nowhere to hide

Nowhere to Hide

By Travelling One

Email: travelling_one@yahoo.ca

Web: http://www.travellingone.com

Summary: A warning and threat causes a recently descended Daniel to fear for his team's safety.

Related episodes : Deadman Switch

Season: Seven

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. Any original characters, situations, and storylines are the property of the author. Archive only with permission please.

Sept./03

"Ho huhhh..." Jack yawned, probably faking but who could tell. "Hum."

Daniel tossed Jack a mocking glance, opting to beat any impending O'Neill sarcasm. "Surely you can't be bored when this beauty surrounds you, Jack."

The barren, lifeless planet was bathed in fog, its purplish glow in the dusty atmosphere giving the air around them a surreal quality. Leafless spiked plants grew waist-high, catching their clothing in brittle, rigid bristles. Rocks deceptively emerged in the partial visibility attempting to trip them, frustrating their efforts to travel at a faster pace. The description could unanimously be summed up in the single word ugly.

"Yeah, well, it's the beauty's camouflage that's overwhelmed me, Daniel. And what did you say was here, exactly?" Jack asked his two scientists, swearing once more at the thorns intent on wresting away his jacket sleeve.

Sam threw a wary look towards Daniel, her present partner in science and misery. "The UAV indicated strong electrical impulses from the quarry, sir. You know that."

"Yes, I do, Carter. And that means either technological development, or quality natural resources. I was listening."

"So why ask, Jack?" Daniel taunted.

"Because, Daniel, you never mentioned man-eating bushes and I would have thought twice about any technological development if I'd known." Jack glanced around as they trudged onward, halting and detouring around the annoying boulders seemingly sprouting suddenly now and then in their path, fading in and out of the purplish fog. This planet had just shown up in their cold dialling system but Jack would have been happier if those rocks previously burying its gate had remained firmly in place. He cursed whatever natural or unnatural conditions had transpired to free the system, his sour mood intensifying in the peculiar gloomy light.

"And walking through this cotton candy is giving me a headache. How much farther, anyway?"

"We've come about halfway, sir."

"So another three or four clicks and we'll set up camp. We'll make it there by late tomorrow afternoon." Hopefully.

"Yes sir. Should do."

_____

The fog had lifted somewhat by the following morning, revealing a stark grayish landscape under the lavendar clouds. Ground, air, and barren flora blended into one another to make distance seem as a visual illusion. Whereas one could almost reach out and touch the distant horizon, at the same time the perimeter appeared to extend into the infinite future. Only the bulky, enormous jutting rocks and smaller boulders scattered across the plains - as though having been dropped from the sky in a giant's angry tantrum - aided their sense of direction and distance.

"I hate this place," Jack commented nonchalantly, as the team marched on.

The day dragged on endlessly, drearily, the scenery never changing, the thorns continuing to grab and scratch, the boulders at least more visible now. "I know why the inhabitants left," Jack grumped. "They got tired of thorn soup. Has anyone seen anything else growing around here today?"

"I have seen no greenery," Teal'c admitted.

"Nope," Daniel added.

"And no water anywhere, sir. It's hard for plant life to stay healthy when it has nothing to survive on."

"There are, however, small animals inhabiting this land," stated Teal'c.

"I know, I saw something scurrying away earlier."

"They must be getting water from somewhere, Jack. And nourishment."

"They probably like thorn soup."

"As we enjoy MREs," Teal'c added, to the quizzical looks of his teammates.

"Actually, giraffes in Africa eat thorn branches," Daniel commented with a pensive tilt of his head.

"It's all survival."

"Sir?" Sam pointed, the edges of the quarry appearing out of the sparse landscape just up ahead. "The readings are getting stronger, Colonel," she announced, checking her hand-held monitors.

The team continued onwards, finally beholding a massive excavated pit, devoid of anything but battered gray rock and amorphous shadows. Advancing, Carter carefully maneuvered her way down the gentlest slope, the others following behind.

"Getting anything, Carter?"

"Yes sir; the readings are spiking but I don't know why."

Which was the same moment the door of a Goa'uld cargo transport appeared out of nowhere, directly in their path and only a few steps ahead as the ground levelled off.

"Whoa!" Carter bounced backwards, her shoulders caught and steadied by Daniel before she could topple them both.

"Crap." Jack looked around. "Not Tok'ra. I've seen this before... dammit. Aris Boch?"

"Impressive, Colonel." The grinning bounty hunter stepped out from the now open doorway. "I'm touched that you remember."

"Ah geez." Jack scowled. "You're not my first choice. No offense." Frowning but intrigued, he studied the door of the otherwise invisible teltac. "How the hell did you get your hands on another ship?"

"An upgraded model," Teal'c added appreciatively.

Boch grinned. "Let's just say I'm good at what I do."

"Yes, let's," the CO scoffed. "So what're you doing here? As I recall, we saved your butt. What could you possibly want from us now?"

"Come now, Colonel. I seem to remember saving your butts, and that of your Tok'ra friend. And as you'll see, I'm here to save you again."

"Let me be the first to say, we have no idea what you're talking about."

Boch strode over to face Daniel, looking him in the eye. "Doctor Jackson. So nice to see you well."

"I'm sure." Daniel retorted.

"You know, Doctor of Archaeology, your value has gone up a great deal since we last met."

"What, no more day's rations?"

Boch grinned. "I told you that wasn't the truth. But since you made yourself known to Anubis, Doctor, every System Lord out there," he waved his hand upwards, "is out hunting you. You have no idea how badly they want you now."

Daniel paled, his thoughts racing. His teammates moved closer.

The words slammed into Jack like a football in the gut. Stepping between Daniel and the bounty hunter, he spoke with fierce calmness. "You're not getting him." No one, no one was stealing Daniel for their own profit. No one would get their hands on him.

"I don't want him."

"Sure you don't. Why are you here, then?"

Ignoring O'Neill and ambling up to Sam, Boch wavered between facetiousness and sincerity. "Major Carter - it is still Major, isn't it? - you said you can help free my people from their dependence on roshna?"

"We were trying, but the sample you gave me wasn't enough." Her words were guarded, as were her features.

"Then I'm here to make a deal."

Jack kept his stance in front of Daniel. "So talk."

Boch swiveled to face Jack and grinned. "Colonel O'Neill, I'd almost think I was making you nervous."

What do you think, you jackassed bastard; you're threatening my teammate. "Look,…"

"I just needed to meet with you again." Boch grew serious. "I've been having trouble procuring enough roshna for my people."

"And you need us to help rid them of their dependency," Carter completed his sentence.

"Explain how you were able to locate us," Teal'c demanded.

"Come on, guys; use your imagination."

Jack paused. "You lured us here?" He shook his head in realization. "There's nothing really here for us, is there." Oy. Grappling with man-eating bushes for nothing.

