"So, what can you tell us about our guest, Dr. Fraiser?"
General Hammond looked expectantly at the dark haired woman sitting at the end of the table. A week had passed since SG 1 brought home their off world guest, and he was getting anxious. The reports he'd received from both SG 1 and SG 8 of what had happened to the people on P7C- 896 spoke of a potential outbreak among his staff, despite their precautions.
Dr. Fraiser looked up from her reports. "We've run every test on her that we could, and from the offworld samples of the victims, I'd say that she wasn't infected, nor are any of the teams that we've sent through. Whatever this disease was, though, hit them hard. It acts almost like the bubonic plague, but works much faster. From the time of actual infection to final stages, it appears to only take a total of nineteen hours." Fraiser looked back at her papers, " As for our guest, she shows no sign of even being a carrier of the disease. In fact, despite from evidence of starvation, I'd say that she was perfectly healthy. Perhaps a little too healthy."
Jack blinked, "Too healthy?"
"Once we discovered that her physiology is almost identical to ours, we began running DNA tests. All animals, human or otherwise, including those on P7C-896, have some arbitrary DNA that is for reasons unknown inactive, or simply serves no relevant purpose. In some cases these genes code for things such as tails, fur, webbed feet"
"Throwbacks, genes that have been determined unimportant," Carter said.
"Yes. From what we've been able to tell, our Jane Doe has none of these. Her DNA is remarkably free from arbitrary sequences, inactive zones. If I had to guess, I'd say that she's been engineered, or at the very least selectively bred. Extremely so." Dr Fraiser shook her head, "Unfortunately, she hasn't regained consciousness since you brought her through. And there is the matter of the markings on her back." Fraiser passed down a series of 8x10 photos, "They are clearly not natural, and appear to be made from some variant of henna, accounting for its black color. They are permanent." The pictures were of a smooth back marred only by a series of characters that appeared to be Egyptian, though they were unlike anything Daniel had ever seen. There were five, two along her shoulder blades, two more directly below those on her lower back, and one equidistance from the rest in the center of her back. "And a necklace." Dr. Fraiser handed the heavy piece of jewelry to the General. It resembled to mark Teal'c wore on his forehead. "The pendant itself is made from gold, the inside is glazed with onyx, and the center piece is pure platinum."
Hammond nodded his head, "Is there anything you wanted to add, Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel lifted his head, "From what I've been able to tell from our surveys of the pictograms on the walls, they were a civilization very similar to the ancient Egyptians on Earth. I've been able to decipher some of the walls in the temple where we found her. Most are a derivative of Ancient Egyptian characters, but there are some characters that I've never seen which make translation very difficult without an effective tutor. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say they are a combination of-"
"Is there anything of importance that you can tell us about what you learned, Dr. Jackson." Hammond asked, cutting the younger man off.
Daniel sighed, "Yeah. From what I've been able to tell almost a thousand years ago there was a great battle between the people of P7C-896 and another race from a neighboring star system. Two system lords came to settle the dispute, but something happened. I think one of the lords was caught in the crossfire, and most of the people were either killed or taken away by the remaining Gua'uld. The hieroglyphs indicate that another being, probably another Gua'uld, stopped the rest of the people from being killed. The cartouche for her is similar to that of Isis, or Asset, an Egyptian and Greco-Roman goddess. If I had to make an educated guess, from the markings and her starvation, I would say that Jane Doe is a priestess of some sort. More than likely she was fasting in an attempt to gain help from her gods."
General Hammond nodded. "We have reports from SG 7 that they've found a cache of what appears to be very sophisticated weaponry beneath one of the temples."
Daniel looked at the General, confusion plain in his features, " Weapons, sir? SG 1 and SG 8 were all over that city. There was no indication that they had any advanced weaponry, accept for the substance guarding the temple. There wasn't even evidence that they had running water or an outside power source. The only weapons we came across were spears, swords, and arrows."
