Memories Matter

Of course he wouldn't! Now on with the story…

Chapter 2 -

Teal'c and Jack loaded Sam onto a stretcher while Daniel tried to pack the notebooks that he'd left laying out when he fell asleep.

"Come on Daniel. We've got to go."

"Ok, ok. I think I've got it all." Daniel ran after them. As they made their way out of the building one of the government diplomats assigned to serve their needs ran after them.

"Colonel O'Neill, what has happened?"

Jack kept moving. "We've got to leave but we'll come back."

"What has happened?"

"Major Carter is ill."

"You are welcome to take her to our health facility. It is much closer than the stargate."

Jack and Teal'c kept moving but Daniel paused. "Closer is good Jack."

"We're getting her back to the SGC, period."

"Receiving SG-1s IDC, sir."

"Open the iris."

General Hammond rushed down the stairs and got into the gateroom as SG-1 emerged through the wormhole.

Jack looked up at the control room. "We need medical! Now!" He saw Sergeant Harriman make a call as General Hammond walked up to the stretcher.

"What happened?"

"We don't know. Carter won't wake up."

As soon as the medics arrived Jack and Teal'c laid the stretcher on the gurney.

"Colonel?"

Jack looked down at Fraiser and shrugged. "She won't wake up. That's all I know."

Jack, Teal'c, Daniel, Dr. Fraiser, and General Hammond met in the briefing room two hours later.

"We still have not been able to wake Major Carter, but she is stable." Dr. Fraiser opened the file she'd brought with her. "We have located an object in the center of her frontal lobe." She turned the picture towards General Hammond. "This is not made of biological material."

General Hammond looked at the picture. "Which means?"

"It is a metallic object and I don't know how it was placed in her brain."

"Can you remove it?"

"Not without causing substantial brain damage." She looked over at Jack. "I suspect this object was introduced to Major Carter while you were on P3M-446."

"Then I guess we're going back there to ask a few questions." Jack looked at General Hammond. "General?"

"You have a go."

Jack marched straight up to the government building with Daniel and Teal'c trailing behind him.

"Colonel O'Neill, it is a pleasure to have you back. King Merkon was concerned when we informed him of your rapid departure."

"How about you could tell him we're back and we have a few questions."

"Of course. Please wait here."

The small stout man returned and led them to King Merkon's private office. As soon as the door opened King Merkon stood and walked around the desk. "Colonel. Welcome back. I was told you left because Major Carter was ill."

Daniel stepped forward, knowing diplomacy might matter. "Yes, and that's also why we're back. We found a small object lodged in her brain and we think it might have happened while she was here. We hoped you might be able to provide us with some insight."

King Merkon looked genuinely shocked. "I have never heard of any such thing, but I am not a healer. If it would be of help, I would be pleased to send healers back with you. Perhaps they could help."

"We would appreciate any help you can provide."

King Merkon walked back to his desk and picked up what appeared to be a small computing device. "My youngest son is the minister of health. I will have him identify the best healers to travel with you."

"Thank you."

Dr. Fraiser invited the two healers into her office to review Sam's medical records before taking them out to her bedside. Daniel showed Prince Cyrus to guest quarters.

An hour later Jack went down to the infirmary and waited until Dr. Fraiser was alone. "Have those two been any help?"

"Not a bit."

"Any change in Carter's condition?"

"Actually yes, her brain activity has skyrocketed over the last thirty minutes and I don't know why. I had to get away from them so I could do some investigating."

She adjusted the EEG readout screen. "There's interference here. I've never seen anything like it." Janet went over the phone on the wall while Jack turned back to Sam. He could see her eyes moving behind her lids and wondered what was happening in her head.

"Thank you for coming down, Dr. Lee. I was hoping you could get rid of some interference on the EEG."

Bill examined the machine and the data it was producing. "I don't think this interference is coming from the machine itself. I need some equipment. I'll be right back."

As promised, Dr. Lee returned and set up some equipment. Jack stepped back from Sam's bed but stayed in the room.

"There is a signal being picked up by the EEG, but it is unlike anything produced here on base."

Jack stepped forward. "Then where's it coming from?"

"Let's see if I can trace it." Bill walked out of the infirmary holding what looked like a mini antenna in front of him. Jack followed. Bill turned a couple times, running into Jack once, but eventually he tracked the signal to the guest quarters. Jack used his card to open the door to each room, finding Prince Cyrus in the third room. The Prince was laying on the bed wearing a headset with his hand in his pants.

Jack stalked over and ripped the headset off the Prince. The Prince reached out, but he was too slow. "Give that back!"

"What are these?" Jack flipped them around and looked inside. He saw Sam laying on her back. Her face was red and tears were streaming down her cheeks. A hand was on her throat and another was gripping her wrists and holding her hands over her head. Jack's stomach tightened and he had to fight his need to throw up as he realized what he was watching.

"You son of a bitch!"

The Prince scrambled back and fell off the back side of the bed. "I...I…"

"Make it stop now!" Jack walked around the bed and snarled down at the man.

"Yes..yes...of course." He reached out. "I just need those."

"Not a chance." Jack kicked out making contact with the Prince's side.

"Stop! Stop! Push the blue button twice."

Jack did as the man told him and the images disappeared. Jack handed the headset to Dr. Lee as he hauled the Prince to his feet. "You're coming with me."

Jack dragged him to the infirmary. "Doc, this guy's been doing something to Carter. Find out what." Jack slammed the Prince into a chair. "Move and I will enjoy beating your ass." The healers came over and flitted around the Prince, but they were both too scared of Jack to get too close. Jack was seething and his angry aura filled the room.

The Prince was placed in a cell while Janet, Jack, Teal'c, Daniel, and General Hammond met.

"Sam has been less agitated since the Colonel stopped the Prince from projecting images into her brain but finding the headset has not helped me figure out how to wake Sam, let alone get whatever that is out of her head."

"Then what do you suggest Doctor?"

She laid the folder in front of her. "Take those two quakes back to the planet and find out who developed this technology. That's who I need here."

"General?" Jack looked at General Hammond.

"The Prince stays here."

"Agreed, sir."