Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

"Damn. Someone tell me again why we couldn't wait until it's warmer to visit this planet?" Jack asked, rubbing his gloved hands together. He looked out the door of the temple, squinting against the bright sunlight reflecting off the snow. The abandoned structure was perched on the banks of a small stream and nestled into the side of a mountain. It's location made the structure defensible, but also incredibly hard to get to in the winter because of the feet of fine powdery snow. Perfect for skiing, not so perfect for walking. As the team had found out when it had taken them six hours to hike the five miles from the gate to the temple.

"Because this planet has a very unique orbit and winter and summer are the only two times a year when it's sun isn't blocking the wormhole. And considering the average high temp during the summer is 115, we thought winter would be a better time," Daniel said, concentrating intensely on the writings on the wall.

The temple wasn't too large, maybe thirty feet square. Several large stone columns supported the high ceiling and the front of the room contained a simple marble altar. All four walls were covered with an odd combination of hieroglyphs and pictograms. He couldn't be sure, but his preliminary thought was that the carvings could pertain to Anubis. And given that the goa'uld's star was back on the rise, it had been more than enough reason to brave the inclimate weather.

He also had a good idea that Jack knew all about the planet's orbit and probably exactly how long they had until the planet's sun again made travel between Earth and the planet impossible. Jack's favorite 'I'm bored, explain it to me' game was a ploy of his that he knew well. The colonel had a bad habit of pretending that his IQ was somewhere below Forrest Gump's just to annoy the heck out of the rest of them.

"I wonder how Sam and Teal'c are doing on their samples?" he asked in an effort to distract him.

"Carter? Teal'c? Status report?" Jack took the hint and called the other two team members on the radio.

"Sir. We're almost done. We'll start heading back to the temple within the hour."

Daniel glanced at his watch, then at the wall. "Jack, I'm almost done here. I have all of this on tape. We could meet them on the way to the gate. Save them some hiking, and make sure we get back well before nightfall," he suggested. The temperature hovered in the mid 40's during the day, but dropped to sub zero when the meager warmth of the sun left. Daniel knew they'd come prepared for the worst with extra survival gear, but there was no real reason to subject themselves to a bitterly cold night when the SGC and it's nice warm bunks were just a few hours hike away.

"Carter, we're going to be bugging out soon. We'll RV with you on the trail," he said.

"Affirmative, sir. We're about a thousand feet higher up on the mountain," she reported.

"Roger that. Let me know when you're heading back down," he ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Sam released her radio and looked across the snowfield, squinting despite her sunglasses. Even though she was crouched on several feet of snow, the air was relatively warm and she could see some slight surface melting. They did need to get off this slope before the temperature dropped and the snow refroze. It'd be skating rink time then she knew. She picked up her rock hammer and chipped away at a bit of exposed rock.

She and Teal'c had climbed further up the mountain, seeking out the sole piece of exposed rock to gather her samples. Technically the samples would be far easier to gather in the planetary summer, but not easier on them. If she managed to get her samples now, then there'd be no reason to return to the planet unless Daniel found something interesting in the temple. And she was sure the fact that Colorado Springs was in the middle of a three week long heat wave had nothing to do with their desire to visit a winter wonderland.

"Major Carter, have you completed your task?"

Sam gave one last swing, knocking off a couple of fist sized pieces of rock that she sealed into plastic bags. She slipped the samples into her pack and stood up. "Yeah, I'm done."

"If we begin our descent now, we should be able to attain the stargate and return to the SGC before planetary night," he said as he helped her clip her pack onto her vest.

"That would good. I've already done the freezing…what?" she asked as he paused.

She felt her heart sink as she heard a sharp crack. She instinctively looked up and her eyes widened in horror at the sight.

"Major Carter, we must…"

"RUN!" she screamed, starting to run, slipping on the ice crusted snow.

"The trees!" he yelled, grabbing her hand to keep her from falling. Together they tried to make it to the meager shelter of the trees, hoping that they could find some sort of safety.

They didn't make it.

<><><><><>

"Well, I'm done," Daniel said, closing the cover on the camera and reaching for his pack.

"Sweet," Jack said, pushing himself up off the wall he was leaning against. He stepped forward and helped Daniel clip his pack onto his vest. "Let's blow this popcicle stand." They stepped out the door of the temple; Jack reaching for the sunglasses that were hanging around his neck.

"I wonder where they are?" Daniel asked, looking towards the peak as he heard a loud crack.

