Topic: Door to Heaven

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-07-20 18:29 EST
Rhydin time: 04:33 July 18, 2012

In a dense patch of forest a few miles northeast of the city proper a gateway that had been dormant for some time shuddered back to life. The symbols on the tall ring centered on a dais began to light up and the inner ring began to spin. Vines that had been clinging to the unused structure fell away and dust that had settled on the ring shook away in clouds, making it look as if it were steaming—and the inner ring spun fast enough that it might have been.

Finally eight symbols in total lit and the keystone chevron locked into place seconds before a blue vortex formed and shot out in a cylindrical wave that collapsed back in on itself, but not before completely obliterating everything in its path. Trees fell and branches showered down like rain and all within the vicinity of the gate was bathed in an eerie blue light emanating from the tranquil pool left ebbing within the ring like a standing pool of water.

Several moments passed and nothing happened, then the surface was disturbed by a man in black combat dress, a pack on his back and a P90 submachine gun clipped to his belt which he almost drop as he tried to regain his footing on his stumble down the ramp leading up to the gate.

"That was one rough ride," he said to open air, clearly with the expectation of a response. When he didn't receive one he righted his glasses which had been knocked askew during his trip through the wormhole and looked around at the empty expanse. "Guys?"

He hadn't been the first through the gate so he hadn't expected to be the first on the other side. He turned towards the gate in time to catch the event horizon of the portal wink out of existence. "Damn!"

After a quick survey of the immediate area didn't produce any signs of life—no footprints, no nothing—he did a circuit around, looking for anything he might have missed. In the meantime he hit the call button on his radio.

"This is Dr. Daniel Jackson. Atlantis team, can you read me?" He let the button go and was greeted by static. He gave it a moment. "I repeat, this is Dr. Daniel Jackson, can anyone read me?" Another few moments of dead air and he tried a couple other channels commonly used by the SGC, but he wasn't surprised when he came up with nothing.

"Must have gotten knocked off course somehow," he said to himself as he did another circuit of the gate, this time ringing out a bit farther. Panic had yet to set in, merely some annoyance, but when his survey of the area didn't produce what he was looking for—a DHD which would operate the gate—he got that feeling of dread forming like a lead weight in the pit of his stomach.

He started going over his options in his head. Protocol would be to find a secure campsite within close proximity to the gate and sit tight, wait for back up. It was nighttime, so that would also be the smartest course of action over exploring an unknown planet in the dark. The foliage around the gate looked like any other world he's been, but there had been rare exceptions to that rule. As far as he could tell there were no markings, no temples, no anything an archeologist like himself could use to guess at the culture of the lifeforms on this planet—if there even were any.

One thing was clear was that the Stargate hadn't been used in a very long time and that meant some relative safety from the Goa'uld.

The other thing he could do is come morning explore the area and hope the natives of the planet had the DHD housed elsewhere. It hadn't been uncommon for that to happen, for it to be put into a warehouse or a museum somewhere. A slimmer chance would to be to find an alternate power source to power the Gate, but he wasn't confident enough to try that himself.

All he knew was at this point he needed to set up a camp, so he began to ring out farther from the Gate, always keeping it as his central marker. The moons were ready to descend for their nightly slumber and the sun was just peeking over the horizon when he picked a spot a good three hundred yards from the Gate. There was a thick copse of trees and a nearby stream for water. As for food, he had a fair amount of MREs, but they wouldn't last forever.

Though not tired he set up his ground tarp and bedroll to sit on. He pulled out his recorder and began to chronicle what had transpired thus far.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson's personal log, July 18th, 2005..."

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-07-21 03:46 EST
Two full days spent in Rhydin and Daniel had spent most of them camped near the Stargate. While he was no survivalist he knew he needed some kind of shelter even if he eventually ventured out to explore. He engineered a basic lean-to that took more effort than he cared to admit to, but with his tarp thrown over it, should prove both well camouflaged and waterproof.

The Gate never activated, no word came through. Periodically over that time he called over the radio again, but at this point he was convinced that even if the SGC knew he had been thrown off course they didn't know where he was and the Atlantis team might be as scattered and lost as he was.

It became increasingly important that he know just where he was and what was around. Thus far the forest had been quiet except for passing animals that he never caught sight of, but nothing that caused him alarm. At night he plotted the stars. He didn't recognize the constellations and the Gate without the DHD was absolutely no help. What he needed was ruins or an actual town so he could do what he did best: research.

What he ended up finding when he left camp on the morning of the 20th had been a surprise. He stumbled across developed lands and what he assumed would lead to residences, but he had spied Rhydin city off in the distance and decided to head for the settlement instead. It was surreal. He could already see the different influences that impacted the development of the city. Some buildings reminded him of 12th century England, then turn a corner and it was like time had jumped a few centuries ahead. Then one section had reminded him so strongly of Kelowna it had been a shock.

He hadn't gone far in the city before he decided it would be prudent to ditch some of his gear somewhere safe. He didn't want to go completely unarmed, but he felt less secure being a single gunman walking through an unknown city than he did with the rest of his team. He backtracked his way out of the city and stowed his pack and his P90 somewhere he felt was secure, but kept his M1911 pistol holstered on his thigh. It was small, unobtrusive and still packed a mighty wallop.

Gear stashed he headed back into the city, this time making no effort to hide his movements. He was surprised how far he had gotten before he had started seeing signs of life on the streets. From the buildings he could tell he was in some sort of a business district, maybe near an open marketplace of some sort. He passed several open shops with people inside, passed several people on the streets, but no one seemed to give him a second glance. Finally he approached a street vendor who had been friendly, if rather simple. He both accepted Daniel's newness and offered some friendly advice, though he didn't have many answers and Daniel didn't push.

What he had recommended was that Daniel visit a place he called the Red Dragon Inn and offered only a laugh in response to a question if there were actual dragons. Something Daniel was soon to learn was true. He headed to the iconic Inn which he could tell immediately was a common meeting point in the city and thus a good place to start.

After a few hours spent there and a few helpful locals, he recovered his pack and P90 and headed back to his camp, far later than he would have liked to be traveling the unfamiliar land. When he returned he sat for a time outside his lean-to and recorded some notes for the day while a delicious MRE heated up. Chicken surprise. Yum.

"July 20th, 2005. I failed to determine local time, which I will resolve to do tomorrow.

About an hour and a half south of my current position there is a sizable city which is most curious. The architecture reflects a myriad of cultures and time periods. I suspected early on and had confirmed that this world, called Rhydin, is in fact populated by a collection of aforementioned cultures and time periods, including many I have yet to observe. A local by the name of Anya McClaerie gave me a great deal of information about this world, some reassuring and some disheartening.

I am pleased and grateful to learn the people here are friendly and helpful. I was introduced to several people, most of whom gave me a good deal of information. It seems that it is very common for people from other worlds to end up here by various means and while there may be means to return it may take some doing to discover the pathway to the version of Earth I belong to. Much like the times I have traveled through the Quantum Mirror, there are an infinite amount of layers to reality here and lacking the Mirror I may have to discover other ways to cross universes.

One reassuring factor is that I am not experiencing entropic cascade failure, which Sam experienced when another version of herself came through the Mirror. This may mean I am in the proper reality, a reality where I have already died on Earth or am in a reality so extreme from my own that I simply do not exist in this sense. Another local, a Minotaur—which I will have to go into another time as I plan on asking him if he or any of his kin had ever been to Earth as this may revise some theory of Minoan culture—who is called Andu informed me that he recognized my uniform from a TV show. I had assumed this was Wormhole X-treme, but I was shocked to learn it was instead a show called Stargate SG-1, after my team.

I had not considered the possibility that there could be some reality where my existence is fictional and therefore must consider the possibility that there is another 'me' out there, only one who is not....me. I'm sure Sam will have some explanation for this, but the implications are too much for me.

Today I learned a great deal. There is much that I still need to reflect upon, but a few things are clear to me. First, I may be here for an extended period of time and I need to find somewhere to stay that isn't a camp in the forest. Second, as I lack funds, I need to find some form of employment. Andu suggested there should be plenty for a newcomer like me, some that offer room and board. Lastly I need to locate a library of some sort so I can research the history of this world. If nothing else I would like to learn more of its origins. The presence of a Stargate here convinces me that the Ancients had been here at some point which begs the question: Is this world a result of their doing or was it here first' Are there Ancients here still?

It's late, I'm hungry and tired. Hopefully tomorrow I will have better news to report."

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-07-23 16:11 EST
Daniel wasn't the best a dissembling a campsite to make an area look untouched, but he had done the best that he could. It wasn't that he didn't trust the people he'd met....well. That was exactly it. How often had trusting strangers blindly gotten him into deep trouble?

It always seemed to happen on the friendliest of worlds, too. There were far too many worlds where the population was nothing but kind and had turned around to get him in hot water. Still, he believed in the best of people and he was only going to get so far without help.

That was why he'd accepted Anya's offer of a place to stay. He was sure whatever work it was wouldn't be difficult and it meant a roof over his head.

Satisfied that the camp looked good enough he checked the Stargate one last time. He set up some simple markers that would tell him if anyone came through the Gate. Then it was south into the city again. His P90 he found a new hidey hole for and he'd resolved to check on it/move it often, but he didn't want to bring it with him.

The Boar's Nest was farther south from the Gate then he wanted to be and he could only hope that he'd still be within radio range should anyone try this address. If not there was nothing he could do about it and he wouldn't even know. The thought was chilling, but he held onto hope.

"July 23rd, 2005. Local time 16:00 hours. I'm settled into a room at the Boar's Nest tavern and bakery. A man by the name of Padrig set me up at Anya McClaerie's behest. He reminded me a bit of Jack, though not as dry in his humor. I guess I will be speaking with Ms. McClaerie at a later date about the arrangement, but there's no rush yet, for which I am grateful. I'd like a few days at least to familiarize myself with the local libraries—of which there seem many.

There's clothes here, random pieces left by past visitors, available for me to wear. I'll take advantage of them another time, but I will likely mostly wear my uniform. If any SG personnel comes through the Gate, it would be best if the locals recognized them. That way word can get around. The city is quite large and I understand there is even a spaceport to the west which I have yet to venture to.

There is a lot I need to get done in the meantime and first things first, I need a bath and clean clothes."

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-08-01 15:59 EST
What is undone is done again.

After spending a fair week at the Nest Daniel found himself setting up camp near the Gate again. It was far from ideal, too far from the city, too far from the libraries and not a very good place to bring books back for research. But it would have to do for the next few days at least.

He just wasn't feeling comfortable after the way Anya had reacted—had been reacting—since he'd shown up. Her behavior stumped him, the way she withdrew so quickly and acted so coldly. As much help as she offered, it seemed to come with a barb and a higher price than she let seem. Daniel didn't want to play those games. So once he had split the wood at the Nest like he had said he would, he packed his things and left.

It was just so damn perplexing. All he was asking was for more time to prepare for a journey and she storms off without a word. It was hard enough for him to even ask her for help. He'd had questions about the Articles especially after reading the note. They thought the center crystal was a ruby' What would they think of the crystals inside that powered it' They looked like gemstones—big gemstones at that. He wanted to make sure that none of the DHD, if that is in fact it was, was going to be taken. After all, the DHD won't work without the crystals.

Daniel had a feeling in his gut that to get back to his timeline he would need the DHD. It was like the time he knew Master Bra'tac and Rya'c were prisoners on Erebus where he seemed to have a lingering memory. There were times when going through the city he thought he recognized buildings, that he had been there before. It wasn't possible, not unless he had visited RhyDin at some point while he was Ascended.

There was something he was missing, something he just wasn't sure of and he didn't know how to access the memories he needed. With a sigh he finished tying off the last tie on his tent. He wasn't looking forward to sleeping on the ground again, but it wouldn't be for long. One of the libraries where he had been going—one of the largest he's seen, off of Earth—on a daily basis had offered him a job to help sort through the books. He figured it would not only be money in his pocket to spend on lodging, but it would also give him a chance to really thoroughly comb through the books. Then there was the map room....

Once he was done with his tent he sat down on a nearby fallen log to take some notes and make some new plans.

