forbiddencity

Forbidden City

by Travelling One


photo by T.O

EMAIL: travelling_one@yahoo.ca

WEB: http://www.travellingone.com

SUMMARY: In a desperate situation, Daniel risks his lfe to save a teammate.

CATEGORY: Drama, angst, h/c, adventure

DISCLAIMER: The theme and main characters have been borrowed from the Stargate SG-1 tv series, and are copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. This story has been written for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.

09/25/01

To those oppressed by discrimination.

The world they had gated to was vivid and bright, yet voices and other sounds were strangely subdued. The shops and lodgings were decorated with prismatic lanterns hanging down from the ribbed overhangs of the dwellings, and colours seemed to have been used for the purpose of disguising and softening the poverty abundant within the lanes and structures. Narrow streets and walkways, within blocks of the Stargate, bordered the edges of canals, making it difficult for two pedestrians to pass. Daniel hovered near the shop facades, allowing the confident and experienced residents to make their way past beside the water's edge. All passing eyes stared intently at the newcomers, dressed in their unusual olive clothing, but no one said a word. Signs in the shop windows looked vaguely like Oriental script.

Teal'c was gazing at some heavily carved wooden boats making their way down the canals, and Daniel was looking up intently at what seemed to be a road sign.

"Mean anything to you, Daniel?" Jack rested his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Uh …the Chinese language on Earth is hard enough, Jack, and there are so many dialects. I never actually learnt much of it. But amazingly, some of these symbols do mean something to me. I just don't know if it means the same thing to them." Daniel half smiled. "These decorations, the signs, the architecture, well, almost everything except the clothes these people are wearing, look like they may have been influenced by Earth's oriental cultures one or two millennia ago." Daniel gazed at the upturned edges of green-tiled rooftops, layered in pagoda-formation.

The team had not been on this world long, had just come down the alley through the Stargate less than half an hour before, in fact. And while no one who had seen them appear had seemed terribly surprised, none had approached them, either.

Their guard was suddenly aroused by a commotion up ahead, and the four team members walked tentatively forward, trying unsuccessfully not to be too conspicuous. But that was long past happening, anyway, as the team's inappropriate dress had already caused many heads to turn. Loud, uniformed men were coming straight towards them.

"Uh, …Jack?"

Looking around, O'Neill saw that the pedestrians had stopped, and were watching with indecipherable expressions on their faces. There was no backing up now; SG-1's choices were limited to standing still or moving forward. Since forward seemed to be making its way towards them, they had no choice but to wait and see what would happen next.

Twelve officers were approaching them at a fast pace, faces bearing the mark of resentment and outrage. Jack's hands tightened on his rifle, as Daniel touched Jack's arm and cautiously moved forward. He had learned a few Mandarin words and phrases from a Chinese classmate in university, but didn't expect any of that to be of use here. Still, he knew it was more than any of his teammates could offer.

The questions and commands being shouted by the scowling officers were incomprehensible, and Daniel's meager attempts at communicating were ignored as the men grabbed the four teammates and roughly shoved them forward, grasping and removing their weapons, propelling them towards an incoming wooden water vessel.

"Daniel? What's this about?" Jack had to shout over the commotion, although the townspeople remained eerily silent. They seemed to know exactly what was going to happen to the four newcomers.

"I have no idea, Jack." They were pushed into the boat, the officers jumping in beside them, the boat tipping dangerously sideways. It bobbed back and forth as the men roughly took seats on the benches and floor next to them, small projectile weapons waving about haphazardly.

"Hey, put that down!" Jack and his teammates froze as several of the guards toyed with SG-1's weapons, pointing zatnikatels and sidearms straight at them. "Geez. What do they think they're doing?"

The officers realized the threat they posed as they soon understood the looks on their captives' faces. Chuckling, they put the weapons down, playfully aiming them again at SG-1's faces and chests every so often throughout the journey. Since their initial fury, these men had settled down and were enjoying themselves.

"Well …I suppose what happens next is …not entirely up to us." Jack frowned at his stunned teammates as the boat slowly made its way along the canals. "Just pay attention to where we are in relation to the Stargate, kids."

_____

They hadn't been taken to a barracks, as Jack had presumed. Nor to a research facility, as Major Carter had suggested. Two hours later when the boat had finally pulled up alongside the river bank, and a plank was stretched perpendicular to its wooden edge to enable the twelve official and four nervous passengers to disembark across a metre of river water, the teammates had found themselves in a barren area of dead and drying field, a mountainous landscape void of either technology or architecture of any sort. There had, however, been a vehicle, a type of covered wagon pulled by oxen. Slow enough to jump out of, had there not been the minor detail of twelve official-looking weapon-slinging men still guarding them in the over-crowded interior.

Another hour later, after passing through minimal greenery as it emerged on the steep slopes of the semi-barren hills, they were now staring up at a rocky cliff, the base of which led, via a steep staircase, up to a tall stone tower - linked, they could see, with a wall disappearing in both directions into the depths of the mountains beyond. And they were being expected to climb to its summit.

Jack had been futilely trying to figure out how not to take his team to the top of this structure; definitely not a good strategic move on their part. But they were outnumbered; had been since the first hour on this damn planet. More guards were spaced at intervals along the interminably steep stairway. They'd been captured and might never even find out why. Damned if he was going up to the point of no escape, cut off from any way out …still thinking this, even as he and his teammates were prodded up the narrow stone steps by a dozen projectile weapons…and zats, rifles, and one staff weapon their captors couldn't seem to find the correct end of. Adding a little humour to the situation, they also noticed a GDO being aimed at them. All in all, not a good strategic move to defy anyone quite yet, give the bastards time to let down their guard a little first…

But the top of the tower had just been a resting point. There had been another tower, then another, and enough upward steps and crumbling inclines to take long through the afternoon to climb. Nearly exhausted and out of breath, older knees aching, the group had stopped as the sun was riding low over the hills, now far below them. And just a few hundred feet on, the teammates saw what their goal had been …saw where this trek culminated… and where they were now being deposited.

Dozens of workers were scatterd in both directions along the narrow path, digging, hammering, chopping stone blocks, lifting and carving. Daniel crossed the ten-foot-wide roadway and gazed over the other edge. Perhaps thiry-five hundred feet below, in a wide canyon at the base of a steep and rocky but slightly tree-littered cliff, and nestled sleepily within the surrounding mountain range, sprawled an enormous town, its golden spires and pagoda tips pointing towards the mountaintop like the stingers of a dozen vengeful mosquitos. God, it was a long way down.

"Um …guys?" Daniel was about to voice what he was sure the others had already realized. But he had to say it anyway. "I think they're building a road system or fortified wall of some sort around this city. A kind of Great Wall of China?"

Silence, as the rest of his teammates absorbed their surroundings. The wall was definitely snaking around the far side of the city, topping the highest peaks as well as the lowest depths of the mountain ridges, icing rimming a lop-sided birthday cake.

"And we have to help build it?" Carter's horrified gaze betrayed the soft tone of her voice.

"Apparently."

As guards changed, their former captors being replaced by others from the mountain, tools were thrust into their hands, and a look at the armed guards stationed at fifteen foot intervals along the completed portions of the road indicated they should comply. While the road along this section was just in the process of being laid, the surrounding wall had apparently not yet been constructed, leaving the mountain peak open along both sides. Jack was pushed towards a rock pile, hammer and chisel shoved into his grasp, and the other workers motioned for him to follow their lead in shaping the boulders into smooth-sided rectangles. Teal'c was directed to carry a load to the newly sealed section of roadway where Jack was now working, while Carter's shears and hoe-like object revealed that her task was to pull out the bits of shrubbery and weed along the as yet untouched path ahead.

A loud voice from behind interrupted Daniel's thoughts. He turned, and came legs to head with a large man, Slaw, as he was later to learn, balancing on the cliff slope just below him, holding a large rock up towards him. As the worker sweated heavily, waiting impatiently for Daniel to relieve him of the load, he snapped out of his daydream and leaned over. The rock weighed at least twenty kilos, and Daniel caught his breath as he managed to support the weight and keep his balance at the same time. Handing the rock to Teal'c to carry over to Jack's group, Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, getting a hold on the situation. He didn't mind high places per se, it was ledges and cliffs he had a problem with. Edges, balancing, and things like that.

