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nightspear) wrote2008-10-29 07:08 am
Diplomacy (15/27)
Title: Diplomacy (Table of Contents)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine. I gain nothing of material value from this.
Pairings: Gen
XXXXX
Consequences, Part I
XXXXX
10 December 1998; SGC, Earth; 0900 hrs
"Eleven letters for a physicist with a paradoxical cat," Jack said. "Starts with S."
"Schrödinger," Carter said immediately, and then, "They did not write that as the clue."
"Yes, they did," Jack told her.
"It's not particularly accurate."
"There's not much space provided," he said, giving her his best exasperated look. "And didn't I say you were disqualified from answering?" It didn't stop him from starting to write in her answer, though. Doing these puzzles with a genius sucked most of the fun out of it, but it didn't mean she wasn't good for answering the things he would never have figured out, anyway.
"Sorry, sir," she lied.
He focused intently on his crossword, then said, "So I hear SG-9 got back while I wasn't looking."
There was a pause, and then Teal'c said, "Daniel Jackson did indeed return with them last night, O'Neill."
"Ah," he said, with the ridiculous feeling that they'd timed it purposely so that he'd be away when they got back.
"It was pretty late, sir; you'd gone home already. Have you...talked to him recently?" Carter asked hesitantly. "He's been a little..."
Daniel hurried into the briefing room, and she stopped before she could finish the sentence.
"Good morning, everyone," he greeted as he took his seat. "Am I late?"
"You are not," Teal'c assured him.
"How do you spell Schrödinger?" Jack said, looking him over surreptitiously.
Hammond had lifted that restriction on Daniel's going off-world--Jack himself had argued privately to him that not a lot of judgment calls were going to be harder than handing a baby brother to someone else who, admittedly, seemed a lot better suited than any of them for protection--and Daniel had jumped on it right away.
Jack didn't know how to say that he didn't think handing over a baby brother could possibly be good for a person's state of mind.
The research and diplomatic teams were getting more used to having a civilian along, and more of them were putting in requests for people to help with translation or data collection. Daniel was always willing to go, and Rothman was always happy to let him, as long as he wasn't falling behind in some history book he was supposed to be reading at the time. He'd been on two longer missions so far and few more short there-and-back trips, just in the last three weeks since Kheb.
Restless, Captain Griff had said, chuckling.
The kid's been underground for two, three months, Ferretti had agreed, quietly, out of earshot of the rest of his team when Jack had asked (less subtly than he'd intended), and just after he got off-world approval, too. He seems okay to me, Jack. We're looking out for him, too. You're just jealous SG-1's only had two missions in the time he's gone on five.
Now Daniel cocked his head, not really meeting Jack's eyes, and asked, "Isn't that Sam's cat?"
Jack took a second to remember what he was doing and turned to Carter. "You have a paradoxical cat?"
"He was named after Schrödinger, sir," she explained, "who had a theory that's often presented as involving a cat that's both alive and dead at the same moment. Paradox."
"And he's staying with Narim of the Tollan now, anyway," Daniel added, deadpan. "Since last year, when you rescued them and sent them to the Nox homeworld. Right, Sam?"
Carter blushed a little. "Yes, Daniel, that's right. You wouldn't happen to know what we're doing here today, would you?"
"Nice topic change," Jack told her. "Very smooth."
Daniel shook his head. "No idea. I just found out a minute ago that I was even supposed to be at this meeting. Sorry I missed you yesterday," he added innocently to Jack. "You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"
Yeah, right, like he was going to talk about Kheb or Shifu or anything right here in the briefing room when General Hammond was about to walk in any second. "Nothing important," Jack lied. "I'll ask you later." Good thing, too, since he didn't really know what he was going to say.
That was another thing--Daniel been...not avoiding Jack, exactly, but he was never alone anywhere anymore. There were suddenly more reasons to stay on base so he could work on a translation with Captain Young's help, or there was that abandoned planet SG-8 was on, and they needed someone to translate the instructions that went along with some device so they could figure out how to turn it on. The only time Jack had seen him for more than an hour at a time was last week, when they'd been doing target practice with zats and handguns at the range. It had been a disturbingly quiet training session, other than the sound of bullets. Daniel had pointed out that they wore ear protectors that made it hard to hear conversations, said thanks for the practice time and that he was getting more shots on the target now, and skipped off to the base library.
He seemed okay most of the time, and Jack still wasn't sure whether to leave it alone. He was churning out impressive volumes of quality work, these days, but then, he'd always been like that, hadn't he? It was only looking after Shifu that had temporarily slowed him down...but of course he'd be sad or quiet or...something. It was normal. Nothing to worry about. Jack hoped.
"Do you know why the general called this meeting, sir?" Carter asked him.
"I've got nothing," Jack said, folding his finished puzzle and putting it away. "But I'm gonna go with...friendly aliens with invisible arms. Any takers?"
"What?" Daniel said, confused. "Take what?"
Teal'c understood, though, and answered, "I have rarely encountered beings whose arms are truly invisible, O'Neill."
"If they were invisible, T, you might not have noticed them."
Teal'c frowned at him, then offered, "SG-4 encountered resistance yesterday. Perhaps they are in need of our assistance."
"No, Major Coburn reported that the situation was calming down," Carter countered. "I'd say a mineral or technological survey is more likely."
"Ah, come on," Jack dismissed. "That's so boring."
"Statistically, sir, it's the most likely probability, followed by meet-and-greets with locals."
Jack turned to Daniel. "What about you?"
Daniel had caught onto their ritual. He hesitated, then guessed, "Follow-up negotiations." He held up a hand and ticked off points: "You guys don't usually do in-depth cultural surveys, Sam would be aware of it if it were any other kind of research thing, and I'm not cleared for first-contact yet. So it must have to do with communication with locals."
Jack guessed they weren't really counting Kheb, in terms of first-contact. He also guessed bringing it up wouldn't be particularly tactful when Daniel clearly didn't really want to talk to him.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Jackson," General Hammond said as he walked in, "it's not quite so simple."
They rose to their feet in time to see Dr. Fraiser enter behind the general. "Uh-oh," Daniel said, looking at the doctor.
"Good to see you, too, Daniel," Fraiser said dryly.
