The meal was another opportunity for Aeryn to learn something of John's world. The food was actually good and fairly varied, another concession to the comfort of the individual that the Peacekeeper military would never have made. The atmosphere was also more relaxed than she had ever seen on a ship or base. The soldiers and few civilians seemed to be free of the sense of fatalism that Aeryn automatically associated with the military, at least her military.
Her thoughts still centered on John, Aeryn found that she had little appetite. Carter tried to engage her a few times, suggesting some item or other, but the one way communication only went so far. A short while into the meal, they were joined by O'Neill and Teal'c.
Teal'c addressed her first. "Officer Sun, I hope you are adjusting to your new surroundings. I know better than most how it feels to be on an alien world with no connection to your past."
Aeryn could only nod her head again. She looked around the table, pointed to herself and said her first name hoping that her meaning was clear. The other's got the point and O'Neill spoke for them.
"You can call us Jack, Sam and Teal'c."
Of course, she already knew the names, but it was good to establish a connection explicitly. Aeryn found herself a passive observer during the rest of the meal as SG-1 discussed the details of their plan.
"So, Carter, how's the search for a staging area going?"
"We have three prospective planets, sir, between 12 hours and 2 days travel to Brinisa by Tok'ra transport vessels. We've communicated the gate coordinates to the Asgard already. With any luck, one of the gates will be functional. We still have to sell this to the Tok'ra though."
"Oh, I don't think that's going to be a problem. The second they hear about the weapon, they'll be begging to help. Self-important, useless bunch of ...."
While O'Neill continued to complain about the Tok'ra, Teal'c said, "Perhaps we might involve your father, Major."
"The last time I talked to my dad, he said he was going on a 6 month extended mission. He's not going to be available."
O'Neill broke from his increasingly colorful commentary to say, "Great. The one Tok'ra I trust, and he's not available."
"Perhaps we should attempt to contact Anise. She has proved unreliable in the past, but she is a known variable and she would undoubtedly be interested in this new technology. She also seems to have a particular interest in you, O'Neill. That may be advantageous."
"Uh, yeah. I don't think that's relevant Teal'c."
Aeryn noticed that O'Neill and, to a lesser extent, Carter had become uncomfortable at the mention of this Anise. It occurred to her for the first time that there might be more to their relationship than simply that of superior and subordinate. They didn't act that way, but to Aeryn that was perfectly natural.
Carter continued, "In any event, the sooner the general gets approval to contact them the better. We need to get some estimates on how long its going to take them to disassemble some transports, get them through the gate and reassemble them at the staging area."
"Ideally, we would want them to do some reconnaissance a few days before we strike. We need to identify Peacekeeper headquarters. If we can't find the schematics, we strike there and at the gate."
The mention of "a few days" bothered Aeryn, and she was becoming increasingly irritated by her inability to ask even simple questions. She realized for the first time that the planning and execution of this mission might take weekens. That should have been obvious, but the upheaval of the past few arns had left her somewhat disoriented.
It worried her that the discussion had so far failed to include anything about a rescue. So she said something to O'Neill that was likely to be understood.
"Crichton...Jackson."
"You're wondering about how much thought we've put into getting them back?"
Aeryn nodded.
"Well, the main strike force will be busy trying to recover the schematics and do whatever damage they can, but we haven't forgotten about Daniel or Crichton. Daniel has a transmitter. It's standard procedure in a situation like this to broadcast a one second signal every day at local noon. The signal is designed to mimic background radiation, so with any luck, the Peacekeepers won't notice. We should be able to find them easily enough. Don't worry. Daniel's smart. He knows how to stay hidden, and from what I understand, your friend Crichton has a little experience in that area too."
"We're going to need your help with this, Aeryn, not just to get our two wayward friends back, but for the overall plan. We need to know about standard Peacekeeper procedures, the sort of resistance we can expect, the likely distribution of forces and probably a lot of other things."
Aeryn nodded furiously at O'Neill. Of course, she would do anything they wanted if it meant getting back to that frelling planet. She just had to hope that John and the other human could hold out. They had Sa'di with them, who might be useful as a native, but Aeryn had more than a few suspicions about her. She wanted desperately to convey these to the humans but had to wait for now.
After the meal, Carter took Aeryn to some temporary quarters. They were hardly luxurious, but far better than what she had been used to as a Peacekeeper. She showed her to a terminal of some sort.
"These microbes of yours don't allow you to read alien writing, do they?"
Aeryn shook her head to indicate that they didn't.
"That's too bad. We could have given you some material and mission briefings to familiarize you with our procedures. That can wait. In the mean time, I've taken the liberty of having the computer set up to display some information about Earth. There are images and videos with narration. Let me show you how to scroll through them."
She turned on the machine and briefly showed Aeryn what to do. "We kept this as simple as possible. Once you start, you can just push this button to advance and this one to repeat a segment. We've used this program before to give guests and offworld contacts a little introduction to our planet."