"What the…"

"JACK!" Daniel yelled, plowing into his friend and pushing him back into the temple. They fell in an awkward tangle of arms and legs as a large roaring wall of white swept past the doorway, some snow flowing into the temple. The walls shook and the floor rumbled as the temple was assaulted by tons of snow. It felt like forever, but was really just several minutes before it stopped. They lay there, both breathing heavily as silence again filled their ears.

"Daniel, nothing personal but get the hell off me," Jack muttered, gently pushing his teammate aside.

"Sorry," Daniel said, rolling off Jack and slowly sitting up.

"Carter? Teal'c?" Jack called into his radio, getting to his feet, his voice urgent. "Carter! Teal'c! Respond," he ordered.

"Sam? Teal'c?" Daniel tried his radio as well, wondering if Jack's had been broken in their tumble.

"Damn it," Jack cursed, making his way to the snow blocked door. He tried to push some of the snow aside with his gloved hands. "Is there any mention of another way out?" he asked, reaching for his knife and using it to attack the snow.

"No," Daniel answered, also pulling his knife and moving to help Jack.

"We need to get out of here and get some help."

"We'll never make it to the gate and back before it gets dark."

"We have a rough idea. We can use the RDF…" Jack said, his words punctuated with vicious stabs at the solid wall of snow.

"Your friends are beyond your help," a voice said.

Jack spun, abandoning his knife in a second to grab his gun, pulling it up to his shoulder in one swift smooth movement. Daniel turned as well, his knife still clutched in his hand. Standing before the altar was a female figure. She was clad in a flowing sapphire toga style dress, which contrasted with her long ebony hair and caramel complexion. A large ornate necklace hung around her neck, the multicolored crystals glinting in the dim light.

"Did you do this?" Jack demanded, striding slowly forward, his eyes darting around the room, searching for anyone else.

"What's done is done," she said, seemingly unfazed by his threatening demeanor.

Daniel hurried forward, moving in front of Jack, while keeping out of his direct line of fire. "Our friends are out there, they might be hurt. Can you help us?" he asked, lowering his knife.

"You speak the truth," she said calmly.

"Which part?" Jack demanded.

"There are two people out there, although I do not know them well enough to know if they truly are your friends."

"LOOK!"

"Jack," Daniel waved him back. He turned back to the woman. "My name is Daniel Jackson. I'm from a planet called Earth. We came through the stargate."

"Yes, I am aware of your arrival."

"Ok. We'd like to go back. If you could help us get out of here and find our friends, then we'll leave," he offered.

"You can leave at any time."

"Great," Jack said. "Get Carter and Teal'c here and we'll bail."

"I can not do that."

"Why the hell not?"

"Jack," Daniel protested.

"No," Jack cut off his protest. "My people are out there, probably hurt. Why won't you help us help them?"

"You gave the reason. Your people are outside this temple. I have no sway over what happens without these walls. I can do nothing for your friends."

<><><><><>

Cold. That was the first thing Teal'c was aware of. Deep, bone penetrating cold. He tried to open his eyes, frowning when he saw only white. He struggled to remember where he was. Why was it so cold? The planet, the temple. Major Carter and her samples, their desperate flight for freedom. Her hand tearing from his as the deceptively fluid wall of snow reached them, tossing them like dice in a cup.

An avalanche. It had to be an avalanche. He struggled to sit up, relieved to feel the cold bite of air rasping into his lungs. He wasn't buried, not totally anyway. He could feel the heavy weight on his legs and knew that his bottom half was entombed in snow. Reaching out, he kicked his legs and thrust his hands into the crystalline ice, ruthlessly pushing it aside. He wondered how long he had been unconscious. He could see the edges of the temple, barely jutting out from a mound of snow. It looked like the structure had survived. He looked around him, trying to see his companion. She should not be far. He cursed the practical green of Tau'ri clothing, the dark color would be hard to see, even in this white landscape. He feared that he could not do it himself. He needed help.

Freeing his legs, he shakily stood up. He reached for his radio, his numb fingers fumbling with the switch. "O'Neill? Daniel Jackson? Major Carter?" He stood still, his breathing harsh as he waited for a response. "O'Neill?" He tried again.

He stood still, struggling to hear something, anything. A cold breeze bathed his chilled skin making him shiver. He could hear the whisper of blowing snow, the otherworldly creaking of drifts as they settled, and the moan of the wind blowing through the trees. And no sound of human life. Fighting the stiffness of the cold, he started towards the temple. He took another step and fell, his boot catching on a fallen branch that he hadn't seen. His breath rushed out of his lungs and he landed awkwardly on his right side.

