Chapter 7
"Alright.
This is how we're going to do this."
Sam
watched as Colonel O'Neill took a seat opposite from Thoth, revealing a paper
bag. He feigned a smile, shook the bag,
and glared at the Goa'uld.
"We'll
ask some questions and if you reply in a way that we like, you get a
reward. If not, well then…" He
glanced over at Teal'c. "You get
the idea."
Sam
had told her superior officer this was a bad idea. She had asked him seven times to try a different approach, but he
would not listen. She knew he was
upset, hurt, and angry, trying to figure out a way to overcome this obstacle to
save Daniel. But taking out his frustration in this manner would not get them
very far.
He
was on the edge, she had realized, and she didn't think he could take much more
of this. With Daniel dying, then returning, then having twelve personalities
downloaded into his mind, only to then suffer torture and abuse in Honduras,
the colonel couldn't stand the thought of losing him again.
None
of them could.
"You
believe that will work?" came the guttural voice across from them.
"You
bet. Daniel loves junk food."
Thoth
sighed, shaking his head. "Very well. I will play your game."
"This
isn't a game," O'Neill snapped. "You have no right to be in
him."
"Says
who?"
"Says
who?" the colonel repeated angrily. "Doesn't matter, says who. Says
me. Daniel didn't consent to this so you don't belong."
"How
do you know he did not consent?"
"Because
I know Daniel."
"He
is attempting to bait you, O'Neill."
"Stay
out of this, Teal'c," Colonel O'Neill grumbled crossly while glaring at
Thoth. "Now, are you going to answer our questions, or not?"
"Of
course I will," Thoth replied. "I offer my knowledge freely."
"Yeah,
yeah." O'Neill glanced up at Sam, and she stepped forward.
"Who
are you?" Sam asked.
Thoth
frowned, eyeing the rest of them carefully.
"Did we not already do this?"
"Just
answer the question," O'Neill said impatiently.
"I
go by many names. I am whoever you wish
me to be." He smiled. "You
may call me Daniel if you'd like."
Sam's
stomach turned, and she looked away. Some of that excitement she'd felt before
was starting to wear off.
"I
don't think so," O'Neill snapped.
"What
do people normally call you?" Sam asked, regrouping.
"Depends
on where I am, it seems." Thoth
was no longer smiling. "And who is calling me. Language is a curious study
and each species, even within a species, has many ways of expressing it."
"Fascinating,"
O'Neill said offhandedly. "Skip the lectures, professor, and just answer
the questions."
"Okay,"
Sam said, feeling uneasy over her commanding officer's behavior. "What
would you like us to call you? Aside
from Daniel," she clarified quickly.
"Thoth
is adequate. I understand that most peoples of your world are more inclined to
identify with the Hellenized versions of the name."
"What
other names have you gone by?" she asked, wishing Daniel were here.
Really
here, she
thought as she gazed solemnly at the alien that used his face. Her knowledge of
Egyptian mythology and history was nearly nonexistent, the bits and pieces she
knew coming from Daniel's lectures. She'd feel more comfortable in her lab
examining the technology that Daniel…Thoth had brought back with him.
"Djhuty,
Djehuty, Dhouti, Djehuti, Tehuty, Tehuti, Thout, Zehuti, Sheps…." Thoth
rattled off before pausing. "Plus, various epithets."
Sam
nodded, glancing to Teal'c. She knew
Teal'c was in a better position than she was in understanding the history
behind the Goa'uld, but he lacked knowledge in Earth history and mythology to
bridge the two.
"Got
quite a few aliases there," O'Neill remarked, his face never breaking.
Thoth
smiled, but did not answer. "Have
I done well enough to win some food for myself?"
"No."
Thoth
sat straighter, regarding Colonel O'Neill coolly. "What else would you
like to know?"
"What
were you doing on P9R-139?" Sam asked, continuing.
"Were
you not paying attention to the lecture?" Thoth asked, gazing down at his
fingernails, picking at the fingertips.
"We
want you to elaborate," Sam stated hotly. "What were the labs
for? And how did you get into
Daniel? What was the purpose of that
shrine?"
"I
am a scientist," Thoth put simply. "I conduct research. Would it not make sense then that I would
have a laboratory and a library at my disposal?"
"What
was the purpose of your shrine?" Teal'c said, repeating Sam's question.
"What
would you have me say?" Thoth said, without any malice in his voice.
