Fic: Wreck On The Information Highway 1/? StarGate SG-1
Wreck on the Information Highway
By: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1 or any affiliated productions.
Warning: Violence, Language, Character Death.
Rating: Adult Slash.
FeedBack: lopaka_tanu@yahoo.com
Archive: RSD, Area 52, anywhere else ask.
Date: 3:37 PM 7/19/2005
Series: Daniel of Malksur.
Pairing: Mentions of Daniel/Sha're, Jack/Sam, Janet/Ferretti.
Summary: After the unexplainable attack on Nasia, Daniel feels like he is losing his mind. Every corner he turns has him looking over his shoulder. Previously complicated translations now are easier to understand than his own hand writing. Is it paranoia, or is someone really out to get him?
Spoilers/Timeline: Season 2 - In the Line of Duty. _______________________________________________________
The first sign they were under attack was the squeal of a death glider's engines as it dived for a strafing run. The next moment several explosions rocked the streets of the Nasian village of Urg-aught. People screamed and fled their homes in panic. Three more death gliders dove towards the village, cannons firing. People and entire buildings disappeared in the rain of fire.
Daniel hit the ground as a death glider crashed to the earth from over head. Glancing over his shoulder, he gave a half hearted smile to Major Ferretti. When the major saluted then dropped the rocket launcher, Daniel climbed slowly to his feet. His body ached from the impact in several places, the least of which was his neck.
Limping, he continued on the path he had been walking before the attack. Someone had to open the gate. Since he was the only one not holding a weapon fighting or fleeing the death gliders, it fell on him. The normally short walk to the DHD left him slightly winded from his injuries. Quickly, he pounded the symbols and hit the activation orb, or 'whatever the hell Sam called it' he mused.
The moment the gate opened, he entered the IDC code on his wrist monitor and prayed they opened the iris soon. His monitor beeped and he gave a small cry of triumph. "The gate! Get through the gate." Daniel looked up and waved his arms to get the other's attentions. "It is open, go through the gate!"
"Good work, Doctor Jackson!" Ferretti passed him dragging a gaggle of children and their mothers, shoving them roughly through the gate when they protested. He picked up his P-19 from hanging by his side, and took aim over the heads of the panicking villagers. He let off a short spray of bullets that silenced most of the screams. However, before he could speak, another wave of death glider attacks had the villagers screaming again. "God damn it! Get your stupid asses through the gate, now!"
Daniel ignored the soldier as his men began rounding up the Nasians forcefully. Turning about, he caught site of Jack and Teal'c laying cover fire for Carter as she fought with a Jaffa, several villagers and Jaffa at their feet. One of the Jaffa started to sit up, but he was the only one who saw it. "Sam, look out!"
When she didn't pay him any mind, he ran from the DHD to help her. He mentally cursed himself for not bringing the standard P-19 instead of his unreliable handgun. The shot would have been easy from the distance and the recoil wouldn't have been so bad. "Now is not the time for self recrimination."
Running, he had to jump over several fallen Nasians. Their cries of pain and fright left him cold, but he had to keep going. On the last jump before he was in comfortable range to use his handgun, his knee gave out and he crashed to the Earth beside a man. He rolled over, biting back a scream from the wrenching pain, and pointed the gun at the Jaffa.
He pulled the trigger.
With sick fascination, he watched as the Jaffa's head slammed back and nearly off where his bullet had caught him in the neck. Daniel blinked in surprise at the handgun. "What the hell did they put in these bullets?"
The man beside him groaned softly.
Daniel glanced over from his revelry to the man.
His body started to seize. Chest rising and falling twice before his body went completely slack.
Grimacing, Daniel rolled over to the man. One hand reached out to check for a pulse while he leaned over to listen for breath. Finding neither, he tilted his head to check the identity of the Nasian man.
Suddenly, the man's eyes shot open. Grabbing Daniel by the scruff of the neck, he pulled him down until their lips met.
Daniel tried to push the reanimated man away, and scream for help, but his grip was too strong. A flood of slightly warmed mass burst into his mouth from the Nasian's. His gag reflex automatically kicked in and his jaw locked. With a start, he felt something moving in the mass as it pierced the back of his throat.
He screamed. Training instincts made him react; his arms flailing into the neck of the dead man. Daniel knew he broke the corpse's neck, but it still kept a hold of him. Sick realization set in and he knew what was happening to him. The feeling of its slick body and fins slowly crawling inside him sent him into shock.
The pain of the parasite taking control completely overrode every other sensation. He felt it as his body slowly began to shut down. The creature's presence invaded his mind. "You are now mine, Dr. Jackson," said the smug voice.