He pushed himself to his feet, fighting the wave of dizziness. He started towards the temple again, then paused as his symbiote twisted in his pouch. He felt a familiar tingle wash up his spine and he dropped to his knees, digging furiously in the snow. He ignored the stinging cut of ice slicing into his skin. He dug deeper, sighing in relief when his hand encountered smooth cool skin. He dug more, his fingers searching for a pulse. He found the faint fluttering and redoubled his efforts, encouraged when she stirred slightly.
Pulling her free he struggled to pick her up, having a bit of trouble with the bulk of her pack. He headed towards the temple and the shelter it provided. He knew from his brief glance inside that it was little more than a large stone room, but it was the only shelter they had.

<><><><><>

Jack stabbed at the obstructing snow, physically venting his frustration. He glanced over his shoulder fighting the urge to go over there and drag Daniel by the scruff of his neck over to help. Jack had been chipping away at the wall of snow for over an hour and it seemed he'd hardly made a dent. He'd tried to reach Carter and Teal'c twice on the radio, failing both times. He tried to tell himself that maybe they'd gone back for reinforcements. Or they could be on the other side of the snow pile, themselves chipping away at the snow. His gut instinct was that they were out there somewhere, probably in trouble. And even if they'd survived the avalanche ok, there were still in a hostile environment without sufficient shelter.
He thrust the knife into the snow and reached for his canteen, grimacing at the twinge from his shoulder and arm muscles.

He drank and twisted the cap back on, cramming the bottle into the holder. Giving the pair by the altar a cold look, he grasped his knife and resumed his chipping, trying not to think about how much more quickly it would be going if he had some help.

<><><><><>

"Your friend is persistent," she said, glancing at Jack.

"Well, our friends are in trouble," Daniel answered, almost feeling the hostility emanating from Jack. He didn't need glasses to see the cold looks the colonel had been shooting his way. Pissed was an understatement. "Why can't you help them?" he asked abruptly.

"I only hold sway over what is inside this temple."

"Who's in charge of the outside?"

"There is no one."

"Then…"

"Why did you come here?" She asked.

"What?"

"Why did you come? This planet has little to offer."

"We're explorers."

"There is not much here to explore."

"There's this." He made a sweeping gesture.

"You search for riches?"

"No. At least not what you may think of as riches." He walked over to the near wall. "This symbol, I think it represents Anubis and…"

"What do you know of him?" she interrupted.

"Aah, not as much as we'd like to. That's why we're here."

"You seek him?" she asked, concern evident on her face.

"What? No. No, we've…crossed paths before and we're trying to find out about him."

"Crossed paths?"

"Well, he's tried to destroy out planet a time or two. And we were hoping if we could find out something about him it could help us find a way to defend ourselves against him."

"So, you are enemies of Anubis?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"More like victims. I mean, we're not trying to hunt him or anything but we will defend ourselves."

She nodded and stood up, walking away a bit. "This has not happened before, I must contemplate." She touched a stone on the necklace she was wearing and Daniel stared in amazement as a small set of transport rings rose from the floor, bearing her away in a beam of bright light.

"What the…" He heard Jack exclaim. He turned to see his friend standing tensely, his gun aimed unerringly at where the woman had been just seconds before. "Tell me I didn't just see what I think I saw?" he demanded, stalking forward.

"I have a funny feeling she might help us," Daniel said, leaving the altar and walking towards Jack.

"Do ya now? Find that out in the last three hours you've wasted chatting with the 'lady'," he sneered the word.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. And her name is Penthea."

"I don't care if she's Martha Stewart. Those are transport rings, which usually mean goa'uld."

"Or Tok'ra."

"Same difference."

"Jack…"

"No. You've sat here and wasted three hours trading recipes with…whatever the hell that was, while Carter and Teal'c could be dying out there," he ranted.

"I was hoping she'd be able to help us," Daniel countered.

"Oh yeah, she's helped a lot."

"Damnit Jack…"

"I don't want to hear it. Now that Princess Leia is gone, would you mind giving me a hand? Or maybe you'd like to take five, rest after your strenuous day." Jack turned on his heel and stalked back to the blocked door, kicking aside a few clods of melting snow.

Daniel watched him yank the knife out of the snow and start hacking at the deceptively hard surface, obviously taking out his frustration on the inanimate object. Daniel unsheathed his own knife and silently joined his friend, taking care to keep out of his way.

Soon the only noise in the temple was their harsh breathing and the rhythmic sound of metal chipping away at ice.

