The Burden of Mysteries part 2
She woke up with the world turned sideways.
A groan quickly followed and she peeled her face off the floor, standing up and rolling her stiff neck. She shook out her limbs, checking herself for injuries and only finding minor ones that, considering her current predicament, could wait.
She had been in situations like this before, though not a frequently as the people who went off world regularly. So, she din't panic. She didn't freeze. She remained calm, as any good doctor would do in a trauma situation. And she decided to treat this predicament as such.
The first step in trauma was to asses her surroundings.
She was in a room. It was a brick room with dim lighting that flickered every so often. It was a completely empty room, besides the lights on the ceiling and herself. And that could only mean one thing. There was nothing she could use to escape. She bit back a curse and dropped her head onto her chest. So much for making it home for a movie with Cassie that night.
The second step was to organize priorities.
She needed to find out where she was, gather information. Then she could formulate an accurate escape plan and execute it. She gave a short nod, silently moving on to the next step.
The third step was to go to her highest priority and do what the situation called for.
After she took moment and organized her thoughts, she looked up as voices could be heard floating down the hall. From the sound of it, someone was getting a thorough ass-whipping, similar in many ways to the sound of her a few days ago when she had lectured Cassie about sneaking out. The voices started getting louder, nearing the room, and she walked toward the metal door, trying the handle. It didn't budge, so she took a step back and listened, trying to discern what they were saying. She was so focused on figuring it out, that it took her a moment to realize that the voices were right on the other side of the door. She stiffened and backed away as the door creaked open.
A man stepped inside. He had jet black hair and a rough face, a scar jutting across his cheek. Stubble formed on his face; most likely a few days worth. He had a large stature, and was easily 6 feet tall. He towered over Janet as he took another step closer. She resisted the urge to step away.
"Hello." He said, "My name is Kalmin."
She stared at him suspiciously, "Janet."
Nothing about him suggested he meant any harm. His body language was relaxed, but she could tell that he was alert of all his surroundings. A small smile crinkled the corners of his mouth but his eyes still held a dusting of coldness in them. He seemed like the perfect military man, and for exactly that reason Janet decided not to trust him.
"Now, Janet." He said, "It is my understanding that you are a doctor."
She said nothing, and after a moment a small snort drew her attention to a man behind Kalmin that she hadn't noticed before. Her eyes narrowed as recognition dawned. He was one of the people who had attacked the medical building.
"Alright." Kalmin continued as if the snort didn't happen, "Don't answer. I'll just not inform you about what has happened to your friend." He moistened his lips, "Daniel Jackson."
Her eyes snapped to his face and searched his gaze, determining if he was bluffing or not. His expression gave away nothing and she bit back a curse. So, she thought, two can play that game.
"Oh, really?" She raised a single shaped eyebrow, "I didn't know kidnappers were in the business of helping people."
The man scoffed, "Oh, we are not kidnappers."
"Could've fooled me."
"No. We are NOT kidnappers." The man said firmly, taking another step closer. Again Janet fought the urge to step away from the looming figure as he spoke again, gesturing to the man behind him, "Flynn was just receiving a reprimand for his… crude approach to your recruitment. He and his men got a little overzealous after it was revealed that you were aiding our enemy."
Janet felt a fiery blaze of protectiveness, "The ones whom you attacked unprovoked while they were injured and unarmed?"
The man who had been part of the attack on the medical facility, Flynn, had taken a step further into the cell but still stayed in Kalmin's shadow, muttering, "Unprovoked my ass."
"Excuse me?" Janet titled her head to face him.
Kalmin silenced Flynn with a look, "Now is not the time. Now, where were we?"
"No, it is the time." said Janet, "I deserve to know."
"Janet, there is no time. Now, if you want to help your friend then you will do what I tell you."
She thought it was strange that he hadn't called her his 'dear' once.
There was a slight pause in the conversation after her revelation, and Janet took a moment to consider her response. She wasn't sure why these people needed her, but if they went through all that trouble to get her, she could hazard a guess that they were desperate. She could use that against them.
"No. I won't help you until you tell me what is going on. Why do you need me in particular so badly? What is this war about?"
He hesitated, and Janet internally congratulated herself.
"Kalmin, we don't have time." Flynn took another step forward.
The man in question sucked in a breath, "But we need her help. We do not have a choice."
Janet waited with bated breath as he sighed and gestured with his hand.
"Follow me, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."
She gave a short nod of agreement and followed him out the door.