"Be that as it may,. Dr. Jackson, they're there all the same. Since we don't know what they are or what they can do, I'm under orders to wait until our guest wakes up and see what she can tell us. SG 1, you are on stand down for the duration."
____________________________________________________________________
Light.
She blinked, turning away from the brightness hurting her eyes. Wherever she was, it was not the temple of Abu sanBel Isis that she had lived all her life. There was a strange sound, and hushed voices. Another temple? But that was impossible. The people had died, at least that's what the temple mother had told her before perishing outside its walls.
Sitting up, she was greeted by a disturbed woman wearing white, who spoke a language unlike any she had heard, but a firm hand on her chest made her words clear: she was to remain laying down until further notice.
____________________________________________________________________
"Daniel?"
Samantha Carter stuck her head through the door of Daniels office, " Our guest is awake. Hammond wants to know if you can talk to her."
Daniel sighed, putting down the heavy tome he'd been reading. The pictograms on the temple walls were unlike anything he'd ever seen, and for him that was saying a lot. They were Ancient Egyptian in origin, that was sure, but they had evolved unlike any of the other languages he'd seen. While most only changed in the spoken form dramatically, this language had taken a definite turn in the written one. It had taken him almost the entire week to piece together the story it told, and that was leaving out large pieces that would no doubt have an effect on the story as a whole.
As Daniel turned towards the infirmary, Carter shook her head. "They have her in observation. Apparently one of the nurses tried to take a blood sample while she was awake." She grinned, "Judging from the shiner she has, I'd say that was a bad idea."
Daniel smiled in spite of himself. Personally, he hated needles, had since he was a kid, and the thought of a nurse getting her just rewards for trying to stick someone was amusing.
"Daniel, I'm glad you're here son," Hammond said as the door opened. Daniel walked over to the woman, who was sitting on the floor, two lab assistants working frantically over her.
"What happened?" he asked, taking in the red that dotted some of the walls and floor.
Jack answered, " Girl took a flying leap into the glass," he punctuated the statement by rapping a knuckle against it, " Almost knocked herself cold. She started screaming at us and scratching herself, so Fraiser decided they needed to sedate before she did anything more drastic." He smiled, " Couldn't get near her until she saw Teal'c. Then she just crumpled to the floor, bent double with her arms flat out in front of her, forehead to the floor."
Teal'c nodded, "It is a common position for a woman who expects punishment for her actions on many worlds. By submitting to me she more than likely felt she would lessen her punishment. She believed I was there to exact it for refusing to agree to our wishes."
Daniel paled, turning once again to look at the woman.
"Are you not well, DanielJackson?" Teal'c asked.
"No, I'm fine. I just don't know if I'll be able to get through to her if she's sedated." He turned to Hammond, "If you would, sir?"
Hammond nodded, and Daniel walked to the glass door, waiting a moment before it slid open. Being here brought back memories he didn't want to think about, so he pushed them back in his mind, focusing on the task ahead. The techs were waiting a few feet away from their charge, who stood, swaying a moment before balancing herself.
Daniel took a moment to observe her. She was tall for a woman, almost his height, and despite the drugs in her system, stood proudly. Jet black hair tumbled around her, bone straight and glistening slightly in the fluorescent light, making her already pale skin look like marble. But it was her eyes that stunned him. They were pale gray, pale to the point of almost blending into the sclera, having only a hint of color.
"Vor tuu stans hannafai?" she asked, scratching at the dressings on her arms before holding her hands over her eyes and pointing to the ceiling. Daniel looked around, then remembered the pale color of her eyes.
"Can you dim the lights, General. I think they're hurting her eyes." Almost instantly they were dimmed to a slight glow.
"Danag semoc."
Daniel blinked, " Hannafai kiano?" he asked, trying a simple question in Egyptian. When he got no response, he tried Abydonian. "Hanntu miakato?"
The woman blinked, cocking her head slightly, then shaking it. The sudden movement knocked her off balance, and Daniel found himself catching the woman before she landed.
Gently, he leaned her against the wall before moving back. "Ianno?" she asked.
