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Teal'c
opened the chest, carefully placing a stack of books onto the table. Without a word, he situated himself across
from O'Neill, watching the man. O'Neill seemed to be reading one of Daniel
Jackson's journals, flipping through each page slowly and decisively.
His
behavior worried Teal'c.
Since
before they had entered Major Carter's lab, O'Neill's attitude had shifted,
changing from one of anger and impatience, to one that was somber and
quiet. Teal'c could only surmise the
change was due to the appearance of Daniel Jackson, or whom they believed to be
Daniel Jackson. However, Teal'c had thought the few moments they had had with
their friend would have caused O'Neill to react in a more positive manner. This was not the case.
O'Neill
had made it clear he did not want to discuss the matter.
"There
are so many tapes," Major Carter stated, drawing Teal'c's attention to the
opposite side of the lab. She was standing near the TV and VCR, shuffling
through several recordings. "I figure the last tape will give us some clue
as to what happened before…" Her voice trailed off and she looked down,
turning away from them as she continued her search.
So,
it was not only O'Neill that was feeling the pressure of the situation.
Teal'c
had to admit he was growing weary himself.
"Perhaps
we will find some clues within the notes of DanielJackson," he offered,
gazing at O'Neill.
"Perhaps,"
O'Neill answered quietly, flipping another page of the book. "Or
not." O'Neill frowned, his gaze lingering on the handwritten page. He
cleared his throat and sighed before turning to another page. "He just
talks a lot. You know, like he does
when he gets excited about something. He's got pages and pages here about one
phrase he found on the wall."
"What
phrase does DanielJackson speak of?" Teal'c asked, grabbing the first of
the books he had recovered.
"Looks
like he translated it to mean something like 'the place of my honor.'"
Teal'c
considered the phrase. "The Goa'uld do not have honor."
"Don't
need to convince me of that, Teal'c," O'Neill said, turning to another
page. "And something about the Book of Thoth. What the hell is that,
anyway?"
Teal'c
frowned, uncertain as to what O'Neill was asking. "The Book of Thoth would
more than likely contain the writings of the Goa'uld Thoth."
O'Neill
glared at him.
"What
does Daniel say about the Book of Thoth?" Major Carter asked from behind
him.
"Nothing,"
O'Neill muttered. "Just that he's all excited to try and find it in the
library." He paused, flipping to another page. "But he didn't."
"Sir,
we're probably not going to find anything in Daniel's journal," Major
Carter stated. "Once he was taken over by Thoth—"
"Yeah,
I know, Major," O'Neill muttered softly, still staring at the handwriting
of Daniel Jackson.
Teal'c
inhaled deeply, studying O'Neill as he brushed his fingers over the curved
script in Daniel Jackson's journal.
The
movement brought back a memory for Teal'c, something he had not thought on in
quite some time.
Not
long after Teal'c had pledged his allegiance to this world, Daniel Jackson had
offered his assistance in teaching Teal'c the ways of the Tau'ri. Teal'c had
been pleased with the offer, hoping his attentiveness would prove to Daniel
Jackson that he could be trusted. But Daniel Jackson was unlike others he had
met before him. His friend had placed his hate and resentment aside for the
greater goal of defeating the Goa'uld.
Daniel
Jackson was far more than a respected scholar to Teal'c.
Teal'c
felt his mind continue to drift to those times so many years ago. For many
hours they sat together, Daniel Jackson showing him the Tau'ri books of
knowledge and their recordings of history. Patiently, and often excitedly,
Daniel Jackson would speak of the different events of Earth's past. Teal'c had found their sessions fascinating,
and enlightening, allowing him to connect with the home of his ancestors.
But
a defining moment for Teal'c had been the day Daniel Jackson had begun to teach
him to read and write the dominant form of the Tau'ri language, for this
country and most of this planet.
Teal'c
exhaled, holding onto the anger he felt for the one known as Thoth, hating the
Goa'uld for what he had done to his friend.
