Chapter Two - The Evolutionary Road Not Taken
After another half a days walking, SG-1 finally made it back to the gate and Sam wasted no time in dialing Earth. To Daniel the gate had never looked so good and the prospect of finally being home, dry, warm and to sleep on an actual bed, even if it would be in the Infirmary. He was under no illusion what was to come in the next few hours would be pleasant, in fact it was one of his personal nightmares.
As expected he was greeted by armed men and General Hammond, all of whom had been briefed on the situation and while Hammond welcomed him home, again it was with mixed feelings. On one hand he was happy to have a friend returned to them, but again the shadow of doubt hanging over that greeting, wondering if he was addressing that friend, or an alien parasite. Daniel wanted to reassure the General, all of them that he was Daniel Jackson, at least he thought he was. Sure he had taken a dip in the river, but Chaka had spared him a life of a host. He could have done without the ritual smearing of the blood across his face...but then beggars and choosers.
Flanked by his team, Jack waved away the usual armed escort who would usually deal with a possible Goa'uld host, and SG-1 took it upon themselves to march the civilian to the infirmary and the waiting MRI. With Jack and Teal'c either side of him, Daniel was promptly seated and Janet appeared with a syringe loaded with sedative.
"Do you really, really need to give me that?" He asked with a sigh already knowing the answer.
"I'm afraid so, Daniel. It's precautionary only and for your safety." Daniel couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. How many precautions had he been subjected to since yesterday? The motion didn't go unnoticed by Jack who simply patted Daniel's shoulder and stepped aside so Janet could do her thing. "It's a very mild dose, you'll be awake in an hour or two once we've determined you're in the clear."
"And if I'm not?" It wasn't a fair question and he felt guilty for even putting them in the position to answer it, but Janet was as professional and caring as ever.
"Then you'll sleep until we get the little bugger out of you." Daniel flashed her a ghost of a smile and braced himself as she prepared to inject him. "Little scratch and then you need to lay back."
Daniel had never been fond of needles, it was a fear he never quite understood since a lot of the time things like that were associated with doctors and hospitals, people and places meant to help others. But then Daniel's first experience with such places had not been a good one. A little boy of eight, stranded in a hospital hallway, waiting for news on the fate of his parents, flashes of the accident and the events that quickly followed there-after plaguing his young mind. He had seen needles and instruments of medical care, most of which seemed more damaging than the huge cover stone that had extinguished the life of his parents and torn them from him. Add to that, his all to recent brush with insanity, largely thanks to Michello and Daniel was positively sick to death of the blasted things.
So when he felt that first scratch, followed by the familiar cold, snaking up into his arm, his face paled considerably. The fear and loathing didn't last long as the drug started to take hold, slowly at first giving him enough time to shuffle back on the gurney, Teal'c assisted in guiding and supporting Daniel as he lowered his head and shoulders back, the frame of the MRI visible above him as the black started to creep into the edges of his vision. He struggled against it at first, hating the feeling of being out of control, not knowing what would happen to him while he was out.
"Hate this..." He managed to mutter before the tug of sleep became too strong.
... ... ... ...
As Daniel drifted off and his breathing evened out, bound hands resting around his abdomen as Teal'c adjusted the unconscious man's position on the gurney according to Doc Fraiser's instructions. The slurred words made Jack sigh and the Colonel ran a hand through his greying hair before following Teal'c out and up into the observation room.
Daniel hated this? He wanted to try spending a minute in Jack's boots, because the possibility that his best friend could be host to a parasite just wasn't fun at all. He'd already lost so many to the bastard things. Kewolsky and the horrifying last days of his life came to mind and Jack's mood darkened even more.
After checking their boy, Fraiser was now stomping into the control room and Jack stepped out of her way, eager to get this over with so they knew either way. Carter looked as worried as he felt and Teal'c had remained by the door below, as if guarding it. Not to protect Daniel, but to protect everyone else from Daniel if their worst fears were confirmed.
An agnonising five minutes of the Colonel's life dripped by, feeling like hours as Fraiser worked the machine below. They flocked around the screen, tense and anxious, breaths collectively held until Fraiser announced it.
