Hathor

The sound of shuffling behind the metal door called them all to attention, but instead of the noisy clang of the lock, mere scraping was heard before the door opened fully. Frances was on her feet this very instant, ready to face whatever sentence the general had decided upon. A woman with short blond hair and huge blue eyes burst in, a rifle pointed to them. Behind her, several women, all clad in standard BDUs, were checking the corridor in silence. Mulder, Scully and Frances lifted their hands in surrender, automatically responding to the tense posture of the woman. Then entered a huge man, a golden emblem tattooed on his forehead, his skin dark and eyes an incredible shade of black. Trying very hard not to gape, Frances' attention was called back when the woman locked eyes with Scully.

— "I know this is against regulation but we need backup. The base is overrun by the enemy. Can you use a rifle or a handgun?"

Scully nodded at once.

— "We are FBI."

— "All right. Are you up to fighting under my command?"

Mulder was being ignored, and it didn't sit well with him as he stepped forward.

— "Wait a minute. Is that a test? To see if we are ready to cooperate or mount a rebellion? This whole story sounds fishy. We heard no commotion."

Another voice responded as a small woman stepped forward, her brown hair loose and long enough to indicate she wasn't part of the military crew. Yet, she too bore a rifle.

— "And there will be none, not if we can help it. I'm the doctor here, and I don't want anybody to get hurt."

— "No one will be fighting unless we know what's happening."

Mulder's voice was stern, unmovable. The blond woman sighed, exchanging a significant look with the doctor.

— "All right. A woman by the name of Hathor has used a chemical component to ensnare the men of the base, included General Hammond. She needs to be disposed off without casualties of our own."

Of all of the weird situation Frances had faced with Mulder and Scully, this ranked quite high on the list, especially since Hathor was the name of an Egyptian Goddess. The black man's presence was also unnerving; he wasn't moving a muscle, akin to a mountain blocking the door, his eyes observing them without any emotion on his face. Frances frowned, had the blond woman not mentioned that no man could be trusted?

— "So what about him?" Mulder asked, mirroring Frances' thoughts.

— "He is immune to the pheromones Hathor is using."

— "You mean he is an alien?"

This time, the doctor shared a startled look with her blond companion, who in turn, locked gaze with Scully.

— "This is not the time to address any questions. I'm Captain Carter. Will you fight or not? We're rather short of women."

— "I'm game"

Four startled pairs of eyes turned to Frances as she extended her hands in hope of receiving a gun. Mulder protested, of course, but the captain nodded in thanks.

— "All right. Let's go," added Scully.

— "Hey, what about me?" asked Mulder.

The doctor turned to him, giving him a hearty smile.

— "Sorry sweetheart, but you're a man."

And then, just like this, Frances and Scully cocked the safety of the guns they were granted, while the tall man locked the door in front of a fuming Mulder.

— "We'll be back, Mulder."

The special agent nodded, defeated, as he watched the ladies dive into the endless maze of the SGC. He just hoped with all his heart that the Hathor Goddess wouldn't try to get him, and switched off the light as he lay on his bed. It was the first time of his life that he was begrudged being a man!

After silently running across long corridors and arches, the group of ladies eventually came at a crossroads of sorts.

— "Remember," the doctor said, her small frame dwarfed by the giant man beside her, "No casualties if it can be prevented"

Scully and Frances nodded, copper and mahogany strands bobbing up and down in the process.

— "Captain. What does she look like, this Hathor?" whispered the FBI agent.

— "Another redhead," chuckled the doctor, visibly amused that both of their new recruits had somehow reddish hair.

It was the captain who answered as she surveilled the place.

— "Tall, beautiful, boisterous dress, arrogant, glowing eyes, make-up on her face. You can't miss her"

— "Everything is clear, Captain Carter,' came the tall man's deep voice.

— "All right, let's move again."

The little group progressed in silence, some going left and right to secure the perimeter, wary of the numerous men on base that could become a potential hazard. But there were none in their way, or at least, none left. Perhaps the other ladies had cleared the way. Captain Carter asked Scully and Frances to stick close; she couldn't ask them to roam the base since they didn't know the layout, and would use them as firepower if needed. Fair enough, though Frances as she ran alongside the doctor. Captain Carter knew where to lead them, she didn't hesitate a second as she entered some sort of locker room. Then, she signalled to be silent, and entered behind a partial wall where all could join her. The sound of bubbling water filled the room, as well as moisture and a thick smell Frances couldn't pin point. Carter's eyes widened as she scanned the room, but the young lady couldn't gather what it was, for she was crouched beside her.

A slight shuffling was heard, then the sound of heavy sloshing and the captain retreated beside her, eyes wide. Behind them, a feminine voice echoed in the bathroom.

— "Do not worry child. You will soon receive your Goa'uld. And then you will begin to feel strong again."

More sloshing noises, like someone splashing around the bubble bathtub, and Frances wondered why the blond woman seemed so horrified.