He
refocused his gaze, noticing that O'Neill was staring at him. He stared back. They
stared at each other.
Suddenly,
O'Neill cleared his throat and glanced back at Major Carter.
"You
got anything yet?" O'Neill asked, quickly closing the journal.
"Almost,
sir. The teams really did a thorough job in recording the site," she
commented, placing another tape aside for future study. "I'm looking for
the ones for the lab they discovered. Someone must have caught something…"
"Keep
at it, Carter," O'Neill stated. Teal'c became aware O'Neill was watching
him yet again. "Whatcha got there, Teal'c?"
He
was uncertain. Daniel Jackson had retained many books from the ruins. Some of
the tomes contained languages with which he was unfamiliar. Many others
contained knowledge of the Goa'uld and their technologies. And then, there were
others…
Teal'c
frowned.
"I
believe I will clarify my previous statement," Teal'c said, his frown
deepening as he realized what he was holding. "Perhaps we will find clues
in the writing of Thoth."
"What?"
O'Neill asked, eyeing Teal'c warily.
Teal'c
chose to ignore O'Neill's mood and continued. "It appears Thoth kept a
journal for each one of his hosts." Teal'c scanned the pile and noticed
books catalogued under several names. He began to list them as he placed them
to his side. "Dejio, Nzzimizzmi, Sadji, Kemsa, Nefrekeptah, Setna
Khaemwese, O'Iiti." Teal'c stopped, staring at one of the books in front
of him.
"What?"
O'Neill asked again.
"DanielJackson,"
Teal'c replied evenly, holding up the journal.
O'Neill
visibly stiffened and Teal'c could feel a change to the atmosphere. Teal'c
found that even he was now sitting more rigidly in his seat. Major Carter came to join them.
"Can
I see it?" she asked, holding out her hand.
"Negative,"
O'Neill muttered acridly, before Teal'c had the opportunity to answer.
"Just get the VCR running so we can get this over with."
"But,
sir. There could be—"
"Teal'c,
just put it on the table," O'Neill ordered, his tone becoming more severe.
Teal'c
nodded, quietly placing the journal of the Goa'uld on the tabletop. He allowed
himself once last look of disgust before returning his attention to the rest of
his team.
Major
Carter appeared to have found the tape for which she was searching, and had
begun her ministrations by the VCR.
"Tell
me something, Teal'c," O'Neill started, trying to sound casual. "This
Thoth guy. You said he can't lie. Any Jaffa legend why?"
"Indeed
there is, O'Neill," Teal'c answered. "Jaffa legend states that on the
day Ra rose into the full power of the light, using his magic to rewrite the
law of ma'at, he bent the truth to his will."
O'Neill
just stared at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"From
that day forward, it has been told that Thoth could never lie again."
"Do
you mean he would be punished if he did?" Major Carter asked, sliding the tape
into the open VCR slot.
"Of
this I am uncertain," Teal'c admitted.
Though he knew much about the System Lords, especially the mortal enemy
of Apophis, he knew very little of the mysterious Thoth. Not even the System
Lords themselves could claim such knowledge.
"Did
Ra do something to Thoth?" O'Neill asked. "You got anything else on
this guy?"
Teal'c
understood the reasoning behind O'Neill's questions. If they could find Thoth's
weaknesses, they could be used against him.
"As
I have stated earlier, Thoth acted as mediator to the System Lords. He could often be found at large events and
summits." Teal'c paused, attempting to recall his knowledge about the
false gods, taking a moment to watch as Major Carter began to fast-forward
through parts of the video recording.
"He was adept with his usage of words, and was fabled to arise as
the victor even in situations where he appeared to have lost."
"Nice
little con action he's got going there," O'Neill mumbled. "What else?"
Teal'c
exhaled slowly. "I am afraid I do not have much knowledge on the subject,
O'Neill." He cocked his head, his mind settling on a distant memory.
"However, during my time under Apophis, I did learn that Thoth had fallen
out of the favor of Ra, after Ra had destroyed his consort, Ma'at."