As they walked through a countless number of bland hallways, Janet lost track of the path they took and cursed silently, simply following and turning her thoughts inward upon herself. Janet was almost excited, but the terrifying nature of the situation repressed that particular emotion. She never got to go on adventures under normal circumstances. She always stayed on base, getting the information after the fact, and Janet secretly hated that. She was a doctor, but she wanted just as much to go through the gate and learn about the different cultures and explore the unimaginable number of mysterious worlds as well as save people's lives. Janet had never told anyone, it was her guilty desire, but when she heard about all the exploits off the off world teams, cheating death, protecting the innocent, saving worlds, she so badly wanted to know how she would react in those situations. And now she would be able to know. She would finally get her answer.
"Janet."
Her head snapped up, and she found herself standing in the doorway to an empty room. Well, empty besides a clear sheet of what looked almost like glass standing maybe 10 feet tall by 10 feet wide. she furrowed her brow in confusion.
"How-"
Kalmin held up a finger and she calmed her jaw shut, not wanting to ruin her chances of finding out what was going on. He stepped closer to the glass, and when Janet glanced at the floor she could see that he was now standing in a circle painted on the floor.
"Activate." He said, his voice loud enough to echo around the small room.
The instant that the word was out of his mouth the glass lit up, images scrolling past far too fast for her to see clearly. He held up a hand.
"Stop."
And the images stalled. Unfamiliar writing scrolled down at the bottom of the glass but she simply ignored it to avoid getting a headache, focusing on the pictures instead. She watched as Kalmin swiped a hand in the air bringing a different picture onto the glass and then dismissing another one until there was only a single photograph on the screen. She frowned at it and took a step closer.
The picture was of some sort of device. It looked quite advanced, even more advanced then any other technology on the planet, and that included the sheet of technological glass in front of her. It looked almost like two sarcophaguses stuck right next to each other; it had the same shape and size, but it wasn't gold and it didn't have any emblems on it. One of the boxes was black and the other was white, and they were completely smooth except for the lines on the top that outlined what she assumed were doors or lids of some sort, and then a small sheet of glass on the end of each that she was almost positive were some sort of control panel. But she couldn't be sure of anything at this point.
"What is it?" She asked, her gaze still fixed on the picture.
"It's what this war is about." Kalmin said softly, "It is an abomination."
Janet stayed quiet, hoping for him to elaborate, and he didn't disappoint.
"We simply call it the 'device' or the 'abomination'. Both are fitting descriptions. It-" He paused, "Actually, let me start at the beginning." He took a breath and Janet turned her attention away from the screen and to him instead, "Many years ago, the city was ruled by a group of people that all descended from the same line of people. They were all related, and this was very unfortunate for them, as they had a disease, and it was a deadly and incurable one. After they hit middle age, their bodies began to deteriorate and they had a few months at most to live. It was quite… horrific. The family had the best doctors called to try and fix them, but nobody could. So, they tried even harder, pulling all the doctors from all of their duties to try and fix them. So the city had no doctors to help the general population. The people started to riot, and the doctors did as well. So, they jailed the most outspoken of the protesters and then dismissed the doctors from the job, deciding that only technology could fix them."
Janet thought she could see where this story was going, and she didn't like it, "So, they built this." She gestured to the picture on the screen, "What does it do? How could it cause a war if it cures a previously incurable, deadly disease?" The questions ran rampant through her mind, desperate to come to the surface.
"The engineers that made this… were brilliant. They created the impossible. They were able to map the brain, and even create a vessel for it. A small technological disk that can store a human conscience."
Dread began to collect in the pit of her stomach as he continued.
He pointed at the picture, "These two devices are linked. Each holds a person. The white box holds a unhealthy person, and the black holds a healthy one. It swaps the bodies' consciences. The conscience of the healthy body is then stored in a disk, and the conscience of the unhealthy person is allowed to live in the healthy body, while the diseased body is destroyed."
An image of Machello's body swapping device flashed through Janet's mind, but she pushed it aside, "Wait." her mind swirled, "How did the sick people get people to swap bodies with them willingly?"
He didn't say anything, and the pieces clicked.
"Oh, God. They don't. They kidnap people." The temperature of the room seemed to lower dramatically, and Janet suppressed a shiver.
He nodded gravely, "Yes. In the beginning it was people who spoke out against them, or even just prisoners. Now, after the rebellion started, everyone they capture is either swapped, killed, or tortured. None are left able to function."
There was still something that didn't add up for Janet, "But it seems like this has been going on for a while." At his confirmatory nod, she continued, "So shouldn't the disease have been eradicated by now? Didn't they switch bodies enough times?"
"Yes, it is gone. But they became corrupt. They swap bodies almost for enjoyment now."
Janet's jaw dropped open. They were essentially killing people for fun. She swallowed.
"And then Daniel?"
"Probably has been switched. I am sorry."
She squeezed her eyes shut and took few deep breaths. Still with her eyes closed, she spoke.
