Chapter 28
"You understand what you're asking me, Dr Frasier?"
"Yes, sir. But I think it as some advantage to keep her here for a while."
"I'm sure she could be an asset to your study but she's only a teen."
"I'm not referring to her infection. I'm thinking about the boy. Clark. He kept his origin secret from her, I understand. But believe me when I say that there's a limit to what he can hide to her before she closes the door on him. And I don't think we want Clark to be against us in this situation."
"I see. Well let me make a call and I'll see where we go from here."
"Thank you, sir."
"How's Cassie?"
"Since I've send her home, she keeps calling me to see if we found Clark, and if she would be able to see him again. I don't know what to tell her."
"SG1 is coming back tomorrow, maybe she would enjoy passing some time with them."
"Sir?"
"She can't talk about what she has in mind with her friends back home, and she won't talk to you about some things. I know I had children too. But she has a bond with Major Carter. They would probably talk together."
"Is that an order?" Janet asked half-seriously.
"Make it a suggestion for her well being." Hammond said smiling.
OooOooOooOooO
Clark was standing in front of the caves. After having thought about it for a while, he decided to tell the team the truth. After all, they where familiar with strange occurrences and aliens, he took a deep breath and walked into the cave.
"Hey! It's me." Clark said when he saw a riffle pointed at him."
"Jack, are you forced to point you gun every time someone come in. I mean we're on Earth." Daniel said pushing the riffle.
"I know, it's an old habit. Hi Clark, long time no see."
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
"I think the best way to tell you, is to show you…" He said pulling an octagonal disc from his pocket.
"What is that? It looks like it has the same set of symbols we've seen on the wall." Daniel said.
"It's a key." Clark began.
"It has the same shape had the hole in the middle of the wall…" Daniel said still looking at the key.
"For crying out loud, Daniel would you let the boy speak." Jack said.
"Sorry, Jack. Sorry Clark."
"Like I was saying, it opens a secret room in this cave. In that room there's a computer left by my biological father. This computer contains all of his memory and personality."
"There's actually an alien computer in that cave?" Jack said.
"I don't want you to be hurt so I won't let you go near that damn thing. Last time someone tried to manipulate Kryptonian technology, he ended up in an asylum, his mind was fried."
"Thanks for the warning." Jack said with a gloomy look, thinking about Carter and her tendency to investigate alien technology on sight.
"Can you show us the room at least?" Daniel asked.
Clark didn't say a thing but took the key and placed it in the hole. Keeping himself between the key and Sg1.
"You are not alone my son" Jor-El voice's reasoned in Clark head.
"I know. They only wished to see the computer. Those are the one I spoke to you about." Clark said aloud so the others could at least hear him.
"I can't let humans use my technology, beware that if they try to access my memory core, they will be destroyed without warning." He said. Jor-El's voice could be heard in the entire cave this time.
"What was that?" O'Neill asked.
"That voice was Jor-El and his way to warn you.
As soon as Clark finished his sentences a bright light emerge from one of the walls in the cave and soon there was a new room. Daniel was the first to enter the room and looked at the computer, being careful not to touch it in any way.
"That's a computer?" Daniel asked looking at the altar.
"What with the diamond hole in the center?" Jack asked.
"I don't know, it looks like its missing a piece. Like I was saying, Jor-El showed me a part of the history of the Kryptonians."
"You know what Clark, I think it would be better if we all go back to the SGC, there we'll be with General Hammond and you wouldn't have to repeat yourself."
"Ok."
"Ok? You really want to come back with us?" Jack asked.
"Do I have a choice? Beside I have something to ask of you."
"What?"
"Later, after I told you my story."
"Then that's it, we pack our stuff and we'll return to the SGC."
"O'Neill, should we not talk to him about the girl?" Teal'c asked.
"Ho, Yeah! Clark, you'll have to talk with Chloe Sullivan. She came here this afternoon and we think she heard you and your parents talk about your origin."
"She what? I got to go see her now!" Clark said and vanished at super-speed.
"Don't worry, Carter is with her!" Jack finished in mid-air
"O'Neill, I don't think he could hear you."
"I know Teal'c but I had to take my chance, who knows, he might have super-hearing too."
OooOooOooOooO
"How did you learn it?"
"It's not like we gave him a chance, we had to take a blood sample for the analysis."
"Guess, his blood is not like us. And he escaped when you were eating at the restaurant. I've understood from what the Kents told me."
