"Well,
aren't we punctual," O'Neill joked, walking into the briefing room.
Daniel
was seated at the far end of the table with an open notebook in front of him,
twirling a pencil through his fingers.
He grinned at O'Neill, and then Sam and Teal'c as they entered.
"Wow,
Daniel," Sam said, joining in the tease. "I don't think I've ever
seen you on time for anything before."
"Not
even for the evening meal," Teal'c added.
Daniel
grinned. "I'm just excited," he said, tapping the pencil on the
notepad. "Plus, the sooner we end the briefing, the sooner I can go back
to my office and work on some more translations from the ruins."
Sam
grinned. She knew exactly how Daniel felt.
"How's
the arm?" O'Neill asked.
"You
mean, where I scraped myself in the forest, or where you hit me?"
Sam
chuckled and shook her head, listening to the exchange. She reached the nearest seat, and eased
herself into it.
"That's
what you get," the colonel warned with a smirk, standing across the table
from Daniel. "Now means now. I
swear, I'm never loaning you out to another SG team again."
"But
Colonel Edwards likes me," Daniel droned.
"Colonel
Edwards doesn't like anyone." O'Neill straightened, smiling smugly as he
gazed at the doorway. "Hello, Edwards."
Edwards
laughed, shaking his head. He slid into the seat next to Daniel. "Always
talk about me behind my back?"
"Wouldn't
have it any other way."
Slowly,
the remaining members of the teams that had gone off world to P9R-139 entered
the room. Various scientific members of SG-11 and SG-19 sat on the side of the
table with Daniel, while the more military minded people stood behind Sam or
found seats beside her. Biting down a comment, Sam smiled as Daniel stood up to
pull out a chair for Captain Mueller, who in turn accepted with a blush of her
cheeks.
She
knew that the colonel would beat her to it.
"Hey,"
O'Neill whined, feigning that he was upset. He pointed to the chair next to
him. "Why don't you ever do that for me?"
Before
Daniel had a chance to answer, Teal'c stepped forward and pulled back the
chair, motioning O'Neill to sit. A few
snickers and chuckles filled the room, but the leader of SG-1 accepted the
gesture gracefully.
"Thank
you, Teal'c," he stated.
"You
are most welcome, O'Neill."
"Alright,
people, good to see everyone is here," Hammond announced, easing himself
into the coveted chair at the head of the table. "Shall we begin?"
The
commotion in the room ceased as Daniel began his lecture.
"Well,
as you all know, I accompanied both SG-11 and SG-17 on an archaeological survey
of some ruins that the UAV discovered while flying over the area near the
Stargate on P9R-139. At first, we
believed that the ruins were part of a shrine that the indigenous peoples of
the planet might have left for a Goa'uld impersonating one of their gods. That
was based on the Goa'uld script we found on several stone markers around the
structure." He paused, and tapped his finger on the notebook.
"However, after we swept the area, we concluded that the indigenous
populous, whomever they were, had either left, had become extinct, or been
taken from the planet long ago."
Sam
frowned, following Daniel's speech closely. "So, are you saying it's not a
shrine?"
"Technically…
no. It appears that it was built in a manner to masquerade as a shrine. But
what we found in the back of the structure is far more significant."
"Do
tell," O'Neill stated, resting his head in his hand.
"Behind
the main room, there were three adjoining rooms." Daniel stood at this
time, motioning to Anderson with a wave of his hand. "David, the tape
please?"
"Sure,
Doctor Jackson." David Anderson stood and rolled out the nearby television
and proceeded to attach the camcorder to allow for playback. While Anderson worked on hooking up the
equipment, Daniel continued.
"Each
room seems to have it's own separate function, as we'll confirm with visuals in
just a moment. But before we continue,
I think it would be pertinent to give a little background on the Goa'uld we
believe erected the false shrine."
Sam
stole a glance at her commanding officer, who just rolled his eyes at her
before staring at Daniel.
"So,
a Goa'uld built a shrine to himself. Seems to fit the bill, wouldn't you
say?"
"Only
it's a false shrine," Daniel reminded him.
"So
why, Doctor Jackson, would a Goa'uld take the time to build a false shrine in
the first place?" Hammond asked.
