The Third Side
by Slef
Star Wars Episode 1 / Stargate SG1 / Star Trek TNG crossover
Summary: Sequel to "Moment"... Close encounters of the Q kind?
Disclaimer: Star Trek and all related characters were created by Gene Roddenberry and
belong to Paramount.Stargate SG1 belong to MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp,
Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.Partnership.
Star Wars is the property of George Lucas.
Note: This is a sequel to my story "Moment". Read that one first, for this
to make a bit more sense :-)
The Third Side
A crazy spin through chaos, and Daniel Jackson flew out of the Stargate and
fell with a sickening thud on the ramp leading to it. He instinctively
rolled himself into a ball as he hit, lessening the impact somewhat, and
came to rest at the foot of the ramp. The sound of his gasp as he hit
echoed through the surroundings.
"Oooph!"
Ominously quiet surroundings. Daniel cautiously opened his eyes to check on
the rest of the team. If he'd hit that hard, they could be hurt.
Nobody in sight. Not Jack, irritated because Daniel was still lying there.
Not Sam, concerned because he hadn't gotten up. Not Teal'c, keeping a
watchful eye out for danger. Nobody.
"Um... guys?" Daniel called tentatively. Again, his voice echoed
alarmingly. No response.
Daniel got to his feet painfully, but a quick self-check revealed no broken
bones or bleeding, just bruises. So he re-shouldered his pack and started
to explore his surroundings.
He found himself inside a huge dark structure. The Stargate was mounted in
the center of what seemed to be a dome. Radiating from there, six passages
led off into darkness. The central area was dimly lit from no discernable
source.
Exploring the passages, Daniel found that each led straight to an empty
chamber. He could see no way out of the structure but the Gate.
Which should have been good enough, except for one little snag: There was
no dial-home-device.
Daniel sat down on the ramp and wondered why he always had to get into
these kind of messes.
* * *
Back at SGC, Colonel Jack O'Neal turned on his heel and started across the
gate room for his 37th crossing. He'd waited patiently for a while but his
strung-up nerves would not let him sit still for long. Pacing didn't help
as he repeatedly went over the events of the morning, trying to find what
went wrong. Because Jack O'Neal couldn't face losing Daniel yet again.
Believing him dead once was bad enough.
They'd assembled in the gate room at 07:00 for their mission to P3X422.
Preliminary probes had reported a hospitable climate and atmosphere, and no
immediate threat (like the destruction of the ROV) was detected. What was
interesting from the images sent back was the presence of pyramid-like
structures not far from the Gate, implying present or previous Goa'uld
occupation.
So they were planning on sneaking through more or less quietly to find out
what the status was. Daniel had been excited at the prospect of looking at
the pyramids, but he'd also been serious about the need to stay hidden.
They'd tangled enough with the Goa'uld before not to underestimate them.
Still, everything seemed normal as they stepped into the Gate. O'Neal,
Teal'c and Daniel, with Carter bringing up the rear. The trip through the
event horizon had been it's usual, gut-twisting self, and they stepped out
easily on the other side. O'Neal, Teal'c and Carter, bringing up the rear.
No Daniel.
Searching revealed no trace of him, and anyway, they knew that matter
exited the Gate in the order it entered. Their search was cut short, in any
case, when Teal'c warned of approaching Jaffa. Reasonably sure that Daniel
was nowhere near on P3X422, Jack had ordered them back through the Gate,
hoping to find Daniel still at SGC for whatever reason.
He wasn't. And although Carter tried to come up with logical explanations,
it seemed that Daniel had somehow become lost between point A and point B
and was presently either at point X (an unidentified spot in the universe)
or a small collection of inert gases. Jack could not shake the feeling that
they'd lost him for good this time.
Which did not keep him from hoping that Daniel would dial himself home
shortly and step through the Gate against all expectations, again. The
archeologist did seem prone to strange adventures but always got through in
the end.
So, see-sawing between hope and pessimism, Jack O'Neal paced the gate room,
waiting.
* * *
Another scout of the dome revealed nothing new. Daniel went back to the
Gate, where he'd left his pack. And sat down to heat up some food. The
structure contained nothing he could use, nothing to eat. Just bare,
uninscribed stone. After a few hours of fruitless searching and panic,
Daniel now found himself resignedly bored.
So he opened his pack and checked his rations. Stretching it, there was
enough food to last him a week. The problem was water. He only had a
2-litre bottle. No way that would last as long, and there was no water to
be found anywhere in the dome.
Daniel held no illusions that Jack and the others would step through the
Gate to rescue him. They would have no clue of where he was (neither did
he) and the odds of hitting the right gate combination by chance were
negligible. Anyway, he had a suspicion that anyone who did come through,
would just end up trapped as well.
Strangely, the idea of dying in a few days, alone, did not bother him as
much as he thought it would. He knew he'd had a better life than most, with
opportunities to see and experience things no-one else had. Sure, Jack and
Sam also visited the worlds, but to him, seeing the living, breathing
ancient cultures, was the greatest gift he could imagine. Every planet he
visited either confirmed his life's work, or opened new vistas, different
horizons.
So yes, he did regret not getting to follow up on all the wonderful things,
but he couldn't complain about the hand he'd been dealt. He just hoped
Jack, Sam and Teal'c were ok.
A strange, bouncing sound suddenly echoed through the dome.
