A Woman On Every Planet
Author: Stargate Fan
Published: 05-28-06
His earliest memory was of waking up in the field, naked and shivering, soaked to the skin and bewildered. He had no beginning. No past memories whatsoever.
Three men approached and asked him what his name was. "I don't know." He looked around but didn't recognize the place.
One of the younger men pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around him as they helped him to his feet. It was still warm from the man's body heat and it felt very comforting. They walked a few miles towards a village, across wet and rocky ground, which made his feet dirty and sore. By the time he entered the village, he was stumbling from exhaustion and had to have help from the younger men. People in the small town stopped and stared wondering who this nearly naked man was and where he came from.
The elderly man took him to his tent and helped him onto a mat, whereby he fell asleep and knew nothing until the next day. Waking, he found he was thirsty and his stomach was grumbling loudly. When had he eaten last? It felt like a long time, but he couldn't recollect.
The town elders came to the tent with questions. "Who are you? Why are you here? Where did you come from? What do you want from us?"
He was deeply troubled and refused to talk to anyone. What could he say? He didn't have answers to their endless questions and the seriousness of the situation was beginning to scare him. Confusion reigned, plaguing him with questions of his own.
Finally, the old man told everyone to leave the stranger alone and let him rest. He would talk when he was ready.
"Thank you." 'What a relief! I don't think I could have taken much more!'
"You're welcome, young man. Now, rest here by the fire. Worry for nothing. The villagers won't bother you any more. My name is Shamda and you are safe here."
He was given a bowl of warm stew and a chunk of hard bread. Using the bread like a spoon, he devoured the stew and his bowl was refilled twice before he was full. Shamda knelt before him with a bowl of warm, scented water and a towel and proceeded to wash his dirty feet.
"Why are you doing this?" The stranger was so emotionally fatigued that he was almost on the verge of panic.
"You are a guest in my home. This is tradition. A way of saying that you are welcome here. It also is a good way to keep my carpets clean." He laughed. "That's supposed to be a joke."
The stranger just stared in wonder at the old man. He was humbled as tears welled up in his eyes.
When Shamda was done, he removed the bowl and rubbed the stranger's feet dry, taking careful attention to the cuts and sores. He then applied ointment to heal the wounds and wished that the heart could be healed just as easily.
In an attempt to calm the man, he asked, "Have you ever heard the story about the dog and the dancing monkeys?"
0 0 0 0
Later, in the evening, Shamda's sons returned to the tent from their day in the field. They had been herding sheep and goats and had penned them up for the night. A discussion was started regarding a name the stranger could use.
"How about 'Otham,' said the youngest son. 'Otham' means 'stranger.'
Shamda said, "'Otham won't work. He's no longer a stranger."
"I'm not?" This confused the man. 'I don't know who I am. How can this man accept me so quickly? I'm not sure I can accept myself, yet.'
"No, not since you've spent a night under my roof. Now you're my guest and guests are not strangers. Maybe I'll adopt you and you can be one of my sons."
This was intriguing to the man with no memory. 'Do I have a family? If so, where are they? Am I married? Do I have children?' It started to bother him that he might have left behind loved ones and that they might be worried about him.
The discussion continued.
"Maybe you should be called, 'Utten.' That means 'Wandering One'.
"He's no longer wandering, now, is he?" Shamda looked pointedly at his son, gesturing toward the stranger. "He has been a guest in my home since yesterday. No, not 'Utten'.
"What then, father?"
"Arrom."
"Naked One?"
"Yes."
The two sons looked at their father as if he'd lost his mind.
"He's not naked, father?" The younger son snorted with laughter.
"No, but that is how we found him. It fits the situation. He can pick another name later, if he wants to." Shamda looked at Arrom and smiled.
Arrom smiled back and thought, 'Well, at least I have something of my own.' A name. Funny as it was, it did describe him well.
0 0 0 0
He learned quickly how to help out in the home of his adopted family. He soon noticed that the quarters were a bit cramped so he asked if he could have a tent of his own. Shamda seemed hurt at first, wanting to know if he or his sons had offended Arrom in some way. Arrom reassured him that they had not. He just felt under foot and needed a quiet place of his own to think. The old man understood and they arranged for Arrom to have a tent nearby, and then provided some things for him to make it a home. His sleeping mat was moved in, as well as blankets, some oil lamps, extra clothing, eating and cooking utensils, and an altar with an idol for his daily worship.
Arrom found the altar interesting. Worship? What did the idol represent? He didn't have any idea but he did like the scent of the candles and the warm glow. He would light them from time to time, but he didn't worship the idol. Shamda explained his own beliefs and they sounded somewhat familiar to Arrom, but until he could remember, he decided to worship nothing. It could be confusing later, when his memory returned.
He hoped that it would, someday. Occasionally, he would get brief glimpses; flashes, if you will, faces of people, places, objects. Sometimes, someone in the village would be cooking something with an aroma that would stir something in his mind. No matter how hard he tried, though, nothing significant came to mind.
Life went on. Early in the mornings, he would go to the river to bathe. He hung his robes on the branch of a tree and walked into the chilly stream. Diving in naked, he swam across the river and back. Not a far distance, but enough to warm him up. Then he would use some soap and a knife to shave his face. Looking at his reflection in the river, he wondered if he looked like his parents. This left him feeling melancholy as he sat and pondered his situation. 'What am I going to do?'
When he came back to the tent, he would find a warm bowl of cooked fruit and grain, and a chunk of bread with butter. And something else. It was a warm, brown drink they called, 'Kafa.' It smelled vaguely familiar and tasted wonderful. He never knew who left the food but he wondered about it. When he went out to the pasture to work, the bowl and cup were removed. He wished he could thank whomever it was that left him his breakfast, but he didn't know whom to thank. It was a pleasant mystery. And he smiled whenever he thought about it. Whomever was doing this obviously didn't want a fuss made over them, so he respected their privacy.
A few days after the breakfast appeared, he noticed his dirty clothing had been washed and hung up to dry in his tent. 'This is interesting. Is it the same person who brings breakfast? Why are they doing this?"
This continued for many days. He never saw the mysterious person who was leaving the food and washing his clothes. He looked around the village but he didn't' see anyone he thought would be interested in helping him. He wondered if it was Shamda. But, when he asked, Shamda said, "No. Perhaps it's one of the old women who wants to make sure you get enough to eat and have clean clothes."
"Well, if you find out, please thank them for me."
0 0 0 0
It had been a long, weary day, herding the sheep and goats to the farthest pasture and back. After the mid day meal, some dogs had scattered the flock and it took the rest of the afternoon to round up the strays and settle them down. Then they had to head back and it was quite a distance. He was dust covered and had sheep dung stuck on his boots as he trudged back to the village.
'What I need is a bath. I stink like the sheep and I'm covered with sweat and dirt. I wonder if anyone is down by the river? Maybe they won't see me if I'm quiet.' Seeing as he didn't have memories of his past, one of the few things he had was his privacy, and he treasured that. So, he was modest in front of others about his nakedness. 'My name may mean, 'Naked One,' but that doesn't mean I have to flaunt it!'
He strode to the river's edge and looked around. 'All clear! Great!'
He stripped off his robes and boots and dove in. He was very tired but he swam across the river anyway, taking his time. 'This feels wonderful. I should do this every evening. I'm sure the tent would smell better if I did. That place reeks of goats, sheep and sweat.'
When he got out of the water, he reached for his robe but found that it had been replaced with his clean one. And his boots had been scraped and cleaned. Puzzled, he looked around but found nobody near. It was starting to get dark but he knew his way back to the village and before long, he was back in his tent, only to find his dirty robes had been washed and hung to dry. A warm meal was waiting him by the fire. Mutton, bread, peas and rice. And a warm cup of wine. 'Okay, I could get used to this.'
So, this is how his days went for some time. Upon rising, he went to the river to wash and shave. He tended the flocks during the day and returned to bathe in the river and foundd his robes washed and hung to dry and his boots scraped clean. A warm meal was always waiting him when he returned. It was an intriguing mystery.
One night, after eating a delicious bowl of stew and then enjoying a fresh apple for dessert, he sat back before his fire with his wine and wondered if this was what he had to look forward to for the rest of his life. This was nice. The people were pleasant and easy to get along with. The only 'fly in the ointment,' was his desperate loneliness. He still didn't remember anything about his past and that bothered him, but he couldn't do anything about it. His days passed, one to the next, without variation. 'Is this it?'
He got up and closed the flap to the tent opening. After banking the fire and undressing, he crawled naked beneath the covers on his sleeping mat and soon was quietly slumbering.