"That about it."
"I still don't understand why and how, he escaped and how he came back here…" Chloe said unsure if she believed the Major.
"Maybe you should ask him that." Carter said.
Samantha could feel the presence of Clark near by and quickly looked around. Since she couldn't see him, he was probably listening to their conversation somehow."
"Look, Clark never trusted me with his secret. I won't go to him saying, 'Hey Clark! Guess what, I found out you're an alien and by the way I would like to know how you came back to Smallville after you disappeared.'"
"I can understand, I don't see myself telling Mark, my brother, that my father is a host to an alien named Selmak
"Your father!" Chloe almost shocked.
"I wasn't supposed to tell you that." Carter said.
In fact, Carter had asked O'Neill before leaving if she could tell Chloe about her father to make her realized that some thing are not meant to be said. He had agreed after a brief hesitation.
"Don't worry, I won't report you to you superior." Chloe said with a smile. "But I understand what you mean. Clark his my best friend, the fact that he is an alien is a surprise to me. He's so … Human. He's still Clark, he's still my best friend. And I won't tell anybody about it. Not even him. If he wants to come clean with it, it will be his choice and at his time."
"Clark's lucky to have such a good friend Chloe. I'm sure he will tell you someday. If you'll excuse me, I have to return to the cave. If I'm right, Clark should have arrived."
"With a little luck, you will arrive at the same time that he does, Clark's always late." Chloe told Sam with a smile on her face.
Clark left the scene and returned to the cave. So Chloe did know his secret but wasn't planning on telling anyone.
"After this is over, I'll tell you everything." Clark thought.
OooOooOooOooO
"What?"
"Your request has been granted, Miss Lang. The general is ready to see you."
"Will you be there?" Lana asked the little doctor.
"No, I've heard the story enough time already. I'll introduce you to him and leave you two together."
Lana and Janet left the room and walked towards General Hammond's office. Hammond gestured them in while he finished with a call on his black phone.
"Glad you found him Colonel. We'll be waiting you… Yes colonel, I'll make sure their farm is attended to… And they will have a VIP room… Colonel, don't push… Ok, bye" Hammond hung the phone and turned his attention to his visitor. "They found Clark and are coming back to the SGC."
"Glad to hear it sir." Janet said, "May I go now?"
"Yes, doctor. Dismissed."
"I must return to my patient, Siller found a new way to electrocute himself…"
Hammond smiled at the remark.
"Miss Lang, we didn't have the chance to meet yet. I am George Hammond, commanding officer of this facility. I heard you made the request to be informed about what's going on here. And you asked us to help find a cure for your 'infection' for lack of better word."
"Yes Mr. Hammond"
"Well I've talked with the president and he has agreed to grant you top level security clearance. You understand that for a girl of your age, it's a pretty unique situation. I came to understand that your aunt left you to go live in Metropolis while you've stayed with a friend."
"Yes" Lana said wondering where he was going with this.
"I'll make it clear to you, once I've told you what is going on here, your life will be change forever. It is still time to back away."
"Mr Hammond, you're scaring me a little, but I met some of the people around this base and I can tell you there's nowhere else I would like to be."
"Good, then I'll ask you to sign those papers so we make it official."
"What are those?"
"Non-disclosure agreement, anything you hear or see in this base must be kept a secret."
Lana took the pen Hammond gave her. After a brief hesitation, she signed at the bottom of the page.
"Welcome aboard Miss Lang. You are now full member of Stargate Command, alias SGC."
Hammond spoke for a full hour interrupted one or twice by Lana's questions. Soon Lana found herself in a new world. A new reality opened in front of her.
"Why do you need Clark here? Has he the same sickness I have?"
Hammond thought for a while before answering Lana.
"Miss Lang, there's thing that I can't tell you for the moment, you security level allowed you to medical information and all but I think it would be better if certain information came directly from the source. I would let the Kents answer this question."
Lana smiled at the General
"You definitively have a way to go around the question."
"Years of practice working with politician..." Hammond said with a little chuckle. "That will be all for the moment. Let me call an airman to escort you back to you room. I'll have a keycard delivered to you as soon as possible. Remember that certain sections will be restricted even from you. Armory, embarkations room, control room."
"I understand. Thank you for trusting me, General."
The airman entered the office and escorted Lana out. Hammond looked absently at the door.
"That girl, she will bring a new dynamic to the SGC. Hope it will be a good dynamic…" Hammond thought.