"That's what I like about you; you catch on quick."

"How could you know we'd be the ones to come? I mean… we have a lot of other teams," Daniel pointed out.

"I could have given this message to any one of them," Boch shrugged. "But, you're the first to explore new planets, aren't you?" He grinned. "And this one's new. By the way, what took you so long? I've been waiting nearly two weeks." He registered the disgusted look on O'Neill's face and turned to Carter. "So? Did you mean it when you said you could help?" he enquired, producing a handful of roshna tubes from his pocket.

"Just hold on. You said you were here to make a deal. We do this for you, and you do… what, exactly?" Jack challenged.

"Simple." Boch turned back to the colonel. "I let Dr. Jackson leave here with you."

"You revolting little…"

"Sir?" Carter cut off her CO. "I think we can help him. I'd like to try."

Jack glared at Boch, taking a moment before responding. "Fine," he relented with a scowl. "When we get back to the base, our lab will have another go at that blue stuff." They did owe him one, like it or not. And truth was, he'd almost liked the guy, once… until he'd lured them here to this wasteland and begun to threaten Daniel.

Boch mock saluted. "You'll be hearing from me." Turning, he took several steps forward, entered his concealed vehicle, and the door closed and promptly disappeared.

"Hey," Jack called into the empty space. "Don't suppose you'd consider giving us a lift back to the stargate?"

_____

Second watch, and Daniel gazed into the blazing fire. The words had hit him hard, had sent a shock wave of fear and terror and guilt coursing in and out of the maze of his veins. More than the fear for himself, more than the worry of ending up in a Goa'uld torture chamber, which in itself was enough to scare the hell out of him, Daniel worried now more than ever for his teammates.

Jumping at the sounds and turning abruptly towards the tent as Jack resurfaced, Daniel realized how edgy he was. He quickly returned his gaze to the flickering firelight, oblivious to the dancing golden fingers casting shadows on his features. Quietly, Jack lowered himself to the ground beside his teammate.

"It's not your watch yet, Jack."

"I know." Jack let the silence linger.

"Couldn't sleep?" Daniel finally asked, his voice soft.

"Maybe. I didn't really try."

Daniel glanced inquiringly at his CO, but said nothing.

"I thought we should talk."

"Okay," Daniel agreed. "About?" About me being Goa'uld prey? About me now being a hindrance and burden to all of you?

"About you being scared."

"What?" Daniel frowned, puzzled, his curious eyes locking with Jack's.

"Boch scared you. He scared me too, Daniel."

Daniel nodded. "I should have expected something like this. This was a bad idea."

"What was?"

"Me returning to SG1."

"What? Daniel, what are you talking about?"

"I'm a danger to you all, Jack." Daniel frowned. "Isn't that what you were thinking back there?"

"Hell, no." Jack studied his friend. Daniel had been withdrawn all day, had barely said a word to any of them. No doubt he had been thinking of possibly being hunted and captured by Goa'uld for his presumed knowledge of his ascension, but that could have been a ploy on Boch's part to trick them into making a deal. "I wanted to tell you not to worry about it."

"Jack… if the Goa'uld are hunting me, then they're hunting you guys too."

"We'll protect each other. Like we've always done." Don't go where I think you're going with this.

Daniel hesitated, staring at the flames. "It's probably best if I leave SG1."

Yeah, there. "No, it's not." The forcefulness of his words caused Daniel to turn. The look in Jack's eyes spelled out worry mixed with determination and anger.

"Jack…"

"Don't let them scare you. They won't win this. They won't beat us, Daniel."

"I just want to do what's best for everyone, Jack."

I know you do. "Then stop talking nonsense. SG1 needs you and you know it."

"SG1 got by without me for a year."

Shit. On the outside and by all appearances. "A long hard year, Daniel."

"You got by."

"I recall a couple of us wouldn't have made it without your help."

"Yeah… so you said. I don't remember much about that."

"Trust me."

"What if they do capture us, Jack, because of me?"

"We'll get through it."

"We shouldn't have to 'get through it'. I can prevent it from happening."

"Daniel, damn it, you're part of our team. Teammates don't quit because of threats."

Daniel's next words were soft in the night stillness. "You're right. He scared me."

"I know he did." Jack tapped his hand on his teammate's knee. "We'll take care of each other, okay?"

Daniel nodded, noting the patterns of firelight playing with the stones on the ground at his feet. "Okay," he whispered simply.

_____

The walk back to the stargate had so far been blessedly uneventful; with four SG team members on alert, the tension level was high and the trek uneasy. Daniel's nervous demeanor had not gone unnoticed by the others, and O'Neill had been keeping an eye on the quiet archaeologist all morning. Daniel was still troubled and probably not yet convinced that his worth far outweighed any potential danger to the team. None of that was even Daniel's fault, and Jack was not about to give him up because of any alien threat.

"Daniel?"

Daniel jumped, then turned to Jack, blushing. "Jack?"

"Lighten up."

"I'm fine."

"There are no Goa'uld here."

"And how many times have we thought that, Jack?"

Jack looked around at the vast rock-littered plains. "Okay… where are they?"

Daniel bit down on his lower lip. "Not here."

Jack squinted over at his friend. "So lighten up."

_____

"Jack?" It was hard to tell if Jack was in a bored state of mind and wanted to be bothered, or if he was in a bored state of mind and would snap at anyone interrupting his attempts at completing whatever those papers were that he was scowling at. Either way, Daniel knew Jack would be shouting, condescending, and arguing within moments. "Jack?"

O'Neill looked up, his expression one of defeat. "Hi."

"Hi." Daniel brushed some crumbs off the chair and sat down. This office felt nearly like home. May as well get right to the point. "I want off SG1."

The stare could have been glass, the way it cut right through to make him look away. "No."

"You can't…"

"We didn't wait a year for you to come home just to have you work in a lab."

"Jack, I don't want to be responsible for SG1 getting captured."

"There's no re…"

"Listen to me. How would you feel if Sam or Teal'c got hurt because of me?"

"Same as if you got hurt because of them."

"Okay…." a change of tactics was needed here. "Okay. How would you feel if I got captured, after knowing that I'd wanted out and you wouldn't let me go?"

That was below the belt. Jack knew he'd feel guilty for the rest of his life. "Daniel, tell me you'd honestly be happy working on base full-time."

Daniel stared Jack straight in the eye. "To save you, I'd be happy working on base full-time."

"And if you were alone, without us, a free-lance space explorer, would you be happy going offworld?"

"Not a fair question, Jack. I don't have that choice."

"Daniel, you wanted to come back so you could do some good, because you were powerless as a glowy thing. Right?"

Daniel couldn't contradict that; instead he remained silent.

"So how much good could you do sitting in a damn office all day?" Jack watched the resignation filter slowly across Daniel's features. "Let's just keep status quo, Daniel. Let me worry about the team."

