(Special thanks to Major Gee for her beautiful artwork for this story)
"For God's sake, Carter, what's wrong with him?" Panic was starting to creep into Jack O'Neill's voice.
SG-1 had been exploring BJC3P445, a nice, boring planet - the only sign that it might once have been inhabited was the Stargate they had come through. They had been walking through a field of grass and wildflowers - strangely coloured wildflowers, to be sure - but otherwise, there was nothing to be seen. He and Carter had been talking about what to do next - to explore in a different direction, or to return to the Stargate. That was when the first prickling of unease had begun in him.
Daniel had not automatically spoken up at the notion of leaving after such a short time. There had been no, "Just because we haven't seen anything, doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Or his own personal favourite, "Well, nothing within a mile of the Stargate, Jack . . ." Daniel was the eternal explorer. It had to be the scientist in him, O'Neill usually thought fondly at that point, even as he argued with the younger man.
But this time Daniel had not spoken. O'Neill looked around, wondering what was keeping him silent . . . and he hadn't been there.
"Goddammit Daniel, what have I told you about wandering off on your own? Jeez! Carter, you and Teal'C head off that way," he waved his hand vaguely to the left of where they were standing. "Let's go and find the absent minded professor. Danny boy, you and I are going to have to have a serious talk about this one of these days," he muttered as he headed to the right.
Twenty minutes later, annoyance had been replaced by real disquiet. Where the hell was Daniel?
Carter shouted, and O'Neill turned and ran towards her - had she found him? When he skiddded to a halt beside her, disquiet turned to fear. What she had found was somehow more disturbing.
Daniel's vest and daypack, and his sidearm, lay on the ground at her feet. They crouched to examine them.
"Sir, the straps and webbing on these are intact. Someone removed them, they weren't torn off him," Carter spoke quietly. The tension in O'Neill eased somewhat. So, Daniel hadn't been taken by an animal. But whoever had taken him, and wherever he was, he was alone and unarmed.
"What the hell is going on here, Carter?" O'Neill muttered. They looked at one another - for a simple recon mission, things were fast going to hell in a handbasket.
Teal'C's shout broke their reverie, and they turned as one and raced for the Jaffar's location.
Daniel lay on the ground not far from the Stargate, and Carter dropped to her knees beside him the instant she arrived. Her hands sought a pulse in his throat, and her relief was palpable as she turned to O'Neill and Teal'C. "He's alive! His pulse is strong and regular," she reported.
She examined him carefully with her eyes before touching him further. There were no obvious wounds, and no indication of broken bones. He looked like he was asleep. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gently turned him onto his back, supporting his head carefully. "Daniel," she said quietly. There was no response. She said his name louder, but still his eyes remained closed.
O'Neill crouched opposite her, leaning down to shake Daniel's shoulder. "Danny, time to wake up buddy." When he got no response, he looked over at Carter, the question in his face.
Carter met his eyes. The concern in her eyes mirrored his own. She tried one last thing - she pushed open Daniel's jacket and ground her knuckles into his breastbone. There was no response to the pain it would have caused.
"I don't know sir. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with him," she said. She gently ran her hands over Daniel's head, and said "He doesn't seem to have suffered a blow to the head, sir. I don't understand why he doesn't respond." Her hand continued to stroke his hair, and O'Neill realised she didn't even know she was doing it.
"Can we move him, Carter?"
"Sir, I don't know. There may be something wrong internally. But, we don't have a choice. We can't help him here." Her face was bleak.
O'Neill was dazed for a second - how had things gone so wrong here, so fast? His hand rested gently on Daniel's shoulder.
"Carter, dial us home, now! Teal'C, help me lift him," O'Neill ordered, and his team snapped into action. Carter sprinted for the DHD, pressing the symbols and activating the Stargate. Teal'C moved to his side, and they raised Daniel between them, holding him as straight and still as they could.
They moved slowly to the Stargate, where they were met by Carter. As the event horizon stabilised, she sent the radio code that would open the iris. She moved to Daniel's head, cradling it gently to support it. And SG-1 moved to enter the Gate, carrying their fallen comrade.
O'Neill spoke softly, "You hang on, Danny, we'll have you home and fixed up in no time. Hang in there, buddy."
As they crossed the event horizon, moving carefully with their precious cargo, O'Neill heard the wind begin to blow on BJC3P445. It sounded like a sigh. And unconsciously, he echoed it.
The embarkation room at SGC was filling with the guard troops. The incoming wormhole was unexpected, no-one was due back. When the Airman reported that it was SG-1's radio code, General Hammond took the the stairs down to the Gate room two at a time, ordering the iris opened. SG-1 was his best team, and they weren't due back for hours. This could only mean bad news.
As the Gate opened and the event horizon stabilised, General Hammond realised it was the worst possible news. Three members of SG-1 walked slowly through the Gate, carrying the fourth. Almost before they had cleared the Gate, Colonel O'Neill was shouting.
"Medics! We got an emergency here!"
The troops were up the ramp in an instant with a stretcher, and as SG-1 carefully transferred Daniel Jackson to it, medics arrived with a gurney, and met them at the base of the ramp. The stretcher was placed on the gurney, and the medics took off for the elevator at a flat run. Carter glanced quickly at O'Neill, and he dismissed her with a gesture. She raced after the medics - someone would need to brief Dr Frasier about what had happened. Except that SG-1 didn't know what had happened to Daniel. And now O'Neill had to explain that to General Hammond.
"Colonel, what is wrong with Dr Jackson?" the General demanded, as O'Neill knew he would.
"Sir, I don't know. He disappeared on BJC3P445 for about 20 minutes, and then we found him unconscious. He has no obvious injuries, he just won't wake up," O'Neill hated having to report so inadequately about Daniel, but there wasn't anything else he could say.
General Hammond considered the report, and O'Neill. And knew that there was nothing else that could be done until Dr Jackson's condition was known. He dismissed O'Neill and Teal'C, and noted with satisfaction that they immediately headed for the infirmary to check on their colleague. There would be time for detailed debriefings and analysis later.
Carter arrived at the elevator with the medics, and rode up to the infirmary with them. She couldn't bear the sight of Daniel, lying there so still, but her hand moved of its own accord to his hair and stroked it gently. If the medics noticed the gesture, they gave no sign, as they examined Daniel quickly and transported him to the infirmary.
Dr Frasier had been notified that there was an emergency on the way down, and was prepared for anything. Well, not quite. She wasn't really prepared for the sight of Daniel Jackson on the gurney, looking peacefully asleep. She was almost relieved - staff weapon blasts and other injuries were much harder to deal with. Her relief soon turned to frustration.
