Daniel Jackson had had a bad few weeks.  His oldest friend Jake London had been killed in a bomb explosion in Israel.  A war reporter he’d been there on a story.   Since the day the two had met at school they had been firm friends.  Exactly opposite in nature, Daniel a quiet boy with his head constantly in a book who didn’t always think before he acted and Jake outgoing and daring, who did, but ignored danger signs anyway.  A combination that meant they were always into one scrape or another.  Once when they had been out camping Daniel Jackson had saved his friend’s life.  London jumped into a lake for a swim before checking the water. But Daniel decided to test the water first, which was unusual for him, and realised it was fed from a mountain stream. Wisely, he walked in slowly.  His friend passed out as he hit the freezing water and went under.  Jackson held him up for half an hour before his shouts finally alerted the others in their camping group that they were in trouble.  They spent the next week in bed with hypothermia.  After that, they seemed to be constantly rescuing each other from potentially dangerous schemes, all through their school and university life.  

 

Since those days, they had both gone their own ways but always met up with each other once or twice a year.  Two weeks before they were due to meet again

Jake London was killed.

 

A normal day in the SGC headquarters if there was such a thing.  The SG-1 team was preparing to go on another mission, to GNV5341 an unexplored planet.  The remote vehicle had sent back pictures of a sandy landscape, nothing unusual in that, many of the Stargates had been placed in sandy locations.  The interesting thing about this sand was the footprints.  

 

Major Carter, Colonel O’Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson were waiting for the last member of their team Teal’c to join them. 

“Are You OK?” asked Major Carter of Daniel Jackson “Only you look a little bit tired”.

“Not sleeping too well” he informed her “been having nightmares every night for over a week now”.

“About anything in particular?” asked Colonel O’Neill knowing he was having a tough time coping with his friend’s recent death. 

“Those dam sarcophagus” he answered. 

He didn’t need to say anymore, they understood.

At that moment, Teal’c joined them and they prepared to enter the Stargate event horizon and investigate the footprints in the sand on GNV5341. 

=======

They came through the wormhole into bright sunlight. 

Colonel O’Neill commented upon some heavy clouds in the distance.

The footprints on closer inspection were a puzzle.

Teal’c pointed out that although there were many going away from the Stargate, there appeared to be fewer returning to it.   

Major Carter said her instruments showed no life in the immediate vacinity.

“Weird trees” said O’Neill pointing ahead as they moved towards them.

 

On closer inspection, the weird trees were weird indeed. 

“Once they must have been normal”.  Said Carter, “but now they’re bleached white and bear no resemblance to wood at all”.

Moving their way through these trees, they came upon an impressive city.  Or the ruins of one.  The blocks they stepped over were white like the trees.

Suddenly the ground shook and for a moment, they found it hard to stay upright.  When it stopped, they walked on, still following the footprints.  Next, they came upon a high wall, and like everything else, this was pure white. The ground felt odd too and looked unusual, pitted in places, but at least it was sand or appeared to be sand. The footprints could still be clearly seen.

Then they divided; some went off one way and others in the opposite direction.  Daniel Jackson immediately took off in one direction informing his friends that he thought all this, “Really great”.

Colonel O’Neill watched as he went out of view round the corner and said to his two remaining teammates.

“I hate it when he does that”.

He indicated that Major Carter should follow him and he and Teal’c would take the other direction. 

 

They hadn’t gone far when Teal’c noticed a small opening in the wall.  On entering through this hole, they came to a standstill.  Both men had seen some awful things in their lives but what met their eyes now brought them to a sudden halt. 

Under a roofed structure further in someone had set up an altar.  On the overhead structure two shapes were carved into the stone.  The first a man, holding out a scroll to a second figure, unmistakably a child.   But it was not the altar that had brought them to a halt.  In front of it, out in the open lay the bodies of six boys. Aged about 12 or 13 richly dressed in silken garments.  It did not appear that they had made any attempt at escape. 

Teal’c said he thought the bodies had not been there long. 

Colonel O’Neill scanned around and then, his face reflecting the anger he felt said.

“Let’s get out of here”. 

Teal’c nodded his agreement.  O’Neill was just about to call Major Carter on the radio when she called him.

“Colonel, I think you should see this Sir”.  The urgency in her voice set them running. 

 

They followed the wall in the direction she and Jackson had taken when they came upon an open archway like the one they had just been through.  Not sure what to expect they readied themselves for action, but as they entered lowered their guns.  In front of them, once again, under a roofed structure they could see another altar identical to the one they had just come from. 

 

This time in the open, in a larger courtyard, lay the bodies of 10 girls ranging in ages from about 6 to 14 years old, all richly dressed as the boys had been. Standing staring down at these bodies stood Daniel Jackson.  Not far from him also looking down at the unfortunate children stood Major Carter. 

Teal’c and Colonel O’Neill walked up to the first body and Teal’c knelt down. 

“They are the same as the boys,” he informed him.

“What the hell?” said Colonel O’Neill

“Boys?” asked Major Carter

Colonel O’Neill indicated to her there was the same in the other direction. 