_____

"Oh!" Daniel's eyes lit up, unable yet to comprehend the full extent of what lay before them. Words avoided his lips, as he stared at the plateau littered with life-like, full-sized statues, each in sculptured detail, too weathered to distinguish any characteristics or what culture of people they may have been modelled after. The UAV readings had detected the presence of no life forms in the immediate vicinity, and the area had been deemed safe enough for Dr. Jackson to have a go at studying the amazing archaeological find. An uninhabited settlement approximately two day's journey was their designated destination.

"Daniel?" Sam took her eyes off the layout for only a moment to search out her teammate's face. The archaeologist appeared mesmerized, the look of pure rapture warning his companions that this could be a long exploratory mission.

Already he was making his way towards the nearest stone sculpture, as Jack grinned at Carter and dropped his pack at the base of the Stargate. "Anyone for a game of Monopoly?" he quipped to his two remaining teammates, his eyes roaming after the archaeologist who was likely to be occupied for the next few hours. "Plenty of shade around here at least," he added, looking around at the dozens of large carvings, "to sit and… doze." They'd all get paid while Daniel did the work; a perk he could live with until boredom set in.

"In a minute, sir," Carter responded abstractedly, as she went to follow Daniel.

Yeah, she'd missed him alright, Jack grinned inwardly.

_____

The minutes turned into an hour, as Jack waited on the steps of the stargate, watching the rest of his team meander among what once must have been eerily realistic sculptures. They'd each gone their separate ways, but all were in plain sight as the plateau seemed to drop off on three sides around them. Time to have a look at what lies beyond, Jack decided, dwelling on the comforting fact that the UAV had not turned up any occupied villages, meaning no Goa'uld. He heard a shout from Carter far out in left field but couldn't make out what she had said.

"Carter?" Jack tilted his radio up to his lips. "Couldn't hear you; what have you got?"

"Actually sir, I said 'WOW! You have to see this!' Come on over, Colonel, and enjoy the view."

The three teammates reached Sam, each pausing upon arrival at her edge of the plateau, each one in turn inhaling and gazing in awe.

"Wow."

Just below them were green terraced hillsides, bordered and landscaped with willows and tall sculpted trees almost presenting a bonsai appearance. The trees themselves were growing fresh and wild, as though their shapes were natural. Well beyond the terraces, cliffs spread to the very horizon, bathed in misty blueness under the crisp silver of the sky.

"On a clear day you can see forever."

"Do not begin to sing, O'Neill."

"This looks like a Japanese brush painting," Daniel breathed his approval.

"Beats Thorn City, I'll tell ya," Jack agreed. That last planet, geez…

"Indeed, this is most pleasant." Teal'c startled Jack from his impending daydreams.

The terraces plastered the plateaus of the rolling hillsides around them, all bordered by rock ledges which, even from this distance, appeared to be carved. The strangest sight remained the statues almost following a haphazard path along the escarpment from the stargate right down to the valley below.

"Jack, can I borrow the binoculars?" Daniel asked, noting the high rock walls. His request granted, he took a closer look. "Guys… we have to go down to those ledges. I'd really like to see the carvings on them." He handed the binoculars to Sam.

"You sure the UAV didn't sense any people around here, Carter?"

"Positive, sir. The whole area seemed to be abandoned."

"Okay, grab your stuff and let's check it out."

As they made their way across the plateau and down the sloping terraces, Daniel stopped frequently to investigate the sculptures that seemed to be guiding them, showing them the way to somewhere in a most unsettling fashion, their features and lines having been worn away by rain and wind and time. Along the rock walls were carvings, even less precise and distinguishable. "I'm sure there's a story in here, but I don't see anything I recognize yet," Daniel commented, photographing and sketching yet more reliefs.

"Your drawing's improving," Jack stated with raised eyebrows as he peered over Daniel's shoulder.

The day was wearing on, the light thinning, but the team had made good progress along the hillsides. Already half a day's walk from the gate, they had found nothing to indicate who had occupied this district or why they had left. This seemed to be a natural paradise, welcoming and potentially productive, although mysteriously there had been no dwellings here, or at least none that had survived. Daniel had remarked that the people may have built structures of bamboo or thatch, but strangely enough he had found no visible evidence of any food sources having been planted on these grassy slopes.

"We should stop soon, kids."

"Just a bit farther, Jack? I was hoping we might reach those stones." Daniel motioned into the distance, where not too far below them, against the cliffs spreading out at the base of the lowest terraces opposite, were more rows of sculpted rocks, also seemingly carved and perhaps, in their more sheltered location, in better condition than the weathered ones along their route.

"Looks like that'll be another couple of hours, Daniel. We'll have to see how the light goes."

By the time they neared the large grouping of standing stones, most of the daylight had faded. But from this proximity, Daniel could tell what he was looking at, and the thought stunned and excited him. By the time camp was established and a cookfire started, there was little light left by which to see. Daniel gazed longingly towards the standing stones, as the team devoured their MREs.

"Xi'an."

Carter glanced over at her teammate. "Daniel?"

"That's what they remind me of. The terra cotta warriors of Xi'an, an army of around 8000 lifelike warriors carved over two thousand years ago, supposedly to guard the emperor Qin Shi Huang Di in his afterlife. Mythology claims he had his own body carved in jade and buried in a lake within a pyramid, right after he died." Daniel caught his breath, noticing Sam looking at him with an amused expression. He shrugged. "I suppose many cultures developed their own reasons for building statues and sculptures, the forms created in their own image." Daniel looked up in confusion, before his eyes began to shine with the sense of unexplored discovery. "But if Earth shared a common history with the people of this planet, the sculptures on Earth might explain some things about this place. Or vice versa," he added with a thoughtful tilt of his head. "Do you know what this means?" Daniel asked excitedly, ignoring the fact that most of his extrapolating had been done in his own mind.

"That going home any time this year was a pipe dream?" Jack queried.

"No! That Earth's…" He stopped, shaking his head in exasperation. Jack hadn't really wanted a sensible answer. That even more of Earth's history lay intermingled with aliens and Goa'uld and maybe even the Ancients or Asgard or Furlings, and he'd have to start digging further into ancient Chinese culture when he returned home. Maybe more alien technology lay buried under the streets of Xi'an with the mysterious unnamed warriors.

"You can visit with them in the morning, Daniel."

_____

Jack poked his head out from his tent, the tentative emergence of golden-pink rays having warned him that daylight was approaching. The sunrise was late on this world, perhaps due to the high hills surrounding them, and six hours sleep had been plenty after having taken first watch. Emerging fully, he gazed around at Carter preparing water for coffee. "Hey," he greeted her. Abstractedly, he noticed movement inside Teal'c's tent, just as the Jaffa's head emerged.