There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him. She gave him a physical examination, much as Carter had already done, and then hooked him up to monitoring equipment. There was nothing out of the ordinary, and seemingly no reason why he should be unconscious. She listened carefully to Carter's explanation of events, but the crucial 20 minutes, when whatever had happened had happened, were missing. It was time to get serious here. Dr Frasier shooed Carter out of the infirmary and turned to her staff.
"Okay, we are going to run every test we can think of on Dr Jackson, and if we don't find what's causing this, we are going to invent some new ones. I want to know everything about his condition - everything. Let's move, people," and her team swung into action.
Working around the monitors, and in some cases removing them, her team quickly stripped Daniel naked and one of the doctors began a minute examination of his skin - it was a possibility that he had been bitten by something, or had come into contact with a biohazard. His uniform was placed into biocontainment bags and transported to the science labs to be examined for any trace evidence that might explain his unconsciousness. Other tests - MRIs, scans, x-rays, blood and skin tests - were arranged and performed.
Dr Frasier let her team do their jobs, and supervised the entire process. One by one, the test results came in and she began to collate the information. There was nothing in any of it that might explain Daniel's inexplicable sleep. And then she picked up a lab test, and her jaw almost hit the desk. While it didn't explain much about the lack of consciousness, it did explain some other findings. She called in the doctor who had performed the initial test, and the technician who had done the analysis. And then she called in one of her team, a young lieutenant who could be trusted to be discreet.
"I need to speak to Colonel O'Neill. Find him and bring him to my office, personally. I don't want anyone else to know about this - just get him here ASAP," she ordered. As the lieutenant left, she wondered how the hell this was going to be resolved.
O'Neill knocked on the door of Dr Frasier's office. A young lieutenant on her team had lurked in the corridor outside General Hammond's office, and cornered him after he left the latest useless debriefing on the events on BJC3P445. Nothing was going to be resolved until Daniel's condition was evaluated and explained. He wondered why Dr Frasier hadn't just come to the debriefing - surely any information she had should go to the General. But, as Chief Medical Officer of the facility, she was something of a law unto herself, and when she said "Jump", smart men, like him, usually asked "How high?", but not until they were on the way up.
"Come in," came the doctor's voice. He opened the door and entered, and was a little surprised when she asked him to close it behind him. What was going on? he wondered. Sitting opposite her, he figured he'd find out soon enough. The words that came out of her mouth shocked him almost senseless.
"How dare you withhold information from me?" she demanded angrily. "I'm trying to ascertain why your colleague, your friend, is lying in my infirmary unconscious, and you don't think it's important to mention that he and Captain Carter had sex on BJC3P445. Dammit, Jack, it could be important!"
O'Neill opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come. What the hell! He tried again. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Dr Frasier," he shot back at her, a little stunned. Daniel and Sam? Where the hell did she get her ideas?
Dr Frasier was prepared for the denial. She'd seen it often enough in the past. She understood it, too. While the Air Force had a strict policy against fraternisation and relationships in the same command, they couldn't control hormones. People fell in love all the time. Usually the lies came when a sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy were involved. But this time, she had to know. This could be the reason Daniel was unconscious. He could have suffered some form of stroke as a result of the sexual activity. And she had to know the truth, so that she could try to help. This was not the time for a CO to get protective of the people under his command.
"Jack, the time for concealment is gone. I have to know exactly what happened on BJC3P445, and I have to know now. I can keep it as quiet as possible, the General needn't even know, if it proves to be unrelated to Daniel's condition. But I have to know," she countered.
"Dr Frasier, there is nothing to tell. Daniel is not having sex with Carter - well, at least he didn't have sex with her on BJC3P445," he amended. He didn't know what Daniel and Carter did off duty, but he found himself feeling strange at the thought of them together. But that was an issue to be dealt with later. Right now he had to sort this mess out. "How on earth did you come to this conclusion, anyway?" he demanded, resisting the urge to call it a fantasy. And he suspected she would hand him his ass on a platter if he called it, as he wanted, a 'wild-ass guess'. In answer, she tossed a lab test flimsy onto the desk in front of him.
"Results of skin swabs taken from Dr Jackson's groin. The doctor noticed something on his skin and had it tested," she said flatly.
"And what does this," he waved the flimsy in the air, "say?" He had no patience with scientists at the best of times, and he was beginning to be irritated now.
"It shows the presence of his semen and also vaginal secretions, Jack. Even you should have no trouble working out that it indicates that, sometime recently, Dr Jackson placed his penis in a woman's vagina and had an ejaculation. Where I come from, that usually means sex. That's what they taught me in medical school too. It might mean something different in Chicago, but I'm guessing it's the same pretty much everywhere else," she snapped sarcastically. For God's sake, couldn't he see how important his honesty was here?
She watched his face carefully, hoping that even if he decided to keep denying this, his face might give the secret away. She could proceed from that. She saw shock, and surprise, and confusion. Real confusion.
"That is not possible," he said slowly.
"Well, it happened," she countered. Was he telling the truth?
"Not with Carter, not on BJC3P445 anyway. The only time Carter was out of my sight was when she was with Teal'C, and that was after Daniel disappeared," Jack said slowly.
"What about before the mission?" Dr Frasier asked. Perhaps it was a slow bleed, as a result of activity last night or this morning.
"I'm not Daniel's sitter, Doctor. He's a grown man, with his own life," Jack snapped. Unwelcome images of Daniel and Sam began to form in his mind again. But then it hit him. "It couldn't have been before the mission!"
"I thought you said you weren't his sitter, Jack. How can you be so sure?" Dr Frasier asked.
"Because Daniel went through the Gate freshly showered this morning," Jack announced. The memory was clear - Daniel had been in the gym early this morning. Jack had been surprised to find out his scholarly friend was working out, but as Daniel had explained to him, his life was different now. What had been an acceptable level of fitness for academia and yearly or twice yearly archaeological digs wasn't going to cut it in the SGC. Jack had been obscurely proud of Daniel's commitment to the team in pursuing this. Daniel had been in the shower when Jack had entered the locker room this morning to gear up for the mission. They had talked as Daniel finished his shower - Jack could even remember thinking that the younger man was developing fairly impressive arms and shoulders as a result of the training he was doing.
"Then it had to be someone on the planet," Dr Frasier said slowly.
"Oh right, Doc. Sure. Daniel got out of our sight, found a woman on a completely deserted planet and had sex with her, and then got back to the Stargate - all without us seeing him - in twenty minutes. She's not going to be asking for a repeat performance if that's any indication of his usual standard, I'm guessing." It was Jack's turn to be sarcastic.
"It happened, Jack. Deal with it. Daniel Jackson had sex with a woman on BJC3P445. I'm not sure if it has any bearing on his condition. That is all, Colonel," she dismissed him.
O'Neill was out in the corridor before he realised what had happened. Dr Frasier could be like that sometimes, and when she was, he was always glad she was on their side. At least, he thought she was on their side.