Seeing his discomfort, Jack strode over. "Switch with you, Danny." He had barely handed his chisel to Daniel before it was grabbed back, and Jack found himself being shoved to his former position, a guard yelling angrily and waving his weapon around in the air. The only positive thing from that, Daniel realized wryly, was that he was finally beginning to understand some of the language.

As the final hours of daylight passed, Daniel slowly became accustomed to grasping the heavy rocks without looking down. The workers balancing on the chip piles below were barely moving, handing rocks from person to person in a sort of uphill assembly line, of which Daniel was the end link. He was just grateful he hadn't been designated a spot on the cliff's surface, a surface thickly littered with bits of broken rocks and stones. Along with the row of men passing the rocks forward, more men were farther below, hacking away at the rocky slope, gouging out the boulders. It was this quarrying, along with disposal of stone chips from topside, that had created the look of devastation down the slope's edge, making it slippery with gravel and debris.

A chilling scream penetrated the air, waking him from his weary monotony. Daydreaming, Daniel; not a good thing to be doing nearly four thousand feet up a mountain ledge. Quickly depositing his rock, he ventured forth to where a group of workers were peering over the peak's edge facing away from the city. Most were speaking hurriedly and quietly, some already returning to their work. Hands on his shoulders stopped him abruptly, turning him about, and Daniel realized Jack's eyes were staring back at him.

"Don't, Daniel. Go back to work."

"Jack? What happened?" Daniel edged forward once more.

"Daniel, stop. Don't look."

Daniel turned again to face him. Teal'c was behind Jack now, almost imperceptibly shaking his head.

"Someone fell?"

Jack just continued focussing on Daniel. "Go back to work," he said quietly.

"Jack, maybe we can help…?"

"We can't."

It took just another short moment for Daniel to turn around, and silently he returned to his place at the opposite edge of the mountaintop.

_____

Darkness had fallen, and work had come to a halt for the night. A filling round of semi-warm soup had been passed around to the workers, the soup-carrier's voice fading into the night as he travelled the length of the wall. Sight of the distant labourers disappeared, as the evening's haze swallowed them up.

The SG-1 teammates ate in silence, their fate weighing on them disturbingly.

"I don't think I can do this for another day, Jack."

They were all weary, all exhausted, but Jack knew that wasn't what Daniel was referring to. "Daniel…I'm not thrilled about being up here either. Heights don't bother me, but working on the edge of a cliff is where I'd normally draw the line. You can do it."

"I don't think so."

"You can. You will. Because right now, Daniel, there doesn't seem to be much of a choice." There was still enough moonlight to see his teammate's face. Softly, he expressed his meagre encouragement. "You'll be okay, Daniel. I watched you today. You did good."

"How will we get out of here, Colonel? The stairways are blocked by dozens of guards, there's no safe way down the sides of these cliffs, and if another rescue team comes through the gate they'll be captured just as we were."

"You're asking me to tell the future, Carter. As of right now, I have no idea. Any one with a plan, don't hold back."

But Jack's invitation was met with silence, the eyes of friends pleading for hope, a hope Jack couldn't offer.

"We could use these tools as weapons, Sir, but we don't know if the other workers will be too afraid to help us. We can't take on all those guards alone."

"Then we'll have to feel things out, Major. Daniel, mingle. See if you can communicate with anyone, and determine what the feeling is around here about attempting an escape en masse."

"Okay." Daniel slowly rose to his feet, his back and legs…and arms …all his joints were in on the picture as well, come to think of it …aching from bending and lifting small boulders for so many hours. He ambled through the resting bodies, looking for someone who might be willing to converse.

Most of the workers had settled off to sleep, when Daniel heard a quiet voice. He realized he also understood some of what it was saying. "You must sleep now. Daybreak is not far; work will resume." Daniel turned, seeing an elderly man lying close to the side of the path, staring at him. "I am Basa." The language was not from Earth's Orient after all, but partly a mixture of some Asian dialects, mostly a variation of Thai, along with many unknown sounds and syllables. Daniel sat beside the man, determined to practice his skills.

_____

Jack had been dozing on and off, having parts of very bad dreams while thinking he was still mostly awake, when soft footsteps stirred in the dust and stopped close by. As a body quietly lowered itself beside him, Jack realized Daniel had been gone for over three hours.

"Daniel?" A whisper, so as not to awaken Sam or Teal'c.

"Jack? You awake?" A whisper in return.

"No."

"Sorry."

"Wasn't you. I kept dreaming my bungie cord had ripped and I was falling towards a prone Stargate. If I landed in the center I'd survive… so what'd you find out?"

"Well …every major city in this country has a walled road around it, or one in progress, in order to allow foot soldiers to be stationed all long the mountain ranges. The cities are always founded at the base of mountains. They've been building the roads and repairing them for hundreds of years … not to keep out invaders, Jack… but to keep out these common citizens." He motioned around them, moonlight illuminating the movement. "Those in the rural villages are treated as nothing by the wealthy individuals inside these walled towns. Anyone who dares to trespass is put to death, no questions asked."

"Sweet."

"Kind of like Beijing's former Forbidden City. I don't think anyone would be willing to attempt a breakout, Jack. They've been doing this for hundreds of years, as I've said. People are rounded up in the countryside and outskirts indiscriminately for work on the roads, oh …by the way, apparently those police guards were asking us for identification to see if we belonged in the 'golden city'. So… even if these people were to escape, there'd be nowhere for them to go. They'd be caught and killed."

"So I guess you learned the language, then?" Jack had had complete confidence in his teammate's ability to initiate some communication, but this was more than he'd expected. Way more. He had always had limitless respect for Daniel's abilities, but the man always managed to do something to further amaze him.

"Not really, just the bare basics."

Jack opened his eyes wide enough to look curiously at his friend, illuminated by moonlight. "Right. That's so obvious."

"Anyway, Jack, I think we're on our own ….What are we going to do?"

"Well, Danny, the first thing we're going to do is think of a plan. And we'll do that right after getting some sleep. Something tells me we're going to be back at work way, way too soon." After a thought, he added, "Daniel? One more day. You can do it for one more day. I trust you. You'll be fine."

_____

Daniel did it for two more days. Trying his best not to look down, Daniel concentrated on the size of each approaching block and how best to manage its weight without injuring his back. The strain in his arms and lower back were nagging constantly, and any rest breaks made getting back to work even worse. Teal'c also had to lift and carry the loads all day long, but Daniel had never heard him complain. He remained the linguist's inspiration.

As Daniel bent forward slightly to remove the boulder from Slaw's grip, unstable particles of debris began to slide under the labourer's feet. The man's eyes grew wide with panic; frantically struggling to regain his balance, he tumbled, kicking debris and dust as he released his grip on the rock, allowing it freedom to bounce over the beckoning ridge. Daniel quickly dropped to his knees, shouting, reaching out to grab the man's hand, and missing. Landing forcefully on his stomach on the roadway, his breath catching sharply, Daniel could only watch as Slaw slipped past the outstretched arms of those workers below him, tumbling, rolling, and finally coming to land three hundred feet below on the jagged cliff rocks, unmoving, past where other workers had been quarrying the mountain slope. As the other men gazed for a moment and then slowly returned to their jobs, Daniel remained staring, lying forward where he had fallen, the sight below him mesmerizing his stunned psyche. A man, almost his partner, had just died, falling barely beyond his own reach from a height he could scarcely comprehend, and no one seemed to care. The body was even now being physically released from the intercepting rocks, allowing it to continue its fall towards the city below.

A hand on his back barely registered.

"Daniel."

Jack knelt down beside Daniel, who stared unmoving over the cliff's edge.

"Daniel. There was nothing you could do."

"God, Jack." Daniel turned his head slightly; through his watery eyes he could see Jack kneeling there; he also sensed his two other teammates beside and behind him. "Basa told me hundreds of workers die every season working on these roads. As they did building the wall of China." He turned back to the view below, Slaw's scream still reverberating through his senses. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "We're not going to get out of here, are we."

