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Part Two
Jack thought nothing could be more boring than watching a bunch of people trying to fix a broken computer. Well, maybe sitting in at one of Daniel's or Carter's archeological or scientific briefings came a close second. He checked his watch and decided he'd go sit with Daniel. Watching him sleep had to be better than this, didn't it?
He felt a little uneasy with the idea of leaving Daniel alone in the care of these people. Sure, these aliens had been friendly and had saved their lives, but since none of them recalled the actual explosion that had eventually led to their deaths, they had no proof that the aliens weren't behind it for some yet undiscovered reason.
Leaving Carter was okay with him, though, Teal'c was there to watch her six, and vice-versa.
"Carter, are you nearly done yet?" Jack asked, knowing he'd been nagging them every few minutes for the past couple of hours, but boredom had a tenacious grip and he couldn't seem to help himself. It seemed that the alien technology couldn't quite fuse with the Goa'uld technology. What had been assumed to be a couple of hours' work had turned out to be going on close to ten.
Carter was lying on her back, half her body swallowed up inside a console with wires, crystals and doodads scattered around her. Two of the aliens were sitting cross-legged beside her, working on the electronic portions of the computer. It appeared to be painstakingly precise work, and Jack wasn't immune to the looks they'd been casting in his direction for the past while.
Teal'c raised his head from where he'd been peering into the innards of a console. He was kneeling before the opening, body twisted awkwardly in an attempt to work at a hard-to-reach area. Sweat beaded his head, shining in the harsh lights placed to illuminate the small work areas. Jack swallowed a little nervously at the glare his friend gave him.
"I do not believe we are any closer to accomplishing our tasks tonight, O'Neill. Perhaps you might wish to go stretch your legs."
"Yeah, I'll go check on Danny if you guys can do without me," he said with relief. "You guys gonna quit soon? It's way past suppertime, you want me to bring you something to eat?"
"Go ahead, Sir," Carter said, her voice muffled inside the console. "Teal'c's right, we won't get this finished tonight, but I'd like to at least replace the rest of these chips before we quit. We won't be much longer than an hour. How about we join you and Daniel when we're done and heat up a couple of MREs?"
"Sounds good," Jack said as he walked towards the exit. Anything was better than the aliens' food. The taste, texture and color were all unappetizing and unsatisfying. They'd turned to their own provisions instead, eating what was familiar and nutritious.
He made it to the medical area this time without getting lost or making a wrong turn. He could have asked Edolie to guide him, and he had the first few times. But he hated having to disturb her and then wait for her to join him from wherever she'd been attending her duties. He silently applauded himself, but thought it was about time he find his way since he'd made this trip a good dozen times already today. As he approached Daniel's bed, he noted that his friend was sleeping once again. He did see that two thirds of the power bar was gone, the excess wrappings peeking out from underneath Daniel's pillow.
Daniel had been asleep most of the times Jack had wandered into the medical bay to check in on him. He was constantly tempted to wake him, to see if Daniel's memories had come back, and if not, to attempt to nudge those memories to the fore. But Daniel was still very weak due to the blood loss and Jack knew he needed the rest. So he swallowed back a sigh and sat on the chair that had been provided by Keyon.
He'd listened to Daniel's tape recording that Alden had played back for him earlier, to see if there were any clues to why they'd been in the tel'tak in the first place. He'd also resorted to reading Daniel's journal, albeit only the last pages, again searching for hints, but there had been nothing in either other than long-winded, boring gobbledygook.
"Did they fix the computer yet?"
Jack smiled down at his friend and shook his head. "No, it turned out to be a more complicated job than they'd first thought. Actually, it was kind of an impressive light show when they tried turning the power on, nice sparkage and sound effects. They're in the middle of replacing all the computer chips, and Carter thinks they've gotten the power flow sorted out, so they'll try again tomorrow. I'm afraid a few of your books have a few more scorch marks, sorry 'bout that."
"Books?"
"Text books. But nothing that can tell me what our mission was all about. I think you probably just brought those along to kill time."
"What kind of books?" Jack could see the interest shining in Daniel's eyes, and he smiled.
"Oh, you know, the usual. Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, some languages books… but there are a couple of papers on an ongoing excavation about a tomb discovered in Giza called KV5, and something about a mummified lion just recently discovered in another tomb. You know, some of that stuff is kinda interesting. I can bring those over next time I'm in the ship, if you'd like."
Daniel nodded. "I get the feeling that I like archaeology?"
"Well, I would think so, considering that you're an archaeologist."
"Oh. Right." Daniel shifted in his bed, trying to sit up. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked up at Jack. "I am?"
Jack smiled. "And a linguist."
"I see. That would explain the language books you mentioned."
Jack tilted his head and smiled. "Yeah. Oh, and you're also an anthropologist."
"You are kidding me, right?" Daniel said, looking owlish as he peered at Jack.
"Nope, scout's honor. I told you that you weren't military. You're a civilian consultant, and damned good at what you do."
"I just wish I could remember," Daniel said with a sigh.
"You will. As soon as you're stronger." But Jack knew that his words couldn't quite ease Daniel's probable fear that his amnesia was permanent. Jack himself had gone through that concern when he couldn't remember anything, even with the alien's assertions that his memory would return.
"That doesn't look like it'll be happening any time soon."
"We'll get you home in a few days at most, don't worry about it. That's my job."
"Sounds like you got the short end of the straw," Daniel answered as he picked up the power bar and peeled back the wrapping. Jack could see how Daniel's hands trembled and he wished that Carter could pull off a miracle and set them on course for the nearest Stargate. Unfortunately, she was only human, and he knew she was working as fast as she could. And it wasn't like Daniel's life was in danger, it wasn't. Given time, he'd slowly gain his strength back. It was just that Jack hated to see his friend so weak and listless.
As Daniel nibbled at his meager meal, Carter and Teal'c came in, followed by Alden.