She looked at him in horror her eyes filling with tears.

“Lets go”, he told them and then noticed that Daniel Jackson hadn’t moved. “Carter” he said indicating with a movement of his head Daniel Jackson.

“Daniel” she said walking up to him and touching him gently on the arm so as not to make him jump. He didn’t move, didn’t even look up at her touch.  “Daniel” she said again “Are you alright?” She waved her hand in front of his face.  He still didn’t move.  Teal’c and Colonel O’Neill came up alongside him.

“Daniel you OK?” Colonel O’Neill asked him.  Daniel Jackson didn’t move.  He seemed to be unaware they were there.

“Get him out of here” O’Neill told Carter.

Major Carter tried to get her teammate to come with her but he resisted any attempt she made to move him back past the bodies and through the archway.

“Take him over there” Colonel O’Neill told her indicating with his head she should get him under the altar structure.

She touched her team mates face hoping to make him aware of her presence.  His face was clammy and cold.  “He’s in shock Sir”.

“Just get him away from here,” he told her.

She pulled and guided Daniel Jackson under the structure and noticed that it went deeper than she had at first thought. 

 

Further back was a long marble bench.  She sat him gently down and turned to observe her teammates as they moved around the courtyard.  Colonel O’Neill was pointing up at the sky.  The clouds they had first observed on coming through the Stargate were almost overhead.  They joined her under the structure, an action that certainly saved their lives.  It started to rain, only this was unlike any rain they had ever seen.  As it hit the bodies in the courtyard there came a hissing sound and then an awful smelling steam arose until they could see them no longer. 

 

The rain continued until the steam hid the whole area.  When it stopped there was nothing left in the courtyard.  No bodies, no clothing, nothing. Just pitted sand like they had seen when first entering the Petrified Forest.  The walls glistened white in the sunlight. 

“Very efficient” commented Colonel O’Neill “nothing to indicate anything had happened here, nothing to warn the next lot of what was going to happen”.

“Perhaps they were willing sacrifices,” said Teal’c trying not to sound callous, “there are some cultures whose religious rituals involve child sacrifices.  Maybe this is one of them”.

“Is that so?” answered Colonel O’Neill “Then I don’t think we want anything to do with them, do we?”  He turned to Major Carter and said, “Lets go”.

She turned to get Daniel Jackson and he was gone.

“Colonel” she said calling his attention to their missing friend.

“Now what?” he muttered.

They found a small opening in the back of the structure; it didn’t look like it had been there long as dust particles still filled the air from falling debris.  Calling to

Daniel Jackson they climbed through.

 

============

 

He had indeed gone through the hole.  Seeing many awful things since joining the SG-1 team he had assumed prepared him for anything, but the unexpected sight that had met his eyes when he entered the courtyard asked too much.  Most have a cut off point and Daniel Jackson had just reached his.  His mind rejected the sight and shut down.  His body taking over, almost on remote control, removed him from the horror. 

 

A bit further in he stepped through another opening.  The air here also filled with dust.  The recent tremor having collapsed part of a wall revealed a large room. He could hear voices speaking from somewhere.  They called but their sound brought bad thoughts and feelings with them.  The walls in the room had symbols on them.  They looked familiar but his mind was foggy and he could not make them out.  Stepping over the recently fallen bricks, broken cabinets and furniture he walked to the middle of the room.  It was a mess. 

 

On the opposite side he could see three chairs, two turned over but the third upright. 

“I’ll sit for a while.”  He told himself. “Feel better after a rest”. 

As he walked towards the chair and swept off the dust he could hear the distant voices calling again. Terrible pictures flashed into his mind, he flinched and tried to shake them away. 

 

Sitting in the chair his arms on the armrests he closed his eyes.

“Feels alive,” he thought to himself.  Then his hand touched something.  It felt warm and comfortable beneath his palm; this warmth crept up his arm and into his head.  An orange light lit up his hand and swept over him until he was completely surrounded by it.  His head hurt.  The pain got worse, but still he did not lift his hand.  The orange glow grew deeper and deeper until it filled his mind with things he did not understand  

and flashing lights that hurt, he began to lose consciousness.

 

On hearing someone enter the room he forced himself awake.  His friends appeared to be moving very slowly.  They stopping at the sight of him sitting in the chair surrounded by an orange light.  He wished they would go away, but they called to him to get up.  He did not want to.   Their voices were strong and insistent, compelling him.  He stood up and looked into his hand.  He was holding a large glowing crystal.  He closed his hand tightly.  There was heat but it did not burn him, the pain now completely filling his mind.  His companions could see the orange glow was emanating from an object in his hand.  They yelled he should drop what he was holding. He would not. 

 

Colonel O’Neill dived at him.  Both men hit the floor amid the debris and the force of the landing made Jackson’s hand open, the crystal fell out of his grasp and rolled away towards Teal’c.  He picked it up and felt it move.  Without warning strands swung out from it and wrapped themselves around his hand.  As they did so he tried pulling them away.  Major Carter rushed to his aid.  As fast as she released one it

re-tightened itself.  Struggling together they at last pulled the thing from him and threw it to the other side of the room.