But that wasn't important, he reminded himself as he headed down the corridor. What was important was that Daniel was still unconscious, and it appeared that he'd been doing something quite unexpected during his disappearance. O'Neill knew that women found the scientist fascinating - he was used to it now. But this was incredible! He had been gone for twenty minutes, twenty five at most. And they had seen no-one on the planet. How on earth . . .
The question was academic, really, O'Neill reminded himself. It had happened, Frasier had the proof. He now had to decide what to do about it. He couldn't quite face Teal'C with this, and especially not Sam - he thought she would be embarrassed by the inference that she and Daniel were having an affair. Or maybe she wouldn't be, O'Neill thought, because maybe they were. His reaction to the idea of her sleeping with Daniel still disturbed him.
He thought about what Frasier had said - that it may not be related to Daniel's condition. He decided to keep it to himself for now. If it came up as an issue, then the team could deal with it. But he didn't relish the thought, and as he headed back to his office, his mind continued to plague him with supposition about Sam and Daniel together.
General Hammond called a briefing when Dr Frasier announced she had completed her tests on Daniel. O'Neill was anxious to find out what she had found. He hoped that she had found something other than the sexual encounter to explain his condition.
She hadn't. The bad news was that she couldn't find anything to explain his unconsciousness.
"There is nothing medically wrong with Dr Jackson. Nothing. Every test we ran came up negative. He is as healthy as I would expect him to be, more so in fact. He's just . . . unconscious," Dr Frasier reported.
"Why, Doctor?" asked General Hammond, a little testily.
"Frankly sir, I don't know. There is one other thing . . ." she hesitated, and O'Neill held his breath. Here it comes, he thought, and braced himself.
"Well, Doctor?" the General demanded.
"Sir, for someone who is unconscious, Doctor Jackson is showing an incredible amount of brain wave activity. Normally, unconsciousness causes depression of brain wave activity, but in Doctor Jackson's case, it's almost the opposite. I can't explain it sir."
"So what is your prognosis Doctor?" the General asked. As one, the rest of SG-1 tensed - this was what they wanted to know.
"There is nothing physically wrong with Doctor Jackson, and his brain wave activity seems to indicate no neurological deficit, as do all his involuntary responses. I hope that he will just wake up, sir, when he's ready," Dr Frasier knew it wasn't the answer any of them wanted, but it was the best she could do, for now anyway.
General Hammond dismissed them, and SG-1 filed from the room. He looked at Dr Frasier for a long moment, and then returned to his office. She gathered up her papers, and left the conference room to return to the infirmary.
As she rode down in the elevator, she thought about Daniel's condition, and she mentally reviewed the test results, wondering if there was something she might have missed, but knowing there wasn't. And she wondered too, about some of the other things their examination of Daniel had turned up. The faint scent of rose and lavender, mixed with sandalwood and something else, that was on his skin and his uniform. Lieutenant Wilson was pretty sure the other scent was ylang ylang. Whatever it was, Dr Frasier thought, it wasn't a scent she'd ever smelled on Daniel before. It was a woman's fragrance, not a man's.
And the look on his face. She had seen comatose patients with any number of expressions, from fear to pain, to complete blankness. But Daniel's face radiated peace and contentment, and a quiet strength. It had no place in a medical report. Except to indicate that he wasn't in any pain - but he wouldn't be in any pain - there was nothing wrong with him. But it was the one thing that made her confident that he would wake up. There was so much animation in that face, such a sense of power and strength, that it seemed impossible he wouldn't simply sit up and say "hi" any moment.
She stood in the door of the infirmary, looking at Daniel lying in his hospital bed. And wondered, not for the first time, what the hell had happened on BJC3P445.
SG-1 maintained a vigil by Daniel's bed for the next 48 hours, taking it in turns to sit with their friend. Dr Frasier explained that it was quite possible that he could hear them, be aware of them, even if he gave no indication.
It was heart-rending to watch people with comatose patients. Dr Frasier had had to do it more than once, and it was always difficult. They would talk about deeply personal things, opening their hearts, searching for that one thing that would turn the key in the lock holding their loved one captive, that would free them from the prison that kept them still and silent. Eventually, they were reduced to desultory chat, and finally hopeless silence. She hoped SG-1 would never have to go through that - the awful realisation that perhaps the prison of silence would never set Daniel free.
Sam Carter always held his hand when she sat by his bed, Dr Frasier noticed. There was nothing in that, she decided after watching them for a time - Sam simply knew that physical contact was important with comatose patients, it seemed. Of course, she was obviously very fond of Daniel, and that showed in her face as she spoke to him, softly telling him stories of her life, reminding him of various missions.
Jack O'Neill often held his hand too. Dr Frasier had been powerfully touched by the sight of this tough Colonel sitting close to Daniel's bed, holding his hand gently, speaking in low tones. She had needed to check Daniel's monitors on one occasion while Jack was there. He didn't seem to notice her, he just kept speaking, reminding Daniel of that first time on Abydos, how Daniel had saved their lives. How Daniel had saved his life. And Sha're - always Sha're. Jack was reminding Daniel of his wife, but he was also begging Daniel not to leave his friends either.
Teal'C was a surprise - he had lit candles (after checking with Dr Frasier that it was alright) and had meditated, explaining that he was focusing his thoughts on Daniel, and encouraging him to return.
General Hammond had also stopped by, more than once. He never stayed long, but he always spoke to Daniel in a very fatherly way, and frequently rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder as he spoke.
In fact, Dr Frasier realised, most of the personnel at the SGC had visited Daniel at some point. He was universally liked and respected - even Major Kovachek had stopped by a couple of times.
But mostly it was SG-1 who remained at his side. And her. She took the late night watches, when everyone else was asleep. She sat by Daniel's bed, watching him sleep, wondering what on earth was going on in his head. She found herself fascinated by the EEG readouts. Such incredible brain activity. Was he seeing colours and shapes, or something more intriguing? What was he thinking?
Daniel was unfolding the knowledge Gaia had left within his mind. At first, he had been a little apprehensive - the sheer scope of the knowledge almost defeated him before he started. But then he began to explore it - and now he was in the very centre of it, unravelling it, marvelling at it. His scientific curiousity had never served him so well.
He began to see the real planet - the one they had designated BJC3P445, that its inhabitants called Erutan. It was teeming with life - hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, living in cities that blended the highest of technologies with the simplest of pleasures - sprawling parks surrounded incredible advanced buildings. The people were scholars and artists, and their cities were like works of arts. Peace and harmony were the hallmarks of this world.
The Stargate was avoided - there were legends of invasions through the Chaapa-ai, and the people had at first avoided it out of fear. Now, they avoided it out of habit. A habit grown up over thousands and thousands of years.
