Part 2: PX5332

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Daniel opened his eyes. The room was spinning and his eyes were stinging from the bright lights. He was laying in one of the isolation rooms. He could feel his arm being pinched by a needle so his eyes shifted to the bedside. There were a couple different tubes running into his arm: one clear and the other with blood. The monitor beeped every few seconds in unison with his heart.

The nurse writing notes on a clipboard gasped a little when she saw his clawed-hand move up to rub his eyes. She was wearing a hazmat suit. "Doctor Fraiser?" the female nurse called to the observation window located about a floor above the room itself. "Doctor Fraiser!"

The doctor spoke into the microphone near the monitor. "I'll be right down." She went to the phone by the door and dialed a few numbers. "General? Daniel's awake."

"Is everyone else ok?" Daniel mumbled to the nurse in a weak voice as his attention shifted to the length of his fingernails. Blinking a few times to assure that he wasn't imagining it, he felt the sharp edges with his thumb.

The door opened behind him and sprayed the new-comer with some sort of disinfectant.

Daniel laid his hands back on the bed. His lips were dry and his pointed teeth were getting caught up in his mouth. The spinning, thankfully, had stopped.

"Daniel? How are you feeling?" Dr. Fraiser asked him as she approached his bed. She, like the nurse, was wearing a hazmat suit.

"It's a little bright," he said quietly.

Dr. Fraiser turned to the nurse who'd called to her. "Cindy, can you lower the lights a little please?"

She nodded and went to adjust the lighting.

Half of the lights in the room went out, including one of the two lights directly above him.

"Better?"

Daniel nodded. "What actually happened to me?" His touched the place on his chin that had been burned the worst, but the skin was smooth and healthy. "Wasn't I burned?"

This time Dr. Fraiser nodded. "Third degree burns in some places. Do you remember escaping from the cell on PX5-332?"

So many of his memories were a jumble. He kept thinking about a small, weather-worn house at the edge of sand dunes on a beach, but he had no idea why. He rubbed his eyes again. "Vampires, right?"

"Then you remember you've been infected by the same parasite they have? It feeds off of red blood cells, so it's been busy adapting your body to make it easier for you to acquire the blood transfusions. The parasite is extremely photosensitive, so you were burned while escaping from the planet. We have something new for you to consider: there is a small chance this infection has a connection to the Gao'uld."

Daniel was starting to remember the things the guard, Breck, had shown him. "Every host reacts to the parasite differently…" he said distantly.

General Hammond, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c all filed into the observation room where Janet had been receiving reports.

"... So every host develops different abilities," Daniel continued calmly. He looked at Janet as she checked his monitors. "Everyone who's been infected burns in the light, can see in the dark, heal fast, and has more strength and speed than normal people. There are three ways the physical changes manifest. I'm what they called Level 2. My teeth and fingernails are sharp all of the time."

"Is that more of what the guard was telling you?" Jack asked over the intercom before Daniel could explain anything else.

"Yes," he said simply. "But I think that I might have been picking up other things from the people in their little hospital, not just the guard in the jail."

"Telepathically?" Sam asked skeptically over the intercom. "We didn't really talk too much about it at the jail, but..."

Daniel interrupted, "I'd think it was crazy too, but it can't be that far from the truth since I actually managed to zap that lock with just my hands."

"Do you know of any cure to the parasite?" Dr. Fraser asked him.

"T-They don't have one," Daniel answered.

The NID will be even more interested in this thing when there's no cure. They're bound to find a way of turnin' this into a weapon the General thought.

"They'd still want it even if there was a cure," Daniel said absently, still trying to remember anything Breck, the jailhouse guard, might have said to him and the little murmuring he'd heard before that.

"Danny, who would still want what?" the Jack asked, confused.

Daniel looked up at the two way mirror. "Like the General said, the NID will make this into a weapon, but even with a cure they'd still want to use this. When they find out they could turn their spies into human tasers who can gain basic intel by just stepping into the same building, the NID will be all over it."

Dr. Fraiser looked at him. "The General didn't say anything."

Daniel was confused.

Is Daniel just having auditory hallucinations caused by the parasite? Dr Fraiser thought.

"I hope not," Daniel said, looking at Janet.

Janet looked at Daniel in shock, and Jack, Sam, and Teal'c just seemed confused.

The general cleared his throat a little. "Just before you spoke, Doctor Jackson, Iwas thinking about the NID."

"And I was just thinking that you..."

"...That I might be hallucinating because of the parasite?" Daniel suggested.

"So it is some sort of telepathy," Sam said excitedly. "But that's not actually possible."

Jack grabbed the microphone. "I'm thinking of a number between one and five billion."

"It's twelve," Daniel answered right away, just as shocked as the other people.

"Well," Jack said with a sigh, "That was an easy one... What about...?"

"Blueberry?" Daniel said questioningly with a nervous laugh.

Everyone looked at O'Neill.

"Blueberry, sir?" Sam asked him.

"The the name of your grandmother's cat who died when you were 17 years old," Daniel answered.

"Is that not meant to be the name of a small, commercially-grown fruit, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked after having remained silent for so long.

Daniel smiled genuinely amused by the story he was picking up on from Jack. "They got it when Jack was five. They weren't sure of the right name so they said he could name it anything he wanted. His grandmother was making blueberry muffins that afternoon. Jack ended up dropping a bowl of berries on the all-white cat," Daniel gave a weak laugh. "With all those blue spots, he said she should be named Blueberry - Blue for short."

Everyone in the room was even more surprised. Not only could Daniel pick up simple names and numbers from someone, but also complete memories.

The nurse, Cindy, was still in the room. Daniel turned to her. "There was a fire last week at your parent's fishing cabin on the Oregon Coast - near Newport. The house was a total loss, but you keep thinking about how it looked when you were growing up."

Cindy looked very nervous, looking first a Janet, then up at the glass room where the others were watching. "T-That's true. They filed the insurance claim this morning and I've b-been thinking about it all day."

"Now I have no choice but to report this condition directly to the Pentagon," General Hammond said finally.

Despite their usual acceptance of military protocol, everyone present had some sort of argument. "But, Sir, if only you could..." Sam began; "With a little more time I may be able to..." Dr. Fraiser started; "Maybourne will take over this place and..." Jack argued; "General Hammond, I believe there may be another way to..." Teal'c said.

"Everyone quiet," Hammond said calmly, holding up his hand.

They were silent.

"I'll wait another hour, but no longer," Hammond agreed. He focused on Daniel. "And you're sure this can only be contracted by a bite?"

"As far as I can tell, the parasite has to enter the blood stream," Dr. Fraiser answered. "There are concentrations on his lips and teeth, so it seems likely that it will only be spread by the saliva during a bite or his blood mixing directly with another person's blood. Samples from under his fingernails show virtually no traces of the parasite."

"That's what the guard told me," Daniel agreed. Daniel pushed himself more upright in the bed, getting a little excited. "I think he was trying to help us get out. The things he was telling me... it's like he knew I'd get away from the cell."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked over the intercom.

"He knew I'd be able to do something interesting - that was the exact word he used. He didn't know how I'd make it work, but somehow I got that lock open with electricity."

"Yeah, so how did that happen?" Jack asked.

Daniel laughed a little. "I don't really know. I just put my hand on the lock..." he said, thinking hard as he held one hand out. "...And started thinking that I wanted to be able to do something to..."

Just then, as though someone had pulled the bed out from under him, Daniel started to fall like a rock, through the bed and the floor until he wasn't in the room. The needles attached to the two tubes in his arm let out a metallic sound as the ends fell limp against their stands.

"Daniel!?" Janet shouted in shock.

Everyone in the observation area was just as startled.

Daniel dropped through the ceiling and landed hard on one shoulder in the corridor one floor below the room he'd been in. He let out a groan as rolled onto his back to look at the apparently undamaged ceiling. He could have sworn he had just fallen through the ice on a frozen pond; for a few seconds his skin had been tingling, it got very cold, then he couldn't breathe, and finally his shoulder hit the concrete and everything seemed normal again. "And it just keeps getting weirder," he commented aloud to himself.