Eyeing her warily as well, Jack quipped, "You know how I hate to hear that, sir."
"Don't we all, Colonel," Hammond said. "As you were."
Once they were all seated around the table, the general folded his hands on the table. "I'm not going to beat around the bush. I received a call from the Pentagon. They're sending one of their people to ask about what happened with the Harsesis child on Kheb a few weeks ago."
Daniel's mouth made a silent 'oh.' His shoulders slumped, just for a second, before they came up again defensively.
"I take that back, Carter," Jack said, keeping his tone falsely casual but unable to hide his annoyance completely. "You know me. I love mineral surveys."
"Unfortunately for them," the general continued as if he hadn't spoken, "you all won't be here at Stargate Command during the next few days."
Jack raised his eyebrows, knowing they weren't next in the mission rotation and suspecting there was something being left unsaid. "Meaning...what, sir?"
"This isn't a ploy to avoid them," Hammond said immediately, seeing what Jack was thinking. "...entirely. But the timing does work out well for all of us. Doctor?"
Fraiser leaned forward, opening a folder and passing copies to the rest of them. "There's a lot of NID-run work being done at Area 51. Here are some of the reports they've sent to us here. Personally, I've been hoping to get some time to look at Hathor's sarcophagus, but there's plenty more I'd like to see. In fact, I'm sure all of the departments here would like to have some idea of the research they're doing."
Jack opened his folder, skimming past a few devices he remembered bringing back or seeing other teams bring back. There were a few others he didn't remember seeing before at all, and he focused on those.
"There's not a lot of information here," Daniel noted, fumbling his glasses onto his face.
"No, there's not," Carter said. "General, I've also been wanting to go to Nellis to take a look around. I'm sure Dr. Rothman's department might want to send a representative, as well, since he's away at the moment."
Daniel was already engrossed in reading something and didn't seem to have noticed the leading tone to Carter's suggestion, but in any case, he piped up, "I'd like to go, if I'm allowed. We've collected writing from planets left by the Ancient database, and I've made a lot of progress with the basic language structure, but there was so much that we had to send a lot of raw text to Area 51 for further study. It would be nice to know if they've gotten anywhere with our notes."
Now that it had been mentioned, there were things in these reports that Jack wouldn't mind finding out about, either. If it helped them avoid Pentagon lackeys sniffing around inside the SGC, that was a plus, too.
"Fine," Hammond said. "I'll let Dr. Rothman know." Daniel looked surprised at the agreement, then turned his attention back to the reports.
Jack took a grainy picture from the folder and brought it close to his face. "I don't recognize this thing, here," he said. "It's not identified, either."
"That is a Goa'uld healing device," Teal'c said.
"Really. A healing device," Fraiser repeated thoughtfully. "Is that hand-held?"
"Indeed. It is less effective than a sarcophagus, but I have nonetheless witnessed its ability to heal wounds that would otherwise prove fatal."
"This file doesn't say who brought it to Earth," Carter pointed out, paging through. "I don't remember seeing it pass through here, and I'm sure I wouldn't have missed something like that."
The general nodded. "I've looked through everything we've been sent. Most of it seems unremarkable, but I don't remember seeing that device any more than you do, Captain." He gave them all a pointed look.
"So Dr. Fraiser, Carter, and Daniel want to go," Jack said to the general. "Teal'c obviously knows more about some of this stuff than we do, so he's in. And I'd like to go along and keep an eye on them, sir."
"Agreed," Hammond told him. "You'll leave for Peterson in a few hours. The representative from Washington will meet you there."
"Really?" Jack asked with a grimace as he realized they weren't going to avoid it just by taking a trip to Area 51. "Does he have to?"
"Yes," the general said. "We'll kill two birds with one stone--you can clear up any confusion that remains about the Harsesis, and Dr. Fraiser has been asking to go to Nellis for a while now. This just seemed an opportune time. The Pentagon representative agreed to meet you there, because he'll be able to conduct a surprise check of the research facilities while there. That's why you'll all be dropping in unannounced as well."
"We can do that?" Daniel asked.
"And isn't the Pentagon in charge of the NID research?" Carter added.
"But they found out during the Hathor incident that some things have managed to stay under everyone's radar," Fraiser said. "The Pentagon's been keeping a closer eye on the Area 51 since then. Surprise inspections are within their authority, and we've cleared it with them to send some of our researchers along with."
Jack was pretty sure that was something like three birds with two stones, depending on how the stones and birds were counted, but what it meant was that the Pentagon guy would be spending less time scrutinizing SG-1 and Daniel's actions on Kheb. That was fine with him. "Do you suspect something's going on there again, General?" he had to ask.
Instead of answering directly, Hammond held up the file on the healing device. "Given the NID's track record, let's just say I suspect that looking at their activities might shift the Pentagon's focus off questioning you."
"And do we know who they're sending, sir?" Carter asked.
"Your plane will be met by a Major Paul Davis. He's just stepped in as the Pentagon's liaison with all Stargate operations. Anything else?"
Jack shook his head, answering, "No, sir."
"That's all, General," Fraiser added.
"You're authorized to stay there for three days to discuss the facility and any projects or concerns with the researchers," Hammond said, already rising. "Dismissed."
XXXXX
10 December 1998; Area 51; 1400 hrs
"Major Davis?" Jack asked the man who met them at Homey Airport, watching him carefully. They'd had a few encounters with Area 51 and the Pentagon's interests regarding the Stargate, and he wasn't about to be taken off guard by anyone this time around.
"Yes, sir," the major replied with a brisk salute. "Is this everyone, Colonel?"
"Yep. Dr. Fraiser, here to speak with the medical researchers, and the team who went on the mission in question: Captain Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel Jackson."
Davis' eyes lingered a little on Teal'c and Daniel, the latter of whom was hitching his bag onto his shoulder and didn't notice, but he nodded, unfazed. "I understand you'd all like to take a look around the facility. I'm sure you already know I'm looking to do the same, so why don't we start there? I have a few questions for you that need clearing up, but if you don't mind, we'll do that at the end of the day."
"No argument from us," Jack said. "No point in a surprise inspection if it's not a surprise."
