Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Adam Newman or Megabyte Damon, nor the concept of the Tomorrow People. All of that belongs to Roger Damon Price. Likewise, the characters of Daniel Jackson, Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, and Teal'q belong to Showtime and the creators of Stargate SG-1. However, the character of Tamara Jackson is mine and will hopefully appear in other fan fiction. This is purely for entertainment purposes; I am not receiving money for this. Enjoy and please feel free to e-mail any comments to me at Ibonek17@hotmail.com. //slash bars// represent regular thoughts; {brackets} indicate telepathic thoughts.
Author's note: This is another installment in my Stargate SG-1/Tomorrow People crossover universe.
Feedback: Absolutely! Send it on down to Ibonek17@hotmail.com.
He was being chased. Breathing heavily, he glanced back over his shoulder as he ran across the desert sand. They were gaining on him. Frantically he put on more speed. They were almost upon him, their eyes flickering with a yellowish glow that was anything but angelic. They were firing their weapons at him. The weapons were shaped like long staffs. Strange crimson beams narrowly missed the boy and plunged into the sand, turning it to molten glass.
His heart beat frantically against his chest, so frantically he feared it would burst. His muscles cried for relief but he couldn't stop. He couldn't let them capture him. And he couldn't fight them. So he did the only thing he could; he ran.
Suddenly a hand popped up out of the sand and grasped his ankle. He gave a strangled cry as he fell face first into the sand. They drew alongside him. One pushed him down as he tried to get up. They all laughed deep, throaty laughs that chilled the boy to the bone. One stepped forward, holding a snake of some kind in his hand.
"Now, boy," he said in a deep, throaty voice. "You become one of us." The boy began to scream as the withering snake-like creature was lowered toward his face.
******
Adam Newman awoke to the sensation of a raw throat. His screams echoed through his mind. Sweat rolled down his face, stinging his eyes. He swiped a hand across his face and through his disheveled shoulder-length brown hair. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his shaken senses as he glanced around. He breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized the familiar surroundings of his little niche in the hold of the Ship. He sat up on his futon mattress and hugged his knees to his chest.
{Adam, are you all right?} The mental voice of Tamara Jackson was ladened with concern.
{I just had a nightmare.} Adam telepathed. Suddenly he didn't want to be alone, didn't want to return to sleep. Before he could complete the thought, a bright flash of light caught his attention. The corners of his mouth curved upward in a smile at the sight of the tall girl standing before him. Her sandy blond hair was braided in pigtails, which dangled over her chest. She wore a pair of boxer shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Her blue eyes met Adam's chocolate ones.
"Thank you for coming over." Adam said. His Australian accent caused his voice to lilt. Tamara unconsciously smiled.
"I don't like to be alone whenever I've had a nightmare. I figured you were the same way." She sat down beside Adam on the futon and ran her fingers through his hair. "You wanna talk about it? Sometimes that helps." Adam hesitated, then nervously licked his lips.
"These. . .weird people were chasing me. Their eyes glowed." Adam noticed that Tamara stiffened. He puzzled over that then shook it off. "I tripped and one of them knelt beside me. He was holding a-a snake. But it wasn't a snake. It was. . .something else. He said 'Now you become one of us.' I woke up just as he lowered. . .that thing. . .toward me." Tamara was silent. Too silent for comfort, in Adam's opinion. "What's wrong, Tamara?"
"These weird people with the glowing eyes, they exist." Adam's eyes widened.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"One way to find out." Tamara said. "Mind merge." Tamara raised her hands, palms outward. Adam followed suit, curiosity getting the better of him.
{Is this what you saw?} Tamara 'pathed as their minds merged into one. A blue glow appeared between the two. Adam recoiled as Tamara's memory produced the image of a pinkish snake-like creature crawling out of a pouch.
{What is that?} he 'pathed, horrified.
{That would be a Goa'ould.}
{A what?}
{A Goa'ould. They're aliens that take humans as hosts. SG-1 has run into several of them. They live for thousands of years.} Adam looked surprised.
{How do they do that?}
{They have a sarcophagus that regenerates the human body when it gets old. The sarcophagus can even bring back the dead. But there's a price to be paid. Too many times of using the sarcophagus steals a person's soul. That happened to my dad.} Tamara shuddered. {The Goa'oulds pretend to be gods and enslave thousands--no, millions--of people. The Goa'oulds have no appreciation of life. My dad's wife Shar'ui and her brother Skarra were taken as hosts.} Adam nervously licked his lips.
{What. . .happens to a person when they're taken as a host?} he 'pathed softly.
{Their personality, their very being is tucked away in the back of their mind. The Goa'ould takes control of the body. It's like you being possessed by a ghost, except there's no way to get rid of the Goa'ould and the person is aware of everything the Goa'ould does. Every life that the Goa'ould slaughters, every hateful action the Goa'ould takes, the host witnesses. The host essentially becomes a prisoner, trapped in a waking nightmare.} Adam involuntarily shuddered.
{That's awful. I hope I never meet one.}
{I hope I never meet another one.} Adam looked at her in surprise.
{You've met a Goa'ould?}
{Yes. Her name is Hathor. She infiltrated the base and seduced all our men. A real bitch.} Tamara ran her hand down Adam's back. Adam tried to suppress a yawn but it escaped before he could raise his hand to his mouth. Tamara smiled.
{I think somebody's sleepy.} Her mental voice carried the tone of a parent speaking to a child. Adam returned her smile and brought one hand up to finger her pigtail.
{I like them} he 'pathed. {You should wear your hair like that more often.}
{I'll keep that in mind.} Adam softly caressed her cheek with one finger. He wound his hand around to the back of her neck and up into her hair. He pulled her closer until their lips met in a feverish kiss. Tamara placed one hand on Adam's bare shoulder and the other wound its way around his body, pulling him closer. Her lips parted and Adam slipped his tongue inside. He teased and caressed the inside of her mouth, leaving no part untouched.
Tamara reclined backwards on the bed, pulling Adam with her. His hands slid down her body, lingering on her breasts. One hand dipped beneath the fabric of her shirt and Tamara gasped at the sensation of warm skin sliding up the plane of her abdomen. Adam's hand gently cupped her breast. The sound of imploding air and a bang forced the two to pull apart. Tamara took a deep breath as Adam pulled his hand from her shirt.
{Why is it every time you and I get intimate, we get interrupted?} she 'pathed, her mental voice irritated. Adam scrubbed his hands over his face.
{Bad luck?}
{I'd say.} Adam smiled and sent her the mental equivalent of a hug.
"Hello?" he called. The other Tomorrow People sometimes teleported to the Ship at various times of the night (or morning, depending on how you look at it). If they wanted to talk, Adam would listen. If not, he'd curl up with Tamara and go back to sleep. It all depended on if someone answered Adam's call.
"Hey, Adam." said an American voice. Tamara shook her head.
{I should have known it was Megabyte. He has such bad timing.}
"I interrupted something, didn't I?" Megabyte Damon asked as he entered the room.
"It's okay, Megabyte." Tamara said with a wave of her hand.
"What's up, Megabyte?" Adam asked.
"I had a bad dream. Didn't want to go back to sleep just yet."
"Funny. Adam had a bad dream tonight too." Tamara said. "You want to talk about it?" Megabyte sat down on the floor and ran a hand through his fiery red hair.
"These guys with weird glowing eyes were chasing me. They wanted to make me one of them. I think we were in a desert." Adam and Tamara exchanged surprised glances. "What?" Megabyte asked after seeing the exchange.
"Adam dreamed that same dream." Tamara said.
"Wow. Talk about coincidence." Megabyte said.
"I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago." Adam said dryly.
"Well, what could it mean?" Megabyte said. Adam shook his head.
"I don't know." he said. Tamara raised her hand to her mouth to hide her yawn.
"Guys, it's late. Why don't we get some rest and worry about what the dreams mean in the morning?"
"Sounds good to me. Mind if I stay here tonight?" Megabyte said.
"You can crash here." Adam said. Megabyte pulled out the extra blankets Adam kept and started to hand one to Tamara. . .until he saw her climb into bed with Adam. Adam placed his arm around her shoulders and Tamara laid her head on his chest.