Daniel blinked away the delusion in confusion. 'It hadn't been real,' he thought. The sounds of the battle still raged around him and he remained frozen against the Nasian's lips, his mouth full of blood. Jerking to the side, he spat out the metallic liquid and gagged until he could taste bile. Wiping his mouth, he stared at the man beside him.
The Nasian's lips quirked slowly in a smile before his eyes lost focus.
"It was just a dream." Shock came to him. It had just been a dream created by his mind from lack of oxygen and abject fear. There was no goa'uld in him. Closing the eyes of the now completely dead Nasian, he felt grief well up inside him. "Fare well, my friend."
The next moment the battle intensified. More death gliders came from the sky killing several of the stragglers who were too panicked to understand the possibility of escape. Two more death gliders fell from the sky in a ball of fire. One landed beside Daniel.
The resulting explosion picked him and the dead Nasian off the ground and tossed them twenty feet high, crashing towards the Stargate. Daniel slammed in to the DHD and knew no more.
Daniel came to with a scream. Hands rushing out to stop his attacker from continuing. It was with a cold gasp he realized there was no one around. He was in an isolated room of the infirmary. His body covered in sweat, the medical gown clung to him in a strangling grip.
Gasping for air, he jerked the monitor leads and bed clothes from him. He ripped the gown over his head and tossed it back to the stretcher. The squealing of the monitors had him swinging at them with his clenched fist.
The sensitive equipment flew off the cart and crashed to the floor. It gave a screech then died in a flurry of sparks.
Glancing about the darkened room, he searched for the specter from his dream. Daniel's search came back nothing. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal. About the time he felt in safe in his surroundings, the door opened setting off his adrenalin again. He shot over the bed, placing it between him and the intruder.
Dr. Janet Fraiser looked up from her medical charts at the sounds of the bed creaking to find Daniel using it as a barrier. She raised an eyebrow at his stance and nudity. "Is there something wrong with my hospitality?"
"Nope." Daniel glanced about from side to side, but kept her in his sights. "Just a little jumpy. Had a bad dream."
"That's not surprising, you've been in a fevered delirium the past two days." As she finished speaking, two nurses and Dr. Warner came rushing in to the room. Janet faced them with a surprised glance. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"The monitor feeds went dead in the infirmary." Warner gestured at the broken machines with one hand, rubbing his forehead with the other. "Seems we've had another accident."
Janet looked in askance at Daniel. "Care to explain this?"
"I thought I was being attacked." Standing up to his full height, he composed himself and cleared his throat. "The electrodes on my head felt like the Ha'kresh the Ash'rak was using." At their questioning looks, he cleared his throat again. "My dream was quite vivid."
"I would assume so." Janet checked the statistics on her charts again. "All right, Daniel, you can get back in the bed. Nurse Holsly, get a tech in here to clean this up and a replacement monitor..." she trailed off at Daniel's grunt. "Just a heart monitor, it has finger clip, no electrodes. We weren't sure if you were going to have brain damage or not. Your body temperature had risen to over one hundred, five degrees. In fact, I have you scheduled for a CAT scan for tomorrow."
"No, I think not. I am perfectly fine." Daniel stepped back from the stretcher, taking with him the gown. "If you could get my clothes, I would appreciate it."
Starting forward, Janet clenched her hand in frustration. "Don't fight me on this, Daniel. You have been very sick for several days now. We only just took you off the IV this morning."
"And I am fine now." He held out his hands, dropping the gown. Twirling around, he did a small step dance. "Just fine. No need to worry."
"Daniel," she started warningly.
"Look, I don't like hospitals, I don't like the infirmary, you know this. I'm willing to wear a portable monitor if you let me go to my office." Holding up his hand, he made a crossing gesture. "Promise not to leave the base for anything. Pinky swear!"
Janet turned to Dr. Warner. They stared at each other for a moment before he nodded once. Grinding her teeth, she nodded too. "Fine. But only after you pass a full physical given by myself. You will wear the monitor all the time for the next two days, you will not leave the base, and you will report everything that you feel in a health log, do I make myself clear?"
Grimacing, Daniel nodded. "I guess I have no choice."
Wincing, Daniel pulled up his pants and glared at Janet. "That wasn't necessary, you know."
Janet pulled off the glove, tossing it in the hazardous waste bin. Her fingers tingled from the tight constraint. Giving him a murderous look, she flexed her fingers. "It hardly suited my purposes to shove my entire fist up your..."
"You started it!" Cinching is belt shut, he winced. He pulled out the extra loop and glanced around the brilliantly lit examination room. "Are there any more of your tests, Janet?"