"That was my thought, sir," Davis agreed. Jack's impression of the man went up a cautious point. "Follow me."
"Don't you need special clearance to get in here?" Daniel said, jogging a little to catch up to the front of the group as they neared the security checkpoint.
"We have the highest clearance," Carter told him.
"Even me?"
Davis glanced at him. "I was under the impression you'd been here before."
"Yes, but with...escorts. By which," he added, "I mean 'guards.'"
"You do realize, Daniel," Jack said, "that we found you the same way we find most of the stuff they study here?"
"Huh," he said. "I guess that's true."
They were met by a man at the security checkpoint who snapped quickly to attention at their approach. "Major Davis," the man said. "We just found out you were coming a few minutes ago. One of the research supervisors has been alerted, and he should be meeting us as soon as he can."
"Major," Davis greeted, then introduced, "Colonel O'Neill, this is Major Reynolds, NID. Major Reynolds--Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter, Teal'c, Dr. Fraiser, and Daniel Jackson."
Jack watched the man carefully, but Reynolds' face only betrayed a flicker of surprise before he nodded back to Davis and turned to Jack, muted excitement plain in his voice. "I can't tell you what an honor it is to meet you all, sir. You guys are a bit of a legend around here."
"Really," Jack said, a little surprised at the warm reception. "Then you know who we are, obviously."
"Of course, sir," Reynolds answered. "We'd be out of business here if it weren't for the discoveries made at the SGC."
"Speaking of discoveries, why don't you give us the tour."
"Uh..." Reynolds said, glancing at Davis and asking, "I take it this is an...official tour?"
"Yes, sir, it is," Dr. Fraiser said firmly.
"Is that a problem?" Davis asked.
"No, uh. Of course not," Reynolds said, stepping back. "A little unexpected, but not a problem at all. Follow me."
With a final glance at the others, Jack followed the man into the building, Davis a step behind.
"Any preference about where to start?" Reynolds asked once they were inside.
"I'm interested in the Goa'uld healing device," Fraiser spoke up.
That gave the man some pause. "I...don't recall reading about a healing device in any of the reports."
Jack looked to Teal'c to explain, but Carter jumped in first. "It's unlikely that anyone knew what it was. Teal'c identified it for us, and I caught a glimpse of one for a few seconds off-world, but I'd be willing to bet no one else has even seen one. In fact, that information wasn't included in the report sent to General Hammond, so I assume that means no one knows."
Reynolds didn't seem to have heard the 'If I find out you knew and didn't tell us...' in her words, or else he didn't comment on it. "In that case, it's probably this way." He started down a corridor, explaining as he went, "There's a whole department devoted to analysis of devices we don't know much about, right by the Goa'uld technology sections."
As they started off, Jack asked Carter, "When did you see one of those things?"
"On Cimmeria, the first time," she said, "when you and Teal'c were inside the Hammer. I saw a woman using it to heal and thought it was a ribbon device at the time."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "The healing device can only be used by a Goa'uld, Captain Carter."
"Oh, the woman had been a Goa'uld, according to Gairwyn, but she'd been through the Hammer, so by the time I saw her, she was a...previous host," she finished, her steps faltering. "Oh." She glanced at Jack, eyes wide. Jack shook his head minutely at her, not wanting to speculate about how many similarities she shared with the Goa'uld, not right here.
"That's what they figured," Reynolds said, having heard the conversation but not, apparently, having picked up implications to Carter. "That's why we've got so many things just sitting around. Study of the function of Goa'uld devices is very limited without a Goa'uld who can use them."
"What's that?" Daniel asked suddenly, looking through a window into another lab. "That looks like--"
"An iris," Reynolds told them. Jack followed their gazes as well to see what was unmistakably the metal shield that covered their Stargate. Except...not exactly.
"For what, a mini-gate?" Jack asked. The iris in that lab couldn't be much more than half the height of a regular doorway. "'Cause I hate to tell you, but you got one in the wrong size."
"It's probably just a scale model," Carter said, peering through as well. "They must be testing the design against various stresses."
"Ah," Jack said. As he watched, the scientists in the room flipped down face shields and stood back, one person moving to man something that looked like a very big...something, as shields lowered over the windows and blocked their view. "What's supposed to come out of that thing?"
"The ray gun?" Reynolds said. At their looks, he shifted in embarrassment and said, "That's...what some of us call it, anyway."
"Hey," Jack offered, "we call things on our end the 'kawoosh' and the 'garage-door opener.' Just saying."
Reynolds looked like he wasn't sure if he was supposed to smile and instead explained, "Officially, it's some kind of intense laser that--"
A flash of light escaped the shielding from inside the lab. Jack watched for a minute to wait for the shield to rise again and make sure everyone in the room hadn't been fried to death, only to see the people inside excitedly examining the iris. "Huh."
"Like I said, sir," Reynolds said. "Ray gun."
"That's a powerful laser," Carter said, her eyes lighting up like a Carter in an alien technology research facility. "I can see where it hit the iris, even after such a short duration. Very accurate, too. You've been working on them here for weapons applications?"
"It doesn't seem to have done much damage," Davis commented. Jack looked at the mini-iris and saw that, while there was a reddened area that was probably pretty hot at the moment, the iris was holding strong without a dent and was already cooling off.
Reynolds nodded. "That's because they're not testing the laser; we've had that for a while, and they're using it to test the new iris design. It's an alloy of titanium and trinium, that new metal SG-1 found. After SG-7 found and brought back a greater supply last month, we thought improving defenses should be a first priority."
"When will it be operational?" Fraiser asked.
"General Hammond should receive a preliminary report soon, if he hasn't received it already. As you can see, they're still doing a lot of testing, but we thought the decision to start using it or to continue trials should be handed over to you folks."
Davis nodded curtly. "That lab--it's fully protected?"
"Yes, sir," Reynolds said quickly. "All labs testing explosives, energy weapons, or unknown technology are shielded against radiation and are as well reinforced as the testing rooms under Cheyenne Mountain."
"I can't believe I didn't think of this myself," Carter said, inching toward the door. "Doping the iris with trinium...I wonder how much they had to use to achieve the most efficient--"
"Ah!" Jack warned. "One thing at a time, Carter. We've got three days to look around."
