Serpent's Vow

14: Illicit Tour

The complex was deeper than he originally thought. It was tempting to just stare at the increasing number in the elevator. Already they were passing sublevel 25 and counting. His unassuming escort was a young captain who had enough energy to rival Yugi's loyal dog. He just couldn't stand still to save his life. At least he didn't talk Seto's ear off.

Finally, the elevator slowed and stopped at sublevel 28 and the doors hissed open. Seto waited for the captain to step out first before following behind him. The hall was wide enough for four, fully armored Horus Jaffa to stand comfortably abreast. Solid stone covered by steel reinforced concrete lined the walls and thick support beams. The grayness of the base made Seto feel enclosed and, dare he think it, trapped. Had the walkways been gold, it would have felt distinctly Goa'uld.

Perhaps he was just nervous, however much it galled him to admit it. The presence of so much concentrated naquadah from the Chappa'ai as well as the disturbances in close proximity were making him jumpy. That was never a good thing. Without his strict self-control and the soothing aid of the Millennium Rod, his Shadows had a tendency to act without his conscious command. He did not want another incident like what happened with Yugi's grandfather.

Military personnel moved through the hallway without so much as a side glance. If they worked with the Chappa'ai, then that wasn't much of a surprise. Seto could only imagine the things they'd seen and dealt with first hand. A strange face on occasion wouldn't be too big of a surprise. His escort was obviously a known face and dispelled any potential suspicion.

The captain turned down a side hallway that was narrower but with a higher ceiling, and Seto glanced around, noting the drop in foot traffic here.

"You don't need to take me directly to the Chappa'ai," he said when they were far enough from any eavesdroppers.

"Then where would you like me to take you, sir?" the captain asked, stopping and turning to face him expectantly.

Where indeed. Seto did want to see the Chappa'ai to satisfy his own desire and ease the insistent pull, but he needed to investigate the disturbances. If left to their own devices, Pegasus' ripples in reality could quickly become a tsunami. They needed to be checked now while the mess was still just ripples.

"Has there been anything unusual on base in the past couple days?" Seto asked, keeping one eye on the officers who passed by.

"Unusual, sir?" the captain asked, frowning in confusion.

Point.

"Is there anyone not military I can talk to about the activity surrounding the Chappa'ai?" he asked instead.

"That would be Dr. Jackson, sir," the captain said helpfully. "Dr. Jackson was part of the team that originally opened the Stargate. He'd be able to help you."

Stargate. At least the translation was accurate.

"Is Dr. Jackson here?" he asked.

Now that Seto was inside the base, he could begin tracking down whatever had caused the disturbances in the Shadows. Its proximity to the Chappa'ai was concerning. If the disturbances were indeed a weapon like he feared, then having them so close to naquadah was a nightmare. If this Dr. Jackson was a civilian, then it would seem less suspicious for Seto to wander the complex with him. With any luck, the good doctor would also be able to provide Seto with more useful information about the inner workings of this place.

"I believe so," the captain replied, looking over his shoulder at Seto. "I could take you to his office if you want."

Seto nodded and followed behind the young officer back the way they came. It took some concentration to remember the sequence of turns and curves of the complex and still focus on the general direction of the disturbances. He could feel them both now that he was closer and the sensation was clearer. The disturbances were nearby but not in the same exact location. One was close and moving closer.