Chapter 11

 

"Welcome back," Hank said.

 

The three teams exited the Stargate and started down the ramp, bringing with them an unhappily bound woman. She sneered at him.

 

She looked like Fraiser. Hank couldn't really tell the difference either way.

 

"We lost Coleman," Jack said, sounding tired. He passed him a handful of files. "Care of Colonel Howard. Those are the latest medical results on all of us."

 

"I still want to have a look at you," Carolyn said. "Just as a precaution."

 

Hank nodded. He wasn't taking any chances. Between the Prior attack, the incident on the planet, and the nishta problem, continued exams seemed the best course of action. "Report to the infirmary," he told them, his gaze lingering on Mitchell and Daniel. "Jonas Quinn is already being examined." He leaned close to Carolyn. "And when you're done with Fraiser, get her down to holding. I want her under guard."

 

Carolyn nodded and left, leading the teams toward the infirmary. Hank hoped they could nip this problem in the bud soon.

 

"They were rats?" Hank asked.

 

"Close enough," Jack said.

 

"They were a species we've never encountered before, sir," Carter said.

 

"None of them followed you to the base?" Hank asked.

 

Teal'c raised his head. "They did not."

 

"Nope. As soon as we made it onto the medical site, Howard shut down the Gate. We had the pleasure of listening to hundreds of those things hurling themselves at the iris," Jack said with smug satisfaction.

 

The truth was if he never saw a rat again, it would be too soon. The entire time they'd been examined Carter had prattled on about the acid-something the creatures kept spitting and how it was impossible that a living creature could wield something that strong without corroding its insides. Jack had said they were alien. Then, Daniel had jumped into the mix, and he'd just gotten fed up by that point. While the two of them debated the topic, he, Mitchell, and Teal'c had talked baseball.

 

Jack grinned. Reminded him of old times.

 

Hank wasn't done with the conversation. "Is it possible they were the reason why the Gate was previously locked? Or could the Ori have placed them there as a trap?"

"I'm leaning toward the latter," Jack said, picking at the edge of the table.

 

"It's possible the Prior picked this particular world because they knew of the threat and they knew we'd follow," Mitchell added.

 

"They had Janet," Daniel said. "They knew we'd take the bait. They have no limits."

 

The Goa'uld didn't have limits, either. But at least when they threw something at them, it was an asteroid or some funky alien technology. Not alien rats.

 

Jack scowled. "Nice way to get us out of their hair, wouldn't you say?"

 

"I've locked that particular planet out of the dialing computer," Hank said. "We shouldn't have any more incidents."

 

Jack hoped that was it. They didn't need any more problems.

 

"How about your investigation into the Nishta Project. Got anything new?" Jack asked.

 

Hank sighed. "Agent Barrett reports that he is still being stonewalled in his investigation."

 

"That's a shocker," Jack said, groaning. This just wasn't acceptable. "I want to talk to him."

 

Hank paused, eyeing Jack closely before finally giving way. He called for Barrett and waited for the NID agent to arrive.

 

Jack leaned back in his chair, assessing his friends and old teammates. They all looked as tired as he felt. Now that they had Fraiser in custody, he was tempted to let them take five. But he still had nothing concrete to use in his meeting with the IOA. And he was running out of time. He had less than two days to gather some intel – any kind of information – that could help smack these pencil pushers into using some common sense.

 

Jack didn't bother to straighten himself when Barrett entered the room. The NID agent took a seat next to Carter – not surprisingly – and waited to be addressed.

 

"What can you tell me about the Nishta Project?" Jack asked.

 

"Not much," Barrett admitted. "The NID seem to have wiped out any trace or connection with Joseph Owens other than what we've already uncovered. Aside from our source, Area 51 denies any link between Owens and the Nishta Project." He shook his head. "I've gotten in touch with some of my contacts in Washington and in the White House but they haven't been able to tell me anything."

 

"Who are these contacts?" Hank asked.

 

"I'm afraid I can't reveal my sources," Barrett said.

 

"Of course you can't."

 

"General O'Neill, I need for my sources to come through. They are not going to be forthcoming if they know that I've violated our trust."

 

"Let me guess. These contacts aren't exactly legal," Jack said.

 

"Like I said, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty," Barrett said evenly. "Don't worry," he added. "I won't reveal any information about the SGC."

 

"I'm telling you it would be a whole lot easier if we could just use the nishta on Owens to get some answers," Jack mumbled.

 

Everyone stared at him like he'd said the most offensive thing ever.

 

Daniel glared at him, a mix of anger and disbelief. "You can't be serious?"

 

"Hey, I never said we'd do it. I'm just saying."

 

"That would make us no better than the Goa'uld, the Ori, or the people we're trying to fight in our own government," Daniel said, his face tense.

 

Jack shrugged, but felt a little more relaxed inside. That sure sounded like the Daniel he knew. "We'll just have to keep digging for answers," Jack said, hoping that would placate Daniel and the rest of them.

 

But Daniel had already jumped onto something else.

 

"I don't understand," Daniel said. He licked his lips and leaned forward, moving into Barrett's line of sight. "Owens' work on the project was under a presidential order. That would mean this is linked directly to the President or the Vice President. Can't you find out if this is connected to them?"

 

"It's not that simple, Doctor Jackson."

 

"I'm not saying it is. I'm just pointing out the most logical step."

 

"I'm sure Agent Barrett is looking into everything, Daniel," Carter said, offering him a small supportive smile.

 

"I've already been in touch with General Hammond several times," Barrett explained. "He's running into similar roadblocks, even with his clearance."

 

"Hammond reports to the President and the Joint Chiefs," Jack said. "And he works as a consultant for me." If George couldn't get any answers…well, Jack didn't want to think about it.

 

"The man doesn't know the meaning of the word retirement, does he?" Mitchell said with a chuckle.

 

"General Hammond said he was going to try a few other avenues before he flies out to Colorado," Barrett said. "Meanwhile, I'll check in with my contacts and see what I can do."

 

"Thank you, Agent Barrett," Hank said. They watched him dismiss himself before he was escorted back to his office. Hank returned his attention back to the briefing room. "Anything else?"

 

"Janet's obviously brainwashed. I'd like to talk to her, see if I can help her remember," Daniel said.

 

Hank didn't say anything, and Jack couldn't blame him. Neither Jack nor Hank thought that was the best idea, given the fact they were still waiting to conclusively verify Jonas, Mitchell, and Daniel weren't going to go nuts on them. Not to mention Jack wasn't thrilled with Daniel's emotional ties in this situation.

 

Daniel sighed in frustration. "Look, you can keep me on guard. Send a whole troop with me. But if I can get through to her, we could get some valuable information on the Ori."

 

His eyes were on Jack, giving him a look that bordered somewhere between pleading and determined. This went well beyond just the Ori and Daniel knew that Jack could see it. Damn, Daniel knew how to push all the right buttons. Jack glanced over to Hank, raising his eyebrows.

 

"All right," Hank said. "But you will remain under guard, and you will report to Doctor Lam for your bi-hourly exams. Dismissed."

 

Daniel jumped to his feet and practically ran out of the room. If Jack had blinked, he would have missed him.

 

"How's Jonas?' Jack asked, still staring at the empty spot Daniel had left behind.

 

"Communicating with First Minister Dreylock and looking for anything additional that will help both our worlds fight the Ori. So far, neither of them is exhibiting any symptoms that would indicate a plague or what happened to the Sodan."

 

Jack turned to glare at Mitchell.

 

"I haven't developed a taste for brains, if that's what you're thinking," Mitchell muttered.

 

Not yet, anyway, Jack thought to himself. His gaze fell to Carter. "And that stuff you brought back with you from Area 51?"

 

"Still under examination," she said. "Doctor Lee is working with the biochemical staff to try to figure out its makeup."

 

"Lee?" Jack frowned. "What the hell kind of scientist is he, anyway?" Seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer, Jack continued. "Whatever. I think we should check on their progress."

 

"Actually, sirs, I'd like to head back to Area 51 and see what breakthroughs Doctor Emerson might be making," Carter said, eyeing both Hank and Jack hopefully. "Her research could help us with our own pursuits."

 

"Agreed," Hank said.

 

"You're not going alone," Jack added.

 

"I'll go with her," Mitchell said.

 

Jack glared at him again.

 

"Aw, come on now!"

 

"Colonel Mitchell, I agree with General O'Neill. You need to stay on the base." Hank raised his hand, trying to ease Mitchell. "Just a precaution."

 

"I will accompany Colonel Carter," Teal'c offered.

 

"Perfect," Jack said. Teal'c was intimidating enough for all of them. He nodded to Hank, and the both of them rose to their feet. Mitchell and Carter followed suit. "Get down to Area 51 and see what you can find. Mitchell, you come with me."

"Where we going?" Mitchell asked, following Jack out of the room.

 

"We're going to pay Lee a little visit and see if we can 'urge' him to work a little faster," Jack said, smirking.

 

 

Chapter 12

 

Daniel entered the holding area, walking slowly, only glancing over his shoulder when the door shut behind him and his escort. Quietly, he started to move toward the occupied cell. Funny how everything he had practiced saying slipped from his mind, leaving him feeling empty and vapid. He considered whether all his energy and drive had just been a rush of adrenaline, all of which was now spent. Instead, he was faced with the reality of the situation – the shock and the grief.

 

She was standing there like she'd never left.

 

Immediately, everything came rushing back to him. He thought of all the things that he'd wanted to say and all that he'd wanted to do. He thought of all those missed opportunities and how, now, he felt as if he were touching the past and reclaiming his future.

 

"Janet," he said, his voice soft.

 

"I can decide with my own mind?" She laughed, but it wasn't a gentle, cheerful laugh like the ones he'd grown to miss. It was cold, harsh, biting. He felt his dream shatter. "I'm just another one of your prisoners now."

 

"No, no, Janet—"

 

"No, you listen to me." She stepped up to the bars that separated them, her dark eyes as cold as ice. "If you have any respect for my well-being and my mind, you'll let me go."

 

"We can't."

 

"Then, I am a prisoner."

 

Daniel sighed with frustration, turning his gaze to the ceiling as he tried to organize his thoughts. This wasn't how he'd ever dreamed it would be. He had to reach her somehow. "Janet, you're not in your right mind," he said. He dipped his head and searched her. "The Ori have—"

 

"Have done what? Brainwashed me? Is that what you think this is about?" She laughed at him again. "You're the one that has been duped, Daniel. It's not the Ori we need to worry about. It's ourselves."

 

"Oh, it's ourselves," Daniel said, starting to pace in front of the cell. Any feelings of warmth were now replaced with impatience. "So, we're having a philosophical debate now?"

 

"You lost all credibility in this conversation when you took me prisoner!" she yelled, glowering at him.

 

"The Janet that I knew – that we all knew – wouldn't talk this way. She cared about people. She didn't align herself with people that went around killing those who didn't agree with them!"

 

"Oh, no? And what has the SGC been doing since its inception? Anything different? You tell me!"

 

"It's different!" Daniel shouted back. "Our Janet would know what we are doing is right."

 

"And who are you to judge what is right and wrong? You talk of the Ori forcing others to believe in their powers. But what about you? Isn't that what you're doing right now? Trying to force me to believe what you believe?" She shook her head. "You're arrogant, Daniel. You always have been. You've made it your life's work to make people see what you see."

 

He stared at her, unable to believe the things that were coming out of her mouth. "That's not true."

 

"Did I hit a nerve? I think I did," she said with a smug smile. "The Ori showed me the truth, Daniel. I believe it because I believe it, not because they forced me."

 

"They're lying," he said, balling his fights. He was trying to hold back. God, he was trying. "Janet, I have seen the Ori slaughter people whose only sin was that they didn't believe exactly what the Ori were telling them! They burned an innocent woman right in front of my eyes and tried to do the same to me! They killed a man for daring to want to know about his history, his past. Are you telling me that anyone is deserving of that kind of cruelty?"

 

Janet fell silent and turned away. Daniel stared after her, wondering just what kind of game the Ori were playing with him. He couldn't understand how the Ori had found her. He couldn't understand how they could have found her. They had only been introduced to this part of the galaxy after he and Vala had made the journey to Ver Ager. Was this their way at getting even with him? How could they have brought Janet back after all this time? What else could they do? He felt a chill as he pondered their limitless powers.

 

"The Ori were there for me, Daniel," she said quietly, her back still to him. "They brought me back from nothingness. Where were you? Sam? Where was anyone? You left me dead on that planet."

 

"I tried to take you back," Daniel said, struggling to control his voice. "We couldn't carry both the dead and the wounded. We were under heavy fire. I tried."

 

Janet did not move.

 

"When we came back for you, the Jaffa had burned the body and scattered the ashes." He bowed his head, fighting off the pain of the memory. There had been nothing left. Only her dog tags had remained, stuck between a rock and a tree root. She was gone and she wasn't coming back. Slowly, Daniel raised his head, grinding his jaw as his gaze settled on her back. "Who are you?"

 

"Maybe you should ask yourself that same question."

 

Cameron tried to keep from yawning as he followed General O'Neill and their escort into one of the labs along the science corridor. It wasn't that he hated science, just sometimes the really big stuff went over his head. Half of what Sam said went over his head. But he liked the scientists. They always seemed so upbeat over all their work, even the really annoying stuff.

 

"Yo, Doctor Lee, you got yourself some company!" Cameron shouted, grinning as he watched the scientists scatter.

 

"Gen-General O'Neill?" Lee stuttered, nearly knocking over a beaker. He straightened himself out and adjusted his glasses. "Why it is—I knew you were coming, but I didn't expect it so soon."

 

Lee laughed for apparently no reason and nodded his head as he evaluated O'Neill. Cameron had no clue what he was doing.

 

"Just coming to see how things are progressing," O'Neill said in a bored tone, tapping his fingers on the counter top. "What's the status?"

 

"Oh, oh, you mean the drug," Lee said with another nod. "Right, you see we've been trying to isolate some of the more basic chemical compounds from the more complex ones, which is very hard given the staffing and the cutbacks—"

 

"Ah!" O'Neill shouted. He looked over to Cameron and rolled his eyes.

 

"Just answer the question," Cameron said before the general could beat him to chase.

 

Lee shook his head. "Oh, yes, naturally…Well, er, maybe. Uh…no. No."

 

General O'Neill stepped closer to Lee, towering over the little man. Mitchell suddenly understood how funnyman O'Neill got the reputation for being menacing. "Look, I don't need to remind you that a lot is riding on you and the rest of your buddies to find a cure. People we know might get infected with nishta and believe me, it won't be pretty."

 

"Oh, I know, General." He cleared his throat, taking a few small steps away from them. "It's too bad we didn't have Doctor Fraiser to help," he muttered. "She had a pretty good background studying nishta."

 

O'Neill turned his back on Lee and headed straight for the door. Cameron hesitated, passing Lee an apologetic look before he ran after O'Neill. He was already heading toward the elevators.

 

"I'm going to see if I can talk some sense into Fraiser." O'Neill told him before he'd even asked. He swiped his card through the reader, waiting for the door to open. "I want you to report to Landry. Give him a status report." He turned to the soldier that had followed them. "Airman, you stay with Mitchell."

 

O'Neill didn't even wait for an answer. He walked into the elevator and closed the doors. Cameron shrugged and started back toward the labs, his escort in tow, ready to call Landry so that he could get down to his next exam.

 

"Hello? Doctor Emerson? It's Sam Carter."

 

They stepped into the laboratory, certain to be quiet and careful. The lights were functioning while many of the workstations had papers strewn in every direction, adjacent to several buzzing computer screens. Yet, the facility appeared to be empty.

 

"She must have stepped out for a minute," Colonel Carter said.

 

Teal'c had moved ahead, studying the contents found on table to table, pausing every so often to stare at the items more closely. As could be expected, nothing of importance remained in the open – only a few empty vials and half formed equations. After he was finished, he clasped his hands behind his back and started walking down one of the rows back to where he had left Colonel Carter.

 

"I do not like this room," he told her, keeping his voice just above a whisper.

 

"I know," she said. "We won't be here long."

 

"Colonel!" A woman called out, appearing from one of the small side rooms that branched off from the main work area. He presumed her to be Doctor Emerson. She finished wiping her hands on a paper towel before tossing it into a nearby trash barrel.  "I wasn't expecting you to come by so soon."

 

"When I informed my superiors about your continued success here, they wanted me to fly back out to Nevada and speak with you to see if there's anything else we can do to help…speed along your progress."

 

Doctor Emerson glanced at the camera, and with a quick pivot, she turned to one of the counter tops, suddenly looking busy. "I'm glad the SGC is so interested in our work here." She opened one of the drawers and withdrew a few blank sheets of paper. "Things aren't going well, I take it," she whispered as she worked.

 

"No," Colonel Carter said, her voice quiet. "We could use your help."

 

"There's not much I can do. They're watching me."

 

"Whatever assistance you need…"

 

"We can protect you," Teal'c said.

 

Doctor Emerson forced a weak smile.  "They watch everything. I have to be careful how much time I devote to the Nishta Project while undermining the entire thing. I can't work solely on the antidote." She sighed. "They'll know."

 

"Is there not something we can do to assist you in your endeavors?"

 

Doctor Emerson shook her head, sighing again as she slipped her hands into her lab coat pockets. "No. I don't know."

 

"Have you made any breakthroughs?" Colonel Carter asked.

 

"The form of nishta we created here in the lab is a highly resilient compound. Its organic bonds are extremely resistant to any manipulation, which is exactly why it can be so successful. Trying to find a weakness in its structure is proving difficult."

 

Teal'c looked away, studying the lab as the two women spoke. To this day, he still did not understand the need for humans to continue to create weapons or substances that could in turn hurt themselves. It was true that the Jaffa fought, brother against brother, but they did battle with their minds and their strength. In the end, however they fought, it was true to the Jaffa.

 

Not so with the Tau'ri. 

 

"Well, maybe we're going about this wrong," he heard Colonel Carter say. "What about the victims? How about sending an electric charge through their bodies? I know the form that was created in the lab is not fully organic, but maybe it could weaken the nishta."

 

"We tried that. The dose of electricity needed to short circuit any of the bonds between the nishta and the neural pathways it influences would kill the victim."

 

"Theoretically," Colonel Carter said.

 

"We're not about to take a person's life over it."

 

Teal'c turned his attention back to them. "Have you not been taking people's lives since you started the experiment?"

 

Doctor Emerson appeared uncomfortable over the statement. As she should be.

 

"Look, we're not here to point fingers," Colonel Carter said, shooting a warning glare at Teal'c. "We just want to help."

 

Doctor Emerson nodded. "I know." She jostled her hand in her pocket. "I guess I'm just a little nervous." Her gaze drifted toward the camera.

 

Colonel Carter's gaze followed hers. But Teal'c's did not.

 

He watched as Doctor Emerson withdrew a needle from her pocket and in an instant, charged for his friend. "Colonel Carter!" Teal'c shouted, moving between them.

 

He grabbed her wrist. But she did not stop. Doctor Emerson collided into Teal'c, the needle nearly puncturing his skin. Careful not to cause undue harm, he pushed against Doctor Emerson and subdued her, plucking the syringe from her grasp. Colonel Carter came to his immediate aid, taking the syringe from him.

 

"They got to her," she said, her voice small. "God, Teal'c."

 

The news disheartened Teal'c as much as it did his friend. Doctor Emerson had been their best chance at finding a cure for those infected by nishta. Now, they had lost that hope.

 

"Let me go," Doctor Emerson said, struggling against Teal'c. "Do you really think they're just going to let you waltz out of here now?"

 

Teal'c understood what Doctor Emerson implied by that statement. When he saw the unease in Colonel Carter's face, he knew that she understood as well.

 

"Teal'c, we don't know how many personnel at Area 51 might be infected."

 

"Then, we must depart immediately." He pulled the struggling woman to the far corner of the laboratory. "Please forgive me." He spun her around and caught his arms around her throat, blocking her passageways long enough for her to fall unconscious. When he was certain that she would not follow them, he laid her body to rest on the floor.

 

Teal'c moved to meet Colonel Carter. They could waste no time in leaving the laboratory. The two of them hurried out of the door and into the corridor.

 

Teal'c was disappointed, though not surprised, to see a dozen armed security officers waiting for them. Teal'c fully expected them to fire if either he or Colonel Carter made a move.

 

The man that joined them appeared to be a general.

 

The general glanced down at the syringe in Colonel Carter's hand. Scowling, he snatched it from her and held it up to the light. "Take them to my office," he said, eyeing the syringe carefully. "And place a lock on this area."

 

Jack stepped out of the elevator and started to walk down to holding. He'd since ditched that stuffy uniform for one of the base's BDU's, choosing something that was a little more suited for him while he remained at the SGC. West, Hammond, and even Landry might have loved their dress blues, but then again they hadn't been in the thick of the action. Jack wondered if the same would happen to him.

 

Nah. Jack couldn't see it. He'd come to work in jeans if he could.

 

"O'Neill."

 

Jack frowned, slowly turning to glance over his shoulder. He blinked and wiped at his eyelids, wondering if he'd gotten dust in his eyes. "Skaara?"

 

Skaara chuckled, smiling at Jack warmly. "Yes, O'Neill. It is me."

 

"Skaara, hey," Jack took a step toward him, unable to hold back his enthusiasm. "Long time. You just drop by to chat?"

 

"I said I would not be seeing you for some time. I believe it has been long enough."

 

"Great." He clapped his hands together, eyeing Skaara's form, energy. Whatever. "So, how's Ascended life treating you?"

 

"I have come to warn you."

 

"I thought you guys couldn't do that."

 

"The Others are busy."

 

Jack raised his eyebrows. "When aren't they?"

 

"I have come to warn you. The answers that you seek may be closer than you think."

 

"Ah no. No, I don't think so," Jack said, scowling. "You're not going to get around telling me by talking in riddles like Daniel or Oma. You have something to tell me, tell it to me straight."

 

Skaara hesitated, the apprehension flickering in his eyes.

 

While Jack appreciated that Ancients like Oma helped people cheat death and pass onto something greater or whatever the hell she did, he didn't like what it did to those people. He'd watched as Daniel became bound by their rules and laws – stupid ones – only to be punished for doing the right thing. Now, Skaara had been sucked into it, too.

 

"Skaara, just come clean with me."

 

He looked away, but nodded once. "I will tell you what I can, but no more."

 

Jack sighed. Damn Ancients.

 

Skaara refocused his gaze on Jack. Gone was the joy that Jack had witnessed just moments ago. In its place, Jack saw pain, a biting hardness that spoke of knowledge and wisdom that Jack couldn't comprehend. It all seemed so wrong on such a young man's face.

 

"You must be careful whom you trust, O'Neill," Skaara said.

 

"What?" Jack stiffened, both shocked and angry, realizing that Skaara was about to leave. "Hey! We're not finished!"

 

"Beware those closest to you."

 

Skaara's form blinked out and surged as a stream of white light through the ceiling. He was gone.

 

"Jack, who are you talking to?"

 

Jack turned around, attempting to keep his face neutral and not look like someone who had just been caught red handed. "Daniel."

 

Daniel, along with his escort, walked toward him. Jack didn't miss the suspicion lurking in Daniel's eyes.

 

"Everything okay?" Daniel asked.

 

"Oh, yeah. Just peachy." He rubbed his face, ignoring Daniel's ever-present frown. "I was just going to see Fraiser." He breathed out. "How'd that go?"

 

Daniel sighed. "They've done a number on her, Jack. I don't know how we'll get through to her."

 

"Well, let me give it a try." Daniel stared at him. Jack rolled his eyes. "What? It can't hurt."

 

"No, I suppose not."

 

Jack forced a smile and clapped his hand on Daniel's shoulder as he passed him. He jerked with surprise as Daniel grabbed his arm and wouldn't let go.

 

"So, who were you just talking to a minute ago?" he asked, still searching Jack's face.

 

Jack shrugged, wrestling his arm free from Daniel's grip. "No one."

 

He turned away, starting toward the holding area, leaving Daniel's bewildered and guarded face behind him.

 

 

Chapter 13

 

Jonas leaned back on the gurney, pulling down his sleeve to cover the bandage. He waved to the nurse as she left and started to flip through the magazines that Teal'c had left for him. At least it gave him something to do while he waited for the SGC to give him the all clear to go home.

 

Home. As much as he loved it here, he was anxious to go home. Though, he wasn't looking forward to the fallout from the Langaran High Council over this mess.

 

He considered himself lucky. So far, there was nothing wrong with him or First Minister Dreylock.

 

As for the people at the SGC…

 

"This sucks. You know how much this sucks?"

 

Jonas peered over the top of the magazine to catch Cameron Mitchell fussing over some picture book. The attendant that was waiting on him finished up, bringing his blood sample to Doctor Lam. She had set up her equipment on the far side of the room.

 

"You have been watching me like a hawk ever since you stepped through the Gate," Mitchell said suddenly, glaring at Jonas. "And you're doing it again. What is your problem?"

 

"No problem," Jonas said, returning to the magazine. It was too bad they couldn't have stuck him in his old office – Daniel's office – for the time being. At least he would have had something to do.

 

"Then what is so fascinating about my face?"

 

Jonas put the magazine down and grinned at Mitchell, wondering what was the matter with this guy. "I think you flatter yourself too much."

 

"Then why are you smiling like a goat eating briars?"

 

Jonas frowned, trying to bring up the mental image of a goat eating briars. He couldn't see why a goat would want to eat briars. Though, speaking of eating, Jonas was getting a little hungry.

 

"Doctor Daniel Jackson, you're late," Jonas heard Lam say.

 

"I'm here," he said, wearing the worst phony grin Jonas had ever seen.

 

"Sit down," Lam ordered. She took out a syringe and urged Daniel to roll up his sleeve. "Your turn." She stuck the needle into his arm.

 

"Jackson, you're just in time," Mitchell said, stealing a not-so-subtle glance over at Jonas. "Quinn and I were having a conversation."

 

"Don't let me interrupt," Daniel muttered, not even paying the least bit of attention to either of them. He held a small piece of gauze in place as Lam prepared to tape it onto his arm.

 

"This guy doesn't like me."

 

"Does it matter?" Daniel asked. He frowned, reached over Mitchell, and grabbed the book. "Southern Living?"

 

Mitchell snatched it back. "All I'm saying is that we got a lot going on right now and petty squabbles is just going to make things worse."

 

"Look, I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but either get it out of your system or pretend it's not there." Daniel fixed his shirt and gave a little shake to his arm before continuing. "You're right. We do have a lot going on right now. We don't need to start mistrusting each other on top of it."

 

"How very Daniel Jackson of you," Lam said. "But not enough to get out of your next MRI. So, move it."

 

Daniel sighed and hopped off the gurney. "Try talking about something you might have in common…like weather or food."

 

"Jackson?"

 

Daniel stopped and looked at Mitchell. "Hmm?"

 

"Kiss my grits!" he said with a laugh.

 

Daniel chuckled and followed Lam into another room. Confused, Jonas frowned at Mitchell. "What are grits?"

 

"I should have known it wouldn't be too long before you showed up."

 

Jack thrust two of his fingers toward the door, signaling for the guard to leave him alone with Fraiser. After the solider closed the door, Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and just stared at her.

 

"You should know by now that you can't intimidate me," she said. "You never have."

 

"Yeah, well," Jack said with a shrug. "It was worth a shot."

 

"So, tell me," Fraiser said, leaning into the bars. "Did I scare Daniel off to the point where he had to send you?"

 

Jack kept his gaze on her. All the time he'd known Fraiser, he knew that she could be a tough cookie, always one to speak her mind. But she never turned against her friends, unless she believed it to be for their medical benefit. Maybe in some twisted way she was doing the same here, only through the Ori.

 

"Daniel didn't tell me anything except for the fact that he was worried about you."

 

She snorted, filling the small room with her haughty laugh. "He won't even listen to me."

 

"Did you even try to listen to him?"

 

Fraiser glared at him.

 

Jack looked away and chewed the inside of his lip. This was why he hated talk. It never led anywhere. "I'm sure Daniel told you about the Ori?" he asked anyway.

 

"The Ori want to help us."

 

"Sure they do. Did Daniel tell you that they tried to kill him?"

 

He noticed the subtle change in her face. Fraiser's smug smile dipped, threatening to turn into a frown. She recovered quickly, presenting him with a scowl instead.

 

Jack smiled. "Of course he did. Did he tell you that they tried to burn him alive?" She didn't answer. "That's just the start."

 

"They only want to protect us from ourselves," she said.

 

"They sent a plague to Earth. It killed thousands of people. They could have easily killed Cassie. That's some protection."

 

"There had to be a reason," she said quietly. She shifted uneasily. Jack knew he had hit a nerve.

 

"Cassie. Your daughter."

 

"She wasn't infected."

 

Jack sighed to himself. "Not this time, anyway," he said, hanging on the last word as he changed the direction of the conversation. "None of it may matter in the long run."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a frustrated sigh.

 

"Cassie was attacked this morning by a group of unknowns."

 

Fraiser's entire composure changed. She grasped the bars, her horror-stricken face as open as a book. "You're lying."

 

"Wish I was lying." He looked down at his feet and rocked on his heels, allowing Fraiser a moment to recover. "The truth is Cassie is one of many people that are in danger right now," he said as he raised his head. "She's been the target of some folks who possess a nishta compound. We're thinking they intend to brainwash their victims." He gazed hard at Fraiser. "There's no cure."

 

Fraiser paled. "Is she okay? I want to see her," she demanded, her voice straining.

 

"She's fine. For now. But who knows for how long." He gave her a pointed look. "Think about it."

 

Fraiser stiffened, her eyes growing dark. "You're trying to make a deal with me."

 

Jack shrugged. "Look, Doc, you know I've never been a man of many words. So, let me get to the point. Your new best friends are trying to wipe out our entire civilization if we don't do exactly as they say, and they're either converting or killing off all our allies. As far as I'm concerned, you're either with us or you're against us."

 

"It's not always black and white, General."

 

"No, it's not." He knocked on the door. "But you try explaining that to Cassie." He forced a smile and left her to the sentry.

 

Hank motioned for the young Jack to close the door. "I trust you have something for me."

 

"Depends on how you define something," Jack mumbled, taking a seat across from Hank. He held a small notebook, filled with pages of scribbled notes. Hank eyed them with interest.

 

"What can you report?"

 

"They all seem normal as far as I can tell," Jack said. "No one is acting unusual or sneaking around the base, aside from me."

 

Hank nodded, feeling a little relieved but also disappointed. He didn't want to find a spy among any of the civilians they had detained, but if they could find one it would help relieve some of the tension that had filled the base. He also didn't feel right ordering Jack's clone to spy on any of SG-1's old contacts, but Hank needed to keep tabs on everyone just in case.

 

"Obviously, this is only a partial list." Jack passed him the list he'd made. "But the people I could get close to seemed either scared, nervous, or bored. The fact you have your daughter taking blood samples scares the hell out of them."

 

"Colonel Carter said there was a possibility we could detect nishta in their systems if we knew what we were looking for."

 

"Half the time we missed it. We didn't even catch it in Teal'c's kid, Ry'ac," Jack said.  "But if Carter thinks this will help, then it probably will."

 

Hank nodded. He certainly hoped so. "Colonel Dixon is keeping an eye on those that you couldn't investigate."  He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

 

"What?" Jack asked.

 

"I just don't get it. President Hayes ordered General O'Neill to find him proof that could sway the international community against the Ori. For him to send nishta operatives to undermine the SGC doesn't make any sense."

 

"It's not Hayes," Jack said simply. "Presidental order or not. If he wasn't happy with the SGC, he could just fire you. And he'd never have promoted General Hammond and then the other me. And, from what you told me, the other one is the person who got you this job."

 

Hank had already gone through the scenario in his mind. He knew that Jack was right. "Someone else is trying to get a foothold in the SGC."

 

"Vice President?" Jack asked.

 

"I've thought of that and it's a possibility. I just can't imagine him being involved in something like this," Hank admitted.

 

"I didn't think something like the Ori could be possible when I woke up this morning."

 

Hank chuckled. No, he didn't suppose Jack had expected something like that. "Well, I have a phone conference with the President later today," Hank said. "And Hammond will be arriving shortly. He knows both the President and the Vice President quite well. Maybe we'll get some answers from him. In the meantime, see if you can dig up some more information on our guests."

 

Jack nodded, but didn't move. Curious, Hank regarded him thoughtfully. "You have something else to say?" Just by reading the sour look on Jack's face, Hank knew. "Ba'al."

 

"You've told me there could be hundreds of him running around the galaxy. Plus, there's whatever is left of the Trust."

 

"I've gone over the possibility with SG-1. The problem is that so far neither Colonel Carter nor Agent Barrett have found any suspicious links to Ba'al or any outside organization."

 

"Maybe they're looking in the wrong places."

 

Hank leaned forward, interested in Jack's potential line of reasoning. "Like?"

 

"Unscheduled off-world activation!"

 

Hank sighed, balling his fists in order to keep his annoyance and anger in check. He stood and walked out of his office, running down the stairs to the control room. Jack's clone followed him, maybe by force of habit or sheer curiosity. Hank couldn't be bothered with the details either way.

 

"Report," he ordered the chief sergeant.

 

"We're receiving an off-world transmission," Walter said. He blinked, surprised. "Sir, it's Ba'al."

 

"Ba'al?" young Jack asked.

 

"Speak of the devil," Hank muttered.