"We will, Daniel. I promise. One day at a time. You can do this."

"I can't, Jack. Not any more."

There was a commotion behind them. "Daniel, get up, the guards are coming." Sam was roughly pushed away from her friend, and shoved back in the direction of her own work group, clearing the way for stone bricks to be laid. Four arms shoved a protesting Jack out of the way, then reached for Daniel and hauled him up. Pointing and pushing, although Daniel now understood most of what they were shouting, the guards indicated to Daniel to take Slaw's former position in the assembly line. Teal'c was stationed where Daniel had been on the mountain's edge.

Daniel froze. The ground and debris were unstable. To reach the rocks being handed to him from behind, he now had no choice but to look down.

"Daniel Jackson. I shall attempt to take your place. Perhaps the guards will not care." As Teal'c stepped forward onto the slope, two of the guards moved towards him fiercely, shouting and waving their weapons. Teal'c retreated.

"Maybe later, Teal'c. Thanks anyway." Daniel sucked in his breath, found a foothold, and prayed that the gravel beneath him would never shift, as he reached back for the incoming fifteen-kilo rock, a small one.

Teal'c leaned low, lower than Daniel had been doing before, and lifted it from Daniel's arms. "You shall not fall, Daniel Jackson. Of this I will make certain."

_____

Daniel lowered his tense shoulders as he dropped onto the path beside his friends, ready to sleep for another night's five hours of darkness. He had made it through half a day on the slope without tumbling down to eternity, and he was grateful. He wasn't sure he could do it again.

An arm across his sore shoulders was vaguely comforting. "You did good, Daniel."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what was going on inside me all day."

"I would so. I know what was going on inside me all day." Jack trusted Daniel not to let his fear paralyze him, but all the same, his own stomach had been in knots until the day's end had been called. Even the hardiest, most fearless of men could accidentally lose their grip and slide down that slope's surface…and Slaw had been proof. Once begun, there was nothing to get in the way of a freefall; trees and shrubs to cling onto were scarce and way too far below. Jack was afraid for his friend.

"Daniel, have you heard anything, picked up any bits of information, that might help us in some way?" Sam was trying to get Daniel's mind off the accident and his new position on the work force.

"Uh, no, Sam. To tell you the truth, I haven't been listening to any of the conversation, I was too busy concentrating. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Daniel," Jack interceded. "I want you to concentrate on the job. Concentrating's good. You can always talk after work."

"Except that there's no time, Jack. With only five hours of nightfall, everyone eats and goes straight to sleep."

"OW!" Sam had picked up her bowl to drink from, and nearly dropped it in her lap. She rubbed a tenderness on her thumb.

"Carter?" Jack moved forward to see what she was clutching.

"It's nothing, Sir. I jabbed my thumb pulling out a prickly weed this afternoon. It's still throbbing."

"Let me see." Jack turned her hand over in his; the thumb wasn't looking too badly, although it harboured a strangely-coloured blister.

"It was a stupid thing to do, Sir. It's hard for me to hold the tools now." She also wasn't feeling so well, but that could be just from a hard day's work in the humid climate. While the weather here was cool, damp, and misty in the mornings, it grew quite hot by midday.

"Let's wash it off, Major, and hope it feels better tomorrow." Not much else they could do, anyway. "Then let's all get some sleep. It's been a long day."

_____

"Sam?" Daniel had awoken first, or, rather, hadn't actually slept. Throughout the night, he was certain his concerned mind had heard Sam moaning, but he hadn't wanted to wake her. Now, however, the workers were rising, but Sam showed no signs of getting up.

Another moan, this one was definitely a moan, Daniel realized, before Sam opened her eyes. "Daniel?"

"How're you feeling?"

"You mean except for the nausea?"

"Um … no… you're nauseous?" Daniel frowned, turning Sam's hand upright as Jack knelt by the two. Teal'c was right behind him.

"Crap."

The thumb was swollen, and a rash covered her palm. "Ow. It hurts like hell," Sam grunted. She sat up slowly.

They hadn't seen Basa approaching, now staring over their shoulders. "She has been scratched by the kaipo?" Only Daniel understood the question.

"Um …I think so… a plant with tiny thorns?" he tilted his head up, his own reply almost a question.

"Kaipomeruanha'ai. It is deadly. Place her over by that rock pile to rest."

"What do you mean, deadly?" Rising to face the man, Daniel couldn't keep the panic from his voice; although his friends may not have understood his words, he knew they comprehended his alarmed facial expression.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

Basa continued. "Several workers die every season from these scratches, when they have not been careful to watch out for the fibers. There is nothing you can do without the huanan."

"Huanan? What's that?"

"It is used for the release of the poison. But it is only for the city dwellers below, as all medicine is. There is none for the low people who live in the hills or who work up here."

"Well, we need it. How can we get some?"

The man with whom Daniel had been speaking several nights before tossed him an impatient look. Grimacing over his shoulder, he ambled off to his post, shaking his head.

"Daniel?"

Daniel's wide eyes stared back at Jack. "It's poisonous. Fatal, Jack. The only medication is kept in the cities for the wealthy citizens."

"The cities in which it is swift death to enter, Daniel Jackson?"

"That would be them, Teal'c."

As the three men stared from one to the other and back at Sam, who was lying back down with eyes closed, guards approached. Daniel motioned to Sam's hand. "We need to get her some … huanan," he said to them. The guards, now realizing Daniel could understand their language, spoke up. "Place her out of the way. Then get back to work," one said gruffly.

"Please…you have to let me…" His sentence froze, unfinished, as the guards aimed their projectile weapons at his face.

Jack's reflex reaction was stopped by Teal'c's hands on his arm. "O'Neill."

"Okay, we're going," Daniel acquiesced. The guards lowered their weapons noisily to their sides. "Sam?" He turned to bend over his friend. "We're going to put you somewhere…more comfortable. Can you stand?"

"Mmm …mmhmm." Sam barely opened her eyes as Jack and Daniel helped her up. Leaving her in partial shade by a bit of piled rock, out of the way of the main work, Daniel motioned to Jack, speaking quietly.

"I'll go tonight."

"What?"

"I'll try to get into the town and get hold of some of that huanan."

"What the hell are you talking about, Daniel? If we could just leave, don't you think we would have done that by now?"

"Jack, if we're ever going to find a way out of here, we can't carry Sam. She has to be healthy enough to move on her own. So our only choice now is to get that medication, or leave her here." Daniel looked firmly into Jack's eyes.

"Daniel, I agree. But in case you haven't noticed," Jack flinched at this round of sarcasm, he was talking to a man whose job was to now stand on the slope of a slippery, unstable cliff, lifting heavy rocks and trying not to lose his balance; a man who had just the day before witnessed the death of a worker whose shoes he now filled, "there's no safe way down. And anyone entering that town gets a death sentence."

"I've noticed that, Jack. Yes, I have." Daniel grimaced at the apologetic look in Jack's eyes. "So are you saying we try to escape and leave Sam here? Or are you suggesting we stay here forever? In which case I'd rather fall off a mountain, because we'll be slaves and Sam will have died anyway. So I'll take the unsafe way down, Jack. Tonight."

Jack couldn't argue with the man. It wasn't like there were a lot of options. "I'll go."

"Oh, right, Jack, that makes a lot more sense. So what happens when you get into the town? You don't speak the language."

Crap. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Only in this instance, the damned would be Daniel. He couldn't use the stairs to do this; even at night, they were heavily guarded. In the dark, his chances of making it down the side of the mountain, slipping and sliding, were almost non-existent. Even with the dry earth and slightly more numerous trees as one got lower down, the cliff was dangerously steep. If he did happen to make it to ground, walking through the town without being seen and getting to a …what? pharmacy?… without being caught would be next to impossible. Then, he'd still have to get the huanan, climb back up … without getting captured, while Sam was still alive, and no one knew how much time she actually had. Jack put Daniel's chances of success at maybe 5%.