Sometime, in the middle of the night, he woke up suddenly. Was that a noise he heard or part of a dream? He sat up and looked around but the embers from the fire were barely glowing and offered no light. What? There it was again! A shuffling sound coming from near the end of his bed. He tried to look into the darkness, but his vision wasn't very good and he couldn't make out anything in the pitch black darkness.
Suddenly, someone sat on the side of his bed, next to him. Startled, He reached out in a panic but a soft woman's voice said, "Hush, Arrom. You are safe."
She smelled like something sweet. Vanilla, maybe. She reached for him and found the side of his face with her hand. Leaning over, she kissed his lips tentatively. A surprised breath escaped Arrom's mouth, but he quickly recovered. Her lips were warm and her breath sweet. She gently pushed him onto his back and crawled under the covers.
He couldn't see a thing so he had no idea who she was. He could tell she had hair past her shoulders but he couldn't determine the color. By the feel of the soft skin of her face, she seemed young but he had no other way of telling.
She was kissing him again and he was starting to respond. Had he done this before? Did he have a wife or a lover? This felt familiar and he was enjoying the sensation of being made love to in the pitch black of the night. Her hands were everywhere, firm then gentle. Quick and then very slow.
She was whispering to him in a foreign language that seemed intimate and comfortable. Was this language one he knew? Perhaps. But before long, he didn't care what she was saying. She had awakened a spark inside him that was about to ignite into a blazing inferno. He rolled on top of her and took over. Before long, they were both panting and their sweat slicked bodies moved together in that age old dance. He cried out a name! "Sha're!" But, later he had no memory of shouting it. He was so wrapped up in this one woman with her soft curves and the heat of her skin on his hands, that the world could set ablaze and he wouldn't notice it. Nothing else mattered at the moment, only this time, right now.
When they were finished, he held her close and thanked whatever gods had sent her to him this night. As he fell asleep with her in his arms, he wondered if she was the one who had been bringing the meals and cleaning his robes.
0 0 0 0
He woke up and stretched, long and luxuriously. Settling back he looked around the room and wondered that he had slept so well. Then he remembered his night time visitor. Was that a dream? He looked around for some sign of the woman he thought he'd had in his bed, but there was no sign that she had been there. If this was a dream, it sure felt real!
He donned his robes and headed for the river and his morning routine. When he returned, he found a warm breakfast, just like all the other mornings. The kafa was especially good this morning. It tasted like it had a few drops of honey it it. He smiled at the memory of the dream he'd had. Did that really happen?
0 0 0 0
That night, he woke up again, to the feeling of the woman crawling into his bed. They didn't make love, though. She just laid her head on his shoulder and ran her hands through the hair on the back of his head. The scalp massage was very relaxing and soon he was dozing off. She kissed him softly on the lips and then snuggled close. Soon, they were both asleep, resting comfortably in each other's arms.
0 0 0 0
In the morning, she was gone.
0 0 0 0
This went on for a while. Some nights, they made love, their need for each other driving them to soaring heights of passion. Other nights, they just held each other gently, content to be in each other's presence. But, they never talked about her identity. They whispered in the dark about everything else, but not who she was. Each time he asked her who she was, she would just put her finger over his lips. "Shhhh." So, eventually, he gave up.
The mystery woman remained a mystery. The food continued to show up in his tent. His clothes continued to be cleaned and hung up to dry. And she kept coming to his tent long after dark and leaving before he woke up in the morning.
0 0 0 0
One morning, a few weeks after his rather dramatic arrival, on the way back to the village after his swim, he heard a commotion from the village. As he started up the hill toward the gates, he saw some strange people there. They were dressed differently and stopped to stare at him as he approached.
One man asked, "Dr. Jackson?"
Arrom was confused. Was he talking to him? He looked around but didn't see anyone else nearby. As he continued up the hill and toward the village gate, the strangers grouped around him. Upon entering the village square, one of them, someone called 'Major Reynolds', spoke to a man who was obviously in charge.
"Colonel, we found something you might want to see."
The 'colonel' turned to look and was completely stunned. 'I can't believe what I'm seeing!' "Daniel?"
One of the villagers said, "Arrom."
"Arrom?" The colonel looked at him curiously.
"It's what we call him."
Shamda explained, "It means 'naked one.'"
"That's how we found him in the forest, two moons ago."
Major Reynolds said, "Seems he doesn't remember who he is."