<><><><><>

"We can't stay here," Sam said, her voice quivering as she fought the shivers. Teal'c was a few feet away, trying to determine how much snow was blocking the door to the temple. "The sun's going down." She was sitting on the snow, her arms wrapped around her waist

"This temple is the only shelter," he said, joining her.

"It'll take hours to get through that." Teal'c gave his companion an appraising glance. Her lips were blue and her face pale. Her clothes were wet in places from the melting snow and she had a small trickle of blood running down the side of her head from a laceration behind her ear. She'd roused as he'd made his way to the temple but he could tell that her mind was still a little befuddled.

"Come," he said, pulling her to her feet.

"What?"

"We shall seek shelter amongst the trees." He led her away from the temple, struggling to keep both of them from falling as they traversed the ragged remnants of the avalanche.

As he walked he tried to conceive of a plan. They had some extra gear, but no tents. They had been on the FRED, which was now buried. Each of them had a sleeping bag and spare clothes, however his pack had been lost in the avalanche as well. He knew his symbiote would afford him some protection from the cold, but Major Carter did not have such a luxury. He could tell the cold and perhaps the blow to the head was affecting her mind. Under normal circumstances she would be trying to discern a way to find O'Neill and Daniel Jackson.

They were not due back at the SGC for nearly twenty-four hours. He and Major Carter could possibly survive until then, as could O'Neill and Daniel Jackson if they were in the temple. If they had already left the structure and been caught in the avalanche, they were most likely already dead.

He felt Sam stagger and diverted his attention back to their situation. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson were beyond his aid for the time being, however she was not.

He painstakingly made his way towards the trees, supporting more and more of her weight as he walked. As the sun sank, so did the temperature, now well below freezing. If they could not find shelter, they would die. Reaching the trees, he strained his eyes in the gathering darkness.

Spying what he needed, he dragged his companion along, ignoring her low moans of protest. He sat her down on a fallen tree and knelt down.

The avalanche had knocked over several trees and jumbled them together. It created a tiny shallow cave of snow and wood. He pulled his knife and hacked at a bit of the snow, trying to deepen the hole a bit. He needed to provide them as much protection from the wind as possible.

"It won't work," Sam muttered.

"Major Carter?"

"Why won't the DHD work? It should work." She slid off the log and crawled over to him. "I was stupid. I should have tried to dial another planet. Have we tried another planet? I don't want to use Plan Bob…B. Plan B sucks." She laid down on the snow, obviously lost in her hallucination. "Sorry, Colonel…sorry…" Her voice faded as her eyes drifted shut.

Realizing that he was quickly running out of time, he abandoned his digging. He unclipped her pack, and pulled off her sleeping bag. He unfolded and unzipped the thermal material, stretching it out. He quickly took off her jacket and boots and then laid her down on the bag.

The rest of her wet clothing followed in short order and was quickly replaced by the dry replacements from her pack. He gently shoved the bag under the log. Not having a change of clothes for himself, he took off his wet jacket and his boots, crawling into the bag next to his teammate.

It was a tight fit given that the bag was designed for one person. He pulled her close, feeling the chill of her skin penetrate his clothes. He slipped into a light state of kelnoreem knowing that they would be lucky if they survived the night.

<><><><><>

Jack stabbed his knife into the ice and sighed. "Forget it, Daniel," he said, turning and walking away.

"Huh?"

"We're not getting through that. Time for plan B." He crossed to the altar and sat down beside it. "Think you can find a way to hotwire the rings?"

Daniel walked over to him. "What good will that do?"

"I find it hard to believe that …"

"Penthea."

"Right. No one in their right mind designs a place with only one way in and out. There's no more doors around here, but there might be an exit from wherever she is. All we gotta do is get down to it."

"She…touched her necklace," Daniel said, motioning towards his throat.

"Yeah. Don't have one of those," Jack quipped. "But considering there's some definite goa'uld influence in this place, there's gotta be another way down there."

"Ok," Daniel said. "Umm…if I was a secret passage, where would I be?" Daniel ran his hands over the raised carvings and glyphs on the altar.

Jack shrugged and got to his feet, examining the other side. "It'd be too easy to fine a 'Press here' button wouldn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "Abracadabra, shazam, open sesame…"

He broke off as the all too familiar whine of the transport rings filled the room. They turned to see the rings falling back into the floor, leaving Penthea standing in front of them.

"I offer you a proposition," she said before they could speak. "I will save your friends outside and let you leave…if one of you stays behind as a hostage against any acts of reparation. Who stays is your choice. I shall return shortly for the answer." She touched her necklace and vanished.

