Chapter 37
"People of the Tauri," a booming voice filled the air and the roar of the crowd ceased abruptly, "behold the might of the god Sekhmet! Avenger and Bringer of Ra's Justice!" Without releasing the host's hand, the man next to him took a step forward his expression haughty and cold. A slight pull at the host's hand prompted her to step forward. The disembodied voice boomed once more. "People of the Tauri! Behold the beloved of Ra! Hathor, Queen of the Gods!"
Jacob Carter jerked awake. His body was covered in a cold sweat that soaked the fatigues he had fallen asleep in. He shivered in the cool air of his quarters and began taking deep breaths to calm down his racing heart and tamp down on the lingering terror that he had felt from Selmak's host.
He shook his head to get rid of the sounds of the roaring crowd clinging to his conscious mind along with the last vestiges of the dream.
No, not a dream…A memory.
He knew it was not a dream.
He could still feel the fear of Selmak's host as she took the hand of Sekhmet and allowed herself to be lead out before the sea of worshippers. Out into the sun of Ancient Egypt.
Confusion filled Jacob. Until blending with him, Selmak had never been on Earth and she was only a few thousand years old. The symbiote could not have been on Earth over five thousand years ago when Ra ruled Earth, but the memory was too real and despite what Jacob knew of Selmak's life the memory he had just seen had been real. It had happened.
The retired General searched for his symbiote to see if she too was now awake. He could feel her presence, but it was obvious that she was mentally avoiding him.
'Selmak.' Jacob thought firmly. 'Who was that host?'
'It was just a dream, Jacob.' Selmak responded faintly.
'I know the difference.' Jacob countered. 'It was not a dream, Selmak. Who was the host?' He asked firmly.
Selmak was silent for while, but the General waited patiently giving the symbiote time to respond. Soon she did.
'My first host…Hathor.'
'Hathor was a Goa'uld!' Selmak cringed at Jacob's mental yell, but he did not back down at her discomfort. 'Would you be so kind to explain to me what you were doing on Earth over five thousand years ago and being worshiped as Hathor?'
He could feel Selmak shy away from his outburst almost hide from it. Then with a sigh of resignation she answered him.
'I am almost six thousand years old…and the original Hathor was not a Goa'uld. She was Tok'ra…she was me.'
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"My Queen." Lam'zel's deep voice filled the room.
Still glaring at Pha'esh she answered the disembodied voice coming from the console across the room. "Speak!"
"We are now over the planet. Do you wish to ring down to the palace…?"
Sam's eyes jerked away from the Tok'ra toward the console. "Do not dare to presume the wishes of your Queen, hassock!" She yelled at the Jaffa. "I will tell you when I 'wish' to do something!"
"Yes my Queen!" Lam'zel responded instantly. "Forgive me my Queen."
"I do not forgive." Sam growled.
The com went silent.
"You did that well." The Ancient commented, dryly.
Ignoring Marcreat, Sam closed her eyes and pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead in a vain attempt to silence the laughing that was echoing in her mind. She had no idea what had prompted her to respond so viciously toward Lam'zel's request, but she was pretty sure the persistent whispers pushing at thoughts had something to do with it.
She reopened her eyes to see Marcreat studying her intently. Sam wondered if the voices had something to do with her changing DNA. If so, then the Ancient was the one to tell her. She glanced over toward Pha'esh. She wanted privacy to discuss the presence of voices in her head. The Tok'ra was already on edge because of the physical changes she was manifesting, no need to add mental concerns on top of them.
"Pha'esh, would you excuse use. I need to speak with Marcreat alone."
Pha'esh looked at her in surprise. "Is that wise, Samantha?"
"Name one action since we have started this mission that has been wise." She replied. "I'll be fine, Pha'esh."
Scowling at the Ancient, Pha'esh nodded his head and went to the door. "I will be outside the door should you require assistance."
Sam gave him a fleeting smile. "Thank you."
Once the door was closed, Sam set her attention back on Marcreat. The laughter in her head had died down and was now satisfied with sending the occasional snicker out at her.
"I'm hearing voices." She stated bluntly. No sense in beating around the bush. "In my mind." Sam figured her little revelation would have Marcreat looking at her as if she had lost her mind. It is what any normal person would have done, but Marcreat did not. He almost looked…scared.
