Part Four:
Playground of the
Gods
Cold.
It
seeped into his skin, through his clothes until he could feel it pressed up
against his bones. He shivered involuntarily, annoyed that he should be affected
so prolifically when the cold was nothing that he was unaccustomed to. How many
nights had he spent out on the prairie under the stars in the middle of winter?
How many blizzards and snowstorms had he been caught in through
out his life? This should not have effected
him the way it had, Chris Larabee told himself after
he had tumbled to the ground, feeling frost on his duster and felt the tiny
fragment of ice against his skin. Still, after what he had just witnessed, he
knew nothing about his situation was ordinary. His mind was still reeling from
the effects of what he had just seen after he had stepped through the gate.
It
was so beautiful.
It
felt like he had been spirited away through the night sky, streaking through
the stars at great speed until all there was before him were an amalgamation of
light and colour. Chris had no idea what kind of
science could explain this magic, and to him it truly felt like magic, but he
knew that he was journeying somewhere beyond the boundaries of human imagination.
Until he had actually seen the gate, there was still a part of him that
believed nothing he had been told about Mary’s condition or the Goa’uld that had supposedly eaten up her soul and was using
her body like a new suit of clothes. However, when he realised
his physical self had been carried across the stars, he realised
that it was real, all of it.
"Where
the hell are we?" He heard Buck ask and looked up to see the big man
rubbing his arms, trying to create enough friction to generate the warmth that
would dispel the iciness they were all feeling. Even Buck’s moustache seemed
iced over with bluish white frost collecting on the strands.
"Hey
look at the sky!" JD’s voice exploded in his head with a tinge of fear and
excitement rolled up into a mix that was pure JD. As usual, the young man found
it difficult to remain still even now. He was stepping off the stone floor they
had been thrown onto upon arriving in this new place and making his way down
the steps to that led to the ground.
"I
told you Dorothy," Jack O’Neill responded. "This isn’t
"Whose
Dorothy?" Vin grumbled as if he was still recovering but Chris watched his
eyes and knew the tracker was already studying where they had been deposited.
Aside from the gate and the stone floor upon which it was nestled, there were
no other signs of civilisation. The gate remained
inside the clearing of what appeared to be extremely dense forest, with tall
tapering trees that blocked out the sky with their canopy of leaves. There was
little undergrowth because Chris suspected no sunlight could penetrate to the
ground to allow it.
"Is
everyone all right?" The woman named Sam asked everyone with concern. She
was moving through the group, assessing everyone’s condition as women found it
their god given right to do no matter how much they think they might have been
past all those things, in whatever future. Chris supposed that there was some
things that not even time could change.
"Yeah,"
Nathan answered, letting his own gaze assess the condition of his friends.
While they appeared to be slightly disorientated from the trip, he saw no signs
that they were quickly recovering from their experience. Some like JD was more
than recovered and rearing to go. "Hey JD, don’t stray too far."
"I’m
not a kid Nathan," JD returned quickly. "I can look out for
myself." He insisted.
"You
get your ass back here before I go over there and get you." Chris snapped.
JD
frowned but he was not about to argue with Chris when the gunslinger appeared
to be in such a filthy mood. Reluctantly, he climbed up the steps again to join
them.
"Definitely
not a people person." Jack commented as he walked past Chris.
"So
I take it we’re not where we were." Josiah replied as the preacher looked
into the night and saw a completely alien sky from the one he had known all his
life. While it felt strange looking into a different sky, Josiah wondered if
the beauty of the sky was universal because this canvas was just as
breathtaking as the one at home.
"I
don’t know if it means anything to you," Daniel remarked with a faint
smile. "But you are as of this moment, one of the first modern men to
visit another planet."
"Except
that no one can know about it." Jack replied. "Sorry."
"Well
we ain’t here to be famous." Vin retorted, just as curious as JD to start
exploring this place. While Alex preoccupied his thoughts, he could not help
feeling a little part him that was drawn to the notion that he was on another
world. Of course, there was much about his own that lay in wait for the
discovery but for the moment, they were somewhere no one had really been
possibly thousands of years. "Let’s get going on."
"Just
hold your horses." Jack said loudly. "We have no idea where we are or
what’s waiting for us out there."
Vin
was not listening and he was already making his way down the steps to the
ground. The tracker knew that if he could just get to the land, he could find
out what they needed to know. The air did not feel damp so Vin was assured that
there had been no rain in the past few hours. Reaching the ground, he dropped
to his knees and studied the soil. It was difficult to see in the darkness but
the twin moons offered enough illumination for him to make out what he needed
to make his determination of their current situation. The soil was dry as Vin
suspected and it did not take long for him to find the tracks in the dirt he
was seeking.
"Three
people were here." He announced to the others.
"Are
you sure?" Jack immediately asked as Chris strode towards Vin, with the
Colonel not far behind him.
"Yeah,"
Vin nodded, studying the tracks in the dirt carefully. "Two sets of tracks
and one that’s a little strange."
"They
were carrying Ezra," Nathan volunteered. "That’s probably why."
Teal’c joined Jack and Chris as they went to Vin’s
side. The young man was still studying the marks on the ground, even though
they made little sense to anyone else. Vin’s concentration was singular and
Chris knew that as long as there was grass and soil for him to examine, he
would be able to read the tracks here just as well as he could at home.
"Vin
Tanner is correct O’Neill." The former
"That
looks about right." Vin agreed. "Tracks look old so it was a couple
of hours ago."
Knowing
that Chris was in no frame of mind to wait, Jack decided that it was best that
they get moving immediately. While the others were curious to see what was out
here, Chris Larabee was eager to reach his wife and
would not tolerate any delays. While Jack could sympathise
with the man’s feelings, his determination to reach the woman was bordering on
dangerous and the leader of SG1 was keeping a close watch on the man, who also
did not take orders well since he was used to giving them.
"I
think we ought to stay put but I’m guessing that’s not what you want to
do?" Jack met his eyes.
Chris
wanted to proceed immediately however, he forced himself to think
reasonably. The forest beyond this clearing were thick and unknown to them and
as skilled as Vin was in tracking in the dark, the truth was it was never wise
to do so in such unfamiliar terrain. Besides, this was not just a different
place, it was a different world and the few hours that it would take to reach
dawn was not make that much difference to Mary’s state. It would be wiser if
they found a place to camp, preferably in the cover of the trees and began
their search in the morning. His friends had followed him to another world to help
him recover Mary, he was not about to endanger their lives by reckless
impatience.