Yet he also knew his own chances would be zero. He couldn't communicate his needs. Daniel would be the only one who could go, if anyone were going at all. He could order Daniel not to do this… but Daniel would go anyway. He was right; the three of them could stay safe, but Sam would die. But if Daniel died in this mission, so would Sam, and why keep only two safe when they could save three? No, he didn't want Daniel to go. But he wasn't willing to just give up on Sam, either.

"We'll talk later, Daniel. Today …just concentrate on what you're doing, okay?" And hope Sam is still alive at the end of it.

_____

Daniel made it through another long and nerve-wracking day on the slope, he had a more important cause to attend to at day's end. He wasn't about to have any foolish accidents when Sam's life depended on him.

As darkness settled in and the work day ended, silence ensuing as those around them curled up in whatever meagre comfort they could manage, the three friends crept over to where Sam had been asleep for most of the day. She was breathing heavily, and tried to open her eyes when she sensed their approach. The poison was known to work at different rates, Daniel had discovered, depending on the age of the plant and depth of the injury, as well as the size and age of the victim. The longest period of time anyone had survived up here had been four days.

"How're you doing, Sam?"

She tried to smile. "Okay, Daniel. You made it through okay today, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't anyone warn me about those plants?"

"I guess 'cause you don't speak the language, Sam. They probably didn't notice it at the time."

"How you feeling, Carter?" Jack knelt by her side.

"Guess I won't be leaving here with you guys, huh, Colonel?" She spoke softly.

"Don't be so sure, Major. Daniel here knows about a remedy, he just has to figure out how to brew it."

Sam tried to smile. "Well, if the main ingredient is stone, you're in luck."

Daniel gently took Sam's good hand. He didn't want to think this way, but …this could well be the last time he'd ever see her. He had to get moving soon. "Don't give up yet, Sam. There is a cure, I just have to… convince them to let us get some." No one was going to tell Carter what he was about to do. If he made it back, they could tell her then. If he didn't… she'd never have to know.

Jack was settling himself beside his unwell teammate. "Get some sleep, Carter…. I'll stay right beside you," adding quietly, "Daniel, you… take it easy too. It's …time to go now." Looking Daniel straight in the eye, he knew there was a chance he'd never see his friend again, this compassionate man who overwhelmed him with his loyalty and integrity. A brave man. A good man. A scientist he was glad to have on his team. Silently, he wished him luck, yet knew there were too many ways in which he could fail. Trust Daniel as he might, Jack was aware that he himself would have had little opportunity for success. Sam's eyes were closed as Jack reached for Daniel's hand, holding on for many moments, still gazing up at his kneeling friend. Even in the darkness, he could see the concern in Daniel's eyes, the worry, the fear. Touching Daniel's cheek, he gently nodded. It was time to let him go.

Daniel bent down, kissing Sam delicately on the forehead. "Sleep well," he murmured soothingly. Meeting Jack's gaze, he whispered, "I'll be back."

Teal'c followed Daniel to the edge of the peak. Placing his hand on Daniel's shoulder, he said only, "We shall be waiting, Daniel Jackson."

Composing himself, Daniel gingerly backed off the ledge, crouching down on hands and knees. For this first part of the slope, until the presently quarried ridge, he would trace the path the workers had made on their daily maneuvers. It would be a slow descent in the moonlight, but he was determined for it to be a successful one.

_____

The moons and stars were shifting slowly, and the descent seemed to be taking forever. The dampness and mist of the cool night had left the slope moist and slippery. Daniel clung to whatever he could, sliding involuntarily at times on his stomach but managing to remain balanced and mostly in control. In his left hand he held a small sharp rock, dragging it along the surface and pressing it into the gravel for traction. There was nothing he could actually get a good handhold on, all the growth and jutting rocks having been cleared at this end. He worried that the sounds of slipping stones would alert the guards, in this echoing silence below the sleeping work force. His thumping heart betrayed his brittle confidence that the next sound would not be his own body rolling off the cliff's edge.

_____

It was steeper below, Daniel knew that from daylight. By the time he had reached the untouched area below the work line, all he could do was move slowly backwards, his left foot holding as firmly as possible while his right searched invisibly for protruding ridges and roots. Here, he had reached an area of natural rock, the occasional shrub or weed growing out of the crevices. Digging his fingers into the cracks, he hoped he wouldn't encounter the same plant Sam had. The knees and legs of his pants were already ripped and he was not yet a third of the way down. Trying not to focus on his scraped legs and forearms, or his blistering fingers, Daniel concentrated only on each new foothold, four inches at a time.

Daniel looked up, and could no longer see the tops of the peaks, which blended into the darkness of the sky. Reaching the large rocks of a ledge, his foot kicked something spongy behind him. Daniel turned slowly to look, lefthand fingers releasing their grip involuntarily and plunging into a thin crevice for a sudden, stronger handhold.

A body.

Catching his breath from the stifled gasp, Daniel began to carefully worm his way around the dead worker. This one had been lying there for several weeks.

His foot slipped.

Inadvertently kicking the body, it fell away to depths below as Daniel snatched hold of the slimy ledge it had been snagged on, aborting his own fall. Pressing his boots into a crevice and leaning his body flat the against the rocks, a putrid odor emanating from the wall of stone underneath him, he remained there, resting his head, eyes closed, regaining control of his breath and his emotions.

His arms ached. His body ached. His fear was pulling at sensitive tissues connecting body muscles to brain synapses, and Daniel didn't know how much farther he could go.

Yes he did. He'd make it to the bottom. It wasn't an option.

_____

The bushes were growing closer together, providing the occasional handhold, and trees were coming into view below him. The ground was holding more earth and soil, offering a better grasp for his feet. Daniel had no idea how much farther he had to go, but along the horizon were shades of pink. He had been crawling downwards for over four hours, and would soon have to take cover. With daylight approaching, Daniel knew he could not risk being seen, but he had not yet made it to his destination, and Sam might be running out of time.

Standing, Daniel groped whatever branches he could reach, and hastened his pace. Tripping a few times, he managed to grab hold of the prickly bushes, praying that none of these were poisonous, determined to get as far as possible in whatever darkness remained.

As light brightened the sky, Daniel realized he was only a few hundred feet above the city. He crouched behind a clump of small trees, to gather his thoughts and make new plans. He was nearly there.

_____

Jack had lain awake all night, listening to the silence. The only consolation as morning approached was that he had not heard any screams of falling friends.

He looked over at Sam. She was breathing heavily, and sweat glistened on her forehead, her hair damp, the rash having spread across most of her body. Jack sat up and took her uninjured hand in his, watching as the other workers stirred. How it had all come to this, he couldn't figure out. And where it would all end up, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Here is the morning bread, O'Neill."

"Thanks."

"I believe Daniel Jackson will succeed."

"Maybe."

"Sir?"

Jack looked down into Sam's red tired eyes. "How's it going, Carter?"

"I'm alive. Where's Daniel?"

"Trying to make contact with anyone who can help you, Sam. He'll do it, so you 'd better hang in there, okay?"

"Okay." Sam's eyes closed again, and Jack couldn't be sure if she was awake or not. Seeing the guards approach, the two men rose to their feet. "Try to have some food, Sam. We'll see you later."

_____

Daniel lay low throughout the day, allowing himself a much needed break, watching the city go about its usual business from his distant perch on the hillside. The ground levelled out not too far below. Hot, hungry, and thirsty as he was, he wasn't going to dare attempt to enter the city in the middle of a busy workday, yet knew if he waited until night there would be no one around to acquire the huanan from. Caught in his dilemma, Daniel had decided to wait until close to dark, and then take his chances. Perhaps his dull clothing wouldn't stand out so much at night. At least he could take shelter among the shadows. In the meantime, tense and keyed up, heart palpitating annoyingly, he lay back, relaxing his strained muscles. Reprieve would come for the many long hours of daylight, but not sleep.

As the day wore on and dusk approached, he gradually resumed weaving his way through the bushes down to the base of the mountain below. Night was closing in and activity was finally subsiding. Daniel chose his route carefully, convinced that he hadn't been noticed.

Now, to find the huanan. He knew what the written word looked like, and he had cleverly found out the types of healers and shops that carried the stuff, from his aquaintance Basa. He had pretended not to understand until the man had written it all down in the dirt. Not knowing whom he could trust, if anyone at all, Daniel had decided that if he had to, he would break in somewhere and steal it.

