"A way out?" Daniel asked, his head still a little fuzzy from before. He felt fine otherwise, the pain from his injuries long since gone, but it seemed as if something was pressing down on him. It was strange, peculiar, but non-intrusive—more annoying than anything else.

Of a more vital concern, though, was the substantial lack of Jack. He'd noticed that Jack was missing several minutes ago, the silent communication he sent Sam only emphasizing his dread. They'd taken Jack and unfortunately, there was nothing that he could do. Daniel knew that Jack could handle himself, but it didn't make it any easier. He knew what was in store for the other man.

Information, however, was something they could always use.

Pushing the dark thoughts to the back of his mind, Daniel tried to concentrate on the lithe alien seated a few feet from him, her pale skin nearly translucent in places.
Her eyes regarded him briefly, her head tilting to the side. Instead of elaborating, however, she posed another question. "Why do you worry?"

Daniel narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher her meaning, her intent. "Worry?"

"About him."

Daniel's eyebrows rose in surprise, his gaze meeting Sam's across the platform, his response hesitant. How could she have known… "About Jack?"

"Your species has a unique fixation regarding other members of its…team. Is that something that is learned or inborn?"

His jaw opened twice before he finally found his voice. "It's part of who we are. It's what we do…but," Daniel paused searching for the right way to say what he was thinking. It was a little crazy, but they were aliens. "Can you read my mind?"

Surprise flashed across the alien's face before settling back into the emotional mask to which they'd grown accustomed. "Not in the way I believe in which you refer. Strong emotions are primarily what I can sense from you and your companion," she replied, gesturing to Sam. "But from those emotions I can draw conclusions based on what I observe." She tilted her head slightly, a brief glimpse of pain screwing up her features, before it was gone. Her muttered words barely reached his ears: "You must stop. It's too soon. I need more time."

And even before Daniel could respond to ask her what she meant she was gone, the bright white light filling the room, leaving Daniel and Sam blinking rapidly, trying to clear their eyes, with nothing more to do but wait.

They came to him in the darkness, whispering sounds and syllables into his ears.

Trapped within his mind, Jack pushed and shoved, struggling to get out from under the suffocating shadows. Like a swimmer trapped in a riptide, he knew not which way was up, but continued on nonetheless needing to once again feel the air against his skin.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and he swore that it would tear through the protective covering of his ribs and flesh if it got any stronger.
Was he dead? Was he alive? His thoughts were fleeting, his hands desperate to hold onto anything tangible, but thoughts and words slid through his fingers, drifting out of reach, mocking him as he gasped for air, as he fought against the tide trying to pull him even further under.

The last thing he remembered was pounding Kyran into the ground and then launching himself at Nouri. But he'd never made it. They'd stopped him in his tracks, even the very air turning against him.

Unconsciousness was something he'd grown used to over the years. In all honestly, he'd had no choice, but to get used to it. But now, something was different. Was he conscious? Unconscious? Somewhere in between? Were they speaking to him? For a brief moment he stopped his frantic struggles to claw to the surface, resigning himself to coasting on the currents swirling around and through him.

"…must stop…hasn't….need time…"

"…scans were complete…"

"…different…"

"…know that to be true…"

"…my responsibility…learn to trust…"

Nothing made any sense to him but he kept at it, concentrating on the sensation of the words themselves. He could nearly picture them, see them in his mind, as they stood in the lab staring at his limp and languid body as it hung from the shackles in the ceiling. The woman had joined them once again, her skin even more translucent than before.

And they were arguing.

The woman's body was stiff with anger, her movements sharp. "…said this was going to strictly be a reconnaissance mission...that we were only here to observe. This has gone farther than that."

Kyran's tone was icy. "The directive was clear and this is within the bounds of those orders. Should you not be resting instead of questioning us?"

"This concerns me directly. Would you rather the experiments fail?"

"Leave us, Danae. This does not concern you. Prepare yourself." Kyran gestured to Nouri who stepped toward one of the consoles, his gaze finally resting on Jack's dangling form.

It only took a moment, but Jack could feel the surprise radiate off of the small alien.

"Kyran!" he called. Nouri's thoughts were nearly frantic. "The Tau'ri!"

All eyes converged on Jack and before he could prepare himself a wash of pain screamed through the link. And just before the room blinked out, he heard Kyran's final words.

"Prepare the subject."

