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Days turned into weeks, Hannah wrote and wrote piling more books into her room. She kept reading and Teal'c came by with books from his book club and TV where they watch Oprah together and Simpsons which O'Neill joined them some of the time if they weren't off world or otherwise occupied with work.
Sam dropped every second day and they talked about theoretical science and looked over Hannah's notes. The bonds were forming but Hannah still couldn't help but feel like she was a caged bird. She desperately wanted out and being doing something more productive. Be a part of a team or something.
O'Neill was sitting in his usual chair as Hannah paced the room today she had had enough.
"Why can't I help you guys? join the team?" Hannah asked exasperated
"Because you're a kid" O'Neill told her from his stool in her room, she was pacing the walls like a caged animal he didn't blame her. He would be exactly the same in her position.
"I could be really useful in the field" Hannah told him "And did I mention the working knowledge of four people I'm practically my own team… in brains not body of course… but still I could-"
"No" he said cutting her off,
"Just no, like that not even going to think about it?" Hannah argued
"Yeah pretty much" O'Neill told her with a small smile. He felt like saying 'I'm your dad so I can tell you to do whatever I want' but refrained. They definitely had unwittingly acquired the father daughter dynamic. Not that he would admit to it, but he did enjoy their moments.
"That is so not fair!" Hannah exclaimed she huffed and walked to the other side of the room and took a deep breath then turned back to O'Neill "Ok well then am I going to be stuck in this room for the rest of my life?"
"Don't be so melodramatic it's only been a month"
"Yeah, well it feels like a lot longer you know on the Beliskner at least I was able move around freely" Hannah told him "Here I'm like a prisoner and I haven't even done anything wrong"
"I know but we can't let you walk around…" O'Neill started but was cut off by Hannah.
"Is it an trust issue? Because seriously what do I have to do to show you that I'm not a threat" Hannah was aggravated she'd been writing non-stop and asked questions upon questions to the point she wanted to scream. Yes she had been given a break but it was starting to get old. "I just want to get out of this room, Please" she pleaded, O'Neill sighed and rubbed his face.
"I'll talk to the General and see what we can arrange" he said giving in. She ran over and hugged him
"Thank you! thank you! thank you!" she said, he awkwardly returned the hug, she kissed him on the cheek "you're best!"
She jumped and skipped "So what's going on out there?" she asked finally happy at the idea of being able to leave the room.
O'Neill shrugged "Just off to check some planet where the nintendos pass through you"
"What?" Hannah asked confused
"I don't know, Carter was excited and Daniel.."
"Is excited about Nuetrinos?" Hannah said sitting on the bed and picking at the muffin she had on her breakfast tray.
"Yeah that's the word, and Daniel is crazy about a Crystal skull" O'Neill said correcting himself with a wry smile. Hannah rolled her eyes at him.
"Right, I'll just ask mom about the Nuetrinos" Hannah said more to herself "So how long will you all be gone?"
"Oh about 30 minutes something about radiation" O'Neill told her "What are you going to do?"
"Write and write and write and maybe stare Sergeant Franks later and freak him out" Hannah said smiling warmly at O'Neill.
O'Neill gave her a weird look "What? I already asked to get out here… there's nothing for me to do in this room" Hannah said defending herself.
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Hours later,
Hannah had been writing for a while she was up to her 30th book and over writing, but when she wasn't allowed access to computers she had to make do no matter how tedious and painful it was now.
"I'm bored, if I write one more book…" she said dropping her pen down "My hand may fall off… what's going out there?" Hannah asked Sergeant Franks stayed stationary.
"I don't know Ma'am" he replied
"Oh come on!" Hannah pleaded "tell me anything… There has to be something more exciting than in here… or talk to me about a movie anything"
"Ma'am" Franks started
"Ok seriously stop with the Ma'am, I'm too young to be called Ma'am…call me Hannah"
"It would be inappropriate Ma'am"
"So disciplined Franks… you don't mind if I call you Franks?" she said looking at him "Bet when you signed up to the military you figured you'd be shooting baddies not babysitting me, Where are you from?"