<><><><><>

"Ok," Jack said, breaking the oppressive silence. "First thing you have to do is lock out the codes." He unclipped his P-90 from his vest and pulled his GDO off his wrist. "And take these with you too." He held the items out to Daniel who simply stared at the devices. "Daniel?" Jack thrust the things at him. "Are you going to take them or do I have to destroy them?"

"You're going to need it," Daniel said. "We don't know if Sam and Teal'c still have their GDO."

"Which is exactly why you should take this," Jack insisted.

"I'm not going."

"The hell you're not."

"Jack…"

"No. Daniel. I'm in command here and I say when what's her face comes back, you're leaving with Carter and Teal'c."

"Right. I leave you here."

"Yes. You leave me here."

"And if she's a goa'uld? What if she takes you back to her homeworld?"

"I'll get to do some sightseeing," Jack shrugged.

"You don't even speak the language other than 'kree'. Your chances of escape would be slim to none."

"And yours would be better?"

"At least I could ask for directions."

"Which is why you should go. Who else at the SGC can speak goa'uld?"

"Teal'c."

"Bad example. Daniel…"

"No. Jack. Look. Yes, I know a lot, but what I know is of minimal strategic value. The GDO code, a few gate addresses. You on the other hand, know a hell of a lot more than you let on, especially about Earth's defenses and the SGC's future plans. That's stuff we can't let the goa'uld have." Daniel punctuated his words by bringing up his right hand and firing the zat he was carrying, grimacing as Jack fell, his muscles twitching with the slight electrical charge.

Daniel hurried forward, quickly pulling his belt from his pants and rolling Jack over. He hurriedly bound the man's hands, pulling his pistol from the holster at the same time. Knowing there would be hell to pay in a few minutes, he sat back and waited for the fireworks.

<><><><><>

Teal'c opened his eyes, trying to see in the darkness. He should not have emerged from his meditation yet; he could feel that his body was not well. He moved his legs slightly and frowned as he realized that he could not feel his feet. He turned his attention inward, mentally taking inventory of his body. It was warm in the sleeping bag, but only relative to their environment. In reality, it was too cold, they were too cold. He could see what had wakened him. His symbiote was now working for its survival rather than their survival. The only place in his body that felt warm was his pouch. He knew what Junior was doing. The creature had determined that Teal'c lacked the resources to survive the cold, however those resources would last longer if concentrated in one small area instead of the whole body.

He checked his companion, relieved to find her still breathing, even though her breaths were far too shallow and slow. They were both dying he knew, and the only solace he could take, was that at least it was a peaceful death.

<><><><><>

Jack felt the knife slip and cursed silently, lifting his head and sparing a glance at his companion. As near as he could determine, Daniel was dozing a few feet away, his back propped against the side of the altar. It hadn't taken Jack long to recover from the zat blast. But instead of engaging his teammate in what was sure to be a futile argument, he settled for 'playing possum'. He pretended to still be unconscious until he could see Daniel relax and his concentration lapse.

Taking advantage of the lessened vigilance, he managed to pull his penknife out of his back pocket and start to work cutting through the webbing belt. He was going to kill Daniel when he got his hands on him. Or better yet, maybe suggest to Fraiser that all civilians needed to have enemas added to their normal post-gate.

He had to be getting rusty, either that or the archaeologist was getting sneakier. He should have seen it coming. Daniel was worse than a starving dog with a bone when he got his mind set on something.
Unable to see his watch, Jack could only guess how much time had passed. His internal clock told him that it had to be almost an hour. And his gut suggested that Penthea was going to show up any time now.

He felt the webbing abruptly give away and his arms fell to his side, slapping the stone floor. Jack grunted, wincing as the penknife skittered across the tiles. He saw Daniel stir and he scrambled to his feet, ignoring the tingling of his arm and shoulder muscles. He saw Daniel blink and shake his head, trying to clear the cobwebs.

Jack hurried forward; snatching the pistol from Daniel's slack fingers just as the archaeologist's eyes registered his presence. Jack stepped back, aiming but not cocking the gun. "You ever do that again, I'm gonna kick your ass into the next reality," Jack threatened.

"Jack…" Daniel got to his feet.

"Don't 'Jack' me you sneaky little…What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Look, I…"

"NO. You look. It may not actually SAY colonel on this uniform, but pretend that it does. I gave you an order and I expect you to obey it. YOU are going back to Earth. End of discussion," Jack insisted. "And if you give me anymore crap I'll...shoot you in the foot," he threatened, cocking the gun for emphasis.

