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Brigadier Warrington-Harris office.

"Still no communication."

"No Sir.'

Brigadier Warrington-Harris was in his office with Col Frank Bennison.Col Bennison's team had tried numerous attempts to communicate with SG1 and their own team. "How long has it been now since we last heard from them?" Asked the Brigadier.

"12 hours Sir."

The Brigadier nodded he knew his men were doing all they could to locate the two teams. "The engineers Col?"

"Nothing Sir, their doing their best, but we just can't seem to break through, there is a force field that is surrounding the whole of the basement area."

"The phone lines?"

"Same Sir, we can't find any conceivable evidence why they are not working."

"Unknown forces again." The Brigadier said to himself, more than to his Col.

"Sir?"

"Nothing Bennison, just keep me informed." Bennison left the Brigadier to his thoughts.

The Brigadier had a lot more on his mind, Barry Corrigan had died, he had been found dead in his room that afternoon, no explanation, heart attack was the official cause, but the Brigadier had seen the dead man.

Something had scared him, but how can you tell the family of a loved one that they had died of fright?

________________________________________________

Basement Devils Hole Army Base

01.26.a.m

Neither Jack not Daniel could sleep, even watching old movies didn't help.

"Daniel."

"Jack."

"Do we really bicker?"

"Urmm---Well according to Dr Frasier and Teal'c we do."

"But---bicker, I mean where'd she get that expression.'

"Maybe the Brigadier.' Daniel hid a smile.

"You don't think---Nah.'

Daniel raised his eyebrows, "er think what Jack?"

"Oh---so how's the hand.'

"He said, quickly changing the subject."

"What?"

"What?"

"The hand, looks bad to me, and aren't you supposed to keep the bandages on."

"Yea, I know but it is itchy." Both looked at Daniel's hand, it was completely red, and covered in small dark red blotches, it had moved past his wrist now.

"Has Dr Frasier seen this?"

"No, not yet, I knew she's be mad at, me for taking the bandages off, but it's burning Jack."

"Daniel, why the hell didn't you say something sooner?"

"Well, we had more important things to deal with."

There were times that Jack could cheerfully have shot his friend, and well right now was one of them. "I'm going to get Dr Frasier now."

"No, Jack."

"Daniel."

"I'll show her in the morning, let her sleep ok?" Jack looked at him. "Just help me put a dressing on it, some of that gel stuff, that seems to help." Daniel pointed to the box of supplies that Dr Frasier managed to bring back from the hospital.

"This?" Jack said picking up a tube of antiseptic soothing gel.

"Yea, that the one."

"Maybe you should try to sleep."

"No I'll be ok.' Daniel made eye contact with Jack. "Maybe later, let me finish watching the movie." Daniel lay down on the couch.

"Coffee, then?" Jack asked him.

"Hmmm sounds good to me."

Jack walked over to the coffee pot, "Yea, I love theses old Boris movies as well." He turned to Daniel.

"I'm not asleep Jack, so just let me watch the movie, ok?"

"Ok."

Thirty minutes later with Boris Karloff trailing mummy bandages all over the screen, Daniel was sound asleep. Jack smiled, good job that man loves his coffee. He thought wondering how mad Danny boy would be when he found out that Jack had put a mild sedative in the last cup he gave him.

Jack checked the sleeping quarters, everyone was quiet, Teal'c came over to him. "Daniel Jackson?"

"Asleep finally, had to knock him out though."

Teal'c stared at Jack. "Knock him out O'Neill?"

"Yea, not knock him out, put him out, sedative Teal'c."

"I see."

"Teal'c stay here with Daniel, I'll do a quick rec. in the corridors, then we'll wake Smythers and Morrison. " With one last check around the room, Teal'c and Jack went their separate ways. Jack avoided the morgue and the hospital; he didn't want to know if Dixon was alive or dead.

"O'Neill." It was Teal'c, he met him on the way back to the living quarters. "Lt Anderson is missing." Teal'c informed him.

"Missing, you wanna tell me how?"

"The other door." Morrison had come up behind Teal'c. "I set my watch alarm so I would be ready to take over, Anderson was already awake and leaving by the dormitory door, I tried to stop him, we all tried to stop

him, even fired warning shots, but, well we didn't want to shoot an unarmed man."

Jack nodded, "Ok, any idea where he may have gone?"

"Col, he was heading towards the science labs." Hapten told him.

"Science labs, this place has science labs?" Jack knew he shouldn't be surprised

"It would appear so O'Neill."

"Just don't tell Carter." He said, and as an after thought, "or Daniel."

Hapten was trying to open the science lab door. "Stuck Sir."

"Again." Jack commented.

