He didn't hurt anymore.

That was a vast improvement to what he had been feeling before, but there was still something wrong, something off, something not quite right.

Jack could hear voices around him, two voices speaking in hushed tones.

He recognized those sounds, the underlying anxiety and concern.

Forcing his eyes to open, Jack turned his head toward the conversation, trying to get his blurry eyes to focus on his team. Daniel and Carter were standing a few paces away from where he was stretched out, their bodies stiff with tension. He couldn't make out the words, but from their movements he could tell that there was something wrong.

What was it?

He licked his lips, trying to moisten his parched mouth. He felt like he had been through a war or a multi-night binge—neither of which he personally had any desire to experience again. Taking a deep breath, he tried to summon the energy he needed to get their attention. He knew it wouldn't take much—one small peep and they'd be at his side. He just had to say something.

He tried something simple.

"Hey."

As he expected, two heads snapped around even before the single word left his mouth. Daniel was at his side seconds later, followed closely by a wide-eyed Captain.

"Jack!"

"Sir!"

Nearly stereo. Things must have been pretty bad. Although, from what he could recall, things had gone past bad and had veered into horrible some time ago.

He also remembered ordering them to leave—something that apparently hadn't happened. He swallowed again, trying to get some moisture into his throat. "Why are you still here?"

From the look of confusion and offense that ran across Daniel's face, he knew the short, clipped and barely audible question might not have been the most politically correct thing to say to two people he considered friends, but it was the best he could come up with.

"The alien…that woman healed you," Daniel responded, refusing to answer Jack's question directly.

Now that was a twist, Jack thought, his mind trying to go back, to filter through the confused jumble of memories. She'd been here before with Kyran and Nouri. She'd argued with them. He thought he remembered that, or had it been a dream?

"Healed?"

"Yes, Sir," Carter answered, her head swiveling to glance at something on the floor before turning back to him. "How are you feeling?"

It didn't take much thought to answer that particular question, but he was pleased to hear his voice regaining some strength. While it wasn't anything close to normal, it was better than nothing. "Like I got hit several times by a Mack truck. Why?"

"Well, we're on a deadline of sorts," she replied, her eyes moving to her watch instead of meeting his gaze.

"Deadline?"

Carter nodded, her head still down. "We had five hours to leave the facility according to the Yalamanchi."

"And?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the rest. He had a bad feeling about it.

"They said we were free to go if we could find our way out. If not, we would be stuck here…no more than lab rats for the rest of our lives."

"So what's the problem?"

Carter took a deep breath before answering. "We have less than an hour to get out and we have no idea where to go."

Jack grimaced. He remembered how large the facility was—at least the parts they'd explored. Their only chance at freedom could be anywhere. It could take hours to find the exit. They were royally screwed.

A voice turned Daniel around immediately. He could feel his eyes widening as the alien woman struggled to rise to her feet.

"If you trust me once again, I can show you the path away from all of this."

Daniel moved instinctively, helping her up, holding her steady as she swayed, her thin frame seeming to be even more fragile than before. How did she expect to help them in her condition? She was barely able to walk, let alone guide them through the facility. Something on his face, however, must have given his thoughts away.

"I shall recover quickly enough. It is you who are running out of time and I do not believe you wish to remain in this place."

While Daniel couldn't argue with her, there was something off with this whole situation. Why was she helping them? First she'd healed all of them, bringing Jack back from the dead—or close enough—and now she was willing to show them the way home.

Sam, however, voiced his question before he could say anything.

"We appreciate all of your help, but why are you doing this?" Sam was leaning against the metal table on which Jack was lying, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowed as she regarded the pale woman still swaying slightly as Daniel steadied her.

"We do not have time to pursue this line of questioning. Please, let me help you."

Catching Jack's eye, he raised his eyebrow, the silent question transmitting across the room. A single nod was his only answer.

Jack wanted to go, that much was certain, but would he be able to make it? The other man's unwavering gaze was the only answer Daniel was going to get. They were going home.

"Where do we have to go?"

Everything about this situation was wrong to Sam. While the woman had healed all of them, she was also one of the enemies. And, as far as Sam knew, the woman had doing nothing to stop the torture they'd all experienced. Why was she helping them now? There had to be some reason—some string attached. Why else would she lead them to freedom with Kyran and Nouri watching? It didn't make sense, but Sam didn't have much choice. She had no intention of becoming a lab rat for the rest of her life. One round of their experiments was enough.

So with her hand on the alien's elbow, steadying her when she stumbled, they maneuvered through the facility, the woman leading the way. Sam swore they had been down this corridor before. Everything looked the same to her eye. She just hoped that this woman wasn't leading them around in circles.

Daniel had his arm around the Colonel's waist, O'Neill's arm thrown over Daniel's shoulders. Without the archeologist's support, Sam doubted that the Colonel could have made it this far. He was still pale, an unhealthy shade of white—his skin a light grey hue—exhaustion lining his face, but he was moving, putting up a brave front as he stumbled every few steps.

Sam didn't like the sound of his breathing, but there wasn't anything that she could do about it now. Their best chance was Janet and there was only one way that they were going to manage that feat. They had to get out of here.

"How much further?" Sam asked, turning her attention back to the woman beside her.

"Not much more. This was the safest exit, but I admit it was not the closest. Your safety was my primary concern."

"Our safety?" Sam bit back a more caustic reply. Antagonizing their guide was not a bright move. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but we're running out of time."