 

"You let me talk to him," young Jack said, ordering Walter. "I want to have some words with that bastard."

 

Walter looked at Jack like he'd lost his mind. He turned to Hank for help.

 

This was the last thing Hank needed right now. Especially with two Jacks on base. He motioned for Walter to patch Ba'al's communication through.  "You stay here," he told Jack. "I'll handle this."

 

Sam looked around the office. She noted several diplomas, decorations, and honors lining the walls. But none of them gave her any ideas on how to get out of this jam.

 

"Do you know this man?" Teal'c asked.

 

"General Clark," she replied. "I worked with him when I was part of R&D."

 

"Can you predict what moves he will take against us?"

 

"I don't know," she admitted. She wriggled her wrists against the restraints that tied her to her chair. They were tight. She doubted she could work her way out of them on her own. "We have to assume that he's part of this plot."

 

"I do not see how we can make our escape." Teal'c jerked once against his own restraints. "We must contact the SGC."

 

Sam glanced over at the phone on the general's desk. There was no way she could reach it from where she was sitting. The chairs were heavy, likely for a reason, and wouldn't budge matter how hard she rocked.

 

"Whatever we do, we can't be compromised, Teal'c. If they try to infect us, we have to take all steps necessary to countermeasure."

 

Teal'c regarded her thoughtfully before finally inclining his head in agreement.

 

She could lose her job if it came down to doing something nasty. She knew a court-martial could be imminent. But the alternative was not something she could handle.

 

She struggled in her seat. "I can't, Teal'c. Maybe if you pushed—"

 

"That won't be necessary." General Clark passed them, walking over to the front of his desk. His glare was long, hard. "Colonel Carter and Teal'c. From the SGC." He took a seat. "How nice of you to stop by."

 

"The SGC is going to call and come looking for us the minute we're overdue," Sam said through clenched teeth.

 

"I'm counting on it. Maybe then I can ask General Landry why two of his subordinates would want to attack one of my scientists."

 

"You're joking," she said. "Did you even see the security tape?"

 

"To me, it looked like the two of you assaulted Doctor Emerson and then tried to inject her with something."

 

Sam scowled. "Well, obviously you haven't looked hard enough."

 

He chuckled. "See that right there?" Clark pointed to the ceiling to his right. Sam could see it. There was a small camera blinking, recording their conversation. "Nothing gets by this place. Nothing. I was put in charge to make sure we put an end to security leaks and scientists for hire. I'm not about to have the reputation of Area 51 tarnished anymore." His blue eyes became cold. "Now, you either come clean with me or I'm going to stand by my assessment that you attacked one of my people. Are we clear?"

 

Stall, Sam thought. Just stall.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

 

"You're here about the Nishta Project. I know that much," he said, his gaze never wavering. "This is the second stop you've made in less than two days. This isn't about the SGC throwing their support behind the project. For the NID and the SGC to come in together and check out our facility means there's a leak or there's a problem. As commander of this facility, I need to know what."

 

Sam considered what he was saying. Maybe if she threw him a bone, she could stall long enough for the SCG to know something was wrong.

 

"We believe your facility has become involved in a plot to undermine the SGC."

 

Clark started at her, failing to mask his disbelief. "That's a pretty serious charge. I hope you have some proof to back it up."

 

She glanced over at Teal'c, silently urging him to take her cue. He raised an eyebrow at her and faced Clark. "It is Doctor Emerson who has attacked us."

 

"They got to her somehow," Sam explained. "She was going to inject me with the nishta that you've been working on here at Area 51. Or, who knows. Maybe it was something entirely different."

 

"Who are the infamous 'they'"?

 

Sam hesitated, shooting a wary look at the camera. She couldn't just come out and accuse Hayes' administration. Nor could she come out and start accusing Ba'al or the Trust.

 

"You do realize that the Nishta Project was okayed by the President?" Clark asked.

 

"But did the President authorize its use on innocent civilians, including children, in an attempt to gain access to the SGC?"

 

Clark blinked at her. If he hadn't believed her before, he certainly didn't believe her now. He shot a threatening look over to Teal'c who in turn did nothing to ease any of the astonishment etched in Clark's face.

 

"Do you realize what you're saying?" Clark gave her a hard look.

 

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. I do."

 

"The SGC will provide confirmation of our story," Teal'c said.

 

Clark seemed to mull over her argument. Sam was shocked. "I can't tolerate anything sinister going on here," he said.

 

Sam took her chance. "General, we have no intention of taking over this facility or intruding on your command. It sounds like we're looking for the same answers that you are. Please, let us do our job so that you can do yours."

 

Sam knew she was resorting to pleading, but it didn't matter at this point. They were long overdue. If they couldn't persuade General Clark to help them, Landry would be following up soon, anyway. They just had to keep their heads above water until then.

 

He looked to the side and muttered to himself, something Sam couldn't hear.  "What do you need?" he asked with a sigh.

 

"Have you noticed anything suspicious, anything at all, over the course of the past few months?"

 

Clark shook his head. "Not that I can recall."

 

"No special visits. Nothing out of the ordinary."

 

He frowned. "No, everything has gone according to standard procedure."

 

"Dammit." Sam exhaled, pausing to study the general's face. She was going out on a limb, but she felt it was necessary. "Can we have access to your logs? Nothing beyond the Nishta Project. Just a basic log of anyone who has entered and exited the facility or has been associated with the project."

 

Clark tapped his fingers on his desk. "That kind of information is confidential."

 

"I understand, sir," Sam said. "I wouldn't ask if I wasn't necessary."

 

"You may speak with General Landry if you wish to validate our intentions," Teal'c added.

 

"We're trying to find a cure to help those who have been infected and stop this from spreading through the government and the military. Please," Sam begged him.

 

Clark eyed them closely, continuing to tap his fingers on the desk as he thought. Finally, he reached for his phone. "I'll confirm with the SGC. If your story pans out, then I'll provide your command with documents regarding staffing and visitation, as well as any pertinent research we've done on the Nishta Project."

 

Sam breathed out in relief. This was more than she could have hoped for.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

She smiled at Teal'c. For the first time that day, she felt as if things were going their way.

 

Jack joined Hank in the Gateroom, not the least bit surprised to see Ba'al's holographic form flickering on the ramp. "Ba'al, buddy," he said, stopping in front of him. His timing was impeccable. "What's with the visit?"

 

"As much as I would wish otherwise, I am here on business."

 

"Business, you say?" Jack clapped his hands together and glanced over at Hank, who seemed less than amused. The man needed to lighten up. "Well," Jack continued, facing Ba'al. "What kind of business are we talking this time?"

 

"I have come to offer the Tau'ri valuable information."

 

"Really?" Jack asked. He nudged his elbow in Hank's side. "This should be good."

 

"What is it you're offering?" Hank asked.

 

Ba'al's form sputtered, fading in and out before steadying. "Plans to a secret installation created by the Ori."

 

Jack and Hank stared at him, but remained collected. They were both skilled in keeping their emotions in check. There was no way Jack wanted Ba'al to think he had the drop on them.

 

"What's the catch?" Hank asked.

 

Ba'al chuckled. "My freedom, of course. I know that you continue to hunt me. Allow me to continue to build my empire, away from your world and away from the Ori, and I shall provide you with the schematics you desire."

 

"Didn't he already try this?" Jack asked Hank. Hank didn't respond, keeping his hard gaze level with Ba'al. "I'm pretty sure he did. Oh wait," Jack said, returning his attention to Ba'al. "That was one of the other hundred of you."

 

Ba'al's holographic form shifted impatiently. "Are you willing to take my offer, or do you continue to place this world at risk through your own impudence?"

 

"Let me think about it." Jack pursed his lips, tapping the sides of his thighs. After a long, exaggerated sigh, he shrugged and shook his head. "Nope."

 

"You will grant me this wish if you want to protect your world."

 

"Oh, I don't think so."

 

Ba'al shook his head once. "It is a pity the Goa'uld have spent so long in trying to annihilate you when we could have allowed you to destroy yourselves."

 

"Yeah, we try," Jack said.

 

"What are you really getting at?" Hank asked. "You're not here out of the goodness of your heart."

 

Ba'al smiled. "I only wish to make an exchange that will serve both of our interests. I admit that my reasoning is not selfless; I would like for the Ori to be destroyed. But I am willing to make the sacrifices necessary for that to happen."

 

"Sure, you do." Jack eyed the hologram carefully. As much as he would love to get his hands on something he could take to the IOA and finally have some intel that could strike at the heart of the Ori threat, taking info from Ba'al was about as useful as a toy gun. "No dice," he said, turning to walk away.

 

"Pity," Ba'al said. "I know how much you are in need of such valuable information. It could be enough to sway your challengers' minds, could it not?"

 

Jack froze by the doorway, praying he did not hear what he just thought he'd heard. He pivoted to face the Gate. "Excuse me?

 

"That is what you wish, isn't it?"

 

Jack turned his back on Ba'al and made for the exit.

 

Ba'al chuckled. "What is the matter? Have I said something to offend?"

 

Jack didn't respond. He climbed the stairs into the control room, passing by his confused clone and Walter. As he started for the next stairwell, he jabbed his finger at the window that separated the control room from the Gateroom.

 

"Cut the transmission."

 

"Sir?" Walter asked.

 

"Just do it. Now."

 

He jogged up the stairs, making a beeline for Hank's office. He opened the office door and immediately started dialing the phone.

 

Hank followed him, glaring at him as he entered his office. "What the hell, Jack?"

 

"He knows about my meeting with the IOA." Jack held the phone close to his ear, trying not to show just how livid he was. He paced in back of Hank's desk, clenching and unclenching his free hand. How he'd love to straggle Ba'al – any Ba'al – if given the chance.

 

Hank stared at him.

 

"He knows, Hank. How the hell would he know about that meeting? No one, except for a handful of people, knows about that meeting." He scowled as he was put on hold. "And Ba'al is no mind reader."

 

"He's got someone on the inside." Hank paused. "Who are you calling?"

 

The line started ringing. Jack heard the secretary. "Get me the President."

 

Daniel entered the holding area more quietly this time. He nodded for his escort to shut the door behind them. When he and the solider guarding him were alone with Janet, he moved to meet her by the bars, making sure to keep enough distance between them.

 

"You're back again, " she said, sounding bored. "Come to preach to me some more?"

 

Daniel shook his head. He glanced over to his right, found a chair, and dragged it over to the cell. Daniel tried to pretend that Janet wasn't watching him, studying his every move. He tried to pretend he didn't see the contempt in her face. He tried to pretend that maybe this time he could get through to her. He stopped to clear his throat before he leaned forward, folding his hands as he regarded Janet thoughtfully.

 

"I was thinking about what you said. And you're right. I don't listen."

 

Janet crossed her arms and glared at him. "The good cop and bad cop routine that you and General O'Neill are playing isn't going to work."

 

"Jack doesn't know I'm here."

 

Janet took a step back, looking genuinely surprised. "Then, why are you here?"

 

He shifted slightly in his seat. "Just like I said. I want to talk, but I also want to listen." He searched her unreadable face. "I want to understand."

 

"Okay, then tell me how Cassandra is doing."

 

Jack must have told her. "She's okay," Daniel said. "She's scared, though. We've set her up in the base under guard to protect her."

"Does-does she know about me?"

 

"Not yet. Sam's going to break the news to her when she gets back." He gave her a pointed look. "She's missed you."

 

I've missed you, he thought quietly.

 

"I've missed her."

 

"So, why go through all of this?" Daniel just couldn't wrap his mind around the reasoning.  "Why not just Gate to a planet we know and try to contact the SGC?"

 

"It's not that simple, Daniel."

 

"So, explain it to me."

 

Janet shifted her body so that her right side leaned against the bars. Her face turned away from him; she seemed to reflect on her situation, her past. Daniel watched her carefully, wondering who she really was, if she could really be Janet, and how she could be here. He wondered that if she were truly Janet, if she had all of the same feelings and emotions that she had before.

 

He resisted the urge to reach out to touch her.

 

"I don't know how long it's been. I'm not even sure when it happened," she said quietly. "I remember waking up with people all around me. They cared for me. They showed me their life."

 

Daniel didn't know what to say. He had this feeling – an explainable feeling – that this woman was truly Janet. Somehow, someway, the Ori had reconstituted her form. He knew that it could just be wishful thinking, but he believed her. He just couldn't understand how she could be standing here with him, right now. "How—?"

 

"I don't know how. I just know it happened. But, Daniel." She gazed upward, a lost, longing look to her face. "It was so peaceful. No wars, no battles…just peace."

 

"Only peace for those that submit completely," Daniel said. "Anyone who doesn't is killed." Why couldn't she see that?

 

She tilted her head to look at him. There, he saw pain in her eyes, sadness, but determination. "What's wrong in wanting peace?" she asked him in a tone that matched her passion. "I've been fighting all my life. What's wrong with wanting more? In finding a place where I don't have to worry about the people I love dying everyday?"

 

She gave him a pointed look. Guilt and long buried pain threatened to come to the surface. Daniel quickly changed the subject. "What about Cassie? You were willing to trade—"

 

"No," she said firmly. "That's why I'm here. I want to show Cassie and everyone else that we can put all the fighting behind us and live in peace."

 

"As slaves," Daniel added, studying her more intently. "We're at a point where we don't have a choice. The Priors aren't going to negotiate."

 

"How do you know?"

 

"I've tried."

 

She shook her head. "You seem so willing to destroy them just because they don't believe as you do. Isn't that what you're accusing them of doing?" She shifted, her voice softening. "You've always wanted to use force as a last resort. What happened to that Daniel?"

 

Daniel didn't reply, tearing his gaze away from her to stare at the floor.

 

"It makes you uncomfortable how much you've changed."

 

"We're not here to talk about me," he said coolly.

 

"I had to wait until I was strong enough," she said, continuing. "But now I am. There is life after death. They ascend their dead, Daniel. Just like you."

 

He lifted his head to glare at her. "As far as I remember – and I don't remember much – Ascension didn't agree with me very well."

 

"Maybe you were with the wrong people," she said with a smile.

 

"Maybe they are lying to you."

 

"Or you're being lied to."

 

Daniel sighed, rubbing his temples.

 

"We can make the pain go away," she said, gripping the bars. "If you just would read Origin, embrace its teachings. If everyone accepted Origin we'd have no more wars. We could all finally be at peace. I've seen so much death in my life…"

 

"You're their messenger? A different way to try to convert us?" Daniel couldn’t believe the Ori would stoop so low as to take someone he deeply cared for, change her and warp her mind, as a way to get to him. He wouldn't let them win. He couldn't.  "It's not going to work."

 

"It's out of my hands. It's in the hands of destiny now. I know that you can feel it."

 

Daniel ignored her. This wasn't happening. This wasn't Janet. Whoever this person was in front of him, she was not Janet Fraiser.

 

"I have a purpose, Daniel. It's clear to me now. I am here to guide you and everyone else towards the path to salvation. I'm here to—"

 

Daniel had enough. He blocked out her rhetoric and stood, pushing the chair away in disgust. He started for the door, his escort in tow, when he heard her speak again.

 

"You can't deny it. They have reached you and touched your mind. You'll come to understand soon enough."

 

Without looking back, Daniel shut the door. It was clear to him that Janet Fraiser had never come back at all. She was truly dead.

 

Malcolm Barrett shuffled through the same pile of paperwork. Five times and he still couldn't find a link that he needed. He just couldn't believe that the plotters could have a clean slate. They had to have left a trail of connections and contacts somewhere.

 

Through both his sources and General Hammond's networking, he'd tracked NID activity, outbound flights from some of the top personnel in Washington, and pulled as many classified military files as he could. Kerry Johnson over at the CIA managed to give him some information regarding ex-Trust members and compromised businessmen that she'd been tailing for months. Still no connection.

 

That lead Malcolm to believe that whoever was behind this plot knew how to cover their tracks well. They weren't just low-level federal or military employees. They had to be high-ranking and under heavy guard.

 

Which made matters worse.

 

With a sigh, Malcolm picked up another file that he'd examined when he saw his inbox blinking.

 

Great. One of his contacts at the Pentagon had come through for him. He opened the encrypted computer file and began to decode it. He might not be the expert hacker like Samantha Carter, but he wasn't half bad. Besides, he was a quick study. He'd picked up a few things from her in their time together.

 

Malcolm seized the passwords and started to sift through various personnel files throughout the Pentagon, realizing if the wrong person caught him, he could be in some serious trouble. Nothing. But…Malcolm frowned, staring at the next password and the name of the person to whom it belonged.

 

The phone rang. Malcolm tore his gaze away from the screen and answered. "Barrett."

 

"Agent Barrett, it's Landry. I have some new leads for you to check into for me."

 

Malcolm glanced back at his screen and allowed his gaze to linger as he spoke. "What kind of leads?"

 

"Colonel Carter is securing help from General Clark at Area 51. He'll be sending you some encoded information shortly. In the meantime, we might have a breakthrough of our own."

 

"What kind of breakthrough?"

 

"General O'Neill believes that Ba'al might have a hand in this after all," Landry answered. "I need for you to go back and check any activity Ba'al might have conducted under his known aliases."

 

"General O'Neill?" Malcolm asked. "What makes him think he has something?"

 

"We just had a little visit from Ba'al. It seems the Goa'uld know quite a bit about some of our more classified meetings."

 

"If that were the case, then Ba'al must be in league with some high-ranking officials," Malcolm said.

 

"It could be Trust infiltration or nishta," Landry said. "Either way, it's bad news. Neither O'Neill nor I can get through to the President."

 

"I've already checked on Ba'al's known aliases and some of his suspected ones without finding a connection to any major corporations within the United States." Malcolm leaned back in his chair and faced the computer. "Though if he's involved with some of our government's high-ranking officials, maybe he doesn't need to go through any of his corporations."

 

"What are you getting at, Agent Barrett?"

 

"I'll follow up with the data that General Clark will be sending me, as well as double check my data based on your recommendations. But I want to check out another lead first."

 

"Do what you have to do. I want this over."

 

"Not a problem, General." Malcolm hung up the phone.

 

As he stared at the computer monitor, he thought of all the consequences his investigation would have if his hunch turned out to be correct. He typed in the password and hoped that for once, he was wrong.

 

Cameron glanced up from the file he had in front of him to catch Jackson rush into the briefing room. "Sorry I'm late," he said, tapping his watch as he took a seat between O'Neill's clone and Jonas Quinn.

 

"Nice of you to join us," Landry said, giving Jackson a pointed look.

 

He didn't seem to catch it. In fact, Cameron thought Jackson looked a little flushed.

 

"Hey, everything going all right?" Cameron asked him. He didn't answer. "Jackson?"

 

"Oh, yes," Jackson answered, distracted. He didn't bother to glance up from the file that had been placed at his seat.

 

Cameron shot a look over at O'Neill. Damn, he looked pissed. So did the other O'Neill, as a matter of fact. Cameron had to guess this all had something to do with Fraiser. Though, if it wasn't, the alternative wasn't any better.

 

Cameron glanced down at his own file. "I take it we got some new news?"

 

Landry folded his hands, signaling for everyone's attention. "I've heard from Colonel Carter and Teal'c at Area 51."

 

"And?" O'Neill asked.

 

"Apparently, whoever is involved in this nishta plot got to the lead researcher on the team."

 

"Are Sam and Teal'c all right?" Jackson asked.

 

"They're perfectly fine, Doctor Jackson," Landry said. "They've managed to get General Clark, the commander of the facility, on board with us."

 

"That's good news," Quinn said.

 

"Go Carter and Teal'c," the clone added.

 

"Though, we seem to have hit a couple of snags," Landry said in a weary tone.

 

Cameron had to fight from rolling his eyes. Naturally, they'd hit some kind of wall. "What kind of snags?" he asked.

 

"General O'Neill believes that some of our original hunches were right," Landry said to Cameron. "Ba'al could be involved with the Nishta Project."

 

"Wait," Jackson said, leaning forward. "Are you implying that Ba'al has infiltrated Hayes' administration?"

 

"It's a possibility," O'Neill said. "Ba'al sent us a transmission earlier. He knows all about my meeting with the IOA. That's not exactly common knowledge."

 

"Perfect." The young O'Neill rolled his eyes and slumped in his seat. "That would mean that Ba'al has gotten to the most secure and classified personnel in the government." He scowled. "I can't wait to get my hands on that bastard."

 

"If you take action, you're talking treason against your own government," Quinn said.

 

No one said anything after Quinn's last comment. Cameron had read the man's files and he realized that Quinn knew all about treason and the consequences that came part of the package. They were involved in something deep. One wrong move…

 

Landry sighed. "There's more."

 

Cameron caught the anxiety in everyone's faces, especially Jackson, who bowed his head, slipping his hands under his glasses to rub his eyes.

 

"What is it?' O'Neill asked.

 

"Colonel Carter reports that the information she received from her previous encounter might not be accurate. Doctor Emerson had originally told her that those infected with nishta could be easily detected through their gaze. However, Colonel Carter states that in their latest encounter, Doctor Emerson performed as she normally would. Carter couldn't tell the difference."

 

"So, you’re saying that whoever's infected would act like there was nothing wrong?" Quinn asked.

 

That sounded familiar, Cameron mused. "Not much unlike the Jaffa that were taken over by Ba'al, right Jackson?"

 

Jackson nodded. "They didn't even realize they were brainwashed."

 

"Which is what brainwashing is, Daniel," the clone said.

 

"This isn't new," O'Neill said. "We've seen Apophis twist Ry'ac and then Teal'c. Not to mention that both Daniel and myself have been infected," he said, motioning to Daniel from across the table.

 

"And Sam," Jackson added.

 

Cameron groaned. This was worse than zombies. At least with the zombies, they had the whole what you see is what you get thing going on for them. "So, let me get this straight. We have people out there pumped on this nishta thinking they're all for truth and justice while they're really just doing whatever Puppet Master wants?"

 

"Something like that," Jackson said.

 

Wonderful, Cameron thought. Now it felt like they were right back where they'd started.

 

Cameron shifted in his seat when he heard the phone ringing. Landry excused himself, asking everyone to remain seated as he headed to his office.

 

Jackson cleared his throat and reached for the pitcher of water at the center of the table, pouring himself a glass as they waited. O'Neill watched Landry through the transparent star chart. Cameron found little O'Neill was staring at the Stargate through the window and damn Quinn was staring at him again.

 

Cameron sighed. Just what the hell was that's guy's problem?

 

"How are the tests going?" O'Neill asked suddenly, his gaze still focused on Landry.

 

"We're clean. Fit as a fiddle," Cameron said with a smile, tapping his chest.

 

"Doctor Lam says that she's run all the tests that she could," Quinn said.

 

"Literally," Jackson added. He sipped from his glass and rubbed at his temple. "The SGC can't afford to blow any more of the budget on unnecessary testing."

 

"What about you?" O'Neill asked Jackson.

 

"No problems. I'm in perfect health," he said with a weak smile. "Just a little hot."

 

"Yeah." O'Neill didn't look all that convinced.

 

"So…" Jackson began, obviously eager to change the topic. "If and when we find any of these victims that have been manipulated by Ba'al or whoever is behind this, what are we going to do with them? We don't have a cure."

 

"Carter's working on it," O'Neill said, as if that was the simplest answer in the world. "She'll figure out something. Lam's good." He paused, glancing back to Landry's office before refocusing on Jackson. "No luck with Fraiser?"

 

Jackson shook his head, looking away. Cameron could have sworn he saw something more than disappointment in Jackson's eyes. He started to wonder just what kind of conversations they were having in there.

 

"None of this answers the question on how are we going to find this guy," Quinn said.

 

"We may not have to," Landry said, reemerging from his office. Cameron frowned, his spidey sense starting to tingle just by looking at the grave look on Landry's face. "Agent Barrett stumbled across some intelligence that he believes is enough to implicate someone with ties to Hayes' administration."

 

"It's about damn time," O'Neill said. "So, who is it?"

 

Landry kept serious, his fists flattened by his sides. The tension in the room skyrocketed when a contingent of military personnel arrived at the door.

 

Cameron sat a little straighter, feeling his stomach bottom out. He couldn't help but notice how pale O'Neill's clone had become.

 

"General?" Jackson asked, fidgeting uncomfortably.

 

"I'm sorry," Landry said, his sad eyes unable to meet any one of them directly. "Gentlemen, you are to arrest General O'Neill and place him in holding for interrogation."

 

Chapter 14

 

"What?" Jack exclaimed, immediately standing and taking a step back from the table.

 

"This has to be a mistake," Jackson said, rising with him. "Jack's been working with us this entire time."

 

Hank sighed. He'd realized before he'd reentered the briefing room that Jackson, and likely Jonas, would take the news hard, but he couldn't turn his back on the evidence that was presented to him. "I understand, Doctor Jackson. But we have to take every precaution."

 

"Precaution my ass." Jack pointed to the security guards, urging them to stay put. "Can't you see I'm being set up?"

 

"Jack, don't make this hard on yourself," Hank said. The last thing he wanted was to have to take Jack down by force.

 

"Maybe he's programmed to resist when discovered," Mitchell said, creeping closer to Jack.

 

"Wrong file," Jackson muttered. "Zatarc."

 

"Don't give him ideas!" Jack exclaimed.

 

Hank directed the guards to move toward Jack. In turn, Jack took another step back. Hank kept his face neutral, watching as Mitchell continued to approach from behind. Jackson and Quinn just stared on dumbfounded, but the clone…

 

"Hey!" the younger Jack shouted, jumping onto the briefing room table to slide in front of Mitchell. "I don't think so. I may not like myself, but there is now way in hell I – him, whatever – would turn on the SGC."

 

"I can vouch for General O'Neill," Jonas Quinn added. "Not that my opinion matters much."

 

Jack glared at him. "Thank you, Jonas. How very helpful of you."

 

"Look, Jack, I know this is an awkward situation, but I have a job to do. And right now, I have evidence that shows a connection between you and this conspiracy." Hank kept his gaze level. "You know you would do the same if our positions were reversed. I'm doing what you or General Hammond would do."

 

His reasoning seemed to bring Jack's anger down…a notch. "What exactly do you have for proof?" Jack asked. "I want to see it myself."

 

"All in due time."

 

Jack scowled. "That's not good enough, Hank. Tell me. I'm the one being arrested here."

 

"Agent Barrett has uncovered documentation that shows you've been in contact with Joseph Owens. Email, phone calls."

 

The rest of them looked shocked. Jack looked pissed.

 

"I don't know even know a Joseph Owens! Well, aside from today." He held up his finger again, signaling the airmen to wait. "Look, I would not do this. You know I wouldn't."

 

"If you're under the influence of nishta, you could be possible of anything," Mitchell said. "You could have been playing us from the start." He shook his head. "All that talk at the palace…

 

"Oh, listen to yourself. Do you know how crazy you sound?" The anger in Jack's face increased ten-fold.

 

"There's no need to get paranoid," Quinn said. Hank had to admire his persistence. But the fact remained. Right now he was holding evidence that implicated Jack in this mess.

"You have taken an interest in the Nishta Project and our efforts to provide a cure," Hank said, playing devil's advocate. "How can we know that you aren't following our leads so you can sabotage the project?"

 

"Because it's my job!"

 

"The truth is you have direct access to the SGC, the F303's, the Antarctic Post and any other Homeworld Security related issues. You report directly to the President and the Joint Chiefs. Above all, you are in the position to orchestrate and execute any plan of attack against the SGC, whether it's of your own volition or not. You told me yourself that Ba'al had no way of knowing about your meeting with the IOA." Hank set his jaw as he approached Jack. "Not unless you told him."

 

Jack took the challenge and stepped up to Hank, the venom in his eyes blazing. "I would never turn on the SGC and I would never ever align myself with Ba'al. Do I make myself clear?"

 

"Okay, okay, okay. This is getting out of hand," Jackson said, walking between the guards, Hank, and Jack. "We're falling apart. That's exactly what they want. Obviously, there has been a mistake." He turned to Jack and pressed his hand against his chest. "Jack, you should go with them for now. We'll take care of this."

 

Jack's gaze fell to the guards who had now drawn their weapons. "It doesn't look like I have a choice."

 

"No, you don't," Jackson said. "But let us figure something out."

 

"Fine," Jack said, turning around so that the guards could cuff him. He held his head high as they restrained him, not saying another word of protest as the guards started to guide him toward the door. He did, however, give one last hard look at Hank before he was escorted away.

 

Part of Hank felt guilty for having to place Jack on the spot. But if Jack was unwittingly part of a plan to undermine the government and the SGC, he had to make him an example and send a message that he meant business. Hopefully, Jack could prove him wrong.

 

Hank turned to the remaining people left in the room, catching the anxiety and anger in their eyes. "We have a lot to get done," he said. "Dismissed."

 

"You had him arrested?" Sam asked, stunned, as she and Teal'c marched into Malcolm Barrett's office.

 

"Colonel Carter," Malcolm said, standing. "I'm glad to see that you and Teal'c are okay."

 

"I'm not in the mood, Agent Barrett," she muttered. Sam slammed her hands down on his desk and glared at him. "Dammit, you know that General O'Neill had nothing to do with this!"

 

"Colonel, I have proof from my sources that connects him Joseph Owens."

 

"Then your sources are lying."

 

"Colonel…

 

"No, don't. You listen to me," she said. "General O'Neill has been working with us since the very beginning of this investigation. He is not involved with whoever is undermining the SGC."

 

Malcolm didn't move. He knew that trying to convince any of General O'Neill's old teammates would prove to be difficult, but he was confident that they would understand once they were privy to all the evidence. They had to listen to reason.

 

"The fact of the matter is General O'Neill is in the perfect position to carry out the entire attack on the SGC and the government," Malcolm said, his voice calm. "He has a direct link to the President. He is the one who authorized all of the civilians to be relocated here, where – coincidentally – he's calling the shots. He has access to all the key confidential material—"

 

"General O'Neill is trained to combat mind control techniques," she said, interrupting him. "He fought Hathor and he fought against Seth. You have the wrong man."

 

Malcolm sighed. "I know that you were close…"

 

"Colonel Carter is correct," Teal'c said, his tone low and threatening. "O'Neill would never do such a thing."

 

Malcolm pulled back his suit jacket and put his hands on his hips, taking a moment to study them both. They weren't going to break on this one.

 

"He's not capable of doing something like this," Sam said.

 

Malcolm watched Teal'c join her. "O'Neill would never jeopardize the SGC."

 

Unfortunately, some of Malcolm's patience had worn thin. He opened up his briefcase and withdrew a sheet of paper. "No?" Malcolm slammed down the paper and flung it towards Sam. "There's your proof."

 

Sam picked up the sheet of paper, reading the memo carefully. She fell silent as she passed it to Teal'c.

 

"That's a signed authorization from General O'Neill placing his approval behind the Nishta Project," Malcolm said.

 

"It's a fake," she said, her cheeks burning.

 

"I've authenticated it."

 

"It must be a lie." Teal'c handed the form back to Malcolm.

 

"I wish it was. But it's not. President Hayes wanted advice from General O'Neill on whether a nishta experiment was a doable plan and what applications it could be used for. O'Neill passed on his support and approval for the project." He held up the form. "And that's why you were consulted when you worked at R&D."

 

"He would have told me," Sam said.

 

"This does not prove that O'Neill has been compromised," Teal'c added.

 

"Not alone, no. But we also have the phone and email logs." He eased himself back into his seat. "Under nishta a person can do anything. General O'Neill could easily have been instructed to act like he always has. His questions and concern over the speed of the investigation could easily have been a way to fish for information. The link with Ba'al could be real or it could be a ruse to keep people distracted." Malcolm shook his head, easing as much sympathy into his voice as possible. "I'm sorry."

 

Sam shook her head and started to smile. It was one of those smiles Malcolm had come to recognize as an indication that she was onto something. "Then you're making my point," she said. "There are too many unknowns at this point. You haven't even looked at what General Clark has sent. And we haven't run a blood test on General O'Neill, yet."

 

"True," Malcolm said. "And I recognize that. But based on the information I had so far, I had to give my recommendation to General Landry. If General O'Neill has been compromised, we couldn't allow him to keep subverting the system."

 

"Did you even stop to think that maybe your sources are feeding you misinformation?" Sam asked.

 

"Or perhaps it is you who has been compromised and are feeding us misinformation," Teal'c said. A small, sly smile spread across his lips.

 

Malcolm leaned back in his chair and sighed. "It's out of my hands. Believe me, I didn't want it this way. If you were in my position, you would have done the same. Don't tell me you wouldn't have. This is a serious matter." When her face didn't break, he tossed his arms into the air and shrugged.  "I'll keep digging. But you'll have to talk to General Landry for anything else."

 

"I will." She touched Teal'c's arm. "Let's go."

 

Sam and Teal'c headed for the exit to his makeshift office. He watched Teal'c disappear into the hallway, but he stood as Sam reached the doorway.

 

"Sam?

 

She stopped, her angry gaze burning a hole through his chest.

 

"I really am sorry."

 

She nodded, but didn't say anything as she walked out the door.

 

Sam didn't know where to start. Between the time it took her to fly from Nellis to Peterson, everything had gone to hell in a hand basket. She had gone from possibly cracking the nishta case to learning her former commanding officer had been arrested for crimes against the state.

 

"I'm sorry, Colonel," Landry said. "General O'Neill will remain under guard until we can determine his role in recent activities."