Aeryn was grateful for the distraction. She had decided by now that she was in no immediate danger of being cut open, and since she could do nothing for John just yet, she would learn as much about his world as she could. Aeryn told herself that it was in anticipation of their reunion. She had already vowed that she would either make that reunion a reality or die in the attempt.
"There are some clothes in the closet over there, and a small bathroom. Press this button if you need anything, and someone will come by to help you."
Carter smiled and said, "With any luck, we might be able to have a real conversation tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?"
Aeryn could think of nothing at first, but just as Carter was about to leave, she flashed on something. It was ridiculous, she knew, but she said it anyway. She hoped she was saying it right, and at first Carter didn't seem to understand, but then she just looked a little surprised as understanding dawned.
"Chocolate? You want chocolate? Uh...o.k. I'll see to it that someone brings you some."
No doubt the human thought she had lost her mind, but as far as Aeryn was concerned, it was another link to John. He had talked about it often enough. Now she would be able to tell him what she thought of it when she saw him again.
Aeryn settled herself before the computer and did as Carter had instructed her. Her concern for John was ever present, but a lifetime of training had taught her how to compartmentalize her thoughts. So she was able to focus the rational part of her mind on the images of John's home world. She absorbed everything presented to her eagerly.
--------------------
Their hosts had excused themselves for the evening, and Crichton and Jackson found themselves alone in the small dining room waiting for Sa'di's return.
"So you're going to set this thing off every day. Are you that sure your people are going to come back?"
"The weapon is important enough, even if we aren't. Besides, it's best to be optimistic." He hesitated for a moment. "I think it might be better not to tell Sa'di about the transmitter just yet."
He continued before Crichton could interrupt. "It's not that I don't trust her. It's just standard procedure. I shouldn't really be telling you about it either, but it might be necessary for you to operate it if something happens to me. And you're from Earth, so that's a plus as far as I'm concerned."
Crichton simply nodded his head in agreement. He had barely been listening when Jackson explained how to use the transmitter.
"You're worried about Aeryn, aren't you? She's safe, you know. No one at the SGC is a threat to her."
"We promised each other we wouldn't be separated again. Now she's on the other side of the galaxy. I can't imagine what she's thinking or going through right now"
"You promised each other you would never be separated? Pardon me for saying, but don't you think that's a little .... ridiculous?"
Crichton looked up at Jackson for the first time, and his expression held nothing pleasant.
"I just mean that with the type of life you two have been leading, how can you possibly expect to control something like that?"
He spoke in quiet, measured tones. "Don't tell me what I can and can't control. You don't know anything about us. You have no idea how much we had to overcome."
"I might know a little more than you think. You see, my wife was from another planet. Well .... she was human, but she wasn't from Earth. Of course, Aeryn is human too..."
Crichton's building rage was now replaced by a look of utter disbelief. "What do you mean your wife was from another planet?"
"Just that. She was from another planet." He continued with a touch of sarcasm, "You do realize that the gate lets us travel to other planets, right? I met her on my first mission."
This was certainly a turn in the conversation Crichton hadn't anticipated. However, he suddenly found himself with an opportunity to address some things that had been worrying him for more than four cycles.
"And, she came back to Earth with you?"
"No. I stayed with her. She was from a very primitive world, and I was of some use to them."
"Would she have come with you if you had asked?"
"I think so. I adapted to her world. I think she would have adapted to mine. We loved each other, nothing else really mattered." He paused for a moment. "You're asking about yourself and Aeryn, aren't you?"
Crichton said nothing but made no attempt to deny it.
"I saw the two of you together for a few days. I don't think you have anything to worry about. On Earth or out here, you two belong with each other. The rest doesn't matter."
Crichton looked at Jackson and said simply and with complete sincerity, "Thank you."
"Wait a minute, what are you doing with this SGC if you decided to live on your wife's planet?"
Jackson became pensive for a times before answering. "My wife was taken by the Goa'uld. I joined the SGC to find her ... she died."
"I'm sorry, I had no idea ...."
"It happened a few years ago .... and we had four good years together. I just try to remember that." Then with a pointed look at Crichton, "You shouldn't worry about incidental things. Just hold on to what really matters for as long as you can."
There seemed nothing more to say, and both men sat quietly for a while until Crichton suddenly focused on something Jackson had said in passing.
"What do you mean Aeryn's human?"
Before he could answer, the locking mechanism on the front door disengaged. The humans tensed and drew their weapons. Both relaxed as they saw Sa'di enter the living room and head in their direction.
She had returned with clothing for Crichton and Jackson that consisted of non-descript gray shirts and trousers of the sort worn mainly by Brinisi merchants. She herself had undergone a bit of a transformation. Her hair was no longer in a tight bun, her complexion was no longer so ashen, and she had lost the formless dress she had been wearing and was now dressed in a more form-fitting and colorful gown. The change was actually quite remarkable. Crichton had never thought of her as being especially attractive, but he had obviously been wrong.
"No offense, but I thought we were trying to be inconspicuous."
Sa'di answered Jackson through Crichton. "I don't normally dress like this. If the Peacekeepers are looking for me, this won't match the descriptions they have."
That seemed reasonable enough to both humans.
