STARGATE SG-1 29 Hall of the Two Truths (14 page)

“More confident than I.” Aset sniffed. “It is clear that none of them, with perhaps the exception of the Jaffa, have accepted the premise of their own deaths. Without that, the whole exercise is pointless.”

NebtHet bristled. “I admit, our subjects have behaved contrary to all models. But it does not mean what we learn from them will be any less valuable. In fact, it may be even more so, once we have had a chance to interpret its meaning.”

Aset made a derisive sound. “As I have insisted on many occasions, NebtHet, there are other ways. Faster ways.”

NebtHet sighed. She and Aset had debated this issue many times. “Technology is not the answer.” She gestured to the storehouse doorway behind them. “We have gathered hundreds of devices created by the best and brightest Ancient minds, yet not one has ever enabled us to ascend.”

“Perhaps not. But they could have been used to extract the information we need from SG-1 instead of indulging in this ridiculous drama.”

NebtHet studied the movements of SG-1 on the screens in front of her. “I admit, without the technology of the Ancients we could never have hoped to accomplish any of this.” She turned to face Aset. “But to use it as you suggest — as if what we are looking for can be found in memories or thoughts alone —
that
would mean certain failure. What we seek is so much more.”

“Then, by all means, let us hope your plan succeeds.” Aset bowed slightly. “Surely nothing less than the entire fate of the Djedu hangs in the balance.”

NebtHet chose to ignore Aset’s disparaging tone. Her attention was once more drawn to the monitors. Dr. Jackson and his guide had just emerged from the tent into the desert twilight. “They are departing for the oasis now,” she pointed out to Aset. “It is time for you to prepare.”

Wisely refraining from further comment, Aset left her in peace. NebtHet shook her head as she watched her go. When the key to ascension was finally theirs, perhaps then Aset would acknowledge that this was the right path to take.

Until then, as long as Aset played her part, NebtHet supposed it was the most she could hope for.

“Look, I don’t mean to pretend I understand most of what’s going on here, but if you’ve never been to where we’re going, how do you know this is the right path?”

To be honest, Daniel wasn’t sure there even was a path. If there was, he certainly couldn’t see it. Sha’re, on the other hand, seemed to have an uncanny sense of direction, even in the dark. It was an attribute he did not recall her ever having before.

If it even was her, which he was still uncertain about despite what should have been obvious evidence to the contrary.

“It is the right path because it is the only path,” Sha’re answered simply.

He had to give her that. “And it leads to the Hall of the Two Truths.”

He saw her silhouette nod.

“Yes. Where you and I will be judged so that we may gain admittance to the Field of Reeds and never need be parted from one another again.”

If only he could bring himself to believe that.

“Here’s the thing.” He hated saying it, but it needed to be said. “All of those things — Duat, the Hall, the Field of Reeds — they’re just stories, made up by the Ancient Egyptians to explain what happened after death. None of it really exists, Sha’re. And since it doesn’t really exist, then this really can’t be it. So it makes me just wonder all the more — what is this place?”

And, more importantly, where were Jack, Sam and Teal’c?

“Why do you doubt so much everything you see?” Sha’re slowed down to walk by his side.

“I guess because there have been more than a few times in the past four years when everything I’ve seen has turned out to be a lie. We have a saying: ’Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’”

“I do not understand.”

Daniel sighed. “It means that if you don’t learn from your own mistakes, it’s no one’s fault but your own. I’ve been tricked before into believing something was true. I won’t let it happen again.”

“Do you believe I am trying to deceive you, Dan’yel?”

He had no idea how to answer her. She was so very much his Sha’re, right down to the hurt in her eyes at his doubts. But if this wasn’t real, then neither was she, no matter how much his senses kept trying to convince him otherwise.

“No — at least, not deliberately.” He needed to word it just right. “I really do think you believe what you’re telling me. I’m just not sure I entirely trust the people who sent me here, or their motives. But, then, I guess I’m suspicious that way.”

“You never used to be.” There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.

She was right, of course. He
didn’t
used to be that way. He had once been quite trusting, expecting only the best out of people if they were given half a chance — believing that the better angels of their nature would win out in the end. When had all that changed?

Maybe he’d been hanging out with Jack O’Neill too long.

Scratch the ‘maybe’. He
had
been hanging out with Jack too long. Long enough to finally get some sense knocked into his head about the way the world — heck, the whole galaxy — actually worked. And to realize that his paltry effort to make things better really didn’t amount to a hill of beans when it came right down to it.

That part he hadn’t learned from Jack. It was, sadly, the voice of experience. Nothing he had done mattered. Not really. All he had to do was look at the woman walking beside him to prove his point. Even if this was Duat, even if he was dead, she had come here long before him because of him. He hadn’t been able to save her. Nor Sarah. Not even Shifu, really, who was at least safe and out of harm’s way — but solely by the grace of Oma Desala.

As much as he had tried, the universe wasn’t any better off for his efforts. In fact he could argue pretty convincingly that, whether it was on an individual or a massive, galactic scale, he’d only ended up making things worse.

“Well, I guess I’ve changed,” he said, finally, in response to Sha’re’s observation. “Things happened, you know?”

“My poor Dan’yel.” She sighed, touching his arm. “You carry too many burdens, even here. You must lighten your load or you shall come before Thoth with too heavy a heart.”

“Yes. Well. Easier said than done, right?” Daniel smiled ruefully. If only he could do as she said — shed the things which weighed him down. But how, he had no clue.