"He's clear." The Doc's voice oozed with relief and she was up in the blink of an eye and heading back down into the chamber, passing the good news on to Teal'c who came into the observation room smiling. Carter rubbed her face and looked up as if thanking God, Jack just sat down, crumpled cap in hand.
"I'm getting too old for this," Jack muttered and looked up at Carter who was smiling sympathetically.
"The General will need to be briefed, sir."
"Yeah," Jack stood to watch as Daniel's hands were finally cut free to fall limply by his side, before he was transferred to a gurney and made comfortable. "Lets go and deliver the briefing, Daniel's gonna be out for a few hours at least and you know how Ol'Doc Fraiser likes to poke him." He grinned and Carter chuckled before leaving ahead of him.
... ... ... ...
After two days of treking through an alien landscape, Jack just wanted to go home, pop the top off a few beers and put his feet up. All in good time, he thought as he and the other two members of his team sat around the conference table relaying the events of the last forty-eight hours.
Of course they could only disclose what they themselves witnessed, the blanks would have to be filled in by Daniel as soon as he was up and about again, which with a little luck would be soon. Jack had a feeling Daniel would want in on the whole 'beer and feet up' thing.
"We had no idea the waters were filled with parasitic Goa'uld until Teal'c was attacked by one." Carter stated, the General looking confused and alarmed all at the same time.
"Major Carter, I thought you were able to 'sense' Goa'uld after your encounter with the Tok'ra Jolinar."
"Encounter, that's a nice way of putting, invaded." Jack offered, unphased and not wanting to get off topic, Carter continued.
"I can sir, or at least ones who have Naquadah in their bodies. Dr Rothman said the fossilized Goa'uld he and Daniel had uncovered at the dig site contained no traces of the element, it must have only become part of their make-up after they left P3X-888."
"How did you determine who had become infected?"
"I restrained the members of the search party," Teal'c began. "I knew that the Goa'uld would make an attempt to escape, the plan succeeded and Major Hawkins revealed himself to be a host. He attacked the rest of the party, I intervened."
"Thank you for that, by the way." Jack grinned to which Teal'c simply bowed his head with a small smile.
"Once he was dispatched I then went on to free the remaining members. It was then I noticed the ligature marks on RobertRothmans wrists. He had also become infected. He assaulted me and shot Captain Griff. O'Neill then fired upon RobertRothman."
"Do we have any idea when they became infected?"
"Hawkins was acting strangely when we found him," Jack shrugged. "I put it down to shock, he'd just seen most of his team wiped out."
"I do not believe his behaviour indicative of him being a host, O'Neill. RobertRothman seemed to be completely normal the entire time."
"Well, normal for Rothman."
"The point is sir," Carter interjected, ignoring the bad joke. "We have no way to determine who is infected with one of these Goa'ulds. I would recommend suspending all activity to P3X-888 until we can fully prepare our people for this new threat."
"Did DanielJackson not wish to return there?"
"Yes he did, Teal'c," Jack blew out a breath and was very glad the civilian in question wasn't around to argue. "But I'm with Carter on this one. Apart from the Goa'uld, the place is home to native Unas, one of which killed one man and injured several others before dragging Daniel off as a sacrifice."
"I have to agree with both of you, the losses are already far too high to justify what we might have gained in understanding the Goa'ulds history."
"I can't completely agree with that sir," Carter began and Jack shot her a confused look. "I mean, of course what happened is awful, but everything the archaeological team discovered has given us a fundamental understanding of the Goa'uld as a species. Daniel already theorised that the first Goa'uld came from this world, taking the native Unas as hosts before discovering how to use the gate and escape that world. But why?"
"Carter?"
"Why leave their world at all? We already know the Goa'uld didn't build the gate system," Carter continued. "They just utilised it along with every piece of technology they were able to leech when blending with the other races, specifically Humans. But their success only came after they left P3X-888."
"Goa'uld Queens reproduce with the host organism to ensure the blending is successful, do you not consider this to be a factor in their success beyond the confines of their world of origin?" Teal'c again provided a valid point.
"Of course, its possible they are able to target specific strands of DNA and pass on superior characteristics to their young. Throw in a couple hundred years and they've evolved into a better parasite, specifically engineered to take over a particular species."