 

While this was going on Colonel O’Neill was seeing to his stricken teammate who had come off worse from their crash to the floor.  Jackson’s head was bleeding and he was having trouble standing, his face blank and staring.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Colonel O’Neill yelled.

“O’Neill” said Teal’c “something is happening”.

He was right.  The crystal having been flung to the other side of the room was spinning round and round, emitting a high-pitched squeal.

 

Teal’c and O’Neill grabbed Jackson by the arms and ran for the opening.  Dragging and half carrying their friend they raced across the courtyard.  The sound got louder and louder as they ran past the place where the bodies had lain, then out once more into the petrified forest and kept going.  A huge explosion sounded behind them but they did not stop the heat from the explosion pushing them on.

 

Major Carter reached the DHD and dialled home. Without so much as a glance behind them they ran through the Stargate dragging Jackson with them. 

 

Back in the SGC they stopped on the ramp to catch their breaths.  Daniel Jackson his head bleeding heavily took two steps forward and collapsed.

 

Twelve hours later he still lay unconscious in the infirmary.  

============

 

The last thing Dr Jackson remembered was an orange glow, warm and inviting, an explosion in his head, then the whole world turned blue.

He was in a completely pale blue room.  No doors no windows, just blue walls. 

He called out.  “Is anybody there?”  No one answered.  His words echoed back to him. He called the names of his teammates. No reply came, so he sat down on the floor and waited.  Whoever had brought him there he thought would obviously make themselves known at some point.  He felt relaxed and under no threat, just impatient. 

He waited.  Nothing happened.

“This is ridiculous”, he shouted at the ceiling, “at least tell me where I am”.

Then he heard a voice, distant, but getting nearer.  He got to his feet.

“Who are you?” he asked.

A voice answered but with words he could barely make out and spoken in a way that caused him problems to translate, though they were familiar.

“OK, you got me here” he shouted “now what?”

Two voices this time speaking to each other and not to him.

“What kind of game is this?” he demanded to know.

 The two voices conversed again.  Then a popping sound made him jump.

“What was that?” he asked.   Silence.

“What is given name?” asked one of the voices.

“Daniel Jackson” he answered, “what’s yours?”  No reply came.

“Which planet?” the voice asked again.

Daniel thought for a moment, “Why?” he wanted to know.

“We find language now,” said the voice, “what is your planet?

Daniel thought again.  “Earth”, he replied.

The two voices once again conversed.  A second popping sound. 

Daniel Jackson jumped again.

 

“Will you stop doing that?” he asked.

“We not mean alarm you”, said the same voice, “your language not often used, machine to change so we understand makes noise.  Please explain earth.  Where?”

“Where are you?” he called out looking around.

“Not where you are Daniel Jackson” came the reply “we a long way away”.

“I don’t understand”, he said, “why did you bring me here?”

There was a moment while they conversed with each other again in their own language.  Daniel Jackson understood the odd word they said now and thought he recognised what language they were talking in.

“Will you stop doing that?” he yelled at them “It’s very rude”.

“Sorry we upset”, came a reply.

“Look just tell me the way out of here,” he ordered them, “this is not funny you know”.  Silence again.

“Please let me go home,” he said more to himself than to the owners of the voices.

“We not stop you go home”, came the reply, “you stop you go home”.

“What does that mean?” he asked, “that doesn’t make sense.  Why would I stop myself going home? You brought me here, now you take me home”.

The silence came again and he heard a third voice.  “We not bring you here

Daniel Jackson.  You brought us here.”

“Don’t be silly” he replied, “I don’t even know where here is.”

 

“We are in your mind Daniel Jackson.  This your place.  You called us. We came.”

“I did not call you” Daniel replied “And what do you mean this is my mind? You’re not making sense.”

“Not know inside own mind?” A voice asked.

Suddenly he knew that they were speaking the truth.  Without understanding why,

he just knew.

“So how do I get out of my own mind?” he asked out loud but to himself. And feeling that this all must be a bad dream and any moment he was going to wake up.

“The way you came in” was the reply.

“There are no doors,” he answered.

“Always doors” said the voice.

As if on command a door appeared opposite him.  He walked towards it and placed his hand on the handle.  A shudder ran through him.

“Wait” one of the voices called.

“What for?” he asked.

 “You cannot go through door”, said the voice.

“Why not?” Daniel Jackson shouted, “You just said”. 

“Danger,” came the reply, “we feel great danger”.

He was now becoming impatient and started turning the handle, he shuddered again. 

“ Stop! Danger” the voice called.

“OK what danger?” he asked.

There was silence.

“Well?” he asked.  Still silence.

“You cannot go through door,” said the first voice “You must wait for us to come and get you, and you must come with us”.

“What?” shouted Daniel Jackson, “What?”