"Who do I get to cuddle with?" Megabyte asked, pretending to pout.
"Yourself." was Adam's reply. Megabyte laughed.
"Good night, you guys." he said.
"Good night, Megabyte." Adam said drowsily.
******
Tamara awoke to find herself locked in someone's embrace. Looking up, she smiled as she recognized the sleeping form of Adam Newman. She laid her head back down on his chest and took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. The salty smell of the ocean mingled with the scent of his cologne and Tamara smiled. Gently she kissed the outline of his jaw, the stubble tickling her lips. Adam stirred beneath her touch and tightened his arms around her.
"G'morning." he said softly.
"Morning." Tamara flashed a smile at him.
"What time is it?" Adam asked. Tamara checked her watch.
"About nine o'clock in Colorado."
"You hungry?" Adam asked as he grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor and slipped into them.
"Yeah. I'd better go tell Mom where I am. She's probably wandered into my room and freaked because I'm not there." Adam laughed.
"Okay." Tamara kissed his mouth.
"I'll be right back." she said. Tamara teleported into her room and quickly changed into a pair of jean shorts and a black spaghetti strap shirt. She started to undo her braids but remembered that Adam had liked them. Sighing, she stepped out into the corridor and looked around. Seeing no one, she headed to her mother's quarters. Tamara cleared her throat and pushed open the door.
"Mom, I just want you-" Tamara cut off her words as she realized she was the only occupant of the room. She furrowed her brow in puzzlement. //Maybe she's with Dad.// Tamara walked down to her father's quarters. The door was open and Daniel Jackson was sprawled out across his bed. His sandy blond hair was mussed and his clothes rumpled.
"Dad?" Tamara whispered. Daniel jerked awake and raised his head. His blue eyes widened.
"Tamara, thank God! Where have you been? You've had us all so worried. Elizabeth went into your room this morning and when you weren't there, she went into hysterics." Daniel's voice was laced with concern.
"I spent the night at the Ship." Daniel nodded as he picked up his glasses, which was sitting on his night table. He stopped as he realized what his daughter has said. His eyes once again widened.
"You spent the night at the *Ship*? With Adam?"
"Dad, he had a nightmare. I was just comforting him." Daniel's eyebrow shot up and Tamara reddened. "But not like you're thinking." she added hastily. "We just talked."
"Uh-huh." Daniel's eyes showed his disbelief.
"Dad! Please have a little faith in me!" Tamara shook her head in exasperation. "Where's Mom?"
"I don't know. Last I saw of her, she was about to call the police. That was about, oh, ten minutes ago."
"The police?" Tamara squeaked. Daniel nodded, an amused look on his face.
******
Elizabeth Schreier held the receiver of a telephone against her ear, nervously twirling the cord around her finger as she listened to the rings.
"Come on, somebody pick up." she hissed. Suddenly she heard a voice in her ear.
"101 Preceint, how may I direct your call?" said the cheery voice of the secretary.
"May I speak to Chris Schreier?" Elizabeth said quickly.
"One moment." Elizabeth chewed her lip as she heard the extension ringing.
"Detective Schreier here. How may I help you?" Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the voice of her younger brother.
"Chris, thank God I finally got a hold of you!" she cried.
"Lizzy, what's wrong? You sound like you're borderline hysterics."
"Probably because I am. Tamara's missing."
"Are you-?" Suddenly Chris's voice was replaced by a dial tone and Elizabeth looked up in anger.
"What's the big i-?" Elizabeth cut off as she recognized her ex-husband's smiling face. "Daniel, what are you doing? I was trying to talk to Chris."
"There's no need for police. I found Tamara. Or rather, she found me." he said, stepping aside. Tamara slowly stepped into the room. Elizabeth surged to her feet.
"Where the blazes have you been? I was worried sick!" Tamara put up her hands, palms facing outward, to forestall any more comments.
"Mom, chill. I'm fine."
"But where have you been?" Elizabeth demanded, hands on her hips. Tamara sighed.
"Adam had a nightmare and I went over to the Ship to comfort him."
"Why didn't you tell me first, so I didn't worry about you?"
"Because it was close to midnight and you were asleep. I know how you hate being woken up in the middle of your sleep."
"That's no excuse. Young lady, you are grounded." Tamara's jaw dropped.
"For what? Comforting a friend?"
"No, for worrying me."
"For how long?" Tamara crossed her arms over her chest.
"One week. That means no TV, no phone calls, no going places with friends." Tamara glared at her mother.
"You forgot about one thing, Mom."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Elizabeth's face held a challenge.
"I can teleport." With a feral grin on her face, Tamara teleported from the room, leaving Elizabeth with a shocked expression on her face.
Tamara teleported to Adam's niche of the Ship. Adam propped himself up on his elbow and smiled. His smile faded as he noticed Tamara's angry expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he sat up.
"My mother grounded me." Tamara collapsed down on Adam's bed. He ran a hand down her back as he kissed her cheek.
"For what?"
"Coming here and not telling her first. Which I would have had to wake her up, and she hates being disturbed when she's asleep. I would have gotten yelled at for that, so it's a no-win situation." Tamara shook her head. "Mom can be so overprotective sometimes."
"She just doesn't want anything to happen to you." Adam said. Tamara shot him a disbelieving look.
"I *can* take care of myself. Besides, Mom doesn't always tell me where *she's* going." Tamara sighed.
"So, what's on the agenda today?" Megabyte asked as he walked into the room. Adam shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't know. What do you want to do?" he said.
"I don't know." Megabyte said.
"We could play miniature golf." Tamara suggested. Megabyte regaled her with a raised eyebrow.
"Miniature golf?" He spoke it as if he were saying "bubonic plague". Tamara sheepishly shrugged.
"It's something that Dad and I used to do to pass the time. There was a miniature golf course across from his apartment." She sighed as she shook her head. "You're right. It was a stupid idea." Adam shook his head.
"No, I think it's a great idea. I haven't played miniature golf since my tenth birthday." he said. Megabyte looked at him with surprise.
"You mean they have miniature golf in Australia?" he said. Adam fixed him with a withering look.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do." he said. "We're not as backwards as you think, *Marmaduke*." Megabyte glared as his friend spoke his hated name. Tamara covered her smile with her hand.
"So, what do you say?" Adam asked, holding his hands out to Megabyte and Tamara.
"About what?" Megabyte asked.
"About a game of miniature golf. I challenge the two of you to defeat me." Adam answered. "I could play one hell of a game. Of course, it's been nearly a decade since my last game, so I may be a little rusty." Adam flashed a roguish smile. "What do ya say?"
"I say, let's do it." Tamara said, getting up and walking over to stand beside Adam. The two looked expectantly at Megabyte, who sighed.
"Why not?" he said.
******
While Tamara was off playing miniature golf, her parents were getting ready for a mission to a planet known as P6Y-980. Daniel sighed as he strapped the holster of a hand revolver around his thigh. Elizabeth walked by his doorway and he called out to her. She stopped and turned to him.
"Are you sure you weren't too hard on TJ?" Daniel asked, calling Tamara by his nickname for her. Elizabeth narrowed her emerald eyes at her ex-husband.
"Too hard?" she repeated. She shook her head. "If anything, I wasn't hard enough. Tamara has got to learn responsibility for her actions." Daniel shook his head.
"You can't stop her from leaving this base, as she so eloquently demonstrated." Daniel sighed. "Look, Adam just had a nightmare. Tamara went to comfort a friend. She was doing a good deed. Nobody, even you, likes to be alone after a terrifying dream." Elizabeth averted her eyes from Daniel's gaze.
"Maybe. The punishment still stands, though. Come on or we'll be late. And you know how Jack hates it when we're late."
Jack O'Neill was impatiently glancing at his watch when Elizabeth and Daniel entered the Gate Room. He looked up just as they walked up, an irritated expression on his face.
"It's about damn time. What the hell took you so long?" he said.
"We were just talking." Daniel answered.
"Uh-huh." Jack said. "Captain, have them dial up the coordinates of P2X-whatever."