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-08-12 16:32 EST
Daniel could just barely make out the sounds of life rambling on floors beneath his feet. He'd moved to the Inn days ago with an advance the librarian had given him and he'd been quick to make it his own.

If you counted stacks of books 'his own', that is.

There was so much material for him to go to he barely knew where to start. So he'd started at the beginning, with the histories of RhyDin. He hadn't needed to know everything there was to know, but even just skimming and taking notes he filled up a few notebooks and had several sections flagged for further research.

It would have been too helpful to find a reference to the Stargate or the Ancients that easily, but there were so many gateways and ancient beings each direction required an entirely separate line of research.

Under other circumstances Daniel would have been thrilled to have this opportunity. This place was not just alien, but it was a collection of cultures. In his time sorting the books at the library he had found books on countless worlds and races. And more exciting, he'd stumbled across books that were thought to be lost forever. As much as he'd wanted to take some of the texts thought to be lost in the Library of Alexandria, he only took one book that wasn't related to the research. He set his pen down, too lost in his thoughts to keep writing, and picked up the book.

Melville's Isle of the Cross had never been published on his world and Melville himself had burned the original transcript after being rejected by his publishers. Moby Dick had received such poor reviews initially that for a time Melville was looked at like a hack. It didn't last long and Melville put out other books, but this one had been deemed lost.

He hadn't read it yet. As insanely curious as he'd been he just couldn't bring himself to. It was a newer copy, printed in the early nineties. He wanted to find an original from 1853 when it should have been printed on his Earth, when it had been originally on whatever world this book was from. Instead, he was saving it. It was one of a few things he'd earmarked to bring back with him when he found his way home.

Speaking of which....He picked up the note left for him by Summer Daniels. The other note, the handwritten one with the Viking Runes and hieroglyphs was taped up on his wall. The puzzle had been simple to figure out, but he appreciated the attempt. Summer was a pretty girl, young. Too young. Sometimes being down in the common room made him feel older than he was. He'd just celebrated his thirty fourth birthday before the Atlantis mission was intended to take off. Not that it had been much of a celebration....

He made himself focus back on the paper, on the directions to a warehouse. She'd said it was a lead to some interesting artifacts. The door sounded interesting. He was a little hesitant about going exploring, but what if it lead to answers?

With a sigh he let the paper fall back onto his desk and he pulled off his glasses so he could rub at his eyes.

This was a project that could fill up three lifetimes and here he was hoping to finish it in less than one. He needed a break.

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-08-15 16:46 EST
August 15, 2005

I have been in RhyDin for nearly a month. In this time I have learned a great deal about this strange and fascinating world....but very little about where I can go from here. There are many nice people here who are trying to be helpful, but still it is difficult to face it all.

I sent letters to several of the museum curators here asking after the DHD and have only gotten one promising response. They believe they have seen a reference to such a device, but have not seen it with their own eyes. The others hadn't so much as heard of it.

Yesterday a book at the library where I have been working bit me. Yes, it had teeth and everything. I was not badly hurt, but I required a couple of stitches and this foul smelling salve to fight off infection. Soon I may have to go back to the healer, because I believe it may be getting infected anyway. I was warned it could happen.

So writing is difficult right now as is grasping books. The pain is worse today, but that doesn't surprise me. There are stores that sell Earth medications so I got myself some ibuprofen and it's helping. While I'm discouraged by this forced break it gave me a chance to explore up by the Gate some more.

I don't believe the Gate was originally where it is now and I have been looking for where it was originally located. Very few Gates we've used were completely unadorned or so vastly overgrown. From the growth of the vegetation I believe it could only have been there a couple hundred of years.

There is just no reason for it to be where it is now. It's not in close proximity to any significant buildings and it's not all that close to the city itself. It's curious.

And more curiouser is a lead from an unexpected source. I'm sure Summer isn't aware of the significance of her latest missive to me. The puzzles are written in Ancient, though I can tell she isn't used to writing it and once I managed to translate them were easy enough to solve. The last is missing the end and I cannot begin to surmise the answer.

"I'm struck and cut, shaped and cooled, then bound by rings to release what?s stored." The answer is key.