But how could this be? Daniel wondered to himself, as he sank further into the knowledge. How could this all exist, and yet they hadn't seen any of it? The planet wasn't that large, and the cities were not that far from the Stargate - they should have seen them in the distance. And the next layer of meaning became clear to him.
They had not seen anything because it had been made invisible - covered with an illusion of endless fields of pretty wilderness. Who would do something like that? And the illusion was so very real - he had felt the grasses brush against his legs as they had walked through it. It was less an illusion than it was a change in the physical reality. How could it be done? And why?
"There's no change General," Dr Frasier reported to her commanding officer. "Daniel's physical condition remains unchanged, and his brain wave activity continues. He is no different to what he was when he was returned through the Stargate."
"Dr Frasier, I hate to have to ask you this, but how long can we maintain Dr Jackson at this facility? I am aware that we are a front line operation - do you have what you need here to care for him?" he didn't add the words long term, but they both knew that was what he meant.
"Sir, Dr Jackson is not in need of life support - he is breathing on his own, and his physical condition is excellent. He is being monitored, but that is for my benefit more than for his. We can keep him here indefinitely, without risk to him," she responded.
They stood in silence, both watching Daniel through the window. Currently Carter was sitting with him - SG-1 had been placed on stand down until Daniel's condition improved. General Hammond knew they would not be able to concentrate on anything, so he had given them the freedom to stay with Daniel.
Carter stood up, stretching, and noticed Dr Frasier and the General.
"I'll be right back, Daniel," she said and headed for the door. She noticed the General's look, and explained. "Sir, I have to believe he can hear me and is aware of me - and if I accept that, then I should tell him what's going on, since he can't see for himself."
They stood speaking for a few minutes, and O'Neill arrived. He almost ignored them, heading straight to Daniel's side. He squeezed the younger man's arm gently, and said, "Hi Danny. How're you doin' today, buddy? You know, you got the brass kinda excited here - General Hammond is standing in the doorway over there, looking really ticked off. I guess he's just figured out he's still paying you while you're lyin' around here. But I figure that's a pretty sweet deal, Danny-boy, so you just stick with it. Of course, I'd kinda like to know you'll be back among us soon. Sam really misses you, and so does Teal'c, although he'd never admit it."
O'Neill was unaware that the trio near the door was listening to every word, as he pulled up a chair and settled into it. He started regaling Daniel with stories about activities around the base, and what the other teams were up to. What he didn't say, what he never said, but which was obvious in his every word, his every gesture, was that he missed Daniel more than the rest of SG-1 put together.
General Hammond and Dr Frasier moved away, but Carter remained. She stood, watching O'Neill devote himself to amusing Daniel with stories and anecdotes. Finally, she could bear it no longer - Jack's love and concern for his friend was so obvious that it tore her heart in two. She turned and walked off down the corridor, unaware that tears were welling in her eyes until she could no longer see. Uncaring who saw, she leaned against the corridor wall and sobbed quietly - for Daniel, for Jack, for herself.
Daniel was marginally aware of someone being with him, of the gentle touches that told him it was a friend, and the more impersonal, but no less caring, feel of the medical personnel.. He knew, too, that they were worried, but he couldn't do anything about that right now. For now, he had to process all this information, he had to understand, or all that they had gone through, all they were going though, would be for nothing.
He explored further into the information Gaia had given him, marvelling yet again at her ability to accomplish it. Why would someone wish to hide an entire society from view? And the answer came to him - because there was someone who meant them harm. The Goa'uld.
The inhabitants of Erutan were a remarkably old race, who had fled their original home world with the assistance of someone - that wasn't clear yet. This person was of a race like the Asgaards, a powerful benevolent race who wished no-one harm. Daniel sensed that there were very few of this race remaining, that they were incredibly long lived and that they had not been part of the incredible alien UN Ernest Littlefield had discovered. That surprised him, and he delved deeper, looking for the answer.
Ah, they had not joined because there were so few of them, and their influence was limited to very few planets. But they supported the objectives of the others, and were powerful allies when needed, despite their limited numbers.
When the Goa'uld had declared themselves the System Lords, these UN members, and the race of the Erutans' protector, had joined forces to thwart their plans, in a non-aggressive way. They had taken whole populations of people from worlds under threat and resettled them using the Stargate system. To their horror, they realised that the Goa'uld could also use the Stargate system.
But they could not destroy it - not when one day it might be used for peaceful exploration. So each of the various allies came up with ways to defend their peoples. The Nox lived simple lives and disguised their technology. The Asgaards developed Thor's Hammer on Cimmeria, to detect the presence of the Goa'uld in any form and prevent it from reaching the populace. On other worlds, the Gates were buried, until such time as it might be safe to uncover them. On this world, the method was a bit more exotic.
Daniel discovered with wonder how the Goa'uld had been defeated - first the protector had turned the landscape as hostile as possible, then had hidden the Stargate. When the Goa'uld invaders were thoroughly disoriented, the Stargate had been revealed. But when they dialled their destination, it had taken them instead to Cimmeria, where they had been trapped and defeated by Thor's Hammer.
A neat solution, thought Daniel. And one that had been remarkably effective. The Goa'uld had no idea there was anyone on the planet, and the terrain seemed so inhospitable that it was not worth sending ships to conquer it. Daniel suspected that a ship orbiting the planet would suffer severe problems too, given the power of Erutan's protector.
But how was the illusion, the change in reality, maintained - was the entire planet always cloaked? Daniel could hardly conceive of the power that would be needed to do that. And the answer was right there.
Normally, the illusion was maintained only around the Stargate - the protector had learned that it was possible for the Chaapa-ai to be opened and the surroundings viewed without anyone physically travelling through. However, when travellers did come, the illusion covered the entire plant. So, Daniel thought, if they had sent one of their unmanned aerial probes, it would have seen nothing of the planet.
The protector of Erutan went to incredible lengths to safeguard the people. Daniel wondered if they were aware of it. And then he discovered something incredible about the knowledge Gaia had left for him, and laughed to himself. He had been going about this all wrong!! He had been frantically trying to take it all in, like reading a library of books, when all he had to do was relax and think about what he wanted to know - and the answer presented itself. The knowledge was in his mind, and would remain there. But this would be the best time to examine it, while his mind was cut off from his physical surroundings. He could come back later, but for now, he needed the broad understanding of the experience on Erutan. This certainly beat the hell out of normal research, he thought, as he relaxed.
One of the monitors by Daniel's bed beeped, and O'Neill looked up sharply, breaking off mid sentence. Dr Frasier was in the room a second later.
"What? What is it?" O'Neill demanded as she examined the monitors and outputs.
"I'm not sure," she replied almost distractedly, "something's changed."
"For the better? Is he waking up? Janet, tell me!!" O'Neill was frantic with worry - what was going on here? She silenced him with a gesture as she examined the monitors again, and checked Daniel's chart. She finally spoke.