"P6Y-980, sir." Captain Samantha Carter corrected. She was tall, with short blond hair and blue eyes. Standing behind her was the tall Jaffa, Teal'c, expressionless as always. Jack ran a hand through his short graying hair as the chevrons began to lock in. He adjusted his grip on his gun and pulled his cap down lower on his head as the Stargate opened. The vortex flew out like a spout of water only to be sucked back in again to be stretched across the naquadah frame like a soap bubble.
"Okay, people. Move out." he said. He walked up the ramp leading to the gate, followed by the rest of his team. He turned back to look at the Stargate as he stepped onto the new planet. Sam knelt on the ground, taking soil samples. Teal'q scanned the horizon, searching for any signs of danger. Daniel was marveling at a stone pillar. On the four sides of the pillar, hieroglyphs had been carved.
"This is ancient Egyptian!" he cried happily. Elizabeth walked up beside him and examined the pillar.
"He's right." she said.
"What does it say?" Jack asked.
"It says the world is coming to an end." Elizabeth said quietly. Daniel glared at her.
"In all seriousness, Doctor, what does it say?" Jack said.
"What I told you. It warns of this world's end."
"It does not." Daniel said, staring at Elizabeth as if she had grown two heads. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Okay, I'm going to ask this one more time. What the hell does this thing say?" Jack motioned at the pillar.
"It says that this is the world of Hathor." Daniel said. Jack raised his eyebrows. "It spells out the story of how Hathor came to this world thousands of years ago and claimed it as hers." Daniel continued, never noticing the surprised facial expressions of his team members.
"Hathor?" Sam repeated. Elizabeth sighed.
"Now you know why I said the world's coming to an end." she said.
"If Hathor is here, we need to watch ourselves." Jack said. "I don't think she's too happy with us." He looked over at Daniel, who was standing with a blank expression on his face. "Danny, you okay?" Daniel started, pulling himself out of his revere.
"I'm fine." he said. Jack nodded, disbelieving.
"I have a bad feeling about this mission." Sam said.
"Come on, Captain. Wouldn't you like to have another shot at Hathor?" Jack circled around Daniel to look Sam in the eye. Sam's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Uh, no sir." she said. Jack once again nodded.
"Move out, team. Let's have a look at Hathor's planet."
"Why don't I like this idea?" Sam asked Elizabeth.
"Probably because we're in Hathor's backyard." she answered. Teal'c regarded the two with an upraised eyebrow.
"Are the two of you afraid of Hathor?" he asked in his monotone voice.
"No, Teal'c." Elizabeth answered with a small laugh. "It's more of a dislike." "I'm afraid something like what happened at the base will happen again." Sam said. She was referring to the time Hathor had infiltrated the Cheyenne Mountain Complex and seduced all the men into helping her take over the world. The women of the base, led by Captain Samantha Carter and Doctor Janet Fraiser, managed to defeat her. Only Teal'c, with his Goa'ould larvae, had been protected from Hathor's charm.
"Guess we'll have to cross that bridge when it gets here." Elizabeth said.
"Except that doesn't always work." Sam pointed out.
"Then you'd better pray it does." Elizabeth answered grimly.
******
As SG-1 walked away from the Stargate, a Jaffa made his way deeper into the forest surrounding the Stargate. He carried a blast-lance and wore the costume of a Horus guard. He ran through the trees until he came to a large clearing. Splayed out before him was a pyramid. Up the stairs he ran and into the pyramid. He wound his way through the corridors until he came to the chamber where his mistress awaited him.
"My lady, a group of strangers have entered our world through the Chaup'i." He bowed before the auburn-haired woman whose back was turned to him.
"Who are they?" she said in an accented voice.
"I do not know. They are humans and carry weapons less advanced than ours. One of them is a Jaffa." The woman turned to face her Jaffa.
"The Tauri." Hathor said, smiling evilly. "What luck. Find them and bring them to me alive."
"Yes, my lady." The Jaffa rose to his feet and bowed once before exiting the room. Hathor smiled.
"This is turning out to be a good day." She spoke this time in a deep voice and her eyes glowed with a white light.
******
"We've got company!" Elizabeth shouted as she spotted a Jaffa lurking in the woods. She immediately raised her gun and fired off a shot. A laser blast erupted from the forest, narrowly missing Elizabeth as Daniel pulled her down beside him. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c also dove for cover behind trees.
"Jaffa, kree!" the head Jaffa cried. One of the Jaffa threw some kind of metal orb into the midst of SG-1.
"Look out!" Jack cried too late. The sonic grenade went off, its high-pitched whining sending the team into unconsciousness.
******
Tamara dropped her golf club as she cried out in pain. Adam placed a hand on her shoulder as Megabyte picked up her golf club.
"Tamara, are you all right?" Adam's voice was filled with concern. Tamara raised her head to meet his gaze.
"Mom, Dad, something's happened to them." she said. She looked confused.
"Where are they?" Megabyte asked. Tamara chewed her lower lip.
"I think they had a mission scheduled for today. To, um, P6Y-980." Megabyte's face took on a confused expression.
"P6-what?" he asked.
"It's SGC's way of naming planets." Tamara answered. "Dad wanted to actually give each planets names, but SGC command vetoed the idea."
"So, they're on another planet and in trouble." Megabyte said.
"Right." Tamara said. "Oh, God, I bet they're being attacked by Goa'oulds."
"Either that or the natives weren't friendly." Adam said. "If there are natives."
"We've got to help them." Tamara said.
"How?" Megabyte asked. "If these Goa'oulds are as technologically advanced as you say, what good will we be? I mean, we can't kill, not even in self-defense."
"We've got to try to rescue them. If we can rescue them, they can do all the killing." Tamara said. "Please, it's my parents. Colonel O'Neill, Sam, and Teal'c are like my family too."
"We'll help in any way we can." Adam said.
"One thing. How do we get to this planet? I don't think we can exactly knock on General Hammond's door and say 'Let us through the Stargate so we can save SG-1'. He'd look at us like we're crazy." Megabyte said.
"We can teleport there." Adam said. Megabyte raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Okay, we can teleport to other planets? That's new. Next thing you know, we'll be teleporting to alternate realities." He said. Adam looked at his friend with an amused expression on his face.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't Sliders."
"Right." Megabyte said.
"But wait." Tamara said. Adam and Megabyte turned to her. "I thought we could only teleport to places we had been."
"Not if we mind merge." Megabyte said.
"Ah, useful things, these mind merges." Tamara said. Megabyte and Adam exchanged smiles.
"Shall we?" Adam said. The three teens raised their hands until their palms were almost touching. They each closed their eyes and a blue glow surrounded them. They disappeared in triplet flashes of bright light. They reappeared at the edge of a clearing. A pyramid loomed in the background. A mixture of Horus and Serpent guards roamed around at the base of the staircase leading to the pyramid's entrance.
"Whoa. Who are they?" Megabyte asked as Tamara crouched down behind a bush. Adam followed her lead and pulled Megabyte down beside him.
{Those are Jaffa} Tamara telepathed.
{Ja-what?} Megabyte telepathed.
{Jaffa} Tamara repeated.
{What are those?} Megabyte asked.
{Servants to the Goa'oulds. They carry Goa'ould larvae in a pouch in their abdomens in exchange for perfect health until the Goa'ould has matured.} Tamara explained. {Adam, are you okay?} Adam's gaze was fixed on one of the Jaffa, his eyes glazed over.
{Adam, what's wrong?} Megabyte 'pathed. {Adam? Adam!}
{Megabyte, why isn't he answering?} Tamara 'pathed worriedly.
{I don't know.} Megabyte stretched out to touch his friend's mind. Adam blinked his eyes and turned to look at them.
{What?} he 'pathed. He blinked his eyes again and put a hand to his temple.
{Adam, what happened? You spaced out on us. I thought you were-} Megabyte's mental voice trailed off.
{What, possessed? Don't worry, Megabyte. No ghosts here.}
{So what happened?} Tamara 'pathed.
{I don't know.} Adam mentally shrugged. {I-I felt a presence in my mind. A very old presence.}
{What do you mean? Where?} Megabyte 'pathed.