The two airman assigned to guard the corridor approached him quickly with their hands resting on their weapons, startled by the archaeologist's sudden appearance. They'd heard rumors about Dr. Jackson being brought back to isolation after their last mission, but all specific details of the mission had been classified.

"Dr. Jackson?" airman Wallace asked. "What are you doing down here?"

"More importantly, how did you get here?" airman Coe asked immediately, glancing up at the ceiling, then towards the cement walls. "I was at the elevator and he was by the only staircase."

He slowly sat up. He was sore, tired, and a little dizzy again, but he didn't want any trouble. "Well, however I got here you should probably just walk with me up the staircase."

"This is General Hammond," the radios on the vests of the airman and the overhead intercom called in unison. "Dr. Daniel Jackson has disappeared from Medical Isolation Room #3. If anyone sees him, approach him with extreme caution and notify me immediately."

The two airmen took a step back from the doctor and unholstered their guns, aiming their weapons at him.

Daniel held up his hands a little to show he was being genuine about wanting to return..

Coe lowered his weapon and spoke into his walkie-talkie. "General? This is Sergeant Coe on level 22 just outside the Isolation Quarters. We have Doctor Jackson."

"Is he willing to return to the medical level?" General Hammond asked over his radio.

"Yes, Sir, he is," Coe answered simply.

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Daniel walked through the door into the isolation room, sprayed immediately by the disinfectant chemicals. "Isn't that a little redundant?" he complained as the chemicals stung his skin. He sped through the chemicals and went deeper into the small room.

"We'll be deactivating the spray in a little while," Dr. Fraiser assured. She was no longer wearing the hazmat suit, "Now, do you want to tell me what just happened?"

"Everyone keeps asking me what's happening. Just to make it clear, I'm as in the dark about it as the rest of you," Daniel snapped, walking over to the mirror to get a good look at his reflection.

"In that case, I'll just get some blood samples and leave the conversation for the next check-up," Dr. Fraiser snapped back as she made some notes on her clipboard.

"Hi, Jack," he said to the mirror. "Sam went to the mess with Teal'c, right? You may as well join them. I think I'm going to be in here for a while and you haven't had anything to eat since yesterday." Daniel's eyes shifted to the reflection of Dr. Fraiser, and then he turned around to talk to face her. "I'm sorry, Janet. I have a headache, but maybe I'm just under a little too much stress," he added, gesturing at the mirror.

Jack got from his seat. "If you say so," he said into the microphone, "but we'll be back here as soon as we can to keep you company."

"Thanks," Daniel called back to the mirror.

Dr. Fraiser glanced up from her clipboard, but kept writing. "Your irritability is understandable."

Daniel looked back at his reflection. "I look like hell," he said softly, examining his bloodshot eyes and then his jagged teeth.

"You're still anemic and dehydrated, so if you sit back on the bed I'll have Cindy hook up the IVs again," Dr. Fraiser said a little more cheerfully.

Daniel walked back over to the bed and sat down, leaning against the slightly reclined back-piece.

She laid her clipboard on a tray and picked up the blood pressure cuff. "Aside from the headache, how are you feeling?"

"Like I'm going crazy," he admitted, raising his eyebrows and staring up at the ceiling.

"All of this is a little stranger than usual," Dr. Fraiser put on the blood pressure cuff and began her measurements.

Daniel looked at her, realizing something. "I can hear your heart beating."

Dr. Fraiser looked at him, still taking her measurement. "Really?" she asked with a skeptical tone.

Daniel put his free hand on the tray beside his bed, and used the sharp tip of his index finger to count out her heartbeats. The pace was steady, but then his finger tapped a little more quickly as Janet's heart sped up.

"Considering the nature of this parasite, and the legends on our own planet, I shouldn't be so surprised."

He closed his eyes, mesmerized by the sound as he kept time using his fingernail. "But you are… Those movies always made you a little nervous even though you knew they weren't real…"

She unvelcroed the cuff from his arm, still watching Daniel carefully.

The loud noise snapped him out of his trance, and his eyes popped open. "Sorry about that," he said nervously, putting his hand back onto the bed. "I think I could hear it when I was talking to everyone before, but with all the machines I didn't really notice."

Cindy came through the doors carrying a saline bag and a new package of whole blood. She went to the IV stand and began reattaching the equipment. When she touched his arm to insert the needle, he jumped a little. "This will only hurt for a moment," she assured, her hand resting reassuringly on his forearm.

For a split second he knew exactly what he was supposed to do: grab her by that gentle hand and bite down, not letting go until she was on the floor and her heart stopped making any sound. He looked away from her quickly, his own heart beating frantically. He felt a little electric charge run up his arm, almost like he had just pinched a nerve, and he heard a small crack.

Cindy pulled away with a small cry.

Daniel and Dr Fraiser both looked at her.

"Cindy?" Dr. Fraiser asked.

"J-Just static," she admitted, looking at Daniel with a mix of confusion and surprise.

"I guess that might have been me," Daniel admitted. "Are you ok?"

She nodded a little. "Fine." She reached out and grabbed the dangling needle again. "I just need to put in the IV."

He looked away again and felt the prick in his arm.

She walked away.

Dr Fraiser had been watching him. "Did the guard mention any behavioral changes that might happen with the parasite in your system?"

"Breck," he said cryptically.

"Excuse me?"

"The guard was named Breck."

"All right," Dr. Fraiser said slowly. "Did Breck tell you anything?"

Daniel shook his head. He saw the needle running into his arm, and somehow felt better already.

"Well, the initial blood-work showed significantly low levels of Serotonin, which is very likely to be effecting your mood. You may be a little irritable, or more impulsive."

Daniel gave a short laugh. "So I am going crazy, but the part about a planet filled with blood drinking vampire is perfectly logical."

Dr. Fraiser shook her head. "It's probably nothing to worry about so long as you have been given a transfusion." She picked up her clipboard. "It looks like your Serotonin levels are almost back in the normal range, but since you're still dehydrated I'm hoping they'll get a little higher with this next unit," Dr. Fraiser added. "As we gave you the first transfusion, we realized the parasites secrete several opiates that might..."

"...Be highly addictive," Daniel finished for her. "And I think you're right."

Cindy stopped beside him again to adjust some cords.

Dr. Fraiser nodded a little, turning around to check the readings being put out by the monitors.

His heart was beating more quickly again, and he felt that same urge. How simple it would be for him to just reach out...

Cindy walked away again.

Daniel sighed with so much relief that it felt as if an enemy Jaffa had just aimed his weapon at him then walk away without firing.

"Daniel, how are you feeling now? This last reading doesn't look like the others," Dr Fraiser mentioned.

Cindy picked up a folder from the counter and left the room.

"I know we're on a time crunch, but can I have a few minutes by myself?" Daniel requested. Even being in the same room as Janet was making him feel a little uncomfortable. "If I really did electrocute Cindy when she touched me, I think I need to figure out how I did that so I don't do something worse."

"I'll be here to help you," Janet assured with a warm smile. "I know that you and Teal'c have meditated together in the past, but I have a few techniques that might help you focus."

He nodded a little. "It's always just happened. When I was in that cell I just had my hand against the lock when I felt a little shock."

"Sit up and swing your legs over the bed," she said softly, wheeling a chair away from the counter and to Daniel's bedside. She sat. "The technique is called grounding. It's supposed to help you get out of your own head. If your thoughts wander or become erratic, grounding can help you focus on your tangible surroundings."

He nodded a little and sat up.

"Sit up straight, take a deep breath and try to relax."

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders before settling into a comfortable position.

"What were you thinking about in the cell?" she asked.

"Just about getting out."

"Anything else? What about how you were feeling?"

He laughed a little. "I felt so weak that I was going to fall on the floor and never get up again. I was scared..." Daniel thought another moment, licking his lips to consider a more specific answer. "I knew I had to get out of there. I was terrified about what would happen to the others if I didn't do something to make it happen."

"So would you say that you were focused on what you wanted; your desire to save the lives of your friends?"

He nodded slightly.

"Put one of your hands on the bed next to you, and close our eyes."