"Ma'at? I thought you just said that was a
law?" O'Neill asked, obviously confused.
"…and
the glyphs here appear to be a different variation from the ones found on the
west wall. While the writing here is
more like an imitation of those found in Akhetaten, or I should say el-Amarna,
the writings on the western wall are unique, and cryptic, bearing little
resemblance to glyphs found at the digs in el-Ashmunein. They do, however, have
some similarities with the Pyramid Texts found in Saqqara. I can definitely
discern a pattern, and, upon further study, I may be able to determine its
origin."
Both
Teal'c and O'Neill were silent, listening to Daniel's voice as the video
recording continued. Major Carter smiled awkwardly, pressing down on the
fast-forward button. "I'm getting there," she uttered.
"Law?
Ma'at?" O'Neill asked again.
"Ma'at
was a Goa'uld, O'Neill. One of the oldest of all Goa'uld." Teal'c paused.
"A queen."
"And
she was the consort of Thoth?" Major Carter asked without turning from the
TV.
"That
is correct."
"Then,
I'm guessing that she played the whole 'I am law, hear me roar' thing,'"
O'Neill said irritably.
Teal'c
frowned, but nodded once. "Ra, as well as other System Lords, did not wish
to be subject to any rules other than their own. However, these events took place well before my time."
"Still
good to know." O'Neill tapped his fingers on the table, his gaze drifting
to Thoth's journal once before settling back on Teal'c. "So, what happened
after Ra 'offed' the little lady?"
"Relations
between Ra and Thoth were never again the same," Teal'c informed him.
"But Thoth had many allies, and could have easily sought assistance from
any of them."
"Who
were the allies?" Major Carter asked, slowly coming to sit down as she
paused the tape.
Teal'c
leaned back into his chair, suddenly realizing the implication of Thoth's
relations. "Prior the time of Ma'at's death, Thoth had enjoyed good
relations with all of the kindred of Ra. After Thoth fell out of Ra's favor, he
rejoined older allies, such as Osiris, Isis, Seshat…" Teal'c arched his
eyebrow. "And Anubis."
O'Neill
swore, and shook his head.
"Then,
this could have been a trap right from the start," Major Carter blurted
out, her gaze jumping from one man to the other. "If Thoth is working with
Anubis…"
"We're
in serious trouble," O'Neill finished for her.
Teal'c
solemnly agreed.
The
three remained silent.
"So,
what do ya got, Carter?" O'Neill finally asked, breaking the silence.
She
inhaled sharply, holding up the remote as she clicked play. "Here's the
lab."
"I
am having difficulty observing anything of value," Teal'c stated, studying
the screen.
Teal'c
spoke for the three of them. The video playback
was not only poor, but also engulfed in darkness. Occasionally, light from a
flashlight would allow some illumination in the room, but for the most part,
they had to rely on the audio playback for clues as to what was happening.
"In
here, Doctor Jackson."
The
camera swayed with movement, focusing sharply for a brief moment, with the aid
of someone's flashlight, allowing them a glimpse at the lab. Large, yet cluttered, Teal'c could discern
the shapes of several jars lining the shelves, along with some vials and tubes
that were situated on the counter tops.
He
heard Major Carter suck in a deep breath.
The
lab reminded him of Nirrti and her experiments.
"It
looks like a lab," Teal'c heard the scholar known as David Anderson state.
The
screen had become dark once again.
"Yeah…,"
replied Daniel Jackson. "About that. I'm thinking we should take a step
back outside for a minute."
"Why?"
the voice sounded as if it belonged to Captain Mueller. "Everything is
bottled. There must be a light switch around here somewhere…"
"Yeah…and
we probably shouldn't be touching things either. Especially with the lights
out."
Teal'c
arched his eyebrows at the comment, dwelling on it while he stole a glance
across the table. O'Neill appeared to be both proud and sad, staring at the
screen with a distinct pain in his eyes.
There
was a soft rumble, and the camera darted to the side.
"What
was that?" David Anderson asked nervously.