{From them.} Adam nodded his head toward the Jaffa. Tamara's mouth dropped open.
"Oh my God! You mean you can sense the Goa'oulds?" Her voice carried through the still air and the Jaffa immediately snapped to attention, their blast-lances held ready.
"Shh!" Adam hissed. He crouched down lower to hide himself and drew a shield around him in case any of the enemies were telepathic.
{Oh, great. We're going to be blown away by dudes with bad haircuts.} Megabyte 'pathed. Tamara and Adam exchanged smiles.
{What are we going to do?} Megabyte 'pathed. {They're getting kind of close.}
{I'll take care of that.} Tamara 'pathed. She drew in a breath and blew it back out slowly. Using her powers, she projected into the minds of the Jaffa an image of a squadron of death gliders advancing on them. The Jaffa began to scream and scattered, their hands protecting their heads. Tamara quietly laughed as they ran into the woods.
"Come on." she said, standing up. She ran to the base of the stairs, followed by Megabyte and Adam. "We've got to go up there." Tamara pointed to the entrance, which beckoned them.
"What are we waiting for?" Megabyte asked, flashing a smile. Before Adam or Tamara could say anything, Megabyte had teleported to the top of the pyramid.
"Megabyte, wait." Adam said. He teleported to stand beside Megabyte. Tamara sighed and joined them.
"Guys, whatever you do, be careful." Tamara said. "I'm not sure which Goa'ould we're dealing with but-" Tamara cut off as she spied a wall of hieroglyphs. She walked over to them, her mouth dropped open. "Oh no." she whispered. "Not her." Adam and Megabyte exchanged puzzled glances.
"Uh, did we miss something?" Megabyte asked Adam.
"I think so." he said. "Tamara, not who?"
"Her. Hathor." Tamara whispered her name as if she were telling them a secret.
"Hathor?" Megabyte asked.
"She's a Goa'ould. She came to the base and seduced our men. She wanted to take over the world. Turn everybody into Goa'oulds. Basically, start another reign of Goa'oulds." Tamara said.
"Sounds like somebody I want to meet." Megabyte said sarcastically.
"I'm sure we'll get to before this adventure is over with." Tamara said. Adam started to comment but stopped. He turned away from the wall and looked down the corridor.
"Adam, you with us?" Megabyte's voice cut through the haze that suddenly filled Adam's mind.
"Wha-what?" he stammered.
"That's the second time you've spaced out. What is wrong with you?" Megabyte said. Adam slowly shook his head.
"I. . .don't know." He took a deep breath. "Tamara, can you sense your parents?"
"Yes. Come on." Tamara led the way down the corridor. {Dad, can you hear me?} Tamara 'pathed.
******
{Dad, can you hear me?} Daniel Jackson pushed himself into a sitting position as he heard his daughter's voice echoing through his mind. He and the rest of SG-1 were being held prisoner in a large room. There was no visible entranceway. Hieroglyphs had been carved into the sandstone walls.
"What is it, Daniel?" Elizabeth had noticed the shocked expression on Daniel's face. Daniel turned to meet her inquisitive gaze.
"Tamara. I hear her." Jack raised his head to look at Daniel as Elizabeth and Sam exchanged glances.
"Hear her." Jack repeated. "How? I hear nothing."
"In my mind, Jack." Daniel answered.
"Oh. Let me guess. You're telepathic too and you just forgot to mention it." Jack said dryly. Daniel glared at him.
"Funny, Jack."
"Guys, don't start fighting." Elizabeth said. Jack looked at her, an innocent expression on his face.
"We're not fighting." he said.
"Then what do you call it?" Elizabeth asked.
"A simple. . .verbal. . .disagreement." Jack said, shrugging his shoulders. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"Right." she said.
"We need to figure a way out of here." Sam walked over to the north wall and began to examine the hieroglyphs.
"Good luck." Jack said unenthusiastically. "There aren't any cracks that would even remotely suggest a door or opening of some kind."
"Daniel, didn't the ancient Egyptians have secret exits in their pyramids?" Elizabeth asked. Daniel's eyes brightened as he stood up and joined Sam.
"Yes, they did. Sam, Elizabeth, look for any hieroglyphs that might signify an escape." he instructed.
"I don't see anything." Sam said after a few minutes of searching. Elizabeth was still searching over the east wall. Suddenly she cried out excitedly.
"What?" Daniel cried. "What is it?"
"There's a symbol for Hathor on here! Sam, Daniel, search your walls for the same symbol." Elizabeth showed them the symbol, which depicted a goddess with the horns of a cow. Daniel ran his finger over it and noticed it was raised. He smiled and turned back to his wall.
"Here it is." Daniel called out.
"I found it." Sam called out seconds later.
"Okay, on three, we are all going to push our symbol." Daniel and Sam nodded. Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Okay, one. . .two. . .three!" On three, each depressed their symbol. At first, nothing happened. Then the entire north wall began to slide away, revealing a darkened tunnel. Jack stood up and walked over to the gaping mouth of the tunnel.
"Now where do you suppose that goes?" Daniel asked.
"Only one way to find out." Jack said. He started to walk into the tunnel, but Sam stopped him.
"Here, Colonel. We'll need light." Sam took two torches that were hanging on the wall and handed one to Jack. The other she kept.
"Thanks, Captain." Jack squared his shoulders and headed into the tunnel, followed by Elizabeth and Daniel. Sam took one last look around the room and followed. Teal'c was last, a grim expression on his face.
******
Hathor stood in her bedchambers, staring out the window at the lush green world below. Her face was expressionless. Suddenly her eyes widened as she encountered the mind of an unknown entity. Turning back to the room, she walked over to the wall opposite the room and ran her hand across a large circle that was drawn on the wall. The circle began to swirl and changed into a dark orb. Hathor ran her hand across the orb and the darkness swirled away. At her urging, the orb displayed the main corridor of the pyramid. Hathor drew in a breath. Shown on the orb was Tamara Jackson, Megabyte Damon on her left, and Adam Newman trailing behind them. Hathor narrowed her eyes as she stared at Adam. He looked up and, to Hathor, seemed to penetrate the orb and touch her deep inside. Hathor spun away from the orb, a predatory smile crossing her face.
"What is it, my lady?" her Jaffa guard asked.
"It seems we have found a new beloved." Hathor sauntered out of her quarters, leaving the Jaffa guard with a puzzled expression on his face.
******
The three teens came to a fork in the road, so to speak. The corridor branched out in two directions. Adam was drawn to the corridor on the left. Tamara raised an eyebrow at him.
"Adam, Mom and Dad are this way." Tamara nodded toward the right. Megabyte was silently watching his friend.
"Then you guys go that way." Adam said. His voice sounded unusually calm.
"Adam, are you okay?" Megabyte asked.
"I'm fine." Adam strode down the left corridor, leaving Megabyte and Tamara with shocked expressions.
"Should we go after him?" Tamara asked. Megabyte shook his head.
"What would we do? Drag him with us?" Megabyte again shook his head. "We'll keep a telepathic eye on him. If he gets in trouble, we'll bail him out. As usual." Megabyte headed down the remaining corridor but stopped when he saw that Tamara hadn't followed him. "He'll be all right, Tamara."
"If you're sure. . ." With a confidence he didn't feel, Megabyte nodded.
"Now come on." Tamara took one last look at the corridor Adam had disappeared down then followed Megabyte.
******
Adam nervously walked down the corridor, casting worried glances to each side of him and behind him. He was uncertain what had drawn him in this direction or why he felt the way he did. What he did know was that *something* was waiting for him at the end of the corridor--something that was beckoning to him even as he hesitated. Nervously licking his lips, Adam continued his journey. In the back of his mind, he was aware of his friends and how they were doing. He was also aware of their concern for him.
{I'm all right, guys.} he 'pathed to them. Adam felt Tamara's concern diminish. Megabyte, however, remained suspicious.
