Chapter 14: You learn something new everyday
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"We've hit a wall sir." Jack O'Neill announced to his commanding officer, General Hammond.
"What about the man on the surveillance tape?" The General questioned.
"Oh you mean the dead end–dead guy." O'Neill responded cryptically.
"What the colonel means Sir," Sam interjected, "is that we made a positive I.D. of the man who kidnapped Soleil Morris. However that I.D. led us to a deceased U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel named Wendell Lasker. According to his file he died over 5 years ago while serving a deployment in Iraq."
"Yeah, dead guy, I said that." The Colonel said offhand after hearing his second in command's lengthy explanation.
"Nothing else has come from your investigation? Were you able to pull anything else from your eyewitness?" Hammond pushed, hopefully.
"The only thing he could add to the original police statement was a positive identification that one the men he saw fighting was Jonas." Sam said.
"What about the blood sample, Doctor?" The General asked switching his focus to the petite doctor sitting next to him.
"Well, it's Jonas's blood sir, unfortunately thats all I have." Fraiser stated lamely.
"I may have something." Came a familiar voice from the doorway of the briefing room. The congregated SG members looked up at the the sound of the voice.
"Major Davis, contacted me shortly after I was informed of Mr. Quinn's disappearance. He has been assisting the investigation from Nevada." General Hammond informed them as the major entered the room, "Major, I was just about to let SG-1 know that you would be joining us for our briefing today." He said addressing the man as he entered the room. Turning to the group he explained. "Major Davis has intelligence that he believes may shed light on this matter. He wasn't able to give me all the details over the phone but I do believe its something you all will want to hear."
"Yes, the information I have is too sensitive to be relayed any other way but in person. I'm just glad to see I have caught you all at once." Major Davis explained further.
"I believe whatever information you have will be a helpful addition to what we've been able to gather." Teal'c added as the major took a seat at the mahogany table.
"Yeah, which is exactly squat." Colonel O'Neill summed up crabbily.
The Major ignored the comment fully used too the bluntness of SG-1's commanding officer.
"Please, Major fill us in." The Colonel, encouraged impatiently.
"We have reason to believe that Jonas Quinn has been abducted by a rogue faction of the NID."
"What!" The colonel exclaimed, annoyed, "I thought we got those guys."
"We were also under that same perception, at least until last year." Major Davis distributed a file from his attache to the general. "What you have in front of you is evidence that the splinter cell went much deeper than we originally thought."
"We have been working to weed out exactly who is connected and how far it goes but it hasn't been easy, they are much more careful and have gotten better at covering their tracks. However, we do have reason to believe they may have important political connections in at least three major governments including our own and I have reason to believe they may still have an informant or informants in the SGC as well."
"What makes you say that Major?" The general asked gravely.
"It seems they are in possession of recent SGC intelligence that the could have only originated from
this base."
"What information have you then obtained that leads you to believe they are responsible for the abduction of Jonas Quinn?" Teal'c inquired.
The Major cleared his throat before beginning, "As you are all aware Jonas isn't the only Langaran on earth, Dr. Kieran is being housed in a government run Mental Health Institution in Nevada."
"Yeah, So . . . ?" The Colonel prompted impatiently as Davis paused, waving his hands in circular gesture to propel the Major to get to his point.
"Dr. Kieran's case was re-assigned to another physician last month after his regular physician was seriously injured in a car accident. Everything was done according to proper procedure. However shortly after this new doctor, Dr. Talbot, took over Dr. Kieran's case he administered a series of unusual tests. We are'nt completely clear what kind of tests exactly as Dr. Talbot went missing 72 hours ago and immediately following his disappearance there was an 'accidental' fire. We lost 3 months of clinical records and recordings, including everything from Dr. Talbots attendance."
"Well at that secure of a facility there had to back-ups" Carter reasoned aloud.
"The back-up system experienced a cascading failure when we tried to access them we lost everything that wasn't archived." Davis explained.
"Quite the coincidence." Jack said satirically.
"It was enough to launch a full investigation on Dr. Talbot especially in light of the fact that since his disappearance Dr. Keiran has lapsed into a rare period of lucidity."
"What?" Dr. Fraiser exclaimed in surprise. "Thats not possible, his cognitive deterioration is irreversible."
"Yes, your findings and your colleagues findings were very consistent on that medical fact. Regardless of those facts, Dr. Kieran seems to have regained his faculties for the moment. I've brought medical evidence of his recovery with me." He replied passing the doctor a stack of folders and papers.
Janet immediately began to pour through the documents and everyone in the room waited patiently as scrutinized them. "Dr. Nipun Bahari sent these?" She asked unbelievingly.
"Yes he was brought in by special appointment." Davis replied.
"Doctor?" The general questioned as the doctor scanned the document in front of her intensely. "Sir, Dr. Bahari is a leading expert in brain disorders, his specialty is schizophrenia. I'd need more time to analyze this, and Dr. Kieran, but from what I can see Major Davis is correct there seems to be a significant mental improvement in his disorder."
The team was stunned at her verification of the amazing claim. "I interviewed Dr. Kieran myself just yesterday, and he described being cured by an alien device during one of his sessions with Dr. Talbot. He also divulged a rather remarkable story about Jonas Quinn, one in which he was coerced into also sharing with Dr. Talbot."