"The point is, P3X-888 is from a point in their evolution when they were relatively vulnerable with none of the intelligence or specific adaptations that make them so dangerous to humans. The Goa'uld we know have literally altered their evolutionary cycle so they can blend successfully with the human populations out there, while the ones on 888 continue to follow a path that its native environment allows."
"They will have been exposed to an entirely different set of circumstances, environmental factors such as disease and bacteria. If we can study the Goa'uld on 888, I bet we find them full of micro-organisms that the System Lords have never had to contend with, but the micro-organisms themselves will have evolved to be better Goa'uld killers."
"You mean like a virus?" So often these conversations completely went over the Colonel's head. He figured he had been exposed to so many of them in the past, he had since evolved a little and could now keep up.
"Exactly sir."
"You wanna give the Goa'uld a cold?!" Carter simply shrugged and he knew then that she found it far-fetched even if the reasoning was sound.
"So you think there maybe something on this world we can use to, defeat the Goa'uld?" The General queried, seeking clarification before he made his decision.
"Its possible, sir. We won't know until we keep looking."
"But you just said it's too risky." Jack stated.
"And it is, but if there really is something on this world to help us beat the Goa'uld, it might be worth it."
"Very well, Major. I'll take into consideration your hypothesis, but for now I think you're right about suspending travel to P3X-888. Until we can adequately prepare and protect our people, no one is to set foot there."
... ... ... ...
"Hey Doc," Janet Fraiser turned at the familiar sound of Colonel O'Neill as he addressed her in his usual way. She knew why he was here and she shot him a reassuring smile as he fell into step beside her. "How's our boy?"
"Well, apart from a few bruises, bumps, blisters and some pretty painful ligature marks around his wrists, he's fine."
"Is he awake yet?" He asked as he checked his watch. They had entered the quiet ward and the sight that greeted him answered the Colonel's question.
Daniel was laid on his right side, curled up comfortably. The light had been dimmed to promote the rest he clearly needed and he had been relieved of his off world equipment in favour of the infirmary gowns.
"I thought you only gave him a mild sedative?" The Colonel stated in an almost accusing tone. Janet didn't take it personally.
"And you would be right sir. The sedative wore off an hour ago, Daniel is sleeping." She kept her voice down as they approached the foot of Dr Jackson's bed and while the concern and loyalty of SG-1 continued to restore her faith in humanity, the Colonel looked weary. "I have no reason to keep Daniel in, he can go as soon as he's up to it. For now I'm prepared to let him rest. Something you should be doing too, sir."
"I'm fine."
"Of course you are, sir. But healthy people need to sleep too." Janet gave the Colonel's arm a supportive squeeze as she headed back to her office. She was under no illusion that he would do as she asked right away and as expected the Colonel took up a seat at Daniel's bedside. It was an hour later she found the chair empty with the Colonel no where in sight.
... ... ... ...
As far as stays in the infirmary went, this one hadn't been so bad. It was a relief to wake up a few short hours later, like Janet had said rather than remain out of it for who knew how long while they looked for a way to remove the parasite. As such Daniel hadn't been infected and so his recovery was, thankfully simple. Sleep.
And how!
After rousing the first time, the sedative releasing him of its hold, Janet had said he was free to leave and normally that would have had him sprinting for the nearest exit buck-naked. This time however, he just felt far too bone weary and hadn't made any effort to move. Janet read the lack of enthusiasm accurately and a moment later she was helping him into the itchy Infirmary gowns.
Daniel had a small amount to eat and a little to drink before curling up. The pillow soft, the blankets a welcome weight around his world-weary body and in no time at all, he was dead to the world. Normally a light sleeper, Daniel might have woken upon Jack's arrival in the Infirmary. As it was, his sleep was so deep and all encompassing, he didn't even realise his friend had called by.
"Well it's about time." Daniel looked up from lacing up his boots to see Jack standing over him, hands in pockets, wearing a customary Jack O'Neill smile.
"Hey Jack." Lace now tied, Daniel sat up, wincing when his back and neck twinged.
"You okay?"
"Huh? Oh yeah," He stopped rubbing the back of his neck and stood. "Just a bit stiff." Plucking his black leather jacket from the bed, Daniel started walking, Jack beside him. "I'm just on my way to see Hammond, I figured you guys would have had the briefing by now."