"Ma'am" Franks started
"Hey I'm just sitting here bored out of my head… humour me… Where are you from?"
"Farmington Hills, Michigan"
"Cool, I've never heard of that place… is it nice?"
"Its home"
"Home, must be nice to grow up like a normal kid with your mom and Dad… any siblings?"
"four older sisters"
"Wow I can't imagine that would be fun… to be the youngest and a boy" Hannah commented he chuckled but remained in the military stance.
"Not too bad I survived Ma-"
"Hannah" She said cutting him off "HAANnnAAHH" she repeated slowly earning her another chuckle she smiled.
"Hannah" he said
"See that didn't hurt… You know what I'm going to adopt you" Hannah told him she walked up and down the bed with her arms wide like an airplane.
"Excuse me?"
"As a friend" she clarified
"People become friends you don't adopt them" he told her
"I know" Hannah said with a smile, the door to the room opened and Teal'c walked into the room, Franks stood to attention. She turned to Teal'c and held her hands out to him as he offered a steady hand for support as she jumped to the floor gently.
"Are you well Hannah?" Teal'c asked releasing her.
"Yeah alright what's up Uncle T?" Hannah asked, she twirled on the spot.
"I'm in need of your assistance" he said to her
"Ok is everything Alright?"
"Daniel Jackson has disappeared"
"What?"
"We were exploring a planet that had a Crystal Skull" Teal'c said as he handed Hannah a file that contained MALP photos and the readings of the planet.
"This Crystal Skull looks Identical to the one Nicholas Ballard discovered a crystal skull in 1979- no 1971 from a temple in Belize South America." Hannah commented looking at a photo of the skull.
"Indeed that is what Daniel Jackson said at the Briefing" Teal'c said
"He also believed the Skull teleported him somewhere" Hannah said "Nicholas Ballard that is, Where's mom and Dad?"
"If you are referring to Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter they are in the infirmary with Muon Radiation exposure"
Hannah flicked through the reports glossing over the main readings. Taking in the information "Muon Radiation, the decay of Leptons… so something in the pyramid was slowing down the neutrinos if I understand Mom's report… intriguing, so how did Daniel disappear?" She asked looking at Teal'c
"Major Carter was attending to the radiation readouts whilst Daniel Jackson was focused on the Skull. The muon radiation began to rise and I watched as an energy field from the skull enveloped Daniel Jackson. I fired my zat'nikatel, but it was too late. He seemed to disappear"
"Well let's believe that the Crystal skull is a teleportation device for the moment did you guys bring it back cause you could run tests or maybe you might be able to find a clue to where it sent Daniel"
"My thoughts exactly" Teal's said
"Am I allowed to see this?"
"Indeed, General Hammond believed you would have another 'take'. I'm going to return for the Skull" Teal'c told her he stepped out of the room and door closed. Hannah turned and sat down on the bed and started to read into the file more deeply.
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An hour later,
"So you asked for help?" Hannah asked walking into Sam's Lab, Sergeant Franks had escorted her down. She had been requested to look at the device with Dr Rothman much to her own surprise. She had been wrapping her brain around all the readings that had been recorded by Sam and the Skull also reading the references Daniel had made and Nicholas's claims of it Teleporting him to a place where he met aliens.
"Did I?… who are you?" Rothman asked
"Your new lab partner. This the skull?" Hannah asked pointing the Crystal skull that was set up on the pedestal.
"Yes, who are you?" Rothman asked again
"Hannah nice to meet you" she said with her hand out, he looked at it curiously and then shook it.
"Dr Rothman" he said before going back to the Skull.
"So have you run any tests yet?"
"I only just got it" he told her, he eyed like he couldn't understand why she'd be here. She picked it up and looked at it in her hands.
"NO! don't touch it" Daniel objected he wished that they could hear him, Rothman seemed to have the same thoughts as Rothman pulled the crystal skull out of her hands and placed it back on the pedestal he had ready.