"Not at this time." Flexing her hand one last time, she pulled down the sleeve of her uniform and lab coat. Janet blew a curl of hair from her face. "Take it easy, you hear. I don't want you back in here in ten minutes because you got worked up over a translation."
"Finally." He adjusted the shoulder bag holding the monitor to a standard orbit under his left arm. With that in place, he checked his over all appearance in the mirror and smiled. "At least I am reasonably undamaged." Three bandages covered the left side of his face where he had impacted the side of the DHD.
"It could have been much worse. There were others caught closer to the blast who were not so fortunate." They lapsed in to silence, her filling out the charts and him checking himself out. After a minute, she glanced up at him. "Is there something wrong? I've never known you to be so vain."
Daniel frowned, his body going rigid. "I dunno. This just feels... wrong." He watched his body move, glancing over his shoulder as he turned around. "I just keep expecting something different."
"That is understandable, you suffered a mild concussion. Part of the problem with the delirium you suffered was having to wake you every so often to make sure the condition hadn't gotten any worse. We had so many new patients the damned X-Ray machines broke from all the constant use." She gave an aggravated sigh that spoke of long hours and too little rest. "The truth of the matter is I still haven't gotten the situation any where near under control. There are just too many of them."
"Would you like me to speak with some of them, help calm them down to make your job easier?" He patted the top of his head, brushing his fingers through his hair. Making a hmm sound, he smiled. "At least that is better than I thought."
Looking concerned, Janet walked closer to him. "Are you sure you feel okay? May be you hit your head harder than I thought."
"What?" Turning to her, he smiled absently. "Uh, no. I just keep thinking there should be less hair than there is." Flipping the long hair from his face, he smiled again. His face quirked a little on the left side before he started for the door. "I will meet with the people, see what I can do to calm them down, reassure them that we mean them no harm."
Still slightly wary of his condition, she nodded. "Thank you, it would be appreciated. However, before you see them, I think you should know why I have been kept so busy."
This finally caught his attention and dragged him reluctantly from his musings. There was something off about the entire situation, something surreal about it all. People seemed different, colors brighter, sensations more pleasurable. He had heard concussions did this to people, it would have become second nature by now. Too bad he was usually dead before he could enjoy these after effects of a concussion. 'There's a morbid thought.'
By now Janet had already cleaned up the exam room and was already following him out the door. The fact that he was moving slowly and kinda dazed was nothing new in her experience. Taking the lead when it seemed he wouldn't, she walked out. "In exam room four. Captain Carter, took the brunt of the explosion. There are burns on twenty percent of her body, she was lucky it won't do permanent damage. As the situation is, SG-1 is on stand down."
"That makes sense, two team members incapacitated. It doesn't really make for a good idea to replace half the team just temporarily." Daniel passed people on stretchers and in chairs, smiling at some. He recognized all of the Nasians, it was the SG personnel he was having a hard time placing. They were familiar, but their names were just out of reach in his memory and it pained him to think about it. Some seemed disappointed when he didn't stop, others just ignored him completely.
Finally, they came to the far side of the Infirmary. Janet ran her card through the scanner and the door automatically pulled back. They climbed the steps to the observation platform. She picked up the charts from the desks and looked them over, gesturing for Daniel to look out in to the room. "I converted the room in to a burn ward. There were several of the Nasians who were too injured to make the journey to the Naval Academy hospital. Sam didn't mind, in fact, she helped me design a cooling unit that sprays a sterile mist to keep them reasonably comfortable."
"That's our Sam for you, always thinking of something new." Daniel frowned as he searched the room for the person he knew as Sam. For some reason he kept having a hard time remembering what she looked like. Finally he thought to just focus on the people he didn't recognize. There was just one occupied bed he didn't know the inhabitant of. "That's Sam, right?"
Janet looked up from the pad, a smile quirking her lips. Glancing at the person he was pointing at, she nodded. "Yeah, that's her all right." It occurred to her that Daniel might not be joking. "Do you remember Captain Carter?"
"I think I do." Daniel frowned, placing a hand to his head. "It's kinda fuzzy, like something is blocking parts of my memory."
She slammed the charts down in anger. "Damn it, Daniel, why didn't you tell me you were suffering from memory loss? That could be signs of severe neurological trauma!" Grabbing him by the shoulder, she pushed him down in the chair and grabbed the pen light from her smock. "Let me see your eyes."
Taking a deep breath, Daniel complied, allowing her to shine the light in his eyes. He winced as it flashed over his corneas, trying to pull back from her grip. "That hurts!"