“You called us, we came.  You one of us now.  Cannot go home.  Danger. We come get you”.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” he shouted “Who are you, what do you mean?”

Their voices were faint but he could understand more and more of the language they spoke.  Hebrew. Very ancient Hebrew and spoken in a way he had never heard before. There were many voices speaking now, but its was Hebrew.

----------------

“How could he have used the Orb of Set? There are no more Orbs of Set.  All the signs are there and we got the call.  Must take him with us.  He must tell us where he is from.  There is no control.  Great danger.  Must not return home.  Danger behind the door.  Will get stronger.  Must tell us.  He has used The Orb there is no mistake.”

---------------

“Where earth?” the question more insistent this time. “How you find Orb of Set?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about” he told them “and if you don’t know where earth is then why do you speak a language from there?”

There was silence and then the voices spoke amongst themselves again

“We not know planet Earth”.

“You must know earth” he called back “I can hear you speaking Hebrew”.

“What Hebrew?” they asked.

“Oh never mind” he answered now extremely angry.

“Where you find Orb of Set Daniel Jackson?  Tell us now.”

“I cannot answer when I don’t understand the question,” he shouted throwing his arms up in exasperation.

“You hide answer behind door”, came the reply.

“How do you know what’s behind this door?  After all it’s my mind and even I don’t seem to know?” He almost laughed.  “Why don’t you want me to go through?” No answer came to this question.

“Daniel Jackson how you travel to stars?”

“Who says I do?” he answered.  Silence came again. “You’re in my mind, you tell me.”

“We cannot read your mind Daniel, anymore than you can read ours” answered the voice. “We are just projecting our thoughts to you and hearing yours projected back to us.”

“Well you seem to speak my language pretty good, how come the others don’t?” he asked mockingly.

“Some use spoken language, some do not, for them it is hard”, came the strange reply. “How you travel to the stars?  Please answer.”

“If you’re not reading my thoughts, how do you know I can travel to the stars?” he asked.

“You have used the Orb of Set,” was the answer. “This on old dead world.  Danger on that world.   Why you go there?”

“Look, I told you I have no idea what an Orb of Set is.”

“You may have no idea what an Orb of Set is” said this soothing voice “but from the waves we are picking up from your mind you have been in contact with it.  Is your planet ruled by the evil one Set?  Was it he who used the Orb on you? We can free you from him.”

“Set was a Goa’uld” he told them, “we are not ruled by a Goa’uld, Set or anyone else. Anyway he’s dead”.  He heard excited chatter in response to this information.

“How do I know you’re not a Goa’uld?” He asked.

“You know.” Came the answer.

---------------

“His mind closed” he heard one of the voices say to the other.

“But it will be opened” came the reply.

“He is dangerous,” said the voice.

“We will teach.   His mind is good, I feel no bad,” the reply.

“He may still cause great harm” insisted the voice.

“Not if we help”.  Said the voice.

“He has not been prepared, it is too late to help.  He will KILL”, argued another.

“It is us who have been lacking.  Now we must help,” came the answer.

---------------

“Daniel Jackson you must tell us.  Do you travel to the stars by way of the Circle?”

He answered “Yes” before he had time to stop himself.

“We will come and get you through it.  You must come with us”, said the voice.

“I’m not going anywhere with you” he told them, “Leave me alone. GET OUT OF MY MIND.”

“You must tell us your earth number” came back the voice “we will come and get you.”

“I’m not going to do any such thing” Jackson answered them, “Even if you find out our address you will never get past the iris”.

“You don’t understand,” shouted the voice “You must tell us the address and how to get past this iris”.

“No!” shouted Daniel, “I’m going through this door”. He held the handle.

“You could cease to function if you go through that door” said a voice “that is why you are here.  You not wish to face what you have hidden behind that door. It blocks your path home.”

“You’re talking rubbish” answered Daniel “If it’s my mind I should know what’s behind it and if it is dangerous.  How can I hide something from myself?”

“Not just one thing Daniel Jackson”, came the reply “all things that you hate and fear are behind that door. We feel it.  Many have done the same in our past.  Very dangerous.  Needs time.”  The voice paused.

“Every bad thing in your life now behind door blocking your safe return.”

“I don’t believe you” answered Jackson. “There may be good things behind it.  You’re just trying to keep me here.”

“Can you not tell?” said a voice.

He had to admit that when he put his hand on the handle his whole body shuddered as if something evil was lurking there, but he was not going to tell them that.

“You brought you here to protect yourself”, came the reply. “Until you strong enough to fight again the bad things you’ve met. You must rest for a while, make the inside you strong again.  Too dangerous now.  No inner strength left. Worn out you are. 

Please wait for us, we want to help.”

“No”, he said calmly.

“You are different now Daniel Jackson” said the voice, “the Orb of Set has made you capable of things, things you do not even know about yet. But it can also cause you to

do great harm because you have not been prepared. You must wait for us.  Tell us how to come and get you.  Tell us how to come through your circle, how to pass your iris.  Wait for us Daniel Jackson, we will come for you.”