He did as he was told.

"Now I want you to imagine that the spot you put your had is a little damp... a thin layer of the wet substance is touching your palm." She spoke very slowly and calmly. "Your hand begins into sink into the mattress. You can feel that dampness oozing around your fingers. It wasn't just water; it was glue. Your hand is resting on the mattress again, and you can feel the dampness drying. As it dries it feels like you're becoming more attached to the mattress, like nothing is able to pull your hand away."

He nodded a little again.

"Hold out your other hand."

He held out his right hand in front of him.

She placed the pen from her clipboard gently into his outstretched hand. "I want you to remember what you were feeling when you knew you had to get away. Concentrate on letting the pen fall onto the floor. You don't want it in your hand any more, but instead of letting it go, it falls right though your hand, like your hand isn't there any more."

He was concentrating on the task, but nothing seemed to be happening.

"The only part of you that the pen needs to pass through is your hand. The rest of you is connected to the bed. Only your hand can let it fall."

Daniel suddenly realized he must have been holding back because he didn't want to fall through the floor again. His hand started to tingle and he heard the pen hit the cement floor.

"Very good," she said, trying to stay calm so as to keep Daniel as relaxed as possible. "Let's try that again."

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Jack, Teal'c and Carter filed into the observation area of the isolation room. Cindy was sitting at the desk but when they arrived she stood, smiled sympathetically, and left. They sat down behind the desk, looking into Daniel's room.

Daniel was standing beside the bed, one hand on the mattress and the other reaching out towards the stand beside the bed. The bags of blood and saline were dangling against the metal stand again, nearly empty. His eyes were open now, listening to the doctor as he focused on her instructions.

"You don't have anything to worry about. Just remember that you are still connected to that bed."

He nodded a little and brought his arm down, passing it cleanly through the metal table as if it weren't even there.

Everyone in the control room was surprised. Even Teal'c was momentarily stunned.

Daniel's eyes shifted to the mirror, the relaxed feeling fading as he became aware of his surroundings again. "Everyone have a nice lunch?"

"You're making progress, I see," Jack continued.

"Yes, Daniel is doing very well," Dr Fraiser answered. "He was concerned about injuring someone with his new abilities, so I was walking him through a grounding exercise that seems to be helping him focus."

"Can he destabilize the molecules of anything he comes in contact with? Or is it just his own body?" Sam asked excitedly through the microphone. "And, well, apparently his own clothing."

Daniel and Dr. Fraiser both smiled at her aside.

"It's only been forty minutes," Dr. Fraiser excused with a small laugh.

"I guess I could try," Daniel said, looking at the mirror and then back to Janet.

"Would you like me to start off with the meditation?"

Daniel shook his head a little. "I'll need to try it without your help at some point." He picked up one of the pens from the floor. "Besides, I'll just be on level 22 if I disappear."

Dr. Fraiser nodded.

"Maybe level 23," Daniel added as he placed the tip of the pen on the metal stand, holding the top. It almost looked as if he planned on balancing it by the tip, and then he took a deep breath, walking himself through his own form of focusing exercise.

The others watched with bated breath.

He exhaled slowly, pushing the pen slowly downward. It slid through the metal like a hot knife through butter. He let go when it was halfway through, and the pen continued to drop, cladding on the floor without damaging the pen or the metal tray. Daniel was dizzy. He swayed a little before finding his balance.

"That's extraordinary," Sam said. "I'd love to take you down to the lab and..."

"Carter," Jack said scoldingly in a very serious voice as he watched Daniel. "Danny, are you alright?"

Daniel caught himself on the bed, sitting down. "I think I might need another transfusion," he admitted weakly. "And I'd like to try having a drink of water."

"Oh, of course," Dr Fraiser said hurriedly. She picked up a fresh bottle of water from the countertop beside her and passed the drink to him. "I should have known that you would need another unit after exerting yourself like that. I'll be right back." She rushed out the metal doors to get another package.

Daniel laughed nervously. "Now I just need to figure out how to keep from electrocuting the people I touch."

"I would be willing to assist you with further meditation," Teal'c offered.

"I was actually wondering if you could let me go back to the planet," Daniel said. He could already hear their hearts beat a little more quickly.

"After everything you did to get off that planet, why on Earth do you want to go back?" Sam asked with an irritated voice.

"Well, to start with they know what's happening to me..." He opened the bottle of water and drank a few sips.

"No," Jack said, still serious. "To start with they wanted you to kill someone."

Daniel nodded a little, picking up stray thoughts from all his friends as to why it's such a bad idea from him to go back. "Forget I mentioned it." He drink more of the water.

Dr. Fraiser came in with another unit of blood. She attached the bag to the IV stand, and started switching the cord.

"Thanks." He drank the rest of the water quickly, still hearing bits and pieces of his friends' thoughts about his request to return.

"I'm sorry we keep having to prick your arm," Dr. Fraiser said.

"It's ok," Daniel said, setting the bottle on the tray beside him.

She touched his arm, looking for a healthy vein on his pale skin.

Just like the other times, the touch to his skin and how close to him she was made his heart beat more quickly.

Her eyes darted to the monitor, and then looked to Daniel. His eyes seemed almost glazed over, and he suddenly looked even paler than he was a few seconds ago. "What's going on?" she asked suspiciously, still touching his arm.

"Can you please just start the transfusion," he said, his voice shaking a little. He leaned over and dropped the bottle on the metal tray next to him.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," she said.

Daniel looked at her. He could hear her heart beating steadily, but it almost seemed louder than it was before. "Janet."

"Not until you tell me," she repeated stubbornly.

He crawled off the bed quickly, taking a few steps away from her. "I think you should leave. I'll start the IV myself."

She put her hand on her hips. "I'm staying right here."

Daniel licked his lips, still looking at her. "I don't feel very good, and I'm not sure if you're safe around me." His hands were clenched in fists.

"How so?" she pressed.

Daniel gave another nervous laugh. "How do you think?" He was pacing a little. If he didn't burn off the nervous energy somehow he knew he'd end up using it in a way he'd regret. The sounds in the control room were distracting, too. Jack and Sam were both a little excited, their hearts beating like they were watching an action movie. Even Teal's heart was thumping a few beats faster than it had been a minute ago.

Dr. Fraiser nodded a little. "Alright. I'll start the IV and then leave you alone. I need to give the General an update anyway."

Daniel licked his lips and nodded a little, walking slowly back to the Doctor.

Janet held his arm again for just a moment, and inserted the needle. She stood there a second, looking to Daniel for some sort of reaction.

"You still need to go," he said, not looking at her this time. He was watching the blood go quickly through the tub and head towards his arm.

"If you say so," she said pleasantly. The parasite must be effecting his mind.

"You're probably right," he admitted. "And that's why you need to go."

She nodded a little, and headed for the door.

Daniel leaned back in the bed, beginning to calm down as he was again feeling the effects of the parasites being fed.

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"Yes, Sir, I think he may be dangerous," Dr. Fraiser admitted.

"Seriously?" Jack wrinkled his nose. "This is still Daniel we're talking about."

Jack, Sam, Teal'c and General Hammond had been called into the briefing room for an update on Daniel's status.

"Yes. I believe it is still Daniel. That's exactly why he asked me to leave," Dr. Fraiser continued. "If he were being completely compromised by this infection, he would have likely given into whatever he was keeping himself from doing."

"So he's dangerous, but not dangerous?" Jack asked playfully.

Dr. Fraiser rolled her eyes a little. "He has the ability to be dangerous."

"We can't be jumping to conclusions then," Sam said, siding with O'Neill's wishful thinking. "If you push someone enough, anyone can be dangerous."

Dr. Fraiser gave a hard sigh. "You've asked for my assessment, and I've given it. Yes, he is still Daniel, but the parasite is giving his body new objectives. It used to be for food and water, but now it seems to be for blood."

The loud speakers kicked on and the sirens began to sound. Technician Walter Harriman's voice called, "Security team to Operations! Dr Jackson is attempting to..." His announcement was cut off.

