A/N: This idea was formulated by the author LadyDeb1970 and written by both LadyDeb1970 and Terreis. Set in season 8, due to rankings. But early season 8.

Prologue

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;SGC Debriefing Room

"Jack? Jack!"

General Jack O'Neill shook his head slightly and looked up into the rather irritated face of one Dr. Daniel Jackson.

"What?" he asked, looking around the debriefing table at the members of SG1. Colonel Samantha Carter was trying, successfully if you didn't know her well, to hide her amusement at the situation. Teal'c merely observed Jack with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not paying attention," Daniel replied, his tone clipped.

Jack scowled.

"You're not making sense," he countered.

Daniel sighed and switched off the overhead he had been using to show the rest of SG1 the sketches and drawings he had found on PX3-247.

"It makes sense to me, O'Neill," Teal'c spoke up. "Obviously, the documents we unearthed on our mission to PX3-247 have become a great source of interest to DanielJackson and ColonelCarter. DanielJackson seems to think that the documents contain clues to several Ancient artifacts."

"Clues to what, exactly?" Jack sighed as he leaned forward to listen. Daniel took a deep breath and tried to rehash what he'd already gone over.

"Clues to their location. These writings here," he laid a paper down in front of Jack, "seem to indicate that, to protect these artifacts, or Ancient devices, they were sent away from PX3-247 with guardians. Some of these writings," another paper was laid in front of Jack, "give me the distinct impression that quite a few of these artifacts were sent through the Stargate, along with their guardian, to Earth. Which would make sense, when you think about it. I mean, there are a few people on Earth with the Ancient gene. Yourself included. It's possible that the first Ancients on Earth were the guardians of these devices. And later, they used the planet for an entire settlement, which-."

"Daniel!" Jack exclaimed.

Daniel stopped and looked down at Jack, who was beginning to massage his temples.

"Stick to the subject," Jack said, his tone softer than before. Daniel merely nodded in reply.

"Anyway, I'm starting to trace these artifacts, or devices. All of them have been given a detailed description in these writings. I'm in the process of trying to cross-reference the descriptions with actual pictures or photos of archaeological finds. We can only assume that most of these devices would've been in Egypt, since that's where the gate was originally."

"Unless you take into account the gate that the Russians found at the bottom of the ocean," Carter put in, speaking up for the first time.

"True, but we're not sure where that one was originally," Daniel began. He glanced over at Jack, who was beginning to scowl again, and cleared his throat. No sense getting off track. "Anyway, Jack, it's my opinion that several of these devices might have been lost eventually, just as the pure Ancients left Earth. And I haven't been able to find any of them in my documentation of recovered artifacts from that area. So….."

Daniel trailed off, not sure if he wanted to actually say what he had planned to say. He was used to having his theories ridiculed, but not necessarily by those who were closest to him.

"So?" Jack prompted. His voice cut through Daniel's ruminations and spurred him into saying what he had originally intended to.

"So…..I believe that there's a possibility these devices might have been discovered during the Crusades….and that they became part of the Templar Treasure."

Jack cocked an eyebrow, not knowing exactly what this Templar Treasure was. The fact that Carter had just made a somewhat strangled sound told him that she hadn't been expecting this part of Daniel's theory.

"Daniel, that's a myth," Carter began.

"And aliens were myths and legends to us only ten years ago," Daniel retorted, immediately on the defensive. "Teal'c is an alien. Technically. Does he look like a myth? Or a fairy tale?"

It was Teal'c's turn to raise an eyebrow now. Carter backed down slightly and gave Daniel an apologetic look.

"What is this Templar Treasure?" asked Jack, curious in spite of himself.

Daniel rubbed his forehead in concentration and Jack recognized it as being a sign that his friend was about to go into 'exposition mode'. Holding up one hand, he gained Daniel's attention.

"Reader's Digest version, Danny."

A sigh and then, "Well, the Templar Treasure has never actually been proven to exist. But, basically, it's a collection of wealth that was gleaned over thousands of years. Reader's Digest version? In this case, it would start with Knights from the Crusades taking treasure from Egypt and the surrounding areas. Back to Europe. Eventually, during the settlement of this continent, the treasure wound up over on our side of the pond. The Templar Treasure has been guarded by freemasons, the legend says. People like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere…"

"I know my American history, Daniel. You don't have to go through the entire list of our forefathers. So what makes you think these 'devices' are with the Templar Treasure, if that actually exists? How do you know that they aren't still hidden somewhere over in Egypt?"

Daniel shook his head after making eye contact with Carter.

"I don't know, Jack. But I do know that there's a certain family in the historical community that's been shunned and ridiculed for generations because they believe so deeply in the Templar Treasure."

Jack found himself looking at a photo of a man slightly older than Daniel.