“NO!” he screamed at them and opening the door stepped through.

 

=================

 

Major Carter walked into the infirmary.  It was the early hours of the morning and she hadn’t been able to sleep so had gone to see if there was any change in her friend’s condition.  She found Colonel O’Neill already there.  He went to get some more coffee. Doctor Fraiser was asleep next door if needed he told her.  Major Carter stood looking at the machines Jackson was hooked up to.  Suddenly the needle on the EEG chart jumped making jagged peeks.  Then the alarm on the ECG machine went off. 

Daniel Jackson’s heart had stopped.  Before she had time to move the door burst open and in rushed Doctor Fraiser followed closely by a nurse and Colonel O’Neill who hadn’t gone far down the corridor when he heard the alarm.  

 

Doctor Fraiser attempted to re-start Jackson’s heart with the defibrillator.  Nothing happened, she tried again.  Still no response.

“Come on Daniel” O’Neill said under his breath, “breathe”.

Once more Dr Fraiser tried to restart his heart. This time the machine bleeped and indicated it was beating once more.   They all breathed a sigh of relief. 

Major Carter flopped down in a chair and rested her head in her hands and

Colonel O’Neill placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  He was clearly shaken.  Doctor Fraiser looked at the EEG chart and shook her head.  She had never seen readings like those before.

 

Five minutes later Daniel Jackson opened his eyes.

 

The last thing he remembered, he told them, was reaching the Petrified Forest on GNV5341 and then waking up in the infirmary.   

========

Two weeks later all was back to normal.  Dr Jackson appeared to have no health problems from either the crystal he had encountered or the fact that his heart had stopped for a minute and been shocked back to life. But he still suffered from a lack of memory of the events after he entered the Petrified Forest on GNV5341 and even when told what happened a few days later still could remember nothing. 

 

After that day Jackson spent most of his spare time reading, more than was usual even for him, borrowing books from all over the place, including some of Major Carter’s.  A fact she commented on to Doctor Fraiser as these books were on advanced physics and mathematics.  Although an extremely intelligent man she had never known him overly interested in maths before. Without saying so, except of course to herself, felt these books to be way over his head.  Still he borrowed at least three in the first week saying they gave him something to read at night as he was still having trouble sleeping.  Once or twice members of the SGC bumped into him in the corridors in the early hours as he wandered around taking great interest in the mechanics of the place.  It had been also noted that he hadn’t been back to his own place since his return from the planet.  Still he seemed well recovered, if somewhat pale.

==============

 

General Hammond gave a great deal of thought as to whether Daniel Jackson should accompany the SG-1 team on their next trip, but in the end was persuaded by his assuring the General that he was ‘fine’.

 

==============

 

BTE1018 appeared to be heavily wooded, according to the pictures sent back by the MALP (mobile unit) they had sent through to survey the immediate area around the Stargate.  So SG-1 kitted up and stepped through the vortex on another mission.

The weather on the planet was sunny, the sky a summer blue and flying away in the distance what looked like birds.  A decision was made to explore the wooded area in the search for life.  Hopefully friendly.

 

Colonel O’Neill was still concerned with regard to Daniel Jackson.  There was something going on with him he felt, but couldn’t put his finger on what.  He too had run into him in the corridors of the SGC in the early hours.  Twice when passing the room where he would do his research on hearing him speaking entered to find him talking in his sleep his head resting on the desk.  On the second occasion it was more than talking, he was arguing with himself and nearly jumped a foot when O’Neill woke him up.  But he tried to push the nagging doubts he had about him to the back of his mind.  After all there was work to be done.

 

As they entered the woods Carter and Jackson went off in one direction and he and Teal’c went off in another.  A cold feeling suddenly went down Colonel O’Neill’s back, after all, they had split up in the same way on GNV5341. 

“Just a feeling of déjà vu”, he told Teal’c who wondered why he stopped. They went on.  Suddenly he was pushed to the ground, in front of them coming through the trees were two Jaffa soldiers.

Then gunfire from the direction Carter and Jackson had gone was heard.  They couldn’t move because if they did the soldiers would be aware of their presence.  To take these two they knew would be easy but had no way of knowing if any more were near.  The gunfire continued and they could hear staff weapons being fired.  The soldiers turned and headed off in the direction of the sound.  Teal’c and O’Neill got to their feet and moved off as quietly as they could, firearms ready.  In the distance more weapons fire.  Then all was still.  Moving along as silently as they could they kept an eye out for more Jaffa.   As they came through into a clearing they stopped.  Four Jaffa lay near the far edge of the clearing and the two who had gone to join them lay just inside it.  O’Neill noted that these two appeared to have been hit by staff weapon fire and only Teal’c carried such a weapon. He could see no one else.  Something was wrong with what he was looking at he thought to himself, but at that moment it was not important.  Major Carter had obviously been hurt and being supported by Jackson.  A weapon hadn’t hit her as it turned out but she had injured herself when pushing him out of the line of fire when they first come across the four Jaffa.  She was in pain, a large splinter of wood sticking out of her leg.   They headed for the Stargate.