Retreating into the shadows of the buildings whenever a shape appeared in the darkness, Daniel wandered the lanes and alleys, heading towards what he'd believed to be a central area of town, as he compared all signs to the words embedded in his memory. This city was not snaked with waterways, and canals did not loom menacingly in the darkness.

Exhaustion was overcoming Daniel; he had been working all the previous day before setting out down his steep trek, and he hadn't eaten since the previous night. While staying put most of the day in one position, he had not slept, and his muscles were stiff and hurting. The scrapes on his arms and hands stung, and those on his legs caused him to move with the slightest of limps. Still, Daniel knew that he had to work quickly; he had only a few hours to find what he was looking for, and to start back up the mountain. If coming down had taken him the entire night, climbing back up would take two. He wasn't sure how he could remain undetected during the daylight hours, but this had to be done as quickly as possible. He didn't know how long Sam had.

There.

What looked like a medicinal market shop of some sort, herbs and bottles painted on the murals on the front walls. A few of the symbols resembled those he had been memorizing. Daniel decided this chance was as good as he might ever have.

He gently knocked on the carved wooden door, heart beating furiously. There was no sound from within. Good. He tried the handle, but the shop was locked up for the night.

Looking around, Daniel picked up a large stone from the ground. Putting force against what seemed to resemble door hinges, he hammered them up and out of their holdings, a task quickly accomplished as these, too, were constructed of wood. The door nearly fell as it swung free from its hinges; only the feeble locking mechanism on the opposite side kept it from crashing inward. Ssshh. Daniel grabbed the swinging slab of wood and opened it to rest against the inner wall.

The shelves were enveloped in darkness; he could see nothing. Daniel would need light if he were to read any labels or find anything in this room. Nearing panic, hoping no one would come by before he was done, he searched for a candle or lantern. Feeling his way along the room, hands tracing over the countertops, serious doubts began to flood his mind for the hundredth time. He'd come this far, but how? How had he gotten himself into this?

The sudden light shocked him. Daniel froze. This wasn't the way he'd hoped to come across it…

"What do you want?" the voice was not difficult to understand, and Daniel slowly turned to face its owner.

Such care he had taken not to be seen, not to be heard. He hadn't expected that shop owners might be sleeping within their own commercial premises. He should have, though; they did it all the time in countries around the world, around Earth.

She was a small woman, middle-aged, dark hair pulled back, her expression a mixture of fear, anger, curiosity, exaggerated in the shadows of the soft candlelight. Her clothing was colourful and elegant, despite most likely being sleepwear.

In the softest voice he could manage within his terror, for Sam's life was no longer in his own hands but now in those of this woman, Daniel tentatively tried to explain, in a language he barely knew. His voice shook. "My friend…my close friend…has been injured by the kaipo plant. Please. I come only for some huanan."

"You are a stranger here. You are from up on the mountain?"

"I was captured with some others, we came through the Metallic Wheel in the village from a distant world. We did not come to harm anyone. We're peaceful travellers…. Please, my good friend lies dying. You can save her." Daniel knew the way he looked, with his pants and shirt torn from his mountain trek, his clothing and body covered in dust and dirt, his hands and knees rough and bleeding from the stones and bushes. He was the embodiment of the poverty that this woman supposedly despised.

"For what reason should I save a mountain worker?"

"We're good people, we've done nothing wrong. We just want to get back to our own world, but our friend is so sick. Please. Please." Daniel's wide eyes were searching the woman's, pleading. She was his only hope, and his last chance. He couldn't fail now.

The woman slowly turned to her shelves of jars, resting her lantern on the countertop. She carefully spooned some powder from one vessel into a smaller one, then handed it to Daniel in silence.

Thankfulness and gratitude flooded his eyes, and Daniel smiled with relief, asking, "How do I prepare it?"

The woman did not remove her gaze from Daniel's. "Two measures into liquid, four times during daylight, until it is gone."

Daniel hoped he'd interpreted the instructions correctly. He hesitated on his next words. "I can't pay you."

"Go," she said simply.

"Thank you," he met her eyes with sincerity. "Thank you."

Daniel turned to leave, almost sorry he had ruined the woman's door. It could be repaired easily, he thought as he quickly strode down the lane, taking precautions once more not to be noticed in the dark night.

Treading through the shadows and heading for the foot of the mountain range, his thoughts wandered to the upwards climb. He presumed the first section wouldn't present much difficulty, there were trees and soil to grip. He'd tackle the rocky slope when he came to it; until then, it wouldn't do to panic. The one thing that did have him worried, though, was managing to climb while carrying the small container. He'd have to find a way to tie it on.

For the moment, he wouldn't think about reaching the top with the huanan. The guards would soon realize he'd trespassed into the city; hopefully, he'd get the medicine into Sam before they figured that part out.

Daniel had gone only a few blocks, when the sounds came. Shouting, feet running. Daniel spun around, facing the sight of armed officials racing towards him down the dark lane. He took off running.

From the other direction, more armed men, and Daniel had nowhere to turn. If he continued to run, he knew he'd be shot, or whatever the equivalent was in this place. Stopping, he was quickly surrounded, and the woman…the shopkeeper… was there by their side.

The hurt and despair overwhelming Daniel was almost unbearable. Facing the woman, Daniel managed only a weak, "Why?"

"You are a mountain worker."

"Then why did you give me the huanan?" The woman just stared, but Daniel knew the answer. Betrayal. Easier to capture, by letting him go. She'd been afraid of him, perhaps. And he was a stranger, a mountain worker. She hated him.

"Please, no!" Daniel shouted as arms grasped him and pushed him forward. The huanan was disentangled from his tight grip. "No, no, no." His eyes stung so badly, couldn't let the tears fall. It was over, he'd failed the team, failed Sam. Capture meant his own death, but for what? No purpose, this, no one saved, no threat to Earth intercepted. Nothing. "Please, my friend lies dying…" Daniel tried again. "Save her, my world will reward you, my world is rich, it has many things you could use…" If these people didn't care about life, they seemed to care about wealth. Maybe if he had just been able to pay her… His voice drowned out as he was carried off, still struggling.

_____

The day had come, the day had passed. Another nightfall, and no sign of Daniel. Jack forced himself to believe that his friend was still okay…still alive, still safe. Sam had asked again about Daniel, but she was not coherent enough to remember that she hadn't been answered. The rash now covered all of her body, and her face was bloated. Her joints were painful, and the blood poisoning would likely soon be attacking internal organs. Even talking posed difficulty for her, as it strained the facial muscles. If Daniel didn't make it back… at least he'd be spared seeing her like this. Jack lay awake for another night, exhausted, but too worried to sleep. He felt he was about to lose two of his team members, two of his closest friends, in one very screwed-up mission.

Daniel's face appeared before him, bright-eyed in wonder at the canals and colourful lanterns adorning the footbridges alongside the Stargate. How Jack had noticed, just for an instant, the slight contagion of excitement his teammate encouraged, even though his own first reaction was to make a wisecrack. He wished now he'd let Daniel have that moment…just for a moment longer. Too many moments like that, he'd taken away from him, with sarcasm and sometimes feigned apathy. It was usually fun to tease his friend.

Sam, beside him, lying incapacitated, her own life depending on one friend's success, death on his failure. Daniel shouldn't have to shoulder that alone, neither should Sam. Jack rested his hand gently on her arm. He didn't know how or if he could get along without either one of them.

He looked across to where Teal'c was kelno'reeming in the light of the moons. The Jaffa had spoken of his desire to go with Daniel, but he knew anyone tagging along would just be a hindrance if Daniel had to end up bailing them out. The load placed on Daniel, right now, just because of his ability to communicate in foreign languages, was neither balanced nor fair, by the laws of team cooperation. But Jack knew Daniel didn't see it that way.

"Sir?"

The whisper startled Jack, and his hand flicked for a second off Sam's arm.

"Sam? You doing okay?"

"Still here, Sir," she managed. "Colonel…where's Daniel? He hasn't been around since last night."