"What do you think you're doing?" Rothman asked
"Looking at it" Hannah said leaning in close "You know you should run scans for residual Muon radiation"
"Excuse me?" Rothman said to her
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In the infirmary,
As soon as Dr Frasier's back was turned, O'Neill snarled and muttered "Napoleonic power monger." He rolled over to face Teal'c "News?" he asked Teal'c
"Daniel Jackson was nowhere in the vicinity of the pyramid." Teal'c told him
"What the hell happened to him?" O'Neill asked
"I do not believe the skull is a weapon, O'Neill." Teal'c said
"Well, you're right about that, it's not a weapon."Daniel agreed
"It is indeed a teleportation device. I believe the artefact itself…" Teal'c started
"No, something else happened." Daniel said looking at them as they continued to talk about the skull
"…Dr Rothman is now studying it." Teal'c finished
"Rothman couldn't figure out an ashtray. The guy we need working on that skull is Daniel, Carter or Hannah before Rothman" O'Neill said, he knew Hannah had been reading a lot of Daniel's notes and books lately.
"Hannah is with Rothman, O'Neill."
"Great, at least someone who would know what they are doing is on it…Ok, I'm sick of laying around. Help me up." O'Neill said holding a a hand out to Teal'c who eyed him. O'Neill pushed the blankets off.
"Dr Frasier believes you are not strong enough to undertake such a mission." Teal'c told him
"Yeah, whatever."O'Neill told him he was going to get out this bed with or without help. He struggled to get off the bed. He tried and succeeded in rolling off the bed and onto the floor. His body wouldn't comply or move.
"Dr Frasier is usually correct in such matters." Teal'c said plainly as he bent over and picked O'Neill off the ground he lifted him up and deposited him on the bed facedown.
"Thank you" O'Neill muffled
"You are welcome, O'Neill" Teal'c replied
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"That's ludicrous!" Rothman exclaimed "It's a skull!"
"What is going on?" General Hammond asked breaking the two from their death stares
"We have a Difference of opinions General" Hannah answered rather calmly, Rothman was angry and red faced he took an angry puff of his inhaler before turning to General Hammond.
"Only mine isn't ludicrous and completely naive" Dr Rothman spat "Teleportation device I mean it's made of Crystal"
"Dr Rothman what do you have?" Hammond asked
"Well, it's a crystal skull" Rothman said
"Wow and the Nobel Prize goes to…" Hannah drawled sarcastically, she stopped when Hammond shot her a look and looked down at her feet again
"We know already knew it was a crystal skull" Hammond told him
"It's almost identical to Nicholas Ballard's skull in the Smithsonian" Rothman said
"He doesn't know it was found on P7X-377" Daniel said
"Actually, the craftsmanship is very impressive. It's probably made in Germany, early 1800s. What I don't understand is what it has to do with Daniel being missing?" Rothman asked.
"Oh man, we have already been over this!" Hannah said exasperated she threw her hands up in the air.
"We believe it to be a teleportation device." Teal'c said ignoring Hannah's outburst.
"Are you serious?" Rothman questioned Hannah been saying the same thing but he thought she was too young to really understand anything and possibly sent to drive him insane.
"That's good, Robert. Be sceptical." Daniel said to him "but take Hannah into account" he said hoping on some cosmic level Rothman could hear him
"We were hoping with Hannah's science background and your archaeological expertise… you could help provide insight into where Dr Jackson may have been sent." Hammond said, Rothman took a deep inhale from a nasal spray.
"It's a skull!" Rothman said cynically
"Not that sceptical." Daniel said closing his eyes, he was started to sympathise with Hannah at least she still believed he was alive.