"Of course it hurts, if it didn't I would have you back on that stretcher and on the way to the academy right now." Feeling secure in her diagnosis, she let him go. "So far there are no signs of complete damage, but there might still be a little swelling in there. But just in case, I want you to write this down and everything else you have been feeling hazy on in the journal right now."
"Yes, Janet," he chimed in his best soldier voice. "Anything else, Janet?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, there is." She got a gleam in her eye that set Daniel's nerves on edge. "General Hammond is waiting on an official report of just what happened on Nasia. Since the moment Sam arrived, Colonel O'Neill has not left her side."
"Let me guess, you want me to tell him about it?"
"No, your memory can't be trusted at this time." She waved a hand towards the window. "Once you have filled out that journal, I want you to get the Colonel out of there. Take him some where to get cleaned up and ready to report on the situation. I would have had Teal'c do it, but he has been in a state of Kel No Reem for the past two days. It is the Jaffa equivalent of a healing trance."
"I am aware of what Kel No Reem is. What I didn't know was that the Jaffa was injured enough to require such an extensive amount of time in the state." Daniel's voice cracked as he finished speaking. Clearing his throat, he ignored Janet's clinical stare. "How was Teal'c injured?"
"He saved your life," she whispered. Her breathing came slowly as she backed away from him. "Um, Daniel, I want to schedule you for some tests Thursday when the machines are fixed. Until then, I think it would be best if you stayed on base and around people. I don't know what kind of effects the concussion has had just yet, and think it would be best if you were with someone who could call for help if you required it."
"Okay, I guess." Daniel grabbed the monitor bag and removed a spiral notebook from inside. He pulled the cap off the pen and began hurriedly scribbling down everything he remembered. When he was through, he looked up at Janet and smiled. "Ready to go."
"Then grab the Colonel and take him with you." She tensed as he passed her by. Waiting until he was out of the observation room, she bent over to the PA and pressed the buttons. "Colonel O'Neill, Dr. Jackson is waiting for you just outside the burn ward door. I am ordering you to get some rest, don't make me have to get the general."
The scrub clad form stood up from Carter's bed. He sent Janet a glare, then turned back to Sam. "I'll be right back, Carter."
Sam smiled, hand rubbing along the edge of her bed. "Go rest, sir. I am fine."
"Sure you are, and I'm the tooth fairy." He chuckled along with her, shivering as he did. The mists that had been keeping him cool, now seemed to freeze him.
"Colonel O'Neill, now."
Jack sent Janet another glare, but moved away from Sam's bed. "Right back, you won't even miss me."
"Go, sir. I'll be fine, I swear." She waved her armed, then lowered it again quickly as the bruised flesh cramped. Sam's body tensed as the cramp spread up in to her shoulder and through out her body. A nurse near by came over and pressed an injection through the IV. Soon she was feeling numb again. "Thank you," she murmured, unaware that Jack hadn't left yet.
A moment later the door opened and two large nurses came in, dressed in scrubs. They grabbed Jack by the arms and frog marched him from the ward.
"Hey, fellahs, I was going. Honest!" He tried to shrug them off, but only got a tighter grip for his efforts. After they passed the hermetic seal, the door closed and sanitary spray covered them. Jack grimaced as his skin tingled in the mists. "Damn cleansers!"
"Sorry, sir, but it is for the safety of our patients." The nurse on his left began removing Jack's scrubs while the one on his right pulled out Jack's clothes from a dressing bag. "Here is your uniform, sir. You can get a shower over there and change in to the clothes. They have been freshly washed and dried; your shoes polished." With that, he turned away and walked down a small corridor back to the nurse's station.
Jack glanced about the makeshift locker room as the nurse finished pulling off his clothes by jerking down his pants. "Such nice service. Just don't expect a tip."
"This is the military, sir, we don't accept them anyways." He grabbed a wash cloth and soap from a stack next to the clothes bin he deposited Jack's scrubs in. Turning back, he handed them to Jack. "Here you go, sir. Do you require any further assistance?"
"No, I'm fine, thanks. But if I should require someone to wash my back, you'll be the first one I call." Moving away, he set his uniform on a bench and moved over to the open stalled shower. The emergency shower had been converted into an impromptu wash, hot water being added by hose. Turning the nozzle, he was surprised by the amount of water pressure. "Sweet."
"Hurry up, Jack."
O'Neill spun around, dropping the soap. At the sight of Daniel, he settled down from an attack posture. "Don't walk up on a guy, Daniel, you know you can get hurt."
"What makes you think I couldn't handle you? I have been practicing you know." Daniel pulled up his hands and right leg, making a high pitched whine. "Also, I watched all three Karate Kid movies with Teal'c just last week."