She reluctantly pulled her hand back from the handle of the outer doors of the lab. "Yes, sir."
"The Goa'uld tech room is at the end of the next hall," Reynolds prompted, leading them onward and pointing out a few other highlights on the way. "One of the linguistics offices is here; they're poring over your notes about the Ancient language, Mr. Jackson, as well as the Asgard text Dr. Rothman sent us."
Jack raised his eyebrows. Ancient writing had been found on many of the planets left from the Ancient database, and in some cases, staggering amounts of Ancient writing. Back at the SGC, Daniel had mentioned making progress on the language, but Jack hadn't realized they--and Daniel in particular--had made enough progress in translating it to have enough notes worth poring over. On the other hand, Daniel had been doing something these last few weeks while he'd holed himself up on base, and he'd said that a lot of pure language or translation projects went to him rather than Rothman.
"This room here is where they're working on that chemical SG-2 brought back a few months ago," Reynolds continued. "They think it could be a cure for Alzheimer's."
"From P3X-595," Fraiser said, peeking into the lab. "I didn't think of that application."
"Guess it was useful after all," Jack said to Daniel, who nodded absently but didn't answer.
"Here it is," Reynolds finally announced, swiping into another lab, empty of people at the moment. "Goa'uld technology."
Jack looked past the lab benches and blinked at what looked like an entire wall of safes, each marked with a number and label.
"Who has access to these?" Major Davis asked.
"All the researchers and the officers overseeing the work," Reynolds said. "But the only devices in this lab are ones we know to be relatively harmless."
"And what's in there?" Carter asked, pointing at a more heavy-duty door locked by a card swipe and a keypad.
"You keep all the little green men back there?" Jack asked.
"There are no alien life forms at Area 51," Reynolds assured him.
Teal'c raised an eyebrow and Daniel shifted his pack of books on his shoulder. "Well, that depends on what you mean by 'alien,' doesn't it," Daniel said, with a gleam of irritation in his eye that said he was in the mood to piss someone off. "If you mean 'not from Earth,' that's one thing; if you mean 'very different,' in a cultural sense, or that someone is not human--"
"Present company excluded," Jack interrupted before he could get going, because as much as he enjoyed bewildering federal agents, Carter was starting to look impatient, as well.
Reynolds wisely let it go. "We keep potentially dangerous devices in there under an additional layer of security."
"And 'potentially dangerous' would mean..."
"Things with unknown functions, or ones that might activate themselves or be activated by accident. In fact, sir, I would guess that the healing device you mentioned should be back here, too."
Once they were let in, Carter zeroed in on the cubbyholes separating one device from another and quickly found the one she was looking for. Jack easily recognized the gold color that characterized gaudy Goa'uld tech, though the device itself was unfamiliar. Reynolds entered a combination on the side of the container, and the door popped open.
"From what I saw," Carter said as she reached for it, "it looked like you just hold it in your hand, like this." She slipped her fingers through the slot and cupped the device in her palm to demonstrate, and the red crystal in the center immediately began to glow. "Whoa!"
Reynolds jumped back. Daniel and Fraiser stepped forward for a closer look. Carter quickly pulled off the device.
"What were you expecting?" Jack said.
Carter didn't seem in any hurry to try it again. "An on-switch? I didn't know just picking it up would--"
"Like you said, Captain," Fraiser said, quickly, calmly, and loudly, "that must be from what Jolinar left behind in your blood. It's probably automatically triggered by either touch or some other subtle mechanism." Reynolds took in the unworried expressions around him and relaxed a hair.
"Uh, yeah," she said, staring at it, though Jack noticed she was careful not to hold it anymore like she was going to use it.
Fraiser took up the baton then, taking the device from Carter without hesitation. "Do you know how much it can heal? What kind of things..."
"No," Carter answered. "I just saw it the once. A few seconds, that's all."
"I also am uncertain of the extent of the device's abilities," Teal'c said. "It was rarely used in my presence. I believe it is used primarily when a Goa'uld wishes his slaves to believe he has mystical powers."
"So," Jack summarized, "probably not as good as a sarcophagus, but it looks good. Wave your hand over someone's head, and he's healed."
"Precisely," Teal'c said.
"Well, we can't exactly test it out here, not without something to try to heal," Fraiser said matter-of-factly, turning it over in her hands. "But we should really figure that out. Something like this could literally be saving lives. There are other devices--the ribbon device, for instance--that scientists probably won't get very far with here, but we can continue research at the SGC."
"So Captain Carter can make them work, and no one else can?" Reynolds clarified.
"That is likely," Teal'c said simply.
"I'll make sure to tell my supervisor, then."
"We can't just bring them with us?" Jack asked, imagining the piles of paperwork it probably took to have things shipped from one place to another.
"There are regulations, Colonel," Major Davis told him. The joys of red tape. "The officer in charge of this division needs to sign off on it, but I don't see that it should be a problem."
"Yes," Carter said, recovering, "speaking of regulations...where did you get that healing device?"
Reynolds raised his eyebrows. "I don't remember, exactly, but I'm sure it's in the records somewhere."
The door slid open behind them. "It is," the newcomer's voice said. "It's from P8B-146, if I remember correctly."
Daniel choked. Jack turned to see who it was.
"Colonel...Maybourne?" Carter asked.
Holy crap.
Reynolds paused in what looked like aborted introductions. "I see you've met."
"Uh...in a way," Carter said, looking fascinated and confused and a little sick at the same time. "Sir?"
Colonel Harry Maybourne gave them all a bright smile. "Good to see you all. Why don't we step into the conference room next door?"
XXXXX
10 December 1998; Area 51; 1500 hrs
"I thought you were dead," Jack said, incredulous, once they'd relocated. He glanced at Carter, who could only shake her head helplessly.
Everyone here had seen the tape of Maybourne's interrogation of Daniel the year before, and it wasn't a secret that Maybourne had been one of the people pushing hardest for Teal'c to be shipped off to Washington for study at the beginning of the program. Teal'c and Fraiser had also been part of the strike team that Carter had led against Hathor, when Maybourne had been turned briefly into a Jaffa, so Jack was the only one who'd never actually seen the man in the flesh before.
No one seemed particularly happy to see him.