"Can we get him back?"
"Yes."
She nodded, breathed out, and opened her eyes, "What do you need me to do?"
A small smile formed on his face, "Okay, that is a good start." He paused, "You were wondering earlier why we needed you in particular. I will answer you as a thank you of sorts for agreeing to help, but then we must get to work."
Janet nodded, her curiosity building.
"We have been attempting to get into the building that houses the device and the consciences, but it is highly guarded and we cannot get someone even close to it. We needed to recruit someone that they could trust. We started, not with soldiers, but with doctors, the most compassionate of the enemy. Instead of killing our enemy during battles, we would simply wound them so doctors would come out onto the field. Then we would take them with us to our home base and attempt to turn them to our side. All of them would not listen to a single word we said, but we kept attempting to turn them. Soon, the amount of doctors on their side dwindled drastically, as we were holding them all. I am assuming that is the reason they were so desperate to get you to help them. Once we heard that visitors had come we were planning on somehow getting them to help us, as they were neutral parties. But then we heard a doctor, you, were also coming, and decided that you would be the best to take. You would most likely listen to us, so we chose you."
Kalmin stopped and started messing with the glass again, turing back to face her briefly, "Does that answer your question?"
She nodded, "Thank you."
He gave no sign that he had even heard her, scrolling through pictures so quickly it made her head hurt. Suddenly, the swirl of colors froze and two pictures remained. A map, and a building.
"Okay," He said, "Down to business." He pointed to the picture of the building, "So that is the building where the device and the disks are stored. And that," He gestured to the next picture, "Is a map of the city. Now-"
He quickly explained where everything important was, and she attempted to absorb it all. When she nodded to him, he continued.
"All we need you to do is one thing. Get into the building, and destroy a critical piece from the device."
She frowned, "How will that help?"
"There is only one device, and this particular part is one they do not have extras of. It will take them many months to replicate it and get the device running again. If you succeed, it will give us the freedom and the advantage to maybe win this war once and for all."
"But-" the wheels turned in her head, "What about Daniel? How can we get him back if I disable the device?" She paused, "I am willing to help you, but me and my friends cannot stay here and wait for you to win the war so we can get Daniel back. We will need to go home."
Kalmin nodded, "The consciences should be stored in the same room. You can find your friend's and once you are there I can tell you how to put him back into the right body. Then I can walk you through the process of how to disable the device." He held up a small object, leaned closer, and fitted it in her ear, "I can communicate with you though this."
Janet's heart was pounding. This was what Sam, Daniel, Jack, and Teal'c did. Not her. She was just the doctor. She hadn't expected to become the turning point in an awful war when she stepped through the gate that day, and to be honest it was kind of freaking her out. She was excited for an adventure, not to become a spy. This was a whole new branch that she was sure would collapse underneath her soon enough.
Kalmin seemed to notice what she was thinking, "Janet." He said quietly, "Relax. All you have to do is get to the building, put your friend back together, and disable the device."
"What about my other colleagues? Why can't they help me?" Having a few highly trained soldiers with her would ease some stress of the situation.
"No. It would draw too much suspicion to have them with you. I will send men to find and alert them to meet you at the ring, the pool, outside the city, but this is a secretive mission for one, not a group."
Janet was hesitant, but she nodded all the same. For some reason, she trusted this man and his judgement. She was a far cry from a military strategist, and this man sounded like he knew what he was doing.
"Okay." She said, "Where do I start?"
"Come with me." He said, "It'll have to look like you escaped from us, so I will not give you back your things." He walked out of the room and down the hallway with her behind him, stopping at a door and opening it to the outside world, "I will give you this though, if you know how to use it."
He held out the handle of a knife, and Janet instantly recognized it as one of their fancy weapons; a Mer'ta knife.
She grasped the weapon and then slipped it into her pocket, "I know how to use it."
"Good." He put a hand on her shoulder, "Remember, I'll be in contact with you the whole time. Good luck, brave doctor."
She offered a weak smile, and stepped outside, the door swinging closed behind her.
Well, she thought, now all I have to do is save a world from evil body-swapping people by breaking into a high security building, swapping someone's conscience, and ultimately disabling a high tech device with only a knife to help me.
Janet shoved her anxiety aside forcefully and started hiking toward the city.
"Piece of cake."
To be continued…
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A/N: So, there it is! I'm not too happy about how this chapter turned out, but I have a small case of writers block and I thought, "What's the worst that could happen?" and published it. So please tell me what you think. Also, if anyone would like a specific chapter to be written, I would love to take suggestions. The final part of this chapter (The Burden of Mysteries part 3) should be up within the next two weeks I hope, but no promises! I thank all of those people who are about to review.
Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing.