Title: By Her Judgment

Author: Moonshayde

Season: Five

Category:  Drama/Angst, Novella

Spoilers:  Non-specific spoilers all seasons including S5

Pairing/Character: Team, Sam-centric

Summary: After encountering a matriarchal society, Sam takes command of SG-1 to ensure friendly negotiations. However, Sam's skills as a soldier, a scientist, and a friend are pushed to their limits when SG-1 falls victim to the society's biases and instability.

Word Count: 27,760

Warnings: minor language, violence

Rating: PG-13

 

A/N:  Written for the Sam Carter Ficathon, recipient kellifer_fic.

Wants: "Sam being protective of the boys, something unusual being used as a weapon, and SG-1 dealing with an off-world matriarchal society."

And doesn't want: "Pregnancy or marriage or gender-bending."

 

Thanks to Meg and Ctorres for the beta work. All other errors are my own.

 

Sumerian words based on: http://www.ping.de/sites/systemcoder/necro/info/sumerian.htm

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Her first clue that there was something different about this planet should have come when the rider concentrated on her and not Daniel.

 

Sam kept her finger on the trigger of her P-90 as she eyed the locals on P2A-504. The woman who continued to stare at her sat atop an animal that was akin to a horse or a camel but didn't appear to be either. Behind her lay a small contingent of several more women, completely decked in battle garb, all sitting on the foreign-looking animals. All had strange sword-like weapons drawn.

 

She stiffened. Sam felt as uncomfortable as she had been with the Shavadai people only a few years back. When she stole a glance to either side, Sam could see the rest of her team felt the same. In particular, she noticed Teal'c had become more wary, tightening his hold on his staff weapon.

 

By now, Daniel was speaking again, his tone softer but sounding vaguely more urgent. She couldn't understand what he was saying, as he had switched over into another tongue. Yet, it seemed that no matter what he tried, the woman atop her horse paid him no mind. In fact, Sam thought she was becoming more annoyed, possibly even upset.

 

She scooted over to him, keeping her weapon ready, just in case. Sam could also see Colonel O'Neill starting to get impatient, his grip on his weapon tightening, the lines of his face deepening. She began to wonder if suggesting trade with these people was worth it. They could try for more naquadah elsewhere.

 

"You continue to insult me by not speaking," the woman said, her voice thick with anger. "State your purpose or we shall be forced to remove you from our land."

 

Sam blinked, suddenly realizing that the comments were directed at her and no one else. Daniel was staring at her with his mouth open, a slightly befuddled look crossing his face, while Teal'c remained impassive but cautious. Colonel O'Neill didn't look pleased, but he gestured with his hand, urging her to speak up.

 

"Major Samantha Carter of SG-1," she said, taking a tentative step forward. "This is Doctor Daniel Jackson, Colonel Jack O'Neill, and Teal'c. We've come to talk and trade." She tried to put on her best smile.

 

"Hi there," O'Neill said, offering a small wave. "You heard the lady. Now, why don't you put down your weapons so we can get down to business?"

 

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say. The women behind the lead rider raised their swords and started to shout in the language that Daniel had muttered only a few moments ago.

 

"Kima Parsi Labiruti!" they shouted again.

 

Daniel quickly turned to Sam, lowering his voice as he whispered into her ear. "Do whatever she says."

 

"Why?" Sam asked, trying to match his tone. "What are they saying?"

 

"I can't be certain since it's an extinct language that hasn't been used in millennia, but I think they're saying, 'Treat Her in accordance with the Ancient Rites.'" When she shook her head, he continued. "I think there must be some rules governing communication on this planet. You should step forward and engage with the leader. I'll talk to Jack and Teal'c."

 

Sam frowned, not liking his suggestion at all. She wasn't a negotiator. She was a soldier and a scientist. "Why?" she asked.

 

"Obviously, they only want to speak with you."

 

Sam didn't miss the annoyance in his voice. Inwardly, she cringed, but outwardly she felt her cheeks blush with indignation. She hadn't asked for this role.

 

"Kima Parsi Labiruti!"

 

Despite her misgivings, Sam took a step forward and greeted the rider. She could sense Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill tense behind her, but she knew that Daniel would be there to help smooth things over and explain to them what was happening. She just hoped he'd get done fast so that he could assist her in the event she needed him.

 

"Sorry about the miscommunication," Sam said. "We do things a little differently where I'm from."

 

The rider didn't reply, taking her time as she appraised Sam, studying her from head to toe. After she let out a loud grunt, the women behind her lowered their weapons. The leader forced a thin smile at Sam.

 

"I am Anu of the South," she proclaimed. "You have entered my domain."

 

Sam didn't need to be a negotiator to understand that Anu was asserting her power. But it was hard for Sam to play by the rules if she didn't know what the rules were to begin with.

 

"Then, we'd like to be sure we honor your domain," Sam said, glancing back toward Daniel. He stood there, soundless, appearing to pout along with O'Neill and Teal'c. With a sigh, she turned back to Anu. "We would like to discuss trade."

 

"We of the Sinnu are hardy traders," Anu said, this time with a brighter smile. She snapped her fingers, heralding in another group of women. They brought with them two more beasts as well as a small wooden chariot. "Come, Major Samantha Carter of SG-1. You shall ride with me."

 

She hesitated, glancing back toward Daniel, Teal'c, and Colonel O'Neill. But before she could protest, she felt Anu's sturdy hand on her shoulder.

 

"Do not worry about your men," Anu said softly. "They shall ride in the chariot behind us as to not tire their feet."

 

"My men?" Sam asked, uncertain that she heard correctly.

 

Again, she glanced behind her. Some of the women had dismounted and were helping the rest of SG-1 into the small chariot. The wooden cart was then affixed to the creatures that Sam and Anu would be riding. Daniel, Teal'c, and especially Colonel O'Neill appeared absolutely baffled by the process.

 

"Carter?" O'Neill called out to her as he was locked into the chariot.

 

"Sir?"

 

He batted one of the women's hands away as he glared at Sam. "When we get to town, we're having a little chat."

 

She turned her head so that he couldn't see her smile. Once she realized that the three of them were both safe and secure, she climbed onto her own beast and started to ride alongside Anu. It was a surprisingly comfortable and leisurely ride. Anu seemed much more relaxed.

 

"Your men fascinate me," Anu said at last, glancing back once to the chariot before focusing her gaze forward. "They are a healthy, strong bunch. Are all your men the same?"

 

"It varies," Sam replied, remaining guarded. She wasn't sure just what kind of society they had stumbled across – they could be slave traders or worse. Sam didn't want to excite them too much. "What about your men?"

 

"Our men know their place," Anu said, raising her eyebrow. Sam couldn't help but feel it was a gentle chide. "But they are a beautiful, kind race. We are good to them."

 

Race? Sam bristled. The language Anu was using set off a dozen warning bells in her mind. Yet, Sam was beginning to warm up to the stately woman. She didn't get the impression that Anu was lying to her or that she meant any harm to Sam and the others. Nonetheless, Sam would feel much more comfortable once she arrived at their destination and had Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and Daniel by her side.

 

"It is not long now," Anu said, pointing to the hilltop. She reached into her sash and held up a small remote, something that seemed strangely amiss given the technology level these people had previously displayed. But Sam remained silent as Anu pressed the device. "We are home," Anu said triumphantly.

 

Sam could only gape in amazement. The façade of the hilltop evaporated, revealing a towering ziggurat that overlooked a vast city. The site was truly amazing – a huge archaeological discovery.

 

She knew that Daniel would be in heaven.

 

"Come," Anu said proudly. "And we will show you the greatness and hospitality of the Sinnu."

 

 

Chapter 2

 

Greatness might be an understatement when discussing the Sinnu. Sam stared with wonder at the ornate decorations inside the walls of the ziggurat. There were bright colors and tapestries and artwork the likes of which Sam had never seen before. But more importantly, she could discern hints of technology everywhere she looked. There were devices embedded in the walls and in the ceilings, little trinkets dashing the tops of stone tables that she was certain held dual purposes. She figured some were part of the network that kept the city invisible, but she could feel anticipation rising as she wondered what other secrets the small devices and mechanisms within the ziggurat held.

 

She turned to the rest of her team, her eyes shining with excitement. "Sir, we have to honor their ways and join the feast."

 

Colonel O'Neill looked less than impressed as he stood in the middle of the waiting room, one of his hands resting on his P-90. His eyes may have been hidden beneath his sunglasses, but she could see the irritability resting in his frown. She knew what was coming.

 

"Your men?" he asked.

 

"I think it's a matriarchal society," Daniel answered for her. He had already disentangled himself from the group, having begun to study some of the sculptures that lined the small but lavish room. He picked up a small bronze statue. "Sam's right. You have no idea how important this is."

 

O'Neill didn't move. "Enlighten me."

 

"We've never encountered a true matriarchal society on Earth," Daniel said, still studying the bronze. "There are goddess worship cults and ancient societies that have more of a female consciousness to them, but society and culture itself has always been patriarchal, at least to our knowledge in both recorded history and the archaeological record." He put the statue down and picked up another. "Even off-world, we haven't encountered anything like it before. This is a rare find, Jack. It's worth exploring."

 

"For what?" he asked impatiently.

 

"For the sake of finding out why and how they became a matriarchal society. The implications…"

 

"Are squat," O'Neill finished for him. "Teal'c?"

 

"I do not see any reason for us to engage in trade."

 

"What?" Daniel asked.

 

Sam had to agree. She didn't think that Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill were thinking this through enough. "Sir, we've seen in the past that we can't judge a people based on first impressions alone."

 

"Look at the Nox," Daniel said.

 

"This has nothing to do with how primitive or how advanced they are," O'Neill said. He shrugged. "I just think it's a bad idea."

 

"And I concur," Teal'c added.

 

"Because women are in charge and men aren't?" Daniel asked, beating her to the punch.

 

"Oh, please, Daniel." O'Neill muttered. "You complained all the way to the city about the injustice of this place and how no one would talk to you."

 

Sam raised her eyebrows at that remark, but Daniel refused to look at her.

 

"Fine, look," Daniel said, tapping his finger on the statue. "No, I'm not happy about it. But it's still an amazing find. Maybe Sam can talk Anu into letting us have some privileges and extra freedoms as guests."

 

She knew Daniel was itching to explore the ziggurat and the temples on the higher levels. However, Sam knew that wouldn't be enough for O'Neill. She needed something to convince Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c that this was a worthwhile cause. She needed something more enticing than just culture alone.

 

"On our way into the city, I noticed an abundance of strategically placed alien technological devices throughout the ziggurat and associated buildings. I'd like the opportunity to discuss them with Anu to better understand their function and see if they would be offered in trade," she told them. "They could be a form of advanced defense shield technology: something that we could use in our fight against the Goa'uld."

 

O'Neill exchanged a contemplative look with Teal'c. Teal'c didn't say a word, but any misgivings he had before seemed to have been wiped clean by Sam's plea.

 

She grinned in triumph.

 

"All right. Let's make this quick," O'Neill said at last, much to both Sam and Daniel's delight. "But if I have to wear a dress, we are so out of here."

 

Fortunately – or unfortunately – Colonel O'Neill would not be wearing a dress. He was lucky that he was sitting at the main table at all. Sam had learned that the men in this society virtually lived in second-class status, and therefore didn't eat with the women in public spaces, delegated to their own special table for feasting. She knew that Colonel O'Neill would not buy that for any reason, so she had spoken to Anu earlier to plead their case and ask for some leniency. It seemed to have worked.

 

"It's amazing," Daniel said from his seat beside her. He looked like he was studying the china. "Most scholars have theorized that societies that are matriarchal in composition would be more egalitarian, but here it seems the women are completely in charge. I haven't seen a man in any positions of authority."

 

It was a fact that Sam couldn't ignore and one that bothered her immensely. She had been given the short end of the stick on the planet with the Shavadai and didn't wish that kind of life on anyone. Just because the roles were reversed with the Sinnu didn't make the issue justified. Sam was concerned that someone could make a move on her friends at any time, leaving her powerless to stop it. Not that Daniel, Colonel O'Neill, or Teal'c couldn't take care of themselves, but they weren't doing anything to help their cause.

 

"It's not amazing. It's a pain in the ass," O'Neill mumbled. He leaned past Daniel so he could catch a glimpse of Sam. "Did you see the damn rule book?"

 

"Indeed," Teal'c said, calling out from the furthest point to her left. "I am not fond of the Sinnu's ways."

 

Neither was Sam. Daniel had since informed them that the Sinnu were an amalgamation of Sumerian and Babylonian cultures. Sam wasn't so interested in hearing his theories of Babylonians carrying the Sumerian culture through the Stargate. Her concern remained with the pages and pages of rules on male behavior and how men and women should act in public and private settings.

 

With direct access to the text, Daniel had translated what he could. He hadn't given her a lot of hope for smooth negotiations with the Sinnu. There was something…off. And she couldn't figure out just what it was.

 

"As long as you let me handle the discussions and don't speak out, we'll be fine," Sam said. She just wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

 

"Make sure you ask about their weapons," O'Neill said. "And the naquadah on this planet."

 

"I know, sir." Sam knew more than well just how important it was to forge new alliances that would pay off. General Hammond was under a lot of pressure to show results. She hated to think what would happen if they kept failing him.

 

"Oh, and books," Daniel said. "I'd like to learn more about their history. Maybe figure out how they grew to be such a strong society."

 

"You mean sexist," Colonel O'Neill said.

 

Daniel glared at him.

 

"How long will this take, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked, raising his voice over Daniel and O'Neill's little squabble.

 

"It shouldn't take long," she said.

 

At least she hoped not.

 

As they waited for Anu to arrive, Sam studied the archway to the banquet room. It wasn't golden, but glinted with a metallic sheen. The longer she sat there, gazing at it, the more she felt a distinctive pull to be near it.

 

It was a sensation she knew all too well.

 

"Naquadah," she said.

 

The three of them turned to her. "Excuse me?" O'Neill asked.

 

"They use naquadah in some of their supports," she said, her eyes still on the archway.

 

"Like Tonane's people with trinium," Daniel said, nodding.

 

Her eyes fell to a couple of serving girls who were setting the utensils on the table. One of the girls stopped to smile at her, placing the knife down beside her.

 

Sam fingered it with interest. Underneath the shiny silver setting, she could feel the pulse of naquadah beneath its surface. She wondered how many other items had naquadah in them.

 

Sam let the thought go when she heard the fanfare signaling Anu's arrival. She placed the knife down and watched Anu, her daughter, and their serving maids enter the room. Sam stood, followed by Daniel, and then the colonel and Teal'c.

 

"Just remember the rules," she told them.

 

Anu led the graceful procession down the steps, entering the banquet hall. She approached the table slowly, nodding for her daughter to move on ahead of her. The two of them reached Sam, the maidservants hanging back silently.

 

"This is my daughter, Aya." The girl dipped her head to Sam. "Aya, this is Major Samantha Carter of SG-1. She has come through the Apsu."

 

Sam forced a smile, eyeing the young dark-haired girl. "You can call me Sam," she said to them both.

 

"Hello, Sam," Aya said. But her eyes were not on Sam at all. She bypassed her and walked to meet the rest of SG-1. "You are the men from the Apsu?"

 

"Yes," Daniel said, offering a small smile and his patented awkward charm. "We are honored to meet you."

 

Aya grinned, pleased with the response. She nodded to Colonel O'Neill, but her full attention stopped on Teal'c. "Your men are so big, Irnini Sam."

 

Sam frowned and shot a confused look to Daniel. He leaned into her. "It's a complimentary title used between the women here, I'm guessing. It means 'sweet smelling lady.'"

 

Sam nodded. Okay, she would have to remember that.

 

Aya continued to ogle Teal'c. The young girl placed her hand on Teal'c's chest. From where Sam was standing, she couldn't tell if he were put off by the movement or enjoying the attention. When she saw his lips start to curl into a knowing smile, she guessed the latter.

 

"He is very strong and very beautiful. I have never seen a man like him," Aya said.

 

"I am honored that you believe this to be so," Teal'c said, bowing his head.

 

Oh, brother, Sam thought. She was about to dismiss the entire incident and call for some order, when movement from Colonel O'Neill and Daniel caught her eye. She frowned, staring at them. The both of them fidgeted, puffing out their chests as they rolled their shoulders back. Sam fought back the urge to roll her eyes.

 

It was going to be a long night.

 

"We should begin," Anu said, beckoning her daughter to her side. "We have many things to discuss and empty bellies to fill."

 

Soon the room was filled with the clang of metal against metal and the hearty laughter of inebriated celebrants. Sam found herself cheering along with them, drinking and eating to her heart's content. She was unaware of the scowling threesome by her side. That is, until they made themselves known.

 

"Are you almost done?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

 

"Oh," Sam said, wiping her mouth as some of the wine dribbled down her chin. "Yes, you can go ahead."

 

O'Neill's glare lingered, giving Sam the distinct impression he was subtly calling rank on her. The matching frowns she received from Daniel and Teal'c didn't make her feel any better.

 

This wasn't her fault. She was only following the rules of the society, just like they had wanted. She was guaranteeing their survival. She was doing as she was told.

 

She tried not to consider this payback for all the times she had been delegated to the back of the room while the men took over.

 

Finally, the three of them turned to eat their food, now that Sam was done. Part of her felt a little guilty for having taken so long to finish her own meal, but at the same time it would have seemed strange for her to rush through her meal just so that they could begin. But despite her rationalization, Sam felt her cheeks warm as her teammates devoured their food.

 

She might as well get this over with so they could get back to the SGC.

 

Sam turned to Anu, putting on her best face. "I would like for us to talk trade, if possible."

 

Anu nodded, bringing down her cup. "You have come far for trade."

