NOTE from the PHOENIX: okay so I figured out a way to fix my Nanite slip. Giggle.

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Chapter Ten

"Is the answer 'purple'?"

"No, actually it's 'magnets'."

"Of course," Sam smacked her forehead "I should have known."

"Maybe next time you'll wait till I ask the question."

"Sorry, Sir."

"Just don't let it happen again."

Sam chuckled and shoved Jack's shoulder playfully. Jack smiled as well, just pleased to have the old Carter back. Looking around the small room Sam looked anxious to leave.

"Sir, I know that I've probably said this before, but I think my memory is fine."

"Actually Dr. Brightman agrees. Does this mean you can tell me what happened on the planet?"

"That's the one thing I have no memory of." Sam admitted. "The last thing I recall is going to sleep there, and from there it jumps to Dr. Brightman asking me about the pen."

"Great." Jack muttered.

"I'm sorry, Sir."

"It's not your fault, Carter. Apparently someone pumped you and Daniel full of Nanites."

"Nanites? Like the ones on Argos?"

"What?"

"The Nanites on Argos that caused you to age rapidly."

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that."

"How could you forget something like that?"

"It's a talent of mine." Jack smiled. "Helps me sleep at night."

"What were these Nanites programmed to do?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"If someone captured us for some sort of experiment, how did we escape?"

"Again, you're asking the wrong guy. But if I had to venture a guess I'd say Teal'c had something to do with it."

"He doesn't remember?"

"No. He didn't end up with the total memory loss like you and Daniel, but there are gaps."

Sam went silent with thought. Jack pretended to do the same, however at this point he was to tired to put too much energy into any analytical thinking. Sam on the other hand was in overdrive. He could see it in the way her eyes tracked back and forth as though she was reading something. For all he knew she was, some sort of internal hard drive that she was scanning for solutions.

"Carter?"

"Sorry, Sir, I'm just trying to make sense of all of this."

"Well, if anyone can it's you."

"Thanks, Sir." Sam forced a smile. "How's Daniel?"

"Not good."

"Why would the Nanites leave me on their own accord and not him?"

"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the Naquadah in your blood."

"That's doubtful."

"Just a thought."

"Can I see him?"

Jack didn't answer right away. He wasn't sure if it was wise to just assume that she was back to normal. They still had no way of testing for the Nanites because they weren't swimming around in either Sam nor Daniel's blood. From the rat that Dr. Brightman had injected it looked as though they were only interested in neural matter.

"I understand, Sir." Sam said when she didn't get an answer. "I could still be a containment hazard."

"Actually I guess that's a moot point. You've already been running around the SGC."

"I have?"

"Yeah, you managed a nice escape."

"I did?"

Jack smiled and nodded. Sam jumped down off the bed she'd been sitting on and followed Jack out of the room. Since Daniel was being kept in one of the VIP quarters he was on a different floor, so they headed to the elevators. When the elevator opened Dr. Brightman was there.

"Sir, I was just coming to find you."

"Here I am."

"How are you feeling, Colonel Carter?"

"Normal."

"Good. I've got more promising news."

"Finally." Jack beamed. "What cha got?"

"The rat that I injected has his memory back."

"How can you tell? Doc...you haven't been 'talking' to the rats have you?"

"No, Sir. The rat was specially trained to run a maze. He was unable to perform it when first introduced to the Nanites. This morning the Nanites were on the bottom of the cage and he could run it."

"Once they've preformed some task they leave." Sam guessed.

"It would seem that way."

"So once they've had their fun with Daniel, they'll let him go?" Jack asked.

"It looks that way."

"Shouldn't they have done so by now? I mean Carter's left her over forty-eight hours ago."

"What if..." Sam trailed off.

"Carter?"

"Sir, what if there is something about Daniel that makes the Nanites unable to perform whatever it is they are trying to accomplish?"

"What?"

"Think about it. If they are programmed to leave, their must be a trigger for it. If Daniel prevents the trigger the Nanites will just run their program over and over again. An endless loop."

"What would we do if that was the case?" Jack asked concerned.

"I'm not sure there would be anything we could do." Dr. Brightman replied. "After fifteen hours without a host they deactivate and so far Dr. Hersh has found no way to reactivate them. So now we don't have anymore active Nanites to experiment with."