"No,
you’re right." Chris surprised himself by agreeing with the man. "We
should find a place to camp and start looking at first light."
"Good
idea," Jack agreed and threw Chris a grateful smile that he had not
insisted on going. "We’ll make for those trees for cover. Carter, Teal’c, I want a defensive perimeter. Set up a row of
claymores. I want to know if anything comes our way tonight."
"Yes
Sir," Sam answered and went to Teal’c who had
the ordinance. As the others proceeded onwards, Sam examined the artillery Teal’c had in a heavy backpack. She was counting how many
claymores they had at their disposal when she saw Buck Wilmington had broken
away from the main group and was walking towards her instead of the other
direction.
"Up for some help, little lady?" He asked.
"Sure,"
Sam returned his smile, wondering what was it about the man that did not make
her want to slap his face for calling her little lady as she would most other
men of her time. "We’re going to be setting up some mines along a
defensive perimeter, maybe set up some trip wire."
Teal’c had walked up ahead, no doubt spotting an idea
location as well as giving her an opportunity to converse with Buck alone. Sam
had the feeling that small talk made Teal’c
uncomfortable as well as interaction from these men of the past who had on idea what he was. She could not blame him. The concept
of extra terrestrial life would not become prevalent until the 1900’s. At this
point, she was rather surprised that they had accepted what they had been told
about the Goa’uld as it is. There was no reason for
them to know Teal’c’s history as well. Too much
information could be just as dangerous as too little.
"I
ain’t never met no woman in the army." Buck replied as they walked in the
darkness.
"You
probably won’t for another hundred years." Sam replied, sensing no
chauvinism in his remark, merely curiosity. "It’s just starting to feel
normal in my time."
"Well
you look like you’re doing good. I heard him call you a Major?" Buck
inquired.
"Yeah,"
she nodded. "I got promoted a few months ago." She said unable to
help but feel some measure of pride in that.
"Are
you going to be career army?" He looked at her, deciding that if there were
men who had chosen this course now, he could not see why it would be different
for her in the future.
"I
don’t know," Sam replied, having never really thought about it. "I
guess I would like to be married some day, have a few kids. I just never
thought about it. What about you? Any children?"
"I
got a baby on the way." Buck said with just as much pride as Sam had
announced her rank. "Mother’s a little stubborn, she ain’t willing to
marry me yet, but I’m working on it."
Sam
chuckled. "What did you do?"
"I
didn’t do anything," Buck protested with complete innocent. "Except
had a little trouble keeping my eye on one woman but I’ve been staying on the
straight and narrow these past five months."
"Well
that’s a start," she laughed, understanding perfectly why the mother of
his child would have difficulty selecting him as a husband. Despite the fact
that he was a little rough around the edges by her standards, she had no doubt
that Buck Wilmington was quite the ladies man. What made it even worse was the
fact that he genuinely liked women, not setting out to fill some unknown quota
that most men like him tended to do.
"I
hope so," Buck offered her a devious grin. "Cause its killing me. I
ain’t felt this deprived since I was a kid."
"Chocolate
helps." Sam offered. "Lots and lots of chocolate ice cream. Saved my
life more than my gun."
With
that, she laughed and Buck joined her, hating the fact that he liked her more
than he should and knowing perfectly well that it was impossible.
*********
Where
was Buck Wilmington when you needed him?
Buck
would love playing consort. Why did they have to take him for such a purpose?
He did not want to be here, lying in soft sheets, feeling silken material under
him while his leg throbbed in pain that had not subsided in its intensity even
though he had become a little more accustomed to it. Mary or Sekhmet as she now called herself and in all honestly, Ezra
preferred to think of her as that rather than the woman he knew as Mary Travis Larabee, had left him shortly after she had inflicted his
injury. It chilled him to the bone how she had taken delight in his pain and he
started to feel the stirring’s of genuine fear whenever he thought that she
might come back.
It
was bad enough that he felt so guilty at having responded to her seduction but
to know that he was meant to be some kind of stud animal for both Mary and Alex
was enough to make his skin crawl. He had no idea how he was going to be to
resist them when the time came for both women to take their liberties with him,
considering how he had reacted to Mary, despite all his resistance. He had not
believed how incredibly arousing she could be when she set her mind to it and
natural curiosity had made him even more responsive.
Now
he was here, carried in by guards who had unceremoniously dropped in this bed
and ensured that his arms were secured to the bedposts while his legs remained
free, not that he could do much with them anyway. He had managed to tied a
piece of his shirt sleeve around his shattered knee to stem the bleeding but
even Ezra knew that it was not going to be enough. He had lost a great deal of
blood and even now felt weak from its effects, not to mention the pain he was
still feeling. Worst yet, he could smell the pleasant scent of incense burning
and the soft lights of the room and his opulent surroundings made him anxious
as to what was going to come through that door. It preyed heavily in his mind
what Mary…no, it was not Mary who had done this to him, it was Sekhmet, Ezra reminded himself. Sekhmet
had said that they needed him for a consort. Her actions had made him
understand unmistakably what that would require.
He
heard the sound of a door opening and immediately raised his head on the bed to
see who had entered, praying secretly that it was not Sekhmet.
He felt weak and exhausted from his injury and did not know how much he could
resist it she decided to play more of her sadistic games again. However, it was
not Sekhmet who entered the room and close the doors
behind her. It was the creature called Isis, whom he now knew was occupying
Alex’s body. Isis walked slowly towards him, wearing a dress not that different
from the one that Sekhmet had worn earlier, except
her dusky coloured skin stood out more prolifically
through the sheer fabric. She sauntered towards the bed and paused at its edge
as she examined him without saying a word.
"I
take it, it is your turn to cause me pain, Madam?" Ezra quipped weakly.
Her
eyes shifted to his leg and a hint of annoyance crossed her face when she saw the
damage inflicted there.
"Sekhmet’s predilections are not our own." She
responded. "We did not require you harmed."
"How
nice for you." He replied, not wishing to look at her as he lay his head
back on the pillow and tried pulling free of the ropes that kept him tied to
the bedposts. Unfortunately, her guards had done an admirable job of keeping
him pinned and there was no foreseeable way of breaking free of them.