"Are you hearing voices or a single voice?" He took a step forward as he spoke, his hazel eyes studying her closely.
It was instinct that made Sam take a step back from him. "Just one." She answered him cautiously.
"What other things have you noticed? How powerful is the voice's influence? Can you resist it? What other changes have you noticed?" Marcreat shot the questions one after the other taking a step toward her with each one.
Ignoring the instinctive need to back away from him Sam stood her ground until the Ancient was standing only inches from her. His eyes raked over her, critically searching for the answers to the questions he had just thrown at her.
Sam's temper rose at the way he was interrogating her. With a single step she brought herself nose to nose with the man and pinned him with an icy blue stare.
"What else?" She responded caustically. "Let's see…Since this has started I have been medically augmented with little devices in my brain, my eyes flash, I have basically died, had my DNA reorganized, come back to life, my voice completely creeps me out, and oh yes, I have psychotic Goa'uld hunting me down, ready to tear me to pieces. Quite literally, if my memories of her are correct. So to answer your questions…Yes, I have noticed a few changes lately." She spat the last words at him.
"The voice is Sekhmet." Marcreat stated dispassionately. "The memories that were downloaded from the cloned host carried with them an imprint of Sekhmet's consciousness…it is influencing your actions."
"Well that's just great!" She said angrily. Just what she needed! To everything else let just add the disembodied consciousness of an insane Goa'uld to run around in her head wreaking havoc when she was trying to impersonate the same Goa'uld with the intent of destroy that Goa'uld's empire… The snicker in the back of her mind was laughing again and Sam was tempted to join in with the unsettling sound.
"Samantha these traits can be used to your benefit while impersonating Sekhmet. Use them, but do not let them use you. Do you understand?" The Ancient told her firmly.
Sam glared at him. "Get her out."
"It is not as simple as that."
"You're an Ascended Being! Make it simple!" She said angrily.
Marcreat gave her the same look she used to give Colonel O'Neill whenever he would tell her fix something unfixable.
Sam began rubbing her forehead again. "If I cannot get rid of it then how do I shut it up?"
Calming himself, Marcreat explained, "As your DNA evolves, the voice will fade, but you must be careful, Samantha. Sekhmet is a powerful presence, even in such a weak form; you must fight her until then."
"How long?"
"It will be weeks before your transformation is complete. At that time you will be able to over-power it completely. You must exercise a firm mental control over her, as certain of her traits are already becoming evident."
"What traits?"
Marcreat nodded to the console. "Your temper is more pronounced."
"I noticed." She said irritably. She felt like she was on a permanent PMS trip lately. Everything was ticking her off. "So I need to watch my temper. What else?"
"I am unsure. You anger has been the only thing I have observed up to this point.
"Yes." She dropped her hand from her forehead. "Is this…imprint giving me the headaches?"
"No. Your DNA is evolving at an accelerated rate. The headaches are a by-product of that. Soon you will be noticing other changes as well."
"Such as…" Sam asked.
"It is different with each individual. Some Ancients had the ability to heal, others could move things with their mind", Marcreat shrugged his shoulders. "You abilities will be individual to you."
"Anything else?"
"Vast amounts of knowledge. The headaches are being created by the normally dormant regions of your brain becoming active, in time, you will be able to access not only all of Sekhmet's knowledge, but the Ancient knowledge that Sekhmet gained when she hosted me as well."
Sam nodded her head at him in understanding. A couple of weeks ago, she would have been beside herself with the idea of having access to such limitless knowledge. Now…the persistent push of Sekhmet presence had her hoping she would still be sane enough to enjoy it.
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0800 hours.
Jack sat in his chair observing the other occupants of the SGC's briefing room. They certainly had a full house today.
The mummer of low voices filled the room as each person began to take a seat at the long conference table. Daniel sat to his right shuffling a thick stack of papers, pulling out a page here or double checking a notated page there.
Seated across from him, Teal'c and Bra'tac were speaking fervently in low tones. The Jaffa Master had just come from the control room where a message from one his Jaffa had been received. From the look on the old warrior's face, Jack was convinced that it was not good news. He wondered if more Jaffa had been reported missing.
Jacob Carter soon joined them sitting down next to Daniel. A quick glance at the retired General gave Jack the impression the man had suddenly aged about a hundred years. He did not say a word to anyone, but Jack was positive that Jacob was involved in an intense internal discussion that none of them could hear.