"I shake the earth with booming thunder, fell forests whole and homes complete. I influence ships, topple kings, sweep down swift yet remain unseen!" That would be wind.

"Battle-scarred in times of strife. Resistant to ..." And that is it. Without a context for the riddle, I have no idea what the answer could be. I'm not sure with it I could either.

But the fact that Summer stumbled across the language of the Ancients must mean there are evidence of them here. It could be the key I need to get home.

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-08-30 19:52 EST
For once Daniel was not in the library and he wasn't in the Inn. He was where he was more often than not these afternoons once his job was done: exploring high up in the mountains. He was looking for a cave he'd seen referenced in several texts that talked about a pedestal with a large crystal in the middle and strange unknown writing around it. It could only be the DHD, he thought.

He'd come across four separate caves during his search. Two had been empty save for some run of the mill bats and didn't look like there had been any pedestal there at any time. The third had been full of creatures he believed to be some kind of troll. They weren't nice and didn't seem to speak Common and for once Daniel was grateful he carried his P90 on these jaunts.

The fourth cave was the one he'd just spotted, high up on a ridge. There was not path that he could see and finally he came to the conclusion that if he wanted to reach it, he'd have to climb up the bluff rock face. He didn't have any climbing gear, but there were plenty of hand and foot holds. It took him nearly ten minutes, but finally he pulled himself up on the ridge where he flopped onto his back to catch his breath.

When he stood he hefted his rifle easily in one hand while he wielded his flashlight in his other. He approached the cave warily, the memory of running from those trolls still fresh in his mind. He'd just seen enough of the cave to know the DHD couldn't be in there before the creatures woke up and chased him from their home. In hindsight he regretted shooting at them since he'd been an intruder. On the other hand they seemed to want to eat him.

The cave's entrance was small, only a few feet wide and low enough that he had to duck to enter. It was a miracle he'd seen it at all from the trail. A few feet in, however, the cave suddenly opened up into a massive cavern. His flashlight wasn't strong enough to see to the other side, but there must have been cracks in the cavern's ceiling, because there were a few shafts of light filtering in dimly. He still couldn't see the other end of the cave, but he could see there was a shallow pool of water in the middle surrounded by a few feet of dry rock.

"This place isn't natural. It was made," he said to the air. He ran a hand over the wall as he walked closer towards the pool and marveled at it's smoothness. The walls were cut to slope towards the center of the cavern to form a sort of dome. He followed the wall with his fingers trailing and trying to look everywhere at once. There was nothing written on the walls that he could make out and the cavern had no other opening. He'd made it around to the other side of the pool and finally he stepped towards the edge of the pool.

The water looked to be a foot deep, but his gaze didn't linger long on the still water. They raised to the walls and the ceiling and he tipped his head to the side. Curious.

"Hello!" He said, his voice only a little raised, but it boomed across the water and filled the chamber with sound. "A meeting chamber," he marveled, his words magnified again. He hear a couple of quiet splashes and he looked down. Condensation from the walls and the roof splashed and sent ripples across the surface. With his light shining across the water he noticed something else, a bit of sparkling at the center of the pool.

Never one to balk at the chance to learn something, Daniel stepped right out into the water. He was surprised to feel how warm it was after expecting it to be cool. He swung his flashlight from side to side as he walked towards the pool's center but he saw nothing. The water never got deeper and he slowed as he came close to the center.

At first he didn't see what was beneath the clear water when he shone his light downward. As the water began to still from his sloshing, he caught sight of the silver shapes on the pool's floor. At first he couldn't tell what they were, but as the water still enough he could tell that it was writing. Nordic runes or was it the language of the Asgards" He was surprised to see either here. Especially in a place like this. What would they be doing here of all places" Up in this mountain"

"The key is found in the dark," he read slowly. "Key' Key to what?" But he'd seen riddles like this before. He fumbled with his flashlight for a moment and he shut it off. There was still the dim light from the cracks in the ceiling and from the entrance, but it was still pretty dark in there. He couldn't see the letters below him or anywhere else in the water and he didn't see anything along the walls. Maybe he needed to wait until night'

He craned his head back, looking towards the cracks in the ceiling and he realized they didn't look randomly placed. They looked like they might form another symbol....he shifted back a couple of steps then off to the side. Back a bit more and over. "It looks like the symbol for..." Knowing hit him just as he felt the stone beneath his foot sink down like a switch. "...Loki."