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Walter was standing by what was left of the phone he used to make the emergency announcements. Dr. Jackson had ripped it from the wall, right out of his hands.

Daniel was standing at the dialing keyboard, typing quickly. Sam was just a floor above him and it didn't take much effort to find out how to activate the gate and reprogram the computer so they couldn't stop him from leaving.

The wormhole opened with an explosion of blue particles, sinking back to a flat surface.

Daniel took a deep breath and made a running jumped over the keyboard, through the blast window. The glass was left without a scratch as he passed through it and started to fall towards the floor of the gate room. He landed awkwardly at the foot of the ramp but the impact wasn't as painful as he'd expected.

The guards were already filling into the Gate Room.

Before the first guard could say anything, Daniel was holding one of them against him and backing onto the ramp.

"Daniel?" Jack called running into the room as he raised his pistol towards his friend. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Teal'c came into the room, too, raising his Zat gun at Daniel.

"I have to go back to that planet," Daniel said simply, still holding the airman tightly. "I don't want to hurt anyone, but unless I go back there and find out exactly what's happening to me, my condition could end up hurting a lot of people."

"If you return to that planet you will undoubtedly be imprisoned once again, and subsequently expected to murder a human to prove yourself worthy of living as you are," Teal'c commented.

Jack looked around at the room full of guns pointed at Daniel. "Everyone lower your weapons," he called to the group, looking back at Daniel. Only he and Teal'c were still aiming at Daniel.

"You know I can't stay here," Daniel said more desperately, shifting his hold on the airman. "The NID will haul me off to one of their secret hideouts for testing, or maybe they'll ship me someplace worse. They'll never even try to cure me. They'll run tests and end up making this into a weapon. The urges I've been having since I got back…" His voice trailed off for just a second. "I can't live like this much longer."

"For now you gotta stay here," Jack said, aiming his gun at Daniel's shoulder. "At least until Hammond gives us the OK to go back to that place with you." He pulled the trigger.

Daniel heard the sound and closed his eyes. The bullet harmlessly passed through him and hit the edge of the Stargate, deflecting into a wall. Daniel opened his eyes, looking furious. "Are you crazy, Jack!" he demanded. "With all those things in my blood you could have splattered them all over this room!"

Jack shrugged.

Daniel gave a nervous laugh suddenly and continued, "I just fell through 5 floors and walked through a half dozen locked doors to get down here, so you really thought a bullet was going to change my mind?"

Jack nodded towards Teal'c.

"I apologize," Teal'c said as he fired the Zat gun at Daniel.

The electricity hit Daniel on the arm, spread through his limbs and into his hostage. Daniel let out a small sound of shock, as if he'd been splashed with cold water, but recovered just as quickly. The soldier he was holding was now unconscious, but Daniel's strength allowed him to hold her in the same position. This time Daniel just looked annoyed. "Electrical weapon on a person who has electricity coming from their hands?"

"Point taken," Jack said casually, he and Teal'c both lowering their weapons.

"Face it: you can't stop me from going back to that world."

"You know I had to try," Jack said with a sneer.

"That's the point," Daniel continued more sadly. "If something happens and I try to hurt anyone, no one here can stop me."

The blast doors to the control room opened. General Hammond, Sam, and Dr Fraiser all arrived in the control booth slightly above the gate room, looking through the glass to see Daniel standing on the ramp with the unconscious airman in his grasp.

"What are you doing, Doctor?" Hammond asked over the speaker.

"If I don't head back to PX5-332 to get some answers, I'll be Colonel Maybourne's lab rat for the next hundred or so years," Daniel called. "And you can bet they'll wanna see what kind of damage I can do to a person with these," he added, gesturing his clawed hand towards his pointed teeth. "If the wrong kind of person gets infected with this parasite, I assure you there will be a pandemic."

"What do you mean wrong kind of person?" Hammond asked him, remaining calm. If Dr. Jackson hurt that soldier there would be no more conversations..

Daniel laughed a little. "Janet already told you the way this parasite works."

Hammond was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"The parasites make people want blood," Daniel clarified as much for himself as for the others. "And once they get it, it feels better than anything you've ever felt before. These things make me want to get it with a bite, not just a needle in the arm." He licked his lips. "It's addictive. I've had a few close calls today."

"Let the airman go and I'll order a probe to go through as a relay between us and the people on that planet," Hammond offered calmly

Daniel's eyes focused on his hostage, almost forgetting where he was again as he stared at the helpless woman. Even unconscious he could still hear whispers of his hostage's life, where her family lived, and even the dog she had at home. He could feel every beat of her heart right down to his bones. "I've only ever fired my weapon a handful of times during all the missions I've been on, but right now it would feel so easy to…"

"Our first concern is your safety." Hammond interrupted, cutting off Daniel's thought. "We need to assure that you won't be harmed if you were to return to the planet."

The whispers from the hostage became louder as she stirred, but she was not yet awake. He looked back to Hammond, lowering the hostage a little as he came back to his senses. "I can't live this way."

"According to our calculations, the second sun won't be below the horizon on that part of the planet for at least another 2 minutes," Sam said into the microphone. "If you go through the gate right now, the sunlight will kill you."

Daniel shook his head a little, trying to focus on something other than the hostage. "Then it looks like this wormhole will just need to stay open for another 2 minutes," Daniel said. He looked up at the General. "Please give me permission to return to the planet."

Everyone was at a standstill for a moment.

"You know that I can't negotiate with you. You should also know we already planned to consult the inhabitants of the planet about your condition. Just let the airman go and I will let you go back to the infirmary," Hammond said finally.

Daniel tilted his head a little as though he were listening for a small sound that was far away. His eyes shot back to the General. "You haven't told anyone, but Maybourne's men will be here in less than 5 hours to take me with them. You reported to the President before the last update with Fraiser and he wants the NID to research my condition."

Everyone was silent again, surprised.

Hammond sighed. "That's right," he admitted calmly.

"We haven't even been back on this planet for a day," Sam began. "It's hard to believe this falls into his jurisdiction. We should be granted more time to solve this medical situation. With all due respect, General, you can't just turn Daniel over to them."

"He doesn't want to give the NID anything," Daniel assured. "But once they set foot on this base he won't have a choice."

"Major Carter, disengage the wormhole," the general ordered.

Sam typed a few things on the keyboard. "He's locked me out but I think I can close the iris." She typed a few more keys and the iris behind Daniel closed.

"You're still not going to let me go," Daniel announced in a disappointed voice.

"The second sun should be below the horizon on PX5-332, Sir," Sam reported to the general.

"Daniel," Hammond said. "Let the airman go."

Daniel strained again to hear what the general was thinking. He smiled a little and carefully lowered the airman to the floor. "She'll be fine." Daniel stood again with his hands up slightly to show that he wasn't planning on doing anything else to the soldier at his feet. "I'd rather die than help Maybourne's people make a weapon out of what's in my blood."

"Daniel, we're not going to let you die," Jack said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Which, of course, would mean we're not going to let Maybourne take you."

Daniel backed towards the gate.

General Hammond is already trying to figure out how to keep me on the base, Jack heard Daniel's voice in his ear, even though Daniel hadn't said anything. You can hear me, right? Toss me the transmitter. When I have my answers I'll come back. Jack looked a little confused. Was he the one hallucinating now?

Daniel nodded a little, holding out his hand as he backed in front of the iris.

Just tell them I made you do it, Daniel's voice called in his ear again. It might get me in trouble later on, but for now they don't know the difference. Jack grabbed the remote transmitter from the pocket of his vest and tossed it to his friend.

If you don't dial back in 2 hours with a report, we're coming for you, Daniel heard Jack think. Since people are executed for not to killing someone, Jack continued, you can bet we're not leaving you in that cell a minute longer than we need to.

Jack pulled the radio from his belt and tossed it to Daniel.

Good luck Sam thought, hoping that Daniel had picked that up.

Daniel turned quickly and jumped into the iris, passing through it and successfully being sucked into the wormhole's gravitational pull.

The gate shut down.

Hammond turned to Fraiser. "Doctor, use the samples you collected from Dr. Jackson to keep trying to find something that will kill this parasite without harming him."