She
did not respond to his remark but instead climbed onto the bed with him.
Sitting on its edge, she moved her hand over his damaged knee, the ribbon
device still coiled around it. For a moment, Ezra thought she was going to
inflict further harm upon him when suddenly, the gem in the centre of her palm
came alive and she moved it over the wound. Ezra braced himself for pain when
suddenly, the exact opposite happened. He watched as the amber glow illuminated
the torn flesh and broken bone and slowly but surely the pain began to drain
from him. He could feel it oozing from his pain like sharp rivulets that was
being siphoned from his body. His eyes were mesmerised
as he watched her work, marvelling at the
disappearance of the pain he had felt and furthermore, the rapid healing of
flesh under her ministrations. He watched skin being repaired, felt bones knit
until finally when it was all said and done, his knee appeared just as it did
before the derringer had shattered it.
"Is
that better?" she asked when she finally removed her hand from him.
"Yes,"
he swallowed, amazed by what he had seen. "Thank you."
"In
out time we have been worshipped as many
things," she responded. Her voice was still unearthly, not at all like
Alex’s but it was devoid of the cold, cruelty of Sekhmet.
"Goddess to All, Queen of the Underworld, Wife to Ra. we are also patron goddess
to the healing arts as those you called the children of the Nile once labelled us."
"Egyptians."
He declared in understanding.
"We
survive in this way because we must." She answered. "Our world was
dying and the bodies that nature had been so fit to give us were inadequate to
the task of maintaining our existence. In our natural form we possess great
intelligence and power but we are unable to exert any use of it because we lack
the necessity of bipedal locomotion. When Ra found your world, he gave us all
immortality and a new lease on life. However for us to be able to function in
your bodies we must adapt our young to its new host prior to the
birthing."
Ezra
began to understand. "Is that why you require me?"
"Men
decides the form." She said without expression. "Those are the rules.
Without your genetic matter, we cannot suit my children to their host
bodies."
Slowly,
she snaked up the length of him and straddled him across the waist. Ezra
swallowed hard, unable to ignore where she was pressing into him. Immediately,
he felt his manhood react to her thighs splayed on either side of him as she
started to undo the clasp that held her dress to her body. The fabric drifted
off her skin and she discarded it over the side of the bed. Ezra felt his
breath catch and immediately clamped his eyes closed. However, the memory of
what he had seen remained. God, he could well understand why Vin tried to spend
as many nights with Alex as he could. She was magnificent. Suddenly, he
felt disappointed that they had never managed to consummate their relationship
during that brief period when they actually meant more to each other than just
friends.
Her
hands rested on his chest for a moment before she leaned forward so that her
mouth could meet his. Ezra tried to turn away but she made him face her and
slid her tongue past his lips. He felt the same arousal pressing hard against
the front of his trousers, into the soft wetness of her sex as she rubbed
herself up and down his length.
"We
find the whole idea of coupling this way distasteful, unfortunately we have
little choice in the matter." She whispered when she left his mouth for an
instant and left him gasping from her gentle teasing of his mouth. "We
have found however, that it takes place more efficiently when the male is
willing." She cooed in his ear. "We could
make you comply without difficulty but we sense that you are not as resistant
as you think."
"I
am a man after all," he said breathlessly. "I cannot deny how my body
may feel even if my mind is unwilling."
"Then
we shall see just how much conflict we can create." She replied with a
slow smile and pulled open his vest, popping buttons apart that went in all
directions before repeating the procedure with his shirt. In a few seconds, his
chest lay exposed to her and Ezra knew he was nearing the point, where he was
not going to be able to say no. Her hands slid over his bare chest, caressing
his flesh so sensually that his cock stiffened with anticipation. His eyes were
fixed on her bare form now, while fighting desperately against the longing to
wrap his hands around her breasts and taste her flesh in his mouth.
Her
thumbs found his nipples and began teasing them with her fingertips, rolling
the erect nubs of flesh with such slow and deliberate rhythm that Ezra did not
even notice when he started panting. She smiled at his noises and lowered her
lips to one erect tip before engulfing it in her mouth. Ezra bucked as he felt
the wet heat of her tongue rolling over the tight plateau of skin.
"Lord…"
He whispered. "I can’t…."
His
words only made her suck harder. She nipped gently at erect contraction of
flesh, teasing it with her teeth until his hands were pulling at the ropes,
tightening them with each surge of pleasure that was coursing through him. She laved the nipple for an eternity of minutes, before sliding
over to its mate and repeating the same treatment, until his hips was pressing
into her of its own accord, his clothes feeling so confining that he was
reaching breaking point in his determination not to yield.
Suddenly,
her mouth left him and Ezra let out a groan of relief, aware that he could not
have taken much more of her wonderful tongue. However, he was no less safer as
her lips moved down his stomach, planting soft trail of kisses as she slid down
his taut abdominal muscles until she arrived at the waist band of his pants and
started working on those buttons.
"Don’t,"
Ezra found himself begging. If she did what he knew she was going to do, he
would be lost. He could not stand against that assault and she knew it.
Thus she continued, pulling his pants down his waist and exposing his manhood
that was rigid with desire. He closed his eyes, biting down hard and hoping he
could fight it. However, when he felt her lips slide over the hard flesh,
tasting him with sensual flicks of her tongue, Ezra knew he was irrevocably
lost. By the time her mouth slid all of him into her mouth, Ezra was hers for
the taking.
"Jesus!"
He gasped and thrusted instinctively, impaling his
entire length into her throat which she swallowed with no other thought than to
make him groan with absolute surrender. "Oh god, please stop." He
whimpered feeling his body tightening with sensation as she taunted and teased
his cock with merciless application of her lips against his pulsing flesh.
She
was not about to desist in her sensual torture and continued to suckle him in
the most erotic oral experience Ezra had ever had the pleasure of enjoying with
any woman. Her lips slid deftly over the sides of his thick shaft as she pumped
his cock at the same time, culminating her sensual ministrations in a tight
laving of its rosy tip. She paused a moment over the swollen head,
concentrating her insistent sucking on that one place until he was so mindless
with ecstasy, Ezra had no idea he was calling out her name in utter abandon.