 

===========

 

Two days later General Hammond was going over their reports on what happened on BTE1018.  These particular reports, especially Major Carter’s made no sense to him.  He had called the briefing session later than was usual to give her time to heal and also because his temper was put out by the arrival of a team from

Colonel Maybourne’s NID office without prior notice.  This was something that happened now and then, much to General Hammond’s annoyance.  They had come to find out why the crystal had been lost on SG-1’s last mission.  Maybourne himself could not make it that day Colonel O’Neill was pleased to hear. General Hammond left the NID team to do whatever it was they had come to do and was now waiting to hear Major Carter’s explanation on the incident on BTE1018.

 

“I can make no sense of your report” he told her, “could you please explain what you meant by and I quote, Daniel made them turn their weapons on each other.”

Colonel O’Neill and Teal’c looked in her direction.  It was the first they had heard of this and were intrigued to hear her explanation.

“That’s exactly what happened Sir”, she replied glancing in Daniel Jackson’s direction as she did so.

“Explain please” asked the General, “but try to keep it simple.”

“It’s all in my report” she answered. 

He sat waiting.

She took a deep breath and tried to explain.

“We came across four Jaffa just as they were exiting the clearing.  They had their backs to us and we caught them by surprise.  They turned and fired.  I pushed Daniel to one side as he was right in their line of fire and we both hit the ground.  Daniel fired.  I fired.  Two Jaffa went down.  The other two fired but fortunately missed.  I fired. Daniel fired.  They went down.  I must have passed out for a moment because of the pain in my leg.  As I came round I saw the other two Jaffa enter the clearing. And that was when Daniel did what he did.” She waited hoping this was enough of an explanation.

General Hammond looked from Jackson to her.

 “He stared at them”, she indicated Daniel sitting across the table.  “They stopped and stared back at him.  The next thing I knew they turned towards each other, raised their staff weapons and fired.”  She stopped speaking looking at each in turn.

“Are you telling me they killed each other?” General Hammond asked.

Major Carter nodded and looked over at Daniel again waiting for him to confirm what she had just said.  He didn’t, just kept his eyes looking down.

“And Daniel made them do that?” Commented Colonel O’Neill also glancing in Jackson’s direction.   There was silence.  Major Carter nodded.

“I don’t know what he did,” she said, “I just know he did it.”

“Daniel?” said Colonel O’Neill.

Daniel Jackson looked up and said “I’ve absolutely no idea what Major Carter is talking about.  She was in pain.  Perhaps….?”

He didn’t finish his sentence, just shrugged his shoulders.

General Hammond looked at him.  “Well Colonel O’Neill’s report confirms that two of the Jaffa had been killed by staff weapons and I quote again, Not by Teal’c’ and there was no one else besides us there.”

“Perhaps they got in each other’s way,” commented Daniel Jackson fiddling with the report in front of him.

General Hammond saw Colonel Maybourne’s team go by and waited before he spoke.

“Well I am not satisfied with this report.  “We’ll reconvene this session when Maybourne’s team are off the premises.”

He got up and left the room followed by Teal’c. 

Colonel O’Neill and Major Carter stayed in their places.

“Daniel” said Colonel O’Neill “Are you sure you’ve nothing to add to what Sam said?”  It may have sounded farfetched to O’Neill but he had never known her to be given to imagining things. 

“Its your fault she got hurt” Jackson muttered under his breath

“What?” O’Neill asked not sure if he had heard correctly.

Jackson mumbled again. “I cannot protect her if you keep letting her go to these dangerous places.”

“What? Asked O’Neill again.

Carter looked taken aback and was just about to speak when Jackson muttered.

“Oh nothing. What she said is impossible.  I don’t understand why she would say such a thing.”  He stood up and collected his papers.

Major Carter clearly upset by what he said stood up angrily.

Jackson turned to go out of the room.

“Daniel” said Colonel O’Neill “What is wrong with you?”

He stopped, turned and shouted a warning. “Leave it Jack, just leave it”. 

“Come back here,” demanded Colonel O’Neill.  Jackson stopped.

“I don’t know what happened,” he yelled glaring at him. “OK?” 

As he yelled the coffee cup on the table nearest O’Neill flew into the air narrowly missing him. With a look of horror at the smashed cup Jackson turned and marched from the room.

 

Outside unknown to them a member of Colonel Maybourne’s team had seen and heard everything.

 

===============

 

Major Carter and Colonel O’Neill left the briefing room and followed their fleeing friend down the corridor. By the time they reached his laboratory he had slammed the door and locked it and at first he would not let them in. They said they wouldn’t go away until he did.  No matter how much they questioned him about what happened on the planet, he refused to answer, said he just didn’t want to talk about it. 

Colonel O’Neill mentioned the coffee cup but it just made him more agitated.  They decided to try again another time. 