'Looks like we're going to have to start from the basics', Daniel thought. Sighing, he pointed to himself, "Daniel." He stated, touching the center of his chest. "Daniel." He repeated. Then again, hoping she would understand. He almost gave up when he saw her tentatively reach out and touch him.
"Dan'hael?"
'Close enough,' "He touched her lightly, giving her an inquisitive look.
The woman blinked again, before touching herself as he had, "Incarra."
Daniel nodded, "Incarra," he repeated, nodding deeply, pleased when she mimicked his gesture.
'At least we're getting somewhere,' He was about to ask her another question when Hammond tapped lightly on the glass, motioning for him to leave. Daniel stood, only to be dragged back down.
"In hi'a inse'tiwai fian?"
"What?"
The woman looked desperate for a moment, looking around the room, then at her arms. Taking a breath, she ripped away the dressing on one arm, pulling away when Daniel tried to stop her. Pressing on one of the wounds until he began to bleed, she moved to a wall.
"What are you" Daniel started, but stopped. He watched as again and again she forced her scratches to bleed, using the blood to trace. It only took her a few moments to finish, then she tapped the picture. "Inse'tewai."
It was a half circle on a rectangle, a pyramid above both. "Oh, the stargate?" He moved his hand over the drawing, careful not to touch it, "Inse'tewai." He said, touching the symbol on his fatigues, pleased when she nodded rapidly. 'Two words in six minutes,' he thought.
Incarra tugged at his arm, demanding his attention. With two fingers she walked her hand across the wall to the stargate, then pointed to herself. She repeated the action, punctuating it by jabbing the picture several times.
Daniel nodded, " I think I know what you want." He said, once again moving away. This time she let him, following him with her eyes.
"Please tell me you know what's going on in that woman's head, Dr. Jackson." Hammond said when Daniel walked over to him.
"I think I do, General. She wants to go back to her world. She clearly knows what the stargate is for."
Hammond shook his head, " We cant risk getting her infected, and I doubt she'd be willing to wear a level four HAZMAT suit."
" I don't know, might look good on her," Jack said.
Daniel shot him a pointed look, " She might understand, sir. If we can prove to her that they aren't a threat."
Jack snorted, "And how do you propose we do that, Danny boy?"
___________________________________________________________________
"I cannot believe this," Jack said.
Carter smiled, "You did ask the question, Sir." She answered, glancing down quickly before lifting one eyebrow.
Jack looked down, then glowered at her, "Very funny, Carter. Had I known I was going to do this, I would have worn my silk boxers." He turned to the door as Daniel walked in, Incarra trailing after him, " You better hope this works," he said.
Daniel just smiled before turning to Incarra. "Watch." He said, pointing to his eyes, then to Jack.
The next few minutes were little more than a series of laughs and jokes as Jack demonstrated how to get into the HAZMAT suit, blushing when he noticed her noticing certain parts of him, and staring in approval. 'Still got it Jack,' he thought to himself, though at the moment he was wishing someone else was watching with the same interest.
Once he was done, he stood, smiling, as Daniel led Incarra to another suit. 'This oughtta be good.'
Jack wasn't disappointed.
_____________________________________________________________________
'Good lord, who'd think a priestess could punch so Goddamned hard?'
Daniel wished he wasn't wearing a helmet, so he could finger his tender jaw and make sure nothing was broken. His hands slipped a little lower than Incarra thought was proper while he was helping her into the suit, at least, that's what he assumed that look of righteous outrage was as he stared up from the floor. What was even more mortifying was that everyone, Teal'c included, had been unable to contain their laughter.
'Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,' he thought to himself.
They were back at the temple, after walking through the cleared streets. The only bodies left were those further in the city, and he dreaded what might happen if Incarra saw them. Some were still around, the last of the huge clean up they'd been occupied with, and Incarra's cries had carried over their headsets. She'd stood, frozen, looking around at the people, and he knew she knew they were beyond helping.