"'Morning, Colonel," she smiled. "I just put the water up. It'll be a few minutes. 'Morning, Teal'c."

At the base of the cliffs beyond their camp, Jack's gaze settled on a moving form. Daniel was already walking around the stone figures.

"Didn't he sleep?" Jack asked no one in particular.

"He got up during my watch, sir. About forty-five minutes ago."

Jack headed out to the rocky ledge fencing in the cliffs beyond. Within five minutes, he'd reached his archaeologist. "I hope this is worth missing Carter's coffee." He glanced at the sculptures staring out at him with their bright white eyes. "Whoa. Creepy. Can't say much for their originality, though." Most of them looked exactly the same. "Find out anything?"

But Daniel was already staring at Jack with zeal in his eyes, his face lit not by the morning rays but by inner excitement and the passion of discovery. I've misssed that look, Jack caught his subconscious reminding him.

"There are pictographs and petroglyphs all over the ledges here, Jack! These people's ancestors were from a place far across the stars - which I'm interpreting to be Earth. They built stone beings to represent …well, you can see by the white eyes what they represented. Jack, the warriors of Xi'an have lost most of their original colour over the millennia, so I have no way of knowing if they were painted like this as well. But… the statues on Easter Island were also painted with their eyes white, SO-o…" His voice drifted off, lost in thought.

"They were supposed to look like Goa'uld?" Jack scrunched up his face.

"No. I think maybe the ones on Easter Island were meant to scare off the Goa'uld. Facing out to sea and all that. But that probably was just a remnant from past legends, seeing as the Easter Island statues were only carved a few hundred years ago. They probably didn't even know who they were supposed to be scaring off, other than monsters or enemies of some sort. I know they were vastly separated from the continents, but seeing as how widely spread some of the Goa'uld influences really were,…"

Jack shook his head. "I'm not following. I thought we were talking about Xi'an."

"I am. The white eyes just reminded me of Easter Island."

"And the statues here were for…?"

Daniel shrugged, sighing. "Something having to do with the Goa'uld."

"Something?"

"Well I don't know yet, Jack. I haven't had a chance to look closely at the petroglyphs along the cliff."

"Well, come have breakfast. Then you can have as much time as you need." At Daniel's raised eyebrows, Jack amended, "this morning."

_____

By early afternoon, Daniel had returned to the camp at Jack's request. "We have to move on, Daniel. Have you found anything new?"

"Yes, actually. The people were brought here by a powerful white-eyed race that worshipped snake-like creatures."

"You knew that already."

"No, I just assumed."

"Oy." Jack sighed and rolled his eyes.

"They carved the statues to honour and please the Goa'uld."

"So, nothing to say where these people went?"

"No. I guess they didn't carve anything after they left." Daniel reached for his mug, oblivious to the looks thrown his way. "Probably displaced by the Goa'uld again, or destroyed by them." Daniel noticed the bored stares. "I have no way of knowing if these people took part in an uprising, but I guess if there was, they lost."

"Well… we're moving on." Jack tested the waters gently, expecting an argument.

"Okay."

Jack chuckled. He never knew what to expect from his friend, since his return. "So which way?"

"The UAV indicated the former settlement was about ten clicks from here, sir."

"We should be able to make that before dark. You kids ready?"

_____

The stone settlement was indeed tiny, nestled comfortably against the backdrop of green gently-sloping terraced hills and bonsai trees. Made of smooth marble, formerly polished before the elements had weathered it, the focal point was one larger building, pyramidal in shape. Shadows played flatly across the ground in the deepening twilight.

With the diminishing light, their primary job was to set up camp and build a fire. An early sleep meant an early start. "Tomorrow," Jack cautioned Daniel more out of necessity than safety, seeing the eagerness already building in the scholar's eyes. Since Daniel's return, Jack had been feeling protective towards his friend even while knowing that Daniel was quite capable of looking after himself. Hell, the man had been doing work Jack couldn't even imagine for the past year, had seen things and dealt with beings far beyond his imagination or understanding. Daniel had ended up taking care of him, of all of them. The young man had faced death and won, and had been cast out on his own and left to fend for himself as he'd learned to do so early in life. So while Jack knew he'd always do everything within his power to keep his teammate safe and healthy, he knew deep within his soul that Daniel didn't really need protecting. Not that Jack would admit to that or ever stop trying. That was his job, as team commander. As friend.

Settled in for the night, Jack took first watch.

"Good night, Sir."

"'Night, Carter. I'll wake you in two."

"Yes sir."

"I shall see you in the morning, O'Neill. Daniel Jackson, I shall wake you for final watch."

"Right. 'Night, Teal'c."

"Go to sleep, Daniel."

"In a bit, Jack."

The two men sat by the fire, watching the flames intermittently illuminate the base of the small pyramid beyond.

"This is eerie," Jack commented. "Where are the people?"

"Probably taken by the Goa'uld again," Daniel repeated his earlier assumption, as Jack shrugged.

"Maybe you'll find out tomorrow."

Jack noticed the silence from his friend. Something seemed to be bothering the man beside him, something more than a lost civilization. "What's on your mind, Daniel?"

Daniel looked up at his CO, startled from his thoughts. For a moment he offered no response.

"Am I a liability, Jack?" he asked quietly. As often as they'd been over this lately, Daniel couldn't remove the possibility from his mind.

"Daniel, we've been through this." Ghosts of the Goa'uld, here in an abandoned hamlet among the sculpted remnants of a long-lost civilization, had got Daniel started again in the stillness of the night. Ghosts of a missing populace threw shadows over them as they swept past, breathing down upon the two teammates as the breeze played with the firelight.

"I know."

Jack sighed. "But I still haven't managed to convince you that you're an asset to both the SGC and SG1. Why do you think I jumped at having you back on the team?"

"For old times' sake."

"Daniel… for crying out loud. The Goa'uld have always been hunting us. And we've been hunting them; the feeling's mutual. It's no different now."

Daniel nodded, the flames playing games with his expression. "You're wrong. Now they're trying harder."

"Maybe they are. Maybe not."

"They think I have the knowledge of the ascended. With that knowledge they know they can be more powerful than ever. Trust me, Jack; they're trying harder."

"Your point being? We want you on the team Daniel. Pal. Ol' buddy. Don't question your elders."

There was no further discussion, and finally Daniel lifted himself to his feet. "I'm going to sleep." He looked around at the shadows. Even blacker stones against the darkness, the rock warriors standing guard around this settlement seemed to be watching them, judging them. Daniel stretched, then hesitatingly sauntered over to the nearest one a few meters away.

"Daniel?" Jack called out softly, not wanting to awaken his other teammates. "There could be snakes and things… and I don't mean the Goa'ulded kind."

"Don't worry."

The shapes of the sculptures had been occupying his thoughts. Several had such unique facial expressions yet many were so alike, and each one with thick folds embedded into their carved clothing. Why were they all so alike and yet so different? Daniel wished he already had the answer to this strange stone army.