When he was helpless with need at her ruthless assault over his bursting tip,
she swallowed all of him into her mouth again, forcing another pleasured sigh
from his throat.
"Stop…"
He moaned. "I am going to come." He pleaded with her feeling the heat
that was making his sacs tight and heavy. If she did not stop soon, he was
going to ejaculate in her mouth and just the thought of that pushed him closer
to the edge.
She
left him then and Ezra let out gasp that was part relief and part
disappointment. He was hardly a novice with women but how easily she was
manipulating his body was beyond belief. When it came to skill, no woman had
ever been able to match Julia Pemberton for sheer creativity. The love of his
life was able to leave him exhausted after their sexual encounters for she knew
how to exploit every weakness until he was left a quivering wreck when she was
done with him. However, Ezra was unprepared for this. He never believed he
could be swept away on the juggernaut of pleasure the way he was being now. He
had to keep reminding himself that it was not Alex in front of him. If he ever
survived this and she was miraculously returned to herself, Ezra had no idea
how he could ever look her in the face without wondering what it was like to be
with her again.
Without
warning, she moved on top of him and drove him deep inside of her. Ezra felt
his cock sheathed in her tight, warmth and found himself bucking against her,
oblivious to any desire other that satiating the ecstasy afforded from her
fiery depths. His fingers were digging into the ropes, pulling at them as he
moaned with the wonderful sensation of her taut muscles clenching his cock with
intense pressure. Her muscles were contracting around him, crushing his manhood
until he could barely breath as she started to ride him with slow and torturous
momentum.
He
could feel her against every inch of his throbbing member as she leaned
forward, the tips of her own nipples brushing against his chest with scalding
heat. Suddenly, she bent her head far enough to take one of his own into her
mouth while she pushed into him. The overload of sensation broke any will left
inside of him to not succumb. When he felt her hot mouth against that tiny nub
of skin, combined with the wet heat of her inner passages stroking his cock
into orgasmic fury, Ezra finally realised he never
had a chance.
"Alexandra,"
Ezra moaned. "Oh Jesus! Darling, you feel so good!" He panted as he saw her mouth working his nipple and felt
another surge of heat gush through his manhood and he knew that he was reaching
the point of no return. Her tongue continued to tease him for a few more
minutes, until Ezra felt his climax building inside him. He had no idea whether
she found any of this enjoyable and ground his teeth hard because he wanted her
to feel something. For his continued survival, she had to.
Isis
or Alex, Ezra did not know what to think any more, straightened up as she realised what he was doing. For a moment, a look of
confusion crossed her face as she started to feel a burning passion exuding
from this unexpected but remarkably passionate tryst. It surprised her somewhat
that he was trying to pleasure her when he had been so resistant to the idea in
the beginning. He was maintaining a devastating rhythm inside her, pounding
into her insides with such intense desire that it was impossible for her not to
be carried away by his efforts. Isis felt herself arching into him as the heat
within of her became something she could not control and her own fingers dug into
his sides as she tried to pull him deeper within. Something wonderful was
happening and it was taking making her cry out as it swept through her.
"Oh
Ezra!" She gasped as her body tightened in climatic ecstasy. Her orgasm ripped
a further cry of pleasure from her throat as it coursed through her and she
wondered in the haze of sensation, when she had inquired his name.
Ezra
groaned as he saw her slip over the edge and the sheer tension that strangled
his cock with almost unimaginable pressure as a result of her orgasm,
splintered his control into a thousand fragments as he felt himself explode
inside of her. "Jesus Christ!" He grunted loudly as he felt himself
spurt hot juices inside her moist depths. He continued to thrust until he had
emptied every last drop of seed into her body, until he could do nothing more
but lay there as she collapsed on top of him.
They
were covered with perspiration. Wet bodies sticking to each other as they
breathed in the heavy scent of their lovemaking. Ezra did not know what the
hell he had just did and knew that he was going to have cause to regret this
after today but she was so incredible, he had never imagined she could
make him feel so utterly pleasured. He had no idea how much of it was Alex and
how much of it was Isis but at the moment he did not care.
"We
have not experienced this before." She whispered, staring at him with a
something that could be surprise. She kissed him and surprised herself even
further when she realised she had done it because she
wanted to, not because it was a necessary part of the ritual of procreation for
these humans. It disturbed her. "That was not what we expected."
"Such
things, seldom are." He replied, still breathing hard. He planted soft
kisses on her neck and noticed that she nuzzled closer as he did so, allowing
her better access to her flesh. "You have what you want from me, what
now?" He looked at her.
She
sat up on top of his again and smiled faintly, running her fingers through her
luxurious dark hair. "We have selected you to be our Chosen One. That
decision remains. You will be our beloved and you will remain at our side. We
will make you a Pharaoh in this land and as our consort you will treated as we
are a God. Perhaps we may honour you with our
children but we think we prefer to allow you to remain yourself."
"That
is better than death I suppose." Ezra replied, hoping this gamble he was
taking was worth what he would be paying with his dignity and his conscience.
She
began to undo the ropes that bound his wrists and the thought of escape quickly
surface in his mind until he remembered that she had guards everywhere and
where this fortress was, it was nowhere on the world he knew. Until he could
understand how to get home, he was at her mercy and unfortunately, the only way
to keep himself alive and his mind his own, was play the role of consort she so
required.
"If
you attempt to leave, our lion guards will kill you or we will give you to Sekhmet as she wishes. You will not enjoy that." While
her voice was devoid of menace, the threat was clear enough.
"I
understand." Ezra swallowed and let his hand rest on the thighs straddled
on either side of him. He ran his palm against the skin, travelling up her hips
in slow deliberation, offering Vin Tanner a silent apology for what he going to
do.
Without
saying anything further, Ezra took her in his arms and pulled her to him…..
**********
The
daylight offered no great revelation to the new arrivals of the planet Netjer.
It
was in the morning as it was the night before, a land of thick equatorial
forests, with much of the concentration of greenery in its dense canopy of
leaves high above the ground. Even as they moved through the woods, very little
sunlight penetrated through the canopy above and thus vegetation at ground
level was at a minimum except for lichens and vines that would survive even in
the most brutal terrain. The night had passed without incident for the off worlders although no one could really sleep with any amount
of comfort.