 

As requested by Colonel O’Neill Doctor Fraiser ran a gambit of tests on him on the pretence that she was making sure he was completely well after his recent injury, etc. but wouldn’t allow her to do a brain scan.  He was terrified of going into the scanner now, said it reminded him of a sarcophagus.  She didn’t push the matter.

 

============

Daniel Jackson had once become addicted to a Goa’uld sarcophagus.  Goa’ulds use these to restore and prolong their lives for thousands of years.  Its use takes away one’s humanity.  Eventually the user becomes totally evil.  It is also highly addictive if used when already well, which he had been forced to do.  This made him turn against his friends, even trying to kill Jack O’Neill.

============

 

Her findings she now presented to General Hammond and Colonel O’Neill.

Without the brain scan she told them it was hard to be exact, but he would not consent to having it done under any circumstances. His blood tests were confusing, something was happening but she could not tell what, at the moment.

She informed General Hammond and Colonel O’Neill that their teammate was exhausted.  He was sleeping but on a very shallow level and this was not enough to refresh him for the next day.  He refused all help by the way of medication and unless she actually sedated him there was nothing she could do to ensure that he got some proper sleep.  He refused to have any more tests done and was now avoiding her

 

Nothing anyone could do would persuade Daniel Jackson to talk about the events of the past weeks.  Many of the SGC found that they encountered him in early hours of the morning working on the computers in the main control room. 

===========

The next day the telephone rang in the General Hammond’s office.  

===========

 

General Hammond was not looking forward to what he had to do next.  He called

Dr Jackson and Colonel O’Neill into his office. Awaiting their appearance were Colonel Maybourne and the man who had observed what had happened with the coffee cup, plus two airmen. Hammond handed Jackson a piece of paper.  It was an Order that he should report to the infirmary for tests. 

“What sort of test?” Colonel O’Neill demanded to know. 

Colonel Maybourne smiled and said “Oh nothing harmful, just some tests.  And why they were being done should be obvious to both of you”. 

General Hammond and Colonel O’Neill looked puzzled. This infuriated Maybourne as he thought they were making fun of him.

“We can do them at Area 51 if you refuse,” he told Jackson.  

 

“He’s a civilian, he can say no if he wants to”.  General Hammond informed him.

“Then I will have him arrested as a danger to the public”, smirked Maybourne.

O’Neill, who had remained quiet as he tried to control the feeling of anger growing inside grabbed Maybourne by the shirtfront.

“What the hell are you talking about? The last person in the world you could call a danger to the public is Daniel”.

“Keep up the pretence if you want,” answered Maybourne, “but you know yourself that he’s not quite right and I’m going to find out why”. 

“Let him go,” General Hammond ordered O’Neill.

“It’s alright”, Jackson said to O’Neill, “I’ll take his tests, though what he expects to find is beyond me”.

“Keep it up, just keep it up”. Maybourne said.  “You two should think of going into show business.  That’s the best act I’ve seen for years”.

As they walked towards the door Colonel O’Neill stepped in front of them.

“Yes?” said Maybourne a triumphant grin on his face.

“One of these days” O’Neill told him “I am going to feed you to a Goa’uld.  You should get on well together.  The Snake and Godzilla, a perfect union.”

Colonel Maybourne pulled a face.

“Lets see you do your throwing trick under controlled conditions,” muttered Maybourne’s Aide to Daniel Jackson.

“What throwing trick?” asked General Hammond who was now clenching his fists in an effort not to strike the man.

“I saw him” answered the Aide turning towards O’Neill.

General Hammond looked enquiringly towards his Colonel.

========

Later outside the infirmary O’Neill could be seen walking up and down.  He would trust a spitting cobra before he trusted Maybourne and with Doctor Fraiser off the base to attend her patients at the RAF Hospital the only medical team present were his.  There was no way of knowing exactly what was being done to Daniel Jackson as Maybourne had turned off the security cameras in the room.

 

Half an hour later an alarm went off and it was coming from the infirmary.  

Colonel O’Neill and Major Carter who had also been hovering nearby burst into the room.  They could hardly believe what met their eyes.  The place was an absolute mess.  Furniture lay smashed, electrical systems were sending out sparks all over the place.  Colonel Maybourne’s face was covered in blood and he was holding his arm.  Maybourne’s Aide was out cold on the floor and one airman was just getting to his feet.  The third held a gun over Daniel Jackson as he huddled in a corner of the room his lip bleeding slightly.  Major Carter went straight too him and by his eyes, which he could barely keep open, realised they must have given him something.

“What did you do to him?” she asked angrily in Colonel Maybourne’s direction.

“What did we do to him? What does it look like he’s done to us?”  He answered indicating with his head the mess and his injured men.

“It’s alright Daniel” she told him, “It’s alright.” Jackson collapsed to one side.

“What did you do?” Colonel O’Neill said advancing on Maybourne just as

General Hammond came through the door followed by several soldiers.

“We just wanted to do a scan that’s all.  He went berserk.”

“I’m not surprised,” said Colonel O’Neill advancing even closer, “he’s terrified of those things.”