"To
hide," he answered.
"To
hide?" O'Neill repeated. "Sounds pretty lame, if you ask me. Wouldn't hiding under a rock be more in line
with a snake?"
Daniel
glared at him.
"It
is not uncommon for a Goa'uld to perform such an action," Teal'c
commented. "At one time, Apophis had many shrines erected in his name, only
to serve as covert military posts. Working in these shrines and temples, he was
able to learn much about his rival, Ra."
"So,
maybe not to hide?" Colonel O'Neill suggested.
"Perhaps.
Perhaps not," Teal'c said from behind them.
"So,
Jack, if you'd allow me to finish…" Daniel said irritably, admonishing him
as he folded him arms.
"Please
continue," Hammond instructed, glaring at O'Neill.
"Based
on what we’ve uncovered, we believe that the Goa'uld here was hiding or…not
hiding…for some reason."
"What
reason?" Sam asked.
"Some…reason."
He sucked in a deep breath and winced. "I'm not entirely sure,
actually."
"Great,"
O'Neill mumbled, still obviously sore from the general's glare.
"Well,
remember, we've only had a week to sort through the entire area encompassing
the ruins," Daniel said, frowning at O'Neill. "If we hadn't been
attacked, then we might have come back with a lot more valuable
information."
"And
have you come back with anything of value, Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked,
his point purely tactical.
"Yes,"
Daniel nodded. "I believe so."
"Almost
ready," Anderson stated.
"We
believe that the ruins were erected by the Goa'uld known as Thoth." Daniel
paused, waiting for his audience to absorb the information. When he realized no
one was biting, he continued. "Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom,
knowledge, science…"
Sam
winced, hearing the silence in the room. Mythology really wasn't their
specialty. Though, even though she thought she recalled the name from somewhere,
the only one that made some sign of notable recognition was Teal'c.
"I
am familiar with the one known as Thoth," he stated.
"Familiar
as in 'hey buddy' or familiar as in you've heard of him?" O'Neill asked,
tilting his head back.
Teal'c
arched an eyebrow, speaking to the colonel, but turning his head to Daniel.
"He was often present before all the Goa'uld, including Apophis."
"Sounds
like he got around," O'Neill muttered.
"Um,
if we could get back to the topic?" Daniel asked impatiently.
General
Hammond nodded again.
"Okay,"
Daniel stated, turning his attention to the monitor. Images sprung to life as
the camcorder documented the group's journey. "See, here," he
demonstrated, pointing to the screen, "This was our first clue. This is the symbol of an ibis, one of the
signature animals representing Thoth."
"An
abscess?"
"No,
Jack. An ibis." He pursed his lips. "It's a bird." With a slight
shake to his head, and a subtle roll of his eyes, he returned his attention to
the screen. "And then here, we
noticed a baboon-headed dog, another symbol representing Thoth."
Daniel
ignored the snicker, and continued with his lecture. "In fact, the more we
explored the ruins, the more evidence we found indicating that this was a place
special to Thoth. The writings, the artifacts, the hieroglyphs that were etched
into the walls…" Daniel swept his hand around, pointing to various
sections of wall on the screen. "Now, onto what I believe will be of
interest to everyone in this room."
Daniel
instructed Anderson to fast-forward to another section of the tape, indicating
with his hand for him to pause. "Here. This--the first room we
encountered. A library." He held
up his hand again, this time glaring pointedly at O'Neill. "Now, before
you say anything, hear me out. This
isn't just any ordinary library. Many of the books are written in the Goa'uld
script, and by hand."
"What
kind of books are they, Daniel?" Sam asked.
"They're
on a variety of subjects. Thoth was known as a master of knowledge, as the
myths go. We encountered books ranging from farming, to history, to astronomy,
to geometry, to even space travel."
"That
knowledge could be very useful," Sam admitted, turning to Hammond.
"Only
problem is that there are Jaffa all over the damn place now," Edwards
commented.
"And
we were only able to retrieve and bring back limited information," Major
Tyrell added.
"We'll
make do with what we've got, people," Hammond stated. "Continue, Doctor."