{Be careful, Adam.} Megabyte 'pathed. Adam shrugged off the cliché. He stared at the walls decorated with painted hieroglyphs and wondered what they meant. Finally, he came to the end of the corridor. Imbedded in the wall was a door, the knob made of golden quartz the size of Adam's fist. Slowly Adam reached out for the knob and his hand grasped it, turning it. The door slowly swung inward. Adam gasped as his line of sight was drawn to the large bed in the middle of the room. Draped seductively across the bed was a woman, her auburn hair swathed around her bare shoulders. She was dressed in a strapless, sequined dress of golden color. Her amber eyes met Adam's and he nervously swallowed.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Our name is Hathor." she said in an accent Adam couldn't place. "And you?"
"A-Adam Newman." he stammered. Hathor rose to her feet and sauntered over to him.
"Well, A-Adam Newman, what are you doing here?" Hathor encircled the young Adam, letting her finger trace a path across the tops of his shoulders and across the back of his neck, sending a tingle through Adam.
"It's funny you should ask." he managed to say without stammering. "It's remarkable, really. I was just out for an afternoon walk through the park." Hathor narrowed her eyes.
"You are lying. Why?" Adam took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze, divulging nothing. Hathor walked a few paces away from him. "You are here to rescue your comrades, aren't you?"
"Comrades? Sorry, I don't know any Russians." Adam's head snapped to the side as Hathor backhanded him. He turned his head back toward her, swiping the back of his hand across his face.
"We do not tolerate sarcasm. If you wish to remain alive, tell us where the others are."
"What others?" Hathor stepped closer to Adam, her eyes once again narrowing.
"We do not recognize you. Where do you come from? How did you get here?"
"All right, I'll tell you." Adam raised his hands up in the air, palms facing Hathor. "I'm from Earth." Hathor drew in a breath.
"You are one of the Tauri." she said.
"The Ta-what?" Adam asked. Hathor stepped closer to Adam. Before he could pull away from her, Hathor's face was mere centimeters from Adam's. A trail of pinkish stardust flowed from Hathor's mouth to Adam's and Adam instantly felt all resistance seep from his body as Hathor's lips touched his.
"Now, Adam," Hathor said when she pulled away. "Tell us how you got here. Did you come through the Chaup'i?" Adam's face took on a confused look.
"The Chaup'i?" he asked, his voice dreamy. Hathor's forehead creased with irritation.
"The. . .uh. . .Stargate. Did you come through the Stargate?"
"No, we teleported here." Hathor's face lit up with interest.
"Teleported?" she asked. Adam nodded. "Show us this "teleporting"."
Adam shrugged. "Sure." He then disappeared in a flash of white light and a rush of imploding air. Hathor's face showed her delight.
"How wonderful!" she cried, clapping her hands together gleefully. "How are you able to do this?"
"I don't know. It's something in our genes."
"'Our'? There are more of you?"
"Yes. We call ourselves the Tomorrow People." Suddenly Adam blinked his eyes. "Wha- where am I?" He glanced at Hathor, confusion written on his face.
"It is all right. You are safe with us." Hathor said this as she took Adam's hand and brought it to her lips. Once again the pinkish stardust flowed from her mouth. Her eyes met Adam's and she smiled as she watched his facial features ease into a look of complete compliance. "The others who teleported with you, who are they?"
"Megabyte Damon and Tamara Jackson."
"The daughter of our beloved. How do you know her?"
"She is one of us."
"A Tomorrow Person?" Hathor swished her skirt as she encircled Adam. "We believe we recognize your type. King Tutankamen was a tomorrow's child. He was among the rebellion who overthrew the Goa'oulds in Egypt thousands of years ago. But back to the situation at hand. Tamara Jackson has come to rescue her father and his teammates, hasn't she?"
"Yes." Adam said. Hathor raised her chin to look Adam directly in the eyes.
"Where is she now? Tell us and we will reward you."
"She. . ." Adam's voice trailed off.
"Tell us." Hathor demanded.
"Tamara. . ." Adam began again. Hathor stepped closer to him, her eyes glowing.
"Tell us." she said in a deep voice. Adam's face betrayed his fear.
******
Jack O'Neill swept his torch back and forth across the tunnel, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. Just behind him, Elizabeth walked, her gun held ready in her hand. Daniel was busy studying the hieroglyphs painted on the walls. Sam walked behind Daniel, also on guard. Teal'c brought up the rear. Suddenly Jack's torchlight revealed a stone wall.
"Looks like it's the end of the line, kids." he said disgustedly. Elizabeth edged past him and placed her hands flat against the surface of the wall.
"Don't lose all hope, Jack." she said. She spread her hands across the wall while Jack rolled his eyes. Her forehead creased in confusion as she dropped her hands to her sides.
"Now can I give up hope?" Jack asked sarcastically. Elizabeth glared at him. Meanwhile, Daniel began to examine the wall.
"I don't get it." he said finally.
"What's there to get?" Jack said, leaning up against the wall.
"There should be an exit button. Some way to get out of here. What's the use of having a secret tunnel if there's only one way in or out?" Daniel asked. Teal'c drew up alongside Sam.
"Captain Carter, may I have your torch?" he asked quietly. Sam seemed startled.
"Yeah, sure, Teal'c." She handed him the burning torch. "What for?"
"Observe." he said. He walked over to the wall, where a small half-ring had been nailed to the wall. Teal'q inserted the torch into the torch holder and turned the torch clockwise. The wall began to slide away. Jack had to catch his balance quickly to prevent himself from falling. Teal'q smiled a small smile.
"Our exit." he said. Daniel started at him, a shocked expression on his face.
"I never would have thought of that." he said.
"Come on, Danny. Let's get out of here." Jack said. He stepped out into the corridor and looked around. "Coast's clear." he called back into the tunnel. The remaining members of SG-1 filed out of the tunnel, Sam and Teal'q taking up defense positions.
"Colonel, somebody's coming." Sam said. Jack turned to his left to see two shadows on the wall. He ducked behind a pillar that was beside the opening of the secret tunnel, which was just beginning to slide closed. Teal'q pointed his blast staff in the direction of the shadows.
******
Tamara Jackson suddenly stopped and placed her hand on Megabyte's chest.
"He-!" Tamara clamped her hand over Megabyte's mouth before he could finish his exclamation. {What's the big idea?} he 'pathed.
{There's somebody just around that corner.} Tamara 'pathed, nodding down the corridor where it veered off to the right.
{Goa'oulds?} Megabyte was afraid of the answer. Tamara shook her head, her face suddenly breaking out in a smile. {Then who?} Megabyte 'pathed, irritated.
{SG-1.}
{Oh, good. Come on.} Megabyte started to walk around the corner but was stopped by Tamara's hand on his arm.
{What?} he 'pathed.
{Just wait, okay? They think we may be Goa'oulds. Just hang on a second.}
Tamara took a deep breath. "Colonel O'Neill, it's Tamara Jackson. I'm coming around the corner, okay?"
Elizabeth's mouth dropped open as she recognized the voice of her daughter. Her eyes widened. "Tamara? What's she doing here?"
"Keep your hands where I can see them and ease around the corner slowly." Jack instructed. Tamara and Megabyte both raised their hands chest-level and slowly came around the corner. Tamara smiled weakly at her mother, who was gazing at her rather sternly.
"What do you think you're doing here, young lady?"
"I am. . .rescuing you and SG-1." Tamara said. "I felt pain coming from you guys and came to check it out."
"Oh, well that's just great. Just perfect. And I see you dragged Megabyte along for the ride as well. Where's Adam? I'm sure he's around here somewhere." Megabyte and Tamara exchanged glanced.
"Well, Mom, Adam, he's-"
"Currently unavailable." Megabyte finished for Tamara.
"Right." Tamara nodded.
"You don't know where he is, do you?" Jack asked. Tamara exchanged another glance with Megabyte then slowly nodded.
"He's been acting kind of weird since we got here. He. . .kept acting like he was in a daze." Megabyte said.
"When we came to a fork in the main corridor, he took the left corridor." Tamara said. "Have any of you seen Hathor?"
"No, but we know this is her world." Sam said. Tamara nodded.
"Yeah, we saw the hieroglyphs." she said.