Teal'c blasted the door open with his staff weapon. "It does not appear to be stuck now."

The other 3 looked at each other. 'No, it's not stuck now.' Said Hapten.

The four of them went into the lab, Teal'c first staff weapon poised, Jack and the other two-team members low.

Nothing the room was empty.

"I thought you said he was in here?" Asked Jack.

"This is where he came in Sir." Hapten told him.

A movement caught Morrison's eye. "There." He pointed to the far side of the lab, it was Anderson.

"Jim." Said Hapten; "hey it's us."

"They killed Steve, and now they want me." He said, 'You have to keep away from me, they will want you as well."

"They won't get you, we won't let them." Morrison told him.

Jack motioned to Teal'c to go behind Anderson, Teal'c started to move, the lights flickered, a great rush of wind filled the lab, chairs were thrown over, weapons wrenched from the soldiers hands, the whole place was filled with a wailing, as if a million voices were crying out all at once. The lights finally died. The wind became more fierce a cold biting wind. It stopped as suddenly as it had started.

"What was that all about?" Asked Jack.

"It would appear that it did not want me to communicate with Lt Anderson, O'Neill."

"No kidding."

"Where is he?" Morrison asked

"Ok, keep in two's we do a search."

Jack and Teal'c headed off. "So Teal'c just how big d'ya think this place is?"

_________________________________________-

Thirty minuteslater they were back outside the living quarters. Jack turned to Morrison and Hapten; they both shook their heads. They were not prepared for the sight that greeted them when they stepped back into the room.

Sam and Smythers were trying to hold Daniel down, while Janet was trying to administer a sedative.

"Col, Teal'c!: shouted Sam

"NO, YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO." Daniel was shouting, Jack and Teal'c held him down as well as Sam and Smythers. Jack could believe how strong he was.

"Daniel, you been working out?" He said to him as he finally pinned his arms down.

"LET ME GO, LEAVE ME."

Janet managed to inject the sedative, and counted down from 5, Daniel slumped into unconsciousness, at the last count.

"You wanna tell me what happened here?" Jack asked.

"While you were out looking for Anderson, I checked on Daniel." Volunteered Janet "He was very hot, his temperature had rocketed and he was delirious."

"Sir he wanted to go back to the Stargate." Smythers told Jack.

Jack looked at his friend, "how long will he be unconscious?" He asked Janet.

"I gave him enough that he should at least sleep for 6 hours, but I'll stay with him all the time."

"You checked his hand?" Jack asked her.

"Yes, I've never seen anything like it before, the gel and some ice packs seem to help, but we really need to get him out of here."

"We all need to get out of here doc." Answered Jack.

"Right we stay in sight of each other, Morrison, Teal'c, Hapten bring the beds in here, this rooms big enough.."

"Sir." It was Hapten. "What about Jim?"

Jack looked at his team, they were expecting him to have answers, and he couldn't give them any. One dead, one missing and Daniel, with who knows what. "He can't get out, so we look in the morning." Jack looked at his

watch, 05.46, "Oh it is morning."

"Sir may I suggest that you and the others get some sleep, Smythers and I can take watch." Sam caught his eye, he looked at Janet then Teal'c.

"I concur O'Neill, I will place myself in a deep state of Kel'no'rem, when in a few hours I will be refreshed and will continue the search for Lt Anderson."

His team knew him better than himself, which was at times worrying. "Good idea Carter, yes Teal'c good, I was going to suggest that myself.' He looked at Hapten and Morrison, "we are all tired, I suggest we do as Major Carter advises, and get some rest, we will look again in 3---4 hours."

Hapten and Morrison nodded; they knew best to search again with fresh minds and eyes, than make a mistake, which could cost another life at least.

Morrison, Hapten and Teal'c bought the rest of the beds in, "we all stay in this room ok?"

Jack threw himself down on one of the beds, he was asleep before he

heard any of the replies.'

_________________________________

Daniel was restless, the dreams were too vivid, the faces too real. He had to get away from them; he didn't want to become one of them. The desert sun was hot, burning into his back, he turned, the gate opened pulled him in. Darkness, no not complete darkness, he could make out shapes, they looked human, maybe they had once been human, long tentacles that were arms reached towards him. He moved, no he ran, ran as fast as he could away from them, he could see the gate in the distance, but he was no nearer to it, no matter how fast he ran. Voices, shapes all

around him, he had to get away, they couldn't take him, he didn't belong there.