“I didn’t know that did I?” answered Colonel Maybourne, “just look what he’s done to me and my men,” he protested as Colonel O’Neill grabbed him by the shirtfront nearly choking the man.  

“It took two of us to give him a sedative.  Anyone would think we were trying to murder him the way he fought,” Maybourne protested.

“Are you trying to tell us that Daniel Jackson did all this?” asked General Hammond.

“Well who else do you think did it?” he answered.

“Daniel took on all four of you, at once, on his own.” Mocked O’Neill.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what he can do” answered Maybourne; “the man’s a menace, he’s could kill someone.  He should be locked up.”

“You’re the one who should be locked up” answered O’Neill his face showing how angry he was.

“Colonel, let him go” ordered the General. 

O’Neill pushed the man back and went to check on his friend.

 

=========

Daniel Jackson slept for the next 12 hours.  After he woke up he became extremely quiet, never mentioning what happened in the infirmary, refusing to talk about it even to the other members of the team and denying all Maybourne’s allegations.  

==========

 

Later that day Samantha Carter asked General Hammond and Colonel O’Neill to join her in the briefing room saying she had something important to show them.  After they sat down she explained.

“Although Colonel Maybourne had switched off most of the security cameras in the medical room where he had taken Daniel to do his tests, he missed one”. 

She indicated the videotape in her hand.  

 

At first all appeared normal, blood tests, blood pressure etc.  Then they began holding up cards in front of Jackson and although the sound was quite low it was obvious they were asking if he knew what was on the cards without seeing them.  He did not respond.  Major Carter fast-forwarded the video.  She stopped it at the point they tried to get him into the MRI scanner. It was then all hell broke lose. Furniture was thrown around the room without anyone touching it, breaking in pieces as it hit the walls.  One man was dragged backwards by unseen hands smashing him against equipment.  Two objects flew across the room striking Maybourne on the arm and forehead.  His Aide was sent crashing to the floor where he lay still. Total chaos was taking place on the screen in front of them and it all seemed to happen at the same time. However during all this Daniel Jackson did not move, just stood staring.  First in one direction then in another.  Wherever he looked things happened.  Suddenly an airman grabbed him from behind and both of them crashed to the ground.  Colonel Maybourne held Jackson down with his good arm while the airman injected something into him.  The next moment both men fell backwards away from him.  Crawling away from them he squeezed himself tight into a corner where he slid to the floor his lip bleeding.  Colonel Maybourne’s man stood over him with a gun. 

======

It was obvious to all three now that something HAD happened to Daniel Jackson on GNV5341.  The only solution they could think of at the time was to see if

Colonel O’Neill could contact the Asgard. 

===========

The Asgard an advanced race of aliens had helped Colonel O’Neill in a similar situation when The Ancients, the builders of the Stargates, had accidentally implanted their knowledge and skills into his head, almost killing him. 

===========

Jackson was shown the video. He shrugged his shoulders when asked to explain what had happened. 

“There’s nothing to explain,” he told them.  “I just got mad that’s all.  It seems to happen when I get mad”.

“What does?” asked General Hammond.

“That”.  He answered, pointing to the chaos on the screen. “Nothing to worry about”.  

 “Come on Daniel” answered O’Neill “You cannot exactly call what you have just seen as normal, now can you?”

“Of course it’s not normal”, he answered. “It’s just some sort of trick”; his answer as if there was no problem. “Probably a trick of the A’Keans.”

“Daniel Jackson, who are the A’Keans?” asked Teal’c.

“Oh I met them after we’d been to GNV5341,” he answered.

“Met them.  Where?” asked General Hammond.

“Well not really met them.  Not in the full sense of the word”, was his answer, “it’s more that I met them in my head.”

“In your head?” asked O’Neill.

“Well not really in my head.” Jackson said.

“Daniel will you please make sense?” O’Neill asked.

“When I was hurt, when we came back from GNV5341, they were in my head before I woke up.”

“Is anyone following this?” O’Neill asked the others.

“While I was unconscious I had this conversation with the A’Keans.  In my mind.”

“About what?” asked the General extremely worried.

“Oh they said I’d been in contact with their Orb of Set as they called it, and I was to wait for them to come and get me,” he told them.

“To come and get you?” asked O’Neill.  “How?”

“Through the Stargate” answered Jackson and then saw their worried faces. “Oh don’t worry I haven’t told them our address, and no matter how much they keep asking me I won’t give them the sequence of numbers that will open the iris, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Is it me or is something wrong with this conversation?” asked O’Neill.

General Hammond waved his hand at O’Neill to ask him to wait a moment.

“Keep asking you?” said Carter.

“All the time”, he answered. “They give me a headache”.

“Anything else we should know?”  Asked O’Neill in a tone of voice that showed he was beginning to be worried as well.

“Oh they told me all about themselves” said Jackson.  They waited for him to continue.  “They call themselves the A’Keans.”

“You’ve already told us that,” said the General.

“They said they are known to other races as the Hidden Ones.”

Teal’c jumped at this name.

“They sa