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"You don't know?" asked Jack "what do you mean you don't know?"

"Like I said O'Neill I do not know."

"But Teal'c they must go somewhere." It was Sam who spoke. "The wormhole has to take them, to another planet maybe."

"As O'Neill explained before, not all the symbols had been activated."

"So what your saying is, they could be in limbo, anywhere, just waiting." Added Daniel.

'For what' Jack looked at Daniel, it was more a statement than a question.

'To be found.' Said Janet.

Jack turned to the Brigadier, 'Sir, there is one person who could tell us what happened.'

'Sergeant Corrigan is in the psychiatric unit, but I doubt if he can tell you anything Colonel, he hasn't spoken since the incident.'

'Nothing at all.'

'Only incoherent mumbling, Janet, that is Doctor Frasier examined him.'

'Janet,' Jack turned to her. 'Colonel he may never recover, I don't know what he said or heard, but that is one very frightened man.'

Jack looked thoughtful, 'Brigadier, I'd still like to see him.'

__________________________________

A short, grey-haired doctor greeted SG1 at the psychiatric unit. 'Janet' he said "How are you?'"

Janet smiled at him. 'Well, thank you, Dr these are my friends I were telling you about." Janet turned to SG1, 'This is Dr Levison, he's been caring for Sgt Corrigan since the incident, how is he doing?"

"Oh much the same, still mumbling, but quieter, we have been able to lower his medication." Dr Levison told her.

"So it's ok that we see him then?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but don't expect too much, we haven't been able to get any sense out of him at all." The doctor indicated to the two aides to open the door.

Sgt Corrigan was crawled into a corner of the small while padded room.

Daniel shivered, "This looks familiar."

The Sgt looked up as he heard Daniel speak; he tried to move closer to the wall. He was in his early 30s; Sandy coloured hair and hazel eyes.

Janet moved a step closer and knelt down, "It's ok Barry, we're not going to hurt you, do you remember me, it's Janet." He looked closely at her studying her face, a faint glint of recognition showed in his eyes. Janet pointed to the rest of the group; "You know Dr Levison, and Barry these are my friends." She waved them forward and indicated that they should also kneel. "This is, Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c."

The Sgt looked at all four members in turn, his face registered no emotion until he focused on Teal'c. "NOOO" he screamed, and moved closer to the wall, the aides rushed forward, halted by Janet.'It's ok, leave him' All he kept saying over and over again was No, no no no.

Dr Levison looked at Teal'c, "I'm sorry about this, he's never shown any emotion before, actually this is the most he has ever said."

"Oh don't worry about it, Teal'c gets that all the time." Answered Jack.

"I shall leave O'Neill, I will wait outside."

Once Teal'c had left the room, Barry became calmer, and started to mumble.

"We can never understand what he is saying." Dr Levison told them.

Sam listened, "Sounds like pretender, I think."

Daniel knelt forward, "It's not pretender, it's Protendere, it's Latin."

"I never knew he could speak Latin," said the doctor.

"But, what's it mean." Asked Jack

"Loosely translated it means, to reach out," Daniel turned towards Barry "Protendere."

The Sgt stopped and looked at Daniel.

"Protendere, is that what your saying, to reach out, where, to what." Barry grabbed hold of Daniel, immediately the others natural instinct was to help, "No'" said Daniel, '"t's ok. It's ok. Barry, Protendere, what do you mean, tell me, I can help."

Barry looked clearly into Daniel's eyes, "You understand, you know, you've seen them to."

"No, no I haven't, but I do want to understand, Barry you have to tell me."

"Protendere, you know, you know." He let go of Daniel, sat back against the wall, looking at him, repeating over and over again, "you know, you know."

__________________________________________________

'Well that made a lot of sense,'

'You were the one who wanted to see him Col,' said Janet

'I know, I know' he turned towards Daniel, 'What the hell was that all about, did it make sense to you.'