_____

"After you," Jack allowed Daniel to lead the way. The pyramid seemed smaller without the shadows extending from it. It really wasn't that much larger than a house on Earth. But it was made from a marble-like stone, and radiated beauty in its elegance.

The marble interior was dim, and it took moments for their eyes to adjust. Full of sand and dust, a few sculptures similar in style to all the others filled the otherwise bare room, but these stood out in their grace and splendor, having been carved from what seemed like single blocks of jade. As Daniel made his way from one to the other, photographing the life-like white-eyed jade warriors, he couldn't help but wonder at the similarity and almost mechanical reproduction of these multiple replicas.

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c's strange tone seemed to indicate that he wanted his teammate's immediate presence at his side, and Daniel made his way over. In front of Teal'c was a low stone platform on which rested a marble box, an intricate relief carved on its surface.

"Teal'c? What have you got?" But as Daniel looked down upon the carved features of a young male, something cold chilled his blood and curled its way up his spine. This carved human face was wearing glasses.

Jack and Sam were behind them now, confused at the significance of the find. "What's it for?"

Daniel reached out, bending over, his fingers lightly tracing the outlines of the relief carving. As he did so, the eyes behind the carved glasses glowed white, and Daniel jumped back, bumping into Teal'c. "Oh geez!" Daniel's heart was thudding.

"Welcome, Daniel Jackson". A deep echoing voice came from within the box. "Remain in this place until we arrive, and your friends will be allowed to leave freely."

"Oh crap." Jack didn't know whether to stare at the revolting piece of rock that had just issued an ultimatum to a member of his team, or at Daniel's dismay, his shocked expression blanched and frozen.

"There is a Goa'uld communication device disguised within this encasement." Teal'c's resentful voice unnecessarily informed them, breaking the ice of dread.

"And we've just notified them we're here," Daniel breathed. Still pale and stunned, his fear registered in each of their guts. They all felt the same.

Daniel would not be a hindrance to his team; that he knew without a doubt. No way would he bring them down, bring any harm to these people whom he had cared for for so many years. But the words that next left his lips indicated none of what he was thinking. Captured by a Goa'uld; pain. His last day on Earth had been more painful than he ever cared to remember, and the Goa'uld would do a hell of a lot worse than that. "I can't stay here," he whispered. "Don't leave me here."

"Hey!" Jack was standing in front of the archaeologist. "Hey, snap out of it, Daniel. We have no intention of leaving you here. We don't work that way, and you know it." Left you alone on Kelowna when we went to tour the city, I know; but we didn't think you were in danger, I swear we didn't. I swear we didn't. That bit of guilt would be long in the releasing.

"Daniel," Sam's voice was gentle. "We'd never leave you here."

Daniel looked up, his eyes stinging. He knew they wouldn't; why had he even said that?

"O'Neill, we must vacate this area at once. They are aware that it will take nearly two days for us to reach the chappa'ai. Their ship may be close or they may even now be arriving through the portal."

"Let's go!" Jack grasped Daniel's arm. He added softly, "We take care of each other, remember?"

Daniel nodded, grabbed his backpack, and ran.

_____

The next six hours passed in a frenzied return to the stargate, partly running, stopping for only a few short breaks to rest. Time was of the essence, yet inwardly they all knew their chances were slim. This had been the perfect trap, and would not be thrown away by whatever Goa'uld was in charge by a failure to arrive on time. The snakeheads hadn't gone to all this trouble for nothing.

Then again, the egos and self-confidence of the glowy-eyed creatures usually caused them to underestimate the skills and determination of SG1. When a teammate's life was at stake, nothing could stop the team from achieving their goals. And this goal was by far as important as any they'd ever set their minds to; this one was to safely get Daniel away from here.

"We'll have to continue through the night. Anyone have any objections?"

There were none. The going would be hard, though; the way was uphill, over the terraced and sometimes rocky terrain, and the light shed by the night sky was doing nothing but contributing to the confusion of shadows.

At least four hours of darkness had passed with few breaks, by the time Jack called for an hour's time out, knowing they must be somewhere near the halfway point. They were all tired, and in need of food.

That was when the movement suddenly filtered through the strange trees up ahead.

"Oh damn!" They stopped, frozen in their tracks. They knew those sounds; could tell anywhere that the moonlight glinting off that bit of silver identified a troupe of Jaffa shuffling in armour.

"Crap! Out of sight, everyone!" Jack shouted, pulling Daniel behind him, and heading towards a shapely stand of bonsais. The rest of his team was doing the same, ending their jaunt a few feet away.

"God, Jack! They're here." Daniel's expression was undecipherable, but Jack knew the tremors in the pit of his friend's stomach likely matched his own. Daniel's eyes were wide as he glanced around. "They came through the stargate."

"They won't get their slimy hands on you."

Daniel leaned his head against the raspy tree, eyes tightly closed as he attempted to contain and control his pulsating fears. "How did they know we'd come here, Jack? How could they know?" Daniel's panic was surfacing; he couldn't hold it back. Looking at Jack, he wanted absolution, wanted his friend to assure him that he himself hadn't been a Goa'uld magnet, somehow pulling his friends into an obscene race they couldn't win. Were those devices planted on other planets? Were there galactic traps all over the universe?

"Maybe Boch told them."

"What? Why? Why would he do that?"

"He's a bounty hunter. It's his business. The little bastard didn't keep his end of the bargain."

"Sir, that doesn't make any sense. If he hands us over, he'll never get the results from our lab."

"What do you want to bet that he didn't really want them? Maybe that stuff he gave you, Carter, isn't even the real roshna," Jack scowled.

"Do you believe Aris Boch was paid highly to reveal our whereabouts, O'Neill?"

"What do you think, Teal'c?"

"But how would he know we were here, Jack?" Daniel insistently pursued.

"It's his job, Daniel. How he does it, I have no idea. It seems he's good at anticipating plans," Jack complained, remembering how the man had toyed with them and outwitted Sokar. "Maybe he planted some tracking device in one of our packs the other day. " Or a listening device in the blue tubes.

"We must find shelter, O'Neill."

"Yeah. Well. Tonight we'll stay hidden in the trees. Tomorrow we have to cross the terraces, and there's not much shelter on those."

"We can't go to the gate, sir. They'll have it heavily guarded."

"Then we'll just stay hidden. We are not giving them Daniel."

_____

As they huddled under the largest cluster of trees they could find, knowing that the morning sun would easily give them away from up above, Jack sensed Sam finally succumbing to an uneasy sleep. Teal'c was resting; how deeply, Jack never could tell.

Daniel, on the other hand, was gazing restlessly up at the unfamiliar night sky, wondering if it might soon contain a Goa'uld mothership. Maybe if they couldn't find him on foot…

Jack reached out, gently pulling at the other man's sleeve. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," he heard softly in return.

