Of Gods, Men and Monsters
Interlude 04
Somewhere In Heaven

Authors note:-
I've been out of the woods ignoring this one for awhile, well we're back and rocking.

This one isn't set in the usual SG-1 time line. In fact it's set before the first film and Daniel Jackson is nothing but a research assistant...

Daniel looked over the pile of books in front of him. It just didn't add up, he had proof that the evidence dating the pyramids was faked. His problem was it wasn't enough that he could disprove one theory. He needed something to replace it with but there wasn't anything.

He could prove that the pyramids were older than established, way older. Piecing little bits of ignored facts together from here and there. It was a stretch, but it worked and that stretch was going to destroy his rather dented reputation. Daniel wasn't a maverick as such, but he was already well known in certain circles for not let something go and not accepting other's work at face value.

Sarah had pulled him up on this sort of thing before, last time when he went down this way with the cross pollination of cultures in the ancient world.

There had been a lot of research into how some cultures contained similar legends and stories of the past. Most of the time leading to obscure theories of contact between the cultures. Unsurprisingly several experts had presented their opinions on why and how. Several were even considered to be accurate and supported each other. Daniel had noticed that a lot of their evidence had been deliberately misinterpreted so that it would fit whatever half baked idea they had.

That was his problem. What if, no matter how well intentioned, he was reading the evidence wrong. Unconsciously seeing it how he wanted. He had to be, otherwise the answer was too big for him. Right so what did he know:-

The pyramids were a lot older than people thought, that was a fact that could not be read wrong. Dating various sections also showed they were built a lot faster than thought, a few months if he was reading the results right. There was no way slaves could have put them up in that speed. So someone had to help and that someone had to be more advanced.

It was at that point his theory would be printed in the Weekly World News, somewhere between the little grey men and Elvis. Daniel knew he had to be wrong. He had to find the answer, the right answer that fitted the facts and didn't end up with him thrown into a padded cell.

Aimlessly he picked up a random book and flicked through it, after a more than few blank pages he frowned and looked at the front. Not only had he picked up his own note book but he had it upside down.

Sighing Daniel threw it to one side and took off his glasses. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had coffee, let alone sleep. A quick glance at the clock told him it was past ten and the sun streaming out the window told him which side of the morning he was on. Working for Dr. Jordan meant that he shared his room with Steven, the was no love lost between the two research assistants and as soon as he got a look at what Daniel was working on he'd never hear the end of it.

Packing up his work he was careful to get the books in the right places. Stuffing his papers and notebook into his bag Daniel got out of the office just in time to bump into his fellow assistant. 'Steven, you're early. Don't you usually get in after twelve?'

'Well unlike you Daniel I spend time with my friends. Speaking of, talked with Sarah recently?' the shorter man rubbed it in. The pair of them had broken up two weeks ago and it was still a sore spot for both of them.

The problem was Daniel couldn't defend himself. They had grown apart, mostly because he pulled all night sessions working on this damned career destroying idea. Shaking his head the only thing Daniel could do was mutter, 'You're a real ass, you know that.' Before heading off. Walking down the corridor Daniel could feel the man's smirk.

Signing out on the front desk Daniel made it straight across the road and into the coffee shop there. Jim, the owner, was behind the percolator when the bell on the door rung. He waved Daniel over to a seat. Almost as soon as he sat down Jim was bringing a tall mug of coffee over. 'I saw you crossing the road Dr Jackson. Another late night?'

'Afraid so Jim.' Daniel was one of his best customers and everyone knew it. 'Thanks for the coffee.'

'Don't mention it.' He nodded and went back to the counter. Jim was a friend, sort of, but he had no patience for archaeology. What Daniel would have liked someone to bounce ideas off. On the other hand he did make good coffee.

Pulling out his notebook Daniel went over the theory he'd scribbled down again and the list of evidence. It was getting him nowhere, but it was like an itch he had to scratch. Until he got an answer that worked it was going to bug him.

'Ahem.' Someone coughed politely pulling Daniel from his thoughts. Looking up he saw a strange man with what could be called an inquisitive look on his face. 'Hello, sorry I was passing by the window and saw your book.'

'Yes?' Daniel said carefully, it was a gift and a little joke from Sarah. A rather expensive bound book with his name written on the cover in Egyptian hieroglyphs.

'Dr Jackson I take it, may I.' Daniel put the book down and got his first good look at the stranger, short-ish in a dirty cream suit and a brown jumper underneath that screamed archaeologist. He also had a straw hat he put on top of a red handled umbrella.