"His brain wave activity has settled. It isn't so pronounced now," she said, making notes.
"What does that mean? Is he waking up?"
Sam Carter walked in, and her heart leapt at O'Neill's question - was Daniel going to be okay, finally? She stood beside O'Neill, and looked at Dr Frasier, waiting for the answer.
"Actually . . ." Dr Frasier seemed unwilling to speak, but looking at them standing there, united in their love for Daniel, she decided to tell them the truth. "Actually, it probably means that he's slipping deeper into unconsciousness. It's not exactly a good sign. I'm sorry, we'll do everything we can, but . . ." her voice trailed off.
"Of course you will, Doctor, we know that," O'Neill said almost absently, as the truth of her statement began to penetrate his mind. Daniel might not wake up?
Dr Frasier knew this was going to be difficult for them to deal with, and she left quietly for her office. She knew she would have to advise General Hammond that Daniel's condition seemed to be worsening. Her heart ached at the thought - Daniel was such a wonderful man, and it was hell to think they might lose him this way. For a moment, she grieved as a friend, and then she became his doctor once more, and picked up the phone to speak to the General.
O'Neill was stunned - Daniel might not wake up? The doctor's words echoed in his ears. Carter, standing beside him, moaned softly. He looked down into her face, gone white with shock, and he caught her in his arms as she swayed.
"Jack, Daniel might not wake up?" It was a question, and it showed him that he was not the only one having a hard time accepting what Janet Frasier had just said.
"I don't know, Sam, I just don't know," he answered her, and he held her as she began to sob. Tears were welling in his own eyes, and they stood together, locked in grief and misery for Daniel.
So were the people aware of their protector? - Daniel saw the history of Erutan, that first migration through the Stargate of thousands of frightened people, fleeing a world they had known as home, fleeing the rapacious Goa'uld system lord who tormented them. And he saw the protector - a woman, of ageless beauty, shepherding them through the Gate on their homeworld, reassuring them it would be alright, helping them, all the while watching the skies. He saw the Hattack vessel, the huge pyramid ship, settle on a nearby mountain, and realised that she had done it. The protector had rescued the entire race of people - she was only now seeing the last of them through the Gate. It would be close, he saw, as the Hattack vessel opened and the Death Gliders poured out.
And he watched with horror as they began their attack - on the stream of people heading throuugh the Gate! The protector raised her hands, and some sort of energy shield covered the people as they moved quickly through the Gate, but it wasn't enough. Hundreds died as the Gliders fired relentlessly on them. The attack seemed to go on forever, but finally, the last of the populace made it to the Gate and disappeared through the event horizon. The protector grieved for the dead - no matter how many had been saved, these had not, and Daniel felt her pain at knowing she had not been able to help them.
He then watched as the System Lord approached - Daniel saw without surprise that it was Ra. And he watched with admiration as she spat her disgust at him. Ra told her that he would find the people she had stolen from him, and she responded that it would take him an eternity - and she would be there every step of the way to fight him and any other System Lord who came after him. She swore an oath on the blood of the slain that the Goa'uld would never touch any of these people again. And then she simply disappeared - she did not use the Gate, and Ra discovered that the DHD had been destroyed - so he would not be able to use it to discover the location where she had taken his slaves.
Daniel was stunned - the incredible power and courage of this woman!! And her single-minded devotion to the people of Erutan had continued for all those years - he sensed that she had never forgotten those who died, those she had not been able to save from Ra.
He saw then the early days of Erutan, as she helped the populace to re-establish themselves on their new home. She had helped them to construct shelters and to plant crops. She had shown them the teeming wildlife and taught them new methods of hunting to be able to catch the animals they needed to survive. She had given them the knowledge of the plants on the planet they would now call home, and the turn of the seasons.
And he saw how she was surprised, and a little worried, when they planned a feast in her honour at the beginning of winter, after their first successful harvest. And saw her growing unease when they planned another feast as spring began, and begged her to bless the ground so that their harvest would be good. They saw her as the giver of all life - hardly surprising when she had rescued them from Ra, but now being taken to extremes. They worshipped her whenever a girl child moved to womanhood, asked for her blessing on all marriages, thanked her whenever a woman had a child, and revered the older women as wise and all-knowing, because they were seen to most resemble her and her vast knowledge. She could not dissuade them from this growing worship of her, and eventually, she withdrew from them entirely, living separately on a remote part of the planet.
But they continued to worship her, Gaia, the Mother Goddess of nature.
For the second time that day, the monitors around Daniel's bed set up an alarm - but this was different. The tone of these alarms was more insistent, and they brought medical personnel from throughout the infirmary.
O'Neill and Carter had remained together in Daniel's room, taking comfort in one another as they watched over Daniel, hoping that Dr Frasier was incorrect in her diagnosis. This was not what they hoped to hear, as doctors and nurses crowded around Daniel's bed.
Finally, the crisis passed, and Dr Frasier walked over to them. She smiled, and the tension in them eased.
"I don't know quite what happened, but his heart suddenly was racing. It's fine now - it slowed down of its own accord, which is a good sign," she told them.
"But . . ." O'Neill began. She cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"Don't ask me why it happened, I have no idea. But the good news is that his brain wave activity has gone up a little since before. I'm not sure, but I think it means he's still in there fighting."
O'Neill caught Carter to him in a tight hug, to which she enthusiastically responded. They grinned at one another, and then at Dr Frasier.
"I just knew Danny wouldn't give up on us!! But wait 'til he wakes up - I am gonna kick his ass for making me worry like this," O'Neill was jubilant.
Dr Frasier knew she should caution against over optimism, but she wanted O'Neill and Carter to have some hope. There was a long way to go yet, but it was easier to face the wait if the news was positive. At least, she hoped it was positive, as she looked at Daniel.
Oh my God! Daniel was stunned. Gaia - his Gaia - was the Mother Goddess of Nature. But, she did not look like the woman he had seen in Erutan's history, except in her ageless beauty. Gaia's words echoed in his mind, "I am your soul's longing given life." She had taken something from his mind, from his soul, and created her appearance to please him. Strange, he had never been particularly drawn to redheads in the past - brunettes like Sha're usually caught his eye. And blonde women, like Sam - he had always found them attractive too. But Gaia's appearance had been perfect for him.
Once he got over the shock, he began to comprehend more of what had happened. It had not been a trick of the light, when he had thought Gaia at once much older and much younger than her appearance - he had seen her true nature, as virgin, mother and crone. Oh God, he thought, a bit incoherently, I made love to a goddess!! He was lost in that thought for quite some time.
Once he gathered his wits again, he continued to explore the mystery of Erutan. But at the back of his mind, he still marvelled at the knowledge of exactly who he had spent the night with.