Unfortunately the effect was lost as a bright light shot from the ceiling, enveloping Jack in the all too familiar ring transport system. "D'oh," was all he had time to say before he dropped through the floor, leaving Daniel alone with Penthea.

<><><><><>

She stepped away from the rings, looking regally around the room. "The choice has been made?" she asked, crossing to where Daniel was standing.

"Umm. Yeah, I guess."

"You will not find your time here onerous," she said, smiling slightly. "In truth I…It will be pleasant to have another person here. I have been alone for so long," she said softly, walking slowly around the room.

"How long have you been here?"

She frowned slightly, her eyes going out of focus. "A very, very long time," she said softly.

"Can you bring my friends here now?" he asked, praying that Jack would stay…wherever he was, until Penthea brought Sam and Teal'c into the temple. He figured, even if things didn't go perfectly well, at least they'd be together.

"You have maintained your part of the arrangement." She touched her necklace again and Daniel watched the rings activate, sinking back into the floor and leaving a large bundle in their wake. Shooting Penthea a glance, Daniel hurried across the room. Wincing at the cold emanating from the pair, he pushed the frozen fabric of the bag aside, frantically feeling for a pulse at Sam's neck.

Encountering nothing but cold skin, he tried with Teal'c, getting the same result. "We need to warm them up," he said, unzipping the bag. "Can you build a fire or something?" he asked, remembering something he'd heard Janet say when Jack and Sam had been trapped in the Antarctic. You weren't dead until you were warm and dead.

"Warm them up?" she asked, coming to stand by his side.

"Hypothermia….they're too cold," he explained, throwing back the top of the sleeping bag. His friends were spooned together and he knew Sam would be more than a little embarrassed, were she conscious. He could see huge wet patches on Teal'c's clothes and guessed that they had indeed been caught in the avalanche. Which meant being too cold might not be their only injuries. He could see the tell tale white patches on both her and Teal'c's exposed skin that told him frostbite was also going to be an issue. "We need to get them home," he declared, looking up to Penthea. "We have medicine there that might be able to help them."

Penthea frowned at him, then knelt down beside Sam and Teal'c. "No medicine can help them now," she said, running her fingers lightly over both their still faces.

"What?"

"They are ready for their journey into the land of the dead. Do you wish me to help you perform the appropriate rituals?"

<><><><><>

Jack dropped to the floor, bringing his gun up and surveying his surroundings. It took him only a few seconds to realize that he was alone. Hoping that Daniel could keep Penthea occupied, he explored.
The chamber was smaller than the temple above it, seemingly carved from the living rock. A small fountain in the corner provided what he thought was drinking water and a small curtained alcove contained bathing and toilet facilities.

The room was warm, either artificially heated or warmed by geo-thermal activity. There was a bed in one corner and one whole wall of the cave was lined with shelves containing books and scrolls. There were a half dozen light fixtures lining the walls.

Trusting Daniel to keep their host occupied, Jack set to further exploring the chamber, looking for the exit he knew had to be there somewhere.

<><><><><>

"What do you mean rituals?" Daniel demanded, shooting to his feet, towering over the kneeling Penthea.

"Your friends' bodies live no longer, but I will aid you in caring for their souls." Daniel watched her frown, then roll Teal'c onto his back, her hands hovering over his middle. "He is Jaffa?" she asked, pushing back the knit stocking cap Teal'c was wearing.

"Yeah. He's our friend. He helps us."

"Odd. A Jaffa that is allied with humans? Things have changed greatly since I last left this world."

"Where did you go?" he asked, fighting to quell his impatience. A part of him railed at wasting time when Sam and Teal'c were in such dire straits, but he also had a feeling that Penthea's secrets were important.

"My sister and I used to travel the stars," she said, her fingertips tracing Teal'c's tattoo. "I have not seen her since I was banished here," she said sadly.

"Well, we…get around. Who is she? Maybe we know about her," he offered, praying that he had good news to give the woman.

"She used to let me help her. I was pleased to do my duty, but…I loved helping her with the births. It was lovely to be able to greet a new life," she said, her eyes distant and her voice low.

"Isis," he blurted, the drawings on the walls suddenly making sense. "Your sister…she was Isis?"

"You know of her?"

"Umm. Yeah. Sorta. Isis had three siblings, Seth, Osiris and Nephthys," he said, dredging the myths from his memory.

"Yes." She smiled. "We were…a sight to behold," she said. "We held the world of the Tau'ri in the palms of our hands." She held up her hand and stared at her empty palm.

"But then it changed," he said.