"Sir," Carter said as she approached. "Alden just informed us that they found another bomb."
"Bomb?" Jack glanced over at the captain, who was nodding at him. "And what do you mean, another?"
"We discovered the explosive device floating outside our ship a short time ago, Colonel O'Neill. Analysis has shown that it is made up of the same components as the fragments we found in your friend's body, and also embedded in the walls of your ship, as well as in the debris outside the ship."
Jack winced at the words, knowing first hand the amount of damage the shrapnel from the explosion had done to Daniel. His friend was rubbing his abdomen where he'd been pierced with the sharp metal.
"Wait a second, you said there was debris inside AND outside the ship? Was there that much damage?" He couldn't envisage how that could have happened; the bomb would have had to blow a hole right through the bulkhead.
"Sir, the teleportation rings were totally destroyed. At first I couldn't figure out why, but now I suspect that we were trying to transport the bomb outside the ship when it went off. It must have exploded at the precise moment it was teleporting, so the damage to the ship was much less severe. I suspect that otherwise, the bomb would have probably blown the ship to bits. Actually, it's a miracle because the odds of the bomb going off at that one instant are astronomical."
"Does anyone even remember a bomb in the ship? Or a bomb going off?" He looked at his team, and they all shook their heads.
"Perhaps if Captain Alden permits us to examine this second explosive device, it may well trigger our memories," Teal'c offered.
"That is my hope," Alden said as he smoothed the fur along one cheekbone. "The bomb is being retrieved and a lab is being set up in a hangar bay. They will be ready by the time we arrive. Perhaps you may also be able to answer my question as to why the device only now began transmitting energy waves, alerting us to its presence. Its size is too small for us to have detected it otherwise from the usual flotsam in space; it almost feels as if it wished to be noticed."
"Maybe it's programmed to turn itself on when a ship approaches it," Carter supposed, shrugging.
"Maybe," Jack said thoughtfully, but he could think of a few other scenarios that made him a little suspicious of this second bomb showing up now.
Daniel was flagging, and Jack could tell by the way his eyelids were drooping that he was fighting sleep once more. Jack reached for the remaining piece of the power bar in Daniel's lax hand and wrapped it up before placing it beside his pillow. He pulled the pillow down onto the bed from where Daniel had jammed it against the wall, and said softly, "Get some rest. We'll tell you all about it next time you wake up, okay?"
"I wish I could get up and go with you," Daniel sighed softly as he slid down the mattress.
Jack adjusted the blanket, pulling it past Daniel's shoulders. "I know."
Carter moved forward and pushed Daniel's hair from his forehead. "We'll get you home soon, Daniel. You'll get your strength back in no time."
They stood before his bed, watching as Daniel closed his eyes and his body relaxed into sleep. Jack met Alden's gaze and the alien Captain motioned they should leave. Glancing at Daniel's sleeping form one last time, Jack followed them out of the medical area.
"I'm confident we'll get the computer working by tomorrow," Carter said as she paced Jack down the corridor. "If there's a Stargate anywhere close by, Alden's offered to take us there, whether or not the tel'tak's repaired."
"Good, then at least we'll get Daniel home soon," Jack answered.
"Colonel," Alden said as they approached the now familiar signs of a hangar bay. "If you and your team will wait here, I'll go inside and ascertain that all the safety features have been installed."
Left alone for a moment, Jack turned to Teal'c and Carter. "You don't think this is all an elaborate set up in order to bring these aliens to Earth, do you?" Jack finally asked, voicing one of the concern's he'd been mulling over for the past while.
"Until we are able to recall exactly what occurred to damage the ship and accordingly resulted in our deaths, it is always a possibility," Teal'c answered. "But I have seen nothing to make me suspicious of them or to cause alarm in any manner."
"Me neither," Carter added. "But I sure wish I could remember what did happen. Keyon says it's due to the shock of the explosion, because it's the last thing that happened before we… died, and that often those are the last memories to come back."
"Then why do I remember Daniel dying?" Jack said softly. His friends' response was interrupted with Alden's return.
"You may enter," he said, waiting by the entrance. Jack looked around the hangar bay, noting it was similar to the one where their ship was docked. He saw a table by the hangar doors, and Alden led them to it. A small innocuous-looking sphere floated three inches off the table.
"There is an energy barrier around the bomb," Alden explained as they approached. "Should the device detonate, the barrier will safely contain the explosion." Jack raised his eyebrows doubtfully. "The barrier will contain five times the amount of energy unleashed by the explosion."
"Who says that this isn't five times bigger than the bomb that damaged our ship?" Jack countered. "This *is* a bigger ship, and if the bombs *are* being deliberately sent, who says they haven't made sure it'll do some real damage here also."
"Are you always this pessimistic?" Alden asked with a grin. Jack noted that the Captain's incisor teeth were long and pointed, a fact he'd missed until now.
"It's my job," Jack answered with a shrug. He noted Carter's smile and the fact that Teal'c's lips twitched at his words.
"This explosive device is a more powerful one, that we have already ascertained from our scans. I assure you, there is no danger. Our only concern at the moment is to discover who is sending the bombs and to what purpose."
They dutifully gathered round the sphere, looking at it from all angles.
"There's something that looks like writing," Carter said, leaning closer. "Teal'c, do you recognize it?"
Teal'c moved around the table and bent over to examine it. "I do not. Perhaps DanielJackson will be able to decipher it."
"He's too weak to come all the way here," Carter said, straightening up. "Alden, can we take a picture of this?"
"Picture? Ah, a photograph. Yes, it has already been done." Alden picked a small square device from the table and clicked one of two buttons. A holographic image of the bomb appeared, floating above the square device. "You wish to show this to Daniel?"
"He's our language expert. If anyone will recognize this, he will, that is, if his amnesia doesn't prevent him from remembering all the languages he's learned." Alden turned the holographic projector off and handed it to Jack.