Not far behind Jacob, General Hammond entered the room accompanied by Doc Frasier. The doctor was carrying a medical file with her and Jack would bet money that it was Carter's. The two took their seats as well, the General at the head of the table and Doc Frasier to his right. General Hammond clasped his hand together on the table and leaned toward everyone.
"Why don't you start us off Doctor Frasier?"
Doctor Frasier smiled faintly at the General as she spoke. "We exhumed the body of Major Carter…"
"Not Carter, doc." Jack injected.
Janet cast an irritated look at him then continued. "You are correct, Colonel. It's not Sam. A closer look at the brain tissue and at the DNA showed abnormalities we did not know to look for earlier. The body was an exact replica of Major Carter."
Despite the fact that everyone was confident that it had not been Carter that they buried, the room at large seemed to relax a bit at her report. Everyone it seemed, but Bra'tac. The Jaffa still wore a worried scowl on his face that was making Jack a bit nervous.
"Thank you, Doctor." The General said then looked over at Daniel. "Doctor Jackson?"
Daniel began reshuffling his papers, "Yes, sir." Pulling out his notepad with one hand and pushing his wayward glasses to rest once again on his nose with the other. He began to read over his notes. The young scholar reiterated what he told Jack earlier that morning.
"Sekhmet spent a large amount of time on Earth during Ra's reign. She was the Righteous Avenger of Ra."
He mentioned the thing about Sekhmet and Hathor being confused as the same person and, oh yeah, the part about Hathor being a beloved goddess... Jack had to swallow a sharp laugh when the image of a cow with bright red hair came to his mind.
"In the end, Sekhmet was brought down by someone within her own confidences. The book I have been reading simply notes them as 'the betrayer'. I searched for more, but was unable to find anything detailing how 'the betrayer' accomplished it." Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "The Goa'uld do not like to record their failures. I was surprised to find the entry about the defense system."
"Defense System?" General Hammond asked.
While Daniel explained what he had learned about the defense system around Sekhmet's planet Jack reached for his pen. Resisting the urge to begin clicking the thing and thus irritating the General, Jack instead opted to doodle little cows with wigs on his notepad. This quickly became boring so he let his eyes wander over those sitting at the table. Everyone was watching Daniel intently as he described the defeat of Ra's fleet over Sekhmet's planet. Everyone, that is, except Jacob. The retired General was staring down at the table an angry scowl on his lined features. Apparently, Jacob was getting pretty ticked at his symbiote, Selmak.
"Unless we figure out a way around this defense system," the scholar continued, "we are not going anywhere near that planet."
Jacob looked up from the table. "Selmak can get us past the Isurue."
"The what?" Jack asked.
Jacob bowed his head and when he raised it Selmak's voice was heard. "The Isurue. It is the name of the defense system that Doctor Jackson is speaking of. I am familiar with the structure and can disarm it."
"Well that settles that!" Jack clapped his hands and rubbed them together in anticipation. "Let get a move on."
"Just a minute, Jack." Daniel interrupted. He was looking at Selmak curiously as he continued. "How did you know what it was called? According to everything I read no one has ever attempted to approach the planet since Ra's fleet was destroyed and that was over five thousand years ago. I just cannot imagine that this type of defense system would not have been utilized by the Tok'ra if they had been aware of it."
"The Tok'ra are not aware of it. Only I am. I helped design it."
"Excuse me?" Jack injected. There was no way Selmak helped design that thing. She was too young. The math did not add up.
With a heavy sigh, Selmak gave him a weary smile.
"Over five thousand years ago. Ra reigned over the First Planet with his first Queen Egeria. Together they built up the Goa'uld Empire and reached throughout the galaxies spreading their might and enslaving hundreds of planets, however, it was here that Sekhmet was spawned. And it was here that Egeria first began to see the evils of her race."
"What made her so different?" Jack asked skeptically.
"Egeria refused the use of a sarcophagus…" Daniel supplied.
"How do you know that?"
"I read it somewhere." The scholar answered.
Of course he did. Jack thought.
"You are correct Doctor Jackson. Egeria did not trust Telchak's creation. After a time she noted the changes created in the symbiotes that used it regularly to restore their host bodies. She found such changes unsettling."