"Yes." Her face fell. "It never lasts." She looked up to meet his eyes. "We were too young to know that. Too young to listen to others. We brought our destruction upon ourselves," she said sadly.

"You…umm," he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to remember the myths. "Seth murdered Osiris."

"Seth sought justice," she corrected. "Osiris…desired me. My husband sought to defend my honor."

"Anubis," he said suddenly. "You're Anubis' mother."

She nodded. "The result of Seth's vile actions."

He looked around. "That's why there's pictures of Anubis here."

"We created a monster, my siblings and I. We ignored the warnings and paid the price. When the others found out, they sought to punish us. Seth vanished. Osiris and Isis fought back and were imprisoned. I did not fight…yet I am still imprisoned." She gestured at the temple around them. "I am bound to this place, should I leave, I shall die."

"Why can't you help them?" Daniel asked, kneeling beside his two friends.

"I will help you with the rituals…"

"No. Not that. You are known as Nephthys, Friend of the Dead, The Lady of Life. You healed Osiris, why won't you heal them?"

"I am forbidden."

"By whom? Who's going to stop you?" he asked, raising his voice loud enough to echo off the walls. "Do you know what Anubis is doing? He was banished, but now he's back. He's tried to destroy our whole world; he's attacked other planets. It's just a matter of time before he tries to take over the whole thing, and I don't think even the system lords can stop him." She shook her head in denial. "We've fought him before and won. Teal'c started a revolt among the Jaffa. Sam was blended with a Tok'ra and now we're their allies. The system lords have welcomed him back into the fold. I don't know what he did to get banished but it's a fair bet he's going to do it again." He watched the emotions play across her face, oddly relieved to see fear in her eyes. "If they die, my planet will lose the alliance of both the Jaffa and the Tok'ra," he exaggerated. "And there will be nothing to stand in Anubis' way."

He saw her look down at Sam and Teal'c again, her hand trailing over the ornate necklace at her neck. "She told me to destroy him," she whispered. "That he was an abomination. I refused to heed her words and instead watched my son destroy my family. He manipulated Seth and Osiris. He tricked them into turning upon each other. My sweet child. How could something I suckled at my breast become so evil?" She looked him in the eyes. "I can not change what I have done. But perhaps I can make reparation." She stood up, a look of resolve upon her pale features. Daniel watched her touch the stones on her necklace, not surprised this time when they were bathed in the familiar light of a ring transport system.

<><><><><>

Jack finished his search of the chamber, frustrated to come up empty. If there was a way out of this place, he couldn't find it. Going back to where the rings were, he started to look for a trigger. He heard the familiar hum and leapt back, bringing his gun up. He watched the ring process, pleasantly surprised to see four figures instead of two, materialize.

"Daniel."

"So your friend did not leave," Penthea said, stepping away from the rings.

"Umm, yeah. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

"What's going on?" Jack asked, kneeling down to check on Sam and Teal'c, keeping a cautious eye on Penthea.

"It does not matter now," she replied, crossing the room to shelf covered wall.

"Daniel?"

"It's ok. She's going to help them," Daniel answered, hearing the alarm in Jack's voice as he discovered that Sam and Teal'c were dead.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Penthea said, pressing some sort of switch. Daniel and Jack watched the shelves slide back, revealing a hidden alcove. Even in the faint light, the sarcophagus' surface glinted. "You must place both of them in it at the same time," she said, opening the lid.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Anubis used his magic to sequester me here. I am forbidden to use the sarcophagus. When it opens, I shall die and this temple will be destroyed. This jewel," she gestured to a bright red jewel on her necklace. "Will control the rings. I have set them to deliver you to the chaap'pai. If you move quickly, you may escape in time. Or if you wish, I can send you there now. I do not know how advanced your medicines are, but I believe your friends are beyond your help."

Jack gave her an appraising look, his eyes darting from the sarcophagus to the rings, calculating how long it would take him and Daniel to get Carter and Teal'c to the transportation device. "How long?" he asked.

"A few moments, perhaps," she said understanding his unspoken question.

"Daniel…"

"It'll take both of us to get them out of there if they're not conscious," Daniel answered, making his preferences clear.

"Let's do it then." Jack bent down and slid his arms under Teal'c's back, grunting with the effort of moving the much larger man. Daniel picked up the Jaffa's legs and helped Jack. They laid Teal'c on his side and laid Sam beside him. The heavy panels slid shut and they stepped back.

"Promise me you will do what I did not have the strength to do," Penthea said. "Promise me you will stop him."

"We will," Daniel said.