Jack grimaced as he turned on the water. "Let me guess, much like an eight year-old, he wanted to practice the moves."
"Right." Sitting on the bench, Daniel winced. "Yeah, that was a trip to the infirmary I could have lived without. However, the good news is General Hammond's car has a nice shine."
"Wax on," Jack ran the soap over his belly, "Wax off," he ran the wash cloth over the same area. "Wax on, wax off! Wax on, oh yeah, wax off!"
"Oh would you cut that... Jack! I'm sitting right here!"
Daniel watched as Jack tied a double knot in his laces then stood up. "Are we going to talk about this?"
"What is there to talk about? You are all better now, Carter is still in the burn ward, I don't see the problem." Jack adjusted his uniform shirt, redoing the buttons after he discovered a missed loop.
"Don't see the problem?" Daniel stood up, shock and anger fighting for control. "I could have died. You didn't even ask about me and you don't see the problem with that?"
Snorting, Jack glanced away. "No, Daniel, I don't. So I got a little distracted, Carter needed me."
"I needed you!" Stomping up to Jack, Daniel grabbed him by the shoulders. "You are supposed to be my friend."
"I am your friend, Daniel, but I am also Carter's CO. It is my job to make sure she was okay." Jack lifted his arms and shrugged off Daniel's hands. Pushing past the other man, he started for the door. "I had to make a choice and I did. If you can't handle that, then perhaps you should rethink some things."
"And just what kind of things would those be? Our friendship? Or is this your way of saying the humoring period of grace you seemed to have developed for me over the past two years has ended?" Daniel stood there waiting in the middle of the makeshift locker room. When Jack didn't respond, Daniel snorted. "That's it, isn't it? You can't handle the fact that I'm a geek who refuses to blindly follow your orders."
"No, I can't!" Jack whirled on the man, his fists clinched in anger. With every step towards Daniel, he gritted his teeth. "You find fault with everything I do, nothing is ever good enough for you! My military training is who I am, and you enjoy throwing things like discipline, order, and regulations back in my face at every turn! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I tell you what to do, not because I am dick head like you think, but because I am tired of seeing you become a casualty on every god damned mission?"
Daniel snapped. Blood vessels in his face made him close his eyes from the pain. His composure completely shot, he twisted his hair and yanked off his glasses. "Well I have news for you, Jack, I am not in the military! I have never been, never wanted to be! And yes, I think you are a dick head at times! My injuries on missions have nothing to do with your orders. In fact, had I followed your orders like a good little soldier, Earth would have been decimated on more than one occasion!"
Throwing his hands up, Jack snarled at his friends. "Oh there you go again, just like every time we get in a fight, you misunderstand my point!"
"Then perhaps you should make it more clear!" Daniel placed a hand to his forehead, then slid it down and began rubbing his eyes. A headache had started to form from the back of his neck to the top of his head.
"For god's sake, Daniel! I care about you! I don't know how to make that more clear! Oh for the love of... let me!" Pushing Daniel's hand aside, Jack forcefully set the younger man down on the bench. "Every time I see you get hurt it kills me a little more inside."
"You have a funny way of showing that." Daniel nuzzled against Jack's hands as they gently massaged his temples.
Freezing, Jack pulled his hands back. He stared at them for a moment before taking a step back. "I told you I didn't want to leave you on Apophis' ship. You don't think I regret that? Watching those ships blow, thinking you were dying along side old snake eyes and Skarra..."
"Apophis isn't dead." Daniel winced, a sharp pain having shot down his spine. "He and Klor'el escaped as the ships blew in a Tel'tac."
Jack's breath caught in his throat. "How do you know that?"
"He sought refuge with Cronus after you blew up his ships. They are planning a much bigger strike now. To them, you are no longer just a minor annoyance. I was..." Glancing up, Daniel shook his head. "What was I saying?"
"It doesn't matter, you were just rambling." His face stonily emotionless, Jack gestured for the door. "What say we just go to the briefing already, hunh?"
"Yeah, before you stick your foot even deeper down your throat." Rising from the bench, Daniel fumed. He stormed past Jack and out the locker room door.
Jack waited until he was sure that Daniel was gone before heading to the red phone hanging on the wall. Picking up the hand set, he spoke in a husky voice. "Get me Doctor Fraiser."
Daniel walked down the hall still caught up in his own righteous indignation. How dare Jack make it out to be his fault! The man was to blame more times than he for the injuries they both sustained on any given mission. "If only I was allowed to do my job properly, Jack, I know there would be less need for your training."