"Boing!"
And a second later: "Boing!"
Daniel dropped everything and followed the sound. It sounded very much like
a plastic beach ball being bounced on stone. "Boing!"
Choosing a passage, Daniel stepped into a chamber. Standing nonchalantly
against one wall, a dark-haired man paused, gave Daniel a grin, and threw
the bright red and yellow beach ball he'd been bouncing straight at the
astounded archeologist.
Daniel caught it. The world went mad.
* * *
Qui-Gon Jinn, former Jedi Knight, Keeper of Balance, embodied by the Force,
had spent an infinity of hours or years, or perhaps a few moments, being
one with the Force and learning its currents; the dark whirlpools and the
tranquil bays, always in movement. He traveled the universe in a thought,
and spent an eternity watching a flower grow somewhere on an unnamed
planet. The universe was his to see, as long as he focused on the moment
and kept the Balance.
He was thoroughly aware of both sides of the Force; the light, the dark.
The good, the evil. His task was not to vanquish evil wherever it
flourished, but to ensure that the Balance was restored. If that meant
aiding those striving for good, he was there to help. If it meant fighting
the evil, he fought. And left in an eye blink for the other side of the
universe to aid someone there. Few could recall him after he left. He
seldom spoke to them.
Because even though he felt lonely in his task, it hurt too much to leave
after having made friends. He had to move so fast over so vast an area, he
doubted he'd ever see his friends again. So he lost himself in his task,
never stopping to consider that his own anguish was slowly pushing the
Force out of kilter.
But these last few... days... seconds?... a feeling had been growing in the
Force. Something like an itch he couldn't scratch. Somewhere, something
very strange was taking place. Qui-Gon left the flowers growing and
diffused through the void, following the itch.
* * *
Daniel blinked as his eyes slowly focused on something close to his face.
After a few seconds he identified it. A baseball. On grass. Things slowly
oriented themselves and he realized he was lying face down on, of all
things, a baseball field.
"Come on, Daniel!" an irritated, and very familiar voice called. "It can't
have hit you that hard."
Daniel pushed himself up until he was sitting and faced Jack, dressed in
baseball uniform and carrying a bat, striding up to him.
"Jack?"
Yeah, Jack." Jack answered. "What's your problem anyway? You were
positioned right to catch it and then you just stood there and waited for
it to hit you on the head..."
Daniel was shaking said head confusedly. He remembered nothing of this. The
last thing, in fact, was the strange man throwing a beach ball at him.
"This can't be real," he muttered.
"What do you mean, real?" Jack asked as he pulled Daniel to his feet. "Are
you ok? You look a little pale."
Daniel took in more of his surroundings. Not just a baseball field... a
huge baseball stadium with thousands of empty seats. Spotlights making
night seem as day ... and Jack.
"We've never played ball before, Jack," he answered distractedly. Something
just felt wrong. In his head, he could almost pinpoint a spot where
something messed with his brain. It reminded him of the time Qui-Gon Jinn
saved them from the Sith Lord.
Jack was regarding him curiously, looking a bit hurt. "You don't remember,
Danny?"
Daniel faced him squarely. "No, I'm sure I don't. Who are you?"
Jack just stared at him incredulously.
From far away Daniel became aware of a voice saying his name.
"Daniel? Snap out of it. Come on, Jackson, I'm going to miss the game."
He grabbed hold of the sounds, and concentrating on that, refocused his
eyes.
Back in the dome...and the event horizon in the Stargate was throwing blue
sparks of light all over. And Jack was trying to get his attention.
"Jack?" he asked, disbelieving.
"Yeah, Jack." Jack answered. "What's your problem anyway? I come here to
rescue you and you just stand there and stare at me." He took Daniel by the
arm and pulled the archeologist to the Gate. "Never mind. Let's get you
home."
Daniel felt an uncanny sense of deja vu as Jack spoke, but he wanted to get
home. Just before they stepped into the Gate, he was struck by something.
"How did you know which combination to use?"
Jack grinned at him "Pure genius, Danny boy!" And he pushed Daniel into the
Gate.
* * *
Spinning, twisting, wildly flailing, accelerated beyond endurance, crawling
at a snail's pace, Daniel finally reached the other end. Stepping out, he
kept his balance only because he was looking at the ground. When he did
look up, he reeled in shock. No gate room. Not even a gate on another
planet. Just black nothingness with a lonely speck of light here and there.
And a huge old oak tree growing in the void. Under the tree, General
Hammond was seated behind his desk, looking forbiddingly at a confused
Daniel.
"Dr. Jackson," Hammond began. "It has come to my attention that you've been
partaking in hallucinatory drugs. I will not tolerate drug abuse in my
command. Can you explain yourself?"
Daniel, who'd lost his breath at the accusation, was trying desperately to
think of something to say. How does one explain strange hallucinations to a
general sitting under an oak tree growing in the void?
"Ahh... General Hammond, sir," he stuttered, then got his thoughts in a
little more order. "Sir, if I really am using drugs, it's without my
knowledge. But this does explain the strange things I'm seeing..." Before
he could continue, Jack's voice interrupted.
"You bet your Bear's tickets it does!"
"What is it with baseball?" Daniel muttered. Nothing made any sense
anymore. He was starting to disbelieve everything he saw, not that that was
a problem. If he truly was hallucinating, then logically he supposed he was
in the infirmary, under restraint. Which probably meant that he could just
relax, go with the flow, and eventually it would all go away.