"Is it not true that no matter what I say, you won't believe me
anyway?"
"That's
not true," Sam rebuffed.
"Of
course it is. No one believed Jolinar's pleas when she was held prisoner
here."
Sam
glanced away again, refusing to look at Thoth. Standing in here, talking to him
while Daniel was so far away and yet so close, made her skin crawl. She felt helpless and she hated not having
that control. Had Jolinar caused her
friends this much distress?
"What's
going on with Mueller and the rest of them?" O'Neill continued for her.
This
time Thoth did not answer, having become completely engrossed at staring at
Daniel's fingernails. Finally, after a
few sighs, and a wince, he brought his head up. His gaze was distant. Surprised, Sam thought she even saw remorse
in his eyes.
"Failures,"
he said sadly.
"What
do you mean by failures?" Teal'c insisted.
"Incomplete.
Rejects. I do not wish to speak of
it," he muttered quietly.
Sam
wanted to know more, to understand what he meant by his cryptic words. She shot
a glance over to Colonel O'Neill direction, but he shook his head.
"What's
going to happen to our people?" O'Neill questioned aggressively. "Is
there any way to help them? Any way to
take those bugs out of them?"
"Bugs?"
Thoth replied hotly.
"Uh,
Colonel…"
O'Neill
shook his head, ignoring her.
"Yeah, bugs. They go right
up there with snakes and worms in my book.
In fact, I'm pretty well known for taking my foot and crushing the
little buggers."
Thoth
appeared furious. Sam could already feel Teal'c tensing by her side, ready to
take action.
"How
can you stand to forever wallow in your ignorance?" Thoth grumbled
fiercely.
"It's
a gift," O'Neill retorted.
"Is
it also a gift that you are uncompassionate?
You can only make petty remarks while your friend here is helpless as he
serves as my host. How decent of
you."
Before
Sam could even react, her CO had leaped out of his seat and had charged at
Thoth. If not for Teal'c and his strong
arms and swift motions, Sam was afraid that Colonel O'Neill would have
completely lost it.
"You
son of a bitch!" O'Neill swore, glowering at Thoth, struggling against
Teal'c. "When we get you out of
there, I am going to step on you myself!"
Thoth
appeared unperturbed. "Very nice. May I eat now? My host is extremely hungry."
O'Neill
get his hard glare on Thoth, but relaxed, and Teal'c released him. "Give him the damn food," the
colonel stated, walking away from the table.
"I can hear Daniel's stomach a mile away."
Sam
picked up the bag from the floor, and glanced back, frowning as she realized
her commanding officer was leaving.
"Sir?" she asked, watching him head for the door.
"I've
had it, Carter. I'm not playing his way
anymore." With that, he left the
confines of the room, the door closing behind him.
Stone-faced, Sam took the seat Colonel O'Neill had been sitting in only moments earlier, briefly stealing a glance in the direction of mirror. She knew that General Hammond was keeping track of everything from the observation deck, and she silently hoped that soon he'd bring her news that Janet had made a breakthrough in the infirmary that would solve all their problems.
Not
likely, she thought, sighing to herself. Not that she doubted Janet but…
She
gazed to her left, noticing Teal'c held the same concern in his features as he
came to stand beside her.
Slowly,
she withdrew the food and placed it on the table, and put the empty bag on the
floor by her feet. Then, she opened the
notebook she had been carrying and laid it out in front of her.
Thoth
took a glance at the notebook and smiled, already reaching for the food she had
given him. "French fries," he said happily, twirling one around in
his fingers.
"Yes,"
she said, watching him carefully.
"Big
Mac," he said, grabbing the burger greedily, and munching down hard. As he chomped away on the fat-filled mess,
he made a noise that sounded like contentment, and his eyes—Daniel's
eyes—twinkled with delight.
"You
might want to chew," she advised him, as she had said to Daniel on several
occasions, feeling nostalgic as she watched the sight in front of her. He
reminded her so much of Daniel that, at times, it was frightening. How Thoth had gone from being so stiff and
rigid, when he had first revealed himself, to this more relaxed state, she
couldn't guess. But it was something
that troubled her.
Thoth
shoved a handful of fries in his mouth before offering her the container.
She
shook her head. "No, thanks."
"You're
not on a diet again, are you?" Thoth asked, between mouthfuls.