 

"Yes, we have," Sam said. "We travel searching for new medicines, technology, and defense weapons to protect ourselves. In turn, we are willing to offer medicines and supplies of our own."

 

"I have noticed that you have taken interest in our defensive shields."

 

Anu definitely had a keen sense of observation. "That's right," Sam said. "I'm interested in how your technology interfaces with your city."

 

Anu nodded, but her gaze shifted to the rest of SG-1, where it started to linger as she continued. "Surely, if your men are strong, your women are stronger. Why would you need such defensive weapons?"

 

Sam forced a smile and snuck a peek at "her men." Colonel O'Neill and Daniel kept shoving food into their mouths, to the point Sam thought they would choke. Teal'c had already finished, sitting serenely by O'Neill's side, though she thought she saw him eyeing the remains on their plates.

 

Sam wanted to disappear.

 

"Yes, our people are strong," she said. "But we are a cautious people and we like to take as many steps as possible to protect ourselves."

 

That answer seemed to appease Anu. She seemed to consider the response, leaning back in her chair. Though, the way she kept eyeing her teammates made Sam uneasy.

 

"Are all your men strong?"

 

"They're not for trade," Sam said quickly, placing a protective hand on Daniel's arm. He froze and stopped chewing, his mouth still full, as he turned to her, puzzled. She offered him a reassuring smile, even though she was convinced he hadn't been paying attention.

 

Anu laughed, amused in what Sam read as a demeaning way. It was one that Sam had come across one too many times during her basic training. She set her jaw, keeping her gaze level with Anu, demonstrating that she meant business. But the other woman just shook her head.

 

"We do not trade our men," Anu said, giving Sam the distinct feeling she was being talked down to again. But at the same time, she felt relieved.

 

"We don't trade our men, either," Sam said. "I-I just wanted to –"

 

Anu smiled, but this time the smile was more motherly and affectionate. "I understand. I would be as protective as you if my men were like yours." Anu patted her hand, the second real, informal contact Sam had experienced with the Sinnu. "Do not worry over them. They will be safe here. I shall guarantee it."

 

Sam nodded, feeling her muscles unwind. Protection by the head of state. That sounded promising.

 

"I consider your request a worthy one," Anu said. "And I will agree to allow you to study our devices. However, we of the Sinnu ask trade in return."

 

"Of course," Sam said. "What are your requests?"

 

Anu glanced over at Teal'c and then back to Sam. "We would like the secrets to how you make your men so strong."

 

Sam's cordial smile started to wane, and she felt at a loss on how to respond. That uneasy feeling she had experienced just a little while ago came back with a rush.

 

And to make matters worse, now the rest of her team decided to take an interest in the conversation. Or maybe they had all along.

 

"Ever try a gym?" Colonel O'Neill said.

 

"Sir…"

 

"Right, I know. Mum's the word." He frowned, catching Teal'c taking the last of his bread.

 

"Your men seem to have a great love for talking," Anu said. "It is true your customs must be different than ours."

 

"Oh yeah. Our men love to talk," Sam said, forcing a quiet laugh.

 

"This is very good," Daniel said, his mouth full, as he used his piece of bread like a sponge to soak up the last of the juices on his plate. He swallowed, and then lowered his voice. "Can you ask for some books? If they keep insisting that we're strong, that must mean that their men are…uh, not as strong," he said, obviously choosing his words carefully. "I'd like to see if I can figure out why."

 

Sam thought that might be their best bet at this point. She couldn't agree to tell the Anu their "secrets" if she didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

 

"We would gladly share with you how we make our men strong," Sam said, hoping the little exaggeration wouldn't be caught. "But in order for us to be thorough, we would like access to some of your historical documents for comparison purposes."

 

Anu frowned, almost appearing confused by the request. It was her daughter that spoke.

 

"Why would you need to see such documents?" she asked, eyeing Sam closely. "Our history is our life. Our tools are our protection." Aya turned to her mother. "I do not trust the strangers."

 

"I promise not to exploit you or your culture," Daniel said, causing Sam to cringe. He of all people should know not to violate one of the most important rules of this society – speaking out to the sovereign. "I just want to learn about your people so we can become better friends."

 

But Daniel's need for knowledge could not be quelled sometimes. Sam waited silently for any kind of rebuke from Anu or Aya, but it didn't come. Instead of becoming outraged at his transgression, both mother and daughter stared at Daniel and then Sam in shock. "He can read?"

 

Now, it was Sam's turn to be shocked. "Yes, my men can read."

 

"All of them?" Anu asked in disbelief.

 

Sam shot a worried look over to the rest of her team. O'Neill was thankfully silent, pensive, watching the entire conversation thoughtfully. Teal'c was also quiet, his hands folded on the table, but everything about him told Sam he was alert and in control. It was Daniel that concerned her the most, as he appeared ready to jump out of his skin in his eagerness to join the conversation.

 

She turned back to Anu. "Yes, all of them."

 

The revelation stunned the Sinnu leader. She wiped her chin as she thought. "What-what would you like for your men?" she finally asked.

 

The question caused near chaos by Sam's side. Daniel was nearly bouncing in his seat, urging her to continue with wild motions of his hands.

 

"Anything on your culture and history," she said. "Science. Technology."

 

"Weapons," O'Neill said under his breath.

 

"Weaponry. Anything."

 

Anu looked positively horrified, almost as if the thought sickened her. She threw her napkin down and turned her head away.

 

The distress in their leader caused a commotion that rippled throughout the dining hall, sending shock waves through Anu's royal servants and other stately officials. At this point, Sam wasn't even sure what she'd done that was wrong.

 

"What did we do?" O'Neill asked, leaning over Daniel's plate.

 

"Perhaps we have asked for too much," Teal'c said.

 

Sam hoped not. She had felt like maybe she had been getting somewhere with Anu. Now, who knew? Obviously the woman was upset.

 

What was that word of respect Daniel had told her? There was one that he said to use in case things got ugly. She knew it meant lady…

 

"Beleti Anu," Sam said, trying to sound as apologetic and submissive as she could. "Please, we didn't – "

 

Anu held up her hand and shook her head, searching for consolation in her daughter's embrace. Instead, one of her servants stood and came to Sam's side.

 

"I don't mean any disrespect, Irnini," the small woman said, "but are you certain it is wise to put such a strain on your men?"

 

Sam frowned. "What?"

 

"You trouble Beleti Anu with your words," the servant said. "She does not wish torture on such a fair race."

 

Sam wasn't sure she was following. "We mean no harm. We have no desire to hurt anyone. Not even our own."

 

Now, it was the aide' s turn to be confused. "I'm sorry, but how can you say such things?"

 

"Carter…" O'Neill warned.

 

She waved her hand to stop him. She had to appear that she was in charge, after all.  "Anu, I'm sorry. I—"

 

"I understand that your men are strong, but they are not infallible," Anu said suddenly. "I am troubled you wish to push them to such lengths. Men are of feeble minds."

 

Sam was speechless. She had understood that the men on this planet were second-class citizens. She had understood that there were rules that governed how men and women should act. She had understood that there was the implication that men from Earth must have some kind of physical superiority over the men here. Sam had not been prepared for a society that thought men were mentally incompetent.

 

Apparently, neither had the rest of SG-1.

 

"What has led you to this assumption?" Teal'c asked, his voice beginning to sound defensive.

 

"All men are frail beings," Aya said simply. "Everyone knows this."

 

"Frail?" Daniel asked.

 

Again, Sam laid her hand on Daniel's arm, this time to keep him in check. She still wasn't sure of the Sinnu's sensibilities, and she didn't want to insult them somehow.

 

"I believe there may be a difference in our peoples," Sam said slowly, trying to be as careful as possible. "Most of our men – and our women – are strong in mind and body."

 

Anu's gaze fell back to Colonel O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c. She was studying them, no doubt, but whether she was looking for some flaw to dispute Sam or weighing the possibility Sam could be right, she couldn't tell.

 

Her roaming gaze stopped on Daniel's glasses. So, flaws were it.

 

She sighed. She wished Daniel could take care of this. She just wanted to see what the Sinnu had in terms of technology at this point.

 

"That's not to say our men are perfect," Sam said quickly, ignoring the mutters from beside her. "But our men do take on active roles in our lives."

 

"On our world, men are soldiers and scholars," Daniel said. "Men are involved in all industries.

 

Anu frowned, looking to Sam for confirmation.

 

"It's true," Sam said.

 

"I find this difficult to believe," Anu said, shaking her head.

 

Daniel went to open his mouth, but Sam leaned forward to block him from view. She thought he'd spoken up enough during this meal, and she wasn't really interested in pissing off any of the locals just yet.

 

"Why?" Sam asked.

 

Anu sighed, hesitating, before she finally rose to her feet. She motioned for Sam and the others to follow. "Come," she said. "I will show you."

 

 

Chapter 3

 

They were led up a flight of stairs, heading to an area that had to be Anu's personal quarters. If Sam had considered the hallways and rooms SG-1 had seen before to be lavish, they were nothing compared to the corridors they were walking through now.

 

Gold inlays held together walls of gems of various colors, sizes, and shapes. Sam was left wondering just how the Sinnu could afford such extravagance, or if they had slave labor that worked in local mines. Maybe they traded with other rich villages or neighboring worlds.

 

The ziggurat seemed as lush as a Goa'uld vessel.

 

Sam stiffened, quickly turning to Colonel O'Neill. Based on the grimace he wore on his face, she realized he was thinking the same thing.

 

"Teal'c?" she asked.

 

"I believe this building to be Goa'uld in nature," he said, confirming her fears. "However, there appear to have been several modifications made to the walls."

 

"The Goa'uld haven't been home for a while?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

 

"That may be the case, O'Neill."

 

"Okay, well, keep your eyes peeled." When Teal'c frowned, O'Neill shook his head. "Let's just be careful. That means you too, Daniel."

 

Daniel turned away from the art he had been studying once he heard his name. "What?"

 

He patted Daniel on the back before as they started around the next corner. Sam and Teal'c moved on ahead of them, keeping close watch on their hosts. Anu had been extremely quiet during this whole time, as well as her daughter, Aya. There was a definite feeling of gravity in the air, one that bothered Sam in ways she couldn't quite categorize yet.

 

"Right through here," Anu said, guiding them through a set of doors. "I ask you to keep your voices low."

 

Sam nodded, but kept her hand on her weapon. She and Teal'c entered first, then Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. She stopped, surprised what she saw.

 

Inside the ornate bedchamber, there was a lone man sitting in a chair. He was seated by a small balcony, yet far enough where he would have to walk to step out into the sunlight. He didn't make a sound as they approached.

 

"This is Urshanabi of the South," Anu said. "He is my husband."

 

Sam wasn't sure what to say. The man looked as if he were in his forties, but his face was worn and withered, his eyes sad and turned inward. Sam instantly thought the man might be undernourished based on his thinness and lack of body mass, but she knew that couldn't be right. Serving girls slipped in and out of the chambers, bringing with them food, water, and other supplies, leaving Urshanabi fully stocked. Sam noticed a tall, sturdy woman and another smaller, but sculpted woman, who stood in the back of the room, overseeing the entire operation. They noticeably cared for the man.

 

"He lost the ability to speak not long ago," Anu said sadly.

 

"What happened?" Daniel asked.

 

Anu forced a smile as she came to stand beside her husband and pressed her hand to his shoulder.  "Urshanabi was always stronger than most. I taught him to read and to manage some of the finances. But over the past few years, he has become weaker." She looked away, her fingers sinking deeper into her husband's shoulder. "I should not have pushed him so hard."

 

"Anu," Sam said, keeping her voice gentle. "I don't think you can blame yourself for this."

 

"Men are not made for this kind of stress no matter how strong they are." She glanced at the three male members of SG-1 before returned her attention to Sam. "I urge you to reconsider placing such pressures on your men."

 

"I think we can handle it," O'Neill said. His tone was anything but light. Sam could see the concern in his face as he studied the withering man who should be in the prime of his political life. "Are all your men like him?"

 

"No," Anu said. "But some of them succumb to the Blight more so than others."

 

"Blight?" Daniel asked.

 

Teal'c frowned. "What is this Blight of which you speak?"

 

"There will be no answers to your questions," Aya snapped. "You do not follow our rules. I will not have you speak outwardly to my mother any longer."

 

"Aya, child, hush," Anu said, raising her hand to quiet her daughter. "If they are able to speak, let them speak. I will deem when they will be silent."

 

"I am afraid I must agree with Aya, Beleti," the tall woman said. "Continuous defiance of the rules shall make the goddess angry."

 

Goddess. The uneasy feeling tripled. She caught the heightened sense of caution in both O'Neill's and Teal'c's postures and noticed Daniel was already searching the room with his eyes for any hint of the identity of this goddess.

 

Sam just hoped she wouldn't be coming home anytime soon.

 

"Ningal, I am Anu of the South," she said again, this time more harshly. "I say who shall speak."

 

"Thank you, ma'am," O'Neill said, taking a step toward the couple, but not before making a point to show his self-satisfaction to Aya and Ningal with a smug, victorious grin. He moved to stand beside Sam and eyed Urshanabi. "So, he's suffering from this Blight?"

 

Anu nodded. "Our men are weak from the Blight. Only those that are taxed beyond their abilities become Damu."

 

"Damu?" Sam asked.

 

Daniel blinked. "Like a child."

 

Sam glanced over to her commanding officer. He was not pleased. Sam could imagine the questions that were running through his mind and couldn't help but feel nervous herself. They had no idea if they'd walked onto a planet with an unknown contagion. They didn't know anything at all.

 

She would have thought they would have learned by now.

 

"When does the Blight happen?" Daniel asked.

 

"Our men are a fragile people," Anu said sadly. "Man is born as such."

 

"Your males are born with this Blight," Teal'c stated.

 

"Yes," Anu said. "It worsens as time goes by."

 

Sam exhaled and released some of the tension in her shoulders. If the men were born with the problem, then the chances of this being a contagion SG-1 would bring back were slim. She could see the relief in her teammates and couldn't agree more.

 

"I'd really like to read your books," Daniel said. He was nearly bouncing again, this time not from excitement but just the need to know. "Book, tablets, anything. Maybe we can help figure out why your men are born with the Blight."

 

"We have doctors," O'Neill added. "Female ones at that. We can send some people over here, have them take a look, and see if there's something we can do."

 

"All of this in exchange for our books and some of our technology?" Anu asked, squeezing her husband's hand.

 

"Heck, we'll send the docs over free of charge," O'Neill with a small smile. "But we'd appreciate a look at your shields and any other gizmos you might have. Oh," he said, bending the rim of his cap. "And we'd love to have some of that." He pointed to the archway.

 

"You have interest in our sacred metals," Anu said.

 

"Sacred," O'Neill repeated. He turned to Carter and rolled his eyes. She was sure she heard a nearly inaudible oy escape his lips.

 

"Yes," Sam said. "But we would only ask for the metal in ways that would not harm you."

 

Anu bit her lip as she considered their offer. But even now, Sam could see that she seemed happier. It was if a heaviness had been lifted from Anu's shoulders. The woman looked freer, livelier. With a broad grin that lit up her face, Anu moved away from her husband and beckoned to the small silent woman that had been left in the corner.

 

"This is Siduri, our city's best healer." She clapped Siduri on the shoulder. "She will work with you and your healers." Anu released her hold on the doctor and stood in front of Sam. "Any books that you need are yours. Tablets. Scrolls. I shall have all of them delivered to your suite, including information on our shields."

 

The men – even Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill – looked pleased.

 

"Mother!" Aya shouted.

 

Anu ignored her. "I have set you up in my best suite. Ningal and Aya will show you the way." When Aya sighed and turned away, Anu narrowed her eyes and dropped her voice. "You will show them the way."

 

Aya didn't respond to her mother, but led Ningal to the door. "This way," she said over her shoulder.

 

Sam thanked Anu for her help and exited the chambers. As she followed Ningal and Aya down the corridor, she just hoped the fiery tempered girl could hold it together long enough for them to finish negotiations, maybe help these people, and go home.

 

Sam nearly fell over when she saw the size of the suite. The Goa'uld loved to live large, that was for sure. The suite was huge.

 

Instantly, Sam could sense the trace amounts of naquadah in some of the doorways inside the suite. But for the most part, it seemed to be constructed of stone, gold, and silver, along with some other metals that Sam couldn't identify at the moment. It was extravagance at its best.

 

The main room was the largest, filled with plush couches and chairs, tables with bowls filled with fruit and nuts, and a beautiful rug that accentuated the middle of the room. The main room was obviously created with some kind of hierarchical system in place; a common room for lounging and reading also served as a bedroom. The large bed was situated to her left, full with a drawback curtain for privacy. There was no doubt in Sam's mind this bed was meant for her. In fact, it was obvious this entire room was created with a woman in mind.

 

The design impressed Sam. No mud hut or shanty little shack for her on this mission. Sam wasn't sure she'd actually go with this kind of décor in her own home, but it sure made her tempted to go archaeological in her house.

 

She wouldn't tell that to Daniel, though.

 

Teal'c had already begun to investigate the other two rooms to her suite. She assumed one would be her washroom and the other would be for whoever was staying with her. In this case, the rest of her team.

 

Colonel O'Neill poked his head into one of the rooms. "I think I found the ladies' room. Whoa. Talk about fancy."

 

"And I believe I have found the spare," Teal'c said, dipping his head inside the room as he stood in the doorway. He straightened his back. "And the books for Daniel Jackson."

 

"Oh?" Daniel squeezed between Sam and Aya to make his way to the spare room. He stepped inside. "Oh," he said, his voice flattening.

 

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

 

"That's…a lot of books." He came back into the main room. "How did you get those in there so fast?"

 

Neither Aya nor Ningal answered.