"Make believe in magic, make believe in dreams
make believe impossible, nothing as it seems
see touch taste they're all here
but never know if it's real..."
The singing faded with the scene leaving Daniel once again in the dome.
There was an added feature, though. A table stood off to the side, laden
with food and drink. Daniel shrugged. Why not? So he ate his fill of the
imaginary food, and fell asleep in the imaginary bed that had materialized
a short while later. If he dreamt, it was no stranger that the waking dream
he'd been having.
* * *
Qui-Gon willed himself into being at the place where the disturbance in the
Force was most intense. At first sight it didn't look like much. A dark
dome with a Stargate mounted in the center. And sleeping on a bed to the
side...
Qui-Gon had seldom been so surprised to see anyone, though in retrospect,
the Stargate should have prepared him for the sight of Daniel Jackson
sleeping without a care, in a stone dome floating in space, far removed
from any planet.
Concentrating, Qui-Gon sensed the disturbance again. It was mobile, as if
centered around a person, and Qui-Gon could have sworn it felt... amused.
Not the usual feeling he got from the Dark Side, he reflected as he settled
down to wait for the sleeping man to wake.
Daniel woke hours later to find Qui-Gon Jinn sitting patiently next to his
bed... still in the dome. In stead of the joyous greeting Qui-Gon expected,
Daniel groaned aloud and turned over to hide his face in the pillows. Such
a wave of anguish came from him that Qui-Gon was at his side in an instant.
"What is wrong, my friend?" he asked the shuddering young man.
Daniel's voice was muffled. "I thought it would be over by now."
"Over?" Qui-Gon felt as if he'd missed part of this conversation.
Daniel sighed and sat up, facing the Jedi. "I've been having
hallucinations... and I still am, you're proof of that," he explained
patiently. "None of this is real. I'm hoping to just wake up in the
infirmary when whatever I've taken had worn off."
Qui-Gon gripped his arm. "Daniel, this is real. I am real. It's no
hallucination."
Daniel smiled at him wanly. "Sure, Qui-Gon," he said, glancing around. "But
Jack in the ballpark and General Hammond under the tree looked just as real
as you... and you're dead, if I recall correctly."
Qui-Gon nodded. "I understand. I can't prove to you what is real and what
is not. You have to decide for yourself. Just trust your instinct." He got
up and walked to the Gate. Turning, he spread his hands. "Remember I told
you about the Force? That there is a Light and a Dark Side?"
When Daniel nodded, he continued. "I can sense something different here.
Something is manipulating the Force to manifest all this. But it isn't
evil. It's strange, but I'm almost sure it's laughing at us."
Both of them were startled when faint singing drifted from one of the
passages.
"Row row row your boat gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream..."
The singing became louder as the dark-haired man Daniel had seen before,
came into view. He stopped singing when he saw them.
"The Jedi and the Archeologist!" he exclaimed. "What a sight! But of
course, it would never work. Neither of you is ever at home. Pity."
Qui-Gon regarded this being with curiosity. The disturbance he'd felt was
centered around this person, whatever he was. Daniel watched Qui-Gon's
reaction, sure that his own would make no difference in the outcome of this
meeting. He was surprised to find that he believed Qui-Gon's claim to
reality, but the Jedi had proved himself trustworthy before, and Daniel was
not the paranoid type in normal life.
The dark-haired man looked around. "My, but it's dreary in here. How do you
stand it? Lights, please!"
The dome lit up on the inside with thousands of little lights, simulating
the night sky of a planet center-galaxy.
A stage appeared, with their peculiar visitor - wearing tuxedo - in the
spotlight, wielding a microphone,
"You, sir!" he pointed at Qui-Gon. "Join us on the stage!"
Qui-Gon, disoriented by the sudden change, and the accompanying wrench in
the Force, tried to refuse, but found himself up there anyway. This being
had enormous power.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the man continued. "Tonight's show is very special.
We have only one contestant..." A spotlight fell on Daniel, seated behind a
counter, looking lost. "... and only one category... this man!" The
spotlight moved to Qui-Gon as thousands of voices suddenly cheered. Qui-Gon
tried to see into the dark beyond the stage and could just make out an
impression of a huge crowd, avidly watching.
"I am your host, Q," the man continued. "And I'm sure I need no
introduction. After all, I'm me!"
The crowd went wild.
Q took a bow, then gestured towards Qui-Gon. "Our goal tonight is to find
out what motivated Qui-Gon Jinn, here. Contestant! Do you have a question
for Mr. Jinn?"
Daniel sat there, caught unprepared, again. Qui-Gon took a step forward.
"We won't be part of your game," he told Q, sternly.
Q stopped dead, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
"You're right! This is no game, it's a trial!"
Immediately the stage disappeared, to be replaced with a courtroom. Daniel
was seated on the witness stand and Qui-Gon sat on the side of the defense.
He had no lawyer present. Q managed to be prosecution, Judge and jury
simultaneously.
Q the prosecutor faced Daniel. "Mr. Jackson, how would you describe the
defendant?"
"Um, honest... trustworthy... noble... " Daniel fished for concepts.
"Yes, yes," Q said impatiently. "Those are very good... but would you say
he's a people person?"