Nothing but the sounds of his own footsteps on the floor answered him.
"Jack?" Daniel glanced over his shoulder. The dimly lit hallway was completely empty but for himself. "Thanks for making sure I'm not alone, ass hole!"
It suddenly dawned on Daniel that during their fight, he had forgotten to tell Jack what Janet had said. "Great, now I'm not only losing my mind, I'm also becoming forgetful. What next, incontinence?" Just to be sure, he checked the front of his pants with his hand. "Well at least that is something."
Starting forwards again, Daniel started fuming again. As he passed a junction, a flash of movement caught the corner of his eye. Daniel twisted to see who it was, hand waved in greeting.
The corridor was empty.
"Hello?" Daniel started down the hall, his eyes scanning the surface for anything unusual. "Anyone here?" More movement, this time to his left had him spinning again. He fought to control his rising panic. "Come on, whoever is there, this isn't funny!"
Tingling shot up his spine ending in his temples. Grabbing his head, Daniel cried out. Time seemed to slow down as he fell to his knees. He could hear the sounds of running water coming. Abruptly, all sensation fled and he felt like he was floating in space.
A brilliant flash crossed his vision, once, then twice. The light made him feel pain and he screamed. Shrieking, he grabbed on to something, the closest thing and held on for dear life. Muted voices flitted over his ears like they were filled with bath water.
Each time he tried to reach out and search for the voices, his body refused to cooperate. Metallic taste filled his mouth. He tried to spit it out to no avail. His spine shook from another stab and his head slammed back against a hard surface. Then all went black and the world receded once more.
Janet tightened her one armed grip around Daniel's shoulders as her other hand continued to hold the table spoon in his mouth. Tears stung at the edge of her vision while his body seized once more. His feeble grip on her pants failed once more and his eyes rolled up in his head. Finally, the seizure passed and she looked up to glare at Jack.
Jack stuffed his hands in his pants and walked down the corridor, shoving the medics aside as they rushed passed him to reach the downed man. He ignored their grunts and kept walking.
General Hammond sat his desk as Jack studied his model plane sitting on a shelf at eye level. "Jack?"
"General," Jack chimed back. His attention was drawn to the propellers of the bronze statue. Just as he was about to reach out and touch it, the General cleared his throat.
"About your report, I really don't think 'we were there, goa'uld came, lots of explosions, we got home, some hurt, some not,' is appropriate." Hammond sat back in his chair, tossing the single page report back on his desk. "Are you going to tell me just what the hell happened out there or do I have to get some sodium penethol?"
"No, sir, you can hold off on the bamboo shoots too." Grimacing, Jack backed away from the sculpture. He placed his hands behind his back and turned to face the older man. Despite his many attempts at delaying this and the overwhelming urge to go see Carter once again, he managed to take a seat.
"Thank you, Jack. I understand your need to see to it that your team members are well once more." Picking up the recorder, Hammond turned it to face Jack and pressed the record button. "This is General George Hammond of the SGC, beginning record of Colonel Jack O'Neill's mission report to the planet known as Nasia. You may begin when you are ready, Colonel."
Jack leaned back in his chair; tried to get comfortable by shifting about. When that failed, he leaned forward, hands on the arm rests. He couldn't find any part of the chair that made him relax so he stood again. This time he leaned against he desk and fiddled with a paper clip off of it.
Hammond cleared his throat.
"What? Oh, right, sorry." Jack leaned over to speak directly in to the recorder. "This is Colonel O'Neill, spelled with two Ls. I was on Nasia when it was attacked by the Goa'uld. Lousy snakes!"
"Perhaps you should start with why you were there in the first place." After he spoke, Hammond caught Jack smirking. "I mean the purpose of the mission."
"Right, sir. We were on Nasia to seek peaceful trade and negotiations with the locals. They had not been a Goa'uld controlled world in over three hundred years and it was a good bet the snakes wouldn't be dropping by for a visit any time soon. The local plants had an interest for Carter and... Dr. Jackson stated that the inhabitants intrigued him. He couldn't quite grasp what civilization they sprang from and the tattoos on their heads were unusual. Whatever else he said about it went past me real quick."
Pulling the clip apart, Jack tied a rubber band around the tips to make a sling shot. "There wasn't any real strategic value and any thing of value aside from possible plants was negligible. The kinda mission you give to a first time recruit or a shake down cruise after a big mission, like say Saving the world."
"Let the record stand that the President and the Command of the SGC is grateful to SG-1 for defying orders and saving our world from a Goa'uld attack. However, they did defy orders and should be grateful for the month's paid leave they were granted in return." Hammond took the sling shot from Jack before he could test a paper missile. "Now, tell us about the Nasian people. What point of interest would drive the Goa'uld to attack?"
