Chapter 28

The sounds of Bon Jovi played in the background as Cameron Mitchell sat in his quarters thumbing thru the Book of Origin. After going over last minute details with McKay, he checked in once again with Daniel and found the archaeologist continuing to struggle with the transcription of The Annals. He wasn't sure what was more disturbing to him: the fact that Daniel couldn't see what was right in front of him or the fact that he could. His grandma always used to say sometimes people were too close to something to see the truth in it and he was guessing the same held true for Daniel. So he figured if he was the one to figure it out the first time, maybe he could relieve some of the stress that Daniel was experiencing by searching thru the book himself.

So far he was finding much of what Daniel had warned him about The Annals to be true. It was an unusual piece of literature to be found in what one would consider a holy book, however after reading it a few times, he could understand the reasoning behind it. Although on the surface it seemed like nothing more than a storyline straight out of the soap operas his grandma forced him to watch as a child, the deeper one looked the more one realized that it was a very involved tale of love and destiny. That whomever they really were, Light and Shadow really were the intergalactic Romeo and Juliet. Two star-crossed lovers fighting to be together admist circumstances for which they had no control over.

The more he read it, the more he began to feel great sadness. It became more apparent the further on that he read that there wasn't going to be any happy ending and if what they suspected about The Ori trying to bring reality to their dogma was true, then there would be some unsuspecting people who would be forced to endure this fate. He wasn't sure what was worse, reading about it, or knowing that right now, somewhere in the galaxy, it could be coming true. That caused even greater worry as he began to contimplate what roles The Ori had set out for them to play. The more he read, the more the sense of unease he had first experienced in Daniel's office grew. More and more he was beginning to suspect the role that Daniel would play in all of this.

The Mother cried out into the universe and The Prophet heard her lament.

Daniel was the one who heard Vala's cries. It was he who responded to her lamentations. It killed him to have to admit his suspicions: Daniel was The Prophet. Given his past history with Ascended Beings, he could see why The Ori would pigeonhole him for such a task. Skipping over several chapters, he began reading the chapters that dealt with The Orici, The Prophet and The Apocalypse. After a lengthy read, he stopped himself two chapters short of the end. He couldn't read any further. He wished to hell he never picked up the book to begin with. Overwhelming emotion swept thru Mitchell as he got up from his chair and began pacing. Anger, unlike any he had felt in a long while swept thru every inch of his body.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" He shouted up at the cieling of his quarters. "What gives you the right!"

Knowing that nobody was going to respond to his cries, he picked up the book and threw it up against the bulkhead, knocking over the bookcase and breaking a vase on a nearby nightstand. Feeling the fall of fresh tears on his face, he sank onto his bed. He wasn't a man to cry often, or for very long, but at that moment, Cameron Mitchell was bawling. Several minutes passed before he was able to contain himself and he began picking up the mess that he had made. If there was one thing his years of military training did, it was prepare him for the inevitability that when you embarked on a mission, it could be your last, or it could be the last for the people on your team. He knew in agreeing to go with Daniel, the danger that they faced, the possibility that they would never return home and the likelyhood of death were great. However, it wasn't until now, when faced with the inevitable and awful truth, did he realize that there was nothing in his training to prepare him for this.

How could he willingly lead his friend on this rescue mission, knowing damn well, what was waiting for him on the other side? And how could he, as a human being, leave that friend to a fate he knew damn well would result in the genocide of millions? He picked up the book and flipped back to the last page he had read. That last paragraph, so ominous and terrifying, it haunted him to even think that such a thing could be possible and from Daniel of all people.

The Prophet walked onto the plains of Celestis, now once again a great ocean. Overflowing not with water, but with the blood of the unbelievers. The Prophet looked across the plains and into every ship, every village, and every house -- and there was nothing but death. He lifted his head to the heavens and his words were carried across the universe. "Let it be known to all, see the truth thru my eyes. Heed the words that I speak. What you see before you is the will of the Ori. The pestilence and perversion of the truth of Origin can no longer be accepted. We must join together now, despite the differences we may have, and restore balance. Bring peace were now you see is only death." And so it occured. Across the universe, enemies became friends, neighbors aided neighbors, all banning together to challenge The Ori. The Prophet looked across the universe pleased at how well his plan had worked. For it was he, not The Ori, who caused the massacre on Celestis.

ooooooo

Netan gave Kebechet a look of confusion.

"Our Ascension?"

"Aja has foreseen it. I apologize for not telling you sooner. Its just that her visions lately haven't been completely accurate. She believes that someone is reading her mind. Giving her visions of things that weren't true. She wasn't sure if this wasn one of those times, especially since it involved you."

"And can we return the conversation to the Ascension once again?"

"She wasn't very detailed but she made it that when they time came we would know."

"Which one of you will Ascend? You or my wife?"

"I cannot ascend as a Goa'uld. The Others will never allow it. When the time comes, you must fatally wound Aja. When that happens I will sacrifice my life to save hers. The symbiote will die inside of her but she will still carry my genetic memories, and so in respect, we shall both Ascend."

"So, you're just willing to die?" Netan asked, oddly moved by her words.

"Its not just my life. It never has been. Its about both of our lives. Neither one of us will survive living the way we are for very long. And besides, I don't see it as death, more like, a different type of life. No longer will we be two seperate beings. We'll be one."

"And what if it doesn't work? What if you both die? What if you don't Ascend?"

Kebechet gave a small smile as she walked over to Netan and sat on his lap.

"Then we'll be at peace."

Netan said nothing but merely looked into her eyes. He knew what she meant. Aja wasn't the only one trapped inside of this body. So was Kebechet. Both were suffering, both were finding it unbearable and yet both held to hope that something better lay ahead. In that moment, Netan realized that that the being before him wasn't the invader who was keeping his wife prisoner. She was his wife. And that she had been trying to tell him that all along. Smiling a small smile, Kebechet leaned in and kissed Netan.

He did not protest.

"How long do we have till that ship gets here?" Netan breathed as he pulled away from their kiss and began to run his fingers thru her long dark hair.

"There will be adequate time," she replied her hand on his chest. "But we really shouldn't, your heart --"

"Has been waiting for this for ten years. Its strong enough."

With that all either one could do was smile as they both fell to the floor.