The doctor nodded and left.

"Stand down," Hammond announced to the base.

The emergency lights stopped flashing.

"I want SG-1 to prepare for a mission to recover Dr. Jackson in…" Hammond paused before giving a timeframe, looking at the team for suggestions.

"…2 hours," Jack finished.

Hammond nodded. "Be ready to leave at 1600 hours."

000000000000000000000

Daniel stepped out of the gate, landing on the stone platform of the park's monument.

Several citizens had gathered around the gate. When they'd emerged from their homes at sunset, a few of them had seen the blue lights coming from the park.

Daniel looked around at the faces of the people gathered at the base of the stairs. A few of the citizens looked as human as anyone at the SGC, while a handful of others looked even more gnarled with longer claws, bald heads, strangely colored eyes, and a more skeletal body structure. Most of the onlookers, however, looked like a general balance between monster and human, just as the woman who bit him, that guard from the town, and his own condition seemed to resemble.

The gate closed behind him and he looked around.

"Hello, Daniel," a man's voice called from behind the gate.

Daniel looked through the empty ring and spotted the red-haired guard, Breck, who had relayed some of the details of the planet to him. He was dressed much more casually than he had been, so he hoped that meant the jailer wasn't there on official business.

"You don't need to run," Breck called, seeing how startled Daniel was.

The citizens who had gathered were apparently not interested anymore and began to leave.

"I wouldn't stand a chance," Daniel smiled a little, nervously. "I just want to know more about your world and what's happened to me. I'll go back home after that, I promise."

"For your own sake I hope you do," Breck said simply with a smile, stopping below the playform where Daniel stoof.. "Are your hungry?"

He'd used a lot of energy to escape from the base. "As long as it doesn't mean hurting anyone." Daniel had was feeling weak, but at the same time more relaxed than he had in days. There were no regular people near him for the first time since this all started.

Breck nodded. "My feelings exactly." He gestured towards one of the paths through the park.

Daniel walked off the platform and he and Breck began down pathway.

"Why am I not being arrested?" Daniel asked, still not picking up any stray thoughts from Breck. Maybe I'm weaker right now than I thought I was.

"I convinced the Thane that the way you escaped during the day was proof enough of your willingness to survive at all costs."

"Thane?" Daniel asked. "As I know the word it's from an area of my planet's Early Medieval Anglo-Saxon culture- it just means official or attendant. A famous playwright named Shakespeare used the word to describe someone in line for the crown," he rambled before realizing he may also not know what was meant by playwright or the crown. He took a breath to continue but Breck stopped him.

"I understand," Breck said. "A play is a form of artistic expression, and a crown belongs to a king."

Daniel was a little surprised.

"You won't be able to hear my thoughts unless I allow it. Your thoughts are like an open book," Breck pointed out. "But it does take me more time to understand. You have so many languages, so much history," he gestured at his own head, "from so many unique places."

Daniel sighed a little. "I've never needed to hide what I was thinking. No one on my planet can actually read anyone's mind. I study languages so I don't always think in just one at a time."

Breck nodded. "The Thane is the top official of our region," Breck clarified, "what you might call a Prime Minister or President, but he wasn't elected democratically. At first you might have called it a democratic election, but he has held the position since the beginning. Thane Donovan was part of the first group of people on our planet to be transformed."

"How long ago was that?" Daniel asked.

Breck was quiet for a few seconds, gathering some information from Daniel's mind. "To use your measure of time… 750 years have passed, give or take," Breck finally said. "Days are so much longer here and our revolution around the sun takes longer as well. By our measurement of time it has been 577 years."

"And he's still alive?" Daniel asked in horrified shock. Immortality seemed to be a verified side effect.

"None of us are really immortal," Breck answered philosophically, partly acknowledging Daniel's stray thought. "All of us can be killed. We pass as victims of murder, misfortune, and self-inflicted injury. Much like any world. We are only invulnerable to age and physical illness."

"How long have you been alive?" Daniel asked, unsure if he was ready to hear the answer.

"Converting it to numbers you fully understand, I was infected when I was about 30 years old and I have been alive for a total of 190 years."

By now Breck was leading them out of the park and towards another residential area. This neighborhood had homes with larger yards and houses separated by strips of glass.

"I should start at the beginning. Only one man and one women came through the gate. It spread quickly. Many people died. Healthy and afflicted died by the thousands every day for weeks, then by the hundreds, and finally after a year we found a sort of balance."

"How many healthy and infected are on the planet now?" Daniel asked.

"We didn't count our people often before the parasite, but some historians guess we numbered close to 15 million. After that first year is when everyone started to live again. The healthy migrated to the other continent and were mostly safew from fear of infection. Those who were infected killed themselves or were killed before they could transform, but most importantly an artificial blood substitute was created. We had over 100,000 infected and 10 million healthy."

"A third of the population was killed in a year?" Daniel asked for clarification.

Breck nodded. "Nearly every year after that we have tracked population changes. It took a few more decades, but, because of people like Donovan, the infected were no longer killed immediately. Instead they were transported to our continent as quickly as possible. That is when our ranking systems became law. Our last global count recorded roughly 500,000 infected living on this continent and 3 billion healthy inhabitants on the northern continent."

"How much bigger is the Northern continent?" Daniel asked.

Breck was silent for a few paces. "Europe, Asia, and North America together as compared to Australia. Fittingly, we are Australia. Our climate is even similar to your Australia, but we have very little wildlife."

Daniel couldn't help but smile. He had been rambling to Jack about Australia when they were in the cell.

"In the very beginning, before this all started, we had a God…" Breck stopped moving, his eyes wide as he learned everything about the Gao'uld and other false gods. "A God you have met. His name was Anubis."

"Anubis was here?" Daniel asked in shock.

Breck started walking again. "He hasn't set foot on this world since the parasite started. Our God abandoned us and no one has seen the Stargate operate since. None of us remembered how it operated until you and your friends came through it."

"Do you know who sent the first ones here? Why did someone send this plague?"

"No one knows for sure," Breck admitted. "We have only one other name from that time: Nirrti."

Daniel spoke excitedly. "Nirrti must have engineered the parasite for Ba'al to use against Anubis's empire. Ba'al and Anubis have been at war several times over the last millennia and Nirrti has destroyed whole worlds with her experiments. With all the hours of sunlight I can see why she designed it to work like this. If the Stargate had been on the mainland, there probably wouldn't be a single human left and all he infected people would have starved. Her recent experiments have been trying to make better hosts for herself. Telepathy, telekinesis…"

Breck held up his hand and tapped a finger against his own head. "I know because you know. This weapon might have become the inspiration for her life's work. She would have been quite young when this plague was created and the abilities we manifest are exactly the type of skills she hopes to have for herself."

They continued walking.

"Those of our kind who survived the first 50 years negotiated for our rights. Since our God never returned we were given the island with the Stargate in case more of the infected came through."

"And that's why human criminals are sent here? So you can have a source of blood?" Daniel asked, remembering the blur of images and facts Breck had given him the day before.

"As long as we stay on this continent, the humans on the other 10 regions of the main continent leave us alone. Yes, our planet is at least twice the size of yours but we have only two continents. There are 8 small regions to this continent. Every night a boat from a different mainland continent comes to our neighboring region and the criminals are dispersed to the regions that are running low on slaves. It's an old tradition. It started before the blood substitutes were easily available. Two of our regions refuse to have any human contact whatsoever, even refusing to use slaves to help run their commerce during the day. Those regions are mostly scientists."

"And the other 6 regions?" Daniel asked. "How were their leaders chosen?"

Breck sighed. "Donovan, Bonnie, and Reed were all the first who negotiated our freedoms. They rule the largest regions, and are very strict about the old laws. Criminal slaves can be treated in whatever way a Citizen wishes. They can even be killed if the Citizen wants natural blood. All of them have been in power from the beginning. Alison, Innes, and Brycen tend to be more lenient. They were chosen as leaders by their own citizens. Elections are held every ten years and allow their laws to change with the will of their people. For nearly 200 years -our years- the citizens who buy slaves in their regions are required to keep them alive. It's been negotiated with the human governments so that after 2 years the people guilty of lesser crimes are shipped back to their own continents and forgiven for their offense. Harsher crimes come with a minimum of 10 years of service. They are quarantined before returning, but eventually returned to their own people."