 

Sam sighed. From the corner of her eye, she caught Colonel O'Neill leaning on the bathroom doorway, now looking thoroughly amused. Sam just ignored him.

 

"It might be better to answer him," Sam whispered to Aya. "He's just going to keep asking."

 

Aya shot her a disgusted look, but complied anyway. "We have a rings system in the hallway. It makes transportation of large goods easier."

 

Daniel nodded. "Though, that would make sense with the Goa'uld," he said through a half closed mouth. Then, he was back to the spare room.

 

"You have everything that you requested," Aya said. "You should not be in need throughout the night. But if you require assistance, there is a communicator on the wall."

 

"Yes," said Ningal. "And the books are from my personal collections. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me."

 

Though the sentiment was nice, Sam didn't feel any warmth in Ningal's voice. She started to think this stay was going to be a long and grueling one.

 

"I have a question," Daniel said, poking his head out of the spare.

 

"Daniel…" O'Neill warned.

 

"No, no. Just a quick question." Daniel turned to Ningal. "So, what do you do?"

 

Ningal did not answer.

 

"Are you a historian?

 

Ningal rolled her eyes, keeping her gaze above Daniel's head. "No, I am not."

 

"Daniel," O'Neill said, plopping himself down on Sam's large bed. "Stop nagging the woman."

 

"Sir?" Sam asked.

 

"All right. All right," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "It's your mission." He leaned back, his smile widening.

 

Sam clenched her teeth, doing everything in her power to keep her frustration at bay. Both Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were not making her job any easier. At least she could count on Teal'c.

 

When she went to ask for his assistance in keeping O'Neill and Daniel in line, she found that Teal'c was already busy. Busy eyeing the young Aya from head to toe.

 

Sam's scowl deepened.

 

"No, I'm just curious," Daniel said, speaking to Ningal again. "These are your books, though, right?"

 

"Yes," Ningal said with irritation. "I am spiritual advisor to the Beleti Anu."

 

"Oh, like a vizier. You would be the best one to know about customs and rituals associated with the goddess."

 

For the first time since they had met her, Ningal appeared interested in SG-1. "You seek knowledge of the ways of our goddess?"

 

"Indeed," Teal'c said, joining Daniel.

 

Ningal smiled, arching her eyebrows. "Nammu is our supreme goddess. When she returns, you may ask her." With that, Ningal turned her back on them and exited the room.

 

Aya grimaced, caught between an unspoken apology over Ningal's behavior, and her own annoyance with Sam's team. "You have what you need," she said quickly. "Goodnight."

 

Sam watched her go. As soon as the doors shut behind Aya, she turned to the three men that were starting to make her life a living hell. "Can you make it any more difficult for me?"

 

"Relax, Carter," O'Neill said. He was still on her bed. "Everything's under control."

 

Sam was starting to think it wasn't. With a sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair, taking another look around the room. She figured that she and Daniel were going to be up all night pouring over the information that Anu had provided for them. At the same time, she also thought this suite might be too comfy for her own good.

 

"Teal'c, do you think Ningal was telling the truth?" Sam asked. "Do you think this Nammu goddess is on her way back?"

 

"It is highly unlikely," he said.

 

"Why's that?" O'Neill asked, raising his head to catch a glimpse at Teal'c.

 

The corner of Teal'c's mouth twisted into a knowing smile. "Nammu was killed in battle by Ra's forces many years ago." The smile remained as he moved to allow Daniel access to the spare room.

 

"Nice," Colonel O'Neill said. After Daniel reemerged carrying an armful of literature, he sunk back onto the bed. "That solves that problem."

 

Sam glared at her commanding officer. O'Neill grinned, stretching his sweaty body all over her freshly laid sheets. While she was glad that she didn't have to worry about the possibility of a contagion, a Goa'uld returning, or some slave trader coming to snatch the rest of her team, Sam was getting annoyed that Colonel O'Neill seemed to be making a concentrated effort to dirty her sheets. And while Sam was used to sleeping in tents, dirt, mud, and God knows what else, there was a perfectly good bed waiting for her right there.

 

He turned his head and raised his eyebrows. "Problem, Carter?"

 

Dammit, he knew it. "You find this amusing, sir?"

 

"Yup. Now you know how it feels when I'm in charge." He moved back to face the ceiling, before he laced his fingers behind the back of his head and closed his eyes. "This time, I have the easier job."

 

That was it. Sam narrowed her eyes. Teal'c and Daniel took a step back.

 

"You think my job is easy?" She grabbed one of the scrolls from Daniel's hands and tossed it at O'Neill. "You read those schematics and tell me."

 

Colonel O'Neill winced and rubbed his arm, despite the fact the scroll was made out of a light, durable paper. Slowly, he unraveled it and shook his head, tossing it aside. "Lighten up, Carter. Everything's turned out fine."

 

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing you are?" Sam finally said, again addressing all three of them. "That banquet could have been a disaster." She stopped, finally realizing what this was about and crossed her arms. "You're getting even with me."

 

"We were hungry, Carter. Hungry." Colonel O'Neill stretched his arms over his head, his keen sense of detail coming to the fore as he studied the room. "If you hadn't taken four hours to eat one damn plate, maybe we would have shown some better manners."

 

Sam snorted. "We're trying to impress these people. Our aerial surveys show high concentrations of naquadah in their soil."

 

"Right now, I'm thinking that's the least of our worries," he muttered.

 

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think Jack's right," Daniel said, causing O'Neill to sit with a start. "If we're going to go by what Anu has told us, that men on this planet are born with this disease, one that gets worse over time, and there used to be a Goa'uld on this planet…"

 

"You're thinking genetic manipulation," Sam said.

 

O'Neill groaned. "Please tell me Shamu isn't Nirrti."

 

"Nammu," Daniel corrected. "And no. I mean, I don't think so…"

 

"As I have said, Nammu is dead," Teal'c said. "Nirrti and Nammu are not one and the same."

 

"And you're sure she – it – is dead?" O'Neill asked.

 

"Indeed."

 

Sam still was bothered by this scenario, as she knew they all were. Her gaze fell back to the stack that Daniel was balancing in his arms. It was possible that the answers they were looking for could be buried in the vast amount of books and tablets that had been sent to them. Sam knew one thing for sure; standing around arguing all night wasn't going to find them the answer.

 

She sighed, giving one last longing look to her bed before she reached over and grabbed some of the documents from Daniel. "I guess we should start," she said.

 

 

Chapter 4

 

Sam awoke during the night, but she wasn't sure of the exact time. The heaviness behind her eyelids told her that it was still long before morning, at least according to Earth time – but the rumbling in her stomach indicated dawn wasn't as far off as she'd originally assessed.

 

She sighed and rubbed her face, fighting off the grogginess so she could collect herself.  As the room came into focus and her head cleared, she let out a small groan. She knew studying on the bed had been a bad idea.

 

The mattress was just too comfortable; she couldn't help it.

 

With another sigh, Sam stretched out her legs and carefully put aside the schematics she'd been studying hours before.  As she rose, she stopped and looked to her left. To her surprise, Colonel O'Neill was curled up beside her, fast asleep. She studied him briefly, hesitant whether to wake him or not. Off-world Colonel O'Neill was nothing but vigilant. He was an alert and able-bodied soldier. But she'd heard that off-duty he could stay dead to the world for hours.

 

Sam knew she was probably overreacting, but with last night's talk of a debilitating disease embedded in the male population of this planet, she couldn't help but be concerned. Colonel O'Neill was no exception.

 

As she reached over to touch his shoulder, she froze, getting the distinct impression she was being watched. When she looked over he shoulder, her impulse was correct. Teal'c watched her from beside the doorway.

 

"Teal'c?" she whispered. "Are you okay?"

 

"You are concerned," he stated evenly. His gaze flickered to O'Neill. "His shift ended not long ago."

 

Sam found herself fighting to hide an embarrassed smile. "I guess I'm the one who should feel foolish."

 

"How are you foolish?" he asked.

 

Sam chuckled softly and ran her fingers through her disheveled hair. "I was out like a light, Teal'c. I need to be more alert."

 

"You were in need of rest." She could see a hint of a smile on his face even through the darkness. "Now you are awake."

 

"Now I am awake," she said with a smile. She slid off the bed and stretched, grabbing some of the schematics, while careful not to awaken her sleeping CO. "Maybe you should get some rest, too."

 

"I do not require sleep."

 

"I said rest. I'm sure there's no harm in getting your fair share of kel'no'reem."

 

"There is not." He started toward the spare room, but paused, half of his body highlighted into the room's faint light. "Are you certain you will not require my assistance?"

 

She smiled. "If I do, you'll be the first to know."

 

This seemed to please Teal'c. He bowed to her in that respectful manner of his, before he slipped into the next room.

 

Sam rolled back her shoulders, relaxing. She felt good after a comfortable night's sleep, feeling some of last night's tension melt away. And with Teal'c ready in the next room, she really had no reason to be tense.

 

Satisfied with their situation, Sam started across the room, careful not to trip on any of the books or tablets that were strewn across the floor. What she found in the corner did not surprise her.

 

Daniel slept in the corner, his legs spread out, mouth open, while his head rested on a pile of tablets stacked on his lap. On either side of him towered a mountain of books, with his body nearly lost in the sea of scattered scrolls and pamphlets in between. The plush couch that rested against the wall remained unused.

 

Sam grabbed a couple of grapes from the fruit bowl on a nearby table and popped them in her mouth. Her new goal was Daniel. She squeezed by another tower of books before she crouched in front of him.

 

"Daniel," she whispered. She hated to wake him, but she couldn't let him stay in his awkward position any longer. "Daniel."

 

He didn't move. She didn't think he would. He was as gone as Colonel O'Neill.

 

"Daniel," she tried again, this time tapping his shoulder.

 

He opened one of his eyes, his line of vision skewed by his crooked glasses. He blinked at her sleepily before he finally raised his head and winced. Immediately, he brought his hand to his neck and started rubbing at his muscles.

 

Sam cringed. That could not have been comfortable.

 

"I must have fallen asleep," he mumbled.

 

"I don't blame you," she said, nudging her chin at the litany of text in front of them. "You can read all of these?"

 

He opened his mouth, but instead of answering her, he let out a long, stiff yawn. He shook his head. "The language and writing has evolved since last on Earth, and they have adapted cuneiform to be used on a variety of different media." He yawned again and slipped his fingers under his glasses, rubbing at his sandy eyes. "The cuneiform on Nem's planet was Akkadian and that was hard enough. And I could only make out half of the rules we read earlier." He yawned again. "In ancient times, cuneiform was so wide-spread that different towns and cities used their own code and…"

 

By then, Sam realized Daniel was mumbling incoherently, still half asleep. She nudged him.

 

"Sorry," he said.

 

Sam gave him a sympathetic squeeze before she rose and managed to reach the couch. She hoped Daniel would take the hint and follow her.

 

He did.

 

Daniel settled down beside her, spilling the half a dozen books he'd been carrying onto their laps. He sent her an apologetic look, but quickly recovered the books, opening one in particular. Sam leaned over to catch a glimpse.

 

Gibberish. The schematics were hard enough to decipher, and they were mainly drawings and sketches. Whatever was written in these books went far beyond her understanding.

 

"What are you showing me?" she asked.

 

"I can't make out everything," he told her. "The sheer volume of material alone is enough to keep me busy for a lifetime. But," he said, holding up a finger. He licked it and then flipped the next page. "I did find some interesting historical documents."

 

Sam straightened in her seat, feeling her anticipation rise over the thought of a new discovery. "What do they say?" she asked.

 

"As far as I can tell, not a whole lot," he said grimly. "Just that Nammu put the Blight on the men before she left the planet."

 

"Why just the men?" Sam asked. She had a hard time imagining the Goa'uld would favor anyone.  

 

Daniel shrugged. "The details are vague. Something about the women are stronger. Dedication temple…something, something. Other than that, much of their text is just a reiteration of the rules in place governing male and female behavior."

 

Sam frowned. "Censorship?"

 

"It's possible." He tossed the book aside and grabbed another. "Or more like propaganda."

 

Sam sighed. If Anu genuinely wanted them to help her and her people, providing propaganda and censored materials wouldn't get them anywhere. It didn't make sense.

 

"You said there was something interesting?" she asked, leaning into the cushions.

 

"A lot of these are medical records," he said pointing to the massive scrolls on the floor. "Most of their medical terminology is lost on me, but I can make out words and phrases."

 

"We probably should have Doctor Fraiser take a look at them," she said before waiting for him to continue.

 

Daniel nodded. "I can't be certain for sure, but I'm reading that the men are given supplements throughout their lives to help them fight the Blight, and oh…"

 

"Oh?" Sam leaned in a little closer, her curiosity piqued, and only then realizing Daniel was blushing. "What?" she asked, keeping her tone playful.

 

"Apparently then men suffer from…" His voice trailed off again and he started making vague gestures towards his body.

 

"Suffer from what?" O'Neill asked, calling from across the room.

 

Sam bobbed her head up to see him sitting on the bed, his hair poking out in every direction as he tried to maintain his dignity. He had managed to make himself look worse than Daniel.

 

When Daniel made more gestures, O'Neill sighed and slid to the edge of the bed. "What?" he asked again.

 

"Uh, aside from being treated for muscle weakness, fatigue, poor memory, and other symptoms…" Daniel inhaled while O'Neill motioned for him to get to the point. "They have…dysfunctional problems."

 

Sam blinked. Had she heard that right? "Diminished virility?" she asked.

 

Colonel O'Neill stared at him. "What?"

 

Daniel coughed.  "The guys can't get it up, so to speak."

 

"I know what it means," O'Neill muttered. He looked uncomfortable. "We're sure this thing isn't catchy, right?"

 

Sam twisted her fingers. It was her turn to feel uncomfortable. "There's no way we can be certain that you haven't been exposed to anything on the planet." She offered an uneasy smile when her CO started to scowl. "However, based on the information Daniel has found and the statements from our hosts, there is little reason to fear an all out contagion."

 

"If you want to believe these people," O'Neill muttered.

 

"Are you okay?" she asked them. "Do you feel any different or--?"

 

"I'm fine," Daniel said quickly, burying his head in the pages of the book so she couldn't see him.

 

"I do not feel a difference," Teal'c said, appearing in the doorway. When Colonel O'Neill didn't say anything, Teal'c turned and arched his eyebrow. "Do you feel a lack in your virility, O'Neill?"

 

"Hey, my 'virility' is just fine, thanks," he answered with a deeper scowl. "Besides, I'm more concerned with all this propaganda."

 

Sam leaned back. So he hadn't been sleeping after all. "We're not sure that's what it is, sir."

 

"What did you find?" he asked Daniel directly.

 

"Well, the men are given gishtil to fight off the Blight. Now, gishtil roughly translates into 'vehicle of life,' which would make sense if they were given supplements." He paused, the lines in his brow deepening. "Unless that's gistukul, which means weapon, so…"

 

 "Bottom line this for me," O'Neill said to the both of them in his no nonsense voice.

 

"We need access to the temple," Sam and Daniel said together.

 

Colonel O'Neill stared at them.

 

"What is this temple of which you speak?" Teal'c asked, stepping into the main room.

 

"Daniel mentioned a temple in his translations," Sam said. "There might be Goa'uld schematics locked inside that I could use to reference the ones that Anu provided for us."

 

"And help me place the cuneiform texts into context if I can find a point of reference," Daniel added. "If Nammu was experimenting on these people, she's bound to have some kind of log in Goa'uld that either Teal'c or myself can read."

 

"You do realize this is not going to go over well with the ladies," O'Neill told them.

 

All eyes turned to Sam. She sighed.

 

"I'll see what I can do."

 

"I will not let them in."

 

"If they are able, who is to say they cannot enter?" Anu asked Ningal.

 

The other woman snorted. "The temple is my domain just as the government is yours." She cast an uneasy look at Sam and the rest of SG-1. "They are impure."

 

Sam glanced over at Colonel O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c. The three of them were watching the debate about their purity with relative ease, though Sam had a feeling that they would become impatient if something didn't break soon.

 

"Ningal, I shall speak with you outside. Siduri, see to them." With that, Anu led Ningal into the hallway, shutting the door to the suite.

 

Sam refocused on her team.

 

"Is this really necessary?" O'Neill asked, scowling as Siduri grabbed his wrists and turned them to study his hands.

 

"She's checking to make sure you're pure, Jack." Daniel's eyes twinkled with mischief.

 

Jack glared at him. "Oh yeah? You sure she's not a palm reader?"

 

Siduri dipped her head, frowning, as she stared at O'Neill. Then, she went back to examining him.

 

Sam sighed and turned away as she started to hear the two of them bicker. She played referee enough on standard missions. She didn't need to do it here, too.

 

While Siduri checked out her team's "vitals," Sam moved over to the bed and glanced over the schematics she'd been studying all night. For the most part, she could make out some of the more basic functions. The sketches were straightforward enough, but the technical script that accompanied them meant nothing to her. Daniel had managed to translate some of the text for her, but since he claimed that the writing evolved over the years, he hadn't gotten very far. What they really needed was something solid for comparison.

 

She hoped that their hunch was right; the temple had to store old Goa'uld texts.

 

Sam rolled up the schematics and piled them neatly on the bed before she checked her vest, making sure she had everything she needed. When she turned back to the rest of her team, she frowned. Siduri had withdrawn a small cloth and was stretching her arm out towards Daniel.

 

"Hey!" Sam shouted, watching Daniel flinch as he drew back. Teal'c and O'Neill converged on the Sinnu woman, but Siduri just remained still, if not a little flustered.

 

"Irnini Sam, it is only the Cloth of Tabalu," Siduri said gently. She held up the simple yellow cloth.

 

Sam stared at the dripping towel before she brought her gaze to Daniel.

 

"I think it means 'take away,'" he said.