As they returned to the medical area, Jack asked, "You're gonna keep that thing on the ship, knowing what it is?"
"It is safer to know where it is, so that it cannot do any damage. Were we to detonate it, its maker could always send another and we might not detect it in time to prevent its detonation."
Jack silently thought that they could just as easily be another bomb, or two, or a hundred, floating out there in space. The ship was so huge that it was probably impossible to keep track of what was nearby.
"We are in the process of scanning the area immediately outside the ship. As it is vast, it will take time, but we are taking precautions, Colonel."
They spent the next three hours waiting for Daniel to wake up. They ate their supper and sat around the holographic image, hoping for an inkling of memory to appear.
When Daniel finally stirred, he showed a keen interest in the writing that was on the bomb. Carter, with Keyon's help, managed to enlarge the text, making it easier for all to see.
"It's kind of familiar," Daniel said as he peered at the alien language floating before them. "I know I've seen it, but I can't begin to tell you where. And how can I know this when I don't even remember you guys?"
"Either you're beginning to remember things, Daniel, or the amnesia is affecting only certain parts of our memories. Like how we all remembered how to speak English, or weren't freaked by the fact that we were in a ship in outer space. You know languages and probably haven't forgotten them."
"Was this writing on the bomb in our ship?" Daniel asked, his fingers tracing a shaky path along the air below the script.
"I don't remember," Carter replied. "Possibly."
Suddenly she swayed, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Carter?" Jack asked worriedly.
"I just remembered something," she said breathlessly, staring at the hologram. "We did have a similar device on the ship." She waved at the projection. "Daniel was handling it and a light on it started flashing." She pointed at a small dark panel to the right of the writing. "He suddenly cried out that it was a bomb and that it was counting down. He yelled for us to get out and pushed me out of the room while he ran to the rings with the bomb and tried to transport it outside." She looked up at Jack, her visage expressing her horror at the recollection. "It must have gone off while Daniel was at the controls. That's why he was hurt. He saved our lives."
"No, I didn't, you… we all died anyways." He lowered his hand and fiddled with the blanket. "So I'm the one who set the bomb off," Daniel said softly.
"Daniel, it's okay," Carter replied, putting a hand on Daniel's foot.
"I'm sorry, I guess I must have triggered it somehow. I don't remember…"
"You know, I keep telling you not to go around and touch things," Jack said as he turned the projection off and placed the controller device on the table. He sat down on the chair beside Daniel's bed. "You've managed to get into countless scrapes over the years, but you've also managed to pull our skins out of the fire even more times than I can count. Even if you did trigger that bomb, you saved our lives."
"No, I didn't, Jack. You all died, remember? Lack of oxygen and all that?"
"But we're alive now. If you hadn't transported the bomb outside, there'd have been nothing left for Keyon to revive. And imagine this, Daniel. Maybe if you hadn't triggered the bomb, we might have unknowingly brought it home and it could have gone off beneath the mountain, destroying everything there."
"Mountain?" Daniel glanced up at Jack quickly, his gaze flitting back down to the blanket after a second.
"Our base is beneath a mountain," Carter explained. "You'll re—"
"Right," Daniel said, interrupting her. "I'll remember as soon as I'm better. I know, you've said it before. That, I remember." He stared at the bit of blanket that his fingers were worrying, not raising his head.
"Okay kids, I think we need to let Daniel rest a bit." Jack knew from his attitude that Daniel was tired, and that he needed to process the fact that the exploding bomb was his fault. As the others moved away, Jack said, "Danny, you did good. There's nothing to feel guilty for. And yes, I know what you're feeling. I know you, and I know how much you feel responsible when things don't go right. But let's just try and concentrate on the fact that we're alive, we'll be home soon, and that probably someone or something had to have sent that bomb to us, as well as the one in this ship." Daniel finally looked up at Jack, smoothing out the wrinkles he'd just made in the material.
"So we have an unknown enemy?" Daniel asked.
"Oh, we've got plenty of known enemies, it's just a matter of trying to figure out which one is responsible. Look, it's late, you're tired. Go to sleep and we'll see you in the morning."
"I'm not tired," Daniel argued. "All I do is sleep. Can I see that thing?" he asked, waving towards the hologram's controls. Jack handed it to Daniel, and as his friend turned it back on, Jack stood up.
"Look, if you want to talk…" Daniel pulled his gaze away from the display before him and looked at Jack. His lips curled into a slight smile and he nodded.
"Thanks, but I'm fine."
He zoomed in on the text once more, and Jack muttered a goodnight and joined the rest of his team, who were waiting by the door. Daniel didn't look at them, his attention focused on the bomb's display.
- - - - - -
The next morning they all smiled when they found Daniel sleeping with the hologram floating a few inches from his nose. Several sheets of papers, spread over his bed, and a couple of textbooks piled up on the table beside him, revealed that Daniel had been hard at work at some point during the night. One book was propped open, numerous scorch marks marring the pages within.
Teal'c gathered the papers while Jack moved the textbooks aside, making room for their breakfast MREs. He heated their meal while Carter turned off the hologram and woke Daniel up. At Daniel's ready smile upon seeing them, Jack realized that although he had no recollection of them, their friend seemed to be enjoying their company. It made Jack proud of his team. They were a family, and their care for one another was apparent to Daniel.
"Brought you breakfast," Jack said as he offered Daniel an egg and ham omelet with sausage links, biscuits and fruit salad. He knew Daniel could never manage to eat the whole thing, but still he nagged and prodded until Daniel managed to take a few bites of each serving.
Jack handed Daniel's leftovers to Teal'c after snatching up the barely touched biscuit. The Jaffa offered the fruit salad to Carter while he polished off the meat and eggs. While they ate, Daniel turned the hologram back on, and picked up the discarded papers.