"That's Benjamin Franklin Gates. And he believes in the existence of the Templar Treasure passionately. I heard him give a lecture about five years ago. Smart man, actually. And he hasn't stopped looking for the treasure since he was old enough to be on his own. It's cost him the respect of his colleagues. And his father, I'm told."

"Where did you find all this out, Daniel?"

Daniel smiled slightly.

"I have my ways," he replied. Which translated into, 'I'm not telling'.

"Did you say that much of this treasure was from Egypt, DanielJackson?" Teal'c inquired, garnering the attention of the other three members of SG-1. Teal'c rarely asked questions during briefings. Daniel frowned and nodded.

"Quite a lot, I think. Of course there's no way to be certain. Why do you ask, Teal'c?"

"Is it not also possible that this Templar Treasure could hold more canopic jars? Canopic jars such as the one we found Osiris in?"

This was an unwelcome thought. Daniel raised his eyebrows as he considered it and Jack let out a long, low whistle as he looked back over at the archaeologist. "Daniel, if there's any possibility that this thing has kept a Goa'uld hidden for so long, I say we just let sleeping dogs lie," he said. Daniel's frown deepened.

"But don't you see, Jack? That's just another reason to find it ourselves! I mean, what if Ben Gates DOES manage to succeed without our interference? Then what do you have? A person who is completely ignorant of the danger a canopic jar might pose. He opens it and-BAM! We have another Goa'uld on our hands. Only we don't know until it's too late. And he's here on Earth! One step ahead of us already. If we're with him, though, any canopic jars we find could be transported back here to the SGC for testing. Crisis averted."

Jack sighed heavily and turned his attention back to the photo, appearing to study it intently. In actuality, he was wondering if it was worth wasting SGC resources on this 'theory' of Daniel's. Especially if it meant finding a treasure that just might contain a Goa'uld.

"Sir?"

Carter's voice broke Jack out of his trance. He looked across the table at her questioningly.

"Sir, I've gone over those writings with Daniel. From what he translated on the descriptions, it sounds like these items would be invaluable to the SGC. More than invaluable, actually. It's my opinion that there just might be a ZPM or two with the Templar Treasure. If that's where these devices wound up."

"ZPM, huh?" Jack ruminated on that. They could open a wormhole to Atlantis. Check on everyone that had been sent through that gate to such a far away galaxy. He remained silent just a few more minutes, weighing the options. He certainly didn't want to 'discover' another Goa'uld. On the other hand, he had people out there that hadn't been heard from in nearly three months. He wanted to know they were alright. Finally, he pushed back his chair and heading for his office.

"Sir? Where are you going?" Carter called after him.

"To make a few phone calls," he called back. The door to his office shut behind him, then opened again.

"Daniel? This Ben Gates fellow…….How much funding does he have?"

Daniel shrugged.

"I'm not sure, Jack. But I don't think it's very much. His activity the last year or so has been extremely limited."

Jack fixed Daniel with a questioning gaze.

"What did you do? Hire a private detective to follow this guy around?"

Daniel didn't reply and Jack went back to his office, closing the door once again. In a few moments, the door opened and Jack stuck his head out.

"Dismissed."

Once more, the door was shut. The team of SG1 exchanged glances before filing out of the room. Carter was the last to leave, but she heard Jack's voice as she walked out.

"Mr. President? Glad I caught you…."

Carter smiled to herself. Perhaps they just might be able to join in the search for the Templar Treasure, after all.

Twenty minutes later, Jack O'Neill was a very happy General. The president agreed with him that this Templar Treasure was worth investigating. However, he also did not want word getting out that the US government was looking for the treasure. Jack mentioned Ben Gates, and from there, the general and the president formulated a plan. Gates would need backing. . .funding. The government couldn't provide that funding. However, Jack knew someone who could. Someone who was strong enough to stand up to people who would tell him he was crazy, and someone as passionate as Daniel about history and archaeology. But at least he made sense most of the time.

Jack found the number in his personal rolodex. It had been nearly ten years since he saw the younger man, but Jack was confident he would be interested in this. It only took a few rings, then a sleepy male voice murmured, "Hullo?"

Sleepy? Jack swore silently, realizing the time difference. There was no help for it. He said a bit gruffly, "Hey kid, how are you doing?"

A brief silence, then, "Jack? Jack O'Neill? Why are you calling me at. . ." brief pause while the poor man checked the clock, "at two am? What time is it in Colorado? You are still in Colorado, aren't you?"

"I am. Sorry, kid, I forgot the time difference. I have a proposition for you. . .one I don't think you'll be able to say 'no' to," Jack told Ian Howe.

A/N: All flames will be used to feed Boormir, the mini-Balrog. Or, in Terreis' case, to light the bonfire on a deserted island...which she's sharing with Captain Jack Sparrow.