Daniel glanced at Qui-Gon for support, but the Jedi merely shrugged,
content to wait and see what happened.
Daniel cleared his throat. "I don't know. I've only met him once before,
but he seems to be compassionate, if not outgoing."
"Ah-ha!" Q the prosecutor exclaimed. "So he's a bit withdrawn, is that what
you're saying?"
"Well, I suppose his being dead is an impairment to social interaction,"
Daniel said sarcastically, suddenly fed up with the whole thing. "Who are
you to ask, anyway?"
Q looked hurt. "You've never heard of me? Q, The magnificent. Q, the
legendary. Q, the..."
"Pain in the ass." Daniel supplied with a wicked grin. Qui-Gon chuckled.
Daniel was getting his spark back, it seemed.
Q, who'd been sputtering incoherently for a while, at last found his voice
again. "Ah, Jackson, you remind me of a friend I have ... or will have...
your human concept of linear time is so limiting!"
Suddenly Q the prosecutor was back in full force. "Which brings me to my
final argument. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, can you believe that,
with all his powers, the defendant has never been back to check on his
apprentice?"
A gasp echoed through the chamber, but it was Qui-Gon, on his feet. "How?
How can I do that?" For all that he knew this was a sham, he found himself
trying to explain anyway. "It's so long ago..."
"Silence!" Q the Judge intoned. "Has the jury reached its verdict?"
"We have Your Honor," Q answered. "We, Q, find the defendant, Qui-Gon Jinn,
guilty of separating himself from his friends, thereby disturbing the
Balance."
Qui-Gon sat down, shocked. It was true, he realized. He had enormous
influence in the Force, and his feelings did push the Force somewhere...
but not to the Dark Side, then where?
Q the Judge pondered for a while. "Qui-Gon Jinn, you have a very important
role to fulfill, keeping the Force in balance. However, this does not imply
that you have no rights of your own. You should have inquired about the
benefits as well as the responsibilities when you accepted this
appointment."
The jury nodded solemnly.
Q the Judge continued. "You are entitled to free time, friends, social
interaction and unlimited travel, which includes time travel, I might add.
Qui-Gon Jinn, the Force has done without you for an eternity. It can do so
again while you take a rest." He cleared his throat. "I hereby sentence you
to three Earth months of vacation time. Spend it well."
Three loud bangs and they faced Q, bouncing his beach ball.
"Just who are you?" Qui-Gon asked, a bit rattled by the whole thing.
"Can you feel the Force?" Q sang. "No? Well, I don't know why everybody
always says the Force has only two sides. Does it feel two-dimensional to
you?"
"No," Qui-Gon mused. "I suppose it doesn't."
"Oh, this is interesting!" Daniel erupted. "But what am I doing here? You
could have given him his vacation without messing up my life!" Qui-Gon and
Q both looked at him in astonishment. "I'm sorry, Qui-Gon," he said. "But
I'm just tired of being a game-piece here."
"Quite right," Q said brightly. "Daniel, you were the bait in the trap to
catch Qui-Gon, and you were oh, so entertaining!"
Qui-Gon found himself growing very angry that his friend had been used so.
"You had no right to do that," he confronted Q. "What is your purpose?"
Q gave a dramatic sigh. "You have no idea what it's like to be omnipotent
and bored. Oh, heavy is the burden of being me!"
"So you just grabbed me for entertainment? Your own private ant farm?"
Daniel asked, disgusted.
"More like a rat in a maze," Q informed him. "I am striving to understand
your species along the way, and your reactions are very revealing... and
funny," he added with a giggle.
Qui-Gon had a growing suspicion which side of the Force this being
personified. The mischievous side. "Is the experiment done now?" he asked.
"I'd like to go on my vacation and I'm sure Daniel would like to go home."
"Sure, sure." Q agreed. "I think I'll go visit my friend Picard in a while.
Just to get you two going... Qui-Gon, off to Obi-wan. Daniel to Earth.
Abra-ca-dabra. Zim-sala-bim, oh well, whatever!"
Qui-Gon found himself standing in the hallway of the Jedi Temple, staring
at a very familiar door.
Daniel stepped through the Stargate on P3X422 with Jack, Sam and Teal'c. A
few hundred meters away stood the pyramids that he wanted to study. A
warning from Teal'c drew his attention to some Jaffa, and he heard Jack
ordering them back with the usual sense of disappointment.
The ride through the Stargate was its normal, gut-twisting self, and he
stepped out in the gate room, not understanding why he had a nagging
feeling that they'd find General Hammond sitting under a tree.
Somewhere in space, Q chuckled, then spied the Enterprise coming... Oh,
Picard would be so glad to see him again, he was sure of it.
The End.
(c) Slef 2000
Disclaimer:
Star Trek and all related characters were created by Gene Roddenberry and
belong to Paramount.
Stargate SG1 belong to MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp,
Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.
Partnership
Star Wars is the property of George Lucas.
The quoted song is "More than this" by The Cure.
I don't own (or have any rights to) any of them. I don't profit from this
and only wrote it for my own entertainment. In this I'm much like Q...
Special thanks to my alien friend, Clor, for being so patient. You can
never know how much I appreciate it.
Also, thanks to the Klippe; you guys inspire me even when the subject
matter doesn't include you.