Teal'c, Carter, and O'Neil walked through, followed by Incarra, who immediately began removing the suit, or at least attempting to. Carter reached over to help, and soon she stood in nothing but a pair of baggy fatigues.
"Wonder how much more we can convince her to take off," Jack said, nudging Daniel slightly.
Daniel smiled, " I'll tell her you said that once we can communicate, Jack."
Before Jack could make a comeback, Daniel found himself being pulled through the halls, almost too fast for the bulky suit. After a few minutes he found himself in a large chamber that housed only two chairs, walls covered with hieroglyphs and other pictograms.
"Daniel, what's she doing?" Jack asked as Incarra walked over to a far wall.
"Don't know, Jack." He answered.
When Incarra returned she was carrying two objects that looked like small circlets of thinly worked gold, bent into intricate loops that held what he suspected was lapis in their centers. He obeyed when he was pushed down into one of the chairs, removing his helmet when she knocked on it. He was standing slightly, though most of his weight was pushed into the chair.
"Danny, I don't think this is a good idea."
"I agree with Colonel O'Neil, DanielJackson. Whatever she is planning to do might harm you gravely." Teal'c said, holding his staff at ready.
Daniel looked into Incarra's eyes, then looked at his companions. " I don't think so, Jack. Teal'c. Why would she hurt herself in the process?"
Teal'c lifted one eyebrow, " She knows from what she has seen that her people are dead. There are several cultures that would find it an honor to accompany a priestess to her death."
Before Daniel could answer he felt two fingers close over his lips, silencing him. Nodding in understanding, he leaned back, jumping at the feel of cold metal as the circlet was slipped around his head. He let his fingers go lax as she placed them in separate holes cut into the chairs arms. The sensation was strange. It felt for all the world like he waswaiting for something. Idling, like car.
He didn't wait long.
Jack watched as Incarra climbed into the second chair, glaring at them all in turn until they understood: They were not to interfere.
'A cold day in Hell, lady,' Jack thought.
Slowly, the woman placed the second circlet on her head, facing the largest piece of blue stone out. With the same methodical movements, she positioned herself, placing her hands on the chair.
"What the Hell is that?"
Jack heard Carter, but he was watching as the chairs began to glow, pushing the loud buzzing sound to the back of his awareness. One sign from Daniel that something was wrong, and he'd have him out in seconds.
A few moments later and the glow dissipated, and Daniel slid, boneless, from the chair.
"Shit! Daniel!" Jack and Teal'c rushed over to him, but Daniel was already trying to sit up.
"See, I told you she wouldn't hurt me." He said, his voice hoarse.
"That remains to be seen, DanielJackson."
"Your friend is unharmed, Starwalkers."
All three looked up as Sam and Incarra walked towards them.
Jack raised an eyebrow, "OK, now she decides to speak English."
Daniel shook his head, "The chairs are a type of universal translator. Her language passed to me, and ours to her." Daniel stood up, walking over to the wall, scanning furiously. "Amazing. Even the knowledge of the written language. I might as well be reading English."
'Or Latin, or Greek, or Macedonian,' Jack thought. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neil, this is Major Samantha Carter, and this is Teal'c," Jack said, nodding to each in turn. "And I believe you already know Dr. Daniel Jackson."
He watched a puzzled frown cross Incarra's face, "You are a healer, Daniel?"
Sam shook her head, " Not a medical doctor. He's extremely learned in languages and cultures."
Incarra nodded her head, before turning to Teal'c. Bowing deeply before speaking, eyes to the ground."Your people came hear years ago and almost destroyed us. Why are you among these and not with your" she paused, searching for the words, " brothers?" Despite her command of the language she held a moderate accent, and Jack compared it to those of the Somoan people who lived at a base he'd been stationed at.
" I have renounced the ways of the System Lords as false and am now working with the SGC to protect these people and stop them from harming others." He answered.
Incara nodded, "I believe we should return to your world now. Your General is the one in command, yes? I believe he would like to speak with me."