Sam
cleared her throat. "No," she replied quietly.
"It
bothers you that I am in your friend, correct?"
"Yes,
it bothers me," Sam replied passionately. "You don't belong in him.
He doesn't deserve this."
"You
assume that it is so terrible for me to be joined with him," Thoth said
casually, taking another bite of his burger.
"We've
seen what the Goa'uld do," Sam stated.
"And
as I have said, I am not a Goa'uld."
"Then
what are you?"
"I
advise caution, Major Carter," Teal'c spoke, standing closer to her.
"I
am eating, Teal'c," Thoth said, taking another swallow. "I am no threat."
Teal'c
remained firm, his gaze never leaving him.
"What
are you?" she repeated.
"I
once was a Goa'uld, long ago," he admitted. He paused to take a couple more bites, and then placed his burger
down. "But those days have since passed."
"Are
you Tok'ra then?"
He
shook his head, licking his fingers one by one. "To be Tok'ra would imply
resistance against Ra. I was one of
Ra's most favored."
Teal'c
had mentioned something to that effect when they had spoken before. So, if he
wasn't a Goa'uld or Tok'ra, what could he be?
"Are
you a subspecies of Goa'uld? Or at
least part of the Goa'uld gene pool?"
Thoth
cocked his head, considering her words.
"Something like that, I guess you could say."
Somewhere.
At least they were getting somewhere.
"You
and my host get along well, do you not?" Thoth asked suddenly, finishing
off his fries.
"Uh,
yes. Yes, we do." She felt warmth as Teal'c placed his hand on her
shoulder.
"Both
curious. Both explorers. Both scientists.
Only, you have different viewpoints and different interests. You feed
off each other," Thoth stated.
Though
she wasn't exactly impressed with his wording, she had to admit it was true.
"Yes,
we work well together."
"My
host enjoys your company," Thoth said with a smile, taking his burger.
She
felt the protective pressure from Teal'c has he squeezed her shoulder and stood
taller.
"I
enjoy his company too. That is why I
want him back."
"You
have strong feelings for him."
"Yes.
Yes, I do. We all do. We won't let you take him," she uttered defiantly.
Thoth
did not seem to hear her comment. "You lost him recently, correct? He died
of radiation poisoning. But his spirit
lived on. He became one of the
Ascended. Joined the Ancients,
correct?"
Sam
bit back her emotions, feeling the sting of Daniel's death once again. Even if
Thoth was not a Goa'uld, he was still a monster.
"You
know he did," she muttered bitterly.
"You have access to all his memories."
Thoth
smiled, but she felt no warmth in his eyes. "I did not mean to upset
you."
"I
believe that you did," Teal'c stated coldly. Teal'c squeezed her shoulder
again. "Perhaps we should leave, Major Carter."
"No,"
she stated firmly. "I'm not going to
let him win."
"Then,
what else can I assist you with, Sam?" Thoth asked, the corners of his
mouth puckering into a wicked smile.
"First,
you can start by calling me Major Carter," she announced. "Next, we will discuss the schematics
that you drew in this notebook."
Thoth
bowed his head slightly. "Very well."
"Daydreaming
now?"
Daniel
shook his head, frowning as he gazed up at Sadji. The younger man was standing
over him, his arms folding, shaking his head with disgust at Daniel.
"I
do not see why Teacher likes you best.
You lie around in the garden far too much."
Daniel
looked straight up, staring into the blue sky and musing over the wispy clouds
that floated by him. He felt very
relaxed, and content, and really couldn't be bothered into moving.
"I'm
resting after a good meal," Daniel admitted, patting his bare stomach.
"Well,
you had better hurry. Our break is almost over."
"Okay."
Daniel
went back to staring at the sky. He
really could just remain here for hours, blocking out the buzz in his mind, and
just "being" for a change.
With
a sigh, he sat up, finding that Kemsa was sitting in front of him. "Can I
help you?" Daniel asked the dark skinned man.
"You
must forgive Sadji," Kemsa said softly. "He lost his father in the latest
war and has not been the same since."
"I'm
sorry," Daniel said regretfully, stepping up to the pool. For a moment, he stared at his reflection,
skewed by the strange colors that marked his face. He took off his glasses, and
moved closer. Leaning over, he brushed water over his eyes and his lips,
scrubbing lightly.
"What
are you doing?' Kemsa asked.
"I
don't wear make-up," Daniel replied.