"I know the timetable that has been established and we should arrive within the allotted period."

Sighing, Sam nodded her head, allowing the woman to lead them further into the half-light of yet another corridor.

Would they ever reach the surface?

Jack glanced up, narrowing his eyes as he tried to breathe and look at where they were going. He wasn't sure how much further he'd be able to last, but he was determined to hold on for as long as he could. He hated feeling this way, hated relying so much on someone else—especially for something he knew he did very well on his own. Right now, however, walking unassisted was a little more than he could handle.

They were slowing, the alien's steps turning them toward what looked like a blank wall. She trailed her hand along the surface and a few feet further down an opening appeared through which Jack could see the interior surface of a small room.

An alien version of an elevator?

The woman turned, her gaze meeting his, her head bending in a simple nod. Jack raised his eyebrow at her gesture, somehow feeling that she had answered his question, a question he had only voiced in his head. Before he could contemplate it further, the woman was speaking and he refocused his flagging energies on what she was saying.

"Once you enter the device will take you to the surface, allowing you to exit the facility. It will take several of your minutes to traverse the distance, so please be patient. I will make sure your journey is not interrupted."

Daniel peered inside, doubt clouding his features. "Are you sure this is the best way to go?"

"Yes," she nodded, her face even paler than before. "This part of the facility is not controlled from the main consoles. Instead, it has its own power system. It is the safest transportation I can offer."

"Good enough for me," Jack said, trying to nudge the other man forward. "How much time do we have, Carter?"

Glancing at her watch, she answered a few beats later. "Less than five minutes."

Jack nodded, pointing to the elevator entrance with his free hand. "Let's go." He raised an eyebrow when it looked like Carter was going to protest. While he didn't entirely trust this alien, she had healed them and had led them to an exit. Why kill them now? What would it serve?

Carter inclined her head, stepping into the elevator, while Daniel began shuffling forward. Jack helped as much as he could, but he was quickly running out of whatever energy reserves he'd built up. It was now or never.

Turning to face the corridor, Jack's gaze met the woman's and he offered a weak smile of thanks.

Her thin smile acknowledged his appreciation. Jack held her gaze for several moments, a sense of puzzlement settling on him. He shrugged off the uncomfortable feeling and let Daniel lead him deeper into the dark metal interior of the elevator. Her blue eyes were the last thing he saw of her as the doors silently slid shut, the car taking them to their final destination.

Leaning against the wall, Jack's shaking knees lowered him to the ground a little quicker than he anticipated, Daniel's hold on his arm the only thing preventing him from hitting the floor.

Sighing, he tilted his head back against the cold surface and he closed his eyes as his thoughts meandered, one single thing surfacing from the tempest.

'Let this be over.'

"Sir," Peterson said, glancing up from the device he held in his hand. He'd swiped Captain Carter's scientific gadget thinking it might help with their search. So far it had only confused him.

Major Warren turned to look at him, a questioning expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure I'm reading this right or not, but I think I'm getting a new energy reading," Peterson replied. The Major strode over the few feet to his side, gazing down at the device. He pointed to the screen.

"What's this?"

"That's it, Sir. I'm not sure. I think it's a new energy reading. It appeared a few minutes ago."

"A few minutes ago?"

Peterson nodded. "I thought it was a glitch at first. We'd had a few spikes of energy this morning, but they'd all vanished as quickly as they came. This one seems to be real."

"Where is it coming from?"

Peterson waved the device around, his gaze switching from the screen to the area surrounding them. "I think," Peterson replied, his words hesitant as he tried to confirm his hypothesis. "I think it's coming from the monument."

"That big thing in the center of the city?"

Peterson nodded. "That would be the one."

Major Warren pushed the talk button on the radio, his orders going out to the entire search and rescue team. "SG-3 this is SG-3 niner. We've got an energy reading coming from the monument in the center of town. We need to check it out. What's your status?"

"Bosco here, Sir," came the immediate reply. "We're retracing SG-1's original path through the city. Teal'c is with me, along with Collins. We're only a few blocks from the monument."

"Good. Check it out. We're on our way. SG-3 niner out."

Warren met Peterson's gaze as they settled into a steady, but quick, pace. "Let's see if that doohickey is right."

If you weren't claustrophobic, this elevator could change that instantly. As someone who grew up in and around the Egyptian pyramids and their endless narrow tunnels, Daniel did not have a problem with small places.

This elevator car, however, was another story. The dark metal walls seemed to be closing in on him, folding inward. Daniel couldn't tell if they were moving or not, the normal feeling of an elevator noticeably absent. For all he knew they could be sitting in the same place. With no obvious controls on the inside of the car, they could all be trapped here, entombed within the facility, left to finally die once the air was gone.

It was a horrible thought and one that Daniel tried desperately to contain. There were other things to worry about.

Jack was slumped in the corner, his eyes closed, his head thrown back against the black metal wall. He could have been sleeping but knowing Jack he was just conserving his strength. As they'd walked, Daniel could feel him tiring, leaning more and more on him for support. He didn't mind, not in the least, but it just proved to Daniel all the more that his friend needed to rest, that he still wasn't at one hundred percent.

What did he expect from someone who had been nearly dead?

Daniel sighed, seeing Sam's head turn at the sound. He shook his head trying to ease her mind. He was just tired, exhausted actually, the events of the past day catching up with him. It seemed like months, more than just a single day of his life.

One thing was certain, however, they wouldn't be coming back to this planet anytime soon.