 

"Take away what?" Colonel O'Neill asked.

 

"Your impurities," Siduri said. "If you wish to enter the temple, you must be clean."

 

Sam looked to O'Neill for confirmation. He didn't look happy about the situation, but he gave her a nod of approval. Sam understood, but stepped over to Siduri to investigate the towel just in case.

 

She glanced down into the bucket, tilting the lip so she could get a better look inside. Sam stuck her finger inside, splashed at the liquid, and then drew her fingers near her nose. It smelled like perfumed water.

 

Sam fought to keep from smiling, but the thought of the rest of her team parading around the town smelling of berries and flowers was too much for her.

 

"Carter?" O'Neill asked. She could see he was eyeing her closely, no doubt seeing right through her veiled attempt to hide her amusement.

 

"It's perfume, sir," Sam said, her face breaking into a smile.

 

Teal'c leaned over Daniel's shoulder to gaze into the bucket. "I will not be scented."

 

Siduri looked to Sam for help.

 

"It's just water," Sam said. "And if it's our way of getting access to the temple…"

 

Daniel sighed and took off his glasses. "All right." He scratched at his head, his gaze flickering over the towel. "Do I--?"

 

"Hold still," Siduri told him. Gently, she took the cloth and wiped his forehead before moving down to his cheeks, his nose, his chin, and down over his neck. "That is all."

 

Daniel blinked and slipped on his glasses, moving so that O'Neill could take his place. Teal'c hung back behind them, still frowning with displeasure. Sam stood silent as she watched Siduri cleanse Colonel O'Neill and then a reluctant Teal'c. When she was finished, the room had the pleasant scent of fruit with just a hint of what Sam thought was lavender.

 

She grinned, enjoying every minute.

 

"I'm glad you're amused, Carter," O'Neill said, strapping on his gear. He checked his sidearm and then his P-90. "You have heard of payback, right?"

 

"Oh, yes, sir," Sam said.

 

Daniel chuckled. "I think that's what this is."

 

O'Neill just shook his head at the comment, but Sam could see that he was holding back a smile of his own. Teal'c and Daniel geared up along with her as they waited for Anu and Ningal to return. Siduri watched them in silence, though Sam could see that something was disturbing her.

 

"Is there something wrong?" Sam asked her.

 

"I mean no disrespect, Irnini Sam, but what are these that your men carry?" She stepped toward Colonel O'Neill, holding out her hand to feel his gun.

 

O'Neill took a step back. "It might be best for you not to touch."

 

"Why is this?" the small woman asked.

 

"You could be injured," Teal'c answered.

 

Siduri's face drained of color. "Weapons?"

 

"We're trained and skilled to use weaponry," Sam said. "But they are for protection only. We don't mean—"

 

"Does Beleti know of this?" Siduri asked.

 

"I would think so," Sam said. "We've been carrying them since we first arrived."

 

Siduri shook her head, clearly shaken. "I must tell Beleti."

 

"Whoa, hey!" O'Neill called.

 

Sam went to intercept the woman, but she had already stepped outside of the suite. Anu and Ningal quickly followed her inside, both wearing faces wrought with concern.

 

"The carrying of weapons by men is forbidden," Anu said. "It is for their own protection."

 

"Beleti," Sam said. "You know that my men are not like your own. We have been carrying our belongings for over a day without any problem."

 

"And I have been patient with your ways for just as long," she said. "I am afraid that I must ask them to lay down their weapons. It is for them and for us."

 

The flicker in Anu's eyes told Sam that the leader knew more than she was saying. Sam nodded, taking the hint.

 

"Sir…"

 

Ningal extended her hand.

 

"Oh, I don't think so," O'Neill said, holding his P-90 closer.

 

"Jack, we should follow their customs."

 

"Not gonna happen."

 

"Sir, please. If we want access to the temple, we need to cooperate."

 

"We will not harm you. You are all under my protection," Anu stated.

 

Colonel O'Neill shook his head, but handed over his weapon to Sam. He instructed Teal'c and Daniel to do the same. First, Sam took a zat from Daniel and then one from Teal'c. She said nothing as Teal'c continued to hold onto his staff weapon, and she didn't bother to mention the sidearm that Daniel and O'Neill held snug in their holsters.

 

Quietly, Sam gathered the weapons and covered them in a blanket, entering the spare room and tucking them underneath one of the cots. When she reemerged, she found Ningal and Siduri staring intently at Teal'c's staff weapon.

 

"We have seen these before," Ningal said. "In our histories."

 

Daniel and Sam exchanged an uneasy look.

 

"It's a walking stick," O'Neill said quickly.

 

Teal'c bowed his head. "Indeed."

 

"A walking stick?" Ningal sounded skeptical.

 

"Yeah," O'Neill said. "You know, a walking stick."

 

Daniel nodded. "Used for…"

 

"Walking," O'Neill said.

 

Daniel nodded again. "Walking."

 

Sam closed her eyes, part of her trying to will herself away. When she opened them, she found Teal'c demonstrating how he walked with the stick. God help her.

 

Anu smiled and patted Teal'c on the shoulder. "Indeed it is. I believe it will serve you well on your way to the temple."

 

Sam caught Ningal scowling, though there was little doubt who had won in their squabble. With a sigh, Ningal waved her hand, beckoning them to follow as she exited the suite and started down the hall. Sam followed, but she was held back by Anu as the rest of her teammates chartered forward.

 

"I would like to speak with you," Anu said quietly.

 

Sam paused, shifting her P-90 to the side, and stopped in the doorway. She edged over to allow Siduri room to slip by. "Is there a problem?" Sam asked, locking the door.

 

"No," Anu said with a kindly smile. "But I need to speak with you about your men."

 

Sam tried not to grimace from the tone in the Sinnu leader's voice. She knew a lecture when she heard one.

 

"I know that your men are strong, stronger than any I have ever seen. And I give you many liberties as an honored guest. However," she said, her voice becoming stern, "our ways are not your ways. And we do not take kindly to deception. I have allowed for your men to carry their concealed weapons and for your Jaffa to keep his staff, but I warn you to take care in your choices, Irnini. Where I may offer you safety and protection, I do not have eyes that see all. I fear that you may anger the wrong people."

 

Sam nodded, any and all humor gone from her thoughts. Anu wasn't just giving her advice. She was giving her a warning.

 

"Are you in danger?" Sam asked quickly. "Do you have enemies we should know about? Are you in need--?"

 

Anu shook her head and stroked Sam's arm. "Your kindness warms me, Irnini. And I know that you are just. All I ask of you is to keep your men in their place."

 

Sam wanted to shout at her. She wanted to ask her how she could be so biased. Sam thought maybe four years ago she would have made a scene and would have cried out against the injustice. But now, she found she couldn't.

 

"Yes, Beleti," Sam finally said, even though she felt sick. Even years after the fact, her treatment at the hands of Turghan left her feeling cold and angry. While she enjoyed ribbing on Daniel, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c since their stay with Sinnu, the idea that any of them could be treated or were expected to be treated in the ways she had been handled by Turghan made her skin crawl. It was embarrassing and humiliating.

 

Angry with herself and their situation, Sam stormed down the hallway to meet up with the rest of her team.

 

"Sir, I need to have a word with you. It's important."

 

Colonel O'Neill slowed long enough to allow his pace to match with hers. "Problem, Major?"

 

"Sir, I feel it's imperative that we keep a low profile here," she said. The two of them walked behind Daniel and Teal'c, who in turn followed Ningal and Siduri, as they made their way through the streets of the city. "I feel it's in our best interest."

 

O'Neill gave her a stern look. "What did she say?"

 

Sam didn't answer. She turned her head to study their surroundings, finding her hand clamped down protectively on her P-90. All around her were small but well kept homes – neat little one to two room buildings that appeared to be made of mud and stone. Some of the bigger buildings, probably merchant shops, had gold inlays while others had the distinct taste of naquadah. She even caught a small crowd outside of what looked like a fruit stand. But all in all, the streets were sparsely populated.

 

"Carter?"

 

She turned to O'Neill. "Anu warned me about your behavior."

 

His eyes darkened. "You mean she threatened you."

 

"No, sir. I really believe she has our best interests in mind."

 

"What are we talking about here?" he asked.

 

"Just to keep it in line," Sam said. When his lips twitched with disapproval, she shook her head. "I know what you're thinking. I don't like it any more than you do. But we'll go to the temple, check in with General Hammond, and then we can decide where to go from there."

 

Colonel O'Neill regarded her thoughtfully, keeping silent as they walked. After several minutes had passed, he finally spoke.

 

"And you think this necessary?"

 

"Extremely necessary. And the least we can do is to try to help these people. Not to mention, it might benefit us in the long run."

 

O'Neill nodded. "All right. We'll—" He frowned, and to Sam's dismay, veered away from her. "For cryin' out loud. Daniel!"

 

She could see him. Daniel had broken from the group, heading toward a young man sweeping dirt off his front steps. The man froze when he saw them approaching and almost disappeared into his home. Daniel caught him first.

 

"Excuse me," Daniel said, reaching the steps. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."

 

The man stumbled back, clinging to his broom. Sam thought he looked scared to death.

 

"Daniel, maybe we shouldn't bother him," Sam said.

 

"Well, we're never going to get any answers if we don't ask questions."

 

"I understand that." She looked to Teal'c and O'Neill for help.

 

"Perhaps this is not a good time, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

 

"It's never a good time," Daniel mumbled.

 

"Daniel," Jack called. He waggled his fingers. "A word."

 

Sam stepped out of the way so that Daniel could move to join Colonel O'Neill. She started after Teal'c to meet with Daniel and O'Neill, but she found that she couldn't look away from the native man. He looked sickly, face drawn and pale. He was thin, tired and fragile.

 

He was everything Sam felt he shouldn't be.

 

"I'm sorry," Sam said to the man, feeling Ningal approach from behind.

 

The local man nodded, though the distress did not leave his eyes. As she and Ningal walked away, Sam was positive that she felt his longing gaze linger on her teammates after they disappeared.

 

She felt uneasy again.

 

"You must learn to control your men!" Ningal snapped. "They cannot handle this stress!"

 

"I've already spoken to them," Sam said coolly, watching Daniel and O'Neill converse. "It won't happen again."

 

"You'll be the death of us all," Ningal mumbled, charging ahead.

 

Sam let her go, but couldn't shake the uneasiness she'd felt. Maybe Ningal was right. Maybe she would be their undoing. As she took one last glance back to the local by his door, she could only hope that she was wrong.

 

 

Chapter 5

 

"You've got to be kidding me," O'Neill said.

 

"I cannot let you enter," Ningal said simply. "You will wait outside for us to finish."

 

SG-1 stood at the doors of the modest temple. Though it was dwarfed by the size of the ziggurat, the temple still held a magic and majesty all its own, serving as its own separate entity. Sam could understand why the structure seemed to hold so much power. She could feel the naquadah pulsing inside its walls.

 

"You mean to say we came all this way, and you're not going to let us inside?" Daniel asked.

 

Ningal glared at him. "No."

 

Daniel glared back.

 

Sam had the impression that this was becoming personal.

 

"I need then to accompany me into the temple," Sam said. "It's important."

 

"They are not pure."

 

"Did we not just undergo the rite of purification before traveling here?" Teal'c asked.

 

"But you are not blessed by the goddess," Ningal answered.

 

O'Neill mumbled something unintelligible under his breath as he rubbed at his eyes. Sam could tell that he was losing patience quickly, and apparently, Daniel wasn't far behind. He looked as thought he would pop.

 

"Is there anything they can do to enter the temple?' Sam asked.

 

Ningal studied her briefly before she turned her attention to the rest of SG-1. Her usual persistent frown was replaced by a smile. "I can bless them."

 

"Fine. Bless us," O'Neill said.

 

Ningal nodded and disappeared into the temple. That left the four of them standing alone for the time being.

 

Sam seized her opportunity. "Sir, I have some concerns."

 

O'Neill took off his cap and faced her. "Like what?"

 

"I couldn't help but notice that during our walk here, there were no children."

 

"So?" O'Neill shrugged. "Maybe they were inside."

 

"How is this of concern to us, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

 

"Of course!" Daniel exclaimed, beating her to the chase. "That makes perfect sense."

 

"What makes perfect sense?' O'Neill asked.

 

"Sir, if the men are suffering from some form of erectile dysfunction, then it would make sense that there would be a low birth rate."

 

O'Neill blinked at her. "Okay, first of all, let's not call it that."

 

Sam nodded. "What would you like to call it?"

 

"Nothing at all."

 

Sam sighed and shifted her weight to her right foot. He just shrugged and put his cap back on.

 

"It would explain a lot, wouldn't it?" Daniel said, sounding distracted as he searched the outside walls of the temple. "We were wondering how the population sustained itself. If they have a low birth rate and a small population, then they might actually have enough resources to maintain their numbers."

 

Only Sam didn't think they were maintaining their numbers at all. She felt her stomach flop from the memory of the withering man they'd encountered in the city.

 

"They're dying," she said sadly.

 

"If it is indeed true that the men of this world are born with this inability, then it is possible the Goa'uld have tampered with them," Teal'c said.

 

"But why?" she asked, her voice raw as she remained haunted by both the fate of Anu's husband and the local man's appearance. "Why would a Goa'uld make efforts to effectively destroy her own power base?"

 

"Don't know," O'Neill said. "But it's worth finding out. Maybe Perky there knows something."

 

Ningal reappeared at the door, carrying a small bowl. "I will bless you and then you may enter."

 

Daniel stepped forward first, though his enthusiasm seemed to have dipped to an all time low. Wearing a scowl that mimicked Ningal's, Daniel waited for her to begin. Sam watched as the priestess anointed his forehead with a coarse, sticky paste, rubbing it into his skin. Daniel wrinkled his nose as she chanted a blessing over him. When Ningal was finished, she urged him inside.

 

Colonel O'Neill stepped forward next. "What the hell is that?" he asked.

 

Ningal rubbed the paste onto his forehead, said a few words, and moved aside so he could enter. "It is the remains from our most holy of lizards."

 

O'Neill frowned. "Remains as in…"

 

"Sacred excrement," Ningal said proudly.

 

Sam bit her lip, trying to hold back a laugh. When Teal'c looked away, she knew he felt the same way.

 

O'Neill's face fell. "You mean you just smeared me with sh—"

 

"Sir," Sam warned.

 

O'Neill shook his head, thoroughly disgusted. Readjusting his cap, he charged inside the temple.

 

Ningal performed the same ritual onto Teal'c. Only, when she was finished, he did not move from his spot.

 

"Teal'c?" Sam asked.

 

"I cannot enter."

 

"But you have been blessed," Ningal said with a frown.

 

Teal'c nodded. "I have allowed you to bless me to show my support in the actions of Major Carter." His face became cold. "I do not believe in your goddess, nor will I enter her place of worship."

 

Sam rubbed his arm, genuinely appreciating the gesture. But she couldn't just leave him alone at the gates to the temple.

 

Teal'c seemed to understand her concerns. "I will be fine. I will stand guard while you explore the temple."

 

Sam knew that there was no arguing with Teal'c when he got like this, so she just gave him another affectionate pat before entering the temple with Ningal.

 

It was amazing.

 

Just as gilded as the ziggurat, if not more, the temple was a shining edifice of power, might, and prestige. Sam assumed the proud statues that lined the sides of the temple were representations of Nammu. She also noticed unmistakable writing lining the walls around the main altar.

 

"It's Goa'uld," Daniel said. He broke from them and approached the altar, standing in front of it as he read the inscriptions.

 

"Do not step on the altar!" Ningal warned.

 

Sam wasn't sure if Daniel was listening or not, but he didn't attempt to move any closer.

 

"Do you know what it says?" O'Neill asked.

 

"Yeah, I think so…" Daniel said. "It's definitely a place belonging to Nammu."

 

Sam didn't mind the confirmation, but that wasn't really useful information. "What else does it say?"

 

He was mumbling now, the Goa'uld coming harsh and fast from his lips, but garbled to the point beyond recognition. Then, suddenly, he turned to Ningal. "Do you have any tablets?"

 

She looked taken aback.

 

"Tablets," he repeated. "Or scrolls. Books…"

 

"You can read this?" she asked, sounding shocked, as she pointed to the inscriptions above the altar.

 

He nodded. "It's an obscure dialect, but I can make out most of it. Teal'c can always help with the rest."

 

Ningal stared at him.

 

"He's fluent," Sam told her.

 

Ningal looked away and rubbed her hands together. She turned her back to them to gaze at the altar.

 

"That a problem?" O'Neill asked.

 

"No," Ningal said quickly. "It is not. I will take you to the tablets." Without looking back, she left them and entered another room.

 

"Daniel?" O'Neill frowned, taking a step toward him.

 

"The altar inscriptions talk about her being 'mother of the gods' and 'creator of all.'"

Sam's grip on her weapon tightened. She didn't like where this was going.

 

"Please tell me it's not Hathor," O'Neill said.

 

"No. No," he said, looking confused. "Not Hathor. But I'm pretty sure she's a Goa'uld queen. In Babylonian, she could have been known as Tiamat."

 

"She's dead," Sam said.

 

"Yes. And there's no saying she is the same Goa'uld. Remember, the Goa'uld have taken names for various Earth mythology. They may be different, or they could be related for all we know."

 

"How is this helping us?" O'Neill asked impatiently.

 

Daniel leaned forward, lowering his voice, only adding another layer of anxiety to Sam's already uneasy outlook. "It doesn't just say she's creator of all. It says she's creator of man."

 

Jack glanced at the altar before focusing on Daniel. "Figure of speech?"

"No."

 

"So, we're going with the theory that Nammu somehow genetically altered these men," Sam said.