Okay, Jack, you can get around this, you've done it before. "Like I said, he's trying to round up some of that … stuff … that'll make you better, Carter."

"From where, Sir?"

The pause was too long, this time.

"Colonel? Where did he go?"

Don't make her talk, O'Neill. Tell her. "To the town, Sam." He couldn't lie any longer, no way to get around it this time. He'd want to know too, if he were the one lying there.

He felt the jerk, almost heard the gasp, yet it wasn't quite audible. Crap, why couldn't she have stayed asleep.

The response was mumbled more to herself than anyone listening. "Not worth it."

"That's not what the rest of us think, Sam."

"God. Daniel. Didn't even say good-bye."

"He'll be back."

"Will he?"

"Yes. He told me. Daniel doesn't lie." Don't make this a first, Jackson.

_____

"God. Please! Do what you want with me, but please take the huanan to my friend on the mountain…" Daniel was dragged away, shouting at the woman, at the officers, at the silent streets. Desperation rifled through his fears, creating an urgency that wouldn't subside. "My world would reward you, we have things you would want! Please, listen to me!" Daniel was struggling, his only hope was to get away, which wasn't a hope at all.

His mind was racing, every minute was essential in convincing these people of his possible value. "Things that your world doesn't know of …we have machines that speak with your own voice… cycle vehicles, that move on their own power… inventions that could make your lives easier. You must listen to me!" Daniel would trade everything he could think of, for a few spoonfuls of huanan. But the truth was, he didn't even know if they understood his words.

_____

Daniel was dragged to the central open square, eery in the darkness and moonlight. It would still be more than three hours until daybreak, but he knew that time now was irrelevant. Everything was irrelevant, from now on.

Along one edge of the agora was a low wall, with what appeared to be names carved into the stone. In front of it lay a large wooden box, into which Daniel was lifted and tossed like a sack of rice by too many rough and angry hands. He tried to reach upwards but the lid slammed shut, and the latch fastened. The height inside allowed him to nearly kneel, and the box was more than the length of his body; an extremely huge toybox; an over-sized coffin. On one side was a hole, the circumference of which was smaller than a basketball. He had read of boxes such as these, where prisoners had been kept, somewhere in Asia, he couldn't place it now. Didn't really matter, anyway. Useless information, he could see now how most of the information he had spouted off to Jack and the others had been useless all along. Who really cared which time frame in what country had held their prisoners hostage in wooden boxes. This one had an air hole; it wasn't his final resting place.

But the hole was of far more use than just for air. As Daniel peered through it, his captors could be seen, and they were discussing his fate, and this Daniel could understand clearly. Work would be halted for the townspeople for two hours after sunrise; they would be executing him in the town square in the morning.

Daniel leaned against one end of the box, his head on his arms, arms across his knees. He'd blown it. He should have taken his time, looked for easier access to the medication. So what if he'd lost a few more hours. Better than losing forever, for both himself and Sam.

"I'm so sorry, Sam." He may have said that out loud, he didn't know, didn't care. How Jack had always managed to take charge in situations like this impressed him now more than it ever had before, and Jack's leadership abilities suddenly hit home. "And I'm sorry, Jack, for all those times I gave you a hard time. I never really understood." What he did understand, now, was how he had screwed up. Failed, and it was someone else's life in his hands. A friend.

The seconds passed slowly, and way too fast. Morning couldn't come, he wouldn't let it. Like the way summer vacation had always seemed as though it would never end, then suddenly it was there, and one never knew how it had come so quickly. Morning was three hours away, and a lifetime too soon. There was nothing worse than the agony of terror. Or waiting.

Daniel was exhausted, but there was no way he would allow himself to sleep. Not with three hours of life left to feel.

_____

Jack lay dozing, and waking, waiting for footsteps creeping up a mountain slope, waiting for a scream that meant another man falling. Waking up from dreams that bore the resemblance to memories that hadn't yet happened. Jack kept waking up to fear.

Sam wasn't doing well, but it had only been two days. She was strong, if others could last for four, why wouldn't she? He clung to that hope, knowing it would more than likely be over in one more day, she was growing weaker, her joint pains stronger, the nausea more persistent even though she barely finished her soup and ate no bread at all.

But did time really matter? One day or two; if Daniel didn't show up…

He would. There was no one Jack trusted more in the world. In the galaxy. Daniel could melt ice with a smile; he could certainly win over the hearts of a few crazy men who killed anyone entering their city unauthorized. So exactly, why were they all still here?

He'd heard the commotion, been the recipient of angry penetrating stares and probably threats he couldn't understand, earlier that morning. The guards had obviously realized Daniel was missing. Probably, they thought he'd fallen off the cliff in the night.

Or maybe he'd been caught in the city. Jack had no way of finding out.

No. Jack didn't need sleep. Needed more to listen. Needed Teal'c. And Sam. And Daniel. But not sleep.

_____

Three hours did pass, and morning did come, no matter how Daniel tried to deny it. And what was worse, he had fallen asleep. Having had no sleep the previous night, the exhaustion had taken over and it had just happened… leaving him with even fewer precious moments of awareness. He had woken sharply, memories of huanan and Sam suddenly reminding him of where he was… and now shadows were crawling around in the box, as faint light aimed itself through the hole. Lying prone on the hard floor, gazing up at semi-darkness, hope finally gave itself up to complete and total despair. The light disappeared, and Daniel realized a face was giggling at him through the aperture. He sat up. The face disappeared, then reappeared, with an accomplice. "Trespasser! You cannot fool us. We will watch until you die." Taunting, giggling, they were just children. A fruit was tossed in through the small opening, spattering onto the opposite wall, and then another. The giggles retreated into the distance.

Daniel lowered his head, eyes closed. This wasn't really happening.

"What were those riches you offered?"

"What?" Daniel wasn't sure who was speaking, there was no one peering in.

"Tell us what your world can offer."

"Many things." Daniel scurried over to look out the opening, but could make out only the standing jacket of a uniform. "What I told you …um, two-wheeled vehicles like yours with three, that you have no need to peddle." They had understood him, at least. "Machines you can speak into, and your voice tells you again and again so that you need never forget what you've said." Certainly the SGC could conjure up some tape recorders and batteries without worrying about speeding up a planet's technology. What worried Daniel most though, was that other parts of this planet may already have this sort of technology, and these people didn't really care. Walkie-talkies; battery-powered lamps; Polaroid cameras; how about cigarette lighters? Daniel suggested everything he could possibly think of that didn't use electricity.

The lid to his box opened, and Daniel timidly stood up. On the horizon, sunrise was escaping its own box, and the edges of the city were outlined in orange. "Come," he was ordered.

For the next forty-five minutes, Daniel sat on the ground in front of the oversized trunk, weapons pointed at him, answering heated questions about the riches of Earth. He told only the mundane, the trivial; trinkets whose batteries probably wouldn't last a week. Toys for the greedy. He had made the officers angry, been accused of lying, been threatened with immediate disposal. His inscription, whatever it said, had already been chiseled into the wall.

The words sounded both ominous and beckoning; "Bring them to us." If the stranger knew how to make the Wheel work, perhaps he really was telling the truth? Surprised, faced with the chance he'd given up on, Daniel considered his own move carefully. "Only if you let me bring the huanan to the mountain, and then let my friends and I go."

Weapons drew closer to his upper body.

"No. You will bring your riches first, then we will let you go up the mountain, if you have spoken the truth and they please us."

"How do I know you speak the truth? That you won't kill me anyway?"

"Because you have no other choice. The people will soon be told to come, the sky grows light. Then they shall watch as you die."

Daniel closed his eyes, regaining his thoughts and his composure. They had the upper hand. At least he now had one more chance than he had had an hour before, and he could at least alert the SGC.

"Alright. But I need something from the pack that was taken from me. I can't get home without it." Daniel had no idea what he would do if they refused to find his GDO. If they wanted his goods badly enough, they'd give him that much.