They turned down one of the other streets.

"All of the regions have similar ways of assessing people who have been infected. They catalogue the person's abilities to assure that they can serve their regions most effectively. The three old-style regions take it to another level, as you may have noticed. They fear overpopulation by vampires, so changing a person without prior permission is typically a capital crime for both the vampire and the person who has just been changed." Breck led them to the front door of one of the largest homes on the block. He put a hand on the black pad in the center of the door. After an electronic click, the door opened. "Welcome to my home," he said pleasantly.

Daniel walked into the building. "What is your role here? Why try to keep me alive if you live in one of the regions that are strict about people being infected?"

Breck closed the door and directed him into a living room. The windows were closed, but there were various electronic devices emitted small amounts of light. He went to one of the windows and pressed a button. The coverings to the windows rose quietly and the light of two moons shone into the room. "Please have a seat," he said, leaving the room.

Daniel sat down on a loveseat-sized, fluffy couch made of leather as his eyes scanned the room.

Breck returned with two cups. He handed one to Daniel before sitting down in an armchair and taking a sip from his own. "It's synthetic."

Daniel drank a sip from the cup. It wasn't actually blood. It tasted like nothing he'd ever had before; a little strange, but not bad. It had a medicinal taste, but was not unlike like a cocktail. The effect of it seemed to be more intense than, but generally the same as, the blood he'd been transfused with at the SGC: he felt instantly stronger and more relaxed.

"I am a mix of what you might call a mayor and a sheriff. One of my roles in the service of Thane Donovan is to assess the people who have been transformed. My abilities are why I was chosen for this task. I can see through illusions and sense what abilities a person is manifesting. Anyone on Thane Donovan's land who is going to be tested comes to this town and is evaluated by me."

"Did you know I could walk through walls and electrocute things when you put me in the cell?" Daniel asked bluntly.

Breck shook his head a little. "Not exactly… I could sense the electricity, but your transformation wasn't complete. In the years to come as you practice your skills they will continue to grow until you reach your full potential."

This frightened Daniel. His abilities were already destructive and he could only imagine what they might become with practice. With earlier news about the agelessness of his condition, he could have centuries to practice. "What do you sense now?

Breck knew why he was concerned and wanted to find the right way to assure his new friend. "You need to be open to whatever comes next."

Daniel laughed. "You're talking like a palm-reader." Daniel didn't bother explaining the reference. "Please just tell me something specific?"

"Ok." Breck thought another moment and sipped his drink. "Your ability to see the thoughts and memories of others… is all based on electricity. You pick up on the electric pathways made by a person's memories and by the thoughts that pass through their minds. With practice I know you will be able to share your specific memories with others, not just see theirs. My telepathic ability has a similar effect. I will warn you that all our abilities work like an oil lamp: as you use up the fuel you will need to replenish yourself. If you allow yourself to become too exhausted you might pose a threat to the people you are trying to help."

Daniel was surprised. As far as specificity was concerned, Breck had delivered.

"And passing through walls is a result of using electricity to disrupt solid matter at the atomic level," Breck continued. "The mater resumes its' original shape when you have finished, so I don't think it will be a destructive skill unless you use it with the intention to harm. Your friend, Sam, can explain more of this to you."

Daniel took another drink from his glass. He was already feeling infinitely stronger.

Breck continued to explain more things about the world. "There are many cities in this region, and I am in charge of keeping the peace in mine. The Thane ordered your capture and you were to be treated like any other criminals who tried to steal a slave from another Citizen. By the time you escaped I'd learned quite a bit about you and your friends," Breck said, occasionally drinking from the cup. "Namely about the Stargate and the other worlds you've seen."

Daniel took another small sip, unsure of what Breck might ask from him in return for the mercy Breck has snown him.

"I told the Thane that you were from another planet, and that your people had interfered because you have no laws like ours where you come from," Breck continued. "I assured him that if any of you ever returned, you'd eventually go back to your own planet." He took another sip. "I found out a lot about you while you were in there. I told him there was no chance whatsoever of you infecting a person. You'd let yourself die before attacking someone."

Daniel nodded. "Thanks. I hope that's still true." He finished the rest of his drink. "So that's why you showed me information about your world and let us escape?"

Breck nodded a little. "I was curious about the final evolution of your abilities, as I am with everyone who has been changed. Did I show you the Level System we use?"

Daniel shook his head a little. "I'd like to know more."

"When we rank and evaluate someone, they are first placed into one of three levels. The levels are very easy to decide, based entirely on physical appearance. Level 3 is a more concentrated form of the infection." He took a sip of his drink. "They typically have more obviously altered physical features. Unusual eye colors, more animal-like fingernails, and loss of hair are just a few of the features they might develop. Behaviorally, they need to consume more blood, so it is frequently harder for them to be near people." He set down his cup, and looked at Daniel again. "You're right, level threes are very much like the creature in the Nosforotu film."

Daniel was a little surprised by Breck's reference. Breck must have been reading minds every day to know how to pull something so random from Daniel's mind.

"Level 1 infection means the person looks completely human at all times except for times they chose, or times when they require nourishment. In human form, their abilities can manifest weakly, but when they drink or chose to use the full strength of their abilities, their teeth and fingernails change almost immediately to accommodate their will. Many of the parasites in their system are dormant until activated so they don't require less blood than most level 2's."

"Wouldn't that be the best level?" Daniel asked quickly. "Being able to just turn it off would make it so much easier to live with what you are."

Breck nodded a little. "Maybe it is... But because it is known to be easier for a Level 1 to remain in human form, when the parasite takes control they aren't accustomed to the sensations associated with our condition. They are oftentimes completely overwhelmed even if their needs are no greater than yours or mine. Unfortunately, I have been forced to execute many Level 1's due to their unlawful infection or murder of human slaves, regardless of if they had intended to harm any of them."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Does that mean we are Level 2?"

Breck nodded.

"So level 2's always look different from uninfected humans, but, because they learn to control their urges, they don't unwillingly harm people?" Daniel asked hopefully.

"Not exactly," Breck said. "I once arrested a Lever 2 citizen who refused to own slaves. He had been hiking in the ruins and become trapped after falling into a deep cavern connected to a series of caves. None of his abilities could aid his escape so it took him three days to find his way to the surface. By then he was almost too ill to keep walking. He waited for sunset and made his way through the plains. The first people he encountered was a citizen traveling with his slave. Before any words could be spoken, the starving Level 2 attacked the slave and killed him."

Daniel was stunned.

"He was genuinely regretful of his crime and wasn't executed. Instead he was imprisoned for several months and forced to reimburse the slave-owner for his losses."

Daniel nodded, a little more concerned about his Level 2 status than he was a moment ago.

"Level 1's and 3's are usually the ones who are executed after initial infection. Only those with truly impressive abilities, or natural skills, are given a high enough rank to be granted citizenship. Unfortunately, no one knows what Level someone will be when they are infected. The level of the citizen who infects them doesn't seem to have any bearing on the level they become, but Level 2 is the most common result." Breck shrugged a little. "I don't have the patience for science, but I've often considered challenging myself by learning all the biology behind our condition." He was looking hard at Daniel. "What I know now about Niirti and the false Gods might keep my attention in the laboratory."

"The Gao'uld have what's called a genetic memory: the Gao'old offspring know what their parents knew," Daniel explained. "Janet said this parasite looks a lot like a Gao'uld. Does anything like that happen with this parasite? Does it have thoughts of it's own? Can it communicate?"

Breck shook his head and shrugged. "It influences our actions, as you have experienced, but nothing like you described. As I have said, I don't know much of the science."

Daniel set the empty cup on the floor by his seat and leaned back, feeling very relaxed and content. Janet's explanation about the effects of the stimulants secreted by the parasite wasn't an understatement. He could see why some Citizens might choose to live in regions that still allowed them to consume natural blood.