And then Daniel disappeared through a hole in the floor and all that was left was the rippling water.

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-09-12 23:23 EST
Daniel let out a groan as he woke. He felt like he'd been out for a year and stuck in that unnatural crumple he'd been in since he'd fallen into the trap. A quick glance at his watch told him it'd only been a few hours. Still, he was plenty sore and moving into a sitting position was agony. His shoulder was on fired and he touched it tenderly to make sure it was still in it's socket—at least in this he was lucky.

Where ever he was it was dark and through the gloom he couldn't see much of anything. He had the vague sense that he was in a room, but that was about all he could tell. It took him a few minutes of blind groping around on the floor, but eventually he found his flashlight. Of course it didn't turn on when he tried the button. A couple of good whacks and the light flared to life.

The wan beam of light cut through the dark and at first all he could see was that he was in a very dusty room. Motes floated through the air, clearly disturbed from his fall. He wasn't sure if that was reassuring or not. Better than waking up surrounded by enemies.

Finally his light landed on something other than plain walls and he was both relieved and worried to see the familiar Asgardian set-up. It looked much like the pedestal they used for their holograms. Sure enough, by the time he'd managed to get to his feet, the hologram flared to life.

It was a recording, he knew, of a tall viking decked out in full armor carrying a long spear. It wasn't Thor's image, this one was smaller, sleeker though still imposing. "Condemned, I am your god, Loki. You have been judged by trial and Justice will be served." The hologram's voice boomed and Daniel listened avidly, but was checking out the wall it was mounted into. "That you are here means you were found guilty and you chose Redemption."

Daniel backed slowly from the hologram and looked around the room again. He couldn't see any doors and the ceiling was smooth. No sign of the tunnel he'd fallen through and he could see no wetness. It could have dried, but he suspected the tunnel he'd come through was designed to dry the prisoner.

"Ahead of you are a series of Challenges to test your resolve. These Challenges will, if completed, show your willingness for change. If you are true of heart and soul and you can complete each Challenge, you will win your freedom. If not, know that you will give your life instead. Are you ready to face your Challenges?"

He didn't do anything at first, just stood and stared at the hologram, considering. What other choice did he have" "Yes," he told the image of Loki. "I'm ready."

"Very well. Be steadfast, be true and you will have a second chance."

Daniel felt the rumble before he spotted the wall opening to reveal a passage. He swung his flashlight that way, but all he could make out was a dark hallway. When he stepped through the opening, torches in sconces on the walls flared to life illuminating a long hallway that sloped downward that was so long he could not see it's end.

He took a deep breath and started forward, a flutter of anxiety starting in the pit of his stomach.

Oh boy.

Dr Daniel Jackson

Date: 2012-11-07 21:30 EST
If there was one thing Daniel could say for sure, it was that the Challenges put forth by the Asgard Loki were much harsher and more cruel than anything Loki had set up on Cimmeria. The challenges to contact Thor had been set up to show the intellectual maturity of the Cimmerians and even though it was brutal, Thor's Hammer was a choice. Of course the options were for the Gou'uld symbiote to sacrifice itself or eventually die within the caverns, but....

At the moment when he was pressed against a wall, heels ground into a tiny shelf of rock barely wide enough for his feet to fit onto, he was wishing he was stuck in those caverns with a hungry Unas like Teal'c and Jack had been.

Loki's tests weren't all that surprising, but they also were not straightforward. Each had a strict moral lesson that it taught and each would repeat until you got it exactly right. Or died trying. Daniel learned early on that giving up was always an option.

He'd been through this test - his seventh, which he could only assume was his last - at least a dozen times so far. He was exhausted physically and mentally, but only sheer stubbornness was what kept him trying. What else he felt he couldn't even say; his emotions were in such a tangle that he couldn't discern one from the next.