Chris
spent most of the night watching the sky, trying to imagine how far from home
he was and whether or not Mary was watching the same stars. He had come to the
unhappy conclusion that she probably was but could no more appreciate it than
she could control her body with Sekhmet in possession
of it. During the night, he had spoken to Daniel Jackson about the goddess and
who she was in the mythological sense. What he learnt only reaffirmed that if
she would not relinquish her hold of Mary’s body, he would give Mary a merciful
ending.
Daniel
also told Chris about his wife Sharee whom he had
been searching for these past three years since she was taken from him. As
Daniel spoke about her, it was apparent to Chris that the younger man had not
given up hope of recovering his wife even if that hope was becoming more and
more distant as time passed. Chris could not imagine that kind of torture and
pray that he would not have to endure such tragedy. The more he spoke to
Daniel, the more Chris understood why he had been so willing to reveal the
truth to them during their initial meeting at the excavation. Chris hoped with
all his heart that Daniel would find his wife because no man deserved to suffer
the pain of not knowing. The gunslinger also resolved himself to put an end to things
here on this world because he had no intention of pursuing her from world to
world, hoping that he would get lucky and find her. If Mary was lost then Chris
had to think about Billy. He would have to life for the boy who was Mary’s gift
to him.
Vin
and Teal’c had started out before most of the camp
had risen, deciding that a little recognisance was
necessary. Although the tracker had intended to go alone as it was his custom
and unofficial capacity as scout among the seven, Teal’c
had insisted on joining him. The former Jaffa knew that Jack would not take
kindly to the younger man going off on his own and decided a compromise of
sorts would pacify both Jack and the tracker if he were to accompany him. As
humans went, Teal’c found Vin Tanner to be quiet
company since every Tau’Ri he had ever met seemed
uncomfortable with silence. However, the tracker did not speak a great deal
except when it was necessary and his skills were impressive, even to a Jaffa.
"You’re
not like the others are you?" Vin asked as they moved through the forest,
following what resembled a trail not used often. It was overgrown and thick but
here was enough evidence to suggest that someone had used it recently for both
men to follow it to its conclusion.
"No
I am not." Teal’c replied, seeing no reason to
lie when it was very obvious that he was different.
"What
were you?" Vin looked at him. "You look like us but you ain’t."
Teal’c paused debating whether or not he should tell
the truth. After a moment, he decided against lying particularly when he was
not very good at it. "I am Jaffa."
Vin
has listened to Daniel Jackson to know what that was. He paused and looked at
the former Jaffa closely. "How come you ain’t with them Goa’uld things that took Alex?" There was surprisingly
enough, no accusation in his voice.
"I
do not believe they are Gods and have enslaved my people by forcing us to carry
the infant Goa’uld." Teal’c
replied. "When I learnt of O’Neill and the others, I realised
that I could free my people by helping them."
Vin
nodded in understanding and looked at Teal’c. "I
got a price on my head you know."
"Really?"
Teal’c met his gaze with a raised brow. "For
what reason."
"Murder."
Vin said simply. "I supposedly killed a man."
"You
do not appear to me to be a murderer." Teal’c pointed
out.
"That’s
good cause you don’t look to me like someone who’ll turn me into the Goa’uld, so I guess we’re nothing like what people think we
are." Vin flashed him a faint smile and was not surprised when Teal’c returned it with one of his own.
The
trail they were taking had not been used for quite some time and Teal’c explained that most cultures under Goa’uld influence tended to stay away from the stargate, feeling it to be sacrilegious to interfere with
in any way. It would appeared that such was the case here because other than
the more recent tracks, most likely made by Isis and Sekhmet
after they had arrived on this world, the trail showed very little signs of
disturbance although there was a definitive path to follow. With the sun coming
up, the temperature also rose steadily and the climate of the immediate was
heavy with humidity. Judging by the loamy texture of the soil, the area saw a
large amount of rainfall. They were fortunate that a trail still remained with
the high level of growth of the natural vegetation.
They
had travelled a little more than a mile when they heard the distinct sounds of
habitation beyond the trees. As they approached the boundary of trees which emptied
out into a large clearing, the sounds became clearer to the point where they
were able to identify them. Neither Vin nor Teal’c
made any comment when they heard that the sounds were in actual fact voices and
those same voices were that of fear. Despite the overwhelming urge to render
aid, their primary mission at the moment was to remain under cover and
determine what awaited them beyond the safety of the forest. Edging towards the
edge of the trees, they peered through the branches and leaves and observed
what lay ahead.
The
voices that were crying out in fear were coming from a small settlement in the
centre of the cleared land. The homes were constructed of mud and looked like
the constructs Vin had seen south of the border, certainly they were no more
sophisticated then that. What was causing so much
distress amongst its population was the presence of Jaffa Lion guards presently
moving through the village. They was at least a dozen of them, carrying staff
weapons and clad in full battle armour, not unlike
those Teal’c had won as a Jaffa of the Serpent Guard.
However the helmets worn by these guards were styled after the lion as opposed
to a snake. There was also one other significant difference.
"They’re
all women." Vin pointed out since it caused the most surprised to him.
"Isis
favours women above men. It is logical that her
personal guard would be that way." Teal’c
explained and saw Vin immediately shrug uncomfortably and felt the need to add
further. "Do not underestimate them Vin Tanner, they have been trained in
the art of combat like all Jaffa warriors. They are prepared to die defending
their Goa’uld master."
"I
ain’t never shot no woman." Vin confessed and not liking the idea that he
would have to if he wished to get Alex back. He watched them as they moved
through the village like a scourge, entering houses and forcibly removing young
women from their homes. Vin also noticed a decided lack of males in general and
that added to his bewilderment. "What are they doing?"
"I
believe," Teal’c ventured a guess. "They
are selecting future Jaffa."
"But
they’re ain’t older than JD." Vin exclaimed, noticing how young some of
these would be warriors were as they were taken away. "Where are all the
men?"
"I
do not believe there are many." The former Jaffa replied. "If their
only function in this society is for breeding purposes, then only perfect
specimens would be kept alive and I doubt they would be kept here. I would
assume that they would housed in the Goa’uld
stronghold."