The metal under him was cold, the chill creeping up into his shoulders, while his head pounded in rhythm with his heartbeat. For the briefest of moments, Jack thought he was still unconscious, but the gentle flow of air across the exposed skin of his forearms and stomach immediately set him straight.

His eyelids were heavy, but he forced them open, his vision blurry. Blinking helped, but only slightly.

Things had changed again. He could see two forms directly in front of him, fiddling with levers and dials, ignoring him completely.

Now, if only he could connect his mind with his body once again, they might have a chance on getting out of this hellhole.

That, however, was proving to be a problem on a larger scale.

He was in a chair of sorts, reclining backward, his head sitting snuggly between two metal pieces. After several seconds and a few experimental tugs, he discovered that his wrists were fixed to the arms of the chair, while metal straps wrapped around his ankles, firmly securing his long limbs. As it was, he barely had the energy to lift a finger let alone struggle to free himself.

Time must have passed because Kyran suddenly appeared hovering over him, a thin smile gracing the alien's blue lips. He regarded Jack for a long moment, the two linking gazes, neither backing down.

And without moving his lips, Jack could hear him speak.

"You have surprised us, Tau'ri. We did not expect to find such potential in such a lowly race."

Jack rolled his eyes, his face screwing up in a grimace, but Kyran was not finished.

"Time has done much to change you since we last passed through this galaxy. There is much to be done. Much we can learn. I believe we should begin before we lose our window of opportunity. Don't you agree?"

Jack narrowed his eyes as Kyran turned away, his rage burning from within. The words he pushed out through clenched teeth. "How can you even consider yourselves better when you kidnap people, experiment on them, and then kill them? What does it prove? That you can? That you have the power? Who died and made you god?"

Kyran paused, looking over his shoulder toward Jack, answering Jack out loud. "Isn't there a saying on your world about god helping those who help themselves?"

For the briefest of moments, shock rampaged through Jack's mind. Where had he learned that expression? Daniel? Sam? Him? The thought of these aliens having access to his mind and their propensity to read it without hesitation was even more unsettling than the torture he knew was coming.

As if reading his mind, Kyran's thin smile broadened, an icy glimmer shining in his eyes. "I believe this is the best way to help ourselves, so I assume we have his permission."

Before Jack could reply, Kyran raised his hand, gesturing toward Nouri. A buzzing filled the air around his head and pain immediately spiked—one spot on each side of his head. His shriek of agony was cut off mid-cry, his vocal chords no longer cooperating, his mouth hanging open in a now-silent scream.

As the pain eased, Jack could hear Kyran in his mind. "Now, isn't that better? Your cries would wake the dead and we'd have none of that. The Tok'ra worked hard and deserve their rest. Don't you agree?"

With the anguish still echoing through his mind, Jack tried to put together a cohesive thought, tried to fight back in the only way that he had left—his mind. Kyran's laugh merely filled the void.

"And as for that," the alien began, his voice taunting. "I can't have my subject talking back to me, now can I? So we've already taken care of that irritating problem with a small injection. While it allows you to continue to hear Nouri and I, it does not permit you to respond to us as you were attempting to do. It's much better this way, don't you agree?"

Nouri's no-nonsense statement only increased Jack's dread. How long would this go on? "We are prepared for insertion number two."

"Proceed."

It wasn't any better than number one. In fact, it was probably worse. Sweat popped out along his hairline, running down his face, his muscles tensing under the onslaught, his harsh, heavy breathing the only sound he could make.

Needles were never good things and Kyran's explanation about needing tissue samples for his research made little difference to Jack. Although they took samples from various places on his body—his arms, legs, too many to count in his abdomen—they seemed overly interested in his head, his brain to be specific.

And that worried him. He really didn't have any to spare.

He thought the pain would get better, that he would get used to it, but that wasn't the case. Sometimes it seemed like it only got worse.

He lost count of the number of samples they took, the number of times they jabbed him, the pain blending into a constant symphony. But when they stuck the needles up his nose and into his brain, Jack reached his limit.

When he slowly came back to his senses, the needles were gone. He was lying on his back on something cold and flat, a table or something. How much time had passed? It could have been days or hours, Jack couldn't tell and he didn't care.

He hurt.

Every bone in his body and every hair on his head ached. His throat was sore, a cough threatening to explode if the tickle didn't go away soon, and his chest hurt. He tried to shift a little, but pain flared in his mid-section and he groaned, the sound barely reaching his own ears. When Kyran's words popped into his head, Jack didn't have enough energy to be surprised. When would this end?