"You'll be okay."

"Will you?"

"Me?"

"I've brought this down on all of you."

"Daniel, what happened to you was not your fault. You don't have to keep paying, over and over, for rescuing an entire civilization. Leave it alone now. We're all in this together."

"But we don't have to be. They'd settle for me, for what I know about the state of ascension. What I know about the ancients."

"And you'd tell them?"

"No."

"They'd hurt you."

"I can't tell them what I don't know."

"You might eventually remember. And they'd wait."

"I might never remember it all. And I wouldn't tell them anyway."

"They'd keep hurting you until you had no choice. I know, Daniel. Believe me." And if you could only remember, you'd know too.

"I'm going to give myself up."

"Like hell you will!"

"I have no choice, Jack."

"Daniel…! Get your head straight. You'll give yourself up over my dead body!"

"It'll be your dead body if I don't."

"SG1 doesn't give up, Daniel! When did you start forgetting that?"

"Jack…"

"Daniel, the only hindrance you'll ever be to this team is when you stop fighting… when you stop trying to survive. Is that what you're doing now?"

Suddenly Daniel sat upright. "Oh…. OH!" he stared past Jack, eyes wide and insightful.

"What? Daniel?" Jack looked around, seeing nothing to indicate danger.

Daniel stared straight ahead, taking another moment within his own mind. "The faces! I knew there was something, I'd just forgotten… I mean, Chinese history is not my forte, Jack!"

"Daniel!" Jack whispered as loudly as he dared. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Daniel looked as closely at Jack as he could in the light of the large single moon. "There's a theory that the Xi'an warriors have ten facial features, all corresponding to ten of the ten thousand characters of the ancient Chinese alphabet. I knew the statues here had certain facial characteristics…" When he realized his CO was not following, Daniel slowed down, taking out his digital camera. "I'm going to catologue the various faces I saw, Jack. I think there's a message in them."

Jack's face fell. "Geez, Daniel, I thought you were onto something. What if the message is, 'yes, our world is round'?"

Daniel shook his head. "I think it's something else, Jack."

For the next two hours, Daniel studied his digital photos, copying the facial shapes of the jade and stone sculptures onto the pages of his notebook, then simplifying these into bare outlines. Not daring to turn on a flashlight, he had only the light from his tiny camera screen to work by, and his eyes were sore and aching by the time he'd made his final discovery.

The look on Daniel's face was mysterious and awestruck, as he finally looked up to see Jack scrutinizing him.

"And?" Jack whispered, breaking the silence.

"They do correspond to symbols." Daniel still looked stunned.

"And?"

"And I can read them. They're not characters of the Chinese alphabet, Jack; they're symbols the Goa'uld use. When viewed in order, the row of statues leading from the terraces to the pyramid keep repeating 'Enter our hearts'."

"Enter our hearts? For crying out loud, Daniel, it's some religious dedication." And that won't help us escape the Goa'uld.

But Daniel shook his head as he finally looked back at his camera, his gaping expression mutating into a frown. "No, I don't think so. Maybe they wanted the Goa'uld to believe that, if any of them could figure it out." The battery light was flashing again as Daniel looked at a close-up one last time. "Look closely at these carved folds of fabric, Jack. That look like a hinge to you?"

It was Jack's turn to look dumbfounded. "They open? They're hollow?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure?"

"Well, no. Of course not."

"That's good enough for me." Only one way to find out. "Carter…Teal'c! Wake up!"

_____

Sneaking back to the nearest statues was not difficult in the darkness, but taking no chances the group took their time and trekked cautiously, carefully, slowly, finally reaching their destination before the first glimmers of light shone on the horizon. Nervously looking around, Jack urged in an impatient whisper. "Go for it, Daniel." And you'd better be right, or we're stranded in plain view with daylight barely minutes away.

"Here," Daniel whispered back. His flashlight illuminated the hinges embedded and camouflaged deep in the folds of the warrior's sculpted clothing. Enter our hearts, Daniel repeated to himself. Pushing on the front of the statue right beside the hinged areas, he heard a faint click, the body seemed to unlatch, and Daniel slipped his fingers into the small crevice, pulling open the front portion of the stone warrior.

"God!" Daniel jumped back, but not in time to fully avoid the impact of the body falling against him.

"Oh!" Carter caught her breath as Daniel jumped out of the way, the dried, partly preserved body undignifiedly clunking onto the soil beside him.

"Well that room was occupied," Jack let out a harsh breath.

"Oh God, he didn't make it," Daniel stated needlessly, attempting to regain his composure.

"Come on, Daniel. We can't stay here. Let's get over to the other ones."

The next statue revealed another mummified body taking up residence within, as did the next and the next… and the next. Sunrise glinted its way onto the horizon.

"Oh geez, Jack! They all died inside these statues! This is where the people all went, hiding from the Goa'uld!" Did the hundreds of statues scattered about these plains all contain the bodies of those refugees who had not succeeded in obtaining their freedom? Did the terra cotta statues on Earth contain bodies as well? No, that was impossible; Daniel had seen some of them cracked and broken… although maybe those had been the decoys…

"They did not allow themselves to be taken by the Goa'uld, Daniel Jackson, and that is worth their deaths."

"We're going to have to use some of these, Daniel. We can't continue looking for empty coffins."

Daniel stared at his CO, realizing they had no choice but to hide within stone enclosures newly released of their long-dead occupants.

"Step inside, Daniel."

As Daniel's wide-eyed stare continued to process their situation, Jack sighed and turned to Sam. "Step inside, Carter." Daniel's turn could wait. Sam hesitantly did as ordered; placing her legs inside the shapely indentations formed for the lower extremities, she then leaned her back against the rear of the statue as Jack shut the front of the body, encasing her. Sobering his emotions, Daniel lifted the lightweight dehydrated corpse and carried it to a spot a few feet away.

"Daniel?"

"No good leaving it out here for the Jaffa to find," he stated, then added, "I've handled mummies before."

"Our archaeologist at work," Jack retorted. "There's no room to take our packs in with us and we can't leave them out here. Teal'c, open one of these things and we'll put our supplies inside."

Three more of the statues were opened, the bodies moved, and each teammate took their positions within the encasements, grasping the tiny inner protrusions that allowed them to pull the doors shut from inside. There was no extra room in these things; they were meant to fit the shape of the body and that was all. Only one's hands and arms could move just that little bit. Thank goodness these people had been at least as tall as they were.

Finally allowing himself a breath of relief, Daniel peeked out the eye holes of his sculpture. It was hot inside this stone form, even with the camouflaged airholes behind the ears as well as inside the nose and lips, and it smelled of years of heat and dead things. Surely the inhabitants hadn't meant to hide inside them for extended periods?