A light haired woman smiled and reached out her hand to him. "Daniel? It's okay. It's me, Sa..." But, just as she was about to touch him, he reached out and blocked her attempt.
Samantha Carter was confused. 'Why won't he let me touch him? What is wrong?'
"Do you not recognize us, Daniel Jackson?" Arrom noted a tall, dark skinned man with a gold emblem on his forehead but he didn't know him.
Teal'c didn't understand what was happening any more than Sam did. This was his brother, his closest friend. How could he behave like this? Wasn't he glad to see them?
"I'm sorry," Arrom said, as he pushed his way past and headed across the square.
Sam was crushed. When she first saw that it was Daniel, her spirits soared. But, Daniel acted like he didn't know her and had just walked away as if he didn't care that they were here. 'What the hell is going on?'
They all felt shocked as they turn to watch him as he walked away, through the crowd.
"Not even me?" Jack asked. 'Where's he going? Doesn't he know us?'
0 0 0 0
Jack decided that he couldn't just let this go. This was Daniel, for heaven's sake! His closest friend! 'Okay, if he won't stay here and talk, I'll go to him.' As he approached the tent, he saw Daniel sitting inside and started to enter.
Arrom raised his hand as if to block his entrance and said, "Please leave me alone." He turned away and thought, 'This guy has a lot of nerve just walking in here.'
Jack stepped into the tent and ignored Daniel's request. "I'm Jack O'Neill. And, barring some freakish similarity, you are Dr. Daniel Jackson."
Arrom paused and then shook his head and said, "This tent is all I know. These people, they're all I know. Before I woke up in the forest, I don't remember anything. I've tried, I've tried to remember who I was before. Sometimes I think it's right there, floating in front of me, and all I have to do is reach out and grab it. I try... and it's gone." The look of hopelessness on his face scared Jack.
'Wow, he really doesn't remember!' Jack decided to explain. "You were a member of my team, SG-1. You're a friend of mine. Last year, you died."
"I'm dead?" 'Oh, come on!'
"Obviously not. You just sort of died. Actually, you... ascended to a higher plain of existence. Last time I saw you, you were helping us fight Anubis."
"Anubis?"
"Yeah, kind of an over-the-top, cliché bad guy. Black cloak, oily skin, kind of spooky. Anyway, obviously since then, you've retaken human form, somehow. I... Actually, I can how see this might sound a bit unusual..."
"A bit? Why am I here?"
"Hey, why are any of us here?"
Arrom rolled his eyes a bit and turned away. 'This guy is nuts!'
"Honestly, I don't know, but you've gotta trust me. You are Daniel Jackson. Think of it this way: out of all the planets in the galaxy, why this one if not for us to find you?"
"So you're saying a higher power had a hand in putting me here?" 'This has to be the biggest practical joke ever played by the gods!'
"I don't know. That was generally your department."
Arrom sighed and turned away.
Jack looked at him and wondered what he must be going through. 'Maybe I should give him a few minutes to digest this.' As he left the tent, he noticed Sam coming towards him.
She said, "Jonas and Teal'c are helping SG-3 and -5 begin the preliminary sweep."
"Remember when I said it was like talking to a wall?" Jack approached some steps and sat down.
"Sir, we know someone who's ascended can chose to retake human form."
"You think he also chose to forget everything?" 'Why would he do that?'
"Maybe the part about his memory isn't voluntary. Who knows? Maybe the whole thing is punishment for trying to help us. He did say he was breaking some pretty big rules."
"So... what?"
"It's gonna take some time to search the entire extent of the ruins. There could be weapons or a power source hidden just about anywhere. In the mean time, we try to help Daniel remember... if that's even possible."
"Tag... you're it."
0 0 0 0
Arrom hoped that he would be left alone in peace for a while. He lit some candles hoping that the mild scent and the soft glow would help him relax. This was all a bit much. Just then, the blond woman approached the entrance to his tent.
"Can I come in?"
Arrom, had just lit the second candle and paused. 'Damn. Here we go again! First Jim, and now this woman!'
"Sure."
Sam looked around and then sat down. "So..."
Arrom asked, "What did you say your name was again?"
"Samantha Carter. You used to call me Sam."
"Yeah, well, like I already told Jim..."
"Uh, Jack."
"Jack? Yeah, I told him."
"I guess what I don't understand is why you aren't dying to know all about who you are."
"I am... and I'm not."
"See, it's the not part..."