— "The strongest of the larvae will soon find your womb and move into it. At that moment, you will begin your service to us. Enjoy"

A moment passed during which everyone seemed to hold their breath. And then, Carter spoke.

— "Let's get him outta there,' she commanded before turning to them. "You guard the exit"

— "Understood,' answered Scully with a nod.

There were few words exchanged as faint screeches seemed to come up from the bubble bath, but when a tall blond man was laid down on the bench beside them, Frances couldn't help by witness the most gruesome sigh. There was a hole in the man's stomach, and the doctor roamed it with her hand with a disgusted face.

— "No. Nothing went in there yet."

Frances turned to Scully, who sported an abashed look. 'What the hell?' she mouthed to her companion. The young lady shrugged. Evidently, those people had more interesting lives than working deep space radar telemetry. The tall man's voice interrupted her musings as he stated.

— "He no longer has an immune system. Without a Goa'uld larva, he will soon die."

Larva. Ugh! Frances was quite close enough to vomit on the ground, but Scully's face was concerned. The man had just passed out, and the wound on his stomach, a huge X, seemed quite untreatable.

— "Don't you have advanced technology to cure him?" she asked.

The doctor turned to her, her face hopeful.

— "Actually, you're right. The sarcophagus!"

And so, the tall man, called Teal'c, gathered his companion on his broad shoulders and they set off once again in the maze of corridors that was the extensive Cheyenne mountain base. A hundred questions roamed Frances's mind, but she wouldn't heed them until they were safe. For the moment, her brain registered every detail, every out of place event to report it to Mulder. Then, they'd make sense of it all. The goddess was still on the loose; her appearance unknown to her, and they were running from any man on this base. Meaning, 90% of the population. At last, they made it to a great open hangar. A gasp escaped Frances' lips; before her stood a ramp, and at the end of that ramp, throned a great disc of metal at least 6 metres high, with a quadrant and designs on its width that she'd never seen before. Scully, equally baffled, nudged her shoulder slightly to encourage her to close her mouth. And to pay attention to her surroundings. At the base of the ramp, Teal'c set the man down into a huge device – the sarcophagus – richly decorated with gold, and set it into motion. The top doors enclosed the wounded man inside, like a freezer.

— "I have seen the Goa'uld chamber do many miracles,' he said.

And Frances couldn't help but wonder at the ancient manner of speech of this tall man, and the meaning of his gold encrusted tattoo upon his brow. Unfortunately, her quiet moment was interrupted by the opening of the door opposite them. The airmen didn't even warn before they started shooting at them. At once, Frances ducked behind the ramp, the metal railing protecting her. As for Scully, she didn't get as much luck as she landed with her legs partly exposed. Very soon, a bullet had embedded itself in her thigh. Around them, chaos was unleashed. Frances crawled to her friend, grasping her hand to drag her under the ramp as she returned fire. The airmen weren't expecting her shots, and she landed a bullet into an arm, another in a leg before turning to Scully. She feared the femoral artery has been touched, but her partner nodded with a wince, sweat tickling down her brow.

— "I'm all right"

Beside the sarcophagus, the small doctor had been hit, and so had Teal'c when he retrieved her. This was not good, and they were clearly outnumbered as new men poured through the door. But then, as she thought they were going to get heavy fire, a woman entered the room. With her more than sexy and shiny dress, and ridiculous make-up, she could only be Hathor. At the same moment, the sarcophagus opened, and the formerly wounded man sat up, a look of bewilderment on his face.

— "Stop! You will harm our new Jaffa,' Hathor ordered.

And the fire ceased. Frances sighed in relief. She shouldn't have, for the makeshift goddess lifted her hand, glowing embers shining at the centre of her palm. A deflagration of energy hit the device just as the man jumped aside, and it startled crackling all around. Hathor, seemingly unconcerned, turned on her heels and took her goons with her. Horrified, Frances helped Scully on her feet – thank God the woman weighed so little – and started dragging her to the door. The crackling intensified, a spinning noise whistling out of control filling their ears. 'Shit shit shit' Frances hauled Scully up, hurrying like a crazy woman to get out of there before this machine blew them up to hell. Right before them, the blond captain swiped her access card and they tumbled out of the room in haste. The explosion hit them hard, sending them flying across the corridor with a harsh landing. For a moment, Frances saw stars, her back muscles complaining loudly about such a treatment. Beside her, Scully let out a yelp, eyes glazed from the pain.

— "Scully ?"

A groan answered, followed by a thumb up as her head fell on the concrete floor once more. For a while, Frances didn't make heads or tails of the voices around. The great room was opened once more, and she could hear the captain and the colonel converse. Then, the doctor appeared in her line of vision, hobbling with the help of the tall man.

— "You should come to the infirmary" she said.

Frances shook her head, her vision getting clearer.

— "Nope. I'll help with the drama queen. But my partner needs medical attention"

— "Do not fear, we will take care of her" came the man's deep voice.