"We've got to find him. If Hathor has him, God knows what she'll do to him." Daniel said.
"Especially if she learns about his abilities." Elizabeth said. Megabyte and Tamara exchanged worried glances.
"Could Hathor have some kind of influence over Adam?" Megabyte asked.
"Oh yeah. One heck of an influence." Sam said. "She emits some kind of drug that puts men under her control."
"Comforting." Megabyte said sarcastically.
"I think we'd better find Adam before Hathor does something he'll regret." Jack said, remembering how Hathor had tried to make him her first new Jaffa.
"Can you guys locate him?" Sam asked Tamara. She nodded.
"Come on." Megabyte said. He headed back in the direction he and Tamara had come.
"I just hope we're in time." Sam murmured.
******
Adam was slightly freaked by the sudden glowing of Hathor's eyes and he swallowed nervously.
"Where is Tamara Jackson?" Hathor asked, still speaking in the deep voice.
"She, um, she returned to Earth." Adam said. Hathor clamped her hand around Adam's arm and pulled him close to her.
"You are still lying. Do you think it will save her?" Hathor hissed. "Ah, yes, we can see that you are much in love with young Tamara. Lying will not save her or yourself." Hathor's grip on his arm tightened. "I will ask this one more time. Where is Tamara Jackson?"
"She's with SG-1!" Adam cried, his face screwing up in pain. Hathor loosened her grip, a startled expression on her face.
"SG-1? How did they escape?" she asked.
"I don't know." Adam said.
"Where are they now?" Hathor said, keeping her hand on Adam's arm.
"They're. . .on their way here. To get me." Hathor's eyes widened then she smiled cruelly.
"Oh, we don't think so." Hathor said. "With your powers, you will make an excellent Jaffa."
"A excellent Jaffa?" Adam repeated horrifically.
"Yes. You shall have the strongest specimen." Hathor ripped away the middle section of her dress to reveal an amber-colored stone imbedded in her abdomen where her belly button would be. Adam watched with mixed fascination and fear as the stone began to glow. Hathor kissed Adam ever so gently, breathing her stardust into his mouth. Adam didn't try to fight her as she unbuttoned his shirt and drew him to her as she slipped the fabric from his body. Adam cried out in pain as the stone came in contact with his abdomen. When Hathor released him, Adam looked down in horror to see that an opening had been made in his skin. The color drained from his face and he sank down to the ground, Hathor laughing maniacally.
******
"Adam!" Tamara suddenly cried out, clutching her abdomen in pain. Megabyte clutched his also, his face was very pale.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Adam's been hurt." Megabyte managed to say.
"Even worse than that." Tamara said, her voice grave. "Adam's being primed to become a Jaffa." The members of SG-1 exchanged horrified glances, with the exception of Teal'c. He merely cocked one eyebrow, looking very much like a certain Vulcan that he had seen on TV.
"We've got to get to him before that happens." Sam said.
"Do you think the larvae Goa'ould would override his inability to kill?" Daniel asked, scientific wonderment creeping into his voice.
"Daniel, now is not the time to being worrying about that." Elizabeth said.
"Okay, what are we going to do?" Sam asked.
"What do you mean 'what are we going to do'? We're going to go in there and rescue him." Jack said.
"If I may point out, Colonel, it usually helps to have some semblance of a plan." Elizabeth said.
"Minor detail." Jack scoffed. "Okay, here's the plan. We go in, guns blazing. Grab the kid and get out."
"Oh, great plan Jack." Elizabeth said sarcastically.
"Thanks." Jack said. "Everybody ready?" Jack looked around from person to person. Teal'c held his blast staff loosely in his hand. Sam had her gun up and ready to be used. Daniel gripped the handle of his handgun rather tightly.
"Jack, I think this is a bad idea." Elizabeth said. "We shouldn't just rush in there."
"Mom's right. Let Megabyte and me handle this." Tamara said. Elizabeth whirled to face her daughter.
"Absolutely not!" she cried. "Tamara, have you lost your mind? You can't take on Hathor."
"Ah, but you're wrong Mom. I can." Tamara said. "Don't worry, Mom. We'll be fine. Just wait out here and when I give the signal, pull a retreat."
"Tamara Lynn Jackson, what do you think you are doing?" Elizabeth asked, the tone of her voice suggesting that Tamara had better not cross her. Tamara shrugged her shoulders.
"To borrow a phrase from Colonel O'Neill, I guess I'm three fries short of a happy meal. See ya around Mom." With that, Tamara teleported away. Megabyte shook his head disgustedly.
"Here we go again." he mumbled.
******
Tamara had teleported to the end of the corridor Adam had disappeared down. The tingling sensation running down her arm alerted her to the presence of a teleporter and helped her not to be surprised when Megabyte appeared standing right beside her. Megabyte nodded approvingly.
"Guess you finally got used to it, huh?" he asked almost conversationally.
"Guess so." Tamara said quietly. "Adam's in that room." She pointed to a closed door about ten feet away from them.
"So, what do we do?" Megabyte asked. Tamara sighed.
"I have no idea." she admitted. Megabyte glanced sideways at her. She met his gaze and shrugged. "I just knew we couldn't do it like Jack was talking about. Hathor would escape somehow, probably taking Adam with her. You and I can pull this off." Tamara's eyes suddenly lit up as a plan began to form in her mind. Megabyte regarded her with a curious stare.
"What?" he asked.
"I have an idea." Tamara said, smiling mysteriously.
******
Hathor held on to Adam's left arm, leading him over to a sunken pool in the corner of the large room. Carefully she placed him down in the warm water. Adam hazily registered small shapes swimming in the water around him.
"Now, dear Adam, your companion will seek you out." Hathor whispered, pushing back the hair plastered to his forehead. "I will return for you soon." Placing a feathery kiss upon Adam's cheek, Hathor stood and walked from the pool. Adam stared at the frothing water, watching the dark shapes dance beneath the surface. He shuddered involuntarily as one of the shapes swam extremely close to the opening in his abdomen.
{Somebody, help!} he 'pathed weakly.
{We're coming, Adam.} Megabyte 'pathed. Adam smiled faintly as Tamara and Megabyte teleported into the room. Tamara's eyes widened as she noticed the dark shapes in the pool.
"What are those?" Megabyte asked.
"Larvae Goa'oulds. Come on, we've got to get him out of there." Tamara grabbed one of Adam's arm and placed it around her neck. As she slid her arm around Adam's waist, she glanced up at Megabyte. He was staring at the pool, mesmerized by the larvae Goa'oulds. "Megabyte, what are you doing?"
The sound of Tamara's voice ripped Megabyte out of his revere and he blinked. "I was just thinking how much these little guys look like headless, peeled shrimp." he said. Tamara looked appalled.
"Ew, Megabyte! Disgusting!" she cried. "Help me with Adam." Megabyte moved to Adam's other side and placed his arm around his best friend's waist. Together the two teens lifted Adam up and out of the pool. Adam's knees buckled and he would have collapsed to the ground if Tamara and Megabyte hadn't been supporting him. Megabyte stared horrified at Adam's abdomen.
"What the hell is that?" he asked. Tamara groaned.
"That is the opening for the pouch that would house a larvae Goa'ould." she said.
"The headless shrimp-looking things, right?" Megabyte asked.
"Right." Tamara shuddered. "Thank goodness I don't like seafood. I don't think I could ever look at shrimp the same."
"So, what's wrong with Adam?" Megabyte asked, bringing Tamara's attention to the situation at hand.
"His immune system no longer functions because the Goa'ould was supposed to take over that job for him. Simply put, Adam would gain immortality, to a degree. All he'd have to do is carry the Goa'ould until it matures. Like Teal'c."
"Somehow I don't think Adam would like that." Megabyte said slowly.
"No. Probably not."
"So, how do we fix it?" Tamara chewed her lip, considering this.
"The best, and probably the only, way is to find a sarcophagus." she said. Megabyte looked at her in surprise.
"A sarcophagus? Isn't that a coffin?" he asked. Tamara shook her head.