Daniel lost in thought looked up at Jack, 'Yes, yes it did.' He said and walked off down the corridor.

'Hey, where you going, I hate it when he does that, DANIEL" Jack shouted after him, moments later Daniel was back,

"'er. where's the Stargate?"

'What!'

'Jack we have to see the gate, we have to,' Daniel was almost pleading with him.

Jack looked at the others.

'If we wish to find out where these men vanished to, we will need to examine it.'

'Teal'c's right sir, I could do some primarily tests on it, take Naquada readings etc.'

'And as your doctor I'll be there if anything should happen to you.' Janet added.

Jack looked at each member of his team, he knew they had to examine the gate and the DHD, that had been part of his orders, the other part which he hadn't told them yet, was to either bring it home, or destroy it.

'Jack,' It was Daniel who interrupted his thoughts.

'Ok, but I want both you doctors with us, and if anything doesn't sit right, we get the hell out of there ok.'

'Ok.' They all agreed.

Jack turned to Maj. Smythers, who had been waiting outside, 'Like Daniel said, where's the Stargate?'

___________________________________________

Moments later they were heading down two more levels " We've sealed off the floor as well as the room, no one has been down here since the incident." Smythers said.

"Guards." Asked Jack.

"No, we placed guards there at first, but they become uneasy and well scared for want of a better word, and Col I am not talking about fresh faced youngsters, these are men who have fought in the bloodiest battles, no Col I am telling you, no one will set foot down here, let alone stay here."

"And you?" Jack asked.

"Me?" The lift stopped and the doors opened. "Yes, this place gives me the creeps, scared maybe, but my friend died, disappeared down here, and I want to find out what happened, this way." He led the way down a long corridor.

"He's right" Sam whispered to Janet, "this place gives me the creeps to."

"And me," whispered Janet back.

'Why are you two whispering.' Jack was also whispering

'I don't know sir.' Said Sam

'Ok, but.. BUT I don't think you have to.'

'In here.' Maj. Smythers stopped in front of a padlocked door.

'Listen.' Jack raised a hand; 'Did you hear that.'

'No' said Daniel, 'I didn't hear anything.'

'Ok, that's good neither did I. Open the door.'

It was times like these that Daniel, could cheerfully thump Jack, but knowing that Jack would always best him, he stayed quiet, the others raised their eyes, in silent agreement. Maj. Smythers unlocked the door; the room was, huge, similar layout to the gate room at the SGC, but this room also had a DHD.

'"Geez! WHAT is that smell.?" Asked Daniel has they stepped into the room.

"We don't know.'"Said Smythers, "It appeared after Colin..'Maj. Summers disappeared."

Sam wrinkled her nose, "it smells sweet, and at the same time acrid."

Janet agreed, "it's like someone has tipped a whole load of chemicals from the infirmary lab, some smells I can recognise others, " She shook her head.

"Is there anyway we can get more light in here?" Jack asked.

Maj. Smythers flicked the other light switches; it made the room brighter, but not any cosier.

"It's cold." Janet commented.

'Well, it is underground, and hasn't been used for a while,' Jack answered.

'The temperature is kept at a 59/60 degrees at all times.' The major was walking over to the barometer.

'It is much colder than that.' Said Teal'c

'You feel it too, ' asked Daniel

'Indeed I do.'

'That's what it says here.' Smythers indicated the barometer.

'It can't be, it's much colder than that.' Daniel said.

'I agree with Daniel Jackson.'

Sam had already started to take readings from the gate and the DHD. "Er Sir, I'm getting a temperature reading of 44 degrees, and there's something else."

"Go on," Jacked urged her.

"It's the gate."

"What about the gate?"

"The temperature on the gate is well above that, it's 70 degrees, and sir it's pulsating."

"Oh pulsating." Jack looked at Sam; she knew the look well enough.

"It's like the gate is breathing, Sir I think it's alive."

End Chapter Four of
Protendore
by
G.K. Thorpe
Chapter Five