And thanks to everyone who wrote and asked for a sequel to "Moment". This
would never have happened without you.
by Slef
Star Wars Episode 1 / Stargate SG1 / Star Trek TNG crossover
Summary: Sequel to "Moment"... Close encounters of the Q kind?
Disclaimer: Star Trek and all related characters were created by Gene Roddenberry and
belong to Paramount.Stargate SG1 belong to MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp,
Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.Partnership.
Star Wars is the property of George Lucas.
Note: This is a sequel to my story "Moment". Read that one first, for this
to make a bit more sense :-)
The Third Side
A crazy spin through chaos, and Daniel Jackson flew out of the Stargate and
fell with a sickening thud on the ramp leading to it. He instinctively
rolled himself into a ball as he hit, lessening the impact somewhat, and
came to rest at the foot of the ramp. The sound of his gasp as he hit
echoed through the surroundings.
"Oooph!"
Ominously quiet surroundings. Daniel cautiously opened his eyes to check on
the rest of the team. If he'd hit that hard, they could be hurt.
Nobody in sight. Not Jack, irritated because Daniel was still lying there.
Not Sam, concerned because he hadn't gotten up. Not Teal'c, keeping a
watchful eye out for danger. Nobody.
"Um... guys?" Daniel called tentatively. Again, his voice echoed
alarmingly. No response.
Daniel got to his feet painfully, but a quick self-check revealed no broken
bones or bleeding, just bruises. So he re-shouldered his pack and started
to explore his surroundings.
He found himself inside a huge dark structure. The Stargate was mounted in
the center of what seemed to be a dome. Radiating from there, six passages
led off into darkness. The central area was dimly lit from no discernable
source.
Exploring the passages, Daniel found that each led straight to an empty
chamber. He could see no way out of the structure but the Gate.
Which should have been good enough, except for one little snag: There was
no dial-home-device.
Daniel sat down on the ramp and wondered why he always had to get into
these kind of messes.
* * *
Back at SGC, Colonel Jack O'Neal turned on his heel and started across the
gate room for his 37th crossing. He'd waited patiently for a while but his
strung-up nerves would not let him sit still for long. Pacing didn't help
as he repeatedly went over the events of the morning, trying to find what
went wrong. Because Jack O'Neal couldn't face losing Daniel yet again.
Believing him dead once was bad enough.
They'd assembled in the gate room at 07:00 for their mission to P3X422.
Preliminary probes had reported a hospitable climate and atmosphere, and no
immediate threat (like the destruction of the ROV) was detected. What was
interesting from the images sent back was the presence of pyramid-like
structures not far from the Gate, implying present or previous Goa'uld
occupation.
So they were planning on sneaking through more or less quietly to find out
what the status was. Daniel had been excited at the prospect of looking at
the pyramids, but he'd also been serious about the need to stay hidden.
They'd tangled enough with the Goa'uld before not to underestimate them.
Still, everything seemed normal as they stepped into the Gate. O'Neal,
Teal'c and Daniel, with Carter bringing up the rear. The trip through the
event horizon had been it's usual, gut-twisting self, and they stepped out
easily on the other side. O'Neal, Teal'c and Carter, bringing up the rear.
No Daniel.
Searching revealed no trace of him, and anyway, they knew that matter
exited the Gate in the order it entered. Their search was cut short, in any
case, when Teal'c warned of approaching Jaffa. Reasonably sure that Daniel
was nowhere near on P3X422, Jack had ordered them back through the Gate,
hoping to find Daniel still at SGC for whatever reason.
He wasn't. And although Carter tried to come up with logical explanations,
it seemed that Daniel had somehow become lost between point A and point B
and was presently either at point X (an unidentified spot in the universe)
or a small collection of inert gases. Jack could not shake the feeling that
they'd lost him for good this time.
Which did not keep him from hoping that Daniel would dial himself home
shortly and step through the Gate against all expectations, again. The
archeologist did seem prone to strange adventures but always got through in
the end.
So, see-sawing between hope and pessimism, Jack O'Neal paced the gate room,
waiting.
* * *
Another scout of the dome revealed nothing new. Daniel went back to the
Gate, where he'd left his pack. And sat down to heat up some food. The
structure contained nothing he could use, nothing to eat. Just bare,
uninscribed stone. After a few hours of fruitless searching and panic,
Daniel now found himself resignedly bored.
So he opened his pack and checked his rations. Stretching it, there was
enough food to last him a week. The problem was water. He only had a
2-litre bottle. No way that would last as long, and there was no water to
be found anywhere in the dome.
Daniel held no illusions that Jack and the others would step through the
Gate to rescue him. They would have no clue of where he was (neither did
he) and the odds of hitting the right gate combination by chance were
negligible. Anyway, he had a suspicion that anyone who did come through,
would just end up trapped as well.
Strangely, the idea of dying in a few days, alone, did not bother him as
much as he thought it would. He knew he'd had a better life than most, with
opportunities to see and experience things no-one else had. Sure, Jack and
Sam also visited the worlds, but to him, seeing the living, breathing
ancient cultures, was the greatest gift he could imagine. Every planet he
visited either confirmed his life's work, or opened new vistas, different
horizons.
So yes, he did regret not getting to follow up on all the wonderful things,
but he couldn't complain about the hand he'd been dealt. He just hoped
Jack, Sam and Teal'c were ok.
A strange, bouncing sound suddenly echoed through the dome.