The marching gave away the presence of Jaffa minutes before they came into view.

Pausing first to glance at the preserved bodies scattered around the ground, they came closer, so close that looking out the eyeholes Daniel found himself staring into the eyes of a single Jaffa. Did they know these stone warriors were hollow? If they realized that those bodies had been within, if they were to open the carved forms or knock them over, SG1 wouldn't have a chance.

Even if Daniel gave himself up now, they'd check the innards of the remaining statues. They'd know. And surely this Jaffa could hear his raging heartbeat, could hear the sweat dripping into his eye...

After minutes of barely daring to breathe, the sounds of the troupe moving onward elicited stifled breaths of relief from the four teammates.

"What now, Jack?" Daniel whispered into his radio, his pounding heart finally beginning to relax.

"Well, we can stand inside these things until nightfall…"

"It's really hot in here, Jack."

"…or we can make a run for the gate and keep hiding in these things along the way."

"And hope there aren't any more Jaffa along the path?"

"That too."

"Sir, I think we should wait a while," came Carter's whispered voice.

"As do I, O'Neill."

"Daniel?"

"I can handle it, Jack."

_____

An hour passed, then two. Only one more group of Jaffa had passed the site, and the air within the statues was nearly unbearable. The four humans were standing as close to the camouflaged air holes as possible, but it was clear they would not be able to remain within the hollowed-out stone until nightfall.

"Daniel, you really think all these sculptures are hollow?"

"Yes. They were scattered all along the escarpment, Jack, rows of them with the same facial features, and therefore I'm assuming with the same message. They had to have been put here as a way for the inhabitants to hide until they all made it to the stargate."

"But they didn't make it."

"Maybe there were too many Jaffa guarding the gate for too long."

"Where are the next ones?"

"Just up on the third terrace."

"So, if we make a break for it now and the big ugly guys come back, they'll see us out there, right?"

Daniel just nodded, but Jack had no need to hear the answer to that anyway. He knew they would be visible for at least the next half hour.

"We still have a few hours until dark, kids."

"I can't do it, Jack." The heat was nearly unbearable, and the onset of dehydration was stalled only through sheer will power. Their canteens were empty, and spares were in their packs in the fifth statue. Hunger had made itself known hours ago, and was not letting up. Daniel knew he had to risk movement, but he would not ask his friends to do the same. "I'll try to make it up the hills. Stay here as long as you can."

"Daniel! Don't you dare! We all go together, is that clear?"

"Jack, I'm not…"

"Is that understood, Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel froze at the voice. No way would he risk capture with the last thought of his friendship being one of Jack's anger with him, but Jack probably knew that. "I'll wait," he muttered meekly.

"No, Daniel. I can't stand it in here any more than you can. I need air." What the hell, now's as good a time as any. "Let's go for it. Carter? Teal'c? We're heading out."

Daniel let out a breath of relief. He hadn't really wanted to do this alone, but any longer in this hiding place and he was going to pass out.

"Um, Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I know why those people all died in these things."

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you happen to come across any instructions as to how to get this open from the inside?"

Daniel froze. Pushing on the "door", the front of his statue, too, remained tightly shut. He tried forcing the heart area but nothing had any effect.

"Daniel??"

"I'm trying, Jack!"

"I, too, am unable to exit from this enclosure," Teal'c's voice was calm.

Shoving down his emerging panic, Daniel pressed firmly on all sides of the inner statue, but remained firmly confined within its casing. There was not a lot of room to move, and if any instructions were on the wall behind him he was unable to swivel around to look.

"There has to be a way out, Jack. They wouldn't have made these without a way out!"

"Stay calm, Daniel. We'll figure it out."

"They didn't appear to, sir."

"Perhaps the Goa'uld had discovered these hiding places and sabotaged them, O'Neill."

Crap. This day was just going oh so wrong.

Daniel closed his eyes and leaned his head against the rear of the stone. His flashlight search had turned up no writing on the inner walls, from what he could see. The worry and heat were combining to make this space frighteningly claustrophobic. The air was stifling; there was no way he could remain in here but no way to leave. While Daniel knew it had to be the same for his teammates, he envied their calmness and lack of complaint.

There was silence from the radio, but within each statue were the sounds of swearing and shuffling, teammates trying in vain to release themselves from an impending self-imposed death. And that made it even harder to accept; they'd put themselves in these contraptions without even experimenting on getting out again. They'd been trapped, one way or another. Choiceless.

The time was getting closer to nightfall; the air might at least cool down, somewhat. Somehow. Keep those positive thoughts coming.

But then night would just lead to day once again.

"Sir! Daniel, I'm out!" the excited voice of Sam jolted Daniel into awareness.

"How, Carter?"

"Use the heel of your boot, sir, and and dig under the grass and dirt! There's a pedal or lever just in front of the door. Stamp hard guys, mine was pretty rusted."

And within ten minutes all three teammates had burst from their self-imposed confinements. Daniel gasped with relief as he felt the cool air tease the sweat off his brow.

As the final door sprung open and they tossed on their packs and supplies, Jack grabbed his teammate's sleeve and took off in a run towards the next grassy terrace.

_____

In this way, the night and following day had worn on. Presently within their fourth set of sculptures, mummified bodies having been left littered along their trail, SG1 was weary, hot, and emotionally drained. After two nights of no sleep, their only food having been energy bars, this last time had been the hardest. Closing in on the stargate, they were also in the too-near vicinity of the dreaded enemy. Jaffa had popped into the open not five minutes after SG1 had sequestered themselves inside this present set of mummy-shaped stone warriors. If the snake-bellies put two and two together, they would eventually realize those mummified bodies lying on the ground had not been out there yesterday. But then, not all Jaffa were as smart as Teal'c.

Daniel knew his team could go no farther than this. The gate was flooded with a horde of guards, and Daniel knew the Jaffa would not leave until they had what they'd come for; it was a matter of their own survival, for returning to their master empty-handed was the equivalent of death.

And Daniel would be damned if what they got was all of SG1. "The gate's surrounded, Jack." They had seen that in the near distance just ahead.

"I know."

"What do we do now?"

Night was falling yet again, but they could never get around those guards to get through the stargate. Nor could they hide amongst the strange-looking bonsai trees along the way, with so many Jaffa patrolling the area, and these statues were inhospitable for any extended length of time. "I haven't figured that out yet, Daniel."

Daniel knew that the longer they waited, the more likely his whole team would have to leave their sweathouses before the coast was clear. If he left now… if he led the enemy away, chances were that his teammates might make it back home safely.

His friends would die in these rocks that weren't made to house guests for so long. He had no choice. Daniel shifted the door wide and stepped out into the cool air.

"Daniel? Colonel! Daniel's leaving!" Carter shouted into her radio, her voice shaking as she watched in horror out the eyeholes.