"What if I don't like who I was? What if I don't want to be that person? What if I don't have it in me to make up for something I've done wrong?"
"I have to admit, that never occurred to me. Look, we all thought we'd lost you at one point. It was one of the hardest things I have ever been through. You were... you are... brilliant. One of the most caring, passionate... you're the type of person who would give his own life for someone he doesn't even know."
"Well, that doesn't sound so bad." He looked away, embarrassed.
"If you had one fault, it was that you wanted to save people so badly, you wanted to help people so much, that it tore you apart when you couldn't make a difference."
"That actually sounds kind of hard to live up to."
"All I know is that if I were you, I would definitely want to get to know me... you."
"I get it."
"Come back with us. Let us show you who you are instead of just telling you."
"I'll think about it."
"Okay." 'Well, at least he's willing to do that.'
As Sam got up to leave, Arrom asked, "Samantha Carter?" 'If she knows me so well, are we related somehow?'
Sam turned to look back at Daniel.
"Yeah?"
"Was there ever anything... between us?"
Sam chuckled a bit and smiled. "Us, uh... no, no, not in that way. We - we were really, really good friends."
"Okay." Arrom nodded. He could accept that.
Samantha left and a few minutes later, Arrom saw someone else darken the entrance to his tent. When he looked up, he saw that it was a young woman with long black hair parted down the middle and olive colored skin. As he watched her approach, he recognized her scent. When he stood she picked up his satchel and handed it to him.
"Arrom, you must go with them. They are your people and they have come for you."
"Wait! What are you doing? You walk in here and tell me to leave after all this time we've been together? I may not recognize you by sight, but I know who you are! And now you just want me to leave?"
"You must listen and try to understand. I wanted to help you. I could see that you didn't have anyone to cook and clean for you so I decided that I would. But, I didn't want you to know who I was. I knew that someday, you would remember who you are and you would want to return to your home. If you became attached to me, you would feel conflict. I met your needs and you met mine. There is no shame in what we did. My husband died last year from a fever and I knew how lonely you must be. I felt the same. So, I came to you in the night. But Arrom, those people out there care about you. You must go with them."
Arrom turned and sat down. 'Why now? Why now when I had just gotten used to the idea that I could settle down here?' "I don't know what to do."
"Arrom, you don't have any reason to stay. You do not love me. We both know that. We helped each other out in a time of need. But, you have no ties here. Go with them. They can help you remember."
Arrom turned towards her. "I don't even know your name."
"That's doesn't matter. "She smiled at him. "Please Daniel, do this for yourself."
Je reached out to hug her. "I don't know what to say. You've done so much for me. You filled a hole inside me that I didn't know I had. Now, you want me to leave and I'm not really sure I want to go."
"Daniel Jackson, if you do not, you will always wonder what you gave up. Eventually, it would eat you alive and the disappointment would make you a bitter man. I don't want that to happen to you."
He kissed her tenderly on the lips and then took his satchel. "Maybe I could come back to visit."
"Perhaps. I would like that."
He walked around the room and put his things that were dear to him into the satchel and then turned to leave. He took one last look around, gave her another kiss and then left the tent.
0 0 0 0
Sam approached Colonel O'Neill and heard him talking to Shamda.
"Carter... Shamda here was just telling me a story about... a dog and some dancing monkeys."
"The moral of which is appearances can be deceptive."
"I got that. Very good story, wonderful. Full of nuances, I like that."
Teal'c and Jonas walked in from a neighboring street and Jonas said, "We, uh, we sent up a UAV."
"The ruins are quite extensive." Teal'c was impressed with the place.
Jonas agreed, "Yeah, it's gonna take us weeks to scour this place properly."
"What of Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c was hoping that he would come back with them but he had his doubts. Daniel seemed to fit here.
They heard a voice from behind them say, "He's going home." Daniel stepped up to them and nodded. 'I hope I'm doing the right thing.'
0 0 0 0
She watched Daniel approach the strangers and tell them he was going home with them. He stopped and said goodbye to many of the townspeople, leaving Shamda and his family for last. She could see them saying goodbye and it caused her heart to ache. The group turned and as they walked up the steps towards the village gate, Daniel turned around one last time. As their eyes made contact, he nodded once, and after one long last look, he turned and was gone.
She had tears on her face as she watched him go. Then, she placed her hand on her abdomen and thought, "Maybe I'll have a son with blue eyes like his father. And maybe someday his father will return. Perhaps."
The End.