"Boing!"
And a second later: "Boing!"
Daniel dropped everything and followed the sound. It sounded very much like
a plastic beach ball being bounced on stone. "Boing!"
Choosing a passage, Daniel stepped into a chamber. Standing nonchalantly
against one wall, a dark-haired man paused, gave Daniel a grin, and threw
the bright red and yellow beach ball he'd been bouncing straight at the
astounded archeologist.
Daniel caught it. The world went mad.
* * *
Qui-Gon Jinn, former Jedi Knight, Keeper of Balance, embodied by the Force,
had spent an infinity of hours or years, or perhaps a few moments, being
one with the Force and learning its currents; the dark whirlpools and the
tranquil bays, always in movement. He traveled the universe in a thought,
and spent an eternity watching a flower grow somewhere on an unnamed
planet. The universe was his to see, as long as he focused on the moment
and kept the Balance.
He was thoroughly aware of both sides of the Force; the light, the dark.
The good, the evil. His task was not to vanquish evil wherever it
flourished, but to ensure that the Balance was restored. If that meant
aiding those striving for good, he was there to help. If it meant fighting
the evil, he fought. And left in an eye blink for the other side of the
universe to aid someone there. Few could recall him after he left. He
seldom spoke to them.
Because even though he felt lonely in his task, it hurt too much to leave
after having made friends. He had to move so fast over so vast an area, he
doubted he'd ever see his friends again. So he lost himself in his task,
never stopping to consider that his own anguish was slowly pushing the
Force out of kilter.
But these last few... days... seconds?... a feeling had been growing in the
Force. Something like an itch he couldn't scratch. Somewhere, something
very strange was taking place. Qui-Gon left the flowers growing and
diffused through the void, following the itch.
* * *
Daniel blinked as his eyes slowly focused on something close to his face.
After a few seconds he identified it. A baseball. On grass. Things slowly
oriented themselves and he realized he was lying face down on, of all
things, a baseball field.
"Come on, Daniel!" an irritated, and very familiar voice called. "It can't
have hit you that hard."
Daniel pushed himself up until he was sitting and faced Jack, dressed in
baseball uniform and carrying a bat, striding up to him.
"Jack?"
Yeah, Jack." Jack answered. "What's your problem anyway? You were
positioned right to catch it and then you just stood there and waited for
it to hit you on the head..."
Daniel was shaking said head confusedly. He remembered nothing of this. The
last thing, in fact, was the strange man throwing a beach ball at him.
"This can't be real," he muttered.
"What do you mean, real?" Jack asked as he pulled Daniel to his feet. "Are
you ok? You look a little pale."
Daniel took in more of his surroundings. Not just a baseball field... a
huge baseball stadium with thousands of empty seats. Spotlights making
night seem as day ... and Jack.
"We've never played ball before, Jack," he answered distractedly. Something
just felt wrong. In his head, he could almost pinpoint a spot where
something messed with his brain. It reminded him of the time Qui-Gon Jinn
saved them from the Sith Lord.
Jack was regarding him curiously, looking a bit hurt. "You don't remember,
Danny?"
Daniel faced him squarely. "No, I'm sure I don't. Who are you?"
Jack just stared at him incredulously.
From far away Daniel became aware of a voice saying his name.
"Daniel? Snap out of it. Come on, Jackson, I'm going to miss the game."
He grabbed hold of the sounds, and concentrating on that, refocused his
eyes.
Back in the dome...and the event horizon in the Stargate was throwing blue
sparks of light all over. And Jack was trying to get his attention.
"Jack?" he asked, disbelieving.
"Yeah, Jack." Jack answered. "What's your problem anyway? I come here to
rescue you and you just stand there and stare at me." He took Daniel by the
arm and pulled the archeologist to the Gate. "Never mind. Let's get you
home."
Daniel felt an uncanny sense of deja vu as Jack spoke, but he wanted to get
home. Just before they stepped into the Gate, he was struck by something.
"How did you know which combination to use?"
Jack grinned at him "Pure genius, Danny boy!" And he pushed Daniel into the
Gate.
* * *
Spinning, twisting, wildly flailing, accelerated beyond endurance, crawling
at a snail's pace, Daniel finally reached the other end. Stepping out, he
kept his balance only because he was looking at the ground. When he did
look up, he reeled in shock. No gate room. Not even a gate on another
planet. Just black nothingness with a lonely speck of light here and there.
And a huge old oak tree growing in the void. Under the tree, General
Hammond was seated behind his desk, looking forbiddingly at a confused
Daniel.
"Dr. Jackson," Hammond began. "It has come to my attention that you've been
partaking in hallucinatory drugs. I will not tolerate drug abuse in my
command. Can you explain yourself?"
Daniel, who'd lost his breath at the accusation, was trying desperately to
think of something to say. How does one explain strange hallucinations to a
general sitting under an oak tree growing in the void?
"Ahh... General Hammond, sir," he stuttered, then got his thoughts in a
little more order. "Sir, if I really am using drugs, it's without my
knowledge. But this does explain the strange things I'm seeing..." Before
he could continue, Jack's voice interrupted.
"You bet your Bear's tickets it does!"
"What is it with baseball?" Daniel muttered. Nothing made any sense
anymore. He was starting to disbelieve everything he saw, not that that was
a problem. If he truly was hallucinating, then logically he supposed he was
in the infirmary, under restraint. Which probably meant that he could just
relax, go with the flow, and eventually it would all go away.
"Make believe in magic, make believe in dreams
make believe impossible, nothing as it seems
see touch taste they're all here
but never know if it's real..."
The singing faded with the scene leaving Daniel once again in the dome.
There was an added feature, though. A table stood off to the side, laden
with food and drink. Daniel shrugged. Why not? So he ate his fill of the
imaginary food, and fell asleep in the imaginary bed that had materialized
a short while later. If he dreamt, it was no stranger that the waking dream
he'd been having.
* * *
Qui-Gon willed himself into being at the place where the disturbance in the
Force was most intense. At first sight it didn't look like much. A dark
dome with a Stargate mounted in the center. And sleeping on a bed to the
side...
Qui-Gon had seldom been so surprised to see anyone, though in retrospect,
the Stargate should have prepared him for the sight of Daniel Jackson
sleeping without a care, in a stone dome floating in space, far removed
from any planet.
Concentrating, Qui-Gon sensed the disturbance again. It was mobile, as if
centered around a person, and Qui-Gon could have sworn it felt... amused.
Not the usual feeling he got from the Dark Side, he reflected as he settled
down to wait for the sleeping man to wake.
Daniel woke hours later to find Qui-Gon Jinn sitting patiently next to his
bed... still in the dome. In stead of the joyous greeting Qui-Gon expected,
Daniel groaned aloud and turned over to hide his face in the pillows. Such
a wave of anguish came from him that Qui-Gon was at his side in an instant.
"What is wrong, my friend?" he asked the shuddering young man.
Daniel's voice was muffled. "I thought it would be over by now."
"Over?" Qui-Gon felt as if he'd missed part of this conversation.
Daniel sighed and sat up, facing the Jedi. "I've been having
hallucinations... and I still am, you're proof of that," he explained
patiently. "None of this is real. I'm hoping to just wake up in the
infirmary when whatever I've taken had worn off."
Qui-Gon gripped his arm. "Daniel, this is real. I am real. It's no
hallucination."
Daniel smiled at him wanly. "Sure, Qui-Gon," he said, glancing around. "But
Jack in the ballpark and General Hammond under the tree looked just as real
as you... and you're dead, if I recall correctly."
Qui-Gon nodded. "I understand. I can't prove to you what is real and what
is not. You have to decide for yourself. Just trust your instinct." He got
up and walked to the Gate. Turning, he spread his hands. "Remember I told
you about the Force? That there is a Light and a Dark Side?"
When Daniel nodded, he continued. "I can sense something different here.
Something is manipulating the Force to manifest all this. But it isn't
evil. It's strange, but I'm almost sure it's laughing at us."
Both of them were startled when faint singing drifted from one of the
passages.
"Row row row your boat gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream..."
The singing became louder as the dark-haired man Daniel had seen before,
came into view. He stopped singing when he saw them.
"The Jedi and the Archeologist!" he exclaimed. "What a sight! But of
course, it would never work. Neither of you is ever at home. Pity."
Qui-Gon regarded this being with curiosity. The disturbance he'd felt was
centered around this person, whatever he was. Daniel watched Qui-Gon's
reaction, sure that his own would make no difference in the outcome of this
meeting. He was surprised to find that he believed Qui-Gon's claim to
reality, but the Jedi had proved himself trustworthy before, and Daniel was
not the paranoid type in normal life.
The dark-haired man looked around. "My, but it's dreary in here. How do you
stand it? Lights, please!"
The dome lit up on the inside with thousands of little lights, simulating
the night sky of a planet center-galaxy.
A stage appeared, with their peculiar visitor - wearing tuxedo - in the
spotlight, wielding a microphone,
"You, sir!" he pointed at Qui-Gon. "Join us on the stage!"
Qui-Gon, disoriented by the sudden change, and the accompanying wrench in
the Force, tried to refuse, but found himself up there anyway. This being
had enormous power.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the man continued. "Tonight's show is very special.
We have only one contestant..." A spotlight fell on Daniel, seated behind a
counter, looking lost. "... and only one category... this man!" The
spotlight moved to Qui-Gon as thousands of voices suddenly cheered. Qui-Gon
tried to see into the dark beyond the stage and could just make out an
impression of a huge crowd, avidly watching.
"I am your host, Q," the man continued. "And I'm sure I need no
introduction. After all, I'm me!"
The crowd went wild.
Q took a bow, then gestured towards Qui-Gon. "Our goal tonight is to find
out what motivated Qui-Gon Jinn, here. Contestant! Do you have a question
for Mr. Jinn?"
Daniel sat there, caught unprepared, again. Qui-Gon took a step forward.
"We won't be part of your game," he told Q, sternly.
Q stopped dead, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
"You're right! This is no game, it's a trial!"
Immediately the stage disappeared, to be replaced with a courtroom. Daniel
was seated on the witness stand and Qui-Gon sat on the side of the defense.
He had no lawyer present. Q managed to be prosecution, Judge and jury
simultaneously.
Q the prosecutor faced Daniel. "Mr. Jackson, how would you describe the
defendant?"
"Um, honest... trustworthy... noble... " Daniel fished for concepts.
"Yes, yes," Q said impatiently. "Those are very good... but would you say
he's a people person?"