"I think I've managed to translate this," he said with a wave at the floating bomb.
"Really?" Carter quickly swallowed her mouthful of food and leaned forward. Jack shook his head; Daniel never failed to amaze him.
"Yeah, well, I was thinking last night that if I'm a linguist, I must have been trying to translate the first bomb, right? So I asked Keyon for the books that had been in the room, and figured that the one with the most damage to it would probably have been what I'd been using, because it would probably have been opened to the pages I'd have been looking at."
Jack reached for the one with the most scorch marks in it and opened it. "This one?" he asked.
Daniel nodded, and turned his attention to his notes. Jack could see how pale Daniel looked today, with dark rings beneath his eyes. Jack figured the time spent doing this translation had taxed Daniel's already meager strength.
"It took me a while, I kept falling asleep. But unfortunately, the translation really doesn't help us. I think it's simply a manufacturer's name." He held up a paper with several untranslatable words written on it.
"Come again?" Jack said.
"Its meaning translates to something similar to 'made in the USA ', or like that TV cartoon of the roadrunner, the coyote always bought stuff made from 'ACME' products. I guess you could probably trace where the bomb came from, but it probably won't tell you who bought it."
"Damn," Jack muttered. For this, Daniel had lost precious sleep. "Teal'c, you ever heard of this?"
"I have not. But if the Goa'uld are behind this, it is all too possible that they have taken them from a new source that I am unfamiliar with."
"Colonel!"
They all turned around to see Edolie rushing into the room. Their young guide stopped by the bed.
"Two ships have been hiding behind a cloaking device, and have suddenly materialized. Captain Alden wishes your presence on the bridge. The aliens do not speak any languages we are familiar with and he hopes that you might help." As she spoke, she moved to a computer console and typed a few commands. Two Goa'uld vessels floated before them, looking deceptively small against the multitude of pinpoints of lights shining against the deep black of space.
"A Cheops Warship and a Ha'tak," Teal'c said as stood with his hands behind his back.
"The Goa'uld speak English," Jack informed Edolie. "They just don't want to stoop down to our level and admit it. Teal'c, could you talk to this snake?"
"I could, O'Neill, but I believe that most of the system lords will most likely recognize me. One must certainly have been behind the bomb that damaged our ship. Do we wish this Goa'uld to know that we still live?"
"Ha'tak… that's an attack vessel. I know this. I speak this language, don't I?" Daniel had pushed himself up onto an elbow, trying to peer at the monitor.
"Indeed."
"Then maybe I could talk to the person in charge?"
"Daniel, I don't think that's a good idea." Just the thought of Daniel undergoing the stress of sparring verbally with a Goa'uld in his weakened condition worried Jack. Let alone the physical stress of getting him to the bridge.
"Jack, from what I can see of those ships, that big one, it looks powerful and dangerous."
"Sir, there might be more than one out there, and if they're cloaked, we'll never know until they decide to open fire. We need to talk to those ships. The people here saved our lives, we can't let them be hurt because of that."
"Would a system lord know me?" Daniel asked.
"Oh yeah, they're all pretty familiar with the four of us. We've kinda got a reputation with them."
"Edolie, can we transmit with voice only, so that they don't see our faces?"
"Of course, Daniel. If you wish, I'll see to Keyon and get you a transport chair." She rushed out of the room and returned shortly with Keyon, who was pushing a wheelchair-type of conveyance.
They quickly moved Daniel onto it, Jack making sure that he had a couple of blankets to keep him warm. The trip to the bridge was one that seemed to take forever, Jack constantly checking on Daniel. He needn't have worried, Daniel was looking around with interest, not having seen any parts of the ship except for the infirmary.
Alden came to meet them as they entered the spacious bridge. A dozen people were stationed at various consoles and panels. Several were moving from one console to another. The atmosphere appeared relaxed, and Jack could tell that Alden seemed to have everything in control.
Very evident on several monitors was Apophis' face, his eyes glowing occasionally as his anger seemed to mount at the lack of communication from Alden's ship. His voice droned on in the background, its mechanical sound grating on Jack's already tense nerves.
"You should know that we have discovered fifteen bombs outside the ship," Alden said as Daniel was wheeled to a small console. "Do not fear, they pose no danger to us."
The functions of the console were simple, press the blue button to transmit, press it again to end the transmission.
"The snake's name is Apophis, Daniel. He's one of our worst enemies," Jack said.
"Since you say he knows me, I can speak the language with an accent so he won't recognize my voice so easily," Daniel suggested. Teal'c nodded as he pulled up a chair to sit beside Daniel.
"Just remember," Jack said, placing a hand on his shoulder for support. "Apophis is ruthless, and you're not to believe a word he says."
Daniel looked up at Jack, and nodded, his eyes narrowing as he turned back to the visage on the screen. Daniel reached out with a shaking hand and pressed the button to transmit.
"Apophis, kree."
Jack smiled at the look of shock that spread over the handsome face on the monitor, silencing him. But he winced inwardly when the Goa'uld's expression spread to anger.
// Who dares address me so? //
In a soft voice, Teal'c translated the conversation for the others.
Daniel glanced quickly at Jack, then over at Alden. // My name matters not. Why have you come here, hiding like a coward? Do you think we are Ha'shak? //
"Kegalo!"
// No, I will no be silent. You have made an overt act of war by sending your bombs against our ship. Do not press us, Apophis. My patience wears thin, and we will strike back. //
// Why do you hide your face? Are you a coward? Why do you now transmit with audio only? //
// Your ships' shields are affecting our communications device. Turn off your shields and you will see my face. //
Daniel sagged suddenly, and Jack grabbed Daniel's arm while Teal'c ended the transmission. Daniel was sweating profusely, and Jack ignored Apophis' wild ranting on the speakers while Daniel blinked several times.