 

Sam shot a desperate look over to Teal'c. He knew as much as she did that General O'Neill would never put himself in a position where he would be compromised, especially not to the point of betraying the SGC.

 

The rational side of her tried to argue that Agent Barrett was right. If someone had gotten to General O'Neill, then there was no telling what his wield of influence could do. He had strong connections throughout the government and within the SGC. If Ba'al were involved somehow, then it would be the Goa'uld's ultimate revenge to have Jack O'Neill serve as his slave without being the wiser.

 

But then the other half of her just couldn't accept the facts and held onto the hope that her loyalty would prove them all wrong.

 

"Yes, sir," she finally said.

 

"Good. Because I have something else I need you to work on."

 

Sam frowned. "Sir?"

 

General Landry rose from the seat behind his desk and walked around to meet both her and Teal'c. "Before this whole fiasco with General O'Neill began, we had received a transmission from Ba'al stating he had some information on the Ori."

 

"Ba'al cannot be trusted," Teal'c said.

 

"No, I know. But with all this Doomsday talk, one can't be too careful." He walked past them and gazed out into the briefing room. "Now, some of our Tok'ra friends have also said they've noted some increased chatter through our end of the galaxy. I'd like you to check into it. See if there's anything new."

 

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll get right on it."

 

Sam was on her way out the door when she heard overheard Landry detaining Teal'c. She slowed long enough to hear what they were saying.

 

"Teal'c, I want you to head down to holding and check on Doctor Jackson."

 

"Is there a problem?" Teal'c asked.

 

"No. He went down to see General O'Neill. I want to make sure everything is in order."

 

"I will do as you wish." Sam caught him give Landry a small bow before meeting her outside of his office.

 

"You're going to see General O'Neill?" she asked, even though she already knew. Something about asking Teal'c made her feel better.

 

"Indeed." He paused to study her face, before he lowered his voice. "Is there anything that you wish for me to tell him?"

 

She nodded, thankful for Teal'c's ever-present insight. "Just tell him we're doing everything we can for him." Sam placed her hand on the upper part of his arm, forcing a thin smile.

 

"That I will," he said, bowing to her. "Take heart, Colonel Carter. Our situation will improve and everything will be fine once again."

 

Sam smiled, a little more strongly this time. "I hope so. I really do hope so."

 

Daniel was pacing again. He kept walking back and forth in front of Jack's cell, one hand in his pocket, the other one dancing up and down, side to side, in little circular patterns as he spoke. It was driving Jack crazy.

 

"The way I see it, you could easily have been set up," Daniel said. He paced to the left and then to the right, accentuating his point with his open hand. "Unless, of course, you're hiding something." He started again.

 

"Can you stop that?" Jack asked.

 

Daniel stopped, frowning at Jack. "What?"

 

"That," he said, pointing to Daniel. "Stop it."

 

"Okay," Daniel said, lingering on the word, but did stop. He stood in front of the cell and shoved both of his hands into his pockets. "I'm just trying to help."

 

"Standing here talking isn't helping me. Go talk to Landry and get me out of here."

 

"Jack, you do realize you're in a difficult position, don't you?"

 

Jack eyed the bars that held him like a caged lion from top to bottom. "No, Daniel. The thought never occurred to me."

 

"Can we drop the sarcasm for a minute?" Daniel asked with a scowl.

 

"Then, do something."

 

Daniel breathed out, loud enough for Jack to hear him. He took another step toward the bars, coming to study Jack face to face. "Is there anything – anything at all – that you can tell me that I can use to bargain for your release?"

 

"I didn't do it."

 

"Yeah, you know, I need something a little more substantial than that."

 

"What do you want me to tell you?' Jack asked him. "I don't know how the hell Barrett pinned this on me."

 

"He has proof," Daniel said.

 

"Well, he's wrong."

 

"So, you had nothing to do with Joseph Owens?" Daniel asked, his eyes shining as he eyed Jack up and down.

 

Daniel had that look. That look that meant he was digging deep into your insides somewhere and uncovering little bits of information that he shouldn't. Jack set his jaw and stared him down.

 

"Interrogation, Daniel? That's why you're really here?"

 

"No, of course not," Daniel said quietly. He wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his upper lip.  "I'm just looking for answers like you are."

 

Jack could see Daniel was digging deeper. "What?" he asked. Aggravated couldn't even begin to explain how he felt right now.

 

Daniel's eyes narrowed, his gaze still fixed on Jack, searching him. "You haven't been entirely honest with me."

 

"What?" Jack asked, annoyed. "You're a mind reader now?"

 

"No, there's something more. Something you won't tell me." Daniel's eyes narrowed further and his voice sounded distant, distracted. "Something you don't want to tell me. Or anyone else, for that matter."

 

"That's ridiculous," Jack muttered, breaking his gaze. Daniel was supposed to be helping him, not treating him like some kind of criminal. He was about to remind Daniel of all the times he'd pulled through for him, when he stopped, surprised, to find Teal'c appear at the door. "Teal'c," he said, knowing the hitch in his voice sounded lame.

 

"O'Neill."

 

"Come to break me out of here?" Jack asked hopefully.

 

"I am not," he said, coming to stand beside Daniel. He passed Daniel a wary look before facing Jack. "I am in agreement with Daniel Jackson."

 

"What?"

 

"You are indeed concealing something."

 

Jack sighed, now making sure he glared at both of them through the iron bars.

 

"Is it not true that you provided your approval for the Nishta Project?" Teal'c asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

 

Daniel shot a confused look over to Teal'c, before casting his suspicious glare back onto Jack.

 

Jack ignored him. "Where did you get that idea?"

 

Teal'c arched his eyebrow in that no nonsense way of his. "Agent Barrett holds in his possession documentation regarding your involvement with the Nishta Project."

 

Damn, Jack thought, tapping on the bars. That didn't sound good.

 

"Jack, tell me you didn't really approve any of this?"

 

"Of course not. I thought it was a bad idea from the start."

 

"Was a bad idea." Daniel's eyebrows shot down while his whole face tightened. "You knew?"

 

Jack rolled his eyes. "Daniel, you know just as well as anyone that politics isn't black and white. In the military, you take our orders and that's it. But all this political crap—"

 

"So, the document is true," Teal'c said. Jack thought he sounded genuinely surprised.

 

Jack gave them a half nod. "It's not fake."

 

"I can't believe this," Daniel muttered, walking away. Here came the pacing again. "Here I am trying to help you." He shook his head and turned to face Jack while crossing his arms over his chest. "Why did you do it?"

 

"Lots of reasons."

 

"Jack—"

 

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?" Jack pressed against the bars, making sure he looked Daniel and Teal'c both in the eyes and made himself clear. "President Hayes wanted some kind of back-up plan in the event the Ori ever broke through our defenses. Matters just got worse after the plague hit." He shrugged "Area 51 already had our tissue samples and had been trying to turn the nishta around for medical purposes and some limited military applications."

 

"Like when Sam was there," Daniel said.

 

"Yeah." Jack wasn't about to say he'd "encouraged" the establishment to check with Carter on the nishta. "Well, obviously something went wrong between then and now since Hayes would never go after anyone involved or connected with the SGC. I mean we're talking children, for God's sake."

 

Daniel shook his head again, apparently still unimpressed. "I just can't believe you would support something like this."

 

"I didn't. Nevermind." Jack batted him away with the wave of his hand. "You wouldn't understand."

 

"Well, try me!" he exclaimed, on the verge of going all twitchy.

 

"There is more that you are not telling us," Teal'c said.

 

Jack sighed. Teal'c always had been sharp. "No. Look, I made a deal with Hayes. He needed my support to sway others in his administration that this could work. In return, I got some extra funding for the SGC."

 

"You did this to keep the SGC running?" Daniel asked.

 

"Best line of defense," Jack said proudly. "And it's not like you were much help bringing Bigmouth to the Appropriations Committee. Funding had to come from somewhere."

 

He saw the discomfort fill Daniel's face and felt mildly satisfied over the fact. Served Daniel right for doubting him.

 

"Then what of Joseph Owens and the attack on the others?"

 

"No clue," Jack told Teal'c. "But from what I hear, he wasn't exactly working there legally, on the preliminary project or otherwise." Jack shrugged. "I still say Ba'al infiltrated the government. Not sure how or when, but he's involved somehow."

 

"Why didn't you just tell us that from the start?" Daniel asked, sounding slightly exasperated.

 

"It's not going to clear me. Barrett claims I've had correspondence with a man I've never met. Besides, it's not like I feel the need to publicize all my decisions."

 

"Sometimes you have to make the wrong decision to do the right thing," Daniel said, his voice just above a whisper.

 

Jack glared at him, starting to feel uneasy with Daniel's sudden shift in mood. "Okay, I wouldn't put it that way, but yeah."

 

Daniel nodded, solemn. "I'm going to check in with Sam and Cassie." He glanced down at his watch. "They should be with Janet right now." He forced a smile and approached the bars for one last time. "Teal'c and I will tell General Landry what you told us. Maybe we can find something to get you out of there."

 

He walked away from the cell quietly and left the room, his escort in tow. Jack's gaze lingered on the door as he considered Daniel's behavior and everything that had gone on over the past day or so. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but the idea that Daniel, Mitchell, or Jonas had walked away from this encounter scot-free didn't make sense.

 

Jack turned to Teal'c. "Okay, that was weird even for him."

 

"Indeed."

 

"Landry's sure the Prior didn't do anything to him?" Jack asked.

 

Teal'c inclined his head, but Jack didn't miss the caution in his eyes. "According to Doctor Lam, Daniel Jackson, Colonel Mitchell, and Jonas Quinn are in perfect health."

 

"You're not convinced."

"I am not."

 

Jack beckoned Teal'c closer with the curl of his fingers, dipping his head low so that the guard wouldn't catch the brunt of the conversation. "Keep on eye on them."

 

Teal'c eyed him carefully, keeping his voice low and even. "You are concerned for them."

 

"Of course I am." He groaned. "Teal'c, I'm not under the influence of nishta."

 

Teal'c paused and seemed to consider what he'd said. "You have found it necessary to make decisions that you did not favor for the good of your friends."

 

Jack stared at him and searched his face. He realized Teal'c understood. Of course, Teal'c would understand. Right from the start, he and Teal'c always had a lot in common, and while Jack thought Teal'c could sometimes take the whole revenge bit a little too far, he knew what it felt like. They weren't scientists. They were soldiers, soldiers thrust into the gray world of politics.

 

"I knew you would get it," he said.

 

"Indeed."  The corners of Teal'c's mouth curved into a smile. It only lasted for a second. "However, I must return to General Landry to inform him of our conversation. Colonel Carter wished for me to tell you she is investigating the matter."

 

"Excellent," Jack said with a nod. He flicked his wrist, motioning for Teal'c to go. The sooner that Jack could clear his name, the better. They were wasting time they didn't have.

 

Sam led Cassie into the holding area, carefully guiding her as she approached her mother. Sam watched Janet's every move and reaction, all the while keeping her supportive hand on Cassie's back. She could feel Cassie trembling.

 

"Mom?" she asked as she took slow, unsteady steps toward Janet.

 

"Cassandra." Janet's voice broke; she was nearly in tears. She slid her fingers through the bars and reached out to touch Cassie's hand. "Sweetie, I've wanted to see you for so long."

 

"Mom."

 

The two broke down into sobs, trying their best to touch, hold, and comfort each other through the firm metal bars. Sam held back, but remained by Cassie's side as she observed the reunion. She couldn't help but be protective. Sam scooted a little closer.

 

She'd warned Cassie. She'd tried her best to explain what was happening, without crushing Cassie's hopes. But at the same time, she had to make Cassie consciously aware that the woman they had in custody might not ever be the mother that she remembered.

 

But Sam was convinced that Janet was in there. Somewhere. She had to be. The Ori and the Priors couldn't destroy such a strong person. She kept trying to think that they all were stronger than that. But regardless, the woman who she saw now was not the woman she wanted anywhere near Cassie.

 

Sam took a step closer to Cassie, tugging at her sleeve to pull her back. The hurt expression on Janet's face was enough to make Sam want to cry.

 

"You're turning her against me," Janet said, the words harsh through her clenched teeth.

 

Sam rubbed Cassie's back, whispering soothing words to her. "Remember," she said. "They've conditioned her somehow."

 

Cassie was a strong girl. A young woman now. Sam knew she had her mother's fire. She could fight her way through this situation.

 

"Mom?" Cassie took a step back, moving closer to Sam. "Mom, how can you talk to Sam like that?"

 

"Because she is trying to tear us apart."

 

"Janet, listen to you," Sam said. "We're not your enemy."

 

"No, we're not enemies. We shouldn't be enemies." Janet shook her head. "Why won't you listen? Why won't you open yourselves to the teachings of the Ori?"

 

"The Ori pose as gods," Sam said, walking toward the cell, but motioning with her hands for Cassie to stay behind. "They believe they are gods, offering us salvation. Then, they usurp a person's power and life force only to use it to their own ends. They are worse than the Goa'uld, Janet. Orlin showed me—"

 

"So, you're believing an Ancient?" Janet snorted and shook her head, causing Sam's cheeks to flare with indignation. "Do you remember what they've done? Or, I should say haven't done?"

 

"The Ori sent a plague across the world, Mom," Cassie said, her face pinched with horror. "One of my best friends died. How-why would you condone something like that?"

 

Janet was silent. Sam could read the pain and conflict in her face. She gave a subtle nod for Cassie to continue.

 

"Nirrti sent a plague onto my planet and killed my family. How is that different?" She bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears. "Don't you even care?"

 

Janet opened her mouth to respond, but Cassie shook her head. "No, it's not different! It's not!"

 

"Cassandra!" Janet called out.

 

Cassandra turned her back, hugging herself as she moved to stand in the corner. Sam turned to Janet, wondering where the hell her friend was. Wondering if her friend was there at all.

 

Janet grabbed the bars, glowering at Sam. "Give me back my daughter!"

 

"That could have been her!" Sam yelled. "That could have been her that died!"

 

Janet brought up her hand, blocking Sam, before she turned around in her cell, showing her back to the rest of the room. She pushed them all away.

 

Part of Sam wanted to punch her for being so blind. The other part of Sam just wanted to sit down and cry over her loss.

 

"She's your daughter, Janet. All she wants is her mother back. We want you back."

 

Janet refused to speak with her. Sam just looked on as Janet continued to block them out, stuck in whatever world the Ori had made for her. Sighing, Sam turned her attention to Cassie.

 

She stopped, surprised to find Daniel by Cassie's side. Sam hadn't even heard him come inside the room. At first glance, it looked as if he were comforting her. But when Sam took a second look, she realized that Cassie's body language was closed, almost afraid. Whatever he was telling her, Cassie nodded anyway, but Sam knew it wasn't something Cassie was comfortable with. Sam had been caring for Cassie long enough to understand when she felt troubled.

 

"Daniel?" Sam asked, feeling her protective nature flare up again.

 

Daniel gave Cassie a pat on the shoulder, whispered something that Sam couldn't hear but which sounded comforting, before he started to walk toward her and the cell. He hesitated, passing Janet a pained glance before settling beside Sam.

 

"What was that?" Sam asked, nudging her chin in Cassie's direction.

 

"She's shook up," Daniel said. "I just wanted to see how she was doing."

 

Sam eyed him suspiciously. She chastised herself for still feeling tense around Daniel. Maybe it was all the stress from everything that had happened.

 

"You're brainwashing her," Janet said, her back still to them.

 

Sam scowled, struggling to keep her anger in check. She felt Daniel's hand on her shoulder, warm and comforting. "We've told her the truth," she said tersely.

 

Janet didn't respond.

 

"Sam, Cassie's pretty shaken. I'll see if I can make any headway here."

 

Sam hesitated, her gaze shifting between all three of them. She glanced down at her watch. She'd already left a message with the Tok'ra High Council about Ba'al and had yet to receive a reply. General O'Neill was arrested and likely facing charges of treason. She was still worried about Daniel, Cameron and Jonas. She wasn't sure what kind of support she could give Cassie right now.

 

Dammit, she hated when she felt emotionally unbalanced.

 

"It'll be okay in the end."

 

"I hope so," Sam said, casting an anxious look in Janet's direction. "You'll be okay?"

 

Daniel nodded. "Call me if anything new develops."

 

"I will." She forced a small smile and rubbed his back. "Take care and be careful."

 

Daniel nodded again. He knew that she wasn't talking about Janet.

 

With reluctance, she left Daniel and approached Cassie, urging her to come with her to the commissary. At least Sam had a little practice over the past couple of years, learning what could help ease Cassie's pain, and in turn, Sam's as well.

 

Quietly, the two of them left Daniel and Janet alone. Sam hoped she was doing the right thing.

 

As Sam and Cassie left, Daniel turned his attention to Janet. She pivoted to face him, smiling, her gaze focused on the door, watching as Sam and Cassie disappeared into the hallway.

 

"The Prior has opened your mind, Daniel. How long to do you think you can keep it hidden from everyone?"

 

"What?" he asked, his voice sounding dead and flat even to his own ears. He glanced over his shoulder, trying to see if anyone was around to hear what she'd said. He saw his escort, but he didn't seem at all fazed by their conversation.

 

"Don't play dumb," she said, drawing Daniel back to the conversation. "You know it. I know it. The Prior on Langara," she continued. "He's opened your mind to the Ori."

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Daniel said, frowning. He crossed his arms, taking another quick glance back at the guard. "Besides, this isn't about me."

 

"You keep turning the conversation around."

 

Daniel scowled. He was becoming frustrated in his inability to break through to Janet. He didn't know what else he could say or do to snap her out of her thinking.

 

It had occurred to him that maybe she really wasn't brainwashed. Maybe she truly felt the Ori were her saviors. In fact, he supposed it could be argued that was true. The Ori had saved her, resurrected her, if he were to believe her story. But he didn't want to believe that were true. Because if the Ori could turn Janet, then they could turn anyone. They could turn Sam or Jack. Cameron. Teal'c. Jonas. Even him.

 

He remembered the dream given to him by Shifu. While he knew that Shifu had been trying to show him that no one could resist the evil encoded in Goa'uld knowledge and genetic memory, sometimes he faltered and wondered if he were capable of what he saw in his dream. If given the chance, could he be that evil?

 

Daniel didn't want to ever find out.

 

"It's not that I like what we've become," Daniel said quietly, unfolding his arms as he took another step forward. "There are times I wish I could go back to the person I used to be. But I can't." He explored her face, searching for any kind of understanding. "But I'm still me, deep inside. I think you are, too."

 

Janet met him at the bars. "I love Cassandra," she said. "I would never hurt her. I would never let anyone hurt her."

 

I know, he wanted to say. But he didn't.

 

"Well, you could have fooled me."

 

She sighed, pressing her forehead on the bars. "I didn't want it to be this way."

 

He leaned onto the bars, not caring what the guard might think, and covered her hand with his. "It doesn't have to," he said, stroking her soft skin. She didn't push him away. Instead, she released her hold on the cell bars and let him squeeze her hand.  Quietly, he pressed his face against the bars and kissed her forehead. "We don't have to let it be this way," he whispered.

 

He maneuvered his free hand through the bars, using his fingers to tilt her chin upward so that he could see her eyes. He frowned, alarmed to find fear lurking in them. Immediately, he withdrew.

 

"It may be too late," she said.

 

That caught Daniel's attention. He crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"

 

"You're becoming like them."

 

Daniel shifted his weight, feeling uncomfortable about the certainty he heard in her voice.  "I'll die before I become like one of the Priors."

 

"I'm not talking about the Priors, Daniel."

 

He paled, realizing the implication of her statement. Shaken, he turned away from her and headed for the door, surprising his escort, who quickly moved to catch up with him.

 

Daniel wasn't going to let it happen. He wasn't going to lose himself. Janet was wrong. He would just have to prove it.

 

 

Chapter 15

 

"General Hammond," Hank said, walking from behind his desk to greet him. He shook Hammond's hand. "Nice of you to stop by."

 

"I told you just to call me George," Hammond said with a chuckle. "How're you holding down the fort?"

 

"It's a challenge," Hank said.

 

Hammond eyed the basketball hoop on the wall. "I'm sure it is."

 

Hank smiled. Needless to say, he'd made a few adjustments since the years of the Hammond and O'Neill legacy. Though, Hank still stood by his assessment that Jack never even used anything in his office except a pen and the chair.

 

"Well, I'm sure you haven't come all this way for small talk," Hank said, bringing his mind back to the task at hand.

 

"No, I'm afraid I haven't." Hammond walked over to the window, pausing to watch SG-1. "While I commend the work you've done in getting our people safe and secure here in the mountain, I'm afraid I have some bad news."

 

"Bad news?" Two words Hank didn't want to hear right now. "I assume this has to do with the trouble we've been having in Washington."

 

Hammond forced a small laugh, his gaze still focused on the briefing room. "Trouble my foot. There's something going on in Washington that's bigger than you or me." He sighed. "I've been ordered by the President to bring Joseph Owens back to Washington for questioning."

 

Hank couldn't believe what he was hearing. "This is a joke."

 

"I'm afraid it's no joke," Hammond said, dead serious. "I tried to convince him otherwise, but he seems hell bent on talking to Owens himself."

 

Hank considered what Hammond was saying. Since the nishta problem had started, he'd tried to convince himself that Jack and the President couldn't have a hand in it. It just didn't seem right. But the more he learned…

 

"Supposedly, the President has some very 'convincing' methods in getting people to talk," Hammond said quietly.

 

Hank nodded. "I'm sure he has."

 

"You know, I've seen a lot in my day. Hell, I've seen things that no ordinary man gets to see," he said, turning to Hank. "But the thought that Jack could be working in league with Ba'al and usurping presidential power…it just doesn't seem right."

 

None of it made any sense to Hank, either. He had a hard time believing that Jack could be capable of carrying out subversive acts against his government, his friends, and especially children. Then again, they weren't talking about regular run of the mill technology. Jack had been infected with nishta before. Who knew just how powerful the substance created at Area 51 was.

 

"It doesn't," Hank agreed. "That's why I have Agent Barrett working on anything that will clear Jack."

 

"Do you really believe that he hasn't been affected?" Hammond asked him.

 

"I'm not sure. But having Barrett look into every lead and angle he can will either support the evidence we already have, or it could absolve him."

 

Hammond nodded. "Jack O'Neill has been framed for murder in the past. But I don't see how he can clear his name this time."

 

"Well, we're verifying some information from Area 51 and also looking through the phone and email logs again," Hank said. "From what I've been told, they were made a couple of months ago. Barrett is trying his best to confirm the dates and trace the sources."

 

"Sorry to interrupt, but did you say a couple of months ago?"

 

Hank glanced at the doorway to his office from the briefing room, surprised to find Jack's clone standing at attention next to his table by the window. Hammond sent Hank a questioning look.

 

"I've cleared him," Hank said, trying to assure Hammond. He faced Jack. "What can I do for you?"

 

Jack saluted Hammond before answering. "I just couldn't help but overhear what you were saying. A couple of months ago? I think he went fishing then."

 

This was an interesting development.

 

"And just how would you know that, son?" Hammond asked.

 

Jack diverted his gaze to the table and started to tap the surface. "I used to always go fishing around that time of year."

 

"What you used to do and what General O'Neill does now are two entirely different situations," Hammond said. "But we appreciate your voice in the matter."

 

"Sir?" Jack appeared confused. "With all due respect, I think I know myself best."

 

Hank was about to intervene when he caught Major Davis at the door. "General Hammond? General Landry?" He stopped as he stared at Jack, made a move to address him, before dropping the thought completely. Or at least, that is how Hank read his bewildered expression. "Sirs, SG-1 state they have important information regarding Ba'al and are awaiting your orders."

 

"Thank you, Major," Hank said. He extended his hand outward, urging Hammond and Jack to proceed.

 

Hammond followed Davis into the briefing room. Hank was about to follow when he realized the young clone hadn't moved.

 

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

 

Jack was tapping his foot impatiently, wearing a tight scowl on his face.

 

"It's not like we don't appreciate your opinion, but—"

 

"But, I'm just the clone that doesn't know anything, right?" He sighed and shook his head, throwing his hands in the air in a frustrated defensive measure. "He's innocent."

 

"Why do you say that?" Hank studied him closely, noting Jack's discomfort in the way he jerked his legs. He narrowed his eyes. "You know something."

 

"It didn't occur to me until I heard you and Hammond talking."

 

"Spit it out, Jack."

 

"I wasn't supposed to say anything," Jack said. "It's all weird."

 

Hank's anger only deepened.

 

Jack sighed loudly. "I went fishing with…myself a couple of months ago."

 

That wasn't something Hank had been expecting. He didn't even think the clone and the original Jack had any kind of contact with each other. Fishing?

 

"Think about it," the clone said, as if reading his mind. "It's like pulling teeth trying to get Carter, Daniel, or Teal'c to go. Hammond is always off visiting his family. I needed someone who could appreciate the fine art of fishing."

 

"And you could confirm the dates you were with General O'Neill?"

 

"I can do better than that," Jack said with a smile. "I have blackmail photos."

 

Jack could have an alibi. That is all Hank needed to know. If the dates and the photos coincided with Jack's so-called office logs, then that would be enough evidence for Hank to release Jack and get him back into action where he damn well belonged.

 

"Where are these photos?"

 

"I have hardcopies at my apartment, but I have some logged onto my laptop," he said. "That's here on base."

 

"Good. You'll be escorted down to your room and I want you to retrieve those photos for me. Report back to me as soon as you find them."

 

Jack pointed to the briefing room. "The meeting?"

 

"You can join us when you're finished."

 

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir." With that he practically hopped out of the office, nabbing his escort who had been waiting in the hallway.

 

Pleased, Hank glanced over the briefing room. SG-1, Jonas, Hammond, and Major Davis were already conversing. With the silent hope that some of the past couple of days' problems could be placed behind them, Hank straightened his tie and entered the briefing room.

 

"So, what am I looking at?" General Landry asked.

 

Sam nodded to Thelass to speak.

 

"After Colonel Carter informed us of Ba'al's communication with the SGC, we contacted one of our spies working in what is left of his ranks," the Tok'ra explained. "Hardin went to great lengths to obtain the necessary information," he said quietly. "However, he was able to obtain these." Thelass smoothed out the detailed charts that were spread across the table with his hands.

 

The sheets indicated an oblong structure, slightly rounded. Plain and simplistic. But, there was no doubt in Sam's mind what it could be used for.

 

"They're plans for some kind of external docking station," Sam said.

 

"So, are we talking Deep Space Nine or Death Star?" Cameron asked.

 

Teal'c turned to Cameron and raised his eyebrow. Inwardly, Sam winced. They wouldn't be able to stop Teal'c from making science fiction references for days now.

 

She cleared her throat. "These are plans like nothing we've ever seen. They're definitely not Goa'uld in design."

 

"I agree with Colonel Carter," Thelass said. "While the Goa'uld have adapted technologies from across the galaxy, they persist in using the same system in their designs. Goa'uld vessels and structures are angular in design. These plans do not reflect the same style."

 

"No," Jonas said, nodding as he brushed his fingers over the plans. "You're right. The framework is much more rounded on these designs."

 

"It's the Ori," Daniel said, frowning. "Ba'al was right."

 

Sam didn't want Daniel to jump to conclusions, but she knew the likelihood these plans represented anything else were slim. Now she could see why Ba'al was so willing to pass these plans onto them; if he could get the Ori out of his hair without having to do any of the work, then great for him. Not to mention he could keep busy rebuilding his own empire, while keeping his clones busy on Earth. Or vice versa, depending on which Ba'al was which.

 

"Now why on Earth would they need a space station?" Hammond asked.

 

"They don't have any ships," Davis said.

 

Sam leaned on the table, locking her elbows and using them to prop her weight as he stared down at the designs. She wished she knew. To her, it was obvious the Ori were building a space station to dock any space-going vessels, but the Ori didn't have any ships. Vala had sacrificed herself, stopping them from constructing their Supergate. None of their data suggested the Ori were in fact building another Supergate or that they had any ships lying in wait.

 

"Could this not be their first endeavor?" Teal'c asked, moving to stand beside Sam.

 

"First a space station, then ships," Daniel mumbled.  "Maybe…" His voice trailed off as he searched the plans. When it didn't look like he was going to finish, Sam reached over to shake him, but he snapped out of his daze. "Maybe they figure if they can't build ships and send them here, they'll just start from scratch."

 

"We already know that the Ori have Priors planted all over the galaxy," Hank said. He hesitated, his sour expression leaving its mark on the room's occupants. "Do we know if these plans are accurate?"

 

Thelass narrowed his eyes. "Accurate?"

 

Oh boy, Sam thought, realizing which direction this conversation was heading. Times like these she missed her father the most.

 

"We're not questioning the Tok'ra," Sam said, trying to ease Thelass' suspicions and anger.

 

"No, no…we have no doubt about your intentions," Daniel said. "We're just afraid the Ori might use anything to distract us."

 

"Including using you," Davis added.

 

"The Tok'ra are not easily manipulated," Thelass snapped. "Hardin risked his life to obtain these plans for you."

 

Sam turned to Daniel, looking to him for help. She could use his negotiating skills about now. She frowned, becoming uneasy as she saw him staring off into space again. "Daniel?"

 

He didn't respond. Normally, Daniel's occasional lapses into thought wouldn't bother Sam. But not this time. Tensing, she realized Daniel had that same vacant look that he'd worn when he had first come through the Gate in a stretcher.

 

"Doctor Jackson?" Jonas asked.

 

Sam tapped Daniel on the shoulder. He shook his head, blinked with confusion, and stared at her along with everyone else. "Are you okay?" she asked.

 

He nodded, still appearing puzzled as he moved away from her. "Let's assume these are true. What are we going to do?"

 

Everyone seemed to hesitate, but recovered, their gazes focused on Daniel more now than ever before. Sam's hope started to sink.

 

"We need to find the location of the design," Teal'c said simply.

 

"Could your spy – Hardin – get any info on where this baby is at?" Cameron asked.

 

"He could not. The only information he was able to obtain was that the construction was occurring near a planet where light only touched a part of the world."

 

Sam chewed her lip as she pondered that remark. They had been to dozens of worlds that had different planetary rotations. Some worlds were covered primarily in darkness while others had strange oscillating patterns of light and dark. The amount of time it would take them to search each world would ruin any advantage they might have in a quick attack.

 

"We could pull up the planets that match this description in our database and try to narrow it from there," she said. She knew that right now this was their best course of action. "We'll just have to hope the Priors are building this near a Stargate."

 

If they weren't…Sam didn't even want to consider that possibility. They could spend months trying to track down a suitable planet by ship and also risk being seen by the Ori in the process. Logically, a Stargate made sense. The Priors would need labor and transport to accomplish their mission. She just hoped they'd be able to narrow it down in time.

 

"Thelass, I want to thank you for your help in this matter," Hammond said. "If there is anything we can do…"

 

"No," Thelass said, but he seemed to be calmed by General Hammond's hospitable presence. "If the Tau'ri need our assistance in the conflict against the Ori, we will provide any intelligence that we can."

 

Sam smiled. She knew the Tok'ra could sound as arrogant as the Goa'uld, but she knew that their goals were not all that dissimilar. The SGC might always be suspect of their intentions, but Sam could never turn her back on them completely. No one really understood them they way she did or the way her father did.

 

"Sam." Jonas nudged her.

 

Sam looked over at Jonas, concerned over his worried face. She withdrew herself from her thoughts, noting that Landry, Hammond and Davis were talking to Thelass. "What is it?" she asked.

 

He subtly pointed his finger to where Daniel was standing. Sam stiffened.

 

He was pale, his eyes half closed, and from the looks of it, was ready to pass out. Whatever was happening, he seemed to be trying to fight it off, though she didn't think he was succeeding.

 

Dammit, she thought. Don't let this happen. Don't let this happen.

 

"Whoa, Jackson!" Cameron said suddenly as he and Teal'c rushed to his side, grabbing his arms before he could collapse.

 

Daniel looked dimly aware of their presence. His eyes kept rolling back and then moving down to refocus. Daniel struggled through labored breathing, and she noticed a sheen of sweat covering his body. At one point, Sam thought he went limp. Then, as every fear and insecurity inside of her bubbled to the surface, he seemed to recover, clearing his throat while regaining his strength.

 

"I think I need to go to the infirmary," Daniel managed to say as he gasped for air. He steadied himself, but leaned onto Teal'c for support.

 

"I'll call Doctor Lam," Cameron said, making for the door.

 

"No, no. I can make it," Daniel said, causing Cameron to stop. His body strengthened with every step he took. Sam could see the shakiness start to vanish. "I think walking will help."

 

"Teal'c," Landry said. "I want you to escort Doctor Jackson to the infirmary. I'll call Doctor Lam and have her set up an isolation room for him." He turned to Sam. "I want you to work on filtering these details through the Gate system so we can try to find this planet. Major Davis will accompany you."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

Davis nodded. "I'll meet you in the control room," he told her.

 

Hank stayed firm in his resolve, but his eyes became apologetic. "Thelass, I'm sorry that we have to cut this meeting short."

 

"It is not a problem, General."

 

"I'll escort you to the Gateroom," Hammond said cordially.

 

Sam watched Teal'c help Daniel out of the briefing room, while Hammond and Thelass started down the stairs to the control room, Major Davis in tow. Jonas and Cameron remained with her, appearing equally anxious.