_____

For over an hour Daniel had been led in a wagon pulled by what would be military or police bicycles, towards a low section of the walled mountain. This part of the wall had been completed, and the towers were heavily guarded. It took three hours, but Daniel and his escorts had finally climbed the stairs to the summit, and down over the other side to where another wagon was waiting. Arriving by a different route at the village Daniel recognized as the one where his team had first been arrested, he saw the faces of five or six of their original captors. In their arms were some of SG-1's weapons - along with a flashlight, camera, and a GDO. Obviously, this place had a functioning grapevine. Daniel pointed to the object that would take him home.

They arrived soon after at the site of the Stargate.

"You are to return alone, with the riches you promise. If others come with you, you will all die. If we do not like what you bring, you shall die." And Daniel did not need to hear the final alternative; if he did not return at all, Sam would die, if she hadn't already. "We will wait here. Go now before we change our minds and feed you to the people."

Daniel was through the Stargate before they could finish their thoughts.

_____

"Doctor Jackson? What the hell is going on?" General Hammond took in Daniel's ragged appearance. "Where's the rest of your team, and SG-5?"

Daniel paled. "You sent a rescue team, Sir?"

"You failed to come home or check in on time, Doctor, and so have they. Now, answer my question please."

The story was out within five minutes, the fastest Daniel had ever explained anything, he thought grimly. But already there were teams and technicians rounding up an assortment of earthly playthings.

Daniel refused to leave the gateroom, although thoughts of a shower were tempting. Even medical attention to his scrapes and cuts was blatantly shrugged off. Maybe he thought everything would happen faster if he were ready and waiting, or maybe he didn't want to sit somewhere pleasant and fall asleep. The two hours seemed interminable, the sandwiches he was brought were absentmindedly devoured, as he hadn't eaten in nearly two days and the meals on the mountain had been meagre. But when the supplies came, Daniel was ready and pacing.

"Doctor Jackson…how will we know if they agree to accept these?" Hammond was concerned with the lack of communication on this mission.

"You won't, Sir, until we return…or not. I guess," responded Daniel.

"I'm not comfortable with this, son."

"Neither am I, Sir…can I go now?"

"God speed, Doctor. Bring SG-1 and 5 home."

Won't make promises I'm not sure I can keep, General.

_____

The officers, seemingly agitated and impatient, were waiting when Daniel reappeared, a cart materializing through the wormhole behind him. Immediately they pounced upon it. Daniel himself hadn't seen the assortment of goodies the SGC had rounded up. "What does one do with these?"

As Daniel demonstrated the bicycle, motorcycle, the tape recorder, the compass, the cuckoo clock… as they laughed and played, he could feel his irritation and impatience struggling to release itself. He didn't have time for this nonsense. "Look …my friend is very sick, she might not even be alive by now. I have to go up with the huanan."

"No."

"What?" Oh god, no. So they're going to take these things and kill me anyway?

They nodded at each other. "We are sixteen. Our family members number eighty-two. Bring us each some of these, for our families, and we will accept the deal."

Daniel stared, unsuccessfully willing his eyes to disguise his horror. That would take hours, if not a day or more. God, give him the right words of persuasion… "Okay …okay. I'll send a message to my home, I'll tell them to get more of all of these. But while they're collecting them, you have to let me go up the mountain. And you must release the four others from my world who came after."

There was some discussion. Daniel was frantically trying to think of every rebuttle he might potentially need. "If my friend dies," he added, "if you do not let me go up in time, my world will not cooperate." Finally, came the answer he needed to hear.

"Agreed. But until these supplies come forth, you will all remain there."

He let out a deep breath, a small measure of relief but at least there was hope. Daniel knew the SGC would come through for them. If only he could trust these men as much. "Deal," he agreed. No other choice, is there. They couldn't come down the mountain until Sam was strong enough to support herself, anyway.

Daniel had once again made his way through the Gate, obsessed now with the time he was wasting, and had once again returned to the planet he just wished to see the end of. The General had agreed to send through a quantity of the items; some, however, would take longer to procure.

Now Daniel was again being escorted through the countryside after another long canal journey, taking the same route as on the first day. This time, however, his captors were not quite as rough. They still looked at him through eyes of hate, mixed now with jealousy, and Daniel didn't trust them to let him and his teammates go. He wanted to just get up there, and get off this damn planet. What's to stop them from claiming their treasures, telling us they never received them, and keeping us here? he wondered. We'd better just try to get back before all those batteries run out, he thought dryly.

_____

Jack's mind was not on his work, and he was glad he hadn't been given Daniel's job on the mountain. That had fallen to another worker from Teal'c's former group. Sam had not awoken in almost nine hours; he wasn't allowed to stay with her during the day but he had snuck over for a few minutes now and then. Her third day was nearly up, and Jack knew she didn't have much longer. He wasn't even sure she could still be revived.

He worked mindlessly, chipping away at his rocks. Daniel had been gone two nights and two days; it shouldn't have taken him this long. The chisel was doing more damage to the rocks than intended, the stone itself becoming the outlet for his frustrations. If Daniel didn't come back that night, he probably never would.

Another thought came to mind, and the hammer aggressively smashed the rock in two. An angry and threatening motion from two of the guards; he had just wasted material and time. But his thoughts returned… what if Daniel makes it back? They'd realize he hadn't fallen off the mountain. That he'd escaped. Brought back huanan. Gone to the city… trespassed… Shit. Dammit. Damned if you do, Damned if you don't. Daniel was in a whole hell of a mess of trouble.

So when Daniel appeared limping in the near distance escorted by nine armed guards, clothes ripped and spotted with blood… Jack's heart stopped.

Teal'c stood upright and studied Daniel's return with poorly concealed concern.

Watching them approach, unmoving, Jack tried to gauge the look on Daniel's face, taking in his friend's haggard appearance, torn clothing, undeniable exhaustion. But he was alive. God it was good to see him again.

"Daniel…?" Jack asked tentatively, when they were within earshot. He moved closer to his friend. Guards or no guards, death sentence or not - he was going to let Daniel know he'd been scared to death. "You're late," he casually remarked, before grasping Daniel in a tight embrace. "And it's damn good to see you."

Daniel held on for a moment, then pulled back. His features were worried. "Sam?" he whispered.

Jack nodded in the direction of their unconscious teammate. "She's been like that since morning."

"I have the huanan."

Jack stared in disbelief. "What?" He glanced at the guards. "How?"

Daniel ignored him. "Bring some water, Jack." How they were going to get Sam to drink, now… but they'd find a way.

Jack did as requested, chiding himself for ever doubting this man. He didn't know how he'd done it… Miracle Jackson, that was the last time he'd ever have to prove himself… and why the hell did they keep doubting him anyway?

Daniel was stirring something into the bowl. "We have to get her to drink this." He sat down beside Sam, lifting her head onto his lap. Her appearance shocked him. She seemed to stir, yet didn't awaken. "Come on, Sam. I haven't gone through all this just to let you die." There was no response, and still no response after another forty minutes. They were all becoming increasingly frustrated, to be so near yet have so very little time left. "Jack, we're going to hav…"

"Daniel?" A sound so weak they would have missed it, if their senses hadn't been so keyed up and tense.

"Sam??"

She moved her head, trying hard to open her swollen eyes. "Daniel? Thank God…"

"Sam, you're going to have to swallow this. It will combat the poison, make you stronger." And hopefully have enough time to reverse the damage, Daniel thought to himself.

Daniel had interpreted "four times in daylight" to be approximately every five and a quarter hours, as this planet seemed to be on a twenty-six hour rotation, with five of the hours in darkness. He'd give her a dose now, with nightfall approaching, and another at the first sign of sunrise.

It took some time, but Sam managed to swallow the mixture. Daniel slipped his arms gently around her, trying not to cause her pain. Gazing down upon her reinforced his conviction that the risk he'd taken, and every moment of the past two days, had been worth it.

Looking up, he caught Jack staring. Jack gently laid his hand on Daniel's cheek, then brought it to rest on his shoulder, squeezing affectionately. "Damn good to see you."

_____

The team had waited throughout the night, as well as the following day, while Sam regained consciousness and the ability to take food along with more of the medication. Jack had stared at Daniel again that morning, as the guards had passed the team without threatening them for not working. "Just what exactly happened out there, Daniel?"

"Long story short, Jack, I got the huanan, was betrayed and captured, and sentenced to death. They kindly gave me a free night's hospitality in a locked box, though. I repayed them with all sorts of battery-operated toys."