"Then my journey will be happy one." She turned her head as the lid to the sarcophagus started to open, the low sound of grating metal filling the air.

Daniel looked towards the sarcophagus, then back to Penthea. A yellow stone on the necklace glowed and she gasped and stiffened, then collapsed. Daniel caught her and eased her to the floor, the limpness of her body telling him that she was dead. He heard a small pop and reflexively caught her necklace as it slipped from around her neck.

"Daniel! We gotta go!" He turned to see Jack helping Teal'c out of the sarcophagus. The Jaffa leaned unsteadily against the golden side as Jack reached in and pulled Sam out. Both of their friends were alive, but obviously disoriented. He heard a large crack and looked up to see a huge fissure forming in the ceiling. The stone floor under his feet started to rumble and groan. "DANIEL!"

Giving Penthea one last look, Daniel hurried forward, pulling Teal'c's arm over his shoulders. He and Jack dragged Sam and Teal'c to the rings and Daniel pressed down on the red crystal, the last thing he saw as the rings enveloped him was the ceiling of the cavern falling, huge boulders raining down like mammoth sized hailstones.

<><><><><>

"So the temple is destroyed?" General Hammond asked of the assembled group.

"We'd need to do another flyover in the summer, but that's what it looks like, sir," Sam reported, her voice hoarse. The sarcophagus had brought both her and Teal'c back to life, and repaired all the damage from the frostbite and their other injuries. But it seemed the miracle machine wasn't quite up to handling the common cold. All in all, Daniel thought his friend bore a striking resemblance to Rudolph with her red nose, not that he'd ever tell her that.

"And this Nepthys is dead?"

"Yes, sir," Daniel answered fiddling with the necklace in his hands.

"We haven't been able to really examine it, but as near as we can determine her necklace is like the controls on a ribbon device," Sam said.

"Except this one had a deadman's switch on it," Jack spoke up.

"I have seen similar things done. Usually when a goa'uld slumbers in a sarcophagus, they configure sensors in the room to alert them to another person's presence. This device would work much the same way," Teal'c said.

"Exactly. Except instead of waking her up…"

"It killed her," Daniel finished for Sam.

"Do you believe that she was who she said she was, Doctor Jackson?"

"Well, general, in the myths Nepthys conceived Anubis with Osiris. In the stories it's sometimes said that she tricked him by pretending to be his wife Isis."

"Wait," Jack said. "Are you telling me that Anubis is the KID of two goa'uld?"

"It's possible."

"That makes him a Harcesis," Teal'c said.

"Maybe," Sam spoke up. "If he is, and he's got the genetic memories of both Osiris AND Nepthys and all their ancestors…"

"It would do much to explain Anubis' behaviors."

"With a pedigree like that, you can't help but be a bad ass," Jack said gaining him a look from the general.

"We can pass this information onto the Tok'ra when we make contact with them again," Hammond said, closing the folder on the table in front of him. "SG-1, you are on stand down for the next three days. Dismissed," he said getting to his feet. Sam and Jack stood up as the man turned and walked back into his office.

"So," Jack said. "Anyone have any stellar plans?"

"I thought I'd look over the tapes of the temple with Teal'c, see if there's anything that'll help us," Daniel said.

"Carter, don't tell me you're going back upstairs to work," Jack said.

"Actually, sir. I'm going home," she said, wiping her nose with a Kleenex. "I have a date with my couch and the movie channel."

"You know, Sam. I know this great cold remedy," Daniel said. "I could make some up and bring it over."

"Daniel, you don't have to…" She broke off as she sneezed violently several times in quick succession. "What time?" she accepted said, pulling another tissue from her pocket.

"It'll take me an hour or two to round up the ingredients. Say seven?" She nodded and the men watched her walk down the hall, headed towards the elevator.

"Daniel, is this the same stuff you tried to get me to take a couple of years ago? The concoction that has the…"

"Yep," Daniel confirmed.

"She's gonna freak when she finds out what's in it."

"Only if I tell her," Daniel said, an evil glint in his eyes.

Jack grinned. "This I gotta see. You bring the stuff, I'll bring the food. T, you're in charge of the entertainment…and if I even THINK I hear the opening music of Star Wars, I'll tell Carter it's your recipe," Jack threatened. Jack walked off, leaving Daniel and Teal'c alone.

"Daniel Jackson, O'Neill does not know what is in the unguent you prepared for his knee does he?" Teal'c said. Daniel merely quirked his eyebrows and smiled evilly. "This shall be a most enjoyable evening then," he said, following Daniel down the hall.

~Fin~

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