A bony half flesh covered hand grabbed him, Daniel screamed, no one heard him, he could see Jack, Sam, Teal'c even Janet in the distance. He looked at the hand again, he heard a voice, clearly, 'You must destroy

it, you know you have to, free us, DESTROY IT.' Daniel broke free, his heart pounding his sides hurting he felt himself slowing down, he had to keep going, black clouds descended, voices screaming at him. He thought

he heard his name being called, the gate was there, and open all he had to do was step through it. It was getting darker, the blackness, the cloud, he turned, no not a cloud, something more, more terrifying, he saw the shape, the tortured and grotesque face, he had to get through the gate, someone was calling his name, the voice was familiar;

"Danny, Danny." It was a safe voice, a white light, he had made it through the gate, a cool hand on his face, he was back in his own bed, safe, the nightmare was gone, it was just a dream, just a dream.

"Mom?"

"Shhh, it's ok, I'm here."

"Scared,"

"I know, it's over now, go back to sleep."

"Is he ok?" Sam asked Janet.

"Yes, his fever's broke. He was having a bad dream."

"He thought you were his mom."

Janet smiled, "I know, and I am so never going to let him forget that."

______________________________

0.9.26.a.m.

Jack emerged from the bathroom and sniffed the air. "Bacon, is that bacon?"

"Not exactly sir." Said Morrison. "It's tinned."

"Tinned?" Queried Jack

"In cans Sir." Said Sam.

"Ok, bacon in cans"

'

"Actually, it's re-con----"

"Ahhh." Jack held up his hand "all I want to know is that it tastes ok."

Sam smiled "Yes Sir it tastes ok."

Morrison placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Jack, he look at Sam she seemed to be enjoying hers, Jack took a mouthful of egg. "Not bad, dried egg." Morrison nodded. Sam smiled.

Jack looked over to where Daniel was sleeping; Janet had fallen asleep in the armchair next to his bed. "How's he doing?" He whispered to Sam.

"His fever broke." She told him, "he's been restless the whole time, this is the first time he's slept soundly."

"But he's going to be ok"

"Yes Sir he is."

Hapten came and sat next to Jack. "Plan for today sir."

"You, myself and Teal'c will continue the search for Anderson., You, Carter stay here, Morrison, Smythers and yourself can take a sweep of the corridor every 30 minutes, we still got radio contact with each

other."

"Yes Sir, still no contact with the control room though." Said Smythers.

"That seems strange to me." Commented Hapten; "we can contact each other, but not everyone else."

"Hapten, the way things are happening down here, I don't find it the least bit strange." Jack told him.

____________________________________

Jack, Teal'c and Hapten retraced their steps to the laboratory. "So Hapten, how come you forgot to mention this part of the facility."

"To be honest Sir, I forgot, I mean the place has never been used, and apart from maintaining the lights etc, and checking that the systems work, there was nothing else."

Jack looked at him, "It happens, I just hate surprises, so if you can think of any more little places, be sure to tell me now."

"Well." Hapten started to say.

Jack turned, "More rooms."

"Not exactly, but I do remember." Hapten stopped, walked down a corridor that had not been searched, and stopped in front of another door.

"You remember...." Jack queried.

"Like I said, we only used to come down her to check lights and such, and there was this place." Hapten opened the door, the heat was humid.

"What the---"

The room was large, but not overly so. There were the remains of plants and flowers; a dried out fountain stood in the middle, of the room, a spiral staircase leading to an upper landing.

"This is/was nice." Said Jack.

"Indeed." Answered Teal'c

"Also down there,'"Hapten pointed to a glassed off area. "Organic food."

"Yea, a real home away from home," Jack said sarcastically. "Right people, we'll search this place." Jack and Teal'c, started to go up the staircase, it moved. "Wow, that doesn't seem safe." Jack stepped off the staircase. They heard a noise.

"O'Neill." Teal'c pointed upwards.

"Anderson." Jack called to him, "Come down here, were not going to hurt you."

Anderson did not seem to be listening; he was loosening the already loose pivots that held the stairs together.

"Jim, hey come on mate, we've been looking for you. We were worried." Hapten called to him.

Anderson looked down at them. "You shouldn't have followed me here, they don't like it you know."

"Jim, please come on." The stairs rocked even more, Anderson was at the top of the landing, and the poles that were holding the stairs to the roof were breaking free.

"Jim, get away from there now." Hapten called to him.

"Anderson." Jack called. "LOOK OUT."

The whole structure collapsed, Teal'c, Jack and Hapten dove for cover.

"Everyone ok?" Jack asked when the dust cleared.

"I am fine O'Neill."

"Hapten" Jack stood up.

"I'm ok Sir----Oh god--Jim."

The three of them saw that Anderson had fallen with the stairway, he had been impaled on one of the steel girders.

"Get Morrison and Smythers, and help take him down." Jack said to Teal'c.