Daniel's eyes had gone about as big as the frames of his glasses. Fraiser looked curious more than anything else, but Teal'c looked like he was Extremely Irritated, in the scary Jaffa way.
"I was dead," Maybourne said easily. "Thanks for that, by the way, Captain Carter." He nodded to Reynolds, who saluted once and left.
Color drained from Carter's cheeks. "Sir, we didn't have a choice. Hathor would have--"
"Oh, don't worry, Captain," Maybourne cut her off, waving a lazy hand. "I was compromised, I understand. I really did mean it when I said 'thanks.' And Jack O'Neill--good to meet you."
"Whoa!" Jack said, slashing an arm in front of his face as if it would clear things up. "Okay. Let's try this again. Not that we're not...glad to see you, ah, not dead. But how are you not dead?"
"The sarcophagus," Maybourne replied nonchalantly and held out his arms. "Good as new. Not even a larval Goa'uld pouch to show for it."
When no one spoke, Davis cleared his throat delicately. "I take it this development comes as a surprise to you, Colonel O'Neill?"
Jack gave him a look. "Yes, I'm a little surprised. You're not?"
"It was never a secret, Jack," Maybourne said. The use of his given name was odd, since they'd never met each other, and if this was some kind of power play, Jack had expected more subtlety based on what he knew of the man. And more than that, his appearance was almost careless--even in his dress blues, his jacket was unbuttoned and hung on his shoulders just a bit off-kilter, and he stood casually, his arms dangling at his sides. "I was off the scene for a while, and it's not like you've kept in close contact with NID operations from Stargate Command. Now, as I said, that device you have there is from P8B-146..."
"Hold on--sir, excuse me," Fraiser interrupted before they could continue. "So the sarcophagus has been used since the Hathor incident? You were healed completely?"
"After a fashion," Maybourne said. "The scientists have determined that it can most likely heal even an obliterated immune system, but once a person has been carrying a larval Goa'uld around for a day or two...it took several repeated uses for me to be restored to health."
Jack exchanged a glance with Carter, whose eyes were wide. "Colonel Maybourne," she said, "you were healed...'after a fashion?'"
Maybourne turned to her. "I find that occasional use still helps, but I am fully capable of continuing to work, now."
"Um," Daniel said, holding up a finger. He made a face. "There's something you should know about that."
"How many times have you been inside the sarcophagus, sir?" Fraiser asked sharply.
"As many times as necessary," Maybourne answered. "Besides, it's letting us study the effects of the sarcophagus without needing to expose more people than necessary to it."
Fraiser took a deep breath, as if to start a tirade, then paused and pointed out more calmly, "This sounds like the kind of testing the SGC should have been aware of."
"We're obligated to show you our results," Maybourne corrected. "Your scientists don't exactly give us regular progress reports for ongoing experiments, either. Testing hasn't been completed on the sarcophagus."
"By 'testing,' you mean human experimentation that's been going on without any preliminary trials," she said, her voice carefully neutral. "And you--the only subject, I might add--haven't felt any...side effects."
"Oh, I have," Maybourne said, smiling now in a vague way that raised Jack's hackles. "But I promise you, Doctor; they're all good effects."
Jack just bet they were. "Mm-hm," Fraiser said. "Could you describe them to me?"
The smug attitude faded and gave way to suspicion. "Why do you ask?"
"All in the name of science, Colonel," she said primly, plunging her hands into the pockets of her lab coat and looking up imperiously.
"I'm sure. All the same, I think--"
"I'm sure there would be no good reason for anything involving unbiased, scientific research to remain a secret, sir," she cut in. "On the other hand, I do understand that this is part of your medical record that you may wish to keep private."
"Doc..." Jack started.
"Sir, I was just thinking that Colonel Maybourne should be alerted to the detrimental side-effects that the sarcophagus might be having on his physical wellbeing."
Maybourne laughed, the sound open and careless. "Don't worry yourself, Doctor; there are none."
"Oh, no, Harry," Jack put in now, "that's where you're wrong."
Davis cast a glance between them, looking a bit bemused at the obvious tension in the room but determined to hold the situation together. "Colonel, do you know that for certain?"
"Yes," Jack and Maybourne said together.
The assurance that Maybourne had been wearing since he'd walked in dissipated quickly to irritation. "You've seen it used, what, once or twice? I've experienced it myself more times than you can--"
"Okay, now, that would be a problem," Jack said.
"Colonel," Davis said with suppressed impatience, "could someone just explain this, sir?"
"It's like a drug," Jack said, happy to stop playing games tiptoeing around it anymore. "If you use it too much, it makes you"--he gestured vaguely, searching for a term, then settled on--"high as a kite." Davis looked at him. "I believe that's the technical term," he added.
"How would you possibly know that?" Maybourne snapped.
"We've observed temporary behavioral effects following revival with a sarcophagus," Fraiser said. "We've also documented biochemical changes in the patient's body, and all of these changes were consistent with the effects seen in someone using narcotics. Master Bra'tac of the Jaffa confirmed that that side effect isn't unique to the one case we saw."
Maybourne's eyes narrowed, and Jack could almost see him trying to think a way out of that. "Temporary," he finally said. He shot a look at Daniel. "I can only assume you're talking about Daniel, here, and the incident on the Goa'uld mothership."
Daniel frowned deeply, his entire body stiff, and Jack threw his hands up in exasperation. "Do you know everything that goes on at--?" he started.
"Yes," Maybourne interrupted. "The point is, obviously, even if you're right about the effects, they wear off just fine."
Fraiser shook her head. "If it's used once or twice, infrequently. Colonel Maybourne, use of any narcotic brings a risk of dependence. I find it difficult to believe that something like the sarcophagus could be used so many times without any consequences at--"
"Oh, come on!" Maybourne burst out, his voice conspicuously loud in the silence that followed. Daniel started and took a step back, looking surprised at the sudden change in attitude, and both Teal'c and Carter tensed as if preparing to take action. Jack wasn't surprised at all; he was inclined to trust Fraiser on this one, and he knew all too well how surprising it wasn't. "'Difficult to believe.' How many times have you been proven wrong over the past year? I think I would know if I were hooked on something."
"Spoken like a true junkie," Jack said.