What was the purpose of this test' The goal was to get across the room. That is was what the flickering hologram told him when it all began:

"Close enough to taste, yet as distant as the moon, there is salvation ahead, through the path to your doom."

Every test began with some sort of a riddle, each more cryptic than the last. Daniel grit his teeth and inched sideways. More of the shelf gave way beneath his feet and he stilled, clinging to the wall with fingers that were raw and bloody. If he could get just another few feet he was sure he could jump to the archway. He held his breath and moved a little more. He could feel the rock crumbling, but holding together just enough that he was making headway. Each move was nerve wracking. Just a little more....just a little more.

He leaped just as the last of the shelf crumbled away, arms stretched out as far as they could go. His fingers brushed the archway, but he found no purchase. He yelled out as much in frustration as in fear as he fell through the darkness.

When he hit the ground he was back in the little alcove between the last test and the new, the ethereal vision of a viking flickering into existence to repeat his mantra once more. Daniel lay on the floor staring at the rough hewn ceiling and waited for the electric zaps wracking his body to subside. That was another punishment for failure, kind of like getting hit with a TASER, only ten times worse.

The illumination from the hologram flickered away, leaving only the dim, ambient light that had filled the whole cavern. With a sigh Daniel pulled himself to his feet. His pack was already through the gateway, proof that once he got through the gateway he'd go....somewhere. It wasn't there anymore, but it wasn't with him. Not that it mattered. The prison saw that he was provided for. There was a fountain in the alcove that always flowed with water that he could only describe as being "super Gatorade"; whenever he was hungry or thirsty he'd drink and he'd feel marginally better. There was even a spot to sleep, a smooth niche that was less uncomfortable than the alcove floor itself.

He stood with his hands on his hips staring out into the room. The last test. From everything he'd experienced so far was that the repentant soul wasn't meant to die. Or were they' The previous tests had left Daniel burnt, cut, beaten, not to mention the emotional battering, but not even taken a sword to the gut (the solution to one of the first tests, sacrificing oneself to save another) had not killed him. In fact, he'd only an angry red line on his stomach to prove it'd even happened - the first thing he'd done when he found himself in a new alcove he'd practically ripped his shirt off to check.

But what if the true purpose wasn't life after redemption' He strained to remember what the first hologram had said. It had promised a second chance, but what if that wasn't what he thought'

His footsteps upon the stone echoed through the room as he stepped into it. It was long and thin. From experience he knew that along the left wall, spikes and flame would shoot out from the wall as the rest of the floor fell away. It seemed that if you timed your crossing just right you could get to the other side only slightly crispy, but after his fifth attempt Daniel realized it was futile. The right side crumbled away with every step, the faster you went, the faster it crumbled. Even a snail's pace still left him tantalizingly out of reach.

And straight ahead....Daniel headed straight down the dead center of the room. The floor to either side crumbled away and then when he was just slightly too far away to make the jump, the floor ahead of him fell as well.

No matter which way he'd approached the crossing a new challenge provided a pitfall. Literally. He stepped right to the edge and looked right down into the bottomless black. He'd dropped rocks and even his flashlight down, but there seemed to be no end. He knew if he fell he'd go back to the beginning, but each time he'd fallen so far was because he was trying to reach that gateway.

He fixed the arch with a rueful look. "You're not real, are you?" He said to it. Even though he'd seen his pack fly safely through the time he'd thrown it, he knew his sudden thought was true. The pack had been gone when he'd failed that time, hadn't shown up back with him at the beginning. At first he took that as a reassurance, but now he realized it was more likely that the gateway itself was a trap.

With a scrape of his heel on the stone he looked back towards the door that lead to the alcove. He knew that he couldn't go backwards, either. Running back would make the walkway under his feet fall. Cowardice was definitely not what this test was meant to teach.

The walkway held. It knew he wasn't turning back this time.

The corners of his eyes were tight when he looked back to the so-called exit.

"'There is salvation ahead'," he quoted softly, his voice echoing through the room. He took a deep breath and stepped off the walkway.

The cavern reset itself, the floor reappearing and looking like solid stone again. Only this time the hologram didn't flare to life with it's haunting message.

Daniel didn't reappear.