick vegetation and lush ferns nearly suffocated him.

That’s what he got for offending the head honcho.

The vegetation shifted riffled in the breeze, each individual leaf shimmering in the dark light in the dense forest. The absence of animal sounds and people frightened Daniel. It was unnatural… unreal. Very unreal.

Two ‘oomph’s’ beside him revealed Jack and Sam in commando uniform… Daniel looked down and saw his own gear in place.

“Good job Daniel. Great job. The kid is severely unstable and he sends us straight into the war zone where you CAN get killed. Remind me to kill you after I get us out of this mess.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes at the harshness in Jack’s voice.

“What the HELL are you talking about? Why the hell are you even here… let me guess, poor little Daniel needed a little boost so you guys come in guns blazing! What am I to you? A weak link? A civilian? That’s it! That’s right… I’m Daniel… the non-military man. I am a USELESS PERSON. For god’s sake Jack, I’m a grown Man. If you want to baby sit someone, baby sit someone who will appreciate it.”

Daniel turned on his heels and stomped into the undergrowth, leaving a stunned Jack and Sam behind.

“I have to agree with him sir. We treat him like he’s incapable of fending for himself.”

Jack sighed. He felt depleted and ready to fall. He really didn’t need this sort of stress. He looked at Carter who was surveying the surrounding areas; gun ready.

“Have you figured a way to get out of the system?”

Jack began walking after the errant archeologist, fixing his second in command with a look that screamed ‘don’t tell me you don’t have a plan.’ She shrugged and re-observed the landscape for possible signs of danger.

“I know that we’re connected by some sort of link. We can’t pull it because we’ll die, I’m hoping whoever’s on the other side will realize that. Probably like the other virtual reality, there’s an out door. We just have to find it.”

“Alright Major. Have a look around, and I’m going to chase or lost linguist.”

Jack turned and missed Sam’s frown.

“Daniel! Daniel!”

Daniel rolled his eyes as he continued to toss stone haphazardly in the canyon in front of him. Nothing ever deterred that man. Nothing.

“Daniel. This isn’t funny any more.”

Daniel ignored him and straightened, searching the skyline for any sign of danger. It had been way too long since Jack had realized he was a person capable of taking care of himself. It had been way too long since Jack had treated him like a grown man rather then an errant child who frequently disobeyed his parents.

“Sir, there’s nothing. It’s too vast for me to find anything. Any luck with Daniel?”

“Nothing. He must have actually decided to take those black ops after work sessions that I advised. The kid’s a goof. I tried by the canyon and knowing Daniel’s problem with heights, I wouldn’t bet on it that he’s over there.”

Daniel smiled slightly.

One up on the Colonel.

“Sir, you have to understand that Daniel feels alienated from us. We’re military. Even Teal’c is to some degree. What if you were in his shoes? He’s proven himself time after time that he has the ability to be a good fighter, strategist, and very passionate about what he does. Listen.”

Daniel listened half heartedly to Sam’s near-speech.

Standing up carefully he peeked over the underbrush…

…Just in time to see a colossal snake descend upon the two of them.

Jack stared at her for a moment, letting her words sink in.

“I do respect Daniel. I just have a weird way of showing it. The guy has saved my ass numerous times. I… he… I don’t know Major. He’s a good kid. I’ve seen him climb mountains for us… he’s just someone who I want to protect as a friend. Not as a fellow solider.”

Sam smiled.

*BANG*

A quick shot from a nearby handgun startled Sam and made her look up as the dead carcass of a gigantic snake fell behind Jack. He looked at it for a moment and turned pale. That was a close call.

Daniel put the safety on and then put his gun back in its holster.

“Trust me to help too. I am capable. You said it yourself.”

Jack nodded. His eyes still on the coiled snake, and then to the bullet wound dead center in the middle of the snake’s head.

“Yeah. Uh… well, thanks… it seems a little inadequate but yeah.”

Daniel nodded and pointed behind Jack.

“You might want to save the thanks and look behind you. We have more visitors.”

Jack looked backwards. Daniel was right. Two-dozen Amazon warriors lined the trees behind them, the paint and wild hair making them look close to savages. Each warrior held a spear and aimed it at the three figures.

Daniel began to back away, facing forewords.

“Follow my lead. I think I know where the exit is.”

Sam nodded and aimed her handgun at each of the Amazonians. Jack followed suit last and backed up towards the snake Daniel had just recently killed.

The Amazons, wary of the retreating figures followed, their spears tense with pressure.

Suddenly, a harsh hissing sound was heard and Jack looked up.

“Oh god. Don’t look guys.”

Literally hundreds of snakes leered down at them from their perches in the trees. Jack swallowed and kept backing up. Each snake hissed quietly, a promise to kill lurking in its system.

They backed up to the edge of the yawning canyon.

“Uh… Daniel?”

Daniel spared a sideways glance at Jack whose eyes were still trained on the snakes about him. Between them, Sam stared at the natives.

“Yeah?”

“You sure about this?”

Daniel looked at the dizzying drop. Swallowing and praying that he wasn’t wrong. He was just as queasy about this as Jack.

“You said you trusted me. At the count of three.”

“One.” Chimed Jack.

“Two” Sam said, her eyes riveted on the natives.

“Three!”

Jack jumped backwards, his stomach dropping as a sharp pain hit him in the leg. The rushing world faded into a muted darkness and he saw no more.

“Ahhh!”

Daniel sat up, breathing heavily as he surveyed his surroundings. He was in a dark cave, dim lights surrounded him and he slowed his panicked breathing.

He was ok.

Better then that… he was alive.

A sharp pain resonated through his left shoulder and he winced, touching the bandages that covered the area. He blinked hard, surprised when a hand offered him his glasses.

“Hello Daniel Jackson. Your presence was greatly missed.”

Daniel donned his glasses; it was considerably difficult because he couldn’t move his left arm. Teal’c was standing above him, his expression one of great joy.

“Uh… yeah. Well I’m happy to see you too. Where are Jack and Sam?”

Teal’c nodded his head towards to two sleeping figures close to the wall. Daniel swung his feet over the side of the makeshift cot and rubbed his aching temples.

“Colonel O’Neill woke shortly before you when his fever broke. He went back to sleep muttering something about ‘attacking snakes’ Major Carter had yet to wake from her injury.”

Daniel nodded.

“So… what exactly happened? I remember taking a dive into a huge canyon then waking up.”

“You were in a machine Daniel Jackson. You were somehow freed. We discovered a type of venom in Colonel O’Neill’s blood and you and Major Carter appeared to have been hit with a weapon of sorts.”

“What do you mean by ‘we’?” Daniel inquired foggily.

Five Aliens appeared in the doorway, cooing softly between themselves. Teal’c straightened and motioned that the younger man should follow.

Daniel was taken through a winding corridor and finally into a large cavern where a table with four chairs around it lay. Four aliens were pushing the machine as it slowly scraped towards the edge of a the island it was placed on.

As the machine fell A long wailing child’s voice rang through the cavern and then slowly faded.

A small shiver went through Daniel’s body as the haunting wailing stopped.

An appropriate end.

Above, on the surface, the rain stopped and the sun began to shine.