The
idea that men should be kept like cattle made Vin cringe and he wondered how
anyone could live like that. As it was, he had difficulty dealing with the
whole concept of a society dominated by women. He watched the Jaffa rounding up
their new recruits and noticed that not all were adverse to accompanying the
guards. "Does this happen all the time?" He asked, wondering if Teal’c had been taken the same way.
"No,"
Teal’c shook his head. "For many of us it is an honour to serve the gods and for others, it is enslavement.
We are given little choice to debate the matter and when the Primtakh is over, it is too late."
"That what?" Vin looked at him.
"The
Primtakh, the ritual when the Goa’uld symbiote is placed in our
bodies. I was implanted when I was twelve years old."
"Twelve
years old!" The tracker hissed in shock. "You were just a kid! How
come they’re being taken so late?" He referred to the young women being
herded away.
"I
am uncertain." Teal’c answered and considered
for a moment. "Possibly because a Goa’uld has
not been here for awhile and there have not been any symbiotes
available for implantation. It is likely with the arrival of Isis and Sekhmet, that situation has changed. Isis is considered
Goddess of All which may mean she is a Queen Goa’uld,
she would have the ability to reproduce offspring. I understand that is why
your friend was taken."
Vin
said nothing, trying not to even think about that part of this
unbelievable situation. To think that something possessing Alex’s body was
going to use Ezra’s to reproduce incensed Vin beyond belief and fired a spark
of jealousy he knew he should not be feeling. It was neither Alex’s fault nor
Ezra’s for that matter that this had happened to them and Vin was not about to
blame either for anything. If he got Alex back, he was going to be grateful
enough for that miracle without holding her accountable for anything the
creature inside her had used her body to do.
"We
should be getting back to the others." Vin said finally, having seen
enough for the moment and started to withdraw back into the forest, ignoring
the continuing sounds of terror as young women were carried off to uncertain
futures.
**********
"We
don’t have a lot of time." Jack announced to everyone as they started
moving towards the village that Vin and Teal’c had
found "If they’re recruiting new Jaffa, its not
going to be long before they get their numbers up to strength. Our best bet of
your getting your wife and your girl friend back is to find them before that
happens."
"I’m
glad Ezra decided to hold out." Vin grumbled despite his efforts to remain
sensible about this. He knew it was not Ezra or Alex’s fault but knowing that
Ezra would have had to have been intimate with her to create new offspring
stuck in his craw. Vin kept reminding himself that Alex had no choice in the
matter and god only knows what they were doing to Ezra if even half the stories
about this Sekhmet were true.
"He
may not have had a choice." Daniel said, rushing immediately to Ezra
Standish’s defence, having been in the similar
position as the gambler when the SGC had been infiltrated by the Goa’uld queen, Hathor. "The
queen Goa’ulds have some kind of pheromone that they
use to control men. Even if he didn’t want to be the contributor," that
was the most delicate terminology that Daniel could use after Jack had a chat
to him about his clinical description of things. "She would most likely
use it on him to get him to obey."
"Like
she made Miss Alex go with her in town." Nathan said understanding
completely.
"Something
like that." Daniel replied, seeing no need to go into it with that much
depth.
"Is
Sekhmet a Goa’uld
queen?" Buck inquired, fascinated by this whole concept of pheromone
attractors and wondered fleetingly if that was what his animal magnetism was
all about. Was he exuding some kind of scent that made women go crazy around?
He had a dozen questions on why it did not always work and were there specific
kinds of female on which this did not apply, like Inez for instance.
"I
don’t think so," Sam answered automatically, finding herself responding to
most of Buck’s questions, since he was the one in the group she seemed to
interact the most with. Despite herself, Sam found the lawman somewhat
compelling even though she knew that anything between them was impossible as
well as it was insane. She had a feeling that Buck knew it too. "Goa’uld queens are territorial. They do not interact with
each other."
"If
Isis is able to use these pheromones to make men vulnerable, we’re going to
trouble confronting her." Josiah pointed out. "She’s hard enough to get
the jump on as it is."
"Well
that’s easy," Jack said with a smile looking at Sam.
The
major returned his gaze suspiciously and immediately asked. "What?"
"We
sent the one person after her who is not going to be effected by her mojo and that’s you Major Carter." Jack announced,
quite pleased with himself over that piece of reasoning.
"Wait
a minute." Sam returned his gaze. "I can’t take her on my own. You’re
talking about a Goa’uld queen, probably the oldest
and most powerful Goa’uld queen. She predates everyone
except Ra."
"You
took care of Seth." He pointed out, believing in earnest that she could do
it. Jack had seen what she had done to that particular Goa’uld
and knew that when she had to, Sam could do amazing things with Goa’uld technology. The only thing that prevented her from utilising her full potential was her own internal
reservations.
"But
that was different." She protested, hating that this all rested on her
abilities, abilities she had difficult coping with as
it was.
"Sam,"
Jack said quietly, dropping his voice an octave so that she would know that he
was speaking to her as her friend, not as her commanding officer. "We
don’t have any other way of facing her. You know that. If we go after her,
chances are you’ll be having to face all of us instead of just her. We can take
Sekhmet out and we might even be able to help you
with Isis at minimum safe distance, but we’re not going to be able to take her
down without you."
"Damn."
She swore under her breath. "Alright," she nodded and reached into
her backpack, producing a device she had discovered in Isis’s enclave back on
Earth. She had not known why she had taken it, crediting it to some unknown
insight over this moment. "I took one of these things with me when I was
there."
"Jesus!"
Buck exclaimed as he saw her fitting the ribbon device around her hand.
"What are you doing?" He was horrified that she was wearing the same
destructive weapon on her hand that Isis had almost killed all of them with.
"It’s
the only way to take Isis down." Daniel explained, seeing how
uncomfortable Sam was about all this as she tried the device on for size and
concentrated on making the sapphire gem come to life. "Sam was taken by a Goa’uld a year ago. Once you’re taken, you have some
ability to work their technology."
"You
were taken?" Buck looked at her.
She
nodded slowly.
"But
you came out of it." Chris said quickly, feeling a surge of real hope in
his chest that this condition was not permanent. If this woman was freed then
there was a chance that Mary could be saved just like she was.
"Only
because the Goa’uld I was carrying was
different." Sam replied, hating to disclose too much about Jolinahr but they were all staring at her, needing to
understand and yet Sam felt worse about telling it to Buck. "He wasn’t
like the others. He belonged to a group called the Tokra
and he jumped into me because he hadn’t a choice at the time. However, when my
life was threatened by his being there, he freed me at a cost of his own."