"I'm glad you've decided to join us once again. And to answer your question, soon."

Jack cracked open an eye and found himself staring into Kyran's pale blue ones and cringed as the dim light sent flares of pain into his already throbbing head.

"We are into the final stages of our tests and, if things go as planned, you should be feeling the effects shortly."

"Effects?" Jack whispered, the only response he could bring himself to utter as a cough began deep in his chest, pain radiating out. He rolled onto his side despite the agony of every movement and pulled his feet up toward his chest.

Kyran's thin blue smile broadened. "Perhaps we will not have to wait as long as we originally anticipated. But it does seem as if our original conclusions were correct in this matter."

Jack licked his lips, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. "What?"

"You may wish to supplicate any supreme being that you hold dear while you still have the time—not that it will make any difference in the final outcome—but perhaps you may find peace in the last few moments of your life."

"I thought you said…wouldn't kill us."

"But Colonel, I'm not going to kill you. This you can blame on your parents and your ancestors. Those were the ones who have caused your ultimate downfall. We just…helped along the inevitable."

Jack closed his eyes as another wave of pain broke over him, refusing to watch as Kyran walked away from him. His body was dying. He knew it. He could feel it and the alien's words only confirmed his initial suspicion. The pain in his head coupled with the sharp stabbing sensation all over his abdomen were only the tip of that iceberg. And he knew it was only going to get worse.

Hopefully, he'd miss the good part. Maybe he'd be unconscious by then.

Knowing his luck though, he'd be fully aware until the very end.

This was so not part of the plan.

The scratching of his pen against the paper was loud in the early morning stillness. This was always a good time for him. It gave him the chance to get his day in order and usually featured a one-on-one chat with his second.

Hammond sighed. That wasn't going to happen this morning.

Dropping his pen on the desk, he leaned back, rubbing his free hand across his face. He'd stayed on base last night, telling himself that it was easier than going home. In reality, he was hoping that SG-1 would pull that proverbial rabbit out of their hats once again, that somehow they'd show up in the wee hours of the morning.

It hadn't happened. As much as he'd hoped and prayed the night had come and gone, the worry leaving him tossing and turning in his on-base quarters. Finding no rest, he'd left sleeping behind, deciding instead to use the quiet time to get himself together for the long day that was ahead of him. The barest hint of another's presence caused him to raise his head, his eyes coming to rest on the silent Jaffa standing hesitatingly outside his office door.

"Teal'c?" Hammond waved the warrior forward. "Are you alright, son?"

Teal'c stepped into the room, his footfalls silent against the concrete. "Indeed, General Hammond, I am fine."

"You're worried."

The statement hung in the air between them before the Jaffa acknowledged it with the briefest of nods. "Our search of the Ancients' city was nowhere near complete before we were forced to return to the SGC. I am prepared to lead another team to begin again."

Hammond raised his hand, gesturing for Teal'c to slow down. "Now, hold it, son. We need to think things through carefully before we send additional personnel to the planet. Most of the teams are already off-world on other assignments and the majority of the ones on base have missions departing within the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. There's not one man or woman in this command that we can afford to spare."

"We cannot afford to leave SG-1 behind."

Hammond held back a sigh. As soon as Teal'c and the SG teams had returned last night, he knew this conversation was going to occur. He just wished it were after he'd gotten the chance to think things through a little more fully. "Teal'c," he began, choosing his words carefully. "While I agree with you in principle, there are other factors to consider before I can send another team to the planet on a search and rescue mission. I should have an answer for you, either way, within the next two hours. And, if I remember correctly, the sun doesn't rise locally on that planet for another hour and a half."

Teal'c inclined his head toward Hammond. "Very well, General Hammond. I shall await your decision."

Watching him as the Jaffa walked out of his office, Hammond couldn't help but be touched by the respect and devotion the alien showed to the rest of SG-1. They'd only been together for a short time, but the bonds they'd developed were stronger than many he'd seen during his entire life.

One thing was sure: Teal'c never did anything halfway. And Hammond was convinced that even if it took him the entire two hours, he'd figure out how to send another rescue team back to the planet.

It was just a matter of a little creative maneuvering. And as a General in charge of a super secret project, tap dancing was only one of his many talents.

His arms were leaking.

Curled up as he was in a fetal position it was hard to ignore the wet feeling on his arms. And it was accompanied by the drops he could feel trickling down his bloated stomach and the ones racing down his back to pool under his half-naked form.