 

"I'm figuring that she must have some more information describing her accomplishments stored on tablets or other records," Daniel said. "I think our history has shown us the Goa'uld are nothing if not self-absorbed."

 

"To the tablets it is, then," O'Neill said, leading them into the next room.

 

When they made their way into the small storage area, Sam could see that Ningal was busily working her way through the tablets, sorting them into different piles. Sam glanced over to Colonel O'Neill. He raised his eyebrows. Sam knew that he felt the same way. Ningal was taking the selective route.

 

"What's on those?" Daniel asked.

 

"It is nothing," Ningal said. "Just more of our rules and laws."

 

"Oh? I'd like to…"

 

Ningal stepped between Daniel and tablets before thrusting a different tablet into his hands. "This describes some of our history. I believe that you would be interested in this one."

 

"Actually, I'm interested in all of them," he said.

 

"You cannot stay in the temple to read these. And it would be too strenuous to carry all of these back," she said, pushing the tablets farther out of Daniel's reach.

 

"Oh, I agree. But I don't need to bring them back with me," he said.

 

Ningal frowned. "No?"

 

Immediately, Daniel started to unpack some of his equipment. Sam saw the chalk was the first to emerge followed by some wax paper. She and O'Neill remained by his side, watching carefully in case his actions caused Ningal to act out of turn.

 

She didn't.

 

Daniel got to work on his rubbings, working quickly and efficiently. Sam knew that he had the habit of lingering, stopping after he'd done a rubbing to read what he'd done. Daniel loved his work. But she was surprised to find him fly through the tablets, as if he wanted get out there as soon as possible. That worried her.

 

And based on Ningal's contorted faces, she wasn't happy with Daniel's rubbings either.

 

"I'm done," he said, quickly shoving his work into his bag.

 

"Good," O'Neill said. "Then we'll just be on our way." He dipped the tip of his hat to Ningal. "Ma'am."

 

Ningal didn't smile. "I will have you escorted to the Apsu." She pointed to the door. "It is time for you to go."

 

Sam led the way with O'Neill and Daniel in tow. As they approached the door, Sam found Teal'c waiting for them. She offered him a thankful smile, but even seeing Teal'c well couldn't ease her tension.

 

She knew Daniel had found something.

 

He hadn't said anything to them, and Colonel O'Neill hadn't pushed him to talk. Whatever he had found had to be important, much too important to discuss casually and out in the open.

 

"Was your reading successful?" Teal'c asked Daniel.

 

"We'll find out when I have a chance to better look at the text."

 

Teal'c arched an eyebrow. He understood as well.

 

As they left the temple, the four of them found Aya, Anu's daughter, waiting for them with two of the horse-beasts and a cart.  She heard a groan from her friends. But they all knew it wasn't that bad. At least they wouldn't have to walk back to the Gate.

 

Sam helped them into the cart, one by one. When she was finished, she glanced back at the temple, noting Ningal standing in the doorway. Her eyes were cool, her expression cold. Sam didn't need to say what was on her mind. Colonel O'Neill voiced it for her.

 

"She's hiding something," he said.

 

She nodded in agreement and moved away, hoisting herself onto the animal. Ningal was hiding something. And Sam was determined to find out what it was.

 

"And they're willing to trade?" Hammond asked.

 

"Yes, sir," O'Neill said, talking to the camera on the MALP. "It turns out the aerial survey was correct. They've got naquadah and a bunch of other gizmos that they seem willing to share."

 

"No strings attached?" Hammond sounded skeptical.

 

Sam moved to stand in front of the camera. "Sir, we've agreed to help the Sinnu with a medical anomaly."

 

The audio crackled and cleared, bringing Hammond's voice back to them. "What kind of anomaly?"

 

Sam glanced back to Aya who stood beside the DHD, watching them intently. When the girl found Sam watching her, she turned her head and stared into the nearby trees.

 

"There seems to be a medical situation among the men on this planet, sir," O'Neill said.

 

Another crackle, this time with a hiss. Daniel and Teal'c took a step closer to the MALP to hear.

 

"I have Doctor Fraiser with me," Hammond announced.

 

"What are the symptoms?" Janet asked.

 

"Fatigue, weakness, memory problems…" She cleared her throat. "We believe some kind of…reproductive problems with the men," Sam said, ignoring the look that Colonel O'Neill gave her. "We've noticed a very small population and the men appear to have a loss in bone and muscle mass."

 

"It sounds like a textbook example of testosterone deficiency," Janet said.

 

Sam had suspected it might be something to do with male hormones, but she hadn't wanted to vocalize it. And when she saw her teammates' faces, she was glad that she hadn't said anything.

 

Colonel O'Neill glared at the MALP. "Come again?"

 

Sam smiled, imagining Janet's face on the other side of the Gate. "It's not contagious, Colonel," Janet said with a chuckle. "In fact, all men experience a decrease in testosterone as they age. A congenital cause would be genetic and an acquired cause could happen at any point in a man's life. Acquired testosterone deficiency usually happens through damage to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, or the testes." She paused. "Sometimes it can happen through disease. How are you, Doctor Jackson, and Teal'c feeling?"

 

"Never been better," O'Neill said.

 

"I'm fine," Daniel chimed in.

 

Teal'c stood taller. "As am I."

 

Sam readjusted her P-90 and glanced back at Aya. The girl seemed fascinated by their conversation, even if she seemed confused on the specifics on how it worked. Maybe she was just in awe that a man such as General Hammond could be given such a large leadership role.

 

"The Sinnu claim the affliction begins at birth," Sam added.

 

"Hmm," Janet said.  "I'd really like to have a look at those affected and run some tests."

 

"Is it not abnormal for the majority of a population to suffer from such an affliction?" Teal'c asked.

 

"It is abnormal." There was a pause on the other end. "I assume that you have more information for me?"

 

Daniel gave Sam a pointed look, before glancing back at Aya. Sam nodded and turned to O'Neill.

 

"Teal'c, you want to show our friend your neat eyebrow trick?" Colonel O'Neill asked. 

 

Teal'c cocked his head, raising his eyebrow as he passed his staff weapon to his other hand.

 

"Perfect," O'Neill said. "Now do it some place that's not here."

 

Teal'c nodded, taking Aya by the arm and pulling her away from the DHD. When Sam felt they were out of earshot, she nodded to the camera.

 

"What's the problem, Colonel?"

 

"Not sure, General," O'Neill said. "I think Daniel is about to tell us."

 

Daniel stepped closer to the camera, coming to stand beside Sam. "Well, after encountering some resistance, we were finally able to enter the temple. Inside, there was a vast display of—"

 

"Doctor Jackson…"

 

"Right. The inscriptions I found within the temple discuss experiments that Nammu performed on the male population," Daniel said. "Apparently, she was attempting to perfect a method of weakening the male forces, probably Jaffa and other slaves, used by other Goa'uld and to give herself more power. She was out to take Ra's place in the Goa'uld family tree."

 

Sam straightened at that comment.

 

"Ambitious," O'Neill said.

 

"And this Goa'uld is dead?" Hammond asked.

 

"According to Teal'c, deader than a doornail," O'Neill said, forcing a smile.

 

"So, what does this have to do with your current situation?" Hammond's disembodied voice asked.

 

"Well, the fact is that they knew," Daniel said. "The priestess of the temple has been aware of the medical condition of the men on this planet and has kept it a secret."

 

"They obviously didn't want us to know what the Goa'uld did to the men on this planet," Sam said.

 

"At first I thought maybe it was a measure to keep stability on the planet and not throw their whole society into chaos." Daniel adjusted his glasses and looked into the camera. "But now I'm thinking that they wanted to just keep the status quo."

 

"What leads you to that conclusion, Doctor?" Hammond asked.

 

"Just a hunch. I've found some key words and references in the rubbings I've sampled from the temple. I need some time to read through them and make sure I have the proper context."

 

Sam waited as for General Hammond or Janet to speak again. She took the silence to mean they were discussing options, and that General Hammond was contemplating the information they had just given him. Sam knew that there were some risks here that Hammond wasn't keen about.

 

"I have orders to do what's necessary to acquire naquadah for our weapons program or any available technology." Hammond paused. "You're in a delicate situation, Colonel."

 

Sam tapped the butt of her gun. Ningal knew that the Goa'uld had caused the problem in the men and might even know how it was done. She was withholding that information from them, and quite possibly Anu. All of these factors created a highly unstable political situation, which, in turn, put them in a dangerous position.

 

Sam knew all of this weighed heavily on not only General Hammond's mind, but Colonel O'Neill's as well.

 

"It's your call, Colonel."

 

"I've got Carter in charge of negotiations," O'Neill told Hammond. "There are some, shall we say, sensitivities on this planet."

 

"Do you need any form of backup?" Hammond asked.

 

"No, sir. Though, we did promise the leadership here some medical help."

 

"I can have Doctor Fraiser assemble a team and have her meet you at the Gate at oh-seven hundred hours," Hammond told him. "That will give you enough time to gather additional information."

 

Sam glanced down at her watch. The time difference between this planet and Earth was great enough that it gave Sam confidence they could discover something. Janet and her team wouldn't be due until tomorrow afternoon. That gave them plenty of time to go through the material Daniel had accumulated. Between Daniel and Teal'c, she was sure they would able to discover something useful.

 

"Copy that, sir," O'Neill said.

 

The connection filled with static before clearing. "You're sure about this, Colonel?"

 

"I'm confident that Anu is trustworthy," Sam said.

 

"That's good enough for me, General."

 

"Good. I want Major Carter to stay in charge of the negotiations. I expect you to be on your best behavior, Colonel."

 

"You know me.  I'm the epitome of good behavior," he said with a smirk. "O'Neill out."

 

The transmission ended. Sam waited as Colonel O'Neill regrouped and called for everyone to gather back together. When Teal'c rejoined them, Sam didn't miss the scowl on Aya's face.

 

"All right," O'Neill said. "Let's get moving."

 

"Our weapons are still here," Colonel O'Neill said, walking out of the spare room. He stopped and stared at Sam. "What's that?"

 

"A remote that Anu gave me," Sam said. She turned it over in her hand, easily finding the crystal that served as its power source. "She gave me one of these so we could reenter the city tomorrow afternoon when Janet and her team arrive."

 

"We no longer require an escort," Teal'c stated more than asked as he looked up from a pile of rubbings that Daniel had given him.

 

Sam nodded. "She trusts that I'll keep you in line."

 

This produced two soft chuckles from O'Neill and Teal'c. Sam found herself smiling a long with them until Daniel slammed his fist down onto the table. Startled, Sam frowned at him.

 

"Daniel?" she asked.

 

"I can't concentrate with all this talking." He leaned over and grabbed his head, scratching it, as he stared at the rubbings.

 

"It's never stopped you before," O'Neill said, tossing an apple in the air and catching it.

 

Daniel glared at him. "There is a part of the text that goes into detail about the experiments. Now, if I can just figure out what Nammu wrote…"

 

The apple sailed through the air again. O'Neill caught it. "So, figure it out."

 

Daniel stood abruptly, grabbing his notes and rubbings. "I'm close. I'm so close…I just." He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "I need context."

 

And that's all he said. Without uttering another word, he stalked off to the spare room and slammed the door.

 

The three of them stared after him.

 

"Moody, much?" O'Neill asked.

 

Sam didn't know what to say. She knew that they were all tired and that Daniel was having a particularly rough time here. She hoped that after tonight, they could find what they were looking for, offer Anu some medical assistance, and wrap things up. The luxury of the suite and all its perks had started to lose most of its appeal to her.

 

She just wanted to go home.

 

"Ah well," Colonel O'Neill said, lying in her bed again. "Let Daniel work it off for now. Once he figures something out, he'll forget about it."

 

Sam sighed. She knew that O'Neill was right. She picked up the schematics she had been going over and settled in next to Teal'c, preparing for another long night.

 

 

Chapter 6

 

Sam yawned, stretching out her arms as she fought off the night's lingering sleep. Staring at alien schematics for hours on end had tested even her own patience. Normally, she could spend days poring over new technology. But when she couldn't read half of accompanying text, it put a damper on her enthusiasm. As it was, she found herself asking Teal'c for help every few minutes.

 

Speaking of Teal'c…

 

Sam did a quick search of the room, coming across books and tablets scattered about, O'Neill humming in the shower, and a few half-eaten rations intermingled with the fruit they had been given. Teal'c was nowhere in sight. She started to wonder if he had joined Daniel in the spare; the door was wide open.

 

Tentatively, Sam poked her head into the room. "Teal'c? Daniel?"

 

She didn't see Teal'c, but Daniel was asleep on one of the cots, glasses still on, with a book open and spread across his chest. Quietly, she crept into the room and tried not to trip over the piles of paper that Daniel had tossed all over the floor.

 

"Daniel?" she whispered. When he didn't awaken, she strengthened her voice. "Daniel."

 

With a sigh, Daniel shifted his body, accidentally kicking off some of the rubbings he had stacked at the end of the cot. He yawned and lifted his head, squinting at Sam.

 

"Hmm?" he asked.

 

"Have you seen Teal'c?" She surveyed the room but didn't see any sign of him.

 

"Mmm-hmm," he mumbled.

 

Sam stared at him. "Well?"

 

"Teal'c left," he said and closed his eyes.

 

"He left?" she asked.

 

No answer. Daniel was asleep again. She'd just about had it. Sam moved next to the cot, and with a frustrated sigh, she shook his shoulder.

 

At the moment they touched, Sam felt herself go cold. She felt the faint echo of naquadah as it pumped through his body.

 

Heart racing, Sam shut down all her worst fears and went for her sidearm. She flicked it out of its holster and steadied the gun, aiming for Daniel's chest.

 

"Get up," she ordered.

 

Daniel blinked at her twice, a small frown forming on his face as he started to fully waken. "Sam?" he asked.

 

Sam wasn't going to fall for it. She tightened her grip on her gun, swallowing down the pain, and focused on the problem at hand. It was all she could do.

 

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice tight.

 

His frown only deepened, his perplexed face slowly revealing hints of fear. "Sam?" He leaned forward. "Sam, it's—"

 

She cocked the weapon. He sat back down.

 

"Don't," she said. "I want to know who you are."

 

Daniel gaped at her. "I don't understand," he said.

 

"Understand!" she yelled. "I will shoot you. You know I will. You know it's what Daniel wants."

 

You know you can't, a little voice told her, tempting her to falter.

 

Sam kept her Beretta trained on Daniel as she started back towards the door. If Daniel had somehow been taken over by a Goa'uld, it might explain Teal'c's disappearance. She needed backup.

 

"Colonel!" she called.

 

"Carter?" O'Neill emerged from the main room and slipped through the doorway. He froze, partway finished drying his hair with a towel, when he saw the gun trained on Daniel.

 

"He's a Goa'uld, sir," Sam explained, never losing sight of her target. "I can sense naquadah in him."

 

"She's lying," Daniel said. "I don't know why, but she is."

 

O'Neill shot a shrewd look over at Daniel before he took a quick inventory of the room. He tossed aside the towel and motioned for her gun. "Go find Teal'c. I'll take care of him."

 

Daniel's eyes widened. "Jack!"

 

Sam nodded, making sure she kept the Beretta directed at Daniel as she made the swap. Carefully, she began to slip the gun into O'Neill's hand.

 

She felt a shiver of naquadah pass through his fingertips.

 

Immediately, Sam jerked away and aimed her weapon at her commanding officer. The shock rippled in his eyes for only an instant before the seasoned soldier took control.

 

"Carter," O'Neill said sternly.

 

"Get over there!" Sam waved him to the cot where Daniel was sitting. "Now!"

 

O'Neill raised his hands and started to scoot toward the cot. Daniel continued to observe everything, dumbfounded. Slowly, O'Neill eased himself onto the edge of the bed.

 

"Where's Teal'c?" she demanded.

 

"Don't know," O'Neill said. "Why don't you tell us?"

 

She clenched her teeth, willing herself to stay controlled while holding them at gunpoint. Neither made a move to indicate they were implanted. No flashing eyes. No metallic voice. Daniel continued to just gawk at her while O'Neill held his patient but unyielding gaze.

 

They looked so much like her friends that it hurt. But she knew what she'd felt.

 

Sam quickly searched the room, this time looking for something more useful. Books, papers, and sketches would do nothing to help her situation. She caught sight of Daniel's knapsack. She knew something inside could buy her time.

 

With controlled, deliberate steps, Sam moved toward the wall that propped up Daniel's belongings. She crouched low, still focused on her captives, as she fumbled inside his pack. Sam withdrew a handful of plastic restraints.

 

"Carter, what are you doing?" O'Neill asked, allowing his impatience to poke through.

 

She tossed a couple of restraints at him. She waved the gun at Daniel. "Tie him up."

 

O'Neill gave her an exasperated look. "Carter…"

 

"Do it," she said.

 

With a sigh, O'Neill turned to Daniel and lopped the plastic over his wrists. Then, he moved to tie Daniel's ankles.

 

"Tighter," Sam ordered.

 

His piercing gaze never left her as he pulled on the restraints. Daniel winced and grunted; O'Neill moved back and raised his hands.

 

"Now, on your knees."

 

O'Neill raised his eyes. "Excuse me?"

 

"Sam." Daniel leaned forward and wrestled with his restraints, pleading with her. "This is a mistake."

 

She hated to do it, but she ignored him. "Face the bed," she told O'Neill.

 

He complied, but grumbled as he turned. O'Neill laced his fingers behind his head before he knelt in front of the small cot. Sam then returned her attention to Daniel.

 

"Move over toward the wall," she said. When he hesitated, she brought the Beretta level with his head. "Now."

 

"You know this isn't going to work," Daniel said, his voice even. "Teal'c is going to find us and—"

 

"I said now."