"I'm okay," he said. "Just got a little dizzy." Jack could feel him trembling and he hitched the blanket up closer to Daniel's shoulders. Daniel looked up at Alden. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing here. I was bluffing, I'm sorry. I thought if he believed we had superior firepower to his…"
"Do not worry, we are capable of defending ourselves," Alden replied.
"Against one ship, maybe," Jack said. "But there are two out there, and he's probably got several more cloaked."
"DanielJackson. Apophis speaks of the tel'tak."
Daniel turned his attention to the words coming through the speakers, then pressed the transmit button, cutting the man off.
// The ship is ours. We claim salvage rights. // Daniel pressed the button off.
// I care naught for the ship, but its three occupants are my sworn enemies. I demand you return them to me as my prisoners. //
"Three?" Daniel mouthed at Jack, obviously confused.
"He is testing you," Teal'c answered very softly.
// The occupants did not survive. We have disposed of all four bodies. There is nothing to return. //
// You lie! The ship was not that badly damaged. //
// Believe what you will. There were no survivors. // Daniel's voice was growing weaker, and Jack knew this had to end soon. Daniel's hand was shaking so badly over the transmit button that Jack reached over and held his own hand over it, ready to turn it off.
// Very well, if you will not return the bodies of the Tau'ri and the Shol'va to me, I will take steps to guarantee that they have not survived. //
His image disappeared, only to be replaced by the images of the warships. Suddenly four more Ha'taks decloaked. Jack had been right, they were surrounded.
The ship suddenly rocked violently. Jack grabbed onto Daniel's chair, barely keeping his footing while Teal'c took Daniel by the arm, ensuring he didn't fall out of the chair. The lights went out, coming back on seconds later in a strange, dim, yellow cast.
"He detonated the bombs," Carter said in an unbelieving voice. Alarms sounded, but the crew continued going about their duties, appearing as calm as when they'd first entered the bridge.
Several crew members came to Alden, and Jack heard them talking for the first time in their native tongue. It flowed smoothly, almost musically. Alden listened, then spoke briefly to them.
"There has been no damage," Alden informed SG-1. "There were three more undiscovered bombs outside, but our shields were able to deflect all the blasts. Now, watch," he said, smiling again, his incisors bared. Small whiskers that had lain hidden against his fur stood out from his face. There was an animalistic feel about Alden, almost as if he was enjoying this.
Jack felt something begin to thrum beneath his feet. The engines, or something very powerful, was powering up. The yellow lights dimmed even more, and in the monitors, streaks of green could be seen stretching out towards three of the five warships.
Explosions were clearly seen where the green lights touched upon the Cheops and Ha'tak vessels. Jack knew that these Goa'uld ships had shields that could deflect atomic blasts. He was in awe at the power Alden's ship must be generating to get through those defenses.
The two undamaged Ha'taks fired back, and small shivers could be felt beneath Jack's feet. Two more warships decloaked, but before any could fire upon them, the green lights once again filled the screens. The ships began moving out of the way, but they weren't quick enough. Explosions wracked the Ha'taks, the battle ending in less time than it had taken Daniel to try and bluff their way out of it.
"Oh God! No!"
Daniel's cry brought Jack's attention back to his friend. His gaze was fixed on the scene before them. He was leaning forward in his chair, gasping for air, his face pale and damp with sweat. Belatedly Jack remembered that Daniel didn't recall the years of fighting and loss of life they'd experienced throughout their battle with the Goa'uld.
"Daniel, it's okay. It had to be done. The Goa'uld would have destroyed this ship without a second thought, just because they wanted the four of us dead."
Daniel continued to stare at the continuing explosions, the devastation to the seven warships obvious in the floating debris surrounding them. Small bursts of flames, quickly smothered in the airless space, were reflected in Daniel's glasses. Jack turned back to the monitor, where tiny shapes could be seen leaving the ships; some of the Jaffa had survived the damage. Jack wondered if Apophis had been killed. He certainly hoped so.
Jack tore his attention from the screen once more and took Daniel's chin in his, forcing his friend to look at him.
"Danny, it had to be done. Apophis would never have let this ship go free. He'd have tried to steal it for himself, and if that weren't possible, he'd have destroyed it. That's what the Goa'uld do. They take, they destroy. Believe me, they've taken more from you that anyone deserves to experience."
"I…I… I tried, Jjjack," Daniel stammered. "I dddidn't imagine, I never thought…"
"Shhh, it's okay. You did the best you could, but Apophis was never one to be reasoned with, and even if you'd been at a hundred percent, he probably would never have listened."
The yellow lights dimmed, and the regular illumination returned. Jack could see the monitors out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly the scene of battle disappeared as the ship began moving in space.
Daniel tore his head from Jack's hand. "I thought you were explorers," Daniel said to Alden accusingly.
"We are, Daniel. Believe me, we are peaceful. But we will defend ourselves if provoked."
"That sounds familiar," Jack mumbled to Carter and Teal'c. He turned again to Daniel.
"Alden did what needed to be done. If I'd have had access to that kind of firepower, I'd have done exactly the same thing." Daniel turned his gaze back to Jack, his expression reproachful. "You can't tell me you believe we should have just sat back and let Apophis throw everything he had at us?"
"This ship was obviously well shielded. You could have withstood the attack," Daniel gasped.
"Ah, but now these Goa'uld know that we are not a race to be taken lightly," Alden said. "Hopefully we shall continue exploring your galaxy without being bothered by these parasites."
Daniel continued to tremble, his breaths still coming in short puffs. Keyon fiddled with a panel in the side of the chair, and brought out something that looked like a half grapefruit, placing it over Daniel's nose and mouth.
"You must try and relax, Daniel," he said. When Daniel tried to push the item aside, Keyon grabbed his hand gently. "This only provides a greater degree of oxygen. You need to relax now, my friend."