"Moving
into the next room, we encountered a storage room. Or, more accurately, some
sort of a housing facility for several different Goa'uld devices and artifacts,
some of which we collected and are now sitting in quarantine." Daniel
adjusted his glasses, and returned his attention to the screen, using his pencil
as a pointer while Anderson paused the tape. "We've been able to gather a
general idea of the use for some of these devices, and we've also brought back
manuals and lab notes to help determine their functions." Daniel allowed
his gaze to shift from person to person in the room before he spoke.
"Teal'c and I can work on most of the translations while Majors Menard and
Carter can figure out how to work the devices, based on what we've gathered in
the manuals."
"I
would be more than eager to assist you with your translations,
DanielJackson."
"Thanks,
Teal'c, I was counting on it."
"So…you
and your fellow scientists didn't happen to play with these Goa'uld do-hickys,
did you?" O'Neill asked cautiously.
Daniel
paused, skipping the question, and pointed to the screen. "We're positive
we didn't bring back anything harmful, based on the detailed notes that Thoth
left behind."
"If
we want to believe a Goa'uld," O'Neill reminded Hammond.
"Your
concern is noted, Colonel."
"And
as soon as we're done with the briefing, I can suit up for protective purposes
and study what was brought back," Sam began, trying to keep the excitement
out of her voice. "Once I can complete a threat assessment, and a
spectra-analysis, then we can get to work to see what technology we can use for
our benefit."
Hammond
nodded, obviously pleased. "Anything you want to add to that, Doctor?
Doctor Jackson?"
Sam
frowned, noting the remote look in Daniel's eyes as he stared into the
distance. Occasionally, when Daniel was on the verge of a breakthrough, he
would "zone out," and then blurt out some idea or solution that would
stun them all. Typically, he didn't lose time during a lecture, though.
"Uh,
yeah. Sorry," he muttered, a slight frown creasing his forehead. Then he
chuckled nervously. "I think all
that lack of sleep is getting to me."
Sam
looked over to Colonel O'Neill. The man
did not look pleased.
"Anyway,"
Daniel said, stroking his chin as he continued. "The third room. A lab of
some sort."
"A
lab? What kind of lab?" Sam asked suddenly, remembering all that Cassie
had gone through.
"All-purpose
lab?" Daniel guessed with a shrug.
"I'm going to allow for Major Tyrell to take the floor. I didn't spend much time in the lab since I
was busy with the storage room and the husks we'd found outside the
structure."
"Wait.
Oh, wait just a sec," O'Neill said, leaning forward. "Husks?"
"Dried
out Goa'uld husks," Captain Mueller stated, playing with the cuff of her
jacket.
O'Neill
whistled and leaned back, his body language flashing his feelings like a neon
sign. Sam felt uneasy as well.
"How
old were these husks?" Teal'c asked.
Menard
readjusted his seat, turning to face Teal'c. "We haven't been able to date
them yet," he admitted.
"The
problem is that the husks weren't buried in any stratigraphic layers,"
Mueller informed them.
"Which
made it difficult to place the husks in any sort of geological context,"
Daniel added.
"Why?
You should have had sufficient equipment--" Sam asked.
"Because
basically the husks were just…there," Daniel admitted, interrupting her.
"There?"
O'Neill repeated, a skeptical tone to his voice.
"There,"
Daniel stated. He sighed. "They
were just littered across the field. Whatever happened didn't happen very long
ago."
"Well,
that's comforting," Colonel O'Neill mumbled.
"There
was no danger, sir," Tyrell commented, standing. "They were just
husks. Whatever Goa'uld inhabited the
world are very dead."
"The
word 'dead' doesn't hold the permanence it once had for me," said O'Neill
with a grimace.
"We'll
have a better idea once the results come back from the lab," Mueller
informed them. She wiped her forehead and sighed. "But when we did soil
analysis—"
"Nothing,"
Lieutenant Menard stated.
Sam
frowned again, eyeing Menard and Mueller carefully. "Nothing? You checked for naquadah in the soil and you
found nothing?" She shook her
head, glancing briefly at Anderson and Daniel as they shut down the recording and
allowed Tyrell to take their place. "Goa'uld have naquadah in their
blood. When a Goa'uld dies, you can
still find traces of it in the soil. It doesn't matter if it was buried in
stratigraphic layers or not. When the Goa'uld begins to decay, the naquadah
seeps into the soil around it and underneath it."