 

"Mister Quinn, Colonel Mitchell, I am calling for an escort to bring you to the infirmary," Hank finally said, moving to his office.

 

"General?" Jonas asked.

 

"Why? We're not sick," Cameron said.

 

"Precaution. If something is finally happening to Doctor Jackson, then I want to make sure it doesn't happen to either of you. Dismissed." With that, he walked into the office and slammed his door.

 

Sam stared after him, but understood his frustration. She sent her most sympathetic look to Jonas and Cameron, silently pleading that they would be all right. She tried to convince herself that the odds that all three of them could come down with some Ori-related condition was slim. But she had no logic, no proof, to back her reasoning. There were no absolutes here and that's what drove her crazy.

 

"We'll be okay, Sam," Cameron said, forcing a smile. "Just do what you have to do."

 

She nodded, scooping up the space station plans, and headed toward the stairwell to join Davis. As Sam left them behind, she became more determined than ever to use her anger and frustration constructively and find some kind of solution.

 

Daniel Jackson's stride proved to be erratic as he walked and stumbled down the corridor in a zigzag pattern. Teal'c remained behind him, offering him support where he could, though he knew he appeared distant and aloof. He had to remain this way in the event he had to do unto his friend what he had done unto Volnek.

 

Teal'c pushed the thought aside.

 

"It'll be okay, Teal'c," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

 

"I do not wish to discuss the matter."

 

"No?" Daniel Jackson panted and then swallowed hard. He wiped his face again. "I'm not going to let the Priors or the Ori destroy me, Teal'c."

 

"You may not have a choice, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, his voice uneven.

 

"Who knows," he said, sounding too light hearted for Teal'c's liking. "Maybe whatever the Priors were trying to do backfired."

 

Teal'c did not believe so. "What has lead you to this conclusion?"

 

"You were able to reach Gerak," he said, stopping to lean on the wall.

 

"And it cost him his life."

 

"I know. It shouldn't have happened. But it proves that people influenced by the Priors or even the Ori can still be saved, one way or another." Daniel Jackson exhaled and leaned over, as if he had just run a marathon.

 

Teal'c walked to his friend's side. "It was not the case with Volnek."

 

"No. No, I guess you're right." He coughed and then moaned, holding onto his stomach. "Sometimes there is no choice. But sometimes there is."

 

Teal'c firmly believed they should delay no longer. He cast away his friend's ramblings and grabbed his arm, helping him to stand. Daniel Jackson shook him off and turned to face the wall.

 

"No, just give me a minute."

 

"Daniel Jackson, we must depart at once." Teal'c reached for his friend yet again.

 

Daniel Jackson did not move, his eyes dull and unfocused. "And sometimes the choice is one that was made long ago."

 

Teal'c hesitated, frowning at his friend's cryptic words. He reached to touch his shoulder.

 

He did not have time to react. Daniel Jackson's fist connected with his jaw. The blow was filled with a might Teal'c had not known he could possess. Stunned, Teal'c stumbled back, nearly losing his footing. As he steadied himself and regained his composure, Daniel Jackson reared and struck again. This time Teal'c fell to the ground.

 

"Daniel Jackson!" he called, immediately pushing himself off the floor with his hands in order to engage him.

 

His friend did not answer. He grabbed Teal'c, sneering in a way that caused Teal'c much pain, before he slammed him against the wall.

 

However, this time, Teal'c was prepared. As Daniel Jackson hurled his next blow, Teal'c stopped his fist, pushing it back.  Daniel Jackson grunted, struggling against the force. When he reached with his second fist, Teal'c blocked that one as well.

 

"Whatever the Priors have done to your mind, you must fight to overcome it," Teal'c told him, hoping to appeal to the decency in his friend's heart. "You are a man of honor, Daniel Jackson."

 

Daniel Jackson laughed at him, pausing long enough for Teal'c to realize he was only toying with him. In an instant, Daniel Jackson pushed back, easily overcoming Teal'c, and spun him around to face the wall. Teal'c was blind to what the man who once was his friend had planned.

 

It happened. As Teal'c called for assistance, ashamed at his own inadequacies, he felt Daniel Jackson's elbow ram into the base of his skull. The pain flared like hot white light before Teal'c was plunged into darkness.

 

Daniel ran down the corridors, wasting no time in finding the holding area. He bypassed Jack's enclosed cell and entered the room where Janet was being held.

 

"Doctor Jackson?" the sentry asked.

 

Daniel walked by him and closed in on Janet. "Tell me where the Ori are," he said bluntly.

 

He wasn't surprised that Janet seemed shocked by his question. "Daniel?" she asked.

 

"Take me to the Ori. Take me to the Priors. I need to see them."

 

"Doctor Jackson," the soldier said. "You're not allowed—"

 

"Shut up," he snapped, keeping focused on Janet. If anyone knew where he could find them, she did. "Take me to them."

 

Janet hesitated, moving away from the bars. "Daniel, what's the matter with you?"

 

Daniel paused, suddenly feeling a wave of uncertainty hit him. But he couldn't. He couldn't falter now. He had to remember that what he was doing was right. That he was doing this for them.

 

"Doctor Jackson, you are not authorized to be here. I'm—"

 

Daniel spun around and elbowed the soldier in the face. When he fell to the ground, Daniel relieved him of his weapons and tied him up in the corner. He couldn't have people getting in his way. He had a job to do.

 

"Daniel!" Janet shouted, as if her tone would change his mind.

 

He ignored her, quickly unlocking her cell, and opened the door. He grabbed her arm, dragged her toward the door, and urged her to move. "We'll grab Cassie and go to the Priors together," he said as they started toward the VIP rooms. "We'll all be together."

 

"We'll leave Cassie out of this," she said firmly.

 

"No time." He dug his fingers deeper into her arm, pulling her along. They had to move faster. "We have to go now."

 

"Go?" Janet shook her head and resisted. He pulled her harder. "Daniel, this isn't how I wanted it to be."

 

"You don't understand." He knew none of them would. Not in the end. That was something he would have to face in due time. "I need to see the Ori. I need to be with them." He swallowed hard, knowing it was almost over. "I'm supposed to be with them."

 

 

Chapter 16

 

Jack tossed the color copies on Hank Landry's desk. "There's your proof," he said.

 

Hank reached over and grabbed the sheets, mulling over each one in turn. Jack waited and waited and waited…

 

"Do you mind hurrying it up? I'm not getting any younger here."

 

Jack caught Hank smirk from in between the pages. "You realize these photos prove that you enjoy playing practical jokes on yourself?"

 

Jack returned with a smirk of his own. "Hey, I never said I liked me."

 

"True enough." Hank put the sheets down and reached for the phone. "I guess I should be thankful for that," he said with a chuckle. "Let's get Jack out of—"

 

Hank was cut off by a loud blaring noise. Jack remembered the shrill sounds of the alarm system as if he'd only heard them yesterday. He stopped for a second before his mind clicked and he was flung back into action mode.

 

"Where did the alarm originate?" Jack asked.

 

Hank was already on the phone. He nodded, muttered a few words, and hung up the receiver. "The alarm originated close to the infirmary, but I just received a call from Airman Ellison. Doctor Jackson clocked him and busted out Fraiser."

 

Jack couldn't believe it. Had Daniel gone nuts?

 

"Sir, permission to—"

 

Hank shook his head. "I've requested for Jack to be released. I want you to get those photos down to Agent Barrett so we can find who the real mastermind is behind this. We'll handle Jackson."

 

Jack scowled but nodded. Just because he was stuck in some kid's body didn't mean his mind had gone soft. He still could take down Daniel or Fraiser if necessary.

 

"I know you want to help, Jack, but rooting out any moles will help us focus our resources on the Ori and whatever has happened to Daniel and Fraiser." He stood and headed toward the door. "I need you to do this."

 

"Yeah, I know." He took the pictures off Hank's desk, frowning when he saw him heading to the briefing room. "Where are you going?"

 

Hank paused by the door and grabbed the frame, sticking his head back inside. "To nab some backup."

 

"Any luck?" Major Davis asked.

 

Sam shook her head. "The problem is the parameters that Thelass gave us are too broad. I've come up with over a hundred planets that fit this description."

 

She glanced down at the details that Thelass had given her. The planet in question had light only touching part of its surface. That had ruled out the majority of the planets they had visited but didn't wipe out as many as she would have hoped. SG-1 had been to worlds with slow planetary rotations, delayed rotations, and no rotations. They'd gated to meteors that were almost entirely shrouded in darkness to planets that were covered in light except for underground caverns.

 

Thelass had also told her that Ba'al had lifted the plans from a "primitive" people. Sam rubbed her forehead. While she realized the term primitive wasn't PC – a lesson she'd learned the first time she'd been called primitive, she had to admit that in all the years they'd traveled through the Stargate SG-1 had encountered more less-advanced races than advanced. And sometimes the advanced races weren't as advanced as they seemed. Wasn't the term primitive all relative, anyway?

 

The last detail provided by Thelass consisted of a few glyphs that Sam couldn't read. Thelass couldn't make out the glyphs himself, but was confident that some of the SGC's linguists could. With Tok'ra numbers dwindling, they just didn't have the same resources they once had. She had wanted to ask Daniel but with him being rushed off to the infirmary…

 

"I asked for a linguist to be sent down here fifteen minutes ago," Sam mumbled.

 

"I'm sure they'll be here soon." He stopped and pointed at the screen. "Isn't there any way you can narrow this down?"

 

"I wish it were that simple. I really don't know what I'm looking for," she said. "And most of the planets in our database are populated with people who are our allies. Like Jonas, they have been very forthcoming with attacks by the Priors."

 

"So, you're looking for planets that fit the description where we weren't able to make allies?" Davis asked.

 

Sam nodded. "Just based on the parameters alone I had over a hundred matches. I filtered out any planets where we have known allies and the list dropped to forty. Now, that is still too broad for us if we want to try to locate this station as quickly as possible. An attack could literally be days from now."

 

"The glyphs will help identify the culture."

 

"Exactly," Sam said. "It could at least narrow the field so we can—"

 

She stopped, caught off guard by the blaring alarms.

 

"What was that?" Major Davis asked, standing.

 

"I don't know." Sam switched to another screen and started typing. Within seconds, she was able to pinpoint the source of the alarm.

 

"Near the infirmary," she said, inwardly crushed. She shook her head and grabbed the nearest phone, quickly dialing the main number.

 

"Lam," she heard as the reply.

 

"Doctor Lam, it's Colonel Carter. Is everything secure?"

 

"You're talking about the alarm," she said coolly. "Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn made it to the infirmary, but Teal'c and Doctor Jackson haven't arrived yet."

 

Dammit, Sam thought, grimacing.

 

"It's Doctor Jackson," Landry said, surprising both Sam and Davis with his presence. He motioned for the phone. Sam handed it to him and stood, moving out of his way. " Tell them to stay put," he said to Lam. "I don't care how much they protest. Yes." He hung up the phone.

 

Sam needed answers. "Sir?"

 

He motioned for Davis and Sam to walk with him as he headed toward the exit. "I have a report from the guard standing watch by Fraiser's door that he was attacked by Doctor Jackson."

 

Sam couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it. "Teal'c?" she asked.

 

"We suspect he's the one that pulled the alarm." Hank paused and turned to face the both of them. "I'm going down to the infirmary to make sure they are prepared to take in Doctor Jackson. I want the two of you to get to the armory and hunt him down."

 

Sam hesitated and shifted her weight uneasily, but finally nodded, knowing she had a job to do. It didn't mean she had to like it. Sam waved for Davis to follow her as they started down the corridor.

 

"Doctor Jackson broke out Fraiser and didn't head to the Gateroom," he said. "How are we going to locate where they're hiding?"

 

Sam thought back to the last conversation she'd had with Daniel in the holding area. She broke out into a run, leaving a bewildered Davis to try to catch up with her.

 

"I know exactly where they're going!" she called out. She hoped this time that she was wrong.

 

Jack swung the door open and charged out of his cell. "What's the situation?" he asked the sentry on his way out.

 

"Doctor Jackson reportedly attacked Airman Ellison and freed Doctor Fraiser," he said hurrying to keep up with Jack. "The base is on alert to find them."

 

"Any idea where they went?"

 

The soldier shook his head. "No, not at this time, sir."

 

"Okay." It figured this would all blow up in their faces but Jack didn't have time to think about that right now. "Get back to your post and report to Landry. Tell him I'm assembling a scout team."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

Jack didn't bother to watch him go, solely focused on getting to the armory. There, he could grab a zat and a sidearm and start his plan of attack. He had to make sure they could subdue Daniel before he caused too much damage or made a break for the Gate. Or tried for the surface.

 

Naturally, Daniel had to go psycho at a time like this. Perfect timing. Damn the Ori. Jack sure as hell hoped they got what was coming to them.

 

He took the elevator to the armory, jogging down the corridor to get to the compartment. He increased his pace when he noticed a figure slumped by the armory's entrance.

 

"Teal'c!" He ran to his side and inspected him. Damn, it looked like Teal'c had been hit hard. "What happened?"

 

"Daniel Jackson turned against me," he said, nursing the bump at the back of his neck. "I believe that his mind has been turned by the Prior."

 

That was so not the news Jack wanted to hear right now. With a grunt, he helped Teal'c to his feet and leaned him against the wall. "Any idea where he went?"

 

Teal'c cast his gaze downward. "I was unable to discern which direction he took."

 

"That's all right," Jack said, giving Teal'c a pat. "Why don't you get yourself to the infirmary?"

 

"I will be fine," Teal'c said.

 

Jack shook his head and sighed. Teal'c was nothing if not stubborn. "Fine. Can you handle searching for Daniel?"

 

"Indeed I can."

 

Jack nodded and gave Teal'c another pat. It would have to do. Reaching into the armory, Jack grabbed a zat and a 9mm just in case. He also nabbed a two-way. He tossed the same to Teal'c. Jack strapped the weapons to his belt and jerked his chin, signaling Teal'c to follow him.

 

"Sir!"

 

Jack turned to see Carter and Davis running towards them. He and Teal'c stopped, waiting for them to reach the armory.

 

"Carter, report."

 

"Daniel has Janet. General Landry's ordered a lockdown of the base and the Gateroom has been secured." She grabbed a sidearm and handed one to Davis. She brought her attention to Jack, her face grave. "Sir, I know where he's heading."

 

Jack nodded for her to continue.

 

She secured her weapon and gazed hard at Jack. "They're going for Cassandra."

 

Janet stumbled along with Daniel, fighting against his iron grip. He walked with a power and determination that was starting to unsettle her. The more she tried to fight him, the tighter his hold became.

 

"Daniel, let go." Janet grunted, nearly falling as he dragged her down the hall.

 

He didn't reply. The two of them kept walking, moving closer and closer to the VIP suites.

 

"Just what do you think you're doing? Are you trying to make a point?" She jerked back but he pulled her forward to compensate. "It's not going to work."

 

Daniel had tried interrogating her, tried to turn her beliefs inside out. He had tried sympathy and understanding. He had tried to use her daughter. He had tried…had he tried to use her emotions against her? She tugged but his grip did not lighten.

 

And now it looked like he was attempting reverse psychology. It wasn't going to work.

 

"I believe in the Ori because I believe," she said. "I saw their kindness. They gave me a second chance. They gave me the chance to return home and be with my daughter. Whatever you're planning won't work, Daniel. It only strengthens my resolve."

 

"We're going to get Cassie, and then we'll leave through the Stargate," he said without looking at her. "We'll be together, just like we always wanted it to be. The three of us." He picked up his pace. "You'll take me to the Priors. They will take me to the Ori."

 

His voice was low, monotone, and stilted. It didn't sound like him at all. Concerned, she tried to catch a glimpse at his face, tried to read any emotion in his features that would reassure her that Daniel was with her. All she saw was a plain, emotionless façade and dull, unfocused eyes hiding beneath his glasses. Janet stiffened, wondering if maybe this wasn't reverse psychology after all.

 

The Priors had told her before they went to Kelowna. They had told her that the day was nearing when she would be reunited with her daughter and her friends. But they had also told her that the prodigal son would be returning to them.

 

She thought they were speaking figuratively. She stole a glance at Daniel. Now she wasn't so sure.

 

"Daniel, please. Listen to me."

 

He stopped in front of one of the VIP room doors, searching the surface. He pressed his free hand onto the metal. "Cassandra?" he asked. "It's Daniel."

 

Janet tried to weasel out of his grasp. She'd thought the Priors had reached out to Daniel to show him the truth. She didn't want them to change him. She wanted to be with him. She just wanted peace and understanding. That's all she wanted.

 

"Daniel, bringing Cassie through the Stargate isn't going to solve anything. Let's stay here. The Ori will come to us."

 

He shook his head, withdrawing his card and slipping it through the card reader. The door clicked. He pushed back his jacket and pocketed the card. What she saw by his side made her cold.

 

"Daniel," she whispered. "What do you need the gun for?"

 

"In case she doesn't listen."

 

Janet held her breath and felt her body go numb. She couldn't even believe what Daniel was suggesting. "Daniel," she said, her voice nearly a snarl. "Don't you—"

 

"Cassandra," Daniel called, entering the room, still holding onto Janet with his other hand. "I've freed your mother."

 

Cassie had been sitting on the bed, half way between sliding off to answer Daniel when the two of them had come through the door. She tossed her book on the mattress, her eyes widening with delight when she saw Janet. "Mom!" she cried, running to hug her.

 

Daniel released his hold on Janet, allowing her to move to Cassie. Janet relished every minute of it. She brought her daughter into her arms, holding her close. She didn't want to let go. She never wanted to let go.

 

"Mom," Cassie said excitedly. She let go of Janet, but stayed by her side, her face beaming. It was as if their prior conversation had never taken place. "They let you go!" she exclaimed. "Does this mean you can go home now?"

 

Janet hesitated, not quite sure what to say. She saw the love, hope, and joy in her daughter's face. She'd missed her so much. She'd missed so much.

 

"You're a woman now," Janet said, stroking her face. "You're so beautiful. I didn't get to tell you before."

 

Cassie's cheeks blushed pink over the compliment. "But they let you go. Does this mean you're…okay now?"

 

The comment shook her, drawing her out of the moment and back into reality. The smile vanished from her face. That's how they saw her. Sick. Different. She had aligned with their enemy.

 

Janet heard the door click behind her.

 

"Daniel?" Cassie asked, sounding confused. "What's wrong?"

 

Janet watched as Daniel slowly moved toward them. His face remained like stone, his eyes wildly unfocused. "We've come to take you to the Ori," he said.

 

Cassie laughed and started toward him.  She froze when she saw Daniel withdraw his gun.

 

"Cassie, don't." Janet whispered, trying to grab onto her sleeve.

 

"Daniel?" Cassie asked again. Her gaze fell to the gun. "What are you doing?"

 

"I need to see the Ori," he said. He paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I have to be with them. I can't get there without your mother. The only way I can get her to go is through you."

 

"Mom?" Cassie shot Janet a nervous look.

 

"That's not true, honey."

 

"You planned this?" Cassie asked, backing away from both Janet and Daniel. "You've come to take me away?"

 

"It's the will of the Ori, Cassie," Daniel said.

 

"No, it's not," Janet said through clenched teeth. "Daniel, I don't know what they're telling you this time, but it's not true."

 

"You've never believed in the Ori," Cassie said. "What's happened to you?"

 

"I-I have to see them," he said. He moaned and wiped his forehead with his arm, coughing as he tried the aim the gun. "They're doing something to me. I have to find out. I need to see them."

 

"Not this way," Janet said. She held out her hand. "Just give me the gun."

 

He sniffled, his eyes growing glassy. "Shut up," he said. "I have to go. Let's go now."

 

"Daniel, please. Please don't do this," Cassie pleaded, moving farther away from them. She stumbled around the bed. Daniel moved to follow her.

 

Janet felt frozen. Why would the Ori push Daniel to do this? Why was he going after Cassie? Cassie was everything to her.

 

"Put the gun down," Janet demanded. "She has nothing to do with this. I'll take you to the Ori. I'll bring you to the Priors. Leave her alone!"

 

Cassie flattened herself against the wall while Daniel cornered her quickly. "There will be obstacles in your path." He coughed and leveled his weapon. "The devout are pure of heart and do not stray."

 

"I haven't strayed!" Janet yelled. "I came here to tell everyone about the Ori!"

 

"Your heart lies. For even the fruit can sour." His face darkened. "Only when the spoiled have been taken, can the pure be set free."

 

"Daniel, you're sick!" Cassie shouted. She started to cry. "Mom, please. Mom. Mom…"

 

"It's okay, Cassie," he said in a deceptively calm voice. He cocked the gun. "It'll be over soon."

 

Janet balled her fists, fighting the immobility caused by shock. Daniel had a gun on her daughter and he was going to shoot her. Daniel was going to kill Cassie. The Ori were going to kill Cassie. Both Daniel and Cassie were going to die and it was her fault.

 

Tears streaming down her face, Janet grabbed the lamp by the bedside and charged for Daniel. "You leave my daughter alone!" she cried, smashing the lamp onto his skull.

 

Daniel shouted something in Latin, stumbling back, before he collapsed onto the bed. Janet stared at what she had done, watching as the blood streamed down the back of his neck, pouring into little rivulets across his cheek until the blood pooled onto the mattress.

 

She looked past him to find her shocked and frightened daughter trembling in the corner. Immediately, Janet rushed over to Cassie and brought her into her arms. "I'm so sorry, Cassie," she said. "I'm so sorry."

 

"Mom." She buried her face into Janet's chest, her muffled sobs vibrating through Janet. "I love you, Mom."

 

Janet wiped away her tears. "I love you, too."

 

Chapter 17

 

Cassie pulled away from Janet, sniffled, and wiped her face before collapsing onto the wall for support. She glanced at the bed. "We have to help him. He didn't mean for it to happen this way."

 

Janet followed her gaze to where Daniel had fallen unconscious. None of this was supposed to have happened. During all that time she spent with the Ori, learning and healing, she had always dreamed of bringing her knowledge back with her to the SGC and sharing it with those she loved. She had envisioned starting off with a clean slate and had entertained the idea that maybe circumstances would be right for her, Daniel, and Cassie to start a life together.

 

He wasn't moving.

 

She shook away the shock over what had happened – and what had almost happened – between her daughter and Daniel, summoning the strength to handle the situation with a clear head. "Call for security," she said, walking over to the nightstand. She pulled it open to find a small medical kit. "I'll bandage him, and then we'll—"

 

A pounding on the door caused Janet to jump. As she moved back towards Daniel and Cassie, General O'Neill burst through the doors, his weapon drawn.  In no time, Janet found the gun aimed at her, along with three more as Sam, Teal'c, and Major Davis spilled into the room. Janet grabbed the medical kit and held up her hands. She had to admit that she was both relieved and anxious to see them.

 

"General—" Janet began.

 

"Don't move!" O'Neill shouted. "Stay right there!" He quickly scanned the room, his face darkening when he caught sight of the blood. "Davis! Go get a medical team."

 

"Yes, sir," Major Davis said, his nervous and disgusted expression turning into concern as he fled the room.

 

"Oh my God," Sam said. She moved toward the center of the room, staring open-mouthed at Daniel's inert body that lay half on the bed.

 

"Mom saved me," Cassie said. She was still crowding the wall, hugging herself, her unsteady gaze on Daniel. "He's sick. She wants to help him. Please let her help him."

 

Janet waited impatiently for O'Neill to give her the okay. She'd done what she'd needed to do to protect Cassandra, but now she had to carry out her job, something she hadn't done in so long.

 

"Go," O'Neill said, but kept his weapon trained on Janet. "Carter, help her." He turned to Cassie. "You all right?"

 

She nodded. "Daniel went nuts. He kept talking about the Ori."

 

"Yeah." O'Neill's voice was quiet. Janet could feel his eyes on her.

 

Janet made her way over to Daniel, carefully pulling back the hair at the nape of his neck. She pressed onto different areas of his skull, careful not to aggravate the wound, as she checked for any shards that could have splintered from the lamp and become embedded in his skin. Luckily, the lamp had just nicked him, though she would have never guessed by the amount of blood he'd lost. Janet was more concerned with his concussion than anything else.

 

As she started to clean and bandage the wound, Janet saw Teal'c stagger. "Teal'c? Are you feeling all right?" She handed the kit to Sam.

 

"Daniel did a number on him," O'Neill said. He motioned with his chin toward one of the spare chairs in the room. "Take a seat and the Doc will take a look at you."

 

"I am fine."

 

"Ah." O'Neill motioned to the chair. "Sit."

 

Teal'c begrudgingly complied and eased himself into the chair. For a moment, Janet caught herself smiling, remembering all the times she'd patched up minor injuries for Teal'c and the rest of SG-1, and remembering the pride she felt when one of them would find the strength to pull through the severe cases. She missed their comfort and O'Neill's attitude. It almost felt like old times.

 

She sobered when she looked down at Daniel. Yes, like old times.

 

"Will he be okay?' Sam asked her, holding back Daniel's collar so that Janet could work.

 

Janet nodded. "The amount of blood is deceptive. It's a minor head wound." She finished, folding the collar of his BDU jacket over the bandage.

 

"What happened?" Sam asked.

 

Janet didn't know if she even wanted to tell Sam. She was still trying to figure it out herself. As she wiped her hands, she found herself staring at the wound and the broken lamp on the floor. Her cheeks burned.

 

"Janet?" Sam asked, touching her back.

 

Janet swallowed hard. "The Ori did something to him. He was going to kill Cassie." Quickly, Janet packed up the first aid kit and cleared her throat. "Will you see to Cassie? I need to tend to Teal'c."

 

Janet didn't wait for Sam to respond. She didn't even wait to see her reaction. She just moved over to where Teal'c was sitting and pressed onto his swollen neck. The flesh was tender and red. She massaged a little harder, gauging Teal'c's reaction as she worked. "Well, it looks like he hit you hard, but it doesn't look like anything serious. Still, I'd like to run some tests to make sure you don't have any fractures."

 

Despite his injury, Teal'c bowed ever so slightly. "Thank you, Doctor Fraiser."

 

Janet forced a smile, closed up the first aid kit and stopped, realizing O'Neill was watching her. He wore that hard, embattled look, his attention split between her and Daniel. Janet sighed.

 

"Look, I know you have no reason to trust me," Janet said. "I don't blame you. But I know where I can be useful. Please let me accompany you to the infirmary. I'd like to keep an eye on Daniel and Teal'c. You can keep me under guard," she said, stealing a glance over to Cassie as Sam consoled her. "I just can't stand by and watch people suffer without being able to do anything."

 

O'Neill didn't move a muscle.

 

"Please, Jack," Cassie said. "I know she's been with the Priors for so long, but she really wants to help. I know she does."

 

O'Neill kept the gun aloft, while he seemed to consider the request. After another glimpse at Daniel, he nodded and motioned for Sam to escort Janet and Cassie out of the room. As Sam led the way, Janet looked back, watching O'Neill reach for the phone while keeping his weapon trained on Daniel.

 

"Yeah, it's O'Neill. I need a security team in here to transport Daniel to the infirmary."

 

Malcolm had spent the greater part of the last two hours trying to find any kind of evidence that would clear General O'Neill. Supposedly, General Landry was working on some lead given to him by the clone kid, though Malcolm figured that might be more of a self-preservation issue. For him to really believe that O'Neill wasn't trying to save his own ass, he was going to need something else.

 

So, while the time went by and he lost track whether it was night or day in this claustrophobic mountain, he'd been pouring over the records that General Clark had sent him. Pages and pages of records.

 

Right now, Malcolm was certain he could tell anyone exactly who was a regular when it came to the Nishta Project. Official after official…mostly high ranking at that.

 

Thankfully, Colonel Carter had enough foresight to also request the logs for Joseph Owens, who was not officially associated with the Nishta Project. Malcolm had matched NID logs to the Area 51 logs and gone from there.

 

So far, Malcolm had been able to sketch an outline of activity for Owens. Over a year ago, he had been associated with a different project, something to do with defense technology. Owens's entry dates matched what they had on file for the NID. Malcolm could only assume he was doing double duty while at Area 51. Then, he had left the NID, but interestingly enough, his logs at Area 51 did not stop.

 

In fact, they stopped just prior to Colonel Carter's arrival at Area 51.

 

Malcolm had General O'Neill's authorization on the project, which also occurred just prior to her arrival. General Clark had also shared records with him indicating that the President had authorized some trial runs and preliminary investigations on nishta, a time period that matched when Emerson and Owens were working together. However, it was when the program became official with full administrative sanction and with O'Neill's support and backing that Owens disappeared.

 

That was until four months ago when he came back under presidential order to obtain a sample. From his conversations with Emerson, Owens refused the new prototype they were working on, opting to bring the older one back with him to Washington.

 

With all this new information, Malcolm was convinced that it was bullshit. President Hayes would not send an ex-NID agent to Area 51 to retrieve an outdated sample. Not when a new prototype was just being completed and when he had officially sanctioned the project to begin with.

 

Feeling a surge of energy from this latest revelation, Barrett flipped through his files and found the document General Clark had received from Owens. He grabbed the one he had that showed General O'Neill's and President Hayes' signatures. He set them both down side by side and compared the two.

 

Damn, why hadn't anyone caught this?

 

The workmanship was good, but not flawless.

 

The Owens presidential order was a forgery.

 

This meant that Owens was involved with the preliminary project under false pretenses, and then returned with a fake presidential order.

 

It also meant that he had to have people in pretty high places to pull it off.

 

Malcolm started to go through all the documents, this time with more fervor. If it wasn't O'Neill, then who could it be? Who would have had access to his office? Who would have had access to his files and could have worked around his passwords? Who would General O'Neill trust?

 

And then, as Barrett was staring at some of the logs from the past few months from Area 51, it all made sense. One name consistently popped out at him.

 

"Dammit," he mumbled.

 

Malcolm grabbed the documents and made for the door. He had to show his evidence to General Landry immediately.

 

He stopped, surprised at the figure standing in the doorway. Malcolm took a step back, reaching for his own weapon.

 

Too late.

 

The other man fired.

 

Jack strolled down the hallway, tapping the color copies in his hands with his escort in tow as he made his way to Agent Barrett's temporary office. He'd much rather be looking for Daniel. But just stick the kid with the boring jobs…

 

He stopped and looked up, a smirk touching his lips. The alarms had stopped. Perfect. They must have found Daniel.

 

Damn, he hoped they were okay.

 

With a sigh, Jack pressed onward. He supposed he could clear the old man's name. It was the least he could do.

 

Besides, if Jack gave him any lip, he still had the original copies of the whipped cream incident back at his apartment. If Jack knew what was good for him, he'd cut him some slack. Someone needed to cut him a break already.

 

The gunshot took him totally by surprise.

 

Jack froze and pressed himself against the wall, glancing back at his escort to confirm he'd heard what he thought he'd heard.  When the airman nodded, Jack sighed. It figured.

 

"Lieutenant," he said, keeping his voice low. "Hand me your sidearm."

 

"Sir?"

 

"Just do it."

 

He frowned. "I'm not auth—"

 

"Believe it or not, I actually outrank you, Lieutenant. Now give me the gun."

 

Lieutenant Hawkes hesitated but then complied, handing his sidearm over to Jack. After Jack checked the gun, he gave Hawkes the hand signal to wait before he started forward. Quietly, Jack crept along the wall, edging closer and closer to Barrett's office.

 

The door was open and the lights were off. Never a good sign.

 

As he approached the entrance he balked, surprised to find General Hammond exiting the office, a pile of paperwork tucked under his arm. He had started to close the door when he saw Jack. Hammond frowned and shut the door.

 

"General?" Jack asked, still keeping his gun level.

 

"Jack," Hammond said, sounding genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I was about to ask you the same." He looked to the door and then to Hammond. Jack focused on the paperwork in particular. "What's in your hands?"

 

"Oh this?" Hammond chuckled. "Nothing for you to worry about, son. General Landry sent me here to check on Agent Barrett."

 

Jack knew it was possible. Hank had people working on several projects. And this was Hammond. But Jack also knew that there was something off about this whole thing. He decided to play his hand carefully.

 

"I thought I'd heard something," Jack said.

 

Hammond smiled at him. "You must have been hearing things, son. Now, why don't you just get settled in."

 

"Nah, I don't think so." He glared at Hammond. "Besides, I just came from talking with Landry. He told me everything."

 

"I'm sorry?" Hammond said. Jack couldn't help but notice his eyes had fallen to the color copies Jack had dropped on the way to Barrett's office. His face grew dark. That's when Jack realized his other hand was concealed.

 

Crap.

 

"Don't move!" Jack shouted, cocking the gun.

 

Hammond dropped the paperwork and drew his gun, aiming for Jack. For once, Jack was thankful for his new and improved younger body. He ducked and rolled out of the way, recovering quickly enough to take a shot at Hammond.

 

Hammond staggered, shocked by the blow before he finally collapsed. Carefully, Jack made his way over to him and gave him a quick check. He was breathing and the wound was superficial. Jack sighed with relief.

 

"Sorry, sir," he said. He wiped his nose and took a breath. "Lieutenant!" he called. "I need a medical team down here!"

 

After he took a moment to compose himself, Jack walked over Hammond's body and into Barrett's office. He heard the crunching under his feet as he made his way through the darkened office, feeling for the light. He flipped the switch.

 

"Damn."