"You would know, wouldn't you Jack?" Maybourne shot back. Jack had a moment to wonder just how the hell Maybourne had access to that part of his files, and then his energy was taken up clenching his fists in his pockets to stop himself from snapping back that whatever had happened after he'd crawled out of Iraq was not remotely the same as jumping into a Goa'uld sarcophagus for the hell of it.
"Whether or not we're right about its long-term effects," Fraiser said firmly, "I would recommend that all testing on the sarcophagus be suspended, except in the extreme circumstances of grave injury or death. Moreover, for your own good, Colonel, I think you need to be monitored closely by a medical professional until we're certain."
"This isn't Stargate Command; you don't have authority here," Maybourne said immediately, puffing up angrily.
"Then I'll make my recommendation to someone who does. I was planning to speak with your chief medical officer in any case," she said politely. "I'll make sure I go through the proper channels. How long ago did you last use the sarcophagus, Colonel?"
He glared at her for a moment, then said, reluctantly and almost petulantly, "Yesterday. What's your point?"
"Why don't we conduct an experiment, sir," Fraiser said. Her tone said it wasn't a question. "By my estimates, based on my admittedly limited observations and your own words that you've used the sarcophagus countless times, you'll begin to experience symptoms from withdrawal fairly soon." She paused and looked at him more closely. "If it hasn't started already. In the meantime, don't use the sarcophagus at all for the next...say, week."
"You're wrong about this, Captain," Maybourne said.
If she was nervous at his deliberate use of her rank, she didn't show it. Unlike the others in the room, Fraiser had been a civilian doctor for years before joining the military; she didn't have the reflexive discomfort that someone like Carter felt when going toe-to-toe with a superior officer. Besides, Fraiser snapped at Jack all the time, so she had practice. Either way, with Davis around, this wouldn't go unreported to the Pentagon. "If I am wrong," she reasoned, "you won't suffer any negative effects from the withdrawal, Colonel, and you'll be proven right."
"I don't have any need to prove things to you!"
"No, sir, you don't. But I think we'd all like this facility to remain as secure as possible, and a person acting under the influence of the effects of an alien device could easily pose a threat," she pointed out, with a glance at Major Davis.
In a low, tight voice, Maybourne reminded her, "If you're right." He took a step closer to loom over her, only to have Teal'c insert himself between them to do some looming of his own.
"Did you know," Daniel said idly, fiddling with the strap of his backpack, "that in Jaffa culture, a warrior could claim the right to dismember someone who tried to harm a friend? Not that anyone would, of course, since we're not in a Jaffa society right now. I just thought it was worth noting." Carter's lips twitched. Jack made sure not to smile himself, but he pointedly didn't tell anyone off, either.
"Dr. Fraiser is usually correct in matters of physical wellbeing," Teal'c added, standing just close enough to emphasize that he was much larger than Maybourne. Maybourne looked a little nervous for the first time since they'd arrived, and Jack regretted that Teal'c hadn't been available that time when Maybourne had walked into the SGC.
"They do have a point about the sarcophagus, Colonel," Davis put in, looking somewhere between thoughtful and disturbed.
Maybourne looked as if he wanted to shout them all down by dint of the fact that he was the highest ranking officer in the room, aside from Jack, which was probably why Jack ended up getting the brunt of the final glare. Jack raised his eyebrows and shrugged back. Finally, Maybourne straightened his rumpled lapel, put some distance between himself and Teal'c, and said, "I'm in control of my faculties, not some alien device. But if you want to play this game, despite the fact that we could be learning valuable information about Goa'uld healing technology, then fine. I'll play. I'll have research on that project cut off for the next seven days."
"Thank you, sir. That sounds like a good idea," Fraiser said calmly, the way Jack had once heard her speak to a patient on the verge of cracking up after ingesting an odd, hallucinogenic alien substance. "Now, Colonel, about that healing device--what planet did you say it was from? P8B...?"
"146," Maybourne finished, biting off the numbers.
Jack looked to Carter, who shook her head. "I don't remember an exploration to that planet, sir."
"Well, SG-1's not the only team, is it, Captain Carter?" Maybourne snapped.
Carter ducked her head for a moment. Jack used to think it was a deference thing, even an apology, but he learned quickly enough that it was just like her 'all due respect, sir, but...' In other words, 'you're completely wrong, sir, and I may or may not mean any respect at all, but I don't want to get reprimanded, either, so...'
"With all due respect, sir," she started, and Jack smirked a little on the inside, "which team did bring it back? Something like this should have caught our attention when it was brought through the 'gate. We have three research departments represented here, and none of us remembers seeing it. We'd really like to know what went wrong so it can be prevented in the future."
"Unfortunately," Maybourne countered, "I can't help you there. I can show you the information that we do have about this item, but that's all we received. Sometimes if it's deemed irrelevant, we don't receive detailed reports about the items shipped over here. The SGC keeps a lot of secrets."
"You couldn't just find the mission report with the right planet?" Carter pressed, frowning. "I know there are a lot to go through, but if you have the electronic copies, it should be a simple matter of doing a search for P8--"
"I know how to search a document for information, Captain," he interrupted. "And it's already done. After we couldn't find it, we were starting to wonder whether the SGC might have been somewhat less than open with us."
"Oh, please," Jack said impatiently, thinking that if this was Maybourne's idea of a cover up, it was sloppy as all hell. What was that about? No one made O-6 by being stupid. "We're the ones who flew a couple of hours to straighten this out. You really think we would've come at all if we were hiding something?"
Maybourne shrugged then. "Do you have another explanation?"
"A few," Jack said.
"I guess we'll all have to check again, sir," Carter said, apparently sensing the imminent stalemate. "But we were also hoping to look at some of the projects you have going here to make sure we're all on the same page."
"I'd like to look at the sarcophagus, for instance," Fraiser added.
Immediately, Maybourne focused accusingly on Fraiser. "So that's why you wanted us to stop using it here--you want it for yourselves, don't you? I should've known that's what you were after. Well, the answer is 'no'--it stays here!"
"No..." she answered slowly. "I wanted to look at it, Colonel, and to ask the scientists in charge a few questions--that's all."
