"Think about it, there's a reason we're here Sam," Cam said. "Something went down, something big."

"You mean someone or something altered the timeline?"

Chapter 6: Out of Egypt.

Fifty miles outside Cairo, Daniel Jackson supervised a small cadre of men on an isolated dig. Hoping to unearth evidence supporting what many considered outlandish explanations for the existence of the ancient pyramids, the young, poorly funded Egyptologist did whatever was necessary to motivate his flagging spirit. Recently those efforts included spending time with Akila, his latest love interest.

In itself, this day was no different from those that went before it. But for this Daniel, it was a day of contradictions. Only a few hours ago, he'd woken up to find Akila in his arms, surrendering to blissful delight. Now as he watched his crew labor over the ruins of a small, unrecognized pyramid, Akila standing less than a meter from his side, he wondered who this woman was.

One moment he'd been carrying on as if he'd been here all his life; the next, he could have sworn he didn't belong here, not now. He didn't know these people, any of them. Still he had the nagging feeling that he should know them. Though Akila's actions in the past few hours made it clear they were intimately involved, he had no specific memory of those moments or the woman herself before this day. But she was familiar.

On the other hand, everyone here seemed to know him. From what he could tell, he was well liked and most likely a fair-minded, even-handed boss. That was something.

But how had he gotten here from Purgatory? That was the $64,000 question. It wasn't that long ago he'd started to dial home from the alien world, anxious for a hot shower and a good meal. From what he could tell, perusing his bedraggled, hard working crew, he'd had neither.

Daniel was no stranger to the concept of alternate realities. He'd experienced one too many during his early years on SG1. But this was different. As far as he could tell, he retained the memories of the Daniel Jackson who'd magically appeared here from Purgatory, on top of some vague recollections of the man Akila and the others knew as Daniel. He assumed knowing something about himself in this world would be a good thing. But for the moment it was downright confusing.

"Hanif," Daniel called the foreman of his crew, surprising himself that he knew the name. "I'll be in the tent. I need to take a break."

"Yes, Dr. Jackson. I will call if we find anything."

OoOoOo

As far as Daniel could recall his alter-ego hadn't discovered much of anything for at least five years. His expeditions hadn't exactly been self supporting propositions. He had the sense a relative must have bankrolled his digs over the past few years. Exactly what might have happened to me if I hadn't discovered the Stargate project, he thought

Here in the tent where he'd woken this morning, Daniel tried again to get his bearings. His last few hours had been exhausting, trying to make sense of the discrepancies in his mind. Both sets of memories couldn't be accurate.

His mind drifted back to Purgatory, the last place that made sense, if you could call it that. The first two glyphs had locked in place on the Stargate, before … before everything changed. The Stargate… Daniel closed his eyes and pictured the gate on Purgatory, struggling to recall the symbols. The struggle surprised him. After ten years with the program, he'd become increasingly familiar with the glyphs and knew this particular address by heart. At least, he had.

To his shocked surprise, Daniel realized even the concept of the Stargate was alien, even frightening to part of him, the part he'd met only today. The Daniel Jackson of this reality had no knowledge of the Stargate, as if it had never existed. No wonder he's stuck here, going nowhere, Daniel thought. If he only knew!

While Daniel tried to wrap his mind around his confusion, Akila silently walked up behind him. In spite of himself, Daniel jumped as she reached out to touch his shoulder.

"I am sorry, darling," Akila said. "I did not intend to startle you. You are troubled."

Daniel turned around to face the woman whose devotion was more than obvious.

"Yes, I am troubled," Daniel said. "I'm not feeling well. I need to make a phone call, talk with a doctor." To Daniel's distress, the expedition didn't have access to a satellite phone.

"Akila, where's the nearest phone?"

"At the Holland dig, five miles north of here," she replied, more than surprised her lover had to ask.

"Alright, then," Daniel said. "I'll be gone for awhile …"

"Daniel," Akila called. "I'll ride with you. You shouldn't go alone."

Daniel considered how he could get in the Jeep without Akila, but she wasn't making it easy. Finally, he gave in.

"Fine, let's go," he said. "You drive?"

OoOoOo

After a hot twenty minute drive, Akila and Daniel arrived at the Holland dig.

This is more like it, he thought. The dig I should be on. Well equipped, well funded. I'll bet these folks don't talk about pyramids as landing pads for alien spaceships

As he made his way to the middle of the central enclosure, intent of finagling a call on the dig's satellite phone, he was met by the leader of the expedition. A tall, well built, dark complexioned man in his early forties, Leonard Richardson appeared disturbed.

"Jackson, is there a Doctor Jackson here?" he asked, clearly irritated, wondering why a stranger would have wandered onto his dig.

"I'm Dr. Jackson," Daniel volunteered.

"Fine," Richardson said. "You have a call. Make it quick, the man calling seems to think he's the second coming, but I'm not impressed."

I have a call? Daniel thought skeptically. Who? Maybe it's whoever's funding my dig. Better take it.

While Akila did her best to make nice and distract the very proprietary Richardson, Daniel answered the phone.

"Hello … this is Daniel Jackson."

"It's about time Jackson!"

"Cam?"

"None other, buddy," Cam replied.

"What's going on?"

"You don't know either, huh?"

"Uh … NO?" Daniel acknowledged.

"Well that makes three of us."

"So Sam's with you?"

"No, but we're in contact; she doesn't know much more than I do."

"Alright," Daniel said after a stressed moment of silence. "We need to get together and share what we know. By the way, how did you find me?"

"It appears I have limitless financial resources in this particular reality," Cam said. "And did I mention I'm smart."

"You've mentioned it a few times," Daniel said. "So where do we meet? More importantly, can you send me money for plane fare?"

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading!