Stargate FanFic

Paths of Survival

Madison I

Her head hurt. That was the first thought that crossed Madison's mind as she woke up. She was sore all over and had no idea how long she had been unconscious for. Looking around, she could tell she was still in her quarters aboard the Hippolyta. What she also noticed as that she was sprawled on the floor instead of her rack and that the only light in the room came from the emergency light in the ceiling. That was not a good sign.

Pulling herself to her feet, Madison cringed as her head spun wildly before settling down enough to allow her to try and focus. Her quarters were trashed with almost the entire contents of the room thrown about all over the floor. A part of her wanted to clear it all up but she knew she had more important things to do. Picking up her t-shirt, she put it on and then grabbed her uniform blouse. Holding onto it, she carefully moved over to the door without stepping on any of her stuff and tried her door. Luckily, being on emergency power meant that the door locks had disengaged and Madison was able to open her door.

Stepping out into the passageway, Madison was confused by what she saw; or rather, what she didn't see. In this kind of situation, she expected to see members of the crew moving around trying to fix things. Hell, at the very least she expected one of the marines aboard to come and find her. But there was nothing. Except for some discarded papers and other items, all lit by the emergency lights, the passageway was empty.

"Hello!" Madison called out carefully, listening to her voice reverberate off the walls. "Can anyone hear me?" But there was no reply. Looking around at the empty hallway, Madison tried to think of what to do. After a moment, she realised that if there was anyone alive then they were probably hurt. If they were hurt, then they would be in or headed to Infirmary. Looking around a final time, Madison donned her uniform blouse and began to make her way through the ship.

Her trip didn't turn up any survivors and as she came up to the Infirmary, Madison didn't see anyone inside either. The knot of worry that had been slowly forming in the pit of her stomach exploded in size as she realised that she might, in fact, be alone on the ship. Panicking for a second, Madison took a deep breath and focused on her training; she needed to look to her own survival. Her head still ached and Madison decided to start with that; the Infirmary would have Tylenol.

Entering the Infirmary, Madison was confronted by sheer anarchy. It looked like half the contents of the room had been taken out and thrown all over the floor. Carefully wading through the strewn medical supplies, Madison began her search.

"Greetings," a voice called out. Madison had jumped halfway to the ceiling before she realised what they had said. Turning around, she found a woman sitting on the ground with her back resting up against a cupboard. "I thought I was the only one."

"Ah, no," Madison replied. Looking over the woman, she saw that she wasn't wearing a uniform. "You're the Tok'ra, aren't you? Sorry, your name escapes me at the moment. I have a killer headache."

"That is quite alright," the woman assured Madison. "My name is Cora."

"2nd lieutenant Madison Vaith. United States Marine Corps," Madison responded. "But given the current situation, Madison is fine."

"Madison," Cora repeated. "Do you have any other injuries besides your headache?"

"I'm sore all over, but nothing seems broken or torn," Madison answered, crouching down in front of Cora. "How about you?"

"I was not so fortunate," Cora said. "I have two broken legs, a broken left arm and collar bone, internal organ damage and a broken back. Dayana is trying to heal it now."

"Dayana?" Madison wondered before the answer came to her. "Right, your symbiote. How's it coming along?"

"Not well," Cora stated succinctly. "I believe that I have suffered injuries too great for Dayana to heal. Dayana, of course, disagrees."

"Umm, wouldn't she know what she is capable of?" Madison wondered. "She is the symbiote after all."

"She is also quite stubborn," Cora pointed out. "And she sometimes has trouble facing the reality of the situation."

"Our situation at the moment is complicated," Madison observed, gesturing around the Infirmary to make her point.

"Indeed it is," Cora agreed. "However, mine is less so. I am dying and Dayana is only causing harm to herself in delaying it. And don't deny it."

"Ah, I wasn't going to say anything," Madison said.

"My apologies. My injuries are beginning to take their toll," Cora explained as a shiver ran through her body. "I was speaking to Dayana."

"Oh, right," Madison said, kicking herself mentally. "What did she say back?"

"That I should stop talking and save my strength," Cora replied with a chuckle.

"Sounds like sound medical advice," Madison noted. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Not unless you know how to correct the damage to internal organs and realign and repair a broken spine," Cora stated, coughing a little at the end.

"A little bit out of my field of expertise," Madison said softly. "Actually a long way out of it. But I can try to go and find someone who does know."

"If there was anyone else alive then they would head here and the doctor was here when the explosion happened," Cora explained. "As they are not here now, then we must assume that they are with everyone else; wherever that may be."

"Fair point," Madison acknowledged, glancing around the room.

"There is one thing you can do though," Cora said, drawing Madison's attention back with how her tone had changed.

"What is that?" Madison asked hesitantly, suddenly concerned about what she might be asked.