As if noticing everyone's gazes on him, Maybourne relented, scowling again. "The sarcophagus is next door, along with the Goa'uld scripts we're going over."
Daniel perked up. "Can I see that, too?"
"We'll start there, then," Jack said.
"Actually, sir," Carter said, "I'd like to talk to the people working on the iris, if that's okay?"
In the end, Major Davis went with Carter to ask the mechanical engineers some questions, Fraiser went with Teal'c to the infirmary to suggest what blood tests to perform on Maybourne and to tell the CMO that yes, Doctor, I really do think they need to be done as soon as possible, please and thank you, and Jack found himself in a room behind an extra layer of security, staring at a sarcophagus again for the first time since Abydos '82 while waiting for Fraiser to come in.
"Hello," Jack said when two geeks looked up at their approach. The sarcophagus was tucked into a corner, almost unobtrusive, except that he'd seen ones like it raise people from the dead, so it was hard not to stare. As if they were used to being interrupted and ignoring the interruptions, the scientists turned back to the papers they were all perusing.
Jack expected Daniel to be joining them immediately with a few questions, but, when it didn't happen, he glanced over to see him staring at the sarcophagus instead. Daniel stepped toward it, peering at the surface. He traced a finger over a symbol that Jack thought was probably Hathor's, interested, perhaps, in the writing that snaked around the box. For a minute, it was just looking; then a hand crept toward the seam where the sarcophagus opened, and Jack decided it was time to step in.
Before he could say anything, though, an SF let Fraiser in, and the sound of an opening door distracted Daniel into looking away, snatching his hand back.
"Jack, c-could I... uh, the linguistics people were...you know. The Ancient. Um. Stuff," Daniel said, looking rattled.
Maybe the thing reminded him of being tortured to death by Klorel. That would put a damper in most people's excitement.
"Yeah," Jack said, catching Teal'c's eye. "Meet up at 1800, remember." He watched long enough to see both of them head back out the way they'd come, then settled in resignedly to watch Fraiser talk to the scientists and ask them about the extent of its regenerative capacity, even without an immune system upon which to build its...
XXXXX
10 December 1998; Area 51; 1810 hrs
"I'm not here to point fingers at anyone," Davis assured them once they were alone in a small conference room. Fraiser was out bugging the people trying to cure Alzheimer's. Daniel was off his research high and was slouching at a corner of the table that placed him farthest from Davis, while SG-1 sat stiffly at attention or tapped their fingers restlessly on the arm of the chair. The latter was mostly Jack, admittedly.
"Frankly, sir," Carter said, "we're not sure what the issue is at all."
Shuffling a few papers, Davis nodded. "I've just been asked to debrief you; I'm sure you understand there were a lot of questions about the...Harsesis, and we need some clarification on your mission to the planet known as Kheb. As our foremost experts on these matters, we'd also like to hear what you believe the consequences might be for us. The information we received was pretty scant."
"That's because there's a lot we don't understand ourselves," she explained. "Most of what we do believe is pure speculation based on the observations we were able to make while there."
"Yes--that seems to be par for the course," he said.
"Hey, these are alien planets," Jack countered defensively. "I'd like to see anyone learn more than we did."
Davis seemed surprised. "I wasn't trying to be critical, Colonel O'Neill. It was just an observation."
Jack eyed him suspiciously. "Aliens," he emphasized, just to make sure his point was taken.
"Yes, sir. But knowing what you did about the Harsesis, as well as what you knew about Kheb and the beings there, what exactly made you think your decision to leave the child there was the best one?"
Jack carefully didn't look at Daniel, because he was the commander, dammit, and he wasn't supposed to pass this off even if he was still trying to figure out the answer for himself, except that Daniel took the decision out of his hands just before he could start to speak.
"By that time, several separate sources had implied that a Harsesis could be dangerous to the Tau'ri," Daniel said. "Master Bra'tac of the Jaffa and Sha'uri of Abydos seemed to think that Shi--the Harsesis could be dangerous either to us or to the Goa'uld, depending on the situation. If System Lords were to attack Earth again in order to retrieve the Harsesis, there wouldn't be a lot we could do to stop them. We couldn't safely keep him on Earth."
"That's a lot of trust you put in the beings of Kheb, then," Davis pointed out after a glance at the rest of them, as if to make sure he could and should take the word of the kid in front of him. "How certain were you that they could safeguard the Harsesis any better than we could, and that they wouldn't give him up to the Goa'uld? Your reports mentioned that the being vacated the planet, and that you don't know where it might have taken the Harsesis."
"We were pinned down by a bunch of Jaffa," Jack said. "Lightning bolts killed them all and brought a death glider out of the sky. That was pretty convincing."
"The beings were clearly very powerful, sir," Davis agreed. "But it still leaves the question of trust. We simply need to know that it wasn't...well--"
"Blind faith?" Daniel cut in sharply. Jack turned at hearing his own words that he'd used on Kheb, but Daniel was carefully not looking back at him. "You need to know it wasn't just blind faith, yes?"
Davis hesitated, then nodded. "More or less."
"The child wasn't yours. He wasn't even Earth's. He was the son of Sha'uri of Abydos, and since she was...unavailable to take care of him, his care fell to her closest relative." Daniel tilted his head. "I may still be learning your laws, but I believe that would be true on Earth as well as on her native planet."
"And you're saying that you were that closest relative?"
"No," Daniel said, "that would be her father, Kasuf. But Kasuf did hand the Harsesis's care over to me, and responsibility for decisions about the child that concerned the war and his wellbeing was assigned to me by General Hammond. I did what I thought best as a member of the SGC and as his legal next-of-kin."
"I'm not insensitive to that," Davis said carefully, looking a little thrown, "but that doesn't change the fact that the Harsesis could have been a valuable resource to us."
"The Harsesis," Daniel answered stiffly, his words chosen to be as careful and sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, "was an infant. He was not yours to use as a resource, and I hope no one on Earth would have been willing to abuse him as such."
Davis stared at him, then let his gaze flicker over the rest of them. When no one said anything to add or contradict, he said, "I see."
"If it helps," Daniel offered after a pause, in what was clearly meant to be a conciliatory tone, "it did seem the best option at the time, for Earth as well as for Abydos and Shifu. Goa'uld forces saw us taking him to Kheb, so anyone who wants him now will most likely seek him there, and not here. I included other reasons for that conclusion in my report."