"Sir."

"Don't worry Hapten, I'm not going to leave him here."

"No, not that Sir, look.' Hapten walked over to the wall; it was covered in the same green slime, which covered the stairwell.

"Hapten, get away from it."

As Hapten turned back to Col O'Neill, he spotted the writing on the other wall. "I think you may want to see this Sir."

Jack went over to him. They both looked at the words. DESTROY IT DESTROY IT.

"Ok, destroy what."

"The gate." Said Hapten

"Yea well we tried that and look what happened, two people dead, Daniel injured and who know what else will happen."

"JESUS.'" It was Morrison.

"Lets get him down, and take him to the morgue." Jack told them.

"The morgue." Smythers sounded unconvincing.

"Yea, the morgue. Problem Major?"

"Well Sir, it's just the last person we placed in the morgue, er came back."

"Ok, point taken, but Teal'c killed him---again. And I'd prefer to have all the bodies, dead or alive in one place."

They found some plastic sheets in the corner of the arbortorium, covered Anderson and all four took him to the morgue. Teal'c opened the door to the hospital very slowly, what remained of Dixon was still there. Morrison and Jack placed Anderson on the floor and left.

Sam opened the door to them; Janet had a gun pointed ready to use if need be. Both were relieved to see them all come back safe.

“How's he doing?” Jack walked over to Daniel.

“Better.” Janet told him, “he's finally sleeping soundly, I gave him another 1mg as well, just to be sure.”

Jack looked at his friend, “So he's gonna be ok.”

“He's gonna be fine.” Janet reassured him.

_________________________________

“I'm hungry.”

“He's back, hey Danny boy.”

“Jack.” Daniel tried to sit up, but fell back against the pillows.

“Slowly.” Janet told him, she checked his temperature and pulse.

“Yes he's back.” She told the others. “I think some soup should be ok.” Morrison went to heat some up. “You had us worried there for a while Daniel.“ Said Janet.

Daniel smiled. “I had this dream, well more like a nightmare really, it seemed so real.” Daniel shook his head trying to get rid of the images. Morrison handed him the soup. Daniel ate greedily, he was very hungry. “I heard voices.”

“Voices,' repeated Jack

“Well it sounded like voices. Millions of voices, shapes dark grotesque shapes, only one sentence I could make out, destroy it, you have to destroy it.”

Hapten turned to Jack, “I know.” Jack said.

“Know what?” Daniel asked Jack.

“Anderson's dead,”

Daniel stopped spoon halfway to his mouth. “Dead how.”

“Tell, you that later. The room where he died there was writing on the wall, it said the same thing, destroy it.'

“Destroy it.' Repeated Daniel. 'Do they mean the gate?”

“They.' Jack said “ tried to stop us destroying the gate, remember that's how we're stuck down here.'

“Sir, I've been wondering about that.”

Jack looked at Sam. “Wondering how we are stuck down here?”

“No sir, the us part.”

“Ok, let's hear it.”

“There seem to be two conflicting forces at work here.'

“Two.”

“Of course.” Daniel agreed with her. Jack looked at both of them. “Think about it Jack, it's like good verses evil if you like. The evil side wants us with them, and the good side: i.e.: the lost souls, if you like, wants us to destroy the gate so it can't happen to anyone else.”

“Ok, say it's right, why now, why not years ago, why not when we first got here?”

“Because maybe we are the first people to actually do something, to challenge it.”

“Sir Daniel could be right.” Added Carter. “The other times the gate was buried, or locked away, because nobody really knew enough, if anything about it. We're the first people if you like, that do.”

“It's like we awakened them.' Daniel looked at Sam she nodded.

“Yes and by doing that, they are getting stronger.”

“Oh they're doing that all right, two people dead already.” Jack reminded them.

“That wasn't them Jack, that was the evil side.”

“Evil side?”

Daniel knew it sounded bizarre, he let Jack think about it. “Can I have some more soup please?”

___________________________________

Four bowls of soup later Daniel felt much better, even his hand had stopped hurting. Dr Frasier examined his hand. The swelling had gone down, the redness was still there, but not so fierce, no explanation for it at all. “I still want you to keep this dressing on it, ok.”

“Ok, Doc.” Daniel grinned.

“So if we have to destroy the gate, how do we go about it?” Jack asked.

They all looked at Sam then Daniel. “I don't know.”

“Er, no idea.”

“We will have to go back to the gate room O'Neill.”

“Yea, I figured that one Teal'c thanks.”

“You are welcome O'Neill.”

“No time like the present” Jack stood up “Let's go people.”

End Chapter Seven of
Protendore
by
G.K. Thorpe
Chapter Eight