 

Daniel hobbled over toward the opposite end of the cot. He crept close to his pillow, watching as Sam moved toward O'Neill. She kept her eyes on both of them as she attempted to prepare the remaining restraints.

 

Sam glared at Daniel, giving him a stern warning to stay still. Satisfied that he wasn't going to move, Sam closed in on O'Neill, using her free hand to loop the restraints around his wrists while keeping the gun aimed at his back.

 

She knew that the symbiote in O'Neill wouldn't go down without a fight. She just was a second too slow.

 

O'Neill rammed his shoulder backward, connecting with her chest just as she was bending over him. Sam gasped, feeling the sting of pain from the contact, and stumbled back, nearly tripping over some of Daniel's tablets. As she fought to recover her sense of balance, O'Neill charged her, but she was able to duck just in time.

 

She knew it wouldn't be enough. O'Neill was quick and had been part of Special Forces for a reason. The thought that a symbiote could now be in possession of all that information…

 

Colonel O'Neill grabbed her, bringing his arm around her neck in a chokehold. She struggled to break free, but O'Neill's grip was unrelenting. As he kept her close, he shook the gun free from her hand. Through the corner of her eye, she could see Daniel sliding down the length of the cot as fast as he could under restraint, pulling himself toward another cot by the opposite wall.

 

No doubt to a concealed weapon.

 

Sam couldn't allow that to happen. Catching sight of O'Neill's thumb close to her chin, Sam squirmed and tilted her head, sinking her teeth into his flesh. O'Neill howled, flinching away. It was the opportunity she had been hoping for, even if it were a gamble.

 

Sam snatched her gun from the floor, slipping under O'Neill and making for Daniel. She threw her body into his side, propelling him headlong into the floor. She cringed as she heard his skull connect with one of the tablets that had been lying by the cot. His body went limp.

 

Sam's stomach flopped at the site of his still body. But there was no time for her to delay.  When she turned to aim her weapon, O'Neill was already prepared, throwing up his arm to block her and to knock the gun from her hand.

 

O'Neill was quick. In the split second that he'd dislodged her weapon, he'd grabbed her again and dragged her away from Daniel. He kicked away some of the rubbings and books on the floor and threw her to the ground.  She grunted, hitting the floor as O'Neill pinned her in place. She fought against him, but his grip was a vice.

 

"Carter!" O'Neill yelled. "I'm not a Goa'uld!" While he held onto her, O'Neill reached over to grab the restraints she's dropped in the struggle.  His body extended into the stretch as he fumbled for the restraints. "I don't want to do this, but—"

 

She kneed him hard in the groin.

 

O'Neill winced and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. That was the distraction that she needed. Sam snatched the restraints from his hands and started to bind his writhing body. After she had secured his hands behind his back and bound his feet, she dragged him to another cot and started to anchor him to it.

 

O'Neill coughed and winced, still squirming from the attack. "Carter. If we're Goa'uld, you know we can break through these. Teal'c's already tried the restraint trick before with Hawkins and Rothamn."

 

"It's good enough for now," she said, tightening the restraints. Sam kept her weapon trained on him as she quickly jogged over to Daniel to crouch by him. With her spare hand, she pressed her fingers to his neck.

 

A pulse. Thank God.

 

Slowly, she rose to her feet and went for Daniel's pack. She grabbed the radio and held it to her lips, all the while keeping her gaze focused on O'Neill.

 

"Teal'c, this is Carter. Do you copy?"

 

No reply.

 

"Teal'c, I repeat. This is Carter. Do you copy?"

 

Still nothing. Dammit.

 

Sam backed toward the doorway that opened up into the main room, glancing over her shoulder to see if Teal'c was in sight. Naturally, he was nowhere to be found.

 

That left Sam in the middle of a dilemma. To find Teal'c, she would have to leave Daniel and Colonel O'Neill alone. If they were Goa'uld, they would use the opportunity to escape, and she might lose them forever. On the other hand, she couldn't stay here all day caught in the middle of a stalemate. She knew she had a third option: she could call on Anu's security to detain them. But since she didn't trust Anu's people any more than her own team, she knew that wasn't her best move, either.

 

Sam marched past O'Neill toward the third cot, grabbing their store of weapons. Without a word, she ducked back into the main room, and confiscated O'Neill P-90 while grabbing her own along with the two zats.  She quickly unloaded the remaining weapons, pocketed the ammo, and went back into the spare room.

 

O'Neill was already trying to wiggle out of his restraints, but froze when he saw her reenter.

 

"Rambo is so not you," he said dryly, raising his eyebrows.

 

Sam brushed off the comment. She aimed the zat at him.

 

That got O'Neill's attention. "Hey, now," he said, backing against the cot. "I'm telling you the truth. I'm not a Goa'uld."

 

"I'm sorry, sir. But I can only trust my instincts on this one."

 

"Well, they're wrong." His eyes widened as she prepared to fire. "Carter!"

 

O'Neill convulsed as the discharge erupted over his body. He went limp. She inspected him briefly and then moved toward Daniel. He was still out cold. She hesitated firing, not knowing what kind of damage she could do when he was already unconscious.

 

Sam lowered the weapon and backed away. Satisfied that both Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were out cold, she darted back into the main room and went for the exit. The idea of leaving two possibly implanted hosts on their own would normally be a fatal one, but her resolve was starting to crumble.

 

Something else was troubling her.

 

Sam glanced back at the room.

 

She shouldn't have won.

 

 

Chapter 7

 

It didn't take long for Sam to find Teal'c. He was stumbling down a nearby corridor, leaning on his staff weapon for support. Ashen and sweaty, he appeared to be a ghost of his former self. Sam rushed to meet him just as his legs gave way.

 

"Teal'c." She pulled him to his feet.

 

"Major Carter." He swallowed hard. "I am not well."

 

Kel'no'reem immediately came to mind, but she quickly filed away that suggestion. Of course Teal'c would have tried that already.

 

She wrapped her arm around his waist and guided him down the hall. "What happened?"

 

"I am uncertain," he admitted, holding onto her for support. "I have felt a heaviness for some time."

 

Sam stared at him. Why hadn't he said something earlier?

 

"When did you start to feel ill?" she asked.

 

"Our first night on this world."

 

"Teal'c!"

 

"I did not believe it was of concern," he said. "After I performed kel'no'reem I was myself once again."

 

Sam continued to guide Teal'c down the hall as they backtracked to their suite. She listened as he described his inconsistent bouts of weakness to her. The more she heard, the uneasy she became. And the more she understood this was not a coincidence.

 

"When we reach the room, I need you to try to sense naquadah in Daniel and Colonel O'Neill."

 

Teal'c blinked, his eyes darkening with concern and anger. When he searched her face for answers, she nodded in confirmation.

 

She knew that Teal'c's ability to sense Goa'uld was hit or miss, an irregularity that she theorized had to do with a difference in Jaffa physiology as opposed to the residuals of being a host. She just hoped that today was one of his "good" days.

 

"At first, I thought they had been taken as hosts," Sam explained, slowing as they reached the doors. "But now I'm not so sure."

 

"What has led you to this conclusion?"

 

"It's not right. It doesn't feel right." That was the best explanation she could offer. It was killing her. She didn't have the concrete details in front of her. All she could rely on was a hunch. Daniel and Colonel O'Neill did not "feel" like Goa'uld.

 

And she knew that Colonel O'Neill, implanted or not, would have never left himself open for her to get the advantage.

 

"The Goa'uld use tricks to deceive us," Teal'c reminded her.

 

"I know," she said. "But trust me on this."

 

He bowed his head.

 

It was now or never.

 

Sam reached for her zat. Then, making sure that Teal'c was well enough to enter, she barged through the door.

 

O'Neill stood in the center of the room, pointing his Beretta straight at her and Teal'c. Daniel, who hung close beside him, mirrored O'Neill's stance, even if Sam felt it was more for show. She didn't miss the awkwardness in his body and the glassiness in his eyes.

 

Sam figured that O'Neill would be resourceful enough to break free and find a way to arm himself. But she also felt a rise in confidence. Sadly, she knew she was right. Something was amiss. She didn't waver.

 

"Lower your weapons," O'Neill said.

 

Sam kept the zat focused on O'Neill. Teal'c, though weakened, remained at her side, aiming his staff weapon at their fellow teammates.

 

"Teal'c?" she asked.

 

"I do not sense the presence of a Goa'uld," he stated. "However, the room contains naquadah, Major Carter."

 

Sam had already considered that possibility. Her reaction could have been triggered from the naquadah present in the archways of the palace and the finishing in her room. But she had felt the faint ripples in both Daniel and O'Neill.

 

"This is just a misunderstanding," Daniel said.

 

"A big one," O'Neill added. He raised his gun a little higher, as if to show he meant business. "So, why don't you just put down your weapons, and we can get ready for a nice trip back to the Gate.

 

Sam frowned, an inconsistency on the gun catching her eye. "Sir."

 

O'Neill frowned.  But he didn't move. "I'm ordering you to drop it, Major."

 

Sam blew off the command. She glanced at Teal'c. The anger he wore just minutes ago was replaced by concern. She knew he had seen it as well.

 

"O'Neill, you have assembled your weapon incorrectly," he said.

 

O'Neill glared at him. "What?"

 

Before Sam had the chance to explain it, she noticed Daniel glance over to O'Neill. Next, he looked down at his own Beretta. Then, to Sam's surprise, Daniel flipped the gun around and extended it to her.

 

O'Neill scowled at him. "Daniel, what the hell?"

 

He shook his head and lowered the weapon, nearly toppling himself. "Teal'c and Sam are trying to protect us. Something's wrong."

 

"They attacked us. I'd say that's wrong."

 

"Trust us, O'Neill."

 

Daniel nodded to Colonel O'Neill once before he sunk to floor to hold his head. O'Neill hesitated, but after another unsure glance down at his Beretta, he flipped it around and handed it to Sam.

 

Sam took the sidearm from O'Neill's hand. She holstered her own before she started to disassemble the confiscated weapon. Quickly, she reassembled it correctly, showing O'Neill what he had done. He stared at her, a flicker of insecurity passing through his eyes.

 

"Damn," O'Neill muttered. "What's going on?"

 

Sam placed the weapons aside. "I'm not sure, sir. But Daniel's right. Something's wrong."

 

Teal'c took the opportunity to release his staff weapon and ease himself onto one of the suite's couches. She saw both Daniel and O'Neill frown as they watched Teal'c.  Sam eyed them all with concern. She knew that whatever was happening, they needed to be examined by medical officials.

 

Thoughts of Anu and her husband wouldn't leave her. Flashes of the man sitting there, lost and incapacitated, kept assailing her mind. He had once been intelligent, studious, if what Anu said was true. And now, he was just a shell of himself.

 

Sam felt the knot in her stomach tighten as she gazed at her friends and teammates.

 

Daniel gaped at her. "You think we have what they have."

 

"What?" O'Neill asked. "That can't be right."

 

Sam licked her lips, sending him a patient look. "Sir, you can't even remember how put together your—"

 

"Okay, I get it." He sighed. "So, not so hereditary after all," O'Neill muttered.

 

She nodded. "Sir, this goes way beyond testosterone deficiency. Somehow, you have trace amounts of naquadah in your system." That in and of itself baffled her.

 

"Naquadah forks?" he asked.

 

"Think more," she said. "For me to be able to detect the naquadah, it means you have to have concentrations large enough to be noticeable."

 

"I don't have a sudden epiphany that Junior is close by," O'Neill said, looking at Teal'c.

 

"Well, it's not nearly enough to reach levels of a Goa'uld, is it?" Daniel said, quickly catching on despite his noticeable fogginess. He rubbed at the lump on his head, causing Sam to wince. "How did we get it inside of us?"

 

"I can't be certain, but I believe that you have either ingested small amounts of naquadah or absorbed it through your skin." She glanced over to Teal'c. "Teal'c is probably affected as well, but it's masked by the properties of the symbiote."

 

"It is possible that my symbiote can absorb the naquadah."

 

"How lucky for you," O'Neill mumbled.

 

"So, the locals put naquadah in us?" Daniel asked, confused. "Why would they do that?"

 

Sam frowned. She didn't know. But the fact that at least the priestess knew about the medical condition of the men on this planet, a condition Sam was quickly being to suspect had nothing to do with genetics at all, alerted her to the possibility her team had been compromised somehow. The symptoms, the naquadah, the distrust…Sam knew that they could not rely on the people of the Sinnu.

 

"Gather all your stuff," Sam told them. She wasn't taking any chances. "We're going to back to the Gate."

 

Sam jumped off the beast that Anu had provided for her use. Worried, but trying not to show it, Sam opened the cart attached at the rear, allowing Daniel, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c to exit.

 

They appeared haggard.

 

"Daniel, dial the Gate," she said. "I think the three of you should report to the infirmary immediately."

 

Daniel nodded, stepped up to the DHD, and started to dial. While he worked to establish an active wormhole, Sam turned back to O'Neill and Teal'c. From where she stood, she thought that Teal'c was looking a little better, which gave her comfort. She knew that he had slipped into a state of kel'no'reem in the cart on the way to the Gate. Hopefully, he could fight off whatever was happening. He had that advantage.

 

She couldn't say the same for Colonel O'Neill or Daniel. Sam swallowed hard, catching the shadows under her commanding officer's eyes.

 

"You're doing a good job," he told her.

 

She forced a small smile. Sam didn't need the affirmation from Colonel O'Neill, but the vote of confidence made her feel like maybe they'd all pull through okay.

 

Then the DHD stopped dialing.

 

The brief flash of comfort she'd felt vanished as she jogged back to the DHD. Daniel was hovering over the device, his hand frozen above one of the glyphs. When she came around to look at him, she saw his forehead knotted with confusion, his eyes wide with panic.

 

"Daniel?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

 

"I can't remember," he whispered. He faced her, shocked. "Sam, I don't remember the coordinates!"

 

Sam bit back the surge of dread that threatened to consume her. This wasn't happening. None of this was happening.

 

She fought the urge to tell him not to worry and instead nudged him over to take his place. Quickly, Sam started to redial the to get to Earth. The sooner they could get home, the better.

 

When she pressed the final glyph, she glanced up and waited for the Stargate to pool and splash with the outgoing wormhole.

 

It never did.

 

Sam stared at the Gate, completely bewildered. Then, she tried again. She struck the DHD glyph after glyph, willing with all her might for the damn gate to work.

 

Again there was no reaction.

 

"Carter?" O'Neill called from behind her.

 

Without answering Colonel O'Neill, Sam dropped to her knees and slung the strap of her P-90 over her shoulder before placing it on the ground next to her. She slid her hands along the column of the DHD. Finding the right panel, she detached it, and looked at the crystals inside.

 

"Dammit!" she cried.

 

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

 

Sam slammed the panel back in place and grabbed her weapon. "Someone has disabled the DHD," she said, rising to her feet and securing the weapon in place.

 

"What?" O'Neill asked.

 

"The crystals, sir. Someone has taken one of the crystals necessary to power the DHD."

 

"The Sinnu have sabotaged any attempt to escape," Teal'c said, his voice lowering. His grip tightened on his staff weapon as he started to survey the area.

 

Sam couldn't believe the Sinnu as a people would have done this to them. If anything, Sam's suspicions toward Ningal increased. She was stuck on a planet, her team's health declining, and she didn't even know what could be done to help them.

 

She couldn't panic. She couldn't think about what would happen if her team didn't receive help.  They were losing full control of their mental faculties and losing them quickly. She needed to get them medical care immediately.

 

Sam licked her lips, trying to figure out her next move. She glanced down at the device that Anu had given her.

 

"To hell with this," O'Neill muttered. "We have to find a way off this rock."

 

"I believe the Stargate is our only way off this world, O'Neill."

 

"Teal'c, if they can cloak their city, they have other stuff," O'Neill said.

 

Sam wasn't sure, but she needed a better handle on this "disease" before she could find a way to help them.

 

"Daniel, did you find anything when you were reading through those rubbings last night?" Sam asked. "Anything at all?" She had to hold onto the hope that Daniel had found something important before he had started to lapse into the effects of whatever had a hold on them.

 

Please, Daniel, she thought. Please try to remember.

 

He wrinkled his forehead, the struggle evident in his face. Sam waited, mentally crossing her fingers that he had uncovered what she needed.

 

 

Chapter 8

 

"You poisoned them!" Sam shouted, charging into Anu's main chamber.

 

Anu and her daughter, Aya, spun around, turning their backs on Urshanabi. Their hard glares cut through Sam, but did not sway her.

 

"How dare you burst into my chamber!" Anu exclaimed.

 

"You poisoned them!" Sam repeated, jabbing a finger at her teammates.

 

Anu's gaze fell to Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and Daniel. The three of them remained by the door, leaning against the wall for support. Anu's expression of anger quickly turned to one of full outrage.

 

"I warned you this would happen. I told you that you could not push them as you did." Frustrated, she pointed to her husband. "Did you not understand? Did you wish for your men to become as Damu?"

 

"No," Sam said defiantly. "You know they are different than the men you govern. You know how strong and lucid they were. You saw them yesterday. You know this doesn't happen in one day!"

 

Anu opened her mouth to continue, but couldn't seem to find the right words. Sam continued.

 

"You said yourself that the men here are born with this disease," Sam said. "You told us that it happens gradually over time."

 

Anu glanced over at Sam's teammates once again. Sam saw a softening her eyes, a pain that she read as reflecting the agony she had been through with her husband. But while Sam felt sympathy for Anu, she knew that she had to remain firm for this to work.

 

"Take your men," Anu said sadly. "Take your belongings and leave this world to protect them."

 

"I would. But someone has sabotaged the Stargate so we can't leave."

 

Anu blinked at her in shock. "The Apsu does not work?"

 

Sam shook her head. "We're trapped here. It's clear why. It's never been about genetic problems. It's been poison all along."