He'd ventured a peek a little while ago when he thought he'd gotten used to the pain and the agony of a body that was falling apart at the seams.

The shooting pain in his eyes seemed to make the unpleasant sight even worse. There were red streaks on his yellowing skin. And the parts that weren't yellow had already turned a deep reddish-black, the rash dipping beneath his BDU pants. Even without seeing, he knew it was the same everywhere else. He could feel it from the dryness of the skin to the tightness where it pulled with each breath, subtle movement, and muscle spasm.

This didn't look like something that good old Doc Frasier could fix.

Not that he thought he would make it home in one piece.

As he felt another drop ooze out, Jack tried not to groan, the pain in his chest, his head, and his abdomen growing with each passing moment.

He just hoped that Daniel and Carter were okay. At least they might make it home—his very own consolation prize.

They'd dozed on and off through the night once the woman had left—flashing away in a bright blinding light—too worn out from their own experiences throughout the day to keep their eyes open.

Being horribly tortured and nearly dead for part of the day would do that to you apparently.

Daniel stretched with his hands above his head and gazed around the room. Nothing had changed, much to his dismay, and Jack was still missing.

That little fact worried him more than he cared to admit.

Rolling to a sitting position, Daniel glanced at Sam before looking at his watch, checking the time. Five in the morning. Normally, he'd still be in bed, but even though he was exhausted, sleep was the farthest thing from his mind, his thoughts not permitting slumber except in small doses.

Sam's breathing was slow and steady, the Captain finally getting some much needed rest.

They hadn't even been here a day yet—missing less than twenty-four hours—yet it seemed like an eternity. The uncertainty, the worry, the torture, the pain—they'd had more than enough to fill several lifetimes so far and in the back of his mind, Daniel knew that there was still more to come.

Daniel sighed. There was always more.

"Worried?"

He turned his head, not surprised when he heard Sam's voice. "Did I wake you?"

She pushed herself upright, shaking her head. "No. Not exactly the most ideal sleeping conditions."

"To say the least." The silence grew between them, each concentrating on their own thoughts, fears, and worries.

"It's been hours longer than it was with either of us," Sam said, her voice quiet, barely reaching Daniel's ears.

He nodded. "I know. Doesn't bode well."

"They did plenty of damage in the short time they had me. I can't imagine..." Sam's voice trailed off as her mind filled in the details.

A flash of light caught their attention, turning them both to face their newest visitor: Kyran. He began speaking without preamble.

"It seems as if our tests are complete. Once I depart, the force field surrounding you will drop. You are free to leave if you can find your way to the surface."

Daniel rose to his feet, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam mirroring his action. "Where's Jack? We're not leaving without him."

"I believe you know where to find him. It will be up to you if you decide to waste what little time you have."

"Waste time?" Sam asked, taking several steps closer to the edge of the platform.

Kyran tilted his head, his icy blue eyes resting on Sam. "Yes. Did I forget to mention that detail? There are always other subjects we can find and use. Our research here has proved that there may be other worthy subjects in this galaxy. We have merely scraped the surface. If you can find a way out of our facility in five of your hours, you are free to go. If you don't, you will be used by us for further scientific study. You can think of this as another experiment, a test of your intelligence, or lack of it."

"You can't just experiment on people," Daniel said, his voice holding a trace of the indignation and disgust he felt.

The alien turned, focusing his attention on the archeologist. "And why not? Your Colonel tried to stop us and he discovered just how shortsighted he was."

"What did you do to him?" Sam's words were clipped, her clenched fists the only outward showing of her anger.

Kyran smiled, his thin lips stretching over the bones of his face, making the blue flesh even more transparent looking. "That's immaterial. I suggest you head for the surface. Use your time wisely for the countdown will begin immediately."

Even before Daniel could raise his hand to protect his eyes from the flash of light he knew was coming, Kyran was gone. Daniel blinked furiously, waiting several seconds for the afterglow to subside. He turned to Sam, trying to see her through his watering eyes.

"Where to?"

Sam's response was immediate. "We need to find the Colonel."

"The laboratory?"

She nodded. "We're going to have to double-time it if we want to have any hope of locating the Colonel and the path out of here within the five hour time limit. It took us more than two hours to find the laboratory in the first place and we still don't know where the exit is. We have a lot of ground to cover."

Daniel glanced around the darkened room one last time before focusing on his teammate. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's find Jack and get the hell out of here."