"With your knowledge of languages and other worlds, I think even the humans of this planet would have employed you if you hadn't escaped," Breck commented off handedly. "Ironically, those with too high a rank are sometimes less welcome than a Level 3 slave who was accidentally changed: you might be too much of a threat to let you near the large populations."

"That's what my people think," Daniel admitted. "How can I control myself around them? Saying it's been hard is a gross understatement."

Breck nodded a little, considering the best advice. "I can tell. People like us, those who can see what others are thinking, have a slight advantage. When others begin to hear a person's heart, all they hear is the heart. They forget the heart is a person. Even in that trance we can still hear the person's mind. When you start to lose yourself in that sound, focus on the person. You are someone who naturally wants to help people, not harm them, so that should be enough."

"Thank you," Daniel said genuinely grateful.

"Unless you are starving or near death," Breck added distractedly as he glanced outside.

Before Daniel could ask for the definition of starving, Breck continued.

"I don't support of the way this region is being run, and I've felt this way for a very long time," Breck confessed abruptly. "One of the regions without a leader is on our lower border. Over the years I've helped a handful of lesser criminals and those who were accidentally infected to immigrate if they would have otherwise been put to death by our old laws. For example, that slave girl you and your friend removed from Bethany's home is alive and being cared-for by them."

"You mean you've smuggled them out?" Daniel asked, relieved to find someone on this brutal planet who may share his views about the sanctity of life.

He nodded. "I respect my Citizens and their right to keep slaves, but I think our people could become something more than they are." He voice became very passionate, and just a little sad. "In many ways our region is too stuck in the past. We should work with the humans to pool our technology and find a way to reverse this in people who don't want this life."

"That's what my people are trying to do," Daniel said excitedly. "At least some of them. Have your scientists made any progress?"

Breck shook his head. "Not much."

"Maybe we could work something out. Would Thane Donovan be willing to work with the people of my planet to cure this?"

"Donovan isn't going to be making decisions for us any longer."

Daniel looked at him, shocked. "Did I arrive in the middle of a coup?"

Breck laughed. "As a matter of fact, you did. The people in my position throughout our cities have met in secret several times. We're not sure how peacefully the transition will go. I knew who I could trust and sent them out of harm's way. Houses along this block are virtually empty. Donovan's was the worst of the three old regions. He was assassinated a few hours before sunset. As soon as it was confirmed I put on my daylight uniform and posted a notice asking those who want things to stay the same to move to the regions run by Reed and Bonnie. We hope for this region to maintain constant relations with the human continents while continuing to research our affliction. Moreover, we'll no longer be accepting human slaves in this region as of the next sunrise. Using the resources we have, we'll manufacture better daytime commerce centers and underground passageways, and rely solely on a donated or synthetic food source. We'll have no reason for slaves."

"So you'll be a region with qualities of the isolationists and the moderates. That sounds like…" Daniel began to say, but he was interrupted by the sound of an explosion coming from the city.

"I guess it's starting," Breck said sadly with a long sigh as he stood. He looked back to Daniel. "I have something for you - books to answer more of your questions - but then I'm going to have to ask you to go back through the Stargate. You'll be no safer here than back at your home."

Daniel stood. He'd been given plenty of information about the planet, but not nearly enough about the parasite.

"I need you to wait here for a little while," Breck said hesitantly. "Depending on how things are progressing in town, I'm not sure how long I'll be away. The documents are in my office." Breck turned towards a cupboard in the corner of the room. "Broadcast on," he said in a more commanding voice.

The cupboard opened to reveal a curved sheet of opaque glass with moving landscapes projected three-dementedly between the curves in the glass.

"It's like television," Breck clarified before turning back to the cupboard. "World events," he called to the screen.

The channel flipped to a pale, red-headed woman talking about weather patterns.

"Just tell it a topic and it will find the right frequency," Breck continued.

There was another explosion.

"W-What if someone stops by?" Daniel asked nervously.

"I need to get my bag before the town goes up…" he said distantly. Breck looked concerned. "Use your abilities. I promise that your abilities are more powerful than nearly all of my citizens. Your rank would have been very high."

Daniel nodded a little.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He left the house at the speed of a blur, following the path back towards town.

Daniel looked towards the broadcast, and sat back down where he had been, paying more attention to the flickering lights in the direction of the city than the light coming from the monitor.

000000000000000000000

Daniel glanced at his watch.

Breck had been gone for over an hour, and in that time there had been several more ground-shaking explosions. Through the window, in the distance, he could see flames raising from a house he'd passed on the way from the Stargate. Fearing he would be seen, Daniel had commanded the television to shut off not long after Breck left. He watched the city through the window from his dark room.

The front door opened suddenly.

Daniel stood quickly, hoping it was Break, but fearing it wasn't. He backed towards the window, waiting for the new arrival to round the corner. If it wasn't Breck, he was confident he could pass through the window for escape.

"Daniel?" Breck called.

Daniel exhaled, relieved.

Breck came into the room with a duffel bag and held it out to him. "This is a copy of the work my region has been doing concerning the parasite. I took some more books from a friend's house. Janet might be right about the connection to the Gao'uld. Even with what I've told you of our history, I've included books about our world's history prior to the outbreak. There are samples of the blood substitute and its formula. It's safe for you to drink, and just as effective on humans who need transfusions. Hopefully it will help your people as much as it has helped ours."

Daniel quickly pulled out one of the books to see what the language was. At a glance it looked like some sort of mix between Gaelic, Latin, and Gao'uld.

"You don't have time for that," Breck said hurriedly, looking at the window as he motioned for him to put the book back. He stared hard at Daniel.

Daniel his eyes were wide, and then he blinked a few times. In a matter of seconds Breck had relayed to him the alphabet and grammar of the language in the books, everything he'd need to quickly translate everything included in the bag.

Breck's expression softened. "Follow me."

Daniel stuffed the book into the bag and slung it over his shoulder as he followed Breck out of the house. They didn't even bother closing the door behind them. "Why didn't you tell me about your world like that, the way you did yesterday at the prison?"

"Telling you about our written language was easy, like relaying a math equation. Politics and history have opinions, wars, speculations, and egos… It's very draining to even attempt it non-verbally," Breck admitted. "If anything happens on the way, use your abilities to make it back to the Stargate."

"Daniel, come in," called Jack's voice thought the radio in Daniel's pocket.

Daniel grabbed onto radio as they walked. He pressed the button. "I'm here. I'm on my way back to the Stargate… Where are you?"

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c stood on the platform of the Stargate, all of their weapons ready to fire.

"We just went through the gate," Jack announced.

"Are you guys all right?" Daniel asked into the radio. He and Breck sped up their pace.

The once pristine park was now charred in several places and frozen in others. Most of the flowers and trees had been flattened, uprooted, burned, or frozen, and only a few lamplights remained upright. Some patches of ground looked like a mountain range of peaks and craters were the soil itself had been manipulated. The city was ablaze, so there was no lack of light.

"Post-Apocalyptic war zone aside, we're fine," Jack called happily into the radio. "What's going on here?"

"Breck and I will be there in a minute," Daniel assured. "I'll tell you all about it once we're back on Earth."

"Breck?" Jack asked.

Daniel and Breck were entering the first group of houses they'd passed on their way from the park.

"The jailer from yesterday," Daniel repeated quickly. He'd mentioned that name several times today so he sighed. "I'll get there faster if I'm not talking. Just keep both eyes out for the locals. Most of the people are pretty upset tonight."

"I never would have guessed," Jack said sarcastically. "Maintaining radio silence." He let go of the button and held his weapon with both hands.

As Daniel and Breck sped through the street they saw smoke coming from the park. They both ran supernaturally fast down the empty street towards the smoke.

"Jack," Daniel called as he and Breck slowed down to a human pace when they spotted the rest of the team hunkered by the DHD.

"Whoa," Sam said in shock, aiming her gun at them when she saw the movement.

"Daniel," Jack said quietly, still scanning the park for movement with an aimed weapon. "Someone's out here. They're invisible, but every now and then…"

At that moment a fireball came out of nowhere, flying towards Daniel and Breck.