"We can hide from the Peacekeepers for a while, but I don't know what else I can do for you. Is there some way for us to use the portal to escape?"
Crichton had already discussed this with Jackson. "The gate's under guard, and we can't power it anyway, and even if we could, we can't get to Earth without the Asgard device."
"So what do we do?"
"We wait. Daniel says his people will come back for the weapon. We'll try to contact them when that happens." He said nothing of the transmitter.
"How are they supposed to get back if the portal is being guarded."
"I don't know. We just have to hope they come up with something."
Sa'di took this information in and said nothing, apparently resigned to wait with the humans for as long as necessary. She suddenly brightened.
"I have some good news. Those metallic disks the off worlders were looking for. I know they took some of them when they left." She looked at Jackson. "And I know he has some of them. It turns out the rest weren't taken by the Peacekeepers. I've been in contact with some of the other researchers from the project. When the Peacekeepers attacked, they got to the portal first and took as much as they could. I should be able to get some of them to you in a few days."
--------------------
The following morning, Carter found Aeryn still hunched over the terminal and staring at images of Earth. She had evidently cleaned herself up and changed into standard Air Force fatigues.
"Good morning, Aeryn. Did you sleep at all?"
Aeryn shook her head fractionally to indicate that she hadn't.
"I see you're still running that program. I'm sorry we couldn't give you something a little more sophisticated. This thing was designed to be colorful and pleasant; it doesn't really go into much depth on anything. We'll see about getting you something more interesting later. For now, I have a little good news. The translation devices arrived earlier this morning. If you would follow me we'll see what we can do with them."
Carter led Aeryn to the medical facility, where O'Neill, Teal'c and Fraser were waiting. There were greetings all around as Carter opened a case containing a number of triangular metallic pieces about one inch across.
"According to Daniel's notes, these things are supposed to be placed on the temple. It should be painless and safe, but Dr. Fraser is going to monitor us for a few hours just to be sure. Well, here goes nothing."
With that, she placed one of the triangles against her head. There was a click as it bonded to her skin.
"O.k., Aeryn, try saying something."
"Do, you understand me?"
Carter smiled at that. "You sound a little funny, and your mouth isn't matching the words I hear, but yeah, I understand you."
The look of relief on Aeryn's face was unmistakable.
"I have a number of questions about this mission. I also need to tell you ..."
Carter held up her hands. "Hold on just a second. I know you're eager to communicate now that you can, but let's try this on the others first."
Teal'c and O'Neill placed identical devices to their head just as Carter had done, and they sealed themselves in place.
"Try to say something again."
"Hello. Do you understand me?"
"Indeed I do, Aeryn Sun. Your voice sounds strange to me as Major Carter said, but the meaning is clear."
O'Neill just tapped the triangle at his temple. "Nothing yet, Carter. I just heard the same backwards sounding gibberish. No offense ...."
"I was afraid of that. We still don't know why Machello built these things, but it seems they were designed specifically for Goa'uld. Teal'c's symbiote and what's left of Jolinar in me seems to be enough to trigger them."
"Aeryn, I'm afraid Teal'c and I are the only ones who are going to be able to understand you."
"I don't frelling care. Just as long as I can communicate with someone. There are a number things I need to ask you."
"O.k., why don't we get some breakfast and you can ask away."
Fraser interrupted. "Not so fast. I want MRIs of you and Teal'c first. I want to see if those things are doing anything unusual. I'm afraid Officer Sun's questions will have to wait just a little while."
Aeryn was not in a mood to be pleasant. "Fine. Do whatever the frell you need to do, but get it over with fast."
"Janet, she said ...."
"I think I got the gist."
"Uh, Carter?"
"Sir?"
"How the hell do I get this thing off?"
--------------------
Calis had just finished another meeting with Scorpius. It had taken some effort to convince that short-sighted monstrosity to part with the schematics the Peacekeepers had seized, but she had eventually managed it. It wasn't as if there was any danger of the humans making off with them. They had nowhere to go and were under constant surveillance.
On the way back, she had been considering how best to handle the humans. Jackson was a problem, since she couldn't communicate with him directly. It would be necessary to remedy that as soon as possible. He also seemed to distrust her instinctively. She needed to do something about that as well. She had already decided that it would be essential to firmly ally herself to at least one of the humans, but she hadn't yet decided which one to focus on first.
Crichton was the obvious choice since he had known her under different circumstances and seemed to trust her. He was the scientist and had discussed the weapon in some detail with Carter. Too bad she had gotten away, but there was no point in worrying about that.
Calis had read Jenavian Chatto's report on Crichton, and had been considering an attempt at seduction. He had obviously been compliant before. However, the present situation was different and Crichton's attachment to the traitor, Sun, had obviously strengthened in the preceding three cycles. The attempt might backfire. Calis decided to hold that option in reserve for now.
Crichton might have a better understanding of the weapon, but Jackson knew the language the disks were written in. Gaining his confidence would have advantages as well. She was also concerned that his continued suspicion might undermine Crichton's trust in her. It might be best to address that problem before it became significant. Also, in Jackson's case, she was unaware of any complication of the sort Sun presented for Crichton. That too could work to her advantage.
As she neared the house where the humans were concealed, Calis decided that she needed to observe them a little longer before deciding on a specific course of action. For now, she would continue to be as helpful as possible and make sure they understood that she was indispensable to them.
As she entered the house, she found Crichton and Jackson waiting in the small living room while their hosts silently and mechanically prepared the mid-day meal. *Frelling idiots* They looked as if they were on KP duty. She would have to see to a reprimand when all this was over.
She handed a small package to Jackson. "I managed to get some of the disks. The others are spread among several people throughout the city. I'll see what I can do about getting those to you soon."
Crichton translated, and Jackson simply said, "Thank you."
"We can't have him unable to talk to anyone. I have a friend who's a doctor. I think I can get an injector and some translator microbes."
"That's a good idea, Sa'di." Turning to Jackson, he said, "She wants to inject you with translator microbes."
Jackson looked a little disturbed by that. "I don't know how I feel about having microbes colonize my brain, but I guess we don't have much choice." He turned to Sa'di and nodded.
"Good. We should eat now. We need to get moving. I don't think it's safe to stay in one place for too long."
There was no argument, and the three fugitives from the Peacekeepers sat down for a quick meal with their very quiet hosts.
--------------------
Aeryn Sun was taking her frustrations out on the only thing that would stand still for it. She was beating the life out of a heavy punching bag. It was a little different than her setup on Moya, but adequate for the purpose. As she executed a series of complex, coordinated blows, the focus required and the attendant physical exhaustion were almost enough to take her mind off Crichton. However, she knew that would last only as long as she kept hitting the bag.
She heard someone approach from behind and stopped, a little annoyed at the interruption.
"Greetings, Aeryn Sun. I hope you do not mind the intrusion."
Upon hearing the voice, Aeryn decided that she didn't mind at all. There were only two people on this planet she could talk to, and this was one of them. Except where John was concerned, she had never really been one for conversation, not even when she was a Peacekeeper. Having the option taken from her made all the difference. She felt comfortable around Teal'c in a way that she didn't with any of the humans. She spent more time with Carter and had not only become dependent on her but had also come to like her. However, Teal'c was an outsider like her, and that made some things easier. She didn't have the feeling that she was constantly being appraised by John's people, even if she knew that it was probably all in her head.
"Not at all. I was just trying to keep busy."
"I understand. Physical activity can be a useful distraction at times. Your concern for Dr. Crichton has been quite evident. Rest assured that you will be reunited with him."
Aeryn simply nodded. There wasn't really anything to say to that. She changed the subject.
"So you've been on Earth for a number of cycles ... years now. Do you feel that you have adjusted, or do things still seem strange to you?"
"I have become accustomed to life here, but it has not become my home. I suspect that your situation and mine are similar in some ways, Aeryn Sun, but different in others. We are both fugitives from our people and would be treated by them as traitors. I, however, plan to return to Chulak someday when the Goa'uld are finally defeated. It is my understanding that you have no desire to return to your people. Is there nowhere you consider home?"
Aeryn thought about that for moment. "I suppose maybe Moya. That's the closest thing I've ever had to a home." Then she added, "But only if John was there with me." The words were out before she had a chance to consider them. Of course, she meant it, but she hadn't expected to say it to anyone except John. She looked away slightly embarrassed.
"You are concerned about adjusting to life here with Dr. Crichton. I suspect that you have nothing to fear. It is clear how you feel about him. It was equally clear on Brinisa, at least to anyone with eyes, how he feels about you. You say that Moya was a home for you with him there. I assure you that Earth will be as well, should you both decide to stay."
Teal'c didn't do a lot of talking, so it was difficult to gauge him at times. Aeryn was surprised by how easily he had seen through her worries. Was she that transparent? It didn't really matter. There was no point in thinking that far ahead until they got John back. However, she was grateful for Teal'c's attempt at reassurance, and she said, barely above a whisper, "Thank you."
Teal'c smiled and bowed his head in acknowledgement.
"I observed some of your attack patterns a moment ago. They are very unusual and most intriguing. Perhaps you would consider sparring with me."
"I would welcome it. I tried it with some of the humans a few days ago, but Samantha asked me to stop. I caused a few injuries, and apparently, that is discouraged. I find it very strange."
"Yes. The Tau'ri are fine warriors, but they have a very different approach to certain things than the Jaffa and, I suspect, the Peacekeepers. They do not endanger their people unnecessarily during training or when an objective is not deemed sufficiently important. I too found this attitude strange in the beginning, but have come to respect its implications. They have a reverence for life that is all too uncommon."
Before Aeryn had a chance to respond, they heard the sound of footsteps and turned to find Carter approaching.
"There you two are. I've been looking for you. The general wants us in the conference room in 15 minutes. We have guests. The Tok'ra council has approved our plan, and we're going to meet with their representative."
Aeryn suddenly found herself more energized than she had been in days. Things were finally moving, and the faster it went, the faster she could get back to Brinisa.