"Frankly, sir, I don't know. If they had a spy, the reason for attacking could have been our presence. We did just kick their butts." Jack gave the recorder a smug grin. "However, that wouldn't explain why they hadn't attacked in the week we and SG-2 had been there surveying. We know they have ships fast enough to launch an assault of any kind within a day of notice. The Goa'uld aren't known for their patience in their retribution."
George leaned over and spoke clearly in to the recorder. "I dunno, Colonel, they did wait a year after finding out it was we who destroyed Ra before they attacked Earth."
"Idle speculation, sir. It takes time to amass an armada for one attack by one Goa'uld, on such an advanced target. From what Teal'c stated, they have the ability to amass a fleet a hundred times larger than what we defeated if they are inspired. And after we kicked Pop's butt, I would say they are inspired." When he finished speaking, Jack stood up from the desk and started pacing. His movements brought him to the window that looked out over the command. "Nasia was nothing to them. One ship could have taken out the entire colony, us along with it. They had a week, sir, and they didn't take advantage of it."
"Then what do you suggest is the reason behind their attack?"
"We know that they are futile in nature, petty bickering would put a dampener on any major alliances real fast." Looking down, he placed a palm flat against the surface. "Personally, sir, I don't think we were the target on this one. Nor were the Nasian people, specifically."
Hammond stood up. Walking slowly, he approached the Colonel. "Go on, Colonel."
"From the rate of the attack, the pattern of it, I would say it wasn't the real deal. Sure, there was a lotta death and destruction, but I believe it was a ploy." Jack's voice trailed off to a whisper. His mind going over the details of the attack, he tried not to let it show on his face. "Carter started getting some strange energy readings on her equipment. We tracked the source to the edge of the village. Not far in to our search we found a dead Jaffa, his neck snapped and larva removed. Before we could sound the alarm bell, the first death glider attacked. After that it is a battle haze and then we came back here."
General Hammond gently placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Do you remember the fight at all?"
Staring at the reflection of his superior in the glass, Jack shook his head. "I don't. The next thing I remember is coming to myself with Carter in my arms and dropping on the ramp here. I was absolutely certain Dr. Jackson was dead. We had lost our weapons. Dr. Fraiser says I suffered blunt trauma to the head from the blast."
Janet entered the briefing room, her uniform unkempt and hair falling from the pens that held the days old hair do. Dropping her folders on the table, she slid in to the chair and sighed with pleasure. "Feels good to get off my feet."
"We can all understand that one, Doctor." General Hammond smiled at her for a moment then his expression sobered. Looking around at Teal'c, Jack, Janet, and SG-2, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am sure you are all wondering just why I have called this meeting. By now you know that two members of SG-1 have been incapacitated for the passed two days along side several hundred Nasians."
"Kinda hard to miss them lining the halls all the way to level fifteen. They avoid the barracks we set up for them until night and prefer to loiter around like hobos in the New York subway." Jack snorted at his own joke. "What," he asked when Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
"I hardly find the situation involving the Nasians amusing, O'Neill." Tilting his head, Teal'c eyed his friend with a curious expression. "Is there something the matter?"
Jack waved him off and sat back in his chair. "Nah, lets listen to what the General has to say."
"If you are through." Hammond glared at Jack pointedly before he cleared his throat and went on. "As I stated, two members of SG-1 are incapacitated. SG-1 will remain on stand down for the time being. That is not what I have called you in here for, however. Recent actions have led me to believe it is time to reassess the current status of our Flagship team." Looking to Janet, he nodded. "I believe this is where you come in."
Leaning forward, she sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry to say, but there is no other way. Major Carter's burns are significant enough to require at least three months of recovery and another three of therapy. She can remain acting head of the new technologies department for the next six months, but any field work is strictly out of the question. After that, we will have to see, but it shouldn't be a problem." She held up her hand to forestall any objections.
"I know you are upset, but that isn't the end of it." She pulled open a folder and stared at the contents with blurry eyes. Janet had to blink a few times before she could read the script. "Dr. Jackson has suffered apparent neurological damage; the results of which vary from mood swings to memory loss and a high probability of seizures. A probability that has crossed the line in to the realm of actuality. Approximately ten thirty this morning Daniel Jackson suffered a massive epileptic fit and lapsed in to a coma."
Silence reigned at the table. Even Jack was subdued by the most recent bout of information.
Hammond was the first to break the still. "Is there any news as to what the cause of this might be?"