The medic looked to Jack and Jack reached over to hold the item in front of Daniel's face. Keyon then adjusted the chair until Daniel was in a semi-reclining position. "Since you are no longer needed here, we shall return to the infirmary."
They waited several minutes until Daniel recovered. Their friend sat back in the chair, limp with exhaustion. Jack could still feel the tremors that coursed through Daniel's body as he kept a hand on his friend's shoulder. Daniel finally closed his eyes, either falling asleep or passing out. Keyon checked a small instrument panel at the back of the chair and nodded.
"He sleeps," he informed Jack. "Come, we shall put him to bed."
- - - - - -
Jack was mighty tired of staring at the bare, white walls of the medical area, or at Daniel's unmoving form in the bed beside him. He glanced at his watch, noting that only several minutes had passed since the last time he'd checked.
Upon leaving the bridge three hours ago, Jack had ordered Teal'c and Carter to go work on the tel'tak's computers. He was tempted now to go and see what kind of progress they'd had, but he figured he'd be a hindrance to them more than anything. They'd let him know the moment they had some news.
Jack heard footsteps approaching and he straightened up from his bored slouch. Alden entered the room and came to join him.
"Your friend has impressed me," he said to Jack, looking down at the feverish man. "He gave much of himself today, unknowing that he, or we, were never in any danger."
"You knew all those ships were out there?"
"Yes. At first here were only two, but this Apophis did not show himself until the last of the vessels had arrived."
"So this was, what, a test?" Jack asked, a little angry with the Captain. He couldn't blame him, though. For all that Alden might have known, Jack and his team were really the enemy and the Goa'uld and Jaffa the good guys. Well, actually, to the snakes' point of view, that was the way they perceived things.
"A test, yes, partly," Alden replied. "But I also wished to see how far these Goa'uld would go. I must say they did not disappoint. From the tales I have heard so far in our explorations, they have been described fairly accurately."
"And for this you allowed Daniel to go through all that…" Jack couldn't help himself, he sneered the next question. "I bet you speak the Goa'uld's language."
Alden smiled gently. "Yes, I must admit I do. I regret now that I put Daniel through this grief. Your friend is truly special, that he gives so much of himself for the sake of others."
"Yeah, well, that's Daniel for you." Jack turned away from Alden and looked at his friend once more. He looked wasted now, the toll from that short time on the bridge having seeped all his remaining energy from him. Twin spots of color indicated a fever in a too-pale face. His breathing was shallow and rapid, and Keyon had replaced the portable oxygen mask with the clear plastic band which now stretched over the lower part of Daniel's face.
"So, did we pass your test?" Jack couldn't resist asking.
"Indeed. The caring and diligence of your team had already convinced us that you were trustworthy. There is one more thing I must admit to you, before you take your leave of us. The amnesia was deliberate, it is not a part of the healing process."
"Why am I not surprised," Jack grumped.
"Again, we wished to see how you would react when your truest selves were revealed. Your friend, Teal'c, had to be neutralized as the symbiote interfered with the process. And Daniel, as Keyon stated, will recover his memory as soon as he is stronger. Of that, you have my word.
"As restitution for what we have put you and your friends through, I will gladly take you to whatever planet you wish. Your navigational computers have located a nearby world with this Stargate you have spoken of. I shall take you there, or I will take you to your home planet, if you prefer.
"But believe me, it was always my intention to aid you. We did save your lives willingly, we are explorers, and have learned much with our time with you. It is my only regret that our schedule will not permit us to learn more about your people. So I have a proposition. Perhaps your team, or someone from your world, might wish to stay on my ship while we explore the galaxy, and we could both learn from one another, and at the same time, join us in our exploration. Once we are ready to leave, or at anytime prior to that should you so wish, we would arrange for your return home."
"That's a mighty tempting offer," Jack said, surprised. "But I don't have the authority to say yes or no. If you're willing to wait a little while, I will bring it up with my superior officer and perhaps he can assign a team of scientists and diplomats who would be happy to spend time gallivanting around the galaxy with you."
"I am willing to wait, Colonel." He smiled at Jack. "My wish would be that your team is the one assigned to my ship, but I assume that is not to be. Perhaps we will meet again, somewhere, in your galaxy."
He left quietly, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts. Jack was pretty sure Hammond would be agreeable to the offer, and would do everything in his power to get the President to agree to it. Just the possibility of learning about the superior shields and weaponry on this ship wasn't something the General was about to pass up. He was certain SG-1 wouldn't be the team assigned, though, and he was quite relieved about that. Although Daniel, on the other hand, would be disappointed, once his memory returned.
- - - - - -
He woke to waves of nausea punctuating hot, acrid bile that spewed from his mouth. Someone was supporting his head, while a cool cloth wiped the sweat from his face. When finally he was able to take a breath without choking, cool water dribbled into his mouth. He closed his eyes, and the swaying movements began again.
- - - - - -
He woke again as his stretcher was being positioned along several seats. Teal'c was leaning over him, fastening something at his waist. The large man rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently, and smiling down at him.
"Rest easy, DanielJackson. You are safe."
- - - - - -
He moaned his discomfort as he was carried along uneven ground. The motion made him dizzy, threatening nausea once more. He felt a hand on his arm, and he turned his head. Jack was walking beside him; Teal'c was in front carrying the end of his stretcher.
"Hey," Jack said as he turned to look at Daniel. "Hang in there, we're almost home."
- - - - - -
They were moving up to a bright blue puddle of water, which stood sideways, defying gravity. He raised his arm, wanting to tell Jack that he was dreaming. Instead, Jack took hold of his hand and held on to it as they entered the fluctuating puddle. He went in, but didn't remember coming out the other end.
- - - - - -
The sounds were loud, the lights were bright, the area too crowded. Where was Keyon? Where was the quiet of the medical area? Shadows moved around him, a hand forced his eyes open and a bright light was shined into his eyes.