"Oh crap!" Jack could see Daniel taking off slowly in the direction of the open meadow on the hill above this last terrace, the hill that housed the stargate and several dozen Jaffa. There was no time for a plan B, no time to even think of what he was about to do. Daniel was leaving him no choice. Jack flung his door open, silently thanking whoever need be that those floor levers kept working. Aiming his zat and muttering a silent apology, he unloaded the energy.

And Daniel was down, writhing on the ground but not unconscious. Jack nervously looked ahead to see if the commotion had been noticed, as the three teammates rushed to Daniel's side, Teal'c pausing only long enough to rescue their packs and larger weapons from the fifth chamber. It would not be wise to somehow reach the gate without a GDO.

"Damn it, Daniel!"

"Get back inside! Go!" Daniel gasped, his voice overcome with pain and fear, a terror that his whole team was out in the open and vulnerable. If he could only get up and run, no way would Jack down him again. But as hard as he tried, Daniel was still too weak to raise himself further than his elbows.

He read the looks on his teammates' faces. Concern, fear, frustration, sorrow. Sorrow for him, for a teammate who was a hindrance to them all? No, for a teammate who cared so much he was willing to be used as bait.

A teammate so single-minded that he'd ended up putting them all in danger. He should have known they'd come out here after him.

But what else could he have done? What else could any of them have done besides die of dehydration in a bed of rock?

"Daniel… whatever happened to "don't leave me here!"? Look me in the eye and tell me you're not scared." Jack hovered above him, as the effects of the zat slowly dissipated.

And Daniel looked at his CO, at his teammates. He looked at the scared faces of SG1, at the faces of his friends, and he couldn't do what Jack had asked. He couldn't respond.

"We've all had some air. Let's go back into those damn things."

"I don't think so, sir." Carter was staring in the direction of the stargate, in the direction of an army of Jaffa now headed their way. "They know we're here."

Jack gaped at their approaching rivals. None of the teammates moved. There was nowhere to go.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You should have just let me go." Daniel still lay on his back, willing himself to inhibit the pain.

"Maybe you just should have stayed put."

But it was too late for blame, and far too unnecessary. They would need each other's support more than ever now.

"For how long? Sooner or later we would have had to get air. And by then you would have been too exhausted to do anything. We all would have died in there, like hundreds of those people did."

"We would have died free." Teal'c stared forlornly up ahead. Too many Jaffa approached to do battle against, their staff weapons aimed and ready. Perhaps SG1 could go down fighting, but this Goa'uld army would be sure to keep at least Daniel Jackson alive. The rest of SG1 could not abandon him to face such a fate alone. They must all be taken together.

Now what? Jack had no Plan B. We just wait for them to take us? Watch as they try to interrogate Daniel? Watch as they try to force him to remember things he has no conscious memory of? Dammit.

Jack scowled in hatred at the approaching live warriors.

Then suddenly, not more than ten meters away to their left, space bubbled and the door of an already parked teltac appeared, unveiling itself with the removal of its cloaking shield. The door slid open.

"You people going to just sit there and be captured?" A grinning face shouted at them from the doorway. Quick as the flash of a staff weapon, Teal'c pulled Daniel to his feet, lending him aid in movement, and all four members of SG1 raced into the interior of the alien vessel. The door shut behind them and they lifted off, once again technologically camouflaged against the now darkening sky.

"How long were you there?" Jack growled at Aris Boch, adrenaline rush now making him edgy and angry, the realization of what had just occurred fully sinking in. They had just run from a present enemy into the grasp of a previous enemy, heading for destinations unknown.

"Oh, long enough to watch you shoot your Doctor of Archaeology," Boch grinned. "Most of the day, I suppose."

"And you just show yourself now?" Jack was fuming. How dare the arrogant son of a bitch play games like this with his team. But in all fairness, he had saved them… hadn't he? Where were they going now, anyway?

"I had to get something out of it, didn't I? God that was fun."

Oh fuck! What more could they ask for, being rescued by no less than a bounty hunter who had once had their heads in his wallet?

"Why are you here, Boch? Where are you taking us? And how did you know where we were?"

"Hey hey, Colonel. All in good time. Why I'm here, is to rescue you. Where I'm taking you depends on you. Do you have that antidote ready yet?"

Jack eyed him warily. "You mean that stuff's real?"

Aris Boch raised his eyebrow. "You threw it out?"

"No," Carter cut in quickly. "We have biologists working on it. It might take a while."

"But they're working on it?"

"Yes. I swear."

"Okay then. I'm taking you to another planet with a stargate. You can go home."

Jack tried not to let his relief be as obvious as that of his teammates. Teal'c's features had visibly relaxed, Carter was damn close to smiling, and Daniel was sitting up, shaking off the last lingering effects of a zat blast.

"Um… how did the Goa'uld know we'd be on this planet? How did you know?" Daniel queried, his voice lacking its normal strength.

"Ah, that's what I like about you. You ask all the good questions." Boch smiled "Well, let's just say I was in the right place at the right time."

"I don't understand."

"I was trading for roshna when I heard your transmission yesterday morning. You came in loud and clear, guys. Seems the Goa'uld have hidden communications devices on many planets, Doctor Jackson."

"Then you didn't set us up?" Carter asked.

"Hell no. How would I have known where you'd be?"

"What planets are the other devices on?" O'Neill interrupted, his thoughts raging and crashing like twigs in a stormy river.

"No idea, Colonel. I guess you'll just have to be very careful out there, hmmm? Now, we'll be arriving at a planet with a stargate in about four hours, unless you'd like to stick around."

"No, you know, I think we'll be happy to leave," Jack nodded, and retreated to make himself as comfortable as he could, seating himself beside Daniel.

As the team rested on the raised platforms of the alien ship, waiting to go home, Daniel realized how edgy he still was. 'Doctor, every System Lord out there is hunting you. You have no idea how badly they want you now… Seems the Goa'uld have hidden communications devices on many planets '...

This could happen again. It would happen again. He could forever be putting his team at risk. 'Out there' had just gotten that much riskier, and that much more intimidating. But SG1 was where Daniel belonged; he had known that ever since he'd made it back home. They'd just have to be extra cautious from now on, for even without him, SG1 would be a target by association alone. His team, any team, could be held for ransom, anywhere, with himself as the prize. There was nowhere for him to hide.

Daniel glanced at his CO. Noticing, Jack moved closer to his archaeologist. "Sorry I zatted you."

"You had to. I didn't give you much choice."

"Look, Daniel,…"

"I want to stay on the team."

Jack looked up in surprise at his still unpredictable friend. "Good. That's good."

Daniel nodded. "You were right. We do this together. We protect each other. I need you and I know you need me."

Jack couldn't hold back a smile, and gave Daniel's leg a pat. "Well it's about time." It's about time. Welcome home, Daniel Jackson.

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