"This
gets weirder and weirder." JD declared and decided that perhaps that was
all the explanation he needed. "Well, as long as you’re okay now."
"Don’t
you just love the kid." Josiah smiled, patting his back in appreciation of
JD’s tolerance and simple statement on how they should all be regarding
the matter.
"Do
you remember much about when he was inside you?" Vin asked as they resumed
the walk to the village. He wanted to know because he needed to understand what
it was like for Alex, in the dark place she was now confined. Even though he
did not look at Chris, he could tell the gunslinger was listening carefully to
their conversation.
"I
remember everything." She said softly. "I was very frightened, even
when I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Until we discovered Thor’s Hammer, there was no
way to successfully remove a Goa’uld symbiote and I was terrified that it would never let me go.
I’d seen too many of them at that time to know I didn’t want to live that
way."
Chris
remained silent but listening carefully nonetheless. Throughout all this, he
had held the belief that his feelings were of concern to no one but himself.
However, Sam Carter had given him hope that it was all possible to find Mary
and return her to the person that he had married only six months ago. He
remembered the last sane moment they had shared together and felt a pang of
sorrow because he would miss the breakfasts in the morning, where she would
rush around the kitchen, jugging her roles as mother, wife and editor of the
Clarion News. He would miss seeing her words on paper and he would miss holding
her in his arms.
"But
you’re okay now?" Buck asked, finally overriding his revulsion at the idea
that she might have carried one of those creatures inside of her when he realised just how horrified she had been by its presence.
He was mortified by his insensitivity and resolved himself that he could no
more hold that against her than he would with Mary and Alex.
"Yeah,"
she nodded with a smile, pleased that he no longer viewed her like some freak.
"I had some nightmares for awhile but strangely enough I remember some
things about him which is useful for what I have to do."
"It
also helps that when she puts that thing on she kicks serious butt." Jack
threw a mischievous smile.
"Well
I’m getting used to it," she replied, raising a hand at a nearby tree and
concentrating as hard as she could.
For
a few seconds, nothing happened. Suddenly, without warning, the gem started
glowing with amber light and a surge of invisible force exploded outward,
visible only when the tapered trunk of the tree snapped in half like kindling.
Splinters flew in all directions as the tree began it sharp descent as it
toppled over. Its weight dragged it through the branches and leaves of other
trees, creating a cacophony of sound as birds nesting in its spindly branches
took flight until finally it crashed on the ground with a resounding crash.
"Wow."
JD said with a mixture of astonishment and awe.
"Well
I say you’re a little more use to it, ma’am." Nathan grinned, feeling some
measure of relief knowing that they were not relying completely on their guns
when those as a defence had been so inadequate during
their first encounter with Isis and Sekhmet.
"Not
bad." Chris remarked, starting to feel the odds shift a little bit more in
their favour seeing that display.
"The
life of a star," Jack replied, walking up along side of her and throwing
her an encouraging smile as they moved past the settling dust of her tree
felling abilities.
"Oh
yeah," Sam frowned, wishing she felt that confident herself. "Show
business is my life."
**********
Isis
could feel her children swirling around her body as she sat in the polished
stone bath as the birthing process continued. Once she had secured the code of
life from the Chosen One (several times as a matter of fact), she had returned
him to his cell for the time being and retired to the privacy of her chambers
to fulfil her duty as mother of all. Once fertilisation was completed, the process between conception
and birth was extremely brief and she had only to remain inside the warm of
this place and wait for the life to fill inside her.
Even
now, what remained of her lion guards on Netjer were
gathering new hosts for the larvae Goa’uld that was
being born as she nested here. She could see their infant forms, swimming through
the bubbling water, adjusting themselves to the life beyond her womb and
waiting in unknowing expectation for their lives to really begin the moment
they slid into the bodies of their new hosts. She smiled in satisfaction at the
creation before her, knowing that they were only the first in the new order she
was creating.
She
would make her Chosen One her consort and first Pharaoh of this land. He would
sit at her side while Sekhmet remained at her right hand
and they would be a triumvirate that would bring the other System Lords to
their knees. Isis would destroy Ra, whom had fled to the stars following the
rebellion, coward that he was. Ra who had imprisoned Hathor,
who had presumed to call himself Lord of them all when he was but only one of
many, including Apothesis, Seth, Sokra,
Zeus and Yew. United, they would be in a position to challenge the Asgard forces and bring about a true consolidation of Goa’uld power. She felt empowered by this first step and
knew that this was always her destiny.
Occasionally,
she would hear stirring’s of her host’s mind. It amused Isis to hear its grief
over the death of the man she had killed. It had been necessary to end his life
for Isis would not fall prey to the same kind of attachments that Sekhmet’s host still felt for the man in black even though Sekhmet herself, would be loathed to admit it. If not for
the bond between her host and the man she called Vin, Isis might have been
inclined to select him as her Chosen One. However, the emotional ties would
have created conflicts that Isis was unprepared to deal with, no matter how
beautiful the man have been.
In
any case, she was satisfied with the selection that was ultimately made and it
made the process of procreation much more pleasurable since the Chosen One was
willing to service her needs. She suspected that there was some duplicity
behind his intentions but then men were creatures of deception and Isis knew
them well enough to be guarded about how much freedom she should afford him. He
was a beautiful and healthy specimen and judging from the selection that was
available in this fortress on Netjer, he was still
the choicest selection available to her and her children required the best to
adapt.
Even
now, she could see them gaining strength as they moved languidly through the
churning water, becoming more certain of themselves and their surroundings the
more time they were allowed to adapt to their existence. Isis, Goddess of All
was pleased as she eased into the curve of the bath, feeling her body rest from
the exertion of birth in the luxurious warmth of the water. She closed her eyes
to take a moment for herself when she heard the doors to her chamber open and
knew there would be only one person who would dare interrupt her sojourn in
here.
"What
do you requires of us that cannot wait, Sekhmet."
She asked, not opening her eyes.
"You
healed the man and I am told that you have dubbed him your Chosen?" Sekhmet glared at her queen. "You have actually taken
this human as your Chosen One? You have not done this in almost two
millennia." Sekhmet accused. "Why
now?"