"Not these sarcophagi. They're regeneration devices. Miracle workers. They can cure anything from a broken arm to cancer. They can even bring a person back from the dead. Don't believe me, just ask my dad. He's had more encounters with a sarcophagus than the rest of SG-1 put together."
"So, where will this sarcophagus be?" Megabyte asked, shifting his hold on Adam.
"Probably near Hathor's bedchambers." Suddenly the door to the chamber flew open and the two teens ducked. Megabyte accidentally dropped Adam's arm and the elder teen crashed into Tamara, knocking both of them down. Tamara looked up, fear clutching at her throat. Jack O'Neill ran into the room, his gun held ready. His body eased out of its tenseness when he recognized Tamara.
"You guys okay?" he asked.
"We were, until we had the daylights scared out of us!" Tamara cried. "I thought I told you guys to wait for my signal!" By now, the rest of SG-1 had filed into the room.
"We saw Hathor leave the pyramid. We thought you might be in trouble." Daniel said.
"I'm fine, Daddy." Tamara said. Sam knelt beside Adam, who had lapsed into unconsciousness. She placed her fingers at the base of his neck, searching for a pulse.
"Is he okay, Captain?" Jack asked.
"His pulse is weak, sir." Sam said, glancing up. She looked back down at the pouch opening.
"Is there anything in there?" Elizabeth asked.
"Only one way to find out." Sam said. Taking a deep breath, she rolled up the sleeve of her jacket and stuck her arm all the way up to the elbow in the pouch. Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth in concentration as she felt around inside the pouch. After a few minutes, she removed her arm and nodded. "He's clean."
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. "There's still the matter of locating a sarcophagus." Tamara said.
"We'd better hurry." Sam said. "His breathing is shallow."
"All right. Teal'c, if you would be so kind as to grab Adam." Jack said. Teal'c nodded and gently draped Adam across his shoulder. Jack nodded his head toward the door.
"The sarcophagus is just down the hall." he said.
"While we were waiting, we did a little exploring." Daniel told his daughter. Tamara shook her head.
"Lead the way, Colonel." she said.
******
Tamara rubbed the upper parts of her arms as Teal'c placed Adam inside the sarcophagus. Daniel placed his arm around her shoulders and gave her a comforting hug.
"He'll be all right." he said. Tamara turned to look at him.
"Physically, yes, but what if it has a bad effect on him mentally? Adam's a telepath, you know." she said. Daniel pondered this in silence. Tamara turned her gaze back as the sarcophagus closed in on her boyfriend. Please let nothing happen to him. she thought.
"Now what do we do?" Megabyte asked.
"We wait." Elizabeth said.
Megabyte made a face and sat down with his back against the wall. "I hate waiting." he said. Tamara smiled half-heartedly.
******
Thirty minutes later, Tamara held her breath as the sarcophagus lid split in two and slowly began to open, revealing Adam. He moaned softly and his eyelids fluttered. Tamara knelt beside the sarcophagus as Adam opened his eyes and looked around. Confusion was etched in his face.
"What happened?" he asked softly.
"Hathor tried to make you a Jaffa." Tamara said, brushing Adam's hair out of his eyes. She helped him sit up and rubbed her hand down his back.
"Can you stand?" Jack asked. "We need to get out of here."
"Yeah, I'm all right." Adam nodded as he stood up. Tamara helped him out of the sarcophagus and placed her arm around his waist.
"I got you." Tamara said, smiling at him. He flashed a weak smile back at Tamara.
"Let's go, kids. Somehow I don't think Hathor will be too pleased to see us." Jack said. He led the way out of the room, his gun held ready.
"Hey, Colonel O'Neill, you don't have to go through Hathor to get to the Stargate." Tamara said. Jack raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What're you talking about?" he asked.
"Megabyte and I can teleport all of us to the Stargate." Tamara said. Daniel smiled brightly.
"That's a great idea! Then we don't have to fight the Jaffa!" he cried. Jack seemed skeptical.
"Are you sure you can teleport all of us?" he asked.
"Yeah. All you have to do is take one of our hands." Adam said. He seemed stronger and the slump had disappeared from his shoulders. Jack nodded.
"Okay." He took Adam's left hand in his right and took a deep breath. "Ready when you are."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow and took Megabyte's hand. Sam took Adam's other hand and Elizabeth and Daniel took their daughter's hands. All eight of them disappeared in the customary white light and imploding air and reappeared in the meadow where the Stargate was located.
"Daniel, dial up home, if you would." Jack said. Daniel nodded and ran to the dial home device. He immediately punched the corresponding symbols for Earth. Sam used the remote device to send the friendly signal that would open the iris to Earth. Eventually the familiar wormhole of the Stargate appeared.
"All right, Tamara, you and your friends go through first." Jack said. Adam stared mesmerized at the soap bubble-like opening. Megabyte's mouth was hanging open.
"Come on guys. It's not so bad. Just take a deep breath and jump." Tamara instructed. "Go ahead, Megabyte." Megabyte took a deep breath, then ran at the opening. Adam watched in amazement as his friend was absorbed into the wormhole.
"Wow." he said. Tamara smiled brightly.
"Your turn." she said. Adam nodded and touched a hand to the wormhole.
"It feels so strange." he said. Tamara rolled her eyes and pushed Adam. He fell, flailing his arms, into the wormhole. Then she followed him. On the other side of the Stargate, Megabyte was down on his knees on the service ramp, dry heaving. Adam was also kneeling on the ramp, though he was merely pale. Jack and the rest of SG-1 came through the Stargate. Adam looked up just as the titanium iris closed.
"What a rush." he said. Jack threw his head back and launched a hearty laugh at the ceiling. General Hammond walked up to the little group, an eyebrow cocked in puzzlement.
"Colonel O'Neill, what's going on? Where did these children come from?" he asked.
"General Hammond, you remember Adam Newman, don't you?" Jack said.
"Yes." Hammond said. Adam shook Hammond's hand.
"And this is Megabyte Damon, also a Tomorrow Person." Jack said. Hammond also shook his hand but his puzzled look didn't disappear.
"But that doesn't explain where they came from." he said.
"We teleported to P6Y-980 because I felt Mom and Dad's pain." Tamara said.
"You felt their pain?" Hammond asked skeptically.
"That's right." Tamara said.
"Uh-huh." he said. "Colonel O'Neill, debriefing will be at 1300 hours." With that, General Hammond walked from the Gate Room, shaking his head in amazement. Elizabeth turned to her daughter.
"We need to talk." she said.
"Okay." Tamara said. Elizabeth slung her arm around her daughter's shoulders and turned to Adam and Megabyte.
"Excuse us, boys, while we have a little mother to daughter talk." Elizabeth led her daughter from the Gate Room to Elizabeth's quarters. "Have a seat, Tamara." Tamara complied, plopping down on her mother's bed. Elizabeth sighed.
"Tamara, we need to talk about your foolish antics." she said.
"Foolish antics? Mom, what are you talking about?" Tamara asked.
"First of all, there was the jumping through the Stargate to go to PX2-879 to decipher your dream. Then there's your disappearing acts in the middle of the night or day and telling nobody where you go. Now you take it upon yourself to rescue us, which we didn't need your help. What I want to know is, why? Why did you feel the need to come to a planet teeming with Goa'oulds?" During her speech, Elizabeth had been pacing back and forth. Now she stopped in front of Tamara.
"Mom, I wasn't thinking." Elizabeth threw her hands up in the air.
"Oh, that's great. That's nothing new. You know, you're just a little too much like Daniel." Elizabeth said.
"Mom, all I knew was that you and Dad were in trouble and I thought maybe there was a way I could help." Tamara said, her expression one of anger.
"And what about Adam and Megabyte? What if we had been just a few seconds late? Adam would have become a Jaffa. How would you have felt then?"
"I would have felt bad but it didn't happen, Momma. Adam's okay, you guys apparently found some kind of escape way, so what's the problem, Mom?"
"The problem, Tamara, is that if you keep doing foolhardy things like that, you are going to get hurt, perhaps seriously." Elizabeth sighed. "Tamara, I don't want to see anything happen to you."
"Mom, I can take care of myself." Tamara rolled her eyes.