THE SNOW was melting. For that, Sam was incredibly grateful, even if it did mean they had to slog through boot-soaking slush and sole-sucking mud. It also meant she could see the path much easier and no longer had to depend on Martouf for guidance.

To his credit, he hadn’t protested when she’d pushed past him to take point. In fact, he’d said little since they’d set out. While Sam doubted he’d given up trying to convince her that this was some sort of journey through purgatory, at least he had backed off for a while and just let her be. It gave her a chance to push him and the effect he had on her to the back of her mind and to concentrate on her situation and the best way to get out of it.

If
she could get out of it. Which, if she were honest with herself, she really wasn’t sure about. She had too little information to work with and it was frustrating. Martouf most likely knew more than he was telling her, but until he gave up this charade she was pretty much on her own.

Survival 101 dictated that a person first inventory what they had and then figure out what they needed. Sam had long ago discovered that the technique worked with problem solving too. Unfortunately her stockpile of information was fairly sparse. She went down the list, one by one.

Number One. To begin with, she was alive. Always a good place to start, especially given how much effort Martouf was putting into convincing her otherwise. Which brought her to Number Two. Whoever the hell he was, the guy walking behind her was
not
Martouf. She’d sensed the symbiote in him, no matter how much he tried to deny it, and since he definitely wasn’t Jaffa, that meant he was either Tok’ra or Goa’uld. Her money was on Goa’uld.

No surprise there. A Goa’uld was why she was here in the first place. And there was her third piece of information. Whatever was going on, probably this NebtHet was behind it. If she was a System Lord, Sam had never heard of her. Daniel had seemed to recognized the name, though. She wished he was around to offer some insight. She wished all of them were.

That brought her to the second half of her inventory: information she needed. Unfortunately, that list was much longer.

First, she needed to locate of the rest of her team. Until she saw absolute proof to the contrary, Sam was determined to believe that they had been revived the same way she had. Maybe they even had their own version of Martouf dogging their steps, trying to convince them they were dead. She wondered how the colonel would enjoy
that
.

Second, she needed to find out where the Stargate was — or if the planet even had one. Sam suspected it did; the Goa’uld rarely occupied planets without them. Sending ships was just too inefficient. If there was a gate, odds were it was close by, since the Goa’uld tended to keep their base of operation near the evacuation point. Score one for Goa’uld predictability.

Third, although earlier she hadn’t given much thought as to why this was happening, she realized now that knowing the motive behind their abduction and this whole, ridiculous charade might go a long way to figuring out how to defend against whomever was responsible. The answers lay with Martouf, she was sure. Convincing him to give them to her… Well, that was another matter.

The only other thing she wished she knew was where, exactly, she was headed on this stupid path. She’d had reservations about taking it, especially when Martouf did not object. But with no true sense of where she was relative to, well,
anything
, she hadn’t had much choice. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was the rat and this was no more than a large, snowy maze.

“See? Your very presence warms our surroundings, Samantha.”

It was the first thing he’d said in a while. Sam tried to ignore him. She’d spent a wearisome night trying to sort out Jolinar’s feelings from her own. It had been a long time since she’d had to do that, since what remained of Jolinar had emerged from the far recesses of her mind where she’d so carefully tucked it after Martouf’s death. She resented having to deal with it again. Especially now, when she was already feeling like everything she thought she knew about her life was upended — and that was
before
she’d been abducted, killed and left alone on an alien world.

But, as much as anything else, she hated —
hated
— the fact that whomever was behind this had dared to use Martouf in this way. It was tragic enough that he’d died a victim of Goa’uld mind control. Couldn’t the bastards have left him alone, even in death? He’d been a good man and a good friend, and having his memory desecrated by this imposter was the final insult.

Sam had an overwhelming desire to punch something. Or someone. Although hauling off and decking the false Martouf would probably be a bit out of line, even under the circumstances.

There really was only one thing she could do, and that was keep on walking. Wherever this path went, it ultimately had to lead her to some answers, one way or another.

But maybe she didn’t have to wait quite that long.

“So, what are you? A clone?” she said. The Asgard had cloning technology. It wouldn’t be the first time the Goa’uld had stolen something that more advanced beings had developed.

“No — although I can see how you might have thought that. I am a
Ba
.”

If the colonel had been there, he’d have had a clever comment right about now. Nothing witty came to mind, though.

“And that is?” Daniel had mentioned something about a
Ba
back in the dungeon. She hadn’t given it much attention at the time.

“Ahhh. Well. The
Ba
is difficult to define. I believe the closest thing you might compare it to is the soul.” He quickened his pace and drew nearer.

Sam rolled her eyes. She should have realized this would have set him off talking about their so-called journey though the underworld. She was almost sorry she’d asked. “A soul.” She tried not to sound skeptical. Not that she was an expert, but as far as she knew, souls didn’t walk and talk. Or leave slushy footprints in melting snow. “So, how does that work, exactly?”

He was right behind her now and quite animated as he spoke. “These shapes we assume, which look and feel like our bodies, really are not. They are merely a manifestation of that which we were when we were alive. We’re a sort of spiritual double for our real selves. An avatar which makes this journey in our stead.”

Again, she wished Daniel were there. First, because he’d probably know exactly what Martouf was talking about, and second, because he’d just eat this stuff up. Not that she didn’t grasp the concept herself, and under other circumstances she might have liked to learn more about this whole belief system, but at the moment it was merely an irritating cover-up for whatever was really going on.