"Except
for on the Goa'uld homeworld."
"Right,
but Teal'c, this isn’t the Goa'uld homeworld," Sam countered.
"Definitely
not," Daniel added as he sat down.
"But
husks? Hey, I admit I am no scientist here, but doesn't that usually mean that
they haven't been dead all that long?" O'Neill asked.
"Usually,
but that's dependent on preservation," Daniel answered. "I mean, look at Cimmeria. Didn't you and Teal'c find Goa'uld husks
that were lying around for years?"
"Yeah,
but Daniel, the difference is that Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c found those husks
underground in a cave. The extent of
preservation in a cool dank environment would be far greater than out in the
open, as was just stated by Captain Mueller," Sam said.
"So,
what are you trying to say?" Daniel snapped.
Sam
leaned back, frowning, puzzled over Daniel's behavior. "I don't follow,
Daniel."
"Of
course not," he grumbled.
"Whoa,
easy there, big fella." O'Neill shot Daniel a look, warning him to back
off. "We weren't there and we're
just trying to get an idea of what happened."
"What
happened is that we didn't get to finish our job," Major Tyrell stated
hotly, standing in front of the table. "Those damn Goa'uld ruined it for
us."
"Which
isn't our fault, Major," Colonel O'Neill stressed.
"People,
we appear to have strayed from the topic," Hammond intervened, his tone
threatening. "Now, if we can't
handle remaining in a room together, I am going to have to re-evaluate how
off-world teams operate. Is that clear?"
There
was a murmur of agreement.
Sam
nodded. Exhaling deeply, she fidgeted in her seat, a little unnerved by
Tyrell's outburst. She was used to
Daniel, though he didn't usually become curt with her, but Tyrell was one of
the sweetest and most good-natured people on base. She rubbed her eyes. She
guessed they were all just a little tired.
"Why
don't you start, Major."
Tyrell
nodded at Hammond, wiping a droplet of sweat from the bridge of his nose,
before folding his arms behind his back. "I primarily spent my time in the
lab, researching the items and vials that had been left behind by the former
occupants."
Vials?
She glanced over her shoulder to Teal'c, who appeared concerned, even for him,
by the direction the briefing was taking. Sam swallowed a lump in her throat.
"What
kind of vials were they?" Sam asked.
"And
for what purpose did they serve?" Teal'c added.
"Not
to worry," Tyrell said with a gentle smile. "We know the effects of
many of the Goa'uld agents and only entered with extreme caution. Basically, we studied from a distance, using
the translations Doctor Jackson had completed from the library. That's how we
gained most of our knowledge."
"Were
you able to determine what kind of medical tests or organisms were being used
in the laboratory?" Hammond asked.
"To
some degree," Tyrell stated. "The lab was the last room we explored
so our time was limited. All we really gathered was that Thoth was working on
some sort of Goa'uld symbiote experiment." He sighed, looking defeated.
"We were finally getting somewhere when Major Lorne spotted one of Anubis'
ships enter the planet's atmosphere. He then informed Lieutenant Colonel Braun
and Colonel Edwards who contacted the SGC for backup as the rest of us started
our evacuation."
Hammond
looked to both Braun and Edwards who nodded in response.
"Then,
as you know, General, SG-1, 13 and 19 came in for the rescue and
evacuation," Colonel Dixon added from the back of the room.
General
Hammond sighed. "Which appears to have run pretty smoothly." He
paused, folding his hands in front of him. "So, what can we conclude about
the mission to P9R-139?"
"At
this point, we can only make some broad generalizations," Daniel admitted,
twirling his pencil again. "But we're sure the structure belonged to
Thoth. We believe he was hiding, or something, possibly from other Goa'uld like
Setesh did."
"Oh,
good ol' Seth," O'Neill mumbled.
"Only,
Seth was associated with death and chaos, while Thoth was usually associated
with morality and enlightenment."
Sam
sat up at his remark, stealing a glance at Colonel O'Neill. He raised his eyebrows.
"A
morally enlightened Goa'uld, Daniel?"