Daniel grabbed Breck by the shoulder to allow the sphere of flames to sale through them. The fire passed through Daniel's right side and nicked Breck left leg before it crashed into the ground several yards behind them.

Daniel called out in pain, grabbing onto his side where the flames had passed and catching his balance on the DHD. "It must have been too hot," he panted quickly. The bag slipped to the ground.

"It's Beth," Breck announced calmly, his eyes tracking the unseen threat.

"You all right?" Jack asked Daniel quickly, focusing a moment on his friend.

Daniel nodded, straightening a little as he found his balance.

"Bethany!" Breck called to the empty area, stepping forward with a slight limp from where the flames had brushed him.

"Daniel," Jack whispered, his eyes darting around the field again for any sign of movement. "Start dialing."

Daniel began pressing the buttons on the DHD.

"Show yourself," Breck ordered.

A pale woman with long dark hair appeared a few feet in front of Breck. It was the woman who had scratched Daniel.

Daniel paused, staring at the woman. This was the first time he'd seen her since his team left her house, and she looked quite a bit more tired and worn than she had the other day.

"They have nothing to do with this," Breck said calmly. "Let them be on their way and no harm will come to you."

"It must be their fault," Beth spat at the group by the DHD. "Everything was fine in our region until they arrived. Thane Donovan was the best thing to happen to our people."

"It has been many years since Thane Donovan has had the support of all of his Citizens," Breck continued just as calmly. "Many cities of his region already refuse to use slaves. They emphasize who they are, not what. Some of the technologies and medicines they produce are being used across this planet."

"Do you think the rest of us contribute so little to our world?" Beth asked seriously.

"Daniel," Jack hissed. "Let Breck take care of her. We need to get home before any more of them show up."

Daniel looked at Breck for a moment and then continued to punch in the symbols.

You learned about the Stargate from our thoughts, so do you know the sequence of symbols I'll be using to return to our home? Daniel's voice asked in Breck's ear.

Yes Breck replied simply. Daniel reached into his jacket and pulled out his radio, dropping it at the base of the DHD.

When this is over, dial the gate and use the radio. My friends and I would be willing to help you and your allies. Daniel assured Breck's silently.

"We all contribute to this world. By the old laws of this region, those who didn't have something to contribute would never have been allowed to survive," Breck continued to Beth, distracting her to give SG1 enough time to escape.

My people thank you Breck replied as Daniel pressed the button at the center of the device. There was an explosion of blue light from inside the ring before it settled to the flat surface.

Sam dropped her weapon and pulled up her sleeve, punching in the iris code into her remote as quickly as she could.

Beth looked even angrier. "And by those same laws it doesn't matter if I survive tonight because my crime should mean my death. These three human thieves and my mistake shouldn't be allowed to live!" She disappeared.

Teal'c, Jack, and Carter all stood, backing towards the gate with their weapons drawn.

Breck's eyes were darting around, still tracking Beth even when the others couldn't.

Daniel didn't have any weapons, but he staggered towards the gate as well, his eyes scanning the open field in an attempt to pick anything up the way Breck was doing.

"Sam! Nine o'clock!" Breck called, knowing that she'd be able to react to that terminology better than any other.

Carter swung her weapon to the left, but it was too late. Something had caught her gun.

The invisible enemy grabbed Sam by the front of her shirt collar, beginning to choke her, as Beth's other invisible hand squeezed and mangled the metal weapon.

Before Teal'c and Jack could aim their weapons towards the invisible woman, Daniel ignored the pain in his gut and used his supernatural speed to run at the place the woman should be standing and tackle the entity to the ground.

Sam fell to the ground, too, coughing as she scrambled a few paces away from the scuffle.

Daniel pinned down the invisible mass, straddling the figure. Some blood began to seep from his neck.

Beth became visible again, revealing both clawed hands wrapped around his neck and cutting into his skin.

Daniel grabbed onto the woman's arms and zapped her with electricity from his palms… It wasn't very effective.

By now Teal'c had managed to draw his Zat. He fired it at the struggling pair.

The woman let out a small cry of pain before going limp and closing her eyes.

Daniel put a hand to the injuries to his neck as he jumped away from Beth.

"Are you unharmed?" Teal'c asked Daniel urgently.

Daniel coughed a little, but nodded, his eyes glinting in the light as his stare locked onto Sam. She was bleeding.

Sam kept one hand on the back of her neck as Jack helped her to her feet. "Just a little whiplash I think." When she pulled her hand away there was some blood.

They all stood in shock for a moment.

"Did she bite me?" Sam whirled around and lifted her hair, showing Jack the area of her neck that was injured.

"It's hard to tell if it was from a tooth or a claw. Her hands do not carry the parasite," Breck announced, joining the group. "May I look?"

Sam turned her injury towards him and pulled at her collar for a better view.

Breck shook his head a little. "Dr. Fraiser will be able to tell if the infection is in your blood. The injury is minor so there's still a chance it will not take hold. You should know within four hours." Breck gestured towards Daniel. "As a precaution, stay a few paces away from Daniel."

Daniel nodded a little, "Her fingernails caught me pretty good. My shirt and hands are probably covered in the parasite."

Breck glanced at him before stepping away from Sam. "For other reasons as well. You haven't yet tasted natural blood, and it is much harder for our newest to resist the instincts, no matter how noble we were in our old lives."

As soon as Daniel bothered to notice the presence of the blood on his hands, the scent filled his nostrils and set a chill of excitement up his spine. He was instantly ready for something else to happen, almost eager for more bloodshed. He licked his lips. He could actually smell the difference between Sam's blood and his own. The energy he'd used to get to the park and struggle against Beth left him a little thirsty, and just like the nurse on the base, Sam seemed to be an appealing target. Trying to ignore the surge he was feeling, he looked up towards the wormhole.

Sam nodded, putting her hand back over the wound, but unsure of what else to say. These last few minutes might have changed her life forever, and she was at a loss.

Teal'c went back to the DHD and picked up the bag Daniel had dropped.

Breck held out his hand to Daniel. "It was nice to have met you, Daniel."

Daniel looked back to Breck with a tired smile as he shook his hand.

"It looks like the park is safe enough for a few minutes, so I'm off to help my people in what's left of my town. Hopefully you will hear from me soon," Breck ended with a slight bow. In a blur Breck was running out of the park and into his burning city towards the city hall.

Daniel sighed and turned towards Jack, taking the heavy bag away from Teal'c as if it weighed nothing. His side still ached a little, but he could tell he was already beginning to heal.

Jack gestured towards the open gate. "Let's head home."

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Daniel stepped through the gate first, receiving much the same audience he'd had when he'd left just a few hours ago: a dozen soldiers aiming automatic weapons. He lowered the bag to the floor and held his hands in the air a little as he cleared the area directly in front of the wormhole.

Teal'c was the next to arrive, followed by Sam and finally Jack. The wormhole disengaged behind him.

"Did you find anything useful?" General Hammond asked, making his way through the armed men.

"I'm not exactly sure," Daniel said, his hands still in the air. "Am I being put in the brig, or can I just go straight to my office and work on these translations?"

"Lower your weapons," Jack called to the soldiers, walking the group towards the General.

Daniel lowered his hands, picked up the bag again, and followed his team.

"What did you find out?" Hammond asked a little more urgently.

"Carter needs medical attention so how 'bout we comply with medical protocol and tell you about the evil X-Men a little later," Jack suggested casually.

Hammond wasn't entirely sure about the pop-culture reference, but nodded anyway. "We'll debrief in one hour."

Teal'c, Jack, and Sam headed for the door. Daniel began to follow when Hammond stopped him.

"Get cleaned up, checked over by the doctor, and you can head to your office. There will be two guards accompanying you, but you can move about the base freely." He gave a nervous laugh, "After all, you proved we can't just keep you in the brig." Hammond cleared his throat and continued seriously. "Don't forget that Maybournee will be here in less than three hours. I hope you brought something back that Maybourne's men will want to take with them more than you."

Daniel looked a little grim. "Hopefully that something isn't Sam."