"Coerced how?" Jack asked.
"I'm glad you asked as it pertains to the SGC leak I mentioned earlier. Dr Talbot seemed to have full knowledge of the events on P3X-637, including copies of the imaging taken by Dr. Fraiser. He disclosed a partial account of that mission and the subsequent aftermath, suggesting that Jonas was currently ill and any information Dr. Kieran might could be used to uncover a cure." Major Davis answered. standing and pulling out secure handheld drive he asked. "Sir, if I may?"
"By all means Major." The general allowed.
Major Davis went to work getting the video set-up on the projection screen but before he hit play he prepared the room for what they were about to see. "During this video interview, Dr. Kieran reveals some very surprising information about Jonas Quinn and while it cannot be fully verified as accurate or trustworthy, it definitely connects a few errant puzzle pieces in my investigation. I believe it must be at least considered feasible until proven otherwise." Without further ado he set the video in motion.
A seated Dr. Kieran dressed in a robe and hospital gown appeared on the screen before them. The voice of Major Davis sounded from off screen as he stated the date and time of the interview and then an accented voice off screen began to run through a series of questions used to gauge a patient's mental clarity.
The gathered party intently watched the recording as it played out and Dr. Kieran divulged his long-kept secret. As the recording came to an end the Major turned to team sitting dumbstruck around the table. "We will conduct further interviews of course but I felt this info demanded immediate attention especially in light of recent events."
"Wait, wait. Jonas is a . . . Lab rat?" The colonel asked his brows knitting fully stupefied and barely able to digest this new story.
"I too find this information difficult to believe." Teal'c said seconding the Colonels emotion.
"Actually what Dr. Kieran is saying might actually have merit, Sir." Frasier said only to be met with an unbelieving stare from everyone except Carter and Davis.
Ready to defend her statement she continued, "When Jonas first came to earth, I ran a series of tests that all confirm what Dr. Kieran noted as genetic differences. At the time I surmised that it was merely a feature of being Langaran. I did begin to question that though, after examining Dr. Kieran and finding no similar anomalies in him. At first I attributed this as another side affect of his prolonged exposure with naquadria assuming that either it, or normal cellular break down; due to his age had reduced the mans natural aptitudes. But after Jonas's experience with Nirriti's machine I had no choice but to question that theory. I did run a series of secondary tests on Jonas and found a strange genetic marker I had never seen before. But since I knew Nirtti had attempted to genetically modify him, I had no choice but to assume it was her doing. Now however I have to admit there is a possibility it was always there."
"Wait if Jonas was part naquadria wouldn't Teal'c or Sam you know . . . sense him?" Jack asked.
"Only if it was in his blood Sir, from what Dr. Kieran said it's a genetic mix." Sam replied.
Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You guys are seriously going to believe this? I mean c'mon the guys a nut job." The Colonel chided.
"Granted, Sir it's hard to believe. Especially since Langara is far behind our own technological advancement. To think that they could create a genetically advanced human and blend it with a mineral like naquadria is . . . is . . ." Carter stuttered at a loss for words.
"Absurd?" The colonel offered.
"It's hard to believe." Carter finally finished.
"Did Dr. Kieran not say that Osias Toren merely continued the work that had been discovered at area zero? Perhaps, the groundwork for this feat had already been laid by a system lord looking to create a hok-taur."
Teal'c offered.
"That's possible Teal'c. I mean we know the Nirtti didn't create her own technology but merely adapted found tech to suit her use." Carter added, jumping back on the bandwagon. "Maybe the the technology the Kelownan's found and Nirtti's were from a similar source."
"I mean c'mon were talking about Jonas here. He's . . . a normal-ish guy." The colonel protested lamely.
Davis interrupted the rampant conjecture wanting to bring the groups focus back to the current issue. "Regardless, of whether or not Dr. Keirans, story is to be believed, I have been able to trace Dr. Talbot to a man named Corbin Denholm, a man we understand to be a major player in the surviving NID splinter cell. Additionally Dr. Talbot is a renowned genetic neuroscientist and was slotted to win a nobel peace prize before he was accused of crimes against humanity, the claims were never fully proven, although he did fall off the map after it came to light, that is until he started working with Dr. Kieran."
"Sounds like a confession to me." Jack stated, voicing what they were all thinking.
"What kind of crimes was he accused of exactly?" Janet asked.
"Genetic human experimentation on living human subjects, mainly societal derelicts."
The room was silent for a moment as the realization of what that might mean hit them individually. "Major Davis do you believe, that the NID plans to experiment on Jonas Quinn?" Hammond asked directly.
"It would explain why he was abducted only two days after Dr. Talbot's disappearance and Dr. Kieran's manipulation and interrogation." Davis admitted.
"Do you have any idea where the NID may have taken Mr. Quinn?" Hammond questioned him once more.
"Not as of yet, but I have been working since yesterday to try and get that information. It's my hope that if we focus our efforts on securing more intel on the NID faction we may have a better chance of finding Jonas." He offered confidently.
"I agree Major. SG-1, I fully expect you to pursue this new angle in the case and considering that we may have a leak within the SGC none of this information is to leave this room. Dismissed." Hammond commanded ending the meeting.
A/N: Let me know what you think!