"You could become Dayana's new host," Cora requested.

"What?" Madison exclaimed in shock and surprise. She had not been expecting that.

"When I die, which we have established is a practical certainty at this stage; Dayana will need a new host or she will die not long after I do," Cora explained. "And that cannot be allowed to happen under any circumstances if at all possible."

"Why?" Madison asked, curious about what Cora meant.

"You would find out if you became Dayana's host. I would not burden you with the knowledge otherwise," Cora said. "It would not be fair."

"Not exactly fair now that you have said that either," Madison pointed out, her mind reeling from the possibilities. Could she do it?

"It would be an experience unlike any other," Cora offered. "And it has its benefits."

"I'm sure it does," Madison agreed. "I just don't know if I can do it is all."

"You would be saving a life," Cora justified. "Perhaps even more than that."

"It is a lot to ask of someone," Madison argued.

"I understand your hesitation. I have dealt with the same difficulties before my blending with Dayana," Cora sympathised.

"What made you decide to become a host?" Madison asked.

"I came to the conclusion that as a host, I could do more for my people. Do more for them than I otherwise could," Cora related. "Is that not why you became a Marine?"

"I never knew about the stargate or any of this," Madison revealed. "I became a Marine mostly because of my father I guess. He was a marine and I wanted to be just like him."

"A noble sentiment," Cora said. "Tell me then, what would your father do in this situation?"

"I have no idea," Madison admitted. "He never had to deal with stargates or space travel or aliens. No offence."

"None taken," Cora said. "Finding out there is so much more out there than what you have ever known can be truly daunting."

"You can say that again," Madison muttered as she looked at the deck beneath her feet.

"I guess it boils down to a simple question. One to which I hope we both agree have the same answer," Cora said, coughing again as she appealed to the marine officer. "How far would you go to save a life?"

"I would go as far as…" Madison's words died in her throat as she contemplated what she was saying. If the life was innocent and worth saving, then she would go as far as she needed to to preserve that life. The situation she now found herself didn't change that. "Alright, I'll do it. I'll become Dayana's new host."

"You have my utmost thanks. And though she may not say so at first, I can tell you that you have Dayana's as well," Cora expressed gratefully, her words being accompanied by a dull wheezing. "My time grows short."

"What do I need to do?" Madison asked, knowing herself that they did not have long.

"Come, sit down beside me," Cora said, nodding at the ground next to her. Madison hastened to do so. "Good, good," Cora said once Madison was positioned. "Now kiss me."

"What!" Madison exclaimed in surprise. She wasn't deadset against the idea for various reasons but the directive still shocked her.

"Tok'ra symbiotes find visible implantation scars unsightly," Cora explained. "Therefore they enter the body through the back of the throat. The simplest and safest way of passing Dayana from me to you is for you to kiss me. During the kiss, Dayana will leave me and join you. Once the transfer has been completed, I will be free to seek peace."

"What will happen once Dayana enters my body?" Madison asked, wanting to have an idea of what to expect.

"She will coil herself around your spine and attach herself to you. Then the blending can begin," Cora explained. "During the blending, you and Dayana will share memories. Do not be surprised if you are overwhelmed by Dayana's; she has a lot of them. It is also likely that when you regain a sense of your surroundings, Dayana will have control of your body. Try not to panic when this happens. It is just because she can process your memories faster than you can process all of hers. She will probably start on healing your body and feeling how it is different to mine."

"Great," Madison deadpanned, still not holy on-board with the idea of sharing her head but knowing that it was the right thing to do. "So, uh, when do we do this?"

"In a moment," Cora responded, her voice hesitant and slow. "I wish to speak with my dear friend one, last time."

"Take your time," Madison said, understanding that goodbyes were hard. She passed the time looking around the room, trying to locate the cabinet that would hold Tylenol.

"We are ready," Cora announced, bringing Madison back to the here and now.

"Right," Madison said, shifting in her place as if readying herself.

"I wish to thank you one last time for this," Cora stuttered out. "Without you, we would both die. Now, I will live on within you."

"You're welcome," Madison replied. Cora smiled before struggling to push herself forward. Understanding Cora's intent, Madison leaned over and pressed her lips to Cora's.

Nothing happened at first and Madison began to wonder if maybe something was wrong. Then suddenly Cora's tongue invaded her mouth and Madison instinctively returned the kiss; her own tongue fighting for dominance. As what was actually happening dawned on her, Madison felt something large and warm enter her mouth. This was quickly followed by a sharp pain at the back of her throat and the feeling of something penetrating her. Abruptly, Madison's head was filled with things she had never seen; with feelings that she had never felt. As the tide of memories grew vaster, one memory seemed to stick out above all the others.

Dayana, Daughter of Egeria.