Gaia had withdrawn from the people, as she had in the past on their original homeworld. It was the nature of her people to protect but not interfere. It had only been the threat from Ra that had forced her to physically intercede. And she had needed to help them when they arrived here - for to abandon them on this strange new planet could have meant their deaths.
But, as usually happened, when faced with her incredible knowledge and powers, the people began to ascribe all manner of everyday things to her influence. That first harvest, he saw, had been due to good weather and agricultural skills, not because of the blessing of a Goddess. And the passage of a girl to womanhood happened without Gaia's interference, as did the birth of healthy babies.
He saw how it had broken her heart to leave them - they were good people, and she craved their company. But the more they ascribed to her blessings, the more likely they were to stop working to achieve things on their own. And so, with sinking heart, Daniel watched as she turned her back on them, and let the first bad storm of winter destroy animals carelessly left untended - animals meant to nourish them through the long cold season. And he watched as she mourned those who died, but refused to help. But when the people began to blame her for their troubles, he watched as she intervened again.
He saw how she chose a man, smart and clever, well respected, and placed in him the knowledge that she was simply a woman, but one who had lived a long time and gathered all manner of information. She left out the explanation of her transmutative powers - she did not want to confuse him. Daniel saw how this man was able to convince the populace that the storm could have been predicted by any one of them with a little weather sense, how the animals had been untended because the people had been neglectful - he started to show them that they must rely on themselves, and not Gaia, who was not infallible, just knowledgeable.
It had taken many centuries, but the people no longer worshipped Gaia as a Goddess - they still held her name in high esteem as the protector, but as the years went on, fewer and fewer people remembered what that even meant. Gaia kept the Stargate hidden, but there was no real need to hide it from the populace. The Erutans avoided it because of the habit grown up over thousands of years - there were few anymore who remembered or believed the stories about their arrival on Erutan through the Chaapa-ai, or the tales of invasion that might come through it.
And yet the Stargate was still used - from time to time, travellers came through. Other advanced races, who sought out Gaia to confer on the spreading threat of the Goa'uld. Gaia treasured this contact with others, for she still refused contact with the populace of Erutan. And she wanted the others to know of her people - for one day, she was sure, they would discover the Stargate. She did not intend that this would happen until they were ready to understand it, and the implications of travel through it - the possibility of encountering the Goa'uld and leading them back here. Gaia had not rescued these people eons ago only to have them taken by the Goa'uld now. And the Erutans were going to be a real threat to the Goa'uld someday - their technology was developing very quickly, Daniel saw.
It was all becoming clear to Daniel, save one thing - the final mystery, what had happened to him. Why had she taken him from the rest of SG-1, why had she chosen a form to beguile him, and made sweet love to him?
This time the answer was slower in presenting itself to him. And when it did, he was stunned.
Gaia was a goddess - the real thing, he realised with dawning surprise. Gods and Goddesses needed to be worshipped, it was how they continued to exist. By cutting herself off from her people, Gaia had put her very existence in jeopardy - but she had done it to safeguard them. Daniel began to understand that feeling of boundless loss, of overwhelming loneliness in Gaia.
For thousands and thousands of years, she had been alone. Occasionally, one of the people of Erutan stumbled back into worship of her, and that was enough to sustain her, to give her the power to protect them. How ironic, that the people she cared so much for were unaware of her efforts to do so. And yet, by making it so, she had safeguarded them far more thoroughly than she knew. They were not in the habit of worshipping anyone, so they would hardly be easy prey for the Goa'uld.
The contact she had with the travellers who came through the Stargate was far more profound. The friendships she had with the Nox, the Tollans, the Asgaards and other races he didn't recognise were precious to her, but they did little to sustain her. Without worship, she needed connections to souls that were pure and filled with light.
Daniel watched sadly as he saw the souls that she had treasured throughout the years were remembered. There were surprisingly few of them - mostly they were extraordinary people of Erutan, who had sought her out, unaware she existed but drawn to her nonetheless. Some of them were travellers - one was a Tollan who Daniel thought he recognised from their contact with those people months before. And there was him.
He struggled to understand how this was important - and it was made clear. The life energy of a soul that was pure was very powerful. He blushed to think he was considered pure - he certainly hadn't led a cloistered life. Then he realised that the purity Gaia sought was something a bit different - he could almost her her chuckling as the knowledge unfolded itself in his mind. Purity and light in a soul were about how people looked at life and others. Daniel's open, honest approach to people, and his wonder and delight at the worlds around him, made him the perfect candidate.
When Gaia encountered a soul such as this, she could make a connection with that soul - and the life energy would sustain her for centuries. In return, she could engender peace in that soul, and satisfy their deepest longings. For some, it was knowledge, for others it was simple belonging. But the souls who encountered Gaia in this way were enriched by the contact. And it gave her the energy she needed to continue to exist and protect the people and planet of Erutan.
Daniel realised that this connection was a form of direct worship. In return for their worship of the Goddess, and the support it gave her, people came away with a feeling of peace. And she satisfied their deepest desires, as Gods and Goddesses often did for their worshippers.
So, he had worshipped her. What were the traditional wedding vows? "With my body I thee worship"? On that basis he had definitely worshipped her - more than once, he thought smilingly. And his deepest desire - well, that was a bit of surprise to him. What was that Confucian saying - be careful what you wish for, you might just get it?
He had thought his deepest desire was to be reunited with Sha're, and that was still true. But he also needed what Gaia had given him - a sense of perspective and a willingness to find joy in the present, however incomplete it was without Sha're. He understood now that he needed this, so that he could continue his search for Sha're and the future joy he hoped to find with her. And now Daniel understood the message Gaia was giving him. Sha're would not want him to be unhappy, and and without joy in his life now, when he found Sha're again, he would not be the same man she had married. He could not risk becoming bitter and hardened - he would not do that to Sha're. He owed it to her.
But that did not explain why Gaia had found it so hard to let him go - not entirely. There was more to that than eons of loneliness, although that was all the explanation that was needed. The answer surprised him, and saddened him.
When SG-1 had come through the Gate, Gaia had been ready to banish them because they had brought with them a Goa'uld. But then she recognised the Jaffar as Teal'C - the Asgaard had told her of the exception being made for this Jaffar, who had sided with the Ta'Ri in their fight against the System Lords. And she had examined each of the souls of these travelers carefully, fascinated by the notion of the Ta'Ri being powerful enough to challenge the System Lords. Each one of them was a soul of light - Daniel chuckled to himself. He knew Jack O'Neill was hiding his true nature from most of the world - now Gaia had proved it! He couldn't wait to tell Jack about his pure soul - the look on the man's face would be priceless.
But Gaia had chosen him - because his soul had most needed the peace she could provide to him. He also sensed her response to his physical appearance, which did not really surprise him - he had, after all, seen ample evidence of her pleasure in his body.
There was something more going on here, Daniel realised.