Kemsa
chuckled. "There is one in every bunch."
"What?"
"One
who tries to be different. Or is different." He smiled again. "Let us go."
Daniel
nodded, wiping his face on his arm and slipped on his glasses. "What
happened?" he asked.
"What
do you mean?" Kemsa replied, as they paused on their way to the study
room.
"About
Sadji and losing his father. What war
was that?"
"The
latest war between Ra and Apophis."
Daniel
froze, feeling a chill. He looked upwards to the sky, watching as a glider
sliced through one of the clouds.
Oh
my God,
Daniel thought.
"I
have to go," he said quickly, feeling a panic attack ready to seize
him. Where was he? When was he?
"Where
to?" Kemsa said, pointing to the palace. "Lessons are this way."
"I
don't know," Daniel admitted, allowing Kemsa to drag him along, back to
the safety of the palace. "I don't think I'm supposed to be here."
"Of
course you are," Kemsa said, almost sounding concerned. "Did you injure yourself while you were
on break?"
"No…No,
I don't think so…"
Daniel
felt as if he were in a daze. The buzz
continued to grow in his mind, making it harder and harder for him to
concentrate. He barely heard the heated
conversation between Sadji and Kemsa as he numbly walked into the study room.
"No,
don't go in there!" Sadji shouted.
Daniel
stopped, gazing wide-eyed as Teacher paced back and forth, prowling in front of
two bound men, his movements cold and catlike.
"You
have defiled the law of ma'at. There is no greater transgression," Teacher
said with a hatred that Daniel could not even begin to fathom. "You shall
feel the pain of a thousand deaths."
Daniel
narrowed his eyes, the glint of something golden in Teacher's left hand
reflecting off the lenses of his glasses.
"What
is this?" Daniel asked.
Teacher's
posture suddenly changed, and he appeared almost ashamed. "Remain outside for
a moment. I have business that must be
attended to."
Daniel
held up a finger to protest, but Kemsa and Sadji quickly dragged him out of the
room and back into the garden.
"Are
you mad? You never walk in on the trial
of the unjust!" Sadji scolded, urging him into the farthest part of the
garden.
"What?
Trial?"
"You
are clearly insane," Sadji muttered, shaking his head.
Maybe
I am,
Daniel thought. Maybe I am really losing it this time.
"There
is no mercy for those who break the law of ma'at."
"Ma'at.
Justice," Daniel murmured, understanding.
"Yes. It is up to the head scribe, or priest, to
uphold the laws of ma'at," Kemsa explained calmly. "Our teacher is
this such person. He has dedicated his life to Ma'at so that he can allow her
will to be done."
Were
they talking about ma'at or Ma'at?
Confused, Daniel stared at them. "What--?"
"Down!"
Sadji called, tugging at Daniel's kilt. Kemsa and Sadji both bowed to the
ground to the figure that had emerged from the gardens in front of them.
"I
don't kneel for—"
Daniel
was abruptly cut off when Sadji pulled him down, forcing him into a kneeling
position.
Daniel
could only stare. She was beautiful,
emitting both a power and elegance that seemed well beyond her years. She wore
queenly robes and she had a stunning headdress that she wore over her black
hair. Fitted neatly in the top of the headdress was a lone ostrich feather.
Smiling softly, she gazed down at them.
Blushing,
Daniel attempted to fight the effect she had on him. He exhaled, feeling somewhat
better, only to stiffen when she walked from man to man, patting them on their
heads affectionately.
Feeling
an ache deep within, Daniel looked away, suddenly missing Sha're more than
ever. Forcing himself to remain calm, he finally looked up, watching her as she
urged them to their feet.
"Should
you not be learning?" she asked the men.
"Your
Lord is currently holding your word," Sadji stated.
"I
see. Then you are welcome to join me by the trees," she said pleasantly.
"We
should return," Kemsa said reluctantly. "Your will should be done by
now."
She
nodded. "It should. You must go back and meet with Truth."
Sadji
and Kemsa nodded, dragging the still-stunned Daniel away from the woman and
back towards the study room.
Ma'at.
Justice personified.
Confused,
and starting to feel dizzy and disoriented, Daniel stumbled back into the study
room. Within the chamber, there was no
sign that anyone else had ever been there. Teacher stood alone in the middle of
the room, welcoming them with his arms open.
What
the hell was going on?
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