"No,
Jack. I don't mean it that way. I am just saying that Thoth's motivations
for hiding may be vastly different than Seth's."
"You
think this Goa'uld is more like Yu?" Sam asked.
"Possibly."
He looked down at his notes, and glanced up again. "All I know is that this is something we really should
investigate further. It's going to take
time and research."
"I'll
take that under advisement, Doctor."
Daniel
was obviously pleased.
"Anything
else you'd like to add, Doctor?"
"Oh,
yes." He cleared his throat and turned a page of his notebook.
"General, I think we have finally found some information and technology
that could lead us to understanding the very nature and biology of the Goa'uld themselves."
There
was a pause from the members around the table.
O'Neill was the first to speak.
"They're
parasites, Daniel. We already knew that."
"I
mean beyond that, Jack. I'm talking about their biological functions and
why some seem to contain naquadah and others don't. Aren't you the least bit
curious why we would have found Goa'uld remains absent of naquadah on another
world? So far, we surmised that it was
an evolutionary step for the Goa'uld. Was it?
If we can figure out puzzles such as these, we might be able to use this
knowledge against them."
"Weren't
you the one that said genetic memory and the knowledge of the Goa'uld were bad
things?" Colonel O'Neill pressed.
"I
never said anything about genetic memory today. I am talking about other aspects of their biology. Besides, as
for the technology, we have manuals and datapads that I brought back to study
in conjunction with the artifacts. An informed decision is a good
decision."
O'Neill
did not reply.
"Look,"
Daniel said with a slight edge to his voice as he swiftly flipped to another
page of notes. "Thoth was one of the more obscure, but more important,
figures in Egyptian mythology. He is knowledge. He had an entire cult of
followers. His information—"
Sam
allowed her mind to wander, breaking free of Daniel's academic plea to O'Neill.
Shifting in her seat, she couldn't help but catch a glimpse of Captain Mueller,
who appeared to become increasingly distressed with the conversation. She would
sigh, fidget in her seat, and then would sigh again. In fact, she seemed extremely pale.
Feeling
a new kind of uneasy creep down her spine, Sam glanced over at her commanding
officer. She noticed he was staring intently at Mueller as well.
"Jack?
Are you even listening?"
"Something
wrong, Captain?" Colonel O'Neill stated instead, ignoring Daniel's
question.
"No,
sir," she said quietly, her lips trembling. "I agree with Doctor
Jackson."
Daniel
leaned over the table, studying her carefully before he broke and continued.
"Legend says, he even wrote an incredible text called the 'Book of Thoth.'
Now, reportedly, this book held the knowledge of immortality, of the greatest
scientific achievements—I mean, this book could be the key to unlocking the
secrets of the Goa'uld, their existence, and their strive for domination. I
believe—"
Captain
Mueller screamed, holding her head, as she leaned over the table. Doctor
Anderson quickly came to her side, trying to console her as Daniel stopped
mid-sentence. Sam rose to her feet, ready to call for medical assistance when
she noted Hammond had already done so.
Then,
Sam gasped.
Mueller
screamed again, this time her eyes glowing molten golden-white.
"Shit!"
O'Neill swore, throwing his chair back, and gestured with his fingers at some of
the military personnel to hold her down.
Daniel
could only stare, his mouth agape as he dropped his pencil.
Quickly,
Dixon and Wells had the struggling Captain within their grip, trying to
restrain her. She continued to scream
and gasp, the sweat beading on her face while her eyes continued to glow.
Teal'c hovered in the background, ready to offer his assistance if necessary.
Finally,
for reasons Sam could not discern, Mueller passed out.
"What
the hell was that?' Hammond demanded, his livid gaze shooting from person to
person.
"I-I—"
Daniel didn't continue, his face still frozen with shock.
"What
happened on P9R-139?" Hammond asked, his gaze jumping quickly from one
soldier to the next. "Doctor Jackson?"
"I-I
didn't know," Daniel said numbly. He shook his head, his body stiffening.
"I didn't know."
Hammond
set his jaw. "And how did a Goa'uld get in here without detection?"
"I
don't sense the presence of any Goa'uld in the room, sir," Sam admitted,
feeling her own fears and insecurities bubbling to the surface.
"The
lack of naquadah," Menard stated, understanding.