It was late at night. The lights in the infirmary had been dimmed, though the only patient there could not have perceived it if it were otherwise.
Janet Frasier left her office, turning out the light and closing the door. She had fully intended to go home tonight, but now it was so late, she knew it would be better if she used a bunk in one of the Defcon living quarters - it would not be the first time she had stayed in them. But first, she thought, she would just check on Daniel.
She had sent Carter and O'Neill to bed hours ago - they were drooping with fatigue, but had still resisted. The threat of compulsory sedation and confinement to quarters had moved them on, however reluctantly. They were so determined to stay with Daniel - she guessed it was the scare of his reduced brain activity earlier today.
They were warriors - they looked for a physical solution to the problem. They knew they could do nothing to help, but still they wanted to stay, as if their physical presence could make a difference. And well it might, but not at the cost of their own health.
Daniel lay, still and unmoving, as he had for days. If this continued for much longer, Dr Frasier knew they would need to institute some physical therapy, to ensure his muscles did not atrophy. She lay a gentle hand on his arm, feeling the strength there. This did not make any sense at all, she thought almost savagely. A perfectly healthy man, with nothing physically wrong with him, but deeply unconscious.
"Damn you Daniel, wake up!" she exclaimed, almost unaware she had spoken. Then she sat in the chair by his bed, as she had done for the past two nights, watching the monitors that declared he was in perfect health, but did nothing to explain this inexplicable coma.
About an hour later, she was woken from her reverie by something. She wasn't sure what it was, but then she looked at Daniel. His brow was furrowed in a look of concentration, and then, suddenly, he sighed deeply, and his expression became one of deep sadness. As she looked on, transfixed, a tear squeezed out from between his closed eyelids, and trickled down his cheek.
What on earth was going on inside his head? she wondered, before she reached out gently and wiped away that single tear.
Daniel delved deeply into the knowledge Gaia had placed in his mind. There was something more to his experience with her, something that was only now becoming apparent. He realised that Gaia's connection with these souls was, for want of a better word, magic. Her powers of transmutation were extraordinary - her ability to change the physical reality of Erutan, her manipulation of time - these things were incredible, but within the bounds of science. At least within the bounds of what he thought of as science.
But her ability to get inside his mind, his soul - that was another matter. That which cannot be defined by any other means, he thought, we call magic. And yet he sensed that, in all the eons that she had used this magic to connect with other souls, she had never had such difficulty in breaking the bond as she had with his.
Part of it was loneliness, he saw - a simple desire for companionship which had long been denied. But there was more than simple reluctance, there was almost an . . . inability to let him go. And he needed to know why. He sought deep into his mind, and the truth became clear to him.
Gaia had been caught by his soul! His own soul had been a co-conspirator in this. How could this be? He was just a man, who deperately wanted to find his wife - how could he have wanted to become a part of a Goddess he barely knew existed, and then only as mythology?
He realised what Gaia had discovered - that his soul, strengthened as it was by its contact with hers, had attempted to draw her soul to it. In some untrained way, he sought the same thing she did, contact with a soul of purity and light - and what more pure soul than that of a Goddess? It also explained his love for Sha're - which was unlike any he had ever experienced. Sha're's soul of purity and light had become part of his soul.
And then he saw what she tried to hide from him, but what had nonetheless found its way to his mind. She had come close to allowing that capture to happen. She had wanted to keep him there, where they would make one another happy for eternity, but instead she had let him go, painful as it was.
She had released him because she knew he was needed far more by the rest of SG-1, and by Sha're and Skaara. Despite the fact that staying with her would ease centuries of loneliness, she had sent him back to his friends. And she had done this because she knew that, in time, he would help the Ta'Ri to defeat the Goa'uld, and that would mean her people would be safe.
Daniel uncovered the final piece of the puzzle - when the Goa'uld were defeated, Gaia would no longer need to protect the people of Erutan. She would be able to lay down the burden she had carried for so long. When the Goa'uld were destroyed, those whom she had not been able to save all those thousands of years ago would finally be avenged, and her people would be safe. He realised with horror that, by achieving his ultimate goal, he would be ending Gaia's life. He knew that she looked forward to it, and that it was not death as he understood it, but a kind of cosmic rebirth, but it still felt like he would be killing her. And then he heard her voice in his mind.
"You do not understand, my best beloved. I was ready to lay down my burden before you came through my Stargate. I was willing to let my people fend for themselves, because I no longer had the will to go on protecting them. And then I met you and your friends, and saw into your souls. The Ta'Ri are indeed powerful, if you are an example of them. Your spirits gave me the strength to continue, because I knew then that you could defeat the Goa'uld.
"But more than that, my love - your simple act of generosity before leaving me convinced me to keep going. Only a truly exceptional soul would place himself at risk in order to save another. I saw this in you in your efforts to rescue your wife - and time and time again, you have placed the safety of others above your own. But to stay with me, to love me and ease my loneliness, when it has meant this loss of days of your life, and such pain and suffering to your friends - this is truly the act of an extraordinary man. And when such an extraordinary man fights to rid the universe of the Goa'uld, how could I give up on my people?
"Know that you have given me the energy, and the will, to go on until the Goa'uld have been defeated. When I move on from this existence, to join with my ancestors and the others of our race who have become one with the cosmos, I will take with me the most precious thing of all - the memory of a brief period of time shared with you. You are truly my best beloved."
As her voice faded from his mind, Daniel felt himself slipping into a deep sleep.
Dr Frasier was roused from her doze by a soft beeping. Wincing, she rose from the hard chair and looked at the monitors. She blinked, rubbed at her eyes, and examined the display again. Then she looked down at Daniel.
The EEG had changed - now it was showed the deep slow waves of alpha rhythms. And Daniel had moved, curling up slightly and moving onto his side.
She looked down at him, dumbfounded. He was asleep! He had moved out of his coma, and was now simply sleeping. She stood there for ten minutes, watching him, unsure if she should believe her eyes. Finally she moved. She woke the night duty medic, and left her with strict instructions to raise seven different kinds of hell if Daniel moved, or if he slipped back into unconsciousness. And then she took off down the corridor at a dead run. She had to wake Colonel O'Neill and the rest of SG-1 - she knew they would want to be there when Daniel awoke.
It took Dr Frasier only three minutes to rouse Colonel O'Neill and Captain Carter. Teal'C had not been sleeping - he had been meditating in his quarters. In the space of five minutes, SG-1 was together in Daniel's infirmary ward.
Carter could not believe it. Daniel lay in his hospital bed as she had seen him on many a night on missions, curled up on one side, almost on his stomach, sleeping peacefully. She was so enthralled by the sight, she barely heard what Janet Frasier was saying.