"And what a delight that was." Jack stated earning a curious look from Daniel.
"Is there something I should be aware of?"
"Yeah but, I'd ask Carter."
"Okay, why?"
"Because all I can remember from the briefing is: we're gonna give the Goa'uld a cold."
Daniel stopped walking, his brow creased in utter confusion. It took the civilian all but a second to piece together the subtle clues and realisation dawned on him. "Of course! The System Lords branched off from their primordial ancestors centuries ago. The Goa'uld on 888 will have a significantly stronger resistance to viruses and bacteria than the ones who left to take on Human hosts! A biological weapon could be engineered."
Jack pursed his lips before he spoke. "Seriously, you got all that from 'we're gonna give the Goa'uld a cold?'"
"Well it's pretty obvious isn't it?" They started walking again.
"If you say so." They reached the elevator and Daniel called for the car, noting Jack was also in civilian garb.
"You heading home?"
"No, we're heading to a bar."
Daniel blinked.
"We are?"
"Yes. We are. No arguments."
"But-"
"Ah! What did I just say?"
"No arguments."
"And what part of that did you not understand?"
"Well I understood all of it-"
"And yet." Jack held his hands out in a 'there you are' gesture and Daniel rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Okay, but what's the occasion?"
"You'll see." There was a twinkle in the Colonel's eye as he grinned in that cheeky way before stepping into the elevator car. Daniel simply shook his head and followed in after him. Being Jack's friend was never dull, he would give him that much.
... ... ... ...
It had been a long time since Daniel had been in O'Malley's bar and when they came here on a relaxing team outing, it was usually in the evening. Seeing it at lunch time in the light of day the place had a completely different buzz about it. It was cleaner than he expected a night spot to be, but then it had to be if it did business during the day time hours also.
The bar was on the left as they entered, with two staff members behind it ready to serve drinks, while a long buffet table full of food ran opposite the bar. The place was busy, full of strangely familiar faces and it took Daniel a while to work out the crowd consisted only of base personnel. He turned and looked questioningly at Jack who simply steered him through the bodies towards the back of the room, where a table had been set up.
The table was decorated with a pristine white cloth and in the centre was a vase of flowers, white Lilly's In front of the vase stood various framed pictures. Some of which were of Robert Rothman and Daniel felt his throat tighten.
Since being told how Robert had died, he had tried to imagine what his friend's last moments might have been like. Was he scared, in pain, angry? Daniel had played out so many scenarios in his mind that Robert's features were starting to become unfamiliar, twisted some how by all the uncertainty. Now he was looking upon Robert's smiling face and it seemed to repair the fragmented memory of his friend. Gone was the lonely torment of his death as Daniel was reminded of the good man he had been.
Loder and Hawkins smiled back also, adorned in dress blues or their favourite sports jersey. The rest of Robert's pictures were of digs and his own personal sporting achievements All three men's lives and best moments laid out for all grieving their loss, to see, to be reminded of who they where before they had been taken.
Daniel just about managed to swallow and turned slightly to where Jack stood beside him.
"You did all this?" Daniel asked, his voice a little weaker for the emotion he was just about holding back.
"Yeah," Jack stated matter of factly as he stood, nodding in approval at his handy work.
"When, I mean. All this-"
"What? After all the memorials I've held on your behalf, I'm a semi-pro. Thinking of starting my own business."
Daniel couldn't help but laugh at that, but as the humour escaped, so did the sorrow and Daniel covered his mouth till he got a handle on it again. "You're a good man, Jack. Did I ever tell you that?" Daniel turned to briefly smile up at his friend who simply shrugged.
"Not lately." The Colonel grinned and put an arm around Daniel's shoulders, leading him once more, this time to the bar. "But I'll forgive all if you buy me a beer."
"Beer?" Daniel made a disapproving sound as they hit the bar and summoned the barmaid who smiled kindly at the pair. "Two of your best single-malts."
Jacks brows almost flew off his head. "Don't you think its a little early for that stuff?"
"Nope. I promised Robert I'd give him a great send off, one I wouldn't remember."