 

Barrett hadn't faired as well as Hammond. It looked as though Hammond had been shooting to kill.

 

Jack stashed the gun behind his back and rushed to Barrett's side. He was pale, sweaty, and unconscious; there was blood everywhere. Jack made a face as he knelt by Barrett's side. He always hated this part.

 

"Hang in there," he told Barrett, pressing his hands against his abdomen. "Help is on the way."

 

Sam stood alongside Janet, Cassie, and General O'Neill in the room above the isolation chamber, while Teal'c and General Landry sat at the console. Below them, Daniel lay strapped on a gurney. Once again, he had a dozen machines fastened to him, all of which were monitoring him closely. Doctor Lam checked his restraints again before she moved toward the door.

 

Sam frowned as she studied a second monitoring device by Daniel's side. She hadn't been expecting to ever see that again. Sam started to get that sinking feeling again.

 

"I've given him a sedative," Lam said as she entered the observation room. "But it's not going to be enough."

 

"What do you mean?" Landry asked.

 

Lam opened up her file and removed two films. She placed the first one down and took a step back so they all could see it. Sam recognized it right away.

 

"It's a brain scan," Janet said, pulling away from Cassie to lean over the console. She frowned, her fingers touching the edges of the film. "This can't be possible. It's showing increased brain function in several parts of the brain." She looked to O'Neill and then back to Lam. "Are these General O'Neill's old readings?"

 

Lam shook her head. "They belong to a man named Khalek."

 

When Janet appeared confused, Sam tried to explain it to her. "He was a human encoded with Anubis' genetic memory and was well on his way to willful ascension."

 

"What's this have to do with Daniel?" O'Neill asked. Though, by his tone, she figured he already anticipated what the answer would be.

 

Sam hoped she was wrong. Just let them all be wrong.

 

"This is Daniel's." Lam placed the film down next to the one they had of Khalek.

 

Sam bowed her head and closed her eyes, covered them with her hand. They were nearly identical. Daniel's brain pattern was mimicking that of Khalek's.

 

"So, what are you telling me? That Daniel's ascending or that Daniel's turning into another Anubis?" O'Neill asked, angry.

 

"I can't answer that," Lam said. "But I've connected him to the monitor we found in Anubis' lab and it's already showing tremendous advancement." She took the films and slipped them back into the folder. With a sigh, she crossed her arms. "Daniel's wound is completely healed. It's likely that he has telepathic or telekinetic abilities as well."

 

"Is there not a way to reverse the process?" Teal'c asked. His gaze remained focused on Daniel.

 

Lam shrugged. "Not that I know of."

 

"There has to be something," Janet said. Sam thought she looked absolutely devastated.

 

"Daniel can't be evil," Cassie said. She wrapped her arms around herself, hanging back from the rest of them. "I think he's just confused."

 

"He tried to kill you," Lam said bluntly.

 

Cassie didn't reply and looked away.

 

"Whatever is going on with Daniel, I don't want him leaving that room," Landry said, standing. "Whether he's on the path to Ascension or he's a tool of the Ori, he tried to kill someone. Keep him under lock and key."

 

Lam nodded. "Okay."

 

Sam sighed, bringing her gaze back to Daniel. She found it hard to believe that after everything that had happened, all it would take was the bang of a Prior's staff to change him and take him away. It couldn't be that simple.

 

"What about Mitchell and Jonas?" O'Neill asked.

 

"So far, no problems," Lam said. "I have them under isolation in another room, but they haven't displayed any of the same traits or characteristics that Daniel has."

 

"It's possible that this is solely related to Doctor Jackson?" Landry asked.

 

"I would say so."

 

"We've already deduced that Kelowna was a set up," Sam said. "The Priors were after Daniel. It would make sense that he would be their victim." She turned to Janet. "Is there anything you can tell us that could help us?"

 

"They kept telling me they were going to open Daniel's mind," Janet said quietly. "I had no idea that this is what they meant."

 

"Isn't that just wonderful," O'Neill said with a scowl. "Any ideas on how we can stop him? Floor's open."

 

Sam didn't know what to think. If Daniel's mind had been warped and he was advancing, they couldn't allow him to ascend. She thought of stasis or some kind of suspended animation to keep him at bay. She thought of what happened to Khalek. She didn't want the same to happen to Daniel.

 

Sam jerked, surprised to hear the alarms blaring again.

 

"What now?" O'Neill said.

 

"Doctor Lam to the medical bay! Doctor Lam to the medical bay!"

 

"Excuse me," Lam said, walking past them.

 

"I'd better check this out," Landry said, following her.

 

"Take Carter with you," O'Neill said, waving for Sam to join them at the door. He gave her an almost apologetic look, but she understood. Standing here worrying over Daniel wasn't going to solve any problems. They had to keep working and her skills were needed elsewhere. "And Fraiser," O'Neill added. "Carter, get her set up to work on that prototype Lee and his team have."

 

Janet nodded her thanks and headed for the door. She motioned to Cassie. "Come on."

 

"Uh, no." Cassie backed away and pushed herself farther into the corner. "I think I want to stay here and see how Daniel is doing."

 

"I'm afraid this isn't the best place for you," Landry said.

 

Cassie didn't move. "Daniel won't hurt me. I know he won't. I'm safe here."

 

"General Landry is right," Sam said. "Daniel could be dangerous."

 

"Sweetie, listen to them. We only have your best interests at heart," Janet said, her voice calm.

 

Sam nodded, fighting to keep her emotions at bay. But it felt so good to have Janet back again.

 

"Please," she said.

 

Sam eyed Cassie closely, suddenly getting the impression she was out of the loop about something. She had the sinking feeling maybe Daniel had done something to her. With that thought in mind, Sam gave Cassie a stern look, reminding her just who she was dealing with. Cassie quickly turned away.

 

"Look, fine," O'Neill said, shrugging his shoulders. "We'll keep on eye on Cassie and I'll order some guards to stand watch over Daniel for extra security." He flicked his wrist in Daniel's general direction. "How long did the sedative work on Khalek?"

 

"Thirty minutes," Lam said. "We should be able to make relative estimates based on Khalek's data."

 

"Should," O'Neill mumbled. "Right." He faced Cassie. "Fifteen minutes and then you go."

 

"But—"

 

"That's it," O'Neill said. "Take it or leave it."

 

When no one else in the room came to her aid, she sighed. "Whatever."

 

"Good, now go," O'Neill said, shooing the rest of them. "We'll take care of things here."

 

Sam nodded, pushing aside her reluctance, and focused once again on her job.  With a sigh, she tried to bury any of the anxiety she felt, and escorted Janet out of the room.

 

Janet found herself swept into the frenzy that surrounded the infirmary. With Sam by her side, the two of them rushed into one of the main rooms, caught by the nurses and doctors rushing in every direction. They forgot all about the nishta labs and tried to make sense of the disorder.

 

"What happened?" Sam asked, catching up with Lam and Landry.

 

Lam didn't answer. She pushed past some of the medical personnel who were working feverishly over one of the patients and dug into the chaos. "Over here!" she shouted to one of the nurses.

 

That's when Janet caught a glimpse of one of the patients. She gasped.

 

Several of the staff were working to stabilize Hammond. She couldn't see much from where she stood, but she could see and smell the blood. She and Sam moved out of their way so they could work. Janet rolled up her sleeves and walked around them.

 

"I'm going to help," she told Sam. "You can watch me if you'd like, but I can't—"

 

Sam didn't reply, but gave a short nod, urging her to continue. She covered her mouth, her eyes misting as she gazed at Hammond.

 

Janet took the approval and moved to his side. Finding a gap, Janet slid between two of the nurses. Luckily, Hammond wasn't in bad shape. He'd lost some blood, but the bullet wound to his shoulder appeared clean and well calculated. "Let's get him cleaned up!" she ordered, motioning for some help in moving him to a secure and sanitized area. As she was helping to transport him, she stopped, shocked to find another injured person.

 

"Oh my God, that's Barrett," Sam said, running over to join him.

 

Janet hurried after her, managing to squeeze between Lam and some other doctor. Unlike Hammond, Barrett was a mess. His fine suit was soaked with the blood that continued to flow from his abdomen.

 

"Colonel, you need to move," Lam said.

 

Sam moved, disappearing from view so that Lam could work. Lam pivoted her body, striving for a better angle as she attempted to stabilize him. Without question, Lam handed Janet the IV while other doctors began to stop the blood flow. As Janet strapped Barrett up to the line, they started to cart him into the next room. She knew exactly what this meant. He was being prepped for immediate surgery.

 

"Doctor Warner is scrubbed and ready," Lam told her. They released Barrett into the care of the OR and started to make their way back to Sam and Landry. Landry seemed otherwise occupied, Janet noticed with a frown.

 

"Thanks," Lam said. "I'm going to go check on General Hammond. You should work on trying to break down the OC-17 prototype."

 

Janet nodded. If she wanted to prove herself, she needed to find a project where she could bring her impartiality back to the fore. She would have to deal with her conflicted feelings over the Ori, Daniel, and her return to the SGC later. Now was not the time.

 

"What the hell happened?" she heard Landry ask, the anger barely contained in his rough voice.

 

O'Neill's clone, Janet realized. The boy was standing some distance from Hammond as he tried to scrub the blood off his stained hands. "Hammond's the mole," he muttered, rubbing the bacterial soap between his fingers. "I don't know how they got to him, but they did."

 

"General Hammond?" Sam asked incredulously. She and Janet walked to meet them. "You have to be mistaken."

 

O'Neill's clone glared at Sam. "I think the guy with the bullet in his gut would say otherwise." When Sam's face paled, he shook his head. "Sorry. Look, I heard a gunshot, got to Barrett's office, and found Hammond. Then, he pulled a gun on me so I shot him in the shoulder."

 

Janet was silent as she searched the grave faces of her friends. And then it hit her. Daniel might be gone. Hammond had been turned. She supported the enemy. Mitchell and Jonas were in question. She'd almost lost her daughter. Sam, the others…they were losing everyone. They were losing everything.

 

"I found Barrett inside," O'Neill said. "It looks like Hammond was trying to grab any evidence linking him to Owens."

 

"This has to do with the nishta?" Janet asked.

 

"There's no cure," Sam said.

 

Janet couldn't believe this was impossible. She thought back to Cassie and what could have become of her. "You haven't tried an electrical shock?" she asked.

 

"This is a newly formed compound. The level of electrical current needed to create a significant shock to the system would surely kill the victim." She shook her head. "We need a cure."

 

Janet nodded. She knew how much everything was riding on this. "Then what are we waiting for?"

 

 

Chapter 18

 

Jack kept his eyes on the guards that were in the room with Daniel, making sure they didn't stray too far. He'd chosen a couple of burly men, unarmed, in case Daniel woke up and found the urge to nab himself a weapon and cause some havoc.

 

Okay, that just sounded stupid. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea that Daniel could suddenly call things to himself with his mind or that he could go around reading people's thoughts. He was lying there immobile, strapped down so hard that he was going nowhere. Then again, he'd never have imagined Daniel breaking to the point he'd go after Cassie, either.

 

Jack glanced over to Cassie. She was leaning against the wall, standing behind Teal'c, her nervous gaze focused on Daniel. Poor kid, he thought. What a day she was having.

 

Jack walked over to her and lowered his voice as not to embarrass her. "You all right?"

 

She nodded. "I'm glad I got my mom back."

 

"Yeah." Jack didn't want to dash any of the kid's hopes. Fraiser might have protected her, but that didn't mean her faith in the Ori could be wiped clean. Jack foresaw a long road ahead for the two of them. He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go and get some rest? We'll keep an eye on Daniel. You've had a long day."

 

"No, I'm okay," she said.

 

"Daniel Jackson is no longer himself," Teal'c said, swiveling slightly in his chair to face her. Teal'c didn't elaborate his statement. Jack knew that he didn't want to saddle Cassie with anything distasteful. They both knew what they might need to do if Daniel couldn't be brought back.

 

"I think he'll be okay," Cassie said. "He just didn't know what else to do."

 

"He tried to shoot you!"

 

Cassie shrugged and turned away. Jack noticed that she was trying to hide the pink that had entered her cheeks.

 

Jack scowled, eyeing her closely. He knew that look. "Okay, Cassie. What's bothering you?" he asked. Jack was tired of this song and dance with her.

 

She shook her head and narrowed her eyes, glowering at him. "I said nothing! Geez, why can't you drop it?"

 

"Cassie—"

 

"No, stop. Stop. No more questions." She flung out her hands defensively, keeping her distance.  "Sometimes you have to do something bad to make something good."

 

Jack caught himself on her words and shot Teal'c a knowing look. Teal'c's eyes had widened, his brow crinkled in reflective thought. He was thinking the same thing as Jack.

 

"Dammit," Jack muttered, walking over to where they had bagged Daniel's weapon. He ripped open the bag and withdrew the sidearm.

 

"O'Neill," Teal'c said more than asked.

 

Without another word, Jack dislodged the clip from the 9mm. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

 

Angry, he held up the clip and glared at Cassie. The pink in her cheeks turned into a burning red. Quickly, she turned away and covered her face, unable to meet his gaze. That told Jack enough.

 

"Son of a bitch," he grumbled, storming out of the room. He thundered down the stairs and burst into the isolation chamber, passing the guards as he marched over to where Daniel was restrained. Daniel didn't move, his face relaxed and his eyes closed. Jack wasn't falling for any more of this crap.

 

"Open your eyes. I know you're faking it."

 

When Daniel didn't respond, he shook him. And shook him again. He'd punch him in the face if he didn't open his damn eyes already.

 

Finally, Daniel yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He frowned, sniffled, and raised his head as far as he could under the restraints. "Jack?" he asked sleepily.

 

"Oh, quit the act, Daniel," Jack muttered. "I found the empty clip."

 

Daniel blinked and nodded, closing his eyes. "Oh. Okay."

 

Jack grabbed him by the collar and shook him awake, startling Daniel back to consciousness. "You never had any intention of shooting Cassie. You've been playing us from the start."

 

"What?" Daniel glanced down at Jack's hands. His eyes darkened. "Let go."

 

"Not until I get some answers."

 

"Jack, I'm restrained." He tugged at his restraints to make the point. "And I'm drugged. I'm really going to get far."

 

"Yeah?" He held onto Daniel and shook him once more before releasing him, pointing to the equipment to his far left. "Well, the monitor there says differently."

 

Daniel rolled his eyes and slumped, relaxing under the restraints. "What do you want me to tell you?" he asked in a bored tone.

 

"The truth. You've been lying to me. Carter. Everyone."

 

"The truth? Hmm." Daniel chuckled. "Wait. Haven't you been having a problem with that yourself, recently?"

 

Jack was not getting into this with Daniel right now. "Drop the attitude."

 

"No. No, really. I'd like to hear this one."

 

"You know what? Whatever. Stay here and rot." Jack walked away from the gurney and headed for the door. He was going to order them to triple the dosage on Daniel and hopefully knock him out. Jack had more pressing matters to deal with than Daniel's over-inflated self-righteous ego.

 

"I had to do it alone for it to work," Daniel said, calling out to him. "I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't lose her, too."

 

Jack thought that was a load of crap. But despite his anger, he stopped by the door and faced Daniel. "Did you think about sharing your little plan with anyone else?"

 

"Cassie told you." Daniel sighed and closed his eyes.

 

Yeah," Jack said, walking back to him. "Though, not deliberately."

 

"Janet wasn't going to break, Jack. I tried everything. We had to take more drastic measures." He opened his eyes. "Cassie agreed with me."

 

"Of course she did. She's a kid! This is her mother. What else was she going to say?"

 

"Look, it doesn't matter now," Daniel said. "Whether you agree with me or not, we broke through to Janet. Maybe we can save her."

 

Jack groaned. Daniel and his stupid savior complex. "You could have told us instead of doing something like this on your own."

 

"Oh, you would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

 

"Don't," Jack said, jabbing his finger at Daniel. "Don't go there. Two different situations."

 

"What is good for one isn't good for the other?"

 

Jack held his breath, keeping his lips tight as he bottled up the anger inside. It was times liked these where he just wanted to throttle Daniel. Maybe ten years ago he would have.

 

"Whatever," he finally said, letting it go. Daniel wasn't a complete psycho so he guessed he should count his blessings. "Everything worked out, and you're okay."

 

"Not exactly."

 

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

 

"Something's happened to me. You're trying to ignore it, but you can't."

 

"No?" He pointed to the monitor again. "I'm pretty sure I know what's happening."

 

"I'm not going to go crazy."

 

"Could have fooled me," Jack said with a smug smile.

 

"Jack, just listen."

 

"To what?" Jack sighed, trying the best he could to ram his point through Daniel's thick skull. "Daniel, a Prior attacked you. He did something to your brain. Now, whether you tried to help Fraiser is irrelevant. The fact is you are not yourself and that's dangerous."

 

"Dangerous?" Daniel frowned, looking both upset and stunned. "Jack, I wouldn't hurt anyone."

 

"You hurt Teal'c."

 

"I—" Daniel shut his mouth.

 

"Yeah," Jack said. "And your behavior isn't exactly normal."

 

"It's not important. The important thing is that whatever the Priors were trying backfired, and we can use that against them." He rolled his head to the side and eyed the monitor. Jack hadn't failed to notice he'd brought the topic away from Teal'c. "Besides, I'm fairly sure that Mitchell stopped the Prior before he went too far."

 

"And just what is too far, anyway?"

 

"I don't know."

 

The room grew quiet. He realized that he and Daniel had reached that point where they didn't have much else to say. Sometimes it felt like a roller coaster, but there was no rush, no thrill when the ride was over. It was just over.

 

Jack reached over and dragged a chair to the side of the gurney, settling beside Daniel. Jack remained silent, keeping his eye on him while allowing Daniel to watch him. Every so often Jack's gaze flickered over to catch the monitor. Carter said it had been nicknamed the Ascendometer. Jack didn't want to know.

 

"It's hard to keep it inside," Daniel said, surprising Jack when he heard the fear in his voice. "I knew something was wrong when I woke up here the first time."

 

"I've been told your tests were normal."

 

"They were. The burning didn't start until recently."

 

Burning…Jack slumped his shoulders and tried to rub away the tension in his face with his hand. "Daniel, for cryin' out loud…"

 

"I know I should have said something sooner. But I couldn't do anything if I was locked up in here. I can't do anything in here."

 

Jack ignored the veiled plea and shook his head. He steeled himself, uncomfortable with the fact that Daniel might be able to tap into his thoughts. He was uncomfortable about a lot of things Daniel supposedly could do.

 

But none of that made a difference right now. Jack cleared his throat and winced as he shifted his weight on the seat, struggling to find the right way to approach the topic. "So, what exactly—?"

 

"Can I do?" Daniel laughed, but it felt cold and restrained. "I don't know. Part of me doesn't want to know."

 

"You haven't tried anything?"

 

"No, not really. Except with Teal'c," he said, cringing when he said the name. Finally. "Is he okay?"

 

"Depends," Jack said, stealing a glance at the mirror.

 

Daniel sighed.

 

"And your head seems better," Jack said, motioning to Daniel.

 

"I didn't know I could do that."

 

So, Daniel didn't have control over what was happening to him. Not even the healing abilities. Even better.

 

Jack found himself eyeing the monitor again, watching the red and green splotches battling it out for full control. Carter had told him that the more the red encompassed the screen, the closer to Ascension the person became. Jack didn't think the green was going to win this one.

 

He rubbed his mouth, darting his attention back to Daniel. "So, what? You're ascending?"

 

Daniel started, seeming to be genuinely surprised by the question. "I've thought about it."

 

"It's starting to get old."

 

"Well, think about it," Daniel said and licked his lips. "Think of what I could do if I could ascend on my own."

 

"I've seen you Ascended, Daniel. We already went through this." Jack sighed, rubbing away the tension in his head by massaging his eyebrows. "It doesn't work."

 

"But this time it would be different," Daniel said. "No Oma. No Others. I could do it on my own."

 

"But you're not."

 

"That's beside the point."

 

"No, it's not."

 

"Yes, it is."

 

"Daniel, you had a Prior pop you one," Jack said, knowing he was starting to sound exasperated. "The result, whatever it is, isn't going to be pretty. What if they want you to ascend?"

 

Daniel frowned. "Why would they want that?"

 

Jack shrugged. If he had all the answers, his life would be so much easier. "I'm just saying whatever hand the Priors had in this, whether it backfired or not, isn't good for you."

 

Daniel didn't say anything. Jack knew that deep down, Daniel knew exactly what Jack was trying to say. And this time Jack was right, whether Daniel liked it or not.

 

"What's going to happen now?" Daniel finally asked.

 

"I have Fraiser working on finding a nishta cure. Carter is working on locating this so-called space station."

 

"You don't believe it exists?" Daniel asked.

 

"We got the info from the Tok'ra," Jack said. "I think that says it all."

 

He'd had an on the spot briefing concerning the Tok'ra's little visit while he'd been behind bars and Jack could honestly say it didn't instill him with a lot of hope. They got the plans from Ba'al. Anything from Ba'al had to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

"What about me?" he asked. "You can't expect to keep me in here the whole time."

 

"Sure I can."

 

"Jack…"

 

"Nope." Jack stood and slid the chair away from the gurney. "You've been lying to us, and you've been compromised. You'll be staying right here."

 

Whatever moment of peace Jack had enjoyed vanished as Daniel's anger and defiance returned. He pushed hard against the restraints, glaring at Jack. "You can't do that!"

 

Jack could do whatever he wanted. It's not like he wanted Daniel locked away, but he had to be careful. No matter what was going on with Daniel, the fact remained that his behavior was erratic. Plus, he had abilities or powers that he apparently couldn't control.

Letting Daniel roam around the SGC would be a mistake.

 

If Daniel could read his mind, let him see the rationality behind his actions. Daniel should know better by now. Jack turned around and started to head for the door.

 

"I wrote you a letter asking for the IOA to postpone their meeting," Daniel said quickly, his voice almost frantic.

 

Jack stopped and glared at him. "Trying to bribe me, now?" Jack knew people could hit all time lows when they were desperate but this…

 

"I gave it to Landry while you were imprisoned in holding. If I was hell bent on joining the Ori, why would I do that?" Daniel licked his lips, pressing his body as far as it would go under the restraints. "And if I could take on Teal'c, you know that I could easily break through these restraints."

 

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me?"

 

"No. I'm just stating a fact and you know it." He paused. "At least let Mitchell and Jonas go. They have nothing to do with this. I think it's pretty clear what happened to me happened to me and me alone."

 

Jack considered what Daniel was saying. Based on all the evidence so far, he was inclined to agree with Daniel. They just had to take all the necessary precautions.

 

"Check with General Landry," Daniel said, his voice calm and peaceful. The anger had seemed to vanish. Jack had to admit this was the first time he had seen Daniel this relaxed since he'd dropped on base. "He'll verify what I've told you. The letter to Woosley at the IOA might be enough to push us back long enough to find the proof you need."

 

Jack nodded, moving back to the door. "I'll talk to Landry." He didn't think he'd ever have to say this to Daniel, not now. "But I still don't think you can be trusted," he said, making sure he kept his voice level.

 

He didn't know if Daniel could read through his face or pick up on his emotions. He didn't know if he even wanted Daniel to know the truth or how much it hurt. It wasn't any of his business anyway.

 

But Daniel didn't say anything about it. He just nodded, quiet, solemn, and detached. He said one last thing before Jack left.

 

"Can you afford not to?"

 

"It's Minoan."

 

Sam grabbed the paperwork from Major Davis, evaluating the glyphs. They were nothing but lines and scratches to her. Skeptical, she turned to the epigrapher standing with Davis.

 

"Minoan?" she asked.

 

"Yes. Well, sort of." The woman – someone from Daniel's department – pointed to the markings. "It resembles Linear A. It's a script that has yet to be deciphered here on Earth. But it's widely believed to have been a form of writing used by Minoans and other proto-Greek peoples."

 

Sam knew she'd heard Daniel talk about Linear A. He'd been working in his spare time to try to crack the code, positing that it might have a connection to peculiar dialects of Goa'uld or be connected to another race, possibly the Furlings.

 

Whatever its origins, this information couldn't have come at a better time. Sam needed something to distract herself from all that was happening to Daniel, Janet, Cassie, Hammond and Barrett.

 

"That should narrow the search, right, Colonel?" Davis asked.

 

Sam smiled and held up the notepad. "Let's go find out."

 

"Teal'c? Teal'c?"

 

Teal'c stayed motionless, watchful of the man who remained restrained in the isolation room below him. The man who was once Daniel Jackson.

 

He feared that O'Neill had grown soft with age and could not see such a threat that rested in their friend. He could not be trusted, not in his present form.

 

It was true that Teal'c had also grown soft. His affection for O'Neill, Colonel Carter, and Daniel Jackson had only grown over time, along with others of the Tau'ri. It was the same kind of affection he held for Bra'tac and his son. And the same feeling that was now growing for Colonel Mitchell.

 

"Teal'c?"

 

"He's calling you," Cassandra said, slipping into the seat next to him. "I think he wants to talk to you."

 

"I have nothing to say to him."

 

"Oh please," she said, rolling her eyes. "And adults say teenagers are immature."

 

Teal'c frowned, turning to face the girl. He did not like the tone of her voice. "This has no bearing on my maturity."

 

Cassandra laughed at him. "Yeah, right."

 

Teal'c also did not like what she was implying. His decisions were made from careful thought and a warrior's intuition. This did not reflect on his pride.

 

"Come on, Teal'c," she said, punching his arm. "Haven't you ever done something that killed you inside but you did it for a good reason?"

 

"I have not." He rotated the chair so he no longer faced her.

 

"Liar," she said with a snort. Teal'c felt her roll her chair closer to him. "I bet you have. I bet you've done a lot of things you weren't proud of but you did it for people you loved."

 

"Should you not be in your room?" Teal'c said.

 

Cassandra laughed again. "Now you're trying to get rid of me!"

 

"I do not wish to have this conversation," Teal'c muttered, refusing to look at her.

 

"Suit yourself." Cassandra jumped to her feet and walked to the exit. "But you're just going to make yourself miserable."

 

Teal'c listened to her leave but kept his gaze focused on Daniel Jackson. His friend remained tied to the gurney, the guards by his side, and continued to call his name.

 

Teal'c could not reply. He could not speak with Daniel Jackson at this time. Therefore, he continued to sit and watch and said nothing more.

 

After calling Teal'c about twenty times without a response, Daniel took the hint that he was being ignored. He'd even tried to make eye contact with Teal'c, but it was a little difficult with the heavy restraint looped around his neck. He sighed and stared at the ceiling.

 

He knew he could break out of here if he wanted. It wouldn't be hard. He knew the power to do it rested at his fingertips. He just didn't know how to do it.

 

But the temptation was there. It covered him like a warm blanket, urging him to curl up in its embrace and just let go. The alternative was the pain and the burning, the cold fire that tore through his mind and left little pin pricks of heat all over his body.  It was the burning he'd been fighting ever since his mind popped and opened into something greater.

 

The temptation of release was immense. The burning made him feel light and faint, but the temptation offered him peace. It whispered into his ears. Do it, it said. Do it.

 

Daniel bit his lip, burying the temptation and all of its promises, feeling the burning return. He did his best to ignore it and spent the next few minutes reciting Phoenician poetry, before starting on inconsistencies in the inscription on the Phoenician king Ahiram's sarcophagus.

 

"…as for his posterity they shall be cut off by the sword." Daniel sighed before stealing a glance at his right wrist and the leather strap that bound it.

 

It wouldn't be that hard. Just a nudge. A small nudge. Daniel held his breath as he concentrated on the strap.

 

He thought he saw the strap begin to tremble. He thought he saw the metal rings rattle. He thought he felt the pressure lessen and the burning ebb. He knew he saw the guards watching him.

 

Daniel stopped and focused back on the ceiling and toyed with the idea of reciting Egyptian poetry, this time aloud. Instead, he balled his fists and slammed the gurney.

 

He was getting nothing accomplished in here. Teal'c wouldn't speak with him. Jack didn't trust him. He didn't know where Sam was. Jonas and Mitchell were locked away for no reason. Worse, Janet thought he was insane. He knew there would be repercussions, but he hadn't been prepared to deal with them, yet. Meanwhile, the Ori and the Priors were plotting away, preparing to destroy them all.

 

He needed to get out of here.

 

Daniel glanced over at the machine monitoring his brain functions. He could see the red and green blinking in and out, expanding and retracting. It made him think of a setting sun where light and shadow were in an ongoing battle for supremacy. Or – once, long ago – he would have associated the struggle with the Egyptian metaphor of Ra and Apophis.

 

The darkness always won. Until the next dawn.

 

He wondered why he thought of these things. He wondered if he really was losing his mind.

 

The one thing he did know was that right now, his choices were limited. He could either wait here indefinitely for everyone else to make up their minds about his future, or he could be proactive and do something. That something might not be what anyone else wanted, but it at least gave Daniel a chance to stop the Ori and help his friends.

 

He was doing this on his own this time. He could do it.

 

Daniel breathed out, expelling as much air from his body as he could before he closed his eyes and let his mind drift. He felt an opening pushing past the block that he held firmly deep in his mind. The opening widened, spilling light and knowledge, teasing him with forgotten memories if he'd just push a little harder…

 

Somewhere in the distance he heard the monitor beeping. He heard shouting. He felt hands shaking him. But they were all so far away now. So far.

 

"The true nature of a man is decided in the battle between his conscious mind and the desires of the subconscious."

 

Daniel snapped his eyes open and felt the whoosh of sound and color smack him as he tried to orient himself around those words. Dumbstruck, he searched the room, dimly aware of the multiple hands holding him down.

 

"Shifu?" he asked.

 

Oh God. He smacked his head against the gurney and screwed his eyes shut. The burning had come back.

 

"The monitor went crazy," he heard one of the guards say.

 

"I believe he was attempting to ascend."

 

That was Teal'c. Teal'c was with him. Daniel struggled to get out of his grip.

 

"What the hell happened?" he heard Jack say. Daniel felt weight on his chest. "I leave for twenty minutes and everything goes to hell." There was another push to his chest. "Get that IV going again."

 

"No!" Daniel shouted, opening his eyes again. Jack was hovering above him along with Teal'c, but he didn't see Shifu. "Where is he?"

 

Jack hesitated, eyeing him like he was insane. "Who?"

 

Daniel pulled against the restraints, straining to catch sight of Shifu. He couldn't see him. He couldn't see anything as long as he was being held down.

 

"Hurry!" Jack shouted.

 

Daniel realized by now that he was hot, the sweat coating his entire body like a second skin. He gasped and caught a medic approaching from the corner of his eye.

 

"No," he said. "I don't want drugs. Water. Not drugs."

 

"Teal'c?"

 

"I have him restrained, O'Neill."

 

Jack and Teal'c weren't going to listen to him. He had to do this now. Daniel moaned, pushing back the burning. Pushing it deeper. If he could just let it go. He needed to open up again.

 

"Listen to the boy, good son."

 

Daniel went completely cold. This time he knew he wasn't just hearing things. Slowly, he turned his head, straining to see past Teal'c, shocked to find Kasuf, Skaara, and Shifu watching him. They were dressed so simply – just as he remembered – exerting a soft peacefulness that made Daniel envious.

 

Daniel finally found the courage to speak. "Good father," he whispered.

 

Kasuf smiled at him. "Yes."

 

"Shit," Jack muttered.

 

Daniel blinked and shot a surprised look to Jack. He could see them?

 

Jack reached over and smacked Teal'c's arm and pointed to the far corner of the room. "You can see them, right?"

 

"Indeed."

 

The tension in Jack's face lessened. He held up his hand to stop the medic from injecting the sedative into Daniel's IV. He also motioned for the two soldiers in the room to stay back. The guards seemed just as shocked as the rest of them.

 

"What's going on, Daniel?" Jack asked, his voice stern but his gaze centered on Skaara and the others.

 

"I have no idea," he mumbled.

 

He couldn't believe they were here with him. His family. Daniel felt the swelling of old pain as it attempting to bubble to the surface. If only Sha're…

 

"What in the end is to be thrown down," Shifu said. "Begins first by being set on high."

 

Daniel bit back the burning, shaking away the sweat that trickled down his nose as he tried to focus. "That-that means nothing to me," he said, frustrated.

 

"It is not for you," Kasuf said. "Not now."

 

"But perhaps another time," Skaara said.

 

"Oh for cryin' out loud, will you just give a straight answer?"

 

Daniel shook his head, wondering he if had been this much of a pain when he had visited his friends. He couldn't imagine Jack having the patience for this.

 

"Will you not be punished for revealing yourselves to us?" Teal'c asked.

 

Skaara shook his head. "The Others do not know we are here."

 

"Ah, more covert ops I take it," Jack said with a scowl.

 

"Our paths will cross again one day, though we travel different roads. Until then, stay strong, good son," Kasuf said, his voice far more gentle than Daniel remembered. "All of you."

 

"Be well, O'Neill," Skaara said.

 

Daniel started, realizing what was happening. "No. Wait!"

 

"The tree has many branches, but they have the same root," Shifu said softly. "Have good trust in yourself -- not in what you believe you should be, but in what you are." Shifu smiled one last time before he blinked into a flash of light. Kasuf and Skaara remained for a moment longer before they too dissolved into the brilliant light and vanished.

 

They were gone. Just like that, they were gone.