"Jack!" he called out repeatedly. Had their enemies captured his friends? He fought the hands that held him, growing weaker and weaker with each struggle. A loud, irritating noise nearby kept beeping more and more rapidly. The voices around him were strident, making his head ache.
"Jack!" he called out, his voice now only a whisper.
"Danny!" Jack's familiar figure pushed through the crowd of white-garbed strangers huddled around him, and his hand was enveloped by warm, callused fingers.
"It's okay, relax. You're safe, I'm here. Nobody's going to hurt you."
- - - - - -
Something was stuck into the back of his hand. There were tubes there, with needles at the end. He raised his other hand, intending to pull out the sharp implements when small, cool fingers caught his.
"Don't."
He turned to look at Sam, who wrapped her hands around his.
"Remember we said you needed blood? That was why you were sick?"
He remembered vaguely, and nodded.
"That's blood in those bags. Janet's already given you three of those; she said it was a miracle you were still alive."
Sam's smile was tremulous, her eyes strangely bright and shiny.
"You're gonna be okay. We're gonna be just fine."
- - - - - -
He woke up shivering, his body drenched in sweat. Impartial hands stripped him bare, a gentle voice explained his fever had broken and they were going to make him feel better. A warm, wet cloth washed the sweat away. He fell asleep again before the hands finished putting clean, dry clothes on his body.
- - - - - -
Voices surrounded him, but he relaxed when he made out Jack, Sam and Teal'c. They were talking to the one called Janet. He remembered his friends talking about her. Maybe he'd open his eyes and see who she was.
Later.
- - - - - -
Daniel stirred on the bed and Jack put down the paperwork that he'd been working on. He smiled at his friend, waiting for him to close his eyes again and go back to sleep, like he'd done for the past three days.
But instead, Daniel stretched and yawned. "I had the strangest dreams," he said as he turned onto his side, facing Jack.
"Really. Anything to do with furry aliens and Apophis?"
"No. That really happened." Daniel frowned up at Jack. "Didn't it?"
"Yeah, it did. You just missed the send off of our new ambassadorial/scientific team assigned to the Seddish."
"The furry aliens?"
Jack smiled. "Yep. They'll be roving the galaxy on their ship, trading cultural information, learning about one another."
"And getting the lowdown on those weapons they used against the Goa'uld?"
"That too."
"I guess General Hammond didn't have too much trouble convincing the President when those weapons were brought up."
"No, unfortunately, he—hey, you remember the General?"
Daniel smiled. "Yeah, I think I remember just about everything. This place is kinda like my home away from home, how can I not remember it?"
Jack laughed. "Hang on, I'm gonna go get the doc. She'll skin me alive if you fall asleep on her again knowing you've been awake for more than thirty seconds."
Jack returned with Fraiser and was relieved to find that Daniel hadn't gone back to sleep.
"Hello, Daniel," she said as she began checking him over. "How are you feeling?"
"Hungry, actually."
"He sounds fine to me," Jack teased. Daniel swatted his friend's arm, and Fraiser smiled at their banter.
"Hunger's a good sign. I'll go see what I can scrounge up for you," Fraiser said, having finished her examination and raising the head of Daniel's bed. Daniel sat up gingerly, Jack knowing from experience the discomfort of a Foley catheter.
"Just… no energy bars or MREs, if you don't mind?"
Jack looked innocently up at the ceiling. When he chanced a glance at the doc, she was looking at him with raised eyebrows.
"Well, the food there was really awful," Jack said, trying to explain. "We were all eating MREs, and we knew Daniel needed food… hey, he ate without complaint even when he wasn't hungry. Give me a break."
"I'm not saying anything, Colonel. I'm just amazed you got Daniel to eat in the condition he was in. And I promise, no MREs. How does some broth and Jello sound?"
Daniel made a face. "I take it back, MREs sound kinda tempting right now."
"I won't be long," Fraiser said with a smile.
Jack tilted his head, looking at his friend. "I guess I made quite an impression on you, huh?"
"Yeah, actually, you did. You were always there for me. At first I thought maybe I was your prisoner, but there was something in your face and your voice that was different when you spoke with Alden. I guess I trusted you, even without knowing you. Thanks for that, Jack."
"Hey, anytime. What are friends for?"
They sat in silent contemplation until Fraiser returned with a breakfast tray. As Daniel sipped the warm broth, Fraiser watched with an eagle eye to make sure he wasn't experiencing any discomfort. Once Daniel began to dig into his strawberry-flavored Jello, she winked at Jack and left them alone.
"Daniel!" Carter's voice showed her pleasure at seeing Daniel awake. She and Teal'c hurried towards them. She perched on the far side of the mattress and squeezed Daniel's leg, Teal'c standing beside her at the foot of the bed. "Janet called to say you were awake. You had us so worried."
"Sorry about that. But I feel a lot better." He brought a spoonful of Jello towards his mouth, frowning as the gelatinous glob threatened to topple from the spoon.
"You look much recovered," Teal'c said as he smiled down at their friend. "You have been asleep for three days. You should be feeling better."
"Three… three days?" Daniel exclaimed around his mouthful of Jello.
"Slept round the clock, and round, and round," Jack teased.
Daniel finished off the last of his meal, and picked up the glass of juice. He sniffed the contents, then took a small sip, obviously trying to digest the amount of time he'd lost.
"You know," Daniel said, placing the juice back onto the tray, "you guys were always talking about not remembering what our mission with the tel'tak was. I know now that we were supposed to meet a Tok'ra operative at specific coordinates—"
"You remember?" Jack exclaimed.
"You still don't?" Daniel looked around at the three of them, who all shook their heads.
"General Hammond filled us in when we got back," Carter explained. "But we all still have very little memory of the mission itself."
"That's strange. I know we waited out there for several hours, and then we discovered an object floating in space giving out some kind of signal. Well, actually, it's what we now know was a bomb." Daniel rubbed the back of his neck before taking another sip of juice. "But at the time we thought it was a message or a sign from the Tok'ra. Sam spent hours trying to figure out how to open it, with me trying to decipher the writing on it. Which, incidentally, reads the same as the bomb that was sent to the… Seddish?"
Jack nodded at Daniel's uncertainty at the name of the race that had saved their lives and had played host to them.
"I guess Sam finally hit on the right pressure and twist combination, because suddenly the object began glowing and a panel with script began flashing on it. By the time I figured out it was counting down, I barely had time to push Sam out of the room and yell at you and Teal'c to get out. I remember activating the transport rings, but… things are a little… hazy, after that."
"I triggered the bomb?" Sam said in a small voice.
Daniel shifted his foot until it was pressing against her hip. "Hey, we didn't know it was a bomb, Sam. It was a trap. It wasn't your fault."
"But I triggered it, and I made you think you had when I remembered. I was responsible for your getting killed. For all of us dying."
"But I'm not dead. None of us are. And I'm guessing Apophis was sitting out there in his warship the whole time, gloating at our stupid Tau'ri curiosity getting the best of us. For all we know, he might have set the bomb off with a timer or remote control."
Jack saw Carter relax slightly at Daniel's words, the somewhat haunted look on her face fading.
"So why do you remember all of this, and we don't?" Jack asked.
"Perhaps we simply do not wish to remember," Teal'c said. "We all saw our friend die a horrible and painful death," he said, looking at Daniel. "It is my conjecture that we are all blocking that memory to avoid it."
Daniel tapped his fingers nervously against the glass, then looked up at Jack. "I don't remember much about the…dying, it's like bits of a dream. I do remember pain, and feeling very cold. But what comes across the strongest is being grateful that I wasn't alone." He held Jack's gaze for several seconds longer before turning to look at Carter and Teal'c.
Although Daniel still seemed willing to talk, Jack could tell his friend was tiring. His hand shook slightly as he drank the last of the juice, and he rubbed at his neck once more. Daniel closed his eyes and Carter caught Jack's eye.
"Daniel," she said softly. Daniel looked at her, his eyes half open. "You're tired. We'll let you rest. We'll come back after supper, okay?"
"Perhaps you will feel recovered enough soon to play a game of The Jackal and the Hound?" Teal'c suggested.
"Wait, don't go yet." Daniel shifted, trying to sit up straighter. "I want to thank you guys. You have no idea how scared I was when I was... fading." Daniel clutched the edge of the blanket, his knuckles sticking out sharply through the skin. He looked up at Jack. "There were times like I felt like I was adrift in the middle of nowhere, and I'd reach out and you were all there, anchoring me, reeling me back to safety. And I know you don't remember that part, but I meant what I said, about being grateful I wasn't alone at the end… you know, when I… died."
"We all perished on the ship, DanielJackson. Even though I have no recollection of the event, I am confident that my only regret would have been my inability to save my friends. But I am comforted to hear I was able to ease some of your fear."
"I remember," Jack said softly, reaching out and rubbing the back of Daniel's fisted hand. "It was one of my first memories."
"Oh." Daniel let go of the blanket, and when Jack removed his hand, Daniel started worrying at the worn edges.
"But as painful as that was to remember, I knew from the way we were trying to help you that..." Jack swallowed, the words seeming difficult to find. "With the… emotions I was feeling, that one memory of you convinced me that we were close, a team, a family. And that even though I didn't trust the Seddish, some of what they were saying was true. And that I knew I had to keep you safe, Daniel. Heck, I knew I had to keep all of you together, and that way I could keep you all safe. Like it was some ingrained part of me, knowing that our strength was in our ability to work together."
Daniel's face had paled, whether from his fatigue or from the emotions that he must have been experiencing. Jack reached for the bed's controls and began lowering the head.
"Get some rest, one of us will be here when you wake up."
Daniel nodded, closing his eyes for a moment as he shifted to make himself comfortable as the bed descended. "Teal'c, considering you won the last game of The Jackal and the Hound, I'll want a rematch soon."
"I look forward to it."
"Sam, bring your supper with you. We'll have a picnic here on my bed."
"It's a date," she replied as she leaned down to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Daniel put an arm around her and pulled her into a hug before she could straighten up. "It wasn't your fault, Sam," he said softly.
She nodded, and smiled. "Sleep well," she said when Daniel let her go.
"What he said, Carter," Jack told her when she straightened. "We couldn't have known it was a setup, and I'm betting that bomb wasn't on a timer. Apophis could have taken a shot at us any time he wanted. We were sitting ducks. He was probably counting on us to bring it home and setting it off here. He underestimated both Daniel's and your curiosity."
"I guess if you look at it that way, Sir."
"I do. You did good, all of you."
She nodded at Jack and Teal'c inclined his head before both left him alone with Daniel.
Jack adjusted the blankets around Daniel, who was watching him, half asleep. He picked up his discarded paperwork and began reading where he'd left off earlier.
"Jack?"
"Yeah, Danny?"
"Thanks. Just, thanks."
"Anytime."
He could see Daniel out of the corner of his eye, and his friend fought sleep for a minute or two. But soon his eyes closed, and his breathing slowed. When he was sure Daniel was asleep, Jack put the papers down and sat there looking at him. Even weak, sick and without memory of his team, Daniel had still accomplished that which most people would have had to work hard to achieve. They now had new allies, with the possibility of gaining new technologies to help fight against their sworn enemies.
Jack fought the frisson at the remembered feeling of Daniel slipping away from him as Jack had tried to comfort him in the frigid ship. His friend was alive, healing and getting stronger. He smiled to himself, and decided he and Teal'c would join Daniel and Carter for that impromptu picnic later that afternoon.
FINIS
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