***********************
LAST TIME ON STARGATE SG-1 . . . .
ALDWIN: A warning. The Jaffa have breached the tunnels. (goa'uld voice)
A glider starts to fire on them. One explosion throws them forward. Aldwin lands on his neck and it is obviously broken. Jack and Teal'c are okay though. Teal'c checks on Aldwin and his eyes glow one last time showing the symbiote has died.
TEAL'C: He is dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scene: Tok'ra tunnel
Jack and Teal'c are making their way back in to Sam.
O'NEILL: Carter!
CARTER: The ceiling in the lab collapsed, Sir. Ren-al and Major Mansfield are dead.
TEAL'C: As is Aldwin.
***********************
Aldwin awoke slowly. Sitting up, he found that he was whole . . . he was not dead and that his Tok'Ra outfit had been replaced by a looser fitting garment. He had not idea where he was, nor any idea how he came to be there. All he remembered was running through a field behind Colonel O'Neill and Teal'C. An explosion had sounded directly behind him and after that, all had turned to darkness.
Aldwin slowly sat up, his mind brushing that of his symbiote, comfortingly. Akatis was slightly disoriented, but fast recovering. It was good to know that wherever he was, he was not alone.
Glancing around, he noted the nondescript nature of the room. However, it was definitely Goa'uld design.
The door slid open, "Welcome Tok'Ra, to my ship." The harsh, Goa'uld voice purred the words, "You are my prisoner."
Aldwin remained seated, impassively and unemotionally watching as the woman and two Jaffa entered. His face betrayed curiosity, but no fear or anxiety. He merely waited, for an explanation. The two Jaffa loomed above him menacingly, but his eyes remained on the woman, whom he recalled carried Osiris within her. He met her gaze unblinkingly.
"You will assist us." Osiris stated plainly.
"I will not."
"I saved your pathetic life . . . and I can take it away again."
"Then do so. I will not help you."
Osiris studied him for a long moment, then spoke to the Jaffa, "Bring him."
The grip of the Jaffa on his arms was not a gentle one, but Aldwin managed to remain upright and walk rather than being dragged.
The Jaffa brought him into another bare room, containing only a sarcophagus.
"Sit." Osiris ordered him.
Aldwin obeyed, knowing that at this point he had to choose his battles carefully. This one wasn't worth it - yet. He watched as Osiris slowly and deliberately slid on the ribbon device. He remained impassive, but dreaded that particular sensation again.
"The Tok'Ra believe you are dead. And we managed to capture O'Neill and the Shol'vah. They are dead as well. No one is coming to help you. If you help me, I will allow you to go free."
"It is well known that the words of a Goa'uld are not to be trusted. Do not expect me to believe you." Aldwin stated.
"Then do not expect me to be kind." Osiris hissed.
Aldwin raised an eyebrow, looking at him quizzically. His expression seemed only to infuriate Osiris more and he glared at him.
***********************
Jack had a monster of a headache. He'd had it since returning from the mission. A mission during which they'd lost several Tok'Ra, including Aldwin. Now, Jack had never considered the Tok'Ra great buddies, but Aldwin was actually a good person . . . people . . . whatever.
Anise was still alive and kicking . . . much to Jack's chagrin, and so was his headache which seemed to only grow worse by the hour. If it kept up, he might actually go talk to Frasier about it . . . The only reason he hadn't is because he knew that many tests awaited him in the infirmary, should he tell her about the headache. She would be convinced it was some foreign parasite or something.
"Jack?"
He turned, "Yeah Jacob?"
"Everything okay?" Jacob was giving him a funny look.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay." Jacob said, obviously not buying the act. He had just finished speaking with General Hammond about his part of the mission and was ready to return to the Tok'Ra base. "Hey Jack, I'm sorry about Aldwin. I know he was your friend."
Jack nodded silently and shrugged, not wanting to have any discussion about the mission . . . not right now.
***********************
Aldwin fell to the floor but the pain didn't stop. Every nerve in his body felt as if it were on fire . . . Every movement only made it worse. He had been on the verge of passing into unconsciousness several times but Osiris never let it happen. He stopped, allowing Aldwin enough time to regain some strength, before starting the cycle over again. In the beginning, Akatis had tried to take the brunt of the torture, but as the treatment persisted, his already weak symbiote could not handle it.
So he was virtually alone in this . . .
"Do not think that help will come, Tok'Ra." Osiris spat from somewhere above him, "They believe you are dead. They saw you fall."