"And then Sekhmet was born." Daniel added. "Ra's use of her vicious nature was the final straw."
Selmak looked at the young man in confusion clearly not understanding the concept of the 'last straw', but after a moment of inner dialog she nodded in understanding. "Yes. Egeria's heart changed after witnessing the atrocities committed by Sekhmet in Ra's name. She realized that it needed to stop."
Jack had stopped doodling on his pad his complete focus was on Selmak and the story unfolding.
"The first Tok'ra symbiotes were born to Egeria within a year of her decision to rebel against Ra. She impressed upon them the evils of Ra and the other Goa'uld and imparted the determination and desire to fight against them. It took almost one hundred years for the symbiotes to mature and become strong enough to take a host. Garshaw and I were among those to be given a host. My first host was a young Tauri by the name of Hathor."
Hathor!
Jack looked at Selmak in disbelief. "You want to repeat that?"
Selmak smiled faintly at him. "Hathor was the youngest daughter of the Tauri high priest that served Ra. Egeria had watched the young woman closely for many years before approaching her. She told Hathor the true nature of the Gods and that she wanted to end their brutal reign. Hathor agreed and became my first host. Together we infiltrated the Goa'uld hierarchy and in time I became the consort to Ra and the Mis'tryvel of Sekhmet."
Unfamiliar with the Goa'uld word, Jack looked over to Daniel for clarification. Daniel leaned over toward him. "It means mistress or lover."
A look of disgust must have been evident on his face, because Selmak shot a glare at him. Jack schooled his features. And felt the need to say something. "That must have been unpleasant." Jack said, slightly nauseated at the idea of someone having to get all close and personal with the likes of Sekhmet.
"You are correct, Colonel O'Neill." Selmak looked at Jack and the Colonel saw the haunted look that invaded the dark eyes. "It was an extremely unpleasant experience; however, to achieve the death of Ra it was necessary. As Hathor I did everything I could to offset the cruelty of Ra and Sekhmet. As Sekhmet's confidant I was able to feed Egeria and Garshaw the information needed to begin the rebellion on Earth."
Still leaning toward Jack, Daniel suddenly sat up straight and Jack could see the young man's eyes light up, a definite indicator that the wheels in Daniel's brain were working in over drive.
"Of course, that makes complete sense. You were the betrayer."
Selmak nodded.
"Wait a minute! If you were Hathor then who was the red headed nutcase we killed five years ago?" Jack resisted the urge to shiver as he remembered the snake that burrowing into the back of his neck. A gift from Hathor.
"Her true name was Wadjet."
"The snake goddess." Daniel noted.
"Well that figures." Jack said unsurprised.
Selmak ignored Jack's comment and spoke to Daniel. "Wadjet was born in Egeria's last Goa'uld spawning. When the rebellion began I was forced through the Stargate by Sekhmet to her homeworld. Wadjet assumed my place, calling herself Hathor, and with Sekhmet began the part of your history known as the 'Massacre of Mankind'."
"That explains the 'Two face' thing." Jack stated...
Everyone except Bra'tac looked at him in confusion. The old warrior was staring toward the wall his thoughts elsewhere.
"What are you talking about, Colonel?" Janet Frasier asked.
"Daniel found something about Hathor being two faced." Jack clarified, sort of. "Daniel, remember you mentioned that when you were telling me about Hathor being a cow and all that." Jack turned toward Selmak. "I just have one question…why a cow?"
Selmak glared at him, but Daniel nodded in sudden understanding, "In the earliest recordings of Egyptian history Hathor was know as 'She with Two Faces'. It has been a mystery among academics as to what this meant. Apparently it was a literal translation. Hathor physically changed faces."
Unconcerned with these revelations, and Jack was pretty sure the symbiote was more than ready to end this piece of her life history, Selmak continued.
"When the rebellion on Earth was successful, Ra was furious and unleashed Sekhmet on the universe at large. He soon realized his mistake and banished her back to her homeworld of Ship'mem."
"Were you still on the planet?" General Hammond asked.
"Yes. The rebellion had freed Earth, but Ra was still alive. My job was not complete. I believed that Sekhmet could still be useful so I stayed. In time I came to realize that it was not Ra that we should fear, but Sekhmet. Her host was…different. Stronger than the other humans."
"He was an Ancient." Daniel supplied.