Daniel glanced at Qui-Gon for support, but the Jedi merely shrugged,
content to wait and see what happened.
Daniel cleared his throat. "I don't know. I've only met him once before,
but he seems to be compassionate, if not outgoing."
"Ah-ha!" Q the prosecutor exclaimed. "So he's a bit withdrawn, is that what
you're saying?"
"Well, I suppose his being dead is an impairment to social interaction,"
Daniel said sarcastically, suddenly fed up with the whole thing. "Who are
you to ask, anyway?"
Q looked hurt. "You've never heard of me? Q, The magnificent. Q, the
legendary. Q, the..."
"Pain in the ass." Daniel supplied with a wicked grin. Qui-Gon chuckled.
Daniel was getting his spark back, it seemed.
Q, who'd been sputtering incoherently for a while, at last found his voice
again. "Ah, Jackson, you remind me of a friend I have ... or will have...
your human concept of linear time is so limiting!"
Suddenly Q the prosecutor was back in full force. "Which brings me to my
final argument. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, can you believe that,
with all his powers, the defendant has never been back to check on his
apprentice?"
A gasp echoed through the chamber, but it was Qui-Gon, on his feet. "How?
How can I do that?" For all that he knew this was a sham, he found himself
trying to explain anyway. "It's so long ago..."
"Silence!" Q the Judge intoned. "Has the jury reached its verdict?"
"We have Your Honor," Q answered. "We, Q, find the defendant, Qui-Gon Jinn,
guilty of separating himself from his friends, thereby disturbing the
Balance."
Qui-Gon sat down, shocked. It was true, he realized. He had enormous
influence in the Force, and his feelings did push the Force somewhere...
but not to the Dark Side, then where?
Q the Judge pondered for a while. "Qui-Gon Jinn, you have a very important
role to fulfill, keeping the Force in balance. However, this does not imply
that you have no rights of your own. You should have inquired about the
benefits as well as the responsibilities when you accepted this
appointment."
The jury nodded solemnly.
Q the Judge continued. "You are entitled to free time, friends, social
interaction and unlimited travel, which includes time travel, I might add.
Qui-Gon Jinn, the Force has done without you for an eternity. It can do so
again while you take a rest." He cleared his throat. "I hereby sentence you
to three Earth months of vacation time. Spend it well."
Three loud bangs and they faced Q, bouncing his beach ball.
"Just who are you?" Qui-Gon asked, a bit rattled by the whole thing.
"Can you feel the Force?" Q sang. "No? Well, I don't know why everybody
always says the Force has only two sides. Does it feel two-dimensional to
you?"
"No," Qui-Gon mused. "I suppose it doesn't."
"Oh, this is interesting!" Daniel erupted. "But what am I doing here? You
could have given him his vacation without messing up my life!" Qui-Gon and
Q both looked at him in astonishment. "I'm sorry, Qui-Gon," he said. "But
I'm just tired of being a game-piece here."
"Quite right," Q said brightly. "Daniel, you were the bait in the trap to
catch Qui-Gon, and you were oh, so entertaining!"
Qui-Gon found himself growing very angry that his friend had been used so.
"You had no right to do that," he confronted Q. "What is your purpose?"
Q gave a dramatic sigh. "You have no idea what it's like to be omnipotent
and bored. Oh, heavy is the burden of being me!"
"So you just grabbed me for entertainment? Your own private ant farm?"
Daniel asked, disgusted.
"More like a rat in a maze," Q informed him. "I am striving to understand
your species along the way, and your reactions are very revealing... and
funny," he added with a giggle.
Qui-Gon had a growing suspicion which side of the Force this being
personified. The mischievous side. "Is the experiment done now?" he asked.
"I'd like to go on my vacation and I'm sure Daniel would like to go home."
"Sure, sure." Q agreed. "I think I'll go visit my friend Picard in a while.
Just to get you two going... Qui-Gon, off to Obi-wan. Daniel to Earth.
Abra-ca-dabra. Zim-sala-bim, oh well, whatever!"
Qui-Gon found himself standing in the hallway of the Jedi Temple, staring
at a very familiar door.
Daniel stepped through the Stargate on P3X422 with Jack, Sam and Teal'c. A
few hundred meters away stood the pyramids that he wanted to study. A
warning from Teal'c drew his attention to some Jaffa, and he heard Jack
ordering them back with the usual sense of disappointment.
The ride through the Stargate was its normal, gut-twisting self, and he
stepped out in the gate room, not understanding why he had a nagging
feeling that they'd find General Hammond sitting under a tree.
Somewhere in space, Q chuckled, then spied the Enterprise coming... Oh,
Picard would be so glad to see him again, he was sure of it.
The End.
(c) Slef 2000
Disclaimer:
Star Trek and all related characters were created by Gene Roddenberry and
belong to Paramount.
Stargate SG1 belong to MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp,
Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.
Partnership
Star Wars is the property of George Lucas.
The quoted song is "More than this" by The Cure.
I don't own (or have any rights to) any of them. I don't profit from this
and only wrote it for my own entertainment. In this I'm much like Q...
Special thanks to my alien friend, Clor, for being so patient. You can
never know how much I appreciate it.
Also, thanks to the Klippe; you guys inspire me even when the subject
matter doesn't include you.
And thanks to everyone who wrote and asked for a sequel to "Moment". This
would never have happened without you.