Aldwin didn't respond, allowing the coolness of the tiled floor to seep into his body.
"Pick him up." Osiris ordered the Jaffa, who moved to do exactly that.
Aldwin, on the other hand, suddenly found himself elsewhere.
General Hammond nodded at him, "Report to the infirmary."
When he got there, he found Dr. Frasier was already waiting for him, to run the MRI and other medical crap.
"Sit right there." She gestured towards one of the tables.
He did so, "Aw do I hafta?"
Janet looked amused, but said nothing. Moments later, a bright light shone in his eyes.
"Geez, Doc. Do you hafta do that?"
Twenty minutes later, everything was done - all test and everything.
"Colonel, you're in perfect health."
"Thank you doc." He jumped down off the infirmary table and hurriedly left, massaging his forehead. He felt a headache coming on . . .
Aldwin gasped as he was returned to the cold reality of his surroundings. His mind went out to Akatis, searching for some sort of comfort . . . but for once Akatis was silent.
***********************
Jack entered the briefing room, "Hello Campers." His effort was half-hearted. His headache was pounding.
Teal'C nodded at him, and both Daniel and Carter glanced at him curiously, with concern. They knew something was wrong.
"Sooooooo," Jack started, "What's up?"
Carter responded, "General Hammond wants us to survey P3X-0524."
Jack could see her eyes light up . . . great . . . some scientific mission. Jack sighed. This stupid freakin' headache wouldn't go away. Oh, it got a little better sometimes, a little worse other times, but it wouldn't go away . . . And no medicine seemed to help it. He'd crashed the night before and had woken up to find the headache still hanging on . . . which totally sucked.
He slid in the chair next to Daniel as General Hammond entered the room.
***********************
When Aldwin woke again, he found himself chained to the wall of the cell he had been placed in. The shackles dug into his wrists, painfully. And his wrists were already encircled in a ring of blood.
Osiris was practically in his face, "I will not waste more time attempting to force information from you." he said slowly, "As much as I enjoy it."
Aldwin shivered. That meant one of two things. Either he was going to die or things were about to get unimaginably worse. He started as something pricked his arm.
"This drug should make you more cooperative." Osiris said, removing the restraints from his hands. "Unfortunately, you will not be able to give me the information I require . . . but no matter . . ."
Aldwin tried to jerk away, but his movement slowed as the drug began to immediately take effect. He struggled to hang onto his identity . . . but felt his mind slipping with each passing second as the liquid coursed through his body. It was as if a great nothingness had entered his mind, sucking his life away a memory at a time . . . A black void of a monster from which he knew there was no escape. A storm that relentlessly ripped through his mind . . . tearing him apart.
//Akatis!// his mind screamed, terrified. //Help me!//
//I am sorry. I can do nothing// was the only reply. And it barely came through the invading mental haze. //I am trying but I am as trapped as you.//
Akatis' fear and helplessness was as tangible to Aldwin as his own.
//Whatever happens, Aldwin my friend, I am here with you.//
He was losing his mind . . . literally. Aldwin glanced over at Osiris, who grinned wickedly. Aldwin shivered.
"You see, Tok'Ra. You will help us. One way or another."
"No . . ." Aldwin moaned, fighting the drug.
Osiris moved closer to him, "You will serve me now. With your help, I shall soon defeat the Tok'Ra and the Tau'ri. Then we'll move on to the other system lords . . ."
"Please no . . ."
***********************
Jack's headache suddenly spiked . . . to a level of blinding pain. The action in the briefing room had slowed . . . as if everything were happening in slow motion. He couldn't hear anything that was being said and his head felt as if someone were inside it, pounding all over with a hammer.
The noise in the room had stopped as well.
Daniel glanced at his friend worriedly, "Jack?"
That got everyone's attention. Carter stopped in mid-explanation of the science behind their next mission. "Sir?"
"Colonel O'Neill? Are you all right?" General Hammond asked, immediately concerned.
Jack opened his mouth to make some crack . . . to say that he was fine and they all sounded like a freakin' broken record . . . but he couldn't. He couldn't move . . . What was wrong with him? Could he really have some sort of alien virus? Had he waited too long? Why couldn't he move?
Before he lost consciousness, he could hear movement start again . . . as Hammond called the infirmary and Daniel and Carter moved to his side.
Or maybe there really was someone or something up there . . . tapping inside his head . . . It would explain a lot.
***********************
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