"We
have been imprisoned for almost a thousand years." Isis replied, still
enjoying her bath and seeing no need to face her companion, yet. "Our
forces are weakened throughout all our enclaves as they are here. Our Jaffa
exist only because they had been gaining symbiotes
from other System Lords. Our forces are depleted and easily absorbed. We have
selected our Chosen One because we will need to replenish our Jaffa quickly. We
do not enjoy the physical contact that is required for procreation but it is a
necessary evil. We have chosen him because it suits us to endure the process
with someone who can make the experience mildly tolerable."
"I
think you like this human." Sekhmet declared.
Isis
stood up abruptly and stared at Sekhmet with eyes
glowing. Without saying another word, the ribbon device came to life and swept
the warrior goddess off her feet and slammed her into the nearby wall hard. Sekhmet let out a growl of pain and jumped to her feet,
recovering almost immediately with her teeth bared.
"We
are Goddess of All, we allow you to accompany us because you are our child and
you are useful. Do not ever make the mistake of assuming that you are equal to
us because you are not. We have hatched a thousand like you in our time and we
will hatch a thousand more in the days to come." Isis glowered, stepping
out of the tub, her body dripping with moisture like animal newly risen from
the primordial ooze readying for its first combat to the death in the game of
survival. "He is ours to do with and until such time as his usefulness is
ended, you will remember that he is our Chosen One, our Beloved, do you
understand us?"
Sekhmet swallowed, knowing that she had gone too far and
nodded slowly. It was not often that the Goddess of All chose to exert her
power this way but even Sekhmet was not foolish
enough to defy Isis. Her loyalty to the Queen mother was without question and
she remained on her knees, humbled by the display of force. "I
understand," she said properly subdued. "Please accept my apologies,
Goddess of All."
"Your
apologies are accepted," Isis remarked with a faint smile. "Now you
will tell us if the vessels for your new brothers and sisters are ready."
"Yes,"
Sekhmet answered quickly. "The crop has been
harvested and are gathered in the holding cell, awaiting blending."
"Good,"
Isis nodded in approval and turned back to her bath. "We must give
strength to my children for a little longer but we will soon be ready to create
our army. We will call you when we are ready. You may go now."
Biting
her lip, Sekhmet rose to her feet with nothing less
than rage building inside her veins as she took herself from the presence of
her queen and went to sought the one who could satiate her fury with his pain.
The
Chosen One.
Isis
said she had to remember that he was the Chosen One. She had said nothing about
not harming him.
**********
Something
was going on outside.
When
Ezra was returned to his cell the next morning, he was assured by Isis that it
would not be for long. Even though he had fulfilled her needs, he had the sense
that she was going to keep him around for reasons other than simple
reproduction and hoped that his efforts the night before would convince her to
keep him alive for a little longer. A part of him felt guilty about making love
to the woman who had once been Alexandra Styles, particularly since he felt he
was not only betraying Vin Tanner but also Julia Pemberton. Unfortunately, he
had little choice in the matter. If it had been just a simple matter of fluid
exchange, Ezra had no doubt that he would have been killed or turned into one
of her mindless slaves like the guards that roamed the halls of this fortress.
Ezra liked neither option and had steeled himself to do whatever he could to
keep that from happening. If that meant pleasuring an incredibly beautiful
woman for awhile, he could think of worse ways to plan an escape.
After
he was left alone in his cell, Ezra became aware of noises outside his window and
peered through the bars to observe what was happening. He could see a group of
Jaffa guards as Isis had called them, ushering a group of women into the
fortress. He counted at least twenty of them and wondered what their purpose
was. They were all young, he estimated that the oldest among the group was
about Casey Well’s age. It took a few more minutes to make another observation
about the group and that was the fact that they were all very beautiful. Their
racial stock was a mixture of African, Mediterranean and Native American but
they were all perfect specimens of each type. Actually, beautiful was an
incorrect word, Ezra decided after a moment. Healthy. Not one of them looked
weak, or physically handicapped in any way.
They
were all tall, supple and lithe, still marked by youthful awkwardness of course
but the potential to be something extraordinary was there. Suddenly, his heart
froze with the realisation at what they were there
for. Jaffa. She was turning this entire group into Jaffa. Jaffa that would be
seeded by creatures she would create because he had made love to her. Ezra felt
his stomach hollow at the thought, wishing there could have been another way
for him to stay alive now that he understood what his actions would mean for
those innocents outside.
Jesus,
did this nightmare ever end?
He
hated being used as breeding stock, having to betray his friends and the one
whose body Isis was in possession with. He loathed the fact that he was forced
into this circumstance, to have no choice but to comply with their demands in
order to survive and he liked it even less he was going to be responsible for
enslaving those people outside. He felt like he was going to be sick. For a
moment, he could do nothing except bury his face in his hands as he tried to
deal with this latest development in this insane captivity. Ezra was starting
to believe that his prison was one without any reprieve and that he was going
to be trapped in this hell forever. The idea that he would never see Julia
again, that he would be forced to be Alex’s consort, knowing that she was
trapped in a hell even worse than his own, started filling Ezra with a despair
that was tearing the walls of his hope with relentless efficiency.
Just
when Ezra thought that things could not get any worse, the door to his cell
opened and Sekhmet entered the room. The glare in her
eyes as she looked upon him told Ezra that he was in a great deal of trouble
because even he could tell that she was out for blood.
"You
are quite favoured by Isis." She said walking
towards him, menace in every step she took to close the distance between them.
Behind her, the Jaffa guards watched him with indifference, caring little about
his plight except to act if he made one move against their Goddess. "What
exactly did you to do her to become her Chosen One."
"A
gentlemen never tells." Ezra replied, trying to hide the fear he felt and
the pounding inside his chest.
"You
will tell me," she said with a smile as her hand captured his chin and
forced him against the wall of the cell. She looked into his eyes with clear
intentions of making his suffer sparkling in her blue grey eyes. "You will
tell me and you show me."
"My
talents are exclusive, Lady." Ezra swallowed, bracing himself for the
hurt. "I do not share them."
With
a predatory gleam in her eyes as she leaned close to his ear, Sekhmet whispered softly. "By the time I am done with
you, you will share everything with me, even your pain."