 

"I would never harm my own people," Anu said through clenched teeth.

 

"No. Maybe you wouldn't. But someone else would," Sam said, focusing her critical gaze beyond Anu.

 

Anu's angry frown eased into displaced confusion. Slowly, she turned her head, following Sam's gaze. Aya stood quietly in the background.

 

"She lies," Aya said. "She tells you lies."

 

"Aya," Anu whispered, her voice filled with pain.

 

"You took the crystal, didn't you?" Sam asked. "You knew that we'd figure out what was really happening."

 

Aya shook her head, backing away under the scrutiny of her mother's gaze. Anu closed in on her.

 

"Aya, what have you done?" Anu asked.

 

Aya stood tall, but Sam could see the young girl quiver under the power of her mother's piercing gaze. "You would believe the strangers over your own daughter?"

 

"I know my own flesh and blood," Anu said evenly. "And I can see through your lies."

 

The girl held up her chin while keeping her arms straight by her side. Sam remained silent, watching the power play between mother and daughter, while keeping tabs on her own team. As she'd asked, Colonel O'Neill, Daniel, and Teal'c had kept their deal to stay quiet during the proceedings. But it was this same quietness that now had her worried. Teal'c seemed to be depending on his staff weapon more and more when he couldn't kel'no'reem. Daniel slumped against the wall, unfocused, while O'Neill seemed to have lost his edge. She needed to find a way to help them and to do it fast.

 

Sam returned her attention back to Aya and Anu, keeping herself firmly planted behind the Sinnu leader.

 

"Aya, if you are not honest with me, I shall banish you from this palace."

 

There was a flash of panic in the girl's eyes. She shot a wary look to Sam before she ducked her head and averted her gaze.

 

"Do not give me just an excuse," Aya said. "Give me the truth. Do it not for me, but for your father." She pointed to Urshanabi.

 

For the first time since they had arrived on the planet, Sam noticed Aya break down. She let the façade crumble and hugged herself, keeping her distance from her mother. "I did it for you. I did it for you and for Father," she whispered. "She said the goddess would be angry. She said Nammu would punish you for giving so much to Father, just as the other women had been punished before you."

 

Sam straightened at the comment. It took everything in her being to keep her mouth shut, but she knew that she had to let this play out between the two women. Any interference from her would jeopardize the whole thing.

 

"Who?" Anu asked, though the coolness in her voice led Sam to believe she already knew.

 

"Ningal," Aya admitted. "Ningal told me to take the crystal. She told me not to let the strangers leave."

 

Anu's eyes burned with anger as she whipped around to gaze at Sam. Everything in the woman's eyes indicated feelings of betrayal, pain, and shame. But above all, they searched for answers.

 

"Ningal knew that once we entered the temple, we'd figure out the truth," Sam explained. When she caught the confusion in Anu's frown, Sam motioned back to her teammates. "We can read the sacred text that has been kept from you. She knew that once we figured out that the men on this planet were intentionally poisoned, we would expose her."

 

"I have known Ningal all my life," Anu said, her voice dipping. "I cannot believe this betrayal." The sadness quickly morphed into anger. "I cannot allow this."

 

Anu marched over to a chest kept by the bedside, opened it, and withdrew a long slender blade that hooked like a sickle. She laid the sword on her bed before withdrawing additional armor, knives, and other weapons. She stopped and gave Sam a stern look.

 

"It is not best for you to remain," she said, slipping the bronze plate over her chest. "I do not expect this to be a clean confrontation."

 

Sam had not been expecting this turn. She shifted her weight and glanced back to her ailing teammates, before approaching Anu.

 

"I need that crystal to get back to my world. It's the only way I can help them." When Anu said nothing, Sam grabbed her arm and spun her around to face her. "We can come back and help you. We might be able to help your people."

 

Anu hesitated, casting a forlorn look to her husband. She eyed her daughter, and then SG-1, the passion in her eyes never wavering. Finally, she brought her intense gaze onto Sam.

 

"We have a ship for scouting. It is stashed in our upper west level," She turned to the bed and grabbed her blade. "Go now and help your men."

 

Sam knew she didn't have time to argue. "We'll come back to help," she promised, making for the door. With a nod, she motioned for Daniel, O'Neill, and Teal'c to join her.

 

She thought finding the hidden ship would be difficult. Sam was wrong.

 

For all her pomp and circumstance, Anu appeared to be a trusting woman with very little security through her palace. Sam supposed with cloaking technology and a dedicated public – with a notable exception – Anu could afford to be lax. Or maybe, as she and Daniel had theorized, the people here didn't have a complete grasp on the alien technology they utilized. And as Teal'c had stated before, the interior of the ziggurat was Goa'uld in design, which made it even easier to navigate.

 

What she had not been expecting was a fully loaded cargo ship.

 

"Sweet," O'Neill said, staring at the outer hull.

 

Sam nudged him forward, moving him toward the ship. "Let's go, sir."

 

Sam guided the rest of her team on board the ship. While all three of them were sluggish, the full-blown lethargy in Daniel was a concern for her. For those that didn't know him, Daniel appeared to be a bookish, clumsy scholar, but Sam knew that he was not a klutz. Yet today, he struggled to climb the ramp, nearly tripping twice while entering the main room of the cargo ship. If she hadn't grabbed him in time, he would have walked into one of the walls inside.

 

"Daniel, you need to focus," she said, directing him to one of the seats in front of the main console.

 

"I am," he said, bumping into the side of the seat. He winced and rubbed his thigh. "We're leaving?"

 

"Yes, we're leaving. Stay right there."

 

Sam rushed to the back, helping to steady Teal'c. O'Neill hung in the background, quietly watching them. When Sam was certain the ship was ready for takeoff, she headed back to the main room.

 

"Do we know where we're even going?" O'Neill asked. He followed her as she and Teal'c started for the console.

 

"I'm going to tap into some of the star charts in the system and see if I can get a match," she said, calling over her shoulder. "We'll find the nearest planet with a Stargate and gate back to Earth."

 

He scowled. "And how the hell are we going to find a planet with a Stargate?"

 

"Sir, you know that before any standard mission, we use the coordinates to plot the surrounding systems. The Stargates form an interplanetary network, and generally are not placed at random." She stepped up to the console and started to prepare for launch. "Computer models help us pinpoint any viable options in the event we have to gate out or find an alternative means of escape." She glanced over her shoulder, noting the confusion laced in his deep frown. "Colonel, you're the one who ordered me to map this system."

 

"Oh," he said. "Then, carry on, Major."

 

Sam nodded and turned away before he could see the distress in her face. She knew that in a situation like this, she had to follow her own advice and focus. There would be a time and place for all the emotions that haunted her later.

 

"Teal'c, why don't you take some time to rest," she said. She pursed her lips and exhaled, staring at the controls. She'd always wanted to get some practice flying cargo ships. She just didn't think this was how she would get it.  "I can handle things here."

 

"Are you certain?"

 

She nodded. "I may need you to help me with Colonel O'Neill and Daniel later," she said quietly.

 

He bowed his head with understanding and headed toward the cargo bay. Sam slipped into the other seat in front of the console and started the ship's ascent. Through the corner of her eye, she could see that Daniel was watching her, but his eyes were dull, his pupils constricted. She didn't know how aware he truly was.

 

Sam swallowed hard and tried not to think about it.

 

"It's going to get bad, eh?" O'Neill said from beside her.

 

"I'm not going to let it come to that, sir," Sam said, steering the cargo ship through the open bay and into the open. The ship shot out from the palace and quickly accelerated toward space. When she broke through the planet's upper atmosphere, Sam slowed the ship, locking it so she could check the onboard computer. She started to scan the charts that had been input into its interface, hoping to find a match or something similar to the maps she'd created at the SGC. "This might take a while," she mumbled.

 

"I take it that's bad?" O'Neill asked.

 

"The time it takes to pinpoint the nearest planet with a Stargate will give the poison more time to progress." She sighed. She didn't want to tell Colonel O'Neill that they might reach a point where the damage was irreversible. "Once we get to the SGC, Doctor Fraiser should be able to find a way to flush out the poison."

 

"Are we sure it's poison?" Daniel asked, resting his head on the back of his chair.

 

Sam sighed with relief. At least Daniel was still semi-lucid, though the lapses in his memory were troubling her. But the truth was, they couldn't know for sure. Daniel couldn't remember what he'd uncovered in the rubbings he'd read. He couldn't even place which text to start from. Sam couldn't afford to spend the time having Teal'c go over everything that Daniel had read the night before. She had to go by her gut instinct that a biological or chemical agent had compromised them. And she was sure the naquadah was a part of it.

 

Her bluff to Anu and her daughter had paid off. But it didn't help Sam help her friends.

 

"We have to treat it as a poison or an infection," Sam said. "We'll be quarantined as soon as we go through the Gate."

 

"Quarantined for what?" Daniel asked, frowning.

 

The relief she felt vanished. She offered her best smile to Daniel, trying to ease him with familiarity. "Never mind," she said. "Just sit tight."

 

He nodded and turned to face forward.

 

"Dammit, Carter." O'Neill mumbled. "What the hell did they give us?"

 

"Sir, I have no idea what kind of poison was used on you," Sam answered, stealing another quick glance at Daniel. He was staring into space. "Whatever was given to you, Daniel, and Teal'c is acting quickly. If we don't get to you—"

 

"Ah," he said, holding up his hand. "I get it. It's bad.

 

She cleared her throat. "Yes, sir."

 

"Okay, then. I'll let you work." He glanced over to Daniel. "I'll just go keep him company while I still know my own name." He gave her an awkward smile before moving to stand beside Daniel.

 

Sam exhaled and rubbed her forehead. Daniel was spiraling out of control, and she knew that Colonel O'Neill would be quick to follow. She couldn't screw this up. She knew she couldn't fail. She just needed time – the one thing she didn't have.

 

"Major Carter!"

 

Sam jumped to her feet at the tone of Teal'c's voice and automatically went for her P-90. When she whipped around to face him, she stared in shock the sight before her eyes.

 

He held Ningal at the butt of his staff weapon.

 

Sam narrowed her eyes. Everything within her wanted to strangle the woman for the damage she'd caused, but she knew Ningal could yet be useful. And if nothing else, Sam knew that if anything happened to her team, the Air Force would make Ningal pay for it, some way, somehow.

 

She pointed her weapon at the priestess.

 

"I understand that my presence is awkward," she said softly.

 

No kidding, Sam thought, eyeing her angrily.

 

"I discovered her within the cargo hold," Teal'c informed her.

 

"Come to finish off the job?" O'Neill asked, leaning into Daniel's chair. Daniel twisted and lifted himself to peer over the top, joining O'Neill as they stared Ningal down.

 

"I can assure you that was not my intention," she said.

 

"No?" Sam set her jaw and glared at the woman. "But a lethal dose of poison is?"

 

Ningal looked down and did not answer.

 

Sam was losing patience. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't toss you out of the airlock."

 

Ningal opened her palm and displayed a small vial. "Because I have come to help."

 

 

Chapter 9

 

"Is this necessary?" Ningal asked.

 

Sam tightened the restraints around Ningal's wrists, securing them behind her back. She pushed the woman against the wall and stood over her. She was aware of Teal'c standing behind her, despite his diminishing strength. And while she appreciated his support, she knew that he needed to rest.

 

"Teal'c, I want you to find a quiet spot on the ship to kel'no'reem."

 

Teal'c did not move. "I will not leave you, Major Carter."

 

"Colonel O'Neill is still partly lucid," Sam said. "I don't know how long that will last. I need you to feel rested."

 

He inclined his head as she placed a hand on his arm. "I will return," he said.

 

"I know you will." She rubbed his arm affectionately. "I'll be okay."

 

Teal'c nodded once, lifting his staff weapon. He searched her, and then Daniel and O'Neill before he gave Ningal a hard, intense glare. When satisfied, he walked toward the back of the ship and disappeared from view.

 

Silently, Sam wished him luck before she glanced over to Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. O'Neill was watching everything, sitting on the floor a few feet away from the console. While Sam could tell he was trying to his best to stay alert and on track, she could see his eyes were beginning to glaze over. Daniel had moved to sit beside him, knees drawn up to his chest, his head buried in his crossed arms. Every so often Sam could hear soft, muffled moans coming from him.

 

"He will not last long," Ningal said, her gaze on Daniel. "The gistukal has taken to him quickly."

 

That statement along brought fresh anger into Sam, and she glared at Ningal with indignation. "I want some answers," Sam said. She held up the vial. "And I want to know what this is."

 

Ningal sighed, having the nerve to appear inconvenienced. "It's to neutralize the gistukal."

 

"I don't think so," O'Neill said, glaring at her. "No more…anything in my body."

 

"Gistukal." Sam remembered that word from Daniel. "That's what you give the men on your planet."

 

"No," Ningal said. She held her head up high. "Siduri."

 

Sam set her jaw, struggling not to laugh. "You expect me to believe that coming from you?

 

"The barragal – the blessing – is nothing more than crushed salamander remains mixed with our sacred metals," Ningal explained. "It does nothing but enhance what is already there."

 

"It's a catalyst," Sam said, understanding. The abrupt onslaught of their symptoms suddenly made sense. "They were poisoned from the start. You just helped it along." The idea that all of this could have been avoided, that her team had at least had a fighting chance before Ningal's intervention just made matters worse. Holding back her angry tears, Sam bore down on Ningal with her icy glare. "Why?" she asked.

 

Ningal bowed her head. "I did not know that they had been given so much gistukal. If I had known, I would not have insisted on the blessing. I meant only to impair you."

 

"It doesn't matter. You poisoned us," O'Neill muttered, waving his hand between himself and Daniel. "Our government isn't going to take kindly to this."

 

"I understand," Ningal said.

 

"You poisoned your own people," O'Neill continued. "Why would you do that?"

 

"It is the way of the goddess," Ningal replied defiantly. "Men are unclean and do not deserve the dignity—"

 

"Oh, stop," O'Neill said with a scowl. "No one is buying that story."

 

Ningal narrowed her eyes at O'Neill before turning her head away. Sam was left to stare at the woman, not knowing exactly what to say.

 

Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were going to die. Teal'c might not make it. And all because of the rules of their goddess? Sam was not gullible enough to buy that as the full reason.

 

"It's all about power." Sam let out a bitter laugh.  "You and Siduri keep Anu in check through her daughter. You keep the truth hidden."

 

Ningal didn't answer.

 

"Did you really think you could keep this charade on forever? You or your predecessors?" Sam asked. "You know that someone would figure out someday. And Anu?"

 

Ningal shrugged. "She is misguided, as many have been before her."

 

"She doesn't buy into your twisted ideals, is what you mean," O'Neill said. "Conveniently took out the husband, eh?"

 

"My intent was not to kill. Siduri is the one that has knowledge of the poisons. I only know of the blessing."

 

Sam scoffed at her. "You only work together because you need each other. Given the chance, either one of you would gladly take the other out." Sam shook her head. "We were just pawns, weren't we? Just what did you expect?"

 

Again, Ningal fell silent.

 

"What am I to expect? What will happen to them?" Sam demanded.

 

"It begins with weakness and fatigue," she said. "They then lose coordination and memory. Finally, they will become disoriented, confused, and unconscious. Death will follow quickly after."

 

Sam set her jaw, thoroughly disgusted. She turned her back on the bound woman and approached the console. Once again, she started flipping through the star charts, searching for any coordinates that would look familiar.

 

If she were to believe this woman, then her team had been given a lethal dose of a slow working poison, one that had been triggered to its maximum potential by a catalyst. Her friends' bodies would continue to shut down until they died. It was imperative for her to find a nearby planet that held a Stargate.

 

"Carter?" She felt O'Neill behind her.

 

"I'm okay, sir," she said, struggling to keep her voice steady. She remained focused on her task, refusing to look back. "I'm just narrowing the search to a few possibilities."

 

"Daniel's making less sense than he normal does," O'Neill told her, the words cutting her like a knife.

 

She bit her lip and closed her eyes. She didn't need this right now. Sensing that Colonel O'Neill wasn't finished, she finally opened her eyes and turned to him.

 

She wished she hadn't. The circles under his eyes had deepened, and she was sure she saw a tremble to his hands.

 

"And I'm not—" He vaguely waved at his head.

 

"I know, sir." She forced a smile, hoping to ease some of his anxiety. "Why don't you go sit with Daniel? I'll take care of everything."

 

He nodded, slowly, almost as if he were a little confused by the request, but didn't protest. She watched him walk back toward the spot where Daniel remained huddled against the wall.

 

Sam shook away the pain at seeing them in such a helpless state and concentrated on the console. So far, she found two viable options. She knew that P2A-501 was a possibility; SG-15 had a done a standard recon of the planet not long ago. The other possibility was P30-255, a planet she and the rest of her team had explored last year.

 

She couldn't recall any problem on the latter planet. The place had been a wonderland for Daniel who had left with tablets filled with ancient writing. The former world visited by SG-15 seemed fuzzier to her. She felt going somewhere where she knew the lay of the land would work to her advantage.

 

P30-255 was it.

 

 

Chapter 10

 

The cargo ship was coming in hot and fast.

 

Sam clutched the sides of her seat, her eyes wide as the planet blurred in front of her. The fire of the atmosphere burned past them, revealing swirls of blue, green and brown. Before she knew it, they were diving for the surface, soaring over a rippling ocean as they approached the one of the landmasses on the planet.

 

By her side, Teal'c held into the controls, guiding the bulb with the palms of his hands. Sam saw the sweat trickling down his neck, his normally smooth face puckered with wrinkles of concentration. But Teal'c never broke. He remained focused, keeping the ship level as he started his descent.

 

"This will not be a pleasant landing," he told her.