"At the time we were unaware of the race of Ancients. Marcreat presence in our galaxy was a singular event and a most tragic mistake on his part." Selmak was silent a moment then continued her story. "Once confined to her planet Sekhmet began looking for ways to build her power base. I assisted her on the research. Her host, Marcreat, had the scientific knowledge of an advanced race within him and Sekhmet began to use it. When I saw the destruction of Ra's fleet over the planet I knew that Sekhmet had to be destroyed. I lured her off-world into an ambush with Ra's Jaffa. Many Jaffa died, but in the end Sekhmet was subdued, forced out of her host and into stasis."
"What happened to the host?" Daniel inquired.
"He fell into a coma and died within hours of his release." Selmak closed her eyes and lowered her head.
The room fell into silence.
The image of Freya's mutated body entered Jack's mind, but he angrily forced it away. He refused to believe that would be Carter's fate. Unfortunately, he also remembered what Garshaw had said on the Tok'ra base.
Sekhmet had Carter. The question was this 'Was she a hostage or a host?'"
"Sir," Jack addressed the General. "Our meeting with the Tok'ra is in two days. We need to hurry and prepare our supplies. Do we have a…?"
"Hammond of Texas." Bra'tac's graveled voice interrupted Jack and the Colonel looked over in slight irritation at the old warrior. The Jaffa Master returned his gaze and Jack was unsettled by the regret that resided in the warrior's wise eyes.
"Yes, Master Bra'tac." The General answered.
Bra'tac did not turn toward the General as he spoke, but kept looking at Jack as he spoke. "I have had news from my Jaffa in Bubastis." He began. "Sekhmet has shown herself in Bastet's Court…and…she wears a familiar face."
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Sekhmet stretched long pale limbs luxuriating in the feel of her creation. The extended time in stasis had left the muscles tight, but the body was still fit and functional. The form was a perfect vessel for her superior being.
Blue eyes scanned the ancient room and fell on the discarded body of her previous host. It was little more than a living shell. The consciousness had fled long ago unable to remain in the superior mind of a Goddess and preferring the sanctuary of oblivion.
Against the wall next the body was the Ancient stasis tube that had supported her creation's life force. The location of this barren planet had been found in the memories of Marcreat and the Goa'uld had placed the vessel here for safe keeping. Never let it be said that Sekhmet was a fool. She was far from it.
A chill ran up her spine and she became aware of the cold that permeated the buried outpost. Little bumps began to rise up over her bare form. She closed her eyes relishing the strength that flowed through her and a shiver of anticipation pulsed through her body when she thought of the abilities that would soon be hers again.
With a shake of her short blond hair, she walked bare foot over to where her clothes lay with the tools she would need reclaim her sovereignty from the filthy Tauri that had deigned to take her place.
Soon she stood garbed in a golden dress, her medallion hanging from her graceful neck to nestle between the breasts of her host.
She reached down and caressed the warm metal lying against her skin. Not the power predator of her past, the lion no longer encompassed the wonder that she had become. The mighty bird of rebirth…of recreation…the mighty Phoenix! Reborn from fire!
The worlds of the universe would soon feel the fire of destruction at her hands and then…be reborn again under her domination.
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Cheers rang out in the home of Senator Robert Kinsey. Henry Hayes had just been elected President of the United States and Robert Kinsey, as running mate and now the Vice President, finally saw the avenue of his personal victory over the Stargate Program.
After of years of putting up with current leadership of the program, he would soon have the power to remove the thorns in his side and replace them with better men. His men.
He would have to be patient a little longer. He could not act until he and Hayes officially took over, but what were a few more months? He could wait.
One of the secret service agents tapped him on the shoulder and Kinsey scowled at the man as he handed the Senator a large brown envelope.
"What is this?" He demanded.
"Your assistant Sara requested me to give it to you. She said you would find it interesting."
Kinsey snatched the envelope from the man's hand, told him to get lost then began making his way out of the crowded living room to the more private library nearby.
Nodding and smiling at those who clapped him on the back in congratulations, he made his way through the crowd and into the quiet interior of his study. His smile disappeared and look of pure loathing replaced it.
"Ass kissers." He muttered as he made his way to a high back floral chair and sat down.
He opened the envelope and pulled out a single piece of paper. It took only a moment to read it, but the information it contain caused Kinsey's smile to return.
"Oh this is a good day."