 

Daniel still had no clue what the hell they were trying to tell him. But he understood the timing and the significance that it held.

 

After he exhaled softly, Daniel closed his eyes and refocused on the burning. He held onto it and pushed, just as he had since the burning had begun.

 

"Dammit. Daniel, listen to me. They showed up for a reason. You have to stop whatever you're doing."

 

Daniel nodded, but kept his eyes closed. "I know," he said.

 

He pushed back the burning, sending it to the corner of his mind where he'd kept it under lock and key before. It was becoming harder to fight it, but he knew that he had to keep it at bay. At least for now.

 

Daniel felt the pressure lessen on his hands. Frowning, he looked up to find Jack undoing the restraints that tied him to the gurney. Teal'c watched on reluctantly before he finally moved to assist Jack. When they were finished, Jack poured Daniel a glass of water and handed it to him.

 

Daniel sat and readily accepted the gesture, bringing the cool water to his parched lips.  He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and moved the glass away from his face. "Thanks, Jack," he managed to say.

 

Jack's face remained dark and unforgiving. He glared long enough for Daniel to understand he meant business.

 

"Stay put!" Jack yelled angrily, marching to the exit. Without looking back, he called back to Teal'c and the guards. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

 

Hank entered his office, shutting the door behind Jack. He shook his head. "Jack, I don't care. No."

 

"Hank, I'm your superior, technically. The Asgard can beam down, take a peek, and if he's okay, then what's the problem?"

 

"The problem is his brain is on fire and he's a walking weapon," Landry said. He couldn't let a man compromised by the Priors walk around the base, escort or no escort. "I know how you feel about Daniel. We all do. But despite his good intentions with Fraiser and her daughter, I can't do it."

 

"Oh, pshaw," Jack said, waving his hand. "A little misunderstanding."

 

Hank just stared at him. The dumb act was not going to win any sympathy votes with him today. Especially not when just thirty minutes ago, he'd been ranting and raving on how dangerous Doctor Jackson could be.

 

Hank narrowed his eyes. "What's your real motivation here?"

 

Jack shrugged. "If you keep him out of the loop, he's going to get restless."

 

"Ah." Hank nodded. Now they were getting somewhere. He understood. "You're afraid he's going to ascend."

 

Jack didn't even try to deny it. "You got it."

 

Hank had to admit he wasn't thrilled with that prospect, either. He didn't know what Daniel would be capable of as an Ascended being unchained, and he wasn't too eager to find out. But one thing was certain. The temptation for Daniel to ascend would be greater the more frustrated he became.

 

"But there's more to it, isn't there?" Hank asked. "Is this a personal judgment call?"

 

"My feelings or lack of feelings on the subject aren't important," Jack said, his eyes dark. "The fact is that someone is trying to use Daniel for their own end. Now, whether it's the Ancients or the Ori is irrelevant. I don't like being a pawn in their game."

 

"I don't like it myself. But are you sure keeping Doctor Jackson in the loop is the best choice?"

 

"Hey, we just had three Ascended people visit when they aren't even supposed to do that," Jack said. "I see that as a sign to take action."

 

Hank wasn't overly thrilled with the prospect of aliens hanging around the base. He was less pleased with the prospect of an unstable Daniel joining those ranks. But he couldn't say he was completely sold on allowing him to roam the base.

 

Jack wasn't about to let his case go. "It's a tactical move. The longer we keep Daniel on our side, the better."

 

Hank highly doubted it came down to just tactics, but he also trusted Jack's judgment.

 

"All right," Hank agreed, hoping he didn't regret his decision. "But I want someone on him at all times."

 

"No problem," Jack said with a weak smile before he disappeared into the briefing room.

 

Hank sat back and sighed. He hoped Colonel Carter was having better luck with her investigations than he was.

 

Sam entered the new parameters into the database of the addresses they had listed in the system, including those they had blocked out for whatever reason, and narrowed them down to planets where they had no known allies. She sat back and watched the computer file through the Gate addresses, mindful of the time as it ticked by.

 

Nothing.

 

"No!" she shouted at the computer. "You have to have it!"

 

"Maybe we missed something," Major Davis said. He rolled in a little closer to her, leaning over to look at the information the Tok'ra had given them. "Did you enter all the correct information?"

 

"Yes," she mumbled with a frustrated sigh. But just for argument's sake, she reentered everything. And waited. And waited.

 

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

 

There had to be a match. There just had to be. Where the hell was the match?

 

"How goes the search?" she heard O'Neill ask from behind her.

 

She sighed again. "Not so good. I've managed to configure a program to search the database to isolate planets based on the parameters given by the Tok'ra without success."

 

"Could they have forgotten to tell us something important?" O'Neill asked.

 

"No, sir," she answered, trying hard to keep the resentment out of her voice.  "The Tok'ra wouldn't intentionally leave out important information."

 

"Yeah." He didn't sound so convinced.

 

Sam slumped in her seat, thoroughly discouraged. She didn't know if it was the stress surrounding Daniel that was getting to her, or the incident with Janet and Cassie, or what happened to Teal'c. But at this point, she just wanted to take the damn computer system and chuck it through the Stargate.

 

"I don't get it," she mumbled. "I've tried every single planet outside our network of allies and—"

 

"Whoa, back up, Carter. What about our allies?"

 

She looked at him incredulously. "You want me to enter planets where we have allies onto the list?" Somehow, for Sam, it felt like a betrayal, as if they couldn't even trust their own allies.

 

"These are the Ori, Carter," O'Neill said, his face grim. "They have ways of convincing people."

 

She complied, but she wasn't happy about it. She opened up the entire database and started the scan. As she waited with Davis and O'Neill, she noticed General Landry walk down the steps from the upper level and make his way towards them.

 

"Just who I was looking for," Landry said, walking up to O'Neill. He handed him a sheet of paper. "Looks like your request for the IOA meeting to be postponed was granted."

 

"Huh," O'Neill said, working his jaw as he read the paper. He looked over to Landry. "What about Mitchell and Jonas?"

 

"I'm releasing them."

 

Sam watched the two of them, confused. "Sir?"

 

"I wanted Colonel Mitchell and Jonas Quinn placed in holding as a precaution. But according to the medical staff, they are fine. I'm comfortable releasing them again," Landry said.

 

Sam breathed out, relieved from the news. She just wished the same could be done for Daniel.

 

"What are you going to do about Doctor Jackson?" Major Davis asked.

 

"General O'Neill and I have been discussing the matter." He didn't say anything more.

 

Sam found that strange, but didn't press the issue. Not now anyway. She turned back to the console when she realized the computer was beeping.

 

They had a hit.

 

Sam wheeled herself closer and typed at the keys, bringing up the planet in question. Her face fell. She chastised herself for denying that any of their closest allies could turn on them. It was the most obvious planet they'd ever visited and at the same time the most unlikely one at that.

 

"P3X-797?" Landry asked.

 

"Yes, sir," she said quietly. "The Land of Light."

 

"The Land of Light," Hank said, clasping his hands behind his back. He stared down at the Stargate from inside the briefing room. "That's the planet where the Touched incident occurred."

 

"That's right, sir," Carter said.

 

"Some of our oldest allies," Davis added.

 

Hank nodded and then sighed, turning around to face the table. "What about the intel on the Land of Light?"

 

Jack stiffened, but didn't show he was troubled beyond that. "It's an exact match. We should investigate."

 

"Old allies of ours." Hank said, shaking his head. The Ori would stop at nothing to destroy them and convert the galaxy. All the events that had happened over the past couple of days were a testament to that fact.

 

"They're a highly impressionable people," Jack said.

 

Hank nodded. Unfortunately, that was just the perfect victim for the Ori. "Colonel Carter, I want you and Major Davis to head down to the infirmary and escort Doctor Jackson to the briefing room." When he received confirmation, he continued. "I'm sending Mitchell with Teal'c to Dakara to try to gather some backup in case this does pan out."

 

"It's going to be a tough sell," Jack said.

 

"I know." He smiled. "But it doesn't hurt to try."

 

Janet stared at some of her old files and logs on nishta. It had been so long since she'd worked in the SGC, but just flipping through her documents seemed to bring it all back to her. She needed to focus so that she could find a cure.

 

She stopped, finding a shadow cast over her workstation. She turned in her chair; Daniel stood in the doorway.

 

Instantly, she felt anxiety growing in the pit of her stomach. While she knew that General O'Neill had pressed for Daniel's release, she wasn't sure it was the right decision. Someone who snaps and fanatically goes after a girl just doesn't change in the span of a couple of hours.

 

Daniel was hiding something.

 

"Yes?" she asked, trying to remain professional. She leaned to her right, making sure that Daniel's guards weren't too far behind. Janet blinked. She was surprised to see O'Neill pacing back and forth in the hallway behind him.

 

He's keeping an eye on Daniel, she realized.

 

"I'm unarmed," Daniel said, taking a deliberate step forward. "And I have an entire militia behind me. You're safe."

 

She wasn't so sure. If what they'd said about Daniel was true, she didn't know how they could hold him back. She didn't know why on Earth General O'Neill would have released him. Not unless they had found a way to control him or use him for their benefit.

 

The thought that Daniel could have been reduced to just another military weapon – something that was so contrary to who he really was – made her ill.

 

"It's okay, Doc," O'Neill said from the doorway. "Everything's under control."

 

She wasn't sure what that meant. But she was sure she didn't want Daniel to come any closer.

 

"Stop," she said to him, causing him to abandon his slow trek to her desk. "I think that's far enough."

 

He sighed, but nodded, stopping midway between her desk and the doorway. "I just wanted to—"

 

"To apologize?" She snorted, feeling the anger that she'd kept buried begin to surface. "How can you apologize for what you did? You're not the Daniel I know. You attacked Cassie. How can you expect words to negate everything that you've done? You turned on someone who loves you. You betrayed people that care for you in the name of what? How could you be that cold?"

 

He remained silent, though his gaze remained firm and steady. She saw something strong and deep in his eyes, sorrowful yet knowledgeable. She'd seen a similar look before. Any other day, he would have worn a shy, yet playful smile to accompany the secret wisdom that lurked underneath. But not today. Today she saw guilt, longing, and sadness.

 

Janet realized that she suddenly felt like a hypocrite.

 

"I'm sorry," Daniel said. "I never wanted it to be this way. And I know you didn't either. I just kept hoping it would be different."

 

She had wanted it to be different, too. She just had wanted another chance to make it right.

 

Janet gazed up at him, feeling a chill as she saw the pain in his face. She realized that he wasn't just apologizing. He was saying goodbye.

 

Goodbye…they were going on a mission they might not come back from.

 

Janet stood, forgetting about their troubles over the past couple of days. "Daniel."

 

He reached out to her, touching her shoulder, and to her surprise, she didn't flinch. Daniel offered her his best smile – the best that he could come up with under the circumstances – before he bent down to kiss her on the cheek. There was a tenderness to his touch, the opposite of what she had seen in the VIP room with Cassie, creating a battlefield of emotion in her mind. When he withdrew, she could see that his eyes were glassy, uneven, as if they barely could hold back a terrible power that pushed to break through to the surface. Yet, he made no move to hurt her.

 

She wanted to tell him not to go, to trust the Ori. But instead, she just reached out, took his hand, and squeezed it.

 

"I just wanted it to be right," he said quietly. He gave her a gentle squeeze of his own before he broke away, heading back to the door, leaving Janet stuck in the middle of her torn mind.

 

Daniel walked back to the corridor, feeling numb and cold inside. He was grateful that both Jack and General Landry had given him the opportunity to say goodbye in the event something went wrong. At least, he was given that chance.

 

He felt guilty for having to keep the truth from her. But he knew that he couldn't tell Janet the truth behind what he had done. Not now, anyway.

 

Jack stood in the corridor, waiting for him. He tried to look uninterested and annoyed, but Daniel saw the deep concern in his eyes. Part of him was grateful for Jack's support and presence, but the other part of him just wished he would go away.

 

Jack joined him to his right as they started down the hallway to the briefing room. "You okay?" he asked.

 

"What do you think?" Daniel asked, tired of such a pointless question.

 

Jack didn't bother to say something smug or try to make him feel better. He was too smart for that. He just clapped Daniel on the back, guiding him down the hallway.

 

"Let's go," he said.

 

Daniel nodded. All he could do now was focus on getting the job done.

 

Cameron followed Teal'c down the steps into the main hall of the Jaffa HQ on Dakara. No matter how many times he came here, he just couldn't get enough of the atmosphere. So stately. It made Cameron feel like he was walking into some old Roman movie.

 

"You will remain outside the Council Chamber," Teal'c said, halting him with his hand.

 

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I've learned my lesson," Cameron muttered. He crossed his arms and leaned on the doorway, watching as Teal'c entered the circle and stood in the middle. It seemed to Cameron that all these guys did was sit around and debate all day. No wonder they were always cranky.

 

The Jaffa exchanged their pleasantries and got on with it. Talk. Evil eye. Talk. Grunt. Talk some more. Cameron yawned and watched. He caught Bra'tac in there, a lady he'd seen before, and some other people.

 

And then they talked some more. And they talked. Cameron glanced down at his watch.

 

"And if we can join as one with the Tau'ri to defeat this enemy, we can create our nation together free from the tyrannies of those who would wish us otherwise."

 

Cameron fought the urge to clap. That was well done. Very well done.

 

"Yet, again, Teal'c, you wish us to go to war with an enemy that is not our own?" one of the Jaffa said.

 

When a bunch of others on the Council nodded and murmured in agreement, Cameron thought maybe this wasn't going so well. Not to mention they were all a bunch of stuffed shirts. Or stuffed robes. They'd lost Gerak to the Ori. How could they not be an enemy to the Jaffa? Cameron stopped leaning and stood a little straighter, keeping his eye on the debate.

 

"I believe it to be for all Jaffa, Roa'tac," Teal'c said.

 

"Yes, it is your belief and your belief alone," Roa'tac replied. "We will not be subjugated to Tau'ri ways and beliefs!"

 

"Teal'c does not wish this," Bra'tac said, standing.

 

"Your insight is always appreciated, Master Bra'tac," Ta'nauc said. "But allow for Teal'c to speak for himself."

 

Teal'c inclined his head to Ta'nauc, but also flashed Bra'tac an appreciative smile. There went Teal'c working the crowd, Cameron thought.

 

"Brothers, sisters, I implore you to judge not with your anger but with your hearts."

 

"This we have," Roa'tac said. "And it is with our hearts we know the Tau'ri only seek power over us."

 

"Now just you wait a damn minute," Cameron said, finally speaking. He ignored Teal'c's not so subtle eyebrow warnings and strolled into the middle of the circle. "Teal'c isn't some mouth spouting Tau'ri this and Tau'ri that. He's talking 'bout us – for us – because we thought we should use a more civilized approach to asking you."

 

Cameron smiled. He'd gotten Roa'tac's attention.

 

"The truth of the matter is we need your help. No, no. I know what you're thinking. The Tau'ri ask for help? It's got to be a trap, right?"

 

"Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c warned.

 

"No, no. Getting to the best part." He walked past Teal'c and smiled brightly at the Council. "Hi, nice to see you," he said. Cameron cleared his throat. "You see, we're not just here asking for help. We're begging for help. We need someone with your skill and knowledge to back us up. We thought Teal'c could get the point across with all his fancy speech, and hell, we're just too proud sometimes. So, we're here asking if you could give us a hand."

 

He waited for a reply – any kind of reply – but didn't get one. Not one. Not even from Teal'c himself. He'd be damned. He'd left the Jaffa speechless.

 

"You come to us with words of passion and honesty," Ka'lel finally said. "We appreciate this gesture."

 

Cameron preened. He sure did.

 

"However, before any action can be considered, we must vote," Ta'nauc said.

 

"Vote?" Cameron went to tell him how urgent this was but shut up when he saw the death stare from Teal'c.

 

"Okay, well. I guess I'll just be going over there, then." Cameron waved and started to back away, inching farther and farther from the circle and the Council altogether. "Just give us a holler when you're ready!"

 

Cameron breathed out and made his way back to the main hall that led to the Stargate. He noticed that there weren't many Jaffa hanging around this time of night or day. He could never really tell on Dakara. Finding a nice space on one of the pillars, he took a seat.

 

He had to say he thought he'd done pretty well. Cameron was sure he'd earned some respect from Teal'c. Or maybe just more aggravation. Either way, it was something.

 

He was surprised that Teal'c emerged two minutes after. Cameron rose, smiling, and went to greet him. "They decide all ready?"

 

"They did not. It will take hours for the Council to make the decision."

 

Cameron frowned. That wasn't the news he'd been waiting to hear.

 

"I have already cast my vote," Teal'c said. "I informed the Council that we would be returning to the SGC and awaiting their decision."

 

"So, it's kinda like a 'don't call us; we'll call you' kinda deal?" Cameron asked.

 

"Indeed."

 

Cameron sighed. He supposed to was better than nothing. "Well, can't say I didn't try," he mumbled as he and Teal'c made their way back to the Stargate.

 

"All right, it's good to see everyone's here," Jack said, studying the room and its occupants. Carter, Jonas, Davis, and his mini me were seated to his left, while Teal'c, Mitchell, and Daniel were seated to his right. Then he had Hank over by his side and…their other guests seated opposite him.

 

"First of all, I'd like to thank Supreme Commander Thor for joining us today," Jack said, offering a friendly smile to the Asgard.

 

"Thank you, O'Neill. It is the pleasure of the Asgard to be present for such an occasion."

 

"You'd think we'd be talking about a marriage ceremony," Hank said under his breath.

 

Jack coughed, hoping to hide his own little chuckle over the comment. "We'd also like to thank Heimdall for dropping by today."

 

"Yes, thank you.  I am interested in observing your human behavior," the Asgard chattered excitedly, reaching its hand out to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I would very much like to study the contents of your brain. The scans that we completed show the markings of incredible progress in synaptic activity."

 

"Oh, um. Thank you. But, uh, no…thank you." Daniel scooted a little closer to Mitchell.

 

Jack looked to Thor for a little reassurance Heimdall wasn't going to go Frankenstein on the SGC. The Asgard remained as impassive as usual.

 

"Hey!" Mitchell suddenly yelled, pointing to Heimdall. "Klepto-Asgard just took my pen!"

 

Great, Jack thought. Just what he needed on top of everything else.

 

"I have no use for your Earth devices," Heimdall stated.

 

"Heimdall, you will return the pen to Colonel Mitchell. We are not present for scientific study," Thor said. Jack was positive he heard mild annoyance in his buddy's voice. Heimdall dropped the pen on the table, its blank face never betraying its true feelings. Thor continued. "Kvasir regrets that he was unable to convene on this occasion."

 

"Yeah, what a shame. Well, there's always next time," Jack said with a smile, much to the dismay of SG-1. "But let's start."

 

Jack brought everyone at the briefing up to speed on what was going on, just to make sure everyone, including the Asgard, were all on the same page. He'd called in a favor to Thor, asking the Asgard to do a little drive by the Land of Light on his way over. Unfortunately, he'd confirmed what they had feared – the Ori were building something in orbit on the dark side of the planet.

 

Jack glanced down at the plans the Tok'ra had provided along with the holographic snapshots taken by the Asgard. Obviously, they needed to take out this space station. With the Odyssey out of commission for some minor repairs, they had to take a different approach. He knew exactly what that would entail.

 

"You're considering sending a small task force," Carter said.

 

"Yup." Jack searched the plans again, trying to decide on the best strategy. Based on Thor's photos, the thing looked nearly complete. "I'm thinking we blow it up."

 

He heard someone mutter in disagreement and knew exactly who it had to be. Jack glared at Daniel.

 

"Have we tried contacting Tuplo?" Daniel asked.  "Have we even tried to ask him what is going on?"

 

"They've been concealing a secret base, Doctor Jackson," Davis said.

 

"We don't know that," Daniel argued.

 

"It is irrelevant," Teal'c said without facing Daniel. "There is a weapon and it must be destroyed."

 

"They are allowing the Ori to build a space station near their planet," Jack said. The answer was obvious here.

 

"Well, I think Daniel has a point," Jonas said, jumping into the conversation. Jack fought hard not to roll his eyes. Of course he'd agree with Daniel. "Maybe we could avoid any kind of conflict if we just talked to them."

 

"I don't thinks so, Jonas," Carter said. "Tuplo's people have always been very honest with us. But we haven't heard from them in months. They never mentioned the Ori. Something must have happened."

 

Hank nodded. "They never contacted us like some of our other allies when a crisis hit."

 

"Tulpo always calls when he needs something," said Jack's clone.

 

"And the Ori need cheap labor of some kind to pull it off," Mitchell added.

 

Daniel scowled and started to get edgy, as he so often did when people failed to see his point of view. "What if they've been coerced?" Daniel asked, trying a different line of reasoning. "They spent years dealing with the Touched. I know if I were them, I wouldn't want to go through that again."

 

"Yeah, tell me about it," the clone muttered.

 

"Yeah, it's possible," Jack said. It's not like they hadn't seen that sort of thing before. "But the fact remains that there's an enemy base close to our territory that needs to be eliminated. It's got to go."

 

No one could disagree with him over that point. Good. With that little bit settled, Jack knew they could get onto more important matters that needed to be addressed before the task force was assembled and ready to go.

 

"All right." He nodded to Hank and took a seat. "You're on."

 

"Here's the run down," Hank said. "Doctor Fraiser is currently working on trying to find a cure for the OC-17 drug created at Area 51, otherwise known to most of you as nishta. And as I'm sure all of you have heard by now, General Hammond has been infected by the substance. He's recuperating from a gunshot wound in the infirmary, but isn't out of the woods yet. We need that cure."

 

Jack picked at the edge of the table, not wanting to dwell on what happened to his former commanding officer. The whole mess with Hammond and the nishta rattled him. Jack swore if he ever got near Ba'al again…

 

He glanced over at his clone who appeared just as irritable. Finally, someone who understood him. They both knew Ba'al had a hand in this somehow. But how the hell had he gotten to Hammond? Jack knew that if someone could get to Hammond, then they could get to anyone. But there had to have been a certain set of circumstances that led to Hammond being infected instead of someone like Davis or himself. Jack just couldn't figure out what.

 

"Jack, Mister Quinn," Hank said, continuing, as he directed his attention to the clone and Jonas, "In light of what has happened to Agent Barrett, I want you to continue working on his investigation. "Jack," Hank said motioning to him, but addressing Jonas, "tells me that you have some impressive reading skills and has vouched for your help in this matter."

 

"Thank you," Jonas said, sounding genuinely surprised.

 

Hank nodded. "Get to the bottom of who is behind this." He turned to Davis. "Major, I need for you to check in with Colonel Dixon and see how our guests are doing."

 

"Of course, sir," he answered.

 

Jack tapped his pen on the table. So far, so good. Now came the hard part.

 

"As for the rest of you – our Asgard guests excepted – we'll be heading through the Gate onto P3X-797 to establish a standard recon," Jack told them. "We'll get on the space station and then eliminate the target.

 

"You will be accompanying us, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

 

"You betcha," he said with a smirk. "It'll be just like old times."

 

"Booyah!" Mitchell shouted, clapping his hands. When no one joined him, he slowly stopped and pretended to do something else.

 

Jack smiled nonetheless.

 

"All right, what are you waiting for?" Hank said, standing. "Let's get a move on."

 

SG-1, along with Jack's clone, Jonas, and Major Davis stood and started to go their separate ways. Thor, Heimdall, and the pen beamed out immediately thereafter. Jack remained behind with Hank, keeping his mouth shut until he was sure that SG-1 was out of earshot.

 

"Everything set with Sara and her parents?" he asked.

 

"They're all set up in case something happens," Hank said quietly.

 

"Good." He watched as SG-1 disappeared through the door. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

 

 

Chapter 19

 

The planet was dark, dirty, and full of trees, just like he'd remembered. This was one of the parts of Gate travel that he didn't miss.

 

Jack and SG-1 kept a steady but guarded pace as they moved through the thickly forested area on the dark side of the planet. While the terrain was familiar, Jack had anything but good memories of this place. The Touched, the attack, and the idea that something like a parasite could change a man so completely – they were thoughts that had weighed down on SG-1 as they were just getting their feet wet, traveling to distant worlds through the Stargate.

 

He remembered those first days, when everything was new and scary and exciting all at the same time. Carter had been so eager and spunky. Daniel had been passionate and hopeful. Teal'c had been the fish out of water. And Hammond had held them all together.

 

Despite it all, Jack had to say he missed those days.

 

Even though they were tough times – times where the Goa'uld were still foreign and nasty creatures that the SGC didn't know how to handle – those days still were forever etched in Jack's mind. The Goa'uld had more than just a stronghold in the galaxy; they had kept the SGC on constant alert and in constant fear.

 

Damn, they had been so naïve back then.

 

My, how complacent they'd grown.

 

Jack signaled for SG-1 to hold their positions behind him and by his side as he crouched in the bushes for a better view. There was a clearing just up ahead filled with people mulling back and forth from some central area.

 

Jack recognized some of the people from Tuplo's village. It looked like they were loading up cases – large cases – of stuff into a circle. That pattern looked familiar.

 

He watched quietly as the rings hurled themselves upward, covering the cases while the familiar white light flashed to take the cargo away. When the rings came tumbling back down and disappeared into the ground, Jack noticed the workers begin again. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that they had a major problem on their hands.

 

After he felt he'd seen enough, Jack signaled for SG-1 to backtrack deeper into the woods.  They complied, carefully, joining Jack far from the activity.

 

"Our best bet onto that station is by the rings," Jack told them. He patted his vest to make sure he'd brought those antihistamines with him just in case.

 

"You want us to climb into one of those mini outhouses?" Mitchell asked.

 

Jack wouldn't have put it that way but…"Close," he said.

 

"You want to hide behind them," Carter said, understanding.

 

"Still have our element of surprise without getting trapped in the box," Jack explained. "I'm guessing they have people up there moving the supplies as soon as they're brought on board."

 

Jack didn't really have to go into details. They all knew they'd be dead quick if they got stuck in some box, and that was when the enemy decided to attack. Jack wasn't about to go down without a fight.

 

"We will need a distraction," Teal'c said.

 

Jack knew they would. He had to say he wasn't at all pleased with their options.

 

"I can do it," Daniel offered.

 

That was the option that Jack was the least pleased with at the moment. He still didn't know just what Daniel could do with those supposed powers of his. And Jack knew Daniel didn't either. The worst part was that he didn't think Daniel could even control them.

 

But the Asgard had given Jack the all clear on Daniel, assuring him that based on their findings they didn't foresee him going mass murderer on any of them. Still, just the thought gave Jack the willies. Apparently, he wasn't the only one, Jack realized, as he saw the uneasiness in the rest of his team.

 

Daniel picked up on it as well. "Nothing major. Trust me. It'll be okay. Just tell me when."

 

Jack nodded, though reluctantly. He figured it was their best shot, like it or not. He checked his P-90 and the C-4 he'd packed with him before he signaled them to move again. Jack and SG-1 closed in on the clearing, keeping careful note of any sentinels that guarded the area. Jack nodded again, this time his confirmation to Daniel.

 

Daniel exhaled and closed his eyes. At first, nothing happened, and Jack started to get annoyed, but when he was just about to call Daniel a fraud, he started to notice the land was getting darker than usual.

 

"Daniel…"

 

Daniel didn't answer him. Though, by then, he didn't need to say a word. Daniel didn't seem to be with them anymore. His eyes were open – distant and intense, his face damp and pale – as he stared into the sky. Jack followed his gaze and swore, watching the sky cloud over, not unlike it had on Kheb, building and rumbling as it reached a climatic event.

 

The lightning strikes came hard and quick, flashing off in the distance, setting some of the trees on fire. The workers started to scream and scatter, running away from the boxes and the rings. Some bolted deep into the forest or headed toward the direction of the light half of the planet, while others started toward the fire. Even the sentries paled and fled, leaving the rings completely unprotected.

 

These people just weren't startled. They were terrified.

 

They weren't the only ones. Jack wasn't exactly comfortable with Daniel's little distraction, nor were the rest of SG-1. He didn't miss the uneasy glances that they kept sending Daniel or the shock in their eyes. All it took was for Daniel to snap and suddenly those powers weren't on their side anymore.

 

But what he saw in the villagers went beyond terror or the guarded caution of SG-1. It ran much deeper.

 

Slowly, Jack brought his gaze back to the sky. And then he knew why. He stared at the clouds as they formed the shape of a bull's head.

 

"Holy Hannah," he heard Carter say.

 

"I second that one," Mitchell muttered, his eyes wide.

 

Jack seized the opportunity. With the coast clear, he urged SG-1 to make a break for the ring platform. He hung back with Daniel, waiting for him to wrap up his light show. When he didn't, Jack reached over and shook Daniel, hoping to break him out of whatever trance held him.

 

Nothing. Of course not.

 

"Daniel," he said again, this time pushing him. Daniel's eyelids fluttered and blinked rapidly, almost as if he were trying to chase dust out of his eyes. He turned to Jack, slightly confused, a thin sheet of sweat dampening his face. "Welcome back," Jack said.

 

Daniel nodded, though Jack had the distinct impression Daniel didn't have a clue what he was talking about right now. Wonderful.

 

"Nice job on being subtle, Daniel," Jack muttered, pushing Daniel toward the rings. "So how does it feel playing God?"

 

Daniel didn't say anything and looked away.

 

Jack and Daniel joined with the rest of SG-1. Mitchell, Carter, and Teal'c all eyed Daniel with suspicion and caution, but Jack remedied the situation by barking some orders to get them back on track. They grabbed some of the boxes and dragged them toward the rings, quickly squeezing between them as they activated the platform. With a swish and a flash, Jack and SG-1 found themselves standing in the middle of a large cargo room.

 

The workers on board were completely taken by surprise. They reached for their spears, but Jack and Teal'c were faster. One zat and they were down.

 

"Let's tie them up and ring them down to the surface," Jack said. "We'll gag them and put them in the cases."

 

Mitchell and Teal'c took a couple of sentries while Carter and Daniel took another. Jack kept lookout by the entryway.

 

"How did you know that would scare them?" Carter asked Daniel as she helped him tie one of the men.

 

"When we came back after the Touched incident, I had a long talk with Milosha," Daniel explained. He and Carter dragged the man to one of the cases and set it on the ring platform. "We talked a lot about Minoan folklore and mythology. Like the Norse, they took signs of weather as an indicator the gods were angry or were trying to send them an omen. For the Minoans, their religious figures often were centered on the bull. You know that the bull had a special status among the Minoans on Earth."

 

"Yeah, yeah. Fascinating." Jack urged him to hurry up and get moving. Not that he minded Daniel being Daniel. In fact, it was a bit of a relief. But this was neither the time nor the place. "We'll take the history lesson later."

 

Daniel got the point and kept quiet while they finished their task. Jack kept watch. The area seemed surprisingly empty, leading him to believe this wasn't going to be as easy as it looked. He remembered the rats.

 

"Wow, place looks big," Mitchell said.

 

"Indeed. This will take us some time to travel."

 

Jack agreed. The part of the station that was visible to them seemed large and expansive, bright and almost medically stale and sanitized. Jack thought it made the SGC look like it had personality.

 

He glanced to his right and thought he saw the beginnings of one of the hangars on this thing and when he glanced to the left he saw various doors and compartments. Additional storage areas, he would wager. Jack sighed. Damn. They could get lost easy in this place.

 

"We have the plans, right?" He looked over at Carter.

 

"Yes, sir. There are two ways to the core." She pointed to the printout she had brought with her. "Both upper and lower levels."

 

Jack knew they had to cover the station as quickly as possible. They couldn't remain undetected for long. "All right, Mitchell, Teal'c, and Daniel take the upper route." He walked out of the cargo hold and into one of the main hallways. It was clear. "Carter, you're with me."

 

Jack caught the momentary shock that flickered across Teal'c's face before it was buried under his cool warrior exterior. Jack sighed. He wasn't about to get into that right now.

 

"I want radio silence unless you find something," he called over his shoulder. "Is that clear?"

 

"Yes, sir," Mitchell said as he took his party in the opposite direction.

 

"Sir, are you sure it's a good idea to put Daniel and Teal'c together?" Carter asked, as they started down one of the circular ramps that headed downward.

 

"Probably not," Jack admitted. "But I need Teal'c there in case Daniel does lose it." Teal'c would keep perspective. Jack knew he would.

 

"He couldn't handle him earlier," Carter reminded him.

 

"I know. But I'm not expecting a problem. Just a precaution." He smiled and clapped his hand on Carter's shoulder. "Don't be so negative."

 

She grimaced and nodded, looking down at her printout. "It's just this way."

 

"Then it's off to see the Wizard."

 

Hank waited in the control room, standing by Walter's side, his eyes focused on the iris and the shimmering glow that wavered behind it. "This is General Landry," he said.

 

"General, I am Roa'tac, member of the Jaffa High Council."

 

"We're honored to speak with you, Roa'tac. I expect you have an answer for us regarding our request?"

 

"That I do." There was a long pause. "It is my regret that the Jaffa will not be able to assist the Tau'ri at this time."

 

"I see," Hank said, not that he had been expecting anything different. "Is there anything that we can do to change your mind?"

 

"I am afraid there is not. We of the Jaffa Nation wish you well in your endeavors."

 

"Thank you, Roa'tac," Hank said, ending the transmission. "For nothing."

 

"Sir?" Walter asked, gazing up at him.

 

"It looks like SG-1 is on their own this time, Chief."

 

Teal'c led the way down the latest winding corridor with Daniel and Mitchell following close behind. Daniel didn't miss the gap between them; it didn't take a genius to figure out that Teal'c was avoiding him at all costs.

 

"I think Teal'c is still mad at me," Daniel said offhandedly, tucking their makeshift map under his arm as he watched Teal'c continue on his way.

 

"Well, you socked him on the head," Mitchell said. "What did you expect?"

 

"I expect him to understand," Daniel said. "I did what I did because I had to."

 

Daniel couldn't understand why everyone was giving him such a hard time about this. When Jack had told everyone what Daniel had done – except Janet of course – they hadn't been happy, but at least they had understood why he'd done it. At least he thought they had.

 

"Did you say you were sorry?"

 

Daniel blinked at Mitchell. "Sorry for what?"

 

"Well, there you go," Mitchell said, shaking his head.

 

Daniel frowned and kept walking. The hallway reminded him of photos Doctor Weir had sent him from Atlantis. Everything seemed so clean and pristine. But it was different somehow, he mused, catching his reflection ripple over the gleaming metallic walls. Colder, more distant. Yet, at the same time it still held the concealed allure of the palace he'd visited on the Plains of Celestis.

 

He wondered if Janet had seen Celestis. He didn't think he'd ever have the opportunity to ask her.

 

Daniel wiped at his forehead with his sleeve as he continued to follow Teal'c and remained on the lookout for any strange activity. So far, it was quiet, much like the empty halls of the Ori Palace.

 

He thought about Vala.

 

"You feeling okay?" Mitchell asked him.

 

Daniel nodded. "Just a little hot."

 

Seeing Kasuf, Shifu, and Skaara had only complicated things. Daniel had been so sure of himself – what he had done for Janet had been right and to ascend on his own would give them the advantage they could use right now.

 

Why would they want to stop him? Daniel didn't see any merit in Jack's claim that the Ori would want him to shed his mortal body. In fact, it seemed illogical to Daniel.

 

There was so much he didn't know and so much he couldn't remember. He sighed. And now he could feel the burning starting again. Concentrating hard, he urged it back, pushing it down deep inside.

 

He didn't know what they meant. He had no idea why they had to be so cryptic about everything, especially with him. He felt as if maybe he was on the brink of understanding something important and even possibly understanding what had happened to him in the first place.

 

Had they been giving him a warning? Was it possible that those Ascended experienced space and time in a non-linear fashion? But he wondered how they existed, if their knowledge came over time alone or if there was more to it. He couldn't help but wonder what that meant for him. Orlin, even as a child, could not hold the kind of knowledge the Ancients and the Ascended possessed.

 

"Earth to Jackson…"

 

Daniel blinked and rubbed his forehead again, shooting a subtle glare at Mitchell. Daniel was paying attention.

 

In fact, from the corner of his eye, Daniel caught Teal'c watching them. Taking that as his cue, Daniel brushed by Mitchell and moved to join Teal'c. He still would not make eye contact with him.

 

"You understand why I did what I did, right?" Daniel asked.

 

"I do."

 

"Okay, so…"

 

"You acted in order to bring back the Doctor Fraiser that we have long missed," Teal'c said, remaining focused ahead. "For that, I am grateful."

 

Daniel sighed with frustration. "Then, what's the problem?"

 

"You have been given a great power, Daniel Jackson. Yet, you use it against those whom you would call friends. To wield such a power, no matter how pure of heart you may be, is a dangerous thing."

 

Daniel had already gone through this with Shifu a lifetime ago. Goa'uld genetic memory and the knowledge they possessed could turn anyone, no matter how good, to evil. But Daniel wasn't carrying the knowledge of the Goa'uld. He couldn't even tap into whatever memories he had left from his time Ascended.

 

"This is different," Daniel said. "I'm not trying to say the end justifies the means."

 

"Then, how do you explain what you have done?"

 

He couldn't. Daniel realized he really couldn't come about this in any way besides a Machiavellian explanation. He stopped, frowned, and thought hard on what Teal'c had said, even long after Mitchell caught up with him and nudged him to continue through the station.

 

Sam remained alert as she studied the long winding hallways of the Ori space station. The structure and architecture were vastly different from anything she had seen created or scavenged by the Goa'uld. The hallways were wide and bright, curved and sinuous, with an airy quality to them. The core, aptly named, supposedly rested in the center, with theoretical ramps leading down from the upper levels and up from the lower levels into the main chamber. It all reminded her of a spiral, continuing in a never-ending pattern. Sam wondered if the design was a conscious break from the history the Ori shared with the Ancients.

 

She walked alongside General O'Neill, who had remained quiet all this time, watchful and cautious, as they roamed the hallways. The silence was beginning to bother her.

 

"There doesn't seem to be many people on board," she said.

"Daniel said something about most people sleeping at this time," O'Neill said. "Hopefully, that means we can do this and get out of here before too many people take notice."

 

Sam couldn't agree more. Still, the silence and emptiness of the space station bothered her more than the crowded halls of a Goa'uld mothership.

 

She realized her nerves might be dependent on all that had happened over the past couple of days. Janet's return, Barrett and Hammond, Daniel's state – everything seemed to have come to a head at once. She had almost forgotten just how quickly things could change and how easily people could be taken away.

 

The Ori meant business. They had planned on hitting Daniel. They had plotted the scenario on Kelowna and then on the planet where they had kept Janet. Yet, all of it served as nothing but a distraction. Kelowna had been the diversion the Ori needed with the added option of containing Daniel on the side. The SGC almost missed this opportunity.

 

She thought about the people on Tegalus and how they had embraced the Ori. She thought of the Land of Light. She thought of all the other allies they had and how one by one they could be lost to the Ori.

 

A decade of hard work, of making friends and allies and defeating the Goa'uld, freeing the Jaffa, and they were going to lose it all.

 

"Why did you do it?" Sam asked quietly.

 

"Do what?"

 

"Leave."

 

Jack didn't say anything. He just kept walking alongside of her.

 

She didn't know if it was because she'd asked to be reassigned. She didn't know if it was because Daniel wanted to go to Atlantis. She didn't know if it was because Teal'c had left the SGC to be with the Jaffa. She didn't know anything, and it infuriated her.

 

"Why did you leave?" she asked again.

 

"I was promoted," he answered this time.

 

"But that's not the reason why you left."

 

"No," he said simply.

 

She sighed, feeling her face flush with the heat of indignation. She never could get a straight answer out of him. Never.

 

"What about Mitchell?" she asked.

 

"What about him?"

 

"Sir, you assigned him to a team that didn't exist anymore."

 

He chuckled. "Yeah, I did."

 

Sam yanked at her P-90, needing to funnel her frustration somewhere. She and Daniel had spent weeks trying to come up with some kind of psychological profile on General O'Neill to figure out his intentions with the SGC. He'd left, but then he kept harassing them by phone, email, and fax. He'd assigned General Landry with his estranged daughter. He'd stuck Cameron on a team that wasn't even a team, leaving him far in over his head with SG-1. He'd sold his house, but always complained that his old teammates were ungrateful for never visiting him. She just didn't understand him sometimes.

 

"Carter," he said, finally turning his head to face her. "There's such a thing as second chances."

 

She frowned. What the hell did this have to do with second chances?

 

When he finally realized that she was glaring at him, he shrugged. "You know, second chances. Things happen. People change. Time to put things in perspective or something. I read it on a fortune cookie."

 

Sam stared at him, watching the sincerity in his eyes outshine his smug grin.

 

"Everyone deserves one, wouldn't you say?" he asked.

 

Then, she found herself smiling, as if the pieces were finally starting to come together. "Yes, sir. Yes, they do."

 

Janet read the results from the latest test she had performed before throwing them down on the table. Nothing they did seemed to counter the nishta.

 

Lee had since discovered that the vial that Sam had brought back with her from Area 51 contained an isolated part of the nishta organism. In particular, it was a sample of the dead parasite found in one of the tissue samples from SG-1.

 

She knew that in and of itself was significant somehow. But it had been so long since she'd worked in a lab. She hated to admit her thoughts weren't as functional as they used to be.

 

She rubbed her eyes and sighed. Since they'd discovered General Hammond was infected, she had ordered tissue samples taken from him so that she could study the newly created form more closely. Not only was the drug influential, but addictive. Which meant the infected had to keep injecting or inhaling the substance.

 

They searched General Hammond's belongings and confirmed this was the case. He had several vials of the new formula, enough for himself and apparently to infect several people on the base. Luckily, his main priority had been to extract a Joseph Owens and prevent any trace back to his involvement. Janet assumed his next step would be to start infecting other personnel, possibly base guards and Generals Landry and O'Neill.

 

The thought was truly frightening, bringing back memories of the times when Hathor and the mimic aliens had taken over the SGC. Janet couldn't stand the idea of that happening again.

 

She tried not to think of the Ori or the Priors.

 

She returned her attention to the disks and vials in front of her. "Okay," she said aloud, ignoring that guards that kept watch over her. "The answer has to be here."

 

Janet wanted to avoid having to give Hammond another shot of the nishta. If it was addictive, Hammond would likely start to feel withdrawal symptoms soon. At this time, none of them knew how severe the withdrawal might be. Janet realized that everything Sam and Barrett were told about the absolute nature of the compound could be false. But they could also have a situation like the light addiction that SG-1 and SG-5 had experienced a few years ago.  Janet wanted to make sure a new injection would be an absolute last resort.

 

She wished she could just call upon a Prior to heal him. They could have Hammond back and she could convince her friends the Priors couldn't be as bad as they thought. The Ori would make everything all right, allowing her to try again with Cassie, Daniel, and her friends.

 

But she knew it wouldn't happen and wishful thinking wouldn't get her anywhere.

 

With a sigh, Janet reached for the paperwork that had been sent from Area 51 and went about the task of trying to search for patterns in the data, Hammond's tissues samples, and the vial brought by Sam and Barrett.

 

There had to be an answer. There just had to be.

 

They knew that a substantial electric pulse could weaken nishta, but in its current constitution they were stuck.  If only they could…

 

Janet stopped and stared at the vial. She had an idea. She didn't know if it would work, but it was a start.

 

When they walked into the next chamber, Cameron just had one thing to say.

 

"Yowzers."

 

The core consisted of a huge crystal matrix that made the Fortress of Solitude look like a playground. There were crystals of all shapes, sizes, and colors weaving in and out of each other. Cameron noticed there were several wide catwalks that starburst out from the central crystal matrix and connected to the circular periphery. He didn't really want to take a look at what was down below.

 

"There must be massive stores of energy here," Jackson said in awe.

 

"Bet Sam would like it," Cameron mumbled, feeling the same kind of awe and wonderment he saw in Jackson's and Teal'c's faces. He joined the two of them as they started to walk around the outside edge.

 

"I do," Sam said, walking into the chamber from the opposite side. "This is amazing," she said excitedly. Her eyes lit up as she started for one of the many catwalks. "The crystals must act as a magnification device, amplifying the stored energy to exponential levels!"

 

"That's great, Carter, but—" O'Neill stopped and looked ahead. "Whoa…" His voice trailed off as he looked up at the massive crystal thingamajig.

 

"It's a shame we have to blow it up," Jackson said.

 

Cameron wasn't so sure about that part. Hell, he wasn't sure they could blow it up. He tilted his head and looked at it sideways. Damn.

 

"I wonder where they keep their spares?" Sam asked, still gazing at the crystals.

 

"Found them," Jackson announced.

 

Cameron followed Jackson's gaze past the matrix and into the pit below, finally mustering the nerve to take a look down. Crystals. Crystals everywhere. Very sharp, pointed crystals. He inched away from the edge. "Right." Cameron didn't feel like taking a closer look. "No one trip or it ain't gonna be pretty."

 

He found Jackson back away from the edge and turn his attention to the matrix. He took off his glasses and wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket before sliding them back over his nose. "Are we sure this is going to work?"

 

"It'll work," O'Neill assured them.

 

"Then we must set the C-4 and depart quickly," Teal'c said, reminding them of their mission. "We are quite the distance away from the ring platform."

 

Piece of cake, Cameron wanted to say. He'd been traveling with the pros for a year now. SG-1 always got out of a jam. No sweat.

 

But he couldn't help wonder why they all looked so nervous.

 

"Teal'c's right," O'Neill finally said.  "Let's get moving." He started to unpack the C-4 and motioned for the rest of them to do the same. "Let's get this loaded so we can get out of here."

 

They worked quickly, slapping and setting the C-4 into place on various sides on the crystal matrix, just in case some of the others were duds. Cameron kept a watchful eye on how much they used – O'Neill had reminded them to keep some C-4 at hand so they could blow the ring room when they got back.

 

"Carter, you said this thing stores and magnifies energy," O'Neill said. He moved away from the matrix and started back down the catwalk. "Any chance when this blows, it'll take a chunk of the galaxy with it?"

 

"I don't believe so, sir. The crystals may amplify the energy output, but they don't act in the same way that naquadah does."

 

He nodded. "All right. How are we doing?"

 

"All set," Jackson called.

 

"As am I," Teal'c said.

 

Cameron nodded, taking a step back to admire his handiwork. "Same here."

 

"Done," Sam said. She left the matrix and came to join the rest of them. "I've set it for forty minutes. That should give us plenty of time to leave."

 

"Good." O'Neill glanced down at his watch. "We are so out of here. Let's go."

 

Cameron followed the four of them out of the matrix room, backtracking down the path that he, Jackson, and Teal'c had taken before. He jogged up the ramp, barely resisting the urge to shout over their victory, and hurried after Teal'c. They'd blow this joint, ring down, Gate out, and be the damn fine heroes that they were. Fantastic.

 

"I am going to fix you up my specialty," Cameron said with a grin.  "Some of the best home cooking you ever did taste."

 

He chuckled to himself, musing over how good they were all going to feel once they'd stuffed their faces. But he seemed to be the only one laughing. Confused, Cameron rounded the corner and spilled into the hallway, nearly crashing into the rest of SG-1…and the individual blocking their way.

 

"Welcome," the Prior said. "The day of judgment has come."

 

Chapter 20

 

Carolyn had just finished redressing General Hammond's wounds when she noticed Doctor Warner approaching. She turned toward him.

 

"Agent Barrett is in recovery," he told her. "But he's not out of the woods, yet."

 

Carolyn nodded. She'd figured as much. With a shot to the abdomen, he was going to have a long recovery ahead of him.

 

"Get some rest," Carolyn said. "Barrett is being monitored. We'll page you in case of an emergency."

 

Warner complied, giving Hammond a concerned once over before walking out of the infirmary. Carolyn supposed she couldn't blame him for being reluctant to leave. Not only was he invested in his patient, but also the welfare of his one time boss.

 

It was a shame what happened to Hammond and also a little scary. This could have happened to anyone, even her father. While she wasn't happy with some of the decisions he had made over the course of his life, she couldn't imagine her father losing himself like that.

 

She let out a long sigh as she stared at Hammond. She'd determined that there were some abnormalities in his brain chemistry likely caused by the addictive nature of the drug. They seemed to be worsening, only exacerbated by General O'Neill's trigger-happy clone. Right now, Hammond's prospects didn't look good. It left Carolyn angry. She was handling damage control.

 

She had started to move away from Hammond when Fraiser rushed into the infirmary with her guards.  "Doctor Fraiser," she said. "This is a surprise." Carolyn's gaze fell to the small case in the other woman's hands. "A big surprise."

 

"It's not what you think," Fraiser explained. "I believe I have made a breakthrough." Carolyn remained skeptical; Fraiser shook her head. "Hear me out. The scientists at Area 51 had managed to isolate the part of the nishta organism that secreted its relaxing compounds and built a chemical drug based on it."

 

"Yes, we know that," Carolyn said, crossing her arms.

 

"And," Fraiser said, looking as if she would burst at the seams from her own excitement, "they have been unsuccessful in creating an electrical charge strong yet safe enough to use on infected individuals. "

 

"Yes, we know that, too."

 

"Since the drug only lasts several hours and has an addictive quality, the victim would need regular doses for it to be effective."

 

Carolyn glared at her. "What's your point?"

 

"What if we took steps to ensure that we could safely run an electric current through the victim?" Fraiser's eyes twinkled.

 

Carolyn blinked. Of course. "You've used the dead organism in the vial along with an electric charge to create a less potent form of the drug."

 

"Exactly," Janet said proudly. She held up the case. "This is a watered-down version of the nishta compound. We can keep creating more and more, until the victim's body isn't dependant on the drug anymore. Then, we can send a nonfatal charge through him."

 

Carolyn nodded, sharing her enthusiasm. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's try it."

 

Jonas placed the last file down and sat back. Jack gave him that look that Jonas read as I can't believe you've gone through every single one already. Feeling a little insecure, Jonas shifted in his seat and sat a little straighter.

 

Jack crossed his arms and glared at him. "So?" he asked. "Any theories?"

 

Jonas was a little dry on Earth and Goa'uld conspiracy theories, but he felt confident that he was onto something. "I think you and the other you are right," Jonas said. "I think it's Ba'al."

 

"Great," Jack said, clapping his hands. "So, show me the money."

 

"Show you the money?" he asked, puzzled.

 

Jack shook his head. "Nevermind. What did you find?"

 

"Well, now that we know it's General Hammond, I went looking through all of Agent Barrett's information regarding the general." He grabbed a couple of files and put them in front of Jack. "See? Here?" He pointed. "It looks like over the past few months General Hammond has had several meetings with Chinese officials."

 

"So? Hammond does that all the time. He acts as a liaison and consultant to the President."

 

"Right, but his involvement with the Chinese has jumped over the past few months. And according to these," Jonas opened another file, "General Hammond wasn't just meeting with Chinese government officials. He was meeting with Chinese businessmen."

 

Jack raised his eyebrows. Jonas felt like he'd scored a victory. "What companies?" Jack asked.

 

"Tri-key Limited. Formerly know as Hammel Technologies."

 

"Bingo," Jack said, standing. He grabbed the files. "Let's get to Landry. He's going to love this."

 

"That bastard," Hank muttered, staring at the files Jack and Jonas had given him. He laid them out on his desk. "So, it was Ba'al."

 

"He had to be working both sides," Jack said.

 

"He's been manipulating his way through multinational corporations," Hank said. Something that had started off here could easily be spreading across the globe. Ba'al must have figured that if he could take Chinese businessmen – his own men – and pressure the Chinese government against the treaty, he'd make out fine. But if the United States could convince the other nations to take unilateral action against the Ori, he'd still win. Hank narrowed his eyes, suddenly understanding. "He knows the Chinese want their own Stargate Program."

 

"And he'll do anything to get his grubby little hands in it," Jack muttered.

 

"Not to mention trying to get into the United States government and infiltrate the SGC," Jonas added.

 

"And he needed the nishta to carry it off seamlessly." Hank sighed. "I'll be damned." He shook his head. "Good work."

 

Jack rolled back his shoulders, his patented smug smile returning. "Any time, sir."

 

Hank brought his attention back to the files. There was no telling who Ba'al had gotten to within the Chinese administration or how deeply he'd embedded himself in Chinese business. "Why don't you get down to the commissary and get something to eat," Hank said as he picked up the phone. "I have some calls to make."

 

Janet stood beside Lam, watching as she added the drug into a new tissue sample from General Hammond. She placed the tray under a microscope and pressed her eye to the lens.

 

"It's going to take a while for us to notice any difference," Lam said, moving away from the microscope to record the results. "And this won't even give us a true reading. We need to know if this will affect all of the tissues in General Hammond's body."

 

"The only way to do that is to test it on General Hammond," Janet said grimly.

 

"I know," Lam said. They both looked over to Hammond.

 

He wasn't doing well. Janet could tell by his pasty complexion and his fluctuating vitals. She knew that they could take the chance and go for it now. And if they waited too long, they might not have a chance at all.

 

"General Hammond always told me that he wouldn't want to live his life as a puppet, whether it were to the Goa'uld or any other alien species," Janet said.

 

Or the Ori, the voice inside her head whispered.

 

She ignored it. "I know he wouldn't want to live this way."

 

Lam nodded, appearing torn. She glanced back at the microscope.

 

Janet knew what she must be thinking. The timing was critical. If they waited too long to administer the drug, then Hammond might be too far-gone to save him. If they injected the weakened drug into him too soon, the remaining drug in his system might render the new form ineffective. Janet knew that they always had the choice to reinfect him with the original drug, but there was a part of her that couldn't bring herself to do it.

 

She wanted General Hammond back. She wanted to see the man she'd respected all these years.

 

She wondered if her friends felt the same way about her.

 

She wondered what Daniel truly felt.

 

Janet stiffened, watching his pressure drop. "If we're going to do this, it's now or never."

 

Lam hesitated, but only for a second. She grabbed the experimental drug and loaded it into the syringe, hurrying to Hammond's side. Quickly, she injected the drug into the IV. She stepped back, and the two of them watched for any changes.

 

All they could do now was wait.

 

"These are strong allegations, General Landry."

 

Hank knew they were. "I wouldn't be making them if I wasn't serious, Colonel Chekov."

 

There was a pause from the other end of the line. "How do I know it is not you who have been compromised and wish to divert attention from America by blaming China?"

 

Hank covered the receiver and sighed. He couldn't stand dealing with the Russians sometimes. Almost as much as Jack. "You have the proof right in front of you," Hank said, returning to the conversation. "Those are faxed copies of our investigation."

 

"I cannot believe General Hammond would betray his people."

 

"Not willingly," Hank admitted.

 

There was another long pause, one which made Hank uncomfortable. "Perhaps, then, the time has come where the United States should no longer have full control over the Stargate," Chekov finally said.

 

Now, didn't that sound familiar, Hank thought. Doctor Jackson had told him about his conversation with the Chinese ambassador. Hank could say he didn't like it one bit.

 

"I don't need to remind you of your own problems," Hank said.

 

"Of course not, General," Chekov said, his tone changing ever so slightly. "You know that Russia supports your government in the fight against the Goa'uld and the Ori."

 

Same old Russian politics. Hank shook his head. He hated politics.

 

"I'm glad we have an understanding, then," Hank said despite his misgivings.

 

"And I thank you for this information. I will take this to my superiors, and we shall proceed from there." Hank heard a soft chuckling. "It is always a pleasure, General."

 

Hank nodded to himself. He just had one last thing to say. "Yes it is. But I want to be straight with you, Colonel. I would tread carefully with the Chinese."

 

This time Chekov did not laugh. "And I would warn you of the same."

 

Janet watched the clock, noting the seconds as they ticked by. She took a deep breath. It was time.

 

Careful not to make a sound, Janet joined Doctor Lam by General Hammond's semi-conscious form. Together, they prepared the equipment that would send a sizable electric shock through Hammond's body.

 

Timing and the level of voltage were crucial. If they administered too great a shock, they could kill him. If they didn't shock him enough, all their work would be in vain, leaving them with few options on how to get the real Hammond back. They couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

 

"Are you ready?" Janet asked Lam.

 

"It's now or never," she replied. "Go."

 

Janet attached the electrodes to Hammond and stood back. Lam took the cue, stepping forward and switching on the current.

 

Hammond seized and twitched.

 

Janet bit back the pain, torn as she watched his body jerk and lash out against the white bed sheets. It stung to watch her former commanding officer convulsing from what they were doing to him. She knew it had to be done. She knew it was the only way to save him. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

 

She kept her eye on his vitals, as did Lam. They started to fluctuate – dip, rise, and even out. If Hammond could hold on just a little longer…

 

"Now!" Lam shouted.

 

Doctor Lam shut down the machine while Janet rushed to his side. She kept the defibrillator with her, just in case, as she proceeded to check his pulse and breathing. She breathed out, releasing some of the tension that had been bottled up inside.

 

He was stable.

 

One by one, Janet removed the electrodes from his body, praying silently that the shock had worked. She didn't know if she could handle the idea that he could be lost forever.

 

Again, her thoughts turned to SG-1. The conflict raged on.

 

"He's coming out of it," Lam told her, bringing Janet back to focus on Hammond.

 

He coughed and smiled between pinkened cheeks. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he managed to say to Janet.

 

Janet gazed down at him, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "It's good to have you back, sir," she said, stroking his thumb. "We thought we'd lost you."

 

He continued to smile, the warmth and confidence in his eyes nearly overwhelming her. Yet, despite the pride and relief she felt, Janet knew that they had to remain guarded. Only after a series of tests had been run, could they be confident that Hammond was back.

 

Even so, Janet couldn't help but feel optimistic. And judging by the small but genuine smile on Lam's face, Janet knew she felt the same.

 

Hank remained silent, not for a lack of words and not for a lack of comprehension. He wanted the President to understand exactly how he felt.

 

"We both know it's the right thing to do," Hayes said over the phone.

 

Hank didn't think so. It wasn't that he was new to secrecy and underhanded dealings. Hank had done a lot of things he wasn't proud of during the course of his life. Sometimes things needed to get done whether he liked them or not. But this time, he found himself hesitating.

 

No, he didn't like this idea one bit.

 

"This is going to come back to haunt us," Hank said.

 

"That may be the case, but it's in our country's best interests right now."

 

Hank sighed. This much he knew. But he didn't have to like it. "I understand," he said at last.

 

"I know you do," Hayes said. "Keep me informed on what's happening on all fronts."

 

"Yes, Mister President." Hank hung up the phone.

 

It didn't matter what he thought. Not now. Hayes had already contacted the Chinese president. The arrangement had been made.

 

While Hank knew that neither country could afford a public backlash over compromised individuals, treason, and shady deals between political officials and multinational corporations, the idea of brushing the United States-Chinese breach of security under the rug made him uneasy. Granted, the US would be the one overseeing the dispersal of the nishta "cure" to suspected Chinese officials, likely with the Russians as a buffer. But part of this deal ordered the protection of both American and Chinese assets. While that protected some American networking, it also protected Chinese networks, whether they were legit or not.

 

And now the Chinese had something useful to use against the United States – blackmail material. Hank knew the Chinese had something up their sleeve. He didn't like the idea of giving them that extra-added edge.

 

Not to mention that Ba'al was still out there. The Goa'uld or Goa'uld clone still had an invisible hold in what could be hundreds of corporations by now, with possible access to nishta and whatever Trust symbiotes remained. Even if he had failed this round, in a sense, he still had won.

 

Inoculating top-level officials in all the IOA represented nations while they continued to investigate Ba'al's business channels was not good enough. He would find a new scheme, a new way of trying to rebuild his empire whether on Earth or beyond.

 

At least he had faith in Jack and SG-1 to come through for them in regard to the Ori. And Jack was sly enough to work with the IOA. Maybe he could win them over and allow the SGC a slight reprieve as the Chinese licked their wounds.

 

If he ever came back.

 

Daniel heard Jack swear. The Prior stood in the hallway, blocking their exit. Though the corridors were wide and they could easily move around him, Daniel noticed that his staff was raised and ready.

 

This was the last thing they needed right now.

 

"Move it, pal," Jack said. "We've got places to go, so if you don't mind…"

 

"Hallowed are the Ori," the Prior droned. He held up the book of Origin with his other hand, displaying it for all to see. "They will oversee your destruction."

 

"Ah, don't think so," Mitchell said. "Nice try, though."

 

The Prior did not flinch. Daniel watched him carefully, frowning, trying to place his face. Daniel knew he had seen him before. He just couldn't remember where or when.

 

"We knew you would come to the place of fruition and seek to destroy it with your evilness," the Prior said, continuing. "The Hilksha have returned to plant their wicked ways amongst the good people."

 

"The Hilksha?" Sam asked. "You think we're the Hilksha?"

 

Hilksha…the evil gods of Tuplo's people. Daniel had spent days, so long ago, talking to the people of the Land of Light about their beliefs, their gods, and their culture. Most people hadn't been helpful, but some people had been. He stared at the Prior.

 

"I know this man." Daniel said suddenly. "It's Tipoli."

 

"Tip-who?" Jack asked, looking annoyed.

 

Daniel softened his gaze, watching the Prior with pity. It should have never come to this. It should have never happened. "He's Milosha's cousin," Daniel said quietly.

 

"Dammit," Jack said. "Not another one."

 

"Tipoli, please listen to us," Daniel said. He tried to plead with the man and appeal to his rational side. "You've always been a reasonable person. You know that the Goa'uld were false gods. You know that the Ori are the same."

 

"I know that the Ori have come to enlighten us and that the unbelievers will stop at nothing to destroy them." His cloudy eyes darkened. "You know of the power of the wicked ones, the ones that poison the minds of the unbelievers! It is you who have tasted their ways and turned your back to their blasphemy! Embrace the Ori, your saviors!"

 

Daniel frowned. He wasn't sure how Tipoli had found out about his time as an Ascended being, but it made him nervous.

 

"The Ori are not saviors," Daniel said. He was running out of ideas on how to reason with him.

 

Tipoli did not listen. "The wicked shall fall into the cold darkness from whence they came!"

 

The Prior raised his staff higher, the crystal embedded into the top beginning to glow. Collectively, they took a step back and fired, but their attempt to stop him was ineffectual. The bullets halted in mid-air and fell to the floor.

 

His gaze turned to Daniel. "The Ori have spoken."

 

Before Daniel had a chance to digest his words, the Prior thrust the staff, this time his power aimed at Sam. She gasped, struggling, as the Prior raised her off the ground, suspending her high above them. Daniel watched, horrified, as Sam clawed at her throat. Her P-90 fell to the ground.

 

"No! Stop!" Daniel cried. "She hasn't done anything to you!"

 

"Dammit, Tip, put her down!" Jack yelled. He raised his weapon. "I said now!"

 

The Prior did nothing. Sam started to turn blue.

 

Daniel knew what a Prior could do. He remembered Fannis. He couldn't lose Sam.

 

Daniel pushed past the block in his mind, overcoming the burning, and reached deeper. He could feel the light bubbling to the surface along with all the power that came with it. He turned his dark gaze onto Tipoli.

 

"Stop," he said, his voice cool.

 

He heard Jack, Teal'c, and Mitchell fire again. But it was all so distant. Daniel narrowed his eyes and took a step closer.

 

"Daniel," he heard a voice call to him. Skaara, Kasuf, Shifu…he couldn't tell. Their voices seemed to blend into each other, as one, whispering from somewhere above him and all around him. "No, do not tap into the fire. You must not continue to touch it. It is the tainted light."

 

Daniel grunted and held onto the power, as he had done before, and pushed at the Prior. Tipoli stumbled, nearly falling. It was the chance they needed.

 

Sam fell to the ground. Immediately, Mitchell went to her motionless body while Jack and Teal'c started to fire another round.

 

It was as if the Prior had anticipated the move. He rose to his feet, staff in hand, the bullets once again missing him. He smiled at Daniel.

 

Daniel stared back, suddenly realizing what was happening. He gasped. He'd been wrong.

 

"The Ori shall come and reclaim the knowledge!" Tipoli cried, raising his staff. "The wicked shall be vanquished!"

 

 

Jack lost his balance from the impact, struggled to prevent himself from falling over and keep his weapon trained on the target. He glanced over to Carter and Mitchell, just for a second, to check on her status. She coughed and started to move. Satisfied, Jack turned back to the Prior. He fired.

 

The damn bullets just bounced off the guy like nothing ever happened. Again. No one could get a clear shot.

 

That was it. He didn't care. They needed Daniel's powers. "Daniel! Take him!"

 

When Daniel didn't answer, Jack repositioned himself for a better view. Daniel was on his knees, his body shaking, and was clutching his head, his eyes wide and unfocused. He seemed oblivious to everything going on around him.

 

"He wields some power over Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c shouted.

 

That was obvious. The only problem was that Jack didn't know how to stop it.

 

"Daniel!" he yelled. No response. He faced the Prior. "Listen, you son of a bitch. If you want to spend your life worshipping some self-absorbed power hungry freaks, fine. Don't drag anyone else down with you."

 

The Prior ignored him, continuing whatever he was doing to Daniel.

 

"We saved your asses!" he shouted, even though he knew talk wasn't going to work.

 

"The knowledge shall return to us!" Tipoli exclaimed.

 

That's when it clicked for Jack. All of this – it had nothing to do with Fraiser or cementing a hold in this galaxy. This was all part of a ploy to get what they wanted. To get what they wanted from Daniel. The Priors were trying to open Daniel's mind and find whatever tidbits might be left over from his time as a glowing jellyfish.

 

Dammit. Jack wished those devices the SGC had experimented with during the time of the plague still worked. Anything to stop this guy.

 

He did a quick survey of the corridor, looking for something they could use against the Prior. Walls, doors, ceiling…there had to be something. His gaze stopped at some overhead pipes that ran through the corridor.

 

"Aim for the pipeline," Jack said, changing his strategy.

 

Carter and Mitchell stood, joining him and Teal'c. The four of them lifted their P-90's and shot round after round at the ceiling. Just when Jack was sure the pipes weren't going to budge, he heard a groaning. They shook and broke, falling hard as they crashed to the floor. They nicked the top of the staff, snapping it in two, and then crushed the Prior, pinning him to the floor. The act was enough to startle the Prior into releasing Daniel. And a startled Prior meant an easier target.

 

Jack didn't even hesitate as he pumped Tipoli full of bullets. The man jerked under the weight of the pipes, dead.

 

Jack clapped Carter on the shoulder, squeezing her gently to acknowledge her and make sure she was okay before he jogged over to Daniel. He was still on his knees, his body shaking involuntarily as he stared off into the distance.

 

Jack gave him a light shake. "Daniel?"

 

Daniel coughed and wiped the sweat from his face. "Okay. I'm all right." He coughed again, searching the corridor. "Sam?" Daniel asked.

 

"I'm okay," she said, rubbing her throat.

 

Jack and Teal'c helped Daniel to his feet. Daniel, a little unsteady at first, staggered but quickly shook off the lingering effects of his attack. He moved to stand by Tipoli, bowing his head with grief.

 

Unfortunately, they didn't have time for that right now. Jack tapped Daniel on the shoulder. "Let's go."

 

Daniel walked on ahead, weaving in and out of the fallen pipes, followed by Mitchell and Carter. Jack motioned for Teal'c to go. They were running out of time. Jack started after them, glancing down to take one last look at the Prior as he passed by his limp body.

 

He was sorry he had.

 

The Prior stirred, tossing some of the debris aside, his pale face blazing with anger. Before Jack had time to react, the Prior – still lying prone – grabbed the top half of his broken staff and rammed it against Jack's right leg. Jack howled, feeling the inhuman force contact with his ankle and shatter the bones. He stumbled backward, crashing to the floor, his leg searing with pain. Jack held onto his ankle, cursing the Prior as he finally took his last breath.

 

"Dammit, that son of a bitch!"

 

Carter came rushing to his side, touching his ankle to examine it. He slapped her hands away. "Get to the ring room."

 

"Not without you, sir." She shook her head. Jack could see the anxiety entering her face. "Damn, it's broken."

 

"Ya think?" He hit his fist on the floor.

 

"Teal'c, Mitchell, Daniel…I need some help!" Carter yelled.

 

Daniel, Mitchell, and Teal'c backtracked to Jack's position. Daniel had most of his color back, but when he looked down at the broken ankle, Jack saw him go green again.

 

"This is going to slow us down," Daniel mumbled, stating the obvious.

 

"So, go," Jack said. He hissed between clenched teeth as the pain shot through his ankle and up his leg.

 

Teal'c glared at him. "That is not an option."

 

"I'll take point," Mitchell said. "In case there are more of them." He glanced down at his watch. "We're gonna have to hoof it."

 

Carter nodded, quickly wrapping up Jack's ankle with the small kit she had on her. When she was finished, she let go and jogged over to assist Mitchell. Meanwhile, Daniel and Teal'c took either side of Jack and hoisted him to his feet. He groaned, biting back the pain, and tried to get a decent grip on them. Finally, Jack felt secure and leaned into Teal'c. The three of them started to move down the hallway.

 

This wasn't going to work. There was no way they were going to make it across the station in less than twenty minutes. Not like this.

 

"Come on, Jack," Daniel said. "You know we're not leaving you behind. You're going to have to push yourself."

 

"Indeed."

 

So, Jack pushed himself. The five of them were off, resting on a hope and a prayer they would make it. It was a race against time.

 

Chapter 21

 

Sam and Mitchell bolted down the hallway, charging toward the ring room. Teal'c and Daniel, supporting an injured Jack, trailed behind them. As Daniel helped to stabilize Jack, he flicked his wrist and glanced down at his watch, alarmed that they only had two minutes left.

 

God, two minutes. There was no way they could make it to the ring room in time.

 

"We're not going to make it!" Sam shouted back to them.

 

"Keep running!" Jack yelled. He grunted and dug his hand into Daniel's shoulders as he hobbled along. "Don't worry about us. Just go!"

 

"We won't leave you!" she cried.

 

"Yeah, what about all the teamwork and never leaving a man behind stuff?" Mitchell said as he ran.

 

"Screw it. Doesn't apply to me." Jack hissed with pain as Daniel knocked into him. "Watch it, Daniel."

 

Daniel ignored Jack's whiny protests and kept dragging him forward. Teal'c did the same, pushing and pushing and pushing.

 

The ring room loomed ahead.

 

One minute.

 

"Go!" Daniel cried. "Get it working!"

 

Sam sprinted to the ring room, Mitchell hot on her heels. From his vantage point, Daniel could see Sam working furiously to get the rings to work so they could get off the station in time.

 

Thirty seconds.

 

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged a quick, furtive look and knew what they had to do. Without a second thought, they heaved Jack up, despite his shouts, curses and protests, and made a mad dash toward the ring room. Despite all the times he'd worked out, Daniel felt the strain of trying to run and carry Jack at the same time. His lungs burned. His legs burned. Everything was burning.

 

Twenty seconds.

 

"It's not working!" Sam shoved the crystals out of their side compartment, flipping through each and every one as quickly and efficiently as she could.

 

"What the hell is the problem?!" Mitchell yelled.

 

"Oh my God. They sabotaged the crystals," Sam said, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "It's over."

 

Jack and Teal'c reached the ring room just in time to hear her devastating words. Daniel let go of Jack, shocked as he stared at the destroyed control panel. Everything went silent. He felt cold and dead, but warm and surprisingly light. There was nothing left to do. They had no ship. They had no allies waiting to help them.

 

And this time, no Odyssey could beam them out.

 

This was it.

 

Ten seconds.

 

"Get out, Daniel!" Jack yelled, suddenly, giving him a shove. "You can still ascend. Get your glowy ass out of here!"

 

The others nodded, pleading with him to leave. But he didn't hear them. Swallowing hard, Daniel stepped back, moving away from them as he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

 

Five seconds.

 

He let go. Let go of all the pain and the anger, the sadness and the fear. He released the blockage in his mind and rushed past the burning. He dove deeper and held onto that little speck of purity he'd discovered earlier.

 

He fed it and let it blossom.

 

The burning stopped.

 

It stopped.

 

Everything stopped.

 

And he let it free.

 

Chapter 22

 

 

Jack covered his ears as the last few seconds ticked away and the explosion ripped through the space station, destroying them.

 

Which didn't happen.

 

Jack opened his eyes and looked around. He was on the space station. So were Carter, Teal'c, and Mitchell. All of them were huddled in a circle in the ring room – as if that would do any good – blinking with surprise when nothing happened.

 

"Am I in hell?" Jack asked them. He looked around again, confused. He'd seen a show once where this guy went to hell and had to relive the same horrible day over and over. Jack hoped this wasn't it. He'd already done that and he would rather be dead dead than to have to go through that again.

 

"Not unless we're with you, and I'm not planning on going to hell," Mitchell said. He frowned. "What happened?"

 

"The C-4 didn't work," Carter said. She groaned and closed her eyes, hitting her thighs in defeat. "After all of that, it didn't work."

 

"All of it?" Jack thought even that beat all odds. He gave the place another quick scan, knowing full well he'd heard the explosion and felt the station shudder. "I heard it, Carter.

 

"What if the Prior used his funky powers to make it stop?" Mitchell asked. "Because that sure as hell would be part of their MO."

 

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c whispered.

 

"Yeah." Jack considered that possibility. He fully believed that when Daniel was off in Ascended land last time, he'd stopped Anubis. Why not again? Though stopping the explosion would defeat the whole point of the mission. Jack shifted his jaw. "I told him to get out of here. For once, he listened."

 

"No," Teal'c said, extending his arm and pointing to the ring room entrance. "There."

 

Jack frowned and turned his body, wincing from the pain in his ankle. But what he saw made him start to wonder if he'd lost it.

 

Daniel wasn't glowy. Daniel wasn't anything. He was just standing there, in the middle of the entryway, stiff as a board and staring off into lala land.

 

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

 

No reply. That was starting to creep Jack out just a bit.

 

"Dammit," Jack grabbed onto Teal'c and pulled himself to his feet. "What the hell is he doing?"

 

"Daniel?" Carter asked hesitantly. She started toward him, her pace slow and careful.

 

"Prior got him?" Mitchell asked.

 

"I don't know. Daniel?" Sam asked again. By the time she reached the entryway, Jack was nudging Teal'c to help move so he could join her.

 

"Oh my God," she breathed.

 

When Jack reached her, he was speechless.

 

It was gone. More than half the space station was gone. Chunks and parts were floating in dead space, wandering aimlessly as they stood and watched, completely aghast. Only the part of the space station where they were standing along with the long arm of corridors and rooms nearby had survived.

 

"How come we're breathing?" Mitchell asked.

 

Carter shook her head and reached out to touch Daniel. He didn't even flinch. That's when her gaze fell downward.

 

"Sir."

 

He saw it. Fissures, cracks and breaks – they all grinded together as they strained, pushing to splinter and break free. He caught them as they ran up the sides of the room, onto the ceiling and out the doors.

 

"I don't believe it," she said. "He's holding what's left of the space station together."

 

Jack stared at him. "How the hell can he do that?"

 

Nevermind. Jack decided he didn't want to know. He wasn't about to look this gift horse in the mouth.

 

"Whatever happened to him," Carter said, guessing. "It has to do with his evolving mind." She moved closer to him. "Daniel?" she asked. "Daniel…how are you –?"

 

"Carter!" When she turned to face him, Jack held up a finger, urging her to stop. "Don't…break his concentration."

 

She nodded, slowly taking a step away from him. Daniel just continued to stand there, motionless, gazing off into nothing.

 

Jack didn't want to even think on what this could be doing to Daniel's body. But he knew they had to use this opportunity while they still had it. "We've got a second chance," he said. "Plan?"

 

Of course, no one had anything to say. They were trapped on one fourth of a space station that was barely holding it together. No means of escape. No way to fix the rings. Just stuck with time running out.

 

Then, the last person he expected to say anything laid a doozey on him.

 

"Bra'tac," Daniel muttered between clenched teeth. "Hangar."

 

Teal'c's eyes widened. "We must go to the hangar immediately."

 

Jack wasn't going to argue. If Daniel said Bra'tac was waiting in the hangar for them, then Bra'tac was waiting in the hangar for them. That was it. Jack nodded for Carter to take point. Mitchell switched off with Teal'c and helped support him as he hobbled after Carter, while Teal'c carefully guided Daniel's rigid body down the narrow stretch left of the space station.

 

Jack had to say this had to be the most frightening and exhilarating thing he'd ever done. There was nothing but an invisible force field keeping them from floating like dead debris through cold space. As they walked along just a long thin stretch of metal, Jack could feel the strain on the station as it groaned and creaked, fighting to separate and rip apart, while Daniel fought to keep it together. Trapped between a not so solid metal wall and no wall at all…that was new for Jack. He grunted, holding Mitchell tighter. He hoped this would be the last time.

 

The hangar was just ahead. They could do this.

 

The groaning started.

 

Dammit.

 

"It's wild, isn't it?" Mitchell said, wearing a grin that would make the Cheshire Cat jealous.

 

Jack scowled at him. If Carter was too negative, this guy was too positive.

 

He heard more groaning.

 

Jack hobbled a little faster, praying to whoever would hear him to keep this hunk of junk together just a little bit longer. Almost there.

 

Jack watched as a small chunk of the station broke off and floated away.

 

Crap.

 

"How's he doing?" Jack asked, calling to Teal'c over his shoulder.

 

"He is under tremendous strain, O'Neill. We must depart quickly."

 

They pushed onward, finally reaching the docking bay.

 

The small tel'tak vessel bolted forward, entering the crooked hangar. Jack could see Rak'nor at the controls, Bra'tac by his side. The two men looked absolutely stunned to see them alive and in one piece.

 

"Run!" Jack said.

 

Carter took off, sprinting toward the tel'tak vessel. The platform lowered and she climbed inside, waiting by the edge, encouraging the rest of them to hurry. Bra'tac waited for them, his arm extended. Mitchell and Jack finally made it; Teal'c and Daniel slowly brought up the rear.

 

He could hear the station moaning again, the metal parts screeching and grinding against each other. He grabbed Mitchell's shoulder for support and leaned out of the ship, motioned with his hand for Teal'c and Daniel to hurry.

 

"How have you accomplished this?" Bra'atc said in wonder.

 

"Long story." Jack looked back. "Let's go, Teal'c!"

 

Teal'c and Daniel stepped onto the platform. Teal'c guided him up the ramp and into Sam's grasp. Jack glanced back to Teal'c just as Mitchell started to pull him into a seated position while Bra'tac rushed back to the controls. Before Teal'c was completely inside the ship, he shouted for them to go.

 

Rak'nor wasted no time. He steered the tel'tak vessel away from the station, pushing the ship well past its limits to speed away from the impending explosion. They were barely away when Jack felt the burst ripple through space.

 

Everyone grabbed onto something firm as the tel'tak vessel careened out of control from the shockwave. He felt the ship moaning from the strain, causing Jack to wonder if maybe they weren't as safe as he'd thought. But Rak'nor finally brought it under control and steadied the cargo ship into a nice, smooth ride.

 

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, along with everyone else. He rubbed his face and ignored the throbbing in his ankle. At least they'd made it.

 

Bra'tac reemerged, eyeing everyone with an enormous swelling of pride. "You would not have made it without the help of the Jaffa, hmm?" he joked, still smiling.

 

"Master Bra'tac!" Teal'c shouted, a huge grin on his face.

 

"Teal'c! It is good to see you safe."

 

"I do not understand," Teal'c said.

 

"The Council had a change of heart. Guilt overcame Roa'tac as his heart warmed from Colonel Mitchell's words. When I told him of our situation, he agreed to speak with the Council again." Bra'tac clapped his hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "We came personally to assist you."

 

"Hot damn. Talk about timing," Mitchell said.

 

"Thanks, Bra'tac," Jack said. He winced and held his ankle. "You did good." The man still hadn't lost his touch after one hundred and thirty-something odd years.

 

As the adrenaline started to wane and his head began to clear, Jack's thoughts turned to Daniel. He searched the ship for Daniel, and when he finally found him, Jack realized he was slumped on the floor.

 

"Daniel?" Jack asked, sliding across the floor to meet him. He patted his shoulder. "Hey?"

 

Daniel breathed out and coughed, blood spurting from his nose. Teal'c came to stand by them and offered Daniel a cloth. Daniel nodded, accepting it, and pressed it to his nose.

 

"How did you keep the station connected?" Carter asked. She and Mitchell joined the rest of them.

 

"I used it. All of it." He coughed again. "It's gone now."

 

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "You no longer possess your abilities."

 

Daniel shook his head. "No. No, I wasn't meant to have them to begin with. Some people aren't meant for power like that. Not when the end would have to justify the means," he said quietly, giving Teal'c a pointed look.

 

Jack watched the two of them, keeping track of the intensity in their gazes. Then, he saw Teal'c relax, a smile finally touching his lips and reaching all the way to his eyes. He bowed to Daniel and took a seat on the other side of him.

 

Perfect, Jack thought. He grinned, urging Carter and Mitchell to take a seat beside them before he slung his arm around Daniel's shoulder. "All right!" he exclaimed. "See? Piece of cake."

 

"I'm so glad you're amused," Daniel said with mock sarcasm. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep."

 

With that, he passed out.

 

Jack felt he earned it. In fact, they all did.

 

He leaned back and lifted his broken ankle, biting back the pain he felt. He'd been through worse. Jack closed his eyes and let his mind drift. Things had turned out all right after all. Not a bad day.

 

Not a bad day at all.

 

Chapter 23

 

"So how did it go?" Hank asked.

 

"As well as you can expect with the IOA," Jack said, rolling his eyes. He grunted as he propelled himself forward on his crutches.

 

Hank nodded and slowed his pace so that Jack could keep up with him. They had a few loose ends to tie up at the infirmary, and then maybe Hank could say goodnight to all the crazy happenings over the past few days. He slowed again for Jack and took out his pass.

 

"What was the verdict?" Hank asked.

 

"They weren't too happy with the fact I wasn't there in person, but the teleconference had to do." Jack grunted and leaned his weight onto one side, supporting himself with the crutches as they waited for the elevator. "I think I may have gotten a sympathy vote with my cast."

 

Hank chuckled. "I would say the Chinese are going to have their hands full trying to sort out their own problems to bother us for a while."

 

The elevator opened and they stepped inside. "Not so sure about that," Jack admitted. "Whatever connection Ba'al made only went so far. And I don't care what kind of impression Daniel made with that Shen woman. I don't think the Chinese are going to give up that easily. I'd keep my eyes open."

 

Hank sighed. "All too true." The latest Ori threat might have been solved, but the Doomsday chatter continued. Ba'al was still on the loose and they could lose their allies at any time. Somehow Hank felt this was just the start. At least President Hayes had given them a commendation for all their hard work on the Ori and nishta threats, and Joseph Owens was being transported to Washington for questioning by the President himself. And now they had the Jaffa on their side. Still, Hank couldn't help but feel like their troubles were just beginning. But despite his feelings, he turned to Jack and grinned. "I'm up for the challenge."

 

Sam knocked on the recovery room door, hesitating as she peeked inside. Malcolm Barrett rested on a hospital bed, still hooked up to various monitoring devices, but he looked peaceful, if not a little bored. His eyes were open and he was breathing. To Sam, that was all that mattered.

 

"Hi," she said, holding the bouquet she'd bought close to her chest.

 

"Flowers. Wow," he said, sitting up but wincing slightly. "Either I missed something fantastic or I was a goner there for a while."

 

She chuckled and placed the vase on the stand next to his bed. "You almost didn't make it," she said, pulling a chair up to his side. "We were worried."

 

"We or…you?"

 

Sam shook her head, but the smile stayed alight on her face. "Don't push your luck, buster."

 

He laughed at her, which made Sam confident that he was on the mend. "I guess I won't be pushing much of anything for a while."

 

Sam held back a smile. "I just wanted to let you know that based on your work, General O'Neill's clone and Jonas Quinn were able uncover a series of meetings between General Hammond and the Chinese. We wouldn't have been able to figure it out without you."

 

Barrett nodded, all serious again. "How is General Hammond?"

 

"I'll be fine," she heard Hammond say. Sam looked up to see the general and O'Neill's clone standing in the doorway. "Nothing but a little hurt pride."

 

Sam stood as they entered, but Hammond just waved her away with his free arm. "At ease, Colonel," he said as she sat back down. "I'm retired now."

 

"You retire as well as I do, sir," the clone joked. "Say…how's the arm?"

 

Hammond looked over to the sling that held his arm and shoulder in place. "It's not a big deal. It was a clean shot. I should heal just fine." His face fell as he studied Barrett's bandages. "I'm sorry, son. I don't remember much of what happened, but I—"

 

"Not to worry, General. I assume that Fraiser and Lam found a suitable cure," Barrett said.

 

"That they did," Hammond said. "I owe them my life," he said quietly.

 

Sam remained silent, allowing General Hammond a moment to gather himself. He was still a little shaken over the whole thing, especially with his granddaughters on base. On some level, Sam knew how he felt. It had taken months for Sam to get over with how she'd treated Cassie when Jolinar had possessed her. She could understand how anxious he might feel knowing he'd been compromised and yet was still so close to those he loved.

 

"Well, we should get going," Hammond said at last as they caught Major Davis waiting by the door. "I just wanted to offer my sincerest apologies in person."

 

"It's not a problem, General," Barrett said. "Really, I understand."

 

Hammond nodded and started for the door. Sam watched as Barrett exchanged a thank you with O'Neill's clone. The two left the room, leaving Sam and Barrett alone once again.

 

Barrett looked down at his sheets, smoothing out some of the wrinkles before he winced and shifted his position in order to face her. "So, does this mean we're still on for dinner?" Barrett asked.

 

She grinned. "I don't recall ever agreeing to dinner," she said, touching her hair. "But, I think I can make that sacrifice once you're well enough to eat real food in a real restaurant."

 

His eyes lit up.

 

"Just as friends," she added quickly.

 

Barrett sighed, but the mirth remained in his eyes. "I can handle that."

 

When Jack entered the infirmary, he wasn't surprised to find Daniel dressing to leave. "Doc give you the all clear?"

 

Daniel passed him a small smile and nodded slowly, tugging his BDU jacket over his shoulders. "Doctor Lam says I'm back to normal. Or at least getting there."

 

"No more…" He raised his hand and twirled his finger in a circle.

 

"No more special powers, if that's what you mean."

 

Jack started to smile, but it never reached his lips. He wasn't exactly great at this sort of thing.

 

"Are you heading back to Washington soon?" Daniel asked.

 

"Yeah, in a couple of days."

 

"Plane?"

 

"No. Air Thor."

 

"Oh." Daniel nodded. "Beats coach."

 

"Oh, yeah."

 

That damned silence returned again, leaving Jack feeling awkward. Jack thought it always had been easier when they were on the field. Daniel would do something he didn't agree with and Jack would make a comment. Daniel would snap back. Jack would insult him. Everyone was happy that way.

 

But since his first promotion and then his second promotion, it was harder. Jack hated small talk. So did Daniel. And personal stuff? Jack didn't do personal.

 

Though, when the awkward silences started to creep in, Daniel inevitably started talking about feelings and that was always the last place Jack wanted to go.

 

"I know why you did it," Daniel said finally. "I know why you left."

 

Son of a bitch…there he went. "Really? Enlighten me then, since you seem to know it all."

 

"It hurt too much."

 

"Hurt?" Jack blew him off with the shake of his head. "Come on, Daniel. You've got to do better than that."

 

Daniel's face darkened. "No, I'm right."

 

"You seem to think you're right about everything," Jack said.

 

"No, I mean it. I'm right this time. You couldn't stand to watch us go through the Stargate without you anymore. You couldn't stand not knowing. So you left."

 

"You and Carter need to stop trying to play shrink," Jack said with a forced laugh. "The two of you are no MacKenzie."

 

"But I'm right," he said again. "You couldn't stand to sit here and watch us risk our lives every day. And when we moved onto other assignments, that was the perfect opportunity to leave it all behind. You could still watch us – you run the Atlantis program and you gave your approval on some projects Sam was working on at Area 51, plus you put someone in charge that you trusted at the SGC to watch Teal'c."

 

"Daniel…"

 

"No, don't say anything. You don't have to. I understand," he said with a smile. "We all do." His grin widened. "It'll be our secret."

 

Seemed like everyone was keeping secrets these days, Jack mused as he watched Daniel bend over to tie his laces. Jack looked away, eyeing the room, his gaze falling to a small stress ball. Noting that Daniel was still clueless to what Jack was doing, he grabbed the stress ball and whipped it at Daniel's head.

 

He caught it instantly without even turning around. When Daniel realized what he'd done, he stood up straight and blinked at Jack in shock.

 

"Back to normal, eh?" Jack said, feeling that uncomfortable sensation starting to return.

 

Daniel scowled, tossing the ball onto the gurney. "It's there, Jack. Locked up inside me somewhere. All my memories and other things that I can't even imagine." Jack stayed silent, not knowing what to say. "But it's not meant for me," Daniel continued. "Not now. Not this way. Maybe in another lifetime," he said with a smile.

 

Jack raised his eyebrows, realizing he saw honesty and contentment in Daniel's eyes. Suddenly, everything felt all right. "It'll be our secret," he said with a grin.

 

Janet held onto her daughter, rocking her in her arms. She just wanted to stay in this moment. She never wanted anything to change even though she knew change was inevitable.

 

"Mom, I'm so proud of you," Cassie said. "You helped save General Hammond even though you probably aren't very happy right now."

 

She pulled Cassie back and blinked at her. "Why wouldn't I be happy?"

 

"The Ori. Me. Daniel."

 

She had been angry. She had felt a betrayal so deep that it had cut her to the bone. She couldn't believe her own daughter would deceive her. She couldn't believe Daniel would do that to her.

 

But this was Cassie. Her life. No matter how angry she became, Janet couldn't stop loving her daughter. They had so much to talk about, so many things to discuss. They had started to mend that large rift between them, but Janet wished it could all just heal at once. The wounds were deep, deeper than she'd ever imagined. But when she had seen the pain and agony in her daughter's tearful eyes, she knew she couldn't stay mad at her.

 

Instead, her anger had turned to Daniel.

 

She didn't know if she could forgive him. She knew why he did it, but the pain was still too raw.

 

And the Ori. She still felt a strong connection to them. They had saved her life. The Priors and their followers had cared for her. But she knew that she was loved here, and she knew the atrocities that could be committed in the name of the Ori. She supposed it wasn't much unlike their own history.

 

"Honey, I'm going to be having some sessions with an SGC therapist to sort through some of my issues," she said softly.

 

"I know," Cassie said with a sigh. "It doesn't mean you're weak or anything, you know. I think everyone at the SGC has had to go through therapy at some point."

 

Janet chuckled. "I'm sure that's true."

 

Sam and Teal'c took the opportunity to enter the VIP room at that time, followed by Daniel and then O'Neill on crutches. Cassie sat back and welcomed them inside, urging them to come closer.

 

Despite the relief and gratitude she felt over her friends' support, Janet felt cold when Daniel entered the room. She refused to look at him.

 

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked.

 

"Good. It felt good to be working in the infirmary again," Janet said. "I'd almost forgotten how much I missed it."

 

"It's always open in the event you want to come back," Daniel said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

 

She forced a smile, knowing that he was trying to reconcile. She just didn't know if she was ready. "We'll see what my therapist says."

 

Daniel nodded, though he looked disappointed. She knew that he expected her to understand, but she couldn't deal with it right now. Not now.

 

"Well, we just wanted to come by and say hi," O'Neill said. "We'll leave you two to get reacquainted."

 

Cassie pulled Janet into a hug and squeezed her tight. "Thanks," Cassie said.

 

"If you require any assistance, we will be happy to serve you," Teal'c said with a bow.

 

"Why thank you, Teal'c," Janet said, genuinely touched. She watched with fondness and sadness as the old SG-1 left the room. Though she wasn't surprised when she saw Daniel linger behind.

 

He moved toward them, almost hesitant and maybe a little shy, shoving his hands in his pockets as he peered over the rims of his glasses. She knew, as well as he, that they had a lot of unfinished business to discuss. Cassie seemed to sense it as well.

 

"I'm going to grab some food," she said quickly, jumping off the bed. Before Janet could protest, she was heading for the door. "Be right back."

 

That left Janet and Daniel alone to face their demons.

 

"I'm glad that you're better," Janet finally managed to say.

 

Daniel took another small step forward, as if he were testing the waters. "Whatever happened with the Ori and the Ancients is behind me."

 

"But it's not behind me."

 

He didn't seem to have a response, but his guilt was palpable. He looked down, his shoulders hunched.

 

Janet forced down the ache she felt. She was still foggy on all the details of what happened to Daniel, but the entire staff had assured her that he was okay. Cassie had reassured her that whatever happened had happened and Daniel was himself. Yet, despite even her own daughter's reassurance, she couldn't help but see the crazed man that had pulled a gun on a child. Even if it had been part of a ploy to break through to her.

 

She knew that she shouldn't dwell on it. Things happen at the SGC. In her lifetime, she had done things that she wasn't proud of, and she knew that the members of SG-1 tackled far greater problems on a daily basis. She also knew that over the past few days, she hadn't been at her best.

 

But the Ori, Daniel, Cassie, and everything that had happened – she just wasn't ready to let go. Not yet.

 

"You lied to me. You betrayed my trust," she said, her words thin and biting.

 

His eyes were wide, almost pleading, and filled with water. Daniel came to meet her by the bed, tentative and slow, before he finally sat beside her. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him, wishing she could project all her hatred onto him, but she didn't stop him or ask him to leave. He removed his glasses, allowing her to look deep into his eyes.

 

Janet could see the guilt and the regret in them. There was an apology resting on his lips, ready to escape. She could see that he wanted to try to make things better somehow.

 

She shook her head, willing herself to be strong. "We've both done things we regret. The past few days have been hard for all of us. We just have to do our best to tackle them and move on. But I can't give you what you want. Not now."

 

He gave a half nod and looked away. She didn't know what else she could say to him. She was still infuriated with him and the rest of her friends. She still held anger that she couldn't explain. Of all people, Daniel. To Janet, he had always represented what people could become if they embraced the good, compassionate part of themselves. But when he brought his gaze back to her, she saw the intensity and compassion in his eyes, making her believe that maybe there was hope.

 

"We don't have to face it alone," he said quietly.

 

He leaned into her, brushing his lips against hers, and lingered, almost as if he was asking if he could continue. Janet put aside her ill will for the moment, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. There was restrained passion in his kiss and in his embrace, cooled and contained, as he yielded control to her. But it remained sweet, comforting and warm, whispering promises of a better tomorrow.

 

When she broke off the kiss and gazed at his face, she saw the determination, the dedication, and the patience in his eyes. That's when she realized he wasn't going anywhere.

 

"It's going to take time," she said. There was too much baggage, too much had happened. The healing process was going to be a long one and it would have its fair share of bumps and roadblocks along the way. But she was starting to think it would be a good ride nonetheless.

 

It was different, and scary, but Janet knew that she'd be able to make it, realizing that she had the support of her daughter and her friends. In the end, she knew it would be her own journey though, as she tried to reconcile everything had happened to her and the conflicting ideas and sensations she felt. She was confident that when she reemerged, she would be ready to tackle anything. She might not be the same Janet that died in the line of duty three years ago, but she would be a Janet that could make her daughter proud.

 

When she glanced over to the doorway, she saw Cassie there, grinning, the approval already present on her face.

 

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Daniel said, holding her hand. "We've both died and been given a chance to make it right." He paused, searching her, waiting for her to understand.

 

She understood. And when she saw the smile touch his lips, she knew he understood as well.

 

They found themselves back in the Gateroom for another long farewell. Sam rubbed at the corners of her eyes. She was beginning to hate goodbyes.

 

Jonas came down the line, just like he'd done three years ago, shaking everyone's hands and wishing them well. When he reached her, she drew him into a warm hug.

 

"I'll miss you, Jonas," she said. "Don't be a stranger."

 

He laughed into her embrace. "Is that an invitation?"

 

"You know you're always welcome here."

 

He withdrew and nodded, flashing her one of his winning smiles. "I'll be sure to take you up on that invitation."

 

Jonas made his way up the ramp, stopping to gather one last look at the Gateroom. Sam was certain she even saw tears in his eyes.

 

He cleared his throat and stood taller. "Hey, Cameron!" He smiled softly. "You're not so bad. Next time I come we'll have to have some of those grits."

 

"Mmmm-mmm. Just you wait! Back at you, man," Cameron said, waving goodbye.

 

Jonas waved back, pausing long enough to make eye contact with everyone before he disappeared through the event horizon. Then, he was gone.

 

Sam pushed back the sadness, knowing that people come and go from life, but it didn't make it any easier. These past few days had been hard, some of the hardest times she'd gone through, but in the end she had her friends, and she knew she had made a difference in the world. That was what was important.

 

"Come on," Hank said. "We have a mountain full of civilians who are just dying to get home."

 

Cameron stood with Landry, watching as the rest of the civilians packed up and were on their way. O'Neill was sitting and having a long chat with his ex; Sam was having a teary goodbye with her old fiancé and her brother's family; Jackson was comforting an old girlfriend and ex-Goa'uld, and Teal'c was working the crowd, bouncing from kid to kid and from lady to lady. Cameron was sure he saw Hammond in there somewhere, too, hugging his grandchildren.

 

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Landry asked him.

 

"Sure is. Makes me want to call up my pop and give him a holler," Cameron said with a smile.

 

The two of them gazed on, watching as the crowds thinned and the people left. Cameron was surprised to find Jack's clone walking toward them, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

 

Landry extended his hand. "Well done, Jack," he said with a shake.

 

"Nice job yourself, Hank," Jack said with a smile. He turned to Cameron and shook his hand. "Nice working with you, and thanks for the save at the mall."

 

"No problem."

 

"Well, the others are free now and everyone else is about gone, so I'm going to say bye and get out of here," Jack said, though Cameron thought he sounded sad. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight uneasily. "You know, if there's ever a problem—"

 

"You'll be the first one we'll call, Jack," Landry said, giving him a tap on the back.

 

Jack wore a full-fledged grin. "Sweet. Well, adios!" He gave them a small wave before he walked down the hallway, meeting with General O'Neill and the rest of SG-1.

 

Cameron watched him go, taking note of their camaraderie and their joy. Someday he hoped that he could really prove himself to SG-1 and truly and finally become one of the team.

 

Daniel stood in the briefing room, gazing down at the Stargate as the night passed on. Silent and quiet, it sat there like any other artifact on display, seemingly harmless, while in reality it was a door to other worlds, other dreams, other lifetimes.

 

So many worlds. So many years. They had all gained, and they had all lost. They had changed, and yet, somehow remained the same.

 

And through it all, the Stargate continued to call to them.

 

Maybe it called in different ways. It could be the thrill of discovery, the hope of a new find. It could be the ideal of truth and knowledge. It could be scientific data. It could be the promise of a new tomorrow. Or it could be just the beckon of a warm sand dune and a desert rose that no longer called his name.

 

"Daniel."

 

Daniel glanced back, watching Jack shuffle into the briefing room, along with Sam, Teal'c, Mitchell, and Landry. They passed by the briefing table, coming to join him at the window. He watched, though he didn't say a word, as Teal'c came to stand by his left and Sam came to stand by his right. Mitchell, Jack, and Landry came to their sides, settling into the silence. Daniel wasn't exactly sure how long they stayed there, together, staring down at the Stargate. But something felt right about it. Something felt whole.

 

He glanced over to his friends, his family, his life, and he thought to the future, to Janet, to Cassie and the possibilities they held. He smiled.

 

It felt like home.

 

THE END

 

 

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