— "You have my thanks, Teal'c" she answered with reverence.

And the three of them staggered away. For a moment, Frances wondered if she shouldn't come with them, just to ensure Scully's safety. But three people were better than two. She joined the captain and the colonel in the great room, whistling at the damage the sarcophagus had done to the place. If she'd stayed hidden below the ramp, she'd been roasted like a pig.

— "Now what?", was asking the Captain.

— "Now, you and I go for that Goa'uld."

The colonel suddenly turned to Frances, eyeing her suspiciously.

— "And you are?"

It was the captain who answered in her place.

— "A good shot, sir. We could use someone with her skills. Especially since Hathor is guarded by our own men. We can't exactly go in shooting."

The Colonel seemed to ponder Frances' value compared to her youth, until he eventually decided not to decide anything, and walked away. The two women tailed him as he exposed his plan.

— "We can use tranquilliser guns."

As the two air force officers discussed the location of aid weapons, Frances couldn't help but ponder on the situation. And the incredible things she had witnessed. They didn't know how many of the women were left in the base, and Hathor's plans had been foiled. For the moment. At last, they came to the C lock up, and equipped themselves with tranquilliser guns. Its design she wasn't quite used to, a long rifle quite different from her handgun, and the Colonel gave her a few tips regarding its use.

— "Less recoil, more stable. Show me your stance"

The man was intimidating and business like, to say the least. Frances shouldered the gun, and he corrected it slightly, adjusting the position on her shoulder.

— "It will do, let's go."

They made their way back to the locker room, silent footsteps on the concrete floor, only to find that Hathor was less than pleased with the captain. Hiding once more behind the wall, Frances awaited the Colonel's orders.

— "We demand that the woman you call Carter be brought before us so we may gain retribution."

Damn. Her manner of speech was so ancient, a little bit like Teal'c was. Was there any connexion between this goul and the tall man? Another voice rose, a man, compassion laced in his tone.

— "Captain Carter does deserve to be punished, my queen. But she does not know what she is doing. I beg of you to show mercy."

— "She deserves no mercy from us. She will make amends with her death."

A look was exchanged between the two officers, a silent communication born of habits that told Frances they were ready to shoot. At once, they all stood, and the four men guarding the goddess fell.

— "I don't think so" quipped the captain.

But Hathor raised her hand device, and threw the blond woman against the wall where she crumbled in a heap. Beside her, Frances expected the Colonel to fire, but the guy only stood, eyes bulging out, frozen in place. The young woman fidgeted, ducking below the wall to put her rifle down, and take the handgun out. Just as she was about to rise, the woman's voice echoed in the room again. But this time, it held another undertone, as if a second voice had been superimposed upon it. It was low, inhuman, and grated on her nerves so much that she trembled. Dread washed over her, her mind screaming, 'alien, alien!' The colonel, though, was still frozen in place. Was he still feeling the effect of her mind control ? What if he turned against her ? She'd be thoroughly screwed.

— "You have failed us our love. You will not fail us again."

Frances breathed in to calm her racing heart, and stood. The woman's eyes were flashing gold, her hand raised with the strangely glowing machine. Frances knew what it meant; death. The Colonel was on borrowed time. At once, she opened fire. Her first bullet hit true, and the woman staggered backwards into the tub. Another set of bullets started to assault the bath tub; captain Carter had awakened and was emptying her magazine upon the woman. And then, the very water caught fire! The other man hollered, as if in pain, upon seeing the larvas' burning on the ground and trying to escape the inferno. At once, the Captain and the Colonel started moving the unconscious people out of the way, but Frances could only stare as the disgusting shrieking weasels writhing in pain. The man named Daniel seemed enthralled by it, ignoring his colleagues' demands, and so Frances reach for him gently. He didn't resist as she enclosed his hand in hers, pulling at his elbow.

A shadow caught the side of her vision, and the young lady narrowed her eyes. Behind her, Colonel and Captain had retrieved the one named Daniel from her grasp, and she squinted her eyes in the room. Nothing. Spooked, she followed her instincts, and went for the back door. There were wet spots on the floor. Frances ran, following her trail until it led her, again, in the great room. And what she witnessed there made her knees weak. Hathor was there, standing tall and proud as a queen of old. And before her, a horizon of liquid filled the great circle. The waves rippled on its surface like mercury mixed with water, the most incredible sigh she'd ever seen. And that meant a lot, given what they'd stumbled upon with Mulder and Scully. As Hathor stepped on the ramp, Frances realised she meant to go through it. What did it mean, this circle of water ?

Raising her handgun, she fired. Her bullet hit Hathor's shoulder, and the woman turned to her in fury. Another bullet flew, and another, a shrill cry indicating that she'd found her mark. Then Hathor raised her hand, and a wave of heat came towards her so fast that Frances felt she'd hit a wall at full speed. The young woman was projected backwards, and darkness claimed her.