 

Sam nodded and jumped to her feet, running to where Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were seated. Neither of them moved as she approached, nor did they seem to acknowledge her presence. Quietly, Sam placed each of her hands over one of theirs, trying to rouse them from their stupor. The two of them stayed silent, and for Sam that was a frightening prospect.

 

"Sir?" she asked.

 

O'Neill's sleepy gaze followed her as she crouched down beside them. For a moment, she thought he didn't recognize her.

 

"Colonel?"

 

He cleared his throat. "Carter?" he asked, finding his voice.

 

"Yes," she said, only slightly relieved. She squeezed his hand and turned to Daniel, giving him a light shake. "Daniel?"

 

Daniel didn't answer. He didn't even turn his head at the sound of her voice.  Sam pressed her hand to his forehead. His face was hot, flushed. She knew they were running out of time.

 

"He doesn't talk anymore," O'Neill told her.

 

Sam nodded, but refused to dwell on that fact. She slipped her hands under Daniel's arms and tugged upward, propping him against the wall and positioning him in a better angle as they made landfall. Since the seats themselves did not carry restraints, Sam thought this corner of the cargo ship would offer the most protection for them. Still, she knew that Teal'c was piloting the cargo ship the best he could, coming in as quickly, but as safely, as possible.

 

"Colonel, I need for you to get close to Daniel and hold on. Can you do that for me?"

 

He stared at her.

 

"Sir?" She tapped him on the shoulder. "Do you understand me?"

 

He dug the heel of his palm into his eye and finally nodded. "Yeah. Hold on."

 

"Good." She said, giving him another squeeze. "Remember, hold on. I'll be right back."

 

Sam fought against the momentum of their descent as she pushed farther into the ship. When she reached Ningal, she double checked the restraints and then helped the woman to her feet. She hobbled, but allowed Sam to lead her towards O'Neill and Daniel.

 

"We are going to crash," she told Sam.

 

"Teal'c knows what he's doing. We couldn't afford to come in at a normal pace," Sam explained, hoping the bitterness in her voice came through loud and clear. She seated the woman beside O'Neill. "Duck your head," she ordered.

 

Ningal did as instructed. With the three of them tightly secured in the corner, Sam hurried back to the console, grabbing onto Teal'c's seat and looking over his shoulder. They were just above the ground now, the grasses and rock blurring into streaks of green and rust. She saw a speck dotting the landscape in the distance.

 

The Stargate.

 

"I suggest that you secure yourself," Teal'c said.

 

Quickly, Sam returned to her seat, grabbed onto the arms, and readied herself for impact. "Hold on," She told him.

 

He did not nod an affirmative, but Sam knew that he had heard her. Teal'c's grip on the controls tightened and he made one last final push.

 

The cargo ship started to slow as it scraped over the top of the ground. The frame of the Stargate sharpened, its shape widening from a mere speck to a small circle. As they closed in on the platform, the grating increased, filling the cabin with the distinct whine of metal against rock. Sam clutched the seats and braced herself.

 

The cargo ship bounced once, twice, as it careened out of control against the ground. Each time, she barely could hold on, her body lifting from the seat and smashing against the sides. She grinded her teeth, ignoring the flash of pain as the cargo ship veered right. Finally, as the ship slowed, it slid over the bedrock, crashing into a large tree.

 

The lights flickered and Sam could smell something burning. Groaning, she held her side. As the haze lifted from her eyes and she regained her sense of balance, she put aside her pain to check on the rest of her team.

 

Teal'c already was stumbling to his feet. He left the controls, holding onto the back of the seat for support. When Sam approached him, she wrapped her arms around his waist, helping him towards the back of the ship.

 

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

 

"Now that I am in your care, I will be fine," he said with a smile.

 

Sam found herself grinning despite their situation, regaining a sense of optimism. If Teal'c could find a moment of humor in their dire circumstances, then she knew they would be okay.

 

That is what she kept telling herself.

 

When she reached the rear, she reluctantly let him go. She hurried back to the console area to retrieve Ningal, Colonel O'Neill, and Daniel. They were exactly where she had left them, huddled in the corner. Ningal was the first to stir, but she was last to concern Sam. Immediately, Sam made her way into the corner to dig out O'Neill and Daniel.

 

"Daniel," Sam said, placing her hand on his cheek. He didn't respond to her touch.

 

Sam felt a flutter of fear hit her stomach. Once again, she pushed it aside and slipped her arms under him, tugging him forward. When she felt her grip was strong enough, she pulled him out of the corner and started to drag him toward the exit. Thankfully, Teal'c had found enough strength to make it to the ramp.

 

"I will proceed to the Stargate," he told her as she met him by the exit.

 

"Are you well enough to dial home?" Sam asked.

 

Teal'c tapped his staff weapon to the floor in a display of determination. "I am."

 

She nodded at him, giving him the green light. Teal'c went first, wearily stumbling down the ramp before he staggered toward the DHD. Sam followed him, dragging Daniel with her. By now, he was unconscious, and completely non-responsive to any of her pleas or commands. But he was breathing and that was all that mattered to her at this point.

 

The chevrons began to lock as she placed Daniel's limp body by Teal'c's feet. She urged him to continue as she ran back to the cargo ship.

 

O'Neill was tougher to retrieve. He kept slipping in and out consciousness and had lost all lucidity. She wasn't sure if he was delusional or if he was hallucinating, but his thrashing and incoherent mumbles were keeping her from successfully guiding him toward the exit. She struggled to keep control over him.

 

"Sir, just hang on a little longer," she said. She fought with him again, holding onto his wrists as she shoved him out the door.

 

Once they were outside, O'Neill's resistance waned, allowing Sam to get a better handle on the situation. Quickly, she guided him to the DHD and sat him down by its base.

 

A wormhole had been established.

 

"I have sent the signal," Teal'c informed her. "General Hammond is waiting."

 

"As soon as you see me exit the ship, take Colonel O'Neill through the Gate," Sam said. "I'll take Daniel."

 

"What of the Sinnu priestess?" Teal'c asked.

 

"I'll handle her. Don't worry."

 

Teal'c frowned, making his reluctance known. Sam was grateful for the protection her friend offered her, but it was her turn to protect him.

 

Sam ran back into the cargo ship one last time. Reaching Ningal, she withdrew her knife and sliced through the bindings on the woman's ankles. Without a word, Sam seized her arm and led her down the ramp, bringing her to the DHD. Teal'c nodded at her and grabbed O'Neill, dragging him to his feet. Sam held onto Ningal and followed, making sure that Teal'c did not stumble or collapse. When he reached the event horizon. Teal'c stopped, securing his hold on O'Neill and leaned on his staff weapon for support. Then, he stepped forward, disappearing.

 

Sam wasted no time in following him. She jogged up the steps, dragging a resistant Ningal along with her. As they reached the event horizon, Sam did not hesitate to throw the woman through.

 

She knew that the Stargate would not stay open indefinitely. Running on pure adrenaline, Sam stomped down the steps and rushed over to Daniel's side. She tried to coax him to walk, but he was too far gone to respond. Having no other choice, Sam dragged him again, pulling his body toward the platform. She heaved him up the steps and without hesitating, Sam threw herself and Daniel into the event horizon.

 

Gasping for breath, Sam collapsed onto the other side, the stress and magnitude of the last couple of days finally catching up with her. The SGC seemed to blur into various shapes and faces, all non-distinct, as people poured over her and her team. With the knowledge that she had done all she could for her friends and teammates, Sam slumped her shoulders and bowed her head, sending a silent prayer that her team would make it.

 

 

Chapter 11

 

Sam slipped the T-shirt over her head and started to tuck it into her pants when Janet rolled back the curtain. She waited impatiently as Janet checked her chart. She'd been shuttled into quarantine, had multiple tests completed, and was only presently being allowed to get dressed and leave. She felt like she'd been waiting an eternity. By now, she just wanted to know how everyone was doing.

 

"So?" Sam asked.

 

"You appear to be clean," Janet said, ducking the clipboard under her arm. "How are you feeling?"

 

"Fine, not counting the bruised ego," she admitted.

 

That earned her a frown. "Why do you say that?" Janet asked.

 

Sam shrugged. "I don't think I'm cut out to lead a team," she said, leaning against the gurney.

 

"Oh, I don't know about that," Janet said, smiling. "I think you'll make a fine team commander one day."

 

Sam snorted. "I take over as leader of SG-1 for two days, and I come back with three of my team poisoned."

 

"Four," Janet said.

 

"Four?" Sam blinked at her. "You mean you found the same poison in my system?"

 

Janet nodded. "Your initial test results showed the same agent in your blood as that of Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Jackson, and Teal'c. Whatever the natives did to them, they did to you, too."

 

Sam pulled back, frowning. She might not be a doctor, but it didn't make any sense. "Janet, that can't be."

 

"Oh, but it is." She motioned to Sam with her hand. "Come with me."

 

The two of them left the main area of the infirmary and headed toward the private rooms. "When you came through the Stargate, we ran blood work on each of you, including Ningal," Janet explained. "Now, based on those initial tests, we were able to determine that all of you had a considerable amount of a foreign substance in your blood."

 

"Gistukal."

 

Janet nodded. "My guess is that all the people on the planet have some of this gistukal in their system.  It's likely mixed into the food or the water. We also found traces of another substance that seems to act in conjunction with the gistukal." They started down one of the short corridors in the infirmary. "According to Ningal, it's some extract from a berry she doesn't have access to. We found it in all five of you."

 

Sam groaned. "The perfumed water."

 

Janet arched her eyebrows. "I'm sorry?"

 

"Colonel O'Neill, Daniel, Teal'c and I all had contact with scented water." She shook her head. "Dammit."

 

Janet rubbed Sam's arm and smiled softly as they rounded the corner before she continued. "Now, in Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Jackson, and Teal'c, we found extremely low levels of testosterone in addition to trace amounts of naquadah."

 

"Where the naquadah complex acted as a catalyst for the other compounds," Sam said.

 

"Right," Janet glanced into the room. "We believe that the combination of all of these compounds created an extremely dangerous toxin."

 

Sam was beginning to understand. The difference between the Blight and those who were Damu made sense. "This would give Siduri and Ningal the ability to blackmail since they could then trigger a reaction in anyone they wanted." She thought back to Aya and her situation, finally feeling some sympathy for the girl.

 

"Not quite," Janet said. She stopped in front of one of the private rooms. "For it to work, all the elements need to be added. Those that are missing any of the elements wouldn't have the same strong reaction as those with the full toxin." She raised her eyebrows. "Neither you nor Ningal show any of same naquadah compound that we found in Colonel O'Neill and the rest of your team."

 

Sam frowned. She was already aware that the catalysts entered her team's bloodstream when they were "blessed" at the temple. "I wasn't consecrated at the temple," Sam said.   Her frown deepened. But she knew that Ningal had been exposed to the same naquadah compound that the rest had. She put her hands on her hips and searched Janet for an explanation.

 

"Oh, but there's more." Janet said, confirming Sam's hunch. She crossed her arms over, hugging the clipboard to her chest. "Both you and Ningal show a distinct protein marker."

 

"Protein marker?" Sam stared at Janet, shocked.  "She was once a host."

 

Sam couldn't believe it. She wondered if Ningal had once been an underling to Nammu or if she had once been host to the Goa'uld itself. Sam turned to Janet for more answers.

 

"Immunity," Janet said. "It's the only explanation I can offer right now. I suppose being a priestess had more than one perk. I'm guessing that this Siduri person had access to all the compounds that were necessary to make the poisons utilized on the planet. However, Ningal, being a host, had a natural immunity. The how or why Ningal didn't have all the knowledge to take complete control isn't known to me."

 

"They were at a stalemate," Sam muttered.

 

Janet nodded. "It's all I have so far. I'm waiting on additional information to see if that theory pans out. But in the meantime," she extended her arm, beckoning Sam to enter, "they're all yours."

 

Sam grinned, slipping into the private room. Not surprisingly, Sam found only two beds set up inside. Teal'c was already on his feet, his face smooth and golden, as if he'd never been ill. His eyes lit up when she entered the room. As for the others, to the far left she found Daniel asleep, still hooked up to several monitors, while O'Neill, awake and alert, sat in his bed, already pestering the nursing staff.

 

"Carter!" he shouted, waving his hand for her to come over.

 

She approached the bed, trying not to feel too embarrassed over the smiles that greeted her. "It's good to see you," she said.

 

"We are ourselves once again," Teal'c said with a bow.

 

"Thanks to you," O'Neill said with a smirk.

 

Sam forced back a smile, feeling her cheeks warm. "What about Daniel?"

 

"Fraiser says he'll be fine," O'Neill said. He held up a bag of sunflower seeds. "Teal'c and I tried to play hoops with his open mouth just a little while ago and –"

 

Teal'c cocked his head and arched an eyebrow at O'Neill.

 

"Okay, fine. I tried to toss one in the hole a little while ago," he muttered. "It was working, too, until he woke up and gave me the evil eye." He flung another one at Daniel, hitting him in the nose. Daniel snorted and opened his eyes, glaring at the colonel. "See?" O'Neill said. "He'll be fine."

 

"Hi, Daniel," Sam said. "How are you feeling?"

 

He blinked at her sleepily, but managed a small smile. Slowly, he lifted his hand and gave her a thumbs up sign.

 

Sam couldn't even verbalize how relieved she felt – seeing the three of them and knowing they would be okay. She felt like she could finally breathe again.

 

"Just the people I wanted to see."

 

Sam turned and stood at attention when General Hammond walked through the door. Janet came in after him, the both of them stopping to stand between Colonel O'Neill's and Daniel's beds.

 

"At ease, Major," he said. "I trust you're feeling better?"

 

"Yes, sir," she said.

 

He nodded, seeming pleased. "Doctor Fraiser tells me that all of you will make a full recovery. Apparently, this Ningal woman was telling the truth."

 

"The vial she carried back with her did have a antidote for the poison," Janet explained.

 

"That was it?" O'Neill asked. "We could have taken that back on the ship."

 

"There was no way of knowing whether it would help or hurt you," Janet explained. "As it is, the antidote only neutralized part of the poison. We had to add a clelator like calcium ethylenediaminetetracetate to help bind and separate the naquadah from the other compounds."

 

O'Neill stared at her, and then shook his head, lacing his fingers behind his head as he leaned back. "Whatever you say, Doc."

 

"You made the right call, Major," Hammond said.

 

Sam wanted to accept the praise, but she found it difficult considering all they had gone through. "They used us," she said, still angry over what had happened. She and her team had been nothing but pawns in a game of power and greed between internal factions of an unstable government.  "I can't believe they just used us like that."

 

"Ol'Perky there made quite the gamble," O'Neill muttered.

 

Teal'c clasped his hands behind his back and nodded. "Indeed."

 

"Anu wasn't part of this," Sam said, turning to Hammond. "Her people are suffering, and we did make a promise to help them. I fully believe that if we go back, we can strike a negotiation for defense technologies in exchange medical assistance."

 

"You want to go back?" Hammond asked. "After all you've been through?"

 

"They helped us escape," Sam said. "And I know we can make this negotiation work."

 

That seemed enough for Hammond. "Very well," he said with a nod. "We'll start planning the appropriate procedures when you're ready." His face eased, a small, grandfatherly smile softening his face. "But for now, I want you all to get some rest. You've earned it."

 

They watched General Hammond leave. When he was gone, O'Neill finally asked the question that she had been expecting to hear.

 

"So, why was it just the men that were affected like this?" O'Neill asked.

 

Janet glanced down and bit her lip, like she was a child holding a secret. This only made O'Neill more agitated.

 

"What?" he asked.

 

"Barring Teal'c, of course, due to his Jaffa physiology, I may have an answer for you," Janet said. "The reason men are more likely to experience the most severe symptoms is due to testosterone levels."

 

O'Neill glared at her. "So?"

 

"So…the greater the testosterone levels in a man, the greater impact he will feel when those reserves are depleted," Janet explained. "While women do have testosterone in their bodies, it serves a different function. Men weren't designed to have such a deficiency, which in turn weakens their bodies and allows for the toxin to have a more substantial effect."

 

"And?" O'Neill asked.

 

"Well, Colonel, it's a fact that generally younger men have higher levels of testosterone than older males," Sam said with a grin.

 

O'Neill's suspicious gaze shot from Sam to Janet. "Wait a second, are you saying…?"

 

O'Neill frowned and shot a troubled look over to Daniel. And while he didn't say anything, the grin that broke out across Daniel's face was enough to keep Sam laughing for a lifetime.

 

Epilogue

 

Sam stood in front of the Stargate, silent and composed, as she watched Ningal be led away by Sinnu forces. She knew that she would soon be joining Siduri. Ironically, the two women who had co-conspired against Anu and who eventually had battled each other in a bid for domination would now spend the rest of their lives together, both living through the same punishment for their crimes. And while Sam knew that the Sinnu had a long fight ahead of them, one filled with hardship and struggle as they tried to reorder and rebuild their society, Sam was confident that they would do it. It would take strength and commitment, and a change of attitude, but she had a feeling they were heading in the right direction. This she saw when Anu approached her, adorned in her battle gear, but smiling brightly.

 

"Beleti Anu, we come to offer medical aid and care for you and your people," Sam said.

 

Anu's eye shimmered at the prospect, and she extended her hand as a sign for Sam to join her. "We of the Sinnu welcome such an act of kindness. In turn, we have much to give to the people of Earth, Beleti Sam."

 

Sam felt the corners of her mouth turn into a smile. Behind her stood Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and Daniel, quiet but dignified, supporting her in her moment of triumph.  She didn't need to look back to see their faces shining with pride. She didn't need to hear them offer words of encouragement. They were her foundation, and she was theirs. And that was the best feeling that she could ever hope to achieve.

 

THE END

 

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