"Give me a few microts to shower and change, and I'll join you." She headed to her quarters alone.
It had been ten days since her inadvertent and totally unexpected trip to Earth, and the humans were allowing her greater freedom with each passing day. At first, she had been escorted everywhere, and there was always a guard posted outside her door. Now, with the exception of the armory and a few restricted areas, she had the run of the base. Aeryn suspected that the increasing trust they placed in her had more than a little to do with Major Carter.
She spent more time with Carter than anyone else. In addition to being one of only two people who could understand her, Aeryn suspected that Carter had taken her on as a personal project, probably out of loyalty to John. For her part, Aeryn had accepted the attention not only because she needed Carter but because she had been John's friend ... and more she reminded herself occasionally, but that wasn't relevant to the situation at hand.
--------------------
"It's been ten days. No sign of your people."
"It might be ten weeks, John. There's no way to tell. We just have to be patient."
"Patient ... "
"I know you're worried about her, but she's safe. I give you my word on that."
"It's not that. I believe you, and Aeryn can take care of herself anyway. It's just that she must be going out of her mind by now. She can't even talk to anyone on Earth."
"My friends are smart people, John. They'll figure something out, and I'm willing to bet Aeryn will be with them when they come to get us."
Jackson took out a small device he kept concealed in his backpack.
"It's close to noon. You keep an eye on the door while I send the signal."
"Daniel, do you still think we should keep this little toy of yours from Sa'di? She's the only thing that's kept us alive so far."
"Believe me, I'm grateful, but it's standard procedure. I never used to see any sense in this cloak and dagger stuff myself, but the past few years have taught me a few things about staying alive."
"Yeah ... I know the feeling."
--------------------
Aeryn walked into the conference room to find SG-1 and General Hammond in conversation with a woman wearing ... not very much at all.
The general made introductions. "Officer Sun, this is Anise, representing the Tok'ra council. Anise, Aeryn Sun, formerly of the Peacekeeper military."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Aeryn Sun."
Aeryn was surprised by the strange, resonant quality of Anise's voice. She nodded once in greeting.
"You haven't missed anything yet. We just started. Please continue Anise."
"The Tok'ra will provide you with two transport vessels and two pilots. We have already begun the disassembly procedures, we expect to have both vessels fully reassembled at the launch site in four days. As per our agreement, any information you recover will be shared with the Tok'ra."
Aeryn blurted out, "Then we move in four days?"
Carter translated for the group, and O'Neill responded.
"I'm afraid not, Aeryn. We won't be charging in blindly. This isn't an invasion, it's a surgical strike. Once the transports are in place, we send in a reconnaissance team. With luck, the Tok'ra ships should be able to get through Peacekeeper scans without any trouble. They blend in as best they can and collect information on troop deployment, movement of senior people, and the layout of their base of operations. The best case scenario is that we snatch someone who knows where the schematics for the weapon are. At the very least, we destroy the gate room, control mechanism and their headquarters. It would be nice if we could destroy the gate, but that would mean wiping out the Brinisi capital as well, so that's out."
Of course, this all made sense to Aeryn, but that didn't stop her from quietly making a fist so tight that her nails almost cut into her palm. They were talking about at least another 10 days. John would be alone for at least that long. Well, he wasn't entirely alone. He had Jackson, whom she trusted because the humans did, and Sa'di, whom she trusted not at all. This reminded her of something as they were exiting the conference room.
"Samantha, did you have a chance to examine the residue from that explosion." She had voiced her suspicions about the Brinisi woman almost as soon as she could communicate, but in all the excitement she hadn't thought of this until just a few days ago.
"Yeah, I was going to talk to you about that. You were right. The metallic fibers on our clothes couldn't possibly have done damage. They're something like strands of mylar. You said those explosives are designed to expel fine shards that cause puncture wounds, an antipersonnel weapon like claymores? Well, they definitely modified them so they wouldn't hurt anyone."
Aeryn ignored the unfamiliar words but got the point. "So the explosion was staged? Why would they do that?"
"I have no idea, but it certainly lends credence to your suspicions about that woman. You said you saw her do something with her wrist right before they went off."
"Yes."
After the elation of finding out that the plan was finally in motion, Aeryn was now more worried than she had been before. Whatever the humans made of this evidence, there was now no doubt in her mind that she had left John in the hands of someone very dangerous.
--------------------
She couldn't understand it. As far as he knew, he could be captured and subjected to torture and death at any time, but instead of worrying about himself all he did was babble about Aeryn Sun. He did it nonstop in her presence now, ever since the fiasco of three days earlier.
Calis had kept them constantly on the move and increasingly dependent on her. She thought it was working. Jackson had questioned her a few times early on, but he no longer did. Whenever they 'found' someplace to stay for a few days, they fell into a simple routine. Jackson would work on the translation, and if the material had anything to do with the weapon, he would go over it again and again with Crichton until they were sure what the inscription meant. She would listen intently and secretly record everything.
She had been forced to supply large amounts of material from the dig, since the Peacekeepers had no idea what was important. This had proved very frustrating because Jackson seemed to be as interested in meaningless cultural information as he was in the schematics. Crichton was no help; he barely seemed interested in anything. It was left to her to try to keep things on track, but she couldn't afford to appear too eager.
They had been moving every two or three days, and following this pattern. Calis disappeared each day to secure food and supplies and to periodically recover more of the disks from her supposed colleagues. Things had been going smoothly if slowly. The only miscalculation, at least that she saw, had happened three days ago.
Crichton had been in a somewhat less abysmal mood than usual. She had joined him as he looked out an open window and watched the setting sun. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to make a move and further ingratiate herself. She sat close and spoke about the upheaval of the past several days, her grief at losing Celas and her constant fear of venturing out each day. She closed the distance between them as she spoke until she was leaning against his shoulder. He put his arm around her. It seemed to be working. He was trying to comfort her, telling her that everything would be alright. While he spoke, she slowly turned in his embrace, and before he knew what was happening, kissed him lightly. She had fully expected a response, but the one she got took her by surprise. He stiffened instantly, removed his arm and stepped away.
She remembered the look of total confusion as he backed away saying, "Sa'di, I'm sorry. I think you may have misinterpreted things. I ..."
She had cut him off, trying to salvage the situation as best she could. "No, John. I apologize. I didn't mean to give offense. I'll leave you alone now." She had assumed her most wounded expression as she walked away. She still had no idea what the frell had gone wrong. Could he really be that dedicated to Sun? Or was it just some primitive and incomprehensible alien nonsense. In any event, Crichton had made sure that he was not alone with her again.
Well, if seduction wouldn't work, perhaps she could still use this. He was obviously feeling guilty about hurting her. That might prove an advantage.
Calis' train of thought was interrupted as Jackson jumped up and said, "Yes! It's exactly what I thought."
"Sorry. Got a little carried away. This is a historical record that describes how the original inhabitants of this planet transported tens of thousands of people from a primitive world. The description of the system they came from definitely matches Earth." He looked up from his work at two blank faces.
"Don't you see? This means that Sebaceans, Brinisi, anyone who looks human in this part of the galaxy are actually the descendants of human slaves. It's the same pattern as the Goa'uld, only much earlier."
Calis blurted out with genuine contempt, "Don't be frelling ridiculous!"
Both humans stared at her as she quickly covered her indignation. "I mean, that sounds rather unlikely doesn't it?"
"No, not really. As I said, the Goa'uld have done it repeatedly, and some of the people they displaced are now far more advanced that your people or the Peacekeepers."
Calis said nothing. The human was a fool. It was inconceivable that Sebaceans were descended from primitives, and slaves at a that. It took an effort on her part not to kill him on the spot for implying something so hideous.
--------------------
Aeryn had been on Earth two weekens, and each day was worse than the last. She knew that the longer John was on Brinisa, the more likely it was that the Peacekeepers would find him. Had she been objective, she would have admitted that it was likely they had already found him, but she refused to accept that possibility. Her days had consisted of long sessions with various military personnel and endless questions about not only the Peacekeepers and the Brinisi but about everything else they could think of. Carter usually served as interpreter, although Teal'c sometimes assumed that role.
When she wasn't being questioned or having yet another battery of medical tests performed on her, she was familiarizing herself with the slowly developing details of the mission and with the equipment they would be using. Aeryn had been impressed by the human weapons. They were primitive in terms of technology, but she could appreciate that they were designed with the end user in mind, something the Peacekeepers often forgot.
Even so, Aeryn had expressed some initial reservations about the humans using their own weapons instead of the more advanced Goa'uld weapons they had stockpiled. However, it soon became apparent that their projectile weapons were ideal for use against the Peacekeepers. The shielding and personal armor they used consisted mostly of light, ablative material designed to absorb and dissipate fire from energy weapons. They were largely useless against more primitive projectile weapons. The brief firefight in the Brinisi gate chamber and some tests the humans did on Aeryn's pulse rifle confirmed this. Carter had informed Aeryn that this matched their experience with several other advances races. It seemed that technology could sometimes blind one to the obvious.
If her days were occupied with details about the mission, her nights were spent mostly in immersing herself in information on Earth. Carter had given her access to the non-secure portion of the SGC's computer system as well as some basic instruction, which was greatly complicated by the fact that Aeryn couldn't read. She now had endless streams of audio information, images, longer videos on various subjects, and an enormous collection of music. The last had come as the biggest surprise. The Peacekeepers had simple martial music only, and in her limited experience, other species tended to have fairly narrow ideas about what constituted music. One Luxan shilquen composition sounded very much like every other Luxan shilquen composition. One Delvian religious hymn sounded very much like every other Delvian religious hymn. Aeryn had been unprepared for the variety and shear volume of human music. She listened to as many different types as she could and found that she liked a great deal of it and disliked a fair amount of it as well. That was comforting in its own way.
As for being unable to read English, Aeryn had actually started to tackle that problem head on. She had spent a few arns each of the past few nights with an elementary language program, obviously designed for young children. She was learning, very slowly, not only how to interpret the symbols but how to make the sounds. Having an inanimate computer as partner helped considerably, since the microbes didn't interfere. Aeryn felt foolish at times when her correct responses were rewarded by simple music and dancing animals, but she put up with it. She decided this would be her surprise for John.
Sleep was impossible for more than a few arns a night. Even when she was fully occupied, Aeryn was constantly worrying about John. When she attempted to rest, the worry became overwhelming. After her nightly study sessions, she had taken to exercising to the point of physical collapse. It was the only way she could sleep at all. Carter brought the subject up soon after her arrival on Earth. She and Fraser suggested that Aeryn take some sleep medication, but she categorically refused. She was beginning to trust the humans, but she would not allow her senses to be dulled under any condition.
The trust she had developed in such a short time was another surprise. Carter in particular had become a friend. It was a novel experience for Aeryn. When she was a Peacekeeper, there were people she called 'friend', but any one of them would have betrayed her without a second thought if duty required it. She knew all too well about that. It wasn't until her exile on Moya that Aeryn had learned something about what friendship meant, and even then it had taken her the better part of a cycle to overcome her training enough to start regarding her crewmates as friends. These humans were different. Of course, she was also a very different person than she had been.
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"Come in," Aeryn responded to Carter's now familiar knock.
"Good morning, Aeryn. How are you today?"
She looked up from the computer, smiled and said far more pleasantly than she felt, "Good morning, Samantha. I'm fine. How are things going with the Tok'ra?"
"They expect to have the transports reassembled later today. After that, it's 16 hours to Brinisa. They'll do several passes over the city, collect what data they can, and insert our observers."
"Good. They'll be able to pick up Jackson's signal?"
"Yeah. But even if John and Daniel are still in hiding from the Peacekeepers, they won't try to make direct contact. We'll have someone observe the Brinisi woman first. We have you to thank for that piece of intelligence. No matter what, we can't compromise the overall mission."
"Of course," Aeryn said with resignation. She didn't care about the frelling overall mission, but this was the only way the humans would proceed. She almost wished she hadn't said anything about Sa'di, but it was better for everyone, including John, that they went in as fully informed as possible.
"In the mean time, I have a surprise for you. How would you like to get out the base for a while?"
That got Aeryn's attention. "What do you mean?"
"Well, we're expecting data on the layout of the city and the gate site within 24 hours. We're going to start constructing a mockup of the site for training right after that, and naturally, you're going to be involved. So either way, we're taking you above ground in about a day. General Hammond and Dr. Fraser have already given approval for you to leave the base under escort."
"In the mean time, I've been ordered to Washington to brief some of our senior scientists on the relativistic weapon, at least on what we know about it so far. I thought you might want to come along. The briefing itself shouldn't take long, and there's nothing for us to do here until the reports from our field operatives are processed and transmitted. It would give you an opportunity to see a little more of Earth than what's in those videos, and," she tried to sound casual, "it might give you something to tell John about when you see him."
Aeryn was on her feet instantly. She didn't need any convincing. "Let's go."
"Not so fast. We don't want to attract attention, so we're going to have to find a way for you to blend in a little."
"I could wear my own clothing."
"Trust me. That would probably attract some attention. Airman ...."
Someone entered Aeryn's quarters carrying what looked like a uniform. She realized immediately that it resembled nothing she had seen at the SGC.
"We've come up with a cover story for you that might help with the language problem as well."
Assuming a tone of mock severity, Carter said, "Aeryn Sun, welcome to the Russian Air Force."
"I don't understand."
"You know that Earth is divided into different countries, right?" When Aeryn nodded, she continued. "Well, you are going to play the part of a visiting military observer from another country, specifically Russia. That will explain why you don't speak English, but you shouldn't say too much out loud when we're in public since you don't sound even a little Russian."
"Why did you choose this, what is it ... Russia?"
"For one thing, I speak some Russian, so I can communicate with you in public without breaking cover. Also, the Russians control the second Stargate, and they know about the weapon. We have a treaty obligation to share any important technology recovered through the gate. So we were able to ask permission to borrow the identity of one of their officers. Don't worry. We didn't tell them why, and they don't know anything about you. They just went along because it's connected to the Stargate."
"Why don't you change and meet me in my office when you're ready."
Aeryn almost felt guilty at her excitement, but she couldn't really contain it. There was nothing she could do for John just yet, but she would frelling well be ready with a few stories whenever she did get back to him. After a bit of uncertainty about what went where, she managed to get the uniform on and headed to Carter's office.
"Looks good. So, are you ready to go?"
"Very much so. By they way, what's my rank?"
"Captain. Specifically, you are Captain Irina Petrovna Tuchina, senior instructor at the Zhukovsky Academy, and currently assigned to the Russian Stargate project."
It occurred to Aeryn that she had just been promoted. All it took was becoming a fugitive from her people, joining up with a group of criminals, falling in love with an alien and ending up on the other side of the galaxy. It wasn't quite the career path she had planned in her youth, but it had certainly been more colorful.