"You say that now, Tamara, but you don't know what may happen."
"Okay, Mom, you know what? Adam and I are going out to dinner and if we don't hurry, we're going to be late. Gotta go! Bye!" With that, Tamara teleported from the room back to the corridor outside the Gate Room, where Adam and Megabyte were patiently waiting.
"So, is everything okay?" Megabyte asked.
"No." Tamara said, fuming. "My mother is still being overprotective."
"So what are we going to do now?" Adam asked.
"I told Mom that we were going out to dinner." Tamara said softly.
"Well, guys, I hate to say it, but I've got to get on home. Dad and Mom are probably wondering where I am." Megabyte said. "I guess I'll see you guys later."
"Okay Megabyte. 'Bye." Tamara said.
"See ya Megabyte." Adam said. Megabyte winked at Tamara then teleported away. Adam turned back to her.
"You mentioned dinner. Are you hungry?" he asked.
"Starved, actually." Tamara admitted.
"Would you like to eat at my place?" Adam asked.
"You mean the Ship?" she said. Adam shook his head.
"No, I mean my apartment in Australia." Tamara looked surprised.
"You have an apartment in Australia?" she asked. Adam smiled and nodded.
"I'll even show you my artwork." he said. "And I'll cook you dinner." Tamara smiled.
"Sounds like fun." she said.
******
Only two other people knew about Adam's little loft: Lisa, who was out of his life forever, and Karyn, who'd helped him buy the place.
Smartest thing my sister ever encouraged me to do. Adam looked around the one-roomed loft. A small sofa and a glass coffee table sat in the middle of the room. Two barstools stood at the kitchen bar, and charcoal sketches and framed photographs decorated the walls. A double bed and a nightstand with a lamp sat in one corner. Lastly, there was a large drafting table, an art tower, and an easel that had been sat up next to the window.
Tamara stood in the middle of the room, looking around, as Adam turned on the lights.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"My loft, in Adelaide. My sister helped me buy this place." Adam ran a hand through his hair, pulling out the leather cord. "I come here when I need to get away." Tamara looked at the charcoal sketches.
"You drew these?" she said after checking the signature at the bottom.
"Yeah." Adam said shyly. "Do you like them?"
"Yes. You're very talented." Tamara said. "But what does the 'M' stand for?"
"Michael, my middle name."
"Adam Michael Newman." Tamara said. She smiled. "I like the sound of that." She ran a hand across the drafting table and walked past the counter. Adam sat down on the couch and placed his feet on the coffee table. Tamara walked over to the easel and looked out the window at the bustle below. She walked over to the double bed and sat down. She met Adam's gaze and smiled.
"So, what is the artist's latest masterpiece?" she asked. Adam laughed. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Actually, I'm stuck. I don't know what to draw." Adam stood up and went over to the drafting table. He leaned against it, his back to Tamara.
"Do the others know about this place?" she asked.
"No, only you, Lisa, and my sister."
"Do you draw people?" she asked, slowly rising to her feet.
"I have in the past." he answered. He picked up a pencil and began to idly sketch.
"Would you like to draw me?" Tamara said, pulling her shirt over her head.
"Yeah, sure." Adam turned to see Tamara shucking the last of her clothes. His mouth dropped open as he stared at her.
"What? Don't tell me you've never seen anyone naked." she said.
"Well, yeah, but. . ." Tamara walked over to him and placed a finger to his lips.
"You're not afraid, are you?" she asked.
"Afraid of what?" Adam answered softly. "You've been watching 'Titanic', haven't you?" Tamara laughed.
"Not lately. Actually, I've always wanted to pose nude. Here's my chance." she said.
"Lay down on the bed." Adam instructed, grabbing his sketchpad. Tamara complied, propping herself up on her elbow. Adam looked up at her and shook his head. "No, lay down. Pretend you're going to sleep." Tamara lowered herself to the bed. "Turn your face toward me." Tamara turned to look at Adam. He had pulled his hair back again and was beginning to sketch. He looked up at her occasionally then back down at his pad.
"Can I look?" she asked fifteen minutes later.
"No. I'm not finished. Don't move." Adam replied. Tamara smiled.
"Okay." she answered. Adam looked up at her, met her gaze. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards in a smile as his gaze slipped down her body. Tamara felt a warmth rush over her as Adam brushed her mind with a light touch. She focused her gaze on him. His gaze was cast downward at his lap, surveying what he was drawing. A lock of hair had slipped from the leather cord and was caressing his cheek. He pushed it back with one hand.
"No, leave it there. It makes you look cute." Tamara said. Adam raised his head.
"Cute?" he repeated.
"Yeah, cute. You know, handsome."
"Oh, I see." Adam returned his attention to his drawing. After a little while, he ran his hand across the paper and signed the bottom. He sighed, then picked the paper up and turned it around so Tamara could see it. She took it from his hands.
"Impressive." Tamara said. "You have a talent."
"Thank you." Adam started to walk away but Tamara grabbed his hand and pulled him down onto the bed. She kissed him passionately, placing his hand on her breast.
"Tamara, what are you doing?" Adam asked. Tamara looked up at him.
"What? I just. . ." Tamara pulled away from him and rose from the bed. She quickly dressed in her clothes.
"You just what?" Adam said, turning to look at her.
"I just thought you might. . .never mind." Tamara ran a hand through her hair and pulled it up into a ponytail. Adam placed his hand on hers to stop her.
"I do, Tamara. It's just. . ."
"Just what?"
"You're young."
"I'm 17."
"And I'm 19." Adam walked over to her and kissed her. "I love you, Tamara. I do." He took her hand and led her back to the bed. He laid her back against it and began to kiss her neck.
******
Tamara awoke the next morning to find herself enfolded in a warm embrace. She felt fingertips softly caressing her upper arm and a feathery kiss pressed against her forehead.
"Good morning." Adam said gently. Tamara smiled as she turned toward him and kissed his lips passionately.
"Now that is a good morning I could learn to like." he teased. Tamara ran a hand through Adam's hair as he pulled her down on top of his chest. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm starved. We never got around to having dinner last night, you know." Adam began to laugh.
"We were slightly busy." he said. He moved out from under her and sat up. Tamara placed her arms around his chest as he reached for a pair of jeans and put them on.
"Where are you going?" she asked, kissing his ear. "Stay with me for a little longer."
"Not if you want breakfast any time soon." Adam said. As if to confirm his statement, Tamara's stomach rumbled loudly, prompting them both to laugh.
"I guess that's one vote for breakfast." Tamara said. Adam smiled as he headed into the kitchen. As he was about to pull his hair back into a ponytail, Tamara shouted at him. He turned back to her, a puzzled expression on his face.
"What?" he asked.
"Don't pull your hair back. Leave it loose. I like it like that." she said. The corners of Adam's mouth curved upward.
"All right." he said, winking at her. He walked away toward the kitchen, leaving Tamara laying on the bed. She sighed happily then grabbed her discarded clothes and began to dress. When she walked into the kitchen, the smell of bacon frying and pancakes cooking caught her nose. Adam stood in front of the stove, his hair flowing down his bare back. He turned around as Tamara sat down at the bar.
"Is it ready yet?" she asked.
"Almost." he said. He reached into a cabinet to the left of the stove and pulled out two plates and two cups. Setting all of them down on the bar, Adam opened the refrigerator then turned to face Tamara. "What would you like? I've got milk, orange juice, soda."
"I'll take milk, thank you. I don't care for orange juice." Tamara said. Adam faked a shocked expression.
"What? Don't like orange juice? Don't tell Megabyte. He lives by the stuff." Tamara smiled as Adam set a glass of milk in front of her. He handed her a plate filled with pancakes and bacon and sat down to his own plate.
"This looks great." she said.
"Tastes even better." Adam said, his mouth full of pancakes. Tamara laughed. Their eyes met over the bar and Tamara felt something inside of her melt.
"I love you, Adam Newman." she said, placing her hand over Adam's. He cocked his head to one side as he looked at her.
"And I love you, Tamara Jackson." he said. They sat there, hands clasped together, gazes locked, smiles ornamenting their faces.
The End