Chapter 44
Bright sunlight filled every fiber of Daniel's being. Holding his hand to his brow to block out its rays, he noticed for the first time that he was standing atop a jagged mountain.
"Hello, Daniel."
Startled Daniel turned around, only to have the blaring rays of the sun flash in his eyes.
"Sorry," the voice stated in a repetant tone.
Beneath squinted eyes, Daniel could see the world around him darken. Slowly he opened his eyes to see the mountain was surrounded by perpetual cloud cover.
For thw first time, Daniel saw the figure before him. A tall, portly man with receeding brown hair and kindly green eyes. Dressed head to toe like the monk he had encountered at Kheb, the man bore the widest, most serene grin Daniel had ever seen.
"Who are you?" he asked nervously.
"Where are my manners," the man said extending his hand to Daniel. "For conversation purposes, call me Indra."
Daniel accepted the mans hand, his face squinting into what Jack had always reffered to as his "Archaeologist Face" or the expression he made while in contemplative thought.
"There is an Indra in Earth mythology. He's a Vedic archetypal god. Similar to Zeus."
Indra's smile widened as he let go of Daniel's hand.
"It is nice to know that one is remembered, even after they are long gone."
"According to the mythology Indra was a great warrior. A protector of mankind against evil. Although he had many aspects he was primarily known as a god of thunder and harnessed the power of lightening . . . " Daniel's words trailed off as a realization hit him.
Indra nodded to Daniel, as if giving him permission to say aloud what he had just realized.
"You're an Ascended Being."
"Although Ascended Being is not the technical term for what Indra was, it is as an accurate a term as you will be able to comprehend. So, in essence Indra is an Ascended Being. The first of whom your kind ever crossed paths with."
"You're the one the Book of Origin talks about. The Great Being that led Orion to Ascension?"
"One and the same."
Taken aback with all that he was taking in, Daniel stepped cautiously back from Indra.
"You need not be afraid, Daniel. The manifestation of Indra is merely a representation of all that Orion knew and thru the genetic matierial he passed down to you. My words, my actions, fueled only by the hidden truths your conscious mind is unaware of. The Ascended Being that Indra once was, has long departed from existence."
"So this is just a physical manifestation of my genetic memory based on that of a once real being and fueled by my own thought and those whose genetic matierial I happen to share?"
"One could say that?"
"Just checking."
Daniel moved up closer to Indra, taking a look at the man's gentle unassuming figure.
"The script on the front of the door said 'That from which all things came' what exactly does that mean?"
"What it means, Daniel Jackson, is that the precidament of which you find yourself is not a new one. While the everyday is muted and varied, there are moments in existence that are cyclical in nature. They are destined, some may say doomed, to repeat themselves in one form or another through time. Always trying, but never quite succeeding, to reach a more favorable result."
"So basically you're saying that these events are doomed to repeat themselves until they come up with a better result then they had before?"
"Precisely. Only then does the cycle end and ones life returns to being guided by ones choices."
"What does this have to do with me?"
"You now find yourself in one such cycle. One that began here with Orion on this very mountain. Destined to correct a mistake that doomed him and generations who came after him."
"What mistake was that?"
"The Book of Origin gives little in the way of information about Orion or his life before he to this mountain and recieved the word of Origin from Indra. Not because it was unknown, but because it would cast doubt to know that at his core, he was only human. That even as an Ascended Being, as you refer to it, he was far from perfect or omnipotent. For all his wisdom, nobility and intellect, he was impulsive, judgemental and vengeful. All those traits carried on into his next manfiestation as an Ascended Being. Those negative traits, combined with some poor choices by those around him, and Orion found himself on a path that led to his destruction. One that has repeated itself several times since his death."
"Orion is dead?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Thru the machinations and manipulations of others, Orion was murdered by Scorpius, his own son."
"His son killed him?"
"Who in turn was mortally wounded as well. But not before producing Children who would create a bloodline that carried on thru the ages. Chosen to relive their ancestors fatal flaws. One such ancestor you have made a point to read up on recently."
Things began to click for Daniel in a way that sent a chill up his spine.
"Arthur. He's a descendant of Orion?"
"Yes."
"According to legeneds, he was said to have been killed by Mordred, his own son. This came as a result of a war between him and his best friend, Lancelot, over the affections of his wife Guinevere. You're telling me that Orion suffered the same fate?"
"Not in every detail but the main point of it all is very similar in nature. When he was believed dead, his wife Eos, and mother to their son, took up with his good friend, Atraeus. Even after his Ascension was revealed the affair continued. Any hope Orion brought was destroyed along with him when he allowed his flaws to take hold."
"So you're saying that its going to happen to me?"
Indra nodded, "You are destined to become a great leader, Daniel Jackson. The one to bring peace and prosperity to the galaxy. Like Orion and Arthur were before. But in order to avoid their fate, to prevent the cycle from repeating for those who come after you, it is important to do what your predecessors could not. You will come to love Vala. Like Orion did for Eos and Arthur did for Guinevere. However much like them, outside forces will work their best to turn her heart against you and to that of another."
"If I'm Arthur, Vala is Guinevere and our child --"
"Her name will be Adria."
"And Adria is Mordred, then who is Lancelot?"
"The one you call Mitchell."