"Well, you're definitely going about it the right way." Jack held up the glass tumbler up to inspect the quality of the whiskey, swirling it around the glass, noting how the amber liquid seemed to linger on the surface of the glass before slipping back down. "Cheers." They touched glasses and took the first sips of many.
... ... ... ...
Issac Hawkins looked down at the pictures of his older brother and all he could feel was anger.
They had served in the SGC together well over a year and had taken the good times with the bad. The brothers knew what they were getting into when they signed up for the program but they also knew it would be one huge adventure, one not many people could embark upon.
It had been the best year of their lives, even with the danger they faced every time they set foot through the gate, neither of them ever regretted taking the position at Cheyenne Mountain, until now.
Issac wanted to let the anger go, wanted to accept the fact that his brother was gone and it had been no ones fault. But he couldn't, especially since he blamed someone for his loss.
Turning his gaze towards the bar, Issac glowered as the man stood, laughing and joking with his friends. Daniel Jackson was the reason his brother was dead. The lucky son-of-a-bitch had been taken by a freaking Unas and was alive to tell the damn tale, so why then was his brother dead and not this man? Dale had done his job, protected those under his command as best he could while he was baby-sitting the academics as they played in the dirt. Why Dale, why not this Jackson guy? He had been the one to be dragged off! Exposed to all the dangers of that world and still come out of it smelling of roses.
"It's terrible." Came a meek voice to Issac's left and the young Sergeant turned to see one of the archaeologists gazing at the memorial table and all the pictures upon it. He was short, with thinning blond hair and thick glasses. He was nursing a glass of red wine, probably his first and only drink of the day. "To loose so many men to one-"
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Issac didn't care he sounded bitter, quite frankly he could care less who this guy was. All he wanted was for the insignificant little bastard to get lost.
"I beg your pardon, Dr James Wilder, archaeology department." James held out his hand as if to shake, and quickly retracted the limb when Issac ignored the gesture. "I served under your brother's command on a few other assignments."
"How nice." Issac moved to stand apart from James, the last thing he wanted was to listen to the same bull-shit he had been subjected to since arriving at the place.
"I also worked with Dr Rothman," James continued, ignoring or appearing not to realize that Issac was trying to get away from the guy. "Such a tragic loss for the SGC." James continued to ramble on, words and phrases so often exchanged in times like this. All of them cliche and meaningless. Issac's attention was still firmly pinned on Jackson as he watched him engage in conversation with many in the room, taking this whole condolence thing in his stride. What the hell did he have to feel bad about? He hadn't lost anyone. Sure, he and Rothman had worked together for sometime, but that was nothing compared to the hurt Issac was feeling.
As he watched Jackson continue to play the victim, Issac found himself striding over, what was left of the whiskey he poured down his neck, to strengthen his resolve. He was gonna give this ass-hole a piece of his mind.
... ... ... ...
Jack had seen the guy coming, even after a few drinks of the lethal whiskey his senses were as sharp as ever. Over the years and due to the extensive training he had received during his time in Special Forces, he was able to resist the influences of alcohol better than most. It really wasn't fair on Daniel who made every effort to keep up with him on the nights they kicked back, but it was always fun to watch his usually cautious and restrained friend let go and just have fun. So he really didn't feel that bad about it.
Daniel was on his third whiskey and was just starting to relax. The events of the last few days forgotten as he celebrated the life of a friend and bid farewell to yet another person absent from his life. Daniel had suffered so much loss over the years, it was a wonder the civilian had kept sane. Jack liked to think that he and the rest of the team had played a large part in that, it was only fair that Jack return the favour.
After loosing his son Charlie, Jack O'Neill had died. He no longer functioned as intended. All he had left was the job, one he would do at all costs. Even if it cost him his life. Life without his beautiful boy, was not a life he wanted. It wasn't until Daniel Jackson came into that shattered life that he was reminded that there were still things to live for, to hope for, that the loss he felt was natural and healthy. Daniel had saved him that day, without even realizing it.
So now Jack done all he could to live up to the faith Daniel had in him, by being his friend, by reminding the guy of his own philosophy. There was still a lot for Daniel Jackson to live for.