"It is unlikely that we could have carried out any other action," Teal'c added. "The being we knew as Oma Desala was many times more powerful than anything I have witnessed."
"She wouldn't have taken Shifu by force," Daniel insisted.
Teal'c tilted his head noncommittally. "Perhaps."
"Lightning bolts," Jack put in. Daniel looked at him out of the corner of his eye, pressed his lips together, and looked away again. They still weren't on the same page about something here, but they all knew better than to broadcast internal tension in front of an external official.
Finally, Davis nodded in acceptance. "All right. And there's no chance of going back? To document the writing in the temple you found, if for no other reason?"
"Not without risk, not without knowing if there's still a benevolent alien guarding the planet," Jack said, much more comfortable now that they were talking about something he understood on a level deeper than just accepting that Daniel and Bra'tac had known what they were doing. No one knew exactly what had happened to the monk guarding the temple, but Jack would be willing to bet the guy had been more powerful than they'd thought; for all they knew, he was one of the glowy race of aliens, too. "Other Goa'uld might go looking for the Harsesis there, and anyone near the temple can be easily cut off from the Stargate with no escape route."
"In that case, we need to know if there will be any repercussions."
"One positive outcome," Carter said, "is that Heru-ur and has lost most or all of his power following the expeditions to Cimmeria and Kheb."
Davis nodded. "But he himself wasn't killed?"
"We think Heru-ur and Amaunet both escaped from Cimmeria," she said. "And the Goa'uld fear Kheb; Heru-ur might not have been there himself when his Horus Guards were killed. It's likely that he's still alive somewhere, but severely weakened."
"Apophis is alive," Jack said, "but we know he's been pretty desperate in trying to increase his army."
"But in the grand scheme of things, what does that mean?" Davis asked, looking to Apophis's former First Prime.
Teal'c raised his chin. "Apophis and Heru-ur may either seek each other for aid or fall to the mercy of some stronger System Lord."
"Would that be a good thing?" Davis asked. "As I understand it, the Goa'uld are competitive. If one of them gets removed from the picture by another, especially without much of an army to be subsumed by the victor..."
"The Goa'uld are driven not only by power but also by vengeance," Teal'c said. "The stronger System Lord could keep a fallen enemy alive indefinitely and use him as a symbol of his conquest."
"In other words," Jack summarized, "when one goes down, another one can use him to get more power."
"It is also possible that another Goa'uld would rise to take his place among the System Lords," Teal'c said.
"Is that likely?"
"Apophis has named his son as his heir."
"Klorel," Daniel said, though his tone was so wooden that Jack couldn't tell whether he was trying to clarify for Major Davis or just thinking aloud.
Teal'c nodded once. "If he falls, Klorel may seek to claim his inheritance."
"Basically, sir," Carter said, "the current power structure has been destabilized at a few significant points, but all we can do now is watch carefully to see which way the chips fall and keep trying in the meantime to increase our defensive capabilities. We have a lot of designs currently in development or in testing stages--I'm sure you know about those projects already."
"Yes, we do," Davis said. "About that...more and more of our developing technology recently has been incorporating naquadah from sources like Abydos. I assume you've spoken with Abydos since the expedition to Kheb?"
"We have," Jack said. "We went to speak with them ourselves the day after. They are fully aware of everything that happened with the Harsesis."
Davis waited, but when no elaboration came, he prompted, "And they're fine with it? They were convinced that it was the right course of action?"
There was a barely perceptible hesitation, and then Daniel spoke up to say simply, "Yes."
The trip had taken almost an entire day, so Jack suspected it wasn't quite that simple--it couldn't have been, really, when kids and family and interplanetary politics were all involved--but they'd left on good terms, the mining was happily continuing, and SG-6 seemed to be on speaking and joking terms with the native Abydons, who were as curious about the Tau'ri as they were about all the machinery. Daniel would only say that whatever had taken him so long was personal, not business. Teal'c hadn't found it appropriate to offer a translation, either, so Jack had decided not to poke any further into it.
"Is there any possibility that the Harsesis will be found again?" Davis asked.
"I don't know," Daniel said evenly. "Believe me, Major, no one hopes to find Shifu again more than I do."
For an alarming moment, Jack thought he saw Daniel's eyes glistening, but when he looked again, he decided it was a trick of the light off the glasses. And Daniel was back to staring at the table, unnaturally calm in a way that freaked Jack out almost more than tears in front of the Pentagon would have.
When no one else spoke, Jack asked, "Is that it?"
"I think so, Colonel," Major Davis said, organizing a few things and standing up. "I'm not going back to Washington until tomorrow evening, so if there's anything else, I'll find you." He paused, then said, "Sir, Colonel Maybourne seemed to believe there was an issue with the healing device..."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Major--we think there's an issue, too."
"That was the only one of the devices we were told about that we didn't recognize," Carter explained. "We just want to figure out where it came from and how it ended up in this facility." And if there are others, she left unsaid.
"I'd like to know how that stunt with the sarcophagus was allowed to start in the first place," Jack added.
"Because Colonel Maybourne was killed, Jack," Daniel said suddenly, shooting at look at him that was laden with an extra dose of annoyance. "He didn't exactly have a choice."
"Not at first, maybe," Jack said.
"Perhaps Dr. Fraiser will have further information," Teal'c suggested, firmly stopping them just as Daniel opened his mouth to respond. "We will learn no more of Colonel Maybourne's activities before then."
Understanding, Davis nodded again. "I'll keep all of that in mind. And if Colonel Maybourne's unavailable, I'll make sure the healing device and other relevant technology also gets sent to the SGC."
Jack stood immediately. "Good. Now let's go find Fraiser and pick this up tomorrow. Ah!" he added when Carter looked about to protest. "Tomorrow, Captain."
From the next chapter ("Consequences, Part II"):
"Good," he said, relieved. They didn't need problems on more than one front, and definitely not in their own backyard. "So it definitely never came through our 'gate."
Carter stopped. Jack pulled up short just before he could run into her. She turned around to look at Jack. "They have another Stargate here," she said.
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