Jack looked to Sam for another suggestion, however she just shrugged. He reached up and rubbed at his suddenly throbbing temples. Sam and Dr. Brightman exchanged a worried glance, not knowing how to help their General.

"How could I have forgotten?" Jack growled to himself.

"Forgotten what, Sir?"

"How much I hate Nanites."

Jack pushed past Dr. Brightman and stepped into the elevator. Sam quickly followed. Jack remained silent on their trip in the elevator and to Daniel's room. The two Airmen standing guard greeted him respectfully.

In the room they found Daniel laying on his stomach on the floor concentrating on a game of tic-tac-toe with Teal'c. On the table was an abandoned game of chess. Jack knew from experience that Daniel didn't have enough memory to make it more than a few moves into a chess game before he forgot what he was doing. Teal'c looked up from their game.

"Colonel Carter, I hear that you are improving."

"I'm fine now."

"I wish the same could be said for Daniel Jackson."

"Teal'c, there is nothing wrong with me." Daniel sighed and then looked up at his new guests. "Jack, Sam, thank goodness. Can you please tell Teal'c I'm fine? I'd really like to get out of this room, but he won't let me."

"Daniel, how long have you known Teal'c?"

"Just under a year, why?"

"Just curious."

"Daniel, you've been friends with Teal'c for almost ten years." Sam corrected.

"It doesn't help, Carter. You can explain it to him all you want, he'll just forget it again."

"Forget what?" Daniel asked nervously. "What's going on? Why are you talking about me like that?"

"Easy, Daniel." Jack replied evenly. "Why don't you and Teal'c just finish your game."

"What game?"

"See what I mean?" Jack sighed to Sam.

"I was like this?"

"Yup. Only you stayed in one point in time. Daniel's 'age' keeps changing. He doesn't always get older, he goes back and for..."

Jack stopped when he realized how agitated Daniel was becoming. Getting to his feet Daniel back away from everyone with a look of apprehensive alarm. Jack just shook his head, knowing that in a few more minutes Daniel would forget his suspicions. Closing his eyes Daniel raked his hands through his hair and then looked up at Jack accusingly.

"Did you...did you cut my hair?" Daniel asked incredulously. "Why, why would you do that?"

"It looks better this way." Jack shrugged.

"Seriously, Jack, what's going on?"

"It's nothing to worry about. We're fixing it."

Daniel flashed him an angry look, but it quickly dissolved into weary defeat. He nodded slowly and looked around without interest. Sam watched him with her eyes brightened with unshed tears. Jack on the other hand was almost numb to seeing Daniel like this.

"Alright," Jack sighed "Carter, if you're up to it I'd like you and Teal'c to see if you can piece together anything that happened that night. Maybe together you've got a better chance of rem...um...Daniel?"

Daniel had backed into the corner. More than just trembling, he was actually shivering. Jack turned around and opened the door to order one of the guards to get Dr. Brightman as quickly as possible. By the time he turned back Daniel was steady again, but breathing hard.

"Please, don't hurt me, we're just peaceful explorers." Daniel held his hands up in a placating manner. "Wrong language? How about: por favor, no me dolió, somos exsplorers apenas pacíficos. No? Пожалуйста, не травмируйте меня, мы - только мирный. Alstublieft, niet kwetst mij, zijn wij slechts vreedzame. Bitte verletzt mich nicht, sind wir nur friedliche...uh...Tek nies, monestri ack, ankni doa tero..."

"Daniel, stop that." Jack snapped. "You're freaking me out."

"Is any of this getting through?" Daniel asked desperately. "Do you understand anything I'm saying?"

"I never understand you, Daniel."

"Jack?"

"That's right."

"How did you get here?"

"Where is 'here'?"

"I...I don't know...oh my God..."

"Daniel..."

Jack stopped as Daniel suddenly lost all of his colour. He pressed himself harder into the corner. Clutching his head he sank to the floor with a growl of animalistic rage that rose into a wail of agony. The rest of the team was frozen in shock. It wasn't until Daniel broke into sobbing that Jack snapped out of his spell. He stepped up and knelt down in front of him.

"Daniel, it's alright. You're safe, we're going to help you."

"I...I'm sorry." Daniel panted. "I'm so sorry."

"This isn't your fault."

"I told them."

"Da..."

"I told them everything...without saying a word."