"I myself witnessed the artefact create a tremendous field of energy which engulfed Daniel Jackson." Teal'c told him
"See I told you this already" she said to Rothman "… he didn't believe me" Hannah said to Hammond and Teal'c
"You are what 16?" Rothman asked her
"18 last time someone told me" Hannah clarified
"Exactly what would you know? Do you even have a PhD.?" Rothman said to her she was about to rebuke but closed her mouth she had already given a bad impression of herself to Hammond she didn't want it to be worse. Rothman continued "It's made of crystal, not plutonium. I don't see how this could…"
"Humour me, Doctor! I want a full report within twelve hours." Hammond said cutting him off
"Yes, sir. I-I was…" Rothman started
"Do not look directly into its eyes." Teal'c advised
"Ok." Rothman said in a fearful manner
"Don't let me down, Robert." Daniel said as he followed Teal'c and Hammond out the doorway.
Hannah jumped on a stool and looked at Rothman "Seriously are you just going to look at it? or actually run some tests?"
"You sit there and keep your opinions to yourself or I'll let them take you back to your room"
"Oh did we just grow a back bone?" Hannah asked sarcastically
"I hate you" he told her
"Feeling's mutual" Hannah said to him.
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A few hours later, Hannah put her head on the table. Rothman had been sup positioning his own theories of the skull and how it was just a paper weight. She really wanted to pick up the skull and bludgeon his with it.
He had now taken to staring straight into the eyes of the skull to prove some point.
"Stop!" Sam shouted Rothman jumped and put his glasses back on and looked at her and Dr Frasier "That is exactly what Daniel was doing when he was absorbed by the energy field." Sam said.
Hannah who had lifted her head off the table nodded "That's what I told him" she said wearily. Daniel was leaning against the wall "Same here" he said rubbing his face with one hand feeling just as tired as Hannah looked.
"I-I know that. I was trying to prove something." Rothman stuttered
"Prove what?" Dr Frasier asked, Hannah put her head on the table and sighed
"That the skull didn't do this." Daniel said
"You don't think the skull is responsible for what happened to Daniel, do you?" Sam said to Rothman getting annoyed at the reckless behaviour.
"I'm still here." Rothman said holding his hands up in defeat.
"What a shame" Hannah grumbled putting her head back on the table.
"There was intense muon radiation at the time the energy…" Sam started
"I told him that already" Hannah moaned from her end of the table cutting Sam off. Daniel mused at how Hannah had the patience of a saint to sit for endless hours writing books on varying subjects yet couldn't muster patience for Rothman.
"There is no residual radiation." Rothman said
"You haven't even tested for it!" Hannah exclaimed "All you've done is pontificate about the resemblance this skull has to the one at the Smithsonian and Mayan culture. Oh and how it's nice craftsmanship from Germany"
"Ok, Time out…" Sam said obviously Hannah was at the end of her patience, she had only stepped into the room and was annoyed at Rothman not wanting to start a war in her lab Sam took a deep breath "Look, I saw what that thing is capable of." Sam told Rothman ignoring Hannah.
"Hey, I wish it was a teleportation device. I could use it to go find Daniel. He's my friend too, you know. I don't think that's what we've got here. I think what we've got here is…a paperweight." Rothman said frankly, it earned him angry looks from all in the room.
"I'm sorry. I…that's my opinion." Rothman said apologetically, he turned away and rubbed his tired eyes.
"It's all right. I'll take over from here." Sam said to Rothman stepped away from the skull giving Sam space. She turned to Siler "There may be properties within the crystalline structure that are invisible to the naked eye. We should run some diagnostic tests."
Frasier brought a glass of water and handed it to Sam who took and drank a long sip needed the fluids.
"Wait a minute, I'm not hungry or thirsty. Why not?" Daniel asked looking at the water
"Thank you." Sam said to Frasier
Daniel jumped off his seat "Because I'm dead?" he asked he walked around Sam, and she stopped drinking and looked disturbed for a moment.
"What?" Hannah asked Sam
"Did anybody else feel that?" Sam asked
"What?" Dr Frasier asked
"What if I'm a ghost?" Daniel thought out loud
"I just got a shiver" Sam said.
"Well, you're still feeling the after-effects of the radiation." Dr Frasier said
"No, I think that was me." Daniel said horrified at what had become of him.