"Nothing
happened on the planet, General," Daniel stressed. "We didn't touch
anything in the laboratory, I swear."
"Something
happened," O'Neill said, but now is voice was laced with more concern than
anger.
"We-we
entered the shrine. The false shrine. And we set up our equipment," Daniel
rattled off quickly, as if he was trying to make sense of everything.
"Then-then we started our survey. We
didn't even touch anything in the lab.
We kept a good distance from any of the-the, uh, items. I-I spent most
of my time doing translations in the main room by the, um, altar."
"Did
you ever see anything that would have alerted you to a change in behavior in
Captain Mueller?" Hammond asked, his voice low.
"No!
No." Daniel shook his head.
"The
Goa'uld are efficient at mimicking the behavior of their hosts," Teal'c
reminded them.
Hammond
shook his head with disgust. "Get Captain Mueller to a holding cell until
we can sort—"
Tyrell
screamed, doubling over, hitting the floor with his knees.
"Oh
my God," Daniel muttered breathlessly.
Teal'c
surged forward, holding back Tyrell as his glowing eyes burst with the hot
white light.
Sam
stared disbelievingly at Tyrell, her heart sinking. Feeling the panic rise, she
turned to Daniel. Once again, Colonel O'Neill beat her to the punch.
"Were
you with them, Daniel? Tell me you
weren't with them!"
"I
wasn't with them!"
"Uh,
Doctor Jackson?" Anderson asked meekly, his hands trembling. "Don't
you remember? You accompanied Captain Mueller and I—" His face froze as he
realized the implications of his statement.
Within
moments, military personnel were pouring into the briefing room, heading
straight for the scientists. Anderson backed away, swallowing hard as the
airmen approached.
"Daniel?"
O'Neill's tone was desperate now.
"No.
Well, yes. But I didn't study in the lab with them!"
Anderson
began to spasm as he was held in restraint.
Daniel
made a choking sound as he leaned over the table, refusing to look at Anderson.
Refusing to look at any of them.
"I'm
sorry, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said sternly. "But I'm afraid I am
going to have to keep you in a holding cell until we figure out what happened."
"General!"
Daniel turned to face O'Neill. "Jack. Jack, I'm not one of them. Sam, come
on, Sam. I'm not one of them!"
She
wanted to plead in his favor, but she knew it would be in vain. The truth was, any one of them could have
been compromised while on the planet, including Daniel.
Menard
shouted, and fell, his eyes flashing, as he became the next victim.
"That's
it," Hammond stated. "Confine SG-11 and SG-17, including Doctor
Jackson, until a full set of diagnostics can be run on them."
Daniel
began to rear as several SF's approached him.
"Daniel,"
Colonel O'Neill warned. "Just do what they say and we'll straighten this
all out, I promise."
"I'm
not one of them, Jack," Daniel muttered irritably, as his hands were
forced behind him and handcuffed.
"Just
tell me this," O'Neill stated, nearly pleading with Daniel. "Did you
touch and activate any of those devices on the planet? Anything?"
Sam's
heart sunk when Daniel didn't reply. He remained mute, coolly motionless, as an
SF pushed him out the door. She exchanged worried glances with Teal'c and
O'Neill, knowing they felt the same anxiety she did.
"Sir,
permission to accompany—"
"Denied,
Colonel," Hammond stated promptly, his round face red. "Colonel, you
and the rest of SG-1 will report immediately to the infirmary for
evaluation." His even gaze surveyed the remaining occupants of the room.
"Then, you'll be placed in a holding cell while SG-13 and SG-19 are
examined."
"Sir,
we're-we're not Goa'uld," Sam stammered, struggling to believe what was
happening.
"And
until five minutes ago, we thought the same about SG-11 and SG-17,"
Hammond reminded her. "I'm not taking any chances until every last person
who went off-world is fully examined."
He thought for a moment, before urging additional airmen forward to
escort them to the infirmary. "In fact, I'm not taking any chances at all.
This facility will be sealed, and anyone that has come in direct contact with
any of you will be required to undergo an MRI."
Colonel
O'Neill sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yes, sir."
"Good,"
Hammond stated. "Report to the infirmary, immediately."