"Just
me." The voice was distinctly military. Teal'c surmised it to be the voice
of Major Tyrell. "I bumped into a
table. God, it's dark in here. You all
have your flashlights out?"
"It's
the darkest place in the whole building," Captain Mueller stated. Her face
was illuminated for a moment before it vanished. "It's kinda creepy."
"Hey,
Jackson! There are some writings over here.
If you can see past your nose, you might want to look at them."
A
couple of chuckles filled the room at Lieutenant Menard's comment.
"Well,
if we could find a light…" Daniel Jackson muttered.
"Fast-forward,"
O'Neill interrupted, shifting in his seat.
"They're not doing anything constructive and we don't have oodles
of time here."
Major
Carter nodded, quickly pressing one of the buttons on the remote. The images wobbled at a faster pace, there
was a flash of light, and then darkness once again.
Teal'c
leaned forward. "Please move back, Major Carter."
"Yeah,"
O'Neill whispered. "I saw it
too."
Major
Carter nodded again, rewinding the video recording. Stopping, she hit play, and quietly placed the remote down.
"I
got it," David Anderson stated. The lights sparked, and suddenly the whole
room was filled with light. Soft background noise filled the void, as the
room's occupants remained silent.
"Oh
my God! What are those things!"
Captain
Mueller's shout caused the three viewers to sit in attention, theirs gazes
locked onto the screen. Daniel Jackson
had panned his camera upward, and to the right, displaying several
containers. Within those containers
were creatures the size of an adult human thumb, alive, and wriggling within
thick colored fluids.
"There's
some kind of wiring connecting all the jars," murmured David Anderson. He
passed in front of the camera and then out of sight.
"What's
that humming?" Daniel Jackson asked suddenly.
The
camera moved from left to right, the room spinning with the movement. The camera panned over to a counter top,
filled with various instruments and vials before moving back to the jars that
lined the shelves.
They
began to shake violently.
"Uh—"
"The
humming is coming from the electrical current in the wiring!" Lieutenant
Menard shouted, interrupting Daniel Jackson.
"We
turned something on?" David Anderson asked, looking at the camera.
"I
think we should go," Daniel Jackson said at last, the camera wobbling as
he appeared to be stepping back.
"I
agree," Major Tyrell stated, moving quickly out of range of the camcorder.
"Let's—"
"Daniel,
look out! Above you!"
Even
before David Anderson had completed his warning, there was a loud crash, and
the camera jerked, the picture snapping out of focus. Images and lights flashed wildly as the camera dropped to the
ground, landing on its side, showing its viewers the horrors it had witnessed.
"Oh
God," Major Carter muttered, holding her hand over her mouth.
The
camera had landed beside Daniel Jackson, showing his limp unconscious body
lying amidst broken glass and leaking fluids.
Teal'c
cocked his head as he heard the screams of the others in the background. The
lights were flickering on and off, the wiring sparking, the jars
exploding. All these sounds filled his
ears and brought to him an overwhelming sense of disgust.
A
squeal that sounded distinctly like a symbiote echoed through the chamber, and
Teal'c caught sight of the long serpentine, yet wormlike creature, working its
way over Daniel Jackson's arm before the lights blinked out.
After
that, there was nothing but silence before the tape abruptly ended.
O'Neill
said nothing. Teal'c could tell that Major Carter wished to speak, but had not
yet found the courage to do so. And
Teal'c himself felt the anger and hatred burning within himself again.
A
ring from the phone that hung on Major Carter's wall was enough to bring them
out of their thoughts. O'Neill grabbed the
phone, and answered, his voice revealing more than was intended.
"Yeah,
General, we're fine. Thanks. We'll be
right there."
O'Neill
hung up the phone and glanced at them soberly.
"A
change with Daniel?" Major Carter asked hopefully.
O'Neill
shook his head. "No. But we need to get down to the infirmary."
"Why
is that, O'Neill?"
O'Neill
breathed out, his gaze hard. "Mueller's dying."
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