As they headed from Carter's office to the elevator Aeryn had never been allowed to approach, two guards fell into step behind them.
"So, are they here to protect me from Earth or to protect Earth from me?"
"A little of both, I suppose."
"Not the answer I was expecting, but thank you for the candor."
All four entered the elevator and Aeryn could sense that they were ascending a fairly long way. She had no idea until just now that they had been that far underground. After they reached the top level, there were a series of checkpoints and armed guards until they arrived at a collection of vehicles of some kind. Carter motioned for Aeryn to join her in the rear of one of them while their escorts took the front seats, and one of them operated the vehicle. They passed through a very long tunnel with yet more armed guards and a succession of heavy blast doors.
As they passed outside, the sudden glare of sunlight blinded her for an instant. The air was cold. Carter had told her that it was nearing winter in this region of the planet. At least there was no snow or ice. Rain was one thing, but Aeryn had developed a deep aversion to ice.
"It's a couple of miles to the airstrip, then 5 hours by air to Washington."
"Five arns?"
"Remember that we don't have your transportation technology. It takes us a while longer to get anywhere."
The flight itself was uneventful but a little disconcerting for Aeryn. The technology involved was even more primitive than that on Farscape One, and she would have felt much more comfortable if she were doing the flying. The interior of the craft was considerably more comfortable than any transport she had ever seen. It was just the four of them from the SGC, two pilots and an Airman serving refreshments. In her old life, a space this large would have been considered a waste if it carried anything less than 50 Peacekeepers. She asked Carter about that.
"Oh, don't think this is normal for our military either. It's just that working on a top secret project with a massive budget has a few perks."
Aeryn considered that for a moment. It was probably much the same with the Peacekeepers. "I wouldn't know anything about that. I was just a simple soldier."
That piqued Carter's curiosity. "Can I ask you how you and John met? He sort of summarized things when we were in the Brinisi detention center, but he was obviously editing a lot out."
Aeryn thought back to the day nearly five cycles ago when her life had been turned upside down. "Well, I suppose we met because I was a little overzealous and failed to obey an order ...."
She spent the better part of the next arn explaining in some detail what had happened that day. Their security was at the other end of the cabin, so they were essentially alone. She hadn't intended to reveal as much as she did, but she felt comfortable with Carter and once she started, she just kept going.
"So this Crais. From what John said, you had trouble with him later too?"
Aeryn immediately shut down. "Yes." She wasn't comfortable enough to get into that.
Carter sensed that this was a line of inquiry best left untouched, so she focused on something else.
"Do you mind if I ask you when you and John became more than friends?" She wasn't sure if that would be a touchy subject too, but Aeryn started talking again.
"I suppose I always realized there was something different about him. I don't know when my .... feelings .... started to factor in. I know I denied it for a long time. If I had to narrow it down, I would say a little over two, maybe two and a half, cycles ago, although things didn't go very smoothly at first. I ....uh .... well, it was all very new to me. Peacekeepers don't form long term relationships of any kind. I didn't know what the frell I was doing, and I suppose John didn't expect certain things either. We both made some mistakes." She paused, again withdrawing into herself for a few moments but then brightened a little. "But that's all behind us."
Carter was surprised that Aeryn had been willing to reveal so much. They talked frequently, but until now, things had rarely ventured onto personal topics and almost never onto anything of consequence.
"You've known John for a long time."
"Yeah. We've been friends for around 15 years." She decided not to venture beyond that.
"You were also more than a friend at one point, were you not?"
Carter looked at Aeryn in surprise. "He told you about that?"
"In the detention center. We don't keep secrets from one another."
"It was a long time ago, and it was never very serious."
"That's what John said."
"You two are very lucky, you know. It's obvious to anyone who spends five minutes with you how much you mean to each other. Leave it to John to have to travel to the other end of the galaxy to finally find someone who's right for him."
"Was there no one else in his past who was .... right for him?"
Carter considered the question carefully before answering.
"Aeryn, I've known John a long time. He's been in love before, seriously enough to consider marriage at one point. But I am telling you with absolute certainty that I have never seen him the way he is when he's around you. If you're worried that things will change once you're both on Earth, don't be. There's nothing here to threaten you, at least not where John is concerned."
Was everyone around here a frelling psychic? Aeryn didn't know how to respond to that or how to convey her genuine gratitude to Carter for saying it so she just remained silent.
Carter took her silence for acknowledgement. "Well, that's enough of that. We've still got a few hours before we get to Washington. How would you like to see a movie?"
"A what?"
"It's a story in video form, fictional in this case. I've picked something you might find kind of fun. It gives you a little taste of what humans have dreamt about when they consider space and what might be out there. It's a little thing called Star Wars. Try not to laugh too hard."
As the fanciful and somewhat bewildering images finished playing, Aeryn decided that her initial assessment had been correct. Humans were bizarre. The pilot announced over a speaker system that they were about to land, and Aeryn put on the simple restraints attached to her seat.
"This is Andrews Air Force Base. We'll be here for about an hour and a half while I give my briefing, and then we'll see about giving you a little taste of Earth."