Nearly a full minute had passed as Jack held his gaze. "Okay, forget I asked."

The day had advanced, with more and more hope.

"Colonel? Daniel?" Sam was trying to sit now, and her teammates rushed over.

"Carter, how're you doing?" As Jack talked with Sam, Daniel could hear some guards approaching, and then hushed conversation indicating that the SGC had come through. The gifts had arrived. Theoretically, the team should be free to leave. Daniel approached two of the mountain guards. "So that means we'll be free to leave when our friend is well, yes?"

The guards eyed him suspiciously, realizing he had overheard. "So they tell us."

As Daniel retreated, making his way back to inform his group, one of the guards sauntered over, standing uncomfortably close within Daniel's space. He whispered, "It may be difficult for you to get back. I could help you …with some riches in return, of course."

Daniel froze. Was this the altercation he'd been dreading? "The deal has been made, and the goods already delivered." He shrugged, feigning composure, then turned to walk off. As he did so, he felt the guard draw nearer, forcing Daniel closer to the edge of the road. Suddenly, a swift shove from behind, and Daniel felt himself losing his balance, and he was falling….

"DANIEL!" Jack's swift plunge towards the cliff's edge nearly knocked Sam off balance where she sat leaning against a rock pile. As O'Neill had been following the action out of the corner of his eye, the realization of what was about to happen hit him like a truck in slow motion, but his reflexes were not quick enough, and Daniel slipped out of sight. "DANIEL! NO!!" His scream echoed through the sudden stillness, mingling with another.

Teal'c was beside him, and then Sam, and then the guards from the town. All were peering over the mountain's rim. No one noticed Daniel's attacker returning to his post. No one would punish him for bumping into a mountain worker… accidentally. Workers died all the time. How dare this one refuse to acknowledge his …offer.

Sam's weakness forced her to sit down, staring unbelievingly into space. Jack could feel his heart crashing like waves in a storm, or maybe he could hear it. Probably both.

But it was not yet night. The assembly line up the mountainside had still been working when they saw Daniel fall… and one hand had reflexively flashed out, this time reaching its mark. As the two men tumbled into a third, their descent finally slowed enough to be halted by a number of intervening labourers, before reaching the unworked ridge of the jagged ledge below. As Daniel lay unmoving but conscious on the stones and debris, gasping in quick breaths and realizing he was alive, he noticed a slope worker lying awake beside him. "Thank you," he managed. He closed his eyes, grasping handfuls of debris, unable to look down, unable to move, willing himself not to slide any further.

Minutes later Jack was beside him, his own heart thumping like rain on a tin roof. Daniel was panting heavily, eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Daniel…shit. Shit." Taking a few breaths of his own, Jack calmed himself. Daniel was alive. "What do you say we get out of this place? Are you hurt?" well except for the bruises, I mean … any broken bones? "Can you get up?"

"Okay, no, and no," Daniel muttered vaguely, eyes still refusing to open.

"Huh?" Jack put his arm across Daniel, as if to function as a type of seatbelt.

Daniel took a few deep breaths, willing himself to relax. "Let's get off this mountain, Jack. Off this world. And I think I'm mostly alright besides the scrapes on my back and arms …and butt and knees and …. And no, Jack, I don't think I can move."

"Daniel…?" Worry was evident in Jack's voice.

"Nothing serious, Jack. It's just …if I get up, I'm going to fall straight down into town the quick way. I've been down this side of the mountain once already, and I can't do it again."

"Okay… look, this time everyone knows you're here, Daniel. No sneaking around, I'll be right here beside you. It's daylight Daniel, you don't have to do this in the dark, or alone. And once we get up, we'll take the stairs the rest of the way down. How does that sound?" Even more so than before, Jack realized exactly what this venture had taken out of Daniel, how much terror he had conquered for Carter's sake. Probably more so than the fear of death upon being captured, Daniel had had to face his fear of heights and ledges, and had done it willingly. The trek down the mountain at night would have shaken anyone, but crouching there now, at a dangerous angle on a slope littered with debris and smashed rocks, gouged from quarrying, laid bare of trees and soil, his own foothold precarious as he tried not to slip, Jack realized how perilous this stunt had been, and how disastrous the potential outcome. The vulnerability of a lone body heading downward on this treacherous surface in darkness was unimaginable. For Daniel, it must have been magnified a thousand times. Jack gripped his friend's shoulders, a gesture of relief and affection meant to transfer a sense of reassurance to his dazed partner.

"Sounds good." Daniel forced his eyes open, then sat up slowly, his grasp tightening on Jack's arm as he started to slide. He knew he shouldn't have looked down. Damn, that was a long way.

"I've got you, Daniel. Come on, don't look down. Look at me. You can do this."

"Jack…I'm …I'm sorry. This is so silly, I know." Daniel was trembling. "God, I'm sorry."

"It's not silly, Daniel. You're in shock. You could've been killed. Just look at me. We'll turn around, and go up slowly. Look at me." A moment later, Teal'c was by their side.

Slowly, carefully, painfully and apprehensively, supported by friends, Daniel made it back to the top of the rim, where he thumped down heavily on the unfinished roadway. Sam's arms were around him before he had caught his breath. "Stop scaring me, Daniel."

"Uh …'kay." Daniel put one arm around her shoulders, the other lay in his lap, too weak to put forth the effort.

_____

They were allowed to leave the following day, Jack and Teal'c having kept a watchful eye on their teammates - and the guards - throughout the five-hour night. Now, Sam was leaning between Jack and Teal'c but feeling much stronger, and Daniel was keeping his eyes on the steps as they trudged the steep descending staircase, their escorts following closely behind.

"SG-5 is at another section of the road. They said they'd send them back to the Stargate."

"Let's hope they mean what they say, Daniel."

Oxen rides and boat trips and several hours later, it still seemed as though the Stargate would never reappear.

"They didn't bury it, I hope." Although Jack had meant it as a joke, he wasn't competely certain it was one.

"Jack, we haven't even reached the village yet… You did keep track of our location in regards to the Stargate, didn't you?" Daniel quipped.

Getting mouthy with me, Danny-boy? But Jack grinned, as the rural villages passed by from the confines of a wooden water vehicle. He looked around him, at the exhausted but contented visages of his precious partners, Sam nearly back to normal, leaning with eyes closed against Daniel; Daniel, glancing straight ahead, then around him at the guards, eyes filled with exhaustion and brimming with relief, resignation, and trustworthiness. Teal'c, gazing protectively at the two younger teammates. The guards, talking animatedly amongst themselves, in a language only Daniel understood, fingering the weapons that this time lay by their feet on the floor of the boat.

Daniel glanced around the boat, noticing the haunted, relieved look in Jack's weary features. A good friend he hadn't been convinced he'd ever see again. And there was Sam, recovering steadily; she had been worth every moment of his ordeal. Teal'c, strong and dependable, beside them. If the guards had only known what these people really meant to him, if they'd only had some capability of seeing past themselves into someone else's heart, they would've realized they could get a lot more out of him than mere flashlights and alarm clocks. They could've had the toys, and his life as well. He sighed, and caught the thankful look in Jack's eyes. Yes. He would've given up his life for these people, and only greed had assured him that he wouldn't need to.

Jack's eyes met Daniel's, as his friend sighed. Wide blue eyes wise beyond their years, sympathetic beyond reason. Yeah, he could put up with a mouthy Daniel, a Daniel who talked too much, teased him, even lectured him on some uninteresting dead civilization. He'd put up with damn near anything, as long as it came out of a living, healthy Daniel. Damn, he'd scared him. Three days' worth of scare. He was glad to have him back, safe and sound. Not to mention that into the bargain, Daniel had thrown a lifeline to Sam, and gotten them all released. Them, and SG-5, single-handedly. This time, Daniel had a story Jack wanted to hear; not around a large table inside the confines of a mountain, but in a cozy, warm, comfortable cabin on a lake, fire blazing, where friendship was always at its warmest. And it would happen, because Daniel was back. Back and okay. Sam was okay. He had his whole team around him, and they were going home.

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