Janet looked pensive, then shook her head negatively. "No, General, I am sorry. Any equipment we might have used to scan his cranial cavity has been sabotaged and is awaiting repair."
"What?" Jack's head shot up and he stared at her wide eyed.
Putting down her immediate response to silence him, she nodded. "At first we thought they simply stopped working from over use. Then we found several pieces of them were broken at critical junctures or completely destroyed. The portable X-ray machines we had on level twenty-three were crushed under a cargo container filled with concrete."
Ferretti, the head of SG-2, began to laugh. "What idiot stuck concrete in a cargo container? That stuff is heavy and is shipped in sacks for a reason."
"Exactly my point, Major." Janet closed the folders. "We have narrowed down the lists of suspects to one of the people in this room and the Nasians." When she finished speaking, six SF's in full battle gear and P-19's entered the room. "Each of you, aside from Teal'c, will submit to a brain scan done at the Airforce Navel Academy Hospital or you will be shot on sight. Gentlemen, I believe we have a Goa'uld among us."
"Wait a minute!" Having thought things over, Jack tried to get his mind around a concept that made his skin shiver in revulsion. "You said you believe, but you have no real proof."
"I have your report, Colonel." Pulling out a folder from her stack, she set in the center of the table. She grabbed another and set it on top. "I also have eyewitness corroboration from Dr. Jackson. He claims to have been interrogated by an Ash'rak."
Teal'c shot up from his chair, body tense. He stood in attack posture as he studied the occupants of the room. "General, you must make every effort to find this being."
Hammond remained seated, but turned his chair to face the anxious Jaffa. "Teal'c, what is the relevance of this Ash'rak? Is it some sort of torture device?"
"No," his deep voice growled in suppressed anger. "An Ash'rak is an assassin of the highest order. They are sent to do the will of the system lords. Many legends tell of their destructive prowess and their deadly nature. Much like your Chameleon, they can blend in with a normal group, not suspected in their presence even after they have attacked. They pride themselves on the ability to make their acts appear as just another natural occurrence."
"If what you say is true, it could confirm what Colonel O'Neill has theorized." Switching his attention over to the Colonel, Hammond nodded. "He believes the attack on Nasia was a ruse used to hide a more sinister attack. At the time he didn't believe we are the target, but I am more inclined to believe your escape was used as a means to bring a Goa'uld in our midst. As of now, I am ordering that the Mountain be shut down and all Nasians be placed under house arrest." Turning back to Jack and SG-2, he gave them a sad look. "I am sorry, but until we know who we can trust, I am going to have to ask you to surrender your weapons and remain with an armed escort at all times."
"But, sir, what about Dr. Jackson?" Jack stood up, and leaned over the table in his anger. "He is the one who claimed to have been with this ass rack!"
"That is out of the question. I have already confirmed for myself that any time the equipment was damaged or ceased to function, Daniel was still in his delirious stage strapped to his bed in the iso-ward." Janet started to flip through her papers. She was about to open another folder when her beeper went off. Checking the number, she cursed. "Shit! General, you will have to excuse me, Daniel has finally awakened."
Hammond tried to get her to hold on, they were still matters that needed discussing. "Can it wait? We have more to go over."
Janet shook her head as she stood, grabbing papers to leave. "Sorry, General, there is no time. Daniel's medication has been greatly increased to prevent any further seizures, however a side effect is acute psychosis and dementia. Over time we can decrease the dosage until we learn just how much he will tolerate, but without the scanning machines we can't risk it. Another seizure at this point could kill him."
"How long until they are up and running?" He was desperate by now. The looks on the faces of his people made this information all the more necessary.
"I dunno, two, may be three days at the least. Now, I am sorry, sir, but I most go!" She grabbed her papers and flew from the room leaving a stunned group behind her.
"Well, it seems we have a major situation on our hands." Hammond folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. "I have a solution that will satisfy our security and make your temporary arrest bearable." Before he continued, he glanced at Jack's chair, signaling the man to sit down.
Jack complied with an air of disgust. "Do go on, General, we are all atwitter with excitement."
"I will let the sarcasm go, Jack." He gave the second a stern look before turning to the rest. "Now, you understand your access has to be restricted. You can't have any weapons of any kind, that includes utensils from the cafeteria. Your offices will be searched as will your temporary living quarters. You will not be leaving the base anytime soon so I suggest you get comfortable. Every where you go will be monitored for security reasons, no high level areas. Any of you attempting to gain access will result in your being shot. I am sorry, gentlemen, but there is no other option I feel safe enough with. This base is the first line of defense of our planet and I will not hesitate to make sure it stays secure."