'Okay.' Daniel said cautiously. 'but why would you want to?'

'You look like a man with a problem. Maybe I can help. Can't hurt can it?' He smiled before introducing himself. 'John Smith, Doctor.'

'Ancient Egyptology?'

'As a hobby. Mostly.'

Daniel decided to take a chance with it. He'd already shown he knew hieroglyphs well enough. 'My problem is I have evidence that say's the pyramids are a lot older than we think. By thousands of years. Our whole timeline of Ancient Egypt is wrong but I can't say why.'

'That's important.' Smith nodded. 'If you have evidence present it. Someone must listen.'

Daniel shook his head. 'Evidence isn't enough, if I'm going to accuse almost a century worth of experts of being wrong or out right lying I need more. I need my own explanation and I don't have one.'

Smith looked back at him with a slight grin; 'An archaeologist without an explanation? I don't believe that.'

'Okay, I do. But it doesn't make sense. The pyramids are older, not only that I don't think they were built as tombs. They were modified later and that's what people are using to date them. With the outside all but stripped and the inside gutted whatever we have can't be trusted.'

'Now that's a thought.' Smith sat back, 'And a dangerous one. If you're right there is something a lot bigger behind them. It's still a mystery how they built them in the first place, now you're saying why is also an unknown. If you find out why you have your answer.'

'And If it doesn't make sense, or reason?'

Smith smiled as if it was a secret joke. 'An old friend of mine once said if you eliminate the impossible, what ever is left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'

Daniel nodded. 'Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I've heard it before.'

'Actually he was quoting someone else. The question is what's left.'

Daniel swallowed his pride; 'Aliens, some sort of advanced civilisation there's no evidence left of. What are the chances of that?'

'Same as someone getting the dates wrong of some of the most important monuments on the planet and not checking them. If you're right Dr Jackson you might have just discovered one of the biggest secrets on the planet. You're just going to dismiss that?'

Oma Desala blinked, that was the second thing she wasn't used to doing. The first was waking up. After ascension you didn't need to do either of those things. Someone had sent for her, they were powerful and knew what they were doing. Both of which was worrying.

Looking around she was in a large domed room made of hexagons, like a beehive. On one side there was a short tunnel with a pair of doors. She felt a deep inner peace almost radiating from the walls. Something about the room was effecting her, an ethereal stillness like that of a sacred monastery only much stronger.

Still there would be time to wonder and discover later she had to leave, shifting her body into energy she tried to phase away. Somehow the stillness stopped her, transforming back into her human body Oma headed for the doors.

Before she made it that far, however, they opened and a strange man stood in her way. He wore a pale jacket over a dark brown jumper. A red handled umbrella was in the jacket's top pocket. 'Who are you? How and why have you done this?' Oma didn't like questions, once ascended she should be able to instantly understand everything.

The strange man took off his white hat and smiled. 'I am a Time Lord and I need allies. A rogue member of my people is enacting a plan that could endanger the whole universe.'

Oma had heard of the Time Lords all her life, legends and fables for the most part. Once ascended she'd seen their hand in destiny, all her people had. She had spent several centuries studying them. Most of their knowledge was hidden and clouded by the passage of time. Despite all their power Ascended were still chained to time. They could bend it, twist it and even knot it, but to travel backwards and forwards at will was not possible.

'Nothing can endanger the universe. It is infinite.' Oma said

The man just looked back, sadly, and said. 'Everything ends eventually. Even the universe.'

'Then why do you try to stop it, if it is inevitable?'

The Time Lord chuckled; 'Why breathe? Why laugh? Why read poetry on a dark night? Why make friends when you just lose them? That's life Oma. It doesn't matter that it ends. Just that you make use of it.'

Oma looked at him. He had a sad, distant look as if remembering all that he had lost. 'This rogue, can they do it?'

'His name is the Master. He can do anything he sets his mind to. He's almost as good as me.' The Time Lord said with out a hint of irony and Oma nodded. After his summoning of her she was willing to believe he had resources she didn't. 'I need you to do me a favour.'

'A favour?' Oma asked carefully

'An, old friend of mine is not feeling so well. He's dying of extreme radiation poisoning.'

'Can't you do anything?' She asked.

The strange man shook his head. 'No, my people have another way of dealing with that sort of damage. One that isn't available to my friend, not now. You, however, can offer you're own solution.' He offered a smile. 'Besides I think you've met him already.'

End Interlude 04