"You, I wanna talk to you." Issac Hawkins stepped up to Daniel who was trying to explain to Teal'c how whiskey was made and what made the one he was currently drinking so special. Jack had moved to intercept Issac, placing a hand on the guys chest and stopping him in his tracks, but short of rendering him unconscious and dragging his drunken ass out of there, he couldn't do much to stop his mouth.
Daniel turned, something inside obviously alerting him to the situation and knowing he was the one Issac wanted. Jack wasn't sure if Daniel knew who Issac was, but even if he hadn't, he did as soon as he laid eyes on the kid. Issac looked just like his brother.
"Issac, don't do this." Jack said softly, his tone full of warning.
"Don't do what? Tell this piece of shit what I really think of him?"
"Listen-" Jack had moved forward, his hand, once flat against Hawkins chest now snatched up a good portion of the shirt and pushed back.
"Whoa, Jack," Daniel's hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him away sparing the sergeant the beating of a lifetime. "It's okay." Daniel stepped forward to face Issac, but not with violence or harsh words. Daniel just stood there, ready to let it happen, willing to let Hawkins to do what he obviously needed. "Issac, is it?"
"Sergeant Hawkins." Jack glared at the guy and anyone around the enraged Colonel might have felt the temperature drop.
"Sergeant," Daniel smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry, your brother was a good man."
"Don't give me that crap. You think I need to hear from you or anyone else about what kind of person my own brother was? He was my brother for fucks sake!"
"I only wanted to-"
"He'd be alive if it wasn't for you."
"Just a god-damned minute-"
"Jack," again Daniel's hand held the Colonel back as he allowed Hawkins to continue.
"They all would be!" Everyone in the bar was now fully aware of the scene unfolding and watched with a mixture of emotions. Some were clearly horrified by the accusation, others seemed to understand it, like Daniel, but none of them agreed with it. "What makes you so special, that even after being targeted by this creature and dragged across miles and miles of terrain, exposed to all the same dangers they were, that you're the one to be saved? Why the hell didn't we just let it have you? Griff wouldn't have been shot, Rothman wouldn't have become a host and I'm pretty sure no one else would have been hurt!"
"I'm not special..."
"Damn right you're not! You're just some guy, no better than anyone else in this room. So then why all the fuss to get you back? Why did good men have to be sacrificed so you could be here now, acting like your upset, like you're the one who's suffering. You don't have the first clue about loss-"
Jack was starting to see red, the only thing that held him back was Daniel's hand still firmly planted in the center of his chest holding him back. He could feel a slight quake run through the limb and he knew Daniel was starting to feel the sting of those words, even if he was prepared to take every wicked blow.
"Sergeant Hawkins. I would advise you to leave the premises immediately." Teal'c spoke through ground teeth as he side-stepped their deflated friend to stare down at Hawkins. With Jack on the other side, both ready to pound the bastard in to mush. Carter came from her position near the crowd and took Daniel's hand to gently pull him back into the fold of the team and without knowing they had all placed themselves between the civilian and Hawkins.
"I wouldn't stay here if you paid me." The empty glass in Issac's hand was unceremoniously slammed onto the bar before the misguided fool wove his way through the crowed and out of the bar leaving a furious SG-1 glaring at his back. All furious save for one: Daniel.
"Are you okay?" Carter asked, beating everyone else to the punch.
"Course." Daniel replied in a much more chirpy tone than anyone had been expecting. "Guys, come on. If I was gonna fall apart every time someone was rude to me, I'd have never made it past the first mission to Abydos." At that he eyed Jack seeing the Colonel's anger ebb a little at the silent joke shared between them.
"Sergeant Hawkins was out of line." Teal'c said, his voice still full of barely held back rage.
"He's just grieving Teal'c."
"That doesn't give him the right to talk to you like that, Daniel." Carter looked to the Colonel to back her up and he wasn't about to disappoint.
"Damn right it doesn't. Hurting or not, he's just let himself and Dale down. Poor guy will be turning in his grave." Jack drained what was left in his glass, savoring the warmth that filled his stomach.
"He's angry, that's all. And I'd like to put it behind me now and get on with my own method of grieving."
"Getting drunk?" Jack queried as he watched Daniel order three more shots of whiskey and a root beer for Teal'c.
"And how." Daniel replied and threw the alcohol down his throat.