"This is a very good sign, but until he wakes up we don't know what his condition will be. There could have been serious brain damage, and it is also a possibility that this is only a brief interlude of consciousness before a further, perhaps deeper coma. I woke you all to be here just in case this is what happens. Until I check him out thoroughly, we can't relax," Dr Frasier told them. She wanted them to be prepared for any eventuality.
"Uh huh," O'Neill responded. Like Carter, he was drinking in the sight of Daniel sleeping normally.
"When will Daniel Jackson awaken?" Teal'C asked. Dr Frasier shrugged.
"I don't know, Teal'C. It could be any time," she told him.
And then she left them, heading for her office. It was early morning, but not too early to call the General and let him know there had been a change for the better in Daniel. That was the kind of news that he wouldn't mind being wakened to hear.
When Daniel finally awoke, it was almost anti-climactic. He opened his eyes quietly, and looked around. O'Neill and Carter were talking quietly near the doorway, their body language telling something of the bond they had discovered during this period of uncertainty. Teal'C sat in the chair beside the bed, his gaze fixed on something far away - Daniel had the feeling it might be Drey'ac and Ry'ac, in the Land of Light. He simply watched his friends for a few moments, and then he spoke.
"Hi guys." He moved to sit up, and looked around for his glasses. There, on the bedside locker. He placed them on his nose and looked up. O'Neill and Carter stood, looking at him with almost identical expressions of disbelief on their faces. Teal'C simply raised one expressive eyebrow.
Carter was the one to break the tableaux - she flew across the room and threw her arms around him, almost knocking him off the bed. He returned her hug enthusiastically, and then grinned up at her. O'Neill moved to the bedside, and caught him in a rough embrace. Daniel smiled a bit unsteadily at him - Jack's affection was so rarely shown, it was always a bit overwhelming. Teal'C spoke for all of them.
"I am glad to see you awake, Daniel Jackson."
Dr Frasier broke up the reunion before it got too out of hand, shooing the rest of SG-1 out so she could examine her patient. But before she did, she gave him a broad smile and an embrace of her own.
The news was good - Daniel had suffered absolutely no ill-effects, and was in fact as healthy as he had always been. Dr Frasier had every intention of releasing him from the infirmary - to attend the debriefing on what had occured on BJC3P445, and then to go home. He would have to report to the base hospital in Cheyenne every day, just so they could keep an eye on him, but she was pretty sure he would be okay.
There was just one thing that needed to be cleared up. Dr Frasier and O'Neill approached Daniel's bed. The scientist sat on the side of it, fully dressed and eager to be off.
"Ah, Daniel, we need to have a little chat before the debriefing," O'Neill said.
"Sure Jack. What's on your mind?"
"Well, I know you said that you'd explain everything at the debriefing, but, well . . . see, Janet sorta found out at least part of what you were doing while you were away from the rest of us. And I'd kinda like to know a bit more about that so I don't get knocked on my ass in front of the General in the debriefing."
"Oh. And what exactly did Janet find out?" Daniel asked.
"For Chrissakes, Daniel, you were having sex! Now, are you going to tell me what went on - at least that part of it? Or were you planning on springing it on me in front of the General?"
"Ah," Daniel hadn't thought about that. "Jack, what happened between Gaia and I, that part of it anyway, I'd really rather keep private. It has no bearing on what I found out." Well, not much, his mind added. "You'll understand when you hear the whole story, Jack, trust me."
O'Neill looked at Dr Frasier.
"Well, it really didn't have any bearing on his unconsciousness, from a medical point of view. There is no reason for me to report it to General Hammond, and I can bury the test results in the file where no-one's likely to find them," she said.
Jack looked hard at Daniel. There was no shame in his face, no embarrassment - just the quiet determination of a man to keep his private life private. He nodded.
"Okay, if you don't mention it, I won't. But if I think your story has any holes in it, you can bet I'll be asking questions later - not in front of the General, but you and I will discuss it in detail. Do I make myself understood?"
"Of course," Daniel responded.
Three hours later, the team sat in stunned silence in the briefing room. Daniel had finished his fantastic tale of what had happened on BJC3P445, or Erutan, as he insisted it be called now. And the General sat there, waiting for someone else to ask Daniel just how hard he had hit his head when he fell down.
But that was not what happened. Carter spoke first.
"Sir, there is something in the memories Jolinar left me that refer to this," she said, referring to the Goa'uld memories of Jolinar of Malkshor, whom she had briefly been host to. "A race of ancient people, known only as the protectors. And something about Ra being thwarted by one of them. He apparently tore the universe apart looking for the people she stole from him. That certainly gibes with what Daniel has told us."
"And there is talk of a Gate which the Goa'uld will not use - because the planet itself rose up against them. That could also refer to BJC3P445," Teal'C added.
"Well, let's send another team back - SG-9 perhaps. This sounds like a diplomatic mission. You can accompany them, Dr Jackson, when you're fit for duty," General Hammond said.
"No sir," Daniel stated firmly. "That won't work. Gaia is determined that the Erutans will have no contact with anyone from offworld until they are ready to accept it, and there is no danger to them from the Goa'uld. If you send a team there, they will see exactly what the MALP and SG-1 saw - endless fields of wildflowers."
"But if you are there, with them," the General began.
"It would make no difference, sir. Gaia gave me all the information she ever intended us to have about Erutan - there is nothing more to be gained from there. We should, however, note Erutan's location on the database. One day, I think they may be powerful friends to the Ta'Ri. But not until Gaia believes it is safe for them to contact us. We should leave it at that, sir," Daniel concluded.
General Hammond was not happy about it, but he could not fault Dr Jackson's logic. And if this was all some coma-induced fantasy, it was powerfully real. Even if Dr Frasier said she had proof that Dr Jackson had indeed spent the hours with this Gaia that he claimed to have done. He dismissed the team, wishing there was a more satisfactory conclusion to the mission.
Daniel let himself into his apartment in the late afternoon. He checked his mail in a desultory fashion, listened to the messages on his answering machine, and checked on his tropical fish. He wandered about the room, restless and unable to settle. He was exhausted, but too keyed up to sleep.
It had been an incredible few days, he thought. Not every day a man meets a goddess. Hell, not every day a man makes love to a goddess. He didn't count Hathor - the Goa'uld were false gods. Gaia was the real thing - an honest to goodness goddess.
He sat down on his sofa, his mind reeling. He wasn't making any sense, not even to himself. He guessed he needed sleep. He hauled himself up, and wandered into his bedroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. He crawled onto the bed, and was asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow. And he buried deep inside himself his sorrow at leaving his soul's desire, his soul's longing given life, so alone. Even so, his last waking thought was of a pair of dancing green eyes.
Still, his dreams were filled with Sha're, as they almost always were. He knew that one day, they would be together again, and his soul eagerly awaited that